Alola, everyone! Welcome back to "The Challenge of a Lifetime"! I know it's only been a few weeks, but I'm excited to be back in this story, ready to complete it as we've got just four chapters left! And we're also finally in February!
Completing this story is going to be quite the high mark for me as I've probably said multiple times. We're so close. When we last left off, our heroes were faced with the dilemma of fighting the Ultra Beasts on Poni Island, with Guzzlord being the greatest threat of them all. There's also a Blacephalon and a Stakataka, which makes things a little more complicated.
Can our heroes take them down? Let's find out!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"Dynamic Punch!" Soliera commanded as her Buzzwole flew forward, clenching its right fist tightly. It glowed a bright red with an explosive energy pulsating. As it closed in on Guzzlord, the Swollen Pokémon threw out his fist for a punch, only for it to be caught in the jaws of the opposing Ultra Beast's right arm-like tongue. It then prepped a multicolored light from its giant mouth, ready to fire it.
"Triple Kick!" Dulse yelled. Pheromosa leapt in, striking the Junkivore Pokémon with its right leg first to its head before attacking again with two straight kicks to knock it back.
"Aaaaaaahhhhh…" it groaned, using its arm-like tongues to grab stray boulders and rocks to eat.
"It's hungry?" Zossie said in confusion upon noticing.
"No, it's only storing up its energy in order to use Belch," Anabel corrected, "It's also used Crunch, Dragon Pulse, and Stomping Tantrum," she listed off additionally.
"Hmm…" Phyco hummed, "Anything else of note?" he inquired of the International Police chief.
"Earlier, I tried to slow it down with my Alakazam's Psychic, but it didn't affect it…" she answered in remembrance, "I'm certain it must be a Dark-type then," she affirmed.
"If that's the case, then we chose the correct Ultra Beasts for this fight," the Ultra Recon Squad leader noted.
"That's right," Soliera agreed, "Bug and Fighting-types are super effective against those of the Dark-type, correct?" she presumed.
"Even so, we are still up against an Ultra Beast…" Dulse pointed out seriously, "Don't lower your guard," he advised, earning a nod in response from his colleague.
"Me and Phyco'll give you backup!" Zossie assured as her Celesteela floated forward.
"We'll be ready as well," Anabel chimed in, glancing back for a moment.
'I hope the rest of you can get here soon…' she said inwardly. At the cave's entrance, Hau, Trent, Paige and Pyrrha had just arrived, hurrying inside with Noivern and Flygon flying after them. Back in the depths, Guzzlord reared itself back before unleashing a powerful belch with purple rings of energy coming out from its mouth. They were about to crash into Buzzwole and Pheromosa, only for Celesteela to move in front of them, taking the attack as it was unaffected.
"Kartana, Smart Strike!" Phyco yelled. The Drawn Sword Pokémon flew out, making its horns glow white as it closed in and struck the opposing Ultra Beast with them, making it slide back.
"Aaaaaaahhhhhh…" it growled angrily, glaring at its four foes.
"We'll take care of this one promptly," the Ultra Recon Squad leader declared, standing alongside his colleagues confidently.
OPENING
Insert "Acacia" by BUMP OF CHICKEN
Opens with sparkles over a black screen before we catch a glimpse of Calvin and Erika. The two of them are walking down a set of old railroad tracks together. As they continue, they're followed by Litten, Popplio, Yungoos, Rockruff, Pikipek, Oricorio, Fomantis, Dewpider, Drifloon, Cubone, Magby, Bounsweet, Sandygast, Poliwag, Starbright as a Cleffa, Togedemaru, Sandshrew, Mimi, and Jangmo-o. Those of their Pokémon that can evolve do in flashes of light, hurrying after their trainers.
We get shots of the Ketchum twins during their various adventures, meeting their first Pokémon, going to the local school, taking part in the island challenge, and meeting all sorts of people. We pass by Ilima, Lana, Kiawe, Mallow, Sophocles, Acerola, and Mina, finishing with Ryuki shredding his guitar as his Kommo-o chimes his scales behind him. We also see Hala, Olivia, Nanu, and Hapu, each at their respective islands of Alola.
