Chapter 6 (I'm still sick and addicted to Marvel Rival lol)

Leaving her bathroom, she was greeted by her temporary abode, a modest room, albeit luxurious to trainers who spent most of their time curling in a tent. Her Chandelure, whose spectral purple flame lit the dark room, rested on the ceiling. An alluring yellow light caught her gaze; it bled past the narrow crack of her closed curtains—a line illuminated across the carpet, reaching her steamy, damp towel. A childlike, imperceptible impulse compelled her to tread lightly on the plank of light—one damp foot at a time—with the utmost care, not wanting to fall into the nylon sea. Talonflame tilted his head. Malva reached the trail's end, then flared open her curtains, revealing an image of Snowbelle.

Malva exhaled on the cold windowsill, fogging up the surface, then playfully drew on her whitish canvas. She was enchanted. Streetlights flanked an Avalugg as it cleared the street, devouring piles of fresh snow. Snowflakes roamed the dark sky on the verge of yawning a sunrise.

She approached her cozy bed.

"Scoot over." Her palm slapped Pyroar's belly. The massive feline yawned and rolled atop Houndoom, who huffed in annoyance.

As her body dried in their presence, she prepared her attire for her morning run. The jacket's zipper remained unmoved. Her focus was entirely on the details of yesterday, an eventful day plagued by Zich's shenanigans both in and out of the field. Her gaze drifted back to the window, reimagining the giant Articuno over the city square. Sitting on the edge of the vast bed, she allowed her thoughts to wander about the event day, reminiscing and reflecting.

A faint arc formed on Malva's face as she held her keystone. Zich's rough attempt at a pep talk persevered through the clutter of slanderous voices.

"That doofus," she shook her head. "He should stop self-deprecating himself to make me feel better."

Malva stood and walked absentmindedly to the nearby window, drawing another character besides her original doodle. She giggled at her terrible artwork, retreating to her bed, and clapped her hands. "Come on, let's go for our run!"

Pyroar slumped onto the carpet like water while Houndoom leaped to his paws. Talonflame subtly grumbled on Torkoal's shell. Chandelure's flames pulsated in agreement before disappearing into the darkness.

By this time, Malva had reached the entrance of her room. She paused, drawing a deep breath to center herself before gently pushing the door open and looking for the stairwell. She hated the cold, relying on her companion's warmth to thwart the shift in temperature.

Malva bobbed her body and rubbed her gloves together, pumping herself up for the run. She exhaled a smoky breath illuminated by the streetlights. A mental clock ticked down, pressuring herself to surpass that threshold of hesitation.

3

2

1

Crunch!

"…"

Distant footsteps crunched on flattened snow. Malva recognized a giant figure jogging down the sidewalk. The lights exposed a stern, resolute face of the Snowbelle Gym Leader, Wulfric. His muscular figure held a carrying pole with clusters of Bergmites on each basket.

Malva held fond memories of him babysitting her in League meetings. Her younger self played with his mustache or drooled on his jacket.

"Hi, Wulfric, it's me, Malva!" She waved at him.

Then, a late middle-aged man's voice, filled with gruffness, called out, "Hello... Malva? Oh, it is you." Wulfric raised a brow upon seeing her. "It's good to see you, little Bergmite, but what brings you up so early?"

"I'm currently on my morning run."

"It's nice to see you actively exercise just like your brothers." Wulfric continued, "You little ones used to always play tag in the Château, which was your brother's only way to make you work those lazy tiny legs. But every time you lost, you sobbed in your father's arms, only stopping to cuddle with Olympia's Meowstic. "Oh, your father's devastated face was priceless when he was told that Meowstic's hugs were better than his."

Malva's face flushed.

"Well, since you're already preparing to run, why don't you join us for our training session?"

"Us?" Malva stared confusingly at the lifeless street behind Wulfric's bulky frame. There was no one else besides them.

"Yep, I'm currently waiting on my apprentice." He turned and snickered in amusement. "Just a few moments from now."

Apprentice? He hasn't publicly announced one.

"You have an apprentice? It wouldn't be your son or daughter-"

The giant guffawed.

"Oh, you already met him in my gym—"

Huh? She could only think of one major suspect.

"—Look over there. Took you long enough!"

