Missingno. Master's Miscellaneous Memories

[Missingno. Master]

(This story was originally posted as the RP for the Fizzy Bubbles New Year 2016 event)

Her Name Was Myrtle

It was New Year's Eve. 11:00 P.M., just one more hour left in 2015. All over the Fizzytopia region, people were getting ready to celebrate the beginning of a new year, and things were no different inside the Secret Base of one Keith Golbatson Masters. His Pokémon were showing just as much enthusiasm for the holiday as he himself was- the celebration was loud and raucous, with snacks aplenty for everyone.

Not everyone, however, was enjoying the festive atmosphere. Myrtle the Banette floated in midair in the entrance hall, lost deep in thought, as she so often tended to be these days. In fact, so distracted was she that she didn't even react when Melittin had bumped into her while absentmindedly admiring the Beedrillite Keith had purchased for him- and that was saying something.

A Shuppet poked her head into the entrance hall. "Myrtle?" Helena said.

The Banette looked. "What?" she snapped.

"Why don't you come join the party?" offered Helena with her usual friendly smile. "There's plenty of food."

"Per-haps la-ter," Myrtle replied. "Right now I am thin-king."

Helena tilted her head. "What about?" she asked.

The Banette gave a sigh. "Let's just say it is some-thing from my past," she muttered.

"Something bad?" asked Helena.

"I thought so, un-til re-cent-ly," the Banette said in a quiet voice.

Helena looked at Myrtle. The Shuppet could taste the conflicting emotions the Banette was giving off- something had shaken Myrtle. Something she long believed to be true had now been called into question... but Helena realized that Myrtle seemed to be... hopeful. Hopeful that the new version of events was the correct one. "I get the feeling I'm not the one you ought to be talking to about this," she speculated out loud.

"When I want your o-pin-ion, I will ask you for it," Myrtle snapped, though not sounding quite as irritated as usual. Nevertheless, she floated off into the living room, where the party was taking place.

~~~​

The commotion in the living room was tremendous. Malfoy the Toxicroak and Bart the Scraggy were testing out various noisemakers, under the pretense of making sure they worked (and make no mistake about it, they did!). Other Pokémon were chattering animatedly, some reminiscing about the events of the previous year, others telling their New Year's resolutions, and so forth. Sitting on the couch were Keith, Meowth, Ariana, and what appeared to be an exact copy of Keith, except with a lampshade on his head. They were all watching a New Year's celebration on TV, live from Castelia City.

It was the copy of Keith whom the Banette approached. "Jack," she said to him. In response, the Ditto glowed and changed shape, resuming his usual sludgy form.

"Hey, Myrtle, what's up?" Jack asked. "Didn't expect to see you in here, you don't strike me as much of one for celebrating."

Despite knowing full well that she would be just as easy for everyone to understand this way, Myrtle switched to her native language. "I overheard the story you were telling Keith last week," she said. "That Missingno. you had met, what was she like?"

At this, Jack gave a small smile. "Y'know, she was nice," he replied. "A pleasure to talk to. Really sympathized with my situation, and I gotta say, I appreciated that." Then, the smile faded, and the Ditto gave a deep sigh. "Wish I knew what became of her," he added.

"Yes, I heard you mention about the currents," Myrtle prompted him.

"Oh, Arceus, the currents," sighed Jack. "You heard me mention the Gyarados attack, right? Well, once the Hydro Pump was done, these currents were sweeping me away. Fought 'em like crazy, but they fought back harder. By the time I had any control over my swimming, I was lost, but good."

"So you tried to find her again?"

"Hell, yeah! She was my friend, and the only one I had. You know what I bet happened?" Jack said. "I bet you Pokédollars to Poffins she thought I just up and abandoned her. She kept mentioning how none of the sea Pokémon wanted to be friends with her kind... After what happened, she probably thought I was no different. But I was, damn it!" Jack exclaimed, his sludgy form bubbling slightly as he spoke.

"It sounds... it sounds like... like she was lucky to have a friend like you," Myrtle stated.

"I dunno about that," shrugged Jack. "But I was sure as hell lucky to have a friend like her. Some friend I must've been- in all those days, never even asked her name..."

Myrtle looked down, mentally debating whether to respond to this in the way she wanted to. And then, before she could change her mind...

"Her name was Myrtle."

Jack blinked. "You say what now?" he demanded.

"Myrtle. The Missingno.'s name was Myrtle," the Banette repeated, looking back up at Jack's simple yet surprised face.

"Whoa- wait a minute," Jack said, trying to wrap his head around this revelation. "You mean to tell me- You mean, you're the- Wha... How'd you die?" he finally managed to say.

"A Missingno. Hunter," hissed Myrtle. "I have long since taken my revenge on the man. Jack... I... You are right- I thought you had abandoned me. I thought the Gyarados attack opened your eyes to the dangers of consorting with the Missingno. species, and that you took the first possible opportunity to escape. But... the currents... is it true, what you said about the currents?"

"I'd swear it to Arceus himself," Jack stated.

Myrtle said nothing, her head whirling with emotions. She had always thought she had no friends in life, and now that assertion was being contested by what Jack was saying.

At length, Jack spoke up. "Hey," he said. "If memory serves, you were teaching me some cool swimming tricks just before that Gyarados butted in. Maybe once we hit 2016, I could try to get the hang of those again. I'm kinda out of practice, but lemme see if I can get that transformation right again..." With that, Jack closed his eyes and glowed as he began to Transform. Before anyone knew what was happening, a ten-foot-tall beast was floating in midair, its white body covered in black, orange, and purple markings. "Well?" Jack asked, now speaking Missingno. language. "How's it look?"

Myrtle gazed up at Jack's transformation. "...Passable," she finally murmured. In truth, Jack had managed to get the transformation perfect, right down to the last pixellated marking. "It'll do. I am fairly out of practice with my swimming, but I think I recall the techniques well enough."

"Hey- it's almost time!" Keith announced to the room. In response, many of the present Pokémon joined him in the countdown, Jack reverting to his normal form.

"Ten... Nine... Eight... Seven... Six... Five... Four... Three... Two... One...! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!" Keith exclaimed. At the same time, Jack felt something peculiar on the side of his sludgy form, almost like being kissed by a zipper. He turned to look at Myrtle, who was smirking and giving him a look harder to read than usual. Before Jack could ask what just happened, the Banette floated out of the room and towards the pool room.

Jack Transformed back into Keith, who had seen the kiss. "Hey," Jack said to the Trainer he was impersonating. "Is she always so hard to read?"

Keith nodded. "And then some," he replied. "Happy New Year, Jack."

[Missingno. Master]

Sheer Willa Power

It was a seemingly ordinary day at Sludge Wave Coast. The weather was nice, and the Trainers who called this small coastal town their home were out and about doing various things. Mostly, anyway- right now, the Masterses had a guest, and that guest was family- none other than Willa's mother, Diantha.

"Oh, how lovely," Diantha smiled gently as she proceeded to pet Willa's Kricketot. "You're training this little one well, Willa, I can tell already."

"Kricke!" chirped Kricketot, clacking her antennae together in a joyous rhythm in response. The Bug-type hopped up onto the couch so Diantha didn't have to reach as much- all present were seated in the living room of the Poisonous Palace.

"Hah... I can see you've raised some lovely Pokémon," Diantha stated.

"Thank you, mother," Willa responded. "Though I'm certain I still have a long way to go. Not that that's deterring me, of course," she added with the slightest hint of a smirk.

"I shouldn't think so, no," Diantha nodded in agreement. "I must say, it really is nice to have a day like this, when I don't have anywhere to be," she added, smiling. "I feel a visit like this was long overdue."

"I'll agree with that," Keith nodded. "It's always nice having you over."

"I agree too, Grandma," Maribel chimed in.

"You're all too kind," Diantha responded modestly. "Keith, Maribel, I take it things are going well for you both as well? Maribel, you got the Egg I sent you?"

"I did, and it hatched basically right away!" responded Maribel. "Take a look! Come out- Amaura!" she exclaimed, throwing the Snow Ball, from which emerged the Rock/Ice-type.

"Mm hmm," nodded Diantha, eyeing the Amaura intently. "Still very young, of course, but I can see you're raising him well."

"Amaura really likes the Snoverberries we grow," explained Keith. "Once Amaura hatched and was hungry, Maribel took it upon herself to blend some of those together with some Berry Juice, feed that to Amaura."

"Very resourceful!" Diantha said approvingly. "Oh, I definitely made the right decision to send you that Egg."

"Thanks, Grandma," smiled Maribel as she and Diantha hugged.

Once this hug let up, however, Diantha then turned to Keith and Willa. "Now, I do have one request to make of you two," she said. "Would the two of you take me on in a double battle?"

"A double battle?" Keith and Willa repeated in surprised unison.

Diantha chuckled at this. "Yes," she said. "The two of you care very deeply for your Pokémon and for one another, of this I have no doubt. However, what I have yet to see is how well you two can work with your Pokémon as well as each other, to say nothing of how well your Pokémon can work with each other."

"Is this another test for Keith like when we told you we were engaged?" Willa inquired, arching an eyebrow.

"The test is for the both of you," stated Diantha. "I have no doubt that the two of you have each other's backs when it comes right down to it. What I want to see is how capable you are of actually succeeding in such situations. Besides, Willa... you still desire to be a League Champion someday, non? As a former League Champion myself, who better to try and put you to the test?"

Keith turned to his wife. "There's something to that, dear," he shrugged. "Besides, since when do we ever decline an opportunity to battle side by side like this?"

Willa turned to meet Keith's gaze, with a small smile. "You are quite right," she said. "Though who said anything about declining? I certainly had no intention of turning down this challenge, I was merely inquiring as to mother's intentions beforehand."

Keith nodded. "Fair enough," he conceded. "So we're on, then?"

Willa nodded as well. "Indeed," she confirmed. "Mother, shall we meet you in the Battle Room?"

"You know the way?" Keith added to Diantha.

"Yes, I remember from last time," Diantha nodded. "Take all the time you need to prepare. Maribel, would you come with me, just in case I'm remembering wrong?" she added.

"Sure," agreed Maribel, and the grandmother-granddaughter duo exited the living room, leaving Keith and Willa by themselves.

"All right," Willa said in a low voice. "Mother's always had the same six Pokémon, I sincerely doubt she'll pull anything new on us..."

"Hawlucha, Tyrantrum, Aurorus, Average Size Gourgeist, Goodra, and Gardevoir," Keith stated, reciting from memory. "That about right?"

"Right down to the Gourgeist size," Willa nodded approvingly. "Gourgeist was always one of mother's least-threatening Pokémon, I'm not sure we'll see that here..."

"Willa," Keith interrupted. "I gotta ask... how well does your mother know of your opinions on her Pokémon?"

~~~~~

Finally, the time came for the battle. Keith was able to make a quick phone call to Gavin, who was very much willing to come over and act as referee. All were present in the Battle Room, including Willa's Kricketot and Maribel's Amaura, both of whom were still out of their balls and seated beside Maribel herself Meowstic was also seated nearby, watching the proceedings with her usual unreadable expression. Keith and Willa stood on one end of the battlefield, with Meowth on Keith's shoulder as usual; Diantha stood on the other end, a pair of Poké Balls in hand.

"OK!" declared Gavin. "Y'all ready to get started? Here's the rules- two Pokémon per side! Diantha's allowed to use two, Keith and Willa get one each. When both Pokémon on a given side are unable to battle, the battle is over. Send out your Pokémon... now!"

Diantha threw her Poké Balls. "Aurorus! Gourgeist!" she declared. In twin flashes of light, a pair of Pokémon materialized side by side. Gourgeist was quite average in size, and thus was dwarfed by the towering form of Aurorus. Maribel's Amaura's eyes shone in admiration at the sight of his mother, how formidable and powerful she looked.

Keith and Willa exchanged looks and nods, before turning their attention back to the matter at hand. "Manchin, let's go!" Keith exclaimed, throwing a Poké Ball.

"Marshtomp!" Willa declared, heaving an Ultra Ball.

Willa's Marshtomp materialized in a flash of light, alongside Keith's Chesnaught. "Marsh Marshtomp!" Marshtomp declared.

"CHESSSNAAAUGHT!" bellowed Manchin.

"Hm," murmured Diantha, eyeing up her opponents. "Interesting choices indeed. Willa, I must say I'm surprised. Didn't think I'd be using Gourgeist?"

"Oh, don't worry, mother," Willa responded with a small smirk. "By no means did we squander the time we were allotted for strategizing."

"And that's my cue to say... battle begin!" Gavin declared.

Diantha made the first move. "Gourgeist, use Seed Bomb!" she declared, gesturing towards Marshtomp.

"Gooourrr... GEIST!" wailed Gourgeist, generating and then launching several explosive seeds towards Marshtomp.

Keith, however, was quick to act. "Intercept, Manchin!" he ordered.

"Naught!" grunted Manchin, diving in the path of the Seed Bomb. The seeds exploded against the Chesnaught's solid shell to no effect whatsoever.

"...Ah," nodded Diantha. "Bulletproof. So you did account for Gourgeist, then."

"Indeed," confirmed Willa, thinking back to when she and Keith were formulating their strategies for the battle ahead.

"Gourgeist was always one of mother's least-threatening Pokémon, I'm not sure we'll see that here..."

"Willa," Keith interrupted. "I gotta ask... how well does your mother know of your opinions on her Pokémon?"

"...fairly well indeed," Willa conceded with a frown. "So you think..."

"...that maybe she would anticipate you ruling out Gourgeist-" began Keith.

"-and use Gourgeist deliberately," Willa finished, nodding slowly. "I see... Well, then, Marshtomp is out of the question," she stated.

"Hmm," Keith murmured. "What Grass moves does her Gourgeist know?" he asked. "I don't remember her commanding any against my Pokémon."

"Very few," Willa stated. "Bullet Seed and Seed Bomb are the only ones I've seen it use."

At this, Keith's grin widened. "Use Marshtomp," he stated. "Leave those moves to me."

"Well, we're not going to be deterred so easily," smirked Diantha. "Aurorus, Hyper Voice!"

"ROOOOOOOOOOOOR!" bellowed Aurorus, visible soundwaves emanating from its mouth and washing over both Marshtomp and Manchin, the pair of Pokémon shivering, Manchin especially, from the typically Normal move that Aurorus had managed to Refrigerate into something more effective.

"Pay attention to that, Amaura," Maribel whispered to her fossil Pokémon. "You have that same Ability, so your Normal moves will become Ice moves, too!"

"Mauuur," squealed Amaura, nodding, entranced by what he saw.

"Stay strong! Manchin, use Payback on Gourgeist!" Keith called out.

"Marshtomp, use Revenge on Aurorus!" commanded Willa.

"NAAAAUGHT!" roared Manchin, running right at Gourgeist.

"MAAAARSH!" exclaimed Marshtomp, charging towards Aurorus.

Diantha's grin widened. "Gourgeist, Phantom Force!" she ordered. "Aurorus, Rock Polish!"

"Gour!" Gourgeist responded, deftly vanishing into thin air before Manchin could land a hit.

"Aurooooooor~" sang Aurorus, her body taking on a shining, shimmering aura. Then, with surprising mobility, Aurorus deftly sidestepped Marshtomp's attempted Revenge.

"Not good," Willa muttered to Keith. "Mother's attempting to take the upper hand by maintaining the speed advantage."

"I see," Keith murmured back. "Well, if that's going to be how this works, why don't we just take that advantage right back?"

Willa looked at Keith, uncertainty evident in her eyes. "I don't know," she murmured. "Marshtomp hasn't really mastered that move yet..."

"Gourgeist, attack now!" Diantha exclaimed, gesturing to Manchin.

"Gah- quick, Manchin, use Iron Defense!" Keith exclaimed, knowing full well there was no blocking that move completely.

"Ches," grunted Chesnaught, his shell gleaming like polished metal.

"GEIST!" Gourgeist shrieked, reappearing out of nowhere and striking Manchin's shell, for mercifully minimal damage.

"Keep your guard up," Willa whispered to Keith.

Sure enough, Diantha did not look deterred by the piddly damage that had been done. "Fire Blast! Now!" she commanded.

"Use Spiky Shield!" Keith swiftly commanded.

"CHESNAUGHT!" Manchin exclaimed, ramming his fists together, whereupon a shield made of sharp spikes of glowing green energy erupted out of said fists. The Fire Blast Gourgeist fired off hit the shield, leaving not so much as a singular scorch mark on the Chesnaught.

"Ice Punch, now!" Willa called out.

"Maaaarshtomp!" Marshtomp exclaimed, lunging at Gourgeist, swinging with a fist coated in ice. The impact of the super effective move sent Gourgeist flying backwards, but the Pumpkin Pokémon looked nowhere near her limit.

"Not bad," nodded Diantha. "But we're not finished yet!"

"Ror!" nodded Aurorus.

"Geist!" nodded Gourgeist.

"We'll see," Keith grinned. "Manchin, go and use Power-Up Punch!"

Diantha smirked. "Gourgeist, use Trick-or-Treat on Aurorus!"

Keith's eyes widened- he knew that move good and well by this point. "Manchin, stop!" he exclaimed, but too late- Gourgeist was able to hit Aurorus first, and thus, despite the lack of any logical explanation, Manchin phased right through Aurorus as though it were a ghost. The surprised Chesnaught stumbled as Gourgeist and Aurorus quickly made to surround it.

"Use Mud Bomb!" Willa commanded Marshtomp, gesturing towards Aurorus.

"Maaaarsh... TOMP!" Marshtomp esclaimed, belching up a glob of mud that flew Aurorus's way. This time, the move hit Aurorus in the back, landing a super effective hit, and causing the Tundra Pokémon to stumble as well.

"Payback! Now!" Keith grinned.

"CHESNAAAAUGHT!" roared Manchin, landing a punch on Gourgeist imbued with dark energy.

"We are not finished here!" stated Diantha. "Aurorus, Body Slam!"

"ROOOORUS!" bellowed Aurorus, jumping up and crashing into Manchin from above, pinning the Chesnaught to the ground.

"...Shtomp?" Marshtomp murmured, glancing back over to the Gourgeist he was now totally defenseless against.

Diantha smirked. "Bullet Seed, now!" she commanded.

"Protect!" Willa called desperately, but even as Marshtomp erected a protective barrier to block Gourgeist's attack, she wasn't sure she saw a way out of this.

"Hang in there, Manchin! Throw it off of you!" Keith called to his Chesnaught.

"Ches... naught..." grunted Manchin, struggling beneath Aurorus's weight- at the angle at which Aurorus was pinning him, Manchin was finding it tough to fight back.

"Keith," Willa murmured. "Marshtomp's... I don't know if..."

"Willa," Keith interrupted firmly. "Just believe in Marshtomp, OK? I've seen the two of you train, I know Marshtomp's tough, and I know you are too. The two of you make a great team, because neither one of you ever give up, ever. Now let's show your mother what that's all about, huh?" he grinned.

Slowly, Willa nodded, a small smile returning to her face. "...Indeed," she agreed. "Marshtomp! Avalanche!" she called out.

"Marsh!" Marshtomp grunted, stopping Protect, allowing the Bullet Seed to land, and did it ever sting! Marshtomp started finding it hard to concentrate, faced with such a super effective and persistent move, but he refused to let that get to him. A quick glance at Willa showed Marshtomp a determined, encouraging expression. Marshtomp returned this with his own grin, before turning back to face Gourgeist... and beginning to glow. Willa stifled a gasp as Marshtomp grew larger, arms and legs thickening with muscle, the head fin splitting into two, until finally a powerful roared with triumph at the conclusion of the Bullet Seed!

"Whoa!" breathed Maribel.

"Outstanding!" declared Diantha.

"Marshtomp, you...!" Willa breathed, taking out her Pokédex.

"Swampert, the Mud Fish Pokémon. A Water and Ground-type, and the evolved form of Marshtomp," droned the device. "Swampert has the strength to easily drag a boulder weighing more than a ton. Its powerful eyesight allows it to see even in murky water."

"SWAAAAAMPERT!" Swampert bellowed in triumph, before an icy blue aura came over its body. All of a sudden, a deluge of snow fell from seemingly nowhere, nearly burying Gourgeist in a powerful Avalanche, made all the stronger by the damage Bullet Seed had done.

"Well done, Swampert," Willa stated, a small yet definite smile in place as she praised her newly evolved Pokémon. "Keith- shall we?" she added.

Keith grinned. "You think Swampert's ready?" he asked.

Willa gave a small shrug. "I believe in Swampert," she stated simply.

Keith's grin widened. "Let's do it, then," he stated. "Manchin, use Grass Pledge!"

"Swampert, Water Pledge!" Willa commanded.

At once, Manchin and Swampert acted, each slamming a fist into the ground. From where Manchin struck, pillars of swirling grass and leaves erupted out of the ground, heading straight towards Aurorus and Gourgeist. At the same time, geysers of water erupted in a straight line from where Swampert had struck the ground, heading the same way. As more pillars of grass and water erupted out of the ground, this time surrounding Diantha's Pokémon, they began to blend together, and as the attacks converged on their targets, they meshed together all the more. As the whole thing died down, Keith and Willa could see, to their mutual satisfaction, that Gourgeist and Aurorus were bogged down in a makeshift swamp that took up Diantha's half of the battlefield.

"Now, Swampert, use Surf and get out there!" commanded Willa.

"Manchin, go along for the ride!" Keith added.

"Ches," grunted Manchin, climbing on Swampert's back, just as Swampert leapt into the swamp water, swimming with great ease through the muck.

"Aurorus, Hyper Voice! Repel them!" Diantha ordered.

"Not happening!" Keith grinned. "Needle Arm, now!"

"Swampert, speed up!" Willa called out.

"Swaaampert!" Swampert responded, swimming all the faster. Chesnaught, meanwhile, had made a fist, and his entire arm was glowing a bright green. Aurorus, distracted by the swamp bogging her down, had been quite delayed in starting the attack, which proved to be her downfall as the pair of opponents zipped right past her, Manchin landing the Needle Arm as they went. The move, already fairly strong, derived all the more power from Swampert's speedy swimming, and Aurorus fell right over in the swamp.

"Aurorus is unable to battle!" declared Gavin.

"Commendable effort, but it doesn't end here," stated Diantha. "Gourgeist, stop them now! Fire Blast that Chesnaught!"

"Swampert, use Supersonic and begin evasive maneuvers!" Willa ordered.

"Manchin, hold on tight!" Keith declared.

"Chesnaught!" grunted Manchin, hanging on for dear life as Swampert swam this way and that, befuddling the already-confused Gourgeist as she attempted to aim her Fire move. And when the Pumpkin Pokémon did finally let fly the Fire move, Swampert had her so turned around that it missed by a mile. At this point, Swampert and Manchin returned to their side of the battlefield.

Willa turned to Keith. "Now?" she inquired.

Keith nodded. "Now," he confirmed. At this, Meowth hopped off of Keith's shoulder, knowing what would come next. And sure enough, the three of them crossed their arms before them (front legs in Meowth's case) as the beginning of what was sure to be a set of Z-Move poses.

"Prepare for trouble!" Willa declared.

"Make it double!" Keith chimed in.

"Meowth, dat's right!" exclaimed Meowth.

Following this, the three of them made the basic movements that started off any set of Z-Move poses- moving their arms up, out, down, then crossing them again, this time with them held out before them, left wrist over right. Swampert gave a chuckle, having a feeling it knew what was coming.

"Feel the chill!" Willa stated as she moved her hands to start the Icium Z poses.

"As we aim for the top!" Keith added, copying these movements as Willa was making them.

"As we stop at nuttin' ta reach..." Meowth chimed in, imitating these moves with his front paws.

"...the coldest, highest pinnacle!" the three of them exclaimed simultaneously as they finished the movements. Z-Power flowed, not just from Willa, but from all three of them, into Swampert, who roared loudly as he felt his Ice Punch get powered up, transformed into something all the more powerful.

Willa grinned. "Swampert, are you ready!" she called out. When she heard an affirmative roar in response, her grin widened. "Then we'll use..."

"Sub... zero... Slammer!!!" the trio exclaimed at once.

Swampert surrounded itself with its Z-Power!

Swampert unleashes its full-force Z-Move!

...

A column of ice erupted from the ground beneath Swampert, elevating the Mud Fish Pokémon high up into the air, as an intense frigid energy began to gather in front of his mouth.

Diantha gritted her teeth. "Gourgeist! Phantom Force!" she commanded.

"Gooo-ooour..." mumbled Gourgeist- still out of it from Swampert's Supersonic, all she was able to achieve was punching herself in the face with her own long hair. And as a result, the powerful beam Swampert let fly was a direct hit, causing jagged spikes of ice to jut out from the point where Gourgeist was hit. And then, it all exploded into shining, shimmering shards of ice, the swamp having vanished, leaving only Gourgeist, unmoving, lying on Diantha's end of the battlefield.

"Gourgeist is unable to battle!" Gavin declared. "Both of Diantha's Pokémon are unable to battle, so the victory goes to Keith and Willa!"

"YES!" Willa cheered, wrapping her arms around Keith, and kissing him with great vigor. Keith, though caught off-guard by this rather enthusiastic display, nevertheless had no issue responding in kind. Once they stopped, however, they became aware of Diantha having walked across the battlefield towards them.

"A fine battle indeed," Diantha said with a warm smile. "I saw exactly what I was hoping to see out of it- the two of you working together as one, cooperating, helping each other out. And not just with your Pokémon, either- Keith, reminding my girl to put faith in her Pokémon, that was undoubtedly key to your victory."

"Mother..." murmured Willa, looking down.

Diantha looked at her daughter. "Don't misconstrue what I say as a dismissal of your role in this battle," she said warmly. "This is something that's been true of you all along, Willa- sometimes you just need that gentle nudge, that gentle reminder, to help bring out the best in you and your Pokémon. And Keith is prepared and willing to give that nudge if the need arises. Meanwhile, Keith was paying attention and taking your advice seriously- your knowledge of how I operate in battle served you both quite well here. This victory would not have been possible without both of you working together as you did, and it is a loss on my part that I couldn't be happier about," she stated. "Willa... I have no doubt that when the time comes, and there is a proper Pokémon League established in Fizzytopia, that there can be no better choice for its first-ever League Champion than my little girl," she smiled.

Willa had no words in response to this, so she simply hugged her mother. Keith stood by, watching this touching family moment, until Willa forcefully yanked him into the hug as well. Even Maribel ran up onto the platform to join in. The hug only broke apart when Swampert, quite unaccustomed to his new form and the enhanced strength thereof, got in on the hug as well, causing everyone to hastily get Swampert to stop before he could squish them all. Once this was averted, however, a good laugh was had by all, even Swampert. He and Willa smiled at each other- they each had a long way to go in their own ways, but they knew they could, and would, help each other achieve great things.

What? Marshtomp is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Marshtomp evolved into Swampert!

*Swampert learned Earthquake!*

*Swampert learned Hammer Arm!*

*Swampert learned Surf!*

[Missingno. Master]

Fine Tuning

"Now! Use Ice Punch!" Willa commanded.

"Toxicrooooaak!" bellowed Willa's Toxicroak, slamming an icy fist straight into the belly of the Venusaur who had just reared up to deliver an Earthquake as his Trainer commanded. Said rearing up exposed said belly, making it all the easier of a target for the Toxicroak to aim for.

"SAAAUR!?" Dennis gasped, stumbling on his hind legs before crashing right back down to the floor, making no effort to move.

"And dat's it- Dennis is unable ta battle!" ruled Meowth. "Da winnas is Willa and Toxicroak!"

"Whew," Keith chuckled, walking over to his feebly stirring Venusaur. "Dennis, don't sweat it, you were great," he smiled. "Take a good rest, OK?" he added, holding up Dennis's Poké Ball.

"Venusaur," rumbled Dennis before getting sucked back into his ball.

Keith then turned to his wife, who had already congratulated and withdrawn her Toxicroak. "And Willa, you and Toxicroak were great, too," he smiled, walking across the Battle Room's battlefield. "That was some quick thinking with that Ice Punch, I'll admit I didn't see that coming."

Willa gave a faint smile at her husband's praise. "You are very kind," she responded. "So, for the next battle, I was thinking we-"

"Willa," Keith said. "Uh... we just had like five straight training battles in a row without a break."

Willa raised an eyebrow. "Your point?" she inquired bluntly.

"My point," Keith persisted, "is that every Pokémon Trainer, from the newest rookie to a bona fide Pokémon Master, and everyone in between, needs to know when to take a freaking break. Pokémon aren't the only ones that get worn down from constant battling, and that's not even factoring in the three Z-Moves you facilitated in the past hour alone."

"...oh, all right," conceded Willa. "I suppose I can afford to take five minutes-"

But Keith shook his head. "An hour. Bare minimum," he stated. "Come on, I'll make some tea."

~~~~~

Not long after, though definitely past the five minutes Willa was intending to have consist of the entire break, she and Keith were seated in the living room of the Poisonous Palace, each with a mug of piping hot tea. "All right," Keith stated. "Willa, talk to me. What's gotten you so fixated on the training as of late?"

"...my goal ever since starting as a Trainer was to become League Champion," said Willa. "You know this, of course. Even deciding to stay with you here in Fizzytopia, it did not put an end to that goal, merely shifted the location. And now, with Fizzytopia's Pokémon Gyms not having to deal with rogue Dynamaxed wild Pokémon for some reason, they're surely working ever harder on forming an actual Gym challenge. Between that, and Mother's last visit, I guess it's all just fanned those flames. I want to be the very best, Keith," she said, before taking a sip of her tea. "Like no one ever was."

Keith nodded understandingly. "And I'm right behind you on this," he stated firmly. "You're an excellent Pokémon Trainer, Willa, and you know good and well you can count on my help... and that includes helping you to not push yourself too hard," he added. "No successful Pokémon Trainer made it to where they were by pushing themselves to the brink of exhaustion. I've never even pushed myself like that, and you know me, I'm as headstrong and stubborn as they come," he chuckled.

Willa allowed herself a small chuckle at this as well. "You're not wrong," she smirked. "I do thank you," she added. "I suppose I have been a bit relentless as of late..."

"Nothing wrong with being diligent about Pokémon training, but there's definitely a balance that needs to be struck," stated Keith. "I would in fact be up for another training battle in a little while, just... no more Z-Moves for at least the rest of the day, please?" he asked. "That last Subzero Slammer got you winded but good, don't think I didn't notice that," he added, for Willa blushed deeply- she had in fact been trying to conceal from Keith how much that had taken out of her.

~~~~~

They sat and relaxed for a while longer, before eventually returning to the Battle Room. "I suppose we can make this the last one for now," Willa stated, an Ultra Ball in hand. "Perhaps after this we can go for a walk or something?" she suggested.

"I'd like that," Keith smiled, clutching a Poké Ball in one hand. "In fact, maybe we'll head on over to Terri's house, see if she's still helping Maribel and Amaura train. Might be a nice change of pace today, watching training battles instead of taking part in them," he chuckled.

"There's something to that," Willa conceded. "But for now... Kricketot!" she declared, throwing her Ultra Ball.

Keith responded by throwing his Poké Ball. "Go! Cacophony!" he exclaimed.

The thrown balls split open at the same time, pouring their contents out onto the battlefield. Willa's Kricketot materialized from the Ultra Ball. "Krrrricke!" trilled Kricketot.

Keith's Poké Ball, meanwhile, had sent forth his Toxel. "Toooox~," she yawned.

"All right!" Meowth stated from hi sspot on the sidelines. "Cacophony vs. Kricketot- begin!"

And begin they did! Willa was quick to give the first order. "Kricketot! String Shot!" she commanded.

"TOOOOOT!" exclaimed Kricketot, firing a thick strand of sticky string right at the Toxel.

Keith, however, was ready for this. "Use Will-O-Wisp!" he ordered.

"Tox! Tox!" Cacophony responded. The electrical crest on her forehead flashed as bright blue fireballs formed in midair. And thrashing and flailing as though about to throw a tantrum, the Toxel sent the fireballs forward, incinerating the String Shot before it ever hit.

Keith wasn't about to let up, either. "Use Tearful Look right now!" he called out.

"Toooox..." sniveled Cacophony, her eyes going wide. She looked absolutely pitiful, and Kricketot could feel her desire to attack greatly lessened.

"Keep it together, Kricketot," Willa urged the Bug-type. "Use Tackle!"

"Kricke! TOT!" grunted Kricketot, charging forward, slamming into the Toxel with... honestly not so great force. It still knocked the Toxel onto her back, however, but she was able to right herself with little trouble.

"All right, Cacophony- now use Metal Sound!" Keith commanded.

"Toxellllllll!" Cacophony droned, emitting an odd metallic screeching noise as her electrical plume gleamed a metallic grey. Kricketot shuddered at the soundwaves washing over her.

"Fight back, Kricketot! Use Struggle Bug!" Willa commanded. A second later, however, her eyes widened as she realized her blunder. "No, wait!" she blurted out, but too late- Kricketot had already launched the attack, which Cacophony made no effort to dodge. As the pulse of energy washed over the Toxel, even though she had a distinct type advantage in this situation, the move seemed as though it had Rattled her all the same, and even though she felt her Special Attack being lowered, she was all the quicker as a result. "Use String Shot!" Willa called.

"Dodge it!" Keith ordered.

"Tox!" grunted Cacophony, zipping out of the way of the String Shot with absurd ease- sure enough, the Toxel was much faster now.

"Great, Cacophony!" grinned Keith. "Now, Nuzzle! Go!"

Willa's mind raced- if Cacophony landed that, it was all but over- already the Toxel was way faster, and paralyzing her poor Kricketot would only make the speed issue all the worse. And then, the idea hit her. "Dodge, Kricketot! String Shot, straight up, and reel it in!"

"Tot!" exclaimed Kricketot, firing a String Shot straight up. The strand stuck to the ceiling, and Kricketot reeled it in, lifting herself up. Cacophony attempted to jump to land the Nuzzle, but failed.

Willa's grin returned. "Tackle attack!" she ordered.

"Kricke!" chirped Kricketot, breaking off the String Shot, and falling right onto the Toxel, the gravity aiding Tackle's power.

"Cacophony, use Flail and get Kricketot off!" Keith called out.

"Growl attack!" Willa commanded.

"KRRRRRRRRRICKE!" growled Kricketot. Visible soundwaves washed over the thrashing Toxel, lessening the power of an already only so-so Flail. Even so, the Flail did its job, getting Kricketot off of Cacophony, though they were still in close range.

"Cacophony, Power-Up Punch!" Keith ordered.

"Kricketot, use Pound!" Willa exclaimed.

"Toxel!" exclaimed Cacophony, swinging a glowing fist right at Kricketot.

"TOT!" shouted Kricketot, swinging a stubby fist right at the Toxel.

The two attacks, the two fists, collided. Each diminutive Pokémon stood strong, each trying to overpower the other. Cacophony, always the quiet one (to the utter bewilderment of those who knew her parents), nevertheless still aspired for greatness, and so gave every battle she was a part of her all. And Kricketot shared her Trainer's aspiration for glory, for the very pinnacle, and as such refused to give an inch if she could help it. And yet, right now, these two Pokémon were unable to overpower one another. At least, not as they currently were.

Keith and Willa gasped just as simultaneously as their Pokémon had started glowing. Nothing was said as the pair of glorious transformations took place. Cacophony grew taller, stood right up on her hind legs, and the electrical plume on her head expanded noticeably. Kricketot also grew taller, though not to the same extent, though her body shape underwent a more dramatic change. Stubby hands lengthened and thinned out drastically, and she was fending off Cacophony with what looked more like a blade. The antennae thinned out, the head grew more separate and distinct from the rest of the body, and an impressive mustache sprouted. And as the glowing faded, the pair of Pokémon who had now managed to repel each other with their attacks were now a and ! Amazed, Keith and Willa took out their Pokédexes.

"Toxtricity- Low Key Form- the Punk Pokémon. An Electric and Poison-type, and the evolved form of Toxel," said Keith's Pokédex. "When strumming the electrical organ to generate electicity, it emits sounds like the strumming of a bass guitar."

"Kricketune, the Cricket Pokémon. A Bug-type, and the evolved form of Kricketot," said Willa's Pokédex. "Kricketune uses its knifelike arms to produce melodic cries. It can compose melodies ad lib."

"Tooox tricityyyy!" grinned Cacophony, marveling at her new form.

"Delelelele woooop!" sang Kricketune triumphantly.

"...They both evolved at once!" Keith exclaimed in amazement. "And what in the- Low Key Form? I... wow!"

"Kricketune..." Willa murmured. "...thank you. Now, what do you say we finish this battle up?"

"Woooop!" Kricketune responded.

"Hah, that's right," grinned Keith. "We're still battling! Cacophony, ready?"

"Toooox!" grinned Cacophony.

"All right, then use Thunder Shock!" Keith ordered.

Willa gestured forcefully forward. "Kricketune! Struggle Bug!" she ordered.

"Triciiii... tyyyy!" Cacophony exclaimed, sending a jolt of electricity towards Kricketune.

"Delelelelelelelele... WOOOOOP!" Kricketune bellowed, generating another pulse of energy. This time, instead of hitting the opponent, it clashed with the Thunder Shock, the pair of attacks cancelling each other out.

Willa was not deterred. "Fury Cutter, go!" she commanded.

"Bug Buzz, now!" Keith ordered.

Cacophony strummed her chest, generating very low-pitched sounds. Quiet, but the vibrations could be felt throughout the room as visible soundwaves washed over the oncoming Kricketune. This slowed Kricketune down considerably, the attack proving to be a potent display of Punk Rock at work.

"Hit the soundwaves with it!" Willa exclaimed.

"Woop! Woop! Woop!" grunted Kricketune, hacking and slashing at the visible soundwaves of the Bug Buzz, making each one dissipate as they drew near her. And as she did this, the green glow around her blades intensified. Keith's eyes widened as he realized what Willa was after here.

"Cacophony, be careful-" Keith began, but it was too late.

"DELELELELELELE!" trilled Kricketune, lunging suddenly, and landing a single powerful blow that knocked Cacophony off her feet and sent her tumbling backwards.

"Shake it off, Cacophony, and give it the Spark attack!" Keith encouraged his newly evolved Toxtricity.

"Kricketune, continue the attack!" Willa ordered. "Finish it off!"

"Tricity... Tox!" grunted Cacophony. Electricity cloaked her entire body as she charged at Kricketune.

"DELELELELELE!" Kricketune trilled yet again, lunging forward for one last blow, her strongest Fury Cutter yet. The pair seemed to collide, yet pass each other at the same time. For a moment, all was still... and then they both collapsed at once.

"Cacophony and Kricketune are unable ta battle!" Meowth declared. "I declare dis battle a draw!"

"Hah... whew!" Keith laughed, approaching Cacophony and helping her to her feet. "Cacophony, good stuff!"

"Tox," grinned Cacophony in response.

"And Kricketune, you were absolutely marvelous," Willa smiled, helping the Bug-type to stand back up. "We will keep working harder and getting all the stronger for it," she vowed. "Healthily," she added, noticing the look Keith was giving her; at this, he smiled and nodded approvingly. "So, I think that'll do it for the training today," she said.

"I would think so, yes, but what a way to finish up, huh?" Keith grinned. "Didn't see an evolution coming at all, let alone a double one!"

"Indeed," Willa concurred. "I will admit, as much as I want to keep going with my training, I am looking forward to having the rest of the day be quiet and relaxing."

"Oh, definitely-" Keith began.

"MISTEERRRRRRRRR MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME!!!"

"TRICITYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!"

Keith knew what was coming a full five seconds before the door burst open, so loud were the incoming voices, to say nothing of the motorcycle engine sounds accompanying them. And sure enough, the door to the Battle Room burst open, and in rode Perform, Terri's Mr. Mime, with Roxie, Keith's Amped Toxtricity, hanging onto his back. Exactly what they were riding on was completely invisible, but the engine sounds and their posture heavily suggested a motorcycle. Jumping off their invisible ride (which went to very noisily yet harmlessly crash into what sounded like the opposite wall), the Mr. Mime and Toxtricity yanked their newly evolved daughter into a tearful, joyous hug, loudly congratulating their girl on evolving. And following this, an impromptu musical performance began, with Roxie providing the electric guitar sounds, Perform accompanying on an invisible yet extremely noisy drum set, and Cacophony providing some truly impressive bass guitar that shook the entire room and got the Loud Mime's eyes welling up with tears of fatherly pride. Even Kricketune joined in, providing a lovely violin-esque sound that managed to keep up with the rocking beat the Loud Mime and his family were putting out. Even Willa's Kommo-o emerged from his Ultra Ball and jangled his scales in time with the music.

"...so much for quiet and relaxing," Willa shrugged. And while Keith said nothing in response, the fit of laughter responsible for this lack of speech said it all and then some, and the couple allowed themselves to just sit back and enjoy the performance for now.

What? Toxel is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Toxel evolved into Toxtricity!

*Cacophony learned Spark!*

*Cacophony learned Acid Spray!*

*Cacophony learned Eerie Impulse!*

*Cacophony learned Leer!*

*Cacophony learned Noble Roar!*

*Cacophony learned Thunder Shock!*

*Cacophony learned Charge!*

*Cacophony learned Shock Wave!*

*Cacophony learned Scary Face!*

*Cacophony learned Taunt!*

*Cacophony learned Venom Dench!*

*Cacophony learned Screech!*

*Cacophony learned Swagger!*

What? Kricketot is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Kricketot evolved into Kricketune!

*Kricketune learned Fury Cutter!*

*Kricketune learned Bug Bite!*

*Kricketune learned Aerial Ace!*

[Missingno. Master]

The ZZAZZ Survivor

It had been a long day for all involved, but at long last, Tom and Eddie had returned to Sludge Wave Coast. Once the Banette's Revenge was safely docked, Tom led the way ashore. Eddie was next off the ship, and ZZLZZ was following closely behind Eddie, peering at the unfamiliar town, though she shied away as she saw people approaching.

"Ah, Tom, Eddie," smiled Keith Masters, who was accompanied by his wife and daughter. "Welcome back, welcome back. Ed, your parents told us where you were headed and why, what'd you find out?" he asked.

"Nothing I was expecting, to say the least," said Eddie. "I located no trace of Zapdos, as you could expect, and I did not find any 'M, although..."

"Although what?" inquired Willa.

"Well, I think I had better introduce you," stated Eddie. At this, he turned around, fully expecting to have to gently talk ZZLZZ into stepping out into the open, but the buggy Bug Catcher, having steeled her nerves as best she could, was already doing so. She now stood beside Eddie, looking shyly at the gathered residents as her body flickered, shifted, and distorted like badly programmed video game graphics. "Everyone, this is ZZLZZ. ZZLZZ, these are the Masterses, they're friends of mine."

For a moment, nobody spoke. There was something of a stunned silence. Keith and Willa exchanged looks- upon seeing the girl, hearing her name, and recalling what had prompted Eddie to sail to Kanto in the first place, the married couple seemed to get the idea immediately.

