Chapter Thirty-Five

Foul Play (Part Two)

NANU

Nanu wasn't an expert on either grass or fairy types; the younger trainers Mallow and Mina were much more knowledgeable of those specific Pokémon. He paid attention to how Tapu Fini used their abilities during Hapu's trial against them. Tapu Bulu was no slouch either despite their easygoing nature, so their Nature's Madness would be dangerous for Grimsley.

Grimsley was quicker on the offensive, calling for Raz to do another Iron Tail. Her gleaming tail slammed onto Tapu Bulu's forehead and pushed them back. That caused Tapu Bulu to let out an outraged Bulluu and pull the nearest tree from the ground with their horns. They swung the tree like a baseball bat and hit Raz's side, making her crash to the ground.

"Wow, Tapu Bulu sure is strong!" Selene said in awe with her hand close to her mouth.

Beaming, Acerola said, "Ah huh! Nature is Tapu Bulu's thing! You saw how they were able to summon trees and flowers after Necrozma went back to its world."

"Oh yeah! That makes total sense!"

Nanu couldn't help but mentally snort at Selene's enthusiasm. To think, that was the kid that defeated him on his Grand Trial.

Selene and Gladion wanted to go to Aether Paradise to save their friend, but Nanu thought that was too dangerous. He and the young trainers agreed on a compromise: defeat him on his Grand Trial.

Selene's Brionne and Gladion's Type Null went against his Honchkrow and Persian. The children were much better battlers than he expected, and they eventually won after Brionne's Hydro Vortex pushed through his Persian's Black Hole Eclipse. The children then went to Aether Paradise while he and Grimsley set off to Poni Island.

While Selene and Acerola talked, Raz picked herself up quickly and hissed at her opponent. Tapu Bulu grimaced, recoiling from the Wood Hammer they used earlier and the poison still taking over their body. They pushed through the pain and summoned another huge tree, aiming at Raz.

Upon seeing that, Grimsley quickly ordered Raz to stop that tree with Shadow Claw. A large ghostly claw burst out from the Liepard's claw, and she sliced the large tree in half. Tapu Bulu managed to avoid Raz's incoming Shadow Claw and poked their horn onto her side, making Raz scream. The Alolan guardian's body glowed green and some bruises from their body were healed.

Once Tapu Bulu let go, Raz was already panting and her legs trembling. Grimsley winched and grunted.

"Raz, that's enough for now!" Grimsley said as he returned Raz. He pulled out another pokéball and released back Roulette, still in her Mega form.

Nanu was hoping that Grimsley would bring out his Mega Absol. Roulette was still in peak condition while Tapu Bulu had been battling for some time and was still poisoned. A part of him was concerned over that, but also knew Tapu Bulu was tough and wouldn't go down that easily.

Roulette already made her move by jumping up and hitting Tapu Bulu hard with Aerial Ace. Before Tapu Bulu could recover, she was already in the air again and landed another Aerial Ace, flinching them.

Tapu Bulu shook that flinching off and recoiled from the poison. Enraged, Tapu Bulu screamed and launched Nature's Madness at the Absol. Roulette howled upon being engulfed by Tapu Bulu's powerful fairy technique and made deep pants.

In retaliation, Roulette used Shadow Claw while Tapu Bulu countered with Megahorn. Ghost-fused claws clashed against bug-energy horns, purple and green sparks flying like fireworks. Not only Nanu and Grimsley couldn't take their eyes off from their exchanged blows but also everyone on the sidelines, including Nebby, was fully focused on their elegant duel.

Poni Island was the less populated island in the Alola region and the people there were more laid back than the people of Ula'ula Island. When he and Grimsley landed on the island, bad memories resurfaced and grabbed him like oil on water.

He met up with Looker and Anabel again, the former having met with Grimsley before. Shortly after, Charlotte came to the island too with Selene and Lillie. Grimsley trained with Mina while he, Charlotte and the girls went to Exeggutor Island to retrieve the Sun Flute.

When Nanu returned back to Poni Island, he and Looker agreed to tell Anabel the truth, that she was a Faller and not from this world. She reacted by slapping their faces and running away to the Battle Tree. For keeping this secret all these years, he deserved that.

