Chapter Thirty-Three
Kowtow Cleave
After his short walk through Route 14, Grimsley returned to Tapu Village. Several of the villagers had returned and were outside, acting calm and doing their usual day-to-day business. He was glad that they were all safe and hoped that they wouldn't be forced to be driven out of their homes like that again.
Grimsley went towards the path leading to Mount Lanakila. A chilly breeze passed though, likely coming from the much harsher climate of the mountains. There weren't gates blocking the route anymore, so it must mean construction, at least in this section, was finished. He halted when he spotted Kukui, Acerola, and Molayne together.
"So the stadium is almost done, then?" Molayne asked.
"That's what Vincent had told me when I called him this morning, yeah!" Kukui said, grinning. "I was worried the recent Ultra Beast invasions would delay things, but likely the construction guys were able to get things going again."
"That's great to hear!" After Acerola said that, she noticed Grimsley. She beamed and waved at him. "Oh, hello Grimsley!"
Both Molayne and Kukui's faces lit up and they greeted him with warm smiles.
"Well, it's a pleasant surprise seeing you here!" Molyane said.
"I was just taking a short afternoon walk and saw that there aren't gates blocking Mount Lanakila anymore."
"As I told Molayne, the Pokémon League is on track for its grand opening in a few months!" Kukui's grin widened. "Not even Ultra Beasts can stop us Alolans from making this happen!"
Grimsley responded with an amused grunt, charmed by the professor's enthusiasm. At that instant, he wondered how Becky and the children from the Aether House were doing, so he faced Acerola.
"Say Acerola, have you heard anything from Becky and the children?" he asked.
"Oh, they recently came back this morning with the rest of the villagers!" Acerola said with a relieved smile. "They're doing great and happy to return to the Aether House."
"Very happy to hear that!" The smile on Kukui's face slipped away and his face grew serious. "Kahili and I had to fend off several Ultra Beasts near Blush Mountain. They hit harder than a Tinkaton's Gigaton Hammer on a Corviknight!"
Grimsley held himself from rolling his eyes, aware of the rivalry between those Pokémon in the Paldea region. He cleared his throat and said," Gladion and I helped Nanu and his Interpol friends deal with the Ultra Beasts here."
"Indeed, Nanu told me about what had occurred with Necrozma and Guzzlord earlier. Sounds quite an experience there, cousin!" The grin on Kukui's face returned and he asked, "So you and Nanu will have your battle in a few days, yeah?"
"We are, yes. I take it you'll come to watch?"
"That's right, cousin! I don't want to miss this battle, woo!"
"I'm also very interested in checking that battle out," Molayne said. His eyes grew wide and he beamed at Grimsley. "Say, I have an idea. Do you know the Pokémon, Kingambit?"
Grimsley raised a brow, taken aback by Molayne's question. Kingambit was Bisharp's final evolution and resembled a samurai. They often craved battles and served as the trial leader of groups of Pawniard and Bisharp. He had seen those before when his family vacationed there a few times and Queen, back then a Pawniard, was always fascinated by them.
"I do. They're more common in the regions of Paldea and Kitakami than other regions."
"That is correct. The reason Kingambit isn't as common in other regions is because of the item Leader's Crest. It's hard to find Bisharps with that item."
"Oh, I heard of that Pokémon from Nanu!" Acerola said, clapping her hands excitedly. "Have you considered evolving Queen into Kingambit, Grimsley?"
"I have. Queen and I tried to find Bisharps with the Leader's Crest on occasion but we're unable to find them in Unova."
Molayne hummed and nodded. "Mars and I have done the same and are in a similar situation...until recently."
Before Grimsley could ask what he meant by that, Molayne pulled out a pokéball and released Mars in dazzling light. Instead of a Bisharp, a black and red humanoid Pokémon that resembled a samurai appeared and let out a war cry. A large machete-shaped blade was attached to his head, and a large mustache was composed of two black, red-lined blades. His armor gleamed from the Alolan sun. Mars's flowing black hair was tied with a red ribbon. Grimsley's breath slowed and he couldn't take his gaze off Molayne's Pokémon.
