Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.
"What the hell kind of mistake are you referring to?"
"You're drowning yourself in revenge. I should know, I had a similar case where I was wanting to destroy two individuals."
"Let me guess, they beat the hell out of you a lot?"
"No, they cheated us out of our home and started to mess with it when we were forced to leave it all behind. Years later, I couldn't stop thinking about it and it consumed me until I finally had the chance to put a crossbow bolt between both of their eyes. But… there were two things: One, I was starting to lose myself and become someone I wasn't, and a friend snapped me out of it which made me see them in a whole different light."
"...And the other reason?"
"One of them is REALLY hard to kill. Dude gets flattened or takes a dip under the lava and he comes out as if nothing happened. It's so… charmingly bizarre." She then let out an exasperated groan. "And now I work for the guy after I took some shares from him to punish him… and I still need to figure out the Microgames… glad I asked Chihiro to help but I still need to pinpoint-"
"Time out for a second. You actually thought I was going to kill Ren? I was just going to humiliate him just like how he humiliated me. And if I had Terapagos, it'd just be even better. I just want him to experience the pain that he put me through."
"And that right there is why Moltres is feeding on your obsession."
"Moltres? What are you-" Kieran turned around to see the Galarian Moltres. "HOLYARCEUSWHYISTHATMOLTRESAGOTH?!" He yelled quickly.
A goth? Nyx sweatdropped while Moltres let out an amused chuckle.
"Seriously… did he… like… dive into a pool of permanent spray paint or…?"
"I dunno, but I'm trying to stop you from hurting yourself. You're so obsessed with wanting to be better than Ren that it's turning you into… this. Not only that, but you've gotten to the point that you've scared my sister, and she's not typically afraid of anything."
"Anything?"
"Nope. Girl loves her horror movies, even the ones that would make even the stoic flinch. Give her a horror film and she'll be all over it. Though, I've heard her make fun of a few bad ones, but still, that's her thing. It takes a whole lot to unnerve her, nearly impossible to do so… and you came in looking for a fight with Umber and your whole dark presence was enough to do the impossible and scare the hell out of Yagami."
"I… did that…?" Kieran looked down. "...I didn't mean to scare anyone, I just… wanted some practice before the fight and I thought fighting the Alolan Champion would… oh gosh…" Kieran put his hand over his mouth.
"You're becoming someone completely different, Kieran." A voice said as he turned to see Hiyoko.
"Hiyoko?"
"I get it, you're upset with what happened at Kitakami and what Carmine told you, but… this is getting worrisome. I've half a mind to give you a wedgie just to snap you out of it, but out of respect for Carmine, I won't."
"Mmmph…" Kieran grimaced, folding his arms. "I… I need a moment…" He said as he walked off.
"Just think about it, okay?" Nyx asked before sighing. "Hope I got through to him."
"I hope so… otherwise I'm afraid he's gonna get himself hurt." Hiyoko said as she walked off giggling. "Or better yet, working for the greediest son of a bitch we all know~"
Nyx sweatdropped. "I'm not gonna hear the end of that, aren't I?"
"It's what tunnel vision does to ya, Nyx~!" Hiyoko teased before walking off, her smile disappearing. I need to talk to Ren…
Nyx sighed, shaking her head. "Yeah… I really should've thought that more through…" She chuckled as Moltres landed, giving Nyx a smirk. "What are you smirking at, big guy?"
Moltres let out a screech.
"Ah.. what can I say? They've grown on me."
"And now you know why I have stuck around."
Nyx paused, looking at Moltres in surprise. "Okay, first DK and now you? What's next, that Game and Watch fella? ROB?"
"Stop being paranoid."
Paranoid? Who's paranoid?
"And before you ask why I said that. Think why would I, the Avatar of Wrath, stick around someone who has mostly given that up?"
"...Uuh, good question?"
"Because I respect the hell out of you for doing so."
Nyx blinked. "Thanks…? Why are you saying this now?"
"That kid has a lot to think about if you think anyone can just go up and capture a Legendary Pokemon."
Nearby, Hiyoko overheard the conversation as she started to fan herself and felt a bit pensive. "I hope Ren knows what he's doing…"
Meanwhile, with Alessandra…
BGM: Savannah Biome (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk)
"There ya go…" Victor said as he finished patching up Alessandra's Pokemon. "They're a little banged up, but they should be fine." He smiled while Neo gently rubbed Charlotte's head.
"Snoooom~"
"Thanks Viccy." Alessandra said before sighing.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, just… upset by what happened, and well, what I said to him after I forfeited that match."
"What'd you say to him?"
"Let's just say I was so upset with him that, in the heat of the moment, I forgot about what not to call him and just flat out called him "Kiki" before I left."
"Ooooh…" Victor grimaced.
"I honestly probably would've called him the same thing in that moment too." Hop admitted. "Hell, I probably would've called him something worse, probably pull a Gloria."
"Please, if anyone can pull a Gloria, it's Gloria." Victor chuckled, hearing a snicker from everyone. "Still, when things are back to normal with the lad, maybe you oughta-"
"Apologize to him? Yeah, that's a top priority for me. Hopefully he'll calm down."
"Hey sis!"