"I... um..." ZZLZZ murmured shyly, going more and more quiet by the millisecond.

Keith stepped forward, extending a hand. "I'm Keith Masters," he said. "A Missingno. saved me from drowning when I was seven years old. Ever since, I've been 75% human and 25% Gastly." To punctuate this point, he held up his other hand, and with some intense focus, generated a puff of Smog from it.

"I'm Willa Masters," chimed in Willa. "I was once tricked into joining an evil organization, but I was able to get out before being made to do anything truly horrible."

"I'm Maribel Masters, and I'm not supposed to exist yet," added Maribel.

ZZLZZ cracked a small smile. "...nice to meet y'all," she replied, reaching out and accepting Keith's handshake. As this happened, however, the glitching and flickering that she was continually experiencing spread to Keith's body as well. "Oh!" gasped ZZLZZ, withdrawing her hand hastily, looking mortified. "I- I'm so sorry, Mr. Masters, I- I-"

Keith, however, chuckled, having seen what this did to him. "It's all right, no harm done," he said, warm smile still in place. "Didn't even hurt. Honestly, the effect was more amusing than anything else."

"...O-OK," murmured ZZLZZ, calming down, especially as she could see that Keith was no longer glitching out. Slowly she extended her hand again, though towards Willa, who shook her hand. Sure enough, while the handshake went on, Willa too began to look scrambled and glitchy. Then ZZLZZ tried this again with Maribel, to the same exact effect, except Maribel looked in awe, as though this was the coolest thing she'd ever seen.

~~~~~

"Oh, Eddie, you're home," came a woman's voice as the laboratory doors opened. "What did you find out- and who is this?" asked the woman to whom said voice belonged- Eddie's mother, Sandy Starmie.

"Hi, Mom," said Eddie. "This is ZZLZZ. ZZLZZ, this is my mother."

"N-nice to meet you, ma'am," ZZLZZ said, glitching as she spoke.

Sandy seemed to get the idea right away. "...oh, you poor thing, to imagine what you've been through," she murmured. "But however did you survive ZZAZZ?"

"She doesn't know," Eddie intervened- he got the feeling ZZLZZ was getting quite tired of being asked that question. "I'm hoping we can maybe find out in due time, but in the meantime, I'll be seeing what I can do for her here."

"Of course, of course," nodded Sandy. "Your father's still in the back, moving the last of the furniture around- which means we officially have a guest bedroom, and just in time, if ZZLZZ wishes to stay the night?" she added.

"Oh, um, I... I wouldn't want to impose," ZZLZZ murmured reluctantly.

"Impose? Nonsense!" came a man's voice from the back, and within seconds, the large figure of Robert Starmie, Eddie's father, made his way into the laboratory. "I didn't get that guest room ready for nothing," he chuckled. "Robert Starmie, at your service, miss...?" he trailed off.

"ZZLZZ," supplied Eddie.

Robert's eyebrows flew up at once, particularly as he saw ZZLZZ's body scramble in appearance. "So-" he began.

"...yes, yes, I survived ZZAZZ!" burst out ZZLZZ suddenly. "I don't know how it happened, I don't know that I'm special in any way, I didn't even know ZZAZZ existed until yesterday... I... th-there's more to me than just that, you know!" She looked on the verge of tears again, but calmed down somewhat as Eddie placed a hand on her shoulder.

"ZZLZZ... we know, I promise you," he said gently. "And we are genuinely interested in knowing the real you. But in the meantime, there is bound to be that moment of initial shock upon learning what you went through, what you made it out of with your life. In recorded history, you could count the number of known ZZAZZ survivors on one hand, and that's including you. Just... please don't mistake our surprise at the situation for thinking that's all there is to you," he asked.

"....I guess you're right," ZZLZZ conceded. "I... I'm sorry about that, Mr. Starmie," she added to Robert. "I just... it's been..."

"...it must have been a very rough time for you," Robert nodded gravely. "And my boy's absolutely right, too- we know there's gotta be more to you than just surviving ZZAZZ."

"Tell you what," said Sandy. "Once Eddie's done working with you in his lab, why don't you join us for dinner? I'm making meatloaf."

ZZLZZ did not answer initially. She still wasn't sure about imposing on these nice people like this, though her eyes had lit up at the notion of a home-cooked dinner, and she knew the entire Starmie family saw it, too. "...that sounds great," she smiled.

~~~~~

A little while later, Eddie had gone to work, performing numerous scans and tests with various machines around his lab, on both ZZLZZ and Dusty, a process that took many hours, albeit including all the breaks they took so as to not wear the girl out. At last, he approached the glitching girl, who had taken a seat nearby after the latest scan, and was looking somewhat anxious. The chair in which she sat seemed to be glitching as well. "There's nothing to be nervous about, all is as I was certain it would be," Eddie opened with.

"Which means...?" ventured ZZLZZ.

"Well, first of all, your... condition," Eddie started. "Its effects, while alarming at first glance, are purely visual. Accompanied, no doubt, by an odd sensation, but nothing that should be truly discomforting, and your actual body remains intact and whole, which of course lines up with what you've already told me on your experiences thus far," he added with a nod. "The effect spreads to anything you're wearing, holding, sitting upon, or directly touching, but only for as long as said contact is maintained. Such a condition is, as far as the cryptopokology community as a whole is aware, incurable, but will not pose any sort of detriment to your health."

"But... when people see me..." murmured ZZLZZ.

"...true enough, there may be misunderstandings," conceded Eddie. "But at the very least, the people of this town are extremely welcoming and open-minded. Initial shock may need to wear off, but once it does, you should be good to go around here. As far as elsewhere, I cannot make promises, but know that it's not just people in this town who know a thing or two about cryptopokology, and by extension, ZZAZZ. Now, as for Dusty..."

"Will she be all right?" asked ZZLZZ anxiously, turning to look- her Shiny Bulbasaur, conscious once more, was standing stock-still, looking around warily.

"Yes," stated Eddie. "Though you will have to resign yourselves to the fact that she is no longer a Metapod, nor will she ever be again. You well and truly have a Bulbasaur now," he said gently. "Interestingly, it seems that exposure to ZZAZZ did not take away her being Shiny," he added, noting Dusty's distinct green coloration. "That said, as Bulbasaur go, she is in very good health. You will, however, certainly have to try and get her acclimated to her new form. In particular, you'll have to work with her to get used to the fact that she now knows Explosion- you must have seen how she used it earlier, basically instinctively, as a response to a stressful situation? Once she gets more acclimated to everything that's transpired, not using it at a moment's notice should come much easier."

"I... I'll try my best, for Dusty's sake," nodded ZZLZZ determinedly. "Is... is that everything, Eddie?" she asked.

"Everything I can conceivably discern for right now," stated Eddie. "And not a moment too soon," he added, sniffing at the air. "Mom's just about got dinner ready, if you're hungry?"

"So hungry!" ZZLZZ blurted out, though she covered her mouth afterwards, looking embarrassed.

Eddie gave a warm chuckle. "Then let's go eat," was all he said.

~~~~~

ZZLZZ, as it transpired, was indeed as hungry as she claimed to be. "Mmmm!" she muffled appreciatively through a mouthful of meatloaf. "This is so good, Mrs. Starmie," she gushed once she'd swallowed her food.

"Well, thank you, dear," smiled Sandy Starmie modestly. "You're very kind to say so."

"W-well, it really is the best thing I've eaten in a long time," persisted ZZLZZ, starting to turn red again, glitching as she spoke.

"Ah, yes, Eddie was telling us," nodded Robert. "You, uh, you've been staying mainly in the Pewter City Pokémon Center after, well, last month," he said delicately.

"O-only there, actually," admitted ZZLZZ. "I... well... I-I have no other family, n-no friends in town, s-so it's just been P-Pokémon Center food for me for over a m-month..."

"Hah, well, that'd do it," nodded Robert. "Pokémon Center food's all well and good, but I wouldn't want to live off the stuff."

"You said it, Dad," agreed Eddie, once he swallowed his latest mouthful of meatloaf. "Excellent cooking as always, Mom," he added.

"Thank you, dearie," said Sandy. "And you too, ZZLZZ," she added, eliciting a smile from the shy girl.

"Bulba! Saur!" came a voice from the floor- a single glance was enough to reveal that Dusty was enjoying her share of the food as well. Eating beside the Metapod-turned-Bulbasaur were Eddie's Weedle and Cubone, who had already seemed to make fast friends with the Shiny Pokémon.

"Dusty, do you like it?" asked ZZLZZ.

"Saaaur!" smiled Dusty.

ZZLZZ smiled back. "Thank goodness," she murmured. "It took so much doing to convince her try eating- Metapod don't need to eat until they evolve, you know."

"Oh, indeed," Eddie stated. "It sounds like you really do know your Bug-types," he observed.

"Oh, I love them!" ZZLZZ responded, her eyes shining passionately. "I never understood why other girls get so creeped out by them, they're so cool! The big and strong ones, especially, but I love the small ones like Caterpie and Weedle just as well!"

"Well, then, it might interest you to know that the Masterses have a number of Bug-types between them. Maribel even has a Pinsir," stated Eddie.

"A Pinsir?!" repeated ZZLZZ excitedly. "Oh, I wanna see! Mom, can I be excu..." she trailed off suddenly, face flushed red as an Electrode's ass as she realized how she had just addressed Eddie's mother, and the surprised silence didn't exactly help matters, either. "I... I'm sorry, Mrs. Starmie," she murmured. "I just... this... this is the most I've felt at home in a long time..." she admitted. "It's just... this dinner is so much better th-than anything I... I used to have cooked for me... a-and Eddie, he- he's like the big brother I never had, and just... I- I've been on my own ever since my p-parents... and I just... I... I'm sorry..." she trailed off, seeming to be on the verge of tears once more, looking supremely embarrassed.

Sandy Starmie responded to this by putting a hand on ZZLZZ's shoulder, heedless of how this made her body begin glitching up. "If you feel comfortable enough to call me Mom," she said soothingly, "then you are most welcome to."

"Our offer to stay with us still stands, indefinitely if you so desire," Eddie chimed in.

"I second that. Heck, I third, fourth, and fifth it!" declared Robert.

This was all too much for ZZLZZ, and she burst into tears once more- these, however, were recognized by all present as tears of joy. What ensued next was one great big heartwarming yet glitchy family hug, one which ZZLZZ would have never wanted to end, were it not for the fact that she still really did want to go and see Maribel and her Pinsir.

[Missingno. Master]

Mienfoo

Willa gave an exasperated groan as she flopped down onto the couch beside her husband. "Hello, dear," Keith said. "How goes the training?"

Willa turned to look at Keith. "Oh, it was going well at first," she said lightly. "Kricketune is doing very well, Absol's movement is getting swifter..." she gave a big sigh. "...and Mienfoo won't work with Impidimp," she finished.

"...Oh, no," Keith groaned. "I thought everyone understood that Maribel's Impidimp isn't like most of the rest of his kind."

"Evidently Mienfoo didn't get the memo," stated Willa. "I was going to bring her down here and have a talk with her, but Bart went for a walk with her.

"Huh," Keith murmured. "I wonder if that'll help..."

~~~~~

"I mean, what was that?" Bart was saying, the Scrafty talking to his girlfriend as the pair of Fighting-types walked along the shore of Sludge Wave Coast. "I know you ain't like that normally, what'd Impidimp do?"

"What didn't Impidimp do?" huffed Mienfoo, glaring straight ahead.

"Yeah, I'm gonna need more to go on than that," Bart shrugged. "Dude's alright, y'know?"

"No, Bart, I don't know," Mienfoo retorted with a sigh. "They are all the same. Do you think I've never met an Impidimp before? Packs of the little pranksters, all over the Clawmark Mountain Range, doing their level best to infuriate others."

"Well, this one ain't like that," Bart said stubbornly. "Maribel's Impidimp's a lot like Rubeus, y'know? If that Stunfisk has taught any of us one thing, it's to not judge a Pokémon by the worst of its kind."

"...I forgot about Rubeus," murmured Mienfoo, her eyes softening slightly. "I suppose the whole story of Rubeus and Neville is proof that not all Stunfisk are mischievous pranksters..."

"...so why not the same with Impidimp?" supplied Bart. "Yo, I mean, don't get me wrong, you had bad experiences with a lot o' them, that's sure to sour your opinion, but, like, they ain't all like that."

"...I suppose I can give him a chance," conceded Mienfoo. "Bart, I thank you- usually, I am the one talking reason into you. I never believed the roles would ever reverse so much."

"Heh, happy to help," grinned the Scrafty. "C'mon, why don't we go and talk to Impidimp?"

"I would like that," nodded Mienfoo, and the pair of Fighting-types turned around and headed back to the Poisonous Palace.

As they walked in through the front door, they saw Willa standing in the entrance hall, arms folded, expression unamused. "Mienfoo-" she began sternly.

"Scraafty, Scraafty, Scraafty," Bart interrupted, swaggering forward, holding up a hand to forestall Willa's words. He gestured to Mienfoo, then pointed to the ceiling above. He walked back over to Mienfoo and put an arm around her, while the Martial Arts Pokémon maintained significant eye contact with her Trainer.

Willa nodded slowly. "So, you will try and work with Impidimp, then?" she inquired.

"Foo," Mienfoo nodded.

Willa allowed a small smile. "Thank you, Mienfoo. Apology accepted. And Bart, I'm not sure what you did, but I get the feeling I have you to thank for this as well, so thank you as well."

"Scraaaafty!" grinned Bart, flashing a thumbs-up.

~~~~~

Maribel was kneeling down beside her Impidimp, hugging him gently. The Imp Pokémon still looked very much forlorn, though had at least stopped crying. At the sound of footsteps, they turned to look, and saw Mienfoo and Bart in the doorway.

"...What is it now, Mienfoo?" asked Impidimp, sounding resigned.

"Impidimp," said Mienfoo, stepping into the room. "My behavior earlier was nothing short of inexcusable. I beg that you accept my humblest, sincerest apologies."

Impidimp blinked in surprise. "I... huh?" he babbled blankly.

"I have had bad experiences with Impidimp when I was in the wild," explained Mienfoo. "I allowed those experiences to color my opinion of you without getting to actually know you. I really should know better than that, and I hope you would permit me a second chance."

Impidimp said nothing for a moment, just standing there, sniffing with his pointed nose. And then he smiled. "Of course," he replied. "Believe me, I know the kind of reputation my kind can have. I'm glad you're willing to give me a chance."

"...thank you," Mienfoo replied, bowing respectfully.

Maribel smiled as she saw this going on. "So, are you two good now?" she asked.

"Impi!" nodded Impidimp.

"Foo," Mienfoo likewise nodded.

Just then, the warp panel in the back of the room roared to life, and Keith and Willa materialized, just in time to see Impidimp and Mienfoo shaking hands. "Oh, you love to see it," Keith smiled.

"Indeed," Willa nodded. "I'm very proud, Mienfoo. Thank you. So, shall we attempt working together, then?"

"Foo!" Mienfoo declared determinedly.

"Dimp dimp!" Impidimp chimed in.

"How about it, then- you two against two of my Pokémon?" Keith suggested.

"Ooh, I like that!" grinned Maribel. "Mom, how about it?"

"This is agreeable to me," Willa nodded. "Shall we, then?"

With everything agreed upon, Willa and Maribel stood on one end of the battlefield on the elevated platform in the Battle Room. Impidimp stood in front of Maribel, while Mienfoo stood, poised and confident, in front of Willa. On the other end, Keith stood, a pair of Poké Balls in hand. Off to the side stood who looked like Keith, except dressed like an official referee- this being Jack, Keith's Ditto. Jack held a sizable remote control in hand. The large TV hanging on the wall behind him showed images of Willa, Mienfoo, Maribel, and Impidimp on one side, and an image of Keith on the other side, with two blank spaces where his chosen Pokémon would go. It looked like an official scoreboard at an actual battle facility.

"Here we go!" grinned Keith, throwing the balls he'd taken. "Lavender! Mercury! Go!" he exclaimed.

The regular Poké Ball opened up, revealing a Galarian Stunfisk. Mercury got the idea pretty much immediately that a battle was imminent. "Stun stun!" she exclaimed.

Meanwhile, the Vampire Ball unleashed a most ominous presence, a pale purple Jigglypuff with pitch-black voids for eyes and suspiciously red stains on her stubby little hands. "Jigglyyyy..." she hissed with a creepy smile.

"Alrighty," Jack called from the sidelines. He had pressed buttons on the remote control, and gotten images of Mercury and Lavender to appear on Keith's side of the scoreboard. "Mienfoo and Impidimp against Mercury and Lavender- begin!"

Willa and Maribel were quick to act. "Use Fake Out!" the mother-daughter duo exclaimed in unison.

"FOO!"

"DIMP!"

In unison, the pair of Pokémon lunged forward, clapping their hands in the faces of their opponents. Keith gritted his teeth, but gave no orders, knowing it was useless- Fake Out was making his Pokémon flinch.

And his family did not hesitate to press their advantage. "Mienfoo, Force Palm!" Willa commanded, gesturing to Mercury.

"Impidimp, use Assurance!" Maribel chimed in.

Keith, however, was ready to act at last. "Mercury, Misty Terrain!" he commanded.

"Stuuuuun... FISK!" exclaimed Mercury, sending a pulse of energy rippling throughout the battlefield. Following this, the battlefield became blanketed in a thin layer of pink mist. Mienfoo and Impidimp landed their attacks, but they had a lot less impact on the Fairy-type Galarian Stunfisk- thanks to Mimicry, Mercury's type changed to match the terrain!

Keith grinned at this. "And Lavender, you use Shadow Storm!" he exclaimed.

"PUFF!" exclaimed Lavender. She inhaled deeply, inflating herself as she did so, before exhaling gale-force winds imbued with ominous energy. These winds began whirling around Impidimp and Mienfoo, hitting the both of them for super effective damage. They collapsed in a heap, but were able to pick themselves back up.

"Mienfoo, are you all right?" Willa called.

"...foo!" declared Mienfoo, dusting herself off.

"Impidimp, still good to go?" asked Maribel.

"Impi! Dimp!" declared Impidimp.

"Then let's fight back," declared Willa. "Mienfoo, Gummi Bomb!"

"Miiiien... FOO!" exclaimed Mienfoo, charging up a Gummi-shaped mass of energy that looked as solid as Steel, before launching it at Lavender.

But Keith was ready. "Lavender, Counter!" he commanded. "Mercury, use Terrain Pulse!"

"Jiiiiiggly..." Lavender hummed, a reddish aura coming over her body. And then, as the Gummi Bomb drew nearer, she sprang into action, going into a roundhouse kick that sent the Gummi Bomb flying right back to sender!

"FIIIIISK!" exclaimed Mercury, firing a beam of energy from her mouth that seemed to draw in mist from the Misty Terrain, turning the energy pink as it hurtled towards Impidimp. The attacks landed at once, knocking the pair on their backsides.

"Mom, this isn't working," Maribel murmured.

"Indeed," Willa murmured back. "It seems we have to rethink our strategies."

"Alright, let's try something different, then," stated Maribel. "Impidimp, Confide!"

"Use Calm Mind!" Willa commanded Mienfoo.

Mienfoo said nothing, simply shutting her eyes and focusing, relaxing her mind. Impidimp, meanwhile, scrambled over to Lavender, whispering impishly into her ear as a dark aura came over his body. Lavender merely snickered, even as her Special Attack was lowered.

"Good call," Keith nodded approvingly. "But let's see where that gets you! Lavender, Play Rough!"

"PUFF!" Lavender declared, suddenly grabbing Impidimp by the throat, before throwing him to the ground and pouncing, kicking his ass six ways from Sunday, all obscured by a comical dust cloud.

Keith wasn't finished. "Mercury, go! Metal Claw, now!" he commanded.

"Stun! Stun! Stun!" grunted Mercury as she flopped determinedly across the battlefield, steel teethlike fins gleaming silver.

At this, however, Mienfoo's eyes flew open, and she glared fearlessly at the oncoming Stunfisk. "Foo!" she exhaled.

"Double Slap, let's go!" Willa commanded.

"Foo! Foo! Foo!" Mienfoo declared, swinging at the oncoming Stunfisk, with an elegant twirl between each slap, combating the attempted Metal Claw with style and grace, as was the norm for her.

Lavender, meanwhile, had finished her attack, and Impidimp had hastily retreated, breathing heavily. "Impi... Impi..." he panted.

"Change targets!" Keith exclaimed at once. "Mercury, Terrain Pulse! Lavender, Psychic Fangs!"

"FIIIIIISK!" bellowed Mercury, deftly firing a beam of powerful energy at Impidimp, who was blasted backwards by the powerful move.

"JIGGLYYYYYY!" Lavender hissed alarmingly, lunging at Mienfoo, and chomping down hard. Whether she had actual teeth that were being coated in psychic energy, or if the energy itself was forming the shape of teeth, it was hard to say. In any case, the attack hit, and Mienfoo stumbled backwards, legs beginning to buckle.

Keith gestured to Mienfoo. "Spirit Break!" he commanded.

"Jigglyyyyyyy...!" Lavender exclaimed, lunging once more at Mienfoo.

"PIDIMP!"

"What- Impidimp!" exclaimed Maribel, for in that moment, Impidimp, without waiting for a command, jumped in, and was combating the Spirit Break with an attempt at Sucker Punch. Mienfoo looked on at this, at a momentary loss for words.

"Impidimp... thank you," Mienfoo murmured.

"Heh, don't thank me yet, I haven't finished fighting her off!" grinned Impidimp, still pushing hard against the super effective attack.

"...true," remarked Mienfoo. "Well, then. I think we should show them the true extent of what they're up against, don't you?"

'Couldn't agree more," grinned Impidimp. And with that, a brilliant blue glow came over not just Impidimp, but Mienfoo as well! A collective gasp came from the Masters family as a whole as the mother and daughter duo's Pokémon started changing shape. Both of them grew taller, with Impidimp sprouting a head of unkempt hair, and Mienfoo's arms seemingly getting even longer than usual. And at last, their side of the battlefield could be seen to be occupied by and !

A chime came from Maribel's bag, prompting her to take out her Rotom Phone. "Morgrem has been registered to your Pokédex!" Rotom declared, before launching into the Pokédex entry. "Morgrem, the Devious Pokémon. A Dark and Fairy-type, and the evolved form of Impidimp. In battle, it kneels down and begs for forgiveness, only to stab with its really bad hair day when the opponent lets its guard down. Seriously, this has the nastiest hairdo I ever seen. What does it shampoo with, bacon grease?"

Willa, meanwhile, had taken out her own Pokédex, and was scanning her own Pokémon with it. "Mienshao, the Martial Arts Pokémon. A Fighting-type, and the evolved form of Mienfoo. Mienshao uses its arm fur like whips when attacking. It confounds opponents with continuous attacks before landing a decisive final blow." While this was happening, Jack fiddled with the remote control, and the Impidimp and Mienfoo on the scoreboard changed to images of Morgrem and Mienshao.

"...GREM!" exclaimed Morgrem, finally fending off Lavender's Spirit Break.

"Hah, awesome, they both evolved!" grinned Keith. "But let's see if that was enough!" he added, grin widening. "Mercury, Psychic Terrain! Lavender, Sing!"

"FISK!" declared Mercury, once more sending a ripple of energy through the battlefield. The mist dissipated, to be immediately replaced by a downright bizarre energy. Once this was done, and thus status conditions were back on the table, Lavender began to Sing her creepy song.

Maribel didn't look worried. "Morgrem, False Surrender," she whispered.

"Mor Mooorgreeeem!" Morgrem whined, tears in his eyes as he got down on his knees, begging pitifully for mercy. Lavender paused in her singing, chuckling at the sight of her opponent begging for mercy. Morgrem even bowed low, seemingly as a sign of respect. But before Lavender could begin to try and strike while her opponent's guard was down, Morgrem beat her to the punch, a spear of his hair lashing out at once, knocking the Jigglypuff backwards.

"Excellently done, sweetie," smiled Willa. "Mienshao, attack now!"

"Shao!" declared Mienshao, jumping lightly after the Jigglypuff.

"Mercury, stop Mienshao with your Terrain Pulse!" Keith ordered.

"Don't let it! False Surrender!" Maribel ordered Morgrem.

"GREM!" declared Morgrem, still on his knees and bowed down low, though his hair still struck true, and this time for super effective damage, knocking Mercury away and causing Terrain Pulse to misfire, shooting right at Lavender instead! And before Lavender could recover from this, Mienshao was upon her.

Willa grinned widely. "Double Slap!" she commanded.

"Mieeeeen... shao! Shao! Shao!" grunted Mienshao, striking with elegant blows, twirling between slaps from her whiplike arm fur. Bart, still sitting in the stands, watched this elegant display of asskicking, mouth agape- his girlfriend wasn't giving Lavender an inch!

"Mercury, use Metal Claw on Morgrem!" Keith exclaimed. "Lavender, Psychic Fangs!"

"FIIIISK!" exclaimed Mercury, flopping towards Morgrem.

"Morgrem, Lash Out!" Maribel shouted.

"MoooorGREM!" exclaimed Morgrem. His fist took on a dark aura, and he threw a punch at the oncoming Stunfisk, sending her flying backwards. Meanwhile, the glow from Lavender's mouth could be seen, but Mienshao's deft movements weren't giving the creepy Jigglypuff an opening to strike.

And Willa wasn't about to give that opening. "Power Whip!" she commanded.

"SHAO!" shouted Mienshao. The fur on her right arm glowed bright green, and with one last elegant twirl, she smacked Lavender with the whiplike fur, sending the Jigglypuff flying. Lavender and Mercury collided in midair, and collapsed on the battlefield. Neither one moved.

At this, Jack pressed the buttons on the remote, and the images of Lavender and Mercury were greyed out. "Lavender and Mercury are both unable to battle!" he declared. "Both of Keith's Pokémon have been defeated, so the winners are Willa and Maribel!"

"Yay, Morgrem!" exclaimed Maribel, running forward and hugging her newly-evolved Pokémon, who happily hugged her back. Now that he'd evolved, Morgrem now stood taller than his own Trainer.

"Mienshao, very well done," Willa said proudly. "You were fantasti-"

"Scraaaftyyyyy!" interrupted Bart, who made his way up onto the battlefield, grinning at his girlfriend.

Mienshao gave a small smile. "Shao," she said simply, before lashing a whip of arm fur around Bart and pulling him in close for a kiss, which left Bart speechless, grinning stupidly.

"Lavender, Mercury, return," Keith smiled, withdrawing his fallen Pokémon, after which he approached his wife and daughter. "Amazing," he said. "Absolutely amazing. I wasn't even holding back and you two were spectacular."

"Thanks, Dad," grinned Maribel. "I knew Impidimp was doing good lately, but I didn't realize he was so close to evolving!"

"Mor, Morgrem!" Morgrem added, likewise grinning. Then, he turned to face Mienshao, who had just released Bart from her grasp. "Grem?" he murmured, offering a fistbump.

"...Shao," smiled Mienshao, reciprocating the fistbump.

"And it looks like Mienshao and Morgrem are good with each other now," Willa observed. "A successful day of training after all."

"For sure," Keith agreed. "What say we all take a break for lunch?" he added, smiling as this suggestion was met with agreement as unanimous as it was vocal.

What? Impidimp is evolving!



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...

...!



Congratulations! Your Impidimp evolved into Morgrem!!

*Morgrem learned False Surrender!*

What? Mienfoo is evolving!



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...!



Congratulations! Your Mienfoo evolved into Mienshao!

[Missingno. Master]

Preparing For Trouble And Making It Triple

"Terri?"

Terri paused, having opened her mouth to issue commands to her Pokémon, for her name, softly as it was uttered, was nevertheless uttered by her girlfriend. "...yes, Laugh?" Terri said, turning to face the Froslass. She didn't look annoyed, but Laugh still seemed a bit worried that she was interrupting the training. "...it's OK, you know," Terri added with a small smile. "If there's something you need to say, you know I'll always be glad to hear you out."

Laugh gave a small smile at this, before speaking up. "I've noticed you've been a bit... obsessed with training as of late," she ventured. "I just wanted to make sure you're not, you know... overdoing it."

Terri nodded. "It's a valid concern," she admitted. "I am trying to not overdo it, but at the same time, I admit I'm trying to push closer to that upper limit than I normally would. Laugh, I..." Terri trailed off, glancing at the foul marking on her arm- the curse she received from her adventure literally within the pages of a book.

"...the curse?" murmured Laugh. "But isn't Undo helping to mitigate its effects?"

"Oh, yes, and admirably so," nodded Terri. "But even still, it... the fact that it's there at all, that it could threaten what we have... Laugh, I don't want it," she said. "It scares me. What if Undo gets sick one day and can't do her usual thing? We can't count on this working forever. If I care about us at all, I need to do something about it, and make no mistake, Laugh, I care about us," she said.

"I care about us, too," Laugh replied, embracing Terri, who did not hesitate to hug her back. "But where does the training come in?" she asked.

Terri took a deep breath. "I intend to journey to the Mystical Realm one of these days, to see if I can find a way to remove the curse," she stated. "But before I go I want to make sure my Pokémon and I are in as good of shape as we possibly can be, so we can tackle whatever obstacles might stand between me and whatever it would take to get this off of me," she stated. "I... I don't want to take any chances with this. That being said," she added, turning to the variety of Pokémon who had halted in their training to listen to the conversation. "I want you all in as good of shape as possible, but by all means, if any of you feel I'm pushing you too hard, please tell me, OK?" she requested. "I want this effort to be a good thing for all of us, not something that drives any of us apart."

The trio of Pokémon standing before Terri turned to face each other, then turned back to Terri... and then bright, dazzling light filled the Battle Basement.

~~~~~

"So, how did it go down there?" Vanish asked, the Shedinja floating motionlessly beside the cursed stone slab as they both rested in front of the fireplace in Terri and Laugh's living room.

"Oh, very well, thanks for asking," replied Undo, the Runerigus nodding the portion of her slab body that seemed to constitute her head. "I really think I'm getting the hang of this Darkest Lariat move."

"I am pleased to hear it," the Shedinja responded. "Terri says my Agility is getting better and better as I practice it, too. She told me that at one point I was flying as fast as Anger once did."

"What is Anger like?" inquired Undo. "She is the Ninjask who shed you, correct?"

"Correct," confirmed Vanish. "She is hotheaded, perpetually grumpy, ill-mannered, and generally unpleasant. I do miss her sometimes, though- she is still my sister, after all. Still, I have every confidence she was left in the care of a capable Trainer- she was, after all, traded to Help's original Trainer."

"Ah, yes," nodded Undo. "Reassuring indeed, no pun intended."

The Shedinja chortled a bit at this. "...so, what do you make of it, then? Of Terri's intentions?" she asked, turning to look at the Runerigus. "I imagine there might be a bit of a conflict of interest..."

"...true enough, I've found Terri's curse to be a wonderful source of sustenance," agreed Undo. "But deep down I always knew she would want to be rid of the thing entirely. And much as I will miss the taste of that curse's energy, I would not want to jeopardize what Terri and Laugh have to suit my own palate. I have far too much respect for them both. No, I promise I'll be fine with this," she stated. "I told Terri as much when she talked to me about this the other day- I told her I would be fine, that she should think about herself, about her relationship with Laugh, and do what she needs to do. And that I would lend her my support in that decision, even if it means foregoing what has thus far proven a delicious treat."

"An admirable sentiment," Vanish responded with a respectful nod, which ended up more like bowing, considering the Shedinja could not move its head without moving its entire body, halo and all. "I- oh, here they come," it added, as the Shedinja and Runerigus both turned to face the doorway leading to the puzzle room- footsteps could be heard from within said room. And considering that room contained the ladder leading down to the Battle Basement, it could be surmised that Terri and this latest group of her Pokémon had finished their training. And indeed, Terri and Laugh led the way into the living room, but the real surprise was what followed them- a , , and all flew in behind the couple!

"I... my goodness!" Undo exclaimed in wonder. "Search? Find? Make? Did you all really...?"

"We did indeed," confirmed the Ribombee. "Terri's aura is one of profound determination right now, and for all the right reasons. It would be the gravest of disservices on my part to not give my all in assisting her, and so..." The Ribombee trailed off, gesturing to her new form.

"It was due to my own inadequacies that Terri was saddled with this curse to begin with," the Xatu lamented. "However much she has tried to reassure me to the contrary, I will not consider the matter settled until I have done all I can to undo what has been done to her."

"Even back at Alph I would always protect Terri from anything that threatened her," the Claydol stated. "This will be no exception, and if protecting her ends up being a tougher task than anything I've had to tackle in the past, I decided I would ensure I was ready."

"Find... Search... Make..." Terri murmured, smiling at her Pokémon. "Thank you all, truly. This means worlds to me."

"To me as well," added Laugh. "Though, I, uh, I guess you mainly did this for Terri," she added awkwardly.

But the newly-evolved trio shook their heads. "We may be Terri's Pokémon, but you mean just as much to us, Laugh," stated Find.

"I would just as readily come to your aid as I would Terri's," added Make. "I evolved for the both of you."

"As did I," confirmed Search. "I yearn to see a future where the two of you live your lives happily together, free of all undue strife."

Nothing further was said following this. Terri and Laugh approached the trio of freshly-evolved Pokémon, and what followed was a touching group hug, which the Pokémon reciprocated as best they could, between Find's still-diminutive size and Make's distinct lack of arms. Still, they managed anyhow. Vanish and Undo even got in on the hug at one point themselves. And Terri, hugging her Pokémon and her girlfriend all at once, smiled. She was feeling confident, hopeful, optimistic. Hopefully she would be able to make the journey sometime soon- the sooner she found a way to rid herself of that curse, the better.

What? Cutiefly is evolving!



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...

...!



Congratulations! Your Cutiefly evolved into Ribombee!

*Find learned Pollen Puff!*

What? Baltoy is evolving!



...

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...!



Congratulations! Your Baltoy evolved into Claydol!

*Make learned Hyper Beam!*

*Make learned Teleport!*

What? Natu is evolving!



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...!



Congratulations! Your Natu evolved into Xatu!

*Search learned Air Slash!*

*Search learned Tailwind!*

[Missingno. Master]

Rock Beats Scizor

The weather was beautiful, the sun shining brightly over Sludge Wave Coast, and as it did so, it shone down on a particularly intense battle taking place in the Shadow Clearing.

"Scyyyyyther!" Chopper exclaimed, wings fluttering rapidly as she hurtled herself at her Pinsir opponent, who braced himself for impact.

"Sssssir!" hissed Crusher, the Pinsir acting suddenly, meeting Chopper's Quick Attack with a timely Vise Grip!

"Scyyyyy..." grunted Chopper, struggling to break free. Then, her scythes gleamed brightly, and she let loose a Sonic Boom at point-blank range, forcing Crusher to relinquish his grip! The two Bug-types then lunged at each other, going head to head with dual Quick Attacks.

"...all right, that'll d-do for now," came a voice from just off to the side. Immediately, the pair of Bug-types stopped sparring, and turned to face their Trainer. ZZLZZ Starmie, her body glitching and flickering as it did, walked over to them with a smile on her face. "You two are doing much better," she said. "Crusher, that Vise Grip was really well-timed."

"Pinss, Pinsssir," Crusher hissed happily, audibly appreciative of the praise.

"And Chopper, nice thinking with Sonic Boom," ZZLZZ added. "Repelling Crusher like that is no easy task."

"Scyyyyther," responded Chopper, bowing to her Trainer.

"In fact," ZZLZZ added, reaching into her bag. "I found something that I think you'll be interested in, Chopper, and I think the time is right. It's your call, though. What do you think?" she asked, producing a silvery canister that was distinctive enough that it went all the way to unmistakable- a Metal Coat.

"Scyyyy..." Chopper murmured wonderingly. She knew what would happen if she took that Metal Coat, but as she glanced over to her teammate, she saw a look of apprehension in the Pinsir's eyes. She turned back to ZZLZZ. "Scyther," stated Chopper, holding up a scythe as though to tell ZZLZZ to hold on a moment. She then led Crusher over into the shade of a tree. "Crusher," said Chopper. "What's wrong?"

For a moment, the Pinsir did not respond. Then, however, he took a deep breath. "...it's nothing against you getting stronger," he said. "I'm all for that much. Just... I haven't had the best of experiences with Scizor in the past."

Chopper eyed the Pinsir intently. "...the Trainer you had before Maribel?" she inquired.

"No, not even that, Roger didn't have a Scizor that I knew of," Crusher shook his head. "No, this goes back to when I was in the wild. My old swarm was booted out of our forest by a swarm of Scizor. They... I can still feel their leader's claws grabbing my horns," he murmured shakily. "And just throwing..."

"...my apologies," Chopper said quietly. "I was unaware the trauma of your past went as far back as that."

Crusher shook his head. "You couldn't have known. It's not something I often talk about. Or... ever talk about, if I'm being honest," he added. "Just... I feel like if you evolve, then whenever I look at you, I'd... and I don't want to associate you with such memories. But," he added. "I... I don't want this to stand in the way of you getting stronger, either," he added. "That's not fair to you."

But Chopper shook her head. "Much as I appreciate the sentiment, I could not in good conscience accept that Metal Coat if it would risk traumatizing you. That's not fair to you."

"But, but you want to evolve, right?" asked Crusher.

"That is irrelevant," persisted Chopper.

"No, don't make this about me," Crusher argued. "I have no right- I shouldn't have even said anything in the first place. Chopper, do you want to evolve? Don't, don't say it's irrelevant, because what you want when it comes to evolution is the most relevant thing in the world!"

"You do not understand what I want," Chopper shook her head.

"Then tell me," said Crusher. "You know I'll listen."

"Would it matter?" Chopper asked heavily. "What I want, I'm not even sure is attainable. A fairy tale. Stories of bygone eras that I'm not even sure are fact." The Scyther gave a deep sigh. "In truth, Crusher, I like the idea of evolving, but I've never been as keen on the idea of becoming Scizor as most of my kind tend to be." She looked at her scythes. "I would lose these," she said. "I cut. I slash. I slice. If I were to evolve into Scizor, these would become claws. Gripping. Squeezing. Bludgeoning. It... it's not my fighting style," she stated. "Gripping and squeezing, that obviously works very well for you," she added respectfully to the Pinsir, "but it's not for me. I could never see myself doing that. And yet, I almost took that Metal Coat from ZZLZZ because I could see no other way forward. And so I cling vainly to tales told to me when I was little. Of Scyther who forged a different way in life. Evolving without losing the blades. Marvelous black evolution stones that enable an evolution lost to the ages... or so it's said," she finished, shaking her head. "I apologize for wasting your time with this stupid fantasy of mine."

Crusher gently took hold of one of Chopper's arms, stopping her just as she made to turn away. This got her to look back at the Pinsir. "I don't think it's stupid," he said, simply and sincerely.

"...thank you," Chopper said softly. "Though that doesn't change the fact that what I seek is impossible."

Crusher shook his head... whole body... you get the idea. "We'll see about that," he said firmly. "ZZLZZ knows everything about Bug-types. If there's another way, she'll know it."

"...I suppose it's worth a shot," conceded Chopper. With that, the pair of Bug-types made their way back over to ZZLZZ. Chopper pointed at the Metal Coat still in ZZLZZ's hand, then shook her head firmly.

"...oh, you don't want to evolve?" ZZLZZ asked.

"Scyyyy..." groaned Chopper. Already this wasn't encouraging. But, still she tried. She shook her head again, making careful eye contact with ZZLZZ. Motioned with her scythes to indicate her getting bigger and stronger. Then turned to the side and started slicing away at thin air.

"...I think I see," murmured ZZLZZ. "You do want to evolve, but you still want to be able to fight by slashing and cutting. Is that right?"

"...Scyther," nodded Chopper, already feeling foolish for daring to dream it.

But ZZLZZ didn't seem to think the idea foolish at all. She considered the matter, her body glitching as she thought about it. "...something Eddie was telling me about the Springtide distortions," she murmured. "I don't want to give you false hope potentially, Chopper, but maybe there is a way."

"...Scyther," Chopper said flatly, with an expression of stunned disbelief.

~~~~~

"All right, ZZLZZ. If they're going to show up anywhere, it'll be around here."

"Cool, thanks, Eddie! Chopper, did you hear that?"

"Scyther!" declared Chopper, nodding to confirm she had indeed heard what Eddie had said. The siblings had just arrived at the Clawmark Mountain Range, with ZZLZZ's Pinsir and Scyther out of their balls and looking all around.

"Yes- in the aftermath of the space-time distortion that affected Springtide Isle, there were many, many reports floating around. Items and even Pokémon, be they forms or whole species, said to have been lost to the ages," Eddie explained, adjusting his glasses as he spoke. "The item Chopper seems to seek is something called a Black Augurite. A shiny black evolution stone, which when split can be used as a fairly effective cutting implement."

"Oooh," murmured ZZLZZ. "I knew there was something like that you had been talking about, yeah, so when I realized Chopper wanted to evolve, but not into Scizor, I knew there had to be a way."

"Well, let's not count our ways before they've hatched- we still have to find one," Eddie reminded his little sister. With that, Eddie threw several balls, from which emerged a Weedle, a Klink, an Alakazam, and a Cubone. "Hermione, Incognito, Homer, Femur, we're looking for a shiny black rock," Eddie stated. "Black Augurite. Possibly forming a decent cutting edge. We'll spread out to look for it and meet back here. Are there any questions?"

I have one, came Homer's telepathic voice.

"Yes, Homer, I packed a lunch," Eddie said, forestalling his Alakazam's obvious question. "For everyone who comes here and works to try and find the Black Augurite," he added pointedly. He waited a few seconds, but heard nothing in response, which he supposed meant the Alakazam had no further objections. "All right. Good. Let's go!" he declared.

And off they went, pairing up to traverse the mountainous terrain. Hermione went with Homer, Incognito went with Femur, Eddie went with ZZLZZ, and Chopper went with Crusher.

~~~~~

"...no, that's another Moon Stone," Hermione stated, the Weedle backing away from yet another jet-black rock. "This wouldn't provide a good cutting edge at all, or at least not without considerable effort."

"Hermione, this is the seventh Moon Stone we've found," Homer groaned. "How many more do we have to inspect before we decide there's no Black Augurite here?"

"If we find three more I'll concede we should consider looking elsewhere," Hermione stated. "But until then, we do this right. And on that note, Homer, you could be helping out a bit more," she added. "Your powers would make the search positively trivial. I know all about how you detected and unearthed the Mist Stone that evolved Pikablu."

"Just, I'm not convinced it wouldn't be in vain," grumbled the Alakazam. "Searching for some ancient evolution stone that maybe suddenly exists again?"

"Eddie would not be sending us on a wild Zangoose chase," Hermione said firmly. "If he believes there is Black Augurite to be found in these mountains, that alone makes it worth investigating."

