Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.
BGM: Nemona's Theme (Pokemon Scarlet/Violet)
"I have to say, I wasn't expecting such a large crowd here." The girl said as she spotted Silver. "Especially with someone with a silver Shaymin."
"Silver Shaymin…?" Silver sweatdropped.
She gasped. "Oh. you trained it to speak?! That's wonderful!"
"It?!" Silver looked dumbfounded.
"I have a pretty good feeling they're friends with Miss Alessandra and Mr. Cian." Clavell said.
"Wait, are these the…" She smiled. "Oh yeah, you're the new folks that moved in next door just last week!"
"So you're our neighbor? How come you didn't drop in to say hi?" Cian asked.
"Well, uh… truth is, I got caught up in… certain things."
Earlier…
"RUUUUUUN!" A trainer yelled as a few trainers ran away in terror.
"Come back! I just wanna battle you!"
"Rai Raiiiiii…" A Raichu fainted.
"Ack! Your Tauros is ridiculously strong!"
"Hehehe~ I know!"
"Don't make any sudden movements… she won't see you if you don't move a muscle!"
"Achoo!"
"Oh hi there~!"
"RUUUUUN!"
"Duduuuuun!" Dudunsparce smacked a Girafarig with its tail.
"Fariiiiig…"
"Nooo!"
"Booyah~!"
Back in the present…
"I tend to be quite the battle nut…" She sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.
"Why does that remind me of someone I know?" Gloria asked, glancing at Hop with a teasing smirk.
"H-hey! I'm not that bad…"
"So, what are your names? And I mean the ones behind you."
Another introduction later…
"Oh neat!" She smiled. "I almost didn't recognize that Galar's champion was among us!" She grinned wildly. "And I'm gonna take an opportunity to fight ya some day~!"
Gloria sweatdropped. "So forward…"
"So, Ms. Champion… what Pokemon are you usin'? Show me so I can prepare in advance!"
"...Right now?" Gloria asked.
"Yes!"
Gloria nodded. "Alright…" She called out her Pokemon.
Her eyes sparkled. "Wow! You even have some spares in your bag! You even have a really awesome looking dragon that could rival Rayquaza!"
"...Beg pardon?" Zinnia folded her arms.
Alessandra immediately pulled Gloria away, glaring hard at the Golbat. "And just WHAT are you doing hangin' with Glori? I've heard what happened a long time ago and-"
"Hey hey! Relax!" Gloria said. "It's a therapy 'mon for me."
"...Huh?"
"Yeah, a friend thought the best way for me to quell my fears of the Zubat line is to… have one with me."
Alessandra blinked. "And it's working?"
"I'd say so, aye."
"Okay… good to know." She glared at Golbat. "I swear, if you evolve and try to suck Glori's blood, so help me, I WILL kick your ass!"
Golbat sweatdropped. "Gol…?"
The girl smiled, looking at Dragapult, Cramorant, Falinks and Sandaconda. "Oh, it's absolutely wonderful that you have a few substitutes!"
"Substitutes? They're my weapons." Gloria said.
The girl smiled. "Secret weapons?"
"Actual physical weapons."
The girl blinked. "...Heh? You mean as in like… grenades… shotguns… and-"
"Aye."
Clavell grimaced. "Oh dear, she's Scottish…"
"That sounds like something a Scotsman would do…" The girl said before her eyes sparkling and looked down at the Pokemon. "And you don't mind being used as weapons?"
"Fay Fay~!"
"Ssssaaaaand."
"Cram Cram."
"Draga Drag."
All of them sounded positive.
"Oh, you are DEFINITELY the best Scotswoman I've ever heard of!" She giggled, slowly petting Zacian.
"Incredible…" Alessandra mused, looking at Zacian curiously while Cian brought out a notepad and sketched the Zacian.
"Lrrroaaaard~" Zacian howled, leaning into the petting.
"...Oh! I forgot to introduce myself. How silly of me." She snickered. "I'm Nemona. I usually live in the dorms at Nuranuva but home is home." She said. "Sooooo, wanna be friends?"
"Straight to the point, eh?" Yang chuckled.
"Well, that's me, alright!" Nemona smiled. "I wanna be friends with all of ya. You all look pretty cool to me!"
Kotoko smiled. "I like this girl."
"Oooh, I can tell we'll be getting along just fine!" Mabel smiled.
"Eh, sure, why not." Alessandra smiled as Cian nodded.
"Awesome~! I have a feeling we're gonna get along just-... oh, Mabel already said what I was gonna say." Nemona giggled.
Clavell cleared his throat. "Miss Nemona is president of our student council and a Champion-ranked Trainer in her own right."
"When I say I'm a battle nut, I mean it. I absolutely adore Pokemon battling! In fact…" She pointed to Alessandra and Cian. "I should start off with you two!"
"Huh?!" The twins exclaimed in surprise.
"Easy now… you three will be in the same class, so you'll have time to battle later."
"Not to mention that… well, I'm not really a Pokemon trainer since I'm more of a fashionista in Galar, though, thankfully, I'm one of the few who aren't straight up a bitch." Alessandra said. "That said, I wouldn't mind becoming one myself."
