Disclaimer: I don't own anything that doesn't belong to me.
Despite the urgency of the situation, the ride through the Savanna Biome was very pleasant. Riding their dragons alongside each other, their friends and partners clinging to their backs, if she pretended the dome overhead were actual sky, ANNA reflected she could imagine Julie and herself as simply on another journey exploring Paldea or some other new region together. And in a way, she supposed it was true.
Of course, the Terarium, unlike Paldea, had boundaries.
And they were still missing one person. The one girl they needed to make their party complete once again, to truly recapture the feeling of traveling the world alongside those they loved…
"I can see all this through your optics, you know," Penny reminded her.
"It is not the same. I do not feel your body pressing into mine. Your arms wrapped around my waist. The hum of your cybernetics at work, gradually turning you more and more like me as time goes on. The scent I have earmarked in my olfactory files as being uniquely yours. The beating of your heart, growing stronger as it slowly becomes a reactor like mine, pumping energy throughout your body that will allow you to live in perpetuity at my side," ANNA replied.
Penny didn't reply for a moment. Finally, voice thick with emotion, she muttered, "This is why I suppressed most of my emotions after I got locked up, it was the only way I could-"
The line abruptly went silent.
"Where were you? You seemed far away," Nemona commented.
"Penny misses us more than she wants to admit," ANNA replied.
Nemona nodded in understanding. "Oof, yeah, I get that feeling whenever I talk to her too."
"I'm sorry?" A bewildered Lacey asked.
"Apologies. I was merely having a brief conversation with our other primary girlfriend, Penny," ANNA explained. "For complicated reasons, she was unable to join us on this quest, though we very much would've liked her too."
"Yeah, because she's in prison," Nemona added. "Though she could totally leave whenever she wants, she just doesn't for some reason."
Lacey stared at them, alarmed. "In prison – wait, is Julie running alongside her Cyclizar?!"
Indeed, Julie had jumped off Scar and was running alongside her on all fours, the glowing marks on her body indicating she had tapped into her magic to match the Koraidon's speed.
"Oh, I suppose she did not get a good run in earlier today," ANNA noted.
"Also, not a Cyclizar," Nemona added.
"Sister! Join Julie!" Julie called.
"Hmm…very well," ANNA said, hopping off Viola and sprouting wheels from her feet, skating alongside the Miraidon. Julie laughed ecstatically.
"… Right. Wow. You guys really are as… Extra as Carmine said," a wide-eyed Lacey muttered.
Viola snorted. "Sure, fine, do that. What's the point of me being here then?"
"Providing transportation for the rest of us, mi bicicleta favorita?" Nemona cooed, rubbing the underside of Viola's jaw.
"Ah, well, when you put it like that," Viola preened.
They continued across the biome, passing trainers chasing Pokémon, Pokémon chasing trainers, and Pokémon chasing each other. Several groups of Pokémon ran alongside them in curiosity, understandably intrigued to see such trainers and their Pokémon in their artificial natural habitat.
"I want to catch that Pokémon. And that Pokémon. And that Pokémon! We don't have that Pokémon back home!" A giddy Nemona shouted.
"I am sure we will have time to go on a catching spree later," ANNA promised.
"And fight?" Nemona asked hopefully.
"That as well. But the mission takes priority."
"And picking up your girlfriend," Nemona said cheekily.
"Yes," ANNA said without a hint of shame.
"Oh, wow! Look over there!" An excited Lacey shouted, pointing at a massive rock formation they were passing surrounded by members of the Hippowdon, Rhyhorn, Copperajah, Donphan, Zebstrika, Farigiraf, Espathra, Flamigo, and Krookodile lines, and a great many monkey and bird Pokémon. Atop the rock, a Pyroar couple and a Toucannon looked on proudly as an elderly wild-eyed Monferno stepped to the edge of the rock and held up a freshly hatched Littleo, the artificial weather causing a shaft of light from the Terarium core to coincidently illuminate the cub, resulting in all the gathered Pokémon to start going wild as a pack of Mightyena in the distance looked on hungrily.
"It's finally happening! We've been waiting for this moment for weeks!" An excited Lacey said enthusiastically. "The king and queen of the biome have finally had a child, and their shaman advisor is presenting it to the kingdom! But those Mightyena have been enemies of the kingdom for years, and are no doubt plotting to kill the young prince or princess before they can grow up to take the throne-"
"That is not at all what is happening," ANNA interjected.
Lacey blinked. "Wait, what?"
"Biometric scans indicate that child was born several days ago and has no biological relation to the royal couple whatsoever," ANNA explained.
Lacey blinked a few times in astonishment. "What? But…Then, then are they adopting, or-"
"No, that is not what is happening either," ANNA told her. "This is a gender reveal party. The king and queen rented out their home for the occasion because they have the biggest venue in this biome. The Monferno is an entertainer and the Mightyena are providing catering."
Lacey stared. "… I'm sorry, what?"
"Oh, yeah, that makes perfect sense," Nemona said as if this was a perfectly reasonable statement.
Julie snorted. "They so elaborate these days!"
"I'm glad I'm too young to remember mine," Arven commented. "Then again, my parents might not have bothered. I'm pretty sure neither of them was there for my birth."
"… WHAT?!" Lacey shouted.
"Hey, King! Go to family therapy! Sibling secretly plotting to kill you!" Julie shouted at the male Pyroar, who blinked and gave another Pyroar with a scar over one eye lurking in his shadow an incredulous look. The scarred Pyroar laughed nervously and ran away.
Lacey stared off in the distance, stunned. "… I think you've just made a lot of researchers, faculty, and everyone who was assigned coursework about this – including me – very unhappy."
"Yeah, they do that," Nemona said with a shrug.
"If they cannot handle being wrong, they have no business being in this line of work," ANNA said unsympathetically as the Mightyena brought out several artfully decorated fruit platters and the gathered Pokémon descended on them to eat.
Nothing particularly eventful happened during the rest of the ride. Julie and ANNA eventually hopped back on their bikes, but by that point they were only moments away from the central plaza at the heart of the Terarium, directly beneath the core. The plaza was a multi-leveled construct made of the strange blocks used to form structure all over the habitat, the various areas linked by ramps with rest areas, vending machines, and other facilities scattered all about, dozens of trainers in school uniforms occupying it. A large battle court took up the biggest area of the plaza. Walls made of the same blocks extended out from it in four directions, dividing the biomes.
Julie perked up as they rolled in, her nose sniffing the air, and she immediately hopped off Scar and charged up one of the ramps. "Carcar! Julie smells Carcar! Hurry, follow!"
"Little buddy, hang on!" An exasperated Arven called after her. "She knows we aren't all as fast as her, right?"
"Incorrect," ANNA said, sprouting wheels again. "Stay," she told Viola and Scar, who both pouted as she skated up the ramp after her sister.
Arven blinked. "Well… All right, but the rest of us aren't-"
"What are you talking about, Arven? You do remember that the both of us have bodies beyond peak human physique, right?" Nemona asked right before dashing after her girlfriends.
"…Huh. Good point," Arven admitted, starting after her and quickly catching up.
Lacey's eye twitched. "… Well, I can't do that," she complained as she trudged up the ramp after them.
Following her nose, Julie charged through the plaza, darting around trainers and squeezing between their legs while occasionally flashing a wink and a smile at the especially pretty ones and causing them to blush. It only took a matter of moments for her to locate Carmine – who looked fetching in her school uniform – who was talking to another girl standing incredibly stiffly with dark skin, curly black and silver hair with what looked an awful lot like bolts sticking out of it, green eyes, and glasses.
"Oh yeah, things are a bit rough right now…" Carmine said to the other girl.
"I COULDN'T AGREE MORE," the other girl replied in a very flat robotic tone. "OH. YOU HAVE A VISITOR, CARMINE. BEEP BOOP."
Carmine blinked. "Huh? What do you-"
"CARCAR!" Julie shouted, pouncing on the other girl and tackling her to the floor, eagerly rubbing her face in her chest and licking her cheeks and purring happily as she nuzzled her.
"GAH! Mewstress?! I mean Julie?! What are you doing here?!" Carmine shouted in disbelief. "Though I guess that explains the roaring we all heard a little while ago…"
"It's nyot nyour fault."
Carmine blinked. "What?"
Julie looked her in the eye, the Arc Ring glowing in her pupil. "There's nyothing nyou could have done differently. Kieran chose this. He sealed own fate."
"What?"
"Nyour hair smells nyice," Julie said in the same tone without missing a beat.
