The excitement is in full swing as the Alola Pokémon League competition continues! With the first four matches completed and out of the way, Ash, Guzma, Hau, and Lana are all on their way to the second half of the Quarterfinals. Only four matches are remaining in the tournament Round of 16 but who will join Ash, Guzma, Hau, and Lana and move on to the next round? And, what about Sarah? Will she finally have her chance to battle in the Pokémon League or will she be left in the dust?

Over at the stadium's lounge area, Sophocles and Race were bracing themselves for their impending match. While Race was eager to go up against one of his girlfriend's classmates, Sophocles was letting his nerves get the better of him as it dawned on him that he would be taking on a former Battle Frontier Champion of all people who was also the boyfriend and betrothed of one of his closest friends.

"It's almost time for the fifth match and you're up next, Sophocles!"

"Wow! You're lucky, I can't believe you're going to be battling Race! He's a Battle Frontier Champion so you got your hands full, huh?" grinned Mallow and Rotom-Dex.

"Guys, take it easy. Isn't that putting more pressure on him? He doesn't need any more butterflies in his stomach than he already has," the princess warned, trying to make them sensitive to Sophocles' feelings.

"Sophy, you okay?" Togedemaru cooed worriedly.

"Oh, man... I'm so nervous! Me, battling Race, a Battle Frontier Champion? What am I going to do?!" the Electric Type student gulped.

"Stay calm and you'll be great!"

"Try taking a few deep breaths!" Lana and Ash said to him, getting Sophocles to do so as he took some deep breaths.

"Better?" Quilava puzzled.

"Phew, thanks guys. I'm a little calmer now."

"Hey, Soph?" Race called as he joined his opponent. "I know you're antsy about battling me right now but I want you to battle me as I am now and not as a Battle Frontier Champion. Just do your best against me and have fun with it, okay?"

Sophocles looked at Race for a moment before he nodded with a smile and accepted a handshake from him, "Yeah, you got it! Good luck, Race!"

With Kiawe and Asha (joined by Acerola and Mimikins), they were also looking forward to their battle together as they bantered, "Kiawe, I'm looking forward to battling with you today. I've heard many things about you and your Pokémon from my Sis, don't disappoint me, okay?"

"Me, too! I can't wait to see you battle out there, Kiawe!"

"Yep, yep, yep!"

"Great! And, I promise, Asha, we'll generate enough heat to rival the fires of WELA VOLCANO!"

With Lillie and Gladion, as the two siblings braced themselves for their upcoming battle, they were quiet as they didn't know what to say to each other. But, it wasn't until the Ice Type student plucked up courage and turned to her brother with a little request she had in mind for him.

"Gladion, I have a favor to ask of you," she began.

"What's that?" Gladion quizzed.

"When we finally battle, please don't hold back on me. And, yes, I know what you're thinking; your battling skills are far beyond my own."

"Lillie...…"

"But, even so, Snowy and I intend to give it everything we got!"

"Yeah! We will, we will!" Snowy agreed as she happily nuzzled her human mother.

"So, I'm asking you to do the same if it'll make Father and Mother proud should they be watching us."

Gladion had to smile as he saw how much Lillie had truly changed for the better and as the Pokémon Trainer she is now, "I promise. That was my original plan, anyway."


(Theme Song: Pokémon League Arc - Moon Pride (Sailor Moon Crystal ft. Momorio Clover Z))

MOON PRIDE! Anata no chikara na naritai (I want to be your strength)

The opening begins with an overview of Sarah, her friends, Asha, and Race standing together with their Partner Pokémon in the midst of a floral field and the full moon before the camera pans forward and passes Sarah upward before the main titles appear in a flurry of light, electricity, and snow.

POKEMON SUN & MOON: Pokémon League Blues!

Nine lights (red, gold, yellow, green, blue, white, crimson, cyan, and an orange/yellow/violet mix) flew around the main titles before passing by and the final light showed Asha, Race, Ash, Kiawe, Lillie, Lana, Mallow, and Sophocles standing in a circle with their backs to each other and looking out on the horizon (with the Alola girls having a tear fall from their eyes, the boys looking determined as they glared hard, Race looks contempt yet determined as a flash of lightning streaks by him, and Asha looks out to her right worriedly and with heartache)

Namida wa hono wo tsutai (Tears roll down my face)

Hitomo wa akaku moeru (My eyes are burning red hot)

Inazuma no yo ni hageshiku (Being just as violent as lightning)

Dareka ga ai wo sakeru (Someone cries out for love)

We then quickly pan over to Sarah as she holds her hands in a prayer position with her eyes closed as if she's in some sort of slumber before she eventually wakes up and the camera pans to the moon in a blissful space of wonder.

Tatoe Don'na (No matter what) Kurayami Demo (Dark it is)

Hitori janai yo ne? (You're not alone, you know?) Watashitachi Wo (We're together)

Terasa Moonlight (Shining in moonlight) (AH)

Sarah is then shown in Ula'Ula's Malie City on a rainy day (while in a hand-painted/CGI background and holding an umbrella over her head) where she turns and suddenly sees a person that looks like Dia with a Shiny Zeraora at a tree while holding an umbrella over his head and reading a book before they took notice of her. The little princess gave a brief yet nostalgic sigh before she was joined by Blitz and Curly and then her boyfriend, sister, and friends as they got together and cheered, throwing their umbrellas up in the air.

On'nankoko ni mo yuzurenu kyoji ga aru (Girls, don't give away your self-respect)

Sore wa ouji-sama ni unmei nagazu (Don't throw away your destiny for a prince)

Mizukara Tatakau Ishi (Fight for yourself)

Soon, Sarah's friends and Asha along with their Partner Pokémon start to fight against other trainers in the Alola League's elimination and quarter rounds as they climb their way to the Top 16 spots for the official tournament. Sarah and Race stand together as their Pokémon fight before they face each other and they order Blitz and Robbie to go at each other and see who's the better trainer and Pokémon between them.

Shiny Make-Up! Kagayaku yo hoshizora wo atsumete (Keep shining as you collect the starry sky)

Tada mamorareru dake no kayowai sonzai ja nai wa (We aren't weak girls who need man's protection)

In the midst of the competition, Team Skull appears to crush the competition and win in their own right with the most prominent of its members showing themselves as follows: Tupp, Zipp, Rapp, Plumeria, and Guzma (the main head of Team Skull preparing to compete himself). Kukui, Lusamine, Wicke, Faba, Burnet, Doug, Delilah, David, and Doug are shown together as they nod to wish everybody participating in the Alola League good luck and we even get a glimpse at an unknown Pokemon appearing from an Ultra Wormhole. Sarah reappears and draws Cosmic Grace before she holds it out and its light shines for all of Alola to see.

Shiny Make-Up! Tatakau yo hoshizora wo matotte (I will fight in the starry sky)

Atarashii densetsu ga ima koko kara hajimaru (A new legend begins from here)

La la, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon

The opening ends with quick shots of the main group of nine as they and their Pokémon reappear together and do poses, ready to face the Alola League head-on and have fun no matter who wins or loses the entire tournament.

