Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.

BGM: Blueberry Academy (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: Indigo Disk)

"You wish to join the BB League?" The lady at the front desk asked.

"Yes." Ren nodded.

"Hmm… it says you're not a student here, nor do I see you as a student anywhere-"

"Look, does it matter where he's from?" Drayton asked, casually leaning and putting his elbow on the desk. "He's in a league all of his own… heck, he's even got a Legendary Pokemon on him."

"A Legendary Pokemon? Oh, you mean that Mewtwo that was with you guys?"

"Someone different. It's Ogerpon." Ren explained.

"I have no idea what that is, but by all means, if it's a Legendary… I suppose I could put you in, but I do need your ID."

Ren pulled out his scroll. "Here you go."

"Let's see… Lie Ren… Huntsman in training… Beacon Academy?" She shrugged. "Huntsman in training, huh? Never heard of the title."

"It's from a different region."

"Clearly. I've never heard of the Remnant region." The clerk shrugged and handed it back to Ren. "Alright, you're all set."

"Thank you."

"Alriiiiight!" Drayton grinned, casually smacking Ren on the back.

"So, you just signed him up just like that, huh?"

They would see Kieran leaning on a wall.

"Pretty much. You got a problem with that?"

"No. I'm looking forward to it either way. Because in the end, I'll win." Kieran smirked.

"Kieran… what's happened to you?" Ren asked.

"Why don't you look deep inside of yourself and you'll figure out the answer for yourself." Kieran said coldly.

"...You probably need some cheering up." He reached for the Luxury Ball. "I have a friend who can-"

"Don't show me that pathetic excuse."

Pause BGM

Ren was taken aback, looking at him in surprise. "What?"

"That ogre is my shy, timid self. She held me back. She was my weakness. And I have to thank you for getting rid of her for me. Because thanks to you, I'm more focused. I'm more level headed. And I'm stronger."

"Are… you sure?"

"If you even show her to me… I'll make sure she suffers the same humiliation that I did when she preferred you over me, except it will be ten times worse.

He walked off.

"Good luck, Ren… you're going to need it."

Ren watched on in disbelief as he scratched his head after a few seconds of stunned silence.

"Of all things that I'd probably do on a vacation… bringing a kid back to his senses was not one of them."

Resume BGM

"Soooo, what does this "Ogre" look like, anyway?" Drayton asked.

"Yeah, I'm actually curious! What's so special about it?" Crispin wondered.

"Is it cool? Is it ugly? Something that Kieran likes, honestly." Amarys said.

"It probably has a coolness factor that Kieran wanted but Ren got instead. Can you show us?" Lacey requested.

"Sure." Ren nodded, calling out Ogerpon.

"Ponya Pon!"

Lacey instantly gasped as she knelt down in front of her. "Oh. My. Arceus. She's so adorable~!" Her eyes sparkled.

"Heh, she's actually kinda cute." Crispin said.

Drayton whistled. "This is the ogre? I was expecting something ugly or… swamp-like."

"Hmm…" Amarys examined her. "Fascinating."

"Pona Pon Poni!" Ogerpon greeted happily.

"Ogerpon, this is Drayton, Crispin, Amarys and Lacey." Ren introduced.

"Pon Pono…" Ogerpon pondered. "...Pon-rayto, Pon-pin, Pona-Pree, Poncee!"

Lacey let out a happy squeal of delight and hugged Ogerpon affectionately. "Yes! That is my name, you cutie! I'm Poncee~!"

"Pona-Pree… heh, I like this one already." Amarys smiled.

"Alright, I'm gonna find something to cook for the cutie." Crispin chuckled.

Drayton smirked. "Yeah, I can see why Kieran's jealous as hell. How'd you pull the rug from under him?"

"Well…"

One explanation later…

Drayton whistled. "Ouch… casually overpowered him that many times to the point where you broke him."

"Drayton, I think his obsession caused him to lose every time…" Lacey frowned. "And… well, we know the end result."

Ren rubbed his head. "Sorry guys, I didn't mean to make your lives miserable."

"Nah, it's cool." Drayton shrugged. "This ain't your fault, buuuut you are going to fix it, so-"

Lacey lightly smacked Drayton. "Don't worry, Ren… no one would expect Kieran to snap like that."

"The thing is, Kieran was always shy, yet he always was approachable and nice." Crispin said. "He was a cool dude."

"Yeah, and got along with us rather well… in fact, someone's got a crush on him~" Drayton teased, casually glancing at Amarys.

Amarys blushed. "...Lacey."

"On it." Lacey shoved an elbow into his gut.

"Mmmph! Hahaha… worth it!"

"I told you that in confidence." Amarys mumbled.

"Come on, it was obvious. Everyone knows!" Drayton pointed out.

"Honestly… he's not wrong. You haven't hidden how smitten you are with him." Lacey said.

Amarys sighed. "I could have sworn I had my feelings hidden."

"I'll get him back for you." Ren said.

"Please do!" Amarys said quickly, before her eyes widened and composed herself. "I mean, please do…" She cleared her throat and walked off in a hurry.

"Punctual, yet Kieran makes her swoon." Drayton casually put his hands behind his head. "So, any idea who you're going against first?"

"Give me some time to think about it." Ren said.

"Alright, enjoy Blueberry!" Drayton walked off with the others walking off, with Lacey turning aroind and giving Ogerpon a friendly wave before wandering off.

"Pona Pon Pon~!" Ogerpon waved. "Poni Pono?"

"Honestly… I have no idea what we got ourselves into." Ren said, closing his eyes for a bit. "Come on, Ogerpon." He opened his eyes determinedly. "Let's bring Kieran back to his old self."