"I certainly hope you're right," stated Homer. "I feel you give him too much credit."

"And I feel you don't give him enough."

~~~~~

"HAH!" declared Femur, striking the ground with her bone club. Said club was infused with a vibrant energy that drained into the ground, and caused the Earth before them to erupt with great Power. Acting quickly, the Klink accompanying this Cubone employed Telekinesis to catch any black rocks that were sent flying as a result of the attack, and set them down before them both.

"...Hmm, I don't think any of these are it, either," murmured Femur, examining the rock pile, shifting some of them around with her club.

"INDEED," droned Incognito. "THIS ONE ISN'T EVEN A ROCK. IT IS A PIECE OF CHARCOAL." As if to prove its point, the Klink crushed up the Charcoal between its minigears with absurd ease. "SHALL WE TRY ANOTHER ONE?"

"Sure," nodded Femur. They walked past the area where her last Earth Power had struck, and she repeated the attack, causing another area of the mountain to erupt with great force. This time, however, an angry growling could be heard from the blasted area. As Incognito made to catch the black rocks that were falling something was rising up out of the ground where Femur had used the move- a large, angry Magmortar was clambering up out of a hole in what they could see was the roof of a cave of some sort.

"...UH-OH," Incognito droned worriedly.

"MY CAAAAAAAAVE!" bellowed Magmortar angrily. He took aim with his arm cannons, which seemed to already be gathering fire within the barrels.

"...we should run now," Femur said weakly.

"AFFIRMATIVE," agreed Incognito. And with that, the duo turned tail and ran back the way they came, and not a moment too soon, for Magmortar's Flame Burst exploded where the two had stood mere seconds ago.

~~~~~

Crusher and Chopper, meanwhile, had been searching in relative silence for a while, before the Scyther broke said silence. "...why?" she asked Crusher.

"Why what?" responded the Pinsir.

"This," said Chopper. "All of this. This search, this... this mindless pursuit for that which might not even exist... why go through all of this for potentially nothing?"

"We don't know that it'll be for nothing," Crusher replied fairly. "Eddie seems pretty certain, for one."

"Well, yes, I suppose," murmured Chopper. "ZZLZZ, too. She did seem to know of what I had heard stories of. I suppose it's less than likely that all of us have heard of the exact same thing if it were to be a hoax."

"Makes sense to me," nodded Chopper. "Now, let's keep looking."

~~~~~

An hour later, Eddie and ZZLZZ were the first ones back to the meetup spot. "OK, nothing so far," Eddie sighed. "Are any of the others back?"

"Ooh, yeah, Chopper! Crusher!" called ZZLZZ, seeing her pair of Bug-types returning. Both of them, however, were shaking their heads sadly. "Aw, that's alright, we'll find one," she reassured them.

"Ah, Homer, Hermione," Eddie said, for at that moment, his Weedle and Alakazam had returned. "Any luck?"

None whatsoever. What's for lunch? Homer responded telepathically.

Eddie sighed. "Hermione, did he help at all?" he asked.

"Weedle Weedle," Hermione nodded reassuringly.

"Alright, well, we'll see if Femur and Incognito found anything, and then we'll- ah, there they are now," Eddie stated, seeing his remaining two Pokémon approaching. "Did you two find-"

"CUBONEBONEBONEBONE!!"

"KLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINK!!"

Eddie paused in his question, realizing the urgency in how his Pokémon were moving and screaming. And sure enough, not far behind them was the Magmortar they'd inadvertently angered, blasting Flamethrower after Flamethrower at them.

"...Oh, that's not good," Eddie murmured.

"MAAAAAAAAG MORTAAAAAR!" Magmortar bellowed, in an absolute frenzy by this point, spewing fire in every direction.

"Quick, Crusher, use Liquidation!" ZZLZZ called at once.

"Pinssssir!" hissed Crusher, a blade of aquatic energy forming in his claws as he lunged at Magmortar. This, however, was met with a Thunder Punch from Magmortar, and as soon as this dissipated the watery blade, Crusher was sent flying by a point-blank Flame Burst!

"Crusher!" exclaimed ZZLZZ, rushing to the Pinsir's side.

"Scyther!" added Chopper, likewise coming to her teammate's aid.

"Tend to Crusher. I'll handle this," Eddie said to his sister. He stood between Magmortar and ZZLZZ, glaring at the former as he shielded the latter. "Femur, use Bonemerang, now!" he ordered.

"Cuuuu bone!" exclaimed Femur, throwing her bone club. It spun through the air, striking Magmortar in the head, but on the return trip, Magmortar swatted the club to the ground. Then, as Femur rushed to grab her club, Magmortar nailed Eddie directly with a Mega Punch to the gut.

"Eddie!!" ZZLZZ shrieked.

"Scyyyy..." Chopper murmured. She eyed the Magmortar warily- taking that on was a bad idea, she knew right away. Then, she realized something was reflecting sunlight into her eyes. She turned to look, and saw the rocks Incognito had found. Dull black rocks for the most part, but one of them... could it be?

"I... I got this," ZZLZZ murmured, throwing a Net Ball and a Great Ball. "Glide, Cruise, double Water Gun!" she declared as both of her Surskit materialized. Magmortar staggered backwards from the aquatic onslaught, which Chopper took as an opportunity to go over and inspect the pile of rocks...

"MORTAR!" Magmortar boomed, suddenly repelling the jets of water through use of Rock Tomb. Unrelenting in his use of this move, Glide and Cruise found themselves almost buried under rocks in no time flat. It looked grim for a moment as Magmortar advanced on ZZLZZ and Crusher. Crusher tried to get back up, but was still hurting from being thrown backwards into a large rock. ZZLZZ had a Net Ball in her hand, clearly torn as to whether calling upon an Ivysaur to protect them from this Fire-type was a smart move. Eddie was trying to make his way back over, but he was wincing in pain holding his stomach where Magmortar had socked him...

"VOR!"

And then suddenly, a deluge of rocks pelted Magmortar, a Rock Slide launched with absolute Sheer Force that cost him his balance and forced him to stop. "Magmor?!" grunted Magmortar, turning to face his assailant, and seeing a powerful brandishing massive rocky axe-like blades in a threatening manner.

ZZLZZ gave a soft gasp. "Chopper?" she murmured.

Chopper turned to look at ZZLZZ, giving a ressuring nod. "Kleav," she confirmed. A smile back on her face, ZZLZZ took out her Pokédex and pointed it at Chopper.

"Kleavor, the Axe Pokémon. A Bug and Rock-type, and an evolved form of Scyther," droned the device. "Kleavor shields itself with hard stone and fells towering trees by swinging its crude stone axes. In olden times, it is said that upon finding this Pokémon in the wild, the best course of action was to flee."

"So there was a Black Augurite in what Incognito was carrying," Eddie murmured, noticing this. "Amazing!"

"Maagmooortar," growled Magmortar threateningly.

Chopper, meanwhile, had walked back over, placing herself firmly between Magmortar and ZZLZZ. "Kleavoooor," she growled back. Magmortar said nothing more, and instead let fly a Flamethrower from one of his arm cannons.

"OK, Chopper- Rock Slide again!" ordered ZZLZZ.

"Kleeea... vor! Vor! Vor!" grunted Chopper, generating a number of large rocks all around her, and with a great swing of one of her axes, sent them flying. They blocked the Flamethrower successfully and pelted Magmortar relentlessly, forcing it to stumble backwards.

"Piiiiiinssss..." Crusher hissed wonderingly, gazing at the Kleavor before him.

"Sonic Boom, now!" commanded ZZLZZ.

"Kleeeeeavor!" exclaimed Chopper. Her axes glowed brightly, and she swung one of them with great power, sending a shockwave flying towards Magmortar's legs. As the Blast Pokémon had begun approaching with the clear intent to use Fire Punch, this caused him to trip and fall to the ground.

"All right- now!" declared ZZLZZ. Having got back to her feet, she moved her arms, and the Buginium Z set into her Z-Ring began to gleam brightly.

Chopper grinned as Magmortar proceeded to pick himself back up. "Kleea," she hissed.

"Here we go... Channeling the very heart and soul of Viridian Forest itself... and putting the Z back into Z-Power!" exclaimed ZZLZZ as she moved her arms in flawless execution of the Buginium Z poses.

By now, Eddie was able to stand up without much trouble, but he simply stood back and watched in admiration as his little sister generated such great Z-Power. He watched it flow into Chopper, powering her up, turning her Skitter Smack into something far greater, a power the Kleavor was ready to unleash right now.

"Glitch out- use Savage Spin-Out!!!" ZZLZZ cried out.

Chopper surrounded itself with its Z-Power!

Chopper unleashes its full-force Z-Move!

...

Aglow with Z-Power, Chopper fired strands of string, enveloping Magmortar in a thick cocoon almost at once. Then, with a mighty heave of the strands still attached, Chopper slammed Magmortar into the ground, then hurled the cocoon back up into the air... and then lunged! Chopper shredded through the cocoon like a stone knife through extremely stringy butter, and Magmortar, who took some serious damage from this, crashed down to the ground.

"Maaag..." Magmortar groaned. Then, upon hearing Chopper take a single step in his direction, he sprang back up to his feet and ran off as fast as he could, making little whimpering noises as he went.

"Chopper, yay!" squealed ZZLZZ, running over and throwing her arms around her Kleavor, which caused the Axe Pokémon's body to glitch and flicker along with that of her Trainer. "You were so awesome, thank you!!" She then backed away, still smiling, as the Kleavor smiled back and bowed deeply, just as she'd always done as a Scyther.

"What a relief," Eddie stated, making his way over to them. "Is everyone OK?"

"Eddie, I should be asking you that!" ZZLZZ said, turning to her brother. "Magmortar punched you right in the stomach!"

Eddie smiled and shook his head. "It hurt a lot at first, but I'm good now," he reassured her. "Once we're back home, I think I'll see if Keith can have Rubeus hit me with a Heal Pulse just in case. Honestly, I was just... I was just so impressed to see you step up like that," he added. "I remember when the sight of a Pidgeotto was enough to make you want to run away, and you helped fight off that massive Magmortar."

ZZLZZ smiled. "Well, I couldn't just leave you in danger, big brother," she said. "W-we're family, right? We stick by each other."

Eddie smiled gratefully and proudly. "I couldn't agree more," he said, embracing his adopted sister, though this was cut short as he winced in pain. "...OK, Heal Pulse first, then hug," he groaned through gritted teeth. "Homer?"

Well, since I'm probably not gonna get anything to eat until after, I may as well, Homer yawned, though he wasn't entirely successful in concealing the concern in his telepathic tone, and indeed he didn't hesitate to Teleport the lot of them back to Sludge Wave Coast. Right outside the Pokémon Center, too, where they were able to tend to all the injured Pokémon, marvel at ZZLZZ's newly evolved Kleavor, and yes, fix Eddie up good as new with minimal effort.

What? Scyther is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Scyther evolved into Kleavor!

[Missingno. Master]

A Poisonous Breakthrough

"...and it's evolved into a Kleavor instead of a Scizor, it's so cool, Mom!"

"A Kleavor?" repeated Willa. "I think I've heard of that Pokémon, but I was under the impression they couldn't be found anymore."

"Apparently Eddie thought otherwise, cuz of that distortion on Springtide Isle," responded Maribel. "And look, look, see what I caught, Mom!" she added, throwing her Net Ball. "Come out- Dewpider!" And in a flash of light, Maribel's new Dewpider materialized, glancing around at her surroundings.

"Hm," Willa murmured, nodding approvingly. "A fine Pokémon indeed," she said. "Now, what do you say we go show your father?" she added. "He should be up in the Battle Room, doing some-"

But Willa's speech was cut short as muffled exclamations of excitement could be faintly heard from the floor above. Before the mother-daughter duo could do anything more than exchange surprised glances, a Dusknoir phased through the living room ceiling, coming to a stop in front of them.

"...doing some training," Willa finished with an amused chuckle. "Things are going well, I take it, then, Peeves?" she inquired of the Dusknoir before them.

"You have no idea," chuckled the Dusknoir. "C'mon up, Keith's got something huge to show you guys."

"What could it be?" wondered Maribel as she and Willa stood up and followed Peeves. Out into the entrance hall, up the stairs, and into the Battle Room. There on the elevated battlefield stood Keith Masters, with an assortment of his Pokémon. His Charizard, Salandit, Pawniard, Arbok, and Heatmor could be seen on one end, while the man himself stood on the other end, alongside his trusty starter, Gemini and Mustard the Normal Form Weezing.

"There you are, come here, come here!" Keith exclaimed, a positively Gengaresque grin on his face as he gestured for his wife and daughter to join him up on the platform.

"What is it, Dad?" asked Maribel once they were both up there.

"Yes, Peeves was maddeningly vague about what this was about," Willa stated.

"Yeah, that was on my orders, because I wanted you to see it for yourselves," Keith stated. "Alright, Gemini- do it again!"

"Weez!" grunted the Weezing. "Weezing Weezing Weezing Weezing Weezingweezingweezingweezing-" the two heads chanted as they inflated and deflated with increasing rapidity, churning up the poisons within. And finally, they spewed a volatile mass of sludge right at Nagini. Upon contact, however, the sludge exploded into a cross shape, while the gases it let off formed a skull shape above it. And most peculiarly of all, once the attack eased up, the Arbok showed signs of poisoning!

"...What was that?" Willa asked flatly after several seconds of stunned silence.

"That," Keith stated, striding over to Nagini and feeding his Arbok a Pecha Berry, "is nothing I've ever seen before. So, you guys know that in recent weeks, me and Gemini were working on strengthening his Poison moves by inflating and deflating the two heads to churn the toxins together, right?"

"Yeah, you were mentioning that the other day," nodded Maribel.

"Well, we were practicing this today, and then suddenly he and Mustard just let loose with... with that thing, and get this- when it hit Charlie, it burned him!"

"A Charizard getting burned?" Willa asked, raising an eyebrow. In response to this, Charlie roared indignantly, pointing to a spot on his stomach, which, while healed up considerably by this point, still showed obvious signs of a burn.

Maribel, meanwhile, had turned her attention to the Pawniard. "...Dad, I thought you were just practicing Poison attacks?" she asked. "But it looks like Ginny took damage?"

"That's the other thing," Keith stated. "After a few times of getting Gemini to repeat this, we tried using it against Ginny so I could study it a bit more while giving everyone else a rest, but to my surprise, it not only hit Ginny, it was super effective!"

"So, a Poison move that's super effective on Steel, can poison Poison-types, and can burn Fire-types?" Willa murmured. "I've never heard of such a thing before."

Maribel, meanwhile, took out her Rotom Phone. "OK, Rotom," she said. "What Poison move is super effective against Steel, can poison other Poison-types, and can burn Fire-types?"

"None I've ever heard of," Rotom replied. "There's no date on something like that at all."

"...No data?" Keith repeated incredulously. "So then wait, that means that..."

"...you discovered a new move?" Willa supplied.

"Oh, Dad, that's awesome!" exclaimed Maribel.

"Well, congrats," Rotom chimed in. "You discovered it, you get to name it."

"I... wow, yeah, true!" Keith grinned. "OK, well... hmm... y'know, I kinda like the sound of Crossbones Calamity."

"Hm... dear, I feel like that's more of a Z-Move name," Willa stated. "You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I guess," Keith conceded. "Like a Z-Move that only Weezing could learn. Heh, wouldn't that be awesome?" he grinned. "But yeah, hmm... There was a definite skull and crossbones look to it, too, so I wanna keep the 'crossbones' in there..."

"It works on Steel," supplied Maribel. "Maybe call it Caustic Crossbones?"

"...Caustic Crossbones?" Keith repeated, nodding slowly. "Caustic Crossbones- Maribel, that's it!" he exclaimed. "Oh, thank you, sweetie, that's the perfect name!"

"Weezing weez!" chimed in Gemini and Mustard.

"Heh, lemme try it on for size, now," Keith chuckled. "Who's ready next?" he called to his Pokémon across the battlefield.

At this, Rob scuttled forward. "Salaaan!" he declared.

"Then let's do this! Gemini, use Caustic Crossbones!" Keith commanded.

"Weez!" grunted the Weezing. "Weezing Weezing Weezing Weezing Weezingweezingweezingweezing. WEEEEEEEZ!" the two heads exclaimed in unison as they fired off the mass of corrosive sludge. Rob tried to fend it off with a Gunk Shot, but Caustic Crossbones powered through and struck the Salandit. Rob was still standing, but had taken considerable damage, and now also looked burned.

"All right- we should get to the Pokémon Center so everyone can heal up," Willa stated. "Then we can go about making sure this new move gets properly registered in the Pokédex. I'm certain Eddie can help with that."

"Right you are, my love," Keith nodded, withdrawing his present Pokémon.

"And then can I show you the new Pokémon I caught earlier, Dad?" asked Maribel.

"I'd love nothing more, sweetie," Keith smiled. "Let's move, then." And with that, the family headed back downstairs, and off they went to the Sludge Wave Coast Pokémon Center.

[Missingno. Master]

The Mother

In stark contrast to the excitement and anticipation they had been displaying earlier that morning, the mood of the Masterses as they arrived on the shore of Sludge Wave Coast was more subdued. Gently the family climbed off of the back of Keith's Haxorus, while Tom, not far behind, climbed off the back of his Seaking. "Yarr," he murmured. "Well, it were a sight to see indeed, aye?" he asked, in a blatantly transparent attempt at sparking conversation.

"It sure was," Keith said fairly. "I knew going into this that seeing the Dragalge migration would be awesome, just..."

Willa put an arm around her husband. "...just that you weren't expecting your own Dragalge to take part in it," she finished.

"I'm gonna miss Neville and Lapras," sighed Maribel. "I didn't even know those two were in love, either."

"I don't think even they knew, sweetie," Keith said with a sad chuckle. "I saw them just look at each other, and I guess it just kinda clicked."

"Thar be the shape of it sometimes, lad," Tom nodded knowingly. "But at least the two o' ye said yer goodbyes, aye? Fer certain ye might even run into one another again sometime. World might be a big place, but sometimes it be smaller than ye thinks."

"That would be nice," Willa nodded. Then, she turned to the Haxorus who was stomping back over to Keith. "Norbert, I thank you for giving us a ride home," she added, bowing to the Dragon-type. "I don't think any of us were expecting to not be riding back home on Lapras.

"HAXOOOOR!" roared Norbert, pulling the Masterses into a noisy, tearful hug as the Axe Jaw Pokémon cried it out- he, too, missed Neville and Lapras.

Seaking, meanwhile, had looked back out to the sea, having heard something over Norbert's bawling. "Seakiiing?" he murmured, before turning his attention to the others. "Sea sea!" he called. Seaking king!"

"Eh?" Tom murmured, turning around. "Seaking, lad, what be the- eh?" he murmured, peering out and seeing what his Seaking had seen.

"...Is that Lapras?" Willa breathed.

"I don't think it's the same one, but it's definitely a Lapras," Keith replied. "It's coming this way, and it's got... a passenger? Tom, any ideas?" he asked.

"...shiver me timbers," Tom chuckled. "Could it well and truly be?"

Before anyone could ask what Tom meant, the Lapras pulled up to the shore, allowing its one and only passenger to nimbly disembark, smiling gently at the people she saw looking at her.

Tom was the first to react, walking up to the woman and pulling her into a hug. "Ahoy, Mom," he smiled.

"Oh, Tommy, it's good to see you again," smiled the woman, hugging him back. "I'm glad I seem to have found the place alright as well. And these must be friends of yours?" she added, noticing the Masterses.

"Uh, yes, ma'am," Keith spoke up. "I'm Keith Masters, this is my lovely wife Willa, and our daughter Maribel. Also, this here is Norbert, my Haxorus, and this here is my Meowth, who can-"

"-who can speak da human language," Meowth purred in a smooth interruption.

"HAXOOOR!" Norbert bellowed in cheerful greeting.

"Goodness me- a talking Meowth? I must say, that's certainly a first on me!" the woman said, though while walking up to Norbert, examining him with what felt like professional curiosity. "And here we have a very well-trained Haxorus, as well, I can tell right away. Full of natural talent that you've brought out quite nicely. Such a sweetheart, but with no small amount of bloodlust, either," she grinned. Then, she turned to Keith. "Oh, do pardon me," she said. "Masters, you said? Would there happen to be any relation to the fortune teller in Pyrite Town, Fateen Masters?"

"There is indeed- you know my great-aunt Fateen?" Keith grinned.

"Oh, Fateen and I are old friends," smiled the woman. "We go way back, long before I was even married. Ah, but before I get into all that, I haven't even introduced myself- I am Lily Drasna McPhione.

Willa tilted her head. "Drasna?" she repeated. "As in the Kalos Elite Four's Dragon specialist?"

"The very same," confirmed Lily with a nod. "She's a friend of the family, and my godmother, to boot. She taught me a lot about Dragon Pokémon before I left home."

"So you must be from Kalos as well, then?" inquired Willa.

"Yes indeed," confirmed Lily. "Cyllage City, born and raised right by the sea. Oh- yes, this here is Seagallop," she added, gesturing to her Lapras, still sitting on the shore. "I met her on my travels, years and years ago. Now, then," she added. "I do apologize if this seems too forward or sudden, but after such a long voyage, I find myself in the mood for a battle, if anyone is interested. Does this town have a Gym Leader?" she asked.

"Ah, not yet," Keith shook his head. "The Fizzytopia region's still in the process of putting together a proper Gym challenge, there aren't even a total of eight established Gyms yet. Now, that being said, by no means did you come to the wrong place if you're looking for a battle," he added with a grin.

"Ooh, ooh, Dad, Ms. McPhione, can I?" asked Maribel. "I'd love to have a battle with you."

"Well, it would be all right with me... Maribel, yes?" said Lily. "Um, Keith, Willa, would that be all right?"

"I don't see why not," shrugged Keith. "Our daughter's got a lot of talent as a Trainer, though, just to let you know."

"Er, methinks I ought let ye know, me mother be no slouch in that area either," Tom chimed in.

Maribel grinned. "Well, now I'm even more excited!" she stated. "How many Pokémon apiece?" she asked Lily.

"Oh, I would say just one apiece," Lily decided. "Seagallop's had a long journey, and I only have one other Pokémon to my name."

"Then let's go!" grinned Maribel, leading the way over to the battlefield in front of her house. Already she had a Luxury Ball in hand, and looked ready for action. Willa and Tom stood off to the side, while Keith stepped up to act as the referee.

"OK- one-on-one Pokémon battle, between Maribel Masters from Sludge Wave Coast, and Lily McPhione from Cyllage City," Keith declared. "Whenever you're both ready... begin!"

Maribel threw her Luxury Ball. "Come out- Salamence!" she declared, and with a mighty roar, her trusty starter emerged, looking ready and raring to go.

"My, my," smiled Lily gently as she regarded the imposing Salamence that was to be her opponent. "Quite a fierce adversary..." And just then, her expression shifted, her gentle smile becoming more of a smirk, her soft gaze hardening like a wild Kakuna. "...I would expect nothing less!" she said sharply, before producing and throwing a Dragon Ball. "Seaweed, come forward!"

In a flash of light, Lily's chosen Pokémon emerged, which everyone could see to be a stunningly beautiful Dragalge. The battle being on land didn't seem to deter the Mock Kelp Pokémon in the slightest, even as Salamence's fierce demeanor seemed to mildly Intimidate her.

Maribel made the first move. "Salamence! Dragon Claw!" she ordered. And Salamence was off with a flap of the wings, flying low, the claws on his front legs aglow as he made to slash at Seaweed with them.

Lily smirked. "Use Acid Armor!" she commanded.

"Galgeeee!" trilled Seaweed, seeming to melt and liquefy before their eyes, rendering Salamence's physical attack surprisingly ineffective.

"Stay strong, Salamence!" encouraged Maribel. "Focus Energy!"

"Now! Use Dragon Pulse!" ordered Lily.

At once, Seaweed's body regained solid form, the Dragalge already charging up a powerful energy between her ragged fins, before firing the Adaptability-boosted Dragon Pulse at point-blank range, sending the Dragon/Flying-type soaring backwards.

"Oh!" gasped Maribel.

"Goodness," Willa murmured. "Switching from defense to offense at the drop of a hat..."

"Aye," Tom nodded gravely. "Ain't fer nothin' that Seaweed be me mother's strongest Pokémon."

"Salamence, are you OK?" asked Maribel. In response, Salamence gave a growl and a determined nod, at which Maribel nodded back. "Then let's go all-out," she decided, gripping the brim of her Mega Hat. "Salamence, let's show them just how high we can really soar!" she declared, before sweeping the hat off her head and holding it up high. "Mega Evolve!!!"

Immediately, four tendrils of energy snaked out of the Key Stone, and four more erupted from the Salamencite in Salamence's collar. The tendrils connected in midair, connecting the Key Stone to the Salamencite- connecting Maribel to Salamence. And with this connection established, Salamence underwent an epic transformation, the wings fusing together into a single large crescent shape, and with a mighty roar, the powerful and awesome revealed itself!

Salamence's Salamencite is reacting to Maribel's Mega Hat!

!!!

!!!!

!!!!!



Salamence has Mega Evolved into Mega Salamence!

"If you think Mega Evolution will let you surpass us, you are quite mistaken!" Lily declared confidently. "Seaweed, Icy Wind!"

"GAAALGEEEEE!" trilled Seaweed, exhaling a frigid blast of air in Salamence's direction.

"Fly, Salamence!" Maribel commanded, and at once, her Mega Salamence soared up high, out of range of the Icy Wind.

Lily smirked. "You can't evade us forever," she stated. "Bounce!"

"Dragaaal!" declared Seaweed. SHe coiled up her tail like a spring, and used that to spring up high into the air after Salamence.

"What?!" breathed Maribel. "Salamence, here it comes! Hit it with a Hyper Voice!"

"Don't let it! Ice Beam!" commanded Lily.

Salamence wheeled around, taking a deep breath, but was struck with a frigid beam of energy fired from Seaweed's mouth. However, Salamence still managed to bellow out a Hyper Voice, further powered up by being made a Flying move thanks to Aerilate, but even as Seaweed fell back down, Salamence had to land, and none too steadily.

"Haaaxor..." murmured Norbert, the Haxorus also watching from the sidelines, in awe at the battle on display.

"Let's keep up the pressure," Maribel stated. "Dragon Claw, again!"

Lily's smirk widened. "Attract!" she ordered.

"Gaaaaal... GEEE!" declared Seaweed, turning to look at the oncoming Salamence and winking flirtatiously. Hearts flew out of Seaweed and whirled around Salamence before being absorbed into his body. At once, he stopped short and gazed adoringly at Seaweed, hearts in his eyes.

"Salamence!?" Maribel exclaimed. "Come on, snap out of it!"

"Wrap this up! Use Draco Meteor!" Lily declared.

"Draagaaaal..." hummed Seaweed, aglow with draconic energy. "...GEEEEEE!" she trilled, as large glowing meteors began to rain down seemingly out of nowhere, pummeling Salamence with great force, and before Maribel knew it, the Mega Evolution ended, leaving a completely ordinary and totally unconscious Salamence, lying amidst the small craters Draco Meteor had caused.

"...Salamence is unable to battle!" Keith declared, cutting short his stunned silence. "The winners are Lily and her Dragalge!"

"What..." Maribel breathed. She looked nothing short of shocked.

Lily walked over to Seaweed, demeanor softening right back up again, and stroked the Dragalge's head. "Thank you very much, Seaweed," she said. "You were fantastic."

"Galgee," replied Seaweed happily, before Lily withdrew the Dragalge to her Dragon Ball.

Lily then noticed the look on Maribel's face, and walked over to Keith. "...has she ever lost a battle before?" Lily murmured.

"Only training battles," Keith murmured back. "Whenever she's battled giving it all she has, she's won, or at least managed a draw."

"Ah," nodded Lily knowingly. "May I speak to her?" she asked.

"Sure," Keith nodded.

Lily nodded back, then made her way over to Maribel, who was now looking down at the ground. "You have great talent, Maribel," she said gently. "And it's obvious to me you've trained Salamence magnificently." At this, Maribel looked up at Lily, revealing that the young girl had been valiantly holding back tears.

"I just... I didn't think we would lose, not when we were giving it all we had," Maribel murmured. "I wasn't holding anything back."

Lily nodded. "I believe you," she said. "But neither was I. Seaweed and I have trained together since I was about your age. Why, just look at what she and I have achieved," she added, producing a small flat box from one of her pockets and opening it up.

Maribel peered inside, her eyes widening at the sight of the flat pieces of metal within. "...are those Gym badges?" she breathed.

"The eight Gym badges of the Hoenn region," confirmed Lily with a nod. "Seagallop helped with some of them, but by and large it was Seaweed who helped me earn those. I would have even taken on the Pokémon League, had I not fallen in love. I settled down in Pacifidlog Town with one Oliver McPhione, and it wasn't too terribly long before we were married and had a son," she added, with a nod in Tom's direction. "But even then we never stopped training. Seaweed and Seagallop helped us out raising Tom, and Seaweed and I never forewent our daily swim. Even when my dear Oliver passed on, I never stopped. My point, Maribel, is that you have not yet hit your peak. Like I said, you have a lot of talent as a Trainer, and I know you and Salamence together can reach even greater heights. And when you do," she added, now grinning, "I would personally love nothing more than to have a rematch."

By this point, Maribel was smiling again. "Well, look forward to that, because we'll be more than ready when the time comes!" she declared. She then turned to her feebly stirring starter. "Salamence, you were awesome," she said gently, stroking the Dragon Pokémon's head. "We'll keep training and get even stronger together, OK? And next time we battle Lily, we'll win. What do you say?" In response, Salamence managed a small smile and a weak yet determined growl.

"Well, I think that's our cue to all head on over to the Pokémon Center," Keith stated. "Ah, Lily, you can even book a room there if you plan on staying for a while?"

"Very kind of you," Lily nodded. "And I do believe I wish to stay here... in point of fact, Keith, might I inquire as to how one might go about moving into this town?"

Keith blinked in surprise. "...I got no objections, but that seemed abrupt," he finally said.

"Aye, Mom, weren't ye sayin' when ye sent me Huntail that ye were lookin' to travel the world some more?" Tom asked.

"Now, Tommy, you know good and well it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind," Lily smirked. "No, in actuality, I fell in love with this little town as soon as I got here, and the warm welcome I received didn't hurt, either. Besides, I couldn't help but notice that... battle facility over that way," she added, with a glance at Sludge Wave Colosseum.

"That is Sludge Wave Colosseum," stated Willa. "Colosseum challenges take place there almost every day."

"Oh, like in Orre?" said Lily, sounding quite delighted. "Indeed... I would very much like to take part in some of those! Now, then- we were headed to the Pokémon Center, were we not?"

"Right, yes, lemme lead the way," Keith stated, though he first took out a Luxury Ball. "Norbert, return," he added, as he made to withdraw his Haxorus.

But Norbert lumbered out of the way of the recall beam. "Hax!" he grunted, stomping over to Lily. "Hax Haxorus!" he stated.

"...Norbert?" Keith asked.

"Hax." Norbert stated, an apologetic look in his eyes.

Meowth chimed in. "Norbert's sayin' while watchin' dat battle, he realized dere was a lot he could learn from Lily," he said.

"...I see," Keith murmured.

"...the timing is a bit awkward for my husband," Willa said to Lily. "He just released his Dragalge so it could migrate and mate with my Lapras, who I released for, well, the aforementioned reason."

"Oh, I see," murmured Lily. "Well, I would not dare to deprive you of your Pokémon against your will," she said to Keith.

But Keith shook his head. "...I do what's best for my Pokémon," he stated determinedly. "And if Norbert here thinks you're what's best for him, I'm not gonna stand in his way." He looked back at the Haxorus, managing a brave smile. "It's OK, Norbert, really," he said.

"HAXOOOOOR!" Norbert bellowed, running over and pulling Keith in a gleeful hug. Keith hugged the Haxorus back just as tightly, tearing up as he prepared to, for the second time in one day, say goodbye to one of his Pokémon.

Once the hug ended, Keith walked over to Lily, handing her Norbert's Luxury Ball. "Take good care of him, OK?" he asked.

Lily nodded with a soft, reassuring smile as she accepted the ball. "You have my word," she said. "And once I've moved in properly, you may visit anytime you wish."

"Thank you," Keith replied. "So, about that- we do not actually have any vacant houses in town, but we could see about building you one," he offered.

"I accept, on the sole condition that I get to at the very least assist in said building," Lily said firmly.

"Ye might want to think on that offer, lad," Tom chimed in. "Me mother helped me build the Mock Kelp. Carved that Dragalge figurehead herself, ye remember how that looked?"

"Yeah, that was some good craftsmanship," Keith conceded with a nod. "Really is a shame what happened to that ship..."

"Yes, Tommy told me she sank, but I never did get the full story on how," said Lily. "Once we're in the Pokémon Center, might somebody fill me in?"

"Arr, methinks we could arrange that," said Tom, as Keith once again began to lead the way to the Pokémon Center.

[Missingno. Master]

Unbreakable Spirit

"Dragonite, Megahorn- ramming speed!"

"Now, Morgrem- Sucker Punch!"

With their orders given, Dragonite and Morgrem charged at each other. Dragonite held aloft by his wings, flying low to the ground, while Morgrem dashed forward, hoping to land his move first and end the fight then and there. And the attacks collided with great force. "Moooor..." grunted Morgrem- the two were deadlocked for the first few seconds, but it started to become evident that Dragonite was winning out. Morgrem gritted his teeth, tried to stand his ground, but Megahorn soon sent him flying backwards, where he collapsed in a heap at his Trainer's feet.

"Morgrem is unable to battle!" Keith Masters declared from his position off to the side. "That makes Tom and Dragonite the winners!"

"Yarr, fine fightin', Dragonite," Tom grinned.

"Grem..." sighed Morgrem, unsteadily standing back up with his Trainer's help.

"It's OK, Morgrem," Maribel was saying kindly. "You're still doing better than you were at first."

"Ye know, lass," Tom said, he and Dragonite stepping forward. "I'm all fer helpin' ye train up, but ye've been full throttle with it o'er the past week or so. Gets ol' Tom to wonderin', might this have anything to do with me mother?" he asked shrewdly.

"...it's that obvious, huh?" Maribel chuckled sheepishly. "Losing to her opened my eyes to just how far I still have yet to go as a Trainer, Tom. I want to be ready for the next time we battle."

"Mor, grem grem!" Morgrem nodded in agreement.

"Aye, fer certain," Tom nodded. "Me mother be a powerful Trainer. Ain't no ordinary sort what can best her. And by that token, lemme give ye some good advice, lass- take yer time. Surpassin' me mother as a Trainer ought be viewed as a long-term goal."

"...maybe you're right," conceded Maribel. "But that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop, either. Every little bit helps, right?"

"...that it do," Tom nodded thoughtfully. "Though if'n yer lookin' to take on me mother's dragons, one thing ye might want to consider be teachin' yer Morgrem there a Fairy move."

"Grem?" murmured Morgrem.

"That's true," nodded Maribel. "Morgrem here doesn't know one yet... oh, hi, Lavender!" she added, smiling as her father's creepy Jigglypuff Teleported in out of nowhere.

"Puff," grinned Lavender. Then, a brilliant pink glow emanated from the tip of one of her stubby arms, and she lunged at Dragonite, landing a terrific blow that sent the Dragon Pokémon stumbling backwards, grunting his displeasure.

Maribel folded her arms. "Lavender, I appreciate what you were trying to do, but that wasn't nice," she said firmly. "Go apologize to Dragonite, please?"

"Jiggly," giggled Lavender, Teleporting over to Dragonite, causing him to stumble even further backwards in shock even as Lavender hissed out what might have constituted an apology of some sort.

"Still, though... She might be onto something. Spirit Break would be really good," Maribel murmured. "Morgrem, what do you say?" she asked. "Want to try and learn Spirit Break?"

"Mor, Morgrem grem!" grinned Morgrem.

~~~~~

Three days later, the training had gotten them precisely nowhere. Morgrem hadn't shown so much as the slightest sign of learning this new move, and it was not for lack of trying on either his part or Maribel's part. Undeterred, however, the two continued trying, going so far as to consult Lavender for help, the only Pokémon either of them had ever seen use such a move before.

"All right," Maribel was saying, looking back and forth between the two Pokémon she had facing each other. "Are you two ready to try again?"

"Rhy rhy!" grunted Rhyhorn.

"Mor, Morgrem grem!" nodded Morgrem.

"OK. Let's begin!" declared Maribel. "Rhyhorn, Tackle attack!"

"RHYYYYY!" bellowed Rhyhorn, charging forward.

Maribel then turned to her Morgrem. "Morgrem, Spirit Break!" she commanded.

"Mor!" grunted Morgrem, clenching his hand into a fist and focusing. But not a single ray of light shone from said fist, no matter how hard he focused. Still, he brought back his hand and attempted to punch Rhyhorn, but was sent flying by Tackle for his troubles.

"Morgrem!" Maribel exclaimed, running over to the Devious Pokémon. "Are you OK?"

"Mooor..." groaned Morgrem, unsteadily attempting to get back up, and pausing in this effort, eyes bulging in disbelief as he looked across the battlefield. Maribel followed his gaze, and gasped audibly as she saw what Morgrem was staring at- there was a glowing, shapeshifting mass where Rhyhorn had just been standing! Rhyhorn reared up, her front legs lengthening, changing into definite arms, while a massive tail erupted from her backside. And finally, the glow faded to reveal a formidable standing before them, roaring in triumph!

Maribel's Rotom Phone pinged, prompting her to take it out of her pocket. "Rhydon has been registered to your Pokédex!" Rotom declared, before launching into the Pokédex entry. "Rhydon, the Drill Pokémon. A Ground and Rock-type, and the evolved form of Rhyhorn. Rhydon's armor-like hide lets it live in molten lava. But Thundurus forbid it should get splashed with water, am I right?"

Ignoring Rotom's jab, Maribel smiled. "Rhydon, congratulations!" she beamed. Rhydon roared happily, stomping over and Binding Maribel and Morgrem in a tearful, emotional hug.

"Grem..." lamented Morgrem. The hug did nothing to lift his spirits, and once let go, he peered at Rhydon's thick, tough armor, then at his own spindly, scrawny physique. "Mor grem," he sighed, beginning to walk away.

"Wha- Morgrem?" called Maribel. "Don't you want to keep trying?" She began to follow, but Rhydon held out an arm to stop her, shaking her head gently. And as Maribel locked eyes with the Drill Pokémon, she could tell why. "...I see. Morgrem needs a moment, doesn't he?" she asked. This time, Rhydon nodded. "...All right," Maribel agreed, nodding back. "I just hope he'll be OK."

~~~~~

"...I just don't get it, Skweekz. I've been at this for days, and not the slightest sign of improvement. Rhyhorn lands one Tackle on me and suddenly she's a Rhydon now, but I can't even learn a Fairy move. And I'm a Fairy-type!"

"Hey, c'mon, no beating yourself up here, Morgs, OK?" the Dedenne replied kindly. The pair of Fairy-types were sitting in the shade of a tree on the edge of the town limits of Sludge Wave Coast. "Rhyhorn's been training too, you said, right?"

"I mean, yeah, just... I dunno, the timing was just not great for me," shrugged Morgrem. "And I also just don't wanna let Maribel down, either. Like... she didn't judge me even after my brothers tried stealing her Rotom Phone. She was willing to accept the possibility that there were good Impidimp out there," he said with a small smile. "I really respect her for that, Skweekz, and I wanna repay it in spades, but... gah," he groaned exasperatedly. "I mean, look at me, I don't have the physique to land a punch that forceful."

"Reminder that the only other Pokémon you've seen use that move before is a spherical sentient marshmallow," said DJ Skweekz fairly. "Pretty sure you got Lavender beat in physique."

"We're talking about the Jigglypuff who was banished from the Distortion World by Giratina itself," replied Morgrem. "Lavender isn't to be taken lightly."

"Eh, fair," shrugged the Dedenne. "But my general point still stands- you're no wimp, Morgs. Even it it takes longer to get there than you'd prefer, you're still gonna get there! I got faith in you," he grinned.

Morgrem managed a small smile in return. "You really think I can do it?" he asked. "That... that means a lot, coming from you, Skweekz," he murmured. "...All right. OK! I'm gonna give it another shot!" he declared, standing back up and dashing back out to the Shadow Clearing, where Maribel was working with Rhydon.

DJ Skweekz leaned up against the tree, watching Morgrem run out, and smiling. "Go get 'em, Morgs," he murmured.

~~~~~

"All right, Rhydon, if you're sure you're ready," Maribel was saying, having produced a peculiarly-shaped chunk of rock from her bag.

"Rrrhy," Rhydon responded with a determined nod and affirmative growl. Maribel nodded back, and handed over the Protector. Rhydon took the object, and put it on its head, wearing it like an extremely silly hat, before it began to glow, a glow that spread to Rhydon itself. Rhydon grew all the thicker and bulkier, her tail gaining a boulder-like orb on the tip, the Protector fusing with its body to add onto the armor. And finally, there stood a massive ! "GRAH GRAAAH!" she bellowed in triumph.

"Rhyperior has been registered to your Pokédex!" declared Rotom. "Rhyperior, the Drill Pokémon. A Ground and Rock-type, and the evolved form of Rhydon. Rhyperior launches rocks from the holes in its palms. On occasion, it launches Geodude by accident. It- OK, wait a second, those holes aren't big enough to fit Geodude in there! And how's it getting a Geodude in there anyway without noticing it struggling and squirming and punching and- MMPH!" Rotom muffled indignantly as Maribel shoved the phone back into her bag.

Even having seen this, Morgrem stomped over to them. "Grem grem!" he declared confidently.

Maribel smiled as she turned to face the Dark/Fairy-type. "Ready to try again, Morgrem?" she asked.

"Grem, Morgrem grem!" nodded Morgrem.

Maribel nodded back. "Then let's do this," she stated simply. "Rhyperior, will you help, too?"

"GRAAH GRAAAH!" Rhyperior roared, nodding eagerly.

That being established, the pair of Pokémon took their positiions on opposite ends of the battlefield, with Maribel standing off to the side.

"OK, let's try it," Maribel stated. "Rhyperior, Hammer Arm! Morgrem, Spirit Break!"

"GRAAAAH!" bellowed Rhyperior as she charged at Morgrem. Determined, Morgrem made a fist, drew it back, and met Rhyperior's own fist head-on. Alas, just like last time, Morgrem was sent flying, having not done anything to Rhyperior. He gritted his teeth, he could feel his newfound resolve draining out of him already-

"Dededenne!"

