Alola! We're back finally! I've missed working on this story, especially since Pokémon: Horizons has been going on and giving the series a new story that's quite intriguing. At the time I'm writing this, the first arc of the series has concluded. It had its highs and lows, but overall was a really fun time to partake in. And I'm looking forward to whatever may be ahead.
All of that aside, I'm sure you're excited to find out what's coming up in these last two chapters for this story. I won't waste any time, so let's get right into it! Welcome back to the penultimate chapter of "The Challenge of a Lifetime"!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
A flock of Wingull chirped as they soared over the Ketchum vacation home on a sunny morning. Just outside of the household, a green portal appeared, with Leslie walking out of it as Pikachu was perched upon her shoulder. She exhaled a breath, closing the rift with a press of the icon upon her MPG, while the Mouse Pokémon hopped off of her onto the ground.
"Peeka, pika…" he grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Yeah, I hear ya…" the Unova Champion Master responded, looking toward the house, "I get wanting to have some alone time…" she noted aloud, "but did Mom and Dad really have to kick us out for a whole night?" she wondered, "They could've just gotten a hotel or something if they wanted to do… whatever…" she mumbled on with a light blush upon her face, "Well, it was nice to see Rachael again at least," she admitted as she stretched her arms up, "Can't believe she's gonna get married in two weeks…" she remarked, looking up at the bright blue sky. Pikachu smiled, but then his ears perked up.
"Pika?" he squeaked out, getting Leslie's attention.
"Oh, they must be up making breakfast already," she assumed, walking up the front porch steps to the door, "Too bad I already ate…" she noted sheepishly, grabbing the door handle and pushing it down, opening it, "I'm home!" she called out as she entered alongside the Mouse Pokémon. However, she instantly stopped and blinked in surprise. Standing in the kitchen and making coffee was Anabel, who was seemingly dressed in nothing but her white dress shirt over what looked to be a pair of lavender panties, while her hair was down. She turned slowly and widened her eyes in abject horror.
"L…Leslie…?" she stuttered out.
"Miss… Anabel…?" the Unova Champion Master said, blinking twice to make sure she wasn't seeing things, "What… are you doing here?" she asked of her.
"Um… well…" she tried to respond, blushing a bright red as she glanced away.
"Oh, you're already up?" another voice chimed in, belonging to Mirajane as she sauntered into the kitchen. Her eldest daughter noticed that she too had her hair down, wearing a simple black t-shirt and sweatpants. "I should've gotten up sooner in case something like this happened…" she admitted aloud, "But oh well," she sighed, shrugging her shoulders.
"Wh-What?" Leslie stuttered, sweating a little.
"I'm sure you can probably guess what happened," her mother affirmed, smiling all the while, "Things we're pretty busy last night…" she remarked with a giggle. At that moment, her daughter's face exploded bright red in realization. She gnashed her teeth together and growled.
"DDDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!" she roared out angrily. In the master bedroom, Ash was sound asleep under the messy covers, littered with scratches as he snoozed contently.
"Peekah…" Pikachu sighed.
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
Birth of the Battle Tree
"METAHHHLLL!" Melmetal bellowed as it used its arms to bash rocks and boulders scattered about the Poni Coast. It was joined by Paige and Hapu's Mudsdales, who were stamping about and clearing the area for the wild Pokémon that resided there.
"San slah!" Sandslash exclaimed, using his claws to chop up the downed trees, allowing for Incineroar and Magmortar to take the pieces of wood and stack them onto a cart.
"Nice work, guys!" Erika called out to the Pokémon from afar as she and her friends were tending to some of the wild Pokémon who had been hurt. With so much having happened upon Poni Island, the former trial-goers returned to help in the supporting efforts to rebuild the land. Though what had been ravaged thanks to Guzzlord was difficult to salvage, the group and their Pokémon had managed to provide those that lived along the coastline and wilds a place of refuge for the time being.
"Koree, ree!" Oricorio chirped, being in her Sensu Style as she danced about elegantly in front of her fellow Dancing Pokémon, who were awed by her skill.
"Looks like everyone's enjoying themselves," Calvin commented as he walked over, tossing his twin sister a bottle of water.
"I'm glad," she said, twisting the cap of the bottle off before guzzling a good portion of the water down, "Huh…" she exhaled with relief, "Knowing everything we went through, just imagine how scared all of those Pokémon were of the Ultra Beasts," she pointed out, looking over to see Pyrrha playing with a bandaged Emolga, giggling as she gently squeezed the Sky Squirrel Pokémon's paws, making her laugh.
"Yeah…" Calvin agreed, seeing Trent having his Greninja spar against a few wild Scyther, "But I think now, with all of us here helping out," he continued, "things'll be back to normal in no time," he affirmed. Erika giggled in agreement.
"Hey y'all!" Hapu called out, getting the group's attention as she had just fastened the cart's straps to her Mudsdale, hopping aboard his saddle, "Thanks for all yer help these past few days," she said gratefully as the former trial-goers and their Pokémon approached, "I know most of you would rather take it easy after dealin' with that Ultra Beast…" she pointed out.
"It's more our Pokémon that needed the break, not us…" Pyrrha remarked in response, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. The kahuna chuckled.
"Well, you best better get yourselves a break after all this is done," she advised, "See ya later!" she exclaimed as she rode off aboard the Draft Horse Pokémon.
"Bye, Hapu!" Hau called out as he waved goodbye.
"She does have a good point…" Paige admitted as she stretched her arms, "We've been working almost nonstop to help fix the land for a while…" she pointed out.
"Yeah…" Pyrrha agreed with a nod, "I need to call my mom and let her know I'll be back home soon…" she noted sheepishly.
"I gotta get going myself," Trent chimed in, "My family's setting up for a big party when I get back to Kalos…" he told his friends.
"Whoa, really?" Erika said with an excited smile.
"That sounds fun," Paige commented, "I'm just gonna be heading home to the same riffraff that're my folks…" she pointed out while folding her arms behind her head.
"Then you guys oughta' get going!" Hau insisted suddenly to their surprise, "It's no good to stay longer when you've got people who've been waiting forever for you!" he noted seriously with a smile. His fellow former trial-goers looked to him in surprise.
"I… guess you got a point…" Trent admitted as a reply.
"But what about fixing up the island?" Pyrrha asked.
"It's okay!" Hau assured, "Me, Cal and Eri can handle it ourselves with our teams!" he affirmed confidently, wrapping his arms around his twin cousins and pulling them close as they yelped in surprise.
"Y-Yeah," Erika stuttered in agreement, "We've got this," she affirmed, "You three should head back home and see your families," she advised of her fellow former trial-goers.
"Don't worry about us," Calvin insisted on. Trent, Pyrrha and Paige were admittedly shocked by the proposal, looking at each other in bewilderment. But then, they smiled.