The opening continues with Calvin and Erika helping each other out, climbing mountains, traversing rivers, and crossing bridges as they keep on their path. All of a sudden, an Ultra Wormhole opens in front of them, much to their shock. A Nihilego pops out, attempting to ensnare them with its tentacles. However, it's knocked away by a Mudsdale, belonging to Paige as she shoots the twins a wink. They're joined by Hau, Pyrrha, and Trent, sending out their Pokémon to do battle as more Ultra Beasts pour out.
Nihilego fires off a Venoshock, which Trent's Skarmory blocks before Erika's Starbright strikes it back with a Meteor Mash. A Buzzwole blows Calvin's Incineroar and Paige's Electivire, only to suddenly get bombarded by Acrobatics from Pyrrha's Starlight. A Pheromosa kicks Hau's Raichu back, but he counters by having the Alolan Mouse Pokémon pull off the Stoked Sparksurfer Z-Move, which zaps the Ultra Beast fiercely.
We cut to a shot of Looker and Anabel together, who wave to the group of young trainers. We also get to see the members of the Ultra Recon Squad: Phyco, Soliera, Dulse, and Zossie, each with a Poipole as a partner. One of them flies about around Erika, playing with her Jangmo-o as she giggles.
Afterward, we see Calvin investigating a mysterious box he found, narrowing his eyes curiously. His Incineroar taps him on the shoulder, enticing him to turn around and gasp at the multitude of Meltan roaming about. His Tsareena picks one of them up, nuzzling her head against it lovingly.
We then watch Erika command her Primarina against Leslie's Serperior, as the two Pokémon whisk about each other before unleashing their respective attacks. Witnessing the battle from afar with sparkles in her eyes is Nemona, who clenches her fists determinedly. Meanwhile, Calvin approaches a large tree at Poni Island, only to meet Leon and Sonia. The former's black Charizard huffs as he steps forward, making the Ketchum boy smirk nervously.
The song winds down, with the twins heading on the path back to their vacation home. There, Pikachu calls out to them as Ash and Mirajane smile, waving happily. Calvin and Erika head back inside for the night, ready to head off for the next journey. As he's about to follow them, Pikachu takes notice of a red, crocodile-like Pokémon waddling by, sneezing a puff of fire.
END OPENING
Mind Blown!
"Primarina, Icy Wind!" Erika yelled from the Poni Grove. The Soloist Pokémon took a sharp inhale before breathing out a chilling wind with blue sparkles, which was intended to wash over Blacephalon. However, it hopped and flipped over the air with ease, landing upon a nearby ledge before juggling its head again. "Oh, not again…!" the Ketchum girl complained aloud, seeing it throw its head toward her partner, "Primarina, dodge it!" she called out, enticing the Soloist Pokémon to move away before her foe's head exploded in front of her like a colorful firework, with its force making her tumble back along the ground before she came to a stop upon her stomach.
"Mahh…" she groaned as she pushed herself up.
"Oh man…" her trainer groaned.
"At thizzz rate, we'll never be able to catch up with the otherzzz!" Rotom pointed out worriedly. Erika glanced down in thought.
'I was thinking Primarina's Icy Wind could slow this guy down enough for Lycanroc to finish off, but it's too darn fast!' she noted to herself, seeing Blacephalon regenerate its head as it popped out from the hole in its neck, 'There's gotta be another way to stop it!' she mentioned through her thoughts. The Fireworks Pokémon formed a purple-and-black ball of energy, firing it out toward its opponent. She hopped back to dodge it as it struck the ground in a powerful blast. At that moment, the Ketchum girl noticed something. It appeared to getting strained. And then, she blinked in realization. She reached down to her belt, grabbing the Beast Ball off of it.
"What are doing, zzt?" Rotom asked upon noticing.
"Playing a wild card," Erika remarked in reply, enlarging the specialized Poké Ball with a press of its button before rearing her arm back, "Let's go, Poipole!" she called out, tossing the spherical container into the air. It popped open, with its reddish blue light forming in midair before dissipating to reveal the Poison Pin Pokémon.
"Poyy!" it squeaked, flying around excitedly.
"What did you bring out Poipole for, zzt?!" the Pokédex questioned emphatically out of shock.