Malva spotted a youthful teen with icicle-like hair and cerulean eyes staring back at them—the visage of Zich, the suspected Unovan in Kalos. Wheezing in exhaustion, Zich lumbered forward with a heavy Bergmite in his hands.

"I delivered mega stones to Olympia's gym, and I've come back to this. We've been running all night!" Zich pleaded, "Can we please stop? Y-You giant fridge!"

"Boy, what did you say?"

Oooohhhh~Malva covered her mouth.

"You heard me, Abomasnow!"

"Y'know, I'm only making it easier for you to transition into my role. My future little Gym Leader so be grateful." Wulfric teased. "If you quit on a mere endurance run, then sauna time sounds perfect."

Zich's eyes widened. "Uck! Anything but that portal to hell."

"Then run," Wulfric scoffed. "Well, Malva, would you like to join us?"

"Huh? Malva is here?" He looked past the giant. "Ohhhhh…"

She waved at him. "Good morning, Zich."

"I would wave back, but I'm in quite a predicament." He gestured to the Bergmite.

"Pfft. That's lightweight, boy." Wulfric easily bobbed his carrying pole to prove his point.

"Of course! With those muscles, you appear more like a tree trunk. Your fingers are built like hotdogs from Castelia City, pumped straight from the factory tube. And proportions so large that you make gravity work overtime, you might as well thank Palkia for keeping you whole."

The two continued to bicker, and it became apparent to her that Wulfric treated Zich like a third child.

"When can I have a break?"

"Bah, breaks are overrated. I haven't had one in years to defend and better this city."

"Uh-huh." Zich rolled his eyes. "You certainly don't abandon us with your work, then take frequent week-long vacations to a certain southern town." His accusation appeared to be true as Wulfric turned silent.

"…"

Eventually they all started to run.

Zich resembled a damaged ship as it lurched forward to port. All the while, Bergmite continued to cheer him on.

"Do you want me to carry this cute fellow?" Malva inquired, slowing her pace to match him. His face seemed to briefly consider the offer.

"Yes. No, it would be rude of me to do so," he immediately backtracked.

"Did you say all night?"

"Yes. I got kidnapped to do this surprise training," he wheezed like a weak kettle.

She felt bad for making him talk.

"Sorry, Zich." Malva snuffed out his words. "Don't talk, just look forward."

Time passed like a cold breeze. Seamless.

The sun rose in the East. The valley's edge radiated with a golden, holy halo.

Before long, the vibrant sounds of the city began to encroach on her introspection. The urban symphony grew louder; first, the delicate chime of doorbells as local shops opened for the day, followed by the chirps of pokémon and the lively chatter of early morning pedestrians. A giant Avalugg, who wore a saddle that resembled a tram, lumbered down the street.

"Good morning, Zich. My kids loved your show last night, and my business has been booming from the massive influx of tourists. Wulfric, give the poor kid a break!" A cheerful passenger greeted them from inside the tram's open compartment.

"See!" Zich barked, before staring at Wulfric's already departing form. "Ayy, don't go silent on me again."

"You're going to lose your voice," Malva said worryingly.

Another passenger chimed in, "Good morning, Mr. Wulfric. Have you had a chance to see today's news? There are rumors that the False Cerberus are here!"

My brothers are here?

Malva instinctively looked around.


Jingle!

As the store doorbell rattled above them, Aletris found himself in a quaint cafe shop with a wonderful smell. Both he and his brother skittered into this random establishment when Malva, blessed by Arceus, stared directly at them.

"Phew, we almost got caught," Calix said as he adjusted his hood.

"Mhmm." Aletris could only agree. His attention drawn to the framed pictures on the wall of adorable pokémon.

Awe.

"Oh, customers this early."

An elderly lady revealed herself with a tray of baked goods.

"Good morning, ma'am. We're new to this place," Aletris scouted around and sniffed the blatant smell of roasted coffee beans and pastries.

"Good morning, sweeties. Welcome to the Cuddly Cafe," she said, humming as she filled the clear glass display with pokémon shaped pastries.

Cuddly Cafe?

"Mrrrr."

Aletris' gaze shot down at the source, spotting a tiny Espurr hugging his brother's leg. Calix's stern exterior shattered. He crouched down to rub its fluffy head, which caused the small critter to purr happily. Calix's expression melted, and Espurr continued the cuteness overload by nudging its head into Calix's calloused hand—tiny paws held his fingers hostage.

