Chapter 4

Jubilife City

After a few days and several battles along route 202 the girls and Harmony reached the city of Jubilife. The trio shacked up in their room and had gone out for dinner when Miracle spoke about something on her mind.

"I think I'm going to take Zula with me to Oreburgh City."

"What?" Saki said.

"I plan on just taking Zula with me to the gym in Oreburgh. Then head back here and all of us take off north."

"Why would you do that? It doesn't seem like the adventure you initially spoke about to us."

"Yeah Queen Bee! This doesn't sound anything like you promised?" Azula questioned.

"I was thinking a lot the last few days. And I felt that since we would have to circle back here afterward, that we should let Harmony take small breaks from traveling. The entire region splices through here and Hearthome City, so giving you both a break where we can get them I think is smart."

"I agree that that may need to happen," Saki spoke up, "But don't you think this is a bit early. We have only been out for a week. And we have yet to run into any real problems. I think Hearthome is a good place to rotate, but right here, right now...I think you are being overly cautious for no reason."

"I agree with Saki, plus if we did come across trouble wouldn't we want to make sure Harmony was somewhere we could easily get to her?" Azula added.

"I...I guess I'm a bit on edge. I have been having these feelings...Like something is calling out to me, its only been going on for a few days but. Something very powerful is coming our way, and it has me a bit freaked."

Saki reached out and pulled Miracle into a hug, "You are not the only one who has sensed something is coming. You keep forgetting I'm a psychic babe. But if you are sensing its approach then we must take this seriously, but you cant do that by shutting us out."

"I know, why don't we go beat up on some noobs. I hear they are having a small tag tournament at noon around the t.v station." Azula spoke up.

"You do know how much I like teaching kids a lesson," Miracle smiled, "And I bet our little girl would love to see mommy beat down a couple of newcomers."

Harmony was laughing and cheering from the bed as the three adults agreed to head off to the Jubilife T.V Station. From several blocks away they could here the crowds cheering as a man took to the stage, he was dressed to the nines in what could only be considered a ring leader of a circus.

"Hello everybody and welcome to this months trainer tag team tournament. You can either register as a single trainer with two pokemon or a team with one pokemon a piece." The girls took the time to ease their way to the registration booth, "Now we will begin in a few moments to allow a few more teams to enter and then we will be on our way."

"So Miracle...Do you want to go about this alone or with me?" Azula asked.

"How about you put Zuzu and Kirlia together. I think that will make for some fun." Saki suggested.

"I like that train of thought," Mira said as she registered Kirlia and one other back up.

After ten minutes the 'ringmaster' reappeared and announced the list of eight teams. He then scrambled them up in his poketch and announced the first pair of teams. "Our first team is Joey and Catie from here in Jubilife, against Miracle and Azula from Pallet Town in Kanto!"

"Here we go," Azula smiled.

"Yay Mommy!" Harmony cheered.

The pair stepped up to the boxes and released Zuzu and Kirlia, their opponents in turn tossed out a pair of Diglett, though they looked completely different from one another.

"What the hell is that thing with the hair? I've never seen a Diglett like that." Azula spoke.

"They are almost exclusive to the Alola Region, they are ground and steel instead of just ground types."

"So Zuzu is basically useless in this match."

"I wouldn't say that, you do have his newest trump card." That got Azula to smile as the referee started the match.

The duo across from them were in complete sync as they both ordered their pokemon to use mud bomb. Kirlia immediately used double team to avoid the attacks, while Pikachu used his speed to dodge.

"Kirlia use shadow sneak!" Kirlia's body shoots out her shadow and blasted the pair of ground dwelling pokemon.

"Zuzu its time for dynamic punch!" Azula shouted. The little rodent pokemon had an eerily similar look of destruction that his trainer usually has. His fist collected a ton of energy and he launched himself at the Alolan Diglett. The punch landed and the resulting explosion knocked that Diglett out and the other one out of the battlefield, resulting in a shut out win for the girls.

"The winners of this match are the Azula and Miracle," He declared. The girls left the battlefield and went back to Saki and Harmony.

"When did you teach Zuzu dynamic punch?" Saki asked.

"I didn't, Steelix was picking on him one day and Miracle saw him use it to fend the big guy off...i guess about five months ago I believe?"

"Zuzu boom!" Harmony cheered.

The girls watched as the next few matches went by without a hitch, one team thoroughly outmatching the the other. One team had them a bit concerned, a tall skinny red headed guy and a short in stature yet muscular blonde girl. The pair had a Ditto and a Machoke and were skilled enough to use them in tandem with expertise Mira had seen only in the professional ranks of pokemon battling.

"Those two are good, not many people can use a Ditto so flawlessly," Saki said.

"I agree, I think I've seen them on the professional tag circuit," Mira spoke, "They rarely take a loss if I'm right."

"Then I think we have our work cut out for us," Azula said, as she waved at the pair they were talking about.

Soon the girls were back up for their second match, and again it was a breeze. It took Kirlia and Zuzu five minutes tops to drop the Pawniard and Sableye. The girls easily lured them in before launching an attack they could back out of.

And with each one of their wins, their perceived rivals matched them. But they were ruthless, easily aiming and exploiting the young trainers and being mean and excessively violent. By the time they got to the final match up the pair had nearly killed a couple of young trainers pokemon.