"Those Ultra Recon Squad guys used Poipole to whittle the other Ultra Beasts they could down with Toxic, right?" Erika inquired back, "And besides, that guy's definitely not looking a hundred percent like it was before…" she pointed out additionally, glancing over to Blacephalon, who seemed to be preparing a mass of fire in front of its head. It then fired off the mass of flames in the shape of a five-pointed star, seemingly about to engulf Primarina. "Sparkling Aria!" her trainer yelled. Standing up on her tail fins, the Soloist Pokémon let her ponytail come undone. She sang as a shining ball of water formed over the tip of her pink nose, bursting apart into watery streaks. They struck the incoming fire, making it dissipate in a blast of steam, shrouding the immediate area.
"Preemah!" Primarina yipped out to her trainer, who nodded.
"Poipole, you ready to do this?" she inquired of the Poison Pin Pokémon floating beside her.
"Poy!" it squeaked in response with a nod of its head.
"Okay, use Toxic!" Erika instructed, sticking her right hand out. Poipole flew into the steam, as Blacephalon dwelled within it, looking around for a sign of its foe. It noticed the Poison Pin Pokémon too late as it aimed its head towards its target, firing streams of purple poison that struck the Fireworks Pokémon. A purple light engulfed its body with sparks and bubbles as the steam cleared.
"Blaahhh…" it growled out, staggering forward.
"You got it!" Rotom buzzed.
"Nice work, Poipole!" Erika complimented of the Poison Pin Pokémon, making it smile happily as it spun around, "Now for the finishing touch!" she declared as she readied another Poké Ball in her right hand, enlarging it with a press of its button, "Lycanroc, go!" she called out, tossing the spherical container into the air. It burst open, with its bluish-white light forming upon the ground, dissipating to reveal the Wolf Pokémon.
"Rahk!" he barked out. Blacephalon pulled its head into its arms, juggling it around as it appeared to enlarge slightly. It then tossed it toward its new opponent.
"Dodge!" Erika yelled, enticing Lycanroc to leap over his foe's head as it exploded in a firework-like blast upon the ground, "Now Stone Edge!" his trainer ordered. Coming down, the Wolf Pokémon slammed both of his front paws against the earth, causing light blue stone pillars to erect and surge towards the Ultra Beast. They struck, blowing it back as it crashed against a tree.
"Erika, now'zzz your chance!" Rotom buzzed over to the Ketchum girl, who reached into her bag and pulled out one of the two Beast Balls she had left.
"Here goes nothing!" she exclaimed, flinging it out. Just as Blacephalon's head regenerated, it was hit by the specialized Poké Ball, which popped open. The Ultra Beast's body turned into a bluish-red light that zipped into the container, which closed up before falling onto the ground. Its button blinked red as it shook for a few moments, with Erika and her Pokémon watching on with bated breath. However, the Beast Ball stopped with the sound of a click as the button flashed green. "Yes!" the Ketchum girl yelled upon noticing, hurrying over to pick the specialized Poké Ball up from the ground.
"Blacephalon'zzz finally been caught!" Rotom noted excitedly as it floated over alongside Poipole, while Primarina and Lycanroc also approached.
"But we still got Stakataka and that Guzzlord to worry about…" Erika noted aloud, putting the Beast Ball away into her bag, "Thanks for your help, guys," she said gratefully before returning both Primarina and Lycanroc to their respective Poké Balls in beams of red light. She was about to recall Poipole as well, only for it to start flying around her as she yelped in surprise. "Poipole…" she uttered.
"It might be good to have Poipole out to help slow Guzzlord down, zzt," Rotom inferred. The Ketchum girl nodded. She glanced back over to where her brother was fighting, hearing the rumblings and explosions going off over and over. Clenching her fists determinedly, she took a deep breath.
"Cal can take care of Stakataka," she affirmed, "We gotta stop that Guzzlord," she insisted.
"Right!" her Pokédex agreed as it and Poipole followed after her.
X
Running through Resolution Cave as both Noivern and Flygon flew ahead, Hau, Paige, Pyrrha and Trent could hear the rumblings growing louder and louder the closer they were getting. As they reached the end of the tunnel they were going down, they were met with an explosion of dirt and dust as something crashed down in front of them. They had braced themselves, looking out and gasping to find a Pheromosa lying in front of them with swirls in its eyes.
"What the heck?!" Paige exclaimed, only to look out and gasp. Guzzlord was using its arm-like tongues to take hold of both Buzzwole and Kartana, while Celesteela and Snorlax were looking rather worn. Their trainers were all grimacing.
