Sorryyyyyyyy for the long wait for this one! I haven't been in the best headspace for writing, and this chapter was particularly difficult. Worth it, though, I hope!
Mary-Sue woke with a scratch on her chest from where her badge had dug into her skin overnight. She hadn't been able to put it away, instead pinning it to her pajama shirt so she could fiddle with it until she fell asleep. It still felt so surreal - not only that she'd experienced her first gym battle, but that she'd won! I'm a real trainer, she thought over and over. Not just a wanna-be. My dream is really coming true!
Giddy and well-rested, the young redhead got dressed and emerged from her tent to find Jovi already up and cooking some noodles. The girls exchanged greetings, Mary-Sue went to freshen up a little, and soon enough, Aaron was joining them for breakfast…
…only for a shout from a nearby shrub to cut through the pleasant morning, as a small, round Pokémon leapt towards the trio.
"Poli!" it shouted; before anyone could react, the Poliwag smacked Aaron across the face with its tail. "Poli, Poliwag!" it snapped as it slapped Aaron again and again, one-two, one-two. "Wag wag!"
"What's going on?" Jovi yelped.
"Uh-" Mary-Sue floundered a moment, then grabbed the only Pokéball on her backpack that she could use in a battle right now. "Zubat, let's go, I need you!" she yelled without thinking.
"Zuzu! Zubat?" Almost immediately, Zubat screeched, flailing in the air - in the sunlight.
"Whoops," Mary-Sue exclaimed. "I'm sorry, Zubat, but, um, Budew won't fight and Gyarados is too big, you're the only one I can ask!"
"Zuuuu…zuzu," it hissed at her, but it nodded, seeming to settle.
"Let's do this quick," Mary-Sue told it. "Use Wing Attack on that Poliwag!"
The Poliwag was still using Doubleslap on Aaron, who was just trying to shield his face, clearly too bewildered to react. As Zubat swooped for it with glowing wings, though, it rolled out of the way, bouncing once on the ground before landing on its feet and bracing itself.
"Poli!" it shouted at Zubat. "Poli-wag!"
"Zuzu, batbat!" its opponent hissed.
"Use Gust!" Mary-Sue called out.
"Zuuuu…!" Zubat whipped its wings hard, stirring the wind.
"Poli, Poli-wag!" shrieked the wild Pokémon, and a stream of bubbles flew out of its mouth and towards Zubat.
"Look out!" Mary-Sue yelped. "You'll get wet!"
Zubat cut off its attack to launch high in the air, barely dodging the water-type attack. As the bubbles streamed past it, it turned its eyeless face at Mary-Sue and hissed angrily.
"I'm sorry," Mary-Sue sobbed. "I really can't turn to anyone else here! Let's finish this quick, okay? Use Leech Life!" I really need to catch more Pokémon…
After hesitating for one more moment, giving Mary-Sue what could only be called a glare despite its lack of eyes, Zubat nodded and dove for Poliwag, the root still tied around its neck glowing along with its teeth. In response, Poliwag jumped up and smacked Zubat in the face with its tail, just as it had Aaron.
"Supersonic!" Mary-Sue cried out desperately.
The flying-type Pokémon unleashed an earsplitting screech, causing all the humans to clamp their hands over their ears. Poliwag, though, didn't have that option, and when the sound faded, it was tottering around in confusion.
"Leech Life, go!" Mary-Sue shouted.
"Zuuu…bat!" her partner snarled triumphantly as it clamped its jaws around Poliwag and drained its life. Poliwag wailed and squirmed, eventually wriggling its way free.
"Now, Wing Attack, hurry!" Mary-Sue ordered.
Before Poliwag could quite get its footing, a glowing wing slammed into it, knocking it tumbling to the edge of the clearing.
"Alright!" Mary-Sue cheered.
Poliwag was panting, clearly battered and exhausted, but it still managed to turn angry eyes on Aaron. Eager to make sure they didn't end up in this situation again, Mary-Sue reached into her back and took out a Pokéball that, for some reason, was already full-sized.
"Go, Pokéball!" she shouted, hurling the capsule at Poliwag.
The orb sailed towards Poliwag, who whimpered and cringed as it landed…only for it to bounce off with a chunky thonk! noise.
"Huh?" Mary-Sue gasped.
"Poli…?" Poliwag stared at the sphere that was now rolling away from it. "Poli…wag…!" With visibly tremendous effort, Poliwag managed to get to its little feet, and with one last angry growl at the humans, it turned and dashed into the foliage, disappearing behind a bush.
"What happened?" Aaron asked as Mary-Sue walked over and picked up the Pokéball that hadn't even tried to do its job.
"I'm not sure," the young redhead muttered. She tried pressing the button manually, but it didn't budge. "It…won't open…"
Suddenly, laughter filled the clearing, as Jovi erupted into hysterics behind the two trainers. They turned, and saw the teenager hugging herself, almost doubled over with mirth. There was nothing they could do but stare in bewilderment, until Jovi got ahold of herself and straightened; still giggling, she pointed at Mary-Sue and declared, "Gotcha!"
"What do you mean?" Mary-Sue asked.
Jovi walked over and took the defective Pokéball from the younger girl. "Poképoles!" she declared, almost proudly. "An invention by Orre's own Dr. Kaminko!" She grinned and held it up, tapping the fake button. "They're almost impossible to tell apart from real Pokéballs, but in reality, they're just painted wooden sticks! I was wondering how long it would take one of you to fall for it!" She laughed again.
"You…" Mary-Sue blinked at her friend. "This was…a prank?"
"Uh-huh!" Jovi responded brightly. "Dr. Kaminko makes great inventions for this kind of thing!" She sobered a little and added, "Some of his inventions are actually really mean…but then there are the harmless fun ones, like these! I've been wanting to pull this trick on someone forever!"
