"That will be all for today's lesson! Class should be over shortly."
Briar announced to them all, and various students were all too eager to close their textbooks. Many voices came together to blend into an unintelligible racket as friends conversed among themselves. Alysa too closed her textbook, but rather than reach out to a nearby classmate to strike up a conversation she wouldn't know how to carry, she flipped to an empty page of her notebook. She chose to absent-mindedly doodle simplified versions of her pokemon to pass the time and to help her stay awake.
Her level of energy in the mornings was always a hit or miss. Her unsatisfactory slumber overnight meant she'd have to deal with a persistent mental fog until around the afternoon at the latest. How funny it was, that she slept so well nestled against Drayton a few nights ago.
He had offered for she to spend the night again with him last evening, but her nerves won out. She told him she'd take a rain check; something that he accepted with no complaints, but she could tell disappointed him. Because of that, part of her wanted to apologize to him... but maybe she would be taking it too seriously.
She did have the thought to try and text the boy, see if he was awake or miraculously even in class, but Briar made her displeasure with phones being used in the classroom very evident early on. Alysa settled for just drawing, and zoning out the noise happening around her.
...Until she heard her name being mentioned. It wasn't loud or direct enough for the intention of catching her attention. No, she was being talked about. Slightly turning her head, she spotted a small group of her classmates sitting together off in the room's corner. She faced forward, not wanting to be caught staring, but she tried to focus her attention in their direction.
"-crazy. Drayton bagged another one."
"Been a while, right?"
She stiffened. Not only were they talking about her, they were of course talking about Drayton as well.
"Remember the last girlfriend he had? What was her name..."
"I dunno. I remember hearing about their breakup though. Was pretty bad."
"Think he's gonna stay with Alysa for long?"
"Who knows. Probably not if he gets bored enough."
It hurt to hear other people talk so frivolously about their personal business, but what hurt more was the reminder that she was not the first girlfriend Drayton's had. She felt no jealousy over that detail, only concern over the glaring fact that she had no idea how she compared to them. The unknown factor of it made her feel that much more self-conscious, but it didn't compare to the last sentence she heard before tuning out of the discussion.
Drayton getting bored of her...she wanted to believe that was unlikely; he himself had said he was genuinely interested in her. However, he hadn't outright committed to...anything. Neither has she exactly, but Alysa knew she would be content to stay with the boy for who knows how long. Should she consider his own stance being the same?
She had been pressing too hard down into her notebook as she drew, resulting in her pencil tip snapping. Sighing, Alysa put the utensil down and let her eyes rest on the scribbles of Thea, Sally, and Rei she did. She wished the class would let out, the more minutes that went by, the antsier she got.
"Hey." A voice nearby nearly made her jump. Carmine had walked over and sat in the empty desk next to her, expression largely neutral aside from her knit eyebrows. Alysa felt confused.
"Yes?"
Carmine didn't usually initiate an interaction between them like this. The dark-haired girl watched her for some prolonged seconds, which served to increase her nervousness.
"Are you seriously dating that clown?"
Of course. She probably should've expected this, those other students talking weren't exactly being quiet.
"...Why are you asking?"
"I'm frankly concerned." Carmine's yellow eyes narrowed. "You DO know about Drayton's reputation, right? How he's bounced between so many girls and other boys the last two years that it was like a running joke in the school for a while?"
Alysa took a sharp inhale of breath. "I... Kind of? He mentioned some of that to me..."
"But not everything I bet," tsked the other girl. "You think someone like him is trustworthy? Or even worth getting attached to, like that?"
'Not everything.' He did give her a rundown of his past, but no specifics. She thought they didn't matter. Did they?
"He hasn't given me a reason to distrust him." Alysa focused on that fact instead, fingernails pressing against the surface of her desk.
"YET," spat Carmine in a show of rising anger. Her fists clenched. "You shouldn't even give him the chance to twist your heart up and toss it in the trash!"
"He's not going to do that."
With a harder thrum of the referenced organ in her chest, Alysa felt a specific emotion starting to creep up out of the pit she always tried to keep it far down in. Scorching claws dug into her composure and weakened it drastically.