"This place is perfect," Calix murmured before giving his order. "I'll get a black coffee and pastries of your choosing." His brother buckled under cuteness-driven economics and carried Espurr to his seat.

"I like to get the Snom Special," Aletris said, joining his brother on the cushion seating. With a furrow forming on his brow, Aletris saw three squishy critters magically appear on his table. Snom, Pincurchin, and Pyukumuku adorably squeaked in his direction.

"Calix, we're in quite a predicament." Aletris rubbed the trio's head.

"Yeah," Calix drawled with a hint of disappointment. "I sadly can't kill him."

"Huh? When did we agree on that?" Aletris urgently whispered, then scanned around the cafe for eavesdroppers.

"We didn't. I did." Calix popped his knuckles. "Sadly, the boy is under Drasna's personal protection and apparently Wulfric's apprenticeship."

Aletris facepalmed at the absurd reply. The boy, or more accurately, Zich Hiver, is more interesting than they anticipated. Apart from public knowledge, such as his name or city fame, much of Zich's information is shrouded in mystery even for their rank and connections, which left them dumbfounded.

How did our sister befriend such an anomaly?

"I hate anyone that gets near our sister, but Shiver admittedly has a charming battling style."

"Of course, your muscle-head cares about that aspect. And it's Zich Hiver."

After their dead end. Aletris had watched Malva's replay, in which the enthusiastic spectators applauded her supremacy, until a certain youngster arrived, and the audience thundered to welcome him. It was unlike anything he'd seen before in Snowbelle City in his time. The boy was backed against the wall in the face of his sister, who held a massive power lead. Malva's ace crumbled through Mr. Rime's Reflect and Light Screen with ease. Merely treating his defensive moves as suggestions. Furthermore, she negated Mirror Coat by prioritizing fire moves as Flash Fire backed her offensive. However, Zich's pokémon managed to fight, or more accurately, dance against a subjectively superior foe by dodging with cartoonish accuracy. Malva resembled their brother in brute force, stomping out her slippery opponent, who seemed allergic to getting hit, until Zich's unpredictable reign of terror ended with misfortune.

Rewinding the scenes in his head.

"Hiss! Hiss!" Calix punched at the air in their room, unbeknownst to himself, had been rooting for Zich when Mr. Rime embraced the melee bout. And in the end, Aletris realized Zich had desperately used Mirror Coat to divert the flames for one last explosive Metronome.

Aletris acknowledged that Zich had the makings to become a decent trainer in his sister's generation. Maybe even more. Furthermore, Zich seemed to pursue to become the world's first Metronome specialist. The youngster used a psychic tether with his Mr. Rime and Tangle Feet to allow him the leeway to somewhat viably use Metronome. However, since he had only seen one fight replay, it was too early and foolish to draw any definite conclusions.

"Do you think Malva binged his replays?"

Returning to reality, Aletris' gaze drifted to his brother. "Nope, she got up too early. Rest assured, I'll anticipate her going feral on those replays tonight and staying up all night."

The elderly lady arrived at their table and smiled warmly with their trays. "Enjoy, sweeties."

Getting back on track.

"Calix, this is not about Zich," Aletris spoke with a quiet, serious tone. "It's about the Zumi Family." Before he could finish his sentence. The flaky exterior of Calix's croissant crumbled in his intense grasp. Espurr whimpered in fear at the brash act.

"What about them?" Calix growled.

"They're hosting the next gathering and seem keen on us bringing everyone."

"Our sister is busy with her circuit."

"They know she'll finish soon," Aletris replied. "Brother, I'm going to be blunt with you: we can't deny them. Given our family's standing and the fact that the Zumi family is headed by a rival Elite Four, I'm sure our father would do something, especially in light of the last incident, but I doubt it would be much of anything," Aletris sighed in frustration, petting the adorable slug to soothe himself. "We're minuscule in the grand scheme. The Zumi family is a major household backed by a lengthy history that dates back to the royal family, and they're amidst the deepest trenches of the economic faction."

Big enough that laws are reduced to suggestions.


Malva yawned, feeling a shiver down her body.

She had dark circles under her eyes from staying up late watching Zich's battle replays. Diantha would've lectured her for degrading her body.

Looking down at Torkoal.

