Note- From winter to the best time of the year, welcome back to May and to Heart and Soul! The end of the school year and coaching tennis have kept me busy these past few months. Not to mention Scarlet and Violet constantly pulling me back when I do have some downtime and need a mental break. I've actually been sitting on this chapter for over a month now, editing and tinkering with it, but I'm excited to finally bring you the next installment!

The Finals have gotten fully underway and we're seeing our trainers tested heavily in the 1st round. What will Chris do as he prepares for his next battle? How will David respond now that his run is through? Which of these two will Luke ultimately join? And what about other trainers who may find themselves locked in struggles off the battlefield? We've got a lot to answer today and I'm pumped for you to find it all out!

I hope you enjoy! Please Review and Subscribe!


Chapter 65

Every trainer who made it to the Finals of a region tournament deserved to be there. The consistency that required could only come from those with equal measure skill and work ethic. But there were divides among even those trainers. The edge experience gave. The foresight to predict and counter moves quickly or sometimes before they even happened.

Prinny wasn't too proud to admit he had flaws. A couple had reared their ugly head during his battle in the semifinals of the Indigo League Championship. Even after making it that far, it had still only been his first official year as a trainer. His team building skills and reaction speed had ultimately betrayed him in that important contest. It was one of the reasons he now carried several more hard hitting physical attackers.

He directed his next command toward one of them. "Fell Stinger!"

Beedrill zipped around the concentrated stream of Feraligatr's Hydro Pump. The Big Jaw Pokémon swung his maw to try and bring him back in the path of the water blast, but Beedrill had already zagged. The Poison Bee Pokémon stayed low, the buzz from his wings muted by the crowd noise. Prinny nodded as the Poison/Bug-type pulled back those wings and swung his lower abdomen forward. It was rare to see this species use their lower stinger, but this move made perfect use of it.

The needle-like appendage caught Feraligatr right where his torso met his neck. The water starter's eyes went wide, then his pupils rolled back. Beedrill's wings became a blur again as he pulled back and let his foe fall limply to the ground.

Prinny frowned at his teammate, who didn't spare him a glance in return.

"Feraligatr is unable to battle!" the judge declared with a wave of her flag.

Beedrill slowly hovered back over to Prinny's side. The Sevii Islander continued to watch his teammate as a swirling green energy pulsed over his whole body.

"Why did you go for his neck?" Prinny asked. He tried to keep his voice low, but the crowd noise kept him from being able to whisper. Beedrill finally returned his stare but only responded with a shrug as he landed on the ground. "When I call for Fell Stinger, it's because we're going to knock out our opponent. Aiming higher means you're more likely to miss. And more importantly," Prinny fought to keep his voice from becoming a growl, "you could have seriously hurt that Feraligatr."

Beedrill stayed still, even as the sound of a Poké Ball triggering revealed the opposing trainer had released their next foe. The bright green energy had settled around all three of the Poison Bee Pokémon's stingers. Prinny's gaze flickered just over his teammate's head to the newly revealed Sudowoodo. This was the Rock-type's second appearance in this battle. Even with his strong defenses, he'd taken some real damage earlier. And with Fell Stinger tripling Beedrill's attack strength, their weakness to Sudowoodo's moves wouldn't be a major deterrent.

Prinny returned his stare to Beedrill. The Bug/Poison-type stared right back.

"Begin!"

The Poison Bee Pokémon went to turn around, but must have noticed his trainer's eyes still on him. The creature gave Prinny a curt nod and then spun to face his incoming attacker.

A red beam of light lanced out to surround Beedrill as he went to charge. As he dematerialized back into the Poké Ball in Prinny's hand, the trainer brought out another capture device. Even as he tried to work on those aforementioned flaws, Prinny had found that certain obstacles would be inevitable. He just tended to vibe better with less aggressive, more even keeled teammates. It had been a motivating factor for his lack of strong attackers during his Kanto journey.

He tossed the other Poké Ball in his hand and Lanturn materialized in front of him. "Attacks incoming," he warned.

A flurry of spikes struck Lanturn as soon as she appeared, drawing a grimace from the Light Pokémon. Less than a second passed between the end of the entry hazard assault and the Stone Edge that followed. Prinny grimaced as Sudowoodo's spike covered fists stabbed into Lanturn's side, drawing a high pitched cry from his teammate.

I'll make it up to you, Prinny silently promised. He could start by paying them back with a super effective shot.

Lanturn's Surf rose up to swallow their nearby foe before the slow-footed creature could escape. The surge of water lifted the Rock-type off the ground and threw him back toward his trainer. Prinny frowned as Sudowoodo dropped quickly to the ground, the Imitation Pokémon landing on his feet only a couple dozen feet away from Lanturn. This bastard was heavier than he realized.

The opposing trainer called for the Rock-type to push forward once more. Prinny exhaled slowly. No sense in going away from what worked best.

"Give them another Surf."

A rush of energy swirled around Lanturn, lifting her up onto the cresting wave she'd generated. As the wall of water reached Sudowoodo, he suddenly pulled back his left arm. Prinny's eyes widened at the sight of a faint green glow around it. Of course.

"Wood Hammer!"

The wave rolled though, slamming into Sudowoodo's body, but the Imitation Pokémon held firm. His right arm pierced the watery wall, driving forward until the green orbs at its end had found Lanturn's exposed underbelly. Sudowoodo leaned in, his torso pushing forward against the raging water, as he put his whole body into the strike. The clubbing blow launched the Water/Electric-type off her perch atop the wave. The rushing current grabbed the off balanced Rock-type and carried him away in the opposite direction.

