Surmount

by HDK315

Although they travel down a long, merciless road that has overwhelmed all but the very strongest to eventually throw in the towel, they do so with unrivaled resolve and convictions. This is the story of Ash Ketchum and his beloved family of Pokemon, and how they became the greatest of all time. Cover by Atenburgh.

29. The Threshold

Hello, everyone. So, it's been… well, yeah, it's been a VERY long time since the last update, I'm incredibly aware. And needless to say, if things had gone how I wanted, the wait would not have been nearly as long.

2022 was a very hectic and inconvenient year for me due to a variety of factors. Some bad, some simply busy. And for about the first half or so, I was able to make do, but things kept piling up. A number of IRL changes both in and out of home had made writing nearly impossible. If reduced free time had been the only factor, I would not have let it stop me, but it sadly wasn't the only issue I've been facing, and thus, progress was halted for longer than I am comfortable admitting.

Early on in the New Year, I had something of a plan that would hopefully help to mitigate this and get progress back on track. Unfortunately, problems were not done developing, and a particular big one wound up making the very specific plan that I came up with impossible. And thus, my New Year's Resolution to get things back on track wound up unfortunately compromised.

The most I can do is apologize. Surmount had a great 2021, and I am VERY regretful that all of that momentum was lost, it's been gnawing at me the whole time. Now that this chapter is out, I'm going to do everything in my power to hopefully keep the updates coming, and though I can't make any promises, I CAN guarantee that I am trying my hardest. I LOVE this story, am very excited for what I have planned for it in the future, and the amount of time and thought I invested in it is something I do not regret; I am every bit as eager and determined to keep writing and see everything through NOW as I was back when I first published the first chapter, maybe even moreso. Surmount means a great deal to me, it was never discontinued and I'd certainly never walk away from it without letting everybody know. I've never been more attached to and determined to stick to a work as I am with this story, and I have full intentions to do so.

I just wanted to say that to address the long wait. I hope it doesn't happen again, and if it does, it simply means that the next update is taking longer than I want. I apologize in advance, and for the long wait for this update, but I hope you enjoy the chapter nonetheless.

"The gym's just up ahead." As he and Janine took a turn, Ash briefly shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun. It seemed to be working overtime today; the light reflecting off of the glass from the skyscrapers was glaring and somewhat painful, and his skin couldn't help but feel hot as it shined on him. He wasn't sure if it was all in his head, maybe just something to distract him from the battle on his mind, but it was certainly annoying.

Thankfully, Janine's own reaction was enough to convince him he wasn't crazy. Although the girl showed no signs of feeling hot or uncomfortable, she too had shielded herself from the sudden glare. At the very least, that wasn't just something his mind made up.

"Hopefully they're not too busy," she commented, keeping a hand to her forehead to block out the sunlight. "From what I know, they were usually at their most active in the afternoon last Season, but that's a fresh slate, and Saffron's always bustling, especially lately."

Nodding, Ash continued over to the Gym, both trainers paced in sync at each other's side. As they stopped in front of the giant building, they took the time to look up and take it all in.

Saffron's Gym was as distinctive as the rest he'd been to so far: The building sported a pure coat of ocean blue, and although it was mostly round in shape, its roof was curved. It was an odd design to say the least, although perhaps appropriate.

The two stared at the object of their determination for several seconds before their eyes found their way to one another.

"You ready?" Janine's posture and tone were as calm as he could comprehend as she asked.

The familiar feeling in his stomach didn't influence his own behavior as he nodded. "Yeah, let's do this."

/

The inside of the gym felt a lot more normal than the exterior, although the distinctiveness did not go away. The lobby that Ash found himself stepping in wasn't inviting or intimidating, but instead screamed "high end". The carpet, which stretched across the entire lobby and changed colors in different sections, had to have been worth several thousands on its own, and the chandelier that hung overhead popped out at him even more. It looked as though it were literally made of gold, and the light bulbs resembled priceless jewels far more than light bulbs themselves.

Towards the far end of the lobby, nearing the door that would most likely take challengers to the battlefield, he could spot six kids-clearly challengers waiting for their turn- seated in cushioned chairs against the walls. Most seemed about his age, a couple slightly older. One pair were chatting amongst each other, two others patiently waiting in silence, while the remaining two fidgeted in place.

Elsewhere in the lobby, who spotted a group who appeared to be working or surveying the area, ranging from about his age to a few years older. They all wore the same uniform; they must've been among the students studying under Sabrina at the gym's Training Academy.

He seemed to finish checking out his surroundings at around the same time Janine did, the pair remaining close to one another as they made their way to the counter. A teenage girl (likely sixteen) with greenish-brown hair, purple eyes, and a pair of glasses sat at the desk typing in front of a monitor. She wore the same uniform as the other working students.

Upon seeing the two new arrivals, the receptionist perked up, moving her hands away from her keyboard and folding them over the desk. "Good morning. Challengers?" The two rookies nodded, fishing for their Pokedexes as she began typing something out on the keyboard. "Okay, put your Pokedexes into the slot," she pointed to it before continuing at the keyboard. "And I'll check you both in."

Ash stepped back and let Janine go first before inserting his own device into the slot. The receptionist's fingers continued to flow about the keyboard before she turned back to them. Her posture was completely by the book, although her tone of voice allowed for the slightest amount of casual friendliness to sleep through as she grinned at them. "Alright, Ash and Janine. You two were both checked in at 11:00 AM. Please have a seat, and Lady Sabrina will take your challenge when your turn comes."

The duo made their way to the end of the lobby, sinking into two chairs beside one another. Janine spared a glance at the other challengers (who had taken note of their presence) before pulling her book out of her backpack.

"The wait isn't too bad, by usual standards for cities like this." Janine opened the book before turning her head to Ash. "Nervous?"

Ash chuckled a bit, taking a food magazine off of the shelf next to him. "I think I'm fine." Sabrina was going to be the toughest challenge he and his team faced yet, but he had come in feeling satisfied. They had fulfilled every goal they had put in place whilst training for the gym, and the fruits of their labor had shown themselves while battling the other trainers. "It won't be easy, but we're as prepared as we can be."

Her eyes shifted to the text in her novel. "You're better prepared than me. As a rookie poison specialist, if I took all the time I needed to nullify my disadvantage, I'd be here a lot longer. It's more practical to hone that as you travel and tackle other things." her tone had its usual, confident tranquility as she turned a page. "I've still made progress; I'm looking forward to testing it in full. If it's not enough I'll have plenty of time later."

Her words reminded him of his mindset when battling Surge. He had known that the odds were stacked against him, but wanted to test to see if he was ready. It had backfired tremendously, but her situation was different than being blatantly outmatched. Arguably, it was a much more important circumstance to think in such a way.

Flipping to a section of the magazine that highlighted new poffin recipes, he raised his head as the fidgeting challenger was called on. He watched the boy follow an older teenage male, disappearing behind the door.

He shifted in his seat to get more comfortable. That was six challengers ahead of them. Although he entertained himself by observing and reading up on the food in the magazine, he was sure to make use of the time to go through everything in his head.

/

"Ash and Janine." By the time their names were called, two additional challengers had silently joined them in the waiting area.

As the duo rose from their seats, Janine turned to Ash, showing her friend a coin. "Heads or tails?"

"Heads." he quickly responded. He watched her flip the coin, grinning as she showed him the results. "Guess I win. I'll go first, then."

"You two are free to come together if you want," the teen boy from before was dressed in the same uniform as the other students working at the gym; which, now that Ash viewed it up close, gave off a more mystical feeling than the usual academy uniform. He had well-groomed, dark brown hair, and was probably taller than Ash's mother.

"Do you want to watch?" Ash offered her in response to the older boy's statement. After a moment, she accepted.

The gym trainer nodded in acknowledgement, gesturing towards the doorway as the two rookies approached him. "This way, please."

As they followed him down the hallway, Ash's eyes found their way to the paintings and portraits lining the walls. They displayed various landmarks, and what looked like a few tournament battles. Janine seemed to take a particular interest in them, and it wasn't until they were nearing the end that he realized that they were likely historical pictures.

Opening the door to the battlefield, the gym trainer gestured them forward. "After you."

Voicing a thanks, Ash stepped through the doorway and quickly looked around, as though it were an automatic response. As his eyes traveled around the gigantic room, he abruptly realized that he had been looking forward to analyzing the environment where they would be battling, and couldn't help but chuckle that he was starting to get used to it.

The floor surrounding the battlefield was carpeted with the same impossibly expensive material from the lobby, making him feel as though they were inside of a mansion rather than a gym. Where there would normally be a set of bleachers, the set of seats on either side of the battlefield more closely resembled a high-end lecture hall, the set on the left-hand side housing a fair number of students in the same uniforms. At first glance, they seemed to vary from being his age to a few years older.

Ash thought back to the other gyms he had been to up at this point. This wasn't the first gym that took on an unconventional appearance; certainly not with Misty's sisters outright making a swimming pool environment into their battlefield, but while that and the Celadon gym had adhered to an obvious gimmick, the character surrounding this setup elicited an entirely different vibe from him. He knew Sabrina's academy was as popular as fathomable, but even the battlefield itself felt like a prestigious classroom.

But the time to take in the surrounding area had come and gone, and now his gaze rested solely on the battlefield itself.

The floor of the battlefield was clear in color with an almost… reflective surface. Across the battlefield, eight crystal pillars stood tall above the floor, probably about sixteen feet in height, with floor on either side. With how wide and long the arena was, they were each still a fairly decent distance apart.

Beside him, Janine's eyes were soaking up the details with perhaps even more dedication. "This is definitely her style."

"Welcome, both of you."

The moment their heads turned in the direction of the voice, they felt their muscles tighten as reality sunk in.

Approaching them was a tall woman dressed in a crimson and black uniform. Black hair flowed regally behind her as stoic, pink eyes zeroed in on the pair with such focus that Ash felt violated by her very gaze.

'One look at you and it's like she knows everything.' he recalled Janine saying earlier in the morning.

Sabrina's posture exemplified perfection as she stopped in front of them. The psychic woman's body language was as silent as could be, and although her gaze held no hostility, it felt… deep, in such a natural manner that it didn't even appear to be a true effort on her part.

Ash looked up at the gym leader, the one who was labeled as a marvel amongst the training community and psychic enthusiasts alike. The one who represented the line he had to cross to reach that next level awaiting him beyond Saffron, the phase of his journey devoid of any "beginner-friendliness".

He did not flinch.

"It's an honor to meet you, Sabrina." As he locked eyes with her, an otherworldly sensation washed over him. Feeling her gaze was like riding with training wheels compared to actually experiencing it. Even as the senseless combination of emotions rushed through his blood, and he felt as though every thought to ever go through his mind, and every emotion he had ever felt in his life were being dissected in a single moment, he offered a hand.

Sabrina's voice was regal as she accepted the handshake, and Ash found it impossible to imagine her as anything else than the mystical, elegantly analytic leader that birthed so much inspiration amongst Indigo's populace. "I am pleased to have you in our gym, Ash." as they separated, her eyes fluidly fell on his companion. "And Janine."

The poison specialist was steadfast and alert as the gym leader's attention transitioned to her, straightening herself as though to appear taller as she locked gazes with Sabrina next. Turning to his friend, Ash could see the familiar, tranquil steel that he had grown fond of in her purple eyes.

"Hello, Sabrina." her formal tone was devoid of any cracks as she bowed her head. "I'm glad I can finally meet you."

"I feel the same," a small, sentimental smile adorned the regal woman's face as she accepted her other challenger's handshake. As they separated, her features turned neutral once more, a not so authoritative but proactive vibe lacing her voice as she looked between the two rookies. "You both will be challenging me today, correct?"

The two nodded. "I'll be going first." Ash confirmed.

"Very well," she replied before turning to the older boy who had escorted them. "Assume the referee post, Kevin."

"Understood, Lady Sabrina." Kevin bowed before making his way to the side of the battlefield.

"You will be spectating, I presume?" Janine nodded and voiced confirmation as Sabrina turned back to her. "Very well," she said approvingly, gesturing to the seats. "If you would join my students in the audience, then."

"Yes ma'am." the girl nodded obediently, turning her head to Ash as her hand rested on his back. "Good luck." He offered her an appreciative smile as she made her way to the seats.

"Ketchum." as his attention returned to the gym leader, he realized the two were alone together now. Not letting himself hesitate, he looked her in the eye again, feeling the almost violating sensation rush through his body a second time. "What is your goal for today's challenge?" her voice was as analytical as her eyes.

"...I'm going to defeat you and win the Marsh Badge." Ash tried not to feel uneasy; the question was too simple.

With seamless grace, Sabrina's hand brushed a strand of hair behind her as her eyes remained focused on the boy in front of her. "And what will you accomplish by doing so?"

His face tightened in understanding. "I'll prove that I'm ready for the next phase of my journey," he felt his mind steady itself as he voiced it out loud. "That I've learned enough from the previous gyms."

"Yes… I do believe that is what your heart is trying to tell me." her hand fell to her side. "I look forward to seeing if you can translate that in our battle." Without another word, she turned and walked off towards her side of the field. Ash's attention was captivated by her departing form until a monitor descended in front of him from the ceiling. The reading on the touch screen was familiar.

Select four Pokemon

'This is it.' Ash's eyes moved between the six pictures of his team, only thinking for a moment before tapping Valiant, Eevee, Nebula, and Tempest. Running a hand across his belt, he assumed his post, turning his head to the left to view the audience.

The seats weren't packed, but there were a decent number of students in each row, a few happily chatting with one another as others patiently waited for the battle to start. It wasn't too difficult to pick out Janine amongst them. His eyes fell on her for a moment before turning back ahead of him, where Sabrina now stood on the other end of the battlefield. The gym leader's arms were crossed with royalty-like boldness as his hand began gripping one of the capsules on his belt.

"The Gym battle between Leader Sabrina and our challenger, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town shall now begin!" As Kevin's voice rose above the room, the chatting amongst the other gym trainers stopped, all eyes now professionally laser-focused on the battlefield itself. "Each party will use four Pokemon, with both sides permitted substitutions. The battle will end when all Pokemon on either side have been defeated, or when one party submits by forfeit. Are there any questions from the challenger?"

His head turned to Ash, who quickly shook his head and spoke an audible "No."

"Then both sides will now present their first teammate!"

Ash responded with a near automatic reaction as Eevee appeared in front of him. Turning her head side to side, his quadrupedic friend took in her surroundings before turning back to him in greeting. The determination on her face told Ash that she knew with absolution where they were.

"We're bringing home the gold together Eevee," Ash's face eased enough to allow a kind smile as he locked eyes with his partner. "I'm counting on you all." her mouth curved up at his words, the familiar bark that he loved so much escaping her throat before she turned back to Sabrina.

The Gym Leader in question had released her teammate of choice just about as fast as he had, and the sight of the Pokemon that emerged from the light was the only reminder Ash and Eevee would ever need regarding the weight of this challenge.

The levitating creature was borderline robotic in appearance, metallic body shaped like a bulky, round disc with intimidating arms on either side. The intense glare from its glowing eyes only made Eevee flinch for a moment; all it accomplished afterwards was eliciting an aggressive bark and a growl from the evolution Pokemon.

Sabrina's first teammate of choice was a Metang. Native to the Hoenn Region, the steel/psychic type was in need of no introduction; not when its evolved form was Metagross, an irrefutably awe-inspiring monstrosity even amongst fellow pseudo-legendaries.

This battle was a test, the greatest test to determine that they had all grown past the "beginner-friendly" stages of their adventures, and were prepared for the harsh unknown that awaited them for the rest of their travels, of their career. Sabrina was kick starting it with not a single punch pulled.

Without turning around, Eevee looked back at Ash, the steel glare in her eyes quickly reflected by him as the two exchanged nods.

"That Pokemon is going to be very durable, Eevee." he warned. "It's called a Metang, and they're just about as strong as an enemy of our level can get. I wouldn't be surprised if it's faster than it looks too. You ready?" another nod and a bark, and Ash's grin turned fiery as the surge in his chest returned. "Then let's win that badge." With a prepared growl, Eevee turned her gaze back to Metang, body bending into a pounce-ready position as her tail stood erect.

"This Gym battle… Begins NOW!"

'Iron Tail almost certainly won't do much unless we use Focus Energy to back it up, but it's not our only option.' "Eevee, run around full speed!"