His shell adorned translucent, diamond-shaped keratin caps that appear a deep crimson because of the fire within. Each keratin cap can slide inward, exposing an open cavity directly to Torkoal's inner flame. It's interesting to note that this function served as a quicker and secondary way to feed coals to Torkoal.

The keratin caps slid open.

Woosh! From each hole, an amber flame rose from her Torkoal's shell. The small jets of fire reflected a warm orange hue on her gloves. Preparing for the inevitable, Malva backed up to a safe distance and aimlessly stared at a red glowing hole. Her surroundings of burnt trees turned foggy; two white flames with hints of blue recaptured her wavering attention. She was imagining two familiar Charizard tails.

That brief mental image collapsed as a storm of blue shrouded her mind. The sky rained down embers to announce its champion. A long, fiery tongue strangled and seared its opponent in blue flames, spouting from a black snout. The blue radiance of massive, heated claws washed across its maroon fur and lava-like stripes—her father's Heatmor. An unusual choice amongst the highest echelon of fire-specialists.

Malva exhaled as she remembered the long path that awaited her.

Hiss! Plumes of smoke spouted out of Torkoal's nostrils and chimney-like holes. Her tortoise burped the aftermath of his coal diet and happily bobbed his head.

Malva was currently residing in the outskirts of Snowbelle City, training her pokémon. She was confident in them. She knew that each of her pokémon would be ready for a three-on-three battle against Wulfric in the coming days. His team consisted of Avalugg, Cryogonal, and the infamous Abomasnow.

"Uhhh, I should really get some sleep." Her fingers dragged down her face. "A power nap sounds nice."

Looking at Torkoal the advent of a miniature sun.

She initially planned for Torkoal to manipulate the terrain and brute force through the glacier bastion. However, she had something else in mind, ripping a page out of Zich's playbook—unpredictability. If her newfound experiment goes askew, then she will resort to her original plan, which resonated with her brother's philosophy of simplicity.

"Malva, it is not about the glimpses of excellence but minimizing mistakes that differentiate ourselves." Aletris' words echoed in her head.

However, a certain somebody flipped that concept on its head, willing to innovate and take those risky chances. Malva yearned to try something new as she already felt confident against Wulfric with her original plan. She might as well try…

Her shades reflected red diamond holes. If she could harness and wield the offensive capabilities of these exits… Like a crazed scientist, her smile spiked up. Torkoal retreated slightly before tucking under his shell.

Her tortoise is slow, relying on Gyro Ball to compensate. Ideas started to ignite in her head. She reimagined Zich's false snowman, Galarian Darmanitan, turning its fake head 180 degrees to propel itself like a rocket with its "carrot nose" of fire. The snowy jet engine can turn in a 360-degree radius to change direction or deliver a fiery attack.

If she could make Torkoal even faster in single battles.

6 miniature thrusters/cannons.

Why shouldn't she do something similar.

"Hoh, hoh, hoh." Malva rubbed her gloves excitedly. "I could use a Counter like Merlin, redirecting the energy to propel oneself with double the force. Or maybe… I could use Stone Edge to launch Torkoal with a stone pillar." She looked down at Torkoal's shivering shell. "Since you're already in the perfect position. It's time to go fast. Flamethrow—"

Wait…

Her tired eyes slowly blinked.

That was dumb of me…

Malva shook herself out of her villainess state, taking a few steps back, avoiding the danger zone. Then she commanded, "Try to divert the flames out of each cavity, Flamethrower!" The cavity's lights dimmed before being sealed shut behind their keratin caps. The top of Torkoal's back erupted in a harsh pillar of fire. "Hmm, this is going to take a bit." Her finger rubbed her chin. She had to overcome Torkoal's instinctual urge to seal up any gaps.

For the next few hours, we stayed in the forest and trained. During that time, we experienced many failures, but we steeled our resolve to overcome these challenges—the lifeblood of a trainer. Torkoal's stern thruster flickered rapidly until the exhaust flame maintained longevity.

"Yes, yes," she whispered eagerly. She kept her eyes on the starboard thrusters, flickering to life to change Torkoal's course and quickly steer clear of an ash-covered tree. Thrusters closed as others opened and brightened. "Come on…" Torkoal wove through their makeshift obstacle course as her team watched.

Until… Crack!