The night Nanu and Tapu Bulu had trained with Anabel and her Raikou, they worked on keeping Tapu Bulu's stamina up. As expected Raikou was relentless, throwing powerful electric moves straight at them while Tapu Bulu unleashed their fairy and grass energy. Tapu Bulu and Roulette's face-off was just as fierce and exhilarating.

After both Pokémon went at it for a while, Tapu Bulu's Megahorn eventually struck Roulette's chest and left a large bruise there. The Disaster Pokémon growled at Tapu Bulu, her pants growing heavier and her legs trembling.

Nanu noticed Grimsley's right hand shook and he was grimacing. Both he and Absol were getting exhausted from the strains of Mega Evolution. That could be the leg-up he and Tapu Bulu needed.

Tapu Bulu kept pace by summoning thick vines from the ground and lashing them at the Absol. Both Grimsley and his Pokémon pushed through their exhaustion, Roulette jumping around and slashing through the vines with Night Slash. She found an opening and sliced at Tapu Bulu's tail and face, leaving deep cuts.

Tapu Bulu recoiled both from Roulette's Night Slash and the poison that still lingered. After thrashing around, they fired off a blast of Nature's Madness that shocked Roulette. She let out her most painful scream yet and collapsed on the ground. At that instant, she was back to her regular form and didn't get up.

After his heart-to-heart talk with Team Skull's co-leader Plumeria, he found Charlotte and Looker at the Poni Wilds. They were then caught in Tapu Fini's mist and met with Sana there. Once Nanu said goodbye to her, Hapu came in and challenged Tapu Fini to a battle to prove herself as the next Poni Island's kahuna. She and the tapu had a fierce battle before Tapu Fini deemed her worthy and offered her the title.

While preparations were made for Hapu's coronation, Anabel came back after some convincing from Charlotte. Anabel revealed that she planned to change Interpol from the inside and fix the way the Ultra Task Force had been handled. Everyone including him approved of that plan. That would be the first step in correcting Interpol's mess and teaching those bastards a lesson.

And to honor Sana's memory and not have any other Fallers go down the same fate as her.

"Roulette is unable to battle!" Kukui declared and thrust his arm at Nanu and Tapu Bulu's corner. "This round goes to Nanu and Tapu Bulu!"

Tapu Bulu twirled around and chimed the bell attached to their tail, very happy with the two wins now. Amongst the small crowd, all the girls cheered and Nebby roared. A concerned look crossed over Molayne's face.

Smiling a little, Nanu was pleased with that too, and hoped they kept that up.

GRIMSLEY

Grimsley's heart dropped upon hearing Kukui officially declare Roulette's defeat. That now puts Nanu ahead three to two. He already expected Tapu Bulu to be strong, but it still caught him off guard. Nanu and Tapu Bulu were perfectly in sync. He pulled out Roulette's pokéball and returned her.

"You did very well, Roulette," Grimsley praised her. "You deserved a long rest."

Nature's Madness was the tapu's most dangerous move. Raz would be left to the same fate as Blackjack and Roulette, so his only choice was to bring out Queen. When he brought her out, she let out a battle cry and crossed her arms against her chest.

A crooked smile was pulled on the corner of Nanu's lips. "I was wondering when you would finally bring out your Kingambit. She would've been the perfect counter against Tapu Bulu."

With a smirk of his own, Grimsley responded, "I was waiting for the perfect opportunity to show off my ace card."

Nanu raised a brow and snorted. "Is that so? Even so, Tapu Bulu should be able to find your Kingambit's weak spot."

He followed up that threat with a whistle, indicating Tapu Bulu to make their move and charge at Queen. Grimsley's smirk widened as he already thought of a perfect way to stop the Alolan Guardian.

"Stop Tapu Bulu with Sucker Punch, and follow up with Iron Head!"

Queen's fist radiated with dark energy. The moment Tapu Bulu approached her, she punched their forehead and pushed them back. That made Tapu Bulu scream and bolt towards Queen, their horns glowing green.

Queen followed up by ramming Tapu Bulu with her gleaming blade. Queen pushed them back further than when she had used Sucker Punch. She followed that up by glowing her blade with psychic energy and bolted at Tapu Bulu, but luckily the tapu evaded the Psycho Cut in time.

