"Hello?" Sushil asked, starring into the computer screen as he made the early morning call.

"Oh, hi." Sincere voice responded as the screen displayed the letters 'Koume Akaboshi'.

"Glad to hear you again, are you alright?"

"Me too, thanks for asking." She responded. "I'm suprised you heard about it so fast."

"Keeping an eye on my people is obligatory." Sushil continued, making a bit troubled face. "And I don't mean it just as me not wanting to face your family and tell them my escapade wounded you. If you got hurt because I sent you there free, then it also goes on me personally."

"You don't want to see me get hurt? Geniuenly?" Koume asked, slightly suprised. "I mean, I don't have anything against it, but why so serious?"

"Should I want?" Sushil asked with a rude rebottle of a question, causing a short period of silence. "I mean, seriously, I wouldn't forgive myself if you lost something just because I wanted to chase my dream." He paused again, this time for a bit shorter period. "Don't get me wrong, I am glad you helped all these Pokemon and the police, but you can't ignore yourself." He added, his eyes becoming a bit narrow from nerves.

"Erm, not sure how am I meant to do it." Koume responded akwardly.

"Trust your Pokemon." Sushil responded shortly. "Now, I need to go because I'm a busy person. But please, evaluate last night's events for yourself and see if you can make a conclusion or two from it, aight?"

"Will do, thank you."

"Nothing beyond my responsibility." He ended before the call ended. "Eeeghhh, this will be harder."

"Pi?" A nearby Pichu said in a worriesone manner while walking up to the leg of his chair.

"You already know, buddy. I am way softer than one would think." Sushil smiled as he leaned down and grabbed the small Pokemon in his hands. "And speaking of soft on the inside... There is someone who could be intrested in us..."


"What about those five from yesterday?" Madeleine hearn a whisper as she passed the mildly crowded corridoors of Maginot Girls' Colleage.

"They already left, I saw them grabbing the bags and go out to limousines in the port." Another one added, which made her look to the side at a distant view of the Shizuoka port. The place seemed weirdly like home for her, even though their actual school was deeper into the land in Yamanashi Prefecture. Then again, she didn't saw the place since she left the elementary in there so there wasn't exacly much to return for at the moment.

"Excuse me, Madeleine-Sama." A distinct call made her snap out of thoughts and look forward, at the four foot tall girl with well-straighten peanut hair and a pair of sea blue eyes. "Can you tell me where is the office to sign for Sensha-do team?"

"Room number tree-four-nine slash eighty. The one next to Walgreens."

"Thank you!" Girl thanked her with enthusiasm, after which she walked past her and away. Noticably, several others also decided to follow her just as she answered.

"Hmmh." Madeleine hummed, resuming her own walk with a slight smile. It would seem that her return to the team made many old and possibly new girls join back.

"Mon ami, what a cute puppy!" Another distinct voice went into her ears, making her turn sharply to the right and notice a girl with short maroon hair kneeling before Eclair and waving her hands gently while several other students chattered with side eyes on the scene.

"Oh, merci." Eclair responded, covering her mouth with a hand in a cute way to hide the blush. "Fondue gave it to me to have a friend at all times."

"Oooh, how nice of her." Girl with maroon hair complement, standing up and revealing Glaceon sitting in a stiff position as he recieved the forced caressing.

"So Eclair is already open about her pe... Pokemon. That's the name." Madeleine thought, walking up to the trio with elegant stride. "Excuse me, ladies."

"Oh, Madeleine." Eclair greeted her while the other girl turned around with suprised face. "Didn't expect you here."

"Me neither." She responded, before turning her face a bit to the right. "Hello to you too, Galette."

"Hello, Commander." Second girl responded with an akward pause between words.

"Now, now. Don't just disrespect Eclair like that." Madeleine put her hands forward with open palms as if she tried to stop her. "I can be your Vice-Commander if you really need to."

"Gla!"