"Don't stay still, Metang." Sabrina's voice was sharp and alert, delivered without anything extra.

Eevee kicked off of the floor, slipping into Quick Attack and performing a sharp turn as she neared Metang. Even as she did, however, the iron claw Pokemon swerved to the other side, and as the normal type prepared to circle around her opponent, she found Metang in an entirely different place, still on the move.

"Keep going, Eevee! And take aim with Shadow Ball!"

"You know what to do, Metang."

As Eevee changed direction once more, attempting to line herself up with the steel/psychic type, her opponent in question swerved to a different side, hovering over the reflective floor as it moved at a speed that more so resembled gliding. The metallic creature was not as fast as Eevee, but it certainly wasn't slow. As it moved around, its disc-shaped body gradually rotated, always keeping its sights locked on the evolution Pokemon, as though it were robotically programmed to do so. The normal type had to get in a good enough position-and preferably close enough as well- in order to properly aim, but the movements of Sabrina's partner were unsubtly designed to prevent that until Metang itself was in the right position to go on the offensive.

At the last second, Eevee swerved again, circling around a crystal pillar and coming out on the other side. As Metang turned to let its sight meet her, she curved once more, barely losing a nibble's worth of momentum as she changed direction.

Even as he remained alert, Ash looked on proudly. 'You first joined this team after everyone else made strides in Pewter. You've worked so hard to catch up, and now, unless he uses Agility, even Pikachu might not shake you in a chase.' Eevee was moving with all of the speed and fluidity that had more than become his starter's greatest asset. If Sabrina and Metang wanted to play this game, she was going to win.

Eevee swerved yet again, zigzagging her way closer (but not too close) to Metang as the familiar orb of distorted energy appeared within her jaws. As she fired the Shadow Ball, Metang's claws glowed blue, taking on an extra layer of temporary metal coating as it batted the projectile to the side, colliding with a crystal pillar with no signs of harm done.. As it did, an orb of silvery aura appeared where its mouth should be, moments later extending into a blast that rushed towards its target. The Flash Cannon exploded harmlessly against the crystal pillar that Eevee had come from as she continued to rush towards Metang, using her incredible momentum to leap over the beam-and the Pokemon firing it- before landing on all fours.

Although Eevee's paws continued to move as she landed on all fours, she immediately turned around to face her opponent, who was already doing the same for her as Sabrina commanded "Bullet Punch." Metang's claws firmly clenched into fists as the metallic glow returned to both of them, and with greater speed than before, the robot-like creature rocketed towards Ash's partner.

Coating her tail in Metal, Eevee thrust forward to block the Bullet Punch, feeling a jolt of pain as Metang's fist collided with her Iron Tail. Her paws slid backwards on the clear, reflective surface of the floor, but she maintained near-perfect balance even as the collision forced her backwards. Metang continued its advance, Ash's eyes widening somewhat as the iron claw Pokemon's fist glowed a bright orange. On its robotic body, the glow of the ever-so familiar fighting type move resembled a ferociously glaring beacon.

Eevee's eyes narrowed with a low growl as Metang closed in on her once more, raising another fist in preparation to cave her skull in with the Brick Break. Kicking off of the floor, she rushed forward to meet Sabrina's partner, somersaulting into the air just as her opponent threw the mighty punch. The robotic fist passed just beneath her-forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut to shield them from the painfully bright glow-as she rolled in midair, traveling above her adversary and landing behind Metang with perfected grace.

"Shadow Ball!" Ash reminded her of what he was sure she likely already knew.

Turning around in full once more, Eevee wasted no time launching the ghostly ball of energy. Metang swerved around to greet her assault, however, already prepared with a Metal Claw that batted the haunted orb back where it came. Eyes widening, Eevee let out a surprised yelp as her own Shadow Ball collided with her front, exploding against her as she was forcibly sent sliding back several feet. Her normal typing rendered her immune to ghost type moves overall, but she still appeared dazed, shaking her head several times over with her eyes clenched shut.

'That's right!' Ash's mind flashed back to his first battle with Misty. She had taken advantage of this once…

"Brick Break!" Even as her voice rose in volume, Sabrina's tone remained as majestically steady as ever.

Eevee's face tightened as Metang blazed forward, another metallic, orange fist raised at the ready as it prepared itself to thrust for her skull. Glowing with Focus Energy, her Iron Tail pounded against the ground and propelled her upwards, causing her opponent to miss her by a mile as it struck. As she somersaulted through the air, the normal type angled her body to face Metang, firing a charged Shadow Ball downwards. Even as she did, however, metang had already turned its perfect gaze to face her, firing a charged Flash Cannon up to meet with her ghost type move. The two attacks clashed halfway between both of their respective users, the shockwaves from the ensuing explosion throwing a yelping Eevee off course whilst pushing Metang back, although Sabrina's disc-shaped partner righted itself very quickly as Eevee broke her fall with a well-placed Iron Tail to the floor.

Ash watched his partner descend with the steel type move well prepared to catch herself with. 'Eevee's performing really well, but we need to add on to our strategy. At this rate, neither of us will get anywhere until she tires out, and then we'll be on the backfoot.' His knowledge of Beldum biology was sorely lacking, but from what he did know, Metang did not tire traditionally. Something about having to ovetax its two brains for it to slow down, but Metang hadn't used any psychic abilities yet.

No, they had to add onto the pressure before Eevee began feeling winded. She had plenty of stamina to spare, but he certainly had no plans to waste it; especially with Sabrina still having three formidable and unknown Pokemon lying in wait. "Get moving again, Eevee!" Once more, she and Metang began circling around the reflective battlefield, surrounded by the eight crystal pillars as the opening act of the battle appeared to repeat, but Ash did not keep it that way for long. "Swift, nonstop!"

Smirking, Eevee continued to rush around the field at her top speed as a beautiful stream of golden stars flowed from her mouth. For once, Metang appeared to be mildly surprised as the shiny projectiles homed in on it and began pelting its body, although Ash knew they wouldn't do much. With enough consecutiveness, perhaps the added pressure could keep their opponent less focused and slow it down as the stars hammering against Metang continued to add up…

"Iron Defense." Ash was only a little bit surprised as Metang's now-glowing body took on an extra layer, the stars exploding against it now bouncing off as harmlessly as a tennis ball being thrown against a brick building.

'That's fine, though.' Ash glared steadfastly as he watched Metang come to a stop, curling its disc-shaped body up as Eevee's Swift continued to uselessly pelt against it. He was pretty sure that Metang was already beginning to slightly slow down as the Swift had begun hammering against it, but now, with the iron claw Pokemon's focus placed entirely on Iron Defense, Metang was still as it hovered above the battlefield, the Swift hammering against it posing no threat whatsoever. 'It stopped not too far from one of the pillars.'

"Bounce off that pillar and use Super Tail!" Super Tail was the name that Ash and Eevee had come up with to give her Focus Energy and Iron Tail combo. It was time to put that power to use.

Stopping the Swift attack, Eevee blazed past Metang, leaping forward towards the nearest pillar as her glowing tail took on another metal coating. Swinging forward, her Super Tail smashed against the pillar (which didn't even crack), before she utilized the impact to catapult herself back in Metang's direction, at an even greater speed than her sprinting. WIth a battle cry, she swung once more, her amplified Iron Tail colliding with Metang's protected, glowing body with quite possibly the most deafening CLANG! That Ash had ever heard, but even as he covered his ears, he did not remain any less focused on the combat at hand.

"Shadow Ball!" The Super Tail had struck Metang at a slightly upwards angle, aimed to send it flying towards the second nearest pillar as the impact knocked it off balance, the iron Defense enveloping its body beginning to become compromised. Despite the decent amount of distance, Metang's body indeed collided (harmlessly) with the pillar, as Eevee gave chase. The charged up Shadow Ball exploded against the iron claw Pokemon's face with a direct hit, knocking it back into the pillar once more as the ghostly energy began entering its system-

Metang was gone in a flash of red light. Blinking, Ash felt all the momentum in his system deflate. He had been in the zone, but the whiplash did not hesitate to hit him as Sabrina reclipped Metang's Poke Ball back onto her belt, exchanging it for a new one.

'Even when a battle is getting heated, any trainer can substitute at any time…' Shaking his head a bit, Ash clenched both of his fists as he struggled to regain his focus. Sabrina did not wait for him, quickly releasing her next teammate.

He quickly recognized this one- a black and yellow, horse-like creature with a head and a mouth at the tip of its tail. A Girafarig.

Although it was native to Johto, he didn't know much about this species apart from one key detail that triggered an involuntary grimace: it was part normal type.

'It figures Sabrina would have a backup plan for ghost type moves.' Quickly removing Eevee's Poke Ball from her belt, the boy hollered to get his attention as he held it out to her. "Take a break, Eevee." His friend had just enough time to look back and nod before she was consumed by the light. Reclipping the capsule back onto his belt, Ash ran his hand across the remaining Poke Balls before quickly deciding on one.

In a flash of white light, Nebula appeared hovering just above him, looking down to greet her trainer with a happy chirp that he returned with a thumbs up. "Nobody's gone down yet, Nebula." he confirmed before pointing to Girafarig. "That's your opponent." The quadrupedal psychic nodded his head, before letting out a loud call that, despite his expression remaining neutral, sounded surprisingly fierce. Even before Girafarig had finished his greeting, Nebula responded with a determined series of chirps.

'We'll go first.' "Nebula, Whirlwind!"

Rising a bit higher above the battlefield, Nebula hovered forward, angling herself to get a direct aim at Girafarig. With a series of mighty flaps, she produced a powerful gust of wind to which Girafarig immediately shielded himself from with a cube of golden light. The long neck Pokemon gritted his teeth as the gale pounded against the Light Screen, which sturdily held its ground as Nebula threatened to push it-and him- back.

"Steel Wing!" Ceasing the Whirlwind, Nebula slipped into Quick Attack, dive bombing diagonally downward as she took aim at her opponent with her metallic wings. Girafarig ceased light Screen almost as quickly as the Whirlwind stopped, however, allowing the lingering gale to send him sliding back as his body turned. Just as Nebula was about to strike, she had bolted away, leaving the Staravia to carve through air as the sprinting, quadrupedal psychic began to alter his course. Moving at a pace rivaling or perhaps surpassing that of Eevee before him, Sabrina's partner was covered in a glowing, blue outline. 'Agility.'

Ash watched Nebula reposition herself for just a moment before calling out. "Line yourself up and use Swift!" Nodding for a second, Nebula observed the sprinting giraffe's movements before swooping slightly downward, before rising back up as her body circled one of the crystal pillars. Now hovering about a foot above the pillar, she was perfectly lined up with the approaching psychic.

"Psybeam." As Nebula opened her beak to unleash the beautiful stream of golden stars, Girafarig allowed the blue glow outlining his body to disappear. Even as his momentum began to greatly slow, he was still running quite fast as a rainbow orb was produced at the tip of his horns. Pointing his head upwards in the direction of the approaching Swift, he fired the rainbow blast, the two attacks colliding as the impact produced a cloud of smoke.

Nebula began to give chase as Girafarig swerved to the side, still not reactivating Swift as the Staravia prepared to attack him in pursuit. Before she could make any attempts, however, her opponent abruptly split into three, each copy swerving off in a different direction. 'Double Team.' As Nebula began to elevate herself further above the battlefield to get a better view, the real Girafarig performed a sharp u-turn, swerving around as his horn glowed golden, and fired a sizzling bolt of lightning at Ash's bird partner. Quickly changing course, Nebula swerved to the side to cleanly avoid the Thunderbolt.

"Double Team as well!" Ash quickly called out to his friend as she weaved her way around a pillar. The Staravia split into three, each copy flying in different directions at equal speeds. As the spectators looked on, all three Girafarig gazed upwards, whilst all three Staravia gazed downwards, each member of each trio attempting to outmaneuver one another as they performed consecutive twists and turns to maintain the upper hand in positioning.

"Air Cutter, rain it down!" The real Nebula did not stop moving as she produced the consecutive blades of air, which descended onto the battlefield and pelted the reflective surface of the floor as Nebula continued to circle, spreading the bladed projectiles as far out as she could.

Although all three Girafarig did a relatively good job at avoiding the blades, one of them was clipped in the side, immediately vanishing into thin air as a result. With their options narrowed, Ash called out to nebula again. "Aerial Ace, pick one!"

Cloaking herself in the familiar pale aura, Nebula quickly took aim at one of the remaining two Girafarigs, before dive bombing in his direction.

With the Staravia approaching at breakneck speeds, the real Girafarig-her target- turned around with a frustrated glare as his tail turned to metal. Nebula's eyes widened as he swung the Iron Tail at the approaching bird's head, only for a metallic wing to collide with it. With Nebula's momentum carrying her forward, the yelping Girafarig quickly found himself being swept off of his feet, nearly landing painfully on his side as he righted himself in midair. A bolt of lightning escaped his horns, but was narrowly avoided by Nebula as she swerved upwards, grimacing as the Thunderbolt grazed her wings. Not too far away from Girafarig, she opened her beak and allowed the stream of golden stars to flow out, Girafarig's attempt to avoid the Swift resulting in the projectiles homing in on him and pelting his side.

Smiling, Ash raised his voice. "Steel Wing!" Just as Girafarig reeled from the Swift, Nebula was upon him, Quick Attack carrying her momentum as her metallic wing smashed into the side of his head. The long neck Pokemon wailed as he bounced into the nearby crystal pillar, his hip smashing into the surface just before he disappeared in a flash of red light.

"Ugh, again." Ash chewed his lip as Nebula made her way back to him. Shaking off his frustration, he smiled up at his friend. "Feeling alright?" with a satisfied chirp, she nodded.

A flash of white light caught their attention, and Ash grimaced as Metang reappeared. 'Figures, Nebula doesn't have any meaningful way to do that thing much harm. We could use Reckless, but…' It was too soon.

Taking out Nebula's Poke Ball, he smiled at his partner apologetically. "I'm recalling you for now, see you soon, okay?" She nodded in understanding, offering her trainer a quick goodbye chirp whilst disappearing into the red light.

Reclipping her Poke Ball back onto his belt, Ash's eyes stared at the stoic, robot-like psychic as his hand remained in place. 'So far, Sabrina's been the one running away…' This was the second time in a row that she had substituted a teammate after one of his friends managed to get a good hit in. Did they actually have the upper hand, or was she luring them into a false sense of security? There was no way Metang and Girafarig had revealed their full hands this quickly, they had to have more techniques yet to be seen. Surely at least one of them could have helped against Eevee and Nebula…

Gaze moving beyond Metang, his eyes narrowed as they fell on Sabrina herself. Regal as ever, the elegant woman stood tall and firm, with a facial expression he doubted he would be able to read even if he was up close. Word had often been that she was one of the most difficult Gym Leaders to tell what they were thinking; no doubt the excessive time spent training and connecting with psychics had honed her mental state and concentration skills like a knight's sword.

'I have to keep moving under the assumption she's toying with us.' Ash decided, hand selecting his next Poke Ball.

Tempest appeared in front of him, eyes lighting up at the sight of their opponents and surroundings. With clear excitement, his pincers began clicking with hyperactive vigor.

"Tempest," thankfully he was still focused enough to pay attention. "That Metang battled Eevee for a bit, but we still don't quite know what it can do. Mud Shot and Night Slash should be useful, but it's too early for a full game plan."

The phrase "too early for a full game plan" undoubtedly heightened Tempest's excitement even further, but Ash could tell the Krabby was taking his words seriously, clicking pincers now clenching into tight, anchored fists as the river crab's narrowing eyes leered into Metang like a calculating predator.

"Alright then, start out with Water Gun!"

"Gyro Ball."

Moving forward to get a better aim on his target, Tempest opened his clicking pincers, streams of water traveling out of both of them and flying towards Metang. The iron claw Pokemon spread out its arms as a metallic aura coated its body, and began spinning like a top, quickly gaining momentum as the rushing water bounced off of its rapidly rotating body. The metallic psychic's form rushed forward as it continued to spin, carving its way through the water and towards Tempest himself. The river crab quickly ceased firing off its Water Guns, crossing two Metal Claws together and bracing himself for impact as he was smacked backwards, sliding several feet away as Metang ceased its rotation and fired off a Flash Cannon. The beam collided with the now dented metal covering Tempest's claws, sending the Krabby staggering.