"That's a Kingambit!" Grimsley exclaimed in a stunned voice.
Acerola gasped, just as surprised as he was. She grinned. "Oh wow, Mars evolved! Congratulations!"
Kukui crossed his arms, a chuckle escaping from him. "I'm already aware that Molayne's Mars evolved as he showed him to me beforehand."
A proud smile formed on Molyane's lips, and he patted Mars's shoulder. "There have been quite a few Bisharps with the Leader's Crest over at Route 17 near Po Town. This is a great opportunity for Queen to evolve and a big advantage for your battle against Nanu, Grimsley."
Already a smug smile tugged at the corners of Grimsley's lips. He already imagined Queen evolving into a Kingambit and using her blade to cut across Nanu's Pokémon. That would be very satisfying.
"That's a great idea." Grimsley stopped to glance at Mars, standing proud and tall. "Queen as a Kingambit might be the ace in the cards that I needed."
Kukui's grin widened, and he placed his hands on his sides. "I need to get back to check the progress on the Pokémon League. I think Queen will be able to evolve into Kingambit in no time, woo!"
"I also need to head back to the Aether House and help out Becky," Acerola said, also smiling. "I do wish you luck in getting Queen to evolve!"
"Thank you," Grimsley said, smiling in gratitude. When he faced Molayne, the other man returned Mars to his pokéball.
"We should get a head start and head to Route 17," Molayne suggested, and Grimsley nodded in agreement. They turned around and began heading to Route 17 together.
xxx
It took almost half an hour for Grimsley and Molayne to pass the Aether House and go through Route 15's waters. Grimsley rode on Blackjack while Molayne had his Metagross carry him. They passed by several Pokémon and swimmers, Grimsley's hair and scarf whipping wildly while his Sharpedo swam at a breakneck pace. While they crossed Route 15, Grimsley told Molayne what had occurred in Haina Desert.
"Oh wow, I can't believe you guys managed to bring out Necrozma's true form!" Molayne said with an impressed smile. "Makes me wish that I had been there!"
Grimsley chuckled and said, "I'm sure that you would've loved it. Did you have to deal with the Ultra Beasts too?"
"We did when several of them went for the observatory. Soffy and I managed to fend them off, though."
"That's good." After Grimsley said that, he wondered what Molayne had been doing since they last spoke. "So how are you doing these days? You're still juggling the observatory, Pokémon storage, and Elite Four duties?"
"I am." A soft gaze stretched across Molayne's face. "Maintaining those three jobs is a challenge, but I'm able to find a balance. I also have Soffy and my assistants helping out at the observatory and Pokémon storage."
A small ache formed inside Grimsley's throat, feeling sorry for Molayne handling those duties all at once. While not the same, it wasn't easy for him to balance being an Elite Four and a professional gambler. Sounded like Molayne had some support, which was good.
"Nothing wrong with needing help, and I'm sure Sophocles will love the challenge."
Molayne gasped, as if taken aback by Grimsley's words. He beamed at him.
"I'm sure he does. There's no need to worry about me, though I appreciate you caring about my well-being."
Molayne's beaming smile widened, and his face glimmered when the sun shined at him. Grimsley's heart raced, his initial feelings for Molayne returning once more.
It was several minutes until they reached the shore and entered Ula'ula Meadows. They passed by the Oricorio that sang and danced, and the usual sweet fragrance from the flowers filled Grimsley's nostrils. He glanced at Molayne wearing a peaceful expression on his face.
"I take it you've been to Ula'ula Meadows before?" Grimsley asked.
"Sometimes, though I should come here more often. Alola has a few beautiful meadows like this one where the other forms of Oricorio reside."
"Yes, I've heard about the different Oricorio here. Perhaps I should visit those other meadows before I leave."
Offering him an approved smile, Molayne said, "You should if you have some spare time! You're interested in Professor Burnet's research also, yeah? I'm sure she'll love to talk more with you too."
The corner of Grimsley's lips twitched slightly. He wasn't sure if he would have time to check the other meadows. He wanted to visit the Dimensional Research Lab and talk with Burnet more about Type Bias and Ultra Beasts. Maybe he could pay a quick visit there after his battle with Nanu.