"As for me, I'm more about research and history…" Cian said.
"Ah, so you're the studious one and Aless is the rebel?" Nemona guessed.
"Actually, she's more studious than I am." Cian said.
Alessandra flashed a peace sign with a grin. "What, you thought I was just all glamor~? I may be pretty, but I'm also not afraid to study to my heart's content!"
"Also not afraid to get down and dirty." Gloria said.
"Really?" Nemona blinked. "You don't look like the type."
"Please… I may be into makeup, but I'm not afraid to rumble either." Alessandra pointed her thumb to Gloria. "I wrestled with this chicka in the mud fields all the time!"
"That sounds about right…" Marnie snickered.
Nemona's eyes sparkled. "You are sounding more perfect all the time… you're the whole package~!"
Alessandra blushed with a smile. "Thanks."
"Now then… have you two decided which Starter Pokemon you will take?" Clavell asked.
"Hmm…" Alessandra looked at the Pokemon in front of her, folding her arms before smiling, kneeling down in front of the Quaxly. "C'mere, bud!"
"Quax~!" The Quaxly's eyes sparkled as he jumped into her arms.
Cian looked down at the Sprigatito. "I think I know who to go for."
"Sprig!" Sprigatito cried, jumping into his arms and nuzzled against him.
"Let's see… what to name you…" Nemona wondered aloud before smiling. "How does Rio sound?"
"Quax!" The Quaxly nodded.
"Aw, he likes it!"
"Hmm… I don't know why, but you feel like a Houdini to me." Cian said as the Sprigatito nuzzled against him again. "Guess he likes it!"
Gloria pulled out her Rotom Phone. "Let's see here… augh, nothin'? Oh right, I need to update this. Rubes, how about ye?"
"Let's see…" Ruby pulled out her Rotom Scroll, which now had a Zoroark casing. "...Nope, not updated."
"Ah, allow me to help with that." Clavell said, proceeding to adjust the two's settings. "Here you are, now you have Paldea's Dex in here." He said as he did the same for Alessandra and Cian.
"Alright, let's see what we got!" Gloria said, scanning the Pokemon as Nemona picked up the Fuecoco.
"Sprigatito, the Grass Cat Pokemon: Its fluffy fur is similar in composition to plants. This Pokémon frequently washes its face to keep it from drying out. The sweet scent its body gives off mesmerizes those around it. The scent grows stronger when this Pokémon is in the sun."
"Quaxly, the Duckling Pokemon: This Pokémon migrated to Paldea from distant lands long ago. The gel secreted by its feathers repels water and grime. Its strong legs let it easily swim around in even fast-flowing rivers. It likes to keep things tidy and is prone to overthinking things."
"It's not native to Paldea?" Pit wondered.
"Interestin'..." Gloria said as she put it away.
"Let's see about this one…" Ruby scanned Fuecoco.
"Fuecoco, the Fire Croc Pokemon: It lies on warm rocks and uses the heat absorbed by its square-shaped scales to create fire energy. Its flame sac is small, so energy is always leaking out. This energy is released from the dent atop Fuecoco's head and flickers to and fro."
"Well, that's neat!" Ruby smiled.
"Miss Nemona, I'm surprised that you picked Fuecoco. Don't you have a team of your own?"
"Yeah, but I started out right as I got to the academy… I figured I might go and try to give these two a nudge." Nemona explained.
"Hmm, that is understandable."
"Aaaaaaand!" Nemona eagerly grabbed Cian and Alessandra by the wrists. "We have our own starters now, so let's go and have ourselves a battle NOW!" She said, yanking them away.
"Whoa!" Both yelped.
"To the beach~!"
"...Did she just drag them away?" Meryl asked.
"This girl's somethin' else…" Sun said as they walked over to the beach.
"This oughtae be entertainin'." Gloria said.
"Of course you'd think that." Victor chuckled as they made way to the beach behind Nemona's house.
End BGM
"Alright, let's see here…" Nemona mused as she looked at her two opponents in front of her. Fuecoco is gonna have an easy time with Sprigatito, yet will be mince meat if that Quaxly has something to say about it… She thought to herself before smiling. I know just what to do with that Quaxly… and just my luck that I just caught this lil' guy too!
She reached into her bag. "Let's have ourselves a fruitful battle~!" She said, activating two Pokeballs and throwing them up into the air.
BGM: Battle! Nemona (Pokemon Scarlet/Violet)
"Fuecoco!"
"Pawmi!"
The First of Many - Nemona
"Hey, look at that… she's got the same Pokemon that Nora has!" Ruby said.
"Who's Nora? Is she strong like me?" Nemona asked with a glimmer in her eyes before shaking it off. "Bah! Focus."
"Well, looks like we don't have any options." Cian said. "Alright, you ready sis?"
"Apparently so!" Alessandra nodded, both calling out their respective Pokemon.
"Fuecoco, set your attention to Sprigatito! Pawmi, focus your attention on Quaxly!"
"Fue!/Paw!"
"Ember! Quick Attack!"
"Uh…" Alessandra looked at her Pokemon's move set in her dex. "Growl at it! I guess…?"
