After surviving a borderline deadly electric maze, Lapis defeated the Mauville City Gym Leader, Wattson, and earned his third Gym badge. Now, he begins the journey north towards the fourth Gym in Lavaridge Town. Along the way, he runs into a house where a famous family lives. He challenges each of them through a marathon battle, but will he be able to make it through unscathed?

Lapis' Pokémon:

Zuli (Lvl. 24 Marshtomp, male; Item: Soft Sand): Impish Nature, Torrent Ability, moves: Tackle, Growl, Mud Shot, Water Gun

Citrine (Lvl. 22 Makuhita, female; Item: Quick Claw): Timid Nature, Guts Ability, moves: Tackle, Fake Out, Arm Thrust, Vital Throw

Tiger Eyes (Lvl. 22 Linoone, male): Quiet Nature, Pickup Ability, moves: Tackle, Cut, Tail Whip, Headbutt

Kyanite (Lvl. 22 Electrike, female; Item: Exp. Share): Mild Nature, Static Ability, moves: Tackle, Howl, Quick Attack, Thunder Wave

Moonstone (Lvl. 23 Swellow, female): Naive Nature, Guts Ability, moves: Peck, Double Team, Focus Energy, Quick Attack

Amethyst (Lvl. 22 Gloom, female; Item: Miracle Seed): Quiet Nature, Chlorophyll Ability, moves: Absorb, Sweet Scent, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder

Chapter 18: A Streak of Winstrates

Lapis and Kyanite walked on Route 117 after their brief return from Rustboro City.

"At least the reward that Mr. Stone guy gave us for those deliveries was worth somethin'."

The Electrike adjusted a weird electronic device on her head. "I still don't really get what this thing does, Lapis."

"The old man said it's 'supposed' to make you stronger faster."

Her eyes sparkled. "Does that mean I'll be more useful?"

He shrugged. "Guess we'll find out. Oh yeah."

He let out Zuli, who yawned. "What's up, Loud Lapis?"

His Trainer took out a CD that read "HM04". "You're learnin' this."

"Oh yeah, the thing we got from the couple we reunited back in Rusturf Tunnel."

"Ugh… Don't remind me about them. They're so...hands-on with their affection…"

"Well, they have been apart for so long," the Marshtomp said with a sly grin.

Lapis rubbed his temple. "There's gotta be more obvious ways to meet in person, like that flyin' taxi I've been seein' but can't use…" Stupid Nuzlocke traveling rules…

The Water type shrugged. "Love makes you do crazy things, you know."

"Whatever, just learn the damn move."

After Zuli did that, they returned to Mauville City to prepare for the next leg of their journey.

One hour later…

Lapis and Tiger Eyes exited north onto Route 111. The teen cracked his neck.

"Looks like it's a long walk to the next place. But it shouldn't be so bad."

The Linoone, however, looked anxious. "I don't know, Lapis. Doesn't it seem...too smooth?"

"Whatcha mean?"

"Well, we won three Badges without losing anyone. I don't wanna jinx anything, but I have a feeling something bad's gonna happen."

"I think you're overthinkin' all this, Tiger Eyes. You guys have been trainin' enough so we should be good 'till the next patch of grass. Besides, we got like, three chances to get Pokémon due to that split-route clause."

"If you say so…"

They then noticed a small, unassuming wooden house by a pond. A small sign next to the door read, "The Winstrate's House: Our family's hearts beat as one!"

Lapis mused, "Oh yeah. I got a letter from the PLA 'bout this place."

"Who are they?" his Pokémon asked.

"They're this family that does this challenge where you have to battle all four of them in a row. If you win, you get a dumb prize."

"Then should we do it?"

"Well, we do need more money after spendin' it all on those healin' items and Great Balls… You wanna be first? I know you have that premonition 'n all, but you got the best all-'round coverage for whatever they got."

The Normal type gave a soft smile. "I trust you, Lapis. Let's do this."

His Trainer nodded, then proceeded to slam his fist on the door.