"Oh, I didn't forget about you Glaceon." Madeleine continued, crouching down to pet the small friend on the back. "How are you liking it?"

"Glac, glac!"

"I take it as positive." She continued as she stood back up to a stand. "Then again, I was looking for you. Sensha-do team needs to discuss new policies before all intrested parties."

"Wait." Galette reacted, turning around to Eclair. "You are really going to change your tactics?"

"My ideas happen to be disconnected from the state of the team." Eclair responded, placing her hands together behind the back. "But I am learning on my mistakes.

"Excellent." Madeleine added with polite smile. "Now then, let's go and make the changes we want to see."

"Oui."

"Oui."

"Cion!"


"Eeerghhh..." Mako groaned, walking out of her room with Sinistea and Magnemite hovering behind her head. :Next time, don't use spark on my head please. Tickle on the leg is enough."

"Hello to you!" Sushil greeted her, waving from the higher level with a large cup in hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Dizzy." She responded, turning right and walking towards him with a moody expression. "No one understands that waking at six A.M. is impossible..."

"For you...?" He teased, making a suggestive lowering of an eyebrow followed by a sideways look.

"Says a guy with insomnia."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You could at least drop the 'guy' out." Sushil waved her off with a smirk. "But seriously tho, I just like to work overnight in relative silence."

"And I have to sleep a lot." Mako responded, reaching the wide, curved staircase and beginning the march upward. "Ten hours doesn't always cut it."

"Duly noted." Sushil nodded. "Then again, I need you to keep the place in check for a day."

"Really? What's the deal?" Mako asked, rather unamused.

"Business in further places." Sushil responded before the yellow peck touched his right arm. "Oh, wow. It's already time." He added, turning around and giving Natu quick pat on the head. "Keep care, have fun, help the visitors and relax a bit. Pokemon keep the place in shape rather well and will help ya when needed." He said quickly as he corrected his sleeves and rushed forward with a smile, leaving Mako at the top with confused face.

"So... I guess I have the place in operation now." She sighed, recieving a shoulder bump from Sinistea. "Fine, fine, jeez. Let's eat first and see what we can do." She added relucantly before walking forward towards the large open kitchen-dining space.


"Bubu?" Buneary muttered, pulling Koume by the arm in a middle of the forest path with a distant view on the Violet City behind them.

"Oh, sorry. I zoned out for a moment." Koume excused herself. "I was just thinking..."

"Bune?"

"Thinking about... What Sushil said." She added, finding a close flat rock to sit down and rest a bit. "I mean... You know him, he must have a point in what he said. My question is, where?" She asked, rubbing the chin with hand while entering the state of deep thinking.

"Let's start with the obvious, Buneary didn't participate in the action at any point. Maybe because I didn't wanted to risk her, maybe because I didn't saw her as useful in this situation, maybe because I didn't thought she won't be useful at all... Damn me. Maybe he has a point about me trusting them?" She asked herself, looking forward into the deep, irregular rows of trees on the other side."Next, Trapinch. When I decided to follow on the suprise attack, he disobeyed me and stayed at the back. But he also saved me with Solar Beams at least two times so I must admit he knew better than me, similarly to Eevee who escaped the pokeball to save me from Staravia. Offensive must be secured to succeed." She sighed, looking left and right to notice nothing more than same, empty path with forest left and right plus city on the left and Buneary who decided to take a nap on the ground to the right.

"Buneary seems confident enough to sleep i the open." Koume commented to herself, locking her eyes on a chocolate bunny that used it's long ears and random fallen leaf as a sleeping pillow. "Hmm... Only person around is me. Makes me wonder if I could comfourtably sleep with only her keeping care around." She thought, before something hit her on the feelings.

Could she trust her with her own safety? If not on a equal level, then at least at all?