(Pokémon League Arc Opening Ends)


Soon, it was time for the fifth match of the Quarterfinals as Race and his Volcarona, Gorie, went up against Sophocles' Vikavolt in a power match-up of fire and thunder. At present, Gorie was chasing his Bug/Electric Type opponent with some acrobatic-like maneuvers as Caster commentated, "We're seeing some intense aerial acrobatics in this fifth match rumble as Gorie goes up against Sophocles' Vikavolt!"

As Nanu now presided over the next two battles including Race and Sophocles' battle, the Sun Pokémon was still flying after Vikavolt as he did his best to avoid his powerful Cyberspace opponent.

"GOOOOOOO!" Sophocles shouted to his Stag Beetle Pokémon while the others and the rest of the crowd cheered from the stands.

"They're doing good so far," Asha remarked.

"Just leave everything involving the battle commentary to me!"

"And, me, cool cats!" Rotom-Dex and Rotoscope barked happily as they recorded the entire battle.

"Vikavolt, Zap Cannon," Sophocles called as Gorie flew closer in his pursuit of his current Bug/Electric Type partner.

"Get ready, Gorie, 'cause this one's gonna rock your world!" Vikavolt taunted as he turned, prepared his Zap Cannon, and fired when he had the Volcarona in his sights. "Eat Zap Cannon at point-blank range, Flame Head!"

Gorie just smirked as he dodged to the left and let the attack zip past him, shocking Sophocles and Vikavolt as they blurted out, "Oh, man/Speedy!"

"Attaboy, Gorie, don't let up! Let them know it takes more than speed and surprise attacks alone to take us down!" Race smirked at his Bug/Fire Type as Vikavolt then chased after the Sun Pokémon only for him to zigzag at an erratic rate, making it impossible for the Stag Beetle Pokémon to keep him in his sights for any of his long-range attacks to land a hit.

"This is bad; at that speed, we can't land a hit on Gorie while he's zigzagging like that all of the time!" Sophocles fretted.

"Now, use Fiery Dance!" Race continued.

"My pleasure!" Gorie nodded, using Fiery Dance to increase his Special Attack stats as flames were now making their way toward Vikavolt.

"Dodge them, Vikavolt!"

"Yeow!" the Bug/Electric Type yelped as he did his best to dodge the flames coming for him although he ended up taking a few hard hits from them before he found himself being pummeled by them, much to Sophocles' horror as he watched.

"AHH! Vikavolt, no!"

"Vikavolt/No way!" Ash and Pikachu gasped in shock.

"Oh, my!" Lillie breathed, stunned.

"Man, that was harsh!" Kiawe gulped.

"Damn, what a weasel..." gawked Eternatus, completely speechless over Gorie's speed and power.

"That's for sure, a Volcarona's the most powerful Bug Type around and one associated with my natural element of fire," Braixen agreed.

"Sophocles may be a great trainer but he's seeing what Race was made of just now," chuckled Sarah. "He didn't become the Hoenn League Champion and the Hoenn Battle Frontier Champion for nothing, you know."

"Wow, I never thought Race was that good and with a Volcarona like Gorie of all Pokémon," Mallow admitted in amazement.

"They're tough," winced Lana, worried for Sophocles and Vikavolt.

"Quiver Dance plus Hurricane!" Race continued, giving off a combo attack for Gorie.

"You fought well, Vikavolt. But, it's time to see if you have what it takes to beat me and move on. Take this, RAAAAAAGH!" Gorie boomed as he raised his Special Attack, Attack, and Speed stats with Quiver Dance by one stage each and unleashed a powerful Hurricane attack that sent Vikavolt crashing into the ground.

"VIKAVOLT!" Sophocles screamed, seeing how badly Vikavolt was being beaten but smiled as he saw his partner wasn't going to call it quits as he got back up despite his wounds. "Alright! You show 'em, partner!"

Race gasped in surprise but he smirked, feeling glad to see that Sophocles was having fun and battling at his full strength alongside Vikavolt despite them nearly being at their wit's end.

"Good, you still got some fight in you two. Now, come at us!" he demanded as he and Sophocles shared knowing smirks.

"With pleasure! Alright, Vikavolt, time for a counterattack! Use Zap Cannon!" the Electric Type student nodded as he ordered another Zap Cannon.

"Right! Okay, Gorie, let's try this again! Ready, aim..…" Vikavolt grinned as he prepared to fire another Zap Cannon at Gorie.

"Get ready to dodge, Gorie!"

"Fire!"

Vikavolt fired his Zap Cannon and true to form, Gorie dodged the attack but he and Sophocles had been waiting for such an opportunity as he charged forward and flew behind him. The Volcarona was shocked by the sudden turnabout as he found himself caught between his jaws, leaving Race shocked as he gasped in total bewilderment.

"Gorie!" the former Battle Frontier Champion gawked.

"Uh-oh! It looks like Vikavolt had anticipated Volcarona's movements and caught him when he least expected him!"

Ash and the others smiled for Sophocles and Vikavolt from the stands, thinking they had Race and Gorie on the ropes. But, as usual, Sarah didn't share their hopes for Sophocles' victory as she continued to smile at Race and Gorie, knowing they had a plan up their sleeves and that Sophocles and his Stag Beetle Pokémon would be in for a nasty surprise.

Gorie grunted as he tried to escape from Vikavolt's grasp but he couldn't as Vikavolt sniggered, "Game over, Gorie. Looks like I win; too bad you won't be making it to the rest of the tournament, he-he-he-he...…"

"You may think that, Vikavolt. But, if there's one thing I've learned from Master Race throughout my time with him, it's that a battle's never over until it's truly over! And, I'm not going to call it quits for his sake!" Gorie grunted as he fought with all his might.

"Now, end it with Signal Beam!" Sophocles grinned.

"Suit yourself. Ready, open wide...…" grinned Vikavolt smugly as he prepared to fire Signal Beam at point-blank range, but...…

"Now, Gorie!" Race called at the eleventh hour as Vikavolt fired his most powerful attack.

"FIRE!"

In the midst of the dust cloud, everybody thought that Gorie was done for after taking such a massive hit but when the dust finally settled, everybody was shocked to see that the Volcarona was still in one piece because of one thing: Light Screen. Race had managed to have his Sun Pokémon use Light Screen at the eleventh hour to defend himself.

The crowd cheered for the unexpected turnabout as Caster gawked in amazement, "Yes! And, there it is, a lightning-fast Light Screen defense! This match is looking far from over for Sophocles and Race but it looks like the former Hoenn Battle Frontier Champion's the one calling the shots now!"

"What?!"

"Oh, no! Not that, how did you-!?" Vikavolt and Sophocles panicked, realizing their plan to beat Gorie at point-blank range was now thrown out the window.

Race chuckled as he told his rival, "Sorry, Soph, but why Gorie can use Light Screen in the eleventh hour was simple; I've raised him since he was only a tiny Larvesta. He's tougher than he looks with all the training we've done and his balanced move set. If you had been paying attention earlier, you would've noticed we were baiting you and Vikavolt into a trap of our own. Many trainers before you have used this tactic beforehand and we had a few close calls but we eventually came up with a bait-n-switch tactic that allows us to use Light Screen at the last minute and throw them off guard, allowing us to take the win each time. You both fell for our little blunder buff!"