Once more, Tapu Bulu summoned large, thick vines straight at Queen. The blade on her forehead was fused with bug energy, and she sliced every one of the vines that came at her. When all of the vines were gone, Queen slashed across Tapu Bulu's face and left several scars there. Tapu Bulu got their revenge by pulling another nearby tree and smacking it into Queen. As before, the tapu recoiled from using Wood Hammer.

Being struck by that tree took the wind out of Queen, making her take deep breaths and her legs tremble. Grimsley was certain Queen wouldn't last much longer, so they needed to end Tapu Bulu fast. And he had the perfect solution. A wide grin stretched across his face.

"Get ready, Queen! We're making our Z-Move debut!"

Queen glanced over her shoulder, smiling a little, and nodded.

That was all Grimsley needed to pull out the Buginium-Z and slip it inside his Z-Ring. Both he and Queen began their Z-Pose for Savage Spin Out-they formed their arms in a circle, their left arms straight, and right arms upwards.

Beaming, Molayne responded, "Yes, I think he is!"

Grimsley was able to master both the Z-Moves Never Ending Nightmare and Savage Spin Out thanks to the eccentric artist, Mina. Colress was at Poni Beach too and watched some of their training. When he and Colress were alone, they had a long conversation about Colress's involvement with Team Plasma and his research with the Ultra Recon Squad. They then had their goodbye kiss under the Alolan sunset.

They would reconcile properly after Necrozma's defeat, but that day Grimsley grew to understand Colress better.

This wasn't the first time Grimsley used Mega Evolution and a Z-Move in the same battle. He did that also when he and his Pokémon went against Glutton and Necrozma. Roulette Mega Evolved and Raz used Never Ending Nightmare. He pushed through the exhaustion from Mega Evolution earlier and completed the Z-Pose with Queen, both radiating with bright light.

Tapu Bulu bellowed their usual battle cry and launched a blast of pink shockwaves. Meanwhile, Queen unleashed large amounts of white silk that bypassed Nature's Madness and wrapped Tapu Bulu in a cocoon. Queen slammed the cocoon on the ground, tossed it in the air, and sliced it with her big blade. An explosion occurred, and Tapu Bulu popped out from the cocoon.

Grimsley took deep breaths and sweat dropped on his forehead. Mega Evolution, followed up with a Z-Move, drained him more than expected.

Both Queen and Tapu Bulu stared at each other while panting. A lump formed inside Grimsley's throat while Nanu arched a brow and pressed his lips. Everyone on the sidelines awaited with bated breath.

After several seconds passed, Tapu Bulu crashed to the ground and groaned in exhaustion. Kukui approached the tapu's side and made a single nod.

"Tapu Bulu is unable to battle! This round goes to Grimsley and Queen!"

Grimsley's chest soared, and he laughed upon hearing that. They defeated Tapu Bulu!

"We did it, Queen!" he told her, grinning. Queen smiled back in return, raising her chin.

Molayne was the first one to jump up and cheer. The girls soon followed, and Nebby let out a mighty roar. Nanu rushed to Tapu Bulu's side and touched their horn.

"Hey big guy, are you alright?" he asked with genuine concern in their eyes. Tapu Bulu made a weak, "Tapuu" and floated up.

"Hey, we should go heal Tapu Bulu, Selene!" Lillie suggested with a soft look on her face.

Selene grinned in agreement. "Great idea!"

Lillie pulled out two hyper potion bottles from her bag, and she and Selene sprayed on Tapu Bulu. The tapu hummed in gratitude, and several of their wounds were already closed up.

Acerola made a relieved sigh and beamed. "Glad that Tapu Bulu is alright!"

"As am I." Facing back at Grimsley, Nanu gave him a lopsided smile. "I'm impressed how well you fared against our island's guardian. I still have two fresh Pokémon while your two Pokémon took some hits from Tapu Bulu."

Nanu was right. Both Raz and Queen took considerable damage from Tapu Bulu and did not have much chance for a break. Meanwhile, his Absol hadn't made his appearance yet and his Persian was still tucked safely inside her pokéball. He was at a disadvantage, but that was fine.