"Double Thunder Punch." Sabrina's tone of voice contained no added aggression even as she commanded what would be a devastating blow.

"Double Night Slash!" Ash quickly countered, his own voice raising significantly moreso.

Once more, Metang rushed forward, moving far faster than its appearance would suggest. Sparks traveled across both of its fists, before they were suddenly engulfed in lightning, blazing gold. As Sabrina's partner was upon the water type, it raised both fists high into the air, before bringing them down like a hammer.

Opposingly, Tempest swung both pincers upwards, blackish-purple energy meeting with the Metang's electricity as the two attacks clashed. The river crab felt his opponent's weight coming down on him immediately, grinding his teeth from the pressure as he strained his muscles to push back against his rival's offense, snarling from the burning sensation as the sparks began traveling down along his body.

Ash watched as Tempest gradually began to buckle, pincers slowly getting pushed down by Metang's downward strength as the river crab's legs began to shake. Wincing for a moment, he called out to his partner. "Stay strong, Tempest!"

Hearing his trainer's encouragement, Tempest snarled further, continuing to grind his teeth whilst pushing upwards against Metang. He felt himself slowly making progress, but the harder he pushed against the two Thunder Punches, the more painfully the lightning traveled along his body. Buckling once more, he felt his pincers being pushed down again, legs threatening to give out as Metang's lightning-engulfed fists prepared to come down on his head. Eyes widening with a flash of rage, the Krabby roared as his pincers began to push upwards again, this time quickly gaining momentum. A rush of pain enveloped him as the sparks seared his outer shell, and for a moment, he felt his pincers being pushed down once more, but quickly pushed back, muscles throbbing as he continued to roar, parrying the two electric fists off of him and sending Metang staggering back in midair.

Ash was grinning from ear to ear as a small chorus of applause made itself known from the sidelines. At the very least, when confined to the battlefield of a Gym, Tempest's fighting spirit was nothing but a positive. "Awesome, pal! Now Mud Shot!"

Ignoring the aching in his pincers, and the lingering, burning pain across his body, Tempest rushed for Metang, who still wasn't too far away, the globs of mud rocketing out of his open pincers as Metang swerved to the side, still moving far faster than expected. Although most of its body avoided the assault, one of the globs scored a direct hit on the iron claw Pokemon's right arm as it retreated, throwing its flight slightly off course as Tempest's predatory gaze followed after the source of his frustration and excitement.

As Metang had moved to dodge the Mud Shot, Ash's eyes widened as he noticed something he hadn't noticed before: A blue outline surrounding the robotic psychic's body. 'Is that… Agility…?' Even as both Pokemon prepared their next move, the gears began rapidly turning in his head. 'Her partner's been using that to increase its speed this whole time! And thanks to Metang's biology, it doesn't get tired out as easily! But they might've been doing this from the start, even against Eevee, but it probably won't add up for Metang as easily as it does for Pikachu. Still, now that I see that, if we can just pressure Metang as much as possible…'

The boy's fists clenched in frustration for a moment, before his muscles eased themselves, facial expression forming into a confident smile.

A snarl escaped Tempest's throat as he stalked his way towards Sabrina's teammate. Ash observed him; putting pressure on an enemy should be an easy thing to count on with the river crab's inherent ruthlessness, they just needed to be wary of however Sabrina would counter.

"Run forward and use Scald!" Almost like a transition, little to no time passed between Ash's order, and Tempest's stalking escalating into a full on charge. His pincers shot open to let loose twin blasts of boiling water as he continued to advance as fast as his legs could carry him.

In response, Metang spread its arms out once more, again glowing with a metallic aura as its body began to twirl. The boiling water collided with the iron claw Pokemon's rotating body, and Metang quickly felt the intense heat even as the liquid was deflected by the Gyro Ball.

Metang didn't have time to rush forward for a counter, as Tempest was upon his opponent already. At Ash's command, the river crab reared back an open pincer, sizzling with the dark aura of Night Slash, before lashing out and driving the claw into Sabrina's partner. The robotic psychic's twirling body began to wobble in midair as it was smacked backwards by the collision, but neither Ash nor Tempest let up.

"Mud Shot, then another Scald!"

Tempest continued to run after his opponent, and even as Metang's form continued to spin, two globs of hard mud rapidly rushed out of his pincers, colliding with the steel/psychic type in a direct hit. A strange humming noise that Ash assumed was a pained cry emitted from Sabrina's partner as it was once again set back, this time colliding with the floor as the Gyro Ball began to cease. Tempest didn't stop running as another set of twin streams rushed from his pincers, the boiling water colluding with Metang as the metallic psychic attempted to shield its face with its arms. Its reaction wasn't quite quick enough, and its face became bathed in the steaming liquid before its arms tried to take the brunt of the assault. Tempest halted his advance directly in front of Metang, glowering predatorily at his adversary as he continued to pour the blazing hot streams of water onto it. The robotic psychic's metallic body began to give off steam, and if someone had reached out to touch its overheating exterior, their hand would've been seared on contact. The heat of the twin Scalds was beginning to spread across its entire body, overtaking it.

'Metang is a computer-like creature with two brains.' Ash thought to himself as he watched Tempest continue. 'Due to its biology, it's not normally one to physically tire, and mentally exhausting it is difficult even by psychic standards.' It was what little the boy knew of the species, and he lacked knowledge of what was likely to be important details, but it was no wonder Metagross were as terrifying as they were; with their raw power and inhuman intelligence backed by a near inability to traditionally tire out in battle. 'If we can overclock Metang with unrelenting pressure, could that be the key…?'

For a moment, the rookie's gaze broke away from Tempest and Metang, settling on Sabrina. He had been hoping to see a reaction from her, to gauge the effectiveness of his plan, but to little surprise, her expression hadn't changed in the slightest. The tall woman stood just as steadfastly as always, eyes fixed on the scene with unrivaled elegance. The acclaimed Gym Leader's empowering presence was a magnificent sight, and whether it be because she had little reason to be concerned, or because she felt no worry even as Metang was overwhelmed, Ash found himself captivated by the woman's inspiringly royal posture.

He knew he wouldn't benefit from fixating on her more than he needed to, however, and quickly tore his gaze back to Tempest, just in time for her next order.

"Break away with Agility!"

Body beginning to stir, Metang hummed once more as it slowly began to rise back up, even as the water continued to pour. The signature blue outline of Agility surrounding its body briefly flickered, struggling against the Scald, before stabilizing itself. Ceasing his onslaught, Tempest lunged forward with another Night Slash, only to strike air as his opponent managed to swerve away at the last second, Metang now hovering a meter and a half behind the Krabby as one of its fists once again became engulfed in lightning.

"Behind you!" Tempest thankfully heeded Ash's warning; whirling around to meet the Thunder Punch with a clean Metal Claw as Metang charged for the river crab's back. Sparks scattered about as the metallic pincer collided with the electrical fist, and although Metang's momentum forcibly sent Tempest sliding back a few feet, the Krabby raised his other pincer even as he slid, firing a glob of hard mud square into the psychic's face. Another pained hum sounded from the robotic creature as it staggered backwards in midair.

'I can't tell if the lingering effects of the Scald onslaught have slowed Metang down or not.' Ash thought to himself as the Mud Shot connected. 'Still, we need to keep the pressure constant if it's going to mean anything in the long run.' "Tempest, another Scald!"

Having recovered from the previous collision, Tempest once again ran forward, hoping to capitalize on his seemingly winded opponent as another pair of boiling water streams shot out of his open pincers. Humming again, Metang once more swerved to the side as the iron claw Pokemon struggled to make Agility take effect, the end of its body being clipped by one of the blasts of water as it took aim at the river crab.

"Zen Headbutt!" The psychic glow surrounding its body becoming more pronounced, Metang curled itself up, lowering its head, which began blazing with a blinding, bright blue aura, before charging at Tempest, quickly progressing to full speed. The Krabby reacted immediately; ceasing Scald as he crossed his pincers protectively across his body, familiarity coating them in Metal Claw.

A loud SMASH echoed across the battlefield as Metang's tremendous, metallic bulk plowed into him, and despite the twin Metal Claws absorbing much of the collision, Tempest still found himself gasping in pain from the sheer impact as he staggered away, briefly tumbling. Just as he regained his footing, his eyes widened in surprise as a Flash Cannon rammed into his stomach, sending him tumbling into a pillar, back pressed against the crystal surface.

"Thunder Punch!" Although its regality was never compromised, Sabrina's voice rose to a significantly higher volume; the added decibel indicating to Ash that she was going for the kill.

"Catch it!" As Tempest rose back to his feet, still propped against the pillar for reassurance to help regain his footing, Metang shot forward, thrusting an electrical fist straight for the Krabby's chest-

Two metallic pincers clapped against the Thunder Punch just before it could connect, sandwiching Metang's fist in Tempest's brutal grip as the Krabby grinded the twin Metal Claws against the Thunder Punch, straining his muscles to prevent it from going any further and striking him. His eyes bulged as the sparks seared against his outer shell.

Sabrina flashed a smile at the sight before continuing. "Your other fist, Metang."

Ash didn't even give their opponent the chance to raise its other fist. "Point-blank Mud Shot!"

As Tempest opened his pincers, the agony of the electricity entering into them was only felt for a moment as the globs of mud sent Metang reeling; staggering back in midair as the Krabby inhaled deeply to catch his breath. Moments later, the water type's exuberant aggression returned, rearing back a pincer and, blatantly ignoring the soreness, driving a merciless Night Slash directly into Metang's face. The hum that escaped the steel psychic was loud, and its metallic form briefly bounced off of the reflective surface of the battlefield's floor as Sabrina's partner tumbled away from the impact.

"Great!" Ash's heart raced as his partner's strike repelled the psychic juggernaut. This matchup was inherently a war of attrition; both physically dominant competitors, one a steel type, and the other with an ability that granted him the durability of a steel type. The hard hitting nature of their clash put both Pokemon's defenses and brute strength to the test. It was to be expected in a battle between two powerhouses, and the boy struggled to force the stress back down.

Tempest's outer shell was lined with electrical burns, a couple areas appearing rather scorched, but thankfully only covering a small amount. He had his pincers held out in front of him like fists as he breathed, very little fighting spirit having been lost to the punishment he had been targeted with.

Ash couldn't help but grin approvingly, although it only lasted for a moment. Metang and Sabrina were every bit the opponents he had expected, and despite their strategy, the psychic powerhouse before them had fought like exactly such. And regrettably, the nature of Metang's near-impossible to tire offense meant that they didn't have much in the way of downtime or breathing room for the moment.

"Scald, again Tempest!"

Tempest felt the sting of his burn marks, and the aches in his pincers, protest as he threw himself forward yet again, but paid it no mind. This opponent was only fueling his adrenaline as much as it was wearing out his body, and he was going to chop Metang down even if it meant mangling himself in the process.

He felt a sharp sting in his pincers as the boiling water shot out, still running forward towards his target, but the pain was only a momentary occurrence that he powered through as the streams of water flowed towards Metang. The iron claw Pokemon in question folded its arms in front and cloaked itself in Iron Defense just in time for the Scald to strike it. The ultra hot liquid bathed over the layered defenses of the powerful psychic's body as Tempest strengthened the blast.

"Gyro Ball, then Thunder Punch!"

"Block it!" Ash quickly responded.

With a somewhat pained hum, Metang spread out its arms and began whirling, the boiling water pelting its body splashing away in every direction as its momentum deflected the Scald. The iron claw Pokemon's spinning form tore through the streams of liquid, locked onto tempest as the river crab ceased firing and protectively raised two Metal Claws in front of his face. As Metang approached, the Krabby thrust both claws outward, intercepting the psychic's rotating charge as another ache pulsed through both of his pincers upon impact.

The clash broke Metang's momentum, but sent Tempest staggering backwards, nearly losing his footing and collapsing onto his back as Sabrina's partner backed away, rising slightly higher into the air. Before Tempest could fully regain his balance, his eyes widened as a Flash Cannon suddenly erupted from his metallic foe, hastily raising his pincers once more to intercept the blast.

As the beam exploded against him, Tempest's efforts to regain his full composure proved for naught as his legs slipped out from underneath him, forcing the water type into a sitting position as Metang took aim once more. Sparks began to form on its fists, traveling across the metallic exterior.

"Now." Came Sabrina's order.

Coated in Agility, Metang resembled a metallic blur as its imposing body blitzed towards its target. Even as he struggled to pick himself up in time, all of the air left Tempest's lungs as the Thunder Punch was driven straight into his chest. He could feel his outer shell give way, and the lightning take hold. Tremendous blunt force trauma coupled with agonizing burns, but the river crab couldn't scream; he couldn't howl in rage or agony from what he was feeling, he was robbed of the breath to do so.

He thought he might've heard his trainer cry out to him, but his senses weren't focused on anything other than the impact, and his vision turned white for the briefest of split seconds. Startled, he felt his body rocketed backwards, overcome by an overwhelming sense of momentum. It was only another split second later when he felt a similar sharp pain overtaking his back, as he smashed into the crystal pillar. The structure miraculously remained perfectly stable even upon the collision.

As Tempest slid downward, propped up against the pillar in a sitting position, the massive, burnt gash in his front came into full view, left behind by Metang's assault. Ash's fists clenched at the sight. He had gotten used to seeing his teammates as badly wounded as this, and had more than learned to trust Nurse Joy and her staff with just about any injury, but the immediate reaction had yet to change. And now, their battle had gone from a struggle to overtake their massive obstacle, to Sabrina having completely seized control.

And the Gym Leader seemed just as determined to keep the pressure going as he was. "Flash Cannon!"

Tempest's pincers pressed down against the reflective, clear surface of the floor, trying to lift himself back up into a standing position, even as the muscles in his body fought back against his efforts. His pincers shook as they pressed against the floor, threatening to give out as he rose, eyes squeezed and teeth snarling from the pain exacerbated by the pressure. His eyes widened again, however, as a second Flash Cannon barreled into him, sandwiching him into the pillar once more. His front back both flared in pain as the Krabby howled and screeched, his eyes bulging as he slumped forward.

For a moment it seemed as though he had gone still, but before Tempest could faceplant, Ash watched the water type catch himself on his pincers, eyes dull and shaken as the Krabby stared back at his reflection on the floor. Most Pokemon of the same level would've been put away by that much pain, or at least wouldn't have been so fixated on getting back up.

But at this point, could he even? Metang was already gearing up for another blow, and Tempest was in no position to evade or counter. Even as he called out to his partner in encouragement, it felt like it was just something he knew he needed to do. Not something that would change much, but for the Krabby's sake.

"You can do this Tempest!" He knew those were the words Tempest wanted to hear. Sabrina and Metang could shove a powerline down the river crab's throat, and he'd still spit in Ash's face if told to stay down.

"Thunder Punch!" Sabrina's voice was calling.

Lifting his head, Tempest saw Metang coated in Agility's familiar blue outline once more, fist reared back and blazing with electricity. The psychic's intentions were clear: It meant to pulverize him against the crystal pillar and end the battle for good.

Still struggling to push himself upwards, the Krabby felt his pincers shaking even more. His eyes were locked directly on the lightning coating his opponent's fist. It blazed brighter than ever, and then the metallic monstrosity shot forward-

A pillar of water formed from beneath his body. As if on autopilot, Tempest swerved to the side at a slight curve, as Metang's fist struck the air he once occupied, and then rammed into the crystal pillar.

The vicinity was close, and as the Krabby hoisted himself to rear back an arm, he felt the sparks from the lightning-coated fist brush against his shell, irritating the burns. He winced for only a moment before roaring with all his vocal might, as he drove the Night Slash directly into Metang's side.

The pillar of water could have only lasted for a second or two. Perhaps three if generous. As Metang was flung several feet away, the aquatic pillar collapsed, splashing all over Tempest, and the floor, as he collapsed back onto the reflective surface.

Ash's pale face blinked at the sight, trying to take in what had happened. It had only been an instant earlier that Tempest's writing had been on Sabrina's wall, and now…

As if finally processing, his eyes shot wide open. 'SURF! He used SURF!'

It had barely even mattered; it wasn't a practical usage at all. He had only been able to move around for one or two seconds before giving out. But it was the first time he'd used the move without remaining stationary, and it was the one or two seconds of movement that had saved the river crab from a certain loss.