Morgrem's eyes flew open- DJ Skweekz had made his way over to the battlefield and was watching. The tiny Dedenne was grinning confidently at the tall Morgrem, a grin Morgrem matched with his own moments later. He stood back up and ran at Rhyperior again, this time being met with a Chip Away. Morgrem's next attempt at Spirit Break was no better than the first, but he didn't allow Chip Away to send him flying. He took another swing at Rhyperior. And another. And another. And before he knew it, he was whaling on Rhyperior, landing blows as a dust cloud kicked up all around them, obscuring the asskicking that was taking place.

"Morgrem, whoa!" breathed Maribel as the attack concluded. "You just learned how to use Play Rough!"

"...grem grem?" Morgrem murmured in mild surprise.

"Dedede Dededenne!" cheered DJ Skweekz. The rad rodent dashed forward, climbed up Morgrem's body, and planted a quick yet definite kiss on the Devious Pokémon's cheek, causing him to flush red as an Electrode's ass. For a moment, Morgrem just stood there in stunned silence... and then he began to glow. Morgrem grew far taller than anyone had ever seen him before. His hair grew out, more wild than ever before, tangling itself all around Morgrem's body, helping to give its already thickening limbs all the more of a beefy look. And finally, a massive towered above them all, roaring in triumph!

"Grimmsnarl has been registered to your Pokédex!" declared Rotom. "Grimmsnarl, the Bulk Up Pokémon. A Dark and Fairy-type, and the evolved form of Morgrem. Grimmsnarl's hair wraps around its body and enhances its otherwise wimpy muscles. Its special attack is the Spirit Break."

"Wait, Spirit Brea- it can learn the move, it just has to evolve into Grimmsnarl first!" breathed Maribel. "OK, Grimmsnarl, you think you can do it now?" she called up to her massive Grimmsnarl.

"GRRRMSNAARL!" Grimmsnarl roared in response. Before anything else, though, he gently lowered DJ Skweekz to the ground, where the Dedenne just stood, staring up at Grimmsnarl, cheeks flushed, mouth agape, eyes the shape of hearts.

"All right," grinned Maribel. "Rhyperior, use your High Horsepower! Now, Grimmsnarl- Spirit Break!"

"GRAAAAAAAH!" bellowed Rhyperior, charging in with all it had.

"GRIIIIIIM... SNAAAAAARL!" roared Grimmsnarl, drawing back his fist. And this time, said fist emitted brilliant pink light, and as Rhyperior approached, Grimmsnarl met the High Horsepower head-on with a successful Spirit Break, and Rhyperior was the one sent flying.

"Amazing!" Maribel breathed. "Grimmsnarl, you did it, you really did it!"

"SNAAAAARL!" cheered Grimmsnarl, lumbering over to Maribel and pulling her into a hug. Rhyperior was quick to get in on this as well once she recovered, and even DJ Skweekz came over as well, though mainly because of Grimmsnarl.

"Hah... OK, Grimmsnarl, wanna take a break for now?" smiled Maribel. "We all still have a long way to go before we're good enough to beat Lily, but this was a really big first step!"

"SNAAARL GRIMM," Grimmsnarl nodded, before walking away, and sitting back down in the shade of the same tree from before. It should be noted that DJ Skweekz followed him over there with zero hesitation, and it was there the two remained for most of the rest of the afternoon. Truly they had much to talk about.

What? Rhyhorn is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Rhyhorn evolved into Rhydon!

*Rhydon learned Hammer Arm!*

*Rhydon learned Counter!*

*Rhydon learned Crunch!*

What? Rhydon is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Rhydon evolved into Rhyperior!

*Rhyperior learned Poison Jab!*

*Rhyperior learned Rock Wrecker!*

What? Morgrem is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Morgrem evolved into Grimmsnarl!

*Grimmsnarl learned Spirit Break!*

[Missingno. Master]

This Is Not A Drill

Mt. Scuffle- a rather notable peak even among Fizzytopia's multifarious mountains. It stood apart from the vast Clawmark Mountain Range, a lone mountain, known for its sporadic snowstorms, potentially deadly to the unprepared, a mountain so named for the fights known to break out among the rougher wild Pokémon that called its slopes home. A mountain where two singularly unique young women met and fell in love. A mountain that once played host to a most dreadful evil. A mountain whose insides once were home to none other than the Mythical Pokémon Meloetta, guarded by a loyal and steadfast Golurk. And that arrangement was what halted a project intent on cutting a tunnel through the mountain. However, now that Meloetta had left the ruins, eventually the company that had started the project decided to go back in and finish the job. They knew nothing of the Meloetta- all they knew was that that belligerent Golurk was no longer attacking them without letup, and so they could resume.

"...heh, I wonder if they've actually finished the tunnel by now," Keith Masters was saying. "It'd certainly make this trip a lot easier."

"They better damn well be finished," remarked Gavin Golurkson. "The sooner we get to Pechagrove, the better. Dunno why we couldn't just Fly there with Willa and Maribel," he added.

"Hey, wasn't that your idea to walk?" Keith retorted with a grin. "I seem to recall you wanting to keep an eye out for Shinies on the way?"

"Heh, oh, yeah," conceded Gavin. "Yeah, well, fat lot of good that did," he added, glancing around once more and shrugging. "But yeah, OK, that's on me, I'll admit it," he sighed.

"Yeah, well, I won't hold it against you," Keith stated. "If we'd taken a quicker way, you'd have been wondering forever if you've missed out on any."

Gavin looked at Keith. "...dude, you fucking know me too damn well," he chuckled. "Honestly, though, might be for the best we didn't find anything," he said fairly. "Gotta keep our Pokémon in top condition for that tournament, yeah?"

"I mean, yeah, but they got a Pokémon Center in Pechagrove," Keith stated.

"Oh, yeah, they would, wouldn't they?" murmured Gavin. "Hm. Well-"

"Ah- Keith!"

"Oh- hey, Roger," Keith said, for approaching them right now was one Roger DeLampent III. "How's-"

"Hey, what the fuck!?" Gavin exploded, grabbing Roger's wrist. "You don't think I know about you, you snotty moneyfucker shitwad?! I've heard all the shit you've done to fuck with my best friend and his wife, getting Marv and Diana fired for your own self-centered Tauros shit-"

"I- look, if you'd just listen-" spluttered Roger.

"My ass!" Gavin roared. Get the fucking fuck out of our fucking faces, and-"

"GAVIN!" Keith exclaimed, cutting his friend's profanity-laden tirade short. "Dude. Chill. It's all good."

"What- dude- OK, wait, ain't this that Roger DeLampent III guy you've bitched about?" Gavin demanded. "I've had half a mind to take a boot to his Sludge Bombs just from all the shit you've told me he's pulled in the past, how in the name of melted butter is this alright?"

"Well, I- melted butter?" Keith repeated in surprise. He shook his head,
however, and continued. "OK, look, I didn't get around to telling you- Roger's alright now. A changed man if ever I saw one."

"It's true," Roger chimed in. "Would you please at least hear your friend out before deciding whether to, ah, take a boot to my Sludge Bombs?" he asked.

Gavin said nothing at first. As he turned to Keith, he muttered, "So, he's changed? Like, for real?"

"For real," Keith nodded firmly. "You remember what we've been telling you, about how Willa got her Swampert, and how someone anonymously donated that Hisuian Incense that resulted in Tetro? Well..."

"...that was him?" Gavin asked incredulously, jabbing a thumb in Roger's direction.

"It was," Keith confirmed.

"...well, shit," Gavin murmured. He turned back to Roger. "OK, dude," he exhaled. "I dunno if you could ever undo all the shit you've caused for my friends, but all the same, I guess I was a bit harsh on you just then."

Roger shook his head. "Considering my past misdeeds, I honestly didn't deserve to have Keith cut you short," he said. "No offense taken. I do hope you'll at least afford me the chance to prove myself to you?"

"...nah, if Keith says you're cool now, I'll believe him," Gavin decided, extending his hand for a handshake, which Roger accepted. "Though, uh, if this is all just some kind of real long con and you're secretly planning the worst shit you've ever done, I'mma kill you to death every day for the rest of your life. Do I make myself plain?"

"Inescapably so," Roger nodded, carefully maintaining eye contact with Gavin.

After several seconds of tense eye contact, Gavin grinned. "Good shit," he said, letting go of Roger's hand at last. "So, Rog, what brings you out this way?"

"Ah, well, I've been volunteering to help with the Mt. Scuffle tunnel project," Roger explained. "It's very nearly finished, but the main digging drill has encountered a slight malfunction."

"What sort of malfunction?" Keith asked.

"Evidently a pack of wild Aron treated it as an all-you-can-eat buffet last night," Roger explained. "It's still recognizable as what it's intended to be, but only barely- it is completely nonfunctional. And the rock we need to break through is particularly hard. My Serperior's Leaf Storm barely made a scratch, even after repeated usage."

"...well, repeated usage would just fuck that move up, wouldn't it?" frowned Gavin.

"Contrary," Keith chimed in.

"...noted. Continue," Gavin nodded.

"...yes, well, anyway, they sent me to seek out more help- none of the workers' Pokémon were up to the task either," Roger explained. "Would you two be willing to try and help finish the tunnel?"

"...well, we got somewhere to be today," Gavin stated.

"Then again," said Keith, "that somewhere is Pechagrove, so if we can finish the tunnel, might actually be faster than walking around the mountain."

"Eh, there's something to that," Gavin nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, what the hell, let's try it."

"Excellent," smiled Roger. "Come on." And he led the way towards the tunnel that cut through the mountain. Lights were strung throughout the length of the tunnel; rocks and rubble had been used to patch up the passage that once led to Melody Cavern; and soon, they came to the dead end. A number of exasperated-looking workers stood around; the sad remnants of their drill, all but totally eviscerated by wild Aron, stood off to the side, completely useless by this point; and a number of Pokémon sat on the ground. A weary-looking Rhyhorn, a visibly tired Coalossal, even a Rampardos holding an ice pack to its rock-solid skull. And of course, Roger's Serperior, coiled up and snoring lightly, taking what had to be a well-deserved Rest.

"Yow," Keith murmured, glancing around at all this, and then at the practically pristine-looking wall of rock ahead of them. "So this stuff's pretty tough, isn't it?"

"Immensely," said one of the men, stepping forward to greet the newcomers. "I'm Foreman Rocksmash, I'm in charge of this tunnel project. So, Roger got you two to try and help, huh?"

"Keith Masters and Gavin Golurkson," Roger introduced them. "I can attest to Mr. Masters's strength as a Trainer myself- Mr. Golurkson I'm not as familiar with, but..." he trailed off, looking at Keith and Gavin.

"Gav's just as good a Trainer as me, if not moreso," Keith grinned.

"Just let us take a crack at that wall," Gavin stated.

Foreman Rocksmash did not look entirely convinced, but he shrugged and stepped aside all the same. "Have at it, then," he said, sounding resigned.

"Alright- Violet, I choose you!" Keith declared, throwing a Poké Ball.

"Rui, shine for me!" Gavin exclaimed, throwing a Quick Ball.

In twin flashes of light, the pair of Dunsparce materialized, with sparkles swirling around the pink one. "Dunspaaarce!" they exclaimed in unison.

"Let's see what you two can do!" grinned Keith. "Violet, hit that rock wall with Drill Run!"

"Rui, you use Drill Run as well!" ordered Gavin.

And the Dunsparce were off! Fluttering their wings furiously, they took to the air and zoomed backwards, energy swirling around their tail drills, but as they made contact with the rock wall, they failed to achieve anything beyond awful grinding noises. Once they stopped, it could be seen that nothing had been done at all.

"...Well, let's try something else, then," Keith shrugged as the Dunsparce slithered off to the side. Now he threw a Great Ball. "Tinnitus, use Mega Punch!" he exclaimed.

Gavin threw a Great Ball of a decidedly more rustic variety at the same time. "Libra, use Hammer Arm!" he ordered.

This time, the Pokémon to materialize were Keith's Seismitoad and Gavin's Shiny Sudowoodo. The pair of them drew back their fists, and landed powerful punches on the rock. The vibrations could be felt, especially from Tinnitus's attack, but still the rock wall stayed stubbornly intact.

"Dunsparce..." murmured Violet, watching this exercise in futility. As she and Rui looked on, Keith and Gavin had withdrawn Tinnitus and Libra, and in their place sent out Helga and Phenac. The Hariyama's Arm Thrust and the Shiny Metagross's Meteor Mash both failed to so much make the tiniest of cracks in the rock.

"Dun Dunsparce, Dunsparce," Rui murmured.

"Sparce Dunsparce?" Violet inquired uncertainly.

Rui nodded firmly. "Sparce sparce," she stated intently.

By this point, Helga and Phenac were back in their balls, and now Keith had sent in Godric, while Gavin had gone with Battlus. Alas, neither the Nidoking nor the Shiny Abomasnow had managed to make any sort of dent in the rock wall either.

"...man, we gotta rethink this," Keith frowned after they withdrew Godric and Battlus. "I don't know what kind of rock we're dealing with here, but it's serious stuff!"

"If we can't figure it out soon, we had better get going," Gavin stated, looking at the clock on his P*DA. "We won't make it to Pechagrove in time for the tournament at this rate."

"Yeah... what else can we even do?" Keith wondered out loud, in a defeated tone.

"Sparce!"

This got Keith and Gavin to look- their Dunsparce were back at the end of the tunnel, looking at the rocks intently.

"...You two think you got this?" Keith asked.

"Sparce sparce!" nodded Rui.

Violet turned to look at Keith, and nodded. "...sparce," she said, softly but firmly.

"...well, shit, then what are we waiting for?" grinned Gavin. "Rui, use Rock Smash!"

"Hey, good idea, Gav!" Keith grinned back. "Violet, you use Rock Smash too!"

"Duuuun... SPARCE!" the pair of Dunsparce declared, slamming their tail drills into the rock wall simultaneously. Nothing seemed to happen at first, but then the tiniest of cracking sounds could be heard.

"...we're making progress!" Keith exclaimed.

"Sparce spaaarce!" exclaimed Rui.

"Dun Dunspaarce!" Violet chimed in.

"Shit, yeah!" Gavin exclaimed. "All right- Rui!"

"Violet!" Keith called out.

"Drill Run, now!" the friends called out in unison.

And once more, the pair of Dunsparce flew backwards at the rock wall, but this time, the energy that whirled around their tails had a distinctly different look to it. It was larger, and had more of a powerful feel to it, and as the tail drills ground against the rock wall, more cracking could be heard.

"...what the shit? That ain't Drill Run!" Gavin breathed.

"No, indeed," agreed Keith, taking out his Pokédex. "That's a new one on me..."

"Dunsparce's special attack- Hyper Drill," droned the device. "Dunsparce uses its tail drill to attack with great force. This move even pierces moves like Protect and Spiky Shield."

"Whoa!" grinned Keith. "I didn't know you two had that kind of power!"

"Remarkable!" breathed Foreman Rocksmash. "I think we may well be on the verge of breaking through at last!"

"Then what the fuck are we waiting for!" Gavin exclaimed. "Rui, Hyper Drill one more time!"

"Violet, give it your best Hyper Drill attack!" Keith encouraged his own Dunsparce.

"Duuuun..." the pair of Dunsparce called out simultaneously as they flew at the rock again, but this time, the bright glow emanating from their tail drills enveloped their bodies as well. There was the sound of surging energy, and Keith and Gavin's jaws hit the ground.

"...are they...?" Gavin began.

"But can they even?" Keith wondered.

"I mean, obviously, but-" Gavin said, gesturing to the glowing masses before them.

"...Our Dunsparce are evolving?" Keith uttered in disbelief.

Indeed, Violet and Rui were both changing, even if only slightly. Mainly in terms of length. They each sprouted another chin spike, and an extra body segment, though Violet seemed to sprout another one as well, and the tail drills grew a bulkier bit on the end. And as the glowing ceased, they crashed through the rock at last, sunlight spilling in through the end of the tunnel at long last, and amid the rocky rubble all around sat a and a ! "Duduuuun!" they exclaimed in triumphant unison.

"Did they just- they both evol- why is yours bigger?" Gavin demanded. Keith, at a loss for words, pointed his Pokédex at Violet.

"Dudunsparce- Three-Segment Form- the Land Snake Pokémon. A Normal-type, and the evolved form of Dunsparce," droned the device. "Gentle and kind, Dudunsparce puts Pokémon that wander into its nest onto its back and carries them to the entrance. The number of body segements a Dudunsparce has is determined by the Pokémon's genes." Gavin, meanwhile, consulted his P*DA's Strategy Memo for information on Rui.

"Dudunsparce, the Land Snake Pokémon. Two-Segment Form. The evolved form of Dunsparce. Type: Normal," droned the device. "Drives enemies out of its nest by inhaling deeply and exhaling an intense blast of air. Drills into bedrock deep underground to make a nest over six miles long."

"So... Dunsparce can evolve?!" Keith exclaimed at last. "And with different forms, no less! Haha, Violet, nicely done!"

"Duduuun!" Violet chirped happily.

"Rui, you too," grinned Gavin.

"Dudunsparce!" cheered Rui.

"Well done, the both of you," smiled Foreman Rocksmash. "You have my eternal gratitude- but that can wait. After all, you have a tournament in Pechagrove to attend, do you not?"

"Ooh, that we do, thanks for the reminder!" Keith exclaimed. "Gav, let's hit the road!"

"Shit, yeah! Let's move!" Gavin exclaimed. And with that, the friends took off towards Pechagrove Town, which was now visible in the distance. Behind them, the pair of Dudunsparce took to the skies to follow.

What? Dunsparce is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Dunsparce evolved into Dudunsparce!

What? Dunsparce is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Dunsparce evolved into Dudunsparce!

[Missingno. Master]

The Battle Girl

"Oh, thank Arceus," Nurse Joy sighed in relief as she accepted the bag of medical supplies. "I can't thank you enough, Tom. Sometimes we simply can't afford the shipment from Kanto to be delayed."

"Arrgh, think nothin' of it, lass," Tom responded modestly. "Them Graveler'll be healed up good as new, thar be thanks enough fer ol' Tom."

Nurse Joy gave a giggle. "Sometimes I wonder whether the Sevii Islands should just get their supplies straight from Sludge Wave Coast," she joked. "At this point it would basically be cutting out the middleman!" Tom roared with laughter at this, and bid Nurse Joy farewell. Unaware, as he turned to leave, that the conversation had piqued someone's interest and curiosity.

"Arrrgh... cuttin' out the middleman," Tom continued to chuckle to himself as he headed back towards the Seven Island dock. "Cracks me up, she do... eh, what's all this, then?!" he demanded, chuckling giving way to scowling as the Banette's Revenge came into view, and with it, the trio of suspicious-looking youths gathered around her, in a clear and obvious attempt to board her.

The would-be-boatjackers wheeled around and froze at Tom's approach. "Yikes!" exclaimed one of the men. "Hey, let's hurry it up before we get caught!"

"Too late for that!" argued the lone woman among them. "Fight him off!" And she threw a Great Ball. "Tangela!"

The men agreed and threw balls of their own. "Go! Simisage!" exclaimed the younger of the two men, throwing a Nest Ball.

"Get'm! Breloom!" shouted the oldest of the bunch, hurling an Ultra Ball.

Tom eyed the trio of Grass-types before him. "Arrgh, we can take these!" he declared. "Ain't that right, Lily?" he added to the Chatot on his shoulder.

"Awwk! We can take these! We can take these!" echoed Lily, flapping her wings at once and taking to the air.

It didn't stop there, either- Tom plucked the Love Ball off his belt and clicked the button to enlarge it. "Alright, Skitty," Tom growled, hurling the Love Ball forward. "Weigh anchor!"

The ball burst open, and in a flash of light, there appeared Tom's Skitty, facing his opponents with a confident smirk. "Nyaaah!" he meowed.

Tom opened his mouth to issue commands, but was stopped as he heard an unfamiliar voice from behind him. "Hey! Got room for one more?" Bewildered, Tom looked behind him to see just who had spoken.

"...And ye be...?" Tom inquired.

"Call me Rose," grinned the girl, clutching a Poké Ball in one hand. "You really gonna fight these punks two on three? That's gutsy, but not all that fair to you, so what say we even the odds somewhat?"

"Hey, stay out of this, you!" scowled the Tangela's Trainer. "Tangela, Vine Whip that Skitty!"

"Breloom, get in there with a Mach Punch!" added the older man.

"Simisage, hit it with a Low Sweep attack!" chimed in the younger man.

Rose, however, wasn't going to put up with this, and threw her Poké Ball. "Time to fight- Kasa!" she exclaimed, and in a flash of light, a formidable appeared in front of Skitty, deftly deflecting the oncoming attacks with a powerful kick.

"Shiver me timbers!" Tom remarked. "Ain'tn't seen a Decidueye like that before."

"Most haven't," smirked Rose. "Kasa here's a rare variety- a Hisuian Decidueye! Kasa, Gust, let's go!" she ordered, moving her arms as though flapping wings. And Kasa hooted wildly, flapping her wings with great gusto, bad pun fully intended and everything, blowing back all three Grass-types.

"Impressive," Tom nodded. "But don't think ol' Tom'll let ye have all the fun!"

"All the fun! All the fun! Awwk!" cawed Lily.

"Nyaaah!" agreed Skitty.

"All hands, make ready!" Tom declared. "Lily, Chatter that Simisage's ear off!"

"Simisage!" exclaimed the younger man, only to realize he was too late; the Chatot was already squawking up a storm, and Simisage was tottering around in obvious confusion.

"Tangela, use Energy Ball!" ordered the woman.

"Skitty! Fake Out!" Tom ordered.

"Nyahaaa!" Skitty cried out, clapping his front paws in Tangela's face, causing it to flinch on the spot.

Rose wasn't waiting any longer either. "Kasa, hit the Breloom with a Peck attack!" she ordered, complete with a thrusting motion that seemed to imply she herself was attempting to use the move. And it was a motion Kasa seemed to copy as she carried out the move, disrupting the attempted Focus Punch Breloom had been quietly charging up. "I'll keep the Breloom out of your Skitty's hair, yeah?" she offered.

Tom chuckled. "A commendable offer, lass, but methinks I ought demonstrate why it be unnecessary," he grinned. He reached into his bag and produced from within his Tera Orb. "Alright, Skitty, me bucko- time to burn bright like cannon fire!" he declared as energy poured into the Tera Orb. Once this had concluded, Tom heaved the sphere into the air. "Terastallize!!!"

"Whoa," Rose breathed, watching as Tom's Skitty Terastallized, taking on a crystalline texture, and gaining a chandelier-shaped crown atop his head. "So you got one of those too?"

"Oh, aye," Tom nodded. "And not fer naught me bucko's got Fire fer his Tera Type, neither! Skitty, use Flamethrower!" he ordered.

"Nyaaaaa... HAAAAA!!" Skitty trilled, letting loose a torrent of flame from his mouth that struck the nearby Tangela directly and with great force, with a burst of crystalline energy erupting from the point of impact, seeming to power the move up all the more; Tangela was knocked out in effectively a single hit.

"Oh, sweet!" Rose chuckled. "Kasa, use Brave Bird, hit that Simisage!"

"That won't happen!" growled the Simisage's Trainer. "Simisage, Shadow Claw!"

"Breloom, use Rock Tomb!" added the other man.

"Change up! Rock Smash!" Rose called abruptly, punching the air in front of her, and quite expertly so. And evidently Kasa agreed, because she punched the oncoming Rock Tomb in exactly the same fashion, shattering the boulder before it could hit Skitty. Thankfully, Simisage didn't do much with its newfound opportunity to attack, still stumbling around in confusion.

"Nice one, lass!" Tom grinned. "Now, Skitty, Flamethrower again!"

"Nyaaaaa... HAAAAAAAAA!!!" Skitty repeated, exhaling flames all the more powerful, this time striking the Breloom.

"Lily! Peck attack!" Tom continued.

"Peck attack! Peck attack! Awwk!" squawked Lily, diving down and striking Breloom with her beak for the knockout.

"Just leaves that one!" grinned Rose, eyeing the unsteady Simisage. "Kasa, Triple Arrows!" she exclaimed, jumping and kicking at the air. And hooting menacingly, Kasa did just that, landing an axe kick on Simisage, who attempted to power through with the ordered Shadow Claw, but was ultimately overpowered. In short order, Kasa then fired a trio of arrows to round off the attack, which knocked out the Simisage entirely. Now visibly nervous, the thieves withdrew their Pokémon and fled the scene like a pack of Wimpod.

"Arrr har har har har!" Tom laughed heartily. "Fine work, you two," he stated, petting his Pokémon. "And same to ye, Rose, was it?" he added. "That there Decidueye o' yers be truly somethin' indeed."

"Isn't she, though?" grinned Rose. "Kasa and I have been together since we were both very young. My Uncle Bruno gave her to me as my first Pokémon, back when she was just a Rowlet."

"So, be there some manner o' Hisuian Rowlet, then?" inquired Tom.

"Nope," Rose shook her head. "Nor with Dartrix, either- it's just Decidueye that has the regional form."

Tom blinked his eye in surprise. "Well, then, that gets ol' Tom to wonderin'- how's ye go about triggerin' some long-forgotten evolution what be elseways lost to the sands o' time?" he asked.

"Heh, Uncle Bruno had this theory," explained Rose. "He told me that she had the potential to evolve in a certain way that's been long forgotten, a form way better suited to me than Normal Form Decidueye, and he theorized that me and Kasa spending our time together, training together, would lead her to become so similar to me that she'd evolve in that way. And I guess he was right," she chuckled, striking various fighting poses, which Kasa copied flawlessly, hooting proudly.

"Indeed," Tom concurred. "But aye- many thanks to ye both, fer helpin' drive them thievin' pirates away from me ship," he added.

"Ahh, it was nothing," Rose responded. "We saw how you brought over those medical supplies. You got no idea how much those shipments are appreciated- out here in the Sevii Islands, we rely on those so much."

"Born 'n' raised in these parts, then, I takes it?" asked Tom.

Rose nodded. "Grew up right here on Seven Island," she confirmed. "After Mom and Dad passed away, Uncle Bruno took me in. But he's so often busy with Elite Four stuffs that a lot of the time it was his Pokémon watching me instead. Can't complain about that, of course- they taught me how to fight, how to defend myself, and they would explore the island along with me. It ruled," she smiled. "Of course, I'm on my own now, traveling and all that, but I've seen everything Seven Island's got to offer by this point," she stated. "I need adventure. Excitement!"

"Does ye, now," Tom considered. "Hmm... Rose, lass, what do ye know of the Fizzytopia region?"

"...I heard of it," Rose nodded after a moment's thought. "That where you're from? Heard Nurse Joy mention a town, Sludge Bomb Coast or something?"

"Sludge Wave Coast, it be," Tom corrected her. "And aye, Sludge Wave Coast be the port town I call me home. Small place, but in a vast region like Fizzytopia, thar be nary a dull moment."

"Well, hell, that's all I need to hear," grinned Rose. "What do you say you take me and Kasa along on the return trip?" Kasa hooted her evident agreement with this idea.

"...well, how can I say no to that?" chuckled Tom. "All aboard, then!"

~~~~~

"...and clearly we can go and visit them whenever we wish, so they're obviously not out of our lives forever," Willa was saying.

"...I mean, I know, yeah," Keith replied fairly. "Even still, though, y'know?"

"Indeed," Willa nodded in grave agreement. "I understand. I will miss Decidueye greatly, just as I know you will miss Artemis. But if this is what makes them happy..."

"...then who are we to stand in the way?" Keith finished, nodding. "Yeah... I know, you're right, dear," he sighed. "Just... it's never easy."

"No, indeed," Willa concurred. "I-"

"Hey! Hey, guys!"

Keith and Willa stopped, not ten steps away from the front step of the Poisonous Palace, for calling out to them, and running up to them excitedly, was their friend Gavin. He was wildly waving a Luxury Ball around. "Hello, Gavin," Willa stated. "You seem happy."

"Heh, you noticed, huh?" chuckled Gavin. "Check this out!" And he threw the Luxury Ball. "Venus, shine for me!"

The ball split open, and in a flash of light and a swirl of stars, a magnificent and surprisingly tall materialized before them. "Rooooserade!" she declared, striking an elegant pose.

"Pretty sweet, huh?" grinned Gavin. "Ain't never seen one this big before, and Shiny to boot! Took Sherles out to Route 4, revisit his old stomping grounds, and we ended up doing a little horde hunting for the hell of it, and who should show up amid a horde of Roselia but this! Put up one hell of a fight, too," he added, nodding admiringly at the Shiny Roserade, who smirked and took a deep bow, evidently pleased with herself.

"Gavin," Willa said, calmly yet severely. "Keith and I just got through with releasing Decidueye and Artemis."

"...Oh, shit," Gavin murmured, his grin fading. "Ah, damn, then this ain't great timing, is it?" he added, quietly withdrawing his new Shiny Roserade. "Shit, guys, my bad, I had no idea."

"Nah, you couldn't have known, we hadn't told you yet," Keith said, shaking his head.

"Indeed," Willa conceded.

"...released those two, though?" Gavin asked. "Why? What went down?"

"We went for a walk through Cadaver Forest," Willa stated. "It's where I caught Decidueye in the first place, so she was showing Artemis her old home. The more they looked around at the place..."

"...da more dey liked the idea o' stayin' dere on a permanent basis," finished Meowth. "Almost couldn't finish translatin' fer dese guys, I was tearin' up dat hard."

"Oh, wow," murmured Gavin. "Shit. That's... damn. Fuck. I mean, I'm happy for 'em and all, but like..."

"Ah, we'll be able to visit whenever we want," Keith shrugged. "I mean, yeah, it sucks in the moment, but like... it's what's best for them, and that's..."

"...that's what matters," Gavin finished. "Damn straight, man. Hey- look at that, Tom's back," he added, glancing out to sea.

"Ah, cool," Keith remarked. "Hope that trip went well, Helena was telling me the Seven Island Nurse Joy sounded really urgent over the phone."

"Hold on," frowned Willa. "Who's that with him?" For as they looked on, Tom was not disembarking by himself; Rose was following him ashore.

"Ahoy, me hearties!" Tom greeted his friends. "So what'd I miss?"

"A fair amount, actually, Tom," said Willa. "Keith and I released Artemis and Decidueye, they're living together in Cadaver Forest now. And Gavin just caught a massive Shiny Roserade."

Rose arched an eyebrow. "'Living together in Cadaver Forest'?" she repeated. "Is that a local euphemism for something?"

"No, no, Cadaver Forest is an actual place," Keith assured the newcomer. "It's this forest that used to be home to a bloodthirsty vampire Beautifly, until I caught her. The forest was named for the fate said to befall anyone who went in there. Also, uh, who might you be?" he added, realizing he did not in fact know this person.

"Ah, yeah- name's Rose. Rose Elia," grinned Rose.

Gavin turned to look at Keith. "Baaaad timing to release Artemis," he remarked.

"...Artemis is a Roselia, ain't she?" asked Rose. "Aagh, sorry about that. My parents had a real sense of humor, so yeah, I'm a walking pun," she shrugged. "It gets worse- my middle name is Rade."

"Rose Rade Elia," repeated Willa.

"Hey, y'know what, I can respect the puns," Keith grinned, offering a handshake. "Welcome to the town of Sludge Wave Coast, Rose."

"Thanks," Rose grinned back, accepting the handshake, with rather more firmness and strength than Keith had been anticipating. "So, I was hanging around in the Seven Island Pokémon Center when this pirate-looking guy walks in to deliver the medicine for these sick Graveler. They're talking, I hear something about Sludge Wave Coast, I figure that's where this guy's from. By now I'm just super curious about it all, so I follow him outside, end up helping him save his ship from thieves, we get to talking, he agrees to take me here, and, well, here I am," she concluded. "Been wanting to get the hell off of Seven Island for a while now, and this was the perfect opportunity. Small place once you get used to it, y'know?"

"Makes sense," Gavin nodded. "But yeah- name's Gavin. Gavin Golurkson."

"I'm Keith Masters, and this is my lovely wife, Willa," Keith added.

"Pleased to meet y'all," nodded Rose. "So, uh, to get right to the point, I'm all for a good battle right about now. Any of you game?"

At this, Keith's eyes lit up, but then he heard a voice from behind him. "Ooh! A battle? Can I, Dad?"

Sure enough, as Keith looked, he saw that his daughter had been approaching them. "Well, if it's OK with our guest, sweetie," he said. "Rose, this is our daughter Maribel. Maribel, this is Rose Elia, she came back here along with Tom."

"Nice to meet you, Rose," grinned Maribel. "So you wanted a battle, right? I've been training really hard with my Pokémon lately, so I'd love to see how far we've come!"

"Ooh, I like your spirit, Maribel!" grinned Rose. "Well, what the heck are we waiting for, then? Time to fight- Kasa!" she exclaimed, throwing her Poké Ball once more, unleashing her Hisuian Decidueye, earning a look of stunned disbelief from Willa.

"Whoa!" breathed Maribel, taking out her Rotom Phone. "OK, Rotom- who's that Pokémon?" she asked.

"Decidueye- Hisuian Form- the Arrow Quill Pokémon. A Grass and Fighting type, and the evolved form of Dartrix," said Rotom. "Decidueye's feathers store air that insulates it against extreme cold. Well, that just sounds stupid, wouldn't the air get cold too- MMPH!" it muffled, as Maribel shoved the errant electronic back into her bag. She hadn't seen Rose flinch at the mention of the word "Rotom".

"Sorry about my Rotom Phone, it can be a bit rude sometimes," Maribel chuckled sheepishly. "But your Decidueye is so cool, I've never seen one like it before! Mom has a Decidueye herself, but it's so different to this one! Mom, can you send it out?" she asked.

"Uh, no, no, that's OK," Rose said quickly. "I- I don't need to see-"

"It's a moot point in any case- I just released Decidueye earlier today," Willa stated.

"Oh, no," sighed Maribel.

"Oh, that's right, you did say that," Rose muttered in relief.

"I'm afraid so, sweetie- your father released Artemis, too," Willa said gently. "We'll be able to visit them anytime, however, so no need to worry."

"Right, Mom," nodded Maribel, turning her attention back to the battle. "All right..." And she took a Poké Ball out of her bag and threw it. "Come out- Tentacruel!" she declared.

Rose's mouth fell open as the tremendous Tentacruel appeared before her, towering above all present, even Tom, at a staggering height of over ten feet. "Tentacruuuuel," she rumbled.

"...I didn't know Tentacruel came that big!" exclaimed Rose. "Oh, I'm gonna love this region, I can already tell! Kasa, let's get ready!" she declared, posing identically to her Hisuian Decidueye, who hooted confidently in response.

Maribel made the first move. "Tentacruel! Wring Out!" she ordered.

"Tentacruuuuel!" rumbled Tentacruel, extending several thick tentacles towards Kasa, intent on wrapping and squeezing for maximum damage.

"Hah! Fury Attack!" Rose ordered, kicking at the air with great rapidity. And Kasa mirrored these movements, her talons glowing as she landed a flurry of kicks to keep Tentacruel's tentacles at bay.

And Rose wasn't done there, either. "All right- Aerial Ace!" she exclaimed, accompanying this order with acrobatic jumping and kicking maneuvers. Once again, Decidueye moved just like her Trainer was doing, this time landing a single powerful blow that forced Tentacruel to back up some.

"Whoa," Maribel murmured.

"She moves just like her Pokémon does," Willa observed from the sidelines.

"Let's dull down that power a bit!" Maribel declared. "Use Will-O-Wisp!"

"Tenta!" grunted tentacruel. Her head orbs flashed a blazing blue as hovering fireballs of a similar color materialized around her. Then, they went flying off towards Kasa at great speeds.

But Rose was undeterred. "Liquidation, let's go!" she declared, moving as though swinging a great sword around. And sure enough, Kasa formed a large blade of water that she held with her wings and swung around in a similar matter, blocking the attempt at Will-O-Wisp.

Maribel wasn't giving in just yet, however. "Disrupt it with Supersonic!" she ordered.

"Fly! Now!" Rose ordered, flapping her arms. And Kasa took to the skies at once, evading the Supersonic only narrowly.

The Masterses, plus Gavin and Tom, watched the battle with great interest, as Maribel and Rose kept finding ways to block, evade, or otherwise disrupt each other's attempted attacks. Tentacruel and Kasa were landing damage on each other, but none of it came easy. They had to get creative- at one point, Maribel had Tentacruel attempt a multi-tentacle Poison Jab to get past Kasa's Double Team, while Kasa had to get creative with Skitter Smack to avoid Tentacruel's Lava Plume.

"Kasa, what say we finish this up?" Rose grinned, producing what was unmistakably a Z-Ring from her bag and slipping it onto her wrist.

"Oh!" gasped Maribel. "Tentacruel, let's finish this up as well!" she stated, reaching into her back and placing a Z-Crystal onto her Z-Power Ring.

"Hah!" exclaimed Rose, beginning to strike poses, which Kasa copied with expert precision. "With our backs against the wall, the only way out is through! Fighting to the bitter end! We! Do! Not! Submit!" she grunted, punctuating her words with the final thrusting punching motions that sent blasts of Z-Power from her fists into her Hisuian Decidueye.

Kasa hooted shrilly, all set to strike. She could feel her signature move of Triple Arrows getting boosted, turned into something far stronger. And she was ready, more than ready, to let that power loose on her opponent.

Rose grinned widely. "All-Out Pummeling, let's goooo!!!" she commanded.

Kasa surrounded itself with its Z-Power!

Kasa unleashes its full-force Z-Move!

...

But Maribel wasn't simply standing there and waiting for Kasa to strike. She was striking poses of her own. "Let's go, Tentacruel!" she declared.

"Tentacruuuel!" rumbled Tentacruel, copying the poses with two of her tentacles.

"Sludge Wave Coast, grant us your strength!" Maribel exclaimed. "With the power of poison, we claim victory today!" All the while, she and Tentacruel struck picture-perfect Poisonium poses. Z-Power flowed from Maribel into Tentacruel. Keith in particular looked in in awe and fatherly pride as his daughter and her Tentacruel prepared to unleash the ultimate Poison-type technique.

"Now, Tentacruel- Acid Downpour!!!" Maribel cried out.

Tentacruel surrounded itself with its Z-Power!

Tentacruel unleashes its full-force Z-Move!

...

The two Z-Moves executed at once. Kasa punched and kicked, sending glowing fists and feet flying at Tentacruel, while the ground below her turned to a noxious swamp. At the same time, purple clouds overhead unleashed a dreadful deluge of poison, reacting with said swamp to inflict all the greater damage. However, Kasa did not let up, and lunged forward to land the finishing blow of the Fighting-type Z-Move. Both Pokémon collapsed to the ground at the same time, neither of them getting back up.

"...Tentacruel and Decidueye are both unable to battle!" declared Gavin. "I declare this match to be a draw!"

"...Whoa," exhaled Rose as she withdrew her Decidueye. "That was freaking awesome, Maribel! I've never had a battle that intense in my life!"

"It really was! You and Kasa are so good!" beamed Maribel. "And the way you move the same way as your Pokémon does, I love that!"

"Ahaha, thanks," grinned Rose. "I picked that up from training with my Uncle Bruno's Pokémon. I'd always try to move the same way Kasa did when she was trying to learn a new move, to see if I could figure out a way to improve on what she was doing, and, well, it just stuck. Now it just doesn't feel right if I'm not moving right along with my Pokémon."

"I think it must help you and Kasa feel even closer together," Maribel speculated. "Like you two are really fighting as a team, side by side."

"Y'know, that could be it," Rose nodded thoughtfully. "So, uh, there a Pokémon Center in these parts?" she asked.

"Sure is," Keith nodded. "Right this way, c'mon." And he led the way to the Sludge Wave Coast Pokémon Center. Rose followed along without hesitation, but once they were inside, she froze in place, her face having gone pale. "...something wrong, Rose?" Keith asked, upon noticing this. Then, he saw exactly where Rose was looking- at the counter. Or more specifically, at the blue-eyed Banette hovering just behind said counter, squirming uncomfortably. "...you don't do well with Ghost-types, do you?" he asked.

"...not even a little bit," Rose admitted quietly. "Th-that's why I got all jumpy when Maribel was asking your wife to send out her Decidueye. I... I know Normal Form Decidueye are part Ghost. It's why I so desperately tried to help prove Uncle Bruno's theory about how to get a Dartrix to evolve into Hisuian Decidueye. Just... I... Ghost-types, I just... I- I- she even looks friendly, but... I- I can't," she shuddered.

"She is friendly, for the record," Keith said. "That's Helena Masters- my sister."

"What- your sister?" breathed Rose. "So, what, she... she died and came back as a Shuppet?"

"Exactly," Keith nodded. "She's in charge of the Pokémon Center in this town, and she's perhaps the nicest, sweetest person you could ever hope to meet." He paused, noting Rose's persisting apprehension. "...I'm not gonna force the issue by any means," he stated. "But... like... I mean, you don't have any affiliation with Team Rocket, right?" he asked.

"Oh, Cobalion above, no!" Rose exclaimed, looking mildly offended at the very idea.

Keith nodded. "Then Helena would have no problem with you," he said simply.

Rose gave a sigh. "Well, I guess I'll try and get to know her... over time... eventually... when I feel more ready," she murmured. "In the meantime, can... can you bring her Kasa's Poké Ball for me?" she added, holding out the sphere for Keith to take.

Keith nodded. "Sure," he agreed. And Rose watched as Keith and Maribel approached the Banette. They began talking, and Rose saw them all look back at her a few times. Not that she didn't think she would've been brought up in the conversation- under the circumstances that was practically a given at this point- but it still made her squirm in mild discomfort. She saw the Banette give a solemn, understanding nod, while still looking a bit downcast. Nevertheless, Helena healed up all the Pokémon brought to her.

Maribel was the first to approach Rose. "Here you go," she said, handing Rose back Kasa's Poké Ball. "Tentacruel and Kasa are both good as new."

"Thanks, Maribel," grinned Rose. "Uh... so, what exactly was being said over there?" she added.

"Aunt Helena's real sad that you're afraid of her," replied Maribel. "She gets it, though. A lot of people are scared of Banette. She was surprised when Dad told her it's all Ghost-types that scare you, though. She hopes you'll get to know her at some point."

"...y'know what, maybe I'll try to," Rose stated. "Matter of fact... there room in this town for one more?"

Maribel's eyes lit up. "Wait, do you mean you're moving into town?" she asked.

"Heh, exactly," grinned Rose. "Likin' that idea, are you?"

"Yeah!" Maribel smiled. "We could train together all the time!"

"Honestly, I'd like that," nodded Rose. "You're a real good Trainer, especially for your age. I feel like we could teach each other a thing or two. And what was that huge stadium-looking building south of town?"

"Oh, that was Sludge Wave Colosseum," replied Maribel.

"Sludge Wave Colosseum...!" repeated Rose, sounding highly intrigued. "For battling, huh?"

"Yep," Keith stated, for he too was now walking back over to Rose. "Colosseum challenges take place there almost every day. Double battle tournaments that lure in skilled Trainers from all over the region, and this region in turn lures in Trainers from basically all over the world. Case in point, I'm from Lavaridge Town in Hoenn, and my wife is from Kiloude City in Kalos- we met in this region."

"Dad, Rose said she wants to move into town!" Maribel said excitedly.

"Ooh, do you?" Keith said, looking at Rose. "Well, that can be arranged. There's no spare houses, but that's never stopped us from building one."

"Heh, well, as long as me and Kasa can help build it, that's fine by me," grinned Rose. "That's sure to be a good workout for us both!"