"Ponya Pon~!" Ogerpon said cheerfully before blinking, putting her hand on her lip in curiosity, wondering what actually happened to the boy.

End BGM

Meanwhile…

BGM: Savanna Biome (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: Indigo Disk)

Umber looked around the entire Biome and let out a relaxed sigh. "I wonder what the other biomes have to offer…"

At that moment, he felt a presence swirling in his mind. He let out a chuckle knowing exactly who it was.

He turned around as Yagami teleported over to him with JIN, Rantaro, Myra and Futaba. "Hey guys."

"Yo." Yagami waved.

"Huh?" Nyx looked around. "This is… different."

"You… never said anything about a dome." Iris said. "Is Paldea inside a massive dome and shut out compared to the rest of the world or…?"

Umber laughed. "No, this is just an academy in the middle of the ocean."

"Oh, oka-... HUH?!"

"Yeah, we're in the Unova region now." Umber said. "Apparently we're taking care of an issue involving Carmine's brother. He seems to be a real peach from what I gathered."

"An underwater dome…?" Myra scratched her head as she looked around. "Darkness, you sleep for a few centuries and they have the technology to make buildings underwater on you-" She glanced over at a Doduo running by. "And… we have two headed birds now."

"Oh hey, Doduo. I've heard about those guys. They evolve into a three headed bird named Dodrio." Nyx said.

Myra sweatdropped. "Let me guess, there's a four headed evolution?"

"Nah, there's no four headed evolution."

"That we know of~" Futaba giggled as she wandered off with a hum.

"Oooh, those mountains seem perfect for climbing." Rantaro said as he walked off.

"I wonder if I can meet a few Ghost Pokemon here…" Jade mused as she wandered off as well.

Nearby, Penny walked around and noticed Futaba. "Hmm?" She wondered. "...Why does she look familiar…?" She asked as Futaba turned her head, oblivious of Penny. "...Oh my Arceus, Futaba?" She whispered. "I didn't even recognize her with the raven black hair."

Penny folded her arms. "Wait, raven black hair? Wasn't she an orangette originally? …Is she going through a mid-teenage crisis, if that's even a thing? Come to think of it, how'd she get here? …Wait, it was probably Yagami. They're probably back."

She pulled out her Rotom phone and chuckled. "Let's have a reunion."

Pause BGM

Meanwhile…

Kieran wandered in the Canyon Biome until he stopped walking. "...And you are?"

He turned around to see Kotoko, who was looking ready to throw down.

"I'm-"

"Don't care. Not worth my time." Kieran rudely interrupted her before walking past her.

"Wow, real gentleman you are." Kotoko rolled her eyes. "Aren't you even a little interested in what I want?"

Kieran sighed as he stopped again, thinking he'll regret this. "What do you want?"

"Let's see, knocking you to your senses is a good start… some humble pie would do you some good. Better yet, apologizing to your sister is another reason-"

"Tch… what are you, my conscience? I don't know how much you know, not that it's any of your business, Carmine got what she deserved."

"Oh bull! There's no way she deserved that treatment… and while I can't defend her for her lashing out at you… I will defend her for the aftermath."

"She kept that dark secret from me!"

"Because she was protecting you and there was no way for her to tell you otherwise!"

"Then answer me this… why did she reveal this to me when I was at my lowest? Why did she do that?"

"I… I don't know."

"Of course you don't know. You don't even know her. She's a snake."

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure I'm looking at a Seviper right in front of me."

Kieran raised an eyebrow in amusement. "You calling me toxic?"

"Your words, not mine."

Kieran chuckled. "If you think words are just going to get me to "apologize" to that wench, you're mistaken."

"Oh, it's not my words you should be afraid of. You're coming with me once I beat your ass to the ground."

BGM: Cipher Admin Battle (Pokemon Colosseum)

Kieran smirked. "Prove it." He said, pulling out two Pokeballs. "We do double battles here. You feelin' up for it?"

Kotoko smirked, pulling out two Pokeballs of her own. "Oh, you're asking for it."

The True Seviper - Kieran

Kieran threw out Dragonite and Politoed while Kotoko sent out Adonis and Bianca.

"Machaaaamp!"

"Faaable!"

"Politoooooeeeed!" Politoed raised his arms up and waved them around as it started to rain, forcing many Rock Pokemon to take shelter.

"Serve some humble pie!" Kotoko ordered.

"Show 'er we mean business."

Adonis flexed his muscles as Bianca used Metronome, where she then used Swords Dance as Adonis ran over toward the Dragonite, proceeding to use Throat Chop on him.

"Toooooed!" Politoed stopped him in his tracks, using Psychic on him to hold him in place. In fact, he used his other arm to use Psychic on Bianca too.

"What?!" Kotoko said in surprise.

"Champ?!" Adonis yelped as Dragonite proceeded to use a few Breaking Swipes on him before Politoed shoved the Machamp into the ground and pinned him there as Dragonite proceeded to use Thunder. "CHAAAAAMP!"

"Fay… Fay… ble…!" Bianca grunted, fighting off the Psychic and using Metronome again. Politoed glanced at Bianca from the side.

"Poli Politoed!"

"Drago!"

Dragonite picked up Adonis and threw him over Politoed right as a massive Thunder came down and struck the Machamp instead, causing him to yell out in agony.

Both Kotoko and Bianca gasped as Dragonite proceeded to use Hurricane to finish him off and then Politoed used Psychic to throw him over to the stunned Clefable, knocking her down in the process.