As Prinny watched both hard landings, he found his right hand gripping the Poké Ball in his hoodie pocket. Not yet, he told himself. They couldn't switch until they'd gained an advantageous position. He owed Lanturn a chance to give them that.

Their opponent didn't hold such a conviction. The hunched over Sudowoodo disappeared in a flash of red light. Prinny watched closely as the opposing trainer reached into their jacket and brought out a black and yellow capture device. Prinny's eyes narrowed. An Ultra Ball? Just one of those devices sold for an exorbitant fee. And only a highly credentialed trainer could even purchase them. Whatever came out of that capture device, Prinny knew they had more trouble on their hands. His grip tightened on Lanturn's own device.

Their opponent didn't toss out the capture device, instead opting to thumb the release button. A white light zagged out of the Ultra Ball, expanding slowly as it approached the ground. Four sturdy legs formed, followed by a long tail, and then a pair of red wings. Despite the odd coloration of this one, Prinny didn't need to wait for the neck and head to materialize to realize he was looking at one of the most powerful and rare species in existence. One that fell under the exclusive category of a pseudo-legend. Prinny had already called out their next attack by the time a flurry of stars had twinkled around the green Salamence.

"Eerie Impulse!"

The orbs hanging from Lanturn's head were filled with a brilliant yellow light. The glow pushed beyond its spherical containers and pulsed out over the entire battlefield. That didn't seem to dissuade their opponents. Three powerful flaps of his wings had Salamence flying straight toward Lanturn. His front right claw already glowed with a dark purple hue. Lanturn wouldn't be able to overpower such a heavy strike. But then, Lanturn wouldn't be there to worry about it.

With two quick flashes of light the Water/Electric-type had disappeared, and in her place now floated Prinny's trump card. One of the two Pokémon he had captured during his short sabbatical to Kalos between his Kanto journey and this one. When he hadn't been working full time for the seasonal job he'd picked up there, he'd done all he could to explore the countryside, battling and occasionally capturing the Pokémon he encountered. Now that he thought about it, perhaps sabbatical was a poor way to describe that busy season.

Salamence swung his powerful leg down, the glowing claws swiping hard across Prinny's tiny, unmoving teammate.

"'Klef'."

Klefki hovered in the air with complete stillness. The rest of Salamence's body nearly barreled into the Key Ring Pokémon, the dragon surely expecting his opponent to be driven back by his attack. The confusion on Salamence's face was not reflected in his trainer's. The Oldale Town trainer looked very concerned about this new matchup, his hands fumbling with one of his pockets, most likely in search of that impressive Ultra Ball. He must not have thought he'd be needing it again anytime soon.

"Fairy Lock."

Prankster's speed boost left Salamence locked into this battle before he'd even had a chance to throw a questioning look back at his trainer. Prinny knew Salamence could still threaten Fairy-types, especially one like Klefki that was part Steel-type. But Lanturn's Eerie Impulse had lowered the power of the Flamethrower Salamence would need to overcome this match-up. Now was the time to dish out some punishment and maybe lower the Dragon-type's powerful physical strength while they were at it.

"Let's Play Rough."


"I lost to a fucking cow."

David sat on a bench, his head pressed back against a locker.

"You had a great showing," Luke replied. "You pushed him all the way to his last Pokémon."

"Me and Dragonair had finally reached an understanding. We would have been fine losing to a Rhydon. A Steelix would have been something impressive to be defeated by. Even that Floatzel looked cool." David shook his head slowly, the locker behind it squeaking softly. "But to a Miltank… a fucking cow."

"Hey." Chris stepped forward to place a hand on David's shoulder. "I lost to a cow like that in Goldenrod. It almost happened twice."

"But was it televised in the only major tournament you'd ever take part in?"

"Don't limit your potential," Luke chided. The trainer took Chris's arm and gently pulled him back. Luke dropped to a squat and met David's stare. The usual flood of humor in the Cinnabar native's expression seemed genuinely dry. This really was bothering him. "You've made huge strides in such a short time. And Dragonair is not going to hate you because a Miltank took you guys out."

David sniffed. "You don't think so?"

Luke went to open his mouth but paused. From his limited interaction with the Dragon-type, Luke was hesitant to completely affirm there would be no resentment from the proud creature. "Well, it sounds like you two reached an important milestone. I don't think one loss will cause him to… completely regress."

"I hope not."

"Talk to him about it," Chris added. "It might turn out you're making something out of nothing."

Luke nodded. "And if there is something there that needs to be addressed, the sooner you talk about it the better." Arceus knew he'd learned that lesson the hard way.

A loud metallic rattle made them all jump. David swung his left arm up and a blue glow appeared around his wrist. The young man studied the icon on his Pokégear screen for a couple seconds before looking up at both his friends. "Do you guys care if I take this?"

Chris laughed. "The sponsorship offers are already starting."

"Not quite," David replied, a small smile finally breaking through. "It's actually my parents."

Luke's eyebrows shot up. "Oh yeah?" David gave him a knowing look, then a slow nod. Luke waved at Chris. "Let's head back up to watch some of the action. We'll catch you later, David."

The two trainers headed out into the hallway and were immediately inundated with the echoing stadium noise. Chris pointed back up the hallway and they made for the lobby.

"You know, he hasn't really mentioned his parents much," Chris said once they'd reached a quieter place. "They live in Violet City, don't they?"

"Yeah. I think they're on the west edge of the city."

"Oh, did you guys not visit when you teamed up and went south?"

Luke shook his head. "David wanted to focus on the badges. I was in a bit of a time crunch, so that worked fine with me too."

"I wish they could have made it out here to watch him. He deserved to have some better fans than us."