"Thanks, guys," the silvery-haired girl of the trio said gratefully, "To be honest, I can't believe this is probably the last time we'll see each other for a while," she confessed as she walked up to Calvin, who Hau let go of, "You guys became my rivals… and my best friends," she noted, smiling brightly, "I can't wait for us to meet up again," she remarked.
"Yeah," the Ketchum boy agreed, adjusting his cap.
"We'll catch up soon, promise!" Pyrrha proclaimed as she tightly embraced Erika, who yelped in surprise.
"For sure!" the Ketchum girl responded happily.
"And next time, maybe we'll get to see who's gotten stronger, too…" Trent added as a suggestion, causing Hau to perk up excitedly.
"I'm looking forward to it!" he exclaimed, bumping fists with the dark green-haired boy. After the trio of former trial-goers returned their respective Pokémon to their Poké Balls, they headed off back towards the Seafolk Village, waving goodbye to their friends, as they waved back.
"METAAALLLHHHH!" Melmetal bellowed again, bashing through more rocks on the coastline as it spun about.
"Melmetal's really strong, huh?" Erika noted aloud upon noticing.
"It's gotten pretty lively since evolving…" her brother pointed out sheepishly, "It gets me kinda worried to be honest…" he admitted.
"What do you mean?" Hau asked, arching an eyebrow. Meanwhile, Lurantis was snoozing contently under the sunlight on the grass. However, a large shadow suddenly passed over her, causing her eyes to jolt open for a moment. She looked around to find nothing seemingly in sight, going back to sleep. A second later, another shadow zipped by her, causing her to open her eyes with a more annoyed expression. Once again, she didn't see anything. For a third time, she lied back down, beginning to sleep. And then, a large shadow came over her, staying in place. She opened her eyes to find the giggling culprits, being both Drifblim and Naganadel.
"Blimhmhmhm!" the Blimp Pokémon laughed out, while the Ultra Beast beside him flew about happily. Tick marks appeared upon Lurantis' head as she stood up. Pink flower petals started to swirl around her body.
"LURRRAAAHHHH!" she screeched, unleashing the petals in a whirlwind towards her teammates. From afar, Erika and the others overheard. They watched as the Bloom Sickle Pokémon chased after Drifblim and Naganadel across the wilds, angrily swiping at them every chance she got.
"Oh, again…?" the Ketchum girl groaned out.
"Looks like it's worse with Naganadel involved…" her brother commented. Hau chuckled.
"Well, it's one way to have fun!" he noted. Lurantis chased her teammates down toward the coast, where Melmetal was still bashing aside rocks as both Incineroar and Tsareena watched on. Those aside from the Hex Nut Pokémon overheard the commotion, looking to see the Bloom Sickle Pokémon in hot pursuit of Drifblim and Naganadel. The latter of the two being chased flew up, while the former floated onward, heading toward Melmetal.
"Lurrrrr…" Lurantis hissed as she started forming a golden yellow orb of energy over her head.
"Uh, Lurantis?!" Erika called out in panic, watching as the Bloom Sickle Pokémon raised her right arm up into the orb, forming it into a beam of light that shrouded her limb as it rose high into the sky. Drifblim turned and widened his eyes in fright to see the impending attack.
"LURRRRRAAAAHHHHHHNNNNN!" Lurantis screeched as she swung the blade of light down. The Blimp Pokémon squeaked, quickly moving aside so that the beam would instead strike Melmetal, who was seemingly unaware of the whole situation. It struck in a powerful blast of smoke, causing everyone to widen their eyes at the sight. The smoke settled soon after, with the Bloom Sickle Pokémon breathing heavily with anger. However, that anger soon turned to fright as she saw who she actually hit.
"Tal?" the Hex Nut Pokémon uttered as it turned to face her. Her pupils shrank.
"Uh oh…" Calvin said in panic, while his twin sister's mouth gaped open.
"METAAAAAHHHHHH!" Melmetal bellowed, starting to charge toward the Bloom Sickle Pokémon.
"LURAAAHHH!" she shrieked, hurrying away as quickly as she could.
"Melmetal, stop!" Calvin cried out while running over.
"It was an accident!" Erika yelled. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be enough to dissuade the Hex Nut Pokémon from its rampage. Incineroar, Magmortar and Sandslash quickly went over to try and grab it, but to no avail as they were knocked away by its sheer strength. The fleeing Lurantis ended up tripping upon a rock, falling flat onto her stomach as she slid to a stop. She pushed herself, turning and widening her eyes to see Melmetal approach, rearing its right arm back as the large nut at the end of it glowed an explosive red as it pulsated.
"Sahreeee!" Tsareena shrieked out, running over with the others. But it seemed as if they'd be too late to stop the Hex Nut Pokémon from striking Lurantis. However, a figure suddenly shot down just as Melmetal swung his arm, followed by a shockwave of wind that made everyone flinch. Calvin was the first to open his eyes, widening them at the sight in front of him. A black Charizard with wings that had dark red undersides had seemingly stopped the Hex Nut Pokémon's attack with just his left hand. Tears of relief poured down Lurantis' face as both Sandslash and Magmortar went over to check on her.
"Whoa… that was too close…" Hau remarked aloud.
"Where'd that Charizard come from…?" Erika wondered.
"He's not a ride Pokémon, I think…" her brother answered.
"Well, what do you know?" a voice chimed in, getting the trio's attention as they turned to spot a familiar face, "I was wondering if I'd end up running into you guys again!" he admitted, being none other than Leon, "Congrats on the championship, by the way!" he complimented with a wink to Erika.
"Mister Leon!" the Ketchum twins exclaimed.
X
"Hmmm… Leslie hummed with her arms crossed, standing in front of the couch where her mother, father, and Anabel were seated, with the latter nervously drinking her mug of coffee, "Okay, so let me get this straight…" the Unova Champion Master began, "you came over yesterday to talk with my parents about how the mission with the Ultra Beasts turned out," she noted to the former Frontier Brain, who nodded in confirmation.
"We've had the Ultra Recon Squad take in and relocate the Ultra Beasts back to their dimensions," she mentioned.
"And then my mom came up with a brilliant idea for you to join in on her and my dad's night alone…" Leslie added, narrowing her eyes onto Mirajane, who smiled.
"I don't think it's that big a deal," she affirmed, tilting her head to the side, "Adults do things like this to spice up life, you know?" she pointed out. Her daughter didn't seem remotely pleased, all while she blushed. She then turned to Ash, simply glaring at him.
"Wh-What are you mad at me for?!" he stammered in question.
"I can't believe you'd go through with something like this!" Leslie shouted as a response, "I mean, you're supposed to be setting an example for trainers around the world!" she pointed out emphatically, "What's the world gonna think if they find out you've been getting around with another woman?!" she questioned, much to Anabel's embarrassment as her face burned scarlet.
"Leslie, I understand your concern…" Mirajane noted as she stood up, "But this little get-together we had was completely consented to," she affirmed, placing her hands onto her daughter's shoulders as she approached, "I think that's more than satisfactory, right?" she presumed, still smiling.