"All the time I traveled so far was with Buneary on the side... Yet I don't take her help in a hard moment, while everyone else is in a pokeball and gets to come out only for a fight." Koume reconsidered. "But why do I do this? Am I unsure if I can micromanage? Am I too afraid of losing her?... Nonononono, during the ambush I miscalculated the situation and lost track of who is where at some moment. I even run alone to help Officer Jenny myself only to find out I ran into a simple trap." She concluded, continuing her stream of thoughts until a worriesome conclusion.

"I didn't trust them. I just didn't. Yet they acted smarted and saved me... I need to repay them." She quickly concluded, taking her pokeballs one after another and throwing them up into the air, quickly getting herself a full team out in the open with surprised faces.

"Buu?" Buneary asked, blinking her eyes as she slowly stood back up.

"Sorry for waking you up, everyone. But I want to say something." Koume spoke up, looking over the group with warm face. "From now on we are traveling all together on the open air. You know, to have some fresh air and get to know eachother better. Are you in?"

"Ack! Ack!" Spheal reacted first, clapping his fins with excitement.

"Heheh, glad to see you like it." Koume giggled. "But how do you feel?" She asked, turning to Trapinch.

"Kraaak!" Ant Pokemon nodded, opening his jaws wide open.

"Mhm, and you?"

"Shrew." Alolan Sandshrew nodded decisively, crossing his arms with a smile.

"Ducklett?"

"... Kwa?" Small Pokemon responded, unconvinced.

"Bune, bune, buneee..." Buneary comforted him, giving three light pats on the back.

"... Du!"

"Glad to see you also agreed." Koume winked, before turning to the last member of her team. "And you, Eevee?"

"Fffn." He sniffed back, making unamused face. "Eeeeev." He added, making Ducklett hide behind Buneary in fear.

"Alright, I take it as no." Koume sighed as she retrived him into the ball.

"Arrlou..." Spheal cried, nearly whispering as he looked down on the ground.

"Sorry, but we can't force him to do what we want." Koume reasoned with him as she stood back up. "Now then, may aswell go forward and enjoy the company that we have, don't we?"

"Al! Al! Al!" Round Pokemon said, joyously, jumping up and down.

"Heheheh, alright then." Koume nodded with a laugh. "Now let's go and see where it gets us. From what I heard Bloomingvale is going to be fairly close up ahead."


"Alright, let's see if anything happens today." Mako said, crossing her arms before leaning against the wall and giving a sideways look towards the large circle and wide path leading straight to the business she was in temporar lead of.

"Hmph." Throh grunted, before reaching for his back and pulling it back, presenting to her a bag of Doritos. "Hm?"

"Might aswell, thanks." Mako responded, reaching forward and taking three in between her fingers. "The stock flavors get rarer worryingly often with big brands."

"Thro." Human-like Pokemon nodded, taking the pack back while she crunched her teeth on the chips.

"*Munch, munch* Hmmh, they taste good." Mako added, in a mean while correcting her white headband. "Though I have to check on others too, so thanks for the share." She added, turning right back to the entreance doors.

"Throh-!"

"Excuse me!" Hurried shout made her turn around to face the outside, where she saw two man walking up to her. Older one with spiky burgund hair, black eyes and brown cape behind white shirt, grey work pants, short white gloves and brown boots accomplished by a shovel on the back. The younger one had cordovan eyes and spiky hair covered up front by red mining helmet alongside grey jacket and pants, black shirt and boots and of course same short white gloves. "Is this the Canalave Pokemon House?"

"From what I know, yes." Mako responded, walking up to them.

"Hmm, I expected Sushil to be here even though it is our first time here." The older man responded with slight dissatisfaction.

"He left for business purpouses in the morning and left me in charge for today." Mako responded with serious glare.

"Oh well, that happens." Younger man nodded after he and his companion exchange communicative glares. "Either way, I am Roark, leader of Rock-type Gym in Orenbourgh City."

"And my name is Byron. I am leader of Canalave's City Steel-type Gym." Older one presented himself.

"And I'm Mako, employee and temporary keeper." She responded. "How can I help?"