He's willing to be cheap! Kotoko thought as she recalled Adonis and then sent out Amara.

"Sylv!"

Instinctively, Politoed got in front of Dragonite, his arms spread out and glaring at the Sylveon. Bianca slowly got up and used Life Dew on herself as Sylveon proceeded to use Moonblast on the Dragonite, but Politoed jumped up and used Weather Ball, it's watery substance colliding with it as Dragonite used Thunder, striking Bianca.

"Clefaaaaay!"

"Sylv…!" Amara growled, unleashing Disarming Voice as Politoed took the brunt of the attack, letting out a grunt before using Psychic on him and pushed Sylveon away right as Bianca used Metronome, then she quickly charged in with Aerial Ace as Dragonite flew in with Extreme Speed, both moves connecting into each other as they were knocked back… and then Politoed picked Amara up with Psychic and threw her into Amara who was just getting back up.

"Vee!" Amara grunted as Dragonite unleashed Thunder, hitting the small pile as both Pokemon cried before falling limp, KO'd.

Kotoko clenched her fists. "Alright… you asked for it!" She said, immediately calling out Iron Valiant.

"Huh?" Kieran wondered. "That's a strange Pokemon…"

"Alright, Percival… knock those two down!"

"Gar-Gar-Ga-Ga-Gallade!"

The Iron Valiant activated its blade and got in a stance as the Dragonite and Politoed got ready to fight it… only for it to suddenly sit down and folded its arms in defiance.

"Drago/Poli?"

"...HUH?!" Kotoko said in shock. "What the hell are you doing, Percival?! Get up and fight!"

Percival refused to listen as both Pokémon scratched their heads as they turned to look at each other and shrugged.

End BGM

"Come ON. Get UP!" Kotoko yelled.

"Is this some kind of joke? Because believe me, I'm not laughing." Kieran said as he recalled his two Pokemon. "You're pathetic… and looking at you now, I see that you're Kotoko Strauss from Yosei Days. I don't know what people see in you… you're nothing but a fraud."

He turned around. "I'm out of here. Let me know when you want to get serious."

He walked off as Kotoko fell on her knees in disbelief, frustratingly recalling Percival right as the rain stopped.

Kotoko let out a growl, closing her eyes as she felt a presence near her.

"...Go on. Say it. "I told you so"."

"I told you so." Mewtwo responded.

Kotoko gasped in offense and turned around angry. "You weren't SUPPOSED to say it!"

"This isn't a TV show." Mewtwo said calmly, causing Kotoko to groan.

"How much did you see?"

"Most of it." Mewtwo said. "I see the boy is using tactics no ordinary trainer would think about doing. He's fighting dirty to win."

"So what do we do? Warn Ren?"

"When the time is right, we should let him know. In the meantime, I had a feeling the Paradox Pokemon wouldn't listen to you."

"What makes you say that?"

"Gallade are proud warriors and will only listen to those who developed a strong bond with it. As such, they are loyal to their trainers who are strong and have bonded with it as early as a Ralts. Iron Valiant is no different, despite being half Gardevoir."

"But I'm strong and capable!"

"Yes, but remember, you started taking care of it moments after Turo's AI vanished. As far as it's concerned, it hasn't started trusting you yet. It feels as if you're not worthy."

"...You're kidding me."

"I'm not." Mewtwo turned around. "I'd advise you to train with your Iron Valiant. It may turn out to be your most trusted ally if it allows you to."

"And where are you going?"

"I'm going to find Colress before I talk to the boy myself." Mewtwo flew off, leaving Kotoko by herself.

With a low growl, she got up as Kieran's words stuck to her. She was about to punch the cliff wall in anger, but stopped herself from potentially causing a rock slide by accident.

"Rgh... Just calm yourself right there, Kotoko..." She quietly took a deep breath. "A loss is a loss... Besides... it's not your place either to defeat him. Ren can take care of that smug bastard and make him pay for everything when the time is right."

Back at the Savanna Biome…

Resume Savanna Biome BGM

"Hmm?" Cinder wondered, noticing some Charmander curiously looking at Acnologia, who was staring back at the Charmander, seemingly nostalgic. "What's with you?"

"Ah, those are Charmander." Arven said. "They're the pre-evolved form of Charizard."

"Really?" Cinder looked at one particular Charmander. "Heh, so that's what he looked like as a runt…"

"Wow! I didn't know you had a shiny Charizard!" Crispin said as he approached. "I was just talking to Eddie over here about cooking tips! …By the way, has he… ever thought about using lotion? He's dry as a bone."

"He's a Dry Bones." Cinder said as she pulled up a picture. "There's a plethora of them from where I live."

"Hmm…" Crispin narrowed his eyes. "...Oh. My. Arceus. I was talking to a zombie." He said, paling in horror before suddenly smirking. "HA! I KNEW the zombie apocalypse would happen but nooooo, the other three didn't want to hear it!" He rolled his eyes.

"...What?" Cinder and Arven sweatdropped.

"Now all that knowledge I've amassed about herb growing and mixing will help me stay alive!"

"...Do your parents know about this?" Arven wondered.

"Well-"

"Hey!" Ren walked over to him.

"Yo, Ren. What's up? You figured out what you want to do?"

"Yeah… I thought about taking you on first."

"Oh really? Well, alright then!" Crispin grinned. "First things first, you gotta do my challenge… which is…"

He flashed a smirk.

"Make me the hottest sandwich of all time! I wanna sweat while I eat the sandwich! You can use whatever you want… just make me sweat and regret it!"

"Okay… I think I know a few individuals who have something alongside that…" Ren mused.