A man in his forties stepped out, intrigued by this guest. He had black hair that was tied up into a ponytail and wore a light green long-sleeved outdoors shirt, a dark green puffy vest, and khaki pants held up by a thick brown belt.

"Ah, are you a new challenger?" he asked with a slightly gruff tone.

"Why else would I be here?"

"Hahahah! True," he said as he stroked his well-manicured beard. "We are one of the main attractions on this route. Well then, I, Victor, will be your first opponent." He then guided the teen to a dirt battlefield behind the house.

Victor threw a Poké Ball into the air. "Go, Turin!"

A level 16 Taillow flew above the ground. Lapis motioned to Tiger Eyes, who stepped forward.

The Winstrate made the first move. "Turin, Quick Attack!"

"Tiger Eyes, Headbutt!" Lapis countered.

The Pokémon collided head-on, but the Rushing Pokémon knocked the Flying type back, causing the latter to tumble and lie motionless on the dirt.

Victor, undeterred, returned his fallen Pokémon and took out another Poké Ball. "Go, Zafar!"

A level 16 Zigzagoon emerged with an Oran Berry tied around his neck.

Lapis didn't hesitate. "Tiger Eyes, Rock Smash!"

The Normal type's right paw glowed white as he struck his pre-evolution over the head.

"Don't give in, Zafar! Use Headbutt!"

The Tiny Racoon Pokémon hit Tiger Eyes' body and pushed him back. This allowed Victor's Pokémon enough time to restore some of his health with his Berry.

Seeing his Pokémon was still in good health, Lapis shouted, "Headbutt!"

A strong strike to Zafar's head caused the Zigzagoon to slump on the field.

"Oh my," Victor noted as he returned his last Pokémon. "You're stronger than I expected. Guess I gotta let the rest know." He headed towards the back door and opened it, shouting, "Hey, I found a strong Trainer!"

A minute later, a woman around the same age as Victor emerged. A long white apron covered her lilac dress. She adjusted her medium-length brown hair and gave Lapis a curious look. "Well, you definitely are older than the Trainers we usually see," she noted in a motherly tone.

"Is that an insult?"

"Oh, no! All Trainers are welcome to participate in our battle challenge. And you must be strong if you defeated my husband." She detached the only Poké Ball around her waist. "Now it's my turn! I, Victoria, am your next opponent! Go, Sigrid!"

A Roselia emerged amongst a soft rose scent, and she swayed slightly in the breeze.

Although she was level 17, Lapis and Tiger Eyes were unfazed.

"Headbutt!"

The Linoone struck the Grass type hard, and just like that, she collapsed onto the field.

"O-Oh my!" Victoria screamed. "Th-That was so fast! I didn't even get one hit in! You really are strong!"

She returned Sigrid and ran to the back door. "He's a strong one, all right!" she called to the people inside.

Soon, a little girl emerged and ran onto the field with a big smile on her face. Her yellow shirt with blue trim and orange shirt reflected her cheerfulness.

Lapis was dumbfounded. "You're stronger than your parents?!"

"Yeah! Why? Is it because I'm just a kid?!" she retorted with her high-pitched voice.

"Uhhh…"

"I really am strong! Honest! And Vivi will show you why! Go, Amarjeet!"

A Marill rolled out of her Poké Ball, showing the same eagerness as her Trainer.

The Nuzlocker shook his head as he scanned his tablet. "Level 15 ain't better than your parents, kid."

"Um, what's a level?"

"Ugh...never mind… Tiger Eyes, Headbutt!"

The Linoone slammed into the Water type with his head, knocking her back.

Vivi shouted, "Defense Curl!"

Amarjeet curled into a ball, and a blue aura briefly surrounded her.

Lapis was unfazed, knowing the boost in defense wouldn't help. "Cut!"

Tiger Eyes slashed the Aqua Mouse Pokémon, and his claws knocked her unconscious.

"Oh no!" Vivi hurriedly returned Amarjeet and threw another Poké Ball. "Stop him, Seung!"