"I think they're pretty hands off when it comes to his journey," Luke replied. In truth, David had vented more than once during their southern road trip about his parents' lack of real enthusiasm for his passions. It didn't sound very different from Luke's own situation. Though, Luke's parents had actually reached in at times to counsel him against his goals. To hear David tell it, it sounded like his family just went about their day and waited for their son to sink or swim. Luke would never say it, but he envied David in that aspect.

"Is he very close with his brother?" Chris asked.

"I don't think so."

The two men rounded a corner and found themselves back in the stadium's lobby. Rows of people poured into the room from the stadium seat exits, while just as many patrons flooded in from the building's entrance. Chris and Luke both stepped back against a wall as the two large waves collided and then rushed past one another.

"Shoot," Chris hissed. "We missed Prinny's battle."

Luke glanced up at one of the overhead monitors and found the screen displayed an empty battlefield. The Tohjo Falls native had no doubt Waz's brother had won just based on what he'd heard and seen from the skilled trainer. No, he felt much more uncertainty about his own battle later this evening.

"And after missing part of David's battle too," Chris added, shaking his head. He gave Luke's shoulder a pat. "I'm going to make sure I don't miss you taking care of business."

"Hopefully we can put on a good show for you guys."

Chris grinned. "Listen to that humble tone. Optimistic, but not cocky. With just the faintest hint of nervousness."

Luke let out a long exhale. "I wouldn't call these nerves faint. I'm to the point now where I'm just ready to battle, regardless of the outcome."

"Yeah, I'm glad we didn't have to wait that extra day. It'll be nice to get to have tomorrow to recover and retool our strategies."

Luke glanced down at the clock on his Pokégear. "I'm going to have to do my pre-battle interview in about an hour. You care if we stay close and grab some food."

"For sure, man. It'll finally give me a chance to compare their nachos and queso to Cherrygrove Stadium's."

"Aren't chips and cheese going to be the same about anywhere you go?"

Chris rubbed his brow. "Spoken like a man who has never experienced that soulful touch that only stadium food can provide. When you order them at a Cobras game, they cut up these delicious haban berries and mix them into the cheese. You can even get this sweet salsa on the side too."

"I wouldn't mind catching a game sometime," Luke replied.

The rush of people had slowed, but only because so many of them had stopped for concessions. The trainers competing in the next contest had already made their way to the battlefield by the time Chris and Luke received their food. They speed walked toward the reserved seating, flashing their tournament badges to the men standing guard.

"Don't you know the girl who's battling in this one?" Luke asked as they shuffled down an aisle of seats.

"She's one of the first trainers I ever battled. And she's Mr. Pokémon's granddaughter."

"Oh." Luke felt a small chill run up his back. Even after this tumultuous start to his Pokémon journey, he couldn't forget learning about that news while in the Violet City Gym, surrounded by so many legendary trainers. The renowned Pokémon enthusiast had been missing for almost a year now, along with several other prominent Johto residents.

The early evening sun now sat below the top of the stadium's rim, casting a large shadow over much of the stadium. Luke and Chris plopped down into a pair of shaded seats just as the judge had begun his introductions.

Luke glanced at many of the empty seats around them. "I'm surprised more competitors aren't here to watch these battles."

"A lot of them are probably too focused on their own. Don't need the added stress of battles they can't control."

Luke tilted his head to the side. "Are you speaking from experience?"

Chris took an extra bite of his sandwich before responding. "Maybe, yeah."

"Yet here you are talking about my battle like it's a foregone conclusion I'll be winning."

Chris threw a soft punch into Luke's shoulder. "What can I say? You've earned my confidence."

Luke chomped on his ketchup and mustard covered hotdog. Down below, the sound of rushing water and clanging steel echoed out as a Swampert battled against a Bronzong.

"Is your family still thinking about coming?" Luke asked.

Chris shrugged. "I think they'd like to, but it would require dad's work to remember that he's not a robot. And with crime up right now, mom talks like she's as busy as she's ever been."

"Hm."

Chris worked his lips like he couldn't quite find the right words. "Can any of your family make it over?"

"I think mom and my brothers would like to. Mom would have to take time off from the daycare and my brothers would have to miss school."

"And… your dad?"

Luke's stare turned back to the two creatures on the battlefield below. By all accounts, he seemed to be on better footing with his father. His mother had even alluded to it in her congratulatory message the day before. That message had come as a surprise, not because of his mother's kind words, but because it actually sounded like she knew specifics about his previous battles and the current round he had made it to. Luke had come to the conclusion that Ben—not dedicated watching—was her source. She had mentioned catching some highlights of his battles on the nightly recap, which could have only happened if her father had it on while they were in bed. His father no doubt would be watching with a critical eye… but it also revealed someone who cared. And yet, "I'd say something will keep him too busy to attend," Luke replied.

An explosion below drew both trainers' attention. After the smoke had cleared, Forretress was revealed to be the culprit. The opposing Raichu flew back from the blast and landed unconscious beside his trainer. Chris's friend looked down at her defeated teammate but didn't move. After the judge's double knockout declaration, both trainers returned their teammates to their capture devices.

Luke glanced up at the scoreboard and grimaced. "Things aren't looking too good for your friend," he said. Luke glanced over at Chris when he didn't respond. The blonde trainer had captured the Cherrygrove native's unflinching stare, to the point of squinting. Luke cleared his throat. "You seem pretty surprised. Did you think she would make it really far?"

"Yeah," Chris answered, biting his lower lip. "She's a fighter. The definition of scrappy. I… I'm not sure what's going on."

"She's still got a chance to turn things around. But being down two to four is tough to overcome."