Her tortoise crashed into rows of trees—splinters erupted like fireworks—until his momentum ground to a halt.

"Yeah, we're going to need work on adjusting that." She pinched her nose before running to the crash site, spotting an excited tortoise who constantly bobbed his head as if asking for more.

"Nice one, Tork." Malva rubbed his head. "It's time to head back to the pokécenter." Torkoal dropped his head in disappointment. "I know, I know, but we can do more tomorrow so don't worry."

The sadden tortoise jolted up and proudly marched through the debris of smashed trees. Malva could only shake her head and hold back a laugh at his sudden mood swing.

"Talonflame, get ready to fly!"

A sharp cry resonated through the air in response.


"Diantha, it's been a while—"

"What did I say about sleeping late, Malva?" Diantha noticed her exhausted face. "You know it's bad for your health in the long term." Diantha lifted up a finger, coating her voice in a layer of masculinity. "Sister, you must grow big and strong to live a good long life." Her friend mimicked her brother, Calix.

"Okay, I get it." Malva sighed in exasperation.

"It's good to see you." Diantha relented, producing a genuine smile.

"You too," Malva reciprocated. "I'm assuming you're at your movie shoot with that attire." She could see Diantha wearing roughed-up clothing that covered her mud-stained, snow-white complexion, along with her safari hat. A gruff Tyrantrum waved his little arm and Aurorus hummed a beautiful melody. Diantha petted her reptilian giants. "Now who is the lucky person that captured your interest this time?"

Malva furrowed her brow.

"Oh, don't give me that look. Someone had to have intrigued you to be watching their replays that late." Diantha rested her chin on her palm. "Since you've already been ready for Wulfric, I doubt it would be him. So who is it? Don't leave a girl hanging."

Checkmated.

"No comment." Malva enjoyed Diantha's reaction, but admitted defeat at the end. "A gym trainer intrigued me."

"Ooohh. Quite the unexpected answer. Did this gym trainer defeat you?"

"No," Malva replied. "Originally, I didn't know he was a gym trainer, only a boy I met at an outskirt town. If you remembered from our last call…"

"The boy that slept in snow?"

Malva nodded.

"How interesting, a surprise reunion. So how is he?"

"He is a peculiar fellow. As you already know, he is seemingly immune to the cold, retaining a bitter hatred for the heat," she said after some thought. "At first I thought he was a quiet, calm person; however, the more I got to know him, the more he resembled a mischievous Weaville filled with youthful energy evident in every passing moment." She rubbed her gloves together. "It's a great change of pace on my journey, someone with whom you can hang out and have a great time on and off the field."

"Oh, don't remind me how lonely it is here," her friend said, dramatically gripping her chest. "No offense to you two." Tyrantrum and Aurorus bellowed in response. Diantha looked back at her. "Continue."

"If I had to describe his battling style, it would be chaotic, unconventional, and unpredictable. He's like a Delibird pulling out random objects from his bag of surprises. And the more I witness his replays, the more tricks arise; merely thinking about it makes me crave our eventual clash in the Lumiose Conference."

"Eventual clash?" Diantha tilted her head.

"Yeah, that doofus promised to defeat me with resounding certainty. Even without a single gym badge, I know he will complete it on time," Malva said, oblivious to Diantha's bewilderment. "Perhaps we will cross paths at the main stage of the largest tournament. No, not possibly, but definitely."

"…Wow," Diantha exclaimed. "The longer our conversation goes on, the more surprised I am to see my friend so enchanted with a person she had only known for a few days and to see her put so much faith into a promise. Given that most people our age don't make it to the halfway point of the gym circuit on average, do you really think he will keep this lofty promise?"

Malva responded confidently, "Definitely, as I mentioned earlier." She briefly considered bringing up Zich's covert apprenticeship but decided against it, deeming it a disrespectful act. "He'll surprise the rest of Kalos like he did with me, and I will watch the chaos unfold."

"Hmm, now I want to meet this gym trainer upon my arrival."

Malva knew that her best friend was behind on her gym circuit because of her other career.

"Enough about your new rival. Let's talk about Snowbelle City. I heard many rumors about the drastic changes."

"Nope, it's your turn to talk about your travels. I wouldn't mind any spoilers either," she said, repeatedly tapping her pen against her tiny notebook.