Pause BGM

Meanwhile, with Futaba…

"I wasn't expecting you to come here, sis!" Jataro said.

Futaba smiled. "I figured I could use a change of scenery. We took care of Dialga and Myra's got that Emerald Star, so we figured we could come here for a while."

"Cool! …Wait, how was Dialga?"

"About as well as you'd expect."

"Ooooh…"

"So yeah, I'm wandering around with my lil' bro, my girlfriend's off… somewhere, Rantaro's rock climbing… everyone's doing something." She chuckled.

"So, how's SAPR? Are you taking a break, because I've heard how it's been a nightmare."

Futaba smiled. "It's a surprise… don't tell Nagisa, okay?"

"What do you mean don't tell Nagi-" Jataro's eyes widened. "You… you fixed her!"

"More like she fixed herself after Eggman never gave up on her."

"My lips are sealed. Nagi's gonna be ecstatic!"

"You should've seen Penny. I've never seen a robot so emotional before." Futaba giggled.

"Hey." A female voice caught their attention as they both turned to see Penny approaching them, wearing a Sylveon-styled outfit with a face mask covering her face. "Been a while, four eyes."

BGM: Cassiopeia (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)

"...Wait, you're that person who helped me fix the network, Cassiopeia!"

"That's me." She nodded. "I have to say, I hardly recogni-"

Futaba smirked. "Nice to meet up with you again, Penny."

End BGM

"Wait, wha-?!" Penny nearly stumbled in surprise.

Futaba giggled as Penny took off her face mask and did away with her hoodie.

"How did you even know it was me?"

"What, you thought you could get away with hacking the hacker? I did a background check on you after you gave me that device that helped restore the network. Found your name almost immediately. Penny, Galarian, daughter of Peony and sister to Peonia."

Penny sweatdropped. "...In all honesty, I should have seen this coming."

"Pretty much."

"...Soooooo… uh… how's the Maiden powers treating you?"

"Oh, pretty good. I'm pretty much a master of the elements but water and ice are my go to."

"I figured. So, uh… black hair, huh? Decided to dye it?"

"Nah, this is just my original hair color. I dyed it orange as a coping mechanism."

Penny blinked. "Wait, what?"

Futaba took her hand. "Come on, let's walk and chat." She walked off with her as Jataro followed.

"By the way… is it me or do you and Kotoko almost sound alike?"

"I've noticed that myself. I thought it was pretty cool." Futaba said nonchalantly.

Resume Savanna Biome BGM

Back with Crispin…

"Now, the trick to making something spicy is to put the right amount in it…" Arven said as he was busy making a curry sandwich with Gloria. "Put in too little and you get a mild flavor or nothing at all. Put in too much and you'll ruin the surprise… or you'll entice the masochists. You just gotta put in the right flavoring."

"Mhm." Crispin nodded. "But I want it extra spicy!"

"Oh, daring, are we?" Arven wondered as he pulled out a Tomato berry. "I suppose one Tomato berry wouldn't hurt…"

"Just one?" Gloria laughed. "Lad, ye gottae add in a few more than that!"

"I'll throw in this Dash Pepper!" Cinder said.

"Superspicy Curry!" Dedede tossed it in.

"Stand back! I'm breathing fire into this for an extra kick!" Bowser smirked as he breathed fire into the curry as Gloria chopped up a few Tomato berries and tossed them in as well.

"Here's a Fire Flower!" Eddie tossed it in.

"O-Oh… O-Oh my…!" Crispin whimpered.

"WE'RE NOT TRYING TO KILL HIM, YOU GUYS!" Arven yelled.

"I…I can take it…!" Crispin gulped. "Give me your best shot!"

"I can literally feel "death" radiating off of it…" Nyx grimaced.

"I'd try it, but I think I wouldn't be able to taste anything ever again…" Myra whimpered.

"What's going on here?" Futaba asked as she and Penny walked over, then the latter noticed Crispin worriedly writing his Last Will.

"You're not worried, are you?" Penny asked.

"M-Me? Worried! Of course not!" Crispin waved it off as they started preparing the sandwich.

"...Can I have your pan after you die?" Arven asked.

"I'm starting to think I made a mistake…" Ren said.

"Magmortar Mag Mag." Crispin's Magmortar said in concern.

"Oh, it's probably nothing… come to papa!" Crispin said, trying his best to ignore the sizzling coming from the sandwich as he took a bite. "Mmm… not bad. Not bad at-"

His face turned scarlet red as steam came shooting out of his nostrils and ears where everyone could have sworn they heard a train whistle as tears started rolling down his cheeks.

"Mmmmm… mmmmmm… MMMMMMMMMMM!"

Meanwhile, in Nimbasa City's Ferris Wheel…

"I'll never get tired of this view." Elesa said.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Hmm? Now who could be doing high pitched screaming?"

At Remnant…

Chloe looked up from her clipboard. "...Why do I get the feeling someone just did something stupid?" She asked in annoyance.

Back at the dome…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Crispin screamed as fire was coming out of his mouth, desperately running toward the Coastal Biome and dove into the water, quickly drinking up lots of water that bewildered some Tentacool and Popplio.

"I think you overdid it." Nyx deadpanned.

"Let me try it." Iris said, making a spicy curry sandwich herself and taking a bite.

"Whoa! Are you sure that's a good-" Penny noticed Iris wasn't reacting at all. "-...Idea?"

Umber also took a bite of his own sandwich. "Hmm, could use a little more seasoning."

"I think it's enough." Iris said.

"Okay, TIME OUT!" Arven yelled. "I know we just met, Iris… but how are you not reacting to how spicy it is?"