"…WHAT?!"
"I am here as well," ANNA said, skidding to a halt beside her. "Hello, Carmine."
"Mistress! I mean, ANNA! You're here too?!" Carmine squawked in alarm as Julie started peppering her with kisses.
"Yes," ANNA said, scanning the Kitakami girl's body. Since the last time she'd seen her, she'd gotten a little taller, a little more muscular, a little more buxom, had faint circuit pattern traceries beneath her skin including what looked like whiskers on her cheeks, her eyes had turned into slits, her hair was a little longer and more wild and slightly metallic, and fluffy cat ears had sprouted from the top of her head. "You are looking well, Carmine. Your bone density has increased .013% and your hair color has shifted to a slightly darker gradient of red. In addition, your stomach contents indicate you had an adequately filling lunch recently and should have a regular bowel movement later."
Carmine stammered and turned very red as all the other girls in the vicinity gasped and flushed, except for the girl with bolts coming from her head, who blinked very noisily. "A-ANNA! You can't just tell a girl something like that in public!"
"I still don't understand why that turns girls on," Arven complained as he and Nemona caught up.
Nemona rolled her eyes. "That's because there's no romance in your soul."
"That is completely untrue. Also, hello, Carmine, was it? I'm Arven, one of Julie and ANNA's best friends," Arven introduced himself to Carmine, helping her up. Julie continued clinging to her happily purring and nuzzling and kissing her.
"Arven… You're the sandwich guy with robot parents, right?" Carmen recalled.
"Sandwiches?!" Scar and Viola shouted, suddenly appearing next to them.
"No! Not now!" Arven snapped at the dragons, who whimpered and unhappily slinked away.
"YOU HAVE ROBOT PARENTS? THAT IS FASCINATING, BEEP BOOP," the girl with the bolts in her hair said loudly.
ANNA frowned at her.
Arven frowned. "Does she have a lower volume?" He muttered to an embarrassed Carmine.
"No, we've checked for a knob," Carmine muttered back.
"I DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, FRIEND CARMINE. I AM SPEAKING AT A PERFECTLY NORMAL SOUND LEVEL. I ALSO WOULD NOT HAVE A VOLUME KNOB BECAUSE I AM A HUMAN AND HUMANS DO NOT HAVE VOLUME KNOBS, BEEP BOOP," the other girl said loudly.
"… So, she is a robot, right?" Nemona muttered to ANNA.
"Yes, and not a particularly good one at that," ANNA answered with distaste. "Arven's android parents were far more convincing. And less stereotypical."
"And you must be… Nemona?" Carmine asked Nemona. "And… Wow. You… I've seen pictures, but…" She blushed.
Nemona grinned and extended her mechanical hand. "Yeah, I have that effect on girls. Anyway, yeah, I'm Carmine, a champion level trainer from Paldea, one of Julie and ANNA's main girlfriends, and their official rival! I believe you tried to make them your rivals, too?"
Although Carmine was smiling, her grip suddenly tightened very hard. Carmine yelped, both in pain and in arousal. So strong… "D-don't worry, I'd never steal another trainer's rivals!"
Nemona's grip loosened. "Great! I have no problem with you battling with them now and then, just so long as you remember the pecking order."
Carmine blinked. "… By battling do you mean actually battling, or-"
"Yes!" Nemona said happily. "I'd be happy to battle you anytime."
"That means she likes nyou," Julie whispered to a very red Carmine.
"Not really, she likes to battle everyone," Arven pointed out.
"Hey, we all agreed it's okay if I fight around, I'll always come back to Julie and ANNA at the end of the day," Nemona insisted.
The obviously robotic girl blinked loudly. "I DO NOT COMPREHEND. DO YOU MEAN LITERAL BATTLING, OR IS IT A EUPHEMISM OF SOME SORT? BEEP BOOP."
"Yes," Nemona said unhelpfully.
"Also, you are a disgrace to your entire species," ANNA said in disgust. "What is your designation?"
"I AM AMARYS, ONE OF THE BLUEBERRY ELITE FOUR, AND I AM NOT A ROBOT, BEEP BOOP," Amarys said loudly.
"You disgrace us both with your lying vocoder," ANNA snarled. "Begone, you inferior, obsolete waste of metal."
Amarys checked a pocket watch. "IT IS TIME FOR ME TO GO ANYWAY. NICE SEEING YOU, CARMINE. SO LONG, BEEP BOOP."
"Ah – Okay, see you around!" Carmine said awkwardly, waving as best she could with the very affectionate Julie still clinging to her.
ANNA scowled as Amarys left, an expression of utter contempt on her face. "I pray I never cross paths with her creator, for I have a great many words for them."
"You really don't like her, huh, corazon?" Nemona commented.
"What's that about?" Arven asked.
"Imagine, if you would, that you ran into an unironic racist caricature embodying all the worst stereotypes of Paldeans," ANNA said coolly.
They considered this for a moment. "Okay, yeah, I can see where you're coming from," Arven admitted.
"Also, is Julie ever going to let go of Carmine, I'm starting to get a little envious," Nemona complained.
"Initiating glomp protocol."
ANNA proceeded to jump onto Nemona, immediately crashing both of them to the ground. "Oh, Legends this was a mistake," Nemona wheezed, pinned beneath ANNA'S metal body. "I forgot how heavy you were."
"You know, I'm pretty sure talking about your girlfriend's weight is rarely a good idea," Arven commented.
"Oh, what would you know, you're single!" Nemona snapped.
"And happily so," the boy said proudly.
"Okay, it's great to see you two – and your friends – but seriously, what are you doing here?!" Nemona demanded.
Abruptly, Lacey ran up, huffing and puffing and looking as if she were on the verge of collapsing. "Oh gosh… I'm way too out of shape… Couldn't the four of you have slowed down at least a little," she gasped, red in the face and looking as if she were about to cough up a lung. "I brought them here," she said after they patiently waited several moments for her to catch her breath. "Director Cyrano went to Paldea to get their help dealing with a certain… Problem," she said vaguely, nodding at the nearby Canyon biome.
"… You mean the weird Legendary Pokémon? Why are you trying to act mysterious, everyone knows that's what they are," a confused Carmine said. "Oh! Wait… If the director went to get you, then… That means Ms. Briar was right and they are those God Beasts and God Machines of yours!"
"Nyep! Legendary Pokémon from our world, nyow in nyours!" Julie confirmed.
"And not just them as well…" ANNA murmured.
Lacey blinked. "What? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Carmine, you are evolving into a superior being. Have you heard or sensed anything… Unusual ever since the arrival of the Paradox Legendaries?" ANNA asked sharply.
Carmine frowned. "Unusual? Well… I don't understand what Pokémon can say, not like you two can, but I feel like I'm starting to get some of the gist of it? And sometimes I feel this weird… Prickling in the back of my head, sort of like someone's trying to talk to me telepathically or something, but it's just static?"
"I see… Then you have not yet reached that point yet," ANNA mused.
"What point?" The frustrated Carmine demanded.
"When nyou hear voices of gods," Julie said solemnly. "Don't feel bad, Arar and Nyenye can't either."
"We can understand Pokémon just fine," Nemona pointed out, offended.
"Nyou understand roar earlier? Or electronic talky-talk sister had with God Beasts?" Julie asked.
"Uh… I guess not," Nemona admitted.
"Wait, should we have been tuned into whatever talk ANNA had with them?" Arven asked.
"No, but you would have at least sensed that I was communicating with them," ANNA explained.
Julie nodded. "Like all gods, God Beasts can communicate on levels beyond mortal comprehension. Nyou nyot have training or skill to interpret. Nyet."
"Is that 'nyet' as in 'no' or 'nyet' as in 'yet' and that's just how her accent makes it sound?" The confused Lacey asked.
"The second one," everyone told her.
"Oh, okay."
"You know, I actually feel a little better with the 'yet,' it implies we still might pull it off someday," Arven commented.
Nemona nodded. "Yeah. Bet I get there first!"
"Penny already has," ANNA informed her.
"Oh." Nemona considered this. "Yeah, okay, that makes sense, Penny's the smart one. I'm fine with it."
"You get consistent high grades," Arven reminded her.
"Yeah, but there's smart, and then there's, you know," Nemona said, gesturing at ANNA and, by extension, Penny.
Arven nodded. "Right, right…"
"So, you came here to deal with the weird Legendary Pokémon, huh? Well, that's great!" Carmine said excitedly. "Ms. Briar would be thrilled!"