"How is it this strong?!" Soliera inquired aloud.
"If it defeated so many other foes earlier, then…" Dulse started to presume, gritting his teeth. Anabel was the most frightened, trembling uncontrollably. Multicolored lights emitted from the mouths upon the Junkivore Pokémon's arm-like tongues.
"Is that…?!" Trent started to guess widening his eyes.
"Dragon Pulse!" Paige exclaimed. Multicolored rays in the shape of the heads of dragons engulfed both Kartana and Buzzwole, followed by implosions. They fell to the ground in smoky heaps, no longer able to move.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Guzzlord bellowed as a reddish aura flowed up its body.
"It's getting more and more powerful!" Soliera warned.
"What do we do now, Commander?!" Zossie asked of Phyco, who grimaced. The Junkivore Pokémon continued to gobble up nearby rocks and other debris, rearing its body back. But just before it could attack….
"Dragon Pulse!" Hau's voice echoed, getting the group's attention as they saw a ray of multicolored light in the shape of a dragon's head zoom over and strike the rogue Ultra Beast, knocking it back. Those of the Ultra Recon Squad and Anabel looked over to see the former trial-goers there.
"What are you doing here?!" Phyco asked emphatically out of panic.
"Here to help, obviously!" Trent responded, readying a Poké Ball in his right hand.
"Yeah!" Pyrrha agreed, "This is the one Ultra Beast we can't let go!" she affirmed, enlarging her own spherical container in her right hand before tossing it up. It popped open, with its light forming upon the ground and dissipating to reveal her Lapras.
"Arrrooooohhh~!" she sang out. Trent backhanded his own Poké Ball, letting it burst open as its light spilled onto the earth, dissipating to reveal his Vikavolt, who floated up as his wings buzzed.
"What type of Ultra Beast are we even up against?" Paige asked as she approached with her Flygon.
"A Dark-type for one…" Anabel responded, clenching her fists, "And by appearances, it's also a Dragon-type…" she presumed additionally.
"Then a Fairy-type would be perfect!" Pyrrha realized upon overhearing, readying a Dusk Ball in her right hand, "Kimiko, go!" she called out, tossing the spherical container forward after enlarging it. As it burst open, its light spilled onto the ground, shaping into form beside Sona and dissipating to reveal the Mawile.
"Mah!" she squeaked out.
"Good call, Pyrrha!" Trent complimented, earning a smile from the red-and-yellow-haired girl.
"Okay, let's do this!" Hau yelled out. Guzzlord stood its ground. An orange glow started shrouding its body as it began stamping its feet against the earth beneath it, making it crack.
"It's going for Stomping Tantrum!" Anabel warned.
"Flygon, Earth Power!" Paige commanded. The Mystic Pokémon had an orange glow outline his own body as he soared down, landing hard upon the ground. The earth swelled, with an orange energy spouting out just as the Ultra Beast stamped hard enough to make shards of rock shoot towards its foes. The orange energy engulfed the shards before they could strike.
"Let's make an opening for Pyrrha's Mawile, Hau!" Trent advised of the ponytailed boy beside him.
"Right!" he responded, "Noivern, Boomburst!" he commanded of the Sound Wave Pokémon. With his ears glowing white, he flew over and unleashed a powerful blast of sound waves onto Guzzlord, making it flinch as it found itself sliding back from the force.
"Vikavolt, use X-Scissor!" Trent commanded, sticking his right hand out. The mandibles of the Stag Beetle Pokémon glowed a bright yellowish-green as he flew over, slashing at the Ultra Beast in an x-shaped pattern before it could react.
"Nice!" Hau exclaimed.
"Their coordination is impeccable…" Dulse commented, quite shocked.
"Indeed…" Soliera agreed, "But still…" she continued, looking back at Guzzlord as it stamped on the ground in a very threatening manner, "it's going to take much more than that to stop Glutton…" she confirmed. Phyco looked down in thought for a moment, and then glanced over to Zossie and her Celesteela.