"Right." Chris slowly stood up. He took one last long look at the battle that had started back up below, then turned to face Luke. The worry in his eyes faded and a smile slid onto his lips. "I'm going to take care of a couple things before your battle, but I promise I won't miss it." He extended his arm. "You've got this, man."

Luke hopped up and took his hand. The two bumped chests in a quick hug, then separated. "Thanks man."

"Don't worry if you bomb your interview," Chris said, his smile sliding into a smirk. "This won't be the last time you'll be on the big stage."

"You bastard."


May 8th.

Shelgon's Dragon Breath pressed harmlessly against Granbull as he marched toward Kayla's teammate. The Fairy Pokémon whipped his head forward, ice-covered jaws clamping down onto the dragon's bony shell. Granbull gave a vicious shake of his head, nearly lifting the heavy creature off the ground. Shelgon managed to resist and yanked himself free. The round creature stumbled backward, his short, stubby legs barely managing to hold his weight up.

Kayla took it all on, her stare never wavering from her struggling teammate.

"Zen Headbutt."

Even with Granbull's Intimidate ability weakening their attack, their slower opponent would still feel the weight behind Shelgon's size and natural strength. Only, Granbull was gone. And as Shelgon began his slow charge, it wasn't the Fairy-type he now approached, but a Dark-Type. Seeing the thin frame of Sneasel hold up in a collision with Kayla's large teammate felt wrong. But even with his massive size advantage, Shelgon was only able to drive Sneasel back a few feet.

We've got to get to Violet City at least a week earlier, Kayla reminded herself. That would give them a real chance to set up a home base and begin scouting Route 32. Most suspects would probably be sailing in through the bay that ran along the route, but there might be some who would pass through Violet City. Some of them might even be staying there before and after the meeting. A small smile made its way onto her lips as Sneasel slammed several large icicles down onto Shelgon. Somehow the Dragon-type managed to stay standing.

"Flamethrower."

It would be at least a two day journey back to the edge of Johto. Leaving today, that would give them just over a week to trek back through the eastern side of the region. Noctowl might even be able to carry her on a more direct path that would take them off route. The owl had never been able to hold her up for long periods of time, but even thirty minute intervals might save them a whole day's worth of travel.

Shelgon took a wobbly step forward, but no fire emerged from the opening in front of his visage. Instead, his entire body shuddered. No doubt a side effect from Sneasel's Icicle Crash. The Ice/Dark-type dashed forward to capitalize.

Kayla had always admired the speed and power of the Sneasel line. Their stealth would make for a great tool in her team's upcoming foray into espionage. It was unfortunate they wouldn't have time to take a detour north to Ice Path.

Shelgon toppled backward. A cloud of dust shot up as his heavy shell indented into the ground. His legs flopped to the side Despite his ungraceful fainting, the Endurance Pokémon had truly lived up to his name. Kayla would absolutely need that from him. Hell, she wished she had that kind of stamina at her disposal.

"Shelgon is unable to battle!" the judge declared.

Kayla breathed a sigh and slowly made her way forward. She brought out Shelgon's Great Ball, but made sure to give the top of the creature's shell a quick rub before returning him. Thankfully her opponent didn't attempt to exchange too many pleasantries. After a quick follow up from the judge, she was free to head for the tunnel.

She still needed to grab her things from her hotel room. That would give her a chance to grab a couple fistfuls of the snacks that had been set out in the lobby. There wouldn't be time for any food stops on the way west, so she'd need to grab as many as she could fit into her bag.

As Kayla reached the entrance to the tunnel stadium tunnel, she caught sight of movement above her along the stadium railing. A leg swung over the border, causing her to come to a stop. As she turned to get a good look at what was happening, she got a direct blast of the sinking sun into her irises. The sound of something hitting the ground in front of her caused the trainer to take an awkward step back. Her right hand went for a Poké Ball and her confusion quickly shifted to fear as it dawned on her that her entire team had just fainted. Had someone caught on to her discovering the details of the upcoming meeting? Would they really try to silence her in such a public space?

"Kayla."

That voice. The blonde girl rubbed her eyes and blinked back a tear. "C-Chris?"

"Are you okay?"

Through squinted eyes, it looked like two Chris's were approaching her. She held up a hand and he came to a sudden stop. "I'm fine. I just…it doesn't matter." After another second, her vision finally cleared. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I was thinking the same as I watched that battle."

Kayla scoffed. "Are you serious right now?" she asked.

"More serious than it looked like you took that battle," he replied. Kayla tilted her head. Chris's stern stare and hard frown looked so unnatural. It was actually a bit unnerving to see the upbeat trainer look so bothered.

"Hey," Kayla said with a shrug, "she was the better trainer. That's all there is to it. Eventually everybody is going to run into one." Well, except for the person who wins the tournament, she silently added. Not that she'd be sticking around to—

"Why?" Chris interrupted, his accusing stare softening. "It didn't even look like you were trying."

It was Kayla's turn to hand out a stink eye. "What does it matter? They hold this tournament every year. Why are you making such a big deal out of this?"

"Because your team deserved better. They deserved to go out battling alongside a trainer that was giving it their all."

"Hey, lay off it," she snapped, taking a step forward. "I stuck out the Gym challenge and this tournament served its purpose. Now let me go."

"Served its purpose…" Chris's narrowed eyes went wide. "You found out something about your grandfather?"

"Is everything alright over here?"

Both trainers turned to find a well dressed figure hurrying over to them. Based on the badge on his chest and his silver belt, he looked to be a member of the tournament security.

"Sir," the man's voice went from concerned to firm as he motioned to Chris, "please back up against the wall there."