~~~~~

Several days later, construction on Rose's house was going well. She'd gotten to know more of Sludge Wave Coast's residents, and became increasingly more convinced that she was making the right move in moving into the town, and even a number of Pokémon belonging to certain residents had taken an especially strong liking to Rose and her ways with Pokémon.

"...OK, so, you guys are sure this is fine?" Rose was saying to Keith and Willa. At this, Pisces, Helga, Mienshao, and Hitmontop all turned to look expectantly at the Masterses, who in turn looked at each other and nodded.

"...we're sure," Willa stated. "From what I've seen, Mienshao will do quite well under you, and I've never known anyone to keep up with Hitmontop's self-imposed training regulations so well.

"And you handled Pisces like a pro," Keith added. "I've never seen anyone jump in the sea and grab a Basculin with their bare hands before. You really made an impression on her. And Helga really seems to like you, too.

"Hari yama," Helga murmured, bowing apologetically to Keith.

"Ah, don't sweat it, Helga," Keith smiled, patting the Hariyama on the back. "I'm happy to have been your Trainer for all this time, but I'm not gonna deny you this opportunity. It's clear to me you'll be even happier with Rose, and that's what you deserve- to be happy," he said. "Been trying to get this through to you all this time."

"...yama," conceded Helga, smiling as she wrapped Keith in a hug that came perilously close to bone-crushing territory.

"Hah... and you know you can come visit any time you like, right?" Rose chimed in. "This ain't goodbye forever, not by a long shot."

"True," Willa nodded. "And make no mistake, we will be taking you up on that."

"Bart would kill us if we didn't," Keith chuckled, turning to look at his Scrafty, who was exchanging a surprisingly emotional goodbye hug with Mienshao.

Rose turned to Bart. "Y'know, offer's still open, Bart," she said. "Be glad to have you aboard too."

"Scraaaft," grinned Bart, but he shook his head all the same, then swaggered back over to Keith and put an arm around his shoulder. "Scraft Scrafty, scraft scraft," he stated, pointing to Keith, who chuckled and put an arm around his Scrafty. The two then exchanged a fistbump.

Rose chuckled. "Can't argue with that," she said. "He's really happy with you, Keith. Though, uh, Willa? I kinda like to do the whole nickname thing, and I know you don't, so..."

"You may bestow upon Hitmontop and Mienshao whatever nicknames they are comfortable with," Willa stated with a small smile.

"Awesome," grinned Rose. "OK, Hitmontop, for you, they was telling me how your mom's this awesome Electivire, and also you're a real live wire when it comes to training, so I'm thinking of calling you Wire. That OK?"

"Hitmontop! Hitmontop!" Hitmontop replied happily.

"That settles that," Rose chuckled. "And Mienshao, based on how you move, I think Grace is the best nickname I can think up for you. How's that sound?"

"Mien! Shaooo!" Mienshao declared with a decisive nod.

"Scraaafty," Bart chimed in with an approving nod.

With all that said and done, Rose stored her various new Poké Balls in her bag, before getting back to work on her house. Taking the cue, the others joined in. It wouldn't be long until she was fully moved into Sludge Wave Coast at last, and it was generally agreed upon that once she did, the town would become that much more interesting than it already was.

What? Dartrix is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Dartrix evolved into Decidueye!

*Kasa learned Rock Smash!*

*Kasa learned Triple Arrows!*

*Kasa learned U-turn!*

*Kasa learned Aura Sphere!*

*Kasa learned Bulk Up!*

What? Roselia is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Roselia evolved into Roserade!

*Venus learned Aromatherapy!*

*Venus learned Grassy Terrain!*

*Venus learned Ingrain!*

*Venus learned Magical Leaf!*

*Venus learned Petal Blizzard!*

*Venus learned Petal Dance!*

*Venus learned Sweet Scent!*

*Venus learned Toxic!*

*Venus learned Toxic Spikes!*

*Venus learned Venom Drench!*

*Venus learned Weather Ball!*

[Missingno. Master]

A Lot To Tink About

"...what the hell is going on, Terri?" Keith asked, eyeing the odd scene that lay before him. They were at the battlefield at Shadow Clearing Park, where a training battle of sorts was underway.

"Training battle," Terri replied, keeping her eyes on the action.

"...I mean, I get that much," Keith conceded, gesturing to aforementioned action. "But like... never really seen this sort of thing before."

"I like it," Terri stated with a small smile. "It's definitely a unique style."

"Hah!" Rose grunted, grinning as she moved around- she was on the battlefield herself, wielding Pisces, her Blue-Striped Basculin, like a club of some sort. Opposite them stood !!!!!, Terri's Tinkatink, who was smiling and laughing, swinging around her clublike hammer. The two lunged at one another once more. "Pisces, use Aqua Jet!" she exclaimed as she swung the Basculin over her head.

"Bascu!" grunted Pisces, causing swirling water to envelop herself, as well as Rose's hands by extension.

"Aw, yeah!" grinned Rose, bringing the Basculin down, only for !!!!! to block it with Rock Smash. From there, she continued to whirl the hammer around, going into a Brutal Swing that repelled Pisces and Rose completely.

"...And Pisces is cool with this?" Keith called out to Rose.

"Of course she is!" grinned Rose. "I get the feeling this is the most fun she's ever had with a training battle!"

"Bas Basculiiin!" Pisces roared in clear and obvious agreement.

"...well, damn," Keith chuckled. "Yeah, giving Pisces to Rose was definitely the play." Then he looked around. "Laugh's not with you?" he asked Terri.

Terri shook her head. "She knew Rose would be here, so she opted to stay home and work on her latest ice sculpture," Terri said.

"...ahh, yeah," Keith nodded. "So, still no progress on Rose warming up to her yet, huh?"

"It's not for lack of trying on Rose's part, at least," Terri stated. "I get it, though. I've had to deal with fears of Palossand and Doublade, myself. Even after confronting them, to this day I'm still a little uneasy around those species of Pokémon."

"I mean, fair," Keith acknowledged. "Yeah, I'm sure Rose'll get there in the end. She's at least started getting to know Helena through phone calls, though we're not yet at the point where she'll opt for videophone. Even so, though, it's something," he shrugged.

"Oh, yes," Terri nodded.

The two friends watched Rose and Pisces square off against !!!!! a bit more, before Keith spoke up again. "So, how's the wedding planning going?" he asked.

"Slowly but surely," Terri replied. "We haven't yet decided on a date for the wedding, but we'll be having it at Alph, we've agreed upon that much at least. You and everyone else in town will of course be invited," she added with a smile.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Keith smiled back. "Any way we can help with things, just let us know, yeah?"

"Naturally," Terri nodded.

"Hey, guys!" Rose called out to Keith and Terri from the battlefield. "Check it out! This is gonna get even more interesting!"

"Hm? What- oh! !!!!!!" Terri breathed, for as she looked on at the battle, Rose and Pisces were fending off a glowing mass that was starting to change shape! The body didn't change very much, save for the hair growing out into what looked like a ponytail, but the hammer got much bigger, with a lengthier handle, and sheets of metal forming around the top. The glowing faded, and the resultant gave a gleeful cackle as her hammer repelled Pisces and Rose with relative ease. Terri consulted her Pokédex at once.

"Tinkatuff, the Hammer Pokémon. A Fairy and Steel-type, and the evolved form of Tinkatink," droned the device. "Tinkatuff will attack groups of Pawniard and Bisharp to gather metal from them. It uses this gathered metal to build onto its hammer, making it larger and sturdier."

"...oh, Ginny is not gonna be pleased with this," Keith chuckled, while Rose swung Pisces at !!!!! yet again, this time the Blue-Striped Basculin seeming to go into a Revenge attack. "She and !!!!! don't even get along as it is."

"I don't think !!!!! would actually try to harvest metal from Ginny," Terri stated.

"Oh, nor do I, don't get me wrong," Keith agreed. "Just, I know that, and you know that, the question is, does Ginny know that?"

"That's the question indeed," nodded Terri.

At this moment, Rose walked over to them, Pisces slung over her shoulder, the training battle evidently over at last. "Heh... whew," she grinned. "Now that was a workout!"

"I'll say," Keith nodded. "Never really thought of battling with Pisces that way."

"Really? You're the one who gave me the idea," Rose replied. "You were telling me about how your Carnivine sometimes does this with her when they're out hunting."

"...oh, yeah, true," Keith nodded. "Hah... wow. I even knew they do this and I never got the idea to wield her like that myself. And clearly it's working for you, too, that was some awesome stuff," he added.

"Hah, thanks," Rose grinned. She then turned to the Tinkatink also approaching. "!!!!!, thank you too," she added. "Good stuff out there!"

"Tinka!" grinned !!!!!. She then swung her hammer around recklessly, forcing Rose to jump out of the way. The Tinkatink giggled at this with an unapologetic grin, then offered Rose a handshake. Chuckling in response, Rose shook the Hammer Pokémon's hand.

"Congratulations on evolving, !!!!!," Terri smiled. "But you have to get used to having a larger hammer now. It's gonna be harder to dodge when you swing it playfully like that."

"Tinka, Tinkatuff," shugged !!!!!, sounding somewhat indifferent.

Terri folded her arms. "It does so make a difference," she said firmly.

"Tinka? Tuuuuuff," scoffed !!!!!, gesturing to her hammer.

"It's still larger than it was, even if you're not satisfied with it," Terri persisted.

While this was going on, Rose stepped closer to Keith. "...so, can she understand what Pokémon say? Like, literal word for word?" she murmured. "Like... I got more of an understanding of Pokémon than most folks, but that's really more just reading body language and tone, that sort of thing- this is sounding like a legit conversation here."

"She can indeed," Keith murmured back. "There's a lot to Terri, but it's her story to tell, when and if she feels like telling it."

"Gotcha," Rose nodded.

"Cool," Keith nodded. "Hey- how are you liking the house?" he added.

"Oh, it's great," grinned Rose. "Really starting to feel like home to me, same with this town. Speaking of, hope you don't mind if I swing by your house later- I promised Maribel I'd help her with her own training."

"Ah, no, we don't mind," Keith shook his head. "But man, you've certainly had an influence on Maribel. You know she's trying that thing you do now, trying to move to match how her Pokémon do?"

"No shit?" Rose grinned. "Ah, geez, that's flattering. The kid's got a lot of talent, too. Really driven."

"Yeah, she's a Masters. We're stubborn like that," Keith chuckled. "But beyond even that- you've met Lily, right?"

"Yeah, why?" asked Rose.

"Well, Maribel lost a battle to her and her Dragalge when she first came to Sludge Wave Coast," Keith explained. "It was her first time losing a battle where she'd been giving it her all. Ever since then she's seen Lily as her rival and is trying to surpass her as a Trainer."

"Heh. That's pretty cool," Rose nodded. "Gives her something to work towards."

"Indeed," Keith nodded. "In fact, Lily's nephew is actually my own longtime rival," he added. "Ralph McPhione. The rivalry's far friendlier in recent years than it once was, but even still, last time he and I had a full battle, he ended up winning.

"Yeah?" Rose murmured. "When was this?"

"Oh, years ago, easily," Keith replied. "Wondering if maybe I should get ahold of him and arrange another one."

"Well, hell, go for it!" grinned Rose. "You've been training since then, ain't
you? I'm sure you're a way better Trainer now than you used to be!"

"...there's something to that," Keith murmured, nodding to himself.

"Give it a go," Rose encouraged Keith. "Weren't you saying a Power Spot was recently discovered under Sludge Wave Colosseum, too? You guys could even Dynamax!"

"...That is true!" Keith nodded. "All right, Rose, y'know what- I'll do it!" And he took out his PokéGear, scrolling through to find Ralph on his contacts list.

What? Tinkatink is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Tinkatink evolved into Tinkatuff!

[Missingno. Master]

A Lot To Tink About II

"Keep it up, Zoom!" Terri exclaimed. "Agility!"

"Keep calm, Hazmat!" Keith called out. "Don't let Zoom get into your head!"

"Slow," nodded the Shiny Galarian Slowbro. He concentrated on the brown and beige blur circling him with increasingly dizzying rapidity, keeping his Shellder raised and at the ready.

"Now! Use Skitter Smack!" Terri commanded.

"Use Shell Side Arm!" Keith ordered.

The next few seconds were hugely eventful. The Furret lunged at Hazmat from behind; Hazmat, spurred into action with unnatural swiftness thanks to Quick Draw, wheeled around and yanked the Shellder's tongue. Big Bertha, upon having her tongue yanked, fired a shot of poison from her back spike, the one Hazmat had aimed directly at the Furret. The move connected, sending Zoom tumbling backwards, hissing irately at the powerful hit.

"Very good," Terri smiled. "Shall we take a break?"

"Yeah, I... I think so," Keith nodded. "Hazmat, Big Bertha, good stuff out there," he added to the second Shiny Slowbro he'd ever owned in his life.

"Slow, Slowbro," grinned Hazmat. Big Bertha muffled appreciatively as well.

With that, Terri began to feed Oran Berries to her Furret, while Keith walked over to the nearest park bench and sat down. The training battle had taken place on the battlefield in Shadow Clearing Park, a charming location just across the street from where the Masterses lived. But right now, Keith wasn't really taking in the beauty of the park; instead he was staring straight up at the sky, seeming deep in thought.

"Is everything OK, Dad?"

Keith blinked and looked; his daughter, Maribel, had sat down beside him. "Oh- hey, sweetie," Keith said, managing a small smile. "Yeah, just... thinking about stuff."

"I was watching you train with Terri," said Maribel. "Hazmat did really well. Is this all for this full battle with Mr. McPhione?"

"It is, yeah," Keith nodded. "One more week until we're meeting at Sludge Wave Colosseum to have it. It's the first time I've had a full battle with Ralph in years."

"...you don't seem too excited, though," Maribel observed, sounding a bit concerned.

"...I mean, I'm looking forward to the battle itself," Keith said. "It's just... I mean, I don't wanna bother you with this stuff, sweetie, it-"

"Dad, it's OK," Maribel interrupted. "I'd want to know if something was worrying you."

"...yeah, I know that," Keith nodded with a small chuckle and a smile. "Alright... well... I lost the last battle I had with Ralph. It came really close, but in the end, we lost. And after that, I talked to all my Pokémon, told them we'd win the next time. And then... I dunno, just... I keep thinking about all the Pokémon who... who've left me since then." He gave a deep sigh. "Dudley decided to go with your Uncle Gavin. Luna, George- the Malamar, not my Pyukumuku- Andromeda, and later Sunny and Ava, they all left me to join Terri's team. Colin- that's that Yanmega I was telling you I used to own- he wanted to go with Irwin, he's that Bird Keeper you always see in the Colosseum challenges with the Flyinium Z. Hermione left my team to join Eddie's. Tom's Feraligatr, that used to be mine, he used to go by the name of Gold. Neville left me to be together with your mom's Lapras in the wild. Norbert left my team to go with Ms. McPhione. Pisces and Helga went with Rose. Artemis left to live in Cadaver Forest with your mom's Decidueye."

"...well, I don't think any of that has to do with what kind of a Trainer they see you as," Maribel murmured. "I had something like this happen too, Dad- Pinsir decided he wanted to join ZZLZZ's team. It wasn't because he didn't think I was a good Trainer, it's just because he really connected with ZZLZZ."

"I mean, yeah, that's true," Keith nodded. "But there is one that definitely did have to do with how the Pokémon saw me as a Trainer," he added. "The Artemis you know is not the first Pokémon named Artemis I ever had. You know Uncle Gavin's Shiny Dustox?"

"Oh, yeah, Agate!" smiled Maribel. "She's Fatale and Severus's daughter, right?"

"Yes," Keith nodded. "But she was originally named Artemis, and she was originally my Pokémon. But one day, she just... she decided she didn't like how I was working with her, and she decided she wanted to seek her fortunes elsewhere. It was honestly a real stroke of luck that Gavin caught her."

"Oh, wow," murmured Maribel. "But Agate seems to like you just fine, I always thought?"

"She and I departed on good enough terms, and I never held it against her," Keith stated. "It's like your mom and I always tell you, sweetie, it's what the Pokémon wants that matters most. But... even so, I... I can't pretend that didn't crush my self-esteem," he admitted quietly. "And it's so easy to think back to that when I got another big battle like that coming up. I... what if I lose again? Who else is gonna lose respect for me? Losing to Ralph in a full battle once was bad enough, but if I lose to him again in the same circumstances...!"

Keith was cut short, however, as Maribel threw her arms around him. "I won't lose respect for you," she said. "You and Mom are two of the best Trainers I know. And your Pokémon all love you so much, Dad. The fact that in all your years as a Trainer, out of all the Pokémon you've raised, only one of them has ever willingly left your team for that sort of reason, I think that says a lot about you. You have 88 Pokémon who love and respect you so much, why not focus on that instead of just the one who didn't?"

Keith allowed himself a small smile as he hugged Maribel back. "...thank you, sweetie," he said. "I think I really needed that. I'm sorry I unloaded all this on you, too, it isn't fair to you, even if you said you were OK with hearing about it-"

"Really, Dad, it's OK," Maribel insisted. "I'm glad I was able to help. I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Maribel," Keith replied. Once the hug had stopped, Keith spoke up again. "So, do you want to watch us train some more?"

"Sure, I do!" smiled Maribel. "In fact, I think Terri's ready, too," she added, looking over at the battlefield. Keith followed his daughter's gaze, and saw that Terri was indeed standing back on the battlefield, looking ready once more.

"...So she is," Keith nodded. "Alright- time to get ready for that battle," he stated determinedly, standing up and striding over to the battlefield.

"Ready for another round?" Terri asked Keith as he returned.

"I am," Keith nodded.

Terri tilted her head. "You seem better off than that short of a rest would have achieved," she observed. "Did something else happen?"

Keith nodded again. "My daughter had a few things to say to me that if I'm being honest, I really needed to hear." He turned to smile proudly at Maribel.

"You and Willa raised her right," smiled Terri. "So, shall we begin?" she added, producing a Gigaton Ball from her bag.

"We shall indeed," said Keith, plucking a Poké Ball off his belt. "Go, Violet!" he exclaimed, sending out his Three-Segment Dudunsparce.

Terri threw the Gigaton Ball at the same time. "!!!!!, engage!" she declared, the ball opening up and unleashing Terri's Tinkatuff onto the battlefield.

"Let's get ourselves in shape for that full battle, Violet!" Keith grinned.

"Duduuun!" Violet responded with enthusiasm.

"Let's start it right, then! Glare attack!" Keith ordered, gesturing towards the Tinkatuff.

"!!!!!, eyes shut, Rock Smash!" Terri ordered.

"Tuff!" grunted !!!!!, slamming her eyes shut, avoiding the Dudunsparce's Glare altogether. She then charged forward, a harsh red glow coming over her hammer.

"Dodge that!" Keith called out.

"Sparce!" chirped Violet, slithering out of the way, just in time for !!!!!'s hammer to connect with the battlefield instead of her opponent.

"Now- we'll use Rock Smash as well!" Keith declared.

"Repel it with Fairy Wind!" Terri exclaimed.

"Tink! Tinka tinka tinka tinkatinkatinkatinkaaaa... TUFF!" !!!!! responded. She held her hammer out in front of her and began rotating the handle in her hands so that the head of the hammer rotated at great speeds. A whirling gust of Fairy Wind erupted from the hammer, just as Violet attempted to strike, her tail drill glowing that same harsh red glow that was seen during !!!!!'s Rock Smash. The Fairy move succeeded in holding back the Rock Smash, but only for a little bit; fluttering her wings determinedly, Violet pushed through and landed a blow that took a toll on the Tinkatuff's Defense- Keith had Violet's Serene Grace to thank for that being a literal guarantee.

"Yes!" Keith grinned. "Now, Vi- Drill Run!"

"Use Brutal Swing!" Terri called.

"Duduuuuuuun..." grunted Violet, energy swirling around her tail drill as she charged at !!!!! again. And the Tinkatuff met the attack by swinging her hammer around to build up momentum before smashing it into the oncoming Drill Run. Both Trainers could only watch as their Pokémon relentlessly struggled to overpower one another. The groaning of metal began to clue them in as to who was starting to gain control, and it wasn't !!!!!.

"Tuff?!" exclaimed !!!!! incredulously. And indeed, she could see her precious hammer starting to fail when faced with Violet's Drill Run. And that would just not do. She focused, put more energy into her hammer than she even knew she had to spare. And before she knew it, she was aglow with a vivid and entirely too familiar blue light.

"Oh!" Terri gasped softly.

"She's evolving!" Keith exclaimed.

Indeed, !!!!!'s body was... not changing very much at all. Her height remained the same. Her hands got a bit larger, and her hair grew out to something akin to twin ponytails, but the hammer was the real story here. It grew ridiculously massive- the head alone seemed to be about as large as !!!!!'s entire body. And yet, as the glow faded, there stood a grinning swinging it like nobody's business. And now Violet was not getting through the hammer. !!!!! swung it in a huge circle, with Violet on the head, and slammed it into the ground with great force. Terri took out her Pokédex, eager to learn more about what !!!!! had become.

"Tinkaton, the Hammer Pokémon. A Fairy and Steel-type, and the evolved form of Tinkatuff," droned the device. "Tinkaton's hammer is over 200 pounds, but it swings the hammer around with ease. Very daring, it uses the hammer to knock rocks into the sky, aiming for flying Corviknight."

"Oh, this thing is trouble," Keith chuckled. "But was that Brutal Swing it was using just now? Because I've never seen it used like that."

"Let me see," Terri said, consulting her Pokédex again.

"Tinkaton's special attack- Gigaton Hammer," continued the Pokédex. "Tinkaton swings its whole body around to smash its massive hammer into the opponent with great force. Gigaton Hammer cannot be used twice in a row."

"Well, we're not worried, Violet!" Keith declared. "Earthquake, let's go!"

"Use Baby-Doll Eyes!" Terri commanded.

"Tinkaaaa..." whined !!!!!, putting on her most adorable baby face, eyes wide. Violet caught sight of this, and somewhat awkwardly held back on her Earthquake, which did rather laughable damage to the Steel-type, all things considered.

"All right, !!!!!!" Terri declared, pulling out her Tera Orb, which immediately began to charge with energy. "Search inside yourself and find the steely strength to quicken our victory! Terastallize!!!" And she threw the Tera Orb. As it came to rest just above !!!!!, the area below her erupted with a crystalline burst of energy. !!!!! began to glimmer as though made from cut crystal, and she bore a Tera crown in the shape of an axe atop her head.

Keith, meanwhile, moved his arms to activated the Z-Crystal set into his Z-Ring. "Here we go, Violet!" he declared.

"Duduuuun!" Violet responded.

"Our minds, our spirits, linked as one!" Keith declared. "Burn hot- hotter than the lava of Cortoza's volcano, hotter than the very sun itself!" As he spoke, he struck the poses of the Firium Z, sending Z-Power flowing into his Dudunsparce, who felt her Fire Blast, already a powerful technique in and of itself, grow stronger still.

"Do it now! Use Gigaton Hammer!" Terri ordered.

Keith grinned, gesturing forward. "Here we go! Inferno Overdrive!!!" he commanded.

Violet surrounded itself with its Z-Power!

Violet unleashes its full-force Z-Move!

...

Violet opened her mouth, charging up a massive fireball before her. Heedless of this, the pure Steel-type Tinkaton came running up, swinging her hammer all around, before jumping up, bringing said hammer high over her head. She attempted to jump over the Inferno Overdrive, but just as she descended to land the blow, Violet fired the fireball. A great explosion of energy ensued from the collision of Z-Moves, forcing everyone in the park to brace themselves. It took a minute or so for the dust to settle, but once it did, there lay Violet and !!!!!, both of them feebly stirring. Both still conscious, but not by a lot.

"I think that will do," Terri nodded. "!!!!!, how are you feeling?"

"Tinkaa, Tinkaton!" grinned !!!!!, getting back on her feet and grinning impishly as she picked her hammer back up.

"Violet, good stuff out there," Keith smiled, petting his Dudunsparce. "What say we get you to the Pokémon Center for some rest, huh?"

"Duduuun," nodded Violet.

Maribel, at this point, ran up and threw her arms around Keith. "Dad, Violet was amazing!" she beamed. "Holding up against that Brutal Swing was really good, and that Inferno Overdrive was amazing! I'd never seen you using the Firium Z before!"

Keith smiled, hugging his daughter back. "Well, sweetie, I don't know whether I'll be using that against Ralph," he said. "But thank you. Come on, come with us, we can talk some more about some ideas I have for the battle, if you like.

"Ooh, sure!" grinned Maribel. And, together with Terri, Keith and Maribel headed off to the Pokémon Center, so their Pokémon could get some much-needed rest.

What? Tinkatuff is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Tinkatuff evolved into Tinkaton!

*!!!!! learned Gigaton Hammer!*

[Missingno. Master]

The Full Battle III

Several days later, it was finally time. Ralph had accepted the offer, and now he and Keith stood across from one another on the battlefield of Sludge Wave Colosseum. Gavin Golurkson stood off to the side, while all the other residents of Sludge Wave Coast sat in the stands, including, to Ralph's mild surprise, his Aunt Lily, who he hadn't known to have moved to Sludge Wave Coast.

Gavin cleared his throat. "Alright, let's get this party started!" he declared. "This is gonna be a full six-on-six Pokémon fight between Keith Masters of Lavaridge Town, and Ralph McPhione, also of Lavaridge Town! It will be a single battle, only ending when all six Pokémon on either side are deemed unable to battle. Each Trainer may make use of Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, Dynamax, and Terastallization as they see fit, but no more than one such power-up on any one given Pokémon."

"Was waiting for this, man," grinned Ralph. "I've been working with my Pokémon. We're better than we used to be!"

"We're no slouches, either," Keith promised in response. "You're in for an even tougher battle than last time, Ralph!"

"Then by all means," Ralph said, gesturing to Keith. "Let's get our Pokémon out here and get this party started!"

"And that's my cue to say, let the battle begin!" Gavin exclaimed.

Keith turned to the Normal-type on his shoulder. "You're up first, Meowth!" he declared. "Go for it!"

"Youse gots it!" Meowth exclaimed, jumping off Keith's shoulder and landing nimbly on the battlefield.

Ralph in response threw an Ultra Ball. "Flygon, stand by!" he declared as the Mystic Pokémon emerged in a flash of light.

"Meowth vs. Flygon- begin!" Gavin declared.

"Had a feeling he'd start with that, but no matter," Keith murmured. "Alright, Meowth- Icy Wind, go!"

"Yeah!" Meowth responded, before inhaling deeply and expelling a frigid gust from his mouth.

"You think that'll stop us? Use Heat Wave!" grinned Ralph. And Flygon, giving a shrill cry, flapped its wings furiously. A wave of hot air erupted from its wings, clashing with the Icy Wind. Neiither attack made it past the other.

Keith was far from deterred. "Now use Iron Tail!" he ordered.

"Flamethrower, now!" Ralph called out. But even as Flygon launched the Fire move, Meowth deftly sidestepped it, before jumping up and whirling in midair, smackign Flygon with a glowing tail.

"Nice!" Keith grinned. "Now follow up with Breaking Swipe!"

"Wrong move," smirked Ralph. "Dragon Tail, now!"

Meowth once again went at Flygon, but this time, his glowing tail was met with a larger, more powerful glowing tail. The attack knocked Meowth backwards, and while he wasn't knocked out. he was flung off the battlefield as one of Keith's other Poké Balls opened up; Dragon Tail was forcibly switching Meowth out for one of Keith's other Pokémon, and he had no control over who was coming out next. However, as Keith saw which of his balls had opened up, he smirked, for while he had no control over what Dragon Tail forced him to use... neither did Ralph.

Ralph looked startled at the sight before him, and Flygon's eyes widened, looking wary. This elicited a creepy giggle from the imminently unsettling Jigglypuff, who stared unblinkingly at them both with her void-like eyes.

"Well, I wasn't gonna bring Lavender out just yet, but hey, hard to argue with this type matchup," Keith chuckled with a shrug. "Ready, Lavender?"

"Jigglyyyy," Lavender hissed affirmatively.

"Eeesh," Ralph shuddered. "Flygon, be careful, that Jigglypuff's not normal."

"Gon," nodded Flygon.

"Let's show 'em, Lavender!" Keith declared.

"Puff!" responded Lavender.

"Flygon! Steel Wing, let's go!" Ralph exclaimed.

"Now, Lavender- Flamethrower!" Keith called out.

"Jigglyyyyyy... PUFFFF!" snarled Lavender, exhaling what Ralph could only describe as the literal fires of hell from her mouth. Flygon shrieked as its metallically-charged wings felt the incendiary onslaught particularly painfully, and it was forced to make a quick landing, cutting the attack short.

Keith pressed the advantage at once. "Scary Face attack!" he ordered.

"Jigglyyyyy," hissed Lavender, contorting her already-creepy expression into one that was the stuff of literal nightmares. Flygon recoiled at the sight, backing away fearfully.

"Gah... Flygon, get back-" began Ralph, taking aim with Flygon's Ultra Ball.

But Keith wasn't having it. "Use Shadow Hold!" he commanded Lavender.

"Jigglyyyyyy!" trilled Lavender. Waves of shadowy energy erupted from her voidlike eyes, and the energy whirled around Flygon, deflecting the recall beam from its Ultra Ball. Ralph gritted his teeth- Flygon was stuck in against an opponent with a distinct type advantage!

"Let's wrap this up," stated Keith. "Use Spirit Break!"

"Puff!" exhaled Lavender. A harsh pink glow emanated from the tip of her right arm. She darted towards Flygon, ready to swing the bloodstained appendage.

"Iron Tail!" Ralph called desperately.

But Flygon wasn't quick enough- Lavender's Scary Face had seen to that. Before Flygon's tail could even start glowing, the Jigglypuff landed a terrific blow that laid the Flygon flat on its back, and left Gavin with a call to make.

"Flygon is unable to battle!" he declared. "Jigglypuff is the winner!"

~~~~~

"Yes! Dad gets the first win!" grinned Maribel.

"That was type matchups working out in his favor, plain and simple," Rose responded, sitting next to Maribel and watching the battle with similar interest. "Trapping Flygon with Shadow Hold was a smart play, but I doubt that'll work twice."

"Yeah," murmured Maribel. She grinned seconds later, though. "Dad's got more tricks than that to work with, though," she said. "He and Mom are two of the best Trainers I've ever known."

"I believe it, kid," Rose grinned, keeping her eyes on the action.

~~~~~

"Whew," Ralph exhaled once he'd withdrawn Flygon. "Sheesh, Keith, what is that Jigglypuff?" he called, eyeing Lavender.

"Lavender here is something else," Keith grinned. "I doubt there's another Jigglypuff like her in the world."

"One can only hope," Ralph murmured to himself, still wary of Lavender, who giggled creepily as though she'd heard him. "Eeegh... OK, Keith, you're bringing a Fairy-type for my Dragons, fair enough. But what if I told you I thought of that?" he grinned, throwing a Heavy Ball. "Muk, stand by!" he declared.

Keith's eyebrows rose as a shapeless pool of purple sludge poured out of the ball. "A Muk!" Keith remarked. "And well-trained, too, by the look of it," he added, nodding approvingly. "This should be interesting. Lavender, take a rest!" he stated, withdrawing the Jigglypuff back into her Vampire Ball. "Meowth, what do you say?" he asked, turning to Meowth.

"I say no way," Meowth shook his head. "I draws da line at sinkin' my claws inta a Muk."

"Fair enough," Keith conceded. "Then Violet, it's your turn!" he declared, throwing a Poké Ball. "I choose you!"

The ball split open, and in a flash of light, Keith's Three-Segment Dudunsparce materialized. "Duduuuun!" she declared, as though announcing her presence.

Now it was Ralph's turn to eye Keith's Pokémon with interest. "Three-Segment Form?" he remarked. "Not bad, Keith! That's a seriously rare form."

"Wow, really?" Keith remarked. "OK, that's definitely something."

"Hey, question," Gavin called from the sidelines. "How rare is Two-Segment Form in a Dudunsparce?"

"Oh, absurdly common," Ralph responded. "That's what like 99% of Dunsparce become when they evolve."

"...FUCK!" Gavin swore.

"Gavin! Language!" Willa exclaimed sharply from the next row of seats
up.

"...right, right, sorry," Gavin sighed. "So yeah, just, like, keep battling," he said to Keith and Ralph.

"Sounds like a plan," Keith stated. "Violet, Glare!"

"Muk, quick, use Dig!" ordered Ralph.

"MUUUUUK," rumbled Muk, deftly tunneling underground and avoiding Violet's glare altogether.

"Bad move," Keith smirked. "Earthquake! Now!"

"Duuuuu...DUUUUUN!" Violet exclaimed, striking the ground with great force with her tail drill. The entire battlefield shook, and Ralph's Muk shot back up out of the hole it had dug, its sludgy body positively bubbling from the intense blow it had sustained.

"Alright, Muk- Toxic, now!" Ralph called out.

"Let's see where that gets you!" Keith declared, whipping out his Tera Orb, which began to charge with energy. "Violet! Unleash the Arbok within!" he called out, before throwing the Tera Orb. "Terastallize!!!"

The Tera Orb came to a stop just above Violet's head, and in an eruption of crystalline energy, a glistening skull and crossbones crown formed above the Dudunsparce's head. Muk fired off a blast of horribly poisonous fluid, but it splattered harmlessly against the temporary Poison-type.

"Aagh, so Poison is its Tera Type," Ralph murmured. "Muk, we can still work with this! Mud Bomb!" he ordered.

"Glare once more!" Keith called.

"DUN!" declared Violet. Her eyes glowed red, and this time, Muk caught a real eyeful, freezing in place before it could ever launch the ordered Mud Bomb.

"Now! Zen Headbutt!" Keith commanded. And at once, all three sets of Violet's wings began fluttering madly, allowing her to be airborne. Not at particularly great altitudes, but up off the ground in any case. And she hurtled herself forward, smashing headfirst into the Muk, who made no effort to counterattack.

~~~~~

"Whoa," Rose murmured as Violet repeated this attack, while Muk seemingly ignored every one of Ralph's commands. "Why doesn't Muk fight back? Zen Headbutt can't be making it flinch every single time."

"Oh, yes it can," grinned Maribel. "My dad's Dudunsparce has Serene Grace, so secondary effects of attacks can happen far more often. Like flinching!"

"...ooh, that's good," Rose murmured.

~~~~~

"Muk, quick, use Protect!" Ralph ordered.

"Muuuuuk," rumbled Muk, as a protective dome formed over its whole body.

Keith's grin widened. "Hyper Drill!" he ordered. And at once, a harsh energy began to whirl around Violet's tail drill. She wheeled around in midair, diving tail-first into the Protect, drilling right through it and landing a forceful hit on the Muk. However, as it got back up, Keith could see it was far from out yet. "Impressive," he called to Ralph. "That Muk's hanging in there but good."

"Sure is," grinned Ralph. "Muk here is a defensive beast. Never had a Pokémon like him before. And now I think I'd better shut your strategy down here and now!" he added, withdrawing Muk, revealing in the process the Dynamax Band on his wrist. "Ready, Muk?" he grinned, as Muk's Heavy Ball grew to resemble a vastly oversized Premier Ball. "Dynamax!!!" he exclaimed, hurling the ball forward. The ball burst open in midair, and Muk could be seen growing larger and larger, until a literal mountain of sludge oozed in front of them.

"MUUUUUUUUUUUUK!!!" the Dynamaxed Muk rumbled in deep tones that shook the entire Colosseum.

"Stay strong, Violet- Earthquake!" Keith exclaimed.

~~~~~

"Ah, yes, a good strategy," Eddie nodded.

"Wh-what do you mean, Eddie?" ZZLZZ asked- the brother and sister duo were sitting beside each other as they watched the battle unfold.

"A Dynamaxed Pokémon can't flinch," explained Eddie. "So even with Serene Grace, none of her attacks will make Muk flinch anymore. Ralph is trying to regain the advantage- he Dynamaxed Muk to give it a chance to regain momentum."

"Ohh," nodded ZZLZZ.

~~~~~

Violet shook the battlefield with Earthquake again, but this time Muk barely seemed fazed. "You gotta do better than that!" Ralph grinned. "Use Max Quake!!!"

"MUUUUUUUK!" rumbled Muk, sending Violet flying with the sheer power behind the Max Move, which Keith realized was super effective. "Violet!" he exclaimed.

"Duduuuun... sparce!" grunted Violet- initially dazed, she snapped right back to reality, and perked back up.

"Let's finish this with Max Phantasm!!!" ordered Ralph.

"Violet, get back!" Keith exclaimed, withdrawing his Dudunsparce, and then throwing the Vampire Ball again. "Lavender!" he exclaimed.

Willa bristled as Lavender emerged from her ball. "Keith should not have done that," she murmured.

Lavender creepily giggled as Muk's latest Max Move washed over her with no ill effects, and Keith was grinning widely by this point. "Use Bide!" he ordered.

"Puff," grunted Lavender, bracing herself.

At this, Ralph laughed. "We'll just see where that gets you! Max Ooze!!!" he commanded.

Keith didn't look worried, even as the eruption of poisonous fluid sent Lavender flying. The Jigglypuff took the hit well enough, and came floating back down to the ground, just as Ralph's Muk shrank back down to size. "Good, good, Lavender," he nodded.

"You think so, do you?" smirked Ralph. "Sludge Wave, Muk!"

"MuuuuuuUUUUUUUUUK!" bellowed Muk. A whirling veil of purple sludge encircled the Muk, and then launched itself right at the Jigglyouff. This one sent Lavender flying even farther, and she slammed into the colosseum wall, peeling off almost comically several seconds later and collapsing to the ground. The energy she'd been storing up seemed to dissipate harmlessly, much to Keith's dismay.

"...Jigglypuff is unable to battle!" Gavin declared. "Muk is the winner!"

"Ah, no!" Keith grunted. "I figured Lavender would take those attacks better... Lavender, return!" he declared, withdrawing the unconscious Jigglypuff.

"Dat was my bad," Meowth sighed. "I should'a sucked it up and gotten in dere ta take dat Max Phantasm."

"Nah," Keith shook his head. "I was already thinking of leaning on Lavender's Bide there, that one's on me." Then he gave a chuckle. "You've really raised that Muk well, Ralph," he called across the battlefield.

"Muuuuuuk!" grinned Ralph's Muk, flexing its sludgy arms happily.

"I'll take that as high praise from you, Keith," Ralph grinned back. "So who's next, hmm?"

"Well, the way I see it, time to go right back to what I was using before!" Keith declared, throwing a Poké Ball. "Violet! One more time!" he exclaimed as the Three-Segment Dudunsparce, still Terastallized, reappeared.

"Not for long, you won't!" Ralph declared. "Muk, use Mud Bomb!"

"MUUUU-uuk!" grunted Muk. Sparks flew from its sludgy form- it was the paralysis from Glare rearing its ugly head, Keith realized. Muk had lucked out with it so far, to the point where it was almost forgotten, but it certainly wasn't forgotten anymore!

"Violet, now's our chance!" Keith exclaimed. "Zen Headbutt, full power!"

"Duduuun! Duuuuu... DUNSPAAARCE!" Violet exclaimed, charging forward at once. Her head gleaming in various colors, she rammed Muk headfirst, sending the Sludge Pokémon oozing backwards. This seemed to be the final straw for the highly defensive creature, and it lay jiggling at Ralph's feet, otherwise unmoving.

"Muk is unable to battle!" ruled Gavin. "The winner is Dudunsparce!"

Ralph gave a small sigh as he withdrew Muk. "Good stuff," he nodded to Keith. "But we're far from out yet! Dragonite, stand by!" he exclaimed, throwing a Safari Ball.

~~~~~

"Yarr," Tom remarked as he saw Ralph's Dragonite materialize. "Well-trained indeed. Show 'im how we McPhiones get things done, cousin."

~~~~~

"And here's Dragonite," Keith murmured- he was no stranger to this Dragonite, having battled it once or twice before. "Violet, best be careful- this is a tough one."

"Dudun!" nodded Violet.

Keith nodded back, then gestured forward. "Use Blizzard!" he ordered.

"Extreme Speed, go!" Ralph ordered. And with a bellowing cry, Dragonite was off, flying around almost too fast for the eye to follow. Violet let fly a raging Blizzard, but Dragonite was moving far too fast. And finally, the Dudunsparce was struck from behind by the Extreme Speed. This sent her tumbling forward, but as she did so, she continued to spew her Blizzard, and this time Dragonite was caught in the snowy attack, grunting its displeasure.

"There we go!" grinned Keith. "Violet, now use Poison Jab!"

"Dun!" grunted Violet. Flapping her small wings with great gusto, she took to the air, her tail drill glowing a vivid purple. Dragonite made to rise back into the air, but Violet was able to land the attack, complete with a crystalline burst upon impact. This knocked Dragonite to the ground, and though a purplish tint became visible on its forehead, Dragonite got back to its feet nonetheless.

"OK, we poisoned it, at least," Keith murmured. "Good going, Violet," he added encouragingly. "Now, Ice Fang! Go!"

"Don't let it, Dragonite!" Ralph called out. "Facade!"

Keith's eyes widened, but he had barely drawn breath before Dragonite struck. Purple, yellow, and orange masses of energy swirled around Dragonite's right hand as it drew back and punched the oncoming Dudunsparce with colossal force. Violet skidded across the battlefield, coming to rest in an unmoving heap at Keith's feet. As if the point needed to be driven home any more abruptly, the Terastallization wore off in a beautiful yet sad burst of energy as the crystalline textures and Tera crown both vanished.

"Dudunsparce is unable to battle!" Gavin declared. "Dragonite wins it!"

"Aagh," Keith sighed. "Violet, return!" he added, calling back the Dudunsparce. "Don't sweat it, girl- you did great," he murmured to the ball in his hand. He sized up the Dragonite before him- still suffering from the effects of poison, while running his fingers over the balls on his belt.

~~~~~

"Facade, hmm?" Lily murmured. "A smart move by that nephew of mine," she nodded approvingly. "Keith certainly has his work cut out for him. I'm interested to see what he does next..."

~~~~~

"Hey," Meowth piped up. "Lemme take a crack at dis big lug."

"Yeah?" Keith grinned. "Ready to get back in there, huh?"

