Episode 5: Training in the Savannah Biome
It was hard to believe for Salma and Antonio that they had already reached the end of their first week at Blueberry Academy and were just beginning their second one. The rest of the week and the weekend had consisted of nothing but training, playing, exploration and lessons. Of course, the training had been the best part for both teens and they'd especially been having fun with training up their newest Pokémon. Trapinch and Fennekin had both settled in nicely ever since Salma and Antonio had caught them and they were just as much a part of the team as their other Pokémon. Any student who saw them together would think the two had owned Trapinch and Fennekin all their lives with how close they were together. Naturally, Trapinch most enjoyed the picnics the teens hosted together, happily devouring any sandwich that Salma made for him. Fennekin mostly enjoyed being washed and groomed, especially since Antonio was always so gentle and delicate with her. Although she enjoyed the sandwiches on their picnics, she mostly preferred to snack on twigs, so Antonio would pick any up he found when they were cycling around the Terarium. Thankfully, Salma and Antonio hadn't seen Kieran again since their last meeting in the cafeteria on their first day. Salma wasn't ready to face him again until she'd beaten the Elite Four and won the right to battle him. Antonio just flat out didn't want to see him again unless he reverted back to his original kinder personality. Aside from the one time Kieran had spied on them, he'd been busy training his own team, hence why they hadn't run into each other. They'd only run into Carmine once or twice whenever she would check up on them and ask how they were doing. In turn, the two would hear about Kieran from her.
"How is he now?" Salma had asked during class at the end of the week.
"Same as last time you asked." Carmine said, sounding disappointed to be giving that same answer, "Now he knows you're here, he's borderline obsessed with being the best like no one ever was and he won't stop until it's time for you and him to battle."
"I'm beginning to wish I hadn't been invited to come here." Salma lamented, "I've already wrecked Kieran's life with that damn school trip to Kitakami, now I'm making things worse for him."
"Hey, what have I said about blaming yourself you bozo?" Carmine snapped, "Stop thinking this is all your fault! Kiki's the one choosing to do all this crap, you didn't make him do it!"
"I still ended up pushing him in that direction, so it's still partially my fault." Salma muttered, "But I doubt you've been any better with him. You still as flippant towards him as ever?" she asked bluntly.
"Actually, I've been trying to talk him out of his obsession and to quit being a psycho!" Carmine retorted, "But he won't listen. He just tells me to "shut it" and leaves me out in the cold."
"Can't imagine why with how you treated him before." Salma muttered sarcastically.
"Now you see here…" Carmine begin.
"Carmine Suguri, keep your voice down!" snapped the teacher, "Don't make me have to give you detention again! In this class, you are sitting quietly and paying attention to the lesson! Do I make myself clear?"
"As clear as a Tera Crystal sir!" Carmine said quickly.
"Thank you. Now then…" the teacher carried on.
Salma and Carmine didn't speak again after that conversation. The Paldean girl reckoned that she'd riled Carmine enough that she didn't want to bother with her for now, which suited Salma just fine. The less she saw of that irritating, stuck-up brat, the better! Thankfully, she and Antonio did have some more pleasant encounters throughout the week. On Saturday, they ended up meeting Lacey again whilst exploring the Coastal Biome. They were riding on Miraidon and Koraidon respectively and came across the pink-haired girl as they rode by. Lacey was sitting at a table with a pretty umbrella set up to shade her from the artificial sunlight and she was drinking tea from her own personal tea set. Salma remembered seeing that same tea set in the League Club room on their first day at the academy. Unlike Carmine, Lacey was nothing but sweet and welcoming to the two.
"Oh goodness, it's our guests from Paldea!" she'd said jovially, "How's your first week at the academy going?"
"Up and down." Salma informed, "We got some new Pokémon each and been having lots of fun training together, but Kieran still weighs on my mind and Carmine's as ignorant of her own faults as ever."
"That's nothing new I'm afraid." Lacey said in disappointment, "That Carmine's such a pain sometimes. Her behaviour is just NOT right! But she never listens. Never mind her though, come and join me. There's plenty of tea to go around and I have cookies too if you'd like any." she offered sweetly.