"I didn't take you for a prankster, Jovi," Aaron remarked.
The blue-haired teenager's smile softened, turning almost fond. "I've been friends with Dr. Kaminko's assistant, Chobin, for as long as I can remember," she said. "He helped me appreciate the brilliance of the doctor's work. Spreading it around is…kind of my way of preserving our friendship." Then she smirked and added, "Plus, the look on your face really was priceless!"
"Hmm…" Mary-Sue eyed the Poképole for another moment…then smiled. "You got me," she conceded. "Good one, Jovi."
"Thanks!" Jovi trilled. "I knew you'd be a good sport!"
"It's fine," Mary-Sue shrugged. "I really do need to catch more Pokémon, since Budew won't fight, Gyarados needs special training, and Zubat…oh!" she gasped suddenly, remembering her inconvenienced partner. "Zubat, where are you?!" she called, looking around.
"Zu zu!" came a hiss from within the nearest tree, and Mary-Sue peered through the branches to see Zubat hiding from the sunlight.
"I'm really sorry," she told it. "You did a great job, though! I'll give you a bath tonight, after the sun goes down, okay?"
"I have brushes for Pokémon with short fur, like Pluplu and Mimi," Jovi spoke up. "I'd be happy to share."
"Thanks, Jovi," Mary-Sue nodded. "Does that sound good, Zubat?"
"Zu…Zubat bat," the light-averse creature nodded.
"Alright, return for now," Mary-Sue told it, and it disappeared back into its Pokéball in a cloud of red light. Sighing heavily, she turned back to her friends. "I do need to catch more Pokémon," she repeated. "But, I guess that Poliwag isn't too big a loss." She smiled at Jovi and added, "Now I know to be more careful with my supplies."
The older girl giggled again.
As they settled back down for breakfast, Mary-Sue thought to ask Aaron, "Are you alright? That Poliwag seemed really mad at you for some reason."
"I'm fine," he assured her, and he gave her a smile that looked very forced. "I've dealt with worse." His hand went to his right upper arm, and the scar that poked out beneath his sleeve.
Swallowing hard, Mary-Sue nodded.
In short order, the three friends ate breakfast, packed up their camp, and returned to the road.
"The cape should still be a little ways away," Mary-Sue said, taking out her paper map. "We might get there by nightfall if we hurry, but it's a long shot. Hey, Aaron," she said, turning to her friend as she tucked her map away, "why don't you play us something that'll help us walk faster?"
"Huh?" the Galarian boy blinked.
"Yeah!" Jovi agreed. "Sometimes you play really energetic music that puts a spring in my step!"
"Uh-huh!" Mary-Sue grinned. "Play for us, Aaron!"
"Oh, uh…okay," Aaron mumbled, his cheeks darkening. Nonetheless, he pulled out his little guitar and started strumming an upbeat tune.
"Yeah, like that!" Mary-Sue cheered, and she started skipping along the path, her friends right behind her.
A few hours passed under the hot summer sun, the trio of travelers half-walking, half-dancing down the road - even Aaron started to get caught up in his companions' appreciation for his music, taking bouncing, rhythmic steps. Then, as morning passed into afternoon, a rustling in the undergrowth beside the road made Mary-Sue slow down, the others stopping alongside her and turning just in time to see a very strange man emerge from the bushes.
He was tall and lanky, so slender that his limbs almost looked too long for his body. His shoes had thick, high heels that made him appear even taller, and a big, gaudy star buckled the belt around his tight purple pants. His loose purple shirt had a white floral print, and was only buttoned in a single place right at the center of his chest, leaving the rest of the fabric to flap loosely around his lean body, while his face was half-covered by gigantic sunglasses. By far the most noticeable thing about him, though, was his hairdo: it was massive, making him almost a third taller than he already was, and shaped into a big sphere; half of it was dyed an orange-red, the other half a grayish white, so that he almost looked like he was wearing a gigantic Pokéball.
To say the man 'walked' wasn't really accurate, not even if one took into account the fact that he was moving backwards; he slid backwards, his feet never quite leaving the ground even as they moved as though he was taking steps. The rest of his body swayed, both hands pointing up and down with the index fingers in a strange dance.
"Ohhhhhhh, I say I say, what sweet music has me groovin' this-a-way?" he asked, twirling several times in place before striking a pose and facing the travelers.
"What are you doing here?" Jovi grumbled, and Mary-Sue turned to find the older girl frowning, her arms folded haughtily.
"You know this guy, Jovi?" Mary-Sue asked, surprised.
"Of him," Jovi sighed. "He's from Orre, same as me, and his name's Miror B. During the first Shadow Pokémon incident, he was an Admin for Cipher, but after the first hero disrupted their plans, he disassociated from the group and basically turned into a wandering bum."
"Excuse you, young lady!" the odd man exclaimed, putting one hand to his chest dramatically in offense.
"Well, it's true," Jovi shrugged, before turning back to Mary-Sue and continuing, "He caused a lot of trouble for my big brother during the second Shadow Pokémon incident, but I don't think I've seen him since. Of course…" She aimed a glare at the stranger. "…the fact that he would show up here at the same time as Cipher probably isn't a coincidence."
"Cipher?" Miror B. repeated, pushing his huge sunglasses down to look at Jovi over the rims. "Now that's a name I've not heard in years. Whatever do you mean, they're here? What would they be doing in a region like this?"
"Why don't you tell us?!" Jovi snapped. "Don't play dumb! If you're here, and they're here, you're connected! So why don't you quit the act and tell us where Ardos is?" Jovi brandished one hand threateningly. "I'm the acting member of Team Spirit, the Shadow Pokémon Rescue Team, here in Kanto, and I demand that you tell us everything you know about Cipher's plans!"