Alessandra turned around to see Cian and Zinnia approach. "Hey gu-... why are you two holding hands?" She wondered before it immediately dawned on her. "No! You two-"
"You catch on quick, fashionista~" Zinnia grinned.
"Wait, then that means…" Alessandra let out a groan. "Ugh, I was hoping I'd-..." She sighed. "Okay, name your price."
"Wait, you guys still had that bet going on?" Victor asked as Neo looked at him curiously. "They had a bet since they were five that, whoever scores a man or a lady first, the loser gets to do whatever the winner tells 'em to do."
["And they've still remembered that for so long?"]
"Apparently!"
"Even I've forgotten about it."
"Book us a place to a fancy restaurant." Cian said.
"Oh thank Arceus… I thought you were gonna make me cook for you!" Alessandra sighed in relief.
"Can't cook?" Zinnia asked.
"There's a reason why I didn't take home ec classes back at Nuranuva…"
Cian whispered in Zinnia's ear.
"You did WHAT with water?! How'd you manage to do that?"
"I don't even know! It all happened so fast!"
Neo sweatdropped. ["I don't think I wanna know…"]
"Oh, by the way… I owe you an apology." Cian said.
"Hmm?" Alessandra tilted her head. "What for?"
"This." He called out the Kleavor.
"Kleav!"
"Aha! I told you so!"
"Yeah, you certainly did." Cian chuckled.
"By the way, I caught a Pokemon of my own here~"
"You did? What was it, an Oricorio? A Whimsicott?"
"Nope~!" Alessandra pulled out a Dusk Ball and tossed it up in the air.
"Snease!"
"Whoa! That's… a very… tall and sassy Sneasel."
Alessandra giggled, pulling out her phone.
"Sneasler, the Free Climb Pokemon and the evolved form of Hisuian Sneasel. Because of Sneasler's virulent poison and daunting physical prowess, no other species could hope to best it on the frozen highlands. Preferring solitude, this species does not form packs. Studies have shown that people tend to be quite exasperated with Sneasler's sassy attitude."
Cian blinked before chuckling. "Well, I think we found your spirit Pokemon."
"Right?!" Alessandra giggled. "I'm sassy, she's sassy. It's like I found the perfect Pokemon~!" She smiled, fist bumping Sneasler.
"Snease." The Sneasler nodded.
Neo nudged Hop. ["So, when you gonna confess to her, lover boy~?"]
Hop blushed. "Working on it…"
End BGM
Back with Kieran…
"Mmmph… this isn't adding up… there's no way I could have scared that girl… right…? Like, I worked my way to the top, I worked really hard… I… I… I only meant to be as tough as Ren but… but…"
Kieran failed to notice where he was going and ended up bumping into someone.
"Sorry!" He quickly apologized, looking up to see Cinder.
"You seem like you're at war with yourself."
"Huh?" Kieran looked confused before noticing Acnologia landing down. "Oh…! That's… a shiny… Charizard."
"Don't worry, he doesn't bite. You can get closer if you want to."
"O… kay…" Kieran nodded as he slowly approached but had a nervous expression on his face after hearing horror stories on how Charizard tend to be difficult with certain trainers and burning their faces for no reason.
He stopped within arms length of him and looked away, holding his arm out. Please don't bite my arm off… please don't bite my arm off…
Acnologia leaned his head forward, the palm of his hand touching the top of his snout. "Huh?" Kieran turned to him and sighed in relief. "I'm not barbecued…"
"So, I've been hearing a lot about you."
"Well, you wouldn't be the first…"
"You wanna talk about it? Don't worry, I'm not gonna battle you. I'm not exactly a "Pokemon Trainer"."
"Well… after what happened in Kitakami, I just want to prove that… that…"
"...That you have the strength to be better than anyone else?"
Kieran's eyes widened in surprise. "Well, yeah…"
"Guess that makes two of us."
"Huh? You too?"
"Let's just say that I, too, was on top of the world and thought I was better than everyone else. And then one day… things just fell apart and I was served some humble pie. It… It took a lot to rebuild my confidence."
"Oh… sorry."
"No no, it turned out to be a good thing in the end. Though, I definitely would like a rematch at some point. No holds barred, just a friendly spar between me and a certain someone with a scythe."
"Do you… think I can beat him?"
"That depends. Are you confident enough in your own abilities?"
"Well, yeah-"
"Then why are you doubting yourself? Go and see what you can do against Ren. Maybe you could beat him but maybe you won't. It all depends on you."
Kieran clenched his fists. "I know I can beat him. I've gotten stronger and I know I can finally put an end to his winning streak."
"Well… I wish you good luck on that." Cinder said, patting him on the head. "Here, you look like you could use it before your big fight."
She handed him a sandwich and then she and Acnologia headed off, the latter giving him an understanding look.
Kieran watched them and then looked at his sandwich. He was going to put it away, but his stomach growled.
"...When was the last time I've eaten? …What was the last thing I ate?" He wondered as he took a bite.
"Hmm… not bad. A little spicy, but… not bad."
He sat down to eat by himself for a while.
With Ren…
"Hmm…" Ren pulled out all of his Pokeballs and tossed them up in the air.
"Poni Pon?" Ogerpon wondered.
"Accel Cel…"
"Intel?"
