Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.
BGM: Mezagosa - Walking (Pokemon Scarlet/Violet)
"Okay, listen up." Gloria said as she had brought over Marnie, Hop and Bede in a circle. "Aless is gonnae be advancin' her way to the top. No doubt in my mind she's gonnae get stronger, given how I've been watchin' her."
"So, you want us to nip her in the bud if the power gets to her head?" Bede asked.
"No! I'm askin' ye guys if ye can check her progress."
Hop raised an eyebrow. "What ya mean by that?"
"I'm asking ye guys to be by Elite Four, if ye know what I mean."
"Oooooh! That makes sense!" Hop grinned.
"Um, babe? There's only three of us." Marnie pointed out.
"Oh, I was just gonnae ask Ruby to help out too."
Marnie smirked. "That's all four."
"So how do you want to go about it then? Have us be at Victory Road and Growlithepile her?" Bede asked.
"I'm thinkin' at random unexpected times. Keep her on her toes. Whether it be after a gym battle or somewhere else in the region…"
Marnie nodded. "Right. Soooo… you got a list for us on who's first?"
Gloria smiled. "Lemme get Ruby first and then we'll come back to that."
"Right."
Gloria walked off toward Ruby. "Hey Rube-"
An arm grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her to the side. "Wah!" She yelped as she immediately roundhouse the one responsible for grabbing her.
"OW!" Nemona yelled, rubbing her head.
"Oh, it's just you."
"Maldita mujer, qué patada!" (Damn girl, that was a hell of a kick!)
"...I'm sorry, what?"
"I said that was a hell of a kick." Nemona groaned. "I can see why no one dares to take you for a ride if ya know what I mean."
"I have a lead pipe… amongst other things." Gloria folded her arms.
"They let you have an actual weapon? I'm surprised it wasn't a crowbar…" Nemona deadpanned.
"Any reason why ye grabbed me by the wrist?"
"I just want to say that I had my eyes on her first! You may be her childhood friend but-"
"Whoa whoa whoa, easy! I'm not taking her away from ye." Gloria reassured. "You can fight her all ye want."
"Yeah, but her first fight after becoming Champion oughta be me, ya know!"
Gloria sweatdropped. "Is that what this all about…?"
"Yes!"
"Okay okay… how about this? After she fights the champion, ye go first."
"What? You want me to be the warm up and you be the main event? Fight her when her Pokemon are exhausted? I'm not sure if-"
"I'll give her a minute to recharge her Pokemon's batteries."
"Deal!" Nemona grinned, hugging Gloria tightly.
"Hnngh!"
"Now that we got that settled, I'm off to Cortondo!" She took off running.
Gloria rolled her shoulders. "Lass has definitely got a big Ursaring hug. Couldae worse… it couldae like Nora and her Bewear hugs." She shuddered and walked off toward Ruby's location.
"Here ya go!" Pit handed Ruby some pink lemonade.
"Thanks!" Ruby smiled as she happily drank it.
"Hey Ruby!" Gloria called out. "I need ye to come 'ere for a second!"
"Okay!" Ruby walked off with Gloria as she walked up next to Gloria's friends. "So what's up?"
"So, Aless pretty much declared war on me, and I thought the best way to get her to her best potential is if we had our own Elite Four."
"Oh cool! …So who's going first?" Ruby asked.
"We're still trying to figure that out." Hop said.
"I know exactly what we should do." Gloria smiled, giving Ruby an apologetic look.
"...What's that look fo-" Gloria grabbed Ruby's straw and yanked it out of her cup. "Wha-... hey!" She yelled as Gloria also took Crescent Rose. She tossed the straw into the air as she activated Crescent Rose and swung it a few times, cutting the straw into pieces.
"ACK NOOOOO!" Ruby cried as Gloria reached up and had four pieces land in her hand.
"Ta-dah~!" Gloria smiled, handing Ruby back her scythe.
"Goodbye straw…" Anime tears ran down Ruby's cheeks. "So young… so innocent…"
"You were gonna throw it away after you were done with it anyway." Bede said.
"Oh, let me have my moment!"
"Awright, now choose which one. The shortest one goes first." Gloria instructed as she pulled her hand out.
"Pffft, I'll grab the big piece with my eyes closed!" Bede said cockily, closing his eyes as the four of them grabbed their pieces.
Bede opened his eyes.
Short Straw - Bede
Slightly Bigger Straw - Hop
Medium Sized - Marnie
Bigger Piece - Ruby
"Why the hell did I get the smaller piece?!"
"Gee, I dunno, maybe because you were so confident that you decided to close your eyes." Marnie said. "Maybe you oughta battle with a blindfold too."
Bede glared at Marnie, who playfully stuck her tongue out at him.
"...Anyone want to trade straws?"
Everyone whistled casually.
"Ugh… I was afraid of that…" Bede groaned.
"And just for an extra cherry on top…" Gloria pulled her arm up, showing off her Dynamax band. "She's a Galarian, and Dynamax battles are always heart pumpin', so let's get her excited."
All four grinned.
"You can count on us!" Hop saluted.
Meanwhile, with Kokoro and Masaru…
"Might as well stock up on a few things while we travel around Paldea, right?" Kokoro asked with Masaru nodding.
"Yup!" He said as Meloetta and Takibi accompanied them. A few residents stopped and looked on in awe seeing a Meloetta casually floating around town. Some of them took a few pictures as Meloetta turned her head and smiled, waving or posing for the camera before floating back to Kokoro.
"Ya know, we could also throw in some souvenirs too." Masaru said.
"Hmmm, you're right. I could give something to mom and Chelsea…" Kokoro nodded.
"Ah! This is a surprise…"
The couple turned their heads to the unexpected third voice, which belonged to Ludwig.
"Kokoron. Masaru. A pleasure to see you."
"Mr. Ludwig? I wasn't aware you were here." Kokoro said.
"Ah, my family decided to take a vacation here."
"...Ya know, I thought I heard maniacal laughter from Iggy yesterday." Masaru said.
"We've been on the down low. Anyway, mind if I join you?"
Both nodded.