"W-Why do you even care anyway, Carmine?"
"Because, it pisses me off that he thinks he can toy with whoever he wants! That loser isn't worth anyone's time!"
The claws pierced deeper, and sending heat ripping through. She grit her teeth.
"Don't talk about him like that!"
Her command came out at a louder volume, just above the room's noise level. Alysa could feel many eyes on them, but in this moment, she didn't care.
Carmine briefly recoiled in shock, but in the next second, matched her head on.
"I'll talk about him however I want! What're YOU going to do about it?!"
The other girl bared her teeth. She felt like her chest was burning from the inside out. The smaller girl's own hands clenched as her lungs expanded, fighting for air that didn't feel suffocating at the same time. Alysa's desire was to scream in that second, to let the fire be channeled through and fuel her gut's instinct to lash out and rip something apart.
But just as fast as her vision blanked, the pain of her nails cutting into her palm and the reality that she couldn't do anything was enough to bring it back. Alysa panted, not realizing that she had stopped breathing altogether. Carmine stared at her like she had morphed into something else, her own combative demeanor gone.
The inferno was snuffed, leaving dead cinders behind to weigh down her chest and turn her stomach. That's right, she couldn't do anything to Carmine. She wouldn't do anything. She would never threaten to harm someone, through violence or other means.
"...Nothing." Alysa slowly answered the girl's question, dragging her eyes back up to make eye contact.
"I'll do nothing."
That exact second, a chiming sound echoed through the intercom, signaling the end of the period. Some students in the class immediately stood to walk out, though others lingered.
"Your opinions don't matter anyway."
Alysa's terse statement ended the encounter. Carmine shook off her daze and deeply frowned, but grabbed her backpack and swiftly headed out of the classroom versus getting the last word in. As she watched her leave, Alysa's gaze moved on its own to meet turquoise. Amarys must have seen the conflict, as her placid face appeared troubled. The sight made her numbness dispel, and be replaced by absolute shame.
The elite didn't speak a word, only giving the other girl a small nod of acknowledgment before she too took her leave with the remaining students. Alysa finally unclenched her stinging hands, and was greeted by a damp feeling on her skin. Looking down at her palms, they were marred by small gashes from where her nails had sunk in.
The tiny red streaks coming from them served as another reminder why she should never let herself get like that. It never helped her feel better. Fight back. Get even. The only thing it ever accomplished making she feel like she was going to implode then waste away, leaving no meaningful impact on the outside world.
Anger was such a useless emotion.
Briar paid Alysa no mind as she continued to clack away at her computer's keyboard, despite how she was the last student to leave the room. Rather than go to her next class right away, she went into the nearest restroom to pull out a first-aid kit and retrieve a couple of bandages from it.
She was happy that the plan to meet at the Canyon Plaza at 1pm had already been made. Talking to Amarys now after what happened in the morning felt far too embarrassing. A large part of her didn't want to see her other friends for that matter.
Even Drayton, somewhat. She hoped he wouldn't mind her absence, would even ignore it.
Alysa got a mere sandwich from the cafeteria and was going to spend her lunch break out in the Savanna Biome, sitting on a log. She had always found peace this way, away from other people and left to the impartial whims of nature. At least, if she were to be injured, it would be from she scraping an arm or knee from carelessness. Being attacked by a wild pokemon who was only hungry or wanted to protect its territory, at worse. All pure happenings driven by no human interferences.
The girl's mind drifted to old memories where she had discovered she'd much rather stay outside after dark, then to return to a home whose interior offered no true solace. As she ate, she remembered exploring various routes and training her pokemon in them. Kalos contained her early days of being a trainer, where her Swablu and Cleffa at the time were no warriors by any means.
She learned that the hard way, by choosing to strike out from Aquacorde Town to Santalune City with the goal of getting her first gym badge. It did not work out.
The abrupt vibration her phone disrupted the quiet.
The Drayster: [ Where r u ]
So, he did mind after all. Right now, Alysa couldn't pinpoint how that made her feel. The self-inflicted punctures underneath the bandages on her palms were suddenly itching more.