Ren smiled, looking at all of them. "I'm grateful to have met all of you. I remember each and every place I've caught all of you."
"Poni Poni?" Ogerpon pointed toward the ones he recently caught and then at herself.
"Yes, them and you too." Ren chuckled, ruffling her head. "I'm grateful to have met you too."
"Pon Pona~!"
Ren smiled. "Even if you had just gotten to know me, you're not just my partners… you, along with Jaune, Pyrrha and Nora, are my family. Deep in my heart, I hope we all continue to support each other as we figure out how to get Terapagos and find out where the Loyal Three's master may be."
"Poni…" Ogerpon frowned.
"Intel Tel Teleon." Rami smiled as he gave Ren a hug as one by one, they all hugged him, though Ren's hair stood up a bit when Sandy Shocks tried to give him a hug.
"Hope I'm not interrupting." A voice said as Ren turned to see Hiyoko approaching.
"You need something?"
"Honestly, I've been watching Kieran for the past while and… he's off his rocker. Not only is he fighting dirty, but he's spewing some kind of nonsense that's scaring some people. Hell, YAGAMI was terrified of him, and we all know that girl's hard to intimidate. It's gotten so bad that Nyx's Moltres took a mighty interest in him. Ya know, the avatar of wrath?"
"That's… good to know."
"Right? He's not the same Kiki we all know… and I'm definitely worried for him. Hell, I'm worried I'm going to have to bring out my bully side and do what I did to Ruby's bitchy counterpart, if you know what I mean."
"Ah yes, the intergalactic wedgie…"
"Exactly! Out of respect of Carmine, I'm not going to do that but… I'm afraid I'll have to tap into it if it gets really out of hand. I love that kid, but… someone's gotta knock some sense into him, ya know? Not to mention some people who've battled him haven't exactly… cooled the coals. They just added more fuel to the fire in the heat of the moment, which, honestly, I can't fault them because Kieran's unstable and he's not exactly helping the cause either but-"
Hiyoko sighed.
"I'm just worried Kieran's going to do something stupid that will hurt him, and he's dangerously teetering to that moment. I've also overheard him wanting to get Terapagos, and I'm afraid that he's going to hurt himself the moment we find him."
"So… what do you propose we do?"
"Knock him off his high horse and bring him back to reality… because I'm fearing this is going to turn into a life and death situation."
Back with Kieran…
Kieran finished his sandwich and looked up toward the ceiling. "Hmm…" He let out a sigh.
"Hey!"
Kieran shifted his eyes. "What, you looking for a fight?"
"Nah, I just want to chat."
Kieran turned his head to see who was talking to him, seeing that it was Ruby. "I see…"
"Mind if I sit with ya?"
"I mean, if you want-"
"Good, because I was gonna sit down anyway!" Ruby said as she sat down, causing Kieran to sweatdrop.
So straight forward… He thought as he noticed Ruby's plant arm. Huh, plant-like… weird.
"Soooo, I talked with your sister."
"Carmine? Eh, good for you, I guess. Let me guess, come to say "I'm destroying myself over some silly one-sided conflict"? Because you wouldn't be the first-"
"Nope~!"
"...Nope?"
"Nope~"
"Ooookay…?"
"I just know what it's like to have a bad relationship with a sister."
Kieran's eyes widened. "Wait, you have a sister who was cruel to you?"
"Not necessarily cruel, but more… lacking any foresight, I guess? Lack of empathy? Lack of… I dunno what other word there is, but it's something like that."
"What did your sister do?"
"Oh, ya know, I was being tormented and I was crying for help and my sister thought the best course of action was, instead of some sisterly love, she sends a therapist to deal with my problems."
Kieran's eyes widened. "Dude…"
"She acted like my problems were no big deal while she was dealing with her own thing like she owned the place. Ugh, I kinda resented her for it… we even got in a big fight when I couldn't handle her crap anymore. Granted, part of it was my fault because I ran away, but I didn't know what else to do because I knew for a fact Yang wouldn't do anything about it."
"Wait wait wait, time out! You had so many problems against you that your sister didn't think about caring for you? Did you even ask for help?"
Ruby blushed. "...No, I… I didn't. I didn't… think of that. Admittedly. I thought me being in agonizing pain was the only sign I needed that I needed some love and support."
"Yeesh… then again, me snapping at my sister a few times where I needed her to be supportive was… definitely a sign too." Kieran mumbled as he looked away. "Honestly, how come we didn't do more fun things like chasing after the Volbeat and Illumise?" He wondered. "...Unless we did and I'm forgetting-... actually, she helped me fish up a Feebas but it swam away when my line broke…"
"You okay?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, just… talking to myself. So what did you do?"
"It took me a while to forgive Yang. And I know deep down that you'll forgive Carmine."
"Yeah, well, she shouldn't have kept it hidden for so long that our birth givers sucked. Can't blame her for it though but STILL!"
"I know, I would've been angry at Yang if something like that happened to me, but… older siblings aren't perfect. They'll screw up and do something really hurtful, but… at the end of the day, they're still family. The more you push them away, the more it'll hurt them. I speak from experience… I pushed Yang away because I clung on to someone who tried to help, but I still longed for my sister's love, even if it seemed she wasn't interested…"
"You patched things up with Yang, right?"