"That's v-very kind of y-you amigo. Thank you." Antonio said shyly.
The two also met Drayton again during visits to the League Club. He would just innocently inquire how their training was going and if Salma felt ready to take on the League yet.
"I'll probably give it another week first, then I'll go for it." Salma answered.
"Suits me." Drayton said nonchalantly, "Just as long as you're still going for it. You better believe the whole Academy's eager to watch you and Kieran duke it out for the Champion title. I know I'm keen to battle you myself. My Archaludon's especially itching to face off against your Ceruledge."
"Not gonna happen." Salma dismissed, "I wouldn't bring a Fire-type to a battle against Dragon-type specialists. Though it may want to face my Trapinch when it evolves into a Flygon." she added eagerly.
"Oh you got one of those, huh?" Drayton said with fascination, "Heh, I have my own Flygon. I'll be keen to see how you raise yours."
"She'll raise it to be strong, you can count on that!" Antonio said eagerly, "My sis is Paldea's newest Champion ranked student, she'll raise her Trapinch into a Champion worthy Flygon in no time!"
"Now that I gotta see, especially if you'll use it against Kieran…" Drayton purred.
Salma could see why Drayton would suggest such an idea, but she already knew that there was only one team of Pokémon she'd be using to face Kieran with, and that was her regular Champion team. She wanted to face Kieran at her strongest and of all the Pokémon she owned, Ceruledge, Skeledirge, Palafin, Kingambit, Kilowattrel and Baxcalibur were her best. But maybe she could raise her Trapinch to be a Flygon as strong as her regular team. She wouldn't know unless she tried.
Now, it was the start of a new week and Salma and Antonio were preparing to train some more with Trapinch and Fennekin. The two had trained and learned how to battle by practicing with their other Pokémon. Ceruledge and Meowscarada had been their unofficial coaches and taught them everything they knew about battling. Surprisingly, Trapinch and Fennekin already knew some pretty strong moves despite being unevolved. Salma theorized that because Blueberry Academy was a school that prioritized battles and strength above everything else, the Pokémon living in the Terarium were likely stronger and more advanced than regular Pokémon. A wild Fennekin anywhere else for example wouldn't be as strong as the Fennekin living here. That made training them a little easier since they didn't need to learn any super strong moves to catch up to their other teams. All they needed to do now was evolve. Salma and Antonio stood opposite each other, ready to battle. Trapinch and Fennekin would be facing off against each other. This was their first proper battle instead of a practice battle with their mentors. Now the Paldean siblings would see if their training would pay off.
"I may have the type-advantage Toni, but I'm sure Fennekin's gonna be no pushover!" Salma said with utmost certainty.
"She won't be!" Antonio declared, "Let's show what we can do my sweet! Fennekin, use Sunny Day!"
Fennekin looked up to the heavens and cried out loudly. Her cries caused a sudden beam of sunlight to shine above the battlefield and the heat became more intense. Salma and Antonio were already sweating within seconds. At least their League Club uniforms made them perfectly suited for hot weather. Salma could see what her brother's strategy was.
"Fire attacks aren't very effective on Ground-types, so why not use Sunny Day for a power boost?" she acknowledged, "My bro's cleverer than he thinks he is…Trapinch, use Dig!"
Trapinch bit down into the dirt with his huge jaws and dug away furiously, effortlessly tunnelling his way down like a drill. Living in the wild before had made him a very efficient digger. Antonio watched Trapinch burrow down underground and quickly though about what to do next. Fennekin likely wouldn't survive a hit from Trapinch's Dig, so he'd have to be fast. For a few seconds, Trapinch didn't resurface. Fennekin looked left and right wildly. She felt scared and wasn't sure what she should do. Antonio was able to save her as he realized something.
"Listen out for Trapinch!" he called to his partner, "Use those big ears of yours to track him!"
Fennekin nodded and listened out for Trapinch. Her species had excellent hearing to the point even a Pokémon underground would have a hard time sneaking up on them. Sure enough, she heard Trapinch approaching and dove out of the way just before he resurfaced. Trapinch let out a growl of frustration, clearly annoyed at having missed his opponent. As soon as Trapinch landed back on the ground, Fennekin retaliated by using Will-O-Wisp. Fennekin launched fiery wisps at Trapinch and burnt him real badly. Salma frowned. She knew exactly what Antonio was trying to do.