Iris smiled. "You kidding? I was raised on an island where we had spices that made our food extra spicy. Rantaro and I just built an immunity to it."

"It's true. I've seen her eat a Carolina Reaper as a snack and she didn't even flinch." Nyx nodded in confirmation.

"...I'm looking at a spice goddess." Myra said in disbelief.

"Alola has something similar. I also built an immunity to it." Umber said nonchalantly.

Arven jawdropped in awe. "Are you sure you Remnant folk are even human?" He glanced at Velvet who was taking photos of a Rhyhorn duking it out with another. "...No offense, Vel."

"Oh, no bother." Velvet waved it off.

"Uuuungh…" Crispin hobbled over and collapsed in front of Ren.

"Poni Pon Pon?" Ogerpon curiously poked him with a stick.

"You okay?" Ren asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine… just let me lie here and die for a few hours…" He whimpered as anime tears ran down his cheeks.

Weiss sighed. "You guys definitely went overboard." She said, then noticed Kotoko approaching them and looked rather pissed. "What's with you?"

"It's none of your business, Weiss." She said as she walked past her. "Where's Mine when you need her…"

"Not so fast." Weiss grabbed her wrist. "I know Mine isn't here right now, but I made a promise to her to look after and take care of you whenever she isn't around."

Kotoko sighed. "You really did become a surrogate sister to her after Epiphany was formed… and as such, a secondary sister to me."

"Yeah."

"Wow… you're becoming quite the sister to everyone, aren't you?" Meryl teased.

"Oh hush." Weiss rolled her eyes at her with a small smile before looking back at Kotoko. "Out with it, what's bugging you?"

Kotoko turned to look at Weiss. "Okay, one: Kieran happened. Two-"

She called out Percival.

"-Paradox Pokemon performance issues."

"What'd Kieran do?" Weiss asked.

"Oh, ya know, being a smug shithead and, apparently, he fights REALLY dirty to where I couldn't even stand a chance against him… not to mention that Percival here refused to even fight, which made Kieran even more of a shitty smug idiot."

"He fights dirty?" Ren asked.

"Either he does fight dirty or his Dragonite and Politoed are really well coordinated. Either way, it felt very cheap to me."

"I see." Hmm…

"Hey, um... mind if I can suggest something?" Flandre suggested.

"What is it?" Nagisa wondered.

"Look, I know that we're doing what we can right now to make Kieran snap out of it and that we're mostly trying to reason with him too... but if all else fails, like if he's completely lost it, how about I fly around BB Academy and face him personally for you guys instead? And once I find him, I could, y'know..."

She put her hands together and made an exaggerated explosion gesture with her hands.

Kotoko's face went expressionless, opposite of the collective appalled expressions of the others. "Can you please come here for a moment?"

"Sure?" Flandre answered, confused by the sudden request.

"A bit closer. So I can whisper something to you."

A still confused Flandre did as told so to listen to what Kotoko had to say.

"OW!"

Only to get a large bump on the head from a resulting smack from Kotoko.

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FUCKING MIND?!"

"What was that for?!" Flandre whined from the hit she received.

Kotoko let out an exasperated sigh. "Killing him is literally the last thing I want to do! Look, I know he's being a real asshole right now, and trust me, I also want to kick his ass into the ground so bad for what he did to me earlier. But that's still Carmine's brother, so the last thing I want is for her and the rest of the academy Elite Four putting our heads on a stake if we so much as try to kill him!"

Penny nodded in agreement. "What she said. You kill him, you'll be sentenced to life in prison!"

Kotoko immediately gave Flandre a pointed look with a raised eyebrow, practically saying "See? Exactly my point!"

Flandre blinked, clearly taken aback by their reactions. "Whoa, what kind of fucking animal do you guys take me for? No, I didn't say I was gonna kill him." She raised her hands nonchalantly, a casual smirk tugging at her lips. "I was just suggesting that I could make a big enough explosion to, y'know... scare him into submission."

"Well, why didn't you say that BEFORE?!" Kokoro shook Flandre wildly to get the point. "And that's not adding in the potential massive collateral damage to get the message across if you actually did that!"

"Mela Mel Mel!" Meloetta agreed.

"I'm sorry!" Flandre apologized, dizzy from getting shaken.

Weiss sighed exasperatedly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Vampires…"

Crispin got back up once his tongue was no longer on fire as he popped some ice cubes in his mouth. "So, we ready to do this, Ren?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, let's do this!"

End BGM

Once at Crispin's arena…

"This whole blocky arena doesn't seem very suitable." He said, casually pressing a switch that suddenly turned the whole arena into a dining hall.

"Whoa…" Ren whispered.

"You like that? Pretty impressive, eh?" Crispin grinned. "Now…" He pulled out two Pokeballs. "You ready for this? You can have someone join up with you, if you feel like it!"

"I think I can handle it." Ren said.

"Suit yourself. Now…"

BGM: Battle! BB League Elite Four (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: Indigo Disk)

"ORDER UP!" He yelled, tossing out Heat Rotom and Talonflame.

Bon Appetit! - Crispin

Ren pulled out two Pokeballs of his own, sending out Tank and Rami.

"Roto Roto!"

"Talo!" Talonflame flapped his wings, unleashing Sunny Day as Rotom used Thunderbolt on Rami, but Tank jumped in and took the hit for Thunderbolt. He then shook it off and used Metronome, which in turn, caused the sun to disappear and caused it to rain, causing frying pans to sizzle nearby.