For a brief moment, the stress within him simply vanished without a trace, overtaken by ecstasy as he cupped his hands around his mouth to call out to his partner. "You did it Tempest! Amazing!" They were still in the fight.

Soaked in his own water, Tempest must have felt a new batch of adrenaline from his success. Images of Tentacruel and Skrelp momentarily flashed in his mind as he picked himself up, looking back at his trainer long enough to offer him a quick nod before redirecting his eyes towards Metang, who was also in the process of rising back up into a hovering state. The metal psychic was wobbling in midair, the accumulated damage to its exterior impossible to ignore, but its eyes flashed in preparation nonetheless. His legs shook in protest for a moment as he held his pincers out in front of him like fists, begging to give out and collapse onto the floor, but he steadied his position soon after. He was exhausted, he was in agony, and he was going to knock this nuisance out cold.

Ash's lips remained curved up into a widening grin as he watched his teammate. Tempest's heavy breathing wasn't hidden, but somehow he knew that the look in his eyes was the exact same as always.

Metang was still several feet away from Tempest's position. With the Krabby's wounded state most likely making mobility difficult, it was probable that Sabrina would finish this with a ranged attack like Flash Cannon-

Tempest began to move.

The Krabby likely knew that he would be a sitting duck if he didn't get closer to his opponent. At first, it was an imbalanced wobble, a rapid advance that threatened to collapse and sprawl out all over the floor at any moment. But although he wasn't moving at full speed, he still moved, and cleared the distance between them in as little time as he could, eyes blazing in aggression as he raised his pincers to his opponent in a sloppy fury.

It took a bit longer for Metang to form a Flash Cannon than normal. As Ash called out for Tempest to block, the approaching Krabby coated a clenched pincer in metal to intercept the blast. His arm was pushed back by the impact, his balance failing him as he flailed forward towards his opponent.

"Mud Shot!" At Ash's hasty command, Tempest raised his free pincer and fired. The hard glob of mud was narrowly evaded as Metang swerved to the side, head lowering whilst pulsing with the glow of Zen Headbutt. The charging iron claw Pokemon took aim at the river crab's side as he rushed forward for the kill-

Tempest's other pincer, still with momentum from being forced backwards by the Flash Cannon, came back around as Tempest twirled his body in full. The pincer blazed with the dark energy of Night Slash as it carved into Metang's metal head, agony pulsing through Tempest's arm, and then stretching down to his whole entire body, as the two collided. Metang's momentum sent the water type tumbling several feet backwards, but the psychic itself was lurched backwards, collapsing onto the reflective floor as Tempest's rolling came to a stop, planted face first into the clear floor of the battlefield as his pincers sprawled out on either side of him.

Metang rolled onto its side as the steel Pokemon's eyes flickered and faded, and then neither of them moved.

"Both Metang and Krabby are unable to battle!" Kevin's arms stretched high into the air, before extending outwards on either side of him. "This round is a draw!"

A warm chorus of claps sounded from the audience as both challenger and Gym Leader recalled their fallen Pokemon.

Ash smiled warmly at his friend's Poke Ball. "You knocked it out of the park today, pal. Rest proudly."

Reclipping the orb back onto his belt, Ash's fingers danced across the remaining capsules as he locked eyes with Sabrina from across the field. She had already selected her next Poke Ball, as if automatically, and was staring back at him with unreadable intent.

Not sweating under the master psychic's magnificent gaze, Ash unclipped Eevee's ball and released his quadruped friend, who greeted the world with a bark as she reappeared on the field. Immediately afterwards, Sabrina released her next teammate of choice.

Ash didn't have to take any time to process who this Pokemon was: It was a Kadabra. The middle stage of the iconic Abra line that was often labeled the benchmark of all psychic types. Even elsewhere, outside of Indigo, thinking of the typing could often result in the evolution line entering a trainer's mind. Alakazam were among the elite in the highest levels of competition, possessing incredible intelligence that made them a species that not just anyone could assume command of, and capabilities on the battlefield among the absolute best that the typing could possibly offer. Though the line itself was commonly used by psychic enthusiasts throughout Indigo, the final stage of that evolutionary line was a widely coveted rarity amongst trainers, yet one that was rarely not amongst the absolute best psychic specialists across the world.

Eevee's ears and tail stood erect as the psi Pokemon's eyes effortlessly moved towards her. The Kadabra held out his spoon in front of his face, fully in the normal type's view as her fur stood on end from his attention.

"Eevee," she didn't turn to look at him, but the twitching of her ears told him that she was listening. "That Kadabra's going to be very versatile, so be ready for anything." satisfied with her nod, he awaited Kevin's signal.

"Begin!"

"Use Bite, approach with zigzags!" At Ash's command, Eevee charged the tall psychic, opening jaws collecting dark energy as she swerved side to side whilst slipping into Quick Attack.

As the quadruped rapidly scaled the distance between them across the reflective, clear floor, Kadabra's eyes flashed yellow as lightning formed at the tip of his spoon. A bolt shot out at Eevee, bouncing harmlessly off of the floor as she swerved away from the Thunder Wave. Seemingly instants later, she was within range, thrusting herself forward to chomp down on her enemy, only to charge straight through the air as Kadabra flashed out of existence.

"Behind you! Shadow Ball!" Paws sliding across the floor as she landed, Eevee's growling form turned to see Kadabra several feet away from her, spoon pointed all the way outwards as his eyes flashed emerald, a sphere of the same color forming at the tip of his utensil. Immediately, the orb of distortion formed from within her jaws.

The Energy Ball and Shadow Ball collided halfway to their targets, the windforce of the collision pushing Eevee further back ever so slightly as the psi Pokemon suddenly flashed next to her. Ash called out a warning as Kadabra raised a glowing, emerald fist, but Eevee only had time to turn to look as the psychic thrust forward and decked her in the face with the Drain Punch. Ash's partner cried out as the blow sent her diagonally upwards, back momentarily threatening to collide with one of the pillars before she somersaulted in midair to drive an Iron Tail into the structure. As Ash smiled at his friend's quick recovery, Eevee propelled herself off of the pillar, head lowered as she charged downward towards Kadabra.

Sabrina was as composed as ever. "Reflect."

Eevee smashed head first into the glass wall erected in front of her opponent. As the snarling quadruped landed on her bottom, teeth and eyes squeezed shut at the ache in her head, Kadabra reared back his fist once more for another Drain Punch.

"Shadow Ball, hurry!" Just before Kadabra could take a swing, Eevee opened her eyes in time to fire a half-sized ghostly orb directly up at him. Although the attack was nearly point-blank, Kadabra had responded the moment the sphere began forming in her jaws, backing away whilst still gathering energy for the Drain Punch. As the Shadow Ball fired, he swerved to the side, narrowly avoiding it as he prepared to lunge forward for the punch. "Super Tail!"

Eevee was back on her feet now, sidestepping the fighting-type move as her tail blazed with white energy. The metal layers of Iron Tail wrapped around the amplifying aura of Focus Energy as she whirled in place on her forepaws, driving the greatly powered up steel type move directly into her opponent's abdomen. Kadabra's pained shout was cut off halfway through as all of the air shot out from his lungs, his hands immediately grasping at his stomach as he folded up and doubled over, staggering back with agonized wheezes. He disappeared in a flash of red light moments later.

Ash let out a frustrated exhale. He and his team weren't going to get anywhere if Sabrina kept retreating like this. He couldn't see her getting anywhere either, however. Was this all an elaborate bluff?

He tried to remind himself that this could be a ruse. A tactic to work up his nerves, make him frustrated until he made a fatal mistake that would cost one of his friends. But even thinking along those lines had him beginning to sweat. Was it Misty had said about battling Sabrina? Disorienting? Was this all a part of that?

Unfortunately, he found himself with no time left to think as Girafarig reappeared across from his partner. The giraffe scraped his hoof against the surface of the floor as Eevee began to study him. Ash's eyes, however, were focused on the Gym Leader.

She was so far away, and yet it felt as though she was boring a hole in him. A small part of his spine tingled as Leader and challenger locked gazes, and for a moment, Ash could see and hear nothing else. He didn't see Eevee and Girafarig, he didn't hear the murmuring of the audience, he didn't even see his surroundings. It was like he and Sabrina were in a lifeless void, where a single drop of water would echo across the room.

He hadn't even noticed that his fists were tightening, until the pressure of the action snapped him out of it, and suddenly, he was back in the Gym, on the battlefield, with the action about to start.

Reaching for his belt, he pulled out Eevee's ball and pointed it at her. "Come back for now." his quadruped friend simply looked back at him and offered an obedient bark as she disappeared into the light. Reclipping her ball to the belt, Ash took out Valiant's Poke Ball, his psychic partner appeared in front of him moments later.

Emerging from the white light, the Kirlia took a deep breath with his arms spread out, before letting them fall to his side with a long, satisfying exhale. He didn't bother looking back at Ash, simply focusing his gaze on his obedient whilst listening to what his trainer had to say.

"Sabrina's trying to psyche us out," Ash spoke as evenly as possible. "So keep your head in the game. She may recall Girafarig at any moment,unless that's what she wants us to think." his friend nodded with an understanding of the situation as the opposing giraffe began to jog towards him.

Girafarig's tail was coated in that formidable metal, and before long he was sprinting, winding back as he closed in on his target. A faint, teal glow flashed across Valiant's eyes as Telepathy scanned the attacker, reading the quadruple psychic's muscles to determine when and where he was going to strike.

The first attack was a feint, Girafarig halting his initial strike, only to twirl around on his front hooves and swing his tail from the other direction. Valiant did not react two early, seeing the bluff coming and ducking his head under the metallic tail just in time to avoid the real assault. The Kirlia was grateful to himself for focusing on his ability in that moment; without Telepathy, he'd have been struck in the head, and potentially knocked out just as the fight had started.

Raising his hands while still in the ducking position, Valiant's eyes faintly flashed once more as he began preparing a Magical Leaf; he sensed his opponent about to jump, the muscles in Girafarig's knees bending to avoid the attack that Valiant was about to throw his way. The Kirlia did not fire, allowing the Giraffe to leap in the air over nothing. Moments later, Valiant had teleported into the air beside him, an electrical fist colliding with the side of the psychic giraffe's head.

The attempted feint by Girafarig with the Iron Tail had been brilliant, and on the fly, Valiant had chosen to add such a tactic to his own playbook. He'd use it well.

Although Sabrina's partner wailed from the blow, it was merely a moment of weakness as Girafarig landed firmly on all fours, sliding backwards across the reflective surface of the floor, teeth clenched as tight as a zipper as the singed bruise on the side of his head spread an expression of discomfort across his face. Valiant sank into Shadow Sneak the moment he hit the floor afterwards, stalking his foe silent as a ghost with zigzagged motions. As Ash's partner reached about the halfway point, Girafarig split into three, each taking off in separate directions.

With some hesitance, Ash gave an order. "Out of your shadow, Valiant!" Although somewhat surprised by the command, Valiant complied, rising out of the shadow sneak as all three Girafarig seemingly lined up to charge him. "Act when I tell you!"

'Sabrina's gonna fake us out with the first one, and then have the real one blitz through Valiant with Agility while he's still processing it.' It was a risky guess, but if Ash's hunch was correct, it was exactly what Sabrina would do, in a situation where she was trying to pick apart her opponent's nerves. One strike from an Iron Tail at such a speed, and Valiant would be crippled at best. 'If I'm wrong, we will lose.' But doubting an idea and committing to nothing was what Sabrina wanted him to do… right? He felt the paranoia stirring up within his chest, accumulating from the constant bluffs and fake outs.

He wouldn't let her cash in for an easy knockout.

The first Girafarig raced for its target, and Valiant did nothing. The clone disappeared as it crashed into him, phasing out of existence as the Kirlia tried and failed not to flinch. Ash's breath was in his throat; he imagined many Pokemon wouldn't want to go along with such a ridiculous plan, and he could never blame them. It sent a surge of warmth through his chest that Valiant believed in him so strongly…

The second one came. If this was the real one, he would speed up with Agility at the last second, preparing to end Valiant with Iron Tail. Otherwise, the second clone would disappear upon contact as well, and the final Girafarig would be the one to go in for the killing blow.

'It's the real one!' Ash screamed to himself. 'It's gotta be the real one!' "Teleport!"

Valiant vanished… just in time for the metallic tail to strike nothing. Carried by the vast momentum of Agility, Girafarig let out a startle yelp as he continued to gallop forward, and an enormous BANG echoed across the room as his iron Tail smashed into one of the crystal pillars. Completely harmless, but with great impact that threw the giraffe desperately off balance.

Ash didn't allow the sigh of relief to escape from his lungs, for as much as he desperately wanted to relax. Instead, he took that breath, and channeled it into his shout. "Thunder Leaf, Valiant!"

Thunder Leaf was the combination of Thunderbolt and Magical Leaf that Ash had come up with previously and used against Misty. Although its best purpose was to cripple water types, he knew it would be an effective combo move in its own right, even without taking typing into consideration. Valiant had seemingly taken a shine to the move himself, and had shown it off to an excited Tyrunt earlier on.

Valiant appeared several feet from Girafarig's side. The giraffe's guard was completely off; he was stumbling backwards, he was vulnerable. For the few seconds (at best) that this window was open, both the Kirlia and Ash knew that they needed to dive through it. Sabrina would pay for her all-or-nothing tactic, and they would thrive for their own.

The lightning-covered leaves erupted from Valiant's palms and dug into Girafarig's side. The psychic giraffe wailed in desperate agony as the sparks traveled across his body, muscles tensing up as the electrical projectiles bombarded into him. Hoping to capitalize, Valiant sank back into Shadow Sneak and rose up just in front of his opponent, hoping to aim a Fire Punch for his throat. Unfortunately, a small, desperate Shadow Ball forced the Kirlia to swerve to the side as Girafarig raced away in a reckless retreat. He was moving a good deal slower, however.

'Sabrina didn't recall him, this time.' Ash realized. If she had been planning to substitute she would have right then. 'Unless that's what she wanted me to think-' he shook his head. 'No, I need to commit, just like I did before.'

Ash wasn't sure if Girafarig's loss of speed was permanent, or if he would progressively gain most of it back as he recovered. Nevertheless, the giraffe was likely aching badly right now, and charge tactics wouldn't be as effective with the loss of speed at the current moment. Agility would certainly help, but forcing the body forward may only make the pain worse, not to mention leaving Girafarig even more vulnerable if he were to take another hit. Unless Sabrina was prepared to pull a potential sacrificial stunt, she would likely try to keep things at a distance for the moment.

"Barrage." seemingly vindicated, Ash watched as several, smaller Shadow Balls erupted out of Girafarig's throat. The giraffe seemed to have a fairly good usage of such a move; no doubt being part normal type meant that he wouldn't have to worry about the usual difficulties that psychics often had when exposing themselves to such techniques for the first time, but for a non-ghost type Pokemon of this level, it was fairly impressive how well he seemed to manipulate such an attack.

Valiant didn't bother rolling or diving to avoid any of the ghostly balls, which were being fired every which way he could have been expected to go in as Girafarig progressively backed away in order to continuously gain extra distance. Instead, he sank into Shadow Sneak, traveling underneath the onslaught as he made his way to Sabrina's partner.

'Now Girafarig is going to protect himself so that Valiant can't get the jump on him.' As if just as the thought crossed Ash's mind, the glass cube encased Sabrina's giraffe partner, now shielded by Reflect. "Come on out, Valiant!" As Valiant rose out of his shadow, still several feet from his foe, one of Ash's fists clenched tightly. 'We'll bait them.' "Moonblast!"

The move took a good while for them to charge up at the moment, but with the threat it posed to Girafarig's defenses, it would surely lure him and Sabrina out.

Ash knew he was taking a lot of risks for just one round, but with the way Sabrina was fighting, he almost feared he'd be playing right into her hands if he tried to to take a safe approach. They would make sure it paid off, however.

Today's battle drew a line; between everything before it, and everything that would come after it. The eastern side of Kanto awaited them. Fuchsia territory awaited them. It was time to leave their comfort zone, and this time, it would be for good.

The pink energy swirled unstably in Valiant's hands, the Kirlia's jaw clenched as he desperately fought to gain a hold of it. Nonetheless it grew, and grew, and grew, slowly but surely-

Girafarig dropped Reflect, sparks crackling across the tips at the top of its head, and fired a Thunderbolt. Eyes widening with affirmation, Valiant reared back and hurled the incomplete Moonblast, which exploded against the streak of lightning in a shining display of beauty. Even the detonation of the powerful fairy type move was captivating.