"I see he's taking Ceruledge's usual strategy and using it against me. I best make this a quick one before that burn turns the tables for me…" Salma mused to herself.
She ordered Trapinch to use Sandstorm. If Antonio though he could control the field, he could forget it. Trapinch roared loudly and all at once, a huge gust of wind blew around the battlefield and kicked up clouds of dust and sand everywhere. Sunny Day was gone and Fennekin was left wailing as Sandstorm chipped away at her health. With Trapinch's burn wearing him down and Sandstorm wearing Fennekin down, it was going to be a matter of who could finish the other off first. Antonio was keen to keep up the offensive and put pressure on his sister, so he ordered Fennekin to use Psychic. Fennekin's eyes glowed pink and she caught Trapinch with psychic energy. It was as if an invisible hand had closed around the Ant Pit Pokémon and picked him up. She then flicked her head to one side and sent Trapinch flying across the savannah. He hit a nearby rock and groaned in pain. He winced as his burn inflicted further damage to him. Undeterred, Salma ordered Trapinch to use Earth Power. Pokémon that were burned suffered a decrease in their physical power, but Earth Power was a special attack, so it would be unaffected. Trapinch slammed his front feet on the ground and created a powerful burst of energy that erupted from under Fennekin. The vulpine Pokémon wailed as she was launched into the air by the powerful attack and she crashed down heavily onto her side. She groaned in pain and winced as Sandstorm chipped away more of her health. Sensing this was over, Salma ordered Trapinch to come in and use Crunch. Trapinch scuttled quickly over to Fennekin and opened his jaws wide. One single bite should've been enough to win the battle. But Antonio caught his sister by surprise as he commanded Fennekin to use Flamethrower. Fennekin opened her mouth and blasted a funnel of flames into Trapinch's mouth. Trapinch reeled back, feeling as if his insides were about to be cooked. He coughed and spluttered furiously. Seeing his chance, Antonio ordered Fennekin to use Psychic again. Fennekin swept Trapinch off his feet with her psychic attack and he skidded across the terrain right towards Salma's feet. Trapinch grunted and pushed himself back to his feet. He was about to continue the battle…but he never got the chance. All of a sudden, the burn from Will-O-Wisp inflicted more damage to him and he promptly collapsed onto his stomach. His eyes became swirls as he passed out. The Sandstorm promptly ended as a result. Salma and Antonio had to take a moment to register what had just happened. Neither one could believe that this was how the battle had ended!
"Santa Maria, we won?!" Antonio exclaimed, "Unreal! I've never beaten my sister before! This is incredible! I can't believe it!"
He scooped Fennekin up into his arms and hugged her with delight. Fennekin yapped merrily and nuzzled her trainer with glee.
"You did it Fennekin, you really did it!" Antonio cheered, "Well done to you! You were amazing!"
Salma gave her brother a moment to enjoy his victory and savour the moment. She'd won plenty of battles before, especially against Antonio, so she was far from sore about the loss. If anything, it felt somewhat refreshing to lose as it meant something different could happen for a change. It also showed that Trapinch still needed more training and that she couldn't be slacking now. She knelt down beside Trapinch and stroked him tenderly. Trapinch looked up at his trainer sadly. He looked as if he was about to cry.
"Don't be sad amigo. You fought brilliantly." Salma said gently, "I'm very proud of you, even if you lost. Don't worry about it, next time you'll win!"
Trapinch felt better after that. He crawled onto Salma's lap and nuzzled her stomach. Salma hugged him back.
"I know, I love you too amigo." she said kindly, "You rest easy for now, then we'll train some more later on."
She picked Trapinch up and walked over to Antonio.
"Felicidades* hermanito." Salma complimented, "You and Fennekin were quite the pair. Even with a type-disadvantage, you gave it your all and didn't once let yourselves give up so easily. I'm so proud of you both."
"Muchas Gracias hermana mayor!" Antonio said graciously, "We're so happy that we might just burst! I can't believe we actually won!"