Once some shopping was done later…
"So, what do you all plan on doing here in Paldea?" Ludwig asked once they found a private area.
"I know my bestie is interested in Victory Road." Kokoro said. "Something about traveling and watching gym battles sounds fun to her, so I'm joining her along with the rest of the girls in our team."
"Honestly, that whole Team Star business the other day has been bugging me lately… and I know it's been bothering Nagisa too. Soooo, the guys are gonna head out and investigate what Team Star's up to."
"The Titans that I had overheard from this Arven fellow sounds intriguing. I relayed this to the others and they all decided that we ought to investigate this Titan Pokemon phenomenon."
Ludwig rubbed his chin in thought. "Speaking of Team Star, what do you know of them so far?"
"From what I've overheard, there are a total of five individuals all over Paldea. This Cassiopeia person mentioned that Aless needs to beat all five squad leaders and they all have a different Pokemon type." Masaru explained. "Not to mention they seem to have it out for Naranuva for some reason."
"Hmmm… I have a hypothesis. It would seem that they have a history with this academy. Perhaps they are some delinquents that need some… re-educating." Ludwig said.
"A lot of them." Kokoro corrected.
"Yeah." Masaru nodded, then noticed Kokoro's serious expression that she was giving him. "...Why are you looking at me like tha- oh." He sighed softly. "Koko, listen to me… I know you've been worried about me since what happened on Mobius, but I can assure you… what happened to me there won't happen again. I promise you that I won't be too reckless this time. I'll be more careful."
"You better be." She slightly puffed up her cheeks a bit while playfully slugging his right arm. "Because I'm going to make you regret it if you don't make it back in one piece like last time."
Masaru laughed lightly while rubbing his arm. "Okay, okay, geez…" He then pondered for a bit. "...But what if I do manage to make it back alive again?"
Kokoro blushed at what she had in mind while giggling shyly. "Well, then, um…" She leaned forward and gently lifted up an ear cup of his headphones, whispering something into his ear that made him blush, his eyes widening with surprise and intrigue.
Ludwig chuckled, folding his arms as he awkwardly looked away from the couple's flirty antics, while a small smile formed.
Kokoro pulled his ear cup down and pulled away, smiling.
Masaru smiled. "Square deal. Sounds like another date then."
Kokoro smiled back as she leaned in to seal the deal with a kiss before pulling away. "Stay safe, Masa." She walked off to catch up with Kotoko and the others.
Masaru waved goodbye to his girlfriend. "You too, Koko." He walked off to catch up with the guys.
Ludwig walked alongside Kokoro. "So, uh… what was that about?"
"Oh, nothing much~" Kokoro giggled.
Ludwig sighed, shaking his head in amusement. "I swear… you're starting to become a bit like your sister."
Kokoro giggled. "So, how's work with Sunset Entertainment?"
Ludwig smiled. "Ah, I've been enjoying it both as a musician and a producer for them as always since I've applied for a job in the company months ago. To my surprise, good ol' uncle Bowser has been very supportive along with the rest of my family."
"That's good to hear!" Kokoro smiled as they started to part ways.
"Take care, Kokoron."
"You too, Mr. Ludwig."
Kokoro and Ludwig walked their separate ways.
"...Oh!" Kokoro turned around, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Mr. Ludwig! Thanks again for your support in the production of our solo albums!"
Ludwig chuckled, waving back at her without even looking at her. "You're welcome."
Kokoro smiled as she turned around. "I sure hope this Cassiopeia is trustworthy…"
"Mela Mel."
Meanwhile…
Nagisa was in line at a cafe with his Pachirisu and Quaxly accompanying him. As he was waiting to get some morning coffee, he felt someone bump into him lightly from behind. "Hmm?" He wondered as he turned around to see it was none other than an equally surprised Penny who had been watching a video on her phone.
"Oh…!"
"Oh, it's you again. You're that girl with the Eevee bag from the other day."
Penny shyly looked away, yet looked miffed. "The same girl whom you've mistaken for a boy too…"
Nagisa blushed a deep red. "Ah geez… I… I should've looked more closely in the heat of the moment…" He stammered. "Sorry about that…"
"It's okay… I'm not holding it against you." She mumbled.
The two of them stood there in awkward silence as Penny was too flustered to say anything else, not to mention she was blushing while giving Nagisa the side eye.
"Um… are you running a fever?"
"A f-fever? What are you talking about?"
"I mean, you're beet red so you gotta be burning up."
"Pachi Pach/Quax…" Both Pachirisu and Quaxly face/wingpalmed.
Arceus, you're dense… Penny thought, trying to hide an amused smile.
"So uh… that was some fashion show, huh?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, of course." Penny nodded. "I was watching it from my room. Alessandra knows how to pull it off."
"Why were you watching from your room? Oh wait, it's because you were catching a fever, right?"
Penny sweatdropped. "Yes, I just happened to be recovering from Combuskenpox." She snarked.
"Really?"
"No! I just have crippling introvertedness, ya dummy!"
"Oh…" Nagisa scratched the back of his head. "That… makes more sense." Sounds like Kokoron.
Penny cleared her throat. "Ahem… apologies for the "dummy" comment."
"It's fine."
"So… you… have any plans?" Penny shyly asked.
"Well, I was thinking of investigating Team Star."
"YOU WHAT?!" She yelled in surprise, startling Nagisa.
"Whoa! What is something I said?!"
Penny cleared her throat. "You… want to take on Team Star? Along with those neanderthals that are their team leaders?" She asked, mentally kicking herself for calling them neanderthals.
"I'm willing to risk it, yes."
"They're really dangerous!"
"I've faced worse things."
"You're gonna be really hurt! Eri's got herself an- er, I mean, I heard a rumor online that one of the team leader's got a really strong Pokemon that can mess you up if you're not careful."
"Again, I've faced worse things."
"They'll run you over! …Er… I mean, they'll walk all over you."
"I'll be careful."
Penny sighed in defeat. "You're not taking no for an answer, are you?"
"Nope."
"You have no idea what you're going up against."
"Whatever they have in store, I'll be ready for them."