"Oh, man!"

"Vikavolt!"

"Sophy!" Ash, Pikachu, and Togedemaru gasped in shocked horror.

"This is not good! Sophocles and Vikavolt have left themselves wide open after using that last Signal Beam at full power!" Rotom-Dex panicked.

"I can't believe it," Kiawe balked in disbelief.

"It looks like Race and Gorie have Sophocles and Vikavolt stuck between a rock and a hard place now."

"So cool!" Lillie and Lana admitted in stunned awe.

"Race is amazing," Mallow added in agreement, stunned.

"Your man's not kidding, Sis," Asha breathed in surprise.

Sarah nodded as she continued to smile at her betrothed/boyfriend as he and Gorie prepared to end the match, "Sophocles and Vikavolt's point-blank range attack may give them an edge against any other opponent but against the likes of Race and Gorie, they're way out of their league."

"Well, Vikavolt... You've fought a good battle throughout our time here, too bad I'll have to end it soon. You were the first Pokémon in a long time that has ever been able to last over a minute against me but now, our match ends. And, my master and I have just the attack to make our finale worthwhile," Gorie admitted, impressed with Vikavolt during their battle.

"Huh?" Vikavolt blinked in surprise.

"Now, Master! This is the moment that will decide who's going to the next round between us! Let's end our match against Sophocles and Vikavolt with a bang, now!" Gorie called to Race.

"You got it! Let's shift into turbo with speed, use Flame Charge!" Race nodded, allowing his Volcarona to shoot forward at blinding speed thanks to the speed boost he got from Fiery Dance and rammed into Vikavolt with all his might.

"Vikavolt!" Sophocles shouted, devastated as he watched his Stag Beetle Pokémon plow into the ground in defeat just as the dust settled.

Nanu looked between Vikavolt and Gorie and once he was satisfied, he made the announcement, "Vikavolt is unable to battle! Volcarona wins; the victory goes to Race of Iki Town!"

The crowd went wild as Caster grinned brightly at what they had seen, "And, it's all over; Gorie the Volcarona has defeated Vikavolt with a super effective Flame Charge, his power turbocharged by Quiver Dance and Fiery Dance! Gorie pummels Vikavolt and wins the match by a knockout! For our fifth match of the competition, in a dramatic midair battle, the winners are Gorie and his trainer: Race Konami!"

Although he was crushed by the defeat, Sophocles smiled softly as he approached his disappointed partner when his Bug/Electric Type finally came to, "Thank you, Vikavolt, thank you. I'm so proud of you, you gave it your all today."

Despite the praise, it wasn't enough to alleviate Vikavolt of his sadness and disappointment as he buzzed with a heavy sigh, "I'm sorry, Sophocles. I really blew it at the last minute, didn't I?"

"Now, don't be sad, Vikavolt. It wasn't your fault; we've gotten pretty far in our match against Race and Gorie, didn't we? We'll train harder next time and then we'll be ready," Sophocles reassured proudly, getting a happy buzz from Vikavolt before they saw the former BF Champion and Gorie coming over.

"Hey, Soph, thanks for such a great battle today. I didn't think you and Vikavolt would have the guts to last this long against someone like me and a Pokémon such as Gorie," Race smiled humbly.

"Yeah, back to the old drawing board for us, apparently," Sophocles chuckled sheepishly before he gave a determined and thankful smile to his opponent. "But, getting to battle you as yourself and/or the Hoenn Battle Frontier Champion is worth it. Good luck in your upcoming match against Sarah if that happens."

The two shared a handshake and Gorie and Vikavolt shared happy buzzes as Race nodded to him, "Thanks, kid, you won't be disappointed."


Meanwhile, back at her cave, Bewear and Stufful were still enjoying their hot spring bath as they were performing water acrobatics together. The two of them cheered happily and jumped into the air before diving back down into the spring, garnering a round of applause and cheers from the nearby wild Pokémon that came to watch them along with the rest of Team Rocket's Pokémon.


Returning to Manalo Stadium, it was time for Kiawe and Asha to begin their match.

"There they are, Kiawe and Asha are up next!" Rotom-Dex beamed.

"Fire vs. Dragons, a cool clash of the big bad titans today! Anybody wanna bet who's going to stick it to the other?" Rotoscope eagerly put in.

"So long as they do their best, you know it's gonna be a great match!" Lana replied, feeling just as excited as the Living Pokedex and Sarah's Rotom Phone.

Even Kukui couldn't help but anticipate what was to come as Kiawe and Asha appeared and took their places, "Since Asha has many different Pokémon under her belt as well as Sarah, I wonder who Kiawe's gonna go with?"

"Kiawe!"

"Go get her!" Ash and Sophocles cheered for their fellow student.

"Come on, Asha! Yeah!"

"Give it to 'im!"

"Win, win, win!" Nickit, Flapple, and Purrloin hollered excitedly while the rest of the Pokémon, the dragons, and the Mythicals in Sarah's family cheered for her.

This time, it was Hapu's turn to act as referee as she shouted to Kiawe and Asha, "Bring out your Pokémon!"

Asha and Kiawe smirked at each other as they brought out their respective Pokémon with Tyranitar and his family's Alolan Marowak. But, just as Tyranitar was brought out for the battle, a sandstorm was suddenly kicked into action as everybody in the audience braced themselves so they wouldn't get blown away (going so far as to shield their eyes in any way they could with Asha putting on some protective goggles to help her see in the sandstorm).

"What's going on?!" Mallow screamed.

"I can't see anything!"

"Where are Kiawe and Asha?!" Sophocles and Ash added, frustrated that they couldn't see anything through the sandstorm.

"That's Tyranitar's Sand Stream ability; when brought out, he can whip up a powerful sandstorm that can block an opposing Pokémon's vision!"

"Hang on to your cool tops, fellas! This wild n' crazy sandstorm from Sand Stream's gonna be a bumpy dune buggy ride for Kiawe and a walk in the park for our royal-lady-in-law!" Rotoscope remarked.

"Hmm, Kiawe's using his family's Alolan Marowak which is a Fire and Ghost Type. But, Asha is going with a Ground Type in the form of her new Tyranitar and he has the upper hand in terms of Type advantages. This battle might be over in a flash of Agility by the looks of it," Kiawe thought as he observed the match from his current spot.

"We will now commence Match 7 of the Alola League competition! Ready? Battle, begin!" Hapu declared.

"Let's go, Tyranitar! Dragon Tail!" Asha began, making the first move as her Iron Armor Pokémon lunged towards Marowak and his tail turned green as he prepared to use Dragon Tail on him.

"Marowak, use Bonemerang!" Kiawe countered.

Kiawe's Alolan Marowak tried to use Bonemerang as he watched and waited for Tyranitar but as the sand got into his eyes, he grunted in irritation and flung his bone away from the powerful Ground Type as he got closer and closer.

"Too bad, Bonehead! Here I come, RAAAAGGHH!" Tyranitar roared as he swung his tail once he was at close range.

"DAAAAAAAGGHHH!" Marowak wailed as he was sent flying back from the powerful Dragon Type move.

"Marowak!" Kiawe cried in alarm.