"I'm her friend," Chris replied, holding both hands up. That prompted the man to turn to Kayla.

If this had been anyone else, she'd have feigned ignorance about their identity. She still hadn't given up on the idea, but the longer she looked at the nervous trainer across from her, the more she remembered their prior conversations. Even though he'd begun to piss her off, Chris had shown her a lot of concern, despite there being only the faintest connection between the two. And she'd blown him off each time he'd tried to sit down and talk to her. She was going to have to do it again, but even in a rush, she owed him some courtesy. Kayla sighed. "Yeah, he's a friend."

The man gave a curt nod before waving a finger at Chris. "Friend or not, we still can't have fans jumping down from the stands. It's dangerous for spectators like yourself and for the trainers down here."

"Would it help if I said I was a trainer?" Chris asked, tugging at the official lanyard around his neck.

The man's stern expression didn't change. "Say what you need to and then I'll escort you back to the trainer area."

"Thank you so much," Chris said, that bright smile of his returning in full. It was short lived though once he picked back up their conversation. "I just wanted to say that I know your team is capable of a lot. And whatever battles come next, I hope you'll give it your all."

Kayla nodded slowly. "These next battles will be the most important."

Chris threw a nervous glance at the guard before taking a half step toward her. His voice was a whisper. "Then I hope you won't go at them alone. Are you working with anyone else?"

"Once I figure out what's going on, I'll bring others in," she answered. That wasn't an outright lie. Even amidst all her anger and her desire to be the hammer that brought down justice, she knew her limitations. She had no illusions about joining the pantheon of young trainers who helped spearhead the defeat of a major crime syndicate. She just wanted justice for the people responsible. But going to the authorities now would put an end to her own investigation. Those officials wouldn't let a teenager in on their discoveries and, given enough time, would find a way to ensure she had no chance to participate in the actual capture of those responsible. That would probably involve bringing me back to my family, she silently concluded.

Chris was scribbling something down on a slip of paper. "I know there aren't many people you probably trust," he said, handing her the paper. "That's Professor Elm's number. I know he and your grandpa were—are friends. He can get in touch with the right people and help see things through when the time comes."

Kayla looked down at the number then back at Chris. She took the paper in her hand. "I appreciate it," she said, before turning toward the tunnel. "We've got to get going though."

"You have to leave now?"

"Yes." Kayla began to walk away and she heard Chris's feet shuffling closer. "We're through talking, sir. You can escort him back."

"But—"

"You heard her, son. Follow me."

Kayla headed back through the tunnel. The noise of the crowd faded as she receded deeper into the stadium. The dim lighting and mechanical clangs brought her mind back to a couple nights prior, when Medicham had led her behind that Sinnoh-style restaurant.

When she'd caught him as a Meditite, Kayla never could have fathomed how useful the Psychic-type's sixth sense would be. Because of the sheer volume of people passing through, she'd directed him to only hone in on specific thoughts. It had led to several leadless nights and the belief that she was searching in the wrong location. But then the Meditate Pokémon had come sprinting to her hiding spot, his normally neutral expression alive with excitement.

Two Nights Prior

Kayla couldn't have stood outside the exit door for more than a minute, but her hands grew heavy when she went for the handle. She wished she hadn't returned the rest of her team so quickly. She glanced around the empty alley and took a deep breath. Loitering was just as much a crime as trespassing, so no point in waiting around. Then again, degrees of criminality didn't really matter when contending with the evil that awaited her inside. Fuck, she was still stalling.

She looked over at Medicham, who nodded slowly back.

She would have bet the few dollars she still had on the creaking door alerting everyone to her presence, but the back of the kitchen was mercifully empty. Once inside, it didn't take long to find a worker's apron and follow her much stealthier teammate around the back aisles of the restaurant. The banter of cooks and waiters sounded distant, almost like they were working in a separate space entirely. She also found it strange how the lights had been dimmed to almost complete darkness. It almost caused her to miss the strange containers that sat among the rows of stacked restaurant supplies. These boxes looked to be made of reinforced steel and were much larger than any of the cheap supply bins scattered around them. One of these containers had been opened, its contents shimmering beneath a thin slice of light that poured out from a nearby door. She didn't recognize most of the metallic devices inside, but the Ultra Balls laying among them were unmistakable.

Kayla turned to take a step, but a hand took hold of her shoulder. In her surprise she nearly fell backwards, but Medicham's grip never wavered. He pointed down at a box below her raised foot and then brought a finger to his lips. She let out a soft exhale and nodded slowly. Medicham tilted his head toward the door beside them. That sliver of light wasn't the only thing emanating from the cracked door; soft voices floated out, barely audible over the distant clanging in the front of the kitchen.

Trainer and Pokémon crept to the door and Kayla pressed her ear up against the frame. A woman's voice echoed out.

"—couldn't be that far behind schedule. Who on earth could delay him?"

"There's a right time for important things like this," a man's voice replied. "You know how many moving parts there are. May 8th will give both sides plenty of time to move their cargo and have the appropriate mechanisms in place. Our client isn't a fan of rushed jobs."

"Client," a third voice spat, this one also a man. "You still won't fill us in on who we're even working with? Is there no honor among thieves?"

A hoarse laugh echoed out, followed by the first man's voice. "Respectfully, from one crook to another, fuck you. When the ball is rolling and he feels confident with the progression of things, we'll be happy to provide further details. But until then we stick to only what information is necessary."

"How can we be sure our cargo won't be seized entering the bay? The police have really stepped up their presence these past few months. We have intel saying the region is now crawling with those INTERPOL stooges."