"Mmm… Tail Whip!"
"Grrrrr!" Quaxly growled at the Pawmi, but it dove to the side and headbutted the Quaxly with a Quick Attack.
"Fue!" Fuecoco unleashed Ember, but Houdini avoided it and lightly flicked his tail in Fuecoco's nose. "Fue… Fue… Fue-chooo!" Fuecoco sneezed into Houdini's tail.
"Mroooooooow!" Sprigatito cried as it ran around in a panic before dipping his tail in the water. "Mraaaaah~"
"Sorry about this! Pawmi, Thundershock the water!"
An Electric type?! I thought that was a Normal type! Alessandra thought.
"How often have they battled…?" Marnie whispered to Gloria and Hop.
"I don't think they've been in a battle at all… then again, it's been years since we've seen 'em before they moved deep into Galar." Hop said.
"It definitely shows…" Gloria grimaced.
ZZZZZZZAAAAAAP
"MROOOOOOOOOOOOW!"
"Ah geez…!" Cian winced as Houdini was pitch black and coughing out soot after the nasty shock.
"This is hard to watch…" Nagisa said.
"They're definitely struggling." Flandre agreed.
"Rio, hit Fuecoco with a Water Gun!" Alessandra called out.
"Quaxlyyyyy!" Rio sprayed the Fuecoco with water.
"Tank it, Pawmi!" Nemona ordered as Pawmi got in front of Fuecoco and took the Water Gun to the face. "Now Thundershock!"
"Paaawww… MIIIIIIIIII!" Pawmi unleashed Thundershock as the Quaxly got struck by it.
"Quaaaaax!"
"Crap!"
Nemona rubbed her chin. Why didn't she tell it to dodge…? She wondered. "Hey uh, you like havin' your Pokemon take the hits? You could tell 'em to dodge!"
"I thought that was just a natural instinct!" Alessandra said.
Nemona sweatdropped. I mean, you're not entirely wrong, but a nudge always helps them out… hoo boy, this really IS their first time in a Pokemon fight. She thought before smiling. Welp, never too late to learn the ropes! "So how much do you know about type advantages?"
"Oh, I know everything about that." Alessandra said. "It's just… I never specifically studied Pokemon Battles…" She sheepishly admitted.
"Yeah… neither have I…" Cian sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.
That'll do it. Everyone thought.
"Quaaax…" Rio groaned, as he was down for the count while Pawmi Quick Attacked Houdini, who also went down for the count as well.
End BGM
"And that settles that." Nemona said as she walked over, pulling out two Potions and spraying the two Pokemon, with Alessandra kneeling down and cradling her Quaxly. "Hey, don't worry about it. Everyone's first battles are always rough. Heck, I had a rough first battle myself!"
"I know, but I was hoping it wouldn't be so embarrassing…" Alessandra sighed.
"Don't sweat it! You two have a ton of potential that I can just feel." She smiled. "You just gotta work on your coordination."
"I had a feeling there was more to that." Cian nodded.
"Fue Fue…" Fuecoco apologized for sneezing on Houdini's tail, rubbing the back of his head.
"Spriga Sprig." Houdini waved it off.
"Now then! Let's do another battle! Because I got a new strategy and-"
"Miss Nemona, I think it'd be wise for them to lick their wounds after that weary battle." Clavell said.
"Ah! Right… my bad…" Nemona scratched her head.
"In the meantime, I must go and talk to your parents. I trust that you can show Ms. Alessandra and Mr. Cian and their friends to the academy?"
"You can count on me!" Nemona saluted. "Although guests aren't allowed to sleepover in the academy…"
"No worries, I can book 'em a hotel. I'm loaded with all the photoshoots I did anyway." Alessandra said.
"Well, that settles that~!" Nemona smiled. "Onward~!"
BGM: Poco Path (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
As they started to leave Nemona's home…
"Ah, there you are!" The twins' mother greeted. "I was just about to see you-... Gloria?! Hop?! Victor?! Oh my stars, the world truly is small!"
"Hey!" Gloria waved.
"Nice to see you again!" Hop smiled.
"Nice to see ya." Victor said.
"Are you three here on holiday? If so, it's great to see you catch up with your old friends." She said as the quad hugged one another. "Make sure my kids are well taken care of."
"Well, duh. That's what we're here for. Someone's gottae keep an eye on the lad and lass~" Gloria smiled.
"Hey, I heard that!" Alessandra playfully glared.
"Oh boy…" Cian shook his head as their mother hugged the twins.
"If you ever need me, you know where to find me. You two go have fun… but stay out of trouble, okay?"
"We will!" Both smiled.
"I'll take gooood care of them!" Nemona said. "Let's head out!"
All of them started to walk off as their mother waved goodbye and walked back to her home.
Once they were out on the path… Nemona turned around. "Alright, you two! If you want to grow and become awesome Pokemon trainers, you gotta train your Pokemon to the fullest and make them have fruitful battles! They'll be stellar in no time!"
"Okay, so what do we gotta do?"