"Now, use Crunch! Don't let him escape!" Asha called to her Ground Type.

"Gotcha!" Tyranitar boomed as he lunged at Marowak again to give him a hard bite.

"Look out, Marowak! Jump back and dodge him!" Kiawe warned, allowing his family's Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon to avoid Tyranitar's Crunch attack just in time and retrieve his bone (getting an impressed but annoyed grunt from Asha in the process). "Good job! Now, use Shadow Bone!"

"Use your Dragon Claw, Tyranitar!"

Alolan Marowak and Tyanitar roared at each other as they focused their energies and used Shadow Bone and Dragon Claw at each other, throwing several strikes at each other as they clashed in a massive power romp. Marowak was doing his best to hold on but Tyranitar was outclassing him as time went on, making use of his giant size to eventually push him onto the ground with his last Dragon Claw attack.

"Marowak, no!" Kiawe gasped in shock, watching Marowak stagger back on his feet as the sandstorm continued to swirl around him and realizing that Tyranitar's Sand Stream ability was putting them in a real bind. "It's this sandstorm from Tyranitar's Sand Stream ability; we can't fight like this, he's making it hard for us to see. If we want to level the playing field, we've got to take it out."

Knowing this, he then shouted, "Hang in there, Marowak! Flame Wheel!"

"Right! Here I come, you overgrown dinosaur!" Marowak proclaimed as he charged forward with Flame Wheel.

"Bring it!" Tyranitar smirked as he braced himself.

"Okay, Boy! Stay focused and concentrate on defense now, Iron Defense!" Asha bellowed, allowing Tyranitar to boost his physical Defense Stats with Iron Defense just as Marowak darted towards him and stirred up his Sand Stream ability so that it heated up to the point when it turned red hot.

Seeing the sandstorm from Tyranitar's Sand Stream ability turn red and begin to heat up, the Fire Type student smirked as he saw the first step of his plan completed, "Yeah, that's it. Now, burn it up with Flare Blitz!"

"Feel the burn, big guy!" Marowak smirked, using Flare Blitz in conjunction with Flame Wheel to become a flaming sphere of fire to burn up the sandstorm from Sand Stream and turn the sand particles into glass.

"Incredible! What an ingenious use of firepower by Kiawe! Combining Flare Blitz and Flare Wheel has allowed Marowak to become a sphere of fire and energy and burn up the sand particles from Sand Stream into small glass fragments!"

For a moment, Kiawe and Marowak thought they had the match in the bag as the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon collided with Tyranitar and pushed him back a few feet. But, as luck would have it, the Iron Armor Pokémon held his ground as he then grabbed onto the Fire/Ghost Type for what would be his and Asha's Quarterfinal first-half endgame.

"Just what I was hoping for!" Asha thought as she then called to her Ground Type, "You got him, Boy! Now, throw him up, hard and fast!"

"WHAT?!"

"HUH!?" Kiawe and Marowak gawked in horror as Tyranitar smirked devilishly and tossed the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon up into the air with all his might, shocking everybody watching. "AAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"Unbelievable! Even after taking that powerful Flame Wheel and Flare Blitz combo, Tyranitar held firm and actually flung Marowak up into the air!" Caster balked in shock as the Vikings, the gang, Sarah, and her family were left speechless by Asha and Tyranitar's ploy.

"Finish him now, Tyranitar! Rock Slide, full power!" Asha finished, allowing Tyranitar to use Rock Slide on Marowak to end the battle.

"Marowak, look out! Bonemerang!" Kiawe called frantically, having Marowak use his Bonemerang to counter some of the rocks being shot at him but being unable to defend himself from the rest as he was taken down hard.

With no strength left to fight on and realizing he lost, Marowak fell to the ground and landed in a cloud of dust, the dust settling down to reveal the defeated Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon as he lay down on his stomach and had spinning swirls over his eyes.

"Marowak is unable to battle! Tyranitar is the victor!" Hapu declared, satisfied with how the battle turned out. "The winner of Match 7 is Asha!"

"It's a homer as Asha and Tyranitar triumph over Kiawe and Marowak in a wonderfully heated battle from both of them!" Caster announced as the crowd cheered for Asha, Kiawe, Marowak, and Tyanitar.

"Great job, Tyranitar. You were amazing, not bad for your first ever Pokémon League battle," Asha congratulated her Iron Armor Pokémon who purred and nuzzled her happily.

Kiawe went to help Marowak up but when he came to, the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon couldn't help but feel disappointed that he lost the match and got himself and the Fire Type student kicked out so early, "…..Kiawe, I... I apologize..."

But, Kiawe had to smile as he reassured his family's Pokémon, "Don't worry, Marowak. We did great in our battle against Asha since it matched the flames of Wela Volcano. Grandfather would be proud to see us along with Turtonator and Pyroar having come so far ever since my Grand Trial with Olivia. Besides, we'll try again next time and we'll be better than ever."

"…Yeah, you're right," Marowak smiled humbly, seeing where Kiawe was getting at.

"First, Ash, then Lana, Guzma, Hau, and Race... And, now, you came out on top, Asha. Good work," Kukui beamed with pride, seeing how his Alola League was turning out.

He then thought about the sixth unannounced match that was left out of the battle roster but he couldn't help but smile as he thought, "*As for our missing match from the battle roster, heh. Boy, are the kids, Asha, and Race going to be in for a surprise when they see that.*"

A short while later, it was time for Lillie and Gladion's battle as Asha, Kiawe, Tyranitar, and Marowak returned from the Pokémon Center just in time and they took their places in the audience (with Sarah surprisingly being absent from the rest).

"Phew, just in time!" Kiawe breathed with relief.

"Well, this is it," Asha said, knowing what was coming.

"You made it, Kiawe!" Lana grinned.

"They're about to start now!"

"And, it's little sister vs. big brother in this match!" Ash and Hiccup added in anticipation.

"I wonder who's going to win between them," Astrid pondered as Lillie and Gladion took their places in the stadium.

"Our eighth match is about to get underway an-what?! Hold on! Holy Salamences, it's none other than a sibling showdown between Lusamine and Mohn's son and daughter: Gladion and Lillie!" gasped Caster.

Safe for Sarah's blood family and Mohn, Lusamine, Burnet, Faba, and Wicke cheered for Gladion and Lillie with Burnet, Faba, and Wicke holding signs with faces on them and Lusamine somehow getting hold of some pom-poms as she pulled off a cheerleader act for her and her husband's children.

"Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay, hooray!"

"Gladion! Lillie! Gladion! Lillie! Gladion!"

"Go, go, go, go, fight, fight, fight, fight, go, go, fight, fight, with all your might!"

But, Gladion and Lillie weren't at all amused or interested to see their own mother and her friends' cheering acts as they became embarrassed, knowing that everybody was watching and probably laughing at them.

"Oh, Mother, please..."

"That Faba..." they groaned.

Mohn and Bones, on the other hand, could only sheepishly smile at their embarrassment with the two of them quickly mouthing out, "Sorry", apologetically.

Pushing past their embarrassment, Gladion and Lillie decided to go for a straight battle with Snowy and Umbreon facing each other down for the ultimate test of their human friends' sibling relationship.