"Talo?!" Talonflame cried in surprise as his Flame Blitz petered out a bit as Rami got on one knee and used Snipe Shot on Talonflame, immediately knocking the bird to the ground.

"Roto!" Rotom unleashed Hex on Tank, but he opened his mouth and ate it right up.

"Munch~!" Tank smiled, feeling a small "explosion" in his stomach, causing him to burp out some smoke. "Munch…" He grunted as he pulled out an apple to eat up to make him feel better.

"Roto…" Rotom sweatdropped as Talonflame got back up and used Brave Bird, only for Tank to jump over and Body Slammed into the Talonflame, crushing him under his weight while Rami used Liquidation to easily power through the Overheat, knocking down the Rotom as well.

"Talk about coordination!" Crispin said, recalling the two and then sent out his next Pokemon.

"Exeeeegg!" His Kantonian Exeggutor cried.

"Cameeeerrrr!"

"Let's add in a little spice to this fight!" Crispin said, putting on a heated glove and grabbed the large heavy end of the pan as he picked it up and smirked, revealing a Mega Stone inside the handle as he tapped it, proceeding to Mega Evolve Camerupt.

"RUUUUUUUUUUPT!" Camerupt bellowed as his volcanoes erupted.

Rami narrowed his eyes at the Exeggutor but had an idea. "Intel." The Inteleon whispered in the Munchlax's ear.

"Munch Munch!" Tank nodded as Rami smirked as he pumped his water sniper rifle… and then aimed at Tank who opened wide as Rami proceeded to use a few Snipe Shots into his mouth, filling it with water.

"Huh?" Ren raised an eyebrow as Rami immediately used U-Turn on Exeggutor, but it used Protect. Rami jumped back with a smirk, landing right behind Ren and pulled out a Pokeball. "...I assume you have a plan."

With a nod, Rami tossed out Racer.

"Accel?" Racer wondered as Rami whispered his plan. Racer nodded and lunged toward Exeggutor… right as Rami walked up over to Tank and picked him up…

Chi-chick!

…And somehow managed to "pump" him like a shotgun and aimed directly at Camerupt.

"Wh-whoa! Wait a second! This is a double battle, not a triple!" Crispin said.

"I don't think Tank is "fighting" here." Ren said.

"...Okay, fair." Crispin said as Camerupt raised an eyebrow and used Heat Wave, but Rami used his homemade "Water cannon" and pounded Tank in the back, making him spit out water like a massive Hydro Pump and struck Camerupt.

"RUUUUUPT!"

"Exegg!" Exeggutor ran over to try and Protect Camerupt, but Racer got in the way and used Bug Buzz on him, causing him to cry and fall on his butt, giving him plenty of time to use Water Shuriken around him to whittle him down.

Camerupt let out a growl and tried to use Ancient Power, but it wasn't enough to knock any of them down as the Water Cannon managed to knock the Mega Evolved camel down for the count right when Racer finished off Exeggutor.

"I… I'm not… sure what the hell just happened…" Crispin stared in disbelief as everyone else was at a loss for words. "...But I still got my ace up my sleeve!"

"Accel." Racer went back into his Pokeball while Rami put Tank down, the latter squaring up as Crispin sent out his last two Pokemon, which were Magmortar and Blaziken.

"Mortar!"

"Blaze!"

Crispin chuckled. "Let's see if you can handle THIS!" He exclaimed, pulling out a Tera Orb as Ren did the same thing, both of them Terastalizing Rami and Blaziken into their respective types.

"INTEEEEEL/BLAAAAAZE!"

"Rami, you take on Blaziken! Tank, you deal with Magmortar!"

"Munch!"

Tank ran toward the Magmortar and went for a Body Slam, but Magmortar aimed his arm cannon at him and used Psychic to hold him in place. "Mortar Tar!"

"Munch… Muuuunch!" Tank cried, using Metronome as he managed to Splash his way around but Magmortar tossed him up and sent him crashing to the ground, then used a Thunderbolt for good measure.

Nearby, Blaziken and Inteleon slammed into each other with Temper Flare and Liquidation, both of them pushing the other away as Blaziken put his hands together and charged up a Focus Blast and "Hadokened" it toward Inteleon, who simply stepped out of the way as it pitifully landed behind him.

"Blaze…!" Blaziken growled as he used Temper Flare again, with Rami using Liquidation again, both moves slamming into each other as they knocked each other back, but in mid air, Rami aimed his water rifle and fired in midair, hitting Blaziken in the shoulder with Snipe Shot.

"Munch… Munch Munch…!" Tank shook off the pain as he rolled out of the way to avoid a Heat Wave as he ran over and used Flail, but Magmortar simply backhanded him away.

Tank pulled out another apple to perk himself up, but Magmortar used Psychic on the apple to pull it away from him and then threw it down on the ground and crushed it with his foot.

"Mortar~" Magmortar taunted.

"Munch…?!" Tank exclaimed in shock before he gritted his teeth angrily as a fiery aura surrounded him. "MUNCH MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNCH!" He yelled as he used Metronome, where he teleported away and appeared high above Magmortar and used Metronome again, proceeding to use Giga Impact.

…However, as he was coming in like a missile, he started to glow as both Ren and Crispin's eyes widened as did everyone else's.

Oh, that's gonna hurt… Everyone thought as Magmortar looked up and tried to use Thunderbolt on him, but it was too late as the massive comet slammed down into him and flattened him instantly, causing an earthquake that managed to make Blaziken wobble, giving Rami enough time to fire a powered up Snipe Shot to hit Blaziken in the head to finish him off.