"Yeah. It took a while, but we patched things through."
"...Then what do I do? I… I didn't stop Incineroar from smacking Carmine in the back because… admittedly, I thought he was gonna go for a pat on the shoulder before it was too late. I… I feel like she's never going to speak to me again, given how she tends to snap at me."
"How can you be so sure? Your sister is hurting as much as you are. What you oughta do is work up the courage to talk to her, patch things up, hug her… just, give her your love. She's wanting you back in her life. There's going to be a moment where something might happen to Carmine and you'll still be holding a grudge before it's too late. That's the last thing anyone wants."
"You mean, like… what happened with your arm? Did Yang do that to you in a heated argument?"
"Huh? Oh, no, that's entirely unrelated." Ruby waved it off. "Just… go talk to Carmine when you're ready to talk to her. I bet she'll happily embrace you."
Kieran sighed. "Thanks for the pep talk, Ruby…" He stood up. "There's something I must do."
"Yeah, go get 'er!" Ruby encouraged as Kieran walked off. "...Ah, Kieran? Carmine's that way!" She pointed to the left. "…Kieran? Kieran!"
Ruby scratched her head and then pounded her fist into her rose palm. "Ah! He's probably going to give her some apology chocolate."
She then let out a sigh. "Apology chocolate… wish I had some apology cookies from Yang when we made up." She mumbled before shaking her head. "Oh, who am I kidding… no one thought of cookies back then except for my ghost mother." She giggled.
Back with Ren…
"Here ye go, lads." Gloria said, handing two bowls of Max Soup to Rami and Tank, who both ate it up happily.
"I'm surprised you have a cooler in your bag… and the fact it was still cold." Ren said.
"I have a cauldron and a tent in my bag, a shite ton of clothes, a bike… and Aless has a picnic table in her bag but this surprises you?" Gloria teased.
Ren chuckled. "Fair enough."
"Hmmm…" Arven looked at the Max Soup in the cauldron and started to sniff it with a ladle. "Hmm…" He took a curious sip.
His eyes widened, feeling himself power up.
"RAAAAH! I feel like I can take on the whole world! I feel great! I feel fantastic! I feel… about the same…?"
"It dinnae work on humans, so dinnae be surprised that ye cannae G-Max."
"Then why the heck did I feel like I powered up? I felt like my chest burned for a few seconds!"
"Heartburn?" Gloria shrugged.
"What do you MEAN heartburn?!"
Arven pinched the bridge of his nose while Ren tried to stifle a chuckle. "Talk about a rip off…"
Bing bong bing bong!
"Can Lie Ren come to the battle arena outside? Champion Kieran is waiting for you."
Ren clenched his fists. "It's time." He said, recalling the now powered up Rami and Tank and walked off, switching around his team to see what would work against Kieran.
With Ruby…
"That's what he ran off for? I hope he got some apology chocolates in advance!" Ruby said.
"He more than likely didn't." Pit said.
"One can hope…"
With Hiyoko…
"Ren… good luck." She said as she started to walk toward the arena.
Carmine…
"Kieran… Ren… please don't do anything rash…" She hoped as she ran off as one by one, everyone went off to watch the event.
Back up top…
Ren calmly approached the arena, where Kieran was waiting for him, tossing a Pokeball up in the air.
Kieran made eye contact with him as one by one, everyone started to pile on.
"Kept me waiting." He said coldly as Ren approached.
BGM: Challenging BB League Champion Kieran (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk)
"I've heard about what you've done last time we faced each other."
"That's right. I worked so hard for a chance to show you what I can really do, Ren." He gripped the Pokeball tightly. "I put everything into studying and making my Pokemon stronger… I crushed the Elite Four and became Champion… I became top dog at this academy… no one stood in my way, not even your friends stood a chance against me."
"All because you cheated!" Kotoko called out to him with Weiss and the Warriors of Hope had to calm her down, while Kieran ignored her.
"All of that hard work… all of it…"
He aimed the Pokeball directly at Ren.
"All of it just so that I could beat you… right here, RIGHT NOW!"
End BGM
"Kieran… if the circumstances were different at Kitakami, I would have let you win."
"I highly doubt that you would have!"
"No, listen to me. If Ogerpon wasn't part of the equation, let alone your obsession was non-existent, I would have let you win a battle just to see you smile again."
"Oh, so now you're remorseful… because I'm a threat. It's too late, Ren… I'm going to show you what it means to be humiliated… just like how you humiliated me!"
Ren sighed. "You've done that yourself."
Kieran rolled his eyes. "Quit stalling! Let's get this over with!"
Ren clenched his fists. "If it means getting you to snap out of it…"
He pulled out two Pokeballs. "So be it."
BGM: Battle! Champion Kieran (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk)
Kieran growled, as Ren's demeanor changed into a taunting smirk. Of course, this was all in his head.
"Rrrrgh… AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Kieran yelled toward the sky, pulling out two Pokeballs of his own and sending out Dragonite and Politoed while Ren sent out Marshal and Ishi.
Desperate to Win - Kieran
Nora had concern all over her face. "I've got a bad feeling…"
"Let's do this, guys. Just like how we practiced!" Kieran said as his Dragonite and Politoed nodded, the latter unleashing his Drizzle ability.