They switched subjects as Diantha shared her tales of juggling two career paths, avoiding crowds of fans and vulture-like paparazzi. In contrast to Diantha's foldable chair amid the dense greenery, Malva relished the cozy ambiance that developed within the pokécenter's calling booth of foam panels—just two friends chatting away about their travels as the time ticked down. She shared her marvelous experience of Snowbelle City, a city that sizzles the eyes like a candle, unlike the blazing beacon of Lumiose.

"I'll be traveling to an island north of Coumarine City in a few days for another film shoot. And before I leave, remember to send me those videos and pictures."

"Bye, Diantha."

"Good luck against Wulfric. I know you'll beat him. Take care, Malva!" Diantha waved farewell alongside her team. "And let's see if Arceus blesses that promise." The screen turned dark, masking her attentive rival's cheeky remark.

Upon leaving her booth, Audino waddled to her with a tray of pokéballs.

"Thank you."

She headed back outside of the pokémon center, thinking about one more training session or going to sleep. Lost in deep thought, her eyes enjoyed the calm city nightlife.

Well, I've got a few days left, Malva thought, a good night's sleep does sound enticing… Yeah, I think calling it a night is the right call.


The day has come.

The tile floor plummeted. Five Bergmites emerged, their icy exterior reflecting the neighboring neon lights of the futuristic base. "Welcome to Snowbelle Gym," the monitor lit up with a flat, monotone voice. "It's very cold inside the gym, so please make any necessary preparations."

Whaaaa—!

The blast door behind the Bergmites opened its jaws, releasing an intense pale blue glimmer. At the end of the chamber formed by ice, an image of a human sat on his mighty throne. A frigid breeze began to blow from inside the chamber. Despite her tightly bundled winter clothing, the cold pricked her skin.

"Hello Malva! Welcome to my gym," Wulfric greeted her. "Let's see how much you've grown, so are you ready?"

Letting out a lungful of air, Malva nodded. "I've always been."

Wulfric snapped his fingers.

"…"

She was confused by the strange hush that followed suit. Distant footsteps replaced the silence. To her surprise, the sound originated from Zich, who walked past an industrial-grade pipe covered with accumulated frost.

She giggled at the sight of Zich's Gengar beanie, the same one she bought him the previous day.

[ "Ay, I can buy my own goods."

"But I'm rich."

"It's rude of me-"

"But I want to buy this for you. Look, it even got your smile."

"I don't know if I should feel offended or… wait, don't buy it."

Beep*

"Here, Zich."

Beep*

"Here, Malva, a Snom beanie for you." ]

She instinctively pressed on her beanie like a fresh-baked baguette with both hands, although the satisfying crunch was absent.

Zich held out a tray. "Here are your pokémon," he said monotonously.

Ohh, he was the voice behind the screen.

Wulfric asked, "Have our visitors arrived?"

"Yes, if you're referring to those scary people up front, and if it's okay with you, I'll be hiding behind your throne," Zich said, spotting her and giving a nervous wave. "Good luck, Malva."

Shouldn't I be the nervous one?

The blast doors reopened from behind. Multiple footsteps clanged on the metallic tiles. Malva turned and stared in confusion at the sight of two obnoxious brothers standing between the massive doorframe, each sporting a shirt with a poor drawing of a Magby and the words "Malva, we love you!" Aletris and Calix smiled brightly.

She facepalmed. "Oh, Arceus."

So, the rumors were true.

"Hello, our little Magby!" they said in sync. "Thank you, Wulfric! We hope this wasn't a hassle for you."

"No, not at all. It's nice to meet you two again," Wulfric grinned, holding Zich like a Sneasel. "Boy, you will be our referee."

Aletris and Calix glared daggers at her rival, who gulped nervously.

Did Zich do something wrong?

Speaking of which, Zich walked to the side of the field with tiny flags on hand. "To the left, we have the daughter of our esteemed Elite Four member, Malva Pachira! To the right, we have gym leader Wulfric of Snowbelle Gym! The battle will be three-on-three and will end when all three of one trainer's pokémon are unable to continue. Only the challenger is allowed substitutions." Zich looked at her. "Any questions, challenger?" She shook her head. "Then beat him. Let the match begin!" Flags swung down.

Wulfric crossed his arms.

"Here we go, Avalugg!"