"I'm still not going to fold yet," Grimsley said with a smirk. He pulled out Queen's pokéball. "You did good, Queen. That's enough for now."

Grimsley returned Queen and released Raz. Despite being hurt by Tapu Bulu earlier, she stretched her legs and screamed. A satisfied smile formed on Nanu's lips.

"That's what I want to hear," he said and released his Absol. The Disaster Pokémon shook his fur and barked.

Both men called out for their Pokémon to use Shadow Claw. Raz and Absols' paws burst into claws that formed with ghost energy and they clashed like swords. They exchanged several blows at one another, each one more powerful than the last. After a while, Grimsley and Nanu changed tactics.

Iron Tail.

Night Slash.

Raz's tail glowed brighter than the sun. Before her tail reached Absol, his scythe radiated with dark energy, and he blocked Raz's assault.

While still in Poni Island, Grimsley had gotten to know one of the residents, Hapu. She was a kind and humble woman who favored ground-type Pokémon and aspired to be her island's next kahuna like her late grandfather. After not having Tapu Fini's blessing in being Poni Island's next kahuna, Hapu went away, and that worried Grimsley.

He decided to return to the Pokémon Center to meet up with Nanu, only to get lost in Poni Wilds when some mist rolled in. There, he met his father's spirit and had a great time catching up with him. Raz and Queen were given to him by Father when he was very young, and they have been by his side ever since. When it was time for Father to leave, they exchanged goodbyes and embraced.

Grimsley later found out that Father's sudden appearance was from Tapu Fini's mist, and how Hapu challenged Tapu Fini and managed to sway the tapu in blessing her as Poni Island's kahuna.

Both trainers called out new tactics. Raz fired off a Shadow Ball, only for Absol to easily counter with Sucker Punch. Nanu asked for his Absol to use Shadow Claw, and at that moment Grimsley made a smug smile.

"Avoid Absol's Shadow Claw and land a Foul Play at him!"

Raz waited until Absol got close and evaded his scythe. She took that chance to grab Absol's leg with her jaws and flip him over with all of her strength. Absol landed with a heavy thud, picked himself up, and growled at her.

"Grimsley did the same trick as what Nanu did to Gladion and me on our Grand Trial with him!" Selene pointed out in amazement.

As if taken aback, Nanu's eyes grew wide. He snorted and put his hands inside his pockets.

"Took you long enough to use that move on me." Nanu thrust his arm forward. "Fight back with Night Slash!"

"Hurry up and use Shadow Claw, Raz!"

The two dark-type creatures charged at each other, Raz's ghost-infused paws colliding with Absol's scythe in purple sparks. They kept up with each other's pacing and were able to parry the other's movements. Eventually, Raz found an opening, scratching Absol's chest and leaving wound marks there.

When the Pokémon stopped for a moment to catch their breaths and stare at each other, Grimsley knew that they were getting exhausted. Their next few moves could determine who wins this round.

Nanu ordered Absol to use Shadow Claw while Grimsley made Raz use Iron Tail. Absol pounced at Raz, slashing her face with her ghost-infused claws. The Liepard screamed, shook the Absol off of her, and slammed at the side of their neck with their gleaming tail.

The impact of Raz's Iron Tail was so hard that Absol flew several feet into the air and crashed down on the ground. When Absol didn't immediately get up, Kukui rushed to his side to assess his condition.

"Absol is unable to battle!" Kukui declared. "This round goes to Grimsley and Raz!"

Everyone on the sidelines raised their arms and cheered while Nebby roared in approval.

Satisfied with gaining another win, Grimsley smirked. Raz turned around and meowed at him, as if asking, "Did I do good?"

"Yes, you did wonderfully, Raz," Grimsley said as he bent on one knee and scratched her chin. He could hear her deep pants and noticed her eyelids grow heavy.

Nanu still had his Persian who hadn't battled yet. Both Raz and Queen were very tired and at a disadvantage. Realizing that he wasn't out of the woods yet, Grimsley rose back up and gave Nanu a stern look.

NANU

Nanu's stomach dropped at the news of Absol's defeat. He thought his Absol would have the upper hand due to Raz's exhaustion from her battle with Tapu Bulu. To his surprise, Grimsley's Liepard managed to outlast Absol.

Even then, Perry could win against Raz and Queen easily.