"Little lady, I don't have the faintest idea what you're talking about," Miror B. huffed. "I put all that behind me long ago. I'm here on my own journey." He flung his arms wide. "I'm here for the music!" he proclaimed. "The groove of every Pokémon in the world!"
Jovi growled, her glare not wavering.
"Hmph!" Miror B. crossed his arms and stuck his nose in the air. "Judge-y little brat, aren't you? Alright then, I'll tell you my story.
"Years and years ago, I dreamed of owning every Pokémon in the world," he began, gesticulating wildly, his every word emphasized with waving hands and twirling body. "I wanted out of my little backwater region of Orre, and so, eight years ago, when a great ship set out for lands beyond, my posse and I stowed away, so we could start gathering up all the world's Pokémon, beyond our sandy little hole."
"Eight years ago?!" Jovi exclaimed. "You stowed away on our ship?!"
"Hmm?" He paused to look at her briefly. "Can't say. Anyway, the ship took us to the glorious region of Unova, and-"
"You did!" Jovi shouted, her hands balling into fists.
"Would you stop interrupting me?!" Miror B. snapped. He folded his arms again and huffed. "Anyway, we got to Unova, and that was where…" The tall man deflated a bit, almost slumping. "…where I realized that the world…is kinda…big."
"Duh," Jovi remarked.
"I mean, really big," Miror B. went on. "And the Pokémon, so many Pokémon! More than one man could own if he tried!"
"Again, duh."
"My dream came crashing down on me that day," Miror B. lamented. "For two years, I partied away my sorrows in that glorious region - the glitz and glamor of Unova kept my mind occupied, the music and dancing and theater. But then!" He flung on hand upward dramatically, finger pointing to the sky. "Then, I saw a vision! I saw a Pokémon - a Pokémon that looked exactly like me!"
"Like you?" Jovi repeated, eyebrows lifting.
"Ehh, close enough," Miror B. dismissed, waving a hand back and forth. "It was being taken to the local professor for study, you see, so I couldn't have it for myself, but I followed, and asked questions, and quickly learned that that Pokémon - I can't remember its name now - came from a region called Alola. Oh, it was a sign, I tell you! I knew my destiny lay in that region! So I ditched my posse and hopped on the first boat bound for Alola that I could find.
"I never did find that Pokémon that looked like me," Miror B. admitted, "but I found something better." He pressed both hands to his half-bare chest. "I found myself," he declared. "Oh, Alola has smooth vibes like you wouldn't believe - the people are so happy, so relaxed, so down to groove! I spoke to their gurus, spent time on beaches and mountaintops and in forests, and now…" Abruptly, he spun around several times on one foot. "…I have a new dream!" he proclaimed, coming to a stop and striking a pose. "I don't want to own every Pokémon, I want to see every Pokémon, love every Pokémon! All the music in the world, I wanna dance to it! There's music in everything - every tree, every rock, every Pokémon, every person - and I only wanna groove to it all!"
"Okay," Jovi said slowly, nonplussed. "So what are you doing here now?"
"I heard tales of a Pokémon 'round these parts with the loveliest singing voice you ever did hear," Miror B. answered. "I had hoped to hear it for myself. But…" He turned and strutted towards Aaron, who had been standing back and all but hugging his little guitar throughout the exchange. "…seems I found something just as good." The lanky man bent at the waist so that he was at a ninety-degree angle, his face right up in Aaron's. "Was it you playin' those sweet tunes that called to me, boy?"
"Uh…" Aaron cringed backwards slightly, his face quickly turning the color of a Tamato Berry. "Um…maybe? I, uh…I was playing this…"
"Hmm?" Miror B. pushed his sunglasses down to the very tip of his nose, observing Aaron intently. "Why so glum, boy? You've got a groove in your soul - ya gotta let it out, let the music play!"
"Er…" Aaron gulped, apparently embarrassed beyond words.
Miror B. hummed again, pushing his sunglasses back up and straightening. Then, all of a sudden, he thrust his index finger into Aaron's face and barked, "Battle me!"
"Huh?" Aaron gasped, leaping back half a step.
"You've got Pokémon, I've got Pokémon," Miror B. stated. "I wanna feel your vibe, boy. So let's battle!"
"I, uh…" Aaron gave Mary-Sue and Jovi a helpless look.
"You did come up here to train," Mary-Sue pointed out.
"And you can check to see if any of his Pokémon are Shadow Pokémon," Jovi added.
"True…" The Galarian boy drew a deep breath, his brows furrowing, then met Miror B.'s expectant gaze and nodded. "Alright," he said, "I'll battle you."
"YEEHAW!" The lanky man suddenly flew into a flurry of motion that was hard for Mary-Sue's eyes to follow. Just to put enough space for a battle for himself and Aaron, he leapt into two midair backflips, landing the second one in a perfect split, before somehow propping up on one hand and twirling upside-down, then righting himself, spinning on his tiptoes, and finally coming to a standstill - and even then, he was still moving, undulating his arms from one hand to the other in a smooth wave before snapping his fingers, sparks flying from the tips.
"What was that?!" Mary-Sue yelped.
Everyone turned to her, including Miror B. "What was what?" he asked.
"You-!" Mary-Sue shook her head. "You just made sparks come out of your fingers!" When no one responded to this, she turned to Jovi somewhat desperately. "You saw it too, right Jovi?"
"Uh…" The blue-haired teenager glanced between Miror B. and Mary-Sue. "…Maybe?"
"Hm. Anyway, it's time to play!" Miror B. declared. Crossing his arms across his chest to reach into opposite pockets, he called, "Ludicolo, Maractus, take the stage!"
Two Pokéballs flew into the air and burst open, unleashing two Pokémon.