"There is no major dock in Cherrygrove Bay on the Route 32 side," the second male voice countered. Kayla's face scrunched up as his voice bounced around in her head. She had heard this man's voice somewhere. "And it's not a heavily patrolled area to begin with. The police will be expecting any out-of-region traffic to come through Olivine or—"

Kayla had to bite down on her lip to keep from letting out a gasp as Medicham once again grabbed her. In an incredible display of strength, the Fighting/Psychic-type lifted her off her feet and pivoted away from the door. Kayla went dizzy for a moment as the dark room spun around her. She came to a sudden stop right as the sound of a creaking door echoed out.

The yellow light poured out from the room now, lighting the surrounding portion of the kitchen. Kayla blinked back the stars in her eyes and found that she and Medicham were now squatting between one of the sinks and a side wall of the room they'd been eavesdropping on. She felt a tingle shoot up her spine at just how visible they were with all this light. If anyone even happened to glance in their direction, it would be hard to miss her and her nearly five-foot tall humanoid teammate.

A singular shadow stretched across the floor. Kayla twisted her head a fraction of an inch, but the wall prevented her from getting much of a look. The door closed once more, casting the kitchen in near darkness. Footsteps approached. Then a massive shadow passed in front of them.

Even covered by darkness, the individual that walked past them couldn't be fully hidden. He stood damn near seven feet tall and the arm that swung down at Kayla's eye level looked to be bigger than her leg. Medicham's hand covered her mouth right as she opened it to gasp.

A crunching and rattling sound accompanied the man's next few steps as he barreled through whatever loose supplies happened to be in his way. A thud and creek followed shortly after. Kayla pulled Medicham's hand away and poked her head up as another source of light trickled back into the room. Through squinted eyes she could just make out a swinging side door on the far side of the kitchen.

Kayla scrambled on hands and knees instead for the door they had come through. She could feel her heart leap into her throat with each object her groping hands came into contact with. If any of them fell over…

But through good fortune and Medicham's subtle guidance they found their way back to the exit. Kayla's trembling hands closed the door as though it were made of glass. The instant she heard the latch click into place, she was sprinting. Resistance around her waist and something slapping at the back of her legs had her jumping as she ran. She was still wearing the restaurant apron.

May 8th. Route 32.
May 8th. Route 32.
May 8th. Route 32.

Present

Kayla reached the locker room and retrieved her backpack. As she made for the exit, she nearly barreled into someone entering the room. The young man's face looked familiar. She was pretty sure he was one of Chris's friends.

"Hey, aren't you—"

Kayla ducked her head and strode past him. She squeezed the straps around her shoulders and kept her head low. There couldn't be any more interruptions.


David nearly jumped out of his seat. "That's it!" He punched the air in front of him—a very poor imitation of the right hook Electabuzz had just scored a KO with. David glanced up at the darkening sky and then to the leaderboard. That last knockout gave Luke a three-to-two advantage, with one of his opponent's remaining Pokémon already weakened. At this rate, his friend might be able to win before darkness completely fell over the valley.

"He's gotta be careful here."

David turned to find Waz staring down at the battlefield. The trainer had sat down beside him at the start of the battle and had remained dead silent since. Hell, David had honestly forgotten he was there.

"You think so?" David asked. "It feels to me like he has a pretty commanding lead."

"That Forretress his opponent has is injured, but…"

David tilted his head to the side. Sure, Luke's opponent could have the Bagworm Pokémon explode, but a two-on-one situation would lean even more in his friend's favor. Or at least, that math sounded right to him; Chris tended to be the math guy in their group.

David scratched at his chin and watched as Luke's opponent brought out that same Forretress they'd been discussing. "You're on Luke's side of the bracket, aren't you?"

"I am, but we wouldn't meet until the Semifinals."

"If Luke can seal this win that would be, what," David paused, his face scrunching up. Fucking math again. "Two wins away?"

"I think so," Waz answered. "It would definitely be frustrating to battle against Luke. He really likes to slow the battle down and exploit type matchups."

David frowned. "What's wrong with that?"

"It's a little too close to how my brother battles."

David's chuckle was short-lived when he didn't catch much humor in Waz's eye. "I could definitely see you making it there. To the semifinals, I mean," David quickly added. "I've not gotten to see many of your battles here, but you kicked a lot of ass back at Luke's place."

Waz nodded his head a fraction. "Appreciate it. I saw a couple of your battles here. You really seemed tapped into the hearts of your teammates."

"Comes with the territory when you work in the Safari Zone. Getting those wild creatures to trust you can require even more patience than training them for battle."

"I remember you mentioning you had worked there," Waz said, his eyes darting around the battlefield as Forretress set a third layer of spikes. Electabuzz swung his leg through to catch the round creature with a Low Kick shortly after. "It sounded like you felt pretty comfortable making that big move despite not being super familiar with the region."

David shrugged. "Yeah, but Kanto isn't exactly super removed from Johto."

"Oh yeah? What part?"

"Southernmost tip."

Waz finally turned to face the trainer, a small smile forming on his lips. "Cinnabar Island?"

"Yep."

"Well, shit. You were just north of me."

"Couple of island boys," David said with a chuckle.

Electabuzz chopped down with his left hand just as Forretress spun into him with Gyro Ball. The Electric-type would have been better off trying to stop the Magnet Train in its tracks. The whirling sphere launched Electabuzz backward, dropping him unconscious at his trainer's feet.

"Have you been back since…"

David shook his head. "No. My parents shrugged off any opportunities to visit it. I've seen pictures of course."

"Mt. Ember would occasionally become pretty active," Waz said, leaning back in his chair. "Even standing on another island, it was an intimidating sight to see."