"Ah… well…" the Unova Champion Master tried to say, only to draw a blank as she sighed, "Sorry…" she apologized, "I guess after you caught Dylan in my bed, I kinda felt like this was karma for you…" she admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. Her mother giggled.
"If you and Dylan want to spend a night alone together, you're more than welcome to," she pointed out to Leslie's shock as her eyes widened, "So long as you both consent first," she remarked on.
"MOM!" her daughter yelled angrily. Ash nervously chuckled. He then turned to Anabel.
"So where are Calvin and Erika now?" he asked curiously, getting her attention as she sipped the last of her coffee.
"They're on Poni Island, helping with the cleanup efforts," she answered, setting her mug down, "Those two are the bravest trainers I've ever met, aside from you," she noted with a little smile, "I'm really glad that they could help us stop the Ultra Beasts," she said.
"So am I," Ash responded, grinning brightly.
"Pikkaaahhh…!" Pikachu yawned as he was snoozing next to his trainer. Back at the Poni Wilds, Lurantis, Drifblim, Sandslash, Magmortar and Oricorio had been returned to their respective Poké Balls, while Calvin had recalled Tsareena and Incineroar. The two trainers watched as Leon sauntered about Melmetal, who was flexing its arms about.
"Well, this is quite a Pokémon!" he remarked, "Never seen anything like it!" he pointed out excitedly, "What'd you say it's called?" he asked.
"Oh, Melmetal," Calvin responded as he approached, "It's said that it's a rare Pokémon that only evolves when a bunch of Meltan get brought together," he explained to the Galar Champion Master, "It was only a little while ago since it evolved," he mentioned.
"I see," Leon said, putting his hands onto his hips, "That explains a few things," he noted, causing the Ketchum boy to blink in confusion.
"What are you doing here on Poni Island, anyway?" Erika asked, coming over alongside Hau.
"Well, a friend asked me to come along to help out with some research," the Galar Champion Master answered, "But I guess she got lost along the way…" he assumed, rubbing the back of his head.
"Roahhh…" his Charizard groaned out, causing the others to look over and see his exasperated expression.
'I guess that means he's actually the lost one…' Erika noted inwardly. Naganadel continued to fly about the wilds in the meantime.
"What exactly are you guys researching?" Calvin inquired of Leon. He chuckled.
"Well, let me ask you this," he began, "Have you ever heard of Dynamax?" he questioned.
"Dynamax?" Calvin and Hau repeated in confusion.
"It's a staple of the Galar Region," Leon responded, "Our Gym Stadiums are built around things called Power Spots, where Dynamaxing is possible," he told the group, "Dynamax itself is the event when we can give our Pokémon a power boost by having them grow massive," he explained on.
"They grow?!" Hau exclaimed out of shock.
"Mm-hmm," the Galar Champion Master responded with a nod, "But don't worry, the stadiums are built to handle Dynamax battles," he pointed out, "Up to now, Galar's been the only region where the phenomenon was possible," he mentioned, "But recently, we've been getting readings of a Power Spot right here on the northeast part of this island," he added further.
"Wow, really?" Erika inquired. Leon nodded again.
"My friend and I were gonna head out there after visiting the Pokémon Center, but I guess she got lost…" he told the trio of former trial-goers.
'I think you're the lost one here…' Erika pointed out through her thoughts as she let a drop of sweat roll down the side of her head.
"Nagah!" Naganadel cried out, getting her attention as she and the others looked over to see it flying back, being pursued by another figure. It was a quadrupedal, canine Pokémon. He had a brown body with yellow fluff around his neck, resembling a collar, and yellow highlights around his eyes. He had a yellow bolt-shaped tail and a heart-shaped pattern on his rear. His four feet, underside, and parts of his face were white. His ears had a light green and yellow color on the inside. He also had a small yellow nose. He ran after the Ultra Beast, trying to jump up and grab onto its stinger.
"What the heck?" Calvin uttered, arching an eyebrow.
"I've never seen that Pokémon before…" Hau commented.
"HE'S CUUUUUTTTTEEEE!" Erika squealed as she ran over, much to her brother and her cousin's shock. As the canine Pokémon leapt for Naganadel again, he suddenly found himself caught in the Ketchum girl's arms.
"Yam?" he yipped in confusion upon seeing her holding him.
"Hi there, little guy~!" she greeted cutely, "What's your name?" she sweetly asked.
"It's so weird when Eri acts like a girl…" Hau admitted.
"I wish Rotom were here to tell us what Pokémon that is…" Calvin commented as he rubbed the back of his head.
"That's Yamper," Leon chimed in to the boys' surprise, "He's my friend's partner," he mentioned, "But be careful with him," he advised, while Erika was happily nuzzling her face into the fluffy collar of the Puppy Pokémon, "He doesn't take too kindly to strangers being too friendly…" he pointed out in warning. Unfortunately, the Ketchum girl noticed the sparks of electricity coming from Yamper too late as she wound up zapped.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she shrieked in pain.
"Ah, Erika!" Calvin gasped, while Hau's jaw went slack. When the electricity subsided, the Puppy Pokémon leapt out of the Ketchum girl's arms. A puff of smoke left her lips before she fell over backwards onto the ground.
"Yamper!" a feminine voice cried out as the others went over to check on Erika, "Where'd you go now?" she asked, coming out through the brush of the wilds.
"Yam, yam!" the Puppy Pokémon yipped, running over to a slender young woman with fair skin, ginger hair in a large ponytail, and turquoise eyes. She wore a tan-colored trench coat with four buttons, a teal blouse, and light blue skinny jeans. For accessories, she donned a watch on her right hand, orange sunglasses, a black purse with a white heart, and four white heart-shaped hair decorations. On her feet, she had black-and-turquoise high-heeled boots with white hearts. She also wore turquoise acrylic nails.
"Oh, there you are," she said, crouching down as Yamper approached, "Did you find him?" she asked.
"Yam!" the Puppy Pokémon barked with a nod of confirmation, turning towards the group nearby.
"Hey Sonia!" Leon greeted with a wave, "Guess you got turned around too, huh?" he presumed of the young woman, who growled with annoyance as she stomped over to him.
"You were the one who got lost!" she shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at the Galar Champion Master, who flinched in surprise, "Honestly, we came here together…" she grumbled, putting a hand onto her head out of exasperation, "How is it possible that you got split up from me after we just got to the village?!" she inquired in frustration.
"Uh… guess I got turned around…" Leon admitted sheepishly.
'How is that possible?' Calvin and Hau wondered inwardly as drops of sweat trickled down their heads.
"Ugh…" Erika groaned as she sat up, rubbing her head.
"Oh gosh!" Sonia exclaimed upon noticing, "Are you alright?!" she asked in worry.
"Uh, yeah…" the Ketchum girl responded as she picked herself back up onto her feet, "Sorry for all the trouble…" she apologized.