[ In the savanna ]
Whether he was just asking out of curiosity, or was going to try to come to her, was answered in the next ten seconds.
The Drayster: [ Where in it? I wanna spend time w/ u ]
Her leaden heart became lighter.
The Drayster: [ If that's ok ]
His follow up message made it even lighter. Alysa wondered if she should tell him about what happened earlier in the day, but she'd hate to make a big deal out of nothing. Especially after what he said in the cafeteria before, on what he'd do if anyone were to step to them the wrong way... he and Carmine already didn't get along as it was.
[ It is. I'm nearby rest area 1 ]
She wouldn't bother trying to explain her location in detail, being sure her color palette stood out enough from the surrounding earthy browns.
The Drayster: [ K. Omw ]
Alysa got down to the last bites of her sandwich, but a movement some yards away made her look. A Doduo was peaking its twin heads out behind shrubs, staring intently at her. Suspecting she knew what it wanted, she smiled and tossed the remains of her lunch over towards the wild pokemon. It chirped, wasting no time in pecking at the ground to ravenously consume it. Watching how eager it was to eat something so miniscule made the girl feel strangely at ease. Perhaps, that was the first meal it had gotten in a while.
A large shadow moving in made the pokemon scurry off. Alysa looked up to see a Flygon descend to the ground far enough away that the churned up dirt from his wings didn't blow over her. His trainer slipped down and off, flashing a smile that further lifted her spirits.
"Hey there."
"Hi..." she softly greeted, watching as Drayton walked over and sat down close enough next to her that their shoulders touched. Flygon waddled over and stared at her curiously.
"Any reason why you didn't come to the cafeteria?" he asked, looking at her in the corner of his eye. She hesitated for a second before speaking.
"Didn't feel like being around a lot of people." That was a truth at least, though not the full one. She pressed her palms down her lap.
Drayton hummed. "Why? Did something happen?"
This was her chance to be completely honest, or to keep things under a lock and key. Alysa mulled over what she should do, if confessing or not would benefit Drayton or potentially harm him, but was distracted by Flygon. The dragon waddled closer, making a squeaking noise as he kept his eyes on her.
Puzzled, Alysa instinctively held her hands out as a gesture for he to come closer. He did so, and begun to nuzzle the girl's cheek against his own. Surprised by the dragon's desire to be affectionate with her, but having no issue with it, a giggle quietly rumbled in the girl's throat. Her focus was pulled away from Flygon when Drayton abruptly grabbed hold of her nearest wrist.
Her stomach sank as he turned her arm around to have her palm face up, exposing the bandage. Mouth set in a line, his golden eyes rested upon it for a few seconds, then flicked up to meet her as his eyebrows slanted. Drayton didn't speak a word, but he conveyed a message so clear that Alysa recoiled back into Flygon as if he shouted it. There was no point in keeping quiet now.
"...I got into an argument with Carmine in our homeroom, earlier."
Drayton's displeased look changed into shock. "About what?"
"About you. She knows we're dating now, because of all the gossip going around."
"Okay." His frown returned, deeper. His hand shifted down to hold hers. "What's that have to do with you having this injury?"
Alysa thought back to the moment, and started feeling sick all over again. "To keep it short: Carmine asked why I was interested in you. Insulted you a lot. It upset me."
"Yeah? How upset?" His thumb gently brushed across the bandage.
"Very. I was clenching my hands tight enough that my nails dug into my palms..." Saying it out loud made her deflate. Flygon crooned, curving his neck so he could nestle her.
"I was...so angry."
Drayton's eyes widened some, and he didn't respond right away. "...Angry? She got to you that bad?"
"Yes. I really didn't like what she was saying about you. About your character."
"Heh. That's Carmine for you." A light-hearted smile appeared, slowly. "She'll say or do whatever to make me look bad."
He put his attention onto her palm. "You didn't hurt yourself too bad though, right?"
"Yes. They were just surface-level punctures. Didn't bleed for that long." She decided to keep them covered up until proper scabs formed. Alysa moved her other arm forward to show Drayton her other palm that was also bandaged, and he held onto that hand too. In the moment, she wished she could speak up on what exactly Carmine had said about him, but it felt like far too personal of a territory on his end.