Penny's eyes sparkled. He's so courageous… or stupid. Courageously stupid? …Densely courageously stupid. No no, that's too harsh. "Okay, just be careful of their modified Pokemon. I also recommend that for the first boss, you have a Fighting, Bug or Fairy on you. Second one, Water, Ground or Rock would work well enough to extinguish the next one. Ground and Psychic should help with the third one. Poison and Steel are pretty good for the fourth one… and as for the fifth one, Flying, Psychic and Fairy will do wonders." Though Eri's Annihilape is… definitely a force to be reckoned with.
"How do you know all that?"
"...Just some rumors I've seen online." Penny said as her phone started to ring as she looked to see Alessandra was calling her. Her eyes widened as she hastily took her coffee and walked out. "Good luck with Team Star." She walked out.
"Huh, guess she was in a hurry, though I don't think coffee will help her out with her fever…" Nagisa said, seeing his Pokemon giving him an annoyed side eye. "...What?"
End BGM
Penny hid behind a corner, taking a sip of her coffee as she answered her phone. "Hey Alessandra. This is unexpected."
BGM: Cassiopeia (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
"Huh, for some reason, I was expecting you to answer immediately."
"Apologies, I was starting my day with Staryubucks."
"Aaaah! Yeah, that makes sense. Guess even the mysterious folk need coffee to start their day."
Penny rolled her eyes. "Right. So what's up? You taking my offer?"
"Actually, I'm lightening my load a bit. I talked with Team RWBY and they said they'd be happy to take on Team Star."
Penny's eyes widened. Oh my gosh, that's perfect… I've studied their fight styles alongside their Pokemon in Remnant, so Nagisa should be safe. …I hope!
"...Hello?"
"I'm still here. I was just thinking."
"As much as I would like to help out against Team Star, I feel like this is the best course of action."
"I understand."
"Do you want me to hook you up to Ruby?"
"No, I got this. I already hacked into her Rotom Scroll during that fashion show."
"...Huh?"
"Call me prepared. I had planned for such a scenario in case Nemona and Arven would nail you down. Thank you, Alessandra. But don't think this is the end of our… relationship. I'll inform you when a member of Team Star has been conquered."
"Ooookay…?"
"Take care." Penny hung up and started to contact Ruby.
With Alessandra…
"This Cassiopeia girl is so… weird."
Meanwhile, with RWBY…
"So uh… do we know where to start?" Yang asked.
"Good question." Ruby shrugged as her Rotom Scroll popped up in front of her.
"I can point you to the right direction."
"Wah!" Ruby yelped. "Who the heck are you?!"
"Cassiopeia. I hacked your Rotom Scroll while you were distracted watching the fashion show."
"You did WHAT to her scroll?!" Yang glared, grabbing the scroll away from Ruby while Pit was immediately ready to pounce on whoever dared to hack into his girlfriend's scroll. "Listen here, you punk… if you think-"
Suddenly, Weiss's scroll vibrated as she pulled it out.
"Nice try, but I hacked into everyone's scrolls."
"SERIOUSLY?!" Weiss yelled as Meryl let out a protective growl.
"That doesn't excuse the fact that you hacked-"
"Do you want to know where to go first or not? Otherwise, you're going to be walking in circles all over Paldea."
Yang folded her arms, relenting. "Fine. Tell us where to go first."
"Your first target will be Giacomo, he's camping out in Area One of the Western Province. You will have to cut through Area Two of the Southern Province, which is more than likely where Alessandra and her squad will be going as that holds the first gym. I will explain more about Giacomo once you get to his base. By the way, I updated your maps on your scrolls, so use it well. Good luck to you all… perhaps by fighting Team Star, Weiss might find her hope again. Just a hunch."
"What…? How do you-"
"Until then."
Cassiopeia hung up.
End BGM
"How did she know about my lost hope…?"
"Ya know, this reminds me of the time Futaba met this Cassiopeia chick." Jataro spoke up. "When I asked her further, she said it was kinda spooky who Cassiopeia knew about her."
"...So what, are we dealing with an Eggman wannabe?" Blake asked.
"I swear to Oum, if Cassiopeia is Eggman's niece, I'm going to freaking lose it." Weiss grumbled while Meryl rubbed her back.
Nearby, Penny overheard the conversation.
"Eggman's niece? …Honestly, he'd probably be better than my uncle Rose, but I'm still offended by that remark…" Penny mumbled.
"Well, you guys have fun… Dedede and I have some picnicking to do." Umber said as he walked off.
"See y'all later!" Dedede walked off as well.
With Alessandra…
"Alright, first Gym is in Cortondo. Let's go!"
"Right!" Gloria nodded.
The Teams:
Victory Road - The twins, Galarian Sextet, Neo, Zinnia, Coco, Velvet, Kotoko's Inner Circle (Kotoko, Kokoro, Mabel, Flandre)
Operation Starfall - RWBY, Meryl, Sun, Neptune, Pit, Claude, Nagisa's Inner Circle (Nagisa, Masaru, Jataro, Silver, Dipper)
Path of Legends - Cinder and her family, Eddie
Picnics - Umber, Dedede
BGM: South Province - Riding (Pokemon Scarlet/Violet)
As Alessandra and her squad walked out, they immediately wandered forward while looking around, seeing some Mareep grazing while Sunkern danced around some Hoppip.
"Let's get some training in." Alessandra said, calling out her Bounsweet and Quaxly as they proceeded to run forward and knocked down any wild Pokemon that ran into.
"Smol…?"
"Hmm? What's that little guy…?" Alessandra wondered, scanning the Pokemon in question.
"Smoliv, the Olive Pokemon: It protects itself from enemies by emitting oil from the fruit on its head. This oil is bitter and astringent enough to make someone flinch. This Pokémon converts nutrients into oil, which it stores in the fruit on its head. It can easily go a whole week without eating or drinking."
"Oh, you're a little cutie." Alessandra smiled, pulling out a Pokeball as her Quaxly and Bounsweet teamed up against the Smoliv.
"Oh, you're planning on capturing that?" Coco asked.