"She got a little too up close with Yamper…" Leon told his friend, who blinked in surprise.
"Oh, I'm so sorry about that…" she apologized, bowing her head.
"Don't worry, it's fine," Erika assured, looking over to see the Puppy Pokémon chasing the stinger of Naganadel again as it was flying about, "Looks like he's having fun," she commented. Sonia glanced over and giggled.
"That's good," she said with a smile, "I'm Sonia, by the way," she introduced, "Sonia Magnolia," she mentioned.
"I'm Erika Ketchum!" Erika responded, "And this is my brother, Calvin, and our cousin, Hau," she added, gesturing to the two boys alongside her.
"Uh, hi," the capped boy greeted, while his cousin waved his arms around, having a big smile on his face.
"Wait… Ketchum?" Sonia repeated as Leon walked over to her side.
"You recognize the name yet?" he inquired of her, getting her attention, "They're the two finalists from the first Alola League," he told her.
"No way!" she exclaimed in surprise, "I thought you two looked familiar!" she pointed out, "And you were in the top eight, right?" she questioned of Hau, making him blink in surprise.
"Uh, yeah!" he responded with a stutter. As they conversed, Melmetal turned to the black Charizard, appearing to eye him closely. The fact that he had stopped its attack so easily earlier was no mean feat. The shiny Flame Pokémon was definitely strong.
"Anyways, Leon told us what you're doing here," Erika pointed out, "You're looking for that Power Spot thing, right?" she presumed. Sonia nodded, pulling out what appeared to be a phone with peculiar protrusions.
"It's up northeast where that large tree is," she confirmed, looking at a map upon her device's screen as it floated in front of her, "Guess I should be glad you got lost this way at least…" she remarked to the Galar Champion Master, who chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "You wanna come along with us?" she offered to the group of former trial-goers, causing them to blink in surprise, "I promise, you'll get to see something amazing!" she proclaimed.
"Uh, sure!" Erika responded eagerly, while the two boys beside her nodded.
"Alright, we better get a move on!" Leon concluded, "Charizard, let's go!" he called to his partner.
"Rah," he responded, flying over. Melmetal followed him from below, continuing to eye him curiously. Leon noticed, letting off a grin.
"Alright, to the northeast we go!" he declared as he started walking… in the opposite direction that Sonia had come from.
"That's southeast!" she shouted to him, causing him to halt and laugh sheepishly with embarrassment. Moments later, the orange-haired woman led the way for the group as they trekked onward. Naganadel flew alongside Charizard, while Melmetal trudged on, continuing to eye the shiny Flame Pokémon.
"So that's a Rotom Phone?" Hau inquired as he walked beside Sonia with Calvin.
"Mm-hmm," she responded with a nod, "Since Rotom really like to make themselves home in electronics, having them occupy phones helps both us and them," she explained to the boys, "Especially since it's so easy to use!" she mentioned happily.
"And it has a Pokédex app, too?" Calvin assumed, getting her attention, "That's awesome!" he exclaimed.
"Oh…" Sonia said, putting her hand onto her cheek out of embarrassment, "All I really did was implement the app because my grandma helped," she pointed out, "I wanna be a professor like her someday, too," she mentioned as she looked up at the sky for a moment.
"It's the same for me and my grandpa!" Hau chimed in, "I wanna be strong like him someday!" he affirmed with clenched fists. The assistant smiled.
"And what about you, Calvin?" she asked of the capped boy beside her, "You wanna be strong like your dad?" she presumed.
"Uh, well…" he started to reply, rubbing the back of his head, "It's true that I wanna win battles and get stronger…" he pointed out, "And I hear your region's pretty famous for those intense battles," he mentioned to her.
"Yeah, it definitely is!" she confirmed with a giggle. Listening on from afar was Leon, who chuckled.
"What about you?" he asked of Erika, who was walking alongside him, "You have anything planned after becoming a champ?" he inquired on.
"No, not really…" she answered sheepishly with a wave of her hand, "Although…" she continued, looking up in thought, "there is one thing I wanna get to do," she admitted, giving off a little smile.
"Heh," Leon chuckled again, "Well, I hope that chance comes by sooner than later," he remarked to her, "Hey, Sonia!" he called out to his friend, getting her attention, "How much further?" he asked of her.
"Just a little while longer!" she responded, taking another step forward.
"Whoa!" Hau yelped, causing her to blink in surprise as she was about to plunge into what was a river of rushing water. Luckily, Calvin was quick to grab and pull her back in the nick of time.
"Whoa, that was close…" he said in relief.
"I'll say…" Sonia agreed, "Shouldn't there be a bridge here?" she inquired, looking at her Rotom Phone, "According to the map, there's supposed to be one for tourists and islanders to cross…" she noted as Leon and Erika approached.
"Don't worry, I got it," the Galar Champion Master affirmed, grabbing a Poké Ball from his belt and enlarging it with a press of its button. He tossed it up into the air, letting it pop open. Its light poured down onto the ground, shaping into form and dissipating to reveal a bipedal, humanoid Pokémon. Like a Mr. Mime, he had growths resembling clown hair, but they were black and they covered the top of his head, resembling a bowler hat. He has yellow eyes and a moustache that covered his mouth. His black-and-white torso resembled a coat or tuxedo and a face, with yellow shirt studs for his 'eyes', a red lump as his 'nose', and a white cummerbund for his 'mouth'. His lower body was blue and he had black and blue feet that resembled large shoes, presumably capped with ice. He had black spherical shoulders and blue arms with white, mitten-like hands. He also carried a blue formal cane made of ice.
"Ryyyymme…" he hummed out.
"What the…?" Erika uttered as she blinked.
"Is… that a Mister Mime?" Hau wondered curiously.
"It's actually Mister Rime," Leon corrected in reply.
"He's the evolution of a Galarian Mister Mime," Sonia told the trio of former trial-goers, showing off a picture from her Rotom Phone. It was of a Mr. Mime, though he looked much different. While also having blue growths resembling clown hair on his pale head, they also extended and cover his cheeks, creating a mutton chop style sideburn effect resembling earmuffs. He has wider-shaped eyes and a small blue triangle for a nose. He had a suit-like body comprising a white top, blue shoulder spheres, blue bottom trousers, and a diamond-shaped crystal that resembled a tie. He had mitten-like hands and feet that were more defined, resembling blue shoes with light blue soles, presumably made out of ice.
"Oh, so it's like how Alola has its own forms for Pokémon like Sandslash and Marowak," Erika realized, looking over to her brother and her cousin, as they both nodded.
"But this is a brand new evolution…" Calvin pointed out, looking over at the Comedian Pokémon.
"Pokémon can be pretty interesting, huh?" Leon noted aloud with a grin, "Mister Rime, can you go ahead and make us a bridge with Freeze-Dry?" he requested of his partner.