One was a round, beaked thing covered in yellow and brown fur, its green arms and legs stubby, a lilypad like a hat on its head; it danced back and forth in place, rhythmically chanting its name: "Ludi-colo-Ludi-colo-Ludi-colo!" The other was a bit smaller, thin and bulb-y like Budew, bright green with dark green highlights and a few yellow spikes here and there; protrusions on top of its head that could have been ears or horns were topped with pink flowers, and it swayed back and forth while shaking its body, creating a sound like rain hitting leafy treetops.
"Who's that Pokémon?" Mary-Sue asked, taking out her Pokédex. "That one's Ludicolo, but the other…" She gasped when her device gave her an error message. "It's not in my Pokédex!" she exclaimed. "It must not be from the quad-region area…"
"I think I've seen it before in Unova," Jovi supplied.
Meanwhile, Aaron was assessing his opponents. "Two Pokémon?" he asked.
"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting to tell you guys," Jovi spoke up; "double battles are the standard in Orre. I know that's weird, but it's just how we do things, and like I said, this guy's from Orre too."
"Is that why you so easily used Pluplu and Mimi against one Bibarel?" Mary-Sue asked.
"Uh-huh," Jovi nodded. "It's just normal for us."
Miror B. didn't seem to even hear the exchange, too busy dancing alongside his Pokémon. He swayed so fluidly it was as though his bones were made of rubber, and his gyrating seemed less off-putting when it matched the rhythm of his Pokémon's chanting and rattling. When she focused on him, Mary-Sue found it difficult to keep a smile off her face despite everything - something about the guy's energy was almost infectious.
"Alright then," Aaron said. "In that case, Zigzagoon, Toxel, let's go!"
"Zig-zagoon!"
"Toxel tox!"
"Okay guys," Aaron told his Pokémon as they emerged from their Pokéballs, "this is a double battle, which means you'll have to work together. We can do this, right?"
Both creatures nodded at him, chirping their affirmations.
"Hey, how many Pokémon in total are we using?" Aaron called to Miror B.
"Three on three works for me!" the dancing man replied.
"Alright then." Aaron shifted, taking a more defensive stance. "You're on!"
"Show 'em our elegant steps, my lovely Pokémon!" Miror B. proclaimed. "Maractus, use Rain Dance; then, Ludicolo, use Teeter Dance!"
"Rac rac rac rac," rattled the cactus Pokémon, shaking its appendages, and immediately, a thick cloud cover gathered overhead, shrouding the once-sunny morning.
"Oh wow," Mary-Sue said as the rain began to fall. "Pokémon moves can cause localized weather changes, but it takes a strong one to affect a whole area like this." She turned to Jovi. "Are these Shadow Pokémon?"
"I'm sure Aaron would have said something," Jovi replied, shaking her head. "Besides, Shadow Pokémon don't know how to use regular Pokémon moves."
"Toxel, use Acid!" Aaron called; "Zigzagoon, use Baby-Doll Eyes!"
But in the time it took Aaron's Pokémon to decide on a target, since he hadn't named one for either of them, Ludicolo began swaying, almost stumbling around in a confusing corkscrew of steps that made Mary-Sue's head spin. She wasn't the only one; all the Pokémon on the field stared at the display, almost swaying in time with the fuzzy creature.
"Guys, come on!" Aaron urged. "Don't get distracted!"
"Luuuuudi, coooooolo," croaked Ludicolo as it continued its erratic movements.
"Tox…" Toxel began swiping at its own face, while Zigzagoon shook itself from nose to tail tip. Even Maractus seemed unwell as Ludicolo regained its footing…but then, it reached for a pink berry that had been stuck on one of its thorns and ate it, shaking itself once and getting its bearings.
A Persim Berry, Mary-Sue thought. He came prepared. She began to worry for her friend - as strange as this guy was, he clearly knew what he was doing when it came to Pokémon battles.
"You know how to see clearly," Aaron all but intoned, and Mary-Sue remembered him saying something similar during his battle with Misty. "Listen to me, and focus."
"Water Pulse, Ludicolo!" Miror B. commanded with a flourish.
Ludicolo rubbed its broad palms together. "Colo-colo-colo-Ludi-colo!" it chanted, as an orb of glowing glowing water gathered between its hands, augmented by the weather, and flew at Toxel.
"Zigzagoon, protect Toxel with Snarl!" Aaron all but yelped.
Mary-Sue blinked in surprise - surely Acid would be a better counter? - but then she saw that Toxel was still clawing at its own face, while Zigzagoon seemed to have come to its senses, and was able to run in front of the attack and bark just in time. The moves collided explosively, and Zigzagoon was knocked back, slamming bodily into Toxel, who was still confused; the Galarian Pokémon tumbled together, crying out.
"Hold back, Maractus, it's not your time to shine," Miror B. said. "Just keep shakin' it, while Ludicolo rules the stage!"
"Rac-rac-rac!" agreed the flowered Pokémon, obediently rattling its appendages.
"Ludicolo, give that Ziggy a Seed Bomb or three!" Miror B. declared with a twirl.
"Look out, Zigzagoon!" Aaron called. "Dodge back and forth, fast!"
"Zig! Zig! Zig!" Zigzagoon panted as it zigzagged all across the makeshift battlefield, only just evading the grassy projectiles launched from the top of Ludicolo's head as they exploded against the ground.
"Come on, Toxel, snap out of it!" Aaron pleaded. "We really need your help!"
"Tooox…Toooox…!" groaned the purple creature. Then it shook its head, seeming to finally get a grip. "Toxel tox!"
"Use Acid on that Ludicolo!" Aaron called.
Meanwhile, Zigzagoon had been tossed sideways from the latest Seed Bomb attack. "Got it on the outs, use Water Pulse!" Miror B. chimed.