"I'm seeing the lil' guy as more of a backup Pokemon just in case."
"Ah, so like that Hoppip?"
"Yup." Alessandra nodded, tossing the Pokeball toward the Smoliv, capturing it after three clicks. Rio picked up the Pokeball and returned it to Alessandra. "Thanks!" She smiled, putting it away in her bag where they went off to explore.
"Hmmm…" Victor had his arms folded.
"What's up?" Sonia asked.
"Ya know, considering what Gloria's planning on doing with Aless… we could do the same for Cian."
"Ah, pop in at random times to fight him?"
"Yes. He might not be into it like Aless, but perhaps we could train his Pokemon."
"I like the sound of that." Zinnia said. "Plus, we've got tons of history to work with as he seems to be more into it… though, I will admit, that Raifort lady is a bit on the creepy side."
Earlier…
"Man, you really like studying poisons, don't you?" Zinnia asked.
"Hmm, I'm just looking to see what will make a Seviper's poison more lethal." Raifort said. "Hmm… oooh, perhaps if the Seviper's tail was coated with mercury and have it use Poison Tail on an unsuspecting victim… that could be a potential lethal dose of mercury poisoning."
Raifort's eyes sparkled. "That's brilliant!"
"Uuuuh…"
"And if I coat poison ivy on Seviper's tail… oooh, that's diabolical!"
"Um…"
"Oh! Wait a second… the Salandit line's poison is extremely corrosive to even Steel types. If Seviper's tail was coated with Salazzle's poison and if it was used on an unsuspecting individual…"
Raifort turned to Zinnia. "What do you thi-... oh. She's gone."
Back in the present…
Resume BGM
Zinnia hugged herself while looking absolutely pale. "I'm usually not bothered by anything… and yet, something about her…" She shuddered.
"That's disturbing…" Sonia said.
Victor sweatdropped. "Yikes…"
"Tell me about it!" Zinnia shook it off. "So, he might be very well interested in Paldea's history. Apparently there were these artifacts that came to life and nearly brought Paldea to ruin, but there are stakes all over Paldea that, rumor has it that only a person with a pure heart could lift the stakes out and bring the Ruin Pokemon toward them."
Zinnia gleefully smiled. "As a lorekeeper, this whole thing fascinates me! Not only that, but there's something in the crater of Paldea that holds the key to this Terastal phenomenon. …However, the book I found has things scribbled out and censored to high heaven that I couldn't make heads or tails of the whole thing. It's a high probability that it involves a Pokemon."
"I was wondering why you were a little annoyed earlier." Sonia said.
"That's because every damn copy I found of this Scar-Vio book, it had the same markings! It was driving me insane! When I find that original book, I WILL read it from cover to cover. Mark my words."
Victor smiled. "So, what do you say? We help Cian out and help train him every once in a while?"
"I"m game." Sonia smiled.
"Count me in!" Zinnia grinned.
Neo nodded. ["Sounds like fun."]
Victor chuckled. "Yeah. Let's do this."
He then nudged Zinnia. "You probably ought to ask Cian to help you out with the copies. He told me yesterday that he's happy to be in Paldea due to the many history and legends associated with the Legendary Pokemon. In fact, he used to go on expeditions with his father all the time in Galar."
"Oh, is that so? Perfect!" Zinnia smiled.
"I wonder who the Legendaries are in Paldea…" Sonia said. "I have a sneaking suspicion that they could be our two dragon friends."
"I've a feeling the Treasures of Ruin might be too." Zinnia added. "I know for a fact that this Pokemon in Area Zero is definitely Legendary."
The group walked over to a Pokemon Center, where Alessandra healed up her Pokemon and then bought some more Pokeballs and Potions, then they continued onward into some olive fields.
However, Cian was distracted by a tower that caught his attention and walked toward it. Victor, Neo, Sonia and Zinnia followed him as they climbed the tower with him until they found a treasure chest.
"Whoa! That's a lucky find." Zinnia said as Cian walked over to it and opened it up.
"Gimmi…?" The Gimmighoul woke up from its nap and saw Cian. It's eyes sparkled. "Gimmi Gimmi!"
"Aww, he's cute~!" Sonia gushed as she knelt down. "Hi little guy!"
"Who's this little guy?" Victor wondered.
"Gimmighoul." Cian said.
"Oh! So this is the Gimmighoul!" Sonia said. "I've heard about the tale of this little creature when I was doing some research back in the lab. It sounded so cute and a bit bizarre to have a little girl get brainwashed into collecting coins… but it's so fascinating too."
["It seems to recognize you."]
"Wait a minute…" Cian knelt down. "Are you the same Gimmighoul I stumbled upon in Los Platos?"
"Gimmi!" The Gimmighoul nodded.
"I thought so." Cian smiled, handing it the coin. "You dropped this, by the way."
The Gimmighoul happily took it and then suddenly squared up.
"I think it wants to battle you." Victor said.
Pause BGM
"You want to fight me? Okay then!" Cian nodded, getting into position as everyone backed away as best as they could.
BGM: Battle! Wild Pokemon - South Province (Pokemon Scarlet/Violet)
"Alright, Houdini, let's show it what we're made of!" Cian called out his Sprigatito.
"Mrow!"
"Ghoul Gimmi Gim!"
"Hit it with a Magical Leaf!"
Houdini shook his body as leaves were scattered about until they magically lifted off the ground and struck the Gimmighoul. The Gimmighoul used the lid of the chest to cover itself as the leaves pelted the chest, dealing some damage to it.
"Hone Claws, then use Bite!"
"Mroooow!" Houdini cried as he lunged at Gimmighoul… only for the Gimmighoul to pop up unexpectedly.
"Ghooooulll!"
"Mrah?!" Houdini yelped, flinching in surprise as the chest bounced forward and tackled the Grass Cat.
"Gimmi~!" Gimmighoul giggled mischievously as it hid itself again, but the lid of the chest was no match for when Houdini used his paws to lift the chest up and used Bite on the Gimmighoul. "Ghoul! Ghoul!" Gimmighoul yelped in surprise as it was tossed to the side.