"Yeah. I remember my parents saying they could hear Mt. Ember rumbling every so often." David had been young when they'd evacuated Cinnabar, so images and vague discussions had made up most of his memories of living there. "I'm hoping I can visit there once I take care of business back home."

"The isles are great to visit," Waz said. "I've only been able to make it back to the 2nd Isle once since moving, but it still feels like that island holds a part of me. Cinnabar is business for you though, huh?"

David glanced up at the faint gleaming stars. From the moment they had left the island, his parents had all but wiped the location from their minds and conversation. To them, Cinnabar might as well have been swallowed up by the sea. "I just know I can make it a more prosperous place. Somewhere that doesn't just have to be a somber memorial to a lost past."

"I'm sure some of the old Pokémon were able to stick around and continue to live there," Waz offered.

"That's true," David conceded. "Several species of Pokémon returned almost immediately after the eruptions stopped. But many species who lived there before have struggled to adapt to the scorched landscape. I think it would be cool to help clean out the debris left behind and regrow those preferred habitats in that rich volcanic soil."

Waz nodded slowly. "Would you be fine with humans living there again?"

David paused. "I think so. They've already rebuilt a Pokémon Center at the southern edge of the island. And people and Pokémon seemed to live in harmony before."

Waz kept his stare on David, but it looked almost somber now. "Hearing people talk about Cinnabar these past few years, it sounds like it might have been a complicated island."

Both trainers had their focus pulled back to the battlefield as a massive explosion reverberated out. Smoke whipped up in all directions, pressing against the energy barrier that surrounded the battlefield.

Forretress.

When the black clouds had faded, the Bagworm Pokémon sat motionless at the battlefield's center. Movement over by Luke revealed the trainer's Mightyena, who was struggling to stand back up. David's eyes darted back up to the leaderboard. Luke's opponent still had one Pokémon remaining. The blank icon representing it on the screen meant the creature would be fresh and a complete mystery. With Mightyena already struggling to battle, Luke's lead had all but vanished.

David sighed. "I think you were onto something, unfortunately."

"It was just a hunch," Waz quickly replied.

A soft thud in the seat behind him had David do a half turn to see who had sat down. The man wore a grey sweatshirt with the hood up. He'd tied the strings tightly so that only his Violet City hat and shades could easily be seen. It was an incredibly conspicuous attempt at looking inconspicuous. David still wouldn't have given him a full look if it hadn't been for the hat representing his surrogate home. The sight of blonde fuzz around the man's jaw made David turn all the way around. "Is that you, Dobbs?"

"No way, broski," he said, fidgeting with the bridge of his glasses. "I don't know who that is."

Waz glanced over his shoulder. "Huh," he said, quickly twisting back around, "it is you."

"Just pretend I'm not here," Dobbs said with a wave. "We're all just spectators watching some battles."

David turned to face the battlefield once more. "I guess that's true for both of us," he conceded.

Down below, Slaking had been revealed to be Luke's final opponent. The massive brown ape lounged on his side, seemingly oblivious to the growling canine that circled him. Luke's voice rose just above the excited hum of the crowd. Mightyena pounced in response, his dark fangs sinking deep into the Lazy Pokémon's torso.

David expected the bulky creature to tank the hit and fire immediately back, but the Normal-type actually grimaced, nearly toppling over onto his back. Luke's first capture didn't let go, shaking his head vigorously as Slaking continued to recoil.

"Holy shit."

David blinked twice, his eyes following Mightyena as the canine flipped end over end across the dirt. He flopped to a sudden stop around midfield and stayed there. David turned back to Slaking and found him holding up one of his beefy arms, an orange glow still surrounding it.

A sinking feeling had found its way into David's stomach as he watched Luke return his defeated teammate. Even from this far away, he could see the concern on his friend's face.

What are you going to do, Luke?


Luke stared down at Mightyena's Poké Ball, unsure of how he was still holding it with his numb hands. Forretress's Explosion had been powerful, but had it really done that much to his teammate? Then it hit him. Explosion weakens the opponent's defensive stamina when it hits. He looked across the battlefield. Slaking's reaction had revealed just how hard Mightyena's attack had hit. Like Explosion, Crunch also had a chance to weaken a Pokémon's physical resistances. That had most likely happened… but it wouldn't do a ton of good for Luke's last Pokémon.

"We'll have to make it work," he mumbled, bringing out a Safari Ball. In battles involving more teammates, Luke always liked to make sure he had good type matchups going into the final leg. If that was beyond his control, he tried to make sure his final teammate had a wide coverage of moves to hit whatever opponents still kept them from victory. Electabuzz, Charizard, and Quagsire were great for that.

Luke took a deep breath. "C'mon out!"

The Tohjo Falls native grimaced as spikes stabbed into Hypno's feet as he landed. The creature tried to shuffle forward and shake it off, but he couldn't mask the wince that came with each step.

The judge brought both flags up. "Begin!"

Luke was surprised the opposing trainer didn't look to capitalize, but then he caught sight of Slaking—his back on the ground and his eyes staring blankly into the sky. That might be our saving grace, Luke realized. Whatever momentum their opponents had would be grinded to a halt by the Normal-type's Truant ability. They'd just have to somehow survive the periodic blasts of violence.

"Psybeam!" Luke directed.

Hypno's multicolored psychic beam found its mark just as Slaking had begun to roll onto his side. Outside of an eye twitch, the Lazy Pokémon gave no reaction. Luke had hoped for a lucky shot that would induce confusion, but it would be absolutely impossible to tell. More importantly, they just needed to keep their—

"Giga Impact!"

"Fuck."