Satisfied over the Pokémon they've chosen, Hapu nodded and announced, "Alright! Battle, begin!"

"Snowy, use Hail!" Lillie shouted, making the first move and allowing Snowy to use Hail, causing dark clouds to appear and make hail fall from the sky.

Umbreon just held his ground as a faint mist covered the battlefield and started to get thicker, prompting him and Gladion to make the second attack as the latter called, "Let's attack before they have the time to strengthen their defense. Umbreon, Dark Pulse!"

"Got it!" nodded the Moonlight Pokémon and fired his Dark Pulse, hoping to catch Snowy off guard and not give her and Lillie any time to boost her defense.

"Dodge it, Snowy!"

"Yes!" Snowy answered determinedly, entering the mist as Umbreon's Dark Pulse struck her original spot where there was a decoy in her place.

Umbreon and Gladion were shocked as they saw Snowy a few feet from where she originally was to her left as the mist wafted away, realizing that Lillie and Snowy used the fog generated by Hail to fool them from the get-go.

Even the others were amazed as Sophocles and Fishlegs said, "That was some dodge!"

"Ingenious! Lillie and Snowy used the fog generated by Hail to fool Umbreon and Gladion and they didn't even know!"

"Way to go, Snowy! You fooled them! Yeah! WHOO-HOO!" Snowflake cheered as Hydreigon, Draco, and Flygon chuckled at her enthusiasm for Snowy.

"Hiding in snow, huh? Impressive, she really has grown as a trainer. Shadow Ball!" Gladion grinned proudly as he had Umbreon use Shadow Ball on Snowy.

"Use Aurora Veil!" Lillie countered.

"Aurora de...FEEEEENSE!" Snowy howled, using Aurora Veil to block Umbreon's Shadow Ball only for it to break through and hit her even though she managed to hold her ground. "Lucky!"

As the mist from Hail dispersed and the skies became clear, Lillie knew that despite her and Snowy and Gladion and Umbreon being on equal ground, only one of them would have to win this match in the end. Something or someone had to give...….

"If I'm going to win this battle, there's only one possible way I can do it: A Z-Move," she thought, deciding to take a gamble and activate her father's Z-Ring, her feelings for Mohn allowing her to activate its power which Gladion took notice of.

"Look, here it comes!" he warned Umbreon.

"It's here," the Moonlight Pokémon agreed, bracing himself as Wicke, Lusamine, Faba, Mohn, Kukui, Sarah's blood and adoptive families, and the gang all looked on in shock, surprise, and anticipation at Lillie's gamble.

"Oh, man..."

"This is it!" Snotlout and Tuffnut said, seeing what was going on.

"Yes, Lillie's going to try and use Subzero Slammer to end the match in her favor. It makes sense since Snowy knows Sheer Cold and if it hits...…" Asha nodded in confirmation.

"...…Instant KO for Umbreon and Gladion and they'll be knocked out of the competition but who knows what could happen should it connect or not?" Race nodded in agreement.

Tapping into the Z-Power from her love for her father and her wish for her family (now including her Ultra Beast sister, Nihilego Lillie) to be together and remain happy for the rest of her life, the Ice Type student transferred her power to Snowy and prepared to finish Umbreon off as they performed the poses for the Ice Type Z-Move: Subzero Slammer.

"The quiet falling of snow from the skies! Crystals of water! Constantly shimmering! Blanketing the world with their frost Z-Power! Together with my fiery spirit, rise up into the vast sky once again!" she recited, pouring all of her heart and soul as well as her love for her family and Snowy into Subzero Slammer.

"Ready!" Snowy called once she was fully charged up and ready for action with their ultimate gamble.

"Use Subzero Slammer!"

Standing on the same pillar of ice that she conjured the last time she and Lillie used Subzero Slammer, Snowy unleashed all of her power and froze Umbreon before the icy prison he was in exploded and he was sent flying back. At first, it seemed as though Lillie and Snowy had done it judging by the wounds he got and his eyes being closed from the powerful Z-Move but their victory wasn't to be as Umbreon quickly woke up, shocking the two of them as Gladion saw his chance.

"AH!"

"NO!" Lillie and her partner cried, aghast.

"Use Iron Tail!" Gladion boomed, allowing Umbreon to end the battle with one final Iron Tail assault.

Umbreon charged up his Steel Type move as his tail turned to iron and he charged at Snowy and jumped, flipping to swing his tail with all the momentum he could muster to pound her to the ground but not without saying from his heart and mind, "Snowy, forgive me...…"

"Snowy, dodge it!"

But, it was too late. And, just like that, it was over; just as Snowy was about to dodge, Umbreon cut her off and unleashed his Iron Tail attack, sending the poor Alolan Fox Pokémon flying into Lillie's arms as she caught her. Despite putting everything on the line for her and her human mother to beat Gladion and get to the second half of the Quarterfinals, Snowy was battered, bruised, and defeated.

"Snowy!" Lillie gasped, seeing how beaten her Partner Pokémon was.

"…Mommy," Snowy began, wanting to cry.

But, the Ice Type student shook her head at her, feeling proud of how hard they battled together against her brother and Umbreon as she hugged her, "Snowy, thanks so much! You and I fought so hard!"

Smiling over the heartfelt battle between the two siblings, Hapu announced to everyone, "Vulpix is unable to battle! The winner of Match 8 is Gladion!"

Everybody cheered for Gladion given his victory but they also extended the cheers to Lillie for not holding back as the winner of Match 8 went to pet Umbreon, congratulating him on a magnificent battle.

But, Faba, Wicke, Lusamine, Burnet, and Mohn were the proudest of all as they cheered and clapped loudly for them with Wicke and Faba going as far as to cry happily for the two of them and their partners.

"Oh, Little Lillie was so amazing out there!"

"Young Master Gladion was as well!"

"I'm so proud of them, Umbreon, and Snowy!" Lusamine smiled, sniffing.

"That was their best battle!" Burnet nodded proudly before she turned to Mohn.

"You and Lusamine should be very proud of them, Mohn."

"Yes, Burnet, we are," Mohn replied, feeling especially proud of his son and daughter through a father's pride for his children.


By now, after Lillie and Gladion healed Umbreon and Snowy following their battle, the heroes realized that Sarah was not with them and were wondering where she could be. Not even Asha and Race figured out where their sister and girlfriend went even if they all found out too late that her battle wasn't called on the battle roster the previous night. For a moment, everybody was worried that since she didn't get an opponent of her own, she would've been kicked out. But, their fears were suddenly washed away as Caster had something important to say to everybody.

"And, now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for! Yes, we did skip over one of the battles in the battle roster but that was per a special request between one of our last two trainers in the Top 16 because we're in for a special treat today to cap off our Tournament Round of 16! For our final battle, Match 6, we have for you a Water Type showdown between two very special trainers and their partners: Raine the Primarina Trainer and her Primarina vs. our very own Alola Princess: Sarah Tomoe, and her Primarina: Aqua!"

The crowd cheered loudest of all for Sarah and Raine as the two of them took their places on their respective sides of the stadium with Aqua and Primarina alongside them, ready to begin the battle that'll determine who's going to the next round between them.