She was his girlfriend now, but that didn't automatically give her the right to know everything about his past, no matter how much she wanted to. What he felt comfortable disclosing himself from before was evidence that he wouldn't want to tell her more. And the last thing she wanted to do was offend or upset him. Not Drayton...
"You getting angry though..." His voice interrupted her train of thought. "That was a bit shocking to hear. It's hard for me to imagine you like that."
"...Good, honestly. I hate getting angry."
"Why is that?"
"It's a terrible feeling, for me."
That was the best way she could describe it, as condensed as possible. One of Drayton's eyebrows quirked, but he made no further comments. Flygon evidently wanted her attention back onto him, as he started nudging the girl with more force. This coaxed out a genuine smile from Alysa, and she took one of her hands from Drayton's hold to pet the dragon in long strokes from his head down his neck. Meanwhile, his trainer watched her with a solemn look. His features soon did soften at the care she displayed for his Flygon, as did his heart.
Some minutes of silence passed between them, blanketed by Flygon's noises and the distant sounds of the savanna, until Alysa spoke again.
"I think I should head to the Canyon Plaza now. It should be close to 1pm."
"...It's about 10 minutes to 1, yeah." Drayton took his phone out to verify before putting it away.
"Me and Flygon will give you a lift."
She sat up straighter. "You don't need to."
"I know. But I want to." Drayton's smile grew, and Alysa instantly felt much warmer.
"And Flygon wants to as well. Don't cha, bud?" He pat his pokemon, who let out a cheery cry. "That's right. You like her a bunch, huh?"
There was little she could do to fight off the smile that was forming. Drayton released her hand, standing up to stretch. Alysa followed suit, brushing the loose pieces of the log that lingered on her shorts.
"We'll get you over there in a jiffy~." Drayton urged Flygon to get before them and lower his body to the ground. Heat spiked in Alysa's face as the boy helped her get into the dragon's back, and he sat down right behind her, positioning his arms on her either side. Drayton's voice so close to her ears rolled against her eardrums and sent a shiver down her spine, as he gave the command for Flygon to lift into the air. She distracted herself by trying to concentrate on the battle ahead, though how warm Drayton felt against her back was mesmerizing...
—
Alysa smiled gratefully at her grinning boyfriend, who took her hand and helped her down from his Flygon's back. She had to take a moment to again return the pokemon's nuzzling of her, cooing and petting his head before Drayton recalled him. How fond the Mystic Pokemon was of her reminded Alysa to eventually bring up they holding another picnic sometime soon, she would love to spend more time with his pokemon.
Hand-in-hand, they entered the Canyon Plaza. Strangely, she noticed, there were hardly any nerves for the upcoming challenge flaring. Perhaps it was because she got a lot of them out against Crispin, or Drayton being here helped her stay calm. Perhaps it was both.
Alysa led the walk up to the front desk, where a boy was reclined back and tapping away at his Rotom phone. With a start, he noticed he had visitors, sitting up straight.
"Uh- hey, Drayster." He greeted the elite, who chuckled.
"Yo."
"Alysa, right?" The assistant addressed her next when she let go of Drayton's hand to approach the counter.
"Yes."
"Here to challenge Amarys, I'm guessing?" He turned on the terminal. "That'll be 50 BP then."
The transaction went off, and he was about to call Amarys, but stopped. He looked behind both teens.
"Nevermind, a call's not needed."
"Indeed." Amarys' trademark monotone sounded, advancing towards them all. "I am pleased to see you present on time, Alysa. Your punctuality has not suffered."
"Why would it?" Drayton quirked a brow. Alysa suppressed a laugh, having caught Amarys' subtle jab.
"She has regularly stayed in your company for prolonged periods. There is a possibility your disregard for schedules will have an influence on her."
Now he pouted, and Alysa could no longer keep herself quiet.
"My preference for chilling isn't a spell I can cast."
"I would hope not," deadpanned Amarys; her turquoise stare going half-lidded. She left the banter there, turning towards Alysa.