"Ryy," he responded with a nod, tap-dancing his way over to the edge of the rushing water. He stuck his icy cane into the river, freezing a large patch of ice that expanded to the other side, creating a path for the group. "Ry, rymme," Mr. Rime said as he stepped back.
"Thanks a bunch, Mister Rime!" his trainer exclaimed gratefully, returning him to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Wow…" Calvin uttered in amazement, walking up to Leon's side as they crossed the river over the ice, "Your Pokémon must be really amazing, huh?" he presumed of the Galar Champion Master.
"Yeah," he replied, "It's only thanks to them that I'm where I'm at now," he pointed out to the Ketchum boy, "And your team brought you pretty far, too," he mentioned on, causing Calvin to blink in surprise, "You might've not won in that battle, but you sure showed a lot of spirit alongside your team," he noted, "I think that's the most important thing for a trainer aside from just winning," he told the capped boy, "As long as you've got the spirit to battle, your team'll take you far," he finished, putting his hands onto his hips.
"Yeah…" the Ketchum boy agreed. The group continued their trek around northeast part of the island, traversing difficult terrain. The former trial-goers had to wonder if this was the result of Guzzlord's attack on the island. After making their way past a few more bridges, they followed Charizard and Naganadel, who flew ahead. Calvin, Erika and Hau widened their eyes.
"Whoa…!" the latter of the trio gasped, seeing the massive tree that lied ahead.
"So this is the place, huh?" Leon presumed, glancing back to Sonia.
"Yep," she confirmed with a nod as she checked her Rotom Phone, "Let's make sure there's a big enough space around it before doing any testing," she advised, pocketing her device.
"Testing?" Erika repeated in confusion.
"We're going to see if we can Dynamax our Pokémon here," Sonia told her and the others, "Power Spots release Dynamax Particles, which fuel a trainer's Dynamax Band to allow them to Dynamax their Pokémon," she explained.
"Wait, what's a Dynamax Band?" Calvin asked.
"This," Leon answered, holding up the white wristband with some red and blue highlights upon his right wrist, "They can only be used at Power Spots, which is why you don't see 'em being used by trainers outside of Galar," he told the group, "But here…" he continued, noticing a reddish glow coming off of the wristband, "we can use it," he confirmed, "Sonia!" he called out, "This pretty much seals the deal, right?" he presumed of her, showing off his wristband.
"I still think we should see it for ourselves," she insisted in response, "Just to make sure," she added. The Galar Champion Master sighed.
"It's no fun to Dynamax when we're not in the heat of a battle…" he muttered as Charizard landed down next to him.
"Well, the space isn't big enough for two Dynamax Pokémon to go at it…" Sonia pointed out to his chagrin.
"Metahhlll…" Melmetal echoed as he stomped forward, approaching the shiny Flame Pokémon, getting his attention.
"Hey, Melmetal?" Calvin said upon noticing, while Leon blinked in surprise. However, he then cracked a grin.
"Sonia," he called out again, "Why don't we pump Charizard up before going for a Dynamax?" he requested.
"Huh?" the assistant uttered in confusion.
"You brought that spare Dynamax Band with you, right?" the Galar Champion Master inquired.
"Uh, yeah…" she responded, reaching into her coat pocket to pull out a white wristband of her own, "But like I said, I'm not sure the space is big enough for a battle between two Dynamax Pokémon…" she pointed out worriedly.
"Don't worry, it'll be fine," Leon assured, "In fact, why don't we have someone else battle in your place?" he suggested to her surprise. He then turned to Calvin, who blinked. "You up for a match against us?" he offered.
"Rah," Charizard huffed out.
"Wha… me?" the Ketchum boy stuttered, "I-I don't know if—"
"Metahll!" Melmetal exclaimed as it leaned forward, glaring at the shiny Flame Pokémon.
"Hey, Melmetal…" its trainer said in a reprimanding tone.
"Guess it's up for it," Leon concluded to his surprise, "So, are you?" he asked of the Ketchum boy, who stood still for a moment in thought. He thought about what the Galar Champion Master had told him earlier about battling. He clenched his fists determinedly.
"Yeah, I'll battle you!" he decided, giving off a nervous smile.
X
"Huh…" Sonia sighed, standing afar with Hau and Erika, while Yamper and Naganadel continued to play with each other, "I'm worried those two are gonna get themselves hurt…" she noted in concern, seeing both trainers taking their positions on the field beside the massive tree.
"So how does this work again?" the Ketchum girl asked curiously.
"Oh, I should've explained," the assistant realized, "Basically, if a trainer wants to Dynamax their Pokémon, they first have to return them to their Poké Ball," she started explaining, "Then, the energy from the Dynamax Band gets channeled into the Poké Ball, enlarging it in the trainer's hands," she kept going, "Once it's opened, the Pokémon inside will undergo Dynamax and increase massively in size," she finished.
"So it's like Mega Evolution?" Hau presumed with a tilt of his head.
"Not exactly," Sonia replied to his surprise, "Mega Evolution for a Pokémon can last until they're no longer able to battle," she pointed out, "In terms of Dynamax, it's a limited transformation that can only be used once in a battle," she noted on.
"The same goes for us using Z-Moves, too…" Erika recalled. She watched as her brother set his new wristband onto his right wrist, making certain that it was secured.
'It fits really nice…' he noted to himself.
"Mett! Tahl!" Melmetal exclaimed, clanging the large nuts at the ends of his arms repeatedly, eager to get the battle started.
"Melmetal…" his trainer uttered worriedly. He had noticed how the Hex Nut Pokémon was more inclined to show off its strength ever since its evolution. But this was going to be the first official battle it would have against another trainer.
"Roah!" Charizard roared out as he expelled a puff of fire from his snout.
"All right, you ready?" Leon called out in question to Calvin, getting his attention.
"Yeah," he responded with a nod and a grin.
"Leon, only one of you needs to Dynamax to confirm that it's possible to do it here!" Sonia pointed out.
"Where's the fun in only one of us doing it?" the Galar Champion Master inquired back, causing her to groan.
"Just don't overdo it, okay?" she requested. Leon chuckled.
"Don't worry," he assured, swinging his right arm up as he posed, "We're gonna have a champion time!" he declared.
"ROOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Charizard bellowed in agreement, expelling a stream of fire from his mouth up into the sky.
"Well, I guess we'll take the first move!" Calvin decided, clenching his fists, "Melmetal, Thunder Punch!" he commanded. The Hex Nut Pokémon had yellow orbs of electricity surround the ends of his arms, charging forward as fast as he could.
"Air Slash!" Leon ordered. Flapping his wings and making them glow a bright blue, Charizard unleashed a flurry of shruriken-like discs of air. His opponent charged into them without hesitation, resulting in a burst of dust.
"Melmetal!" the Ketchum boy yelped. As the dust settled, it revealed that the Hex Nut Pokémon was standing, but appeared to also be trembling with pain.