Neither Pokemon allowed themselves to be distracted by it, however, Girafarig's body familiarly glowing with Agility as Sabrina gave the order to "finish it". The quadrupedal psychic felt the aches in his side amplifying as he charged forward, but rushed on nonetheless. Valiant frantically erected a glass wall in front of his body as his giraffe foe sprang into action, Iron Tail colliding with Reflect and shattering it on impact. Although the steel type move did not make it to its target, Valiant yelped from the shockwaves that slammed into him, sliding back a few feet as a Shadow Ball charged in his opponent's mouth.

No time to use Light Screen, or fire a ranged attack with enough power put into it to reliably stop the ghost type move. He was off balance from the collision, the startling destruction of Reflect momentarily staggering him, both physically and mentally. Trying to block with Thunder Punch or Fire Punch would be too risky…

So he dove instead, catching himself on his hands as the Shadow Ball sailed past him and crashed into a crystal pillar. Flipping himself over, he maintained his momentum as he sailed a few feet through the air and landed with perfection.

"Thunderbolt, aim for his damaged side!" As Valiant Teleported to a proper position to line himself up with his target, Girafarig frantically leapt to the side, avoiding the streak of lightning that bounced harmlessly off the floor behind where he once stood. He split into two Girafarig next, each running off in separate directions, but Ash's confidence was now growing.

'We have him on the run, and he's in too much pain for that tactic to work.' "Valiant, after the real one!"

Valiant had noticed the pained expression on the real Girafarig's face as he took off, not replicated by the clone. Teleporting once more, he appeared right in his opponent's path, and Sabrina's partner responded with a winded up Iron Tail.

There were no feints this time, just a clean swing as Girafarig took aim for the Kirlia's head. Valiant ducked just as cleanly, allowing the tail to pass over his head before sinking into his shadow. Coming up on the other side, his fist crackled with electricity as he caught his foe in the chin with a mighty uppercut.

Girafarig wailed once more, forced onto his hindlegs as his head was bluntly inclined upwards, forelegs flailing and dangling in the air, gaze fixated on the ceiling as he struggled to maintain his balance. His hindlegs took unstable steps backwards as he fought to maintain what little footing he had.

'We got it.' Ash's mind was laced with a satisfaction in both himself and his teammate. They hadn't played a perfect game, but they had answered Sabrina's call and stayed in control. "Dazzling Gleam!"

Pressing his hands against the floor, Valiant performed another flip, lining himself up with Girafarig's injured side and firing the pink beam right into it. A second wail, far louder than the previous one, escaped the psychic giraffe's throat as a small squirt of blood escaped the wound that the fairy type blast had created. He landed on his back, roughly bouncing off of the reflective surface of the floor (a tiny stain of blood left behind) before rolling over and lifting his head, which rested on the floor a few moments later, half-shut eyes glazed over.

"Girafarig is unable to battle! Kirlia wins!"

Now Ash allowed the sigh of relief to escape him, and it felt all the better for it. The encouraging cheers from the audience washed over him like a warm shower as Valiant returned to his side of the battlefield.

"Great thinking, pal! You chained everything together so well." Valiant wished he could be humble, but could only rub the back of his head bashfully as his cheeks turned red.

The sound of a Poke Ball brought their attention back to Sabrina, who had wasted no time in returning Girafarig and sending out Kadabra. And just like that, Ash's face was tight again. They were only halfway through, and things could go south from here at any moment.

"You want to stay in?" At Valiant's nod, Ash offered his partner a quick thumbs up as the young psychic sank into a stance. Kadabra locked eyes with him, spoon held in front of his face, gaze focused and peculiar as it seemingly scanned every last detail of Valiant's eyes…

"BEGIN!"

Both psychics had the same thought as once, teleporting away from their previous positions and onto separate sides of the battlefield. Neither were expecting the other to do so, however, and were forced to glance around in mild surprise before their gazes locked once again. Kadabra teleported once more, this time to a halfway point between them to clear the distance, but Valiant instead sank into Shadow Sneak, rapidly trailing his way along the floor towards his target.

Kadabra appeared just in front of Valiant's shadowy streak, a potent Shadow Ball prepared at the tip of his spoon. Backtracking a few feet away, Valiant rose out of his shadow with a ghostly sphere of his own in his hands. The two psychics fired, both intending to quickly cripple one another with the ghostly energy that was essentially poison to a combatant of their typing. The two orbs clashed against one another, an explosion of unsettling energy detonating upon impact as both psychics teleported three feet back, wary of the potential dangers.

"Thunder Wave." Sabrina's cool voice echoed across the room as Kadabra pointed his spoon straight as a ruler in the Kirlia's direction. Sparks crackled against the tip before shooting outwards in a narrow streak of lightning.

Valiant teleported out of the way, reappearing directly behind his opponent and quickly firing a Thunder Leaf aimed at Kadabra's back. A hiss of frustration found its way beyond the Kirlia's lips as Sabrina's partner whirled around, a golden wall erecting outwards from the spoon as the Magical Leaf, armored with the lightning of Thunderbolt, pounded against the Light Screen. Each leaf was uselessly deflected off of the golden surface of the psychic barrier in tiny explosions of electric sparks.

The moment the Thunder Leaf ceased firing from Valiant's hands, Kadabra dropped his barrier and closed the brief distance between the two in an abrupt sprint. Icy energy encased his fist as he winded back to deck Ash's psychic friend in the side of the head. Valiant's eyes flashed as the muscles in Kadabra's body telegraphed his movements, and the Kirlia ducked sideways under the Ice Punch whilst preparing a Fire Punch of his own. Just a she prepared to ram the fiery fist into Kadabra's gut, however, the psychic/fairy type's Telepathy alerted him to another movement, as the spoon in Kadabra's other hand flashed with pink, psychic energy. The energy quickly erected outwards into a shape resembling that of a sword, and Valiant was forced to abandon his strike and lean far backwards, pupil's widening in shock as the pink blade just barely passed over his face, the slight wind force brushing against his face in its wake.

Kadabra wasn't done, however, and as his first strike narrowly missed its mark, Sabrina's partner whirled around to face Valiant in full, Psycho Cut raised high in the air and brought down on the Kirlia in a downward, slashing motion. Frantically, Valiant coated his other fist in fire, putting both Fire Punches together as he brought them upwards to intercept. The force of the blade elicited an eye-squeezing wince from the psychic fairy as the flames danced against the pink energy, a sense of soreness overtaking Valiant's fist as he staggered backwards from the blow.

Suddenly Kadabra was behind him, this time an electrical fist prepared to strike with. A blunt impact made itself known to the back of Valiant's head as the lightning of the Thunder Punch scorched him from behind, forcing him forwards and down. Despite the blow, Valiant managed to catch himself on his hands, flipping himself over and turning in midair as he landed in a crouching position, maneuvering to face Kadabra in full as he slid backwards across the reflective floor. His eyes widened in mild surprise as a Shadow Ball was already forming from the tip of Kadabra's spoon, and Ash had to quickly call out for a Light Screen as the ominous orb was fired. The golden barrier was barely erected in time, not at full strength, and despite escaping a direct hit, Valiant was still forced backwards further, back somewhat firmly hitting one of the crystal pillars.

'That Kadabra's close-ranged arsenal might actually be as good as his long-ranged,' Ash chewed the inside of his lip. In such a short span of time, the taller psychic had demonstrated a varied array of techniques to adapt to whatever situation. Valiant was quite versatile himself, but he could rely on Reflect, Light Screen, and especially Shadow Sneak for so long before the taxing nature of it all caught up to him and left him worn out. They needed to find a way to get back on offense.

He wasn't sure what he was thinking just yet, but he knew neither Sabrina nor Kadabra would grant him the time to ponder. For now, he needed to ensure that his friend wasn't left stranded without any orders.

"Valiant, run forward, Dazzling Gleam!" Before Kadabra could act again, Valiant pushed himself off of the pillar, eyes flashing as the pink beam sailed towards the psi Pokemon. An emerald ball of light erupted from the tip of Kadabra's spoon as the fairy type blast collided with the Energy Ball, but Valiant kept on running.

"Zen Headbutt!" At Sabrina's cool-headed call, Kadabra began sprinting forward as well, head lowered as it began to glow a bright, disorienting blue.

That suddenly gave Ash an idea. "Reflect, Valiant!" Though Valiant had to stop sprinting in order to prepare the barrier, his momentum carried him forward, sliding across the floor as the almost fully-strength wall of psychic glass erected in front of him. Valiant was still moving at a somewhat decent rate as Kadabra slammed headfirst into the psychic construct, and although he young Kirlia winced through clenched teeth as the Reflect cracked before him, Kadabra was left stumbling back, clutching his head where a hint of a bruise had formed. "Shadow Ball!"

Keeping up the pressure, Valiant lunged forward and hurled the shadowy orb, hoping this would be the moment he landed his mark. Both psychics perpetually had the thought in the back of their minds: Hit your opponent with Shadow Ball. Whoever managed to first would surely be the one to win.

Just barley, Kadabra swerved to the side in time, hissing as the orb grazed his side with a mild singe. Although Valiant hadn't scored the hit he wanted, the situation was still his to control, and he was already upon his opponent, driving a Thunder Punch straight into Kadabra's stomach. The air escaped Kadabra's lungs as he bent over, the electricity from Valiant's fist burning against his belly, and wasted no time clutching at the spot as Valiant retracted his arm.

"Retreat!" Sabrina managed to remain cool and calm, no signs of franticness in her voice as Kadabra teleported away, to the temporary safety provided to him behind a decently far away crystal pillar.

Even in the midst, Ash couldn't help the sensation of admiration that passed through his chest. Sabrina was stoic to the core, not scarily so, but in a way that retained full composure in seemingly every situation. He had known from multiple sources that she was a master of emotions, and it showed in full as not a hint of nervousness was conveyed in any of her tones.

Unless of course, she really wasn't nervous at all, and Valiant winning the latest exchange was merely nothing more than a minor setback. Either way, they needed to act.

Landing a direct hit with Shadow Ball would spell near certain victory for them, or certain defeat if they took the hit from the ghost type move first. But Ash knew that reckless, senseless overuse of the move wasn't going to get them anywhere; Sabrina was better than that. You don't win gym battles by mindlessly throwing around the same move over and over. They needed to set themselves up for the winning shot, before Sabrina and Kadabra could do the same.

"Take aim with Thunder Leaf." Beyond the obvious, Kadabra was taking cover behind the pillar so he would have more time to react to whatever Valiant tried to throw at him next. That meant Valiant's chances of landing this next attack were a lot lower, but they wouldn't make any progress unless they ensured Sabrina's partner was still in danger.

Sure enough, as Valiant teleported to a location positioned to fire on Kadabra, the taller psychic raised a Light Screen to block the electrical leaves. As they uselessly bounced off of the opposing barrier, the Kirlia couldn't help but notice that Kadabra's Light Screen seemed to be… extra bright?

"Thunder Pistol, then Psychic." The moment the Thunder Leaf ceased, Kadabra dropped his Light Screen and pointed his spoon outwards. The utensil glowed with psychic energy at first, before suddenly becoming soaked in lightning. Before Ash could process it, a streak of electricity shot out of the tip of the spoon… at an alarming speed.

A startled Valiant hastily erected his own Light Screen to try and block the attack, but he only barely had time to produce a stable barrier, let alone one at full strength, and the streak was coming in fast, colliding with the golden with staggering force. Valiant groaned as a hole was punched through his Light Screen; it was somewhat cushioned, not a direct hit, but the electricity nonetheless punctured its way through his defenses and struck him in the abdomen, staggering back as he clutched his stomach. As the sparks lingered on his body, he felt his own muscles resisting him somewhat…

Kadabra teleported just close enough to still be within decent range, eyes flashing a bright blue, and Ash knew that the wave of psychic energy was coming.

He wanted to ask himself what that "Thunder Pistol" move was, and how it had moved with the startling speed and force that it had, but Valiant was in danger, and control of the battle was slipping from them fast.

Whatever it was, it was clearly an incapacitation move, and with the dangers of Shadow Ball always in play, they couldn't afford to let Sabrina capitalize.

"Retreat, Valiant! Teleport!" His body moving a bit slower, Valiant focused his efforts on his minds as he teleported away just in time for the Psychic attack to miss him. He reappeared behind a crystal pillar as Kadabra glanced around to find him.

"Swift, Kadabra." Sabrina's tone of voice was cool, calculated, and to the point as always as Kadabra raised his spoon in the air. The series of golden stars erupted from the utensil, curving in Valiant's direction as they homed in on their target. Quickly, (and with Ash's orders), Valiant erected another Light Screen to intercept them. He strained to produce this one, however, a bead of sweat rolling down his head as a feeling of fatigue made itself known. "Psyshock."

Kadabra appeared a few feet away from, and slightly above the Kirlia, eyes blazing with a blinding blue aura as his spoon rose above his head. An orb of energy of the same color formed around his eyes, growing in size before extending into a powerful blast that diagonally descended towards its target. Ash suspected (and Valiant knew) that the Light Screen wouldn't last against such an attack, and quickly called out for him to avoid it.

As Valiant dropped the Light Screen, he found his muscles weren't resisting him anymore as he dove out of the way. To his shock, however, the psychic blast that exploded against the floor where he once stood sent a shockwave erupting in his direction. The Kirlia yelped as the wind slammed into him, nearly costing him his footing.

"Thunder Bullet." Ash called out to the panicked Kirlia as Kadabra landed back on his feet, pointed his spoon forward, and fired.

Valiant's cry of pain was cut off halfway through as the streak of lightning slammed into his chest. The electricity burned against him for just a moment before he felt his muscles locking up on him, as though the lightning itself had been injected into his body. He staggered back, struggling to regain his footing, but his muscles fought against every move he tried to make, even just to regain balance. Ash's face paled as he realized what the vulnerable Kirlia was going to be targeted with next.

"Shadow Ball."

The ghostly sphere formed against the tip of Kadabra's spoon, growing to full size before the ball of distorted energy was launched in Valiant's direction. Valiant tried to raise his arms, to form a Light Screen to block, but he was moving too slow. He tried to focus, to teleport away, but he couldn't focus, not enough to activate the move. The paralysis wouldn't let him do anything in time.

First, the ball smashed into him, and he was launched several feet away, defenseless as the ghost type move exploded against his body, leaving him to roll across the battlefield in agony. Then, he felt it: The sickness, the discomfort. The strength leaving his body and mind as the ghostly energy spread throughout his body, as though it were infecting him.

Ghost type moves were poison to psychics.

Valiant was on his hands and knees when Kadabra reappeared behind him. His hands pressed against the floor as he fought to rise to his feet. The paralysis resisting his muscles. The ghostly energy lingering inside his body, making it harder still to summon his strength.

"Shock Slice." The taller psychic raised his spoon in the air once more. The aura of Psycho Cut bathed the utensil, channeling and taking the form of a blade. Soon after, sparks began to appear at the surface, suddenly erupting as lightning coursed through. First the electricity was dancing around the Psycho Cut, and then it was enveloping it, the large, lightning blade of psychic energy crackling above Valiant's vulnerable form like an electric buzzsaw.

Kadabra swung.

Valiant screamed as the electrical blade carved through his torso, but his shout was cut off as quickly as it began. The lightning coursed through his body as his muscles spasmed. Barely hearing his trainer crying out to him, he tried to clutch the wound left behind by the slash, but fell to his side, convulsing on the floor until his body stilled, eyes glazed over.

"Kirlia is unable to battle! Kadabra wins!"

Ash tuned out the clapping from the audience as he returned Valiant to his Poke Ball. With a somewhat pale face, he stared at the orb for a moment before speaking. "Thank you as always, it's going to be okay." Reclipping the ball back onto his belt, his hand lingered between the capsules containing Eevee and Nebula.

It was almost disturbing how… quickly Sabrina had sealed the deal. With one successful incapacitation, she and Kadabra had completely set themselves up for the win.