"We decided to have a family time while checking on new Pokemon for our gyms." Byron responded. "One for me, two for son."

"Mhm, follow me." Mako nodded, turning around and waving her hand for them while Throh opened the doors with neutral glare.

"Wow, I never seen a Pokemon like that." Roark added, visibly suprised by the door guard.

"We take Pokemon from all regions we can." Mako explained as they crossed the doorframes one after another in a line. "Most of them were either brought in by Sushil during his travels or breed in this place later on between Pokemon without pressuring." She continued as they quickly went throu entreance corridoor and came into a sight of main area. Varied, colourful and populated as ever.

"Hmm... All Pokemon are kept in fairly open enviroment?" Byron asked, while Roark honed the view with stars in his eyes.

"Almost, employees have pokeballs with their own choices." Mako added, reaching for her collection and throwing the forward, from which her team of six jumped out with a flurry of cheers and greetings. "There is however a rule that Pokemon must also want to be with their trainer for employees."

"I can see." Byron nodded with satisfaction before taking a look on his pokedex. "M-hmm... I checked the prices, I'll also take two." He added.

"Good for you." Mako nodded as she turned to the right and pointed at the set of mountains. "Now, most Rock and Steel types reside in the mountain area, so we may start in there."

"Agreed!"


"Head count?" Eclair asked, as she walked towards the speaker's stand.

"Sixteen-eight." Fondue responded, walking alongside her. "Not as many as before, but still enougu."

"Merci." Eclair whispered back, waving her off to the side seat for vice-commanders while herself taking a stand behind the rostrum, facing the well-focused group of students. Fresh and experienced, familiar and new. "Thank you all for arriving." She began, a bit akwardly placing her words together. "Given good organisation of our club gathering, I will take the liberty of skipping the formalities." She added, turning the head towards the first rows on her left. "Madeleine, Galette. Please come to the stand, vice-commanders." She said, to which both girls stood up and walked forward while given the short, loud applause.

"..." Eclair waited, turning left to face the two as cheers came to an end. "By today's choice I assure myself with your skill and trust for future of our team. By such, I present you with these positions of power and rights to command over designated tanks." She continued, before a cultural handshake happen to be commence the three. "Merci." She added whispering.

"Pas de soucis." Madeleine responded while Galette nodded before the two turned around and walked to the two additional seats on left and right of Fondue.

"Thank you for the patience." Eclair continued, turning towards the listeners. "Continuing our list of agendas, we have a fairly... Original ocassion I want to discuss with you." She added, before turning her head to the right. "Fondue, please join me."

"Of course, Commander." Short girl in glasses nodded, standing up and walking to the speaker whil Eclair stepped to the side in order to give her free room. "Ekhem... I presume not many of you know about such tournaments as Asian Sensha-do Winners League or Asian Sensha-do Continental League." She began, causing a rattling flow of confusion amongst the girls.

"Those are the international Sensha-do tournaments organised by Asian Federation?" One short girl from back rows asked, rising her hand.

"That would be correct." Fondue responded, making the chatter cease. "Now, no blame will be given for not knowing about that. In fact, Japanese schools actively decline to participate because they are focused on domestic tournaments and don't want to sail all across Asia and deeper into land." She added, the large screen to her left activated, showing a long spread sheet list from Wikipedia aritcle. "As can be seen, last time our National Champion participated in Winners Cup was nineteen years ago with Saunders reaching the final." She paused, before the screen shifted to the other one. "In Continental League, last time intended Japanese schools participated was with Anzio and Bonple from twenty-one years ago, and that's with final two of Kuromorimine and Saint Gloriana refusing to compete altogether."

"That's... Confusing." Eclair added from the side.

"Truth be told, yes." Fondue nodded, before continuing her history lesson. "In the past Japan had up to six places for international competitors, three in Winners Cup and three in Continental Cup for being in top four. But over time and especially after last two seasons..." She paused, as the slide changed to the historical rankings for each National Federation. "We are dropped to only having one school in Winners Cup, second best from four worst National Federations in that regard."