"Whoa, what happened?" Erika asked upon noticing, "Did it get flinched?" she presumed.
"Yeah, I think so," Sonia confirmed in reply.
"Now Brick Break!" Leon ordered. The shiny Flame Pokémon had his right hand glow a yellowish-orange, diving down at his grimacing foe.
"Melmetal, look out!" Calvin yelled. Unfortunately, the Hex Nut Pokémon found itself swiped hard across the chest by its opponent, being sent sliding back along the ground.
"Mellll…" it growled. It stood up firm, making a red energy shine explosively off of the large nut at the end of its right arm.
"It's going for Dynamic Punch now?" Hau guessed in surprise.
"But Calvin didn't even tell it to do anything…" Erika noted aloud, "Uh oh…" she uttered with worry, seeing the Hex Nut Pokémon charge forward again.
"Melmetal, hold on a sec!" the Ketchum boy cried out, but to no avail as his partner closed in on Charizard.
"Dodge!" Leon yelled quickly. The shiny Flame Pokémon flew back to evade his foe's attempted strike. To his surprise though, Melmetal managed to stretch its arm toward him the second time. He narrowly managed to move aside to avoid it. "Quick, Fire Blast!" his trainer commanded. Flames billowed within Charizard's mouth before he unleashed a mass of fire in the shape of a five-pointed star.
"Melmetal, look out!" Calvin screamed. The Hex Nut Pokémon turned around and lunged away from the incoming flames as they struck the ground in a powerful explosion, blowing it back as it tumbled along the ground, coming to a stop upon its stomach in front of its trainer.
"Melll…" it groaned, slowly pushing itself back up.
"Now Ancient Power!" Leon ordered, swinging his left arm forward. Stomping the ground with his right foot, Charizard had several rocks outlined in a purple light come up from the earth. With a flap of his wings, he sent them flying towards Melmetal.
"Knock them down! Double Iron Bash!" Calvin quickly instructed, thrusting both of his fists forward. Standing its ground, the Hex Nut Pokémon twisted its body around before spinning with its arms extended. They bashed through the incoming rocks, reducing them to rubble that surrounded it. As it stopped, it noticed a reddish aura flowing up the shiny Flame Pokémon's body, followed by him smirking.
"He got a boost!" Erika realized as she blinked in surprise.
"But… for what?" Hau wondered curiously.
"Everything," Sonia answered, causing him and his cousin to widen their eyes, "Sometimes when a Pokémon uses Ancient Power, there's a chance that their attack, defense, special attack, special defense and speed will all increase at once," she explained to them, "If this matchup wasn't already tough enough for Calvin and Melmetal, it just got worse," she commented on.
"Brick Break!" Leon ordered, throwing his right fist forward. The shiny Flame Pokémon's right hand shined a yellowish-orange again as he flew out at his foe quickly.
"Quick, counter with Thunder Punch!" Calvin instructed. A yellow orb of crackling electricity shrouded the large nut at the end of the Hex Nut Pokémon's right arm. However, before it could attack, it suddenly found itself having to endure a powerful chop to the side of its head from Charizard, making it stumble back. "Melmetal!" its trainer cried out.
"Now Fire Blast!" the Galar Champion Master commanded. Flying up, the shiny Flame Pokémon made fire billow within his mouth once more. He unleashed it in the shape of a five-pointed star, striking his target in a fiery blast.
"Whoa!" Erika yelped.
"Back-to-back super effective attacks…" Hau noted with a grimace. The smoke cleared, revealing that Melmetal was thankfully still standing in spite of the damage it took. Though to everyone, it was clear that it was exhausted.
"METAAAHHHHLLLL!" it bellowed, clanging its large nuts at the ends of its arms together.
"Melmetal…" its trainer uttered worriedly. Just then, he noticed a light-blue aura shrouding the Hex Nut Pokémon's body. Orange sparks crackled beneath it before a white circle above its body. The circle grew before forming into multiple gray stones with a light-blue outline. "Wait… that's…!" Calvin started to realize, widening his eyes.
"Rock Slide!" Erika exclaimed.
"METAAAHHHH!" Melmetal roared, having the stones shoot out at Charizard. He swiftly evaded the first few, rolling out of the way. But soon after, he found himself getting pummeled by more of the incoming stones, crashing onto the ground in a flurry of dirt and dust.
"Charizard!" his trainer cried out.
"Metahhhllll!" the Hex Nut Pokémon exclaimed proudly, flexing its arms.
"Uh, nice one, Melmetal!" Calvin complimented. However, he kept his expression firm, seeing the shiny Flame Pokémon stand back up.
'Winning against Charizard's gonna be tough, especially if Melmetal isn't gonna listen to me…' he noted to himself, 'In terms of raw power and speed, I think he's got us beat…' he mentioned as he clenched his trembling fists, 'Even so, we can't give up here!' he insisted of himself, taking on a fierce expression. Leon grinned.
"Charizard, use Air Slash!" he ordered with a swing of his left arm. The shiny Flame Pokémon took off into the air, making his wings shine a bright blue before he flapped them, releasing another barrage of disc-like air blades towards his foe.
"Double Iron Bash!" Calvin yelled. Twisting its body and extending its arms, Melmetal spun around, bashing through each and every one of the incoming air discs, causing both its foe and his trainer to widen their eyes in shock. As the Hex Nut Pokémon took out the last of the discs, it extended its left arm out in the middle of its swing, striking Charizard as he was caught completely off guard, being sent crashing down onto the ground.
"Charizard!" Leon exclaimed.
"Wow, way to go!" Hau cheered from afar.
"That Melmetal sure is strong…" Sonia commented, "Even a Steel-type move from it was enough to knock Charizard down…" she noted curiously.
"Yeah…" Erika said, remembering just how the Hex Nut Pokémon was able to go toe-to-toe with Guzzlord just a while ago. The dust settled, revealing the shiny Flame Pokémon standing back up, shaking his head to regain himself.
"You alright, Charizard?" his trainer asked.
"Roah!" he exclaimed in response as he breathed out a puff of fire.
"Well, it looks like we're all warmed up now…" the Galar Champion Master decided, taking out his Poké Ball, "Sonia!" he called out, getting his friend's attention, "We're ready to get things started!" he confirmed to her.
"Okay, but no need to overdo it!" she advised in response. Calvin blinked in surprise. He watched as Leon recalled Charizard to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light. He held the container firmly in his hand as his Dynamax Band glowed a bright red. Small streaks of light came off of it, merging with the Poké Ball. It started glowing before it enlarged in his hand, becoming the size of his head.
"It got big!" Hau exclaimed in surprise.