"You better, because it happened!" Salma laughed, "And I bet you'll win many more battles with Fennekin in the future."
"I sure hope so." Antonio said optimistically, "I wonder what Arven will think when we get home and show him Fennekin."
"I imagine he, Penny and Nemona will get a kick out of seeing both her and Trapinch." Salma said brightly, "You know, we've been so caught up in training and schoolwork this past week, it never occurred to us to send them pictures or videos of them!" she exclaimed in exasperation.
"We should take some now and send them off." Antonio suggested, "I bet they'll be fascinated to see two species of Pokémon not native to Paldea."
They did just that and shortly afterwards, they received a response from their friends back in Paldea. Nemona had just the response Salma expected her to, that she wanted to battle Trapinch and Fennekin and see what they could do. Arven and Penny expressed adoration for Fennekin and Arven joked about Trapinch's large jaws meant he could probably eat more sandwiches at once than even Koraidon and Miraidon. While Nemona and Arven hadn't seen either species before, Penny recognized Trapinch since they lived in Galar and she was originally from that region. The trio finished off with a message for Salma and Antonio about enjoying themselves at BB Academy and to show them any other new Pokémon they meet. Afterwards, Salma and Antonio took a much needed break after all the training this morning and let their Pokémon out to play for a bit before lunch time. Once lunch was over, the Nocedas intended to train some more with their new catches with Salma wanting to pit Trapinch against Ceruledge and Antonio wanting Fennekin to face Meowscarada. Having them face their mentors in battle would be another good sign of their progress. Lunch was soon served and all twelve Pokémon plus their trainers ate up every last crumb of their sandwiches. A few minutes later, Salma and Antonio returned all their Pokémon except for Ceruledge, Trapinch, Fennekin and Meowscarada. The four Pokémon were put into position with Salma watching over her two while Antonio watched over his.
"OK Trapinch, this is where we really test your strength!" Salma said encouragingly, "Ceruledge, try not to go too easy on your teammate, OK? You have to show him your true strength as well!"
Ceruledge nodded and raised his swords eagerly. Trapinch gulped nervously, intimidated by Ceruledge's menacing stance. He shook his head and chomped loudly. He wouldn't let himself get scared so easily!
"Fennekin, Meowscarada, give each other a great battle, but also have fun while you do it!" Antonio encouraged, "Give each other all you've got!"
Meowscarada flashed a haughty grin at Fennekin and curled her paw up and down, making a "come at me" gesture to her. Fennekin didn't let her tutor bait her. She just stood her ground and prepared to do battle.
"Pardon me exchange students. Do forgive the intrusion. I merely wish to engage in conversation with you both." came a sudden voice.
Salma and Antonio were so alarmed by how out of nowhere that voice had come that they leapt a foot into the air and nearly fell over each other. They looked around and saw that the voice had come from another Blueberry Academy student. They usually met other students during classes up in the main building rather than down in the Terarium as they were usually too busy training to meet up with them. This was their first time since they'd started their term at the school that they'd come across another student whilst in the Terarium. The student was a girl, aged about fourteen and sporting an inquisitive, studious look on her face. She wore a white school uniform and square-framed spectacles and she sported short, boyish, dirty blonde hair. She always spoke in a clipped, matter-of-fact tone of voice and didn't express much emotion, which prompted people to joke about her and Amarys being related. Salma recognized the student for she'd seen her in class before.
"Oh, it's you Chloe." the Champion ranked trainer acknowledged, "Santa Maria, you startled us both!"
"My deepest apologies." Chloe said meekly, "It was not my intention to frighten you."
"No, no, it's OK. You didn't scare us, you just surprised us." Antonio said reassuringly, "How are you today?" he asked politely.
"I am perfectly well Antonio." Chloe replied, "Many greetings and salutations to you both too. What, pray tell, are you two up to at this very moment?" she inquired.
"Oh we're just training our new Pokémon." Salma informed, "We caught a Trapinch and a Fennekin last week and have been working them real hard."
Trapinch gnashed his teeth with glee and Fennekin yapped merrily.
"A most productive use of one's time. Very good." Chloe said approvingly, "At Blueberry Academy, we expect nothing less from our students, local or exchange."