As expected, there would be no easy answer. Kadabra had proven he'd be dangerous no matter what the opponent. The electricity would prove problematic for Nebula, but he'd hardly be surprised if the familiar Drain Punch from before wasn't the only answer that Sabrina's friend had for Eevee as well, and if not, Sabrina could substitute for her fourth teammate at any time she wanted. Frankly, it almost felt like it didn't matter who he sent out.

Either way, they'd need to find a way to overcome whatever was thrown at them from here on out. The battle was only halfway over for both sides.

Nebula appeared in front of him, flapping her wings a few feet above his head as she turned to exchange greeting glances with her trainer.

"That Kadabra just beat Valiant. He has electricity on his side, and can use some sort of technique that lets him greatly speed it up when he fires, so always be ready to dodge." she didn't seem too worried as she nodded back at him with an affirmative chirp.

"BEGIN!"

'First thing's first.' Ash told himself. "Nebula, fly upwards!" Not moving any direction other than up, the Staravia soared higher above the battlefield, just over the tops of the crystal pillars.

"You can't run from a teleporting enemy, Mr. Ketchum." Sabrina almost sounded disappointed. Not even a moment later, Kadabra appeared standing atop one of the pillars in a flash of light. Ash couldn't help the tiny grin on his face as the psychic assumed a battle stance.

"Nice. Nebula, Air Cutter, then Steel Wing!" Shrieking in aggression, Nebula fired the barrage of wind blades at the focused Kadabra, who quickly erected a wall of Light Screen to intercept them. The moment she finished firing, the Staravia catapulted herself forward with Quick Attack, wings encased in metal as she charged for her foe's head.

An enormous BAM! Echoed across the battlefield as Kadabra dropped the Light Screen in favor of Reflect. This Reflect was far brighter than normal, however, and As Nebula smashed into it, the startled Staravia suddenly found herself being propelled backwards, as though she had been struck, or tossed. Ash blinked in surprise as his friend was sent rolling back several feet in midair, head over heels before she finally managed to right herself, regaining her composure as she flapped her wings in place. Eyes tightening into a glare, Nebula offered her opponent another hostile shriek, as though letting out a battle cry. Kadabra simply remained silent.

'What was that? Somehow, the Reflect didn't just block her; it deflected her.' It had to have been some sort of combination move that he couldn't figure out; something that would propel an attacker backwards upon contact. But Ash was drawing a blank as to what it could have been.

He wasn't given any time to contemplate, as Sabrina's next command was "Thunder Bullet."

Although he knew Nebula would dodge, Ash's instincts brought the words "Out of the way!" from his throat, almost involuntarily. Even as her trainer gave the command, Nebula was already zipping to the side with Quick Attack, the amazingly fast streak of electricity thankfully missing its mark as she took aim at Kadabra once more; this time from a vertically diagonal angle.

Flapping her wings with maddening determination, Nebula fired a Wind Blast downwards at her target. In a flash of white, Kadabra was gone, reappearing on a different pillar as the condensed gale of wind pounded against the top of the pillar where he once stood; no signs of damage was left on the surface.

'He's good at teleporting.' Valiant likely would have tired himself out by now; and they still needed practice with vertical teleportation, which Kadabra seemed to be able to handle fairly easily. It was just in their previous Gym battle against Erika where Valiant had ran into such an issue against her Carnivine, and now, the roles were reversed, but with Sabrina having an easy answer.

"Swift." The moment she cool headedly called out, Ash was ready.

"Double Team, Nebula!" Just as Kadabra was about to fire, there were three Nebula in his line of sight, and a brief moment of hesitation. "Whirlwind, keep your copies!" the real Nebula began furiously flapping her wings, a powerful gale nearly slamming into Kadabra as he erected another wall of Light Screen, straining against the pressure as nebula struggled to push him off of the pillar. "Stop, Whirlwind, and circle with Steel Wing!"

If Nebula and both of her copies charged at him from different directions, and Kadabra couldn't find out which one was real, he'd have to defend himself on every side, and that meant using Reflect as a cube instead of a singular, condensed wall. Not only would the cube be less durable (although Ash hardly expected it to be easily breakable, nonetheless) due to the psychic energy being divided on every side, but was it possible that Kadabra would have more difficulty utilizing the knockback combo that way; whatever it might be?

Nebula and both of her copies circled around the psychic, who glanced between the three of them with some levels of uncertainty. So as to not give herself away, the real nebula did not summon Steel Wing until she was ready to blitz forward.

"Shock Slice!" Ash grimaced as, just as Nebula and her two clones charged forward at the psychic, Kadabra's spoon became enveloped in the same combination of psychic energy and electricity as before. The electrical Psycho Cut sparked as dangerously as the last time as Kadabra whirled in place, still perfectly positioned on the pillar as he twirled his body to strike in all directions.

The Steel Wing slammed into the powerful blade, and Kadabra's face strained as he struggled to push back at Nebula's momentum. The Staravia's beak clenched, eyes tightening as the electricity from the blade danced along her metal wings, licking the unprotected portions of her body.

Finally, Kadabra lost his footing as Nebula shoved him off of the pillar. His descent to the floor was cut off by a flash of light, however, and he reappeared on a different pillar, trying to regain his balance.

"Don't let him recover!" At this point, both of Nebula's clones had disappeared, as she fired a barrage of golden stars from her beak in Kadabra's direction. Still having not fully regained his footing, Kadabra attempted a Light Screen, but could only manage roughly half the strength, As the golden barrage pelted against the golden barrier, the psychic grit his teeth as his body gradually slid backwards once more, teetering on the edge of the pillar…

Nebula circled around with Quick Attack and lashed out at Kadabra from the side, Steel Wing colliding directly with her opponent's hip and launching him back off of the pillar with a pained cry. Instants later, he teleported again, this time slamming a Psycho Cut down on top of another crystal pillar, balancing himself somewhat more easily as Nebula went in for another charge.

But Ash had a bad feeling. "Swerve, Nebula!" Sure enough, Nebula launched herself sideways just in time to avoid a direct hit from a Thunder Bullet. His neck was getting a little bit uncomfortable from constantly looking up, but he reminded himself to endure it. After all, a trainer could never take their eyes off of the action.

With Nebula now no longer on course to strike her partner again, Sabrina nodded in satisfaction. "Swift, keep her off course." Ash wasn't too surprised; no doubt the homing nature of the move would help with that.

"Double Team, avoid it!" Once more, Nebula split into three, but this time, Kadabra did not hesitate. All three Staravia spread out, zipping, flying and curving as best they could as Kadabra let loose his golden barrage. Ash's fists briefly tightened as Nebula and her clones maneuvered about the air, but they loosened back up after a few moments. One of the clones was hit by a star, disappearing at the exact moment.

"Thunder Bullet." Ash didn't allow himself a sigh of relief as the second clone was struck by the electrical streak; the real Nebula was not hit, but now, she was out of decoys. "Psyshock."

As Nebula maneuvered about, circling her opponent with a fixed, steady gaze, Kadabra raised his spoon in the air, a familiar glow of light shining off of the utensil. It grew bigger and brighter, yet more condensed as the psychic energy gathered at the tip, ready to be let loose at a moment's notice. Ash knew his feathered friend was equally prepared to dodge the deadly blast. And he was certain she would, too.

But, he suddenly realized-

"Teleport." One word was a game changer, and Ash had only seen it coming the instant before it was spoken. Nebula was just passing by a different crystal pillar when Kadabra teleported to it, directly behind her.

"Block it!" Ash masked the majority of his panic as he gave his partner the only warning he could. As Kadabra lunged forward, firing the merciless blast at its beaked target, Nebula turned around in midair, crossing both of her now metal coated wings protectively in front of her body, just in time for the Steel Wing to meet the Psyshock.

The blast exploded against her defenses, and Nebula's shriek pierced Ash's eardrums as she was sent rolling helplessly through the air, almost as fast as she could fly. She couldn't right herself, or do anything else to try and stop her momentum. All she could do was continue rolling backwards through the air above the battlefield until she struck something.

That something was the barrier in front of the audience, and a sharp pain in her back elicited yet another squawk from the Staravia as she smashed into it. As she began to limply fall beak-first towards the reflective floor, she finally managed a gutsy flap of the wings, repositioning herself in place and breaking her fall just a couple of feet above the floor.

Ash allowed himself one sigh of relief that Nebula had not struck the barrier head-first. That may have ended the battle right there, or at the very least, ensured an injury that would ultimately cost them soon after.

Sabrina wasn't any more willing to let them recover as they were for her, as he expected. "Swift."

Ash called out to Nebula as the barrage of golden stars descended down towards her. "Charge back up with Steel Wing, Nebula!"

Though her back was quite sore, Nebula was not slowed by the pain, merely letting out a deep huff before encasing her wings once more and bolting back upwards at a diagonal angle. A low growl escaped her beak as the stars curved to meet her. As they approached, she angled her body to ensure that her wings struck the projectiles; carving through the golden onslaught as she made her way back up and above Kadabra's head.

"Thunder Bullet." Kadabra fired the streak of lightning upwards after Nebula's fleeing form. The Staravia was ready and swerved to avoid it, but the electricity clipped her wing. Wincing through her beak, Nebula flinched as a mild pain made itself known at the end of her wing, which began growing stiff. Seeing the bird off balance in midair, Sabrina cooly repeated her order.

"Swift, then Aerial Ace!" Ash quickly countered. Halting her ascent, nebula aimed her beak down at Kadabra, who's spoon was still pointed directly at her as the golden projectiles flew down towards the psychic combatant. They collided with the second electrical streak, intercepting the offensive. "Down!"

Cloaked in white light, Nebula shot downwards at Kadabra with the intent of dive bombing into his torso. In a flash of light, he was gone just before she made contact. Circling around, she found him perched atop a different pillar as usual.

'He can't keep that up forever.' Ash did not voice his thoughts. 'His stamina is better than Valiant, but sooner or later all of that teleporting and blocking is going to catch up to him.' No psychic at this level could keep teleporting around the room casting barriers without eventually wearing themselves out before too long; Sabrina had to know that. That's why she…

He perked up at the thought. That's why she was using Thunder Bullet. Obviously, a debilitating combo to end the fight quickly was always going to be efficient when done right, but it became a priority when a Pokemon's fighting style puts them on a time limit. And Sabrina was masking all of that this entire time: Calm, collected, in complete control of her composure.

Kadabra wasn't going to win a war of attrition if Nebula's attacks constantly forced his hand to teleport or raise a barrier like Reflect or Light Screen, so…

'Just pressure the heck out of them.' With a surge of confidence, Ash cupped his hands. "Air Cutter!" Not bothering to circle around once more, Nebula took aim at her foe and let loose the barrage of aerial blades. Kadabra quickly erected a Light Screen to intercept them, to which Ash responded, "Steel Wing!"

Nebula charged forward, metal wings all but ready to ram into Kadabra's head, only for the opposing psychic to abruptly drop the golden, glowing barrier and teleport away to another crystal pillar yet again. Ash couldn't see it, but Sabrina's partner took a deep breath upon reappearing.

'Thunder Bullet could strike at any moment.' Just one direct hit from that move would leave Nebula vulnerable to immediate defeat. 'She has to protect herself.' "Nebula, steady stream of Swift while you move!'

The golden stars that escaped from Nebula's beak locked onto Kadabra's form, curving in midair to make their way over to him. Once more, he blocked with Light Screen, and nebula charged with Steel Wing. Once more, he teleported away.

"Thunder Bullet." Continuing to fire the Swift as best as she could, nebula had to reangle herself in midair in order to ensure the attack kept homing on on her enemy, but Ash knew Kadabra's newfound positioning left an opening for Nebula to get hit by the electrical attack. The moment Sabrina gave the command, he responded.

"Double Team!" Nebula hastily split into three, but that didn't deter Kadabra from shooting. Ash only allowed himself minor relief as one of Nebula's two clones disappeared upon impact. "Keep using Swift!"

"You use Swift too, Kadabra." Although the real Nebula gave away her position by firing her golden barrage, the remaining clone did not disappear as Kadabra countered with an identical onslaught. Golden stars exploded against one another as Nebula and the clone circled around her opponent.

"Charge!" Both birds, real and clone, shot forward at the same time, and Kadabra teleported away yet again. The moment he reappeared, he fired Thunder Bullet at the first one he saw, and Nebula's remaining clone was eliminated as the real one resumed using Swift. As the stars made their way to him, Kadabra's eyes flashed rainbow, head turning to face the golden barrage. A beam of the same color shot out of his eyes, the Psybeam intercepting the Swift.

Using the distraction, Nebula rocketed forward yet again, wings encased in metal as Kadabra teleported away in the nick of time. Maintaining her speed, Nebula was quickly upon him once more, a Light Screen narrowly intercepting her Swift.

Ash's brow furrowed. All of this had to have been having an effect. They needed a final push. "Keep Swift going, and Air Slash!" He wasn't sure if Nebula could form the Air Slash while preoccupied, but switching between the two attacks would give Kadabra a brief window to respond. This way…

Nebula hovered in place, some sweat rolling down her face as she positioned herself in preparation for the attack. The golden stars continued to exit her beak at a slightly reduced rate as her left wing began to glow…

It was strenuous, but a surge of satisfaction rushed through her chest as she felt the giant blade of wind forming in front of her. The two moves that she had worked on in preparation for this fight; and all of that countless repetition when practicing Air Slash hadn't simply been for fun.

The Staravia flung the giant blade of wind straight into Kadabra's Light Screen, which shattered upon impact. Immediately, a bout of mental whiplash overtook Sabrina's partner, as though it had slammed right into him. Eyes unfocused, and head feeling light, the psi Pokemon staggered backward, nearly falling over as his foot teetered on the edge of the crystal pillar.

Ash struggled to contain his excitement. "Yes! Steel Wing!" The winded psychic was not prepared for any offense as Nebula rocketed forward towards him for the final time, metal wing ramming into her opponent's forehead and launching him off of the edge of the pillar. He did not catch himself, nor teleport himself back up mid-fall. Crying out in pain, Kadabra kept falling, landing painfully on his side, back on the floor, where he rolled over in agony, clutching in desperation at the side of his body that had made impact. He stilled moments later.

"Kadabra is unable to battle! Staravia wins!" At Kevin's declaration, the audience cheered once more, and Sabrina returned her fallen teammate while Nebula made her way back to Ash.

The boy was grinning from ear to ear as she landed in front of him, and made use of the barrier's temporary absence to reach down and pat her head. She crooned as she leaned into his touch. She had taken a moment to catch her breath, but didn't seem alarmingly tired.

"There's only one left, now. You're doing great."

After a couple of moments, Sabrina, with her next and final Poke Ball in hand, got the duo's attention. "You adapted quite well at the end of that, Mr. Ketchum. You recognized the dangers yet proceeded with no hesitation whilst accounting for them. You'll need to keep doing that if you wish to go anywhere beyond this Gym with success." Preparing to toss the ball, her expression remained as control as ever. "But first, we must see if you can hold onto that mindset and see this trail through."

In a blaze of light, the Gym Leader's final teammate emerged in front of her, and it didn't take long for the recognition to find its way to Ash's face.

The quadrupedal body. The lilac fur. The ears and tail.

Sabrina's final Pokemon was an Espeon. One of Eevee's eight evolved forms.

The decision was made in Ash's mind immediately. Both Nebula and Eevee had already taken damage up to this point, but although Shadow Ball would be the most effective weapon in their arsenal, the advantage Espeon had over Eevee was far greater; the quadrupedal psychic was essentially everything that Eevee was and more.

"Nebula," crouching down to eye level, he regained her attention as she turned her head back from the newcomer. "That's her last Pokemon. You want to keep going?" A stiff nod was his reply, and he patted her head one final time. "Thanks, good luck." With an affirmative chirp, Nebula spread her wings out before taking off into the air once more.

After the bird assumed a hovering position, Nebula's found their way back to Espeon. Sabrina's final teammate was in a seated position on the floor, her expression as calm and collected as the Gym Leader's ever was. Nonetheless, Espeon locked eyes with Nebula quite easily, and the look on her face did not change as she rose to all fours and assumed a locked stance.

"BEGIN!"

Nebula began moving immediately, soaring above the pillars whilst circling Espeon's position. The lilac Pokemon remain stationary, despite her stance. Her gaze wasn't even following the Staravia, instead remaining straight ahead, eyes steel and focused. Not a muscle in her body twitched.

It was clear that both Sabrina and Espeon were waiting for them to make a move first, which meant they had to move carefully. Ash took a little longer than usual to decide on a command before shouting "Use Swift!"