"Goleeem!" Ishi cried, unleashing Stealth Rock on the field, then Politoed used Psychic on Ishi and sent him toward Marshal, who quickly dodged out of the way and used Shell Side Arm on Dragonite.
Dragonite immediately used Thunder, but Ishi jumped back in and took the hit while Marshal jumped up and sprayed Dragonite with it. "Drago…!" Dragonite grunted, feeling the effects of Poison kicking in.
"Poli!" Politoed used Psychic on Marshal, bringing him over to Dragonite and held him in place as Dragonite shook off the poison as he jumped in with Breaking Swipe, but got hit with Rock Blast to knock him into Politoed.
"Toed?!" Politoed yelped as he was crushed by Dragonite, but emerged unscathed as he used Helping Hand on him as Dragonite used Hurricane to knock the two in the air, but Marshal doused Ishi with poison as the Golem came crashing down with a poisonous Thunder Punch, striking Dragonite as more poison splashed on him.
Ishi jumped back and pulled out a Pecha Berry to eat. "Golem!"
"Bro Bro!" Marshall smirked, only for Ishi to get critically struck by a Water induced Weather Ball, knocking Ishi on one knee as Dragonite fought off the poison. Politoed used another Weather Ball but Marshall got in the way and took the hit, only for Dragonite to swipe him away with his tail, only for Ishi to not be found.
"Drago…?" Dragonite wondered as Ishi had snuck away while Marshall distracted them, then he unleashed Discharge, knowing Marshall could take the hit. Politoed cried and threw down a Weather Ball at him at the same time, hitting Ishi.
"Leeeem…" The Golem fell to the ground right as Dragonite also went out.
"That's one down for each…" Nemona said. "Come on, Ren! You got this!"
"Hmm…" Mewtwo narrowed his eyes at Kieran.
Kieran recalled Dragonite while Ren recalled Ishi, then Ren sent out Gyro while Kieran sent out Porygon-Z.
"Malamar!"
"Puh-puh-puh-po-po-po-po-Porygooooon!" Porygon-Z cried before getting struck by the Stealth Rock. "Zee-Zee…!"
"Polito…" Politoed grunted, barely hanging on as he used Helping Hand on him as Porygon-Z took aim and fired a Shadow Ball directly at a weakened Marshall, but Gyro got in the way and took the hit.
"Hmph. Big mistake." Kieran smirked. "Your Malamar's Special Defense will go do-" A red aura glowed around Gyro for a few moments. "-You got one with Contrary?!"
"Why yes, I did." Ren casually said as Gyro smirked and used Psycho Cut directly on Porygon-Z, knocking it back while Marshall jumped in with Zen Headbutt at the already weakened Politoed, knocking him out.
"Tooooed…" Politoed cried as Kieran let out an annoyed grunt and sent out Grimmsnarl.
"Well, how about that… he's got good taste." Marnie said.
"If he had a Tyranitar, I'd agree." Bowser chuckled.
"Grimmm!" Grimmsnarl unleashed a Reflect and Light Screen, brushing off the as Marshall used Shell Side Arm on Porygon-Z, who dodged and used Thunderbolt, hitting him head on as Marshall fell to the ground in defeat.
Ren said nothing, recalling Marshall and then sent out Racer.
"Gor!"
"Of course you bring that little bastard out…" Kieran growled as the rain stopped.
"Pory-Pory-Pory-GOOOOOON!" Porygon-Z unleashed Hyper Beam on Malamar, who swiftly avoided the attack right as Grimmsnarl jumped toward Racer and used Spirit Break, but Racer dodged the attack. Grimmsnarl growled and kept using Spirit Break as Racer kept dodging while Gyro used Foul Play on Porygon-Z.
Racer landed on Gyro's tentacle, as Grimmsnarl immediately used Spirit Break again. Racer avoided the attack as Gyro got hit with Spirit Break instead, and was immediately powered up despite getting hit.
"No!" Kieran grimaced as Racer jumped in and used Bug Buzz while Gyro smirked and used Foul Play on Porygon-Z, knocking him away while Grimmsnarl used Sucker Punch, but Racer quickly avoided it and used a few Water Shuriken and then a few Bug Buzzes. Grimmsnarl tried to use Spirit Break, but the Accelgor was faster and knocked him down with a Giga Drain to finish him off.
Kieran recalled Grimmsnarl and then sent out Incineroar.
"Cineroooaaaar!" He cried, then looked down and brushed off the Stealth Rocks.
"Accel!" Racer immediately started moving quickly around Incineroar as he smirked, then proceeded to clap his hands as loud as he could, which was enough to make both of Ren's Pokemon flinch, then Incineroar quickly used Flare Blitz, critically striking Racer and knocked him out while also slamming into Gyro for good measure.
"Yes! YES! That's how it felt with your Accelgor being a nuisance!" Kieran cheered as Ren said nothing, recalling Racer and then sent out Tank. "...And now to deal with this guy."
Porygon-Z immediately used Hyper Beam on Tank, who used Metronome and then fired Hyper Beam out of his mouth, both Hyper Beams connecting… but then Tank pushed it forward and engulfed Porygon.
"PUH-PUH-PUH-PORYYYYYYYYYY!" Porygon-Z cried before falling to the ground.