"Youse knows it," Meowth purred.

"Heh, no objections from me," Keith chuckled. "Go, Meowth!"

"It's on!" Meowth declared, dashing out onto the battlefield, smirking up at the Dragonite before him.

"Dragonite, Facade once more!" Ralph called out.

"Use Icy Wind!" Keith ordered.

"Time ta chill out!" Meowth quipped, before taking a deep breath and exhaling a frigid blast of air at the oncoming Dragonite. The Dragon Pokémon shivered uncontrollably, involuntarily slowing its approach. This gave Meowth time to sidestep the Facade attack, however narrowly that might have been.

"OK! Follow up with Breaking Swipe!" Keith declared.

"Yeah!" Meowth responded. His tail glowed brightly, and he swung it around, smacking it across Dragonite's belly, forcing the large dragon to wince, especially as the poison began to take its toll once more.

"Gah... Use Dragon Rush!" Ralph ordered.

"Meowth, use Flash!" Keith shouted.

Meowth locked eyes with Dragonite, even as it came diving down towards him, and his charm erupted with a powerful burst of light. Dragonite cried out and involuntarily swerved in midair to avoid eye contact with the light; this caused it to plow into the ground.

"Time to finish this!" Keith declared. "One last Icy Wind!"

"Dragonite, use Roost now!" Ralph commanded.

Dragonite immediately sat down on the battlefield, waves of healing energy washing over it. The Icy Wind hit, but didn't seem to have its usual impact on what was currently a pure Dragon-type.

"Gah," Keith gritted his teeth. "What do you reckon, Meowth?" he asked.

"I tink it's time!" Meowth replied. "Do da ting!"

Keith nodded, then held out Meowth's Poké Ball, withdrawing the Scratch Cat Pokémon. "The strange energy that courses through us both... let us embrace it... harness it... use it to draw out our true power!" he declared. As he said this, Dynamax Energy flowed from the Wishing Star set into his Dynamax Band and into Meowth's Poké Ball, engorging the sphere until it resembled a bloated Premier Ball. "Here we go, Meowth- Gigantamax!!!" he exclaimed, heaving the ball up into the air. It stopped in midair, bursting open to reveal Meowth growing larger, and larger, and larger still, while assuming a most peculiar form! Everyone looked on in awe as the towered over Ralph's Dragonite!

"Now dis is more like it!" Meowth thundered.

"You better believe it is!" Keith grinned. "Now use Max Hailstorm!!!"

"Dragonite!" Ralph exclaimed, but it was no good- Dragonite couldn't begin to try and dodge before hailstones the size of large boulders rained down on its side of the battlefield. As the hailstones vanished, their effect could be seen plain as day, and not just from the change in the weather either.

"Dragonite is unable to battle!" Ralph declared. "Meowth wins!"

"Way to go, Meowth!" Keith cheered, as the excessively vertical feline gave a thunderous yet undeniably contented purr.

"...Wow," Ralph stated once he withdrew Dragonite. "I didn't even know Meowth could Gigantamax! But that's not stopping us!" he declared, throwing another Safari Ball. "Tyrantrum, stand by!" he declared. And while what appeared was by no means a match for Meowth's current height, it was easily the second tallest being present right now; Ralph's Tyrantrum easily towered over any human present here today. In the stands, Maribel's eyes went wide with awe as she beheld the prehistoric behemoth her dad's rival had sent out.

"We still got this, Meowth!" Keith called up. "Use Max Wyrmwind!"

"It's on!" Meowth rumbled, letting loose a whirling vortex of draconic energy.

"Tyrantrum, Protect!" Ralph called out.

"Rrrrrantrum!" growled Tyrantrum, casting a protective dome over its body. This, however, was insufficient to stop the Max Move in its entirety, and while it kept the worst of it at bay, the shield soon cracked and shattered, subjecting Tyrantrum to damage and Attack reduction alike.

"There's no completely blocking a Max Move, Ralph!" grinned Keith. "All right, Meowth- full-power G-Max Gold Rush, go!!!" he called out.

"Use Dragon Dance!" Ralph commanded. Tyrantrum spun in place, its body aglow with draconic energy, but even as it did this, the ground below it erupted with power and a League Champion's ransom in gold coins. The G-Max Move didn't hit especially hard, considering Tyrantrum's Rock typing, but it left the Despot Pokémon stumbling unsteadily. Ralph inhaled sharply as he realized his Tyrantrum was left confused. Even as Meowth resumed his usual size and form, Ralph was looking less than confident.

Which was an advantage Keith was more than willing to press. "Icy Wind, go!" he ordered.

"Yeah- ow!" Meowth grunted, annoyed at the stinging hailstones. Even so, he exhaled a frigid gust from his mouth, making Tyrantrum shiver uncontrollably.

"Tyrantrum, use Outrage!" Ralph ordered.

"Tyyyyyyraaaaan!" roared Tyrantrum, completely and utterly out of it. It reared back, and for a moment Keith tensed up... but Tyrantrum then slammed its head into the battlefield instead.

"OK! Breaking Swipe, Meowth!" Keith ordered.

"It's on!" Meowth exclaimed.

'Tyrantrum, look out! Use Stomping Tantrum!" Ralph cried out.

"Tyyyyyy... rantrum?" growled Tyrantrum. It blinked, seeming to regain a look of clarity. Seeing Meowth coming up fast, Tyrantrum stomped the ground with great force. Chunks of earth erupted from the battlefield, slamming into Meowth and sending him flying backwards, and all the more forcefully as a result of the previously failed Outrage.

"Oh! Meowth!" Keith exclaimed as the Normal-type collapsed in a heap.

"Geeeh... Meowth, dat's right..." Meowth mumbled, in an absolute daze as he lay on the battlefield.

"Meowth is unable to battle!" ruled Gavin. "Tyrantrum wins it!"

"Ah, don't sweat it, Meowth," Keith murmured, scooping up the Scratch Cat in his arms and setting him down off the battlefield. "You did great. We got it from here."

"Heh... yeah, go get 'em," Meowth responded, still only semi-conscious.

~~~~~

"So that's three down on each side," Willa murmured. "Ralph has two left that haven't battled yet, and a weary Tyrantrum, while Keith has half his team fresh and ready. But," she added, narrowing her eyes, "Keith's already Terastallized and Gigantamaxed. All Ralph's done so far is Dynamax his Muk. This is far from decided..."

~~~~~

"Aletri, let's go!" Keith declared, throwing a Premier Ball onto the battlefield, from which emerged his Druddigon, roaring eagerly.

"Hm! Nice Druddigon," Ralph remarked. "Been well-trained, I can tell right away."

"I'll take that as high praise from you, Ralph," Keith grinned. "And you're about to see firsthand just how well we've trained! Aletri, ready?"

'Druuuuuud!" roared Aletri.

"Heh," smirked Ralph. "Tyrantrum, Dragon Claw!"

"We'll use Dragon Claw as well, Aletri!" Keith called out.

With loud roars, the pair of Dragon-types charged at each other, and their Dragon Claw attacks clashed against one another. Despite the ridiculous size difference, Tyrantrum did not immediately gain the upper hand, being held at bay most impressively as Aletri stood his ground stubbornly, even with both dragons being pelted by the persistent hail from Meowth's Max Hailstorm.

"Now to turn things our way!" Keith decared. "Aletri, Sunny Day!"

"Druuuuuuud!" roared Aletri, firing a beam of energy skyward. The hail let up immediately, and brilliant beams of sunlight streamed down from the sky above through the opened-up roof of the Colosseum.

"Use Dragon Pulse!" Ralph ordered.

"Solar Blade!" Keith grinned.

"DRUUUUUUDIGOOOOOOOON!!" bellowed Aletri. He raised an arm towards the sky, and a beam of solar energy erupted from it. Then, with a swift chopping motion, he brought this beam down on Tyrantrum, stopping the Dragon Pulse before it could begin and inflicting sizable damage.

"Not bad!" Ralph breathed. "But what do you think of... this!" he added, crossing his arms before him, revealing the Z-Ring he wore on his wrist.

"...Uh-oh," Keith murmured. "Aletri, get ready!"

"Drud," grunted Aletri.

"Rayquaza of Sky Pillar, grant us your strength!" Ralph declared as he struck poses. "Let's show them the fury, the undeniable might, the raw power of dragons!!"

"RAAAAAAAAANTRUUUUUUM!!" roared Tyrantrum, Z-Power flowing into its body.

"Use Devastating Drake right now!!!" Ralph commanded with a grin.

"Here it comes, Aletri!" Keith exclaimed. "Dig! Now!"

"Druuuuud!" grunted Aletri, swiftly attacking the ground with his claws, burrowing underground, and leaving Tyrantrum's Z-Move to soar harmlessly above.

"What?!" Ralph exclaimed.

"Aww, yeah!" Keith cheered. "Aletri, attack now!"

"DRUDDIGOOOOON!!" bellowed Aletri, erupting from under the ground beneath Tyrantrum's feet, striking with a super effective blow that knocked the Despot Pokémon on its back.

"...Tyrantrum is unable to battle!" Gavin declared. "Druddigon is the winner!"

~~~~~

Rose gave a low whistle. "Using Dig to evade a Z-Move," she remarked. "That's some out-of-the-box thinking right there."

"That's my dad for you," grinned Maribel. "He and Mom always taught me to not be afraid to get creative in battle."

"Heh, I see they've taught you pretty well, if our first battle was anything to go by," Rose grinned back. "Man, I settled down in the right town, didn't I?"

"I certainly think so," Maribel said, smiling at her friend.

~~~~~

"Whew," Ralph remarked as he withdrew Tyrantrum. "Alright, I'll admit, wasn't expecting Dig," he shrugged. "Good move, Keith."

"Appreciate it," Keith nodded. "Tyrantrum certainly didn't make things easy on us, either," he added fairly. "So what do we got next?"

"Heh, thought you'd never ask," grinned Ralph, throwing a Fast Ball. "Cyclizar, stand by!"

The ball burst open in a flash of light, and a strangely vehicular-looking creature appeared. "Cyyyycli!" it called out.

"Huh. Who's that Pokémon?" Keith murmured, consulting his Pokédex.

"Cyclizar, the Mount Pokémon. A Dragon and Normal-type," droned the device. "Cyclizar has allowed humans to ride on its back since ancient times. It can sprint at high speeds even with a rider on its back."

"Interesting," Keith remarked. "Aletri, go and use Dragon Rage!" he ordered.

"Yeah, not happening!" grinned Ralph, whipping out a Tera Orb of his own, which was already taking in energy. "Alright, Cyclizar- time to Terastallize!!!" he declared. And Terastallize it did, crystalline energy erupting out of the ground, seemingly shrouding it in a sparkling monolith, before bursting apart to reveal glimmering energy all around Cyclizar, and a Tera crown that looked very pink and cutesy. Keith's eyes widened as he realized what this might mean, but his suspicions were truly confirmed as the draconic fireball his Druddigon had fired off was shrugged off with seemingly no ill effects.

"It can't be- your Cyclizar's Tera Type is... Fairy?!" Keith exclaimed.

"It certainly is!" grinned Ralph. "Cyclizar! Tera Blast!"

"Quick, Aletri, return now!" Keith exclaimed, withdrawing his Druddigon just in time to avoid the blast of crystalline energy Cyclizar had sent flying their way. "Rest up- I'll likely need you later," he muttered, before throwing an Ultra Ball. "Showtime- Melittin!" he declared, as his Beedrill appeared in a flash of light.

"Oh, it's gonna get interesting now," murmured Ralph. "Cyclizar, Shift Gear!"

"Let's not waste time!" Keith declared, gripping the brim of his Mega Hat. "Time to show 'em what we're made of! Melittin- Mega Evolve!!!" he declared, sweeping the hat off his head. Immediately, tendrils of energy connected the Key Stone to Melittin's Beedrillite- connected Keith to Melittin- and a wondrous transformation took place. Even as Cyclizar worked to increase its Attack and Speed, it was left beholding a formidable !

Melittin's Beedrillite is reacting to Keith's Mega Hat!

!!!

!!!!

!!!!!



Melittin has Mega Evolved into Mega Beedrill!

"Dragon Rush!" Ralph ordered.

"Use Harden!" Keith commanded.

"Zaaaar!" cried out Cyclizar, dashing towards Melittin at high speeds, but not connecting before Melittin could stiffen his entire body, creating a loud clanging noise as Cyclizar made contact.

"Nice!" Keith grinned. "Alright, Mel- Poison Jab, quick!"

"Use Aerial Ace to counter!" Ralph ordered.

And with that, the combatants lunged, Cyclizar's claws fending off Melittin's massive tail stinger. The two struggled for a moment, before both were forced to back off, their attacks having cancelled each other out.

"Man, it's strong," Keith murmured. "Swords Dance!"

"Shift Gear once again!" Ralph called.

~~~~~

"Even Melittin is having a tough time here," remarked Eddie. "And that Beedrill of Keith's is no slouch- Ralph clearly did a good job training that Cyclizar."

"Y-yeah, it looks like," agreed ZZLZZ. "Um... M-Melittin can do it, though, I know he can," she added, eyeing the Mega Beedrill admiringly. "M-Mega Beedrill is- is as fast and powerful as they come."

~~~~~

"End this now! Outrage!" Ralph called out.

"Poison Jab!!" Keith commanded.

And they were off once more! Cyclizar charged at the oncoming Melittin, and they clashed head-on in the center of the battlefield, kicking up a cloud of dust as the sounds of scuffling could be heard from within. Gavin peered intently at the cloud, and as it began to disperse, he could see he had a call to make.

"Cyclizar and Beedrill are both unable to battle!" he declared. "This match is a draw!"

"Oh!" Keith gasped- sure enough, Melittin was back to his usual form, lying unmoving on the ground beside Ralph's equally unconscious Cyclizar. "Mel, return now!" he declared, calling back the Beedrill.

"Come back now, Cyclizar!" Ralph added, likewise withdrawing the mount Pokémon.

"Not bad," Keith stated. "Beating Melittin like that without using Mega Evolution- that's no easy feat!"

"Oh, believe me, I know," Ralph grinned. "After a few Shift Gears, Cyclizar is on par with even your Mega Beedrill. The fact that you still managed to knock it out... this is still anyone's battle, Keith. But know this- we won't lose!"

"Nor will we!" Keith declared boldly, grabbing the Premier Ball off his belt. "Aletri! One more time!" he exclaimed.

Ralph threw a Great Ball. "Sceptile, stand by!" he declared.

The Pokémon appeared simultaneously- Keith's Druddigon and Ralph's Sceptile.

"Let's go, Aletri!" Keith declared. "Glare!"

"Detect!" ordered Ralph. And with a gleam in its eyes, Sceptile avoided Aletri's Glare with unnatural precision.

"Now! Use Dragon Pulse!" Ralph commanded.

"Hurricane!" Keith called out.

"DrruuuuuUUUUUUUUD!" roared Aletri, flapping his thorny wings to whip up a powerful gale. It forced Sceptile to brace itself, but couldn't stop the Dragon Pulse from barreling through and knocking the Druddigon on his back.

"Finish it! Dragon Claw!" Ralph ordered.

"Aletri, get up!" Keith called, but no use- Sceptile came charging in with exactly the speed Keith had been hoping to nullify, and delivered a decisive slashing blow. This time, Aletri made no effort to get back up.

"Druddigon is unable to battle!" declared Gavin. "Sceptile wins!"

Keith exhaled as he withdrew Aletri back into his Premier Ball. "Gave it a good shot," he murmured. "You did great- Pomona'll be so proud. Now take a good rest."

"Just one left, Keith," called Ralph. "And I bet I know which one, too."

Keith gave a small chuckle as he plucked the sixth and final ball off his belt. It was a bit more weathered than most of his other Poké Balls, but the sentimental value it held, to say nothing of the sphere's actual contents, it all meant so, so much to Keith. "I bet you do," Keith nodded. "And it'll be a different outcome this time- I swear it!" And he threw the ball. "It's time- Gemini!" he declared, as the Normal Form Weezing materialized in a flash of light.

"Weezing weez," groaned Gemini and Mustard, both heads of the Weezing locking eyes with Ralph's Sceptile. Their third time facing off now (second time for Mustard). They turned back to Keith, who smiled and nodded. The Weezing returned this gesture, before turning their attention back to Sceptile.

"And I think we'll just get this show right on the road," stated Ralph, taking what appeared to be some sort of strange microphone out of his jacket pocket. He clicked a button, and the handle extended telescopically, until the whole thing resembled more of a staff, topped of course by the gleaming Key Stone. Ralph grinned widely as he struck the ground with the Mega Scepter. "Sceptile! Mega Evolve!!!" he declared.

Keith and his Weezing watched as Ralph's Sceptile underwent the same sort of transformation that Melittin had done earlier. With tendrils of energy connecting Key Stone and Sceptilite, connecting Trainer and Sceptile, the transformation took place in a big way, the arboreal tail coming to resemble something more akin to a missile. And at last, it was complete, the formidable Mega Sceptile standing at the ready.

"Let's do this!" Keith exclaimed. "Sludge Bomb, go!"

"Weez!" grunted Gemini, belching up a glob of sludge.

Ralph shook his head. "Not happening," he stated. "Energy Ball!"

"SceeeepTILE!" hissed Sceptile, firing an orb of verdant energy, which exploded on contact with the Sludge Bomb in midair.

Nobody in the stands said a word as the battle got underway with great gusto. They all watched, transfixed, as Sceptile and Gemini duked it out, their Trainers issuing commands one after the other. Dragon Claw, parried by Gyro Ball. Poison Gas, dispelled by Razor Wind. Another Dragon Claw, this time met head-on with confidence thanks to Curse.

"Now! Use Payback!" Keith exclaimed.

"WEEEEEZ!" bellowed Gemini. A dark aura came over the Weezing's body as it barreled into Sceptile, fueled by the Dragon Claw it had just taken.

"Grab Weezing now!" Ralph called out as Gemini got close.

'Scep!" grunted Sceptile, reaching out and deftly grabbing hold of the Weezing. The momentum of the Payback pushed Sceptile back, but still it retained a strong grip.

"Gemini!" exclaimed Keith.

"Now! Use Seismic Toss!" commanded Ralph.

"Sceeeep... Scep! Scep! Scep!" exclaimed Sceptile, whirling around in place, spinning Gemini and Mustard around and around. "Sceeeeep... TIIIILE!" it exclaimed, finally letting go, and throwing the Weezing with great force.

"Gemini!!" Keith exclaimed, racing backwards. He made a diving jump, and caught the Weezing in his arms just before they could hit the ground. "Gah... you guys OK?" he asked.

"Weez.... Weezing weez!" responded both heads. The response took them a moment and a considerable effort, but sounded no less sincere for it.

"Yeah," Keith grinned as he got back up, his Weezing floating back into the air. "Let's show them what we got, shall we?"

"Weezing weez!" nodded the Weezing, floating back onto the battlefield.

"You guys got guts, but it'll take more than that!" declared Ralph. "Use Dragon Claw!"

"Use Caustic Crossbones!" Keith ordered.

Ralph blinked. "Wait, what?" he murmured.

"Weez!" grunted the Weezing. "Weezing Weezing Weezing Weezing Weezingweezingweezingweezing-" the two heads chanted as they inflated and deflated with increasing rapidity, churning up the poisons within. And finally, they spewed a volatile mass of sludge right at the oncoming Mega Sceptile. The sludge erupted into a crossbones shape as a skull-shaped cloud of noxious gas rose from the whole thing.

~~~~~

"Whoa!" exclaimed Rose. "I've never heard of that move before!"

"My dad discovered it himself!" beamed Maribel. "He and Gemini and Mustard, they figured it out together!"

~~~~~

"Goodness me!" Lily murmured. "What a strange and intriguing move that was!"

~~~~~

Willa watched the move unfold with a small smile. "That's more like it," she murmured, gazing at her husband.

~~~~~

"Sceptile, are you OK?!" Ralph called out.

"Sceeeep..." groaned Sceptile, attempting to move, and immediately regretting this as an angry burn made itself apparent.

"Burned? But how?" Ralph exclaimed. "Keith, what was that move?"

"You like it?" grinned Keith. "Caustic Crossbones can either burn or poison, regardless of type, and it's super effective against Steel!"

"I've never heard of this before!" Ralph chuckled.

"I wouldn't think so- Gemini and I discovered that move ourselves!" Keith declared. "Now, Gemini!" he added, crossing his arms before him, the Poisonium Z set into his Z-Ring gleaming brightly.

"Uh-oh," Ralph murmured. "Sceptile, get ready to Detect..."

"Our minds, our spirits, linked as one!" Keith exclaimed, moving his arms, striking picture-perfect Poisonium poses. "A power as intense as the Plague Swamp of Cascadia! Feel the poison- BE the poison!” At this, Z-Power flowed from Keith into Gemini and Mustard. Both heads could feel it- their Gunk Shot was being powered up into something far stronger.

"Detect! Now!" Ralph called out to Sceptile.

"This is our true power!" Keith called out. "Use Acid Downpour!!!"

Gemini surrounded itself with its Z-Power!

Gemini unleashes its full-force Z-Move!

...

Sceptile attempted to evade the Z-Move, but as the battlefield all around it turned to noxious swampland, it found there was nowhere to hide. The best it could do was sidestep some of the toxic precipitation, and even then, the move still had a considerable impact. By the time it all cleared up, Sceptile was panting heavily, still conscious, but by the looks of things, not by much.

Gemini and Mustard, however, were fairly worn out themselves. As Keith and Ralph locked eyes, they both knew in that moment that the next move would decide the match. "Hyper Beam, now!" the rivals commanded simultaneously.

At once, Gemini and Sceptile fired off powerful beams of pure destructive energy that collided and clashed in the very center of the battlefield. For a moment, each struggled to overpower the other... and then, Mustard opened his mouth, the Weezing's second head letting loose his own smaller Hyper Beam. It spiraled around the colliding Hyper Beams, causing a small explosion upon striking Sceptile. This forced it to abandon its attempt at Hyper Beam, which in turn let Gemini's Hyper Beam through unimpeded, making for a much larger and far more impressive explosion. The next minute was the longest week of Keith's life as he and everyone else waited for the dust to settle. And then, once they could all get a better look at the figure within said dust cloud...

"Sceptile... is unable to battle!" Gavin declared. "All six of Ralph's Pokémon have been defeated, so the winner of this battle is Keith Golbatson Masters!!"

Keith did not react immediately. His mind dimly registered what Gavin had said, but it did not feel real. Only once the cheering of everyone in the stands started getting through to him did the reality hit him. "We... we won?" he murmured.

"Ya won!" Meowth cheered.

"Weez Weezing weez!" Gemini and Mustard were cheering, spinning around in pure unbridled joy.

Ralph, having already withdrawn Sceptile, walked across the battlefield, offering Keith a handshake. "You won," he said, humbly and simply. "I don't think there can be any doubt anymore, Keith- of the two Trainers to leave Lavaridge Town so long ago, you're the better one."

"...Thank you, Ralph," Keith smiled, shaking his longtime rival's hand. "This was a great battle."

'It was, man. It really, truly was," Ralph nodded. "You and I went all-out here. Giving it everything we had and then some. The fullest extent of our power on display, clashing against one another... that's what a Pokémon fight is all about. Of course, don't think we're never battling again," he added with a grin. "I'll win the next one, Masters."

Keith chuckled, still smiling. "We'll see, McPhione," he replied. "We'll see."

This friendly exchange was cut short quite abruptly by Willa, who ran out onto the battlefield, threw her arms around her husband, and spun him around with surprising force, before physically forestalling anything Keith might have to say by way of her own mouth, an action Keith was happy to reciprocate. Once they broke apart, she smiled at him. "Now that," she said softly, "was a Pokémon battle."

"Yarrgh," Tom remarked, approaching Ralph. "A fine showin' from ye, cousin," he said. "Methinks I ought ask ye fer trainin' tips fer me own Dragonite."

"Heh, you caught one, huh?" grinned Ralph. "Sure thing, man, anytime. Oh- Aunt Lily," he added, for indeed, Lily was approaching. "When did you move into town?"

"Some time ago," Lily responded. "It's been a while since I've seen you in action, your Pokémon have grown very well. Though I was surprised to see you using a Poison-type, considering..." she trailed off.

"...I don't let that get to me anymore," Ralph shook his head. "Really all thanks to Keith I was able to get past that. Muk isn't even my only Poison-type, either- I also have, uh, Remy's old Swalot. After he, well, yeah," he shrugged, awkwardly glancing over the accidental yet wholly unmourned death of his Rocket Executive brother. "There's a lot of good to Poison-types. That's always been what Keith's wanted to show the world," he said, looking on admiringly at Keith, who was now being hugged by his daughter.

"Hmm," Lily murmured.

~~~~~

Some time later, the celebrations had died down, and everyone had moved on to the Sludge Wave Coast Pokémon Center. After Helena was given a blow-by-blow recap of the battle, she gladly went about healing Keith and Ralph's Pokémon, leaving the Lavaridge-native rivals to rest in the waiting area.

Lily approached Keith at this time. "Keith," she said. "You told me when I first arrived here that the Fizzytopia region is still early in the process of establishing a proper Gym challenge, yes?"

"Yeah," Keith nodded. "Why?"

"Because after what I saw today, I have no doubt in my mind that you ought to apply to be the Gym Leader of Sludge Wave Coast," Lily stated. "Especially since the town seems to now be a Power Spot. My nephew told me that your goal is to help the world see the good in Poison-types, a goal I find most commendable," she said with a respectful nod. "After the battle I've witnessed, I am certain this would be a big step forward in that noble goal."

"...Gym Leader, huh?" Keith murmured, thinking this over. "I've given vague consideration to the idea before, but never really thought of seriously pursuing it... I just might have to go for that now," he nodded. "I don't know when they'll start accepting applicants for new Gym Leaders around here, but when they do, y'know what? I'll do it. I'll throw my hat into the ring, so to speak," he grinned.

"Heh, then maybe our next rematch will be with a badge at stake," grinned Ralph.

"Maybe it will," Keith grinned back. Before they could say any more, however, the all-too-familiar jingle sounded from the healing machine. Keith and Ralph looked at each other, then got up and walked over to retrieve their freshly healed Pokémon.

[Missingno. Master]

Undo

Several weeks ago...

"GREETINGS, HUMAN TERRI AND LAUGH! WELCOME BACK HOME!"

Terri smiled as her Mr. Mime greeted the couple in a most vocal manner. "It's nice to be back home, Perform," she said.

"Hey, Ter," came a voice from further into the living room of the House of Alph. "Everything OK? You didn't come home yesterday." The source of the voice was a Furret who was not all that successful in concealing a look of worry.

"I know, sorry to worry you all," Terri responded. "Yesterday was... eventful, to put it mildly."

"Very much so," Laugh confirmed. "But all is well, I can attest to that. There's a lot we have to tell you all."

"THEN BY ALL MEANS!" Perform boomed, the Normal Form Mr. Mime walking over to the couple, looking as though he was carrying something large and heavy. As he dropped his invisible load, the house shook as the sound of the impact assaulted their ears. Perform then held something invisible to his mouth and proceeded to noisily inflate it with his breath. It almost looked like he was trying to blow up a balloon, but as he set it down on the large object he'd previously dropped and then sat upon it, the resultant flatulent noise clued them in that it was meant to be a whoopie cushion, eliciting an amused chuckle from Terri.

Terri and Laugh waited patiently for the former's Pokémon to gather around. Reassure shuffled gracefully in, wearing Help around her neck like the lei she so resembled. Want perched obnoxiously on Help's head, prompting Reassure to unceremoniously remove the Murkrow through deft usage of Vine Whip. Chase zipped around overhead, never slowing down, but going in circles consistently enough that it was evident the Minior wanted to hear this. Quicken and Engage hovered near the ceiling, though well out of Chase's path. This went on until all of Terri's Pokémon, minus the ones she currently had on hand, of course, were present and accounted for.

"All right," Terri stated. "So, as you know, I doing some training yesterday. I stopped by the Pokémon Center in Greenmuk City to rest, and when the Nurse Joy handed me back my Poké Balls, I'd noticed she hadn't handed me back Undo's Leaden Ball. I asked about this, and Nurse Joy explained that Undo had worn herself out more than the others, and insisted on keeping her there until the following morning."

This elicited worried murmurs among Terri's Pokémon. "OK, obviously Undo's OK, or Luna would've said something. I'd friggin' hope so, anyway," Zoom added, with a questioning glance at the nearby Swoobat. "But ain't she the one keeping your curse in check?"

"She was indeed," confirmed Terri. "You can imagine, this didn't sit very well with me."

"Nor with me," Laugh concurred. "So, we set out to try and do something about the curse then and there."

"Without me?!" cawed Want in sheer surprise. "Forgive my insolence, Honchkrow Terri, but you know I'd have been first in line to help you rid yourself of that dreaded curse!"

Terri nodded. "I know, Want, and I absolutely appreciate that. The thing is, I took the team I took yesterday at Luna's recommendation, and when Laugh and I decided we would try and get rid of the curse, I realized Luna must have foreseen this and selected my team with this in mind."

I can confirm this, Luna telepathically transmitted to all present. I mean no offense, Want, but the situation being what it was, your particular talents wouldn't have been put to their best use.

"...Dark-type?" asked the Murkrow following a moment's thought.

Terri nodded. "Dark-type," she confirmed. "Now... considering the caster of the curse had with her a Galarian Slowking, I sought to find one of my own. So we headed to Sunset Shore- that's on the western coast of Fizzytopia- where I had heard tell of a Galarian Slowpoke outbreak. Just before we got there, we met a Shellder who spoke of a bully of a Galarian Slowpoke. I concocted a plan to both rid them of their bully and get me the help I was seeking all at once; the Shellder assisted us in forcing the bully, a Shiny Galarian Slowpoke, to evolve into Slowking."

"I have a question," Observe piped up. "Would I be correct in assuming that Galarian Slowking is more under the Shellder's control than under its own power? I am unfamiliar with Galarian Slowking, but I doubt you would have enabled such a bully to gain even greater power..."

"An astute observation indeed," Terri smiled. "Galarian Slowking is effectively an extension of the Shellder. A meat puppet. Meanwhile, the Shellder gains great power and intellect."

"The Shellder agreed to help in this plan, and in return, promised to do all he could about Terri's curse," Laugh continued. "And once he had evolved the Slowpoke into Slowking, he was happy to do so. He stated that simply destroying the curse as it was would also destroy me, so-"

"WHAT?!" exclaimed every single gathered Pokémon with the obvious exception of Laugh, and, Terri assumed, Keep.

"- so, he instead had to force the curse to change its state," Terri continued, persisting through this outburst. "Force it to assume a form that could then be destroyed without risking my life in the process. The only problem was that it would have to be battled in that state, forced into submission, and it could very feasibly attempt to regain possession of me in the process. And the Slowking couldn't join in on the fight, either- he was expending his energy trying to prevent the curse from fleeing."

"So he forces it to manifest, and it becomes this... it was like a Spiritomb, but without the Odd Keystone," Laugh attempted to explain. "I went in to fight it, of course, but wasn't expecting Terri to send out Search to assist. I was momentarily surprised, but Terri reassured me that my help was wanted and appreciated; she just wasn't gonna hide behind me and let me do all the work."

"No, indeed, "Terri smiled, receiving a loving smile from Laugh in return. "Search was able to land a Miracle Eye, which helped out greatly, and even !!!!! got in a timely Fairy Wind to disrupt it. Once those two were knocked out, I sent out Make, and after that, Nuzzle. We were able to land a devastating blow with Let's Snuggle Forever, and then I called for the Slowking to finish it with an Eerie Spell attack. And... he did just that. The curse is no more," Terri finished simply, smiling as she showed her arm, now completely devoid of any cursed marking.

Cheers erupted from the gathered Pokémon. Terri smiled as her Pokémon, her friends, noisily celebrated the burden being lifted from their Trainer. And she and Laugh grinned at each other; if they were celebrating now...!

"Excuse me?" Terri called, attempting to attract her Pokémon's attention. "There's a little more to the story as well. After the moment of unbridled joy and relief passed, I came to realize anew just how much Laugh means to me, just how much I want to spend my life with her. The moment was right, so I proposed to her."

"And I said yes," Laugh smiled. "Terri and I are getting married."

Terri and Laugh had been right- the cheers and celebrations from before had been nothing compared to the utter cacophony erupting from the gathered Pokémon. XXXXX flew in and threw his steel arms around the couple, sobbing unabashedly in a mechanical monotone as the emotional Bronzong blubbered out his congratulations; Vanish flew several celebratory loop-de-loops; and Perform was sounding what sounded like several invisible air horns at once, the Normal Form Mr. Mime bellowing his most heartfelt congratulations.

Once the celebratory atmosphere had died down, Terri turned to Laugh. "There's just one more matter to be settled," she said. As she spoke, she dug a Leaden Ball out of her bag.

"...Undo," nodded Laugh. "She doesn't know yet, does she?" she asked. "And I don't mean about our engagement."

"No, indeed. Well, not that either, she needs to be filled in on that as well, but yes, you know what this is to be about," Terri nodded. She gave a deep sigh. "Undo, engage!" she exclaimed, sending out her Runerigus.

Undo turned her single eye upon her Trainer, and though she had nothing in the way of a facial expression to change, something akin to conflict seemed to arise in her eye. "...You are rid of the curse," she said.

"I am," Terri nodded. "I know feeding off of it was your preferred form of sustenance since evolving, Undo, but you knew I would do this eventually."

"I did indeed," Undo confirmed. "I can't pretend it's not disappointing to lose access to such flavorful cursed energy, but... that curse would have someday driven you and Laugh apart. It was all I could do yesterday to not jump out the Pokémon Center window and go after you. I suspected you might try and find a way to eliminate the curse, and whatever conflict I might feel on the matter, I am glad you seem to have succeeded."

"Thank you," smiled Terri. "...Undo," she added. "I don't want you to feel bound to me if the loss of this curse takes away all that you saw in me as your Trainer. If you wish to part ways with me here, there will be no hard feelings," she promised.

But Undo shook the chunk of stone slab containing her eye, the chunk that thus one might consider the approximate equivalent of a head. "I knew from the onset that the curse would ultimately be temporary, that you would seek a more permanent solution," she stated. "I accepted this. I am fine with the idea of finding alternate sources of nourishment. I did not join you for the cursed energy, I joined you because you are a good and kind person, and I am proud to have someone like you as my Trainer. I only hope you will continue to have me now that my purpose in mitigating the curse's effects has ceased to be a contributing factor."

Terri's smile widened. "I'm glad to hear you say that," she said. "I am proud to have someone like you as my Pokémon." And she walked up and hugged the Runerigus, who hugged Terri back. "Oh, also, Undo?" Terri added after a few seconds of this heartwarming scene. "There's two other things to note. First, I'll be introducing you and the others to your newest teammate; Yield, a Shiny Galarian Slowking. And second and foremost, Laugh and I are now engaged."

"You what?!" exclaimed Undo excitedly. "Eternatus's fingers, Terri, why didn't you open with that!? Congratulations!!" the Runerigus exclaimed, pulling Laugh into the hug as well. Terri and Laugh smiled and hugged the Runerigus back. The newly-engaged couple had a lot they would have to do, more friends to inform, all sorts of things. But telling Terri's Pokémon, and filling Undo in on all of this, that was a big step right there, and maybe it just felt this way because the curse was gone, no longer looming in the backs of their minds unwelcome and uninvited... but it felt to them both like things were going as smooth as they possibly could.

[Missingno. Master]

ZZLZZ And Rose

"I- I don't know, Eddie, wh- sh-she's scared of someone so- so nice as- as Helena, wh-what would she make of- of me?"

"ZZLZZ, are you in any way a Ghost-type?"

"Huh? N-no, I- I don't think so?"

"Then you should be fine," Eddie smiled reassuringly. "By all accounts, her fears are towards Ghost Pokémon specifically, which you, by your own admission, are not."

"I... well... O-OK, I'll introduce m-myself," ZZLZZ Starmie murmured. And with her older brother following, the Bug Catcher started making her way towards the battlefield in Shadow Clearing Park, where Rose was sparring with her Hisuian Decidueye. "U-um... e-excuse me? Miss Rose?"

"Hah! Hah! H- hm?" Rose murmured, signaling for Kasa to stop for the moment. "Oh, hey," she grinned. She blinked in surprise as she saw ZZLZZ's body flicker and glitch out, but otherwise didn't react to it. "You're that Bug Catcher what lives in the lab, right?"

"Y-yeah," nodded ZZLZZ timidly. "I- I'm ZZLZZ. ZZLZZ Starmie."

"ZZLZZ, huh?" remarked Rose. "Hell of a name you got. Of course, I was literally named after two different Pokémon, so I'm hardly one to talk," she chuckled.

Eddie stepped forward. "ZZLZZ has her name as a side effect of surviving the normally-deadly ZZAZZ phenomenon," he explained.

"Ah, yeah, that'd do it," Rose nodded, frowning thoughtfully. "I heard of that ZZAZZ stuff when I was little, Grandpa ZZUZZ told me the story."

Eddie's eyebrows rose in surprise. "ZZUZZ Elia was your grandfather?" he breathed.

Rose raised an eyebrow. "You know of him?" she asked. "I don't even know your name and you know my dead grandfather?" she chuckled.

"Ah, yes- Edward Starmie," Eddie introduced himself. "I run the Starmie Cryptopokology Research Lab, and have researched, among other things, the ZZAZZ phenomenon, and quite extensively so, hence my knowing of your grandfather. Please, though, call me Eddie, I much prefer that."

"Heh, sure thing, Eddie," grinned Rose, offering a handshake, which Eddie accepted. She then offered the same handshake to ZZLZZ, who hesitantly accepted it. Rose, however, didn't look bothered by the glitching effect spreading to her. "Hah, man, that takes me back," she chuckled nostalgically, looking down at her flickering, glitching body. "Happened every time I hugged Grandpa."

"S-so, your grandfather d-didn't know his re- his original name, either?" ZZLZZ asked.

"Nope," Rose shook her head. "Well, I say that, but we know it was Bruno. My Uncle Bruno, his kid, we still know he's Bruno Elia Jr., so..." she trailed off, shrugging.

"...Indeed!" Eddie murmured. "I'd never thought to look into the relatives of ZZAZZ survivors for clues as to the original names!"

"Yeah?" Rose asked. "This a big deal to that or something?"

"Potentially. I'm still unsure as of yet," Eddie replied, now scrawling hastily in a notebook. "ZZAZZ victims, living or dead, have the name thing in common, which leads one to believe that perhaps something about the name is what somehow determines whether a ZZAZZ victim survives the ordeal. It's bizarre, I'll grant you that, but so is so much else about this field of study."

Rose chuckled. "You're really into this kinda stuff, ain't you?" she asked.

"Very much so," Eddie confirmed, now stowing his notebook back into his bag.

"M-my brother was such a huge help wh-when me and- and Dusty had... th-that day in- in Viridian Forest," ZZLZZ murmured. "I... I didn't know what was going on, but... but Eddie was there when I needed someone."

"You don't say," Rose grinned. "Sounds like quite a guy."

"Ah, it was nothing, really," Eddie replied modestly. "ZZLZZ wasn't actually a part of the family at that point, but when she'd started staying with us here, we all grew to love each other like family. My parents began the process to legally adopt her not long after. By now I defy anyone to call her anything less than my sister."

"From where I stand that's a little more than nothing!" Rose declared. "C'mon, you two- train with us, yeah? Heard from Maribel you two are pretty good with Pokémon."

"Yeah? Eddie, why don't we?" asked ZZLZZ.

Eddie nodded, looking at Rose. "A splendid idea," he agreed.

~~~~~

Some time later, Rose took a seat on the nearest park bench. "Alright, I'd say that's good for the day," she stated. "Ed, Z, I'm impressed, some good stuff out there," she grinned.

"I could say the same for you," Eddie replied.

"Yeah, I like how you move the same way as your Pokémon," ZZLZZ added.

"Hey, I mean, I saw a little of that out of you and your Pinsir," Rose responded. "Not as much as with me and Kasa, but a good start if ever I've seen one. You two are really in sync."

"You think so?" smiled ZZLZZ.

"I know so, kid," grinned Rose. "In fact, y'know what?" she added on a sudden inspiration. "Got something I found back on Seven Island some time ago. I'll send it your way tomorrow. You and Crusher should both get some good use out of it."

"Yeah? Wow, thank you!" ZZLZZ beamed.

~~~~~

"...X-x above," Eddie breathed. It was the next day, and ZZLZZ had just opened up the promised package from Rose. It contained a pale green wristband, looking just about right to fit on a Pinsir's wrist. And set into it was a glistening spherical gemstone, the identity of which was unmistakable; ZZLZZ had just been sent a Pinsirite.

[Missingno. Master]

Remy

The Hisuian Decidueye looked down at her opponent to be for a second, then turned back to Rose with an incredulous expression.

"Ah, don't sweat it, Kasa," grinned Rose. "I get it, Fairy beats Fighting, but y'know what? Grass beats Water. This one goes either way, and we got what it takes to tip it in our favor! Whaddaya say?"

Kasa hooted uncertainly, but turned back to face Eddie's Pikablu all the same. The size difference made Kasa the easy candidate for a safe bet in this one, but the Hisuian Decidueye could feel the aura of power the PokéGod was emanating. A bit of a far cry from the makings of a simple friendly training battle as had been the intention, but neither of them were about to back down so easily!

Eddie grinned, adjusting his glasses. "I like your determination," he stated. "But we'll see where that gets you! Pikablu, Thunder Wave!" he ordered.

"Bluuuu... PIKAAA!" Pikablu exclaimed, the Marill precursor letting loose an electromagnetic wave from the orb on her tail.

"Repel it! Aura Sphere!" commanded Rose, while moving her body as though preparing to launch such a move herself. And Kasa, mirroring these motions perfectly, fired a brilliant blue ball of pure aura at the oncoming Thunder Wave. The moves pushed against one another for a few moments before cancelling each other out.

Rose gave a low whistle. "That was some Thunder Wave," she remarked. "But no matter- Kasa, Magical Leaf!" she exclaimed, opening her arms wide in a forceful gesture. Kasa, hooting shrilly, did this same thing with her wings, though in this case this resulted in a number of rainbow glowing arrow quills flying out, honing in on Pikablu.

"Use Icicle Spear!" Eddie ordered.

"Pika!" grunted Pikablu. Her tail orb glowed brightly, and sharp icicles shot out of it, each one shooting down an arrow quill before continuing onward. Kasa hooted indignantly as the frigid spears pelted her.

"All right- use Psyshock!" Eddie exclaimed, eager to follow up.

Now the tail orb glowed a brilliant shade of purple. Orbs of condensed Psychic energy materialized all around Pikablu, and with a yell, she sent them flying.

"Dodge 'em and use Leaf Blade!" Rose ordered. But it was no use- Kasa was unable to evade all the Psyshock orbs, and even just the one that hit her sent her tumbling to the ground.

"...I believe we should call it there," Eddie stated, watching as Kasa tried, with great difficulty, to get back up. "If we force the battle to continue, Kasa could get hurt, and I don't want that."

Rose looked torn for a second, but as she made eye contact with her struggling starter, she relented. "...yeah, good call," she admitted. "Damn, though, Ed," she added with a small chuckle. "Pikablu, huh? So all that stuff about PokéGods and whatnot, that's the real deal?"

"It is indeed," Eddie nodded. "Pikablu here has immense power. The trick is showing restraint with that power, something she and I both have been making an effort to work on."

"Pika," Pikablu nodded in agreement.

"Well, I gotta say, calling the battle when you did, I think that qualifies as restraint," nodded Rose as she helped Kasa to her feet. "I was tempted to just keep going, but... I ain't about to put Kasa at risk like that. That ain't no way to win."

"No, indeed," Eddie agreed. "Shall we head to the Pokémon Center, then? Or, uh, I could take Kasa there for you," he amended, noting the look on Rose's face.

"...no, no, it's good," Rose exhaled. "I... Helena's real nice and all, so... I wanna try and make the effort at least, y'know?"

Eddie nodded with a small smile. "I think that's a good idea," he stated.