Circling around one final time, Nebula angled herself to face Espeon downwards diagonally, opening her beak to allow the stream of golden stars to flow out towards their target.

Espeon finally moved, kicking off of the floor and sprinting ahead. Abruptly, however, she performed a sharp turn around a crystal pillar, sticking her rear to it as the stars failed to curve properly in pursuit of her. As a result, the golden barrage simply pelted harmlessly against the pillar.

Nebula had gotten the hang of swift with Eevee's help, but she was no expert on the technique; it likely wasn't advanced enough to home in on a target properly. Even if their opponents had no way of realizing that, the pillars made for a creative way to try and outmaneuver such a technique.

A light bulb suddenly went off in his head at the thought, however. "Remember Eevee and the rocks! Fire low."

Quickly understanding his instructions, Nebula plummeted straight downwards towards the floor, only to bolt forward just before collision. Now flying at a low level, she took a sharp turn after Espeon, locking onto her once more while firing a second Swift. As the psychic type sprung into action once more, Nebula pursued her opponent's retreating form, continuously firing the golden projectiles out of her beak whilst chasing after her. Unfettered, Espeon continued to gallop away, gaining some distance between herself and her attacker.

'She's fast.' Ash inwardly remarked to himself. Unlike Eevee, Espeon didn't have a ton of rocks to use as cover against the swift; just eight large pillars spread out across the battlefield. But with Nebula's skills with Swift still being green, outrunning her helped mend that issue at the Staravia's expense. "Nebula, Quick Attack, but keep firing!"

Pausing her fire for a moment to focus (and instinctively nodding), a burst of speed slingshotted Nebula forward as she resumed the golden onslaught. With Espeon no longer leaving her in the dust (Ash could only assume that Sabrina's partner had been using Quick Attack as well), the stars no longer had any difficulty zeroing in on her.

Abruptly, Espeon stopped running, whirling around to face Nebula directly. Her legs slid backwards across the floor as her tail was coated in metal, and with a full, single, precise whirl, she lashed out with Iron Tail, deflecting the immediately incoming goldens stars as the approaching bird coated her wings in metal.

"Psychic Fangs!" At Sabrina's command, Espeon opened her mouth, a pinkish-purple aura of psychic energy radiating off of her teeth. The light expanded into a large set of jaws that chomped down on Nebula's Steel Wing just as the Staravia struck.

Nebula's great moment forced Espeon backwards as the Psychic Fangs remained locked in, preventing Nebula's metal wing-or Nebula herself, for that matter-from going anywhere else. Espeon's face was scrunched up, wincing with some sweat at the force behind Nebula's strike, but her Psychic Fangs nonetheless held the metallic wing in place, preventing Nebula from landing her strike.

"Power Gem, point blank." Just as Espeon came to a stop, the gem on her forehead began to pulse, to Nebula's widening eyes.

"Shoot, Nebula! Quick Attack in the other direction!" Espeon obviously wasn't going to let Nebula out of her hold, so they needed to break free, and fast. As the glow in the gem began to pulse even brighter, Nebula pulled back against Espeon's tight grip, straining her muscles and clenching her beak as she struggled to slip away and bolt her way back. The strain on Espeon's own face increased further, as she fought to retain her grip on Nebula's metal wing. Just as the Power Gem began to take form, however, Espeon felt her grip loosening, and Nebula felt her wing beginning to shift its way back.

Finally, the Staravia yanked her wing out, bolting upwards in a diagonal direction, away from Espeon and her attack. Sabrina did not falter, however. "Switch to Swift."

"Wind Blast, Nebula!"

As Nebula halted her retreat, turning to face Espeon while flapping her wings in place, Sabrina's partner opened her mouth once more to let loose her own steady stream of golden stars. In response, Nebula fired the familiar blast of wind downwards. The Wind Blast intercepted the Swift, and the stars found themselves trapped inside of the condensed, blast-shaped gust, carried downwards back towards the Espeon that had fired them. They exploded against the floor as she gracefully leapt to the side to avoid them, and Nebula dive bombed downwards with Aerial Ace. Leaping above the Staravia, Espeon turned in midair and fired a rainbow-colored beam of psychic energy from the gem on her forehead, directly at the Staravia's fleeing form. But Nebula simply circled herself in midair to avoid the Psybeam with equal grace, turning yet again to take aim at Espeon. Her left wing glowed as she reared back and hurled a large blade of wind at her target.

Eyes flashing blue, Espeon focused her psychic energy with precision before a wave of power struck the Air Slash. The Psychic attack collided with the flying type move, triggering an explosion as they clashed against one another. Just before the smoke cleared, a barrage of smaller blades rushed downwards, descending towards Espeon as Nebula rapidly but precisely fired the Air Cutter. Still perfectly focused, Espeon opened her mouth and hollered, her shout triggering a powerful shockwave that deflected the onslaught.

"Zen Headbutt!" Once more, Nebula shot forward with metal-coated wings, only for Espeon to shoot forward herself, head lowered and glowing a deep blue. Before Nebula had a chance to strike, Nebula collided with her head first, launching her backwards as the Staravia was sent rolling across the floor. Ash watched with some tension as she stopped herself, pushing her wings against the floor to pick herself up. "Swift!"

Still not back in the air, and only having enough time to rise into a standing position, Nebula crossed her two metal wings together to shield herself from the stars. Espeon ran forward while firing, however, and, using her momentum as a weapon, lashed out with Iron Tail, which struck the Steel Wings and knocked Nebula back once more, bouncing across the floor and into a crystal pillar. Somewhat shakily, Nebula pressed a wing (now back to normal) against the pillar for leverage as she lifted herself back up, letting out a deep exhale in an effort to catch her breath.

'She's getting tired.' All that work forcing Kadabra on defense was catching up to her with how Espeon was pushing the Staravia. Sooner or later Nebula wouldn't have enough strength left in the tank to properly fight back. That meant Double Team might also be on the mentally taxing side at this stage in the fight.

As Nebula rose back into the air, Espeon fired a second Psybeam in pursuit, but it was easily avoided and followed up with an Air Cutter, which Sabrina's partner sidestepped with equal ease.

Once more, Nebula began circling her opponent, whilst Espeon resumed her familiar stance from the start of the battle, not moving a muscle or even following Nebula's own motions as the seconds passed by.

"Lower yourself, and Whirlwind!" Abruptly, Nebula shot down, advancing forward only to stop just as suddenly, positioning herself directly in front of Espeon as she flapped her wings with crazy vigor. The strong gale of wind lifted Espeon off of her feet with a startled yelp from the lilac Pokemon, only for her to quickly flip over and ram an Iron Tail into the floor. Using the impact to push herself forward, she landed on her feet and began galloping against the wind with Quick Attack as Nebula intensified her onslaught.

"Psybeam!" As quickly as possible, Nebula stopped flapping, crossing two metal wings together as the rainbow-colored beam bounced off harmlessly. Espeon's sprinting no longer met any resistance, however, and in the next instant, a second Iron Tail rammed into the crossed Steel Wings, sending Nebula tumbling across the floor once more. As another Psybeam was fired, however, Nebula pushed her Steel Wings against the floor, propelling herself up to get back in the air more quickly, just barely avoiding the Psybeam that nearly clipped her in the side.

'She's forcing us on defense now.' It wasn't a good position to be in now that Nebula would be tiring out sooner rather than later. "Air Slash, then Steel Wing!"

Circling around once more, Nebula kept her eyes focused, locked on to Espeon like a missile. Finally, she reared back and launched the giant blade of wind at her target, only to quickly follow after it with the force of Quick Attack. As she prepared to strike, Espeon, having dodged the blade of wind, launched herself as well, and swung her Iron Tail to meet the Steel Wing, the two firmly pressing together as both combatants struggled to overpower one another, one clenching her teeth, and the other clenching her beak.

"Other wing, Nebula!" Understanding the order, Nebula whirled around and attempted to slap the side of Espeon's head with her other, metal coated wing, but Espeon whirled around with her, and met the second strike as well. Just as they began pressing against one another again, however, a stream of stars from Nebula's beak pelted the lilac Pokemon in the face, forcing her backwards. "Great, now Wind Blast!"

Still in the same position, Nebula took aim at Espeon with the blast of condensed wind, which slammed into the quadrupedal psychic in a direct hit. Espeon wailed in pain as the Wind Blast launched her backwards, relentlessly pushing her in the direction of a crystal pillar. Just as she was about to hit it, she attempted to strike it with Iron Tai to save herself, only for her side to collide with it before she could. Falling onto her other side in an ache, she struggled to ignore the pain and push herself back up onto all fours as quickly as possible, teeth clenched and face scrunched in discomfort as Nebula ascended once more. The two Pokemon locked gazes as the Staravia flapped her wings in place, and Ash knew that his feathered friend was taking deeper breaths at this point. For the moment, Espeon was slightly favoring her right side as she stood in place, the left side being the one that had collided with the pillar.

'Espeon will still win at this rate.' His hand brushed Nebula's Poke Ball, but stopped halfway through. 'Go for broke, then.' He reached up to turn his cap, only to be met with hair instead. That's right, his cap was gone. "Nebula, Reckless! Steel Wing full speed!"

Everytime her trainer ordered her to use that ability, a wave of understanding would pass through her. It always signaled the moment of truth; she and Ash both knew that the ability was both a game changer, and a last resort. A point of no return, as well. Nodding at the decisive command, Nebula took one, final deep breath, before closing her eyes, and feeling the RUSH.

As the Staravia's body began blazing with the crimson, electricity-esque aura, Sabrina did not waste any time. "Power Tail, and Power Gem after that."

Body stiffening, Espeon's tail stood full erect as a wave of pale light enveloped it. As her tail became encased in metal, the Focus Energy continued to shine over it, coating the iron Tail in a blinding light as she bent her knees, crouching as though ready to pounce on prey, and prepared to launch herself forward.

Wings coated in steel, Nebula let out a deafening, bloodlusted shriek. Dive bombing straight downwards, she changed course just before hitting the floor, flying low at blazing speeds towards her target, carried by the momentum of Quick Attack. At the same exact moment, Espeon shot forward, sprinting with Quick Attack as well, and the two met one another head on.

The collision was loud, forceful, and beyond intense, and Ash almost needed to cover his ears as the impact of the two massively powered-up steel type moves created an enormous shockwave. With Nebula's eyes raging red, and Espeon's face strained and scrunched, the two combatants remained forcefully pressed together, each one of them equally desperate to overpower the other. And for a moment or two, there was no movement, no positioning changes, as neither proved able to push back the other. However, despite her best efforts, Espeon found her feet subtly sliding backwards as Nebula snarled through her beak.

Ash held his breath on his side of the battlefield. No doubt Espeon was effectively using something like Eevee's own Super Tail; how else would she hold out against Reckless like this? It was a scary thought getting hit with an attack like that: Any sort of brute force that could contend with Nebula's ferocious ability was deadly and beyond dangerous.

On her side of the battlefield, Sabrina remained stoic, merely offering a nod of acknowledgement as Nebula continued to push against her partner.

With great strain, however, Espeon halted Nebula's brief advance… for the most part. Although her legs were no longer sliding, her tail was shaking for a moment, being slightly pushed back. As quickly as it had started, however, she steadied herself, and the stalemate continued. Suddenly, Nebula's wing began to shake, and a resentful hiss escaped her beak as she felt her same wing begin to be pushed backwards…

Finally, with a forceful holler, Espeon pushed all the way through, and Nebula was launched through the air with a frustrated-and somewhat startled-cry. As Nebula tumbled upwards in midair, the gem on Espeon's forehead began to glow once more, the gathering pink light forming into a large, shining rock. With a grunt from the lilac Pokemon, the Power gem launched itself into Nebula's tumbling form, exploding against her into a series of sparkling chunks.

"Nebula!" Even as Ash called out, the Staravia was sent into freefall, the crimson energy surrounding her dissipating as she unceremoniously crashed onto the floor, rolling over onto her stomach as her body began to still.

"Staravia is unable to battle! Espeon wins!"

Ash sighed in disappointment as the audience clapped once more, returning Nebula to her Poke Ball. "You've softened her up," he complimented. "We're still going to win." Reclipping the ball to his belt, he took out Eevee's next, and his gaze lingered on it as he enlarged the sphere.

Even by normal standards, this wouldn't be easy. The Marsh Badge entirely rested on his friend prevailing over her own evolved form. And one who had just overpowered Reckless, of all things.

"I have been impressed thus far, Mr. Ketchum." Sabrina's voice snapped Ash's attention from Eevee's Poke Ball, eyes finding their way to her. "But you seem doubtful. Did you not say that you were here to prove that you were ready for the next phase? Why do you forget your own convictions in the heat of the moment?"

Ash's face tightened for a second… but suddenly eased up, more than ever. With a deep breath, he felt the tense muscles in his body loosen before releasing his friend.

Eevee's gaze immediately zeroed in on her psychic evolved form, who returned the same gaze unflinchingly. Though her muscles tensed up for a brief moment, Eevee's body somewhat relaxed as she turned around to the sound of her trainer's voice.

"You're both the last Pokemon left, Eevee." Ash crouched down to look his friend in the eye. "This next round will decide the match." he let that sink in, and at her acknowledging nod, he continued. "Shadow Ball is the obvious key to this fight, but it's not going to be that simple. They know it's coming, and we need to assume that Espeon knows everything that you do; she already used her own version of Super Tail against Nebula." Another nod, and he continued on. "Nebula did a good job today, though." he offered her a smile. "Partially because of how you helped her get ready for the fight." he felt his chest warm at her grin. "Think you can finish it?" A loud, clear, happy bark was her response. He patted her head, and felt her lean into his touch. "Then let's do it. I think Nebula hurt Espeon's left side a bit, so try attacking that if you can."

Barking again, Eevee whirled around with a tiny hop to face her opponent, walking forward a bit before crouching down into a stance that mirrored that of Espeon's own. The two locked eyes, Eevee's muscles twitching in anticipation as her lilac evolved form remained perfectly still.

"BEGIN!"

Eevee did not rush forward, cautiously inching her way ahead, still in her crouching position. Espeon, much like with Nebula, remained dead still, not a muscle twitching as Eevee crept her way forward.

'Most likely, it'll be impossible to win this without landing a Shadow Ball.' Ash kept his eye on the lilac Pokemon for any sign of movement. 'She won't spring into action unless we move first.' With some thought, he called out. "Eevee, Shadow Ball!"

Breaking into a light jog, Eevee opened her mouth, revealing the ghostly energy swirling inside. Moments later, the orb fired out of her jaws. Just as it approached Eevee's evolved adversary, Espeon sprung up and whacked the ball back with an Iron Tail. Eevee was somewhat startled by the counter, but was quick to respond in kind; batting the ball back like a hostile game of tennis. Now the ball sailed for its lilac target even faster than before, but Espeon was already forming her own Shadow Ball in her jaws. The two ominous projectiles clashed, kicking up a small explosion as they detonated against each other.

Espeon emerged through the smoke, sprinting for Eevee with her tail coated in metal. Speeding up, Eevee met her evolved form head on with an Iron Tail of her own, but after a brief struggle, found herself tumbling back across the floor; unhurt, but overpowered and outsped.

"Psychic." Sabrina ordered. Moments later, Espeon was upon Eevee again, eyes blazing a blinding, deep blue. A wave of energy of the same color smashed into Eevee, and, with a cry, sent her flying back further. Just as she began to pick herself up, a series of golden stars was flying her way. Quick to react, she opened her mouth, and her shout transformed into a strong shockwave that deflected the Swift. Even as she fired the Hyper Voice, Espeon had leapt into the air, preparing a Psybeam to blast down at the normal type. Rolling out of the way, Eevee responded with an upwards Shadow Ball, only for Espeon to somersault in midair, whacking downwards with an Iron Tail that sent the Shadow Ball flying back into Eevee. On impact, the normal type quadruped slid backwards, her immunity to ghost type moves ensuring that most harm would be avoided. Glancing behind her, she saw that she was only a couple feet away from one of the pillars.

"Power Tail." The moment Espeon landed back on the floor, she kicked off again, sprinting for Eevee as her metallic tail rose and became wrapped in a strong, pale aura. Ash's face lost some complexion at the sight of the move; this was what overpowered Nebula's Reckless, of all things.