"Best way to go about things is to battle and catch Pokemon." Nemona said as a Lechonk poked its head out of the tall grass. "Oh! Like that Lechonk over there!" She then reached into her bag. "How many Pokeballs do you want?"
"How many do you have?" Alessandra asked.
"Oh, I'd say about… ah… five… hundred or so."
"HOW MANY?!" The twins yelled.
Nemona grinned. "I got like six hundred Great Balls, seven hundred Ultra Balls, fifty or so Quick Balls, a few Lure Balls, three hundred Love Balls, a gajillion Premier Balls… unfortunately, I don't have a Master Ball on me." She giggled. "Don't get me started on the healing items, I think they're well into the ten thousands~!"
"Aw man, ye got me beat by two thousand in the healin' department." Gloria said. "Same with the Pokeballs too."
"Rule number one as a Pokemon Trainer: You can never have too many items at once! Our pockets and bags are bottomless pits. Go wild with 'em!"
Alessandra sweatdropped. "Bro, what did we just get ourselves into?"
"I'd say… quite a lot."
Pause BGM
"Alright, give us a few." Alessandra said as Nemona handed them ten each before she whipped out the dex for the Lechonk.
"Lechonk, the Hog Pokemon: It searches for food all day. It possesses a keen sense of smell but doesn't use it for anything other than foraging. This Pokémon spurns all but the finest of foods. Its body gives off an herblike scent that bug Pokémon detest."
BGM: Battle! Wild Pokemon (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
"Rio, let's go!"
"Let's go, Houdini!"
"Chonk…" Lechonk got ready to battle as it charged toward the Quaxly and Sprigatito as they both went into battle.
"That's how ya do it! Woo! You got this!" Nemona cheered them on as they pummeled the heck out of the poor Lechonk as Alessandra threw the Pokeball and caught the Lechonk, and three shakes later, the Lechonk was caught.
"Aw yeah!" Alessandra fist pumped. "I'll let you get the next one."
"Right." Cian nodded as they went deeper into the grass.
End BGM
Resume Poco Path BGM
"Ah… they grow up so fast." Nemona smiled as she turned to the others. "So! Mind tellin' me about you guys while they're having the time of their lives?"
Several intros later while the duo occasionally came by for more Pokeballs and Potions…
"Aye caramba…" Nemona said. "Those are some wild stories… and normally, I'd just shrug 'em off as folk tale, but that weird blue substance showed up in Paldea and made a whole mess of things. And yes, I got caught in it…"
Earlier…
"WOOOOOOOOOO! POWER UUUUUUUUUUP!" Nemona yelled as she was infected with the Phazon. "Anyone want to fight? Come on! Come on!" She aimed her Pokeball at anyone. "Anyone want to tussle? I feel fantastico!"
In the present…
"You got hit with Phazon, yet you weren't… fazed by it?" Ruby asked.
"Was I supposed to? It felt like I was on top of the world and I thought it was some kind of hype juice. I felt unstoppable and just kept creamin' folks left and right!"
Everyone sweatdropped. "You gotta be kidding me…"
Nemona smiled. "Soooo, anyway, now that I know what Phazon is, I can see why you got rid of it. Which is a good thing too because I was gettin' severely light headed after several hours of being infected by it. Glad I was cured of it before I passed out."
"Shite, yer somethin' else…" Gloria said.
"Hehe~" Nemona smiled. "Tell that to the woman who tamed Rayquaza. You sound tough and I wanna fight ya someday, especially with someone who tames dragons! And besides, screw what the news cast says. Anyone who gets skewered by Rayquaza and lives is hella strong in my book!"
"...Oh, I like you." Zinnia grinned.
"Your boundless energy is infectious." Sonia spoke up. "How is it possible to contain it with someone like you?"
"Well, I'm easily excitable." Nemona said. "The thrill of Pokemon battles is amazing and… heck, sometimes I wish I was born in Galar instead. The thought of fighting in Dynamax Battles just sounds wonderfully thrilling! I could say the same for Alola's Z-Battles and Mega Evolution in many regions!"
She sighed. "Of course, a lot of people are… put off with my boundless energy. I don't have a lot of friends because they think I'm some sort of freak or something, especially when I always win. But you… you're not bothered by me?"
"We have a few hyperactive friends. This is nothing." Yang said.
"Yeah, and we have Gloria." Marnie teased.
"Hey!" Gloria giggled. "Ah, who am I kiddin'? I cannae argue with that…"
Nemona smiled, trying to hold back her tears. "Oh, that's wonderful!" She clasped her hands. "I'm fitting right in with you folks!" She said, wiping her eyes before grinning. "As I said, people are put off with how I cream 'em in battles, but Aless and Cian… they were more worried about how they performed and not how I defeated them. There's potential in both of them… and heck… perhaps a rivalry between the two."
"I don't see it." Bede said.
"Well, perhaps if you'd give 'em a chance." Kotoko told him.
"Hmph… right."
"Still, I have to say that the Warriors of Hope's backstory is horrifyingly sad. If it were me, I'd find a way to get you out of there… but what's done is done. And I'd say you guys are going your own path and changing yourselves for the better is good enough for me!" She grinned. "Although if you didn't, I'd be gladly kicking your butts~"
"Why am I not surprised you'd say that?" Nagisa chuckled.