"That's not all…" Sonia said, causing him and Erika to perk up. They watched as Leon flung the large Poké Ball up into the air. It burst open, with the form of Charizard emerging from it. Not only did he grow to a gargantuant size, he also looked different. The lower part of his body glowed white with several yellow diamonds located on the lower belly. There were also diamond-shaped spots located on the front legs. The claws located on his hands and feet became longer and sharper. The feet became longer and digitigrade, retaining small glowing soles under the forefeet. The wings were transformed into literal flame wings extending to the shoulder blade, and two flames sprouted from the horns. The sclera of the eyes became yellow. The glow of a flame could be seen in the mouth, and the teeth grew, with the lower front teeth and three teeth in the middle now protruding when the mouth was closed. The flame on the tail extended out and had three red clouds surrounding it.
"RRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" he bellowed out mightily. Below him, Calvin and Melmetal were stunned.
"Oh, whoa…" Hau uttered in amazement, almost falling backwards from trying to look at the sheer size of the shiny Flame Pokémon. Erika was astonished herself.
"So… that's what Dynamax does to a Pokémon?" she inquired of Sonia.
"Well, this case is special," she responded to her confusion, "In some cases, Pokémon have a form of Dynamax that's called a Gigantamax," she told the Ketchum girl, "If Charizard were to Dynamax regularly, his form wouldn't change, and he'd just grow massive," she explained on, "But since Charizard Gigantamaxed, that's why he looks different," she finished, "And that's not the only thing different…" she mentioned, causing Erika to blink in surprise.
"Oh man… this is nuts…" Calvin said nervously with a grimace as he looked toward Leon, who gave off a smirk.
'We can't be intimidated, though…' he insisted of himself, 'We can use a Dynamax of our own if it comes down to it,' he affirmed inwardly.
"Metahhhlll!" Melmetal bellowed, charging forward suddenly as orbs of yellow electricity crackled around the large nuts at the ends of its arms.
"Ah, hey!" its trainer yelled, "Melmetal, wait a sec!" he cried out. Leon let off a grin.
"Let's kick this off with a Max Airstream!" he called out.
"Wait, what?" Calvin said in surprise as he blinked. The Gigantamaxed Charizard opened his mouth, unleashing a gigantic spiral of wind. Melmetal yelped as it found itself caught up in the torrent. It tried to endure its force, but ultimately found itself getting blown away. "Melmetal!" its trainer screamed, seeing it crash into the ground in front of him in a flurry of dirt and dust. A reddish aura flowed up the massive shiny Flame Pokémon's body as he roared.
"What just happened?!" Erika exclaimed in question, "I thought a Pokémon could only know four moves at a time!" she pointed out to Sonia.
"That's right," she confirmed, "When a Pokémon Dynamaxes or Gigantamaxes, their moves become Max Moves," she explained, "For instance, Air Slash or any other Flying-type attack becomes Max Airstream," she emphasized, "There's a Max Move for each of the eighteen types," she mentioned, "Though for a Gigantamax Pokémon, they have a special trait…" she added to the Ketchum girl's confusion.
"Metahhhlll…" Melmetal groaned as it stood back up.
"Melmetal, you gotta listen to me!" Calvin insisted, getting its attention, "We're only gonna be able to win if we work as a team!" he pointed out.
"Melll…" it groaned out sadly, looking back at its massive opponent. As of now, it couldn't beat him in its current state. Knowing that, it turned to its trainer. "Metahl!" he exclaimed, raising its arms, "Mel, melll!" he insisted. Calvin blinked in surprise. But then, he smiled.
"I hear ya…" he assured, taking out the Hex Nut Pokémon's Poké Ball and aiming it forward. A beam of red light shot out from the container's button, engulfing Melmetal and returning him to the Poké Ball.
"Cal's really gonna try it!" Hau exclaimed excitedly.
"Oh boy…" Sonia uttered in concern, while Erika watched on with anticipation. They watched the capped boy grip the Poké Ball tightly in his right hand. The Dynamax Band upon his wrist glowed red before small streaks of light channeled from it to the spherical container. It started to grow large, with its new weight causing Calvin to yelp as he had to grip it with two hands. He steeled himself though, taking hold of the glowing container as he reared his arms back.
"Let's go… Melmetal!" he yelled as he tossed the enlarged Poké Ball up into the air. It burst open as the Hex Nut Pokémon emerged from. However, like Charizard, its form was changing. It became a large cyclopean giant. The dark-gray hexagonal nuts were now embedded as five fingers for its hands, two for the feet, two underneath the shoulder, and two connecting the shoulder to a large golden nut at the center of its chest. A silver hexagonal nut was located on its abdomen, and it had a large red tail resembling an electrical wire located behind it. The head was shaped like a knight's helmet with three red clouds surrounding it. Inside was a smaller golden hexagonal nut, with a glowing red and gray sphere floating in the center of it.
"MELLLLLLLLLLLLLL!" he bellowed mightily.
"Whoa!" Hau exclaimed with excitement as his eyes sparkled.
"That's… a Gigantamax!" Sonia realized, letting her eyes shake.
"So Melmetal can do it, too…" Erika noted in amazement, as Naganadel and Yamper looked on with awe.
"Now this is getting good…" Leon commented, "Charizard, Max Knuckle!" he ordered, thrusting his right fist out. The shiny Flame Pokémon reared his right arm back before thrusting his clenched fist forward.
"Counter with Dynamic Punch!" Calvin yelled. Like its foe, Melmetal reared his own arm back before colliding it with Charizard's in a fierce punch. A shockwave erupted from the impact knocking down everyone watching from afar.
"Ow…" Erika groaned as she sat up. She noticed reddish aura flowing up the bodies of both Pokémon.
"What just happened?" Calvin asked as he blinked.
"Max Knuckle increases a Pokémon's attack power after it's used," Leon responded, getting his attention, "All your Pokémon's moves become Max Moves once they Dynamax, or Gigantamax in our case," he explained.
"Gigantamax?" the Ketchum boy repeated in confusion.
"For your Melmetal, its moves would now be Max Knuckle, Max Rockfall, Max Lightning, and Max Steelspike," the Galar Champion Master listed off, "I'm sure you can figure out the rest from there, right?" he presumed. Calvin blinked twice, looking down in thought. He then cracked a smile.
"Yeah!" he exclaimed, "Melmetal, Max Rockfall!" he commanded. Stomping on the ground with its right foot, the Hex Nut Pokémon made a giant slab of stone rise up from the earth. Leon gave off a nervous grin.
"Already taking advantage, huh?" he noted as sweat trickled down his cheek, "Use Max Rockfall, too!" he ordered of Charizard. He stamped the earth as well, making a stone slab of his own rise up. Both fell toward each other, crashing in flurry of dirt and dust that started blowing about wildly.
"Wah!" Erika yelped, shielding her eyes with her arms, "A… sandstorm?!" she exclaimed in shock.
"Yep…" Sonia responded as she protected her own eyes, "All Max Moves have a secondary effect to them," she pointed out, "Max Rockfall creates a sandstorm, Max Knuckle increases a Pokémon's attack power, and Max Airstream boosts a Pokémon's speed," she listed off in explanation.
"That's crazy!" Hau exclaimed in shock.