"Sona, Ice Beam! Kimiko, Swords Dance!" Pyrrha called out. As her Lapras went ahead and formed a light blue ball of energy in front of her open mouth, her Mawile had blue energy swords appear around her body, orbiting her before pointing towards each other, making a reddish aura flow up her form. Her teammate unleashed zigzagging rays of blue light from the orb she had formed, heading for Guzzlord. It stuck its arm-like tongues forward, releasing rays of multicolored light in the shape of the heads of dragons. They met the zigzagging rays in a powerful explosion of steam, veiling the immediate area. Everyone braced themselves.
"Snorlax, Body Slam!" Anabel ordered. Charging through the steam cloud, the Sleeping Pokémon rammed into the rogue Ultra Beast, making it slide back. Sparks of electricity started to crackle around its body.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" it bellowed angrily, grabbing Snorlax with the mouths upon its arm-like tongues. He tried to pull himself away, but to no avail.
"Snorlax, no!" Anabel screamed, while Paige grimaced.
"Flygon, Dragon Claw!" she commanded, "Help Snorlax get out of there!" she insisted of the Mystic Pokémon.
"Furaii!" he responded, diving down as a greenish, claw-shaped aura shrouded his arms. However, Guzzlord noticed. Opening its large mouth, it readied a multicolored mass of light that was quite large, causing both Snorlax and Flygon to gasp in shock. Before they knew it, they both were engulfed by the ray of luminosity in the shape of a dragon's head, followed by a powerful explosion. Everyone braced themselves from the resulting blast, with dust and dirt blowing about. As it cleared, they gasped to find both the Sleeping Pokémon and the Mystic Pokémon down on the ground with swirls in their eyes, while their opponent loomed over them.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" it roared again, having a reddish aura flow up its body.
"You're kidding me…!" Paige exclaimed out of disbelief.
"At this rate, we'll be unable to stop it at all…" Anabel presumed in fright.
"Don't worry, we've got this!" Pyrrha assured, getting her attention as she looked over to the red-and-yellow-haired girl, "Sona, Ice Beam again!" she commanded of her Lapras. She reared her head back for a moment, readying an orb of blue light in front of her open mouth before firing off zigzagging rays towards her foe. It again countered with the multicolored beams it shot from its arm-like tongues, resembling dragon heads as they struck the rays in explosions of steam.
"Ahhhhhh…" Guzzlord growled out.
"If we can catch it off guard, even for a second…" Pyrrha started to presume, clenching her fists determinedly, "Kimiko, Play Rough!" she ordered. Hurrying through the steam was the Deceiver Pokémon, who had a pinkish aura shrouding her body as she closed in. The Ultra Beast narrowed its eyes, only for it to suddenly end up swiped by Vikavolt as he buzzed by, followed by Noivern releasing more powerful sound waves from his ears, striking the Junkivore Pokémon as it slid back. That allowed for the Mawile to lunge in and repeatedly strike it again and again with her jaws, legs, and arms.
"Alright!" Hau exclaimed.
"Both Dark and Dragon-types are super weak to Fairy-type attacks," Trent pointed out, "This fight's as good as over with a blow like that!" he affirmed confidently as the Deceiver Pokémon continued to pound away at the Ultra Beast. However, it started growling angrily. All of a sudden, it used its right arm-like tongue to snatch Kimiko by her jaws, making her yelp in shock, while her trainer gasped. She watched as Guzzlord slammed her hard against the ground before stomping on her.
"MAAAHHHH…!" she shrieked out in pain.
"KIMIKO!" Pyrrha screamed, while the others widened their eyes.
"There's no way…" Anabel uttered, completely horrified by the power that the Ultra Beast was exhibiting. Everyone seemed to think that the situation was utterly hopeless. Guzzlord was just too powerful.
"Wait, are you sure, Commander?!" Zossie inquired, getting the others' attentions as they looked over to see her talking with Phyco.
"We have no choice, I'm afraid…" he affirmed to her, "If Glutton defeats more of us, there's no way we'll be able to stop it…" he pointed out. The orange-haired girl grimaced, clenching her fists. But she steeled herself.
"Celesteela, Explosion!" she ordered.
"Wait, what?!" Hau yelped out.
"Are you serious right now?!" Trent exclaimed, seeing the Launch Pokémon float forward as Guzzlord kicked Kimiko aside. Its body started glowing, much to its foe's confusion. Just outside the cave, Erika, Rotom and Poipole had arrived at the entrance, with the Ketchum girl wiping the sweat off of her brow.