~~~~~

Soon after, they had arrived in the Sludge Wave Coast Pokémon Center. Rose had been able to bring herself close enough to put Kasa's Poké Ball on the counter, but backed away rather hastily as Helena floated down to pick it up. It was sad for the Banette to see, but even so, this alone was still progress for Rose, and so she said nothing about it.

"...so, Ed, you helped me and Kasa train a bit, I feel like I oughta return the favor," Rose said as they sat and waited in the waiting room. "Anything you're working on training up right now?"

"...there is one thing," Eddie murmured, following a moment's consideration. "My Drowzee's been focusing on his training a good amount lately. I realize Psychic types are far from your area of expertise, of course, but I think Remy and I would both appreciate whatever help you could possibly provide."

"Heh, sounds like a challenge," grinned Rose. "But I'm game."

~~~~~

Not long after that, Helena had finished treating Kasa and Pikablu, and so Eddie and Rose left the Pokémon Center, and returned to Shadow Clearing Park. This time, Eddie took a regular Poké Ball off his belt and threw it. "Go! Remy!" he exclaimed as his Drowzee materialized.

"Hm," Rose murmured, walking up to the Psychic-type. "So this is Remy, huh? Good to meetcha, Remy," she said, shaking the Drowzee's hand.

"Drrrowzee," responded Remy with a smile.

"So, how about you battle me and Pisces next, huh?" Rose asked Eddie.

Eddie blinked. "...are you gonna do that thing where you wield your Basculin like a club?"

"Sure am!" Rose grinned.

"...and you're not worried about getting hurt by an attack?" Eddie followed up.

"Nope," Rose shook her head. "And don't hold back on my account, either," she added."

Eddie and Remy exchanged looks. "...well, I suppose it's worth a shot," he murmured. "Remy, would be willing to try?"

"Drow... zee," Remy murmured back uncertainly. He nodded all the same however.

"Excellent," grinned Rose, as she sent out her Blue-Striped Basculin and gripped her tightly with both hands. "Pisces, ready?"

"Bascu!" grunted Pisces.

"All right, then," Eddie exhaled. He took a deep breath, then issued the first command of the battle. "Remy, use Psybeam!"

"Drrrowzeee!"" bellowed Remy, letting fly a rainbow-colored beam of psychic power from his trunk.

"Hah! Liquidation!" Rose ordered. And water formed all around Pisces, in such a way and shape that it looked like Rose was holding some sort of watery broadsword, which she proceeded to slash at the oncoming Psybeam with, disrupting the attack at once.

Eddie's eyebrows rose noticeably. "Impressive!" he murmured. "All right, then- Headbutt!"

"Time for an Aqua Jet boomerang, Pisces!" grinned Rose. And she threw the Basculin with great force. Water swirled all around Pisces as she hurtled into the oncoming Drowzee, knocking him on his rear. Pisces, meanwhile, hurtled back towards Rose, who caught the Hostile Pokémon expertly in midair.

"Let's make sure that doesn't happen again! Psychic Terrain!" Eddie ordered.

"Zeeeeee..." droned Remy. A ripple of energy emanated from him all across the battlefield. In the wake of that ripple, a strange and bizarre energy imbued the terrain on which the battle was taking place.

"All right, Pisces!" Rose declared, planting her feet firmly on the ground and pointing the Basculin straight ahead. "Hydro Cannon!"

"Remy! Psychic attack!" Eddie commanded.

Pisces opened her mouth and let fly a high-pressure jet of water, just as Remy's eyes glowed blue, the Drowzee letting loose a powerful telekinetic force that managed to hold the Hydro Cannon at bay. But Pisces wasn't giving an inch by any means, forcing Remy to keep the attack going. "Drowww..." grunted Remy, visibly struggling to keep the Psychic attack going, trying desperately to push the water back, trying to break through and strike Pisces with the attack... and as he kept trying, a brilliant blue glow came over Remy's body. Eddie gave a small gasp, but he wasn't the only one- as soon as Remy realized what was happening, he too gasped, but more out of horror. The glow flickered intermittently, and stopped altogether, along with Remy's Psychic, which allowed Pisces's Hydro Cannon to blast through, sending the Drowzee tumbling backwards.

"...What just happened?" Rose asked. She lowered Pisces and began walking across the battlefield, while Eddie rushed to his feebly stirring Drowzee's side. "I thought Remy was about to evolve?"

"He was," Eddie confirmed. "That glow was unmistakable- he was on the brink of evolution. But he stopped himself, even at risk of losing the battle... Remy, is everything OK?" he asked.

"Drow..." Remy murmured. He was now sitting up on the ground, but would not look his Trainer in the eye, instead keeping his gaze fixed intently on the ground before him.

"I never realized you didn't want to evolve, Remy," Eddie said quietly. "Neither Homer nor Hermione ever gave me any inkling that this would be the case with you. I've always gotten the impression you were OK with evolution, considering your focus on training and getting better with your psychic powers. I'm not disappointed, for the record," he added. "If you don't want to evolve, I'm fine with that.

"Drowzee drow," Remy sighed. He neither looked nor sounded especially comforted, and still refused to meet his Trainer's gaze.

"...y'know, I get the feeling it ain't that he doesn't want to evolve," Rose remarked. "I think Remy's conflicted about something here."

"Conflicted?" Eddie repeated. "What about?"

"Hard to say, "Rose said. "But I got a decent idea. You got Remy in the Adoption Center, you told me, yeah?"

"Indeed I did," Eddie confirmed. "He had a habit of trying to hypnotize people into adopting him, simply because he'd managed to convince himself it was the only way.

"Hmm," frowned Rose. "Y'know what, that tracks. You don't talk yourself into thinking that way unless you've been given reason to," she stated. "Back in Sevii, Remy would have a pretty bad reputation, and it'd have everything to do with what he'd evolve into. It's said that in the Berry Forest on Three Island, wild Hypno will sometimes kidnap little kids with their hypnotic powers. My guess is people were turned off from adopting Remy because of Hypno's reputation, and that's why he's conflicted. He'd like to evolve, get stronger, all that jazz, but he's afraid of what people would think of him as a Hypno."

"Remy, is that true?" Eddie asked. And this time, the Drowzee gave a slow, sad nod, tears coming to his eyes. In response, Eddie hugged his Drowzee, who hugged him back at once. "You listen to me, Remy," he said quietly. "It's not right to let an entire species be defined by its worst specimens. Banette and Stunfisk have some pretty nasty reputations in this region, but just look at Helena and Rubeus. Even Rose, who's afraid of Ghost-types, is making an effort with Helena, because she knows Helena's honestly good. If you want to evolve, you go right ahead and evolve."

"Droww..." Remy murmured, hesitantly, uncertainly.

"Listen, Remy- I know you by now," Eddie continued. "You have a heart of gold. I know it, Rose knows it, ZZLZZ knows it, everyone else back at the lab knows it. And if anyone has a problem with you based on what you are, before even getting to know you, then they have a problem with me," he stated firmly.

Rose looked on while this took place. Her first impression of Eddie was that he'd be real logical-minded, and not put so much stock in gut feelings and emotions. And yet, here he was, having an honest heart-to-heart with his Drowzee, comforting him, all going off of what Rose had said, much of which was educated guesswork. She found she was more impressed than ever with him, even moreso as the effects of his words made themselves apparent- the Drowzee he held in his arms began to glow once again. And this time, nothing would halt the process. Indeed, when Eddie and Remy broke apart, the latter had become a ! Remy's eyes sparkled with admiration, respect, and gratitude as they met Eddie's own eyes. Eddie smiled reassuringly at Remy, before taking out his Pokédex.

"Hypno, the Hypnosis Pokémon. A Psychic-type, and the evolved form of Drowzee," droned the device. "Hypno carries a pendulum-like device which it uses to lull opponents to sleep. Its special attack is Hypnosis."

"So, we continuing the battle, then?" Rose asked. "Or maybe we could get something to eat first?"

"Well-" began Eddie, before a loud gurgling sound cut him off. He and Rose both turned to look, with no small amount of amusement, at said gurgling's source.

"Hyyypno," chuckled Remy sheepishly. At this, everyone laughed, and it was agreed unanimously then and there that a good lunch was in order first and foremost.

What? Drowzee is evolving!



...

..-



...?

What? Drowzee is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Drowzee evolved into Hypno!

*Remy learned Barrier!*

*Remy learned Future Sight!*

*Remy learned Nasty Plot!*

*Remy learned Nightmare!*

*Remy learned Switcheroo!*

[Missingno. Master]

A Positive Spin

"It's not a problem, Incognito," Eddie was saying as he walked back towards his laboratory. "You were fantastic, don't think any less than that of yourself just because you lost the battle."

"Klaaaaang," droned the Klang in what could only be described as a dejected mechanical monotone while he floated at Eddie's side, minigears rotating at a much slower pace than usual. This was happening in the wake of Eddie's participation in a Colosseum challenge at Sludge Wave Colosseum, in which he made it all the way to the finals, only to lose to Lily McPhione, and her Dragalge and Lapras. Eddie's Electrode and Klang had been knocked out in remarkably short order by Lily's Pokémon, making for a seriously short final battle.

"Listen, Incognito- Lily and her Pokémon are on another level," Eddie stated. "That we are not yet on that level ourselves is nothing to be ashamed of. You and Gigawatt still got us as far as the finals, after all."

'Klang..." Incognito considered. Before any conversation could continue, however, another mechanical monotone sounded from behind them both.

"Klang, the Gear Pokémon. A Steel-type, and the evolved form of Klink. Klang conveys its feelings by changing the direction and speed at which its gears rotate."

Eddie and Incognito both turned around to see the source behind them; a Pokédex, being held out by none other than Rose Elia. "Ah, hello, Rose," Eddie greeted the Battle Girl. "I didn't see you there, sorry."

"Nah, I wasn't exactly drawing attention to myself," Rose shook her head. "Saw you two heading back, thought I'd see how you were doing. That final battle was, wow," she exhaled.

"Yes," Eddie nodded. "Incognito here hasn't been taking the loss especially well." Then, Rose's words registered in his mind. "...oh, you were watching?" he asked. "I thought you would have entered for sure."

Rose gave a sheepish sigh. "I meant to, but by the time I got to the Colosseum, signups had closed," she admitted. "So I was in the stands just watching the battles, and I gotta say, that was still some good stuff. Especially from you, Ed- thought for sure you'd win."

"Eheheh, thank you," Eddie responded modestly. "Though with Lily entering, I'm not sure I had a chance. She's a far better Trainer than me right now."

"Well, hell, I'd think that's all the more reason to train harder!" grinned Rose. "In fact, you doing anything right now?"

"W-well, I had nothing in mind-" Eddie began.

"Excellent, then how about we do a little training?" Rose offered. "Park's right there, the battlefield's open and everything," she added, indicating Shadow Clearing Park, right there on their left.

"Hm," Eddie considered. "Incognito, what say you?" he asked.

"Klaaaang," murmured Incognito. It still did not look especially enthused.

"Ah, c'mon now," Rose said, approaching the dejected Klang. "I was watching those battles, you got some serious fight in you! That Dragalge is extra-strength, that's all there is to it. You still helped get Eddie to the finals, and in a big way, too. You're plenty strong, and I wanna help you get even stronger, so how about it, huh?" she grinned.

As Rose gave her pep talk, Eddie looked on, mildly impressed. Rose did not, on the surface, come off like the kind of person who would be so good with such inorganic Pokémon as Klang, and yet here she was, talking to Incognito like she would to any other non Ghost-type. And it was working, too- Incognito's gears spun a bit faster as Rose began to talk, and near the end, the minigear flew off, linking instead with the teeth of the big gear. "KLAAAANG!" it declared, sounding in much better spirits than before.

"I'd say that's a yes," Eddie grinned. "Let's get started, then." And he led the way onto the nearby battlefield, with Rose jogging over to the other end, an old-style Ultra Ball already clutched in her hand. "Ready, Incognito?"

"Klang Klaaang!" responded Incognito spiritedly.

Rose grinned, throwing the Ultra Ball. "Time to fight- Wire!" she exclaimed as her Hitmontop emerged in a flash of light. "Make the first move, Ed!"

"All right- Incognito, Lock-On!" Eddie ordered.

"KLAAAAANG," droned Incognito, focusing unerringly on the Hitmontop.

"Not gonna help," grinned Rose. "Wire! Rolling Kick!" she declared, jumping up and performing a roundhouse kick on the air.

"Top! Hitmontop! Hitmontop!" chanted Wire, flipping over onto his horn and rotating rapidly, hurtling towards the Klang, landing a powerful kick that sent the Klang flying.

"Now! Use Zap Cannon!" Eddie ordered.

"Detect!" Rose exclaimed, jumping off to the side. And with a gleam in his eye, Wire did the same, narrowly evading the otherwise precisely aimed Electric attack.

"Follow up with Gear Grind!" ordered Eddie.

"Now use Twister!" Rose called.

"TOP!" thundered Wire, spinning very fast in place, causing a whirlwind to erupt into being all around him, deflecting the hurled minigear without much trouble. Then, the Twister began to move, as its source was doing just that, and Incognito was caught up in the whirling vortex.

"All right," grinned Rose as her Hitmontop stopped the attack. "I picked Wire for this battle for a specific reason, Ed. Can you guess why?" she asked.

"...the spinning," Eddie nodded after a moment's consideration.

"Yep!" confirmed Rose. "Wire recently learned how to use Twister, and being able to use the move by spinning like that, it's great for both offense and defense. I'm thinking Incognito could do the same thing with a little practice."

"...I like that!" Eddie nodded. "Incognito, let's try it."

"KLANG!" exclaimed Incognito, spinning its gears around at high speeds while facing straight up. After a few seconds of no results, however, it slowed down, noticing the aforementioned lack of results.

"Don't give up so soon," Eddie stated. "Try using Shift Gear first."

"Klaaaang... KLANG!" responded Incognito. The minigear flew onto the big gear, and all involved gears began spinning in place.

"Top! Hitmontop!" encouraged Wire. He jumped back onto his horn and spun in place, generating another Twister. Seeing this, Incognito spun faster still. Electricity crackled all around the Gear Pokémon as faster and faster it spun... and then it started to glow, just as a whirlwind began to blow all around it. More gears popped into existence, and a metallic band studded with spikes formed around it all. And the next thing Eddie knew, the half-baked Twister faded away to reveal its caster- a triumphant !

"Excellent!" Eddie breathed, producing his Pokédex.

"Klinklang, the Gear Pokémon. A Steel-type, and the evolved form of Klang," droned the device. "Klinklang's red core functions as an energy tank. It fires charged energy through its spikes."

"Oooh, that'd do it!" Rose declared. "If it's spinning around like that, letting out draconic energy from its spikes, it'll start whirling all around it, and that'll help it generate a Twister! That was a good start- it's not quite there yet, but that whirlwind-looking deal was a step in the right direction!"

"Incognito, let's keep practicing!" Eddie stated.

"KLIN-KLANG," droned Incognito happily, spinning quickly in a moment of celebration. And with that, the training resumed. Despite the strong start, it took Incognito a good long while to produce a proper Twister attack, but not once did the Klinklang give up. And finally, when Eddie and Rose resumed battling, Incognito was able to counter Wire's Twister with its own Twister. It wasn't until sunset that the two Trainers departed the park, but by no means was the day considered a waste by anyone involved.

What? Klang is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Klang evolved into Klinklang!

*Incognito learned Magnetic Flux!*

*Incognito learned Gear Up!*

[Missingno. Master]

Glitch Explorers
Into The Glitch

"Are you sure they'll like me?"

"Of course they will, Rose. Why on earth wouldn't they?"

This was the conversation taking place between the couple strolling their way down Weezing Street- Rose Elia and her boyfriend Eddie Starmie. The two had been going out for a few weeks by this point, but today, after taking a walk together, Eddie voiced the idea that she come back to his laboratory and meet his parents. Rose, understandably, was a little nervous about the idea.

Rose chuckled nervously, smiling at Eddie's words. "You're too kind, Ed," she said. "Just... I dunno, I mean, in my past relationships, back on Seven Island, there've been times I haven't made the best impressions on those boyfriends' parents."

"Everyone is different," Eddie stated. "When I tell you that Robert and Sandy Starmie will love you, that isn't just my own personal bias talking, because obviously I would want them to like you- I speak from knowing my parents and what they're like."

"Well, I guess that makes sense," conceded Rose, though she still eyed the laboratory with no small amount of trepidation. Nothing more was said for the next few moments. Rose took a deep breath, as though to steel her resolve. "...alright, let's do this," she exhaled.

"A fine idea," Eddie smiled. "Just relax and be yourself, and I promise this will go well." He led the way to the laboratory, and through the door. "Mom? Dad?" he called out.

Within seconds, they came around a corner- Sandy Starmie was a thin woman, with brown hair that came down to just past her shoulders. Her husband, Robert, was a decidedly larger man, with a bit of a bald spot. "Oho!" he smiled as he laid eyes on Rose. "Ah, this is the girl you were talking about, Eddie?" he asked.

"She is indeed," Eddie confirmed. "Mom, Dad, this is my girlfriend Rose. Rose, my parents."

"G-good to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Starmie," Rose said, offering a handshake to them both.

Robert was the first to shake her hand, and gave an approving nod. "Nice, firm handshake. I like that!" he boomed. "Good to meet you, Rose."

"Yes, we're delighted to meet you, Sandy nodded as she shook Rose's hand. "Our boy can't seem to stop talking about you, so we knew you had to be something special-"

"Oh my X-x, Mom," Eddie murmured, burying his face in his hands; said face was flushed redder than an Electrode's ass.

Rose chuckled at this. "All good things he's said, I hope?"

"To say the least!" Robert chortled. "Apparently you helped him teach Incognito how to use Twister and got it to evolve into a Klinklang- he's saying you're something else when it comes to Pokémon. And Incognito used to be a family pet, too, so you already secured a spot on our good side with that one," he grinned.

"Mom, is someone here?" came a little girl's voice from the other room, and as said source stepped forward, Rose could see it was ZZLZZ. "Oh- hi, Rose!" she smiled. "I got that package you sent with the Pinsirite, thanks so much!"

"Ah, it was nothing," Rose replied modestly. "I had it lying around, I had no use for it, figured it oughta go to someone who could make the most of it. So have you Mega Evolved Crusher yet?"

"I have, once," nodded ZZLZZ. "It's so cool, he gets wings and turns part Flying! And his Ability turns all his Normal moves into Flying moves! I'm sure he'll be a huge help tomorrow!"

"Well, now, ZZLZZ, are you sure you want to come with us?" Sandy asked gently. "Considering that it's entirely possible to run into a certain kind of Pokémon, I'm naturally somewhat hesitant to..."

"I'll be OK, Mom, I promise, I want to see the place myself," ZZLZZ assured her.

"Well, wait, what's all this about?" Rose asked.

"Ah, yes," Eddie nodded. "You remember earlier, Rose, when I mentioned our date would have to be today rather than tomorrow due to a prior commitment? This is that commitment- the Starmie Cryptopokology Research Laboratory is going on an expedition of Glitch City tomorrow."

"Eddie, you've told her about what we do?" Robert asked.

"I have," Eddie confirmed. "Rose knows about cryptopokology."

"Well, some things about it," Rose clarified. "Eddie's taught me a lot, and I already knew about ZZAZZ even before that, what with my grandfather-"

"-ZZUZZ Elia Sr., yeah?" Robert asked. "Eddie had me start looking up the families of past ZZAZZ victims and survivors and taking down names of their immediate family. Boy's clearly got something in mind on that."

"Yes, once you've sent me that data, Dad, I intend to see if there's any sort of common thread between what it might be possible to discern about ZZAZZ victims' former names," Eddie said. "It sounds like a long shot, but it might well be possible that a correlation exists, however bizarre."

"Yeah, you were saying something to that effect," Rose nodded thoughtfully. "But never mind that for now- Glitch City, you were saying? And y'all are headed there tomorrow?"

"Indeed," Eddie confirmed with a nod. "We believe we've found a way to access it from within the Fizzytopia region.

"...can I come too?" Rose asked.

Eddie blinked, turning back to see the hopeful look on his girlfriend's face. "...you want to come along?" he asked.

"Heck, yeah!" grinned Rose. "From what you've told me about Glitch City, it sounds super bizarre and out there, like nothing I've ever seen before. Sounds to me like exactly the kind of challenge and adventure I left Seven Island in search of! Besides, I promise I won't be a burden," she added. "I'll bring supplies, help out however I can."

"Well... all right," relented Eddie, albeit with a grin. "We'll be leaving at 7:00 tomorrow morning. Bring food and water for yourself- we may well be spending the night there- and ensure that your Pokémon are ready to go at a moment's notice. A supply of empty Poké Balls wouldn't go amiss, either, of course."

"Naturally," grinned Rose. "I'd love to catch one of those kinds of Pokémon you've been showing me, Ed. Oh, uh, Mr. and Mrs. Starmie, it is OK if I come along, isn't it?" she added sheepishly- upon catching sight of Eddie's parents, it dawned on her she hadn't asked her permission.

But Robert and Sandy chuckled. "Even if it wasn't- which it is, for the record!- it ain't our place to say," grinned Robert.

"Indeed," Eddie nodded. "As head of the laboratory, I am in charge of the expedition. You're good," he reassured Rose.

"Dang, so you work for your own son?" Rose asked Robert and Sandy.

"It's an unusual arrangement, I'll admit," Sandy said. "But Eddie does a fine job."

"A Starmie through and through," Robert added proudly. Rose turned to look admiringly at Eddie, who had begun blushing yet again.

"Eddie, shouldn't Rose's Pokédex be upgraded before we go?" ZZLZZ asked.

"Oh! Yes, of course, right," Eddie nodded. "Rose, if you'll just come this way with me, I can help give your Pokédex an upgrade that will prove most invaluable on this expedition," he said, leading the way over to the HANDY Improvement Computer Mark 121.

~~~~~

The next morning, Rose arrived at the laboratory, looking far more chipper than anyone had a right to be at 6:55 AM. The sun was just rising over the sea, a sight Rose took a moment to admire before knocking on the lab door. It took a few seconds, but Eddie opened the door, yawning, a forkful of pancake in one hand. "Morning, Rose," he said.

"Mornin', Ed!" grinned Rose. "I'm all set- I packed energy bars, bags of Pewter Crunchies, bottles of Fresh Water, stocked up on Quick Balls and Ultra Balls, and even got a sleeping bag and pillow in here somewhere," she stated, indicating a bulging backpack she was wearing.

"Oh, good, good," Eddie nodded approvingly. "You certainly seem very well-prepared indeed. We're just going over last-minute preparations in here."

Rose's eyes fell upon the fork in Eddie's hand. "...including breakfast?" she asked shrewdly.

"Eheheh, I mean, would you not consider that a necessary preparation?" Eddie chuckled.

"Heh, you know I would, Ed, just teasing," grinned Rose. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," Eddie agreed, holding the door open for his girlfriend.

As Rose entered, she could indeed see preparations taking place. ZZLZZ was packing various items in her bag- the items all glitched out just as she did when she grabbed them. Robert was carefully stowing empty plastic jars in his own backpack, each of them bearing a blank white label on the side. And Sandy was fitting what looked like a large seat to the back of a Kangaskhan. "Ah, Rose!" Robert boomed, having looked up at the sound of the door. "Good to see you, you all set?"

'Yes, sir," nodded Rose.

Robert chuckled. "No need for the formalities with me," he grinned. "Far as I'm concerned we're long past the point of trying to make a good first impression- that's been done and dusted."

"Heh... I appreciate it," Rose grinned, relaxing somewhat. She turned to Eddie as she felt him put a hand on her shoulder, and the two smiled at each other for a moment. Then, she turned her attention to Sandy and the Kangaskhan. "What..." Rose began.

"My mom's Kangaskhan will be transporting us to the entrance," Eddie explained.

"Oh, what, is it out at sea somewhere?" Rose asked.

"No, no, it's somewhere in the Clawmark Mountain Range," Eddie replied.

"...this raises more questions than it answers," Rose stated. Eddie chuckled at this. "What?" Rose added in response to this.

"No, no, it's OK, just, you'll see when we're setting off," Eddie stated. "Speaking of which, is everyone ready?" he added.

~~~~~

As it transpired, everyone was not ready. Sandy was still fiddling with the straps and clasps of the seat she was securing to her Kangaskhan's back. Robert had finished packing, but had to go to the bathroom. ZZLZZ was ready as well, but had to wait for Robert to finish up in the bathroom, as she needed to go herself. And Eddie himself found he was in no position to complain, as he ended up waiting in line for the bathroom himself When all was said and done, everyone present ended up using the bathroom before they were all ready to go. But at last, everyone filed outside. Sandy's Kangaskhan got down on all fours, her baby retreating further into the pouch for safety, as everyone got on the seat affixed to Kangaskhan's back. Rose was bewildered at this- surely Kangaskhan wasn't about to carry them across half the region? Nevertheless, nobody else seemed to see anything off about this, and so when Eddie beckoned to her, Rose climbed on right behind her boyfriend. "OK, so..." Rose began, without knowing how she wanted to finish that sentence.

"Just hold on tightly," smiled Sandy. "All right, Kangaskhan- Fly!"

"Skhaaan!" bellowed Kangaskhan, jumping up... and up... and up! With jumping and running motions, incredibly, the Parent Pokémon took to the skies with five people on her back! Rose was in shock at this, clinging to Eddie as they ascended. And once they'd reached a decent altitude, Kangaskhan shot off towards the distant Clawmark Mountain Range, dashing through the skies at a decent clip.

"You OK, Rose?" Eddie called back a few minutes into the flight.

"Are you kidding? This is awesome!" Rose laughed. "Dunno how a Kangaskhan can Fly, but clearly she can!"

"The trick is to teach her the move before she evolves!" Sandy called from up front.

"...I still have questions!" Rose called back, and this time, she joined in on the laughter that this caused.

Before much longer, Kangaskhan came in for a landing on a moderately spacious plateau in the Clawmark Mountains. Rose and the Starmies disembarked at once, stretching their legs.

"Kangaskhan, return," Sandy stated, withdrawing the Normal-type to a Great Ball. "Take a good rest- you were great," she murmured. "Eddie, this is the place, yes?"

"The very place," Eddie confirmed. "So now it's our turn- come out, Missingno. and Pikablu!" he declared, throwing a Great Ball and a Thunder Ball. These opened simultaneously, sending out Eddie's Kabutops Skeleton Missingno. and Pikablu respectively.

"Missssing," hissed Missingno.

"Pika Pikablu!" Pikablu chimed in.

"Alright, so, what now?" Rose asked.

"There are certain places in the world," Eddie explained, "where the barrier between our world and where we're headed is at its weakest. Occasionally, these weak points can open naturally, which is how these sorts of Pokémon have come to exist in our world in the first place. By and large, these locations tend to exist in the Kanto region, but Keith's account of his own adventure in Glitch City has gotten me to realize that it is by no means limited to Kanto. And sure enough, I have found another such spot right... there," he stated, pointing to an indentation in the rock wall. Were it not for the fact that obviously nothing lay beyond it, it might have been easily mistaken for a cave entrance. "Missingno., Ancient Power! Pikablu, Psyshock!"

"Misssssiiing... NO.!" Missingno. exclaimed. Raising his bony scythes into the air, Missingno. summoned a number of rocks from the ground, all of them aglow with a primeval purple aura, and sent them flying at the indentation.

"Bluuuu... PIKA!" Pikablu exclaimed at the same time, sending solidified masses of psychic power flying at the same point. The attacks collided right in the middle of the indentation, throwing up more dust than a Hippopotas with the stomach flu, but once the dust had settled, the indentation was now aglow with a brilliant light.

"...I knew it," Eddie breathed. "We've done it! Come on!" he encouraged the others. He reached out for Rose's hand. Rose was nervous at first, but seeing the excitement in her boyfriend's expression seemed to steady her resolve, and she took his hand. Together, they walked through the newly formed portal.

Rose blinked, looking around. "Whoooaaaa," she exhaled. What she beheld just about defied description. There were chunks of land, with and without grass; puddles of water; rocks; pieces of buildings; even numbers just sitting there. All of it scrambled into the nonsensical blend that made up their surroundings. "Eddie, this...!"

"Yes," Eddie nodded, light refracting off his glasses as he gazed at the glitchy surroundings in pure wonder. "This is it, Rose- this is Glitch City!"

[Missingno. Master]

Glitch Explorers
Welcome To Glitch City

"Glitch City?" Rose repeated in quiet wonder.

"It's marvelous," came Robert's voice- Eddie's parents and sister had followed them through the portal. Robert and Sandy were gazing upon the glitchy landscape with something akin to reverence.

"Glitch City is believed by those who study cryptopokology to be a world created by the legendary Pokémon X-x," explained Eddie. "The idea goes that when Arceus created the universe, there was leftover random chaos. Rather than leaving it be, Arceus created one more Pokémon with that chaos, to shape the universe's chaos into some manner of order. That Pokémon is the fabled X-x. Generations of cryptopokological research seem to back up these beliefs, too- but this, I believe, is the first time the realm has been visited by cryptopokologists. Now- everyone, stay together," he added. "I don't want any of us getting lost. We should all keep an eye out for anything unusual even by the standards of this place. And Rose," he added, his tone gravely serious. "The others all know this, but I want to stress it to you as well- if you start to feel inexplicably lethargic, let us know immediately. I know you can be pretty proud and independent, and I love that about you, but this goes beyond that- it's very much a matter of life or death, OK?"

"...OK," Rose nodded. She was tempted to just tough it out if she started to feel such a way, but was startled by how serious Eddie was being about this. If it really was as big an issue as he seemed to think...

"Good," Eddie nodded back. "Now, then- Dad, you're to collect samples, and Mom, you'll be documenting our surroundings through photos and video. ZZLZZ, Rose, I need the two of you to help keep an eye out for anything unusual we might otherwise overlook."

With that established, they began to explore. Robert began to bring out the plastic jars, taking samples of the terrain and putting them in each one, and labeling them accordingly; "rocks", "soil", "grass", "odd numbers", "even numbers", and so forth. Sandy had her PokéGear out and was snapping pictures and taking videos, while Eddie had his tape recorder out, describing at length what he was seeing, and his various hypotheses thereof. And then, excitable gibbering met their ears. Rose looked up towards the source of this noise, and saw said source at once; an entire swarm of purple blocky creatures were flying their way! Rose took out her Pokédex at once and pointed them at the strange beings.

".4, the Vital Spirit Pokémon. A Pokémaniac-type," droned the device. ".4's tiny body is brimming with boundless energy. It gives off small explosions to let off excess energy without actually tiring itself out."

"Ah, a swarm of .4," Eddie observed. "Not malevolent by any means, but quite excitable- no doubt looking for a fight. Missingno.!" he exclaimed.

"Misssssiiing!" hissed Eddie's Missingno., stepping forward. Rose, now realizing she could look this up as well on her Pokédex (though she'd met Eddie's Missingno. before, he had been adamant that she not try to scan it with her Pokédex until it had received the Starmie family upgrade), now did just that.

"Missingno.- Kabutops Skeleton Form- the Adaptive Pokémon. No fixed type. Missingno. in this form are formidable swimmers. The strange aura it gives out draws uncommonly powerful Pokémon to gather where it nests."

"No fixed type?" Rose repeated, bewildered. "And what type did it say those .4 were? Pokémaniac?"

"Types work strangely with these kinds of Pokémon," Eddie stated. "Missingno., use Bubble Beam!"

"Misssiiiiiiiiiiing!" trilled Missingno., letting forth a jet of foam at the oncoming swarm. Several of them attempted to repel the attack with a serious of minor explosions, but by and large were pushed back. A few of them dive-bombed Missingno., sprouting blocky purple Wings as they went on the Attack. Hissing his displeasure, Missingno. attempted to guard against the attacks with his scythes.

Eddie, however, was undeterred. "Night Slash, go!" he ordered.

"No.! Missssing!" Missingno. hissed. His scythes glowed with a black aura, and he began taking great swipes at the .4. They screeched shrilly as they were struck, and as Missingno. advanced on them, the swarm wisely decided to retreat, flying away.

Rose gave a low whistle. "Good stuff, Ed," she said. "Driving back a whole swarm- I admit I don't know a whole lot about 'em, but that still don't seem easy."

"Ah... it was nothing, really," Eddie replied, starting to blush from the praise.

They continued onwards, traversing some of the strangest terrain any of them have known. Rose began to notice after a while that more of these unusual Pokémon were approaching them without fear; more specifically, they seemed to be approaching ZZLZZ in particular. A few .4 occasionally flew around her without causing any explosions, which she found quite cute; there was also a slow-moving pinkish cube who Rose's Pokédex identified as a 44Hy, followed by an odd rectangular Pokémon with surprisingly swift movements.

"Dear X-x," Eddie murmured, observing this last one with interest. "This is unheard of." Rose, curious as ever, consulted her Pokédex.

"A, the Extreme Speed Pokémon. A Normal and Normal-type," droned the device. "Between its swift movements and intensely timid personality, this Pokémon is very rarely seen around people. Its special attack is Transform."

"This one doesn't seem too timid," Rose observed, as the wild A nudged ZZLZZ in what seemed like an affectionate manner.

"I think it likes me," ZZLZZ smiled, reaching down to pet the A.

"Hm... I think it's to do with your visual glitching," Eddie speculated out loud. "I must look through the records to see if this tracks with other ZZAZZ survivors, but it seems to me as though the Pokémon here are drawn to it. Cryptopokological phenomena and all that..." He trailed off, deep in thought.

Rose, meanwhile, had turned her attention to another cubelike Pokémon, her Pokédex open once again. "LM4, the Bubble Cube Pokémon. A Water and Fighting-type. Though possessing an intense fighting spirit, it is kindhearted and will rescue those it spots drowning. It is in especially good spirits during the full moon."

"Heh, I'm catching this one!" Rose declared, throwing a Poké Ball. "Time to fight- Kasa!" she declared as her Hisuian Decidueye, hooting shrilly, emerged.

LM4 made the first move. Sensing that a fight was imminent, it hopped enthusiastically across the glitchy ground, a sharp Horn protruding from it as it went on the Attack. Rose was far from deterred. "Use Leaf Blade!" she ordered, chopping at the air with a hand. And Kasa, moving just like her Trainer, landed a Leaf Blade that met the Horn Attack head-on.

"Four! L... M... FOOOOOUR!" squealed LM4, blasting Kasa with a super effective telekinetic force at point-blank range. The Hisuian Decidueye was forced backward by the Confusion attack, but maintained her footing.

"No worries, Kasa, now use... now... now use your..." yawned Rose as a sudden inexplicable wave of fatigue washed over her. "Oh, man, what- uh, Eddie, I- I'm starting to feel a little worn all of a sudden..." she murmured. She couldn't explain it in the slightest, but remembered Eddie had said to report such instances immediately.

And Eddie acted swiftly. "Hermione!" he exclaimed, throwing the Poké Ball containing his Weedle. "There's an h Poké around here, Hermione- sniff it out!" he ordered, and so urgent was his tone of voice that Hermione acted instantly.

"Weeedle... Weeedle..." Hermione murmured, sniffing at the air with her large red nose. And then, she cast a sharp glare at a nearby structure that seemed to be half tree and half aluminum siding. "Weedle!" she exclaimed sharply.

"Behind that tree?" Eddie murmured. "All right- Earth Power!"

"WEEEEDLE!" thundered Hermione, striking the ground with her tail stinger. The ground behind the tree erupted with power. At once, Rose felt the fatique begin to ebb away, just as an ominous purple and black cube flew out from behind the tree. Rose couldn't explain it, but she felt a stab of horror at the sight.

"Poké!" the creature cried out in a decidedly spooky voice. Rose, trembling somewhat, took out her Pokédex.

"h Poké, the Box Ghost Pokémon. A Ghost and Poison-type," droned the device. "h Poké is able to silently and stealthily drain away the energy and life force of its victims, who typically suspect nothing until it's too late. Speculated to be reborn from victims of ZZAZZ."

"Hermione, blast it with Psychic, now!" Eddie declared forcefully as Rose went and hid behind him.

"WEEEEEDLE!" Hermione responded, her head stinger glowing a vibrant shade of blue. Then, a ray of blue light erupted from said stinger, blowing the h Poké away.

"Phew," Rose exhaled. "Th-thanks, Ed," she murmured. "I... wow, so that thing was..." She broke off her sentence and shuddered.

"Now, it's quite all right, dearie," Sandy said kindly. "h Poké frighten many, even those who aren't normally afraid of Ghost-types. Nothing to be ashamed of."

"Quite right," nodded Robert. "Shame that that LM4 you were after ran off, though," he added.

Rose looked- sure enough, the LM4 she had been battling had fled. "Oh... it did, yeah," she murmured.

Eddie, noting the disheartened look on his girlfriend's face, put an arm around her. "I'm sure you'll find another one," he said. "And I don't think any less of you for being afraid of that h Poké, either. It's like my mom said- they frighten many, and not without reason."

"Still, I... I mean, you took it on without a shred of fear," Rose persisted.

"Oh, X-x, no!" Eddie chuckled. "I was terrified! I... I was scared of losing you. That's why I reacted as fast as I did, you know, so... so I wouldn't." Rose looked- Eddie was starting to blush again. She managed a small smile, before pulling him in for a quick, grateful kiss.

"Y'know, this seems like a fine time to break out the snacks," Robert stated. "What say we set up camp here? Think we could all use a bite to eat right about now."

"Oh, wonderful idea, honey," Sandy smiled. "Eddie?"

"I agree, that sounds like a good idea," Eddie stated. "Rose, ZZLZZ, what do you think?"

"I'm down for snacks," Rose said, her old grin returning.

They all waited for ZZLZZ to chime in after that; after a few seconds of silence, everyone present began to look around. Curiously at first, but with more definite panic as the minutes ticked by, for no matter where they looked, ZZLZZ was nowhere to be seen.

[Missingno. Master]

Glitch Explorers
Mission 'M-possible

"ZZLZZ!" Eddie called out. "ZZLZZ, where are you?!"

"ZZLZZ?" Sandy exclaimed, her voice full of worry.

"Hey, ZZLZZ!" Rose shouted.

Eddie groaned- this was getting them nowhere fast. He turned to his worried-looking Weedle. "Hermione, any luck getting her scent?" he asked.

"Weedle Weedle," Hermione replied, shaking her head apologetically.

"Gah..." Eddie sighed. "I... we gotta... she couldn't have gotten that far!"

"Kangaskhan!" Sandy exclaimed, for indeed, the Parent Pokémon was coming in for a landing. "Any sign of her?"

"Skhaaan," Kangaskhan sighed, also shaking her head.

Rose then turned to Eddie. "...hey, Ed, what about your Missingno.?" she asked.

"Hm? What about it?" Eddie asked Rose.

"Well, wouldn't it also be drawn to ZZLZZ's glitching?" Rose asked. "Maybe he can sense her and we can find her that way."

For a moment, Eddie didn't speak, his eyes widening behind his glasses. Then, in a move Rose most definitely didn't see coming, he pulled her in for a kiss. "Rose, you're a genius!" he breathed, already in the process of enlarging the Great Ball. "Missingno., come back out!" Eddie exclaimed.

Missingno. reappeared in a flash of light. "Missssing?" he hissed inquisitively.

"ZZLZZ has gone missing," Eddie said without preamble. "Can you sense her?"

"Missss..." considered Missingno. Then, he stuck his bone scythes straight up into the air. "Missssssiiiiiiiiiing..." he hummed, deep in concentration. The others watched the skeletal beast as it focused on the task at hand... And then, suddenly, he brought down his scythes to point off in the distance. "Missing! Missingno.!" he exclaimed urgently, running off in that direction.

Nobody needed to be told to follow Missingno.; they all simply did so simultaneously. Across the scrambled, glitchy landscape they dashed, following the sentient skeleton, until at last, a small figure, flickering and glitching, became visible in the distance. "ZZLZZ!" Eddie called out.

"Eddie!" came ZZLZZ's voice in return. But as they drew closer, everyone came to a stop, for surrounding ZZLZZ were five of the same black and lavender cubelike beings that they had seen before- an entire horde of h Poké. Rose squealed in terror and stopped short.

"h? h! h!" the h Poké seethed, tensing up at the sudden arrival of these strangers.

"O-oh, no, don't attack them!" ZZLZZ cried out.

"Hermione, go!" Eddie exclaimed fiercely, light refracting off his glasses. "That's my sister!" he roared out to the h Poké. "You will give her back!"

Rose was terrified. More than terrified. Just the mere sight of so many Ghost-types, she could almost hear the horrible screams from that dreadful day... but then she looked at Eddie. Saw him facing off against this horde, beyond determined to rescue his sister... at that moment, Rose came to realize she respected that kind of courage. And she began to feel shame- here Eddie was, prepared to fight to the bitter end to rescue his sister, and what was his girlfriend doing? Cowering in fear? No... no, not this time! Mustering her courage, Rose stepped forward, standing beside Eddie. "Kasa, we'll fight too!" she declared, her Hisuian Decidueye hooting shrilly as she stood beside Hermione.

"W-wait, everyone!" ZZLZZ exclaimed. She turned to the h Poké. "P-please, don't attack them. They're my family. Th-they've been looking for me."

"...Poké?" murmured one of the h Poké, sounding rather taken aback. The horde turned back to face Eddie, Rose, and the others (at least, Rose thought they did- it wasn't all that easy to discern which side of the cube constituted the front), then back to ZZLZZ, who nodded resolutely. And to general astonishment, the horde floated aside, letting ZZLZZ pass by them. She ran over to the Starmies, who wrapped her in one big glitchy family hug. Rose watched this, somewhat awkwardly, until both Eddie and ZZLZZ reached out and pulled her into it as well.

"Ahaha, thanks," Rose chuckled sheepishly. "I just, this seemed more like a family thing..."

"Well, you're close enough, I think," ZZLZZ smiled. "I... I saw you were willing to fight those h Poké to save me, Rose, and I know that's tough for you, w-what with your fear of... of Ghost-types, and just... th-thank you," she smiled, hugging Rose, who could do nothing but smile and hug ZZLZZ back.

"...what I'd like to know is, how'd you get separated from us?" asked Robert once the hug broke up.

"O-oh, right," nodded ZZLZZ. "Um... w-well, it wasn't just Rose that that other h Poké was draining. I... I didn't realize how drained I was getting until I... w-well, a Missingno. came swooping down- an- an Aerodactyl Skeleton one, and- I was so drained it didn't occur to me to yell for help until I was too far away... I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Oh, sis," Eddie murmured. "Don't worry about that. Just... how did you get away from it?"

At this, ZZLZZ turned to face the h Poké. "They saved me," she smiled. "The Missingno. started getting tired, s-so it came in for a landing. I... I didn't know why it had done so, until it passed out on the ground, and these guys all came out. They weren't draining me at all, I think they were just worried about me."

"...not all h Poké are cut from the same mold," Sandy said sagely.

"Indeed," Eddie agreed. "I think I owe you all an apology," he added, addressing the horde of h Poké. "You saved my sister, and for that, I thank you."

"Poké! h Poké!" the group of geometric ghosts responded, their ethereal voices sounding quite happy. This display elicited warm chuckling from all present-

"GYAOOO!"

Everyone shut up at once. The h Poké fled in an instant. ZZLZZ began to shake. "...No," she whimpered.

"What was that?" Rose asked. "It sounded like some giant bird Pokémon-"

"-it sounded like the legendary Zapdos," Eddie said quietly. "And one thing's for sure- there are no Zapdos in Glitch City."

"Then what-" began Rose, but she was cut off by a loud thud behind her. Slowly she turned, and beheld exactly what; it was a Charizard, and yet at the same time, it was no Charizard. Something about it just looked... off. It was larger than any Charizard, the colors looked a bit washed-out, and as it opened its mouth, instead of a draconic roar, it sounded the same piercing, shrieking Zapdos cry.

"'M- Charizard Form- the Glitched Joey Pokémon. A Fire and Flying-type," said Rose's Pokédex. "This form is believed to have it's origins in the earliest known instance of a Pokémon Trainer being lost to ZZAZZ, where the Trainer's Kangaskhan turned into a Bulbasaur, but the baby and the Trainer's Charizard did not. As this form is typically found within the doomed realm of ZZAZZ, much about it remains a mystery. Unlike 'M's Normal Form, this form cannot evolve."

"...oh," Rose murmured. "Oh, I've heard of these things from Grampa...

"We'll have to battle it," Eddie stated. "At the very least it seems to be wild, so there's no risk of ZZAZZ. Missingno., Ancient Power!" he ordered.

Rose sent out her Blue-Striped Basculin, gripping the feisty fish with both hands. "Pisces, Liquidation!" she ordered.

"Bascu!" grunted Pisces, as water whirled all around her, forming into the shape of a large sword.

Before any of this could happen, however, 'M gave another shrill cry, and stomped the ground hard. This caused a strange glitching effect to spread out all around it, and rise up around everyone present, encasing the entire battle in a strange, extra-glitchy enclosure. "...what move was that?" Eddie wondered out loud.

"No idea, but look!" Rose exclaimed, for at that moment, Eddie's Missingno. had launched Ancient Power; however, the glowing boulders seemed to bounce off 'M with no ill effect! Undeterred, Rose rushed 'M, wielding Pisces like some strange watery broadsword, and took a swipe at the Glitched Joey Pokémon; this, too, proved woefully ineffective.

"We'll try, too!" Sandy declared. "Kangaskhan, Water Gun!"

Robert, meanwhile, threw a Moon Ball. "Magnemite, Thunder Shock!" he ordered as the Electric/Steel-type emerged. However, these attacks seemed to do just about nothing to 'M, who now looked annoyed enough to make another move; this one ended up being a devastating Earthquake, knocking out most of the Pokémon that had been brought out, with the strange exception of Robert's Magnemite.

"What is this thing's power?" Rose murmured as they withdrew their fallen Pokémon. "Kasa getting one-shot by a Ground move?"

"And I just caught this Magnemite yesterday," frowned Robert. "How'd it take practically no damage?"

ZZLZZ, up to now, had been saying nothing, cowering in fear of the 'M. And not without reason, considering her previous brush with the usually-deadly ZZAZZ phenomenon. But at her father's confusion, something seemed to click. "...th-that move it used," she murmured. "Dad, what if- what if that move reverses type matchups?"

Robert blinked. "...that would explain a lot," he admitted.

"Indeed!" Eddie nodded.

"Alright, then, Magnemite- Tackle!" Robert ordered.

"MAGNEMITE," droned Magnemite, flying forward at once... only to be struck with a brilliant Aurora Beam from 'M, and this knocked the Magnet Pokémon out instantly.

ZZLZZ watched as everyone else brought out more Pokémon to battle 'M, but things weren't going well. Even with the knowledge of type matchups being reversed, 'M still had a wide enough array of moves to work with this. Incognito was felled by an Aurora Beam followed by a Mega Kick; Helga wasn't weak to anything 'M used, but a well-placed Cross Chop was responded to by a devastating Counter that knocked out the Hariyama in one hit; and Remy took serious damage from a brutal Submission attack.

Before anyone could prepare any more Pokémon, ZZLZZ stepped forward. "...all right," she exhaled, glitchy expression filled with more determination than anyone could remember seeing. "I... I can't just keep cowering like this." She turned to look at Rose. "If... if you could face your fear for me, th-then I'll do the same," she said. She turned back to the 'M, clearly terrified, but did not back down as she threw a Net Ball. "Dusty, go!" she exclaimed.

"Sau- IVY!?" Dusty exclaimed, the Shiny Ivysaur's eyes bulging as she beheld the 'M before her.

"Dusty... it's OK," ZZLZZ said. "We... w-we can do this. Let's show 'em, OK?"

'S-saur," Dusty murmured. She sounded uncertain, but nodded all the same.

'M gave a shrieking caw as it lunged forward for a Karate Chop. "Use Iron Defense!" ZZLZZ ordered.

"Saur!" grunted Dusty, standing completely still as her body took on a metallic sheen. 'M's Karate Chop landed, but with a loud metallic clang, and the Ivysaur stayed still.

"OK! Now use Bug Buzz!" ZZLZZ exclaimed.

"Sa-aa-aa-aa-aaur!" trilled Dusty, emitting vibrant red soundwaves that made 'M wince and back away.

"Whoa, good stuff!" grinned Rose.

"That's my girl!" beamed Robert.

"Awesome, ZZLZZ!" smiled Eddie.

ZZLZZ was managing a small smile at all the praise. "You hear them, right, Dusty?" she said. "We... we really got this! Let's do this!"

"Saaaaur!" Dusty exclaimed, just before beginning to glow brightly.

"Oh!" gasped ZZLZZ, her glitching going particularly intense for a few seconds out of shock as her faithful starter began to get larger. The bud on her back bloomed magnificently as her body grew thicker to accommodate it. And then, the glow faded, and facing off against 'M was a powerful ! "Veee veeeee!" bellowed Dusty. ZZLZZ took out her Pokédex and pointed it at Dusty.

"Venusaur, the Seed Pokémon. A Grass and Poison-type, and the evolved form of Ivysaur," droned the device. "Venusaur roams around in constant search of sunlight. Its petals absorb the sunlight and convert it into power. This specimen is Shiny."

"ZZLZZ, here!" exclaimed Robert, tossing something to his adopted daughter, who caught it. "It started glowing- I think it'll actually work here!"

ZZLZZ looked at what she had been thrown- a Dynamax Band. "...so this is a Power Spot?" she murmured.

"This is big- I knew there was some way Dynamax tied into all this!" Eddie murmured. "And ZZLZZ... I would bet Pokédollars to Poffins that Dusty can Gigantamax. Give it a try."

"All right," ZZLZZ exhaled. She slipped the Dynamax Band onto her wrist, then held out the Net Ball and withdrew Dusty. "All right, Dusty, get ready!" ZZLZZ exclaimed, Dynamax Energy flowing out of the Wishing Star in her Dynamax Band and into the Net Ball, engorging it, changing it to look like a gigantic Premier Ball. "Glitch out- Gigantamax!!!" she exclaimed, heaving the ball into the air.

'M backed up, and wisely so- Dusty reappeared in midair, growing larger by the second, the flower petals billowing out in every direction, hanging over the like a gigantic floral umbrella. "VEEEEEEEEE!!!" she thundered, towering over 'M.

"Let's do this in one hit!" ZZLZZ exclaimed, now sounding nothing short of thrilled. "Use G-Max Vine Lash!!!"

At once, vines as thick as tree trunks erupted from the base of Dusty's flower. The tips of the vines glowed a vibrant green. 'M let fly a Hyper Beam at the oncoming vines, but the G-Max Move overpowered it, pushed the Hyper Beam back, until a small explosion ensued when the vines collided with 'M. It was a tense couple of seconds waiting for the dust to settle, but when it did, 'M could be seen flying away.

"ZZLZZ, that was amazing!" Eddie exclaimed as Dusty returned to her normal form and size. "And against a Charizard Form 'M, too, no less!"

"It- it's really because of Rose," ZZLZZ said. "I... she faced her fear of Ghosts earlier, so I..."

"I mean, I couldn't just do nothing," Rose said sheepishly. "I know now you weren't in danger from them, but like, I didn't know that in the moment, y'know?"

"I do indeed know," Eddie nodded, smiling. "Don't think I didn't notice that, Rose. You were facing your fear to try and save my sister."

"And you were worried about making a bad impression on us," grinned Robert. "We ain't had doubts about you in the first place, Rose, but even if we did, that'd have quashed 'em then and there."

"Our Eddie is lucky to have someone like you," nodded Sandy. Rose said nothing, merely smiled, blushing. They took this opportunity to enjoy some snacks as they had intended to do previously.

"...hey, what's that?" Rose asked as they were packing up.

"Hm? Ooh, I don't know, let me see," Eddie murmured; Rose had indicated the spot where 'M had stood during the battle, and there seemed to be something strange there. Eddie walked over and picked the object up; upon him returning, it became evident that it was a strange teal disc of some sort, like a Technical Machine, but it was glitching out in appearance, not unlike how ZZLZZ did. "...It's some sort of TM," Eddie murmured.

"Maybe it teaches that weird move 'M used during the battle," speculated Sandy.

"That's a possibility," Eddie nodded. "Should we start heading back now? I'd quite like to start looking into the data we've collected."

"Eh, night should be falling soon," said Robert. "I say we camp out here and head back in the morning." This sentiment was agreed upon by everyone else, including Eddie in the end, and so they set up camp there. The rest of their time in Glitch City went by without incident, and the following morning they headed back to the portal Missingno. and Pikablu had created the day before. and made their way back home, where Eddie wasted no time looking into everything they've collected and learned on their expedition, starting with that bizarre TM he found.

What? Ivysaur is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Ivysaur evolved into Venusaur!

*Dusty learned Petal Blizzard!*

*Dusty learned Petal Dance!*

*Dusty learned Amnesia!*

*Dusty learned Power Whip!*

[Missingno. Master]

More Than You Can Chew

"Hey, there you guys are!" grinned Keith Masters. He had just exited the Sludge Wave Coast Pokémon Center, and could not fail to notice two of his friends entering town just down the road. "How was the fishing trip?"

"Depends on who you ask," Gavin shrugged. "I ain't caught shit, but Tom here sure got something."

"Oh, aye," Tom grinned. He still clutched the Aqua Ball in his hand as he spoke. "Reunited with an ol' friend o' mine what that finally agreed to join me crew," he stated.

"Ooh, really?" Keith replied with interest. "What do you got there?"

At this, Tom's grin widened. "Tell ye what, lad- what say ol' Tom shows ye exactly what, but in battle?"

Now it was Keith's grin that widened. "I like how you think, man!" he stated. "You're on!"