"Typical…" Kieran growled as he recalled Porygon-Z and then sent out his last Pokemon.
"Hydraaaaa!"
"Whoa… that's a fierce one." Alessandra said, scanning the Hydrapple.
"Hydrapple, the Apple Hydra Pokemon and the final evolution of Applin-"
"Yer kiddin'! That wee lad's got another evolution on it?" Gloria wondered while Mahiru and Perrin were taking pictures of the fight.
"-Seven syrpents live inside an apple made of syrup. The syrpent in the center is the commander. These capricious syrpents have banded together. On the rare occasion that their moods align, their true power is unleashed."
"Oooh… that's concerning."
Kieran pulled out the Tera Orb and proceeded to Terastalize the Hydrapple, Terastalizing it with a Fighting Tera Jewel.
"HYDRAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"Roar Roar In!" Incineroar told the Hydrapple as it nodded, where it started to charge up the Tera Blast right as Incineroar used another Fake Out mega clap, making both Pokemon flinch as Hydrapple unleashed Tera Blast directly on Gyro, knocking him out before he could do anything.
"Malaaaaaaa!" Gyro cried.
Ren closed his eyes. "You've definitely gotten stronger…" He said as he pulled out the last Pokeball that he chose for the fight.
The Luxury Ball.
"I hate to do this, but it's for your own good." He said as he tossed it into the air, calling out Ogerpon.
"Poni Poooon~!"
Kieran growled, his eyes being filled with rage and more draconic.
"You've got some nerve… bringing out the ogre NOW of all times?!"
"Oooh Ogerpon…" Carmine whimpered.
End BGM
"Her name is Ogerpon." Ren defended. "She's my friend and we will help bring you back to your old self."
"I could care less WHAT it's name is!" Kieran exclaimed, a dark aura surrounding him again. "Incineroar! Hydrapple! Focus your attention on the ogre and DESTROY IT!"
"Incine!" Incineroar smirked.
"Drapple…?" Hydrapple looked at Kieran with concern at his change of tone before turning back to Ogerpon.
"Pona…" Ogerpon frowned as she brought out her cudgel, ready to bring Kieran down a peg.
"Lax!" Tank got ready to fight, nodding at Ogerpon as she nodded back.
Incineroar immediately used Darkest Lariat on Ogerpon while Hydrapple used Fickle Beam, but Ogerpon jumped away and used Power Whip to smack Hydrapple's head.
Incineroar immediately used Flare Blitz on Ogerpon, chasing after her but Tank jumped in and blocked him with his belly, making him bounce away from him while Hydrapple used Gyro Ball on Ogerpon, but she batted him away with her Ivy Cudgel.
"Snor…!" Tank waggled his fingers, using Metronome.
…Only to fall flat on his back, Rest having been chosen.
"Finally… it backfired." Kieran smirked as Ogerpon had an idea and jumped on Snorlax's belly.
"Pona Pon Pon Pon~" Ogerpon danced around on Tank's belly. "Pon Pon Poooon~" She pointed directly at Incineroar.
A cross vein appeared on Incineroar's forehead, causing him to growl but then had an idea. He immediately jumped up on Hydrapple and then launched up toward the wall, climbing up with a sinister chuckle.
Ogerpon turned toward Ren. "Pen Pen! Pona Poni Pon Pono!" She pointed toward his wrist.
"Right!" Ren nodded as he started to make a pose as Incineroar hung against the wall, looking down at Ogerpon.
"Ponnnnaaa~" Ogerpon playfully stuck her tongue out.
"INCINEEEE!" Incineroar cried as he launched off, turning upside down and folded his arms, going for a makeshift Malicious Moonsault as he was coming down head first.
Ogerpon jumped away at the last moment, causing Incineroar to make contact with Tank's belly, causing him to fly away. "Roooooar!"
"Now! It's time to finish this!" Ren said, proceeding to finish as immense power surged through Tank.
"Snor…"
His eyes glowed as he immediately woke up.
BGM: Pokemon Gym Version 2 (Pokemon Anime Sound Collection)
"LAX!" Snorlax cried as he sprang up and did a front flip, landing perfectly before charging directly at the falling Incineroar as he jumped up high into the air.
"Roar!" Incineroar grunted as he landed on his back. He opened his eyes just in time to see giant feet coming down on top of him, and before he could cry out, Tank flattened him.
Meanwhile, Ogerpon put on her Hearthflame Mask as Ren proceeded to Terastalize her. "PONI PON POOOOONNNNN!"
"Drapple?!" Hydrapple cried in horror as Tank got off of the KO'd Incineroar as Kieran's eyes widened in horror, realizing what was about to happen.
"No…!"
Ogerpon immediately ran toward Hydrapple as he tried to use Earth Power, but Tank slammed into him with Giga Impact, knocking him back a few feet, the impact enough to knock the Tera Crown off of him.
"NO!" Kieran yelled in dismay as Ogerpon jumped in and used her Flaming Cudgel to slam down on Hydrapple.
"Hydra…!" Hydrapple grunted as it tried to use Fickle Beam, but Tank jumped in with High Horsepower to send Hydrapple to the ground, and then Ogerpon jumped high into the air, her Cudgel transforming into a flaming Wood Hammer.