Her fingers twitched around her pokéball. "Just like we planned, Torkoal."

Torkoal bellowed to life.

A blaring sun hugged the icicle stalagmites. Torkoal's nostrils spouted streams of smoke before tucking in.

A colossal, walking glacier rose. Its gaping jaws unleashed a mild blizzard, enveloping the arena in frost. The roar resonated in the atmosphere with the sound of grinding ice.

Malva heard the muffled rumble confined within Torkoal's shell as coals burned in his gut. His stern keratin cap slid down and boomed with bursts of flames. The air stretched and twisted as Torkoal propelled forward. Meanwhile, Wulfric intriguingly eyed her unholy creation: a volcanic hockey puck strapped to a jet engine.

"Hydro pump!"

In order to dodge the pillar of pressurized water that could crush the icicle floor with ease, port side thrusters ignited. Torkoal shot to the side and spun off course before recovering with Gyro Ball. Torkoal blitzed forward as thrusters reignited.

The ground beneath her rumbled. Tall spires rose outward from Avalugg in a wave-like motion. Torkoal's form was a red blur, weaving quickly with sequences of minor thruster adjustments, barely missing the first stake of ice. "Yes, yes, come on," she whispered, reimagining the icicle stakes as her training ground—an ashy forest of decrepit trees. Her pokémon moved sporadically through the maze: forward, back, right, left, resembling a pencil tip traveling on paper in a game of labyrinth.

The sound of a locomotive engine roared asunder. Smoke billowed outward. An elusive sound stole her attention; she watched the air churn out a ring of brackish clouds around her sun. Specks of glistening ice were gathered into multiple lumps, and glaciers were divided into pieces, all of these turning into thousands of shells. Once formed, these shells bombarded the smoky veil—a dual offensive from the ground and air.

Clink, boom, clink, boom—!

Ice kept shattering. Torkoal kept burning

Malva aimlessly watched the war of particles.

Then an icy wind swept away the clutter, exposing a field of craters and torn stakes. An imposing Avalugg wallowed in the distance, mustering up defenses in the aftermath of its shattered offensive—glimmering mist.

Her teeth were drawn in a she-wolf's grin. Now let's see how tough you really are, you sentient glacier. "Flamethrower! Volley Fire!"

In a swift act, Torkoal sped past Avalugg's pillar-like legs to position himself right underneath the giant's belly. Torkoal spun at tremendous speeds in place; his shell pulsated intensely. Malva narrowed her eyes as the hot air washed against her cheek.

Flames surged forth. 6 red flickers ignited.

Boomboomboom!

"RUMBLE!" Avalugg roared out of pain, collapsing onto the ground as its legs were blown clean off. The barrier screeched at the sudden siege of strays.

Malva excitedly punched at the air.

"ERUPTION!"

6 keratin caps closed—

Wulfric almost gawked

—Torkoal anchored his legs, buckling underneath the tremendous weight of Avalugg. The ground beneath him cracked and spurted magma. A raging crimson emerged from Torkoal's back as magma eerily bubbled. Avalugg screeched in pain as its belly sizzled on Torkoal's scorching shell. An explosion of magma impaled Avalugg in an agonizing lance. The icicle body glowed a crimson hue before violently exploding from Avalugg's back.

Avalugg's cries resembled a volcano roaring to life.

Malva stared straight forward, through the shifting and wavering haze, as she caught her breath. She could see the ice reforming. "Pull back!"

Torkoal darted away. A massive leg—the ice surface regenerating—slammed on the ground, and dust billowed. Avalugg released an angry roar, commencing the second phase when the icy duo fired on all cylinders.

"Bahaha. Now you know what it feels like to have a heated heart, Avalugg!" Avalugg huffed in irritation as Wulfric laughed. "Surf!"

Water sizzled and popped against the magma. Avalugg floated atop a massive wave resembling a warship; it lurched through the veil of steam. Its head lifted like the barrel of a main battery gun.

"Hydro Pumps!"

"Smokescreen, Fire Blast!"

Torkoal's head protruded outward to cast a Fire Blast. Avalugg's initial Hydro Pump was overpowered by an energized bolt of flames, and then another one followed, resulting in a steamy explosion. The following salvo punctured the erected smokescreen, leaving behind large holes.

"Stone Edge into the air, Razor Flame."