End BGM

Once the dust settled, they would see Tank, now a Snorlax, flat on his belly as he slowly got up from the pancaked Magmortar.

"Moooor…" Magmortar groaned as he was KO'd.

"Oooof… sorry about that, bud." Crispin grimaced.

Ren pulled out an apple. "Here ya go." He said, tossing the apple toward Tank.

"Snor." Snorlax happily ate up the apple.

"Not bad!" Drayton walked over as Crispin fist bumped Ren. "Now ya got the Elite Three to worry about now. Have to say, that Snorlax of yours really shook things up. Literally, I think the Canyon might have experienced a rock slide or two."

"Oops…"

"Ah, no big deal. The Alolan Golem can put 'em back. It's fine!"

"So uh… before you run off to your next destination…" Crispin turned to Flandre. "You're a vampire, right? You're, uh… not here to suck our blood, right?"

"Me? Nah. I never much like the taste of human blood anyway."

Drayton raised an eyebrow in amusement. "So, you're a vegan vampire then?"

"More or less."

"Heh, that's cool."

"So, what do you recommend I go to next?" Ren asked.

"Well, it's up to you… but I'm sure Amarys wouldn't mind a visit."

"Got it. Let's go-"

THUD!

"Snooooor…" Tank fell flat on his back, already snoozing.

"...Well, I suppose a five minute break wouldn't hurt." Ren chuckled.

Nora climbed up on the Snorlax's stomach as did Ogerpon. "Oh wow! His belly's so soft~! Too bad Jinx isn't in this biome otherwise she'd love it!"

"Poni Pon…~" Ogerpon yawned and took a nap on Tank's belly. "Zzzzz…"

Meanwhile, with Kieran…

"Tch…" Kieran watched the fight from a monitor. "Beginner's luck…" He mumbled, as he stared at Ogerpon cutely napping on the Snorlax, and while some onlookers were gushing over how adorable the scene was…

Kieran was fuming seeing the ogre snoozing away without a care in the world.

"That damn ogre…"

He turned around and took a deep breath, his back turned to the screen and power walked away.

"Kiki!"

Kieran stopped, not turning yet.

"I told you I don't go by Kiki anymore, Carmine."

"I don't care! You're still Kiki to me…"

"What do you want?"

"I came to apologize… I've… I've been a terrible sister."

"Well, apology not accepted." Kieran turned around to give his sister a hateful glare.

BGM: Historic Signboard (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)

"Why… why would you go out of your way to be so cruel to me? You're no better than our parents."

"I know…"

"I've suffered the same amount of abuse from you… the way you verbally lashed out at me… the way you treated me ever since we lived with our grandparents, you were nothing but a cruel CRUEL sister!"

"I know…" Carmine looked down in shame.

"You were never there for me! Not ONCE did you-"

"Whoa, slow down there." Carmine said. "Yes, I've been mean to you, but I've been there for you quite a few times… in my own way. Do you not remember that time when we "captured" that Volbeat and Illumise together? Or how about the time when I helped you climb a waterfall? Or I gave you a piggyback ride against my better judgement when we were running away from an angry Annihilape? …Which I thought was just a Kitakamian Primeape. Or how about when you scraped your leg and our grandparents weren't home at the time? Do you not remember the bandage I put on your leg? Gave it a little "sisterly magic" to make sure it heals quickly?"

"That's all made up."

"No! You're forgetting all the times I've been kind to you. Yes, the bad outweighs the good here but still… you're so consumed in your anger that you're forgetting-"

"Am I forgetting… or are you just making stuff up? I don't recall a single thing about those events. It's all just a ploy to get me to lower my guard so you can just be cruel to me again."

"No, Kieran… you're not understanding. Yes, I wasn't the perfect sister you wanted in your life… but at least I'm trying! It doesn't help that the bitch's anger issues latched on to me. You think it's easy for me to yell at you? Dammit… I feel bad every time I do!"

"Why… WHY didn't you tell me about our parents? When did you think would be a good time?"

"I knew telling you at that moment was a horrible time, but… it's impossible for a "good time" to roll up. Honestly, yes, I could have chosen a better time when you weren't all mopey but… I felt like I had no other choice."

"Wow, so you decided to tell me when I was at my lowest. Good job." Kieran rolled his eyes.

"Kieran, let's flip this around for a moment. When would it be a good time to tell me about them?"

"Well, let's see… there would be a time where… no… that's not possible… ah, but maybe before you-... no, that would ruin lunch. Ah… maybe when I tried to-... no, that would damper the moment. Maybe…"

"Now try to figure it out for years."

Kieran's eyes widened. "That's been eating at you for so long… I now understand why you thought me at my lowest was a good time, even though it wasn't."

Carmine nodded. "I'm deeply sorry, but… there was no other way."

Kieran sighed. "Honestly, I can forgive you for that… but I can't for the other. The way you've been treating me has gone on LONG enough!"

"I know, it has… that's why-"

"And now it's time for me to return the favor."

"Huh?!"

Kieran pulled out two Pokeballs. "Assume the position. It's time I brought all of my pain onto you. So you can understand how I felt."

"Kiki, wait a minute… I'm not here to-"

"Are you a coward?! Because I always thought you weren't… sister!"

End BGM

Carmine clenched her fists.

"...If I have to knock you down a few pegs…"

She closed her eyes as she pulled out two Pokeballs, reopening them.

BGM: Decisive Battle! Kieran (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)

"So be it."

Carmine sent out Mightyena and Toucannon, to which Kieran sent out his two Pokemon that made Carmine's eyes widen in surprise.

"Rooooar!"

"Hydraaap!"