"Leafage!" Cian ordered as the Sprigatito used Leafage on the Gimmighoul, sending it flying back into the chest to stun the creature. Cian winced before pulling out a Pokeball and threw it at the Gimmighoul, bringing it and its chest into the Pokeball as it landed on the ground, shaking three times before it clicked.
End BGM
Resume South Province - Riding BGM
"Gotcha!" Cian picked it up. "I think I'll call you… El Dorado."
"Considering the mystery behind this Pokemon, I think that's a solid name." Sonia nodded in approval as they climbed down the tower, though Zinnia opted for vaulting over the tower and gracefully landing on the ground.
"Let's get this lil' guy patched up." Cian said as they walked toward the Pokemon Center, but then Koraidon got out of his Pokeball.
"Gia! Agia!"
"Hmm? You want me to ride on you?"
Koraidon nodded.
"Okay then." Cian smiled as he hopped on, then Koraidon ran toward the center, and then ran back. "Come on, let's catch up!" He called out.
["...He's making us eat his dust."]
Zinnia called out her Salamence. "I don't think so! Hop on!" She said as the four of them hopped on Salamence as they took off after Cian.
Back with Alessandra and co…
"Phew, these random trainer battles are a lot of fun." Alessandra said.
"You're telling me!" Kotoko giggled, having fought a trainer herself in the spur of the moment.
"Couldn't help yourself, huh?" Kokoro teased.
"Eh, he had a Phanpy. Nothing to it!"
"Heeeey!" Cian called out as they turned to see Koraidon running toward them before stopping. "You won't believe what I just caught."
"Oh? What'd you catch?" Alessandra wondered as Cian called out El Dorado.
"Meet El Dorado."
"Gimmi!"
Flandre knelt down. "It's a lil' guy in a chest?"
"Aww, he's cute!" Mabel smiled.
"Oh, you're a cutie." Alessandra pulled out her Pokedex to scan the Gimmighoul.
"Gimmighoul, the Coin Chest Pokemon: This Pokémon was born inside a treasure chest about fifteen hundred years ago. It sucks the life-force out of scoundrels who try to steal the treasure. It lives inside an old treasure chest. Sometimes it gets left in shop corners since no one realizes it's actually a Pokémon."
"Fifteen hundred years? Lil' guy's living the good life." Marnie said.
"Born to be rich." Hop chuckled.
"Hmm, I dunno about this, dude…" Alessandra scratched her head. "Says this lil' guy only knows Tackle and Astonish."
"True, but maybe he has a lot more potential."
"I suppose." Alessandra said. "Hmm, I wonder how many coins this little guy has… apparently my dex isn't saying anything."
"Hang on, let me scan it." Marnie scanned the coins with her cybernetic eyes, seeing the number get big extremely quickly in the corner of her eye. "...Holy shit." Her eyes widened in surprise.
"How much?" Gloria asked.
"Seven hundred and seventy seven!"
"WHAT THE FOCK, LAD?!" Gloria yelled.
"Oh yeah, definitely born to be rich!" Hop nodded.
"That's… definitely impressive." Bede admitted.
Alessandra smiled, kneeling down. "Well, regardless how rich you are, you're definitely a cutie." She said, attempting to pat its head.
SLAM!
However, Gimmighoul slammed the lid shut on her fingers.
"YAGH!" She cried, pulling away.
"Whoa! You okay?" Coco asked.
Alessandra shook her hand. "I'll be fine… little bastard broke one of my nails." She muttered.
"It broke a nail and you're all calm about it?" Coco raised an eyebrow.
"Eh, I was planning on cutting 'em off soon…" She responded, seeing Cian gently pat the Gimmighoul on the head, where the Pokemon leaned into the patting while also mischievously smirking at the fashionista, causing her to glare daggers at it.
The group then walked out of the olive fields as they soon walked into Cortondo.
End BGM
BGM: Los Platos/Cortondo (Pokemon Scarlet/Violet)
"Hmm, cute little town." Marnie said as they walked around the area.
"Wow, this place is so cool." Alessandra spotted a patisserie. "Oh hey look, a patisserie!"
Gloria turned her head. "Oh hey, that's pretty-... wait a second…" She spotted someone familiar at the patisserie. "Huh, what the hell is she doing here?" She wondered and approached.
"Let's see, I'll take the Snom cupcakes and, oh, give me about a baker's dozen of Slurpuff doughnuts."
"Takin' care of that sweet tooth of yours, Bea?"
"Well, I'm definitely sharing with-... Gloria?!" Bea turned around in surprise. "Well, this is a surprise! I see you brought everyone with you."
"Yeah, I finally decided to come here on vacation and I ran into my childhood friends back there." Gloria motioned her head to Cian and Alessandra.
"Hey, I know you…" Alessandra approached. "You're that rough and tough Fighter gal from Galar. I've seen your MMA matches when you're not doing Pokemon fights!"
Bea smiled. "That would be me. And I definitely recognize you. I've seen your modeling magazines… you really make it work."
"Aw thanks~!" Alessandra smiled. "Oh, and this is my twin brother, Cian."
"Hey."
"Hey there." Bea waved.
"So, what're you up to?" Marnie asked.
"Well, my girl wanted to come to Paldea so I thought "Why not." so me, her, my little bro and his best friend came with but…" She sighed. "I turn my back on 'em for one second and they're nowhere to be found."
Alessandra giggled. "Well, I'm sure we can find 'em somewhere in Paldea." She said, then noticing some jewelry on Bea's ring finger. "Oh, that's a cute ring."
"Thank you."
"Sooo, we were gonna watch-"
"WHOA, HOLD UP NOW!" Sonia yelled, grabbing Bea by the shoulders. "Since when did you-"
"Had a private ceremony in Lumiose. We were enjoying each other's company, then we both decided it was time so we made it official over there. We even had Alister with us."
"And you didn't invite any of us?"
Bea sheepishly smiled and scratched her cheek. "It was a spur of the moment…"
Anime tears flowed through Sonia's cheeks. "I missed it… I hope I don't miss Nessa's…"
"There there." Gloria patted her back.