A Shroomish appeared and frowned at the one who made his Trainer upset.

Seeing that Tiger Eyes needed a break, Lapis had the Linoone return to his side. "Go, Citrine!"

The Makuhita was a little unnerved by the Grass type twirling back and forth, but she regained her resolve.

"Fake Out!" Lapis commanded.

With a quick strike, she was able to keep Seung off-guard and prevent her from attacking.

Vivi smiled. "That's a good strategy, mister. But check out mine! Stun Spore!"

The Shroomish sprayed the yellow powder from her head, but the wind from the mountains pushed it away from the battlefield.

With the fear of paralysis gone, Lapis commanded, "Vital Throw!"

The Fighting type grabbed hold of Seung and hurled her into the ground. But before she fainted, the Grass type released a rainbow-colored powder from his body. When it touched Citrine's body, sparks began to show.

Damn it, so much for that.

"Hahah!" she laughed as she returned her second Pokémon. "Serves you right, you meanie!"

"Kids these days," Lapis muttered.

Vivi then detached her final Poké Ball. "Go for it, Nike!"

A Numel appeared and gave her opponent a blank face.

Really? these Pokémon choices… Lapis returned Citrine as well. "Go, Zuli!"

The girl's face turned pale as the Marshtomp materialized. "Oh, darn… I'm not gonna win, am I?"

"Nope. Water Gun!"

The super effective attack knocked Nike into the walls of the house, and she crumpled onto the concrete entryway.

An old woman with white hair tied into a bun emerged from the house. Her pink blouse and blush-colored long skirt swayed lightly in the breeze. When she noticed the unconscious Numel, she sighed. "It looks like you still need more training, Vivi."

The child whimpered, "Okay, Grandma Vicky…" She then glared at Lapis. "You meanie! Grandma Vicky will beat you real bad!"

"I'm real scared 'bout that, kid," Lapis replied sarcastically as Tiger Eyes returned onto the field. "You guys ain't livin' up to your reputation, that's for sure."

Vicky gave a soft chuckle. "Vivi, go inside and take a break."

"Snivel… Yes, Grandma…"

After the girl went inside, the oldest Winstrate member approached the battlefield. "You'd be surprised how strong the Winstrates are, young one. And I, Vicky, will demonstrate that to you. Go, Manjeet!"

A level 18 Meditite stood in front of them, glaring at the Normal type.

Tiger Eyes became worried. "Are you sure about this, Lapis? What if she has a Fighting type move?"

"You should be able to handle it, Tiger Eyes. I'm sure you can flinch her like usual. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?" Lapis thought he saw Vicky snicker, but he ignored it. "Headbutt!"

The Pokémon slammed head-on into the Fighting type. Though the move did decent damage, the flinching did not occur.

Damn it! Whatever their move is, it won't do anything!

The elderly woman waved her arm forward. "Manjeet, High Jump Kick!"

The Meditate Pokémon leaped into the air and stretched out her right leg.

Lapis clenched his fists. That move has a 90% hit rate. And when it misses, it's gonna hurt big time. It better miss!

But his eyes grew wide in horror as the move made contact to the Normal type's head. Tiger Eyes tumbled back and lay still. Lapis' heart dropped. "T-Tiger Eyes!"

Vicky scolded, "That is what arrogance brings you. May you never forget that."

But the delinquent didn't pay attention to her words. All he felt now was anger and rage. He returned the Linoone, his blood boiling. "Moonstone, finish them!"

The Swellow was surprised to hear her Trainer talk like that. "L-Lapis? Are you okay?"

"Just attack, Moonstone! Wing Attack!"

Though concerned, she charged at Manjeet with outstretched wings.

Vicky's eyes narrowed. "Detect!"

The Psychic type's eyes glowed blue, and she dodged the super effective attack with ease.

Lapis bit his lip. "Keep goin', Moonstone! Knock her out!"

"Do the same, Manjeet!"