"I trust you are feeling well enough to go forward with your challenge?"
Alysa blinked repeatedly in confusion, but understood when she registered the form of concern present in Amarys' eyes. Her argument with Carmine felt even more embarrassing now, but she did appreciate the consideration.
"I am."
"Very well. To take my Elite Trial, I must escort you to the proper location. Come with me."
The shorter girl went to follow the steel elite, yet Amarys stopped in her tracks, peering at Drayton who took steps forward.
"You know you are to wait here for our return."
"What, I really can't go too?" he whined, deflating.
"You should be aware, that according to line six in section two of our League Club Code of Conduct handbook as Elite Four members, that only the challenger and the biome's respective-"
"Yeah yeah, I get it." Drayton interjected, sighing loudly. At Alysa's very amused look, his smile returned.
"I'll be here, babe."
He waved at her, turning on his heel to go towards a vending machine. Amarys resumed walking, Alysa trailed behind in surprisingly high spirits.
—
"The gate over on the plateau to the northeast is your goal."
Amarys held a hand out in the direction. Groups of trained Magnemite formed large electric rings floating in the air, leading in a bendy line towards the gate. Alysa squinted her eyes, supposing it wasn't that far away.
"You must fly through the rings and reach the end of the course without touching the ground or colliding with terrain, before the four minute time limit expires," Amarys explained. "You also cannot miss more than two rings, otherwise it is an automatic failure."
Strict, but she wasn't expecting less from the elite known for her razor-sharp standards.
"Please show me the pokemon you will be riding upon."
Alysa grabbed one specific ball and sent its inhabitant out. Sally's head waved about at her surroundings, grunting.
"Your Salamence? Excellent." Amarys nodded. "You are welcome to begin when you are ready. I will start the timer the second you enter the first ring. Please return to me once you reach the goal."
"Understood." Alysa took a deep breath, in and out. Sally nudged her.
"Time for the trial I was telling you about, remember?" She rubbed the dragon's neck. "You have to fly through the rings. Do your best to not miss any, okay?"
Sally snorted, and lowered her wings to allow her trainer to climb on. Alysa got into position in her usual spot, legs around the base of the dragon's neck and her arms wrapped around it. Large red wings flapped, and they were off.
Alysa carefully held onto Sally, not wanting to squeeze too tight in the worry of suffocating her pokemon – though the trainer doubted she was strong enough to put that much pressure on Sally's thick musculature. They entered the first few rings no problem, but Alysa recognized that the path got very windy as it descended before climbing back up, meaning that tight maneuvering was essential.
Her Salamence had never been the most graceful and precise of fliers. Her hulking frame and arched wings made her a little clumsy on a lot of occasions, but they were always up high and had little risk of hitting something. Here, as Sally dropped to continue following the path, one of her wings came close to hitting a cliffside. She had to sharply rotate, causing Alysa to cling tighter.
"C-Careful!" she squeaked, feeling Sally rumble in her throat as a response. They passed over the biome's valley, coming up to a zig-zag in the path. Sally growls, having to jerk about to make the turn. Unfortunately, her trajectory was off, and she missed one of the rings. The Magnemite buzzed loudly, and Alysa looked behind to see the ring turn red before the pokemon broke apart.
That was one. They could only afford one more before things got dicey.
The duo had reprieve as the path straightened out as they climb up and over a massive rocky elevation. The sight of the biome, and into the other biomes was stunning from this viewpoint, but the upcoming drop into a winding pattern prevented her from admiring it. They came up to two pillars, where Sally had to quickly fly directly upwards. Alysa wasn't expecting the rings to be positioned like that, and Sally was not either. She reacted, but too slowly to coordinate her flight.
Another miss. They didn't have any more leeway. Alysa's nervousness returned now, and it was possible Sally sensed her loss of composure, as she exhaled a puff of smoke from her nose. Now was the time to focus.
The goal was drawing near, they just had one more demanding turn. Alysa clamped her eyes shut, but she was amazed by how fast the Salamence adapted, as her shift in the air to stay within the path was smooth. They sailed over to the goal, where Sally touched down. A chime played from nearby speakers, signaling they made it within the time limit.