"Yeah, sorry about that."
"Anyway, we were gonna watch Alessandra participate in a gym battle. Ye wannae watch?"
"Well, I got nothing better to do, so… sure." Bea nodded as she accompanied them to the gym while Marnie whispered something in her ear. "Oh, is that right? Well, when I reunite with those knuckleheads, I suppose we can drop by and watch the fight after she becomes champion."
"...That's the gym?" Bede asked, looking directly at it as the gym had decorations on it, featuring Bug types plastered on the walls and antenna at the roof.
"What do we know about the gym leader?" Velvet asked.
"Well, we're about to find out." Alessandra said as they walked in.
End BGM
"Heeeeey! You decided to take on the gyms!" A voice said as they saw Nemona approaching with a friendly wave. "I knew you had it in ya!"
Alessandra smiled. "Well, had to give it a try."
"Great!"
"Sooo, do you know anything about the Gym Leader?" Alessandra asked. "All I got was that she's a Bug Type trainer."
Nemona smiled. "Ah, Katy? She's a baker and owns the Patisserie Soapberry. She specializes in Bug Types."
"A Bug Type Gym Leader and a baker…" Alessandra's eyes sparkled. "I got just the outfit for this!"
She took off running.
"Hey hey, wait up! I want to see what you have in mind!" Coco took off after her.
Nemona laughed. "Ah, definitely headstrong…" She said and noticed Bea. "Oh hey, you're new."
"I'm Bea, the Fighting Type Gym Leader in Galar."
Nemona gasped. "THE Bea?! The top MMA fighter of Galar who spars against those who wants to rumble with you in a cage match?"
"The very same."
"Awesome~!" Nemona pulled out a Pokeball. "You wanna have a fight with me right now?"
"That depends on who you want punching you in the face, me or my Machamp."
Nemona sweatdropped. "...Okay, you got me there."
At that moment, Alessandra walked in wearing a light pink blouse with Slurpuff on the chest with a variety of Pokepuffs and malasadas scattered around. She also had black tights with pink Jigglypuff sneakers. She also wore a red beanie with white stripes. She also had Caterpie styled fingerless gloves on her hands while also wearing Orbeetle earrings.
As for her makeup, she had red eyeshadow with a hint of black at the edges and wore a lighter shade of pink lipstick.
"What's with the eyeshadow?" Hop asked.
"Gotta represent Ariados!" Alessandra winked, which was enough to make Hop's heart skip a beat.
"Yeah, I'm definitely impressed with this look." Coco smiled.
"Typical." Cian chuckled.
Alessandra made her way to the front desk. "Helloooo~! I'd like to participate in the Gym Battle."
"Ah, you must be the fashionista, yes? Well, before you can fight her, you have to participate in a Gym Challenge first." The clerk said.
"Alright, what do I gotta do?"
"You gotta do the Olive Roll. It will be further explained once you go to the test. It's just near the Pokecenter on the other side of town."
"Alright then!" Alessandra nodded as they headed off.
Once there…
End BGM
"Hey, you must be the new challenger." A lady waved. "All you have to do is push the big olive through this maze, but be careful. The ramps might hinder your progress."
Alessandra smirked. "Okay, not a problem." She vaulted over the fence and headed over to the starting line.
"So, what did you guys have to do?" Nemona asked.
"Guide Wooloo through a field." Hop said.
"I honestly had fun with that one." Marnie said.
"Right? It was totally fun!" Gloria grinned.
"Eh… it was alright…" Bede shrugged.
"You got this, sis!" Cian called out
.BGM: Gym Test (Pokemon Scarlet/Violet)
Alessandra rolled her shoulders. "Let's rock."
Once the whistle was blown, Alessandra started pushing the big olive through the maze, but once it hit a wall, it started to bounce around. "Whoa! Got a live one here!" She said as she managed to get around it and started to reposition herself, proceeding to move forward but was stopped by a blockade of Smoliv.
"Huh….?"
"Hey, you want to take this shortcut? You'll have to battle me first!" A trainer said.
Alessandra pushed the olive to the side. "Alright, bring it!"
Both of them called out their Pokemon.
"Quax!"
"DELELELELE WHOOOOOOOP!"
"...A Delele Whoop?" Flandre wondered.
"It's actually a Kricketune." Kotoko explained.
"Uh-huh… I see."
The battle was quick as Rio struck down the Kricketune with a Work Up/Aqua Jet combo while the Kricketune tried to counter with a Tackle.
Once the battle was over, the Smoliv bloackade opened up, and then Miraidon popped out of his Pokeball.
"Agia!"
"You want to help?" She asked as the Miraidon nodded. "Okay!" She nodded as the two proceeded to make their way toward the goal with Miraidon making sure the olive didn't go off course, and then they reached another bloackade of Smoliv, where Alessandra and Rio fought against a trainer and his Venonat, where Rio swiftly avoided a Poison Powder and knocked it down with an Aqua Jet.
Once the Venonat was defeated, the blockade opened up as they reached the goal, both of them pushing it in.
End BGM
Ding ding ding!
"That was too easy." Alessandra smiled, petting Miradon and high fiving her Quaxly as they walked off… while behind them, a curious Eevee spotted them.
"Vai vee…?"
A few minutes later…
"Oh dear… someone's challenging me and I'm all swamped…" Katy said, just putting some cupcakes in the oven. "I don't have anyone to cover for me either."
"I know someone who can help!" Kotoko said. "My bestie over here knows how to bake a mean treat!"
"Yeah!" Kokoro nodded.
"You sure about that? I don't want to throw you into the Pyroar's den…" She said.
"I've faced bigger crowds. I can handle it."
"Yeah! You're looking at a member of Sea5ons!" Kotoko said.
Katy's eyes widened. "Oh? I didn't even recognize you. Your band had a concert in Sinnoh and it was heard around the world…" She said. "You bake?"
"Yes."
Katy smiled. "Well, give me a holler if it gets too much." She said, handing the apron to Kokoro as she walked off.