The blue Pokémon kept at it with their attacks. Eventually, the Meditite was unable to dodge anymore and Moonstone knocked her back with her right wing. The former succumbed to the move, and the elderly woman sighed.

"Oh well. At least I did what I needed to."

"What the hell're you talkin' 'about?!"

Vicky shook her head. "Sorry, but that's something I can't tell you." She tossed him a pair of green cuffs with three gray braces. "Guess you earned this Macho Brace. It-"

"I don't give a damn…" he retorted, his fist shaking.

Lapis returned the worried Swellow and fought back tears as he ran back to the Mauville City Pokémon Center. But remembering the last time he made an emotional outburst in a Pokémon Center, the teen calmly entered the building and withdrew Onyx's Poké Ball from his PC. Then he walked to the back of the building and slumped to his knees. He buried his face into his arms and cried.

H-How did this happen?! I-It shouldn't have happened like this… Argh, why does this keep happening to me?!

The last thought made him pause, and he sniffled. Has this...happened to me before? But how can that be?

The sounds of a Pokémon emerging from their ball interrupted his thoughts. He peeked out and saw a worried Tiger Eyes. Though the Linoone was badly injured, he was still conscious.

"T-Tiger Eyes?"

He gently touched his Trainer's arm. "I'm sorry, Lapis."

"Wh-Why're you sorry? I-I shoulda switched to Moonstone sooner… Then that way-"

"But Moonstone could've been knocked out instead. You made the decision based on what you thought was right, Lapis. We trust you a lot more than you think."

The rest of the team materialized. All of them were just as worried as their fallen friend.

Lapis wiped his eyes and chuckled. "You guys don't have to-"

"Come on, Lapis," Zuli disrupted. "We all agreed to do this with you, and we accepted the consequences."

"B-Besides…" Citrine stuttered. "W-We need your help more than ever now."

"How so?"

Kyanite rubbed against his legs. "It's only going to get harder from here. And if anything happens to any of us, you have to keep going. For all of us."

"What the hell're you guys talkin' 'bout?"

The Marshtomp sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "We didn't expect to tell you this so early, but…"

"But what, Zuli?!"

"When Amethyst read her information card, it seems there was a new clause added compared to ours. What was it again, Amethyst?"

The Gloom motioned the number "10" with her arms before falling and feigning unconsciousness.

Lapis cocked his head. "I…I don't really get it…"

His starter explained while trying to hide the fear in his voice, "I-If you lose ten of us before you finish the Nuzlocke challenge…then…you'll never see any of us again…"

The teen sprang up. "Wait, what the hell?! That ain't what was written in that form before!" Then he came to a realization. "That Cowden guy… He can't be…but it all makes sense."

"What, Lapis?" Tiger Eyes inquired.

Lapis clenched his fists. "He ain't a businessman; he's a member of the PLA!"

The Pokémon were shocked.

"S-So he really followed through with that deal…" Onyx murmured.

"Looks like he really means business." Lapis stared at each one of them. "To think I only did the challenge to get outta juvie. But now…you guys…really mean a lot to me, even the annoying ones."

Zuli smirked, crossing his arms. "We all feel the same. Loud Lapis."

"H-Hey!"

His team laughed, but the teen let them continue.

Moonstone covered the delinquent with her right wing. "We'll do everything we can to help you succeed, Lapis."

The group surrounded their Trainer, and the latter felt the love emanating from them.

After the embrace, Onyx turned to the one she'll be replacing. "I'll become the strongest Pokémon I can be, Tiger Eyes. I won't lose, for Lapis and for you."

The Linoone smiled. "I know, Onyx. Once you evolve, you'll definitely be a force to be reckoned with."

After they high-fived, the Normal type said, "Thanks for everything, everyone. I'll be cheering for you all from the sidelines."

Lapis returned everyone else and hugged his third Pokémon. "Thank you, Tiger Eyes."