"Where Briar anyway?" Julie asked.
"Busy, unfortunately," Carmine said regretfully. "Like I said in our emails, I've been helping her with her research lately. We've been to all sorts of different regions! It's made my Pokémon a lot stronger than they were the last time we battled! But, uh, now is probably not the right time to show you what we've learned."
"It is not," ANNA agreed as a disappointed Nemona groaned.
"So, uh, if you're going to deal with the God whatevers, I don't suppose I could come?" Carmine asked hopefully.
Julie laughed and patted her on the head. "Silly Carcar! Why nyou think we stop here in first place? Come pick nyou up!"
Carmen looked abashed. "Oh! Really?"
"Of course. Also, you were conveniently on the way," ANNA added.
Carmine grinned. "That's great! Good enough for me!"
"And nyou ride with Lacey," Julie said slyly. "And Julie."
Carmine turned very red. "Wh-what? Why? I mean, I have no problem with it, of course, I mean, I'm perfectly okay with the two of us riding a bike together, just three gorgeous women in very close proximity… Holding each other very intimately… In an utterly platonic way…"
Everyone stared at her. "Does she actually think she's fooling anyone?" An incredulous Nemona asked.
Arven chuckled and shook his head. "Classic tsuntsun."
"I AM NOT SHUT UP!"
"In that case, I will take Arven and Nemona," ANNA decided.
"Sweet!" Nemona cheered.
"Well, I'm pretty sure I lose either way given both bikes will have up to two amorous lesbians on it, so I guess it doesn't matter," Arven said with a shrug.
"Hey, by the way… Have you, uh, run into Kiki yet?" Carmine asked hesitantly.
Lacey shook her head. "No, they haven't."
Carmine sighed in relief. "Oh, good… If you haven't seen him yet, it's fine. In fact, if you manage to avoid him your whole time here, that might actually be for the best."
The sisters exchanged concerned looks. "Carcar, nyou nyot say much about Kieran in letters," Julie pointed out.
"What has happened to him?" ANNA asked.
Carmine frowned at Lacey. "You didn't tell them?"
"It… Didn't exactly come up," Lacey said hesitantly, not meeting her eyes.
Carmine sighed. "Whatever. Let's just get out of here before he-"
"Are you kidding me?! What, was this assignment too hard for you too?"
Julie's ears twitched. "Kieran?"
Carmine groaned. "Oh, great, of course he's here."
They looked over the edge of the platform they were on to see Kieran, his school jacket open and hanging off his shoulders to reveal a red tank top with a flaming Poké Ball on it, his purpler hair in a new style so his bangs no longer overshadowed his face, was harassing an older student.
"So that's the Kieran jerk I've heard so much about? I thought he'd be taller," Arven commented.
"His hair is stupid," Nemona said disparagingly.
"Please don't mention that around him, it will set him off," Lacey said anxiously. "Then again, everything seems to these days…"
"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Carmine hissed. "He can't know you're here!"
"I thought I told you to train five Pokémon to battle with," Kieran scornfully told the other kid.
"S-sorry… Things have been really hectic at home this month…" The student said anxiously.
"Oh. Got it," Kieran said. "That means you're just okay being this weak forever? That's what I'm hearing?"
The student shook his head in alarm. "N-no, I-"
Kieran closed his eyes and nodded. "Well, since you're so busy, I'll go ahead and do you a favor. I'll write your resignation from the club for you." He glared at the student furiously. "I don't need people in my club who don't take it seriously."
"W-wait, Kieran! I'm sorry! Give me another chance!" The student pleaded desperately as Kieran coldly walked away.
"… Not what you were expecting, right?" Carmine said solemnly as everyone looked shocked and disgusted at this. "Kiki looks different, acts different… He hasn't been the same since we got back from the school trip…"
"That is an understatement," ANNA commented in concern.
"Who does that asshole think he is? Wait, how can he even do… Whatever just happened?" A confused Nemona asked.
Lacey sighed. "Remember when I told you about the BB League? How it's run by the five strongest trainers in school, with the top trainer taking the title of Champion and club president?"
"… Oh," Arven realized. "Then…"
"Kieran Champion?!" Julie cried.
Carmine nodded unhappily. "He took everything that happened – you girls beating him, Julie rejecting him, catching Ogerpon, saving the day instead of him – really badly. He threw out his entire team, including Pokémon he's had for years-"
"I'm sorry, did you say he threw out his team?!" Nemona interjected, horrified. "Not trade or shove in a box, but just… Discarded? That's… What kind of pedazo de mierda would do that?!"
"That's a step beyond what most hardened criminals would do," Arven said in disgust.
"This nyot our fault," Julie insisted. "What we supposed to, humor fragile male ego? Julie supposed to kiss him? Let Kieran take Ogerpon, kiss her? Blech!"
"Well Kieran certainly acts like it's your fault," Carmine commented wearily. "He got a whole new team of Pokémon, trained them like crazy, then took on the BB League."
"He swept all of us," Lacey said miserably. "Took the title of Champion from Drayton, became club president, and he's been abusing his authority like crazy, like you just saw. Treating everyone like shit, making everyone jump through all sorts of hoops to stay in the club, bullying, really embracing that toxic macho survival of the fittest mentality and kicking out anyone he thinks is too weak…"
"Why has the faculty not gotten involved?" ANNA demanded.
"They say it's a club matter, so we have to deal with it ourselves," Lacey said in frustration. "Of course, none of them want to admit they're afraid of him…"
Nemona scoffed. "He doesn't look too tough. I bet any of us could take him, even Arven!"
Arven nodded. "Oh yeah, I could probably beat him."
"You aren't at all offended?" A confused Lacey asked.
"I know my strengths and weaknesses," he said with a shrug.
"Be that as it may, none of us will be fighting Kieran," ANNA announced, surprising many of her friends.
"What? What are you talking about? We can't just let him get away with being a punk!" Nemona protested.
"And what do you suggest we do, Nemona?" ANNA asked.
"Fight him!" She replied instantly.
"How? We are not students here and so cannot join the BB League to officially challenge him," ANNA pointed out.
Nemona hesitated at that. "Well, uh… Hey, Lacey, is there a way around that?"
"Well, maybe if-" Lacey started.
"That aside, we also have a more important mission to deal with," ANNA interjected. "Or have you forgotten? The reason we are here in the first place?"
Nemona grimaced. "Oh. Yeah, that."
"There's nothing you can do?" Carmine asked in dismay.
"As much as I sympathize, Carmine, this is not our school. We were invited here to deal with a Paradox Pokémon, not defeat a bully," ANNA said apologetically. "Not to mention that defeating Kieran will not magically make everything better or spontaneously make him a better person. This is not an anime, after all."
Carmine's shoulders slumped. "Oh. I… Yeah, I guess that's fair…" She sighed and pushed back some of her hair. "And I did suggest you stay out of his way, anyway… He's really obsessed with the two of you. Stays up day and night training, battling, preparing for what he thinks is an inevitable rematch against you."
"What a freak," Nemona snorted.
Everyone stared at her incredulously.
"What?"
Lacey nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, he really hates you two. Seeing you here will just set him off. Let's just head to the Canyon Biome and hope he doesn't learn you were here until after you're long gone."
"Very well. Let us be off-" ANNA froze. "Wait. Where is my sister?"
It was at that point they all realized Julie had quietly vanished without their noticing.
"Mierda! Where is she?!" Nemona cried.
Arven made a strangled sound. "Hey, so, you know how we just talked about how Kieran seeing either of you would be the worst-case scenario?"
They immediately looked over the side of platform to see Julie was, indeed, running towards Kieran on all fours.
ANNA said a very bad word.
Kieran had already completely forgotten his encounter with the trainer from before. He'd never even bothered to learn his name, not that it mattered in the end. The weak did not deserve to be remembered. After all, did the names of every trainer who tried a League challenge and failed get entered into the Hall of Fame? No! Only the powerful, only the truly worthy, were remembered.
And Kieran was strong! The strongest in the school!
And, when he saw Julie and ANNA again, he'd show them all why they'd been fools to look down on him-
"Kieran."
Kieran stiffened.
That voice.
He knew that voice.
He still sometimes fantasized about it whispering sweet nothings into his ear-
He whirled around before that thought could take root, eyes blazing with fury. "YOU!" He bellowed, practically unable to believe his eyes as one of the two people he hated most in all the world approached him. "What are you doing here?!"