He and Molayne pushed further through Ula'ula Meadows, and it wasn't long until they entered Route 17. The light clouds covered portions of the sky, but otherwise, Grimsley could see the sun up ahead. Several Ledian flew past them, and a Fearow's loud shriek could be heard across the area.
The last couple of times he visited he didn't pay full attention to the Pokémon living here due to getting distracted with Team Skull. He still didn't forgive Nanu for that finishing blow when they went against those two grunts together. Grimsley was pulled from his musings when he spotted a gathering of Bisharp and Pawinard together. He and Molayne moved closer and saw that the group was watching two Bisharp battling each other.
Both Bisharp had scratch marks on their armor, so Grimsley could tell that they had been fighting for a while already. The first Bisharp had a part of the blade on their right arm chipped while the other Bisharp's blade on their torso had cracks on it. They countered each other's Night Slash, the sound of clashing blades filling the air, and were able to predict each other's movements. Grimsley could tell the one with the chipped blade on their arm was male while the one with cracks on their torso's blade was female. While he and Molayne were watching, the latter spoke.
"Before the Ultra Beasts invaded here, Kukui and I wanted to see how the Pokémon on this route were doing. We noticed two Bisharp fighting like right now, and Mars was itching to battle."
"And that's when you had Mars go against those Bisharp and how he evolved into Kingambit," Grimsley said, and Molayne responded with a nod and hum.
"He went against three Bisharp before evolving, but yes. Also, did you notice something both of those Bisharp have?"
Grimsley first gave Molayne a blank stare before returning to the Bisharp fighting. Each one had a shard of a gold and silver blade hung on their neck. Grimsley's heart jumped inside his throat when he recognized what those were.
"The Leader's Crest."
"Yes," Molayne said with a satisfied smile. "After their fight, you might be able to have Queen go against one of them."
"If the winning Bisharp still has some strength in them, I would be fine with that," Grimsley said as he turned his attention back to the fight. After both Bisharp finished their rapid Night Slash succession at each other, the female one's blade on her head gleamed brightly. She rammed into the male Bisharp's torso and pushed him to the ground. The other Bisharp quickly picked himself up and took a fighting stance.
Grimsley couldn't tear his gaze away when both Bisharp crossed blades once more, immersed in their elegant battle dance. He reminisced when Queen and Mars fought against each other back in Mount Hokulani.
He pulled away from that memory when Queen suddenly popped out of her pokéball. Grimsley's eyes grew wide in surprise while an amused smile formed on Molayne's lips.
"Looks like Queen wants to watch the match too," Molayne said with a chuckle.
"I believe so, too." With a smirk, Grimsley faced Queen and asked, "You want to see how this fight ends?"
Already Queen responded with a firm nod, her gaze fixing at the fight. He and Molayne had their attention back on that fight too and watched its final moments.
The female Bisharp blocked off her opponent's Fury Cutter with Night Slash, sparks of dark and bug-type energy flying. After several blows, they backed away some feet to catch their breaths and glared at each other. A brief moment passed before the blades on their forehead glowed and they rushed at one another.
When their bodies collided, the female Bisharp was stronger as she pushed and slammed her opponent at the nearest tree. The other Bisharp collapsed on the ground and didn't get up immediately. The victorious Bisharp pumped her arm in the air, and the rest of the Bisharp and Pawniard in the group clapped and cheered.
He and Molayne exchanged impressed smiles. Seeing that match made Grimsley even more excited to have his Bisharp going against one of them. He gazed at Queen, who didn't move her stare away from the victorious Bisharp. Grimsley already understood what she wanted.
"You want to challenge that Bisharp," he stated.
Queen faced Grimsley and hummed. He offered her a pleased grin, indicating to her that she had his approval. Queen nodded back and moved to where the other Bisharp was, still celebrating her victory with the crowd. When the Bisharp noticed Queen, she pulled away from them and stood in front of her.