"You sure you'll be fine though? It sounds like she's putting you the lion's den."
"I should be fine." Kokoro winked. "I got Meloetta helping me out."
"Mela!"
"Okay. Have fun!" Kotoko waved and then hurried off as Kokoro went behind the counter.
"Alright… let's work some magic." She said, then noticing a TV was set up on the wall, which showed off the arena. "Oh cool, I won't have to miss much!" She said as she saw a crowd of people walking in, causing her to sweatdrop. "...I hope."
At the battle field…
BGM: Gym Theme (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
"Pardon my tardiness!" Katy ran in while Alessandra was doing stretches. "I had to find someone to cover my shift. One of your friends were eager to switch places with me."
Alessandra smiled. "I understand."
"Now then, I see that the Galarian fashionista wants to fight." She giggled. "Apologies that I couldn't make it to the fashion show. I had a lot of surprise customers show up when I was trying to close up shop…"
"Ah, the last minute folk."
"Indeed. Now, not only am I the gym leader in Cortondo, but I'm also the pastry chef at the Patisserie Soapberry. Little sweets that bring happiness with just one bite, Bug Type Pokemon hiding in foliage… Both are small and yet very powerful. Don't let your guard down unless you would like to find yourself knocked off of your feet!"
Alessandra cracked her knuckles. "Bring it."
End BGM
BGM: Battle! Gym Leader (Pokemon Scarlet/Violet)
Busy Bee Baker - Katy
"Okay, Rio! Let's show her we mean business!" Alessandra said, calling out her Quaxly.
"Quax!"
"Let's fly, Nymble!" Katy called out her Pokemon.
"Nym!"
Gloria pulled out her Rotom Phone. "What's that?" She wondered.
"Nymble, the Grasshopper Pokemon: It has its third set of legs folded up. When it's in a tough spot, this Pokémon jumps over 30 feet using the strength of its legs. It's highly skilled at a fighting style in which it uses its jumping capabilities to dodge incoming attacks while also dealing damage to opponents."
Alessandra overheard it. "Good to know." She said. As much as I want to have Sherry out, she'd get destroyed by the Bug types… and my other options are Hoppip and Smoliv. Maybe I should have grabbed a Mareep on the way here… ah, it's fine. Bug types aren't usually that strong anyway from what i've heard, but I shouldn't underestimate 'em though. Just gotta keep using Potions on Rio.
The Eevee walked up the steps and watched the fight about to commence. "Eevai…"
"Alright, bud! Work Up!"
"QUAAAAAAX!"
"Smart move." Katy said. "Nymble, Double Kick!"
"Nym… BLE!" Nymble jumped high into the air.
"Shite, that's a big jumper!" Gloria exclaimed.
"I've never seen one jump so high!" Bea said in surprise.
"You got this, Aless!" Nemona called out.
"Dodge it!" Alessandra ordered as Rio rolled out of the way as Nymble kicked the ground instead, but it hopped over and kicked Rio in the face.
"Quax…!"
"Struggle Bug!"
"Dodge it and use Wing Attack!"
Nymble jumped over but Rio avoided the attack and lunged forward, slicing through the Nymble with Wing Attack. "Ble…!" Nymble cried, trying to keep itself steady.
"Water Gun!"
Nymble shook itself off… only to get sprayed by Water Gun, which was pushed into a railing as it was KO'd after it fell. "Nyyyyym…"
Katy recalled Nymble. "You fought well…" She softly smiled before switching to her next Pokemon. "Spidops, let's go!"
"Spiiiid!"
Is that what Tarountula evolves into? Alessandra wondered, using a Potion on Rio just in case. "Wing Attack!"
"Skitter Smack!"
Spidops scurried forward, dodging the wing attack before getting behind Rio and smacking him from behind. "Quax…!"
"Now use Throat Chop!"
"Throat Chop?!" Hop said in surprise. "I thought this was the first Gym Battle!"
"It is! Her Tarountula just evolved recently." Nemona said.
"Recently as yesterday or… a few months ago?" Marnie asked.
"Um… good question."
"Counter it with an Aqua Jet!"
Spidops swung its leg into Rio's throat, but he swiftly bent over backwards to avoid the attack and then used Aqua Jet, shoving his head into Spidop's abdomen as it was knocked back.
"Water Gun!"
"Silk Trap!"
Spidops quickly used a web to put up a protective shield around it, right as the Water Gun hit it. The shield was quickly destroyed. "Wing Attack!"
"Brick Break!"
Rio charged forward and swung his feathers at him right as Spidops swung down, but Rio blocked with his wings and parried the Spidops before using Wing Attack to knock the Spidops down.
"Quax!"
"Evai Vai…" The Eevee's eyes sparkled.
Katy returned Spidops. "You fought well…" She smiled at Alessandra. "You're quite good, aren't you? How should I roll things out from here?" She wondered. "Ah, I know." She threw out the last Pokemon.
"Teddiursa!"
"...A Teddiursa?" Alessandra blinked.
"That's not a Bug Type. What gives?" Bede wondered. "...Unless she has a curveball."
"She more than likely does." Cian nodded.
I could send Sherry out now… but… wait… no, I think I need to stick with Rio. Something tells me she's sent Teddiursa out for a reason.
"Now, my little Pokemon! Time to break free from your cocoon and come into your own!"
End BGM
BGM: Victory Lies Before You! (Pokemon Scarlet/Violet)
Katy suddenly brought out her Tera Orb and started to Terastalize her Teddiursa, which Terastalized into a Bug type.
"URSAAAAA!"
"Now I understand… her Teddiursa's got a Bug Type Tera jewel on it!" Marnie said.
Alessandra tightened her gloves. "Might as well fight fire with fire, no?" She smirked, taking out her own Tera Orb and Terastalizing her Quaxly.
"QUAAAAAX!" Rio cried.
Both women smirked, having a twinkle in their eyes.
"Aqua Jet/Fury Cutter!"
"LLLLY!/TEDDIIIII!" Both cried as their Tera jewels exploded in crystals as they both launched toward each other, the Teddiursa's claws extending as Rio slammed into the Teddiursa, only for the Teddiursa to grab the Quaxly, being pushed back several feet before pushing him back and swiped with Fury Cutter, knocking the Quaxly back.