He reached for one of his Poké Balls. Screw the rules, screw the fact that she didn't go to the school, he was the Champion and she was his rival – even if she'd apparently signed an exclusive contract with some other bitch – and he'd show her what REAL strength was-
"Kieran, don't."
His blood boiled. She thought she could come here, waltz back into his life, and suddenly throw orders around and try to avoid taking responsibly for what she'd done to him? This was his house! "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this-"
"Please. Don't do this."
"I'm the fucking CHAMPION of this school!" Kieran shouted, livid. "I can do whatever I want! Everyone's too Combusken to try and stop me now, even Cyrano! And if I want to beat the shit out of you in a Pokémon battle, then that's what I'm going to-"
And suddenly Julie was right in his face, paws wrapped around both wrists, her ridiculously strong grip crushing him. Startled, Poké Ball falling from suddenly nerveless fingers, Kieran finally noticed that something was wrong with Julie.
She was crying.
Her face was frozen in a rictus of horror, single eye glowing, seeming to stare through him instead of at him.
"Please, don't," Julie pleaded. "Nyou'll be making huge mistake, even worse than back in Kitakami. Could end world. More than one, even."
"L-let me go," Kieran stammered.
"He's nyusing nyou. Don't listen to him, don't listen to her, she's nyot real, she doesn't love nyou, this won't end way nyou want it to, everyone could die-"
"LET GO!" Kieran shouted, kicking Julie in the chest, startling her and causing her to lose his grip. She blinked at him in confusion as he stumbled back, picking up his Poké Ball as he went, quickly glancing around to see if anyone had noticed what had just happened.
Everyone had noticed.
"I WASN'T SCARED!" He shouted at them. "And what the Distortion World was that about?!" He demanded of Julie, who stared at him in puzzlement.
"Nya? Kieran?" She glanced around, bewildered. "How Julie get here?"
"JULIE!"
ANNA, Carmine, Arven, Nemona, and Lacey rushed over. "The heck were you thinking?! I thought we agreed not to reveal ourselves to the reptar obsessed with you and ANNA!" Nemona chided her.
"Julie… Did," Julie muttered, confused. "Julie nyot know how Julie got here."
"Sister, did you have another vision?" ANNA inquired, stiffening up. "What did you see?"
"Uhhhh…" Julie shrugged helplessly.
ANNA's head snapped around to focus on Kieran, startling him. "You. What did she tell you?"
"Just a lot of stupid crap that doesn't mean anything," he blustered. "She was trying to scare me, and it didn't work!"
"Your elevated heart rate would say otherwise," ANNA pointed out.
"Whatever! What are the two of you doing here?! And… Those two people I don't know…" He murmured, confused by Arven and Nemona's presence.
"Oh, I'm of their primary girlfriends, Nemona!" Nemona introduced herself. "And their official rival."
Kieran narrowed his eyes. So, this was the girl they had a contract with? She didn't look that… Well, okay, actually she did look kind of tough, but he could totally take her! And the other guy!
"And I'm Arven," Arven added. "Not a rival. I'm the one in charge of feeding these girls."
"SANDWICH?!" Scar and Viola asked eagerly, suddenly appearing at his side.
"No! Nobody even said that word this time! Go! Shoo!" He scolded them, causing them to whimper and slink away in disappointment.
"… Whatever! None of you belong here! This is my turf!" Kieran snarled. "And while I'm not surprised by Carmine's betrayal since you've brainwashed her against me-"
"That's not even remotely how it is!" Carmine squawked.
"But Lacey? Really? I expected better of you! Though not a lot," Kieran admitted. "For this treachery, I'm kicking you out of the club-"
"Lacey has nothing to do with this," ANNA intervened as Lacey started to protest.
"Nyeah, blue man with cross-eyes ask Lacey to show us around!" Julie agreed.
"Cyrano? What's he got to do with this?!" Kieran demanded.
"He invite us!" Julie said.
ANNA nodded. "It was recently discovered that the unusual Legendary Pokémon causing problems in this undersea habitat hail from our times. Once Ms. Briar confirmed this, Director Cyrano asked us to come here to take care of them."
"And we came because we had nothing better to do!" Nemona said cheerfully.
"We had classes," Arven reminded her.
"As I said, we had nothing better to do," Nemona repeated.
"WHAT?! You're here to catch those Legendary Pokémon?!" Kyuun shouted. "No way! You already took the only one I cared about, and now you're gonna take these as well, the ones who appeared in my house?!"
Julie looked confused. "This nyot your house. That back in Kitakami. And much smaller."
"Blueberry is my territory! I'm the champion, which means if anyone's going to capture them, it's me!" Kieran insisted.
"Oh yeah, because you've been doing such a great job of it so far," Carmine commented sarcastically.
"SHUT YOUR FAT MOUTH YOU FAT FURRY WHORE! WHO'S ALSO FAT!" Kieran shouted at her.
Carmine blinked. "I know I should be offended, but I'm more confused as to whether he was calling me a furry or was drawing attention to the fact that I have fur now. And, I mean, one is obviously more insulting than the other, but I'm not entirely sure it's… Wrong?"
"Well, I thought it was very insulting," Lacey said, causing Carmine to flush and stammer.
ANNA folded her arms. "Kieran, these Pokémon are not like the Legendary Pokémon of this world. They are very important figures in our own eras and keeping them here against their will could have grave consequences back home. As such, we will be taking custody of them until such a time comes that we are finally able to return to our own worlds."
"I don't give a crap about all that! Now I'm even more motivated to catch them just so you don't have them!" Kieran said petulantly.
"Seriously?!" Carmine cried.
"Dude. Not cool," said a disappointed Arven.
"Hey, they already have one Legendary, which is way more than most people have! Why should they get seven?!" Kieran demanded.
"We already have seven," Julie spoke up.
Kieran froze. Lacey did a double take. "Wait, what?"
"Julie is correct. Between the two of us, we have a total of seven Legendary Pokémon," ANNA said, beginning to count off on her fingers. "Scar and Viola, of course, who may not necessarily qualify back home but certainly do here, Ogerpon, and finally the four Treasures of Ruin."
"Treasures of – wait, I thought those were dead?" A confused Lacey stammered. "Carmine said you killed them?"
"Nyeah, but then we brought them back," Julie said as if it were no big deal.
"… WHAT?!" Kieran shouted.
"… Can I see?" Lacey asked, eyes wide.
"No," ANNA said.
"We left them back in Paldea. They wander land, healing and restoring nyature instead of ruining," Julie explained. "Hey, maybe we renyame them Treasures of Restoration?"
"I had considered Treasures of Abundance, actually," ANNA said.
"My vote's for Treasures of Prosperity," Arven commented.
"What about Treasures of Rebirth? Since, you know, they were renacido, and are helping revitalize the land and stuff?" Nemona offered.
"All good suggestions," ANNA replied.
Kieran rolled his eyes. "Uh-huh, you left them behind to grow stuff. Suuuure. What a convenient excuse."
"Kieran, you do remember that they can't lie, right?" The exasperated Carmine pointed out. "And every time you ignored them or refused to listen to them, you made things worse?"
"NOBODY ASKED YOUR OPINION FATASS!" Kieran yelled at her.
"There is really no need for you to talk to your sister like that," ANNA scolded him.
"I'll talk to her anyway I damn want you unnecessarily attractive soulless automaton!" Kieran snapped.
"How dare you," ANNA said, offended. "I do too have a soul."
Julie nodded. "It really pretty!"
"And I'd say she's just attractive enough," Nemona added, Carmine and a hesitant Lacey nodding in agreement.
"Oh yeah? Well, I have a robot girlfriend now too, and she's way prettier than you are!" Kieran taunted.
ANNA froze. "No… Don't tell me…"
"Hey, Amarys!" Kieran shouted.
Amarys abruptly dropped out of the sky and landed next to Kieran, the force of her impact shattering the ground and knocking him over. "YOU CALLED, BOYFRIEND KIERAN, BEEP BOOP?"
ANNA trembled in rage. "No. Her? With him?! Just when I thought I could not despise you more, you demonstrate an even further level of inadequacy and disappointment! You shame silicon-based life everywhere with your behavior!"
"I DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. I AM A CARBON-BASED LIFE FORM LIKE ALL ORGANIC HUMAN BEINGS, BEEP BOOP," Amarys replied.
"Your commitment to this farce only exacerbates the extent of your deficiency!" ANNA snarled.
"You see? She's all mine, and she totally loves only me instead of being some kind of indecisive bimbo who can't decide who she wants to stick with and tries to be with all of them! And she's not a lesbian!" Kieran said proudly.