Time to see if her experiment was successful.

A pillar of stone flung Torkoal into the air. His body was repositioned in midair by thrusters, rotating incredibly quickly. A dizzying red circle was drawn through the air and began radiating heat. Shortly afterward, it exploded into flames!

Boomboomboom!

A circular saw blade, blazing with intensity, spun aggressively.

The smokescreen crumbled as a tornado, in place of Avalugg, tore through it. Malva analyzed the narrow funnel of spinning debris, ice, and repurposed water. In the center of the storm, Avalugg hummed as the blizzard presumably crystallized its body in a fresh coat of ice.

The elemental giants charged toward the center.

Razor Flame slowly tore through the raging blizzard. "Come on, come on, come on," Malva muttered, watching the blizzard weaken and contort before dispersing in trails of steam. Yes! She mentally cheered.

"Protect!" Wulfric commanded.

The saw blade sank in Avalugg's barrier with not a second to spare, producing a shrilling sound of a high-pitched whistle from a kettle. Embers slid across the veil, akin to droplets on a window. Razor Flame bounced off and continued to spiral to the sky, fizzling away to expose the chimney hole of Torkoal's shell.

Will you take the blow or waste your Mirror Coat?

"Overheat!"

As seconds passed—

Crackle!

—a sound resonated through the air. Voracious flames bloomed like a flower, descending on its target.

"Mirror Coat!" Wulfric hollered.

Swiiiii!

With a sharp sound, Avalugg created a prismatic barrier that absorbed the vortex of flames.

KWAAAAAAA—!

The barrier redirected the attack with double the potency; an overflowing beam of fire shot forward like a cannon to consume Torkoal's figure.

He chose the ladder.

"Protect!"

Everyone's eyes fixed on the pillar of fire soaring high up into the sky.

The flames slowly dissipated and the raging heat began to fade away. Although the air was supposed to be frigid, Zich was still sweating with Snom chilling his body.

Malva felt a little bad for him. However, she needed to refocus on the battle.

"ERUPTION!"

An eerie crimson hue painted the field.

Out of Torkoal's shell came a deep, guttural moan, the prelude to Torkoal's volcanic lance smiting down Avalugg's enormous figure—BOOM! The giant wailed in agony as magma cascaded down its body. And in one last act of defiance, Avalugg lifted its head to fire off a feeble Hydro Pump.

"Crash into the ceiling barrier, Counter!" Malva pointed up.

Torkoal ricocheted off the barrier and descended at a tremendous speed, further accelerating as all thrusters ignited to push downward. The sound rivaled multiple thunderclaps. She looked in awe at her bastardized missile. Avalugg's elevated head was immediately slammed into the earth, sending debris and magma into the air. When the dust settled, Torkoal stood atop his magma throne.

"Wooooo!" Malva shot her arms into the air, bobbing up and down in pure excitement. "Yes! Zich, did you see that?"

Zich's shoulder jolted in surprise.

"Let's see how you hold up to your promise!" She finger-gunned at him. "Boom, boom, bang! Hahaha!"

"I slightly regret picking a pyromaniac as my rival." He shook his head and smiled, pointing a thumb at his chest. "Just you wait and see, Malva. I've got even more tricks up my sleeve."

The two were oblivious to the others.

"Ahem, boy."

"Oops, my bad." Zich winced and gave a soft laugh, scratching the back of his head. He looked back at her. "Malva, shoo, shoo."

"Wow… doofus," she drawled.

"Huh, doof-!?"

Wulfric cut him off. "Now it's your turn, Cryogonal!"

Malva chose to swap Torkoal out for Talonflame after setting up a fresh batch of Stealth Rocks.

"It's showtime, Talon!"


Happy late New Year! Luck was not on my side when I got sick on Jan 1st. To the readers who have found my shanty of words, have a wonderful day and enjoy 2025 to the fullest.

I know I'm still a noob at writing, but I'm still trying to get better, so bear with me, lol. And on the topic of the story, after Malva's gym battle, expect the next arc to be called Shiver Shenanigans. You could probably tell what's going to happen.

Random Notes:

-If Malva ever listens to Zich's playlist. She would probably listen to Sea of Fire by Hiroyuki Sawano

-Zich's next pokémon will be used like an AC-130

-I'm praying for CasualOne to update Her Rival