"Wing Attack/Fury Cutter again!"
I see what she's doing now… considering Fury Cutter gets stronger every time the move lands… oooh, I hope you know what you're doing, Aless. Bea thought.
Both Pokemon lunged again, spreading their wings/claws out as they both swung, clashing against one another as they tried to push the other away as both parried each other as they swiped at each other again, bouncing off of one another until Teddiursa avoided the Wing Attack and struck Rio to the side.
"Quax…!" Rio winced.
"You okay, Rio?"
"Quax!"
"Good! Wing Attack!"
"Fury Cutter once more!"
"She's out for blood…" Nemona grimaced.
Both Pokemon attacked each other again as Rio dodged a Fury Cutter as he smacked Teddiursa on the head with it, but the Teddiursa smirked and struck Rio, knocking him on his tail. "Quax…!"
End BGM
"Shit…!" Alessandra grimaced.
"Now be a dear and use Fury Swipes to finish off that Quaxly."
"Come on, Rio! I know you got some life left in you! Get up and use Water Gun!"
"I'm afraid your dear Quaxly is finished."
"Quaxly…" Rio grunted as Teddiursa ran toward him, swiping his paws at him as Rio barely moved, but Teddiursa struck him. "Quax…!"
"Dammit…" Alessandra reached for her Pokeball. I'm sorry, Sherry… but I gotta save Rio!
"Quax!" Rio cried as he suddenly stood defiantly despite looking beaten up. "Ly Ly Quax Qua!"
"You still have it in you…" Alessandra whispered as the Quaxly stomped his webbed foot on the ground in defiance. "Water Gun!"
"QUAAAAX!" Rio cried, his Tera Jewel exploding… when he suddenly started to glow. Alessandra gasped in surprise
"No way!" Nemona exclaimed in excitement.
"Oh my!" Katy said in awe.
"He's got some fight left in him!" Hop cheered.
"You got this!" Sonia cheered.
"Eevai vai!"
"Rio…" Alessandra whispered as the Quaxly finished glowing.
"QUUUAAAAX… WEEEEEEEEEELLLLLL!"
BGM: Pokemon Gym - Version 2 (Pokemon Anime Sound Collection)
Fire swelled in Alessandra's eyes. "Alright, now we're cooking!" She said, immediately pulling out a Potion and spraying her newly evolved Quaxwell. "We've got this in the bag! Show 'em what you're made of, Rio!"
"Quax!"
"You know what to do, Teddiursa! We musn't let her win!"
"Teddi!"
"Water Gun!/Fury Cutter!"
However, Quaxwell sprayed out a new kind of Water move, one where it rapidly produced watery rings.
"Oh…! Okay, Water Pulse it is!" Alessandra grinned.
Teddiursa quickly avoided the Water Pulse and lunged directly at Rio. "Quick! Dodge it!"
Quaxwell jumped over Teddiursa, surprising the Little Bear Pokemon. "Ursa…?!" Teddiursa looked up as the Quaxwell smirked and unleashed a Water Pulse from above, striking the Teddiursa. "Teddi…!"
"This isn't good…" Katy said. "Try it again!"
Teddiursa turned around and used Fury Cutter on Rio. "Dodge it and finish it with Wing Attack!"
The Quaxwell got into position and then cartwheeled, avoiding the Fury Cutter as Rio's wings lit up and swung down, striking the Teddiursa on the head.
"URSAAAA!"
"No!" Katy cried as the Tera Jewel was knocked off of the Teddiursa, as the Pokemon fell on his stomach in defeat, his eyes swirly.
End BGM
"All of my sweet Pokemon dropped like flies…"
"HELL YEAH!" Gloria cheered as Alessandra fell on her knees, sighing in exhaustion.
"Goodness, that was too close for comfort…" Alessandra said, her hand over her chest as the Quaxwell walked over to her, his Terastalization disappearing.
"Quax?"
"Yeah, I'm okay." Alessandra smiled and hugged her Pokemon while Gloria pulled out her Rotom Phone to scan Quaxwell.
"Quaxwell, the Practicing Pokemon and the evolved form of Quaxly. These Pokémon constantly run through shallow waters to train their legs, then compete with each other to see which of them kicks most gracefully. The hardworking Quaxwell observes people and Pokémon from various regions and incorporates their movements into its own dance routines."
"Ye definitely got what it takes." Gloria chuckled.
Katy approached them, smiling despite the outcome. "Your strength rose during our battle like a nice bread in the oven. I feel like I may need to work on my own strength as well! Congratulations! You passed! As proof of your victory against me, the Gym Leader, allow me to present you with this Gym Badge. I hope you'll enjoy it alongside a heaping serving of some of my deluxe handmade treats!"
Katy handed her the Bug Badge, which Alessandra took.
"Thanks." She said, staring at the badge with a smile and put it away as she was helped up.
"Alriiiiight! That's my girl!" Nemona hugged her happily. "Now then, before I run off…"
She grabbed Bea's wrist. "I'll gladly risk those odds!" She said and yanked her away.
"Whoa!" Bea yelped.
Katy giggled. "That Nemona… actually, let me give you all some treats for the road ahead."
"Fine by me." Alessandra smiled and turned around, only to be confronted by the Eevee.
"Eevee Vow!"
"Oh! Were you watching me, little one?"
"Vai!" Eevee smiled before getting into a stance with a smirk. "Vai Vey!"
"I think it wants to fight you!" Zinnia said.
Alessandra sweatdropped. "So soon…? I need to rest up." She said before shaking her head. "Oh, what the heck… I got some steam left in me."
She called out Sherry.
"Bounsweet!"
"Let's have ourselves a grand time, little guy!"
Ibuki: Woo! Now that's how ya do an epic first gym battle!
Deadpool: Oh definitely!
Hehehe. Oh, and don't worry, Alessandra and Cian will also be doing Path of Legends. Wyvern just wanted Cinder and Co to tackle that route.