"THIS UNIT IS 100% HETEROSEXUAL, BEEP BOOP," Amarys said. "INITIATING HUG PROTOCOL."
She picked up Kieran and pressed him into her chest. "HUG."
"She's madly in love with me, way more than any of you have ever loved anyone else!" Kieran wheezed as he started turning blue in the face. "And she lets me touch her breasts!"
Julie and ANNA exchanged bewildered looks. "… So? Julie lets girlfriends touch breasts all time," Julie said.
"No complaints!" Nemona shouted enthusiastically.
"Are you attempting to make us jealous or something? If so, it is not working. As we have reminded you multiple times in the past, you are too young for us, and the wrong gender, and that aside your personality has grown increasingly repellent," ANNA informed him.
"I wasn't trying to make Julie jealous!" Kieran lied transparently.
"Julie didn't say anything," Julie pointed out.
"Shut up!"
"So, I'm not sure how I should be feeling about this?" A confused Nemona said. "Is he trying to come off as homophobic and misogynistic, or is he just a dumb prick?"
"It's the second one, he's not smart enough to intentionally be that kind of person," Carmine said wearily.
"Hey!"
"So, I'd say it was nice meeting you, but that would be a total lie, so we're just going to go…" Arven said, vaguely nodding his head at the nearby exit into the Canyon Biome.
"Not so fast! You're not going anywhere!" Kieran said angrily, pounding Amarys's shoulder to get her to let him go, wincing slightly at how hard her body was. "You come to my house without invitation-"
"We over this, this nyot nyour house and we were invited," Julie pointed out.
"Try to take the Legendary Pokémon that are rightfully mine-"
"That is not even remotely true-" ANNA said.
"And disrespect me to my face?! I'm not the same kid you pushed around all the time back in Kitakami! I'm a champion now!" Kieran declared.
"So are we," Julie reminded him.
"And me," Nemona added.
"I was never really interested in the League challenge but I'm pretty sure I could've made champion if I put my mind to it," Arven commented. "I mean, it's not like Geeta's hard or anything."
"Y-yeah, but the BB League is way harder than all those old "official" Leagues, because we made it ourselves, and know more about what young trainers want than the grown-ups in charge do!" Kieran insisted.
"One of the Elite Four back in Paldea is a nine-year-old child," ANNA said.
Lacey blinked. "Wait, doesn't that violate some kind of child labor law?"
"Nyou think that bad, wait'll nyou hear about Larry!" Julie laughed, only to turn solemn. "Poor, poor Larry."
"I don't give a crap about whoever this Larry is, I'm challenging you two to a battle!" Kieran declared. "It's payback time for everything you did to me back in Kitakami! If you want to get those Legendary Pokémon, you've gotta go through me first!"
"No," ANNA said.
Kieran did a double take. "Wha-what do you mean, no?!"
"As has been stated multiple times, we are not students here, therefore are not members of the BB League, ergo, we cannot accept your challenge," ANNA pointed out.
Julie nodded. "Also, we nyot really have time to deal with nyonsense, and nyou can't actually do anything to stop us anyway, so…
"Oh, you're so scared of me that you're scrambling for excuses to get out of this, huh?" Kieran sneered triumphantly.
"That is not at all what either of us said-"
"Well, you can't get out of this that easily! BB Elite Four, assemble!" Kieran shouted.
"I'm already here," Lacey pointed out.
"AS AM I, BEEP BOOP," said Amarys.
"Yeah, the other two aren't," Kieran said.
"Actually, we're over here," said a redhaired young man with an apron and yellow sash over his uniform sitting at a nearby table.
Kieran blinked. "Have you been there the whole time?"
"Yep," said the red-haired boy's companion, a white-haired young man with a black jacket with the Maschiff logo on the sleeve, a baggy shirt similar to Kieran's, and a purple Dragon trainer's cloak as a skirt.
"Then why didn't you say something sooner?!" Kieran demanded.
"You seemed to be handling yourself okay," the white-haired boy said with a shrug.
Kieran's eye twitched as Carmine groaned. "Fucking Drayton…"
"Well, get over here!" Kieran shouted.
Reluctantly, the other two got up and ambled over.
"Arar? You okay?" Julie asked Arven, who was staring fixedly at the redheaded boy.
"Have you ever looked at someone for the first time and just… Knew that they're going to be a part of your life forever?" Arven asked, voice distant. "Something about them causes your heart to race, your palms to sweat, and you find yourself incapable of anything but just… Thinking about them, their voice, their eyes, their smell… The thought of not spending the rest of your life with them something too horrible to contemplate?"
Julie gasped and Nemona squealed. "Oh my gosh! Arven, are you… In amor?!" Nemona demanded.
Arven frowned in thought. "Love? No… No, that's not what I'm feeling at all. When I look at that face, all I want… All I want is to see it crumple in despair as I destroy them utterly, render everything they have worked for to nothing, as I prove, once and for all, that I'm the better man. No, that's not love… It's something much more powerful…" He narrowed his eyes. "Loathing. Pure, unadulterated LOATHING!"
Everyone stared at him, and then Nemona squealed again. "Oh my gosh! Arven, you just met your fated rival!"
"My rival… Yes… Yes… That's what this is!" Arven shouted, before pointing a finger at the red-haired boy. "You! I have no idea who you are or what your name is but know this! From this day forward, we will be mortal enemies! I, Arven of Paldea, son of Professors Turo and Sada and brother by blood and soul to Julie and ANNA, will stop at nothing to destroy you with all my might!"
"And I shall do the same," the boy declared, staring back at Arven with an equal look of unadulterated loathing in his eyes. "I am Crispin, of the BB Elite Four! On my honor as a chef and one of the school's strongest trainers, I will dedicate my life to ruining yours! We shall be nemeses forevermore!"
Arven grinned maniacally, a crazed look in his eye. "Splendid. There's nothing I desire more…" He pulled out some forms. "So, if you'll just sign these, we can officially become rivals for life. I'm a notary, so we don't need to go to a third party."
"Oh, great, that'll save a lot of time," Crispin said cheerfully.
Kieran stared at the two as they proceeded to sign and initial the forms. "What… What are you… Are you shitting me right now?! This is about me fighting my fated rivals, not you finding yours!"
"We are not your fated rivals, though," ANNA pointed out.
"Nyeah, Nyenye is," Julie reminded him.
"And I'm pretty sure we can sue you for trying to illegally become their rival, but I'd settle for a good battle," Nemona offered eagerly.
"No," Kieran snapped harshly. "Now, you're right that since they aren't members of the BB League, I can't officially challenge them… However, a majority vote of the club leaders can allow an outsider to be made an honorary member of the League! I move that Julie and ANNA be granted provisional League membership so I can finally beat them into the ground! All in favor?"
He raised his hand.
"I AM WITH YOU, MY LOVE. BEEP BOOP," Amarys said, raising a hand.
"Of course you are. You are incapable of having any thought of your own, are you not?" ANNA asked in disgust.
"I refuse," a frustrated Lacey said. "Kieran, we don't have time for this nonsense, the two of them have something way more important to do!"
"I also refuse," Crispin announced. "Mainly because I want to nominate Arven as an honorary league member instead, so I can battle him!"
Arven narrowed his eyes. "I would like nothing more."
"That's two four and two against," Drayton observed. "Guess I'm the deciding vote, then."
"Drayton, please," Carmine pleaded, clasping her hands together. "For the love of Kyurem, do the right thing for once and don't let Kieran get his way!"
Drayton rubbed his chin in thought. "I could do that," he admitted. "But I'm going to vote in favor of granting these two membership instead because I want to see what will happen."
Lacey groaned and facepalmed. "Typical Drayton."
"THIS IS WHY YOUR GRANDFATHER THINKS YOU'RE A DISAPPOINTMENT!" A furious Carmine shouted.
"No he doesn't," Drayton insisted, though he didn't look entirely certain of this.
"Yes! I win, like I always do now!" Kieran cheered. "Now, I challenge you two to a battle!"
"Nyo."
"Absolutely not."
Kieran facefaulted. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, NO?! You're part of the League now! That means you gotta fight me!"
"Nyone of nyou even ask if we want to be in League," Julie pointed out. "Which we don't."
"And just because a challenge has been issued does not mean we have to accept it," ANNA added. "And so, we will not. As has been pointed out multiple times, we do not have time to indulge you. We have a very serious time critical mission to complete and simply cannot be bothered to deal with your childish tantrums."