"We are worse than Bhutan?!" Call of shocking anger sounded from the last row.

"As a Federation, yes." Fondue responded with a sweat drop going down her forehead. "And that's just because tournament rules are heavy on so called 'Equal Footing', which made most matches of their schools a two-on-two matches that opponents weren't prepared for."

"In Domination format, nothenless..." Galette added, pointing out various numerical indicators on match results.

"Oh, next slide appeared already?" Fondue asked, smiling akwardly. "Very well then, I can explain the rules." She paused for a short while, seeing some people in the audience needed a water break. "... All matches are played in a Domination format with both schools having equal number of tanks preferenting for the weaker one. So if one school deploys ten tanks and the second deploys twelve, then only ten tanks of the second school can participate, no exceptions to that one. In addition, both teams can agree to have their match settled as a Flag battle with exceptions for matches in group stages that are played as Domination battles with same number of tanks across all matches in every separate group, which is settled separately by schools of every group and Federation officials." She paused again, seeing a hand standing tall to the right-middle of the listeners. "Yes, please?" She asked, pointing towards intrested person.

"How are the group stages decided?" Cute, innocent tone responded akwardly.

"First, best schools from best Federations get automatic promotion to the group stages in both competitions. Then come thsoe from qualification stage also join with losing schools from Winner's Cup qualifiers going down to next round in Continental League. In total, both competitions have eight groups with four schools each from which after series of matches two best go to the next knockout stage that determine the winner. Same as our National Championship, however third team in a Winners Cup group goes down to Federation League and continues to play."

"Now then, why do we talk so long about this?" Eclair asked, directing herself towards the audience.

"So we can decide if we want to participate?" One voice from the middle asked.

"That's right!" Fondue responded with enthusiasm. "After last several years both Yogurt and Kebab lost intrest in replacing other schools, which they done together for a last ten years..."

"... So we recieved invitation as next in line." Eclair added, as the presentation slide switched into the official invitation letter. "Now then, Student Council also agreed to have us join... But how about you? Do you want to compete?"

"..."

"Yes we do, Commander!"

"Oh yes!"

"Let's show The World Maginot is alive!"

"It's time to win!"

"Viva le Maginot!"

"Heheh, alright, alright." Eclair chuckled lightly, making them both stand down as she turned around and crouched down to cover source of sudden creeking noise. "Deliever to The President." She added, handing over a quick note.

"Cion." Short response came as the quick creeking sounded again and Eclair turned around.

"It is settled then. We do make a hard miss on the National Championship..." Eclair said, pausing for a while as all eyes stared onto her. "But we will not miss the chance to see and battle The World!"


"Hahark! Ack, ack! Aarck!" Spheal barked, exscatic while chasing after a Caterpie as Koume and her squad slowly made their way towards the next city.

"How are you enjoying the trip?" She asked, looking down to the right.

"Bune!" Buneary responded, jumping up and giving her a high-five with the ears.

"Hihi, glad to see you like it." Koume giggled, then turning her attention to the right. "And you two?"

"Kraak." Trapinch nodded, before turning his head right towards Alolan Sandshrew. "Krakk?"

"San." Ice mouse nodded.

"Mhm, Spheal has a time up ahead..." Koume nodded, looking forward and squint her eyes in relaxation before something suddenly hit her. "Ow!"

"Kwaaa!..."

"Ducklett?!" She asked, catching him in her hands before falling flat down on the ground. "... Oww..."

"Heyeh!" Her whole group gasped, jumping up to her to check what happened.

"I'm fine urghh..." Koume groaned, moving up to a low seating position and rubbing the back of her head. "Ducklett, what happened?" She asked, turning towards duckling held in her hands.

"Kwawawawaaa!" Pokemon cried, ramming himself into her with teary eyes.