"NOOOOOOO!" Kieran screamed, his previous battles flashing before his eyes.
"PONI… POOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNN!" Ogerpon slammed the fiery Wood Hammer on Hydrapple, causing a massive explosion that covered the battlefield.
When the smoke cleared… Hydrapple was knocked out.
End BGM
Kieran said nothing, his eyes still widened in disbelief.
"Looks like he finally lost." A student said.
"Yeah, I knew he was a fraud from the start."
"Let's get out of here."
The BB students walked away, leaving only behind everyone else, while Kieran fell on his knees.
"AUUUUUUUUUUUUGHHHH!" He cried out in agony, throwing her arms down and pounding the ground, tears swelling in his eyes.
Cinder sighed, closing her eyes. "I know he feels…"
"Serves him right." Kotoko mumbled as Yagami and Umber nodded, having overheard her.
"Ooof…" Nyx could only say while Carmine, Jade and Ruby looked at Kieran with concern.
"Poor guy…" Alessandra frowned.
"He did this to himself." Mewtwo said.
"Haha! That was awesome!" Crispin called out. "Way to go, you two!"
"Oh, drop it, Crispin! Read the room, would you?!" Lacey scolded, then noticed a smug smirk from Drayton as he walked over to them. "W-wait, Drayton!"
"That was a hell of a fight, you two. Too bad about the outcome…"
He leaned down next to the despairing Kieran and smugly grinned.
"Ex-champion."
Ren grimaced. "I don't think he needs that right now…"
"Eh. He had it comin'." Drayton shrugged. "Oh, by the way, this is for those who make it to the top at Blueberry." He said, tossing a Master Ball toward Ren.
"A Master Ball?" Penny wondered with intrigue.
"Thanks, I guess…"
Drayton chuckled, turning his head toward Kieran. "Yo, Kieran. Hope that loss was a wake up call because, yikes dude, come back to having fun with all of us, yeah? I get you wanted to win and rise up to the top, but there's a thing called moderation. Maybe now you can-"
"...Win… next time…"
"Beg pardon?"
Kieran slowly rose up, nearly stumbling up as he looked toward the ground. "I won't lose… Next time, for sure… I'll… I'll win… next time, I'll win…"
Ren frowned, opening his mouth to say something but stopped when Nora walked past him. He briefly noticed a scowl in her face.
"Next time… I'll win. I won't lo-"
Nora approached Kieran, putting her hands on her hips. "Hey, Kiki."
Kieran snapped out of it, looking up to see a miffed Nora. "Wha-?" He began, only to get smacked in the face by her.
"Ooooh!" The others, including the Elite Four, winced.
Kotoko smirked while folding her arms. "Deserved!"
"Maybe…" Hiyoko somewhat agreed before sighing. "Honestly… I kinda figured that Nora would take this."
"Nngh!" Kieran clutched his sore cheek in pain. "Wh-what was that for?!"
"That's for being a self deluded idiot." She then smacked him again, this time on top of his head. "And that's… for everything else!"
Kieran rubbed his head. "Owww… did you really have to hit me that-"
"CAN IT!" Kieran flinched from the sudden yell, him and a majority of those still there.
"What you've done ever since Ren caught Ogerpon is completely uncalled for! Not only did you cause a rift between you and Carmine, who felt like she had everything stacked against her, you went out of your way to change into a total jerk! You made Carmine miserable, made everyone in Blueberry miserable and forced them to walk on eggshells because they were scared of you, just like this one guy I've heard from Nemona and Carmine that you kicked out because he didn't meet your standards!"
"But-"
"I'm not done! Your obsession with Ogerpon got you into this mess! If you weren't self-deluded with your fanfiction, you'd understand Ogerpon's feelings! She went to Ren for a reason… she would have been absolutely miserable with you because of your toxic obsession with her. It's gotten so bad that we had to put a stop to it before it got out of hand, and I admit we should have done better, but the point is, you've gotten out of control that you pushed everyone away!"
"I-"
"Just… just stop. It's gotten so bad that you resorted to fighting dirty just so you could desperately try to win against Ren, but would beating Ren here give you the right to own Ogerpon? Did you think that beating him would make her realize you're better? Of course not. You've hurt so many people along the way in your conquest that you've lost sight of yourself and became… completely unrecognizable to your friends. Just… just stop this madness and come back to all of us."
"I… I…"
Kieran slumped over in defeat, hanging his head low in shame.
"Awwww…"
Everyone else looked on in shock after what Nora had said to him.
"Whoooof…" Drayton rubbed the back of his head, feeling sympathetic toward Kieran.
"I didn't know she had it in her." Pyrrha said, equally sympathetic.
"Ahem…" Lacey cleared her throat. "If we might, um, interrupt…"
Bing-bong-bong-bing
"Carmine of Class 3-2. BB League Champion Kieran. Lie Ren and guests. Ms. Briar and some guests would like to see you. Please proceed to classroom 1-4 as soon as possible. Thank you."
Bing-bong-bong-bing
Lacey shook her head. "What could that be about? Now's not really the time."
Drayton folded his arms while chuckling. ""BB League Champion Kieran", huh? They're gonna have to update that."
"Dude!" Jaune exclaimed, completely appalled with everyone else.
"He isn't wrong though…" Mewtwo agreed.