Kieran's blood boiled. He noted that several of the other trainers were starting to snicker and look at him in amusement or pity. They were supposed to look at him in fear! Respect! He was losing them!
"Oh, so you're still looking down on me after all this time?!" he shouted. "I'm just too young and dumb and weak for you to waste your time on?!"
"That is not at all what I said. However, yes. That is exactly right. There are far more important things at stake than satisfying your fragile ego," ANNA said coldly. "I had hoped that you might have learned your lesson despite Carmine's less than encouraging statements regarding you, but it would seem my faith was misplaced. If anything, you have gotten worse."
"You-" Kieran snarled.
"And even if we were not on an important mission, we still would not duel you," ANNA informed him.
"Wait, we wouldn't?" Julie asked in surprise.
"What would be the point?" ANNA replied. "When we beat him-"
"That would never happen-" Kieran started.
"When we beat him, what exactly would that resolve?" ANNA interrupted. "Would he give up his vendetta of us? Would we dethrone him as Champion? We are not really members of the League. We do not go to this school. We cannot replace him. Not to mention that it would only reinforce his hatred of us and drive him to even greater extremes in a desperate, pathetic attempt to defeat us, potentially endangering himself and everyone around him."
"Oh, good point," Julie acknowledged.
"And if, in the unlikely event he happened to defeat us… So what?" ANNA said with a shrug.
Everyone stared at her.
"What you mean, 'so what?' You'd lose! I'd beat you!" Kieran exclaimed.
ANNA shrugged again. "And? You vastly overestimate how much either of us care about winning or losing a Pokémon battle. There are literally no stakes involved in this. It would be annoying if we lost, yes, but honestly, I do not really care that much."
"You don't… You don't care-" Kieran spluttered in disbelief. "That's… How can you not care? I'd have beaten you!"
ANNA nodded. "Yes. And?"
"And… And I'd have beaten you!" He repeated, sounding a little less sure of himself.
"Which would prove… What, exactly?" ANNA pressed. "That you are better than us? It is only a single battle. We can merely train our Pokémon to do better next time or simply shrug off the defeat and move on with our lives."
"Nyou super genius like sister?" Julie asked. "Or Chosen One like Julie? Nyou got big super magical destiny? Nyou turning into God? Got good friends always at nyour side? Lots of beautiful girlfriends?"
"I don't need friends!" Kieran snapped. "And I have a girlfriend!"
"I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH [INSERT NAME HERE], BEEP BOOP," Amarys intoned.
"Yes, I can see that she does," ANNA said sarcastically. "Also, it is always those who need friends the most that say they need none at all."
"Nuh-uh!" Kieran said maturely. "And when I beat you, you'll see that-"
"What? That we were wrong about you? That you were actually a great hero all along?" ANNA interrupted, looking and sounding very bored. "Do you think that Ogerpon will magically decide to be on your team after all, or that she and Julie will have a miraculous change in their sexual orientation and suddenly decide they want to date you?"
"… No…" Kieran lied very poorly.
Julie laughed. "Ha! As if! Sister only one of us that has switch in head she can flip to decide she like boys!"
"That is not even remotely true," ANNA lectured her. "Amarys undoubtedly has a switch like that. My people, on the other hand, understand that gender and sexual orientation are far too complex to be reduced to a binary choice. I have a sliding scale." She glanced at her sister. "Also, we both know you can brew potions to change things like that."
"Sex change potions, nyes! Nyot other one! Those love potions, and those super forbidden!" Julie insisted.
"Wait, they are? Why?" A somewhat dazed Lacey asked.
"What nyou call romantic fantasy, we call date rape drugs," Julie said flatly, causing her to turn green.
"Well, that just ruined a lot of fairytales for me…" Carmine muttered.
"Yeah, most of them are pretty screwed up when you think about it," Drayton commented.
"I DO NOT HAVE ANY SUCH SWITCH IN MY HEAD BECAUSE THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING A ROBOT WOULD HAVE AND I AM NOT A ROBOT, BEEP BOOP," Amarys said. "AND IF SUCH A SWITCH DID EXIST, KIERAN CERTAINLY DID NOT FLIP IT AND PUT TAPE ON IT TO MAKE SURE IT WERE STUCK ON 'HETEROSEXUAL,' BEEP BOOP."
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Kieran hissed.
"I despise you with every fiber-optic in my being," ANNA calmly told Amarys. "As for you, Kieran…should the impossible happen and you did win, what would you do next?"
Kieran blinked in confusion. "What? I… I'd have beaten you."
ANNA rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Yes. You would have. Splendid. Well done. Then what?"
He stared at her blankly.
ANNA sighed. "Here is what we would do. We would heal our Pokémon and then complete our mission here. And then we would leave Blueberry Academy. We would go back to Paldea. We would resume our regular lives. We would take classes. We would go on adventures with our friends. We would kiss our girlfriends and add even more to our harem. And then, at some point in the very near future, we would find a way home to our families and loved ones. And then we would bring them here, to enrich all three worlds and species and create a better future for us all.
"And what would you do? If you somehow managed to defeat us, you would have accomplished what you have spent the last month or so striving to do… And then what? Do you have any goals beyond this? You grew strong to fight us. You became the Champion of the BB League to fight us. Have you ever at any point given thought to what you would do after that?"
"Y-yeah, of course I do! Tons of plans!" Kieran lied transparently.
"I DO NOT REMEMBER YOU EVER MENTIONING SUCH PLANS, BEEP BOOP," Amarys said.
"Shut up!" He hissed.
"Not a good way to talk to your girlfriend, you know," Drayton remarked.
"You don't have a girlfriend, what would you know?!" Kieran snapped in response.
"Arven, as the expert here, what would you say usually happens to young trainers – or people in general – who equate success with happiness after they actually achieve their goal?" ANNA asked her friend.
He grimaced. "Usually not good things, ANNA. Lots of people spend all their time obsessing over beating a specific gym or League challenge, or catching a certain Pokémon, or filling out their Pokédex, or what have you… And in the process forsake all their friendships, family, personal ties, hobbies… And have no idea what to do with themselves after they're done. The lucky ones manage to find a new pursuit, learn how to be content with what they've achieved, and form new bonds or rekindle old ones. The rest…" He scratched his head. "Well, I met quite a lot of them in therapy. Some were better off than others. They kept talking about how… Empty they felt. They had no idea what they were supposed to do next."
ANNA nodded. "As I thought."
"Hey, that's not going to be me! I don't need therapy! I'm not weak!" Kieran protested angrily.
"The fact you say that kind of proves you need it," Carmine pointed out.
"SHUT UP YOU FAT BIMBO SLUT! WHO'S FAT! FATTY FAT FAT!" Kieran yelled.
"Okay, why is my weight the first thing you go after?" Carmine complained. "Seriously, do I need to lose weight?" She asked the others.
"No," ANNA said.
"Looking good to Julie!" Julie agreed.
"You look just the right amount of Carmine to me," Lacey babbled, immediately wishing she hadn't said that. Both of them blushed.
"You are indeed a strong trainer, but if that's all there is to you, I cannot foresee much of a future for you after this," ANNA remarked. "As I said, if we battled – which we will not – win or lose, we would continue our lives after this. Using my predictive software, I can already foresee the most likely futures for the rest of the BB League even though we've just met most of them. Amarys will eventually be melted down for scrap, hopefully by my hands-"
Amarys blinked loudly as everyone else gave ANNA concerned looks.
"Crispin will almost certainly become a master chef and open his own restaurant, which will be in constant competition with the one Arven will surely open one day, their much healthier rivalry driving both of them to greater heights-"
Arven and Crispin glared at each other, flames seeming to come out of their eyes.
"Lacey will undoubtedly inherit her father's gym and hook up with Carmine-"
"W-what?!" Lacey and Carmine shouted.
"And Drayton will eventually flunk out of school, fail to inherit his grandfather's gym, and never accomplish anything significant with his life except maybe getting a job in the service industry."
"Hey, I don't have to take that from you!" Drayton protested.
"I have looked up your academic records. You have had to repeat a year three times," ANNA said, unimpressed.
"Well, uh, I got one of those learning disability things! Inability to focus or something," Drayton said vaguely.
"No, you don't," Carmine said.
"Shut up! And okay, maybe I cut a few classes-" Drayton admitted.
"You haven't been to a single class in weeks!" Carmine shouted.
"Well, who needs class? I'm a great Battler! I can make a career out of that," Drayton said confidently.