"Here, here. What could..." Koume comforted him, hugging him tightly while turning around to see the problem. "... Make you cry..." She ended, as her eyes caught sight of several purple ordinary snakes and kobras rushing towards her. "Everyone! Incoming attack!" She shouted, making her close-up group turn to face the horde while herself whipping out the Pokedex and moving the screen to cover the incoming group.

"Hmm... Five Ekans and two Arboks, Poison types..." She concluded while narrowing eyes to further boost her focus. "Trapinch, Laser Focus. Ducklett, Steel Wing. Buneary, Double Kick, Sandshrew, Avalanche."

"Hayhwgrahaha!" Her group responded in united incomprehensible cheer as they lined up with prepared attacks to defend from a horde.

"Hess..." A short, threathning hiss sounded in their ears as one Arbok began to spray purple acid in front of them, making Ducklett back out in fear.

"Back away slowly." Koume instructed, as the team slowly began to walk backwards. "Ducklett, drop the wings prepare Water Gun if one come stoo close. Buneary, cover him up close-!"

"Waaarrr!" Eevee's rough roar sounded as he jumped out of the pokeball and in front of the group, almost dipping his legs in the sprayed acid.

"Eevee?" Koume gulped, as the gang of snakes began to approach on him.

"War, war! Hark!" Brown furball barked behind himself, shoving off her worried before facing forward back to one of Arbok's.

"... Alright everyone, keep calm and watch over him." Koume instructed, before looking around herself and making a realisation. "Ducklett, Buneary. Look for Spheal please!"

"Neary!"/"Kwack!" Both responded before running and flying respectively behind her.

"Ssss..." Arbok hissed with satisfied face as his group continued to close up.

"Ggrrr...rrRRRRGAAAGGRRRWW!" Eevee roared, shining his tail up to a brigh white shine that made some Ekans back away.

"Hsss." Arbok hissed with unamused face, looking back at some of his companions. "Ssrr-!"

"Hap!"

"Eevee!" Koume cried in suprise, seeing her Pokemon jump onto exposed and turned neck of Arbok and toughly biting it with his mouth.

"Aaaassss!" Arbok hissed painfully, trying to shake the opponent off.

"Hr!" Eevee growled with annoyance, twistimg his back towards his mouth and jabbing one of Y-lettered ends of his Iron Tail right into his palate.

"Alkgh!"

"Hess?" Some Ekans gulped in his sing sounds as they saw their stronger friend backing away with teeth marks on his left side of the neck and open mouth that just kept on shaking.

"Eevee!" Brown Pokemon called his name, as his body suddenly gained a yellow outline and began to glow.

"Whoa..." Koume gasped, starring in ave at the shining companion, whose outline began to turn from yellow to gold.

"EeveaaAAAA!" Eevee roared, suddenly rushing forward and smashing all opposing Pokemon so hard they all exploded in yellow blitz flares and flew into the air like space rockets.

"Ooohhh..." Koume said with empty tone, watching in ave as the nine purple snakes flew upward at sharp angle only to disappear with a star-like wink in between the nearby clouds. "This Eevee is no joke. Ever."

"Harff..." Eevee growled, turning around and casually walking throu rest of poisonous floor before returning back to her and the others. "Vee?"

"Thank you Eevee. I didn't knew you were so strong." Koume thanked him as his cheeks started to turn purple. "Now take a rest, you might get poisoned over there." She added, taking out a pokeball and retriving him back inside with a pink flash of light. "Ehhh... Now, where are the others." She added, turning around to see Spheal chewing on a crying Caterpie while Buneary and Ducklett slowly followed him, tired and breathing throu their mouths in heavy breath that steamed out of them.

"Mmm-mmm..."

"Here, here." Koume said, crouching down and moving her hands over Spheal's back to make him loosen the grab and release crying green Pokemon.

"Hm, hhmh!"

"Now, now. Chewing on random strangers isn't good if they didn't attack you." Koume sighed, standing back up and looking over her team. "Now then, I think we can continue. Next town shouldn't be too far..."