"My big sis is going to be taking on the BB League and I'm helping her train for it. Of course we ain't slacking off!" Antonio scoffed.
"I am willing to bet you have not." Chloe agreed, "In any case, I spotted you two from afar and thought I would propose a Pokémon battle between us three. I am most ecstatic to observe your battle skills for myself."
Her monotone, emotionless way of speaking didn't exactly make her sound ecstatic.
"What, was our exhibition match with Lacey on our first day not enough for you?" Salma retorted.
"It was a most exhilarating display, yes, but nothing compares to experiencing it for yourself." Chloe noted, "Would you be so kind as to battle me, fellow students?"
Salma shrugged.
"Sure amigo, we'll accept your challenge." she said brightly.
"Trapinch and Fennekin can get a real good work out if we let them face another trainer's Pokémon!" Antonio said eagerly.
"Reading my mind as always Toni." Salma joked, "Trapinch, it's battle time!" she announced.
"Fennekin, spring into action!" Antonio cried out.
The two Pokémon stood in front of their trainers and awaited further instructions. Ceruledge and Meowscarada stood on the side-lines and watched. They would see for themselves how well their new teammates did. They wouldn't have mind battling as well, but this was their time to shine.
"I shall select Girafarig and Magmar for battle." Chloe announced, throwing two Pokéballs.
The Normal/Psychic type Girafarig and the Fire-type Magmar materialized onto the field and dropped down into battle ready stances. Girafarig resembled a giraffe, only it had a head on the end of its tail and was yellow at the front and black at the back. Magmar resembled some kind of dinosaur creature and had a duckbill, waving flames on its head and a flame at the end of its tail. Antonio immediately grew excited upon seeing Girafarig for it was a species he recognized from Paldea. He had caught his own on his journey and evolved it into Farigiraf. He and Salma didn't recognize Magmar for they weren't native to Paldea at all. Salma took out her Rotom phone and scanned it. The Pokédex informed her:
Magmar: The Spitfire Pokémon. A Fire-type, and the evolved form of Magby. Wavering flames similar to those of the sun appear on the surface of this Pokémon's body.
"Sure looks like a hot one…" Salma mused to herself, "Not that I'm worried."
She was confident she had this fight won for Trapinch knew a super-effective attack against Girafarig and he had a type-advantage against Magmar. But she also knew better than to underestimate her opponent. Trapinch had been beaten by Fennekin this morning despite having a type-advantage, so she wouldn't be so arrogant as to think this would be easy. She looked to Antonio. She had a feeling Fennekin would struggle against Magmar, so he might be better off facing Girafarig. Antoni looked back to Salma and smiled reassuringly at her. His eyes said all the words he'd need to say at this point: Don't worry sis, we can win this! Salma smiled back and looked to Chloe.
"Looks like we're in for an interesting battle." she acknowledged, "Now let's show you what a Champion ranked trainer and her Titan-busting brother can do! Trapinch, use Sandstorm!"
Trapinch roared and conjured up blistering winds that blew sand and dust all over the battlefield. Antonio could see what his sister was up to. Sandstorm would do extra damage to Chloe's Pokémon and give them a helping hand. Unfortunately, it would also damage Fennekin too, so he had to play his cards carefully.
"We'll make a move as well!" he announced, "Fennekin, use Will-O-Wisp on Girafarig!"
He knew it wouldn't work on Magmar, so Girafarig was his only option. Fennekin conjured up fiery wisps and launched them straight at Girafarig. The giraffe Pokémon winced as it was burnt by the wisps. With burn and sandstorm damage whittling away its health other time, Girafarig's chances were looking very slim in this battle. But Chloe's face remained unchanged. She looked as if she was quietly observing her opponents rather than being worried by her Pokémon's welfare. Salma got the impression she was calculating on how to respond to this opening move.
"A sound strategy, esteemed opponents. But now it is time for my counter attack." Chloe said coldly, "Magmar, use Cross Chop on Fennekin. Girafarig, use Energy Ball on Trapinch."