After returning Absol and quietly telling him to take it easy, he released Perry his Persian. Like Raz, Perry meowed and stretched out her back. When she noticed the Liepard, she flashed her what resembled a toothy grin and her claws popped out. Raz hissed back.

Grimsley matched Raz's reaction with a frown, but quickly decided to keep up the act. "My, oh my, finally you bring out your ace."

Nanu snorted. "You realize your Liepard and Kingambit are on their last legs right?"

"I am, but Raz is still able to fight." He turned his head towards Raz. "Right?"

Already, Raz responded with an eager cry. A crooked smile was pulled on the corner of Nanu's lips.

"Again, don't get too cocky. Now Perry, Power Gem!"

"Counter with Shadow Ball!"

At Grimsley's command, Raz spat out a crimson-colored ball that spun around with great velocity. The gem on Perry's forehead gleamed, and she fired several gems at Raz's Shadow Ball. The two attacks collided, causing a small explosion.

Without warning, the two cat Pokémon pounced at each other. They exchanged screeches and scratches, their bodies rolling over each other in a frenzy. Nanu had seen this numerous times with the Meowth in the police station and often he would have to break off their fights. It was a while until Raz and Perry got tired of that and let go, backing off several steps.

"Enough playing around," Nanu commanded first. "Foul Play!"

"You do the same, Raz!"

With narrowed stares, Raz and Perry pounced once more. This time their bodies collided, and they pushed each other back. Both Pokémon panted, though Raz's was heavier and her legs trembled.

Seeing Raz exhausted made Nanu smirk. Good, it seemed she was finally at her limit.

"End this with Play Rough!"

Perry let out an eager "meow!" and launched onto Raz with wild abandon. Pink mist popped up, obscuring the Persian and Liepard. Screams from both sides were heard, making Nanu's heart almost skip a beat. Grimsley flinched and his expression darkened. Everyone on the sidelines, except for Nebby, let out terrified gasps.

Once the pink mist cleared, it was revealed that Raz had collapsed to the ground while Perry was still standing. The Persian raised her head and cried out in victory.

Making his verdict, Kukui yelled out, "Raz is unable to battle!"

Grimsley's face tensed, and he furrowed his brow at Nanu. He returned Raz, gazing sadly at her pokéball.

"You did amazing, Raz. Take a nice, long rest."

Acerola was the first to cheer, raising her arms and jumping up and down. "Way to go, Uncle Nanu and Perry!"

"Yeah, that's awesome!" Selene also cheered, swinging her arm around.

A small frown settled on Molyane's lips. but then he beamed. "You can still win this, Grimsley!"

Grimsley's eyes grew wide, as if taken aback by Molayne's encouragement there. Nanu expected it through after seeing how upset he was whenever Grimsley lost a round. The Unovan trainer chuckled and offered Molayne a smile.

"You're right, Molayne. As long as I'm still standing, I still have a chance!"

With regained confidence, Grimsley grinned and released Queen. Her chest was heaving, but she stood tall and crossed her arms.

Nanu snorted and placed his hands on his hips. "We're down to our last Pokémon now. My Persian is still in good shape while your Kingambit looks like she's about to pass out."

"Maybe so, but Queen is making the same bets as me and we're going all the way." He nodded at Queen. "Are you ready, then?"

Queen offered Grimsley a sharp nod and had her right hand placed across her chest. Grimsley made a satisfied smile.

"Good. Hit Perry hard with Iron Head!"

"Jump and hit back with Power Gem!"

Queen charged at Perry, the blade on her head radiating with steel energy. Nanu's Persian jumped several feet in the air, causing Queen to miss, and showered her with rock-infused gems. The Kingambit dashed off left and right, but some of the gems still hit her and she flinched.

A warm feeling settled in Nanu's chest, and his pulse hummed in excitement. He could hear the songs and drums of Alola throughout his battle with Grimsley. When was the last time he was this pumped?

"Great work! Now let's go for Swift before Queen gets to act!"

Perry's gem sparkled, and she launched several bright stars onto Queen, each one landing on her. For payback, Queen bowed low and charged at Perry. Before the Persian was able to react, the Kingambit left a deep cut on her back and Perry growled in pain.