~~~~~

Some time later, Keith and Tom stood at opposite ends of the battlefield in Shadow Clearing Park. Gavin stood off to the side, having agreed to officiate the match; Willa, Keith's wife, stood by his side, while Meowth sat on Keith's shoulder. Keith clutched a Level Ball in his hand, while Tom stood at the ready, still gripping his Aqua Ball, with his Chatot perched on his shoulder. Also off to the side, on the park benches, Maribel, Rose, Eddie, and ZZLZZ were all sitting, interested in seeing the battle unfold. Lily McPhione, Tom's mother, was there as well, watching the proceedings with interest.

"All right!" Gavin declared. "This'll be a one-on-one battle between Keith Masters of Lavaridge Town and Tom McPhione of Pacifidlog Town! Both Trainers, bring out your Pokémon!"

Keith grinned, throwing his Level Ball. "Here we go! Kyle, I choose you!" he declared.

"Yarr! Carvanha, weigh anchor!" Tom roared, heaving his Aqua Ball.

The spheres opened up in twin flashes of light, sending out their respective occupants in unison. Kyle, Keith's Heatmor, stood at the ready, while Tom's Carvanha flopped in place, though this fish out of water looked anything but- there was a look of fierce determination in his eyes, one that Keith knew quite well.

"Kyle, let's not underestimate it," Keith murmured. "I've seen that look before, in Hebenon's eyes." He paused to allow the significance of this to sink in, and judging by the nod he got from his Heatmor in return, said significance was not lost on him by any stretch of the imagination.

"Ye best not underestimate us, lad," grinned Tom. "And even then, thar be only so far that'll get ye! Carvanha, let's show 'em what I mean!"

"Car car car!" Carvanha snapped eagerly in response.

"Hm," Willa murmured, taking out her Pokédex and scanning her husband's opponent with it.

"Carvanha, the Savage Pokémon. A Water and Dark-type," droned the device. "Carvanha's strongly developed jaws and sharply pointed fangs pack the destructive power to rip out boat hulls. Carvanha is the pre-evolved form of Sharpedo."

"Sharpedo..." Willa murmured. The mention brought back unwelcome memories of the fishing competition in Cloud Garden, of the Sharpedo who cut short, in every sense of the term, Willa's chances at winning. Of course, she wouldn't have her current Gyarados were it not for how that contest turned out, so it wasn't like she had too much room to complain, but all the same, there were still sour memories from that day.

"Battle... begin!" Gavin declared.

Keith made to make the first move. "Kyle, Pika Papow!" he ordered.

"Heeeeaaaat... MORRRRR!" Kyle bellowed, letting loose an impressive electrical blast that streaked towards Carvanha with grim precision.

But Tom merely smirked. "Aqua Jet, full sail!" he ordered.

"Awwk! Full sail!" chimed in Lily the Chatot.

"CAR!" Carvanha responded. With water swirling all around him, Carvanha took flight at once, and even as the Pika Papow changed course to chase him down, Carvanha put up a hell of a fight, flying this way and that to try and shake the Electric move.

"No use!" Keith grinned. "Pika Papow stays right on target until it hits! It can't miss!"

"Can't it, now?" Tom murmured, sounding intrigued. "All right, me bucko, that Electric attack wants a target, we'll give it one! Crunch, and hang in there fer all yer worth!"

"Kyle, quick, use Dig!" Keith ordered.

"Mor!" Kyle grunted, but before he could get more than halfway underground, Carvanha clamped his powerful jaws down on the Heatmor's head! The Pika Papow landed a second later, and while Carvanha was lit up like a Christmas tree, Kyle also took damage from his own attack!

"Whoa!" Keith breathed as Kyle managed to shake Carvanha loose. "Carvanha's fast!"

"And getting faster still," Willa noted. "Keith- I've trained with Yanmega far too much to not know Speed Boost when I see it in action, and Tom's Carvanha has that for certain."

Keith nodded. "That'd do it," he stated. "Kyle, still good to go?"

"Heatmor!" Kyle nodded.

"We'll see about that!" Tom grinned. "Use Poison Fang!"

"Poison Fang! Poison Fang! Awwk!" Lily the Chatot echoed.

"Carrrr!" snarled Carvanha, bounding forward, his teeth glowing an eerie purple.

"Giga Drain, go!" Keith commanded.

"HeatMOR!" Kyle exclaimed, holding his claws out in front of them. Glowing green tendrils of energy extended off of the Heatmor's claws, winding around the oncoming Carvanha. This forcibly stopped him in place as it started to drain his energy.

"Wow, this is getting exciting!" Maribel breathed from the sidelines. "Dad might just have this, I don't see how Carvanha's getting out of that!"

"Ehh, we'll see," Rose shrugged. "Carvanha might not take hits that well, but they're still more tenacious than you'd think."

"Indeed," Lily nodded. "And I happen to know that my son has history with that Carvanha. They will not crumble so easily.

Indeed, Tom didn't look worried. "Use Swift and break yerself free!" he ordered.

"CAR CAR CARRR!" Carvanha growled ferociously, as numerous star-shaped rays of energy erupted from his body, ripping through the Giga Drain tendrils. But they didn't stop there- the stars changed course abruptly in midair and pelted the Heatmor before he could recover from his disrupted attack!

"Carvanha, how ye doin', me bucko?" Tom asked.

"Car carrr!" Carvanha responded, before starting to glow brightly.

"Oh!" Keith and Willa breathed at once.

"Yarrrgh," Tom murmured, beaming with pride. "Knew ye was gettin' close to that..."

Carvanha's spherical form changed shape, becoming more streamlined and pointed. The jagged fins smoothed out neatly as well, until a slick and streamlined sat on the ground before them! "Sharrrr!" he growled.

"Yarrr har har harr!" Tom laughed triumphantly, as Keith dug out his Pokédex.

"Sharpedo, the Brutal Pokémon. A Water and Dark-type, and the evolved form of Carvanha," droned the device. "Sharpedo swims by jetting seawater from its backside. Just one Sharpedo can thoroughly tear apart a supertanker."

"Sharpedo!" Tom called, pulling a strange marble-like object out of his pocket. "I still gots it, lad. Ye ready?"

"Sharrr!" Sharpedo growled eagerly. With a grunt, Tom heaved the object through the air, and Sharpedo deftly caught it in its mouth. As it held it in place with its teeth, Keith could see exactly what it was...

"...that's a Mega Stone!" Keith breathed. "You don't suppose..."

"Oh, aye," Tom beamed. "This lil' guy had this on 'im when I found 'im washed ashore all them years back. Gave it to me fer safekeepin' as thanks after I patched 'im up, but now he be ready to make use of it hisself! Now, Sharpedo!" Tom declared.

"Sharrr!" Sharpedo growled in response.

"Blessin' o' the Sea Prince, empower cap'n and crew alike!" Tom declared, before reaching up, and in one deft motion, yoinking away his eye patch completely, revealing none other than a Key Stone set into his right eye socket! "In the blink of an eye- Mega Evolve!!!"

What happened next just looked surreal. Tendrils of energy erupted from Tom's face, connecting with similar tendrils of energy that were emerging from the Sharpedonite carefully clutched in Sharpedo's teeth. The tendrils connected, linking Key Stone to Sharpedonite, linking Tom to Sharpedo. And with that connection established, Sharpedo transformed, nose lengthening, spines of some sort jutting out of them on either side. And at last, the ferocious looked ready for action!

Sharpedo's Sharpedonite is reacting to Tom's Mega Eye!

!!!

!!!!

!!!!!



Sharpedo has Mega Evolved into Mega Sharpedo!

Tom looked maniacal, between the massive excited grin, and the fact that his eyepatch was off, showing everyone the Key Stone that served as a fake eye. "Use Aqua Jet!!" he bellowed, gesturing forward.

"SHARRRR!" snarled Sharpedo in a strangely echoing voice. Torrents of water swirled all around the Mega Evolved Pokémon, and he shot forward with great speeds.

"Kyle, Protect!" Keith ordered.

"MOR!" Kyle grunted, throwing up a protective dome of energy all around himself, and not a moment too soon to stop the oncoming Mega Sharpedo.

"Aura Sphere, go!" Keith continued.

"Fight back with a Swift broadside!" Tom commanded.

"Sharrrr," growled Sharpedo, sending a wave of star-shaped rays towards Kyle.

"Heeeat... MOR!" Kyle called out, charging up and then unleashing a brilliant blue orb of pure aura energy. The Swift stars converged upon the Aura Sphere, creating an explosion that blew both combatants backwards.

Keith grinned- the battle was a tough one, and that's just the way he liked them! A quick shared glance between the two confirmed that Kyle felt just the same. The Trainer and Pokémon nodded in unison, then turned back to face Tom and Sharpedo. "All right, Kyle- let's-"

"Heat-"

"show-"

"mor-"

"them-"

"Heat"

"what we got!!"

"mor Heatmor!!"

And at that instant, a whirling column of fire erupted into existence all around Kyle, from the ground extending skyward, and those with the ocular fortitude to peer beyond the flames would see something was definitely different within as well. Keith and Kyle felt as one in that moment, with Keith seeing Tom and Sharpedo at a different angle, as though through his Heatmor's eyes.

"Shiver me timbers!" Tom exclaimed as this took place.

"Ah. I was wondering when we would see this again," Willa said with a faint smile.

"Whoa!" Maribel breathed, her eyes wide as her dad's grin. "What's going on with Kyle?"

"That, Maribel, is called Bond Phenomenon," Eddie stated. "Your father and his Heatmor share such a profound bond that they can unlock a transformation in battle, similar to Mega Evolution, that previously had only ever been reported to happen with the Pokémon Greninja."

And indeed, it did not stop here. With a shrill cry, Kyle seemed to take control of the raging vortex of fire surrounding him, taking it in, until it all became contained in a tall, flickering rope of flame emanating from his tail pipe. Except for some, which gathered itself atop Kyle's head in a very distinctive shape, revealing the Kyle had become!

"So this is the true form of their bond," Eddie grinned. "This is Keith-Heatmor!"

"Yarrgh... impressive, me bucko," Tom grinned. "I've nary heard of no one makin' Bond Phenomenon possible with naught but Greninja before! But don't ye think fer an instant that ye got the best of ol' Tom like that! Sharpedo! Slash!" he ordered.

"SHAR!" Sharpedo snarled, jetting water from his backside to fly towards Kyle.

Keith grinned, moving in the same way as his Heatmor. "Fire Spin!" he declared, gripping the brim of his Mega Hat.

And Kyle, at the same time, gripped the brim of the fiery hat that adorned his head and adjusted it. A vortex of flames erupted from said hat, whirling around the oncoming Sharpedo.

"Break free! Aqua Jet!" Tom roared.

"Time to match speed with speed!" Keith declared. "Use Flame Charge!"

This time, the flames from Kyle's hat spread to engulf his whole body, and he rammed into Sharpedo, who had just dispersed the Fire Spin with the swirling water from Aqua Jet. Despite the obvious type matchup, the two seemed evenly matched, before Sharpedo won out, forcing Kyle backwards. At the same time, Keith grunted, as though feeling the impact himself.

"Alright- Swift attack!" Tom commanded.

"Fire Lash, let's go!" Keith declared.

"Mor!" grunted Kyle. He grabbed the fiery rope rising from his tail pipe, and whirled it around like a lasso, before swinging it at the oncoming Swift stars, shattering them on impact one by one.

"Take off!" Keith declared. And the Heatmor started running at once.

"Ain't no use, me boy!" Tom exclaimed. "Mega Sharpedo be just too fast! Sharpedo, Aqua Jet, finish this!"

"Kyle, Double Team!" Keith exclaimed. And at once, one Heatmor became no fewer than seven, darting this way and that. Sharpedo twisted and turned, zipping through the air amid swirling waters, but it wasn't working- every attempt merely took out a Double Team copy.

"Stay strong, me bucko, yer narrowin' down the real one!" Tom encouraged.

"SHAR!" growled Sharpedo, nodding in agreement.

"Now! Use Giga Drain!" Keith ordered.

"Ice Fang!" Tom bellowed.

"HeeeaaatMOOOOR!" Kyle exclaimed, once again sending the glowing green tendrils snaking Sharpedo's way.

But this time, Sharpedo was ready. With what looked to be a mouthful of icicles, Sharpedo chomped down on the tendrils, stopping them cold, bad pun fully intended. The ice spread across the tendrils at an alarming rate, until Kyle was forced to abandon the attack, the ice reaching his claws. At the same time, Keith grunted, clutching one hand with the other.

"Crunch, now!" Tom roared.

"Use Pika Papow!" Keith yelled.

Once more Sharpedo jetted in close, ready to Crunch down with his Strong Jaw, though even as he did so, Kyle let fly another super powerful Electric move. As the two faced off, Keith grunted as if in pain, clutching his shoulder, approximately exactly where Sharpedo was biting down on his Heatmor. And then, finally, with an explosive blast of energy, the attacks concluded... and Kyle and Sharpedo passed out at once, both of them resuming their usual forms.

"Heatmor and Sharpedo are both unable to battle!" Gavin declared. "This match is a draw!"

"Keith, are you alright?" Willa asked softly, regarding her husband with no small amount of concern.

"I'm good... yeah..." Keith panted. He was breathing rather heavily, but managed a reassuring smile all the same. "Just... that took a... lot outta me," he said.

"Yarrrgh," Tom remarked as he walked across the battlefield. "I ain't surprised, lad. The things ol' Tom's heard about Bond Phenomenon in me travels, this seems 'bout par fer the course."

"Does it get better?" Willa inquired. "I'm more than a little impressed with Keith and Kyle, but I would rather he not jeopardize his health so unnecessarily."

"Ye've naught to worry about," Tom said firmly. "Takes practice, is all."

"Well, practice we can do," Keith stated. He then held out his hand for Tom to shake. "It was a good battle, though, Tom," he added. "Was not expecting Carvanha to evolve, let alone Mega Evolve!"

"Har har, pleasure were all mine, matey," Tom grinned, shaking Keith's hand. "T'weren't all that surprised at the evolution, I known all along this lad were a powerful one. Yer Bond Phenomenon, however, that took ol' Tom by surprise!"

"I bet it took a lot of people by surprise," Keith chuckled. "Ed's seen it before, but I don't even think Maribel knows that Kyle and I can-"

"Dad! Dad! That was so awesome, you and Kyle are amazing!" Maribel exclaimed, running over and throwing her arms around her father. At this, Keith could only chuckle some more and hug his daughter back.

What? Carvanha is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Carvanha evolved into Sharpedo!

*Sharpedo learned Slash!*

*Sharpedo learned Feint!*

*Sharpedo learned Night Slash!*

[Missingno. Master]

Rainy Day Training

"Now, Hawlucha, Flying Press!"

"Exeggutor! Egg Bomb!"

"Exeggutoooor!" exclaimed all three heads of Willa's Exeggutor, as he launched various egg-shaped projectiles from the leaf plume atop his trunk. The projectiles exploded as Diantha's Hawlucha closed in, throwing the Wrestling Pokémon off course, and allowing Exeggutor to evade what was intended to be a finishing move.

And Willa wasted no time capitalizing on the opening this created. "Psyshock, now!" she commanded.

"TOOOOOR!" responded Exeggutor, now sending several masses of solidified Psychic energy raining down upon Hawlucha.

"...I believe this is a good place to end this battle," said Diantha, smiling slightly as she walked forward. "I must say, Willa, you are improving considerably," she added, addressing her daughter with unmistakable motherly pride. "Combating Hawlucha's Flying Press as you did is not an easy accomplishment. Your Exeggutor is well-trained indeed."

"Exeggutor!" smiled Exeggutor.

Willa likewise allowed herself a small smile, patting Exeggutor's trunk. "We thank you for the kind words, Mother," she replied.

"Mom, that was great!" came Maribel's voice, and indeed, Willa turned to see her daughter and husband approaching from where they'd been spectating the training thus far, for indeed, this was the latest in a series of training battles that had taken place between Willa and her mother in the Battle Room of the Poisonous Palace. "I couldn't believe how fast you and Exeggutor reacted to Grandma's Hawlucha!"

"Yeah, that was some good battling right there," Keith smiled. "From both of you," he added, with a respectful nod to Diantha.

"Very kind of you to say," Diantha nodded back. "And may I say, Keith, I'm liking your new look," she added, eyeing Keith's purple jacket.

"Ah, thanks," Keith grinned. "Your daughter made it for me."

"Did she?" Diantha said with interest, turning her attention to her daughter, who was now blushing slightly. "Very nicely done, Willa."

"Ah, it was nothing," Willa responded modestly. "Ah, Mother, if I may, there is one more Pokémon I was actually hoping to ask your advice on. You see, the Goomy I told you I caught actually went and evolved," she stated, producing an Ultra Ball and holding it up.

"Ah, yes, of course, by all means, send it out," nodded Diantha.

Willa nodded back, then threw the Ultra Ball. "Sliggoo!" she declared, and in a flash of light, to Diantha's mild surprise, the Snail Pokémon appeared before her.

"...goodness me," Diantha remarked, walking around Sliggoo, looking at it from various angles. "I think I scarcely need say this, Willa, but this is certainly not the kind of Sliggoo that I am familiar with."

"I am aware," Willa said, somewhat dryly. "This is Sliggoo's Hisuian Form. Evidently a regular diet of Mt. Coronet mineral water results in this form. I was hoping your experience with your Goodra could be of help to me. This form of Sliggoo still evolved from a regular Goomy, so I'm willing to bet that the two are not that far removed from one another."

"Hmm. Well reasoned, I must say," Diantha conceded. "All right... the minerals go towards keeping the shell hard and in good shape, I would assume..." She knelt down beside Sliggoo. "May I?" she inquired.

"Sligg, Sliggooo," gurgled Sliggoo, nodding in response.

Diantha smiled back at Sliggoo, then knocked on the shell. Each knock produced a loud clanging sound, though Sliggoo didn't look too bothered by it. "Hmm," Diantha remarked. "Very solid." She then ran two fingers down the back of Sliggoo's head, and inspected the slime that came off onto them. "And the texture of the slime is what you would want to see in a healthy Normal Form Sliggoo. Yes, yes... all right, Willa, I've decided," Diantha stated, standing back up. "I should like to go up against your Sliggoo in battle... but, outside, in the park across the street."

"In the park?" Keith repeated. "Diantha, are you sure about that? It's supposed to start raining soon."

Diantha's smile widened. "Exactly," she replied.

~~~~~

Ten minutes later, the family had left the house, and were gathered around the battlefield in Shadow Clearing Park. Keith had invited Meowth to join them, with predictable results, considering the Normal-type's aversion to getting wet. Instead, it was he and Maribel who stood off to the side, both of them holding umbrellas, for it had indeed started to rain.

Diantha stood at one end of the battlefield, throwing a Poké Ball. "Goodra!" she declared.

Willa, standing at the opposite end, threw her Ultra Ball. "Sliggoo!" she declared.

Keith and Maribel looked on with interest as the pair of Dragon-types emerged simultaneously. Willa's Sliggoo and Diantha's Goodra both looked quite happy to be battling it out in the rain. "All right!" Keith called out. "Sliggoo vs. Goodra- begin!"

"Sliggoo! Thunder attack!" Willa commanded.

"Goodra! Protect!" Diantha commanded.

"Sliiiiiigg... GGOOOOO!!" trilled Sliggoo, his eyes flashing brightly as the rain clouds overhead flashed ominously. A bolt of lightning zipped down from above, honing in on Goodra with grim precision, only to be deflected by the dome of energy Goodra cast over itself.

"Dragon Pulse, now!" Willa ordered, refusing to let this bother her.

"Goodra, you use Dragon Pulse as well!" Diantha ordered.

With that, the pair of Dragon-types let fly their attacks at once. The Dragon Pulses collided in the middle of the battlefield, each struggling against the other, until Goodra's won out, destroying Sliggoo's Dragon Pulse and striking Sliggoo itself. "Sliiiiiigg!" Sliggoo cried out as the attack sent him skidding backwards.

"Sliggoo!" Willa breathed. "Are you OK?"

"Sliii... slig Sliggoo!" Sliggoo declared, shaking his head vigorously, as though to clear it, before determinedly dragging his shell back to where it was. He then looked back at Willa and nodded firmly.

Willa nodded back. "Let's show them, then. Use Dragon Breath!"

"Goodra, Misty Terrain!" Diantha commanded.

"Why did Grandma do that?" Maribel wondered out loud as Diantha's Goodra caused mist to swirl low over the battlefield, interfering with Sliggoo's Dragon Breath and making it do far less damage than Willa had hoped for. It actually seemed to paralyze Goodra, but only for a second, as the falling rain proved a quick and easy source of refreshing Hydration for it. "That's just gonna weaken her own Dragon moves, right?"

"Well, it'll also weaken any oncoming Dragon moves as well, sweetie," Keith reminded her. "Dragon is weak to Dragon, so when it comes to a battle with two Dragon-types, that goes both ways. And your mom's Sliggoo is part Steel, so Grandma won't be using many Dragon moves anyway."

"Ohh. That makes sense," Maribel nodded.

Diantha grinned at her daughter. "Didn't expect that move, did you?" she asked. "I taught it to Goodra last time I was in Fizzytopia. The sheer number of options this region's training methods opens up, they are well and truly a wonder."

Willa, however, grinned back. "I might not have seen that coming, but that doesn't mean we don't have the answer!" she declared. "Sliggoo, strike it down with Thunder!"

"Protect, again!" Diantha ordered.

"Goooooodra!" Goodra howled, once more creating a barrier that blocked Sliggoo's Thunder with ease.

But this only widened Willa's grin. "Steel Roller, right now!" she commanded.

Sliggoo reacted at once, pulling his shell into an upright position, and his body inside said shell. The shell then began rolling forward, accelerating at a remarkable speed, the mist clearing out in its wake.

"Goodra, Protect!" Diantha called out. But this time, it was no use- Goodra couldn't manage a second consecutive Protect, and as such, took the Steel Roller head-on. And once it was over, so too was the Misty Terrain.

Diantha gestured forward. "Use Earthquake!" she commanded.

"Sliggoo, use Shelter!" Willa ordered.

"Goo!" gurgled Sliggoo, pulling himself into his shell just as Goodra slammed its tail down on the battlefield with great force. The shell got thrown around on the quaking ground like a Hoppip in a hurricane, but once the attack subsided, Sliggoo emerged, dazed but still very much in the fight... and then, Sliggoo began to glow.

"Oh!" Willa gasped.

"Whoa!" Maribel exhaled.

Diantha simply smiled. "I knew it," she stated.

Sliggoo grew larger, and so did his shell, the wheel shape giving way to more of a spiral look. Sliggoo himself emerged almost fully from the shell, which now seemed to encompass just his tail. And finally, across from Diantha's Goodra stood Willa's own ! Willa took out her Pokédex and pointed it at her newly evolved Pokémon.

"Goodra- Hisuian Form- the Shell Bunker Pokémon. A Steel and Dragon-type, and the evolved form of Sliggoo," droned the device. "Hisuian Goodra can freely control the hardness of its metal shell. It is extremely clingy and hates to be alone."

"Sliggoo evolve in the rain!" Diantha declared. "I supposed the same would hold true for Hisuian Sliggoo, and evidently I was right! I could tell your Sliggoo was getting that powerful, so I figured this was the perfect time and place to put this to the test!"

"Indeed," Willa nodded. "Well-reasoned, Mother. I thank you. But let's finish this battle now, shall we?"

Diantha grinned. "Let's," she agreed.

Willa gestured forward. "Use Iron Tail!" she commanded.

"Goooooodra!" howled Willa's Goodra. His shell gleamed brightly as he swung it at Diantha's Goodra.

Diantha, however, smirked. "Counter!" she ordered.

"DRAAAAAA!!" bellowed the Normal Form Goodra, repelling the Iron Tail with twice its own force.

"We're not out of this yet, Goodra!" Willa declared. "Dragon Pulse!"

'You too, Goodra!" Diantha called out at once.

"GooooooDRAAA!" bellowed both Goodra at once, launching their Dragon Pulses simultaneously, the attacks colliding in the middle of the battlefield as they had done before. But this time, they seemed far more evenly matched, the attacks eventually cancelling each other out.

"All right- Draco Meteor!" Willa ordered.

"Gooooooooo..." hummed Willa's Goodra, his eyes shut. Then, said eyes flew open, just as a deluge of meteors began to rain down upon Diantha's Goodra. Once the onslaught had ended, both Goodra were still standing, but they both seemed tired out.

"...and I think we can call it there," Keith decided. "Just... wow!" he chuckled. "Willa, dear, that Hisuian Goodra is certainly something!"

"Indeed," Willa nodded with a proud smile. By this point, the rain was starting to let up. The Kalosian Ace Trainer walked over to the Shell Bunker Pokémon, patting his slimy form. "Goodra, very well done indee- oof!" she grunted, for Goodra had cut short the compliment with an impromptu slimy hug, eliciting good-natured chuckles out of all present.

What? Sliggoo is evolving!



...

...

...!



Congratulations! Your Sliggoo evolved into Goodra!

*Goodra learned Iron Tail*

[Missingno. Master]

From Patient To Patient

"Now, Kecleon- Psybeam!" Maribel commanded.

"Keeeek... lelelelelelele!" trilled Kecleon, letting fly a rainbow-colored beam of light from her eyes.

Keith Masters grinned. "Smiley! Mirror Coat!" he commanded.

"Wobbu..." groaned Keith's Wobbuffet, though he halfheartedly coated his body in a reflective aura that rebounded the Psybeam back to sender.

"...Dad, maybe we should stop," Maribel spoke up. "Smiley doesn't seem like his usual self."

"Yeah, now that you mention it, he is looking a little listless," Keith murmured, now walking onto the battlefield and approaching his Wobbuffet. "Smiley, buddy, you OK?"

"Wobbuffet..." Smiley sighed.

"Yeah, something's not right here," Meowth spoke up from his usual position on Keith's shoulder, eyeing his Wobbuffet teammate curiously.

"Hm," Keith frowned. "Let's put off the battle for now, then, get Smiley to the Pokémon Center. Helena'll know what to do, she knows Wobbuffet inside and out."

"Sounds like a plan, Dad," nodded Maribel.

~~~~~

"...well, Helena?" Keith asked, as he saw the blue-eyed Banette hovering over to him in the waiting room.

"Physically, Smiley is in perfect health," replied Helena, sounding bewildered. "But something's definitely off. His emotions were far tastier than I'd ever want a patient's emotions to taste," she frowned. "As for what the problem could be, I can only speculate... maybe Grandma would know more?" she suggested.

"Ooh, yeah," Keith nodded. "Grandma Masters knows Wobbuffet more than anyone else I know of- she'd be the perfect person to consult! Thanks, Helena," he smiled.

"Of course, little brother," Helena smiled back.

Following this, Keith made his way over to one of the videophones, and dialed his grandmother's number. After a few seconds of the phone ringing, it picked up on the other end. Keith, Meowth, Maribel, and Helena were beholding the living room of a nice little house, with several Wobbuffet lounging on the furniture, and in the forefront of this scene, a kindly elderly woman with grey hair. "Ah, Keith, Maribel, Helena," smiled Grandma Masters. "Good to see you all again."

"Wooobbuffet!" added the three background Wobbuffet in unison.

"Hi, Grandma," Keith said. "Hi, Hindsight. Hi, Retal. Hi, Bounceback," he added, greeting the Wobbuffet. "Listen, Grandma, uh, I'm calling because of Smiley. He, uh, he seems to be in a bit of a funk lately, and battling does nothing for him."

"Physically he's in perfect health," Helena added. "I figured you might know more."

"Well, send him out, let me see," offered Grandma Masters. In response, Helena opened up the Luxury Ball still gripped in her cloth paws, and the Wobbuffet, still looking unhappy, emerged.

"Wooooobbu," sighed Smiley.

"Hmm," frowned Grandma Masters. "Well, if battling won't fix this, and it's not a physical ailment, perhaps Smiley desires a change of pace. Perhaps some time around more of his own kind."

"Wobbu?" Smiley murmured, seeming to perk up a bit.

Keith chuckled at this. "Well, I think that tells us what we need to know," he said. "Though I gotta say, this surprises me- I didn't think Wobbuffet necessarily sought out the company of their own kind too much."

"Oh, it varies," said Grandma Masters. "No two Wobbuffet are alike, after all. If I may be so bold, Keith, might I suggest you send Smiley to me? A vacation in Lavaridge Town, around his own kind, maybe with a good soothing soak in the hot springs, it could do wonders for him."

"Wobbuffet..." Smiley murmured, considering this. Seconds later, he turned to Keith, nodding firmly. "Wobbu! Wobbuffet!" he declared.

"Smiley's sold on dis," Meowth translated. "He's tinkin' dis could be exactly wat he needs."

"Well, then, why wait," Keith shrugged. "Grandma, if your Poké Ball transporter is up and running, I could send you Smiley right now," he offered.

"It certainly is, dearie," confirmed Grandma Masters. "He'll be in good hands during his stay, and I'll inform you on how he's doing daily."

"Thanks, Grandma," Keith smiled. He withdrew Smiley, then placed the Luxury Ball on the transporter. With the press of a button, the ball vanished in a flash of light.

Seconds later, a similar flash of light issued from somewhere offscreen on the other end, and Grandma Masters reached out to where that flash issued. When her hand re-entered the frame, it was clutching the very same Luxury Ball. "Smiley has arrived," she stated. "Don't you worry about a thing, OK? They don't call me the Crazy Wobbuffet Lady of Lavaridge for nothing!" she smirked.

"Don't I know it," Keith smirked back. "Thanks for this, Grandma."

"Think nothing of it, dearie," Grandma Masters nodded. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, let you know how he's doing. I have to go now, I have to start feeding them, and if I don't feed Retal and Bounceback separately, they start competing to see who can go without eating the longest."

"Ooh, yeah, you don't want that," Keith shook his head. "Alright, goodbye, then."

"Goodbye, everybody," Grandma Masters said, and with that, the call cut out.

"...he'll be OK," Helena said reassuringly.

"Yeah, I know," Keith nodded. "If there's anyone who knows Wobbuffet better than Grandma, I haven't met them yet. Just... I dunno how long Smiley's gonna need to be there, I'm gonna miss him."

"Ahh, it'll be alright," Meowth purred. "Don't matter how long it takes, just as long as Smiley gets betta by the end, yeah?"

"Meowth's right," Helena nodded.

"Yeah, I know," Keith nodded back.

"Dad, come on, why don't we go back home?" Maribel asked. "I can tell you and Mom more about what happened before I caught Kecleon!"

"Y'know what, sweetie, I like that idea," Keith nodded. And with that, he led the way out of the Pokémon Center. His Wobbuffet, he knew, would be just fine.