Slaking swung up onto his forearms with a quick twitch that should have been impossible for such a large creature. He barreled forward, bathed in a surging white aura. Hypno's second Psybeam seemed to dissipate the moment it touched the surging energy.

Luke had to hold back more curses as his eyes darted between the two Pokémon. They had no chance of dodging something that could move that fast. They'd have to meet them head on. Literally.

"Headbutt!"

Hypno may have been more book-smart than street-smart, but that hadn't kept the creature from possessing just as much physical strength as mental. That was a rare thing for a Psychic-type. But elevated physical abilities didn't mean much when put up against a brutal force of nature.

Slaking bulldozed through Hypno as though he were a breakthrough banner. The Hypnosis Pokémon tumbled backward, his pendulum flying high into the air. Luke watched in stunned silence as his teammate flopped onto his stomach a dozen feet from the collision. Slaking rumbled to a stop, but not before nearly reaching Luke's trainer box. He now stood close enough for the Tohjo Falls native to see his brow droop and his eyes dim in real time. It only took another couple of seconds before he'd flopped unceremoniously onto his back. Luke's teammate had managed to roll onto his side during this time. He went to press off the ground with his arms but they wobbled and gave out.

"Shit." Luke's own arms shook at his side. They had to capitalize on these openings Slaking gave them. "You've got this, Hypno. Let's just focus on getting back to our feet."

Hypno got his knees under him and pushed off the ground once more with his arms. He rose, body swaying, but managed to make it back to his feet. Luke breathed out a sigh. They could still win this. Slaking's loafing had actually given Luke a strategy to do just that.

"Hypnosis!" he called.

Hypno brought his left arm up, his wrist already beginning to rock back and forth. Slaking had glanced over from his cloud watching, just in time to lock eyes with—

"Hyp'?!"

"Fuck!"

The pendulum.

Luke turned, his eyes darting all over their side of the battlefield. Beneath the night sky, light poured down onto the battlefield from the poles towering above the stadium. Their glow revealed something twinkling on the ground between the two Pokémon.

"It's in front of you!" Luke called out.

Hypno took off at what looked to be a run, but it immediately turned into an off balanced jog. Between that last attack and the lingering damage from Spikes, Luke considered it a miracle his teammate could even put weight on either leg. He reached the pendulum and dropped back to his knees to grab it. Luke looked back and saw that Slaking had only just now sat up.

"Hypnosis!"

They could potentially seal this if they could just get this monster to sleep. Glancing across the battlefield, he could see the opposing trainer had moved all the way to the front of the box. He leaned against the protective barrier, head extended as far as it would allow him. They had them scared.

"Yawn!"

Slaking rolled his head to one side and let his large maw droop open. A long, deafening bellow poured out of the Lazy Pokémon's wide mouth. His head swayed one way, then another. Hypno's pendulum matched the Normal-type's head movement, but its owner had also begun to let out his own yawn. They were running out of time. Luke didn't even wait for Slaking to topple over before calling out their next attack.

"Dream Eater!"

Hypno extended his free hand. A translucent, red energy began to seep from Slaking's bare forehead. The wispy stream slithered through the air, eventually reaching Hypno's outstretched arm. The red string of energy thickened as Hypno began to siphon more from the motionless creature.

As the seconds stretched on, Luke watched on in growing frustration, knowing there'd be no way to immediately tell if they'd scored a knockout. Even the judge took a couple steps out of his box to better examine Slaking's drooling visage. How can you even tell when he looks unable to battle every couple of minutes? Luke asked himself.

Hypno's left leg shook, nearly causing him to topple over. Luke snapped his head over to catch his teammate's head drooping. Even though they were restoring some of their strength from Dream Eater's secondary effect, his Psychic-type companion wouldn't be able to withstand a full on strike while he was asleep and defenseless. Hypno's head bobbed, then did so again.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Hypno's head dropped once more and… then rose back up.

Luke stared in disbelief. He slowly turned across the battlefield and could see the opposing trainer pressed up against the protective energy field, his neck strained as he watched Hypno continue zapping his teammate's strength.

Luke's eyes went wide. A wild, goofy smile slipped onto his face. That same smile he always gave Chris a hard time about. It felt good to see that even great trainers on grand stages could make basic mistakes. This one just so happened to be the reason he'd be advancing to the round of sixteen.

And here I thought insomnia would only ever cause me trouble.


Prinny and Luke have officially advanced to the Sweet 16! As exciting as these wins were, we now know that Kayla will be joining David in defeat. However, Kayla appears to have even more high stakes conflict left to resolve. How will her future play out? And what about other trainers like Sarah and Seth? Will the Sinnoh natives be able to survive and advance? What other off the battlefield revelations might be revealed as the tournament goes on?

I hope you enjoyed this newest installment. With the summer season coming up, I'm looking forward to having more time to write, Lord willing. I've really appreciated your support, even with last few months not seeing a new chapter. It always encourages me to check in to the traffic and see people reading and enjoying the story, imperfect as it may be.

I do have a request if you'd allow me to be so bold:

I've noticed that despite the good traffic, there are very few reviews by comparison. As an amateur writer who is slowly learning how to better my craft, it always helps to hear what you all think of these chapters, good or bad. And while I would prefer the latter to be more constructive, I just love hearing from you guys and finding out what you're enjoying and what you feel could be even better (from a writing perspective, please no story suggestions :) ).

Thank you so much for that consideration and for continuing to support this story! Please consider subscribing if you'd like to stay notified on when a new chapter will be coming out. I've begun work on Chapter 66 and am hoping to have that to you guys by mid summer at the latest. I hope to see you in the next installment. Take care!