Back at the sidelines, everyone watched on silently with their eyes not tearing off from the battle.

For their next commands, Grimsley directed Queen to use Iron Head while Nanu wanted Perry to go for Play Rough. Immediately both parties blitzed at each other, Queen's blade glowing. Her Iron Head canceled Perry's Play Rough, and she rammed her into a nearby tree. Perry picked herself up quickly and hissed at her, her fur bristling.

Nanu knew from Perry's reaction that she was pissed. It should be a good motivator for her.

He called for her to use Power Gem, but his stomach dropped when Grimsley tugged at his scarf and ordered Queen to act first with Sucker Punch.

While the gem on Perry's forehead was still glowing, Queen rushed at her and punched Perry's face. Perry flew several feet and crashed onto the ground. Some seconds had passed until Perry picked herself up with trembling legs and let out a low meow.

Nanu furrowed his brow at Grimsley when a smug expression stretched across his features. He and Perry were off to a good start, only for Grimsley and Queen to quickly catch up. If only Grimsley knew when to quit.

GRIMSLEY

After a long and fought battle, he and Nanu were down to their last Pokémon, his Kingambit against Nanu's Persian, Perry. A part of Grimsley was worried Queen wouldn't last long against Perry, but she held on well on her own so far. Molayne's encouraging words earlier lifted his spirits.

Very fitting this final round's matchup came to this.

Grimsley commanded, "X-Scissor!"

"Counter with your claws!"

The large blade on Queen's head glimmered green like emeralds, and she rushed at Perry. Perry raised her claws, blocking Queen's attack. They sparred with their blades and claws, intending to outwit the other.

While their Pokémon were sparring, Nanu raised his chin and offered Grimsley a small smile. "I must admit, this was the most fun battle I've had in a long while. We should've done this way sooner."

Grinning in agreement, Grimsley said, "Same here, Nanu. No matter who wins, it's been a pleasure battling you."

Nanu made a "hmph" sound and his smile widened. "Trying to get on my good side, eh? I still won't go easy on you." Raising his voice, he ordered Perry, "Enough playing around, Perry. Power Gem!"

Once both Pokémon backed away, the gem on Perry's forehead glowed and she unleashed a blast of gems on Queen. Queen dashed around and avoided most of the gems, but she stopped when some splashed on her face. She wiped them off and charged at Perry. The Classy Cat Pokémon jumped to avoid Queen's blade and launched more sparkling gems on Queen's back. Once Queen recovered from flinching, she glared at her.

Nanu wore an indifferent expression on his face, but Grimsley spotted some spark in the kahuna's eyes. He ripped off the Darkinium-Z shard that hung on his neck, and Grimsley's stomach rolled when he realized what he planned to do next.

"It's probably best to end this quickly," Nanu said as he raised his arm, showing off his Z-Ring. Get ready, Perry!"

Lillie gasped with her hand near her face and faced Kukui. "Is Kahuna Nanu going to use his Z-Move?"

"I think so, yeah!" Kukui responded with an eager grin.

The second Nanu slipped the black crystal into the slot of his Z-Ring, it gleamed into a multitude of colorful lights. Perry growled and took a menacing stance while Nanu began his Z-Pose. He bent down to touch his feet, picked himself up slowly, and outstretched his hands. A bright aura engulfed them, and dark mist formed around the battlefield.

The beginnings of Black Hole Eclipse.

The last time Grimsley saw Nanu perform that Z-Move he thought it looked a little ridiculous, and he still did. His heart jumped inside his throat when a black hole hung above everyone, sucking all the leaves and rocks inside it. When everyone on the sidelines braced themselves against the raging winds, Nebby roared and made a barrier that protected them from being sucked inside.

"Try to hang on until the wind lets out!" Grimsley shouted out to Queen against the loud noise from the wind. She was able to hear Grimsley's command as she used her blade to stab the tree's trunk and held herself there tightly.

Both he and Nanu squinted their eyes, Grimsley's scarf whipping wildly. The winds had gotten so strong that Queen lost her grip on the tree and was sucked into the black hole. Grimsley's eyes grew wide and he screamed her name in horror.