"Oh, so the last competitor with us for the Top 16 was Raine!"

"Raine?! Wow, I didn't know she and her Primarina were entering the tournament!" Mallow and Sophocles gasped in amazement as the Vikings were left stunned at the surprise.

"That's why Sarah's match wasn't announced in the battle roster last night!"

"She's going to battle Raine!" Lillie and Lana cried, fascinated by the surprise.

"A battle between two Primarinas will be something of a major crowd-pleaser!" Rotom-Dex grinned broadly.

"Win it, Sarah!"

"**Do it!**" screamed Ash and Pikachu excitedly.

"Raine vs. Sarah, now this will be interesting."

"I'll say, it's because of Raine and her Primarina that Sarah and Aqua were able to learn Liquidation and beat me and Decidueye with it when he was still a Dartrix. I wonder how their battle's gonna go," grinned Kiawe and Hau.

"Well, Sarah, what a surprise to see you and Aqua in the tournament. It's been a while," Raine smiled.

"It sure has been, Raine. Congrats on making it to the Quarterfinals but it's too bad only one of us will have to move on after winning," the little princess replied.

"I agree. My partner and I have been wondering how you and Aqua have been getting on ever since our last meeting and we believe there's no better time to find out than here in the big leagues. I should warn you, though; we've learned several new tricks to help us with our training and our chance to take on the Masked Royal and Incineroar again."

"I bet you have but the same can be said for me and Aqua during that time."

Raine nodded as she turned to her partner, "Ready to dive in, partner?"

"You bet!" Primarina grinned as she took her place on the field.

"Aqua, it's up to you," Sarah told her Soloist Pokémon.

"Don't worry, Mom. I won't let you down," Aqua reassured as she and the little princess shared a hug before she faced her first mentor.

Hala took his position as referee once more and looked between them before he made the call, "Battle, begin!"

"Primarina, use Sparkling Aria!" Raine began, allowing her Water Type to unleash her species' signature attack.

"Use Liquidation to dodge!" Sarah countered, having Aqua form her sword blades from her flippers and defend herself from Primarina's Sparkling Aria (proudly showing her mastery of the attack since her last training session with her old idol). "Now, use Aqua Jet!"

"Coming through!" Aqua smirked as she charged at Primarina with Aqua Jet.

"Primarina, Acrobatics!" Raine shouted, allowing her Soloist Pokémon to match her old student with Acrobatics as the two of them collided with each other before they were pushed back to their respective sides.

"You've never forgotten the lessons I taught you, have you?" Primarina smiled, impressed at her student.

"I never could; they're the reason why I was able to become the Primarina I am now. You're my greatest inspiration so I wanted to make you proud by showing you all that I've learned and improved upon. You could say that was my greatest wish to you ever since you first taught me," Aqua replied.

"And, I couldn't be more proud of you than I already am. Shall we continue?"

"Yeah! May the the best Primarina win, teacher!"

"Use Icy Wind!" Sarah and Raine continued, allowing their partners to fire their shared Ice Type attack, creating a small pillar of ice in the middle of the field.

"Nice work, you two! But, now the fun begins! Primarina, Aqua Jet!" Raine smiled, now having her Primarina use Aqua Jet before she charged at Aqua who waited until she was close enough for her and Sarah to counter.

"Now, Aqua! Fly up with Psychic!" Sarah cried as Aqua lifted herself up and flew into the air, causing her mentor to stop and gawk in surprise.

"Oh, my!"

"What!?" she and Raine spluttered, speechless.

The heroes were also shocked by this unexpected development as they gasped and Caster added, "What's this?! A flying Primarina? I don't believe it; Aqua is using Psychic to fly high in the sky!"

"Psychic's not the only thing Aqua learned for the Alola League, Raine! Watch this; Aqua, now use Triple Axel! Let's go!" the little princess continued, having Aqua dive down to meet Primarina on ground level and use Triple Axel.

"Primarina, look out! Use Acrobatics in conjunction with Aqua Jet!" Raine warned, her Primarina quickly combining Acrobatics with Aqua Jet as she dove up to meet with her trainee.

The two Soloist Pokémon clashed in the air but Aqua's Triple Axel attack managed to cancel out Acrobatics and Aqua Jet, her third hit making contact as she plowed into her mentor and threw her back just as they landed back on the battlefield.

All the while, Hau and Decidueye were amazed by Aqua's use of Psychic to fly into the air; the two of them smiled and gave each other determined nods, knowing that their impending rematch in the second half of the Quarterfinals with her and Sarah was about to get a lot more interesting.

"And, in a 1-2-3 hit-fest, Triple Axel makes contact and cancels out Primarina's Aqua Jet and Acrobatics combo! This Battle of the Primarinas is getting more fun as we speak!"

"I can't believe it! Aqua can fly with Psychic?!" Rotom-Dex spluttered, sounding aghast on everyone's behalf.

"How did they do that?!" gasped a shocked Ash.

"Looks like Sarah and Aqua have done it again."

"I know we all did a lot of hard training to get into the Pokémon League and pass through the preliminaries with flying colors but never did we expect something like this from Sarah and Aqua," admitted Lillie and Kiawe.

"They're amazing!"

"I sure hope Raine and her Primarina will be okay out there," Lana and Mallow commented.

Raine smirked, growing more impressed with how much Sarah and Aqua had improved and seeing the lessons she and Primarina taught them put into action, "So, Psychic and Triple Axel? Not bad, Sarah, Aqua. You two have improved since then but we're not through yet. Alright, Primarina, let's show them what we're made of! Use Hydro Cannon!"

"As you wish!" Primarina nodded, building up all the power she needed for her starter-exclusive move.

"Hydro Cannon, eh? I knew you'd pull that off. Ready, Aqua?" Sarah boomed, getting a knowing nod from Aqua as they prepared to counter Primarina's Hydro Cannon.

"Fire!" Raine signaled, allowing Primarina to fire her fully charged Hydro Cannon at her trainee.

"Freeze the Hydro Cannon with Ice Beam and hit it back with a hard Pound! Go!"

Seeing the Hydro Cannon attack coming at her, Aqua fired her second Ice Type move and froze it solid before she swung her tail at it with a hard Pound attack like it was a baseball, allowing it to hit her mentor as she skidded back to her trainer while she held her ground. The older Soloist Pokémon was more impressed than ever, seeing how far Aqua was going with her training and the lessons she and Raine taught her many months ago.

"Not bad, Aqua. Not bad at all," she noted.

"Thanks, and we were just getting started with that," Aqua replied proudly.

"So are we but can you handle this?" Primarina smirked again as she winked at Raine, ready to begin their next plan of attack.

Raine shared her wink as she immediately called out her next attack, "Let's go, Primarina! Shadow Ball!"

Primarina fired the Ghost Type attack as Aqua braced herself and Sarah countered, "Aqua, use Pound!"

Aqua nodded as she used Pound to send Primarina's Shadow Ball into the ground but to her shock and surprise, a smirking Primarina emerged from the dust and put herself within point-blank range as the younger Soloist Pokémon realized her and Sarah's folly.

"AH!"

"Gotcha!"

Sarah gasped as Raine shouted, "Iron Tail!"