Nemona chuckled and picked up Ruby's scythe. "A high impact sniper rifle, you say?"
"Yup!"
"It's quite heavy if I say so myself. Not sure how you pulled that off but, hey, I've seen weirder!" She said, handing it back to Ruby before curiously checking out everyone else's weapons while Alessandra and Cian returned.
"Hey, we're back!" Alessandra said.
"How'd it go?" Nemona asked.
"Pretty good! Our practice Pokemon we caught was quite fun! We even released them back into the wild. They were so nice." Alessandra said.
"Except for that one Fletchling…" Cian said, recalling how it pecked at Rio in annoyance before flying away. "Definitely held a grudge with Rio though."
"Ah, some Pokemon are like that." Nemona said. "I was not expecting you to release your Pokemon back into the wild so soon, but hey, every trainer's different."
"Well, we didn't release every Pokemon we caught."
"Oh?" Nemona wondered as Cian tossed a Pokeball into the air, where a Starly popped out.
"Starly!"
Earlier…
The twins were busy training with their Pokemon where they discovered a flock of Starly flying overhead. "Water Gun!" Alessandra ordered, as Rio sprayed the flock as it hit one of them.
"Star! Staaarrr!" Starly cried as it flew down in anger and retaliated, only to get knocked out by a Leafage after Rio used Round on it.
"Go for it." Alessandra encouraged as Cian threw the Pokeball at the Starly, pulling it into the Pokeball where he caught it after three shakes.
Back in the present…
"I decided to name him Kevin." Cian said as the Starly latched onto his shoulder while eating an Oran Berry.
"Kevin? Not a bad name… especially since it tends to be a struggle to name Bird Pokemon." Nemona said with a nod. "And you, Aless?"
"Nothing has really caught my attention yet, but I know I'll find one soon. That said, I do have a Hoppip on standby."
"Ah, as a temp? Fair enough!" Nemona smiled as she stood up as everyone else got up.
They started to walk further along toward the lighthouse, but they heard the sound of a roar nearby.
"Whoa! What was that?" Blake wondered.
"I dunno… it sounded completely different. Wonder what cry that was? Let's take a look!" Nemona said as they all looked around to see what the commotion was, and then Alessandra and Cian looked over the cliff to see two dragon-like Pokemon being cornered by two Houndour, but they would also see a Torchic and a shiny Quaxly defending the dragons.
End BGM
"Hey, those are the same Quaxly and Torchic we've seen sparring together." Cian said.
"Yeah, and it seems like they're defending those two from the Houndour…" Alessandra responded.
"You know those two particular Pokemon?" Ruby asked as she took a look.
"Yup!" Cian nodded. "We usually see them sparring together whenever we passed by this beach." He chuckled. "I also remember how my sister would sometimes give them food to eat whenever they got tired from all their training."
"Aww, how cute~!" Gloria gushed, causing Alessandra to blush a bit.
"That's odd…" Bede said. "I thought Torchic weren't native to Paldea."
The two Dragon Pokemon looked directly at the Houndour, glaring at them. "GIAAAAAAAAA!" Both yelled loud enough to make part of the cliff crumble and took Alessandra and Cian down with it.
Ruby almost went with them, but Gloria quickly caught her plant arm and pulled her back. "Phew, thanks."
The twins fell, but their Rotom phones came out and grabbed their wrists, breaking their falls as they gently landed on the ground. "Personally, I would've gone for a dynamic heroic landing but that works too." Alessandra said.
"You probably would've broken your knees." Cian said.
"Ah, but it would've been cool at the moment…" Alessandra responded.
"Dios mio!" Nemona called out to them. "Are you guys okay?"
"Yeah, we're fine!" Alessandra called out.
"Okay, good! You're near a really dangerous cave! We'll try to get you out of there!" Nemona turned around to see everyone getting ready for a fight.
"You had us at dangerous." Yang said.
Nemona sweatdropped. "Talk about well prepared…"
Back with the duo, the Houndour ran away in terror as both the Torchic and Quaxly had recoiled from the sharp roars they heard from the dragons. "Torchic Tor…"
"Quax…"
"You four alright?"
The two Starter Pokemon looked at the twins as their eyes sparkled and ran up to them in happiness, and then suddenly Alessandra's Pokeball opened up as Rio approached his shiny counterpart.
"What the…? I didn't call you out." Alessandra said while the two Quaxly examined each other.
"Quax Qua."
"Ly Qua Qua!"
Both of them nodded, brushing back their "hair" as they both shook feathers with each other before Rio went back to his Pokeball.
"I guess that's how Quaxly makes friends with its kind?" Cian scratched his head while writing it down as Alessandra approached the two dragons.
"Incredible…" She whispered, noting how one looked mechanical and futuristic, and the other looked prehistoric, yet she was fixated on the mechanical dragon while Cian seemed to be focused on the prehistoric dragon.
Alessandra pulled out her Pokedex, scanning the mechanical creature.
"No such data exists."
"Huh…?" Alessandra tilted her head as Cian tried the same for the prehistoric one.