"Yeah…" the assistant agreed, "But there's a catch since…" she started to say, only to trail off as she noticed something, blinking in surprise.
"Now Max Airstream!" Leon commanded. Rearing his head back again while enduring the sandstorm pelting him, Charizard expelled another torrent of wind from his mouth.
"Take it and use Max Steelspike!" Calvin instructed quickly. Melmetal brought up its arms, slamming them against the ground. Jagged, almost melted spikes that were silvery in color came up from the ground, trailing towards the shiny Flame Pokémon. As the torrent of wind struck the Hex Nut Pokémon, its opponent was hit by the melting spikes. Leon blinked in surprise.
"That wasn't a Max Steelspike…" he noted aloud, "So that's its G-Max Move, huh?" he concluded with a grin, "Alright, Max Airstream!" he ordered. Charizard again brought his head back to unleash another torrent of wind from his mouth… but nothing came out to his surprise, along with his trainer's. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.
"He can't use Max Airstream again?" Erika questioned from afar, "Why?" she asked of Sonia.
"Not sure…" she answered, looking rather panicked, "This could be really bad…" she pointed out to the Ketchum girl's confusion, "Why haven't either of them gone back to normal yet?" she wondered aloud.
"Miss Sonia?" Erika uttered in concern.
"Melmetal, Max Lightning!" Calvin commanded, throwing his right fist up into the air. Yellow electricity started crackling around the Hex Nut Pokémon's body as a large storm cloud formed in the sky above. A massive lightning bolt then suddenly rained down onto Charizard, striking him fiercely as he roared with pain. In the process, the ground started glowing and crackling with electricity.
"Now it's Electric Terrain?!" Hau yelped in question, while Yamper yipped happily.
"Amazing…" Erika uttered out.
"Leon! Something's wrong!" Sonia yelled, causing her and her cousin to look over to see the assistant's panicked expression, "Both Charizard and Melmetal should've gone back to normal by now!" she pointed out, "I think the Power Spot here is stronger than the ones back in Galar!" she presumed.
"So that's what's going on…" the Galar Champion Master said, letting off a grin, "Well, it's made for a real champion time!" he proclaimed excitedly.
"This isn't a joke, Leon!" Sonia shouted, "I don't know what'll happen if you keep those two Gigantamaxed any longer!" she noted in panic.
"Don't worry," he reassured, causing her to blink in surprise, "It's time for the grand finale!" he declared as he posed.
"Melmetal, use Max Steelspike!" Calvin ordered, pumping his right fist forward.
"METAAAAHHHHLLLL!" the Hex Nut Pokémon bellowed, slamming its arms against the ground to make more melting spikes shoot up and trail towards Charizard.
"Let's turn up the heat, Charizard!" Leon yelled, tossing his cape aside, "G-MAX… WILDFIRE!" he exclaimed mightily. The fiery wings of his Gigantamaxed partner glowed a bright red and yellow. He then fired a giant, bird-shaped flame from his back, letting it soar down toward his foe. It blasted through the melting spikes coming his way, followed by striking Melmetal as it let out a pained echo, becoming enveloped in a fiery blast.
"Melmetal!" Calvin cried out, seeing fire burn along the Hex Nut Pokémon's body. Ultimately, his body shrunk down back to normal as he fell onto the ground, with the gray sphere inside having shaped into an x. With that, Charizard also shrunk back down to normal, letting out a triumphant roar as he breathed fire up into the sky, which cleared.
"That was crazy…" Hau noted, still shaking a little.
"Yeah…" Erika agreed.
"Mell…" Melmetal groaned as it sat up, glancing over to see its trainer approach.
"That was awesome, Melmetal!" he complimented, "You really showed how strong you are!" he pointed out.
"Mehhlll…" the Hex Nut Pokémon grumbled, unsure whether to really accept its trainer's compliments.
"I know we lost, but that's why we need to work together as a team!" he noted in response, "And I'm sure we can do that, too," he added firmly. Melmetal stared at him in surprise. It then stood up.
"Metahl!" it echoed, flexing its arms proudly.
"Not bad, Calvin!" Leon complimented as he approached alongside Charizard, "Of course, things did get a little hairy there…" he admitted.
"Huh?" the Ketchum boy uttered in confusion as he blinked.
"Your Pokémon were Gigantamaxed for longer than normal," Sonia pointed out upon approaching with Erika and Hau, "I was gonna tell you to stop, but Leon here decided it'd be better to finish the battle…" she muttered, nudging the Galar Champion Master with her left elbow.
"Eh-heh…" he chuckled out, "Come on, wasn't it fun?" he presumed of her.
"Not for me…" she grumbled out, taking out her Rotom Phone. She blinked in surprise. "Hey… the Power Spot readings are completely gone!" she noted, grabbing her device in both hands to double-check.
"Huh," Leon uttered, "That battle of ours must've used up all its energy!" he presumed, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
"Oh, and this would've been such a huge discovery if it stayed the way it was…" Sonia complained, lowering her head in defeat.
"Dynamax battles really are amazing, though," Calvin chimed in, causing her to perk up, "It was the most intense and thrilling experience I've ever had in a battle!" he pointed out excitedly. Leon cracked a grin.
"Well, there's plenty more of those battles down in Galar just waiting for ya!" he noted to the capped boy, "Of course, if you wanna battle me again, you'll have to prove yourself through the Gym Challenge and Champion Cup," he told him.
"And you're probably gonna need a Dynamax Band, too," Sonia mentioned, "So why don't you go ahead and hold onto that one?" she offered, pointing to the wristband upon the Ketchum boy, making him blink in surprise.
"Are… you sure?" he asked. The assistant nodded.
"You need it more than I do," she remarked, sharing a chuckle with Leon.
"Wow…" Hau uttered in amazement, "Cal was almost able to bring a champ to the ropes!" he pointed out excitedly, getting Erika's attention, "He's gonna get even stronger soon, don't you think, Eri?" he assumed of his cousin, causing her to blink in surprise.
"Uh, yeah…" she agreed. She looked on at her twin brother, who seemed excited for the future ahead of him. Even after the whole ordeal with the Ultra Beasts, he had his sights set on a goal.
'So… what should I do next?' the Ketchum girl wondered inwardly, looking down in deep thought.
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
And that does it for the penultimate chapter! I've been really happy with the progress I've managed to make over these past few weeks in terms of writing. After how frustrating it was to get "Omni Force: ORIGINS" CH. 9 done, I'm super happy that I finished this chapter and only have one more left to go. Don't worry, the battles from me aren't over just yet.
Here's a summary to hold you over until next time!
SUMMARY
It's almost time for the Ketchum Family to head back home to Kanto! While Calvin's got an idea as to what he'll do next, Erika's stuck in a bit of a rut. But when she runs into a mysterious Pokémon at the marina, she comes to a decision that'll change her life forever!
END SUMMARY
Thanks for all your support, everyone! See you next time!