"Colo-colo - colo!" the fluffy Pokémon yelped, its chanting cut off by a glob of purple hitting it in the side as Toxel leapt forward.
"Oh yeah, I'm feelin' it!" Miror B. crowed as Ludicolo staggered and righted itself. "Your turn, Maractus! Take charge with your elegant steps! Petal Dance!"
Maractus spun in place, the pink petals on its horns shedding and multiplying, whirling around it and mixing with the rain. "Racracracracracracraaaaaaaaaaac!" it roared, twirling through the space, and Toxel and Zigzagoon were forced to leap away from Ludicolo to avoid the rampage.
"Aaron, look at Ludicolo's hat thingy!" Mary-Sue cried out suddenly.
"Huh?" Aaron gasped as he noticed, as Mary-Sue had, that Ludicolo's hat-like leaf was glowing as it stood still in the downpour, gathering rain.
"That's the ability Rain Dish!" Mary-Sue called. "As long as it's raining, Ludicolo will heal itself over time!"
"So then we need Maractus to get out of the way," Aaron decided out loud. "Toxel, aim your Acid at Maractus! Zigzagoon, Headbutt it if you can!"
Maractus was just losing control of its dance, swaying dizzily, and it couldn't recover in time to dodge the attacks; Toxel's Acid landed, and Zigzagoon followed up by slamming into the exact same spot with its head. The cactus Pokémon cried out and tumbled.
"Ludicolo, use Water Pulse on Maractus!" Miror B. commanded.
"What?!"
Everyone gasped, but Ludicolo didn't hesitate, its water-type move powered up by the rain and aimed straight at its ally. But instead of striking forcefully, the resonating orb of water simply splashed onto the battered grass-type, causing it to glow and stand up.
"It must have the Water Absorb ability," Mary-Sue breathed. "And…it knows Rain Dance, to power up and heal Ludicolo in return…" She shook her head, staring at the swaying stranger with something like awe. "This guy's…good."
"I guess he was a Cipher Admin at one point for a reason," Jovi conceded.
"Alright then," Aaron growled. "If that's how you're gonna play it, then we'll just have to slow you down. Toxel, use Nuzzle on Ludicolo, and Zigzagoon, use Lick on Maractus!"
Going for paralysis, Mary-Sue thought. That might stop Ludicolo from healing Maractus, but it can still absorb the rain to heal itself…
Even as she thought it, the temporary downpour began to let up.
"Rain Dance again, Maractus!" Miror B. called. "Keep the waterworks flowin'! Ludicolo, knock Toxel away with Water Pulse!"
"Go for speed, guys!" Aaron shouted. "Don't give them time!"
His Pokémon rushed to obey, but Maractus managed to shake its appendages enough to make the rain come down with renewed vigor before Zigzagoon's enormous tongue ran up its body, shocking it immobile. Toxel ducked, keeping low to the ground while it charged up its electricity, and though Ludicolo managed to fire off a shot, it missed, leaving it wide open to get zapped by the poison-electric-type.
"Alright!" Aaron cheered. "Focus on Ludicolo for now, it's the bigger threat! Zigzagoon, give it Baby-Doll Eyes, and Toxel, use Acid!"
"Ohhhhhh yeah!" Miror. B hollered, jumping high and spreading his legs past a perfect split before breaking into a quick-stepped dance. "I, I, I! Want you, want you! I feel you, boy, you got the groove! Now show me how well you move!" He spun to an abrupt stop, pointing at his Pokémon. "Ludicolo, Seed Bomb, and don't you stop 'til they all drop!"
Ludicolo, which had managed to avoid getting paralyzed by chance, pressed its hands to either side of its face, tilting forward to aim its top at Aaron's Pokémon. "Colo!" it trumpeted, as a dark green orb shot out of the Pinap Berry-looking thing on its head and exploded against the ground.
Zigzagoon and Toxel scattered, darting away from the explosion.
"Colo! Colo! Colo!" Boom! Boom! Boom! The barrage didn't give either Galarian creature much time to rally. Toxel managed to get a shot of Acid off, and the hit landed, but the water-grass-type Pokémon barely stumbled.
"Zigzagoon, Snarl at it!" Aaron shouted. "Run around back and get in there! Toxel, try to divide its attention, and give it a Tearful Look if you can!"
His partners split up, Zigzagoon zigzagging in wide sweeps towards Ludicolo while Toxel hopped sideways. Ludicolo focused on Toxel, leaving the purple creature no chance to reduce its power. Mary-Sue held her breath as Zigzagoon came in close, waiting to see if Ludicolo would change its tactics once it was in range. All her focus was on Zigzagoon, and Aaron's probably was too, as it reached Ludicolo from behind and let out a deep, resonating bark that struck Ludicolo with a dark pulse of energy.
"Petal Dance, Maractus!"
"Huh?" Mary-Sue and Aaron both gasped, turning to see, too late, that while they'd been waiting for Zigzagoon to land a hit, Ludicolo's Seed Bombs had herded Toxel towards Miror B.'s other Pokémon. Before Aaron could shout for Toxel to watch out, the cactus spun in a whirl of flower petals and slammed into it full-force. Toxel was sent flying, tumbling across the ground, and when it stopped, it didn't get up.
"Never discount the backup dancer," Miror B. crowed. "Gotta keep your eye on the whole stage!"
Scowling, Aaron called Toxel back to its Pokéball, then took out another. "Alright then, Grookey, you're up!"
Mary-Sue blinked; she would have expected him to use Oddish, as its poison typing would provide more advantages in this matchup. But then again, he hadn't even started training with Oddish, while Grookey was a reliable partner, and she could see in his expression that he was determined to win, his bright blue eyes gleaming intensely.
"Grook!" proclaimed the green monkey as it materialized.
"Use Screech!" Aaron commanded. "Zigzagoon, try using Lick on Maractus again!"