"Same…" Kotoko whispered to herself.
"Drayton!" Lacey scolded in annoyance. "Could you seriously NOT right now?! It's not just right… and certainly not kind!"
Drayton unfolded his arms. "Well, we shouldn't leave Ms. Briar hanging, or we'll never hear the end of it." He sheepishly rubbed his head while looking at everyone else. "Go on ahead, you guys. We'll meet you there." He turned to Kieran next. "I'll make sure Kieran comes too, even if I gotta carry him."
Alessandra frowned, giving Kieran a sympathetic look. "Poor guy…"
"Yeah, I feel bad for him… even if he did bring it upon himself." Perrin agreed.
"Don't worry, we got it." Jade said, wrapping an arm around a despondent Kieran, with the help of Kokoro and Ruby helping him too. "Come on, bud."
Drayton chuckled. "Thanks, greenie."
"Greenie?" Jade raised an eyebrow.
"Definitely gonna have to remember that one…" Nyx mumbled with a snicker.
Sweet! Ammo to tease her with~! Futaba thought.
"Glad I'm not the only one…" Ruby snickered, remember how often Roman called her Red.
"Uh, no prob, but I go by Jade…"
"Ah, the name of a Jewel? Their green, so therefore… greenie."
Jade sweatdropped, turned to Ruby. "Is this how it normally is with you with certain folk?"
"Yeah, you get used to it." Ruby said, hearing a giggle from Kokoro.
"Oh boy…"
As they started to walk…
"Well, I was gonna do this with Kieran, but…" Hiyoko grabbed Drayton by the ankles and threw him into a dumpster.
"Huh?! WAAAAH!"
Hiyoko dusted her hands. "Aaaand that's just a taste of Japanese bullying."
"Do I even want to know…?" Nyx wondered.
"Well, there's one instance where if you put a flower on a student's desk and if they're not there, it's a sign of respect and to wishing them to rest in peace. However, if you give one to an occupied desk, you basically tell them to kill themselves."
"Ya know, I think I've heard something similar in Sinnoh…" Perrin said.
Penny shuddered. "Goodness, Japan is really hardcore…"
Drayton emerged from the dumpster as Carmine picked him up via a trolley and pushed the dumpster forward to the room.
"...You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"It's a good look for you~"
"...Ya could've said "yes"."
Once in Briar's room…
"Ah, good to see all…" Briar blinked, seeing Drayton in the dumpster being pushed in via Carmine and Jinx guiding her in.
"Am I clear?" Carmine asked.
"You got plenty of room!"
"Eh, she's a little bit off to the left." Flandre said
"You think so?"
"I knew it…" Carmine said as she readjusted and then pushed Drayton in.
"...Drayton, why are you dumpster diving?"
"Oh, ya know, getting initiated with Japan." Drayton mumbled, causing Briar to tilt her head while Hiyoko stood nearby giggling behind her fan, while Mahiru couldn't help but shake her head.
"Anyway, it's great to see you guys again." Briar smiled. "And you've multiplied! Well, that certainly explains a few things."
"Like what?"
They heard footsteps walking in. "That we told her she'd be expecting a large group."
Nemona gasped. "La Primera~! …And Rika?"
"Hello! We got here as fast as possible when we found a breakthrough."
"Hey hey, it's your ol' pal Rika." Rika waved. "...Is what I would say because WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!"
BGM: Funny Goings-On (Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam)
Everyone flinched at Rika's sudden outburst.
"What gives y'all the right to go ahead and dive into Area Zero like that?! It's off limits for a reason and y'all just jumped in just like that?!"
"Some of us weren't reckless…" Arven mumbled.
Rika turned to a startled Geeta. "And don't think you're off the hook! I knew about that phone call you had with Larry. You've forgotten that all phone calls with the Elite Four and the Top Champion are recorded!"
"Ah, yes… that might have slipped my mind…" Geeta looked away with a nervous chuckle.
"Arceus, you're impossible sometimes…" Rika grumbled before turning back to the others. "I don't care if y'all had something like a Mewtwo with you, that doesn't-"
"Ahem." Mewtwo cleared his throat, casually leaning against the wall.
"Oh hey, Mewtwo. Anyway, that doesn't-... MEWTWO?!"
"Go on. You were about to say something hilarious." Mewtwo said.
Rika blinked and turned to Geeta. "How long-"
"Long enough. He was hanging around up in the sky being anti-social with everyone. I just assumed you knew."
"I don't skygaze! Ugh…"
Geeta cleared her throat. "Anyway, we had came here as fast as we could."
"What for?" Alessandra asked.
"Because we found this…" Geeta pulled out a disk. "It is called the Indigo Disk. With this, we can go into Area Zero and retrieve Ogerpon's friend."
"Pona Pon?!" Ogerpon's eyes widened.
Geeta giggled. "Yes, little one. We will reunite you with Terapagos~"
Everyone's eyes widened as excitement started to build within Alessandra.
Kieran, meanwhile, had other ideas.
"Terapagos… the Legendary Pokemon is in Area Zero?"
Mewtwo glanced over at Kieran, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
Now what is that boy up to…?
Ibuki: Nothing good...
Deadpool: One last hurrah, and that won't end well either.
Nope.