Grimsley watched as Queen and the other Bisharp exchanged some words with each other. Queen thrust her right arm forward, showing that she wanted to challenge her. After regarding Queen for a moment, she gave a single nod and raised her blade in the air-she accepted her challenge. Behind her, the Pawniard and Bisharp cheered.
"That group of Pawniard and Bisharp must be very excited to see another duel coming up," Molayne said with a small smile.
A confident smile formed on Grimsley's lips. "I think they'll be surprised at what Queen is capable of."
Queen and her opponent immediately went to their positions and prepared their battle stances with their blades crossed against their chest. A small breeze began to pick up, and after several seconds passed they let out their rally cry and rushed at each other.
Queen's blade glowed mint green while her opponent's blade was engulfed in dark-type energy. Her X-Scissor clashed with the other Bisharp's Night Slash, and they traded off several blows at one another. She managed to find an opening and slashed at the Bisharp's shoulder, causing her to flinch.
The other Bisharp quickly shook that off and crossed her blades. With a battle roar, she raised her arms and twirled around like an ice skater. When she finished, the Bisharp glared at Queen.
"That Bisharp just did a Swords Dance!" Molayne exclaimed. "Looks like she's getting serious already."
Unfazed by that, Grimsley smirked and called out to Queen, "Wait until the other Bisharp strikes, and then you can make your move!"
The other Bisharp's blade shimmered brightly, and she rushed at Queen. A dark glow filled Queen's right fist, and she waited until the last second to dodge her opponent's Iron Head. She punched the Bisharp's torso and knocked the wind out of her.
The other Bisharp fell on one knee, but she picked herself up quickly and retaliated by slashing her arm with Night Slash. Queen yelped in pain but recovered quickly and her blade flashed green. Her opponent's blade also flashed green but a fainter color, and they crossed blades once more.
While watching their duel, Grimsley had a hard time keeping track of their fast-paced and elegant movements. He glanced at Molayne, also trying to keep up from his slight eye twitches. The crowd of the Pawniard and Bisharp watching continued to cheer and raised their arms.
After they exchanged several blows, Queen found an opening and slashed at the other Bisharp's left arm. That left her opponent distracted, and Queen took that opportunity to ram at the Bisharp's abdomen with Iron Head. She plummeted the other Bisharp into the ground like a bird Pokémon diving for food.
A brief moment passed until Queen's opponent slowly picked herself up with trembling legs. Grimsley watched with great anticipation as he was certain what was going to happen next. When she approached Queen, the Bisharp pulled off the Leader's Crest from her neck and tied it around Queen's neck. The two warriors shook hands.
All of the Pawniard and Bisharp's cheers and claps grew louder at the showmanship both Bisharp displayed there. Grimsley gave a small, proud smile at the sight.
"Oh, looks like there's a couple of new challengers approaching, a Kingambit and a shiny Bisharp."
When Molayne pointed that out, Grimsley fixed his stare at the two Pokémon approaching Queen. One was a shiny male Bisharp with blue armor instead of red, and the other a Kingambit. Both of them also wore Leader's Crests shards around their necks. Grimsley believed they were from a different tribe and were interested in Queen. Both Kingambit and the shiny Bisharp exchanged a few words and pointed their blades at her.
Queen seemed to consider their challenge seriously, giving them a lingering glare. She turned to Grimsley, as if awaiting his approval. A part of Grimsley wanted to tend her injuries and let her rest a little bit first, but he was certain the Kingambit and Bisharp wanted to battle right away. He glanced at Molayne, who wore a concerned look on his face, seemingly thinking the same thing. Grimsley and Queen held their gazes at each other.
"Are you still good to battle, especially going up against two Pokémon now?" he asked her.
Already Queen responded with a hum and a nod. A satisfied smile formed on Grimsley's lips, and he nodded back.
"Then make sure that you emerge victorious back there."
Queen returned with a small smile of her own, and she faced the Bisharp and Kingambit. She pointed her blade at them, indicating that she accepted their challenge. Her challengers grunted and acknowledged her response.
All three Pokémon went to their battle positions, Queen on one side while Kingambit and the shiny Bisharp on the other. Several seconds passed by until her opponents let out their battle cries and blitzed towards her.