The Galarian grass starter let out a piercing wail, causing everyone to wince, but Zigzagoon hopped to obey, darting back towards the cactus Pokémon with its lolling tongue extending. Once more, Maractus shuddered and went still as the slimy muscle ran up its length.
"Headbutt on Ludicolo!" Aaron shouted. "One good hit and maybe we can take it down!"
"Zig!" proclaimed Zigzagoon, turning and darting back and forth towards Ludicolo.
"Water Pulse!" Miror B. commanded. "Watch its dance and lead the target, blow it away!"
Ludicolo charged up a resonating orb of water between its palms, waiting for Zigzagoon to come in close. Mary-Sue expected Aaron to cancel the attack order, but instead, he shouted, "Grookey, defend Zigzagoon! You can take the hit better than it, I believe in you!"
Grookey, which had been running around in a wide circle, sprinted towards Zigzagoon with remarkable speed. At almost the exact same time Ludicolo launched its Water Pulse, Grookey leapt between it and Zigzagoon.
"Groooooo-key!" it shouted as it took the blow head-on. The glowing, resonating water ball exploded, pushing the grass-type backwards, but it didn't quite manage to reach Zigzagoon.
Then, in the center of the blast, Grookey started to glow. Everyone gasped as Grookey's body shone with bright white light and began to morph. When it hit the ground, it landed on its feet, now twice its former height, its fur a lighter green than before; its stick had split in two, and it held one in each hand, waving them aggressively.
"Thwackey!" it proclaimed.
"Alright!" Mary-Sue cheered. "Grookey evolved!"
"I was wondering when you were going to do that," Aaron smiled. "Zigzagoon, quick, Headbutt while everyone's distracted!"
"Colo?" Ludicolo, which had been staring at its transformed opponent, barely had time to blink before Zigzagoon slammed into its side. "Colooooooooo!" it wailed, tumbling across the ground and slamming into a tree.
"Ludicolo!" Miror B. called. "Are you alright?"
"Colo…" Ludicolo struggled to rise to its feet…then collapsed.
"Hmm…" Miror B. was grinning from ear to ear as he called his Pokémon back. "Alright then, time for my dear Alolan partner to take the stage. Let's go, Oricorio!"
He tossed a fresh Pokéball, and from it emerged a bright red bird with long, broad wings edged in black.
"Cori cori," the bird sang, twirling around, its wings wrapping around itself to resemble a dress flaring from the movement.
"Who's that Pokémon?" Mary-Sue asked; she scanned it with her Pokédex, but only got another error message. "It's not local either…"
"I've never seen it before," Jovi said. "It must be from Alola, like he said."
"Right…" Mary-Sue frowned; being a bird, this new opponent was likely a flying-type, which gave it a huge advantage over the newly-evolved Thwackey.
"Time to change the scene!" Miror B. declared. "Clear the skies, Maractus! Sunny Day!"
"Rac rac rac rac," chanted the cactus, shaking its rattling appendages at the sky. All at once, the rain stopped, the clouds dissipating and letting the bright summer sun illuminate the battlefield. Soon, even the few puffy white clouds that had been overhead before the battle were gone, and the sunlight was beating down heavily on all of them.
"Thwackey, use Scratch on Maractus!" Aaron called. "Zigzagoon, Headbutt!"
"Featherdance, Oricorio!" Miror B. called.
"Corrrr…" trilled the bird, and it whirled and spun, conjuring a cloud of feathers as it pirouetted over to the two Pokémon attacking its partner. "Coooo-ri!" it cried, engulfing Zigzagoon in a downy cage.
"Zigza!" Zigzagoon barked in alarm, struggling against the clump of feathers. Thwackey was momentarily distracted, and Maractus managed to hop out of its way.
"Aww yeah!" Miror B. cheered, his dancing getting even more enthusiastic. "You can't keep up with our elegant steps! My Oricorio's just as graceful as me!"
"Thwackey, use Scratch on Oricorio!" Aaron called. "Zigzagoon, try to Headbutt Maractus!"
"Featherdance, Oricorio!" Miror B. repeated as Thwackey made for the crimson bird. It gracefully spun out of the way of the green Pokémon's swiping claws, twirling up a cloud of feathers and casting them at the grass-type.
Meanwhile, Zigzagoon had managed to mostly struggle its way free, only a few feathers clinging to its body. Growling in determination, it set its sights on Maractus and charged.
"Solarbeam, Maractus!" Miror B. commanded.
"What?!" In the time it took Aaron to gasp, Maractus had gathered the harsh sunlight into its flowers and aimed the collected light at Zigzagoon, who had already committed to its attack. With Thwackey slowed down by Featherdance, it couldn't take the hit for Zigzagoon this time, and a massive blast of energy hit Zigzagoon full-force, sending the black-and-white Pokémon rolling and tumbling until it landed at Aaron's feet, unmoving.
"Sunny Day and Solarbeam are a powerful combination of moves," Mary-Sue said softly. "He was saving that just in case Ludicolo wasn't out to take advantage of the rain anymore?"
"We're not done yet," Aaron growled, even as he returned Zigzagoon to its Pokéball. "I know you can handle this, Thwackey!"
"Key key!" The green monkey shook its way free of its feathery prison. "Thwaaaa-key!" It took an aggressive stance, sticks raised, and power seemed to gather around it.
"What is that?" Aaron asked. "Double Hit? Okay!" He grinned. "Use that and then Scratch on Maractus!"
"Acrobatics, Oricorio!" Miror B. called.
"Look out!" Aaron yelped. "Tuck and roll, save your power and use it all on Maractus!"