"Okay…" she uttered, "Let's—!" A loud boom echoed from within the cavern, causing the ground to shake as she fell onto her bottom in a yelp.
"What wazzz that?!" her Pokédex exclaimed in question, while Poipole floated over to make sure its trainer was alright. She stood up, looking into the cave with concern in her eyes. She then gave off a determined look, clenching her fists tightly.
"We gotta hurry," she insisted, running into the cave.
"W-Wait, Erika!" Rotom stuttered, floating after her alongside Poipole. They didn't realize just what they were about to get involved in.
X
Calvin found himself looking left and right with Incineroar, Araquanid, and Tsareena beside him. The battle against Stakataka had gone from bad to worse. With its Autotomize making it far nimbler and quicker than before, the Ultra Beast was almost impossible to keep up with. At that moment, the Fruit Pokémon took notice of the rustling grass nearby.
"Sah!" she yelped to her teammates, getting their attentions. Leaping out was Stakataka, who cloaked its body in a silvery-white glow.
"It's using Heavy Slam!" Calvin exclaimed, "Watch out!" he yelled to his partners, enticing them to move aside before the Rampart Pokémon could strike them, making dust and dirt billow about, "Ergh…" the Ketchum boy growled in frustration, seeing the Ultra Beast rise up as its many portions were flipping around, revealing its eyes. They turned red, followed by firing off silvery-white rocks that were aimed for the former trial-goer.
"Ah kwah!" Araquanid exclaimed as he hopped over, making water swirl around his front legs. He swiped and bashed all of the incoming rocks, reducing them to rubble that rained onto the ground. His trainer sighed with relief.
"Thanks, Araquanid…" he said gratefully.
"Kwahh!" the Water Bubble Pokémon squeaked back with a nod of his head. Meanwhile, Incineroar made her arms shine a bright orange as she lunged for Stakataka as it seemingly didn't notice her. She crossed her arms before swiping diagonally at the Ultra Beast… but it didn't budge.
"Rah?!" she yelped out before needing to throw her arms over her head to block the Rampart Pokémon from crashing down onto her as a silvery glow shrouded its body.
"Incineroar!" her trainer cried out, gritting his teeth, "We gotta slow it down!" he concluded, "Araquanid, Icy Wind!" he ordered.
"Kwah!" the Water Bubble Pokémon responded, hopping over and rearing his head back before expelling a chilling wind with blue sparkles. Unfortunately, Stakataka took notice, speeding away before the cold air could wash over him.
"Damn it!" Calvin cursed.
'If we could slow it down somehow, we might have a shot at catching it…' he noted to himself, pulling out one of the two Beast Balls he had left on his person, 'But's a lot easier said than done with how fast it is now!' he added inwardly. From afar, Tsareena watched on with a grimace. Her trainer had brought her out in an attempt to lower their foe's attack power with her Trop Kick, but it was far too nimble. She took a step back, only to feel something upon her right leg. She looked down and saw a Meltan there, clinging to her.
"Meeee…?" it squeaked out. The Fruit Pokémon blinked twice.
"SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she shrieked out.
"Ts-Tsareena?!" Calvin stammered out upon overhearing her. She hurried out, carrying the Hex Nut Pokémon in her digit-less hands. "Wait, Meltan?!" the Ketchum boy yelped, "When'd you get out?!" he inquired out of panic. He glanced back, seeing both Incineroar and Araquanid getting blown away by another barrage of silvery rocks shot their way from Stakataka. "Ah, we don't have time for this!" Calvin realized, quickly pulling out the Poké Ball from his belt for Meltan, only for him to notice that it was shrunk. "Wait… what?" he uttered in confusion. At that moment, the spherical container enlarged and burst open on its own, with its light spilling out onto the grass and forming before dissipating to reveal his Hex Nut Pokémon.
"Mel!" it squeaked out. Now both Tsareena and Calvin blinked twice.
"HUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" they exclaimed simultaneously.
"Sehh rawr?!" Incineroar called out in concern, only to need to put her focus back onto Stakataka as it attempted to crash into her again, forcing her to block it with her left arm.
"What's another Meltan doing here?!" Calvin questioned emphatically.
'Did it get separated from the others at Professor Oak's lab?' he wondered through his thoughts, 'Or is it part of another pack?' he inquired on. Just then, the rustling grass got his attention as he and Tsareena looked over, widening their eyes to find more and more of the Hex Nut Pokémon arriving on the scene.