"No such data exists."
Cian raised an eyebrow. "Interesting…"
The two dragons let out soft roars, seemingly apologizing for startling the Torchic and Quaxly, but looked at the twins warily.
Alessandra pulled out her sandwich, breaking it in half. "Here, this will make you feel better."
Cian did the same thing, breaking it apart and giving half of it to the prehistoric dragon.
The two dragons sniffed the sandwiches before they hungrily ate it. "There you go, easy does it…" Alessandra gently caressed the robot while Cian took out his notes and attempted to sketch the beasts.
Suddenly, both dragons roared as they started to transform. The prehistoric one got on his hind legs while the cybernetic dragon levitated off the ground and hovered with thrusters. They both went off toward the cave as they both turned to look at the quad, gesturing to follow them.
"Well, you heard the Pokemon. Let's go in." Cian said.
"Quax!"
"Tor!"
BGM: Inlet Grotto (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
The group walked behind the two dragons as the Torchic and Quaxly waddled near them. A few Houndour growled at them, but the dragons' roars scared them as they kept going.
"Digladee! Digladee!" A Diglett cried nearby as they watched a Yungoos trying to catch it with its bare claws, but the Diglett moved underground and popped up behind it. The Yungoos turned around and lunged, but the Diglett kept popping up in various spots.
"Gooooos!"
"Digla~!"
"They're having fun…" Alessandra chuckled, all of them unaware of a Houndoom watching them from a high cliff, glaring heavily at them.
As they continued through the cave…
"Doooooom!"
The group turned around, seeing the same Houndoom confronting them.
"A Houndoom?!" Cian asked as Alessandra pulled out her dex. "Really? Right now?!"
"Have you really seen a Houndoom in Galar?"
"...Uh… well…"
"Exactly."
"Houndoom, the Dark Pokemon and the final evolved form of Houndour: If you are burned by the flames it shoots from its mouth, the pain will never go away. Upon hearing its eerie howls, other Pokémon get the shivers and head straight back to their nests."
BGM: Battle! Wild Pokemon - Inlet Grotto (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
"Doooom…" Houndoom glared as the twins called out Quaxly and Starly, both of them getting ready to fight as the Torchic and Quaxly got ready to fight too… while the dragons went on their merry way.
"Alright, Quaxly! Use Work Up and then use Water Gun!"
"Wing Attack!" Cian ordered.
"Quax Quax… QUAAAX!" Quaxly yelled as steam came out of his head and flexing before he unleashed Water Gun and Starly flew toward the Houndoom.
Houndoom stood still, tanking the Water Gun and Wing Attack as it shook it off like no big deal. "DOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" Houndoom unleashed Roar, which was enough to scare away their Pokemon back into their Pokeballs while Torchic and the other Quaxly hid behind the twins.
"Uh oh…" Cian grimaced as the dragons turned around, and with a roll of their eyes, they went back to help out.
Houndoom let out a howl, where his pack of Houndour came running in and surrounding the group.
"This is bad…" Alessandra grimaced.
"LLRRRROAAAAARD!"
"GRIIIEEEEEELD!"
End BGM
BGM: Zacian and Zamazenta (Pokemon Sword and Shield)
Immediately, Zacian and Zamazenta leapt over the Pokemon and landed in front of the Houndour and Houndoom. The Houndoom narrowed its eyes and flashed its teeth while the Houndour slowly backed away.
Suddenly, another Houndoom leapt over the twins and confronted the Houndoom.
"We got ye covered!" Gloria said as she, Hop and Ruby approached, the latter pulling out her scythe and pressing a button as a Mega Stone popped out as Ruby reached up as a vine launched out of her rose arm and grabbed the Mega Stone, wrapping it around her wrist to make a viny band around her wrist as a flower bloomed in the middle with the Mega Stone in the center, where Ruby immediately hit it as her Houndoom Mega Evolved.
Both the twins watched on in awe as her Houndoom Mega Evolved.
"DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" Grim howled, loud enough to make the wild Houndoom flinch, but the Houndoom quickly steeled itself and roared at it's Mega counterpart.
"Dooom!"
"Agia…?" The mechanical dragon wondered, as both dragons seemed to be intrigued by the Mega Houndoom.
Both Houndoom circled around each other while Zacian and Zamazenta made sure the Houndour wouldn't interfere.
"Sic 'im!" Ruby ordered as Grim pounced as the wild Houndoom did the same, both of them swiping at the other as the Houndoom tried to bite down on the Mega Pokemon, but Grim batted him away and Crunched down on the Houndoom's side, causing it to howl.
The Houndoom responded by unleashing Incinerate on Grim, but all it did was make a fiery aura wrap around him. The Houndoom realized what this meant, taking a step back as Grim let out a fiery howl that made the Houndoom flinch before Grim headbutted the Houndoom to knock it down to the ground before putting his paw on his chest.
The Houndoom whimpered before getting up and letting out a howl of retreat, as the Houndour fled alongside it.
End BGM
"Yeah, you better run." Ruby said as her Houndoom turned back to normal and happily pounced on Ruby, licking her face. "H-hey! Hey! Stop! Stop! That tickles! Hahaha!"