Oricorio began tumbling elegantly through the air, wings and talons lashing at Thwackey; Thwackey used its momentum to roll into a ball, just barely evading the assault, then leapt up and swiped glowing claws at Maractus. The blow landed with remarkable force, and Maractus was sent flying, tumbling head over head and coming to rest at Miror B.'s feet. It did not rise.
"Not bad, boy!" Miror B. beamed as he called Maractus back. "Guess it's down to one on one."
"We've got this, Thwackey," Aaron stated.
"Key key!" his partner agreed, turning its sights on Oricorio.
"I think you've earned the right to witness a proper grand finalé," Miror B. said, and he made a broad, sweeping gesture as he proclaimed, "Oricorio, time to show 'em your best moves! Use Revelation Dance!"
Trilling its name, the crimson bird began to move its feet in a manner similar to its trainer, making tight, fast steps as it swept its wings back and forth. Embers began to gather along the black edges of its swathes of feathers, and it moved faster, adding twirls and leaps as an inferno grew around it.
When Mary-Sue looked at Aaron, she saw him gaping, eyes wide, too stunned to give Thwackey instruction. As Oricorio's dance reached its peak, it launched at its opponent, carrying a firestorm with it; Thwackey took the hit hard, knocked high into the air from the force of it and slamming down heavily on its back.
"Key…key…" it groaned dazedly as Oricorio lightly landed with one final flourish.
"And that's curtains!" Miror B. declared with a dramatic gesture. "Return, Oricorio!"
"Cori," the elegant bird cooed as it dissolved in a cloud of red light.
Aaron's expression was grim as he called back his own defeated Pokémon.
Still half-dancing, Miror B. sidled over to the young trainer. "That was quite a dance," he said. "You've got a groove in your soul, boy, no mistaking it. But you gotta let it out, go with the flow. Why do you keep holding back?"
"Huh?" Aaron blinked and looked up at the tall, lanky man.
"The music won't wait for you to decide on a move," Miror B. told him. "You gotta keep your rhythm going, or you'll never match my elegant steps." A fresh grin split his face, and he spun on his tiptoes. "Well, that was a fine performance!" he said. "Toodeloo!"
And with no more pretense, he pranced back under the treeline from whence he'd come and disappeared surprisingly quickly, leaving the three friends staring after him in bewilderment.
"…What a weirdo," Mary-Sue remarked at last.
"You're one to talk, Masie."
Mary-Sue blinked and turned to Aaron, who was carefully administering medicine to his fainted Pokémon; to her surprise, she saw that he was smiling.
"I kinda get him," the Galarian boy said. "And…I think he gets me, too." With his Pokémon partly healed and stored away once more, he stood up. "I hope we see him again."
The two girls looked at each other, expressions of confusion mirrored on each other's faces.
"…If you say so," Mary-Sue shrugged at last. "Anyway…" She turned to look down the road. "We probably won't get to the cape by nightfall now. Let's get as far as we can, though, okay?"
"Sounds good," Aaron said, and he took out his mini guitar again and resumed strumming. Somehow, the music sounded more upbeat than before, as if the energy had been forced prior to the encounter but was now entirely genuine.
Giving each other one last perplexed look, Mary-Sue and Jovi followed him.
~o~
As expected, the cape wasn't even in sight by the time the sun started going down. The trio found a small stream just past the treeline and set up camp; Jovi set up both her tent and Mary-Sue's while Mary-Sue borrowed her brush and brought Zubat to the stream.
"Here we go," she murmured, cupping the flying-type Pokémon in one hand. "Try to hold still, okay?"
"Zuzu," it grumbled.
Carefully, Mary-Sue wet the eyeless Pokémon and stroked it with the broad, soft brush. Its coarse blue fur began to shine in the evening light that poked through the trees as Mary-Sue meticulously washed every spot that seemed rough or dusty. When she was done, Zubat was gleaming, and she smiled as it took to the air again.
"Feel better?" she asked it.
"Bat zuzu!" it hissed happily.
"I'm glad!" Mary-Sue grinned. "Go on back to camp and have dinner. I'll be there…in a minute."
"Zuzuzu?" It looked her questioningly as her smile dimmed, but flapped towards the campfire a few paces away.
Sighing heavily, Mary-Sue took Gyarados's Pokéball off her backpack strap. It's been two days, it must be starving, she thought. Tapping the button, she said, "Gyarados, come out carefully, please."
The massive creature took a moment to materialize; though Mary-Sue had tried to get it in the stream, the shallow water didn't even come up past its white underside.
"Gyara?" it rumbled, looking down at Mary-Sue.
"Um…hi," Mary-Sue gulped. "So, um, we're not at the cape yet, we'll get there tomorrow, but, uh…I figured you must be hungry. Here…" She reached into her backpack and pulled out a can of Pokémon food. "Have some of the spicy stuff. Your favorite."
"Gyaaaar." As Mary-Sue tried to open the tin, Gyarados turned its head to look around, its body twisting after it unconsciously. With a loud crashing sound, its tail slammed into a tree, cleanly snapping the trunk like a twig and knocking it into several others.
"Gyarados, be careful!" Mary-Sue exclaimed.
Gyarados turned to look at what it had done, and Mary-Sue dove to the ground just in time to avoid its whipping tail, which hit and knocked over another tree behind her.
"Stop moving!" she pleaded. "Gyarados, you're big now, you need to be more careful!"
"Gyara…" It turned back to her, barely avoiding knocking over another tree with its movements.
"You okay over there?!" Jovi called from the campsite.
"We're fine!" Mary-Sue assured her friend over her shoulder, then she turned back to Gyarados. "Please, come down here slowly, I'll pour the food into your mouth. Okay?"
Looking mildly confused, the enormous Pokémon blinked at her. Still, it flattened itself to the ground - but not gently: the impact of its jaw on the ground made a crater, and the forest shook for a moment.