After one last nuzzle, he returned the Rushing Pokémon and deposited his Poké Ball into a box dedicated for only the PLA to use. Now, he had to focus on training Onyx to catch up with the rest of them. Luckily for him, Lapis had the right item for the job.

Two hours later…

"Onyx, Rock Smash!"

His newly evolved Mightyena smashed the small boulders blocking the path on Route 111.

She beamed. "I can't believe how much stronger I've gotten in such a short amount of time!"

Lapis smirked. "Thank the Exp. Share on your head."

"Oh yeah." She scratched the side of her head with her back paw. "But it is itchy…"

"Well hopefully you ain't gonna need it for long."

After he returned her, he had a strange feeling he was being watched, almost recorded. He glanced around until a flash of light caught his attention. A pair of adults were watching from behind a large boulder. One was a short blue-haired woman wearing a blue vest over her white blouse and matching slacks. The other was a man with messy brown hair peeking out of his red cap; his white T-shirt and blue jeans dripping with sweat.

"There he is!" the woman hissed. "Let's get him, Ty!"

The man placed a large black news camera over his right shoulder and took some things out of his red fanny bag. "All set, Gabby."

Gabby whipped out a large red microphone and ran over in her dark blue high heels. "Excuse me, young man! You're Lapis Eurig, right? The Nuzlocke delinquent?"

Ty joined her and positioned himself to get the best angle.

The teen glared at them. "Who the hell are you two?"

"Oh, silly me! I forgot to introduce ourselves." She turned to face the camera. After getting the go-ahead from her partner, she said, "I, Gabby Mari, field reporter from the Hoenn News Network, and my partner, Ty Dai, are live on Route 11 just north of Mauville City. We are now with, Lapis Eurig, who just lost his first Pokémon in his quest to conquer the Hoenn League under strict rules known as the Nuzlocke Challenge."

"H-Hey, wait a sec!" Lapis protested. "I ain't doin' any interviews!"

Gabby continued to talk to the camera. "Per direction from the Pokémon League Association, we can only conduct our interview if he defeats us in battle."

"What the hell're you-"

The reporter then moved next to her cameraman. "And now, we begin a doubles battle live on regional TV! Go, Mic!"

Ty followed her lead. "Let's go, Zoom!"

A Whismur and Magnemite appeared and waved to the invisible viewers.

Lapis rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I don't believe this… Fine, whatever! Go, Kyanite and Citrine!"

The Electrike and Makuhita were a little unnerved by the black device pointed at them, but they returned their focus to the opposing Pokémon.

"And now, we begin the battle!" Gabby announced.

Lapis rolled his eyes. "Kyanite, use Spark on Mic!"

The Lightning Pokémon lunged at the Normal type as sparks coursed through his fur. The move was so fast, Mic was quickly knocked out by the critical hit.

"My goodness!" the announcer shouted with dismay as she returned her Pokémon. "It looks like my Pokémon is done for the day."

"Don't worry, Gabby. I got this!" Ty reaffirmed. "Zoom, use Thundershock on Kyanite!"

Though the Magnet Pokémon's attack was not effective, the weak jolt of electricity knocked her back. Lapis gritted his teeth as he faced the critical hit.

"That move has definitely done some damage!" Gabby excitedly yelled. "Now how will Lapis respond?"

"Citrine, Vital Throw!"

The Fighting type grabbed Zoom's left magnet and slammed it into the grass. The Electric type twitched before becoming motionless.

"And…that's the end of the battle!" the reporter announced as her cameraman sadly returned his Pokémon. Gabby then ran back to the front of the camera. "What an exciting one, right, everyone? And now, an interview with the victor."

She turned her head around only to see the Nuzlocker walking away.

"W-Wait! What about our interview?"

But he ignored her.

Sighing, she regained her composure. "Oh well, reporting live from Route 111, I'm Gabby Mari from the Hoenn News Network. Back to you in the studio."

Questions for the Chapter:

What did you think of the Winstrates?

What did you think of the battles?

What do you think about Onyx replacing Tiger Eyes?