"Take...THIS!" Primarina roared as she unleashed her new super-effective Iron Tail attack on Aqua, dealing her massive damage as she was thrown back and landed on her left side with a pained scream.

The little princess was aghast as she hadn't seen the Iron Tail coming until it was too late, "Aqua, no!"

"Ooh, ouch! That's gotta hurt, ladies and gentlemen; Sarah and Aqua fell for Raine and Primarina's Shadow Ball bluff as our princess' partner takes a super-effective Iron Tail to the gut! The tide might be turning in Raine and Primarina's favor this time so it's anybody's game now!" Caster winced in amazement.

"Aqua!"

"No, Aqua!" Mallow, Lillie, Tsareena, and Snowy cried, aghast.

"Whoa, did you see that!?"

"No fair! That was supposed to be my move!"

"Was that Iron Tail?!"

"That Shadow Ball from earlier was just a trick! She and Raine used it as a feint so they can use Iron Tail on Aqua when they least expect it!" Ash, Pikachu, Kiawe, and Sophocles balked.

"I didn't know Raine and Primarina had Iron Tail in their move set!"

"Oh, no!" screamed Lana and her Primarina, stunned.

"This is not good, Steel Type moves like Iron Tail are super effective against Fairy Types like Aqua! As long as Raine's partner knows Iron Tail and if she gets a few more hits in, it's all over!" Rotom-Dex freaked.

"Hang in there, Aqua!" Sarah shouted to Aqua as the collared Primarina did her best to recover from the damage she took from her mentor's Iron Tail.

"Oh, man! That Iron Tail was brutal!"

"Odin, help her," Hiccup and Gobber gasped, seeing how powerful Iron Tail was after Aqua flinched.

"Wow, Sarah told us Aqua's old mentor was tough but I didn't expect her to use Iron Tail like that."

"She and Raine are going to be tough cookies to beat if they know that," nodded Ruffnut and Tuffnut, surprised.

"Cross your fingers, cool cats! That last Iron Tail must've served Sarah and Aqua a critical hit on a silver plater and that means trouble!" Rotoscope warned.

"Use Iron Tail again, Primarina!" Raine smirked, allowing her Primarina to use Iron Tail a second time.

"Aqua, look out!" cried Sarah as Aqua tried to fight back or dodge only to flinch as the aftereffects of the critical hit from Primarina's last Iron Tail kicked in, causing her to be hit once more.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"AQUA!" Sarah screamed in horror as she and Aqua found themselves at their wits' end with the damage done to her by Iron Tail doubled with the second hit.

"And, it's another Iron Tail to the gut! Folks, I have a feeling Sarah and Aqua are about to meet their match! Will they have the strength and the will to win and triumph over Raine and Primarina with a trump card of their own or is it time for them to pack it in and walk the plank?"

Sarah gritted her teeth in frustration and self-loathing as she tried to figure out what to do to counter Primarina's Iron Tail, her frustration being palpable for all her friends in the audience to see as they realized she's stuck between a rock and a hard place for the first time in a long time.

"Rotoscope, we gotta do something to help Sarah and Aqua!"

"I hear ya, Rotom, buddy! Let's do a down-and-dirty rundown of Primarina's weaknesses and strengths, surely there could be something to give our girl of the hour a hand with!" Rotom-Dex and Rotoscope bantered as they scanned Aqua and Primarina and poured through the details on their species.

"Please, stop! Calm down, Sarah!" Ash pleaded, seeing the little princess about to break as he got up from his seat and prepared to jump in.

"No, Ash! We can't help her and Aqua now, they need to figure out how to get past Iron Tail on their own," Mallow warned as she and Lillie dragged Ash back and held him down.

"But, Sarah will lose if we don't help her and Aqua!"

"It's not our fight, Ash."

"We want to help her as much as you do but you'll be disqualified if you interfere! Besides, this is probably a battle that has been a long time coming for Aqua given her relationship with Raine's Primarina," Lana and Kiawe replied.

"They're right, Ash. Sarah's the smartest out of all of us in class; she always finds a way to get the upper hand on her opponents and finding out how to counter Iron Tail is no exception," Sophocles concurred reassuringly.

"Yeah, but...…" Ash trailed off, still growing worried for Sarah with Pikachu also feeling helpless in Sarah and Aqua's current predicament.

"What will Sarah do? Raine and Primarina look as though they're ready to topple her off of her Pokémon League throne," Caster continued to commentate as the audience cheered loudly for Sarah and Aqua to never give up (with several others directing their cheers to Primarina and Raine, wanting them to win the match).

"Man, out of all the moves Primarina knows, never did I once imagine her knowing Iron Tail which was a Steel Type move of all things. It looks like I've underestimated them coming into this battle. Aqua's on her last legs after only two hits with the first one being a critical hit that made her flinch earlier. If I can't figure out how to counter that Iron Tail, we're toast! But, what can I do...…?"

Sarah, for once, didn't know how to get herself and Aqua out of their craziest rut by far away from her responsibilities as a Power Ranger since the entire Meltan incident. Just when it seemed like she was about to throw in the towel, Aqua slowly yet discreetly opened her eyes and looked at her human mother. Nobody knew what they were saying as they were having a mental debate on what to do next but after a short while, the little princess gave a determined nod and Aqua closed her eyes and laid back down, seemingly ready to accept their fate.

"Well, Sarah, you and Aqua put up a valiant fight but now, it all ends. Primarina, one more Iron Tail!" Raine replied as she allowed her partner to unleash the most powerful Iron Tail attack she could muster to end the match.

"PRINCESS/SARAH/AQUA/MAMA/AQUA/MOMMY/PRINCESS/SARAH/PIPSQUEAK/AQUA!" the heroes, the Vikings, the dragons, and the Pokémon (including Sarah's entire family and the Mythicals) screamed in panic.

"WATCH OUT!" Ash wailed, feeling like it was all over for the little princess as Iron Tail came closer to her Primarina...

"...….Reflect!"

"Shield!" Just as Primarina brought her Iron Tail down, Aqua opened her eyes and conjured up Reflect (via a powerful glass shield) to block the Steel Type attack and hit her mentor back with it in recoil.

Raine gasped in shock as Aqua steeled herself despite the damage she took from the previous two Iron Tail attacks, eventually smirking as she realized that her and Sarah's initial defeat was also a feint, mirroring the feint she and Primarina pulled off when they used Shadow Ball as a front and Iron Tail after moments earlier.

"Yes! And, it's a save! Aqua pulls off a skillfully timed Reflect at the last minute to block Iron Tail and bounce it right back at its owner! This match is looking far from over for our Primarina trainers!" Caster grinned as everybody cheered heartily (with Sarah's friends and family growing ecstatic in their applause).

"Well, now...… So, Aqua now knows how to use Reflect and used it to bounce Primarina's Iron Tail attack back at her when she and Sarah faked their earlier surrender," she admitted before she called out to the princess. "I guess we taught you well earlier, Sarah! You and Aqua fooled us when you prepared to take in that final Iron Tail and use it against us with Reflect! She truly had grown after all this time!"