"Where'd you get…?!" Carmine wondered before shaking her head, focusing. I'll get you out of this myself, Kiki.

Sibling Cruelty - Kieran

Mightyena let out a Howl, raising his attack power while Toucannon immediately charged up his beak and launched himself toward Hydrapple. Mightyena lunged toward Incineroar and used Super Fang, but Incineroar swung his knee up into his lower jaw, making it snap shut as he then picked up Mightyena and threw him toward Toucannon, making him crash into him and knocked them to the ground, giving Hydrapple plenty of time to use Fickle Beam to weaken the two and then used Earth Power to finish off Mightyena while Incineroar body slammed Toucannon.

"Nnngh… so we're fighting dirty…" Carmine growled as she recalled her Pokemon and then sent out Morpeko and Ninetales.

Ninetales let out a cry and unleashed Flamethrower on Hydrapple, but Incineroar stopped her short by clapping his hands in front of her, making her flinch as he then used Darkest Lariat on her.

"Moh Peh!" Morpeko used Aura Wheel on Hydrapple, but Incineroar stuck his foot out and made him trip. "Peeeeh!"

Morpeko got up, immediately going into Hangry Mode and started angrily chattering at Incineroar, who simply folded his arms with a cocky smirk as Hydrapple used Tera Blast to knock Morpeko away while Incineroar put Ninetales into an arm lock and proceeded to punch her.

"Nnngh… Kiki, STOP THIS! Fighting dirty isn't you!"

"I'm just getting started." Kieran said coldly. "Are you feeling it yet?"

A frustrated growl escaped Carmine's lips. "Fine, I see how it is! I'll play by your damn rules!" She said, sending out Scrafty and Sinistcha to back up her Pokemon.

"Nuh-uh." Kieran called out Porygon-Z and Grimmsnarl, both of them immediately blocking Sinistcha and Scrafty's way. "You're gonna have to do better than that."

This is all my damn fault… but I need to remain focused! Carmine thought as Grimmsnarl backhanded Sinistcha away.

"Puh-Puh-Puh-Puh-Puh… PORYGOOOOOOON!" Porygon-Z shot off a Hyper Beam toward Sinistcha.

"Sini!" Sinistcha moved out of the way in time… however, the Hyper Beam was on a direct course toward Carmine, causing her to gasp in horror.

"Block it!"

On command, Incineroar got in the way and blocked the attack with his hands, being pushed back a few feet but stood his ground as the Hyper Beam dissipated.

"Puh-Puh-Pory…" Porygon-Z apologized with a sweatdrop, rubbing his head.

"You… you saved me…" Carmine said with a soft smile. "Thank you."

"Just the right thing to do, not that you would've done the same." Kieran said coldly.

"Roar!" Incineroar waved it off with a thumbs up as he then raised his hand up to give her a friendly smack.

Kieran still gave her a cold look, but realized that Incineroar was not going for her shoulder, making him gasp in horror, his eyes widening upon realization.

"INCINEROAR, NO!"

SMACK!

"AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!"

End BGM

Too late.

"...Roar?" Incineroar wondered in confusion as Carmine fell on her hands and knees, crying out and writhing in agonizing pain. As far as he knew, it was just a friendly smack on the back that wouldn't have hurt as much. Heck, he did it all the time with Kieran.

"C-Carmine!" Kieran exclaimed as he ran over to her. "Carmine… oh… oh man… I… I'm so sorry, I…"

His words were drowned out by Carmine screaming and crying.

"Crap crap crap crap crap crap! This was not the pain I meant for you to go through! Augh… come on, think… think… um…"

"HEY!"

Kieran gasped, turning to see Nemona running over to them, and looking rather furious.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"It… it was an accident, I-"

Kieran was cut short as Nemona started cussing him out in Spanish as he backed up, quickly recalling his Pokemon and quickly ran off.

"Gilipollas." (Dickhead.)

Nemona immediately turned to Carmine, kneeling beside her as she pulled out some ointment and proceeded to rub it all over her back.

"Easy… easy… I got ya…"

BGM: Missing You (Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMix)

Carmine's Pokemon gathered around her with concern as Carmine's sobbing continued as she laid on Nemona's lap, where she caressed her head to slowly calm her down.

"It's all my fault… I made him do that…" Carmine sniffled. "I'm a terrible sister…"

"You're not terrible… not to me or anyone else." Nemona cooed, caressing her hair. "We'll get your bro back to normal one way or another."

Carmine slowly rose as she met Nemona at eye level.

"Th-thank you…" She whispered, her forehead pressing against her as Nemona gently pulled her shirt down.

"It's going to be okay…"

She gently caressed her cheek, wiping her tears as both of them looked into each other's eyes before they closed as they leaned forward and pressed their lips against one another.

"Moh Peh Peh…~?" Morpeko wondered in surprise and a sly smile.

"Scrafty Scraft." Scrafty nodded in approval.

End BGM

Both of their eyes opened, shooting up in realization as they were still kissing. Both of their faces went red as they pulled away.

"Did we just…?!"

"Uh-huh…!"

Both said nothing as they looked away for a few moments in awkward silence, but they leaned their heads against each other with soft smiles on their faces.

Unbeknownst to them all, Hiyoko watched this unfold… and while she was happy for the two, there was a pit in her stomach.

"Kieran… what happened to you…?"

One down, three to go.

Ibuki: Oooof... that was painful...

Deadpool: Tell me about it!

Indeed... but anyway, what did y'all get for Christmas? I got the usual spiel with candy, shirts and a calender (Along with some awesome 49ers merch) aaaand I also got Dragon Quest III!