"That was close," Alysa laughed, shaking off her nerves. The Salamence was pleased, looking back at her trainer.
"Let's head back to Amarys now."
Now free to go wherever, Sally flew back towards the elite in minutes. When she landed, Alysa dropped down off of her pokemon.
"Well done. There were errors, but you succeeded in passing the trial." Amarys put her wrists together to clap her stretched hands, expression naturally unchanging.
"Thanks," sighed Alysa. The dragon stomped forward to nudge her back, snorting. Sally's enthusiasm brightened her eyes, and Alysa could detect a certain desire.
"Did you have fun doing that?" she inquired, and stroked the dragon's snout.
"You may be aware, but we offer Flying Time Trials for leisure here in the Canyon Biome." Amarys faced the Salamence, and gazed over out to the environment.
"Now that you have passed, you are more than welcome to take them when you please. We offer increasing amounts of BP as a reward, should you complete all difficulties."
"Neat! Hear that, Sally? We can take them for a spin later," Alysa laughed. "Maybe it can be practice for your flying too."
The dragon was visibly happy at that, stomping one of her feet. The trainer thanked the pokemon for her hard work, and called her back into her pokeball.
"Time to return to the plaza. We can begin our battle immediately." Amarys turned to walk away. Alysa felt strong determination come to life once more.
—
As she was expecting, a large crowd had gathered at the plaza. Alysa could recognize some faces that attended her battle versus Crispin, and they shared enthused words with their friends. The crowd started filing up the stairs towards the court, Amarys following behind them. Alysa first took a moment to use a healing machine, ensuring all of her team would be fully energized. As she was finishing up, she heard a certain someone call her name as they walked up.
"You pass?" Drayton held a bag of chips, munching. She laughed.
"Yep!"
"Heh. Knew you would." The crumbs sticking to the boy's mouth corners were too cute. She collected her pokeballs from the machine, and Drayton poured the remains of his snack into his mouth, then tossed the emptied bag into a nearby waste bin. He wiped his face with the back of a hand and used his other to clasp one of hers. Together, they headed towards the stairs.
"Worried?"
"...Not really?"
"Good. You got this." Drayton affectionately squeezed her palm. When they got to the upper level of the plaza containing the battle court, he released her hand, watching Alysa head towards Amarys. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
As per usual, Alysa chose to ignore the audience and put her mind onto the battle. Amarys wouldn't be easy, but her plan would overall make her team easier to deal with in the long run.
"Before we begin," the elite spoke, "I must thank you for your contributions to the League Club as an active participant, Alysa. Ever since you joined and claimed victory over the first ladder tournament, morale has slowly increased. Many of our current members have begun participating once more, and we have gained a small amount of new members."
"Really?" Her heart skipped. "You don't need to thank me. I'm not doing any of this for glory or fame...just to see if I can help bring some kind of change. For the better."
"For Kieran's sake?" Amarys bowed her head some, the surrounding light causing her glasses to glint.
"In a way. The new rule forced me into this run, but I had maybe becoming Champion on my mind for a while anyway. There's a chance I can help him, even if I don't have any involvement in what happened between he and Juliana."
"I see. You and I share the same sentiments."
Amarys pulled out her silver watch, and clicked it.
"Our battle starts now."
That was her cue to get into position on her side of the court, while the elite did the same. The volume of the audience spiked when each of their chosen leads hit the court. Sally and Tari were as ready as ever, facing down the opposing Scizor and Empoleon.
Alysa's strategy against Amarys was similar to what she came up with for Crispin, but it was a little less safe. The other girl's Steel-types were known for their resilience, and Amarys had many answers for the types who had the favorable matchup. She led with two of her dragons as her fairies would overall be less helpful here, and she ensured they had appropriate moves to hit and hit hard.
Scizor and Empoleon in particular concerned her, so she was glad Amarys just so happened to lead with them. After Sally ate a Bullet Punch from Scizor, one Helping Hand from Tari and an Earthquake from the Salamence later, Scizor took fair damage and Empoleon was knocked out right away.