Queen braced herself for their upcoming assaults, blocking both of their Night Slashes with her X-Scissor. Despite going against two Pokémon, she was able to predict their movements and acted accordingly with great focus.
The shiny Bisharp changed tactics, the blade on his head gleaming metallic silver. Grimsley quickly deduced it was going to use Iron Head, so he called out for Queen to look behind her. The Bisharp rushed at Queen, but she dodged in time and used Sucker Punch to punch the Bisharp behind his leg. He fell to the ground, but quickly picked himself back up. Meanwhile, Kingambit roared at the skies and twirled around, performing a Swords Dance.
That Kingambit is already going for high cards, Grimsley mused. He shouted to Queen, "Be careful with that Kingambit, he's planning something!"
Queen glanced over her shoulder at Grimsley and nodded. She resumed her clash with her challengers, her shimmering green blades colliding with the blue Bisharp's Metal Claw and Kingambit's Night Slash. The shiny Bisharp managed to slash Queen's face, but she retaliated and slashed at his chest. She turned her attention to Kingambit and they exchanged several blows before she struck at his shoulder, leaving a deep cut there.
There was a pause. Kingambit kneeled down and had his forehead touch the ground. With a raised brow, Grimsley wondered if he was apologizing or already surrendering. Queen seemed to feel the same way, staring at him.
Grimsley and Queen being taken aback by Kingambit's act was the perfect opportunity for him to act. He launched at Queen and slashed across her chest. Queen screeched in pain and backed away some feet-there was a wide cut where Kingambit had attacked her.
"Say Molayne, that's Kowtow Cleave isn't it?" Grimsley asked, still taken aback by what that Pokémon just did to Queen. Kowtow Cleave was Kingambit's signature move. He recalled seeing it before during a family trip long ago.
"Indeed it is," Molayne informed him. "Shortly after Mars evolved, he used that move and I was impressed."
"A very sneaky move if you asked me." A part of Grimsley was actually excited for Queen to use that move once she became a Kingambit, but he was thinking ahead and she needed to not be fooled by Kowtow Cleave again.
As expected, Queen was able to quickly resume her fight with the shiny Bisharp and Kingambit. Her opponents were aggressive with their blades and on occasion almost found an opening, but Queen was able to parry them at the last second. Throughout the match, the Pawinard and Bisharp were cheering and pumping their fists in excitement.
Eventually, the blue Bisharp switched moves with his blades glowing green and did several back-to-back slashes at Queen–Fury Cutter. Quite a few scratches were scattered all over her body. Unfazed, Queen's blade on her forehead shimmered and she rushed at the shiny Bisharp. When their bodies collided, she slammed him down on the ground and backed away a few steps.
Some seconds passed until the shiny Bisharp slowly picked himself up with a painful groan. Worried that Bisharp still wanted to fight, Grimsley's heart almost skipped a beat. That wasn't the case as he kneeled on one knee and raised his blade, surrendering the fight.
The crowd of Pawinard and Bisharp reacted with loud cheers and pumping their fists faster. Grimsley mentally sighed in relief but then narrowed his eyes as there was still the Kingambit that Queen needed to defeat also.
From Queen's deep breaths and rising shoulders, she was quite exhausted. Her opponent didn't give her much chance to take a breather as his blades were consumed with dark-type energy and he rushed towards her. Queen quickly had her blades glowed green, and her X-Scissor clashed with Kingambit's Night Slash.
Like Queen's fight with the last Bisharp, Grimsley was fully immersed in their battle dance. He glanced at Molayne and the cheering Pawinard and Bisharp, also watching the fight with great interest. Both Pokémon managed to leave several deep cuts on each other.
After one last thrust of her blade that Kingambit managed to block, Queen's blade on her forehead shined brightly and she bolted towards Kingambit. The Big Blade Pokémon dodged Queen's Iron Head with ease and took that opportunity to kneel down.
Realizing the Kingambit was preparing for Kowtow Cleave, Grimsley's pulse quickened. He shouted to Queen, "That Kingambit's going to use that move once more, so get ready!"