Girafarig blasted a green energy sphere at Trapinch and Magmar sprinted towards Fennekin with its arms crossed. Their attacks were successful, Energy Ball blasting Trapinch off his feet and Cross Chop walloping Fennekin across the face and throwing her onto her side. Salma frowned in worry. So Girafarig could cover Ground-types and Magmar had a very strong Fighting move. Chloe was clearly no pushover by any means. Blueberry Academy had a reputation for schooling very strong trainers and the Nocedas were getting an idea already just how strong this one was. Girafarig then followed up its Energy Ball attack by using Psychic to pick up Trapinch and hoist him off the ground. Magmar ran in and prepared to use Cross Chop again. Chloe had deduced Trapinch was the bigger threat and had to be taken down first. Trapinch squirmed but he couldn't move. He was helpless to do anything as Magmar came in to pummel him. But Fennekin saved him from the attack by using Psychic to stop Magmar dead in its tracks. The Spitfire Pokémon gasped as it suddenly found itself immobilized and then Fennekin threw it straight into Girafarig. The giraffe Pokémon dropped Trapinch now its concentration was broken, freeing him from Psychic and allowing Salma to follow-up by ordering the Ant Pit Pokémon to use Dig. Trapinch dug down into the ground and tunnelled towards Magmar. Magmar only just stood up by the time Trapinch reached him and emerged from underground, slamming into Magmar and throwing it up into the air. It crashed down onto its back and groaned loudly. Girafarig tried to retaliate by using Energy Ball again but Fennekin intercepted by incinerating it with Flamethrower. Chloe observed all of this from behind her square-framed spectacles and a small smile spread across her thin lips.
"The coordination between both trainers is on point. They're no stranger to double battles, that much is apparent." she said studiously, "I will have to up my game a bit…"
She waited for Girafarig and Magmar to stand back up again before she made her next move. What happened next caught Salma and Antonio by surprise. Chloe ordered Girafarig to use Dazzling Gleam. The giraffe Pokémon grimaced from the burn and sandstorm damage it sustained simultaneously, but it pressed on and launched its attack. Dazzling bright lights lit up the sandstorm and both Trapinch and Fennekin were momentarily blinded by the move. Now they were stunned, Magmar came in and socked Fennekin in the gut with Mach Punch. The fox Pokémon was thrown back by the powerful punch and she crashed down onto her back. Trapinch heard all the commotion and tried to help, but he still couldn't see from Dazzling Gleam earlier. He chomped at only empty air and Magmar used Mach Punch to throw him backwards too. The two Pokémon lay sprawled on the ground together, too pained to move for the time being. This gave Chloe the chance to press on her assault by ordering Magmar to use Flare Blitz. The Spitfire Pokémon stampeded towards both opponents like a thundering Rhydon. Its body was coated in flames as it ran. Salma was sure that attack would finish off both Trapinch and Fennekin if it hit, so she had to act fast. She ordered Trapinch to use Dig again and Antonio ordered Fennekin to follow him down the hole. Just in time, Trapinch was able to dig out of Magmar's way and Fennekin jumped down the hole after him. Magmar thundered past, unable to stop in time, and tripped over the hole that Trapinch had dug. Magmar hit the ground heavily and skidded to a painful stop. Despite the move being a failure, Chloe remained unflinching the whole time. She merely ordered Girafarig to use Psychic and pull the two back up from underground. The giraffe Pokémon concentrated intensely on the ground, pinpointing where its opponents were. Then with psychic energy, it grabbed the two and yanked them both back to the surface. Salma and Antonio recoiled in astonishment. They'd never seen anything like this before. Girafarig then threw the two backwards with a gesture of its head. Trapinch and Fennekin crashed down onto the ground and cried out in pain. Fennekin was looking the worst for wear as Sandstorm also inflicted extra damage to her. Antonio could see Fennekin was in bad shape and knew he had to do something about it.
"I'm sorry Salma, but I'm gonna have to stop your Sandstorm!" he declared, "Fennekin won't last much longer otherwise!"
"By all means, do it!" Salma insisted, "I'm sure Sandstorm has softened our opponents up enough for us to defeat anyway!"