"A devastating start." The elite commented as she recalled the fainted pokemon. She adjusted her glasses. "I see you are set on victory. Excellent."
Empoleon's combination of Ice Beam and Flash Cannon was one of the biggest threats to her team, so not having to deal with it was promising. The battle was just getting started; Alolan Dugtrio appeared next. The pokemon was the fastest on the field, her Stone Edge came out too fast for Tari to dodge, but he wasn't knocked out.
"Sally, Temper Flare! Tari, Flamethrower! Target Scizor!"
She put the TM Crispin gave her to good use. The Salamence was engulfed and the Altaria spat out a thick stream of flames, all directed at the Bug/Steel-type. Her Occa Berry bursting with its fire damage reduction effect wasn't enough to prevent another knockout. Many in the audience loudly praised her relentless attacks.
Skarmory was out next, and this was were the battle would get trickier. Her Sturdy and Alolan Dugtrio's Focus Sash needed to be broken, which meant to Alysa that her pokemon had to hit the both of them at least twice each. As someone who liked scoring one-hit knockouts when she could, such obstacles could throw the flow of the battle off for her.
That proved to be the case. Tari evaded the second Stone Edge flung his way, and Sally managed to break Skarmory's Sturdy with Temper Flare, but her Rocky Helment made Sally flinch away. Amarys took advantage by having Skarmory Whirlwind Sally away, and Alysa's head whipped as Sally was sent careening backwards. With how spacious the court was, no one in the audience was thankfully in the way.
Tari's Flamethrower broke Dugtrio's sash next, but an Iron Head backed by a Dual Wingbeat caused the Altaria to go down. The first knockout on her side.
Her Clefairy took Tari's place, and Alysa shifted her thinking towards truly executing her plan at this point. She needed to get Amarys's Renuiclus out before she sent out the member of her team who she believed could take the battle home from here. Skarmory was the more pressing opponent due to Whirlwind able to disrupt her pokemon, so it became the main target.
For once, Amarys displayed a blatant emotion: surprise. Alysa had changed up Lulu's moveset slightly for this battle, Thunderbolt being one of the new moves. The small fairy blitzed Skarmory with a strong bolt of electricity – something that the audience really loved. She fell out of the sky, energy to continue stripped away. Sally was back up and moving, dodging a Stone Edge from Dugtrio. A Temper Flare later, and it too fainted. However, the Tangling Hair from the Mole Pokemon bound around Sally's wings and legs, inhibiting her speed.
"Down to the wire." Amarys's stoic mien returned. "Nevertheless, I will see this through."
Reuniclus and Metagross were sent out. Amarys pulled out her Tera Orb, and threw it over the body of the latter pokemon, transforming it into a pure Steel-type.
Just as Alysa suspected, Amarys ordered Reuniclus to begin setting up a Trick Room. Metagross launched a Hard Press against Lulu, but Protect was the other move Alysa had her learn with a TM. Lulu defected the attack, that would have absolutely knocked her out otherwise. Knowing she couldn't prevent Trick Room from going up, Alysa instead told Sally to Temper Flare Metagross. It was a direct hit, but naturally, the Iron Leg Pokemon stayed up. Renuiclus finished concentrating, and a transparent box of psychic energy appeared over the court.
The audience reacted with shock and doubt that she just let the Trick Room go off, but Alysa wasn't too concerned about that. Winning was still possible.
Alysa had to keep her reaction suppressed, when Amarys had Metagross take the admittedly free knockout on Sally via using Ice Punch. The Steel-type moved too fast for the dragon to dodge. Reuniclus attacked Lulu with Psychic, but the fairy brushed it off. Alysa called out Rei, her Hydreigon. He, like the last members she had in the back, was at a huge disadvantage under Trick Room...but what she needed to do now was clear.
"Hard Press the Clefairy." Amarys stated. Her Metagross shot forward.
"Lulu, Helping Hand!" Alysa reacted fast. The fairy activated the supportive effect for Rei, right before being crushed by the Metagross. She was left unconscious, eyes turned into spirals. Reuniclus' only way of attacking Rei was with Energy Ball, which he brushed away easily.