At that instant, the black hole closed up, the winds stopped, and the mist disappeared. An explosion occurred, blinding Grimsley for a few seconds, and Queen was launched off from the black hole. She crashed on the ground lying down, groaning in pain.

"Queen!" Grimsley called out to her with great urgency. "Are you alright?"

He watched with bated breath as Queen sluggishly picked herself up, barely standing. Opposite of her, Perry panted and her legs shook. That Z-Move must've drained a lot from her. Both Pokémon narrowed their eyes at each other.

Nanu raised a brow, as if taken back that Queen survived that. He made a low chuckle.

"I don't know how your Kingambit got out of there alive. No matter, we'll still take her down. Right, Perry?"

Perry responded with an excited meow, and Nanu smiled in satisfaction.

Grimsley was certain both Perry and Queen were at their limit. He fixed his gaze at his Kingambit. As if understanding what he wanted from her, she smiled and nodded. Grimsley smirked and faced back at Nanu.

"We'll then place all of our bets on this final move!" He tugged at his scarf and shouted, "Kowtow Cleave!"

"Foul Play!"

Perry growled and rushed forward while Queen tucked her knees in and bowed. When the Persian got closer, Queen launched at her and her blade clashed with Perry's claws. They were on each other's sides of the battlefield, a small breeze passing by.

Grimsley's heart raced as he was unsure if that was enough to pull a victory. Nanu wore a hardened expression on his face; Grimsley was certain the kahuna was feeling the same way. Everyone on the sidelines leaned forward, awaiting with great anticipation. Both Nebby and Tapu Bulu waited calmly.

After several seconds, Kingambit fell on one knee while Perry collapsed on the ground and didn't get up. Kukui hurried to Perry's side and raised his arm to Grimsley and Queen's side.

"Perry is unable to battle! The winner of this round, and the whole match, goes to Grimsley and Queen!"

Everyone on the sidelines burst into cheers and applause. Tapu Bulu twirled around and let out a joyful, "Buluu!" while Nebby craned their neck and made their loudest roar yet.

Grimsley's chest fluttered at the announcement. Did he win? He actually won! After the initial daze feeling died down, he rushed over to Queen for a warm embrace.

"You were amazing, Queen!" he praised her and grinned. Queen responded with a soft grunt and smiled at him.

Grimsley's grin widened. He turned around to see Nanu already by Perry's side. He helped his Pokémon get up, dropped on one knee, and stroked her chin.

"You did great, girl. There's no shame in losing to a strong Pokémon like that."

Perry made a deep growl, as if contemplating what Nanu had said. Grimsley and Queen approached them. When Nanu noticed them, he picked himself up.

"That was a wonderful battle. Thank you, Nanu," Grimsley said as he held his hand to Nanu.

Nanu stared at Grimsley's hand for a few seconds. A crooked smile formed on his lips, and they shook hands. Next to them, Queen patted Perry's back and they exchanged a few words with each other.

"You're welcome, I guess." When they let go, Nanu had his hand on his hip. "Now that our battle's over, you're not allowed on Ula'ula Island anymore. I'll even make sure Tapu Bulu punishes you if you ever attempt to return."

Horrified at Nanu's threat, Grimsley winced and glared at him. "Now you must be joking, right?"

There was a mischievous glint in Nanu's eyes. "Of course I am, vampire boy. What I'm serious about though is I won't hesitate to snatch your coin if I ever see you with it again."

Grimsley first stared at Nanu, knowing that he was serious about that. For some reason, a fuzzy feeling bubbled up inside his chest, and he burst into laughter.

Nanu raised a brow and gave him a funny look. Shortly after, he too laughed aloud.

Lillie, Kukui, Selene, Acerola, and Molayne also joined in and laughed. Nebby and Tapu Bulu roared and hummed respectfully.

A great battle that exceeded his expectations and ended with the two dark-type specialists in great spirits.

Their laughter echoed throughout Lake of the Moone and beyond.

Author's Notes:

And here's the conclusion of the Nanu and Grimsley battle! I don't have much else to say but man finally able to post it after several years. Was the Nanu and Grimsley battle worth the wait? Thanks to bobandbill for the excellent betaing!

We're very close to the ending! I already have the drafts of Chapter 36 and the final chapter/epilogue done, hope to polish and post next month!