Antonio went ahead with his plan, ordering Fennekin to use Sunny Day. The fox Pokémon yelled up to the heavens and all at once, Sandstorm disappeared from the field and was replaced with bright sunshine. At least now Fennekin's Fire attacks would get a power boost, but it also meant Magmar's Flare Blitz got a power boost too. It was a risky gambit, but the Nocedas trusted their Pokémon could make it count. Salma could feel the sweat already beginning to trickle down her face, but she was sure it wasn't because of Sunny Day. Trapinch and Fennekin had already taken a beating, so it was going to be a matter of how she and Antonio made their next moves that would determine if they would win or lose this match. If push came to shove, they might need to Terastilize in order to even the odds. Antonio ordered Fennekin to use Flamethrower on Girafarig and Salma ordered Trapinch to use Earth Power on Magmar. Fennekin blasted at Girafarig with Flamethrower and Trapinch stomped at the ground to hit Magmar with an eruption of energy. Unfortunately, neither attack was successful as Magmar dodged Earth Power and jumped in front of Fennekin's Flamethrower. Flamethrower did nothing to Magmar, barely even so much as tickling it. Now the attacks had been intercepted, Chloe ordered Magmar to use Cross Chop on Fennekin and Girafarig to use Energy Ball on Trapinch. Magmar sprinted towards Fennekin, ready to strike with its powerful arms and Girafarig blasted another Energy Ball from its mouth. Salma and Antonio decided to try what Chloe had just done earlier by having Fennekin dodge Cross Chop and then block Energy Ball with Flamethrower. Fennekin was just fast enough, leaving Magmar to strike at empty ground and then she incinerated the Energy Ball with a blast of flames. Magmar tried to retaliate with Mach Punch but Trapinch suddenly pounced on it and chomped down on its arm with Crunch. Magmar flailed its arm around wildly, trying to make Trapinch let go but the Ground-type Pokémon held on tight. Fennekin took advantage of Magmar's distraction by using Psychic to grab hold of it and then launch it straight into Girafarig. Trapinch let go just as Magmar took off and the red and yellow Pokémon bowled straight into Girafarig like a bowling ball knocking down pins. The Nocedas cheered with delight.
"Alright, we're so winning right now!" Antonio exclaimed.
"Nobody's a match for the Nocedas when we fight together!" Salma declared, "Keep up the pressure Trapinch! We're going for the win here!"
Trapinch cried out happily and bared its teeth, ready to bite on his opponents again. Fennekin stood beside him and yapped eagerly. Both Pokémon could feel their trainer's passions and were as determined to win as they were. Then all of a sudden, both Pokémon began to glow a bright white! Salma, Antonio and even Chloe all recoiled in astonishment as right there in front of their eyes, the two Pokémon began to evolve. In a flash of light and a matter of seconds, Trapinch and Fennekin were no longer what they were. Standing in their places were a Vibrava and a Braixen respectively. Vibrava looked like a giant dragonfly with large rhombus-shaped wings, four legs and a long tail with rhombus-shaped fins at the end. Braixen was bipedal unlike her previous self, had white fur around her new arms and hands and she now carried a stick for fighting with. Braixen was still a pure-Fire type while Vibrava had changed into a Ground/Dragon type. The Nocedas stared in amazement at their new Pokémon.
"Holy crap! Are you seeing this Toni?!" Salma exclaimed, "Our Pokémon just evolved!"
"They look so cool!" Antonio cried excitedly, "And this was just what we were hoping for!"
"Now we have Vibrava and Braixen on our side, this battle's as good as won!" Salma cried excitedly, "Vibrava, use Earth Power!"
"Braixen use Flamethrower!" Antonio commanded.