"Fire Blast Metagross!" Alysa shouted. Roaring, a giant fireball was spat out of Rei's main throat, and it swallowed Amarys' ace entirely with an explosion. She reacted with a start, seeing her pokemon collapse to the floor. The Terastal effect from its body shattered.
It was only the Psychic-type on the other side of the court left. With Rei and Mims together, Reuniclus didn't stand much of a change on her lonesome, even with Trick Room up. A Shadow Sneak plus a Dark Pulse guaranteed a knockout, and Alysa's victory. A 3-0, just like with Crispin.
Trick Room's box dome broke apart from Reuniclus fainting, and Alysa's ears were crashed into by loud applause. She thanked her team and returned them to their capsules. The girl then took the opportunity to look around, drawn right to Drayton. His grin dripping with fondness was what finally made her feel pumped over her second win.
"Congratulations, Alysa." Amarys clapped her hands. Despite the genuine praise, there was something...new in the girl's turquoise eyes. It was soft, and warm. Was it...pride?
"You are a phenomenal trainer indeed. Let us commemorate this occasion with a photograph."
Smiling, the girl of course accepted. She held her phone out, and an image was snapped of the two of them with Amarys holding her hands up in a heart shape. Awfully endearing, but Alysa stopped herself from asking about the choice in emote.
"Also, your victory earns you this TM for Hard Press." She was handed the disk.
"Thank you, Amarys."
Alysa wasn't too sure why she felt especially giddy to see Amarys truly happy that she won, but it was very nice.
"Another dub in the bag!" Drayton held his arms out as he approached them, and they were wound around her. She hid her blushing face in his shirt.
"You're on a roll, sweetie."
"Agreed. At this rate, we may see a direct challenge to Kieran soon." Amarys stated.
"That's what I'm hopin' for! About time we got some action in the club."
Drayton chuckled, lightly rocking Alysa from side to side. She returned his hug, about to burst from all of his attention. She was going to say something, but a ruckus from over by the court's exit stopped her.
"It's the Champion!" She heard one student shout. Drayton stiffened.
"...Well well..."
He released her, and moved to the side. Alysa was floored by dark eyes boring into hers. Kieran marched up, face set in its usual grim look.
"You made more progress than I thought you would," he said to her in a pointed manner. Kieran unexpectedly acknowledging her in any way, let alone talking to her, made her rather nervous. She fidgeted with her fingers, confused as to why he's shown up now. She wasn't the only one put off.
"Are you all of a sudden starting to care about Alysa's talents?" Drayton's voice was curt, lacking all excitement in it from seconds ago. He crossed his arms, smile gone. Amarys didn't speak, just taking one look at the Champion and averting her gaze. Her expression became...saddened.
"She at least seems more interesting," Kieran bluntly responded to the Dragon Tamer, not sparing him a glance.
"Maybe you'll be a worthy opponent after all. If you keep up your win streak."
Kieran's face wrinkled, but he turned and left without another word. The good feelings of her victory went with him. Kieran only beginning to regard her as a trainer worth something now, when she's since accomplished a lot way before battling the Elite Four, created a hollow space in her chest.
"Tch. Whatever..." The white-haired teen shook his head, uncrossing his arms. "You're already a worthy opponent for him I say, but rules are rules. Tomorrow you're battling Lacey, right?"
"...Yes. If nothing comes up." Pink eyes angled down at the court, but dragged upwards at a hand grabbing her own. Drayton's features were back to their sweetened expression.
"To celebrate you being halfway there: wanna get some ice cream?"
That was more than enough to perk her back up. Her nod was quick, drawing out gentle laughter from her boyfriend. He held her hand tighter.
"Amarys? You good?" Drayton rotated to look towards the other girl, who had been quiet since Kieran's appearance. Snapped out of her reverie, she shook her head.
"I'm fine. Enjoy your celebration, you two."
He looked doubtful at her claim, but didn't pry. "We will."
The couple took their leave off of the court. The prospect of ice cream improved her mood, but she was worried about Amarys. Their discussion from a while ago on what happened to Kieran in Kitakami, and his descent into his obsession with power still sat heavy on her mind it seemed...