"S-Sahree?!" Tsareena stuttered in shock.
"Wait a minute…" Calvin uttered, remembering what he had been told by Oak a few days ago about the secret behind Meltan and its history, "Did you call them here?" he asked of his Hex Nut Pokémon.
"Mell!" it responded with a simple nod, turning to its brethren, "Meee, mel!" it squeaked out to them.
"Meeeeee!" they squeaked back, gathering together. Calvin and Tsareena watched as they all came together. All of a sudden, their bodies started glowing a bright blue.
"Ah!" the Ketchum boy gasped. The Hex Nut Pokémon were combining their bodies, growing larger as the form they were taking towered over the former trial-goer and Tsareena. When it dissipated, it revealed that they had become a large, silver Pokémon with a vaguely humanoid build that consisted mostly of liquid metal. Many dark-gray hexagonal nuts were embedded in or attached to its body: one around each shoulder, one around the center of each arm, one in each hand, one in each foot, and a small light gray one in the center of its torso. A large, golden hexagonal nut encircled its neck and a smaller one acted as its head. Floating in its head was a small, dark gray sphere which may be ocellated. It had a small red tail resembling an electrical wire.
"Metahhll!" it bellowed out, flexing its enlarged arms.
"You… evolved…" Calvin realized.
"Sahhh…" Tsareena uttered in amazement.
"Melmett!" the evolved Hex Nut Pokémon echoed happily. It then looked towards its colleagues getting knocked back again by Stakataka, who continued to fire off silvery rocks from its eyes. Narrowing the sphere hovering in its head, the evolved Hex Nut Pokémon started to stomp over.
"Uh, hey!" Calvin yelped out, "Meltan, where are you going?!" he inquired of it.
"Mell, metahlll!" it roared back to his surprise.
"Mel…metal?" he repeated, "Is that its new name?" he assumed aloud. The dark gray hexagonal nut of the evolved Hex Nut Pokémon's right arm started to glow a bright red, pulsating with an explosive energy as it reared it back. Stakataka was about to crash upon Araquanid and Incineroar, only to get fiercely punched back by Melmetal. Both the Heel Pokémon and the Water Bubble gasped in shock, seeing their foe slam against the ground hard.
"METAAAAAHHHHLLLL!" the evolved Hex Nut Pokémon bellowed, slamming its arm nuts together as sparks flew off from them.
"That was Dynamic Punch…" Calvin noted aloud in shock.
"Stahhhkahhh…" Stakataka growled as it managed to rise back up. All of its eyes from the lifeforms that made up its body turned bright red with anger. It started speeding around the evolved Hex Nut Pokémon, trying to confuse it. However, it started rapidly spinning its body around, building up momentum. As the Ultra Beast closed in, it swung its right arm out, extending it to reach its target. It struck the Rampart Pokémon, followed by the left arm extending out to land a second hit.
"Whoa!" Calvin yelped, seeing Stakataka topple over again, evidently dizzied. Seeing that, Incineroar blinked in realization.
"Sehh, seh rawr!" she called out to her trainer, making him perk up.
"R-Right!" he stuttered, grabbing one of the Beast Balls he had and tossing it after having it enlarge in his right hand. It struck the Ultra Beast, making its body turn into a reddish-blue light that zipped into the specialized Poké Ball. It closed up, landing upon the grass as its button blinked a bright red and beeped. After a few more tense seconds, the button blinked green with the sound of a click. "Huh…" Calvin exhaled with relief.
"METAHHHHLLL!" Melmetal bellowed out excitedly, making him flinch.
"You're really excited, huh Melmetal?" he presumed of the Hex Nut Pokémon, who turned to him.
"Mel!" it responded in a proud tone.
"And that last attack…" its trainer continued, "I've never seen it before…" he admitted. Meanwhile, Tsareena stared at the Hex Nut Pokémon with an awed and proud expression as her eyes sparkled. She didn't notice until too late that Araquanid had approached, petting her on the head affectionately.
"Sah!" she yelled in embarrassment. Calvin then picked up the Beast Ball from the ground.
"Okay, we better catch up with the others," he advised of his Pokémon, who all nodded in agreement before being returned to their respective Poké Balls in beams of red light.