"You're big now," Mary-Sue repeated. "Tomorrow, we'll be at the cape, and you'll be able to get used to this, but please, try not to move so much until then." Gingerly, she held the open tin over its gaping mouth, awkwardly trying to pour the spicy pellets onto its tongue.
The huge serpent chewed a little too forcefully, but Mary-Sue managed to get the whole can into its mouth, at least. Its every movement gouged the earth, and the stream was disrupted and diverted wildly.
"Back in your Pokéball until tomorrow," Mary-Sue said when the meal was finally done, and she called it back with relief. What was left behind looked like the site of a small explosion, and Mary-Sue sighed tiredly as she returned to the campsite where her friends and all their Pokémon were digging into fresh curry.
"You sure you'll be able to train that thing?" Jovi inquired as she handed the younger girl a bowl.
"I will," Mary-Sue mumbled. "I'm its trainer, that's my job. But…it's gonna be a big job."
Her eyes drifted across the campsite. Plusle was helping Budew slurp its curry, while Minun and Toxel passed sparks back and forth; Thwackey and Zigzagoon chased each other around a tree, Zubat was flitting among the branches, and Oddish was hopping beside Aaron, calling its name.
"You want more?" Aaron asked his newest partner, laughing slightly. "Sorry, I only made enough for everyone to have a bowl."
"Oddish, Oddish dish!" insisted the grassy bulb.
"You really love to eat, don't you?" Aaron smiled and fished around in his bag for a minute, eventually pulling out a tin of Pokémon food. "I don't know what you like, but I have some spare savory stuff."
"Oddish!" the little Pokémon said happily, hopping in place.
"Alright, alright, here you go," Aaron chuckled, and he started prying open the tin.
"Poliiiiiiiiiiiii-wag!"
A high-pitched shout trumpeted from under the trees, as a Poliwag leapt from the shadows and smacked Aaron across the face with its tail. Everyone gasped in alarm as Poliwag began slapping Aaron over and over.
"Wag! Wag! Wag!"
"A Poliwag!" Jovi exclaimed. "Is it the same one from this morning?"
"Could be," Mary-Sue frowned. "Zubat, use Wing Attack to get that Poliwag off of Aaron!"
"Bat zuzu!" proclaimed the creature of the night, and it swept down with glowing wings, knocking the Poliwag away.
Poliwag rolled, then leapt to its little feet again. "Poli poli poli wag!" it ranted, round eyes glaring at Aaron. But as it ran forward to attack him again, Oddish leapt in front of it.
"Odd-dish!" it shouted.
To everyone's surprise, Poliwag stopped short.
"Poli poli," it said to Oddish. "Poli wag wag! Wag, Poliwag!"
"Dish dish," Oddish replied, shaking its head. "Oddish, Oddish dish, dish Oddish dish."
The two continued jabbering at each other; Poliwag seemed angry, while Oddish sounded like it was trying to reason with the wild Pokémon. Everyone stared for a minute, and then Mary-Sue gave a soft "Oh!" of understanding.
"Hey, Poliwag!" she called, running over to the two little creatures.
"Wag?" Immediately scowling deeper, the round Pokémon turned to her with hard eyes.
"Um…are you and Oddish friends?" Mary-Sue asked it.
"Poli," the little blue thing nodded.
"Oh, I see," Aaron breathed. "You were trying to rescue Oddish from me."
Oddish resumed chattering its name at Poliwag, presumably explaining that it had chosen to go with Aaron.
"Poli wag wag," Poliwag grumbled. "Wag, Poliwag?"
"Dish?!" Oddish exclaimed, flinching. "Odd…Oddish dish…" It seemed troubled all of a sudden.
"You…don't want to be separated?" Mary-Sue guessed.
"Oddish," the grass-type said sadly. "Dish, Oddish dish."
"Well," Mary-Sue said slowly, "what if Poliwag comes with me? Aaron and I are going to be traveling together for a while, so you can still stay together. And…" Mary-Sue offered the water-type a smile. "I like your attitude," she told it. "With some training, I bet you could be really strong. I'd like to be your trainer."
"Poli," it growled, glaring at her.
"Dish!" Oddish spoke up. "Dish dish, Oddish dish!" It hopped in place in enthusiasm. "Dish dish dish, Oddish dish dish!"
"Poli poli?" its friend asked it, sounding dubious.
"Ooooooodd, dish!" Oddish proclaimed with a smile.
Some of the other Pokémon in the clearing spoke up, too - Budew even ran over to add its own input, while Plusle and Minun cheered from by the fire.
"Come with me," Mary-Sue said, and she reached into her bag and took out a Pokéball, careful to make sure this one was real. "That way you and Oddish won't have to be apart. I promise, I'll help you grow into the strongest Pokémon you can be!"
"Po…li…" The little round Pokémon's eyes were wary as Mary-Sue held out the Pokéball.
"Dish," Oddish encouraged it. "Dish, Oddish dish!"
"Poli…" It frowned, then formed a determined expression. "Poli-wag!"
And it jumped up and slapped the button with its tail, dissolving in a cloud of red light that gathered inside the capsule. The Pokéball shook for a few moments, then clicked and ping!ed, signifying a successful capture.
"Alright!" Mary-Sue cheered, letting her new partner back out. "I'm glad to have you join the team, Poliwag!"
"Poli poli," it said; it didn't seem pleased, but at least it didn't seem angry anymore.
Some spare rations were scrounged up to feed the newcomer, and then, at last, the three trainers shut themselves in their tents to get some sleep.
I have half a mind to write a side story outlining Miror B.'s journey from Orrean thug to Alolan hippie, but I make no promises, because HOLY HECK Miror B. is hard to write! He will be a recurring character, but his appearances will be few and far between, because trying to convey such a visually expressive character in writing is exhausting.