"What can we say? We learn as we go along and there's more where that came from! Alright, Aqua, now use Secret Power!" Sarah replied as she and Aqua gave off massive grins, gaining a second wind from their comeback as the collared Soloist Pokémon used Secret Power in the form of Mud Slap (given their current battlefield conditions) to douse mud into Primarina's face.

Raine's partner was irritated from the surprise attack as she tried to wipe the mud off of her face while Caster commentated, "Aqua bounces back with a Mud Slap defense as a result of her new attack, Secret Power! Primarina can't see to use her Iron Tail attack again but Sarah and Aqua better make it count should she eventually see again!"

"Yes! Now's our chance, Aqua! Let's end this match with a bang!" Sarah grinned as she quickly switched out her Dragonium Z for her Icium Z from Totem Sandslash, preparing to use Subzero Slammer to end the match.

Everybody in the audience gasped, holding their breath in anticipation as they watched Sarah activate her Z-Power Ring and perform the appropriate Z-Move poses with Aqua. Primarina was still trying to get the last of the mud off her face but she was being a little slow on the draw as her trainee and her human mother grew closer to completing their chosen Z-Move.

"Water, Ice, and Snow...… By my power, three elements in one, come together for my mermaid's musical performance! And, shoot past the ocean's horizon!" Sarah recited as she transferred her Z-Power to Aqua.

"Primarina, watch out!" Raine cried in alarm just as her partner finally got the mud off her face and saw her trainee and Sarah preparing to finish the match once and for all.

"Use Subzero Slammer!"

"You're mine!" Aqua roared as she was lifted onto a pillar of ice and charged up her Ice Type power from Icy Wind, aiming her blast directly at her mentor before firing. "Target locked! ….FIRE!"

Just like Snowy before her, the young Soloist Pokémon shot a powerful beam of ice at Primarina, Raine's partner being unable to dodge or counter the attack in time as she found herself trapped in a giant block of ice that grew and suddenly broke apart. That did the trick as Primarina fell to the ground, battered, bruised, and beaten with swirls over her eyes.

"Primarina!" gasped Raine.

"Primarina is unable to battle! The winner of our Battle of the Primarinas is Sarah!" Hala declared, handing the match to Sarah.

The crowd went wild and gave Raine, Primarina, Sarah, and Aqua a standing ovation as Hau and Decidueye grinned broadly for their friends and Caster announced, "And, our Battle of the Primarinas caps off our first half of the Quarterfinals in a victory for Sarah and Aqua!"

As the crowd and her friends cheered, Sarah and Aqua shared an ecstatic hug between mother and daughter as they bantered, "Mom, we did it! YEAH!"

"Way to go, Aqua! We managed to beat Raine and Primarina!"

"That means we'll move on to the second half of the Quarterfinals!"

"And, we're one step closer to winning the Pokémon League!"

The pair laughed as Raine went over to her partner when she finally came to and picked herself up, feeling a little down that her moment of hesitation cost her and her human friend the match.

"You were wonderful, Primarina. I'm very proud of you," Raine smiled as she and Primarina shared a hug (cheering her up immediately) before they went over to Sarah and Aqua, getting their attention. "Congratulations on you and Aqua beating us today, Sarah. We're extremely proud of you for having come so far since we first met and when you came to us for your last lesson."

"Thanks, Raine, that sure means a lot to us coming from you. But, I guess we cost you two your rematch against the Masked Royal and Incineroar," Sarah admitted with a sheepish smile.

"Yeah, well, back to the old drawing board until the next Battle Royal, I suppose. But, until then, you and Aqua are our greatest accomplishments to date. Good luck, Sarah, Aqua."

"Thanks, Raine."

Raine and Sarah shared a handshake while Aqua and Primarina shared a hug as well, bantering to each other, "Congratulations, Aqua. You've definitely come a long way from the competitive and bummed-out Brionne following our losses against the Masked Royal and Incineroar to the Primarina you are now."

"Thanks, Teacher, you've been a great help. But, I guess that means I'll be the one to help Mom take them down when we finally win the Pokémon League."

"And, by all accounts, you'll be fighting for my sake as well as your own. But, just remember: it's not whether you will or lose but how you play the game. Give them a good one from Raine and I when you battle them soon, okay?"

"I will, Teacher! Thank you!"

Seeing the exchange between them and knowing what would happen next regarding Hau, both Raine and Sarah smiled warmly before the Primarina Trainer offered, "So, Sarah, if you and Hau end up facing each other in the second half of the Quarterfinals, I can give you a few tips on how to deal with him and Decidueye."

"You will?" Sarah gasped, getting a knowing nod from Raine. "Great!"


The following evening, with Aqua, Snowy, Gladion's Umbreon, Tyranitar, Gorie, Kiawe's family's Marowak, Vikavolt, and Primarina all healed up in the Pokémon Center, the heroes waited anxiously for Caster's announcements on who would be facing whom in the Top 8. With Ash, Guzma, Lana, Sarah, Race, Asha, Gladion, and Hau remaining and Mallow, Sophocles, Lillie, Ilima, Faba, Principal Oak, and Raine out of the running, it was now all to play here.

"Another day and another plethora of exciting battles done and dusted! With eight of our Top 16 down and out, now it's time to see who will be battling whom among our Top 8 in the second half of the Quarterfinals!" Caster announced as the Top 8 battle roster is shown.

"Match 1: Gladion vs. Race!"

"Match 2: Hau vs. Sarah!"

"Match 3: Ash vs. Asha!"

"And, Match 4: Lana vs. Guzma!"

"Yes! I'm finally going to battle my Aniki!" Tou-Tou roared happily, eager for his (supposedly only) chance to battle his and Silvally's older brother. much to Gladion and Race's amusement.

"Me against Asha? Alright!" Ash grinned broadly.

"Sweet!" Pikachu agreed.

"Well, you better watch out, you two. I'm not one to play around even if you're a kid," snarked Asha cheekily, getting annoyed pouts from the Kanto pair as everybody laughed.

There were no such laughs with Lana's battle as everyone remembers that she'll be squaring off against Team Skull's leader, the Water Type student remaining silent as Snotlout voiced everyone's annoyance, "Still, it'll suck for Lana since she'll be going up against that jerk: Guzma."

But, their spirits were lifted as they saw that Hau and Sarah's match would take place right after Gladion and Race's, the aforementioned pair bantering, "Well, Hau, looks like it's you and me as expected. I'm looking forward to battling with you tomorrow more than ever."

"Me, too. And, I can only imagine how much fun we, Decidueye, and Aqua will be having when we finally do battle. Make sure to give it your all out there, we're not the same teams as we once were before following our first meetings."

"I promise, Hau. Count on it!"

Even Decidueye and Aqua couldn't help but feel excited over their impending match tomorrow as they smiled at each other and clasped both her right flipper and his right wing together, "Well, M'dear, ready to go again tomorrow?"

"You bet! I can hardly wait after all that training Mom and I did!"

Their enthusiasm was shared by Raine and her Primarina as they watched the pair eagerly awaiting their rematch and smiled before Raine told her partner, "Well, Primarina, before we kick back, why don't you and I check up on them tomorrow morning for their match?"

Primarina could only agree wholeheartedly as she smiled back and nodded, "Sounds good to me!"

What's next? Find out as the journey continues!