X
Hurrying through Resolution Cave, Calvin was surprised at how quiet things were. He had faith that altogether, his friends and other allies would've already been able to quell Guzzlord by now. But as he reached the end of the tunnel, his hopes were dashed. His eyes widened with horror at the sight laid before him.
Hau, Paige, Pyrrha and Trent were all unconscious, down upon the ground with their fainted Pokémon beside them. Those of the Ultra Recon Squad and the Ultra Beasts they used were also out of commission. So was Anabel.
"No…" Calvin uttered. He looked out to see his twin sister's Primarina and Clefable by themselves as they faced Guzzlord, who had a powerfully sinister aura emanating from its body. Blinking in realization, the Ketchum boy turned to find Erika lying motionless up against the wall, groaning with pain with Rotom lying beside her with a cracked screen, and Poipole crying for her. Lightning crackled off of Calvin's fists as he turned to the rogue Ultra Beast. No matter what, he was going to defeat it.
ENDING
Insert "Only Wanna Be With You" by Post Malone
Opens with Calvin and Erika traveling together along the dirt roads alongside their Pokémon. They arrive at a beach, setting up a space with their friends and family to have fun. Primarina, Araquanid and Poliwrath jump into the water, swimming about.
Erika wanders around the sand before coming across a Pyukumuku, curiously picking it up as Pyrrha and Trent approach. She squeezes the Sea Cucumber Pokémon, only for his organs to be spat out at her in the form of a fist, striking her in the face to everyone's shock. She winces, but decides to laugh it off.
Marowak trains with his enflamed bone, with Mimi mimicking him from behind. Incineroar, Tsareena and Gumshoos are playing with a beach ball. At one point, they accidentally knock it away, causing it to land onto the spikes of Sandslash, popping to their dismay. He blinks in confusion, unaware of what happened.
Calvin runs along the beach, being joined by a soaring Toucannon and a spinning Togedemaru. They come across an Alolan Exeggutor, who wags his head back and forth. Togedemaru accidently pricks his tail with his needle, angering him as he stomps after the trio, forcing them to run. Paige and Hau watch on, laughing heartily.
Lycanroc and Magmortar bask in the sunlight together. Lurantis tries to do the same, but is constantly getting a shade cast over her thanks to Drifblim. Even as she tries to get away, he still follows her, giggling all the while. Meanwhile, Starbright and Jangmo-o gather seashells along the shoreline, with the Scaly Pokémon hopping up and down like an excited puppy upon finding more.
Erika later builds a sandcastle with Palossand's likeness. He takes a look, getting so surprised that he accidentally knocks it over. His trainer sighs with a smile, patting him on his head. Calvin grabs himself a bottle of soda from a water cooler, only to find that the caps from each one of them are gone. He glances over and cracks a small smile at the Meltan attempting to get away, having ingested the bottle caps into its body. Tsareena picks it up in her hands, nuzzling against it affectionately.
Primarina and Erika splash water onto each other, giggling all the while. All of a sudden, blobs of blue paint splatter onto their faces as they blink in surprise. Erika sighs and smiles to see the Poipole floating about, spinning happily at its handiwork.
The song winds down, with the Ketchum twins watching the sun setting in the distance alongside their Pokémon. They look to each other and smile, happy that they went on the journey together.
END ENDING
Well, that was fun! Good to get a short chapter after how chaotic things have been when it comes to writing lately. Between the new work schedule and how I'm not as motivated to write chapters for stories like "Omni Force: ORIGINS", I'm glad that I can at least make significant progress.
That said, as we dive deeper into this year, I know things are going to get to a point where I can't keep up with my writing, especially as I'm looking into doing some other things. That includes playing Pokémon competitively! Yeah, you heard right! After thinking about it, I'm probably going to start doing competitive battles in the upcoming season. I'm hoping to do well, though I am probably a noob player getting in way over my head.
But I think that'll be a good change of pace after all of the writing I've done, along with finishing this story. Three chapters are left! And here's the summary for the next one!
SUMMARY
Guzzlord's increasing power is proving to be way too strong for our heroes, but it's not over yet! With Calvin joining the fray, can they capture the Ultra Beast before it wreaks havoc on all of Alola?!
END SUMMARY
See you all next time, everyone!