"There are millions of trainers who did not pay attention in school who were confident they were talented enough to succeed without an education. Most of them now work in the service industry," ANNA said.
Carmine giggled as Drayton scowled at her.
"And is that the future you want for yourself, Kieran?" ANNA asked Kieran. "To be a burnt-out has-been who peaked in school and whose primary accomplishment in life was defeating a pair of trainers who went on to do better and brighter things with their lives this one time nobody cares about anymore but you? Because at the present, that is the only future I foresee for you unless you change your ways, and soon."
Her hip port opened and ejected a microphone. She snatched it out of the air, held it horizontally, then dramatically dropped it to the ground. "Mic drop."
There was a great deal of applause from the surrounding trainers, her friends, and even half of the BB Elite.
"Nyou know, nyou nyot nyeed to say 'mic drop' when doing mic drop," Julie pointed out.
"Of course I do, otherwise they might not know the significance of my actions," ANNA insisted.
Kieran shook with rage, seeing the other students smiling and laughing. They shouldn't be laughing at him. They shouldn't be pitying him! They shouldn't be ignoring him! He was the champion! He was the strongest in the school! And if those two thought they could just walk into his life and ruin everything just like they did the last time…!
"Enough of this!" Kieran shouted. "It's time to put your money where your mouth is! Fight me!"
"No," ANNA said bluntly.
Julie nodded. "We've been over this. Nyo point. Nyo time."
"I'm not giving you a choice!" Kieran growled, throwing out two Poké Balls and sending out a Dragonite and a Politoed. "Fight me!"
"No," ANNA repeated.
"We nyot doing this," Julie agreed.
"I'm not giving you a choice! If you won't fight me, I'll make you fight!" Kieran yelled.
There were several gasps. ANNA narrowed her eyes. "Do I take that to mean that if we do not agree to fight you, you will attack us?"
"Yeah!" Kieran snarled.
"Wait, what? Kieran, that seems a bit much-" Drayton protested.
"NOBODY ASKED YOU!"
"Kieran, you can't just attack other trainers! You'll get expelled!" An alarmed Carmine yelled.
"I don't care! It'll be worth it when I win!" Kieran insisted.
"Oh shit. He's lost it. Are we doing this?" Nemona asked a little too eagerly.
ANNA's eyes turned cold. "No. We are not."
Her eyes flashed.
Patterns of chains suddenly formed on Kieran's Poké Balls, and his Dragonite and Politoed were suddenly recalled.
"Huh?" Dumbfounded, Kieran tried to open the balls again, pressing the buttons, throwing on the ground, even stomping on them and prying on the lid. They remained closed.
"What did you…"
He tried to open all his other balls, only to find that each of them was similarly sealed.
"What did you do?!"
Arven gave ANNA an astonished look. "Wait… Was that…"
"The technology your parents used to lock down our Poké Balls during the final battle in the Zero Lab? The technology I gave them in the first place? Precisely," ANNA answered. "I originally devised it with the intention of aiding law enforcement by locking the balls of criminals to prevent them from using their Pokémon to fight or escape. I am not entirely happy that I was forced to use it in this instance, but we really do not have time for this. He left me no choice."
"You… You can just… Do that?! Render any trainer powerless, just like that?!" A horrified Lacey asked.
"Not gonna lie, that feels like a bit much," an uncomfortable Nemona muttered, remembering how frightening it had been when they had been facing down Alpha and Prime in the Zero Lab with no Pokémon to protect them.
"I agree, but I promised Julie and myself to only use it in moments of direst need," ANNA assured her. "Or, in this case, when we are being harassed by a particularly irritating trainer who does not take no for an answer when we really do not have the time to deal with him."
Julie grimaced. "Julie nyot like it had to come to this… But we really do nyeed to go."
"No… No no no no no no! You can't, you can't do this!" Kieran shrieked, falling to his knees and clawing at his hair, staring at his disabled balls in disbelief.
"Your Pokémon are fine," ANNA told him. "The lock I put on them will deactivate in a few minutes, after we are on our way."
"No, it wasn't, it wasn't to be like this!" He wailed. "We were supposed to fight! I was supposed to beat you! This isn't fair! I want to battle! I want to battle! I want-"
Everyone gasped. "Kieran, you fool! You can't say that three times in a row! You'll summon the Lady of Battles!" A horrified Arven cried.
"What? Oh, come on, that's just a stupid superstition!" Kieran protested.
Julie shook her head. "Nyo, it very real!"
"Whenever someone says, 'I want to battle' three times in a row, the Lady of Battles will appear to challenge them," ANNA warned him. "I have seen it happen with my own optics."
"I don't believe you!" Kieran yelled Mudbrayishly.
"Kieran, every time you refuse to believe something they say, it always goes badly for you!" An exasperated Carmine shouted. "Even what's happened to your Pokémon now only happened because you refused to just let them go despite being told multiple times they not only don't want to fight you, but they don't have time for it! I know you're probably about to say the forbidden words three times in a row because they told you not to, but please, for once, can't you just-"
"IwanttobattleIwanttobattleIwanttobattle!" Kieran shouted quickly.
Carmine threw up her hands in exasperation. "Why do I even bother trying anymore?!"
Everyone glanced around worriedly. After a moment of nothing happening, Kieran smirked and said, "Ha! Told you, it's just a-"
"WHO CHALLENGES ME?"
An aura blazed up around Nemona, cratering the ground beneath her feet and blasting away several of the surrounding students. Magical glowing marks formed on her skin as her eyes glowed, her hair billowed around her, and she levitated a few inches off the ground.
"Wait, Nemona is the Lady of Battles?!" Lacey squealed, gawking at the other girl. "Wait, actually, yeah, that makes perfect sense."
An irritated ANNA glared at Julie. "I blame you for this."
"What Julie supposed to do when beautiful girlfriend come to Julie and ask to cast spell letting her knyow when people all over world want to battle so she can go right over on Nebby and fight them, then spread rumor to make sure knyowledge of magic words to summon her widespread to public, say no?!" Julie demanded.
"Yes!" ANNA shouted.
"How?! Julie can't physically remove sex drive or flip switch in head to make Julie nyot attracted to girlfriend like sister can!" Julie argued.
"I told you; it is not a switch; it is a sliding scale!" ANNA shot back.
"WHO CHALLENGES ME?" Nemona bellowed again. "ALSO, THAT WAS A RHETORICAL QUESTION, I KNOW IT WAS YOU, KIERAN."
Kieran started sweating nervously, understandably intimidated by whatever was happening to Nemona. "Uh, you know what? Actually I change my mind, I don't think I want to have a battle anymore-"
"Kieran, don't be ridiculous, you can't refuse a battle with the Lady of Battles," a shocked Crispin said.
Lacey nodded. "Yeah, she's the Lady of Battles, you have to fight her."
Drayton nodded. "Yeah, man, you have to see this through to the end."
"What are you talking about? If ANNA and Julie refused a battle with me, why can't I refuse a battle with her?!" Kieran protested.
Drayton shrugged "I don't make the rules, Kieran, that's just how it is."
"That's stupid! Who made these rules?!" Kieran demanded.
Julie raised a paw.
"Oh."
"BATTLE!" Nemona howled.
"Uh, uh, well, uh, you know, I totally would like to fight you, but gosh darn it, my Poké Balls don't seem to be working right now-" Kieran said anxiously.
"I CAN WAIT," Nemona said.
"A-and even when they are fixed, you can't fight me because you're not part of the BB League, sorry, too bad," Kieran said, trying very hard to seem torn up about it.
Lacey raised her hand. "I nominate Nemona to become an honorary member of the BB League!"
"WHAT?!" Kieran screamed.
"I second that vote," Drayton said, raising his hand.
"No! No way! I refuse!" Kieran announced.
"I SHALL VOTE HOWEVER KIERAN DOES, BEEP BOOP," Amarys said.
"How predictable," ANNA said scornfully.
Everyone looked expectantly at Crispin, who frowned. "Well… I don't know… I don't really feel strongly about this one way or the other-"
"I also nominate Arven as an honorary member of the BB League alongside Nemona!" Lacey immediately shouted.
"What?!" Kieran cried.
"Seconded," Drayton immediately spoke up.
"Oh, well in that case, I'm all for it," Crispin said, raising his hand.
Kieran gawked at the Elites, speechless. "That's… Come on!"
"SWEET! LET'S BATTLE!" Nemona said.
"N-not so fast!" Kieran said quickly. "My Poké Balls still aren't working, so until they do, you'll just have to fight your way through the Elite Four, like any challenger would!"