"Okay everybody we now have our final match up of the day, our championship match so to speak. We have Miracle and Azula from Kanto," The crowd cheered happily for the girls, "They will be facing Gretel and Olsen from the Region of Orre."

The stout Gretel stepped up and spoke first, "You two are a lot stronger then the weaklings we have been facing so far, especially you." She pointed to Miracle.

"As for your tag along...We assume she is more dangerous in hand to hand then in pokemon battles." Olsen added.

"Keep thinking that way and I will have no problem showing you haw dangerous I can be," Azula snarled.

"Bring it girl," Olsen laughed. The referee started the match and Azula, Gretel and Olsen all played their regular cards. But Miracle smiled and had to put a small chink in their opponents plans.

"Come on out Lapras!" Miracle smiled.

The large transport pokemon appeared and seemed to dwarf the other pokemon, "Alright lets go!" The referee declared.

"Ditto transform into Lapras." Olsen laughed.

"Machamp use your body to block anything attacking," Gretel added.

"You guys chose the wrong pokemon to duplicate," Miracle said.

"Zuzu get to the newest Lapras and use nuzzle." The small rodent pokemon darted as fast as it could right at the Ditto'd Lapras.

"Machamp intercept using cross chop!" Gretel yelled.

"Ice beam!" Miracle countered, "Hit his legs." Lapras was quick on the draw and immediately Machamp's feet were frozen to the ground, thus allowing Zuzu to sprint forward and hit Ditto with a powerful electric attack.

"Finish it off with dynamic punch!" Azula ordered.

"Machamp! Earthquake!" Gretel yelled. Machamp slammed his four fists on the ground in unison sending out a tremor that tossed Zuzu in the air before he could finish off Ditto. The attack also freed his feet from the ice, "Nice try. But we have already dealt with a scenario similar to this."

"Interesting, but did you account for those?" Miracle asked, as she pointed to four small little packages sitting next to Ditto.

"What are those?" Olsen asked his partner, but she was lost as well.

"That would be a little present," Azula said, trying not to laugh evilly. The succession of blasts lit the battlefield up like a fourth of July fireworks display. Ditto screamed in pain before feinting.

"Ditto is out, only Machamp remains," The referee declared.

"This is not possible," Gretel postulated, "A couple of upstarts out smarted us."

"Lapras why dont we put the big guy out of his misery, use surf." A massive torrent of water rose up from beneath her and flooded the battlefield and dropped Machamp back down to its knees.

"That wasn't so bad," Gretel explained, " I think you are a bit more bark then bite."

"I find it hard to believe that the two of you are master doubles trainers," Miracle said, "You have been unable to see any of our moves coming." The duo were lost at her statement, "My Lapras was a decoy the entire time."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Olsen yelled.

"She is not the stronger pokemon that we used, Zuzu is." It clicked in Gretel's mind a bit too late.

"Nuzzle!" Azula yelled. Pikachu appeared and then he jumped upon Machamp's back. The resulting shock to the soaking wet pokemon fried him instantly and he was also down for the count.

"People see a rare pokemon, and immediately think it has to be as strong as it could possibly be. But to think professionals like you would fall for a simple trick, is laughable."

"No way, you dictated the match from the second you chose your pokemon?" Olsen questioned.

"That is why I'm a champion of both the Orange League and the Battle Frontier." Miracle said.

"This match is over," the referee declared, "Miracle and Azula are the winners!"

"This isn't possible," Olsen growled.

"With this match concluded, the winning team will be awarded with a pokemon egg and a stock of wild berries." The ringmaster cheered.

Miracle took the egg and handed it to Azula, "You deserve this Zula," And gave her a kiss, she then patted the head of Zuzu, who had been celebrating on Azula's shoulder, "Good job today little guy."

"CHU!"

As the crowd dispersed and the girls made their way to Saki and little Harmony, they were blocked off by their previous competitors, "I don't think so Ketchum, we are not thru with you yet." Gretel told her,jabbing at her chest.

Miracle was not too happy with this, she looked at the pair with irritation and disdain, "If you value your fingers, you will stop that before I break them."

This time Olsen stepped up and got in her face, "Do not threaten her!"

Azula put a finger to his throat and pushed him away from Miracle, "Buddy you wish it was just a threat."

"This isn't the last you will hear from us Ketchum," Gretel said, pulling Olsen away from Azula's pointy fingertip.

"Yeah get lost." Azula sneered. The girls all huddled around one another, Harmony was trying to hold the egg Azula had won.

Saki then leaned over into Mira's shoulder, "So...are you feeling better now?"

"Oh yeah, I think a battle with one of my girls beside me was just what I needed."

"Good, now lets go get some dinner and head back to the pokemon center. We have a long travel day ahead of us, if we are to get to Oreburgh by tomorrow night."

SOME PLACE FAR AWAY

The long, lengthy shadow floated above the city. The creature was doing all it could to stay out of sight and off the radar of those following it.

After running into some other pokemon it was able to get minor first aid administered and then get back to its objective. "Miracle...MIracle." the creature was in tears now, knowing a trip across the open sea was the next step in reaching the person it was looking for.