"Are ye guys okay?" Gloria asked.
"Yeah… just a bit shaken up." Alessandra nodded.
"That's good!' Hop smiled.
"Heeeey! Up here!" Nemona called out to them as everyone else was waiting for them.
"Gias!" The Prehistoric dragon picked up Cian and jumped over to them as the cybernetic dragon did the same thing for Alessandra.
Gloria gently scooped up the Torchic as Hop did the same for Quaxly as Ruby put Houndoom away and used her semblance to scoop the duo up and went back outside.
"Incredible!" Nemona said. "I've never seen a Mega Evolution up close… that was amazing!"
Ruby smiled. "Ah, it was nothing…" She said as the dragons set down the twins before they collapsed onto the ground.
"Whoa!" Nemona knelt down. "Guess they used up a lot of energy…" She said as Gloria and Hop put the Pokemon down, where the Torchic and Quaxly both spotted Masaru and Nagisa as they curiously walked over to them.
"Hmm?" Nagisa looked at the Quaxly next to him.
"Oh, you're a feisty little guy, aren't you?" Masaru asked, kneeling down and petting the Torchic.
"Tor Tor!"
Kokoro giggled, kneeling down. "He's kinda cute!"
"Oh yeah." Masaru agreed as the Torchic hopped up into his arms and nuzzled against him. "Oh! You want to come along?"
"Chic chic!"
"Alright then!"
"I guess we have two Quaxlys now." Nagisa said as the shiny Quaxly had climbed up and sat on his shoulder.
"Quax Quax."
"Hmm… ah, I got it! Takibi." Masaru said as the Torchic smiled.
"How about… Konerak?" Nagisa suggested as the Quaxly nodded. "Alright then."
"Agia…" The cybernetic dragon slowly got up as did the Prehistoric one, where Zinnia approached the two, pulling out some snacks.
"Here. This will make you feel better." Zinnia said as the two dragons looked at her hands before taking a few bites… and then playfully nudged Zinnia. "H-hey! Haha!" She laughed, petting their heads.
"They kinda look like Cyclizar but… they don't really look like 'em either." Nemona observed while Sonia jotted down some notes while carefully petting the two of them.
Gloria pulled out her Rotom Phone.
"No such data exists."
"Wot?" Gloria tilted her head.
"Hmmm…" Ruby checked hers out.
"No such data exists."
"Yeah, we tried that but it didn't work on our ends." Alessandra said.
"So we have a mystery on these two…" Nemona said before smiling. "Sweet!"
She then turned toward the lighthouse. "By the way, I'll show you to the lighthouse! It's got a great view of the academy!"
"Sounds like a plan." Alessandra nodded as they walked off together.
Nearby, a young man was trying to open a door next to the lighthouse and let out a small grumble. He heard the sound of chatting as he turned his head to see them, and then spotted the two dragons that were accompanying them.
He scowled. "Those little…"
The group kept chatting amongst themselves.
"Hey!" The young man called out to them as he marched over to the two Dragons.
BGM: Arven's Theme (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
"What are you two doing out here?!" He demanded before turning his attention to the others. "I'm not talking to the rest of you. You can shove off."
Bede raised an eyebrow. "Shove off? That's kinda rude of you to say."
"Pot, meet kettle…" Marnie quietly said, causing Kotoko to snicker.
"Hey, wait a sec… aren't you Arven?" Nemona asked. "You're enrolled in the humanities track, right? And aren't you the son of those two researchers, Professors Turo and Sada?"
Arven turned to glare at her. "Doesn't matter who my parents are! The real issue is what in the world are these two doing out here! And another thing, what is with these forms that they're in?!"
"We met them at the beach." Cian said.
"And they saved us from a tight spot." Alessandra added. "Though Glori, Hoppy and Rubes helped out on that front."
"Basically, we heard some strange cries and as we tried to investigate, Alessandra and Cian fell off a cliff." Nemona explained. "These Pokemon brought them out of the Inlet Grotto safely while a few of our friends saved them, but it would seem these Pokemon are a bit worn out. They kinda got… slumpy. But you should've seen them before! They looked totally different and looked so strong and cool and-"
"Obviously!" Arven interrupted. "As they should be. But they can't fight while they're like this. The forms Miraidon and Koraidon takes in battle… that's their true form." He then turned to the others. "The cybernetic one is Miraidon and the dinosaur-like one is Koraidon, if you were curious."
"Oh cool names!" Nemona said. "...But how do you know their names?"
"Gias!"
"Agi!"
Both Raidons tried to go into the door.
"You both can't go into the lab. It's locked." Arven informed before turning to the others. "I don't recall seeing any of you around, but given how you two are wearing the uniforms, you go to the academy as well. Though, I must say, I recognize a few of you… I've seen that Galarian Star Tournament and the one who got turned into a shish kebob by that Rayquaza."
How the hell was that even televised? Zinnia sweatdropped.
Arven shook his head. "But besides that, Miraidon and Koraidon aren't the sort of Pokemon that any trainer can command. They're special."
"Special? What kind of Pokemon are they?" Nemona wondered.