"Out of the way!" Leaping to the side, Eevee narrowly avoided near-certain defeat as Espeon's Power Tail, aimed for the normal type's head, instead struck the pillar with a loud collision that echoed across the room. Realizing that Eevee was facing the somewhat wounded side of her opponent, Ash quickly called out "Iron Tail to her side!"

A fierce energy in her eyes, Eevee sprinted towards Espeon, lashing out with her metal tail. The evolved psychic turned to meet her, however, a familiar set of psychic jaws extending from her mouth. Clamping down on Eevee's Iron Tail, Espeon's Psychic Fangs held her in place as the frustrated normal type snarled at her opponent whilst trying to pull free. Meanwhile, Espeon strained herself pulling back against Eevee's resistance, and, with sweat dripping down her face, flung the evolution Pokemon overhead before flipping over to strike her belly with Iron Tail. Eevee turned in midair to avoid the blow, but still felt a stab of pain in her side as the Iron Tail struck her, albeit not with the full impact.

Although the blow halted Eevee for a moment, she fought through the pain as the opposing blow knocked her back; angling herself in midair to fire a sudden Swift that curved into Espeon's wounded side. Ash couldn't help the proud smile at his partner's tenacity as she successfully landed on all fours, sliding back a bit from the backwards momentum as Espeon staggered from the counteract.

For a moment, neither combatant moved, Eevee inhaling deeply while Espeon seemed to be trying to shake the pain away. Ash realized with some satisfaction that the blow to Espeon's weak spot had given his friend some valuable extra time to catch her breath, and he was grateful that Eevee made use of that time instead of trying to rush forward once more for another attack.

Ash couldn't see it, since Espeon's wounded side wasn't facing him, but a bruise had developed on Sabrina's partner. Eevee was a bit far away, but her body was also marked with the punishment she had received previously. Nonetheless, the smaller quadruped successfully regained control of her breathing before resuming her stance. Her facial expression was one of neutral confidence, but the look in her eyes was a blazing nova.

'Espeon has Eevee beaten in every category. She's stronger, faster, and knows more moves.' As both combatants used the unspoken truce as a chance to recover and prepare themselves further, Ash though to himself. Shadow Ball was the only way to truly turn the fight in their favor. It wasn't a get out of jail free card, as Espeon was likely more used to getting hit with ghostly moves than Valiant was; though his usage of Shadow Sneak likely meant it would be easier to get used to such opposing attacks more quickly than the average psychic, he still needed to develop actual experience getting hit by them, which he had not quite done yet. Nevertheless, just one direct hti with the ghost type move could spell the end for Espeon if capitalized on correctly.

'But just landing that hit is half the battle.' His mind flashed back to the start of the fight. Espeon had admirably deflected the ghostly ball right back at Eevee with her Iron Tail, and had done so a second time soon after that. Her precision and timing had been near-perfect, and further discouraged reckless overuse of the move; if Espeon could deflect it that easily, then she could easily spring up a counter as Eevee tried to respond. Even so, Ash couldn't help but feel a bit prideful to his friend for being able to hit the ball back, even if it still hadn't worked in the end-

Something came over him as he recounted the way Eevee had reacted. If they could just… was that it, perhaps?

'Maybe there is an idea.' He knew Espeon likely wouldn't give them much more time, so he had to get Eevee to start moving again.

"Eevee, fall back, quickly!" Ears perking up at her trainer's instructions, Eevee turned around and took off in the direction opposite to Espeon, who, in alert, began to pursue. Though the normal type did not travel at full speed (mostly because she wasn't using Quick Attack), her four legs carried her across the floor with good momentum nonetheless.

Espeon was faster, however, and opened her mouth to let loose another barrage of golden stars in pursuit of her target. Looking back to see the projectiles incoming, Eevee swerved to the side, and the Swift curved after her around the pillar, albeit needing to somewhat slow down to do so. With a pocket's worth of extra time bought, Eevee swerved again as she approached another pillar. By now, Espeon was approaching her, no doubt readying another attack.

"Bat away the Swift, then Shadow Ball!" Ears twitching once more at her trainer's commands, Eevee whirled around, Iron Tail smashing the approaching stars away as more ghostly energy swirled from within her jaws. Eyes widening, Espeon took an impressive leap backward to avoid the Shadow Ball. She hadn't even hit the floor yet when Ash ordered "Super Tail!"

"Power Tail!"

Now launching herself forward at full speed with Quick Attack, Eevee's metal tail glowed with the white aura of Focus Energy, feeling an exhilarating rush as the appendage surged in strength. Also at full speed, Espeon sprinted to meet Ash's partner head on, Iron Tail enveloped with the same energy. As they closed in on one another, both combatants hollered as they swung forward.

Both Iron Tail combos smashed into one another with a loud collision that echoed the shockwave across the room. Eevee strained herself to overpowered her evolved adversary, but no matter how hard she pushed, she found herself sliding back, and soon tumbling across the floor once more.

"Shadow Ball, then Swift!" Ash was quick to call out. Surely enough, Eevee recovered in midair to quickly fire the ghostly orb; only at half-size for quick usage, but it elicited Espeon to dodge with a backwards leap nonetheless. As Eevee landed, the Shadow Ball was quickly followed up with another golden barrage, which Espeon destroyed with one of her own as Ash commanded Eevee to take her own leap back.

'Makes sense; she's dodging the Shadow Ball when it's fired up close, but now that we're at a distance again, she'll try to deflect it back again to either knock her off balance or distract her while she tries to counter, like the previous two times.' Ash hoped he was right; this plan hinged on whether or not he had read Sabrina and Espeon's fighting style correctly. It had worked with Valiant and Girafarig, but did he dare take another chance?

"Why do you forget your own convictions in the heat of the moment?" Whatever doubt he felt was quickly swept away. He was here to prove that he was ready; that they were ready, and that the future trials ahead would not overwhelm them. He had to trust in these instincts. And if he was wrong, he would just have to figure out something else.

"Eevee, Shadow Ball!" Without hesitation, his friend complied, another sphere of ominous energy forming in, and firing out of her jaws. 'Please don't dodge.'

He felt Butterfree in his stomach as Espeon did not dodge. Just as before, maybe even without much thought, the lilac quadruped whirled around and lashed out with yet another iron Tail that deflected the ghostly sphere back at its user. Ash tried to contain his excitement-and anticipation-as he called out to Eevee. "Super Tail!"

For once, Sabrina's eyes widened as Eevee charged forward and rammed into the approaching Shadow Ball with another powered-up Iron Tail. The extra-amplified force behind the attack launched the ghostly orb back at Espeon with staggering speed, and before the psychic could even think to defend, she was struck hard.

"BULLSEYE!" Ash couldn't help the exhilarating feeling as Espeon was bowled over by the ghost type move exploding against her. The ominous energy entered her body as she felt her muscles weakening, debilitating. "Go for it, Eevee!'

Sensing an opportunity, Eevee felt an additional surge of adrenaline rushing through her body,briefly forgetting her own fatigue as she sprinted full speed ahead to her fallen target, swinging an iron Tail right for Espeon's head. With some desperation, her evolved foe miraculously fought through the pain and met Eevee's steel type move with her own, but as the two tails clashed together, Eevee's momentum quickly sent her opponent tumbling back. Just as she was about to go in for another strike, however, a shout from Espeon saw the startled normal type getting painfully blown back by the shockwaves of Hyper Voice.

"You're doing great, Eevee!" As Ash's friend landed on her feet, sliding backwards just a little bit before planting herself in full, Ash's gaze returned to Espeon, who had successfully struggled her way back onto all fours. Her posture was shaky, but clearly, the Shadow Ball had not taken away her ability to fight. They hadn't won this, not yet. But they had wounded her, and now she had been robbed of much needed strength to power through her injured side.

Eevee was breathing fairly hard, however, and although Ash couldn't see it, her fur was soaked in sweat. Neither Pokemon could take much more, but there was no way Ash was going to let them lose now. Not when they were so close to badge number four.

Sabrina spoke up first. "End this! Swift, then Power Tail!"

"Do the same, Eevee!"

Both Pokemon took off running, the golden barrages escaping their mouths and pounding into each other in tiny explosions. Their tails rose, coated in metal, and amplified by the blinding glow of Focus Energy; a tremendous burst of power, fully condensed into their respective Iron Tails, and all ready to be delivered in one, single strike.

While Ash's face lost some of its color from the anticipation, eyes wide with something resembling a mixture of excitement and hope, Sabrina's gaze was intense and piercing as she watched the back of Espeon retreating towards her opponent, both Pokemon rearing back to strike.

And then-

A stadium… Indigo Stadium. The stands were completely filled; not an empty seat in sight. Ash Ketchum stood on the battlefield, a cap on his head, but backwards. On the opposite end… a teenage girl, with silvery-white hair tied into a ponytail, and Kalosian emblem in her earrings.

On the battlefield proper… a Gallade waged war against a Milotic. The audience was thunderous, and they were chanting… yes, for the Gallade. The bipedal psychic launched forward as the water type unleashed a tremendous Hydro Pump. Gallade reared back with a lightning-coated Leaf Blade, striking hard against the massive blast of water…

Sabrina's vision ended as though she had never seen it, and a small smile formed across her lips.

The two tails collided, ramming into one another with yet another loud shockwave as both quadrupeds snarled through their teeth, some saliva dripping from their lips as they pushed against one another's strike. Though Eevee's tail shook for a moment, it quickly steadied itself as she fought back against the last remaining strength of her opponent, with her own.

"Hyper Voice!" It was Ash who had given the order, and before Sabrina could respond, the shockwaves from Eevee's mouth had staggered Espeon. The psychic had been favoring her uninjured side during the clash, but now that side was just barely off balance as she stumbled away, the coordination of her body disrupted… "DO IT! Super Tail!"

With another lunge-and a loud battle cry- Eevee swung forward once more.

BAM!

The Iron Tail, blazing with Focus Energy, collided with the side of Espeon's head. The psychic was unable to scream in pain as the impact (which even Eevee herself felt from the blow) flung her away. Her limp body tumbled sideways across the floor for what felt like an eternity before rolling to a stop. The horrifying bruise in her head where Eevee had made impact was on full display as she lay motionless, her still reflection visible on the surface of the floor.

Ash's heart almost skipped a beat, and finally did as Kevin raised his hands. "Espeon is unable to battle! Eevee wins!" he gestured to the boy. "The winner of this battle is our challenger, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

Eevee didn't register the cheers from the audience; instead she stopped fighting the battle to stay standing, the deepest (yet most painful) of exhales leaving her throat as she plopped down onto her belly, an incredibly weak smile on her face as Espeon disappeared in a flash of red light a good distance away from her.

Ash wanted to race over to Eevee and hug the life out of her. He wanted to scream. He wanted to call his mom right now and tell her that her son was halfway to the Indigo Plateau.

He didn't do any of that, and what little restraint he had reminded him that Eevee's body was in no condition for any hugs at the moment. Instead, he simply allowed his grin to split his face open as he returned his partner to her Poke Ball.

"Eevee… you defeated your own evolved form today." he could already picture the normal type excitedly boasting to Valiant the moment they were together again. "I can't thank you enough, you were wonderful out there."

He must have been staring at her ball longer than he had realized, because the sound of footsteps alerted him to the Gym Leader's approach. Though her… mystical vibe did not fail her, she seemed somewhat more at ease now than going into the match. Very lightly, as though barely even making contact at all, her hands clapped together, with almost no sound to speak of it.

"A hard fought victory today, Mr. Ketchum. Your last remaining teammate has done something few Pokemon can claim for themselves, and you guided her to it by using our own strategy to checkmate us. To think you picked up on such a subtle detail in the midst of the action. You have my full respect."

The lightest of tinges stung Ash's cheeks as a warm wave passed over his chest. It was such a simple praise, yet it was coming from a Gym Leader such as her. Straightening himself, he lowered his head to her.

"Thank you, Leader Sabrina."

Smiling, Sabrina waited for him to return to full height before holding out the badge. Its design was a lot more simplistic than the previous prizes; round and yellow, but it carried just as much meaning as Ash removed it from her palm, and allowed himself a few seconds to stare.

"Do not make the mistake in thinking this milestone brings you this much closer to your goal, Mr. Ketchum." Sabrina's voice snapped Ash's attention back to the psychic specialist. Though her tone carried just as much strength as always, there was a difference to it. A gentle acknowledgement, so to speak. "The second half of your trials will be far beyond that of the first. You seek out Fuchsia territory next, am I correct?"

Ash blinked, but did not allow himself to lose his posture. "Um, yes, I do."

Her nod was as though she did not even need the confirmation. "I sense many an obstacle on your path, of just as many forms. You have reached your point of no return, now. Every Gym Leader will look at you differently now that you have proven yourself, the roads you travel will be harsher, and less and less forgiving, and it will be your job alone to survive the world that you are about to enter. Now that you have demonstrated your worth, the next step is to see everything through." she held out a TM. "This is a Psyshock, a highly forceful psychic type move. Use it well, along with every other resource you get your hands on. Utilization of everything you have, and how you choose to do so will be the difference between failure and success. And expect and hope for the latter from you."

Ash took the disc from the woman, her words processing in his mind as everything truly began to sink in for him. She was right; he could afford the time for excitement now, but the moment he stepped back onto the road, everything changes.

Most rookies made it through the first half one way or another. The second half was what truly determined who deserved to be in the Indigo Conference.

'At the very least, Valiant can look forward to another strong move.' And as Sabrina said, they would use it well.

Once more, Sabrina's voice collected his attention. "I am going to send my teammates to the Pokemon Center. Make yourself comfortable at the seats, and tell your friend to be ready in twenty minutes." She waited for him to nod before walking off.

The Butterfree had not yet left his stomach as he made his way to the seats. He could see Janine waving him over to signal where she was. He quickly waved back to let her know he got the message.

/

"Oh, here you are." Somewhat startled, Damian turned to see Silver approaching him, and was slightly more startled to find Neptune's massive form flanking his commanding officer.

Quickly, the blue-haired kid saluted. "Oh, hello, Agent-I mean, Executive Silver."

A brief surge of satisfaction rushed through Silver's heart at the title. For as important as the operation at Celadon City had been, it had also been something of a test that he had passed. The retrieval of the Master Ball prototype and blueprints had awarded him with a title that no one else from the child soldier program had ever risen to. Nonetheless, his face remained stoic.

"I was just about to make an announcement, but I suppose you can come with me as I gather the others."

Damian blinked. "Others… for what?" Silver could see just from a simple interaction that the child was still shaken from the previous battle. He had yet to shed his attitude, as expected, but had been noticeably quieter as of recent. Deep in thought.

"A portion of our branch will be cooperating with a mission booked for Lavender Town, although it is expected to only be a secondary force in charge of the perimeter. You will be attending. Walk with me."

Damian suppressed his annoyance, simply nodding in obedience as he flanked the newly crowned Executive and his massive Feraligatr partner. He couldn't help but steal a glance or two at Neptune before speaking up once more. "Of all places, why would we be going to Lavender Town?"

Silver was quiet, but just as Damian thought he wouldn't answer, and save it for the briefing, he responded. "There has been much… studying in the background, performed by Executive Ariana and her research branch. At your rank, you wouldn't know of it." Once more, Damian did not express his irritation. "It concerns Pokemon Tower… we have recently received confirmation, and the Iron-Masked Marauder has been enlisted to lead a… treasure hunt, to put it shortly."

Finally, Damian couldn't help the scoff. "I thought he was a Pokemon Hunter? What kind of treasure would be in that building of all places?" Pokemon Tower was the quintessential gravesite of the Region; it's not like it was a cavern or a mine.

"You'll have a better understanding once we go over the details at the meeting." Silver responded. "It's actually quite important, and concerns Team Rocket's biggest project, much like the previous the attack in Celadon."

"Biggest project?" Damian walked into Neptune as he and Silver walked in place, an irritated grunt escaping the boy's lips as he fell onto his rear. Silver paid the younger Rocket no mind as he returned to his feet and dusted himself off.

"Damian… Have you heard of Operation Origin?"

Even though Espeon's Power Tail and Eevee's Super tail are effectively the same exact type of combo (Focus Energy condensed into Iron Tail) , I figured it would make sense that Ash and Sabrina would both have different names for it. It felt somewhat realistic that way, given that they both came up with the combo separately.