The newly evolved Pokémon launched their attacks and this time, they were completely successful. Chloe had been too thrown by the sudden evolutions to react in time and as a result, Girafarig and Magmar were both hit. Flamethrower scorched Girafarig and Earth Power pounded into Magmar. The two Pokémon stumbled and fell onto the ground. They stood back up again and now Chloe had finally recovered, she was able to command another attack. She had Magmar and Girafarig use Cross Chop and Energy Ball again, but unlike before, they didn't have the same effect. Vibrava was no longer weak to Grass type moves as a result of becoming half-Dragon and Braixen was stronger than Fennekin, so both took the hits a lot easier. Then suddenly, both Vibrava and Braixen did something unexpected. Salma and Antonio watched with awe as the dragonfly and fox witch launched some kind of new attack on their opponents. Vibrava surrounded himself with blue energy shaped like a dragon and rocketed straight into Magmar while Braixen waved her stick like a magic wand and conjured up dazzling fairy lights that blinded Girafarig for a moment. The two had learned Dragon Rush and Dazzling Gleam respectively. Vibrava slammed into Magmar with enough force to knock its whole skeleton out of its body and Girafarig reeled back as the Dazzling Gleam left it struggling to see. The attacks did the damage and both Pokémon collapsed onto the ground unconscious. Magmar passed out first while Girafarig was left struggling to stand, only to finally succumb to its burn from earlier and collapse alongside its teammate. The Nocedas were the clear winners of the battle, and they hadn't need to Terastilize in the end. The Paldean teens cheered and hugged each other with glee.
"Absolutamente fantástica!" Salma cheered, "We won!"
"And all thanks to our new Pokémon evolving!" Antonio shrieked happily, "Absolutamente increíble!"
Vibrava and Braixen cheered along with their trainers, feeling just as pleased with themselves as they were. All their training and hard work was paying off and now they'd earned a proper win against another trainer, and they'd evolved as well. The two couldn't have asked for a better conclusion than this. Chloe returned her Pokémon. Despite losing, her face remained as blank as ever as if the whole thing was just something that had occurred to her and not anything to get worked up about. She just accepted the fact that she'd lost and that was that.
"And so I am defeated. But you two performed admirably." Chloe complimented.
She put her Pokéballs away and walked up to Salma and Antonio.
"Many congratulations to you both." the student said with nothing but praise in her voice, "You two were sensational in that battle and I'd say you've more than earned your victory here today."
"Thanks Chloe! We both had a blast out there!" Salma cried ecstatically.
"It was a close match!" Antonio acknowledged, "We were on the ropes for a bit, but we still won!"
"And I'm sure you'll earn many more victories during your time with us." Chloe said brightly, "I thank you deeply for accepting my challenge and showing me your exemplary battle skills. Now I must bid you farewell."
She bowed politely and then walked away to get her Pokémon healed. Salma and Antonio watched her go before turning back to each other.
"Not quite the work out I was expecting, but I'm not complaining!" Salma joked, "I'm well impressed with how that turned out!"
"Ceruledge and Meowscarada look impressed too." Antonio noticed.
He and Salma saw Vibrava and Braixen with Ceruledge and Meowscarada and the four Pokémon were celebrating together. Ceruledge and Meowscarada were congratulating their teammates on a battle well fought and also on evolving. Vibrava buzzed around excitedly, clearly enjoying his new wings and ability to fly. Braixen shook hands with Meowscarada, clearly tickled by the fact she actually had hands now and could do so. It was a lovely sight to see and the Nocedas were glad to see their Pokémon were so happy.
"I think we should call it a day after that workout." Salma said, wiping her forehead, "Whew, I think we're ALL ready for a break!"
"I agree. Let's just have some fun for the rest of the day." Antonio said brightly.
The two ran up to their Pokémon to have a play with them. The rest of the day was going to be nothing but fun and frolics for everyone. Training would resume again tomorrow and the Nocedas had a feeling Vibrava and Braixen were going to get even more incredible as they went on. Question was, how long would it take for them to reach their final stages…?
Fennekin and Trapinch are now a Braixen and Vibrava respectively! Looks like things are going well for the Nocedas. And Antonio may be in for something greater as he suddenly finds himself on "A Date With Lacey" next time...
Trivia: Trapinch and Fennekin's move sets here are based on what moves they learn by levelling up. Considering how high level these Pokémon are in the Terarium, it's not unrealistic to imagine they know moves as powerful as this by the time Salma and Antonio caught them.
I gave Kieran and Carmine the surname of Suguri, a reference to Kieran's Japanese name.
And just like last time, Magmar's Pokédex entry is lifted directly from Pokémon Violet. This is the last time I'll be mentioning this and I'll just say that all Pokédex entries in this series will be the ones from Violet.
*Congratulations in Spanish