"Hmm…" Arven looked toward the twins. "You think you're up to ordering them around? Then how 'bout I test your worthiness?"
Everyone grimaced, knowing how well their fight went with Nemona.
"Okay. We'll give it a shot." Alessandra said with Cian nodding.
"Heh, a couple of go getters. I like that." Arven smiled. "I've been feeling a bit out of sorts, so I'm gonna use this battle to blast these doldrums away!"
"How is this going to go?" Weiss wondered.
"Probably… poorly." Meryl said.
"Ah, have faith in 'em! They were training earlier!" Nemona said with confidence. "Though, just in case…" She proceeded to whisper in their ears to give them a few pointers.
"Giving them pointers?" Arven asked.
"They're just starting out." Nemona responded.
"Ah, I see… well, I hope they're ready for this!"
BGM: Battle! Arven (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
Keeper of the Lighthouse - Arven
Arven threw two Pokeballs into the air, calling out a Shellder and a Skwovet.
"Skwo!"
"Shell!"
The twins looked at each other and they both threw their Pokeballs into the air, calling out their Sprigatito and Quaxly.
Oh boy… that Sprigatito might wreck Shellder, but I'm already committed… Arven thought. Unless…
"Shellder, focus your attention on the Quaxly! Skwovet, keep that cat busy!"
"Shell/Kwo!"
"Rio, keep Skwovet away from Houdini! Work Up and Pound!"
"Quax… LLYYYYYY!" Quaxly cried as he unleashed Work Up before running over and headbutted Skwovet while soaking in a Water Gun.
"Ice Shard!" Arven ordered.
"Dodge that and use Leafage!"
"Mrow!" Sprigatito avoided the Ice Shard and used Leafage.
"Protect Shellder!" Arven ordered.
"Step on his tail!" Alessandra ordered.
"Huh?!"
Rio jumped over to Skwovet and sat right on his tail. "Kwo?!" Skwovet said in surprise as Quaxly then sprayed it with Water Gun.
Gloria laughed. "That's somethin' I'd do with Cinderace!"
"Shelllllll!" Shellder cried as it got struck by Leafage.
"Shellder! Rrrgh… Skowvet, bite it and get to Shellder!" Arven ordered.
"Kwo… Kwo!" Skwovet tried to lunge and bite but Rio leaned back to avoid getting bitten in the face, and then it got poked on the shoulder. "Kwo?" Skwovet turned around… and got Scratched by Houdini, knocking the Pokemon out.
"Crap!" Arven grimaced as the two approached the weakened Shellder.
"...Shell…" Shellder whimpered as it got combo'd by Leafage and Pound.
"Haha! That's how ya do it!" Nemona cheered.
"Aaaaugh… all because I recently caught them too…" Arven groaned.
End BGM
BGM: Poco Path
"Woo!" Alessandra fist pumped, high fiving Cian.
"Alright, alright… a win's a win, I guess." Arven said, recalling his Pokemon. "But if you really think you can just take 'em off of my hands for me… you'll need these." He pulled out two special Pokeballs.
One Pokeball had a cybernetic disco-ball like look to it as the top half was purple and the bottom was black. The second Pokeball had dinosaur-like scales to them with crossbones decorated on the top. The top half of it was orange and the bottom was brown.
"Future and Ancient Ball. My parents designed these themselves." Arven said, handing Alessandra the Future Ball and Cian the Ancient Ball.
"Soooo… why'd YOU have those two?" Nemona asked.
Arven paused for a moment before looking away. "Anyway, these two are your problem now, not mine. Good luck." He then took off running.
"What?! Oye! It's bad enough you didn't answer me once but twice?! Are you selectively deaf?!" Nemona called out to him but Arven disappeared. "Oooooh… when I see him again, I'm going to battle him and wring the answers out of him!"
"Maybe it was for personal reasons." Gloria said.
"Maybe, but he didn't have to give me the cold shoulder… ai yai yai…" Nemona shook her head. "Anyway, let's head up top! It's got a great view of the school as I said earlier."
Once everyone was up top, all of them looked around to see a small portion of Paldea, all of them looking around in awe.
"So, you been up here before?" Nemona asked.
"No. We usually just grab a few things at Los Platos and then come back home." Alessandra responded.
"Ah, hitting the small town nearby? Understandable!" Nemona pointed toward the academy. "See that academy with the large Poke Ball in the center? That would be Nuranuva, the heart of Mezagoza."
"Wow… it's breathtaking." Cian said.
"Yeah, what he said." Alessandra nodded.
Nemona smiled. "It's a bit of a hike to the academy, but nothing to it. I guess this is just my way of saying… welcome to Paldea."
"Hey, Nemona? I have a question." Ruby spoke up.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"What the heck is a Cyclizar?"
Happy 4th of July, y'all! Make sure to stay safe out there when you're blowing stuff up!
Deadpool: *holding a few sparklers* Woooooo!
Ibuki: You two... *chuckles*
Anyway, shout out to DarkRebellion for the Shiny Quaxly and Torchic idea and DragonKnightSr for the Ancient and Future Pokeballs!