"Wait, nyou never say anything about that when nyou challenge us," Julie protested.
"Champion's privilege, I can choose whether or not to fight a challenger right away instead of forcing them to go through the Elite Four," Kieran explained.
"Oh."
"OKAY," Nemona said.
Kieran blinked. "Wait, that's not a problem for you?"
Nemona shook her head. "I WAS HOPING TO FIGHT ALL OF YOU ANYWAY."
Arven nodded. "Yeah, she's a total battle junkie. Though on a related note, is there any way I can just fight Crispin, or do I have to fight everyone else as well…?"
"I'm not really interested in fighting Nemona, so I invoke the right of substitution so you can fight me in her stead, and it'll still count as a win or loss for her," Crispin offered.
"WHAT? BUT I WANTED TO FIGHT HIM!" Nemona whined.
"Nemona, he's my rival," Arven pointed out.
"…UGH, FINE," Nemona grumbled, relenting.
"Also, could you stop with the whole floating and glowing eyes and loud voice, it's going to give me a headache," Arven added.
"HUH? OH, sorry," Nemona said, dropping to the ground as her aura dissipated. "Forgot I had that on still."
Lacey stared incredulously at Nemona, then at Carmine. "How are their friends just as weird as they are?!"
"What, like they'd associate with anyone boring?" Carmine replied.
"Well, I am glad you have all settled that, but it is time for Julie and I to be on our way," ANNA said, clasping her hands together.
Nemona blinked. "What? Oh! Oh, mierda," she swore, aghast. "I completely forgot! We were going to help you with your mission! I'm so, so sorry mi amor!"
"It okay, nyou bound by geass, can't be helped," Julie immediately forgave her.
"Couldn't she postpone the battle until after she helps you with your… Whatever it is you're up to?" Drayton asked.
"Yes! Do that!" Kieran suggested enthusiastically.
They looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Don't be preposterous," ANNA scoffed.
"What a ridiculous joke," Julie laughed.
"I don't understand the question," a bewildered Nemona said.
Kieran's eye twitched.
Arven winced. "Sorry girls, I got a little carried away too. Crispin, I don't suppose we could-"
"Nyo, Arar should stay here," Julie insisted.
ANNA nodded. "Yes, we would not dream of getting in the way of your first battle with your rival. We will catch up with you after we are done."
Arven smiled in relief. "Thanks, little buddies. You're the best."
"I guess that means I can't go with you," Lacey said apologetically. "Carmine still can, though."
"Would you like to join us still, Carmine?" ANNA asked.
"I…uh…y-yeah, I kind of would," Carmine admitted, looking hopeful.
"Then come! We go nyow," Julie insisted.
Carmine squealed in excitement.
"Nyenye! Arar! Have fun!" Julie told her friends.
ANNA nodded. "And Carmine, if you should happen to accidentally on purpose destroy Amarys, when we get back to school I shall-"
She transmitted the rest wirelessly. Carmine's eyes went wide and she started panting and flushing heavily. "… I'll see what I can do."
"Splendid. Oh, and Kieran?" ANNA said, barely sparing a glance at the boy. "Just so you know, Nemona is the only trainer who has ever defeated us. Something to keep in mind."
Kieran turned very pale.
"Nyou nyot mention we still beat Nemona most of time," Julie remarked once they were out of earshot.
"It did not seem relevant," ANNA said innocently.
Izumidori couldn't believe his young eyes. They were really here, at the G. U. A. R. D. Ground Carrier, the mobile headquarters of the global peacekeeping organization and coordinator for heroes all over the world!
And there were so many heroes just walking around! Gligirl, Accelguard, Essentia, the Masked Royal, Mighty G, Blaziken Mask, Brysen-Man, Captain Unova… And those were just the ones in his line of vision!
"Impressive, isn't it?" Almighty said with good cheer, looking down at his green-furred Eevee apprentice and successor.
"Y-yeah!" Izumidori stammered, racing to keep up with his mentor and not get lost underfoot among the much larger humans and Pokémon moving around. "I can't believe we're really here… Is it really okay for me to be here?"
"If you're here, you're supposed to be here!" Blackie, the Umbreon spirit inhabiting his body, said encouragingly.
Nana, the Sylveon spirit, nodded and smiled warmly at him as she and the other spirits floated or trotted alongside him. "You were specifically invited along with Almighty, Izumidori. After everything you've done so far, that means you've been acknowledged by some very important people who have faith in you… As well they should!"
Izumidori blushed, a lifetime of bullying and low self-esteem not so easily forgotten. "I-if you say so. I still wish the others could've come to this meeting along with us…"
Blackie grinned. "Missing your little girlfriend already?"
"She's not – we aren't – I mean-!" Izumidori spluttered as all the spirits – and Almighty, of course – laughed good-naturedly.
"That kiss she gave you seemed pretty telling to me," Leif the Leafeon teased.
Izumidori turned almost as red as the amused Booster the Flareon as he remembered how his Clefairy friend Uramomo had given him a kiss on the nose before he left with Almighty to attend this important briefing, leaving him feeling almost as light as if she had used her Gravity move on him.
"You should be proud of yourself, Izumidori," Sol the Espeon, first and oldest of the spirits, said fondly. "Not all of us made it this far… In life, or in love."
That dampened the mood rather quickly. As always, the specter of All for 108 loomed over them.
"We've arrived," Almighty spoke up, nodding at a door with Pokémon Heroes written on it next to another door with Human Heroes written on it.
The duo entered…
And Izumidori almost immediately forgot about All for 108 when he saw how many famous Pokémon heroes were there. Were those the Six Heroes?! And the Swords of Justice?! And Man-Spinarak?! And Meowth in Boots?! And Tuxedo Masquerain?! And some of his favorite Poké Rangers?! And…omiArceus, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?!
As Izumidori did his best not to freak the fuck out, a throat was cleared, and everyone turned their attention to an Absol wearing a dark coat and eye patches over both eyes standing on top of the table. "If I may have your attention, please?" asked Rick Rage, partner of the Director of G. U. A. R. D. and the mon in charge of coordinating Pokémon heroes around the globe. "I believe it's time we begin."
As everyone gave the Absol their attention, the screen behind them, depicting the G. U. A. R. D. Logo, changed to show the familiar logo of an O made from a snake biting its own tail, the emblem of Ouroboros.
"Over the last few weeks, a mysterious new cyberterrorism organization called Ouroboros has been causing problems around the globe," Rage said as the screen changed to show a map of the world with Ouroboros emblems over all the spots representing suspected or confirmed activity.
There were rather a lot of them.
"Whoever Ouroboros is, they have been incredibly elusive, and the only reason we've gotten any information on them whatsoever is thanks to Intel from the Septentriones "Oracle," Cassiopeia," Rage continued as the constellation in question briefly appeared on the monitor. "From what we've gleaned, it seems like Ouroboros has been coordinating the activities of numerous criminal organizations and super villains all over the globe, either with or without their knowledge. It's a real who's who's of the worst of the worst."
The screen was filled with mugshots of some of the most notorious villains in the world. Izumidori grimaced, recognizing the heads of several notorious crime rings, Cryogonal Man, the Iron Masked Marauder, Mask of Ice, Mirage Master, the Stomach Family, Doctor End, Red Duskull, Juggler, Slicer, and even-
His blood went cold.
All for 108.
Izumidori started trembling in fear, only for Almighty to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, giving him a small smile that calmed him down almost instantly.
"So…" Sol murmured, all the vestiges giving the picture death glares. "He's involved too, is he now?"
"The latest information from Cassiopeia indicates that Ouroboros and their proxies are going to be making a major push in the next few hours, targeting sites all over the world," Rage said grimly. "All of you – and your human counterparts, partners, or comrades – have been gathered here to launch a counter offensive. You will all be deployed in teams around the globe to try to intercept the villains before they can carry out whatever scheme Ouroboros is planning. We still have no idea what it is yet – or how all these seemingly disparate and unrelated targets play into it – nor can we rule out the possibility that by taking action we are playing right into their hands, but the threat of global catastrophe is too great to risk inaction.
"Now, listen up," Rage said as the world map returned. "Because this is where you're all going, and who you're likely to be dealing with…"
The Absol's voice was drowned out by the blood rushing to Izumidori's ears as he focused on the spot on the map where he, Almighty, and several other heroes' pictures were clustered around.
Mossdeep Space Center.
What would they find there? And what power did Ouroboros have that even All for 108 was willing to work with them?