Queen understood his warning as she nodded and made a grunting sound. At that instant, Kingambit's feet bounced off the ground and he rushed towards her. She crossed both arms against her chest, bracing herself for the incoming impact.
Their bodies collided with a loud clunk sound that rang through the air. A painful scream escaped from Queen and she backed away, revealing a deep wound above her chest from Kingambit.
Both Queen and Kingambit stared down at each other and took deep breaths, their shoulders tensing. Grimsley knew that they were at their limit and one final move would determine the outcome of this fight.
For their last moves, Kingambit used Night Slash while Queen went for X-Scissor. They rushed towards each other with raised blades and ended up at opposite sides to where they first started. Grimsley, Molayne, and the crowd of Bisharp and Pawniard all watched in silence with bated breath.
Several seconds have passed, a cool breeze passing by. Kingambit's legs trembled and he collapsed on the ground.
Shortly after, Queen's body glowed brightly and the shape of her body changed. Once the light faded, she grew about a foot taller and wore armor that resembled a samurai's. The blade on her forehead became much larger, and long, flowing black hair cascaded down below her back. Queen was now a Kingambit.
Grimsley's eyes widened in amazement, and a jubilant grin stretched across his face. When he approached Queen, they shared a tight embrace. Behind them, the Bisharp and Pawniard let out their loudest cheers since Queen's fight with the first Bisharp.
Once Grimsley and Queen let go of their embrace, she noticed the other Kingambit still lying on the ground and breathing heavily. She went to help pick him up and they shook hands. The shiny Bisharp approached Queen and they also shared a handshake. Grimsley smiled softly at the display of positive showmanship from everyone.
"Congratulations to the both of you!" Molayne exclaimed with a wide grin.
"Thank you," Grimsley said. Next to him, Queen smiled in appreciation. As he knew that his Pokémon was exhausted, he faced her and said, "Why don't we go to that tree over there and tend some of your wounds?"
Grimsley, Molayne, and Queen went to the large tree nearby and sat down against the trunk. He pulled out a lemonade can and a malasada from his bag for Queen to drink and eat. While she was chewing on her meal, Grimsley sprayed some hyper potion on her wounds and wrapped some bandage dressing on her right wrist.
"After Queen gets some rest, why don't Mars and I help you prepare for your upcoming battle with Nanu?" Molayne asked, and Grimsley's heart almost skipped a beat.
"That won't be too much trouble for you?"
"Kukui and I have already checked with the construction workers, and the Hokulani Observatory won't reopen until next week. I'll need to contact Soffy and check the Pokémon storage but it won't take too long." He beamed and added, "This will be great training as one of Alolan's Elite Four!"
"If you're absolutely sure, then I'm fine with us training." Grimsley turned his head and asked Queen, "How about you, Queen? Ready for more training in a little bit?"
After Queen finished swallowing a piece of her malasada, she hummed and nodded. A satisfied smile formed on his lips.
"Queen is also good for more training."
"That's great! I'll contact Soffy in a few minutes and take care of any maintenance the Pokémon storage might need. After that, we can start training."
"That sounds good."
Already Grimsley's head was buzzing with excitement. With Queen now a Kingambit, his upcoming match with Nanu just got more interesting.
Author's Notes:
YOOOOOOO we have Queen evolved into Kingambit! So for Kingambit's evolution method, I decided to do things slightly different than what occurred in Scarlet/Violet. Two reasons I have Queen go against two Bisharps and a Kingambit. The first reason is it would be hard for me to keep track/not get repetitive having four Bisharps including Queen go against each other lol. Second reason is to show off Kingamibt and their signature move, Kowtow Cleave.
Next chapter we finally get to the main event, Nanu vs Grimsley! I have the rough draft of the whole battle done, but it got much longer than anticipated and it'll be split into two parts! Also, I decided to have the final chapter and epilogue their own updates, so now the chapter count is up to 37. I promise this will be the last time this happens lol [s]also don't make fun of this on your comments if you made it this far[/s]
Thanks to bobandbill for the excellent betaing as always!