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Pokémon Pokemon: Legendary Adventures

Chapter 21: KOa'd
  • Flyg0n

    Flygon connoisseur
    Pronouns
    She/her
    Partners
    1. flygon
    2. swampert
    3. ho-oh
    4. crobat
    5. orbeetle
    6. joltik
    7. salandit
    8. tyrantrum
    Chapter 21: KOa'd
    Koa faces the Veilstone gym! Will he be able to win as easily as he believes?

    Echo (Male Golbat)

    Hazard (Male Joltik)

    Rascal (Female Tyrunt)

    Anubis (Male Houndoom)

    Scrapper (Male Breloom)

    Flurry (Female Spheal)



    "Echo, finish this with Air Slash!"

    Echo's wings glowed blue and hurled the razor-sharp blades of air at his opponent, a Haunter, knocking it to the ground. It didn't move again.

    The Haunter's trainer, a young girl named Margo, returned her pokemon and grinned amiably. "Wow, your Golbat is really strong! You're nearly as good as the Battle Triplets I bet!"

    "Thanks!" Koa replied. Echo flew back and settled on his shoulders, clearly pleased with himself. Margo, a young girl close to his age, had challenged him just before he entered Veilstone City. Echo had been quite eager for a battle it seemed, so he'd accepted her offer of a one-on-one. "Who are the Battle Triplets?" he asked curiously.

    "They're these super cool siblings who know just about everything about pokemon. Like which pokemon are the strongest and which ones aren't, and all kinds of weird mathematical stuff. I bet they must be one of the strongest trainers in Sinnoh!"

    Koa couldn't resist a snort at that. "Strongest in Sinnoh? What about Cynthia?"

    She chuckled. "Well, not that strong I guess. But they are pretty tough. And smart, like I said. They helped me teach my pokemon some new moves and stuff. Maybe you should talk to them."

    "Huh..." he mused. That sounded intriguing. If they really were some kind of experts on pokemon, they could help make his team stronger. It could only help in his journey, after all. "Where can I find them? Are they here in Veilstone?"

    Margo only shrugged. "I think so. They were staying at the pokemon center a couple days ago. Maybe they're still there."

    "Thanks for the tip. I'll keep an eye out." Koa started for the gate to Veilstone. "Good luck on your journey!" he called back.

    "You too!" she called, before jogging away.

    A renewed vigor filled Koa as he entered the city. He took a deep breath, reveling in the scent of the ocean mixed with the scents of the city. Echo fluttered on his back, clearly eager with anticipation. Fortunately, finding the pokemon center proved simple enough. It sported the usual trademark red roof, though was considerably larger than Celestic Town's. It stood at least three stories tall and occupied almost half a city block. He stepped inside and handed Echo's pokeball to the nurse.

    When she returned, holding a fully healed Echo in his pokeball, he decided to ask her about the Battle Triplets.

    "Oh yes, they're here now actually! They reserved the battlefield in the back," Nurse Joy replied.

    Koa took Echo's pokeball back and started towards the rear exit. "Thanks!" he called back. He stepped through the doors and onto the battlefield. His eyes darted about as he took in the scene before him. He seemed to have arrived midway through a battle. A girl with a Minun stood on one side of the field. Opposite her stood three trainers, though only one seemed to be battling.

    The first was a young boy with dark hair, green eyes, and narrow features. He was flanked by what Koa could only assume were his siblings - another young boy who was nearly identical to him, and a girl. Both sported the same color hair and similar features. They wore similar outfits as well: black jackets with silver studs, sporty leggings, and t-shirts. The only real difference between them seemed to be their hair. The lead boy, the one battling, had a streak of green. The girl had a streak of pink in her hair, while the third boy, who lingered towards the back, had a red streak.

    Their opponent appeared to be using a Minun, while the green-haired boy seemed to be using a strange looking bipedal feline pokemon. Gray fur covered its chest and body, and red stripes circled its legs, arms and face. A fiery 'belt' of sorts wrapped around its midsection. It towered over the Minun, its yellow eyes leering down at its opponent. Judging by the looks of it, the Minun wasn't fairing well. It panted heavily and stood slightly hunched over, though its eyes still held a spark of determination. At a command from the girl, the Minun rushed forwards in a Quick Attack, darting around the larger feline.

    I got off a single Spark attack before the feline twisted around and released a powerful Fire Blast attack from the 'belt' around its waist. The flames struck Minun before it could dodge, tossing it backward. Just like that, the battle was over.

    The girl returned her Minun and tucked the pokeball away and crossed the field, shaking hands with her opponent. "Thanks for the battle," the girl said. "Your Incineroar is really strong."

    So that's what that pokemon was. Koa recognized the name now as the final form of one of the three traditional starters given out on the islands of Alola. Obviously, it was fire-type.

    The lead boy shrugged. "Incineroar are just naturally strong. High attack power and a wide-ranged moveset they can utilize. Minun just aren't strong."

    A frown stretched across the girl's face. "But... He's the first pokemon I ever got. We've worked hard and he's done really well! I even beat-"

    "Numbers are numbers," the boy replied, matter of factly.

    His sister elbowed him hard. "Dimitri!" she hissed. She turned towards the girl and offered her an apologetic smile. "Sorry Joanna. Your Minun is lovely. I think what my brother was trying to say is that your Minun might not be the best for high-level competition. They simply... don't have the natural strength that other pokemon do. But he'll be just fine if you just want to do regular battles."

    "Oh," Joanna said quietly. "Is there anything I can do to make him stronger? I don't want to get rid of him. I... I really like Minun."

    Dimitri frowned and crossed his arms. "Oh please, Demetria. Don't try to sugarcoat the truth." He turned his gaze back on Joanna. "You should get rid of it if you want to go anywhere, kid. Some pokemon are just made to be weak. That's just stats."

    "Oh..." she opened her mouth, then shut it and frowned.

    Demetria waved her brother off. "Ignore my brother. He's all stats. I think it's sweet that you like Minun so much."

    "You should teach your Minun Thunderbolt instead of Spark."

    Koa's gaze was drawn to the third sibling, who until now hadn't spoken. He had his hands in his pockets and seemed almost bored. Or perhaps tired, Koa wasn't sure.

    "How come?" Joanna asked quietly.

    "Minun usually excel at using special attacks." The red-haired boy spoke in a low voice, so low Koa could barely hear him. "Unless your Minun has been specially trained, its physical power is very low. But if you give it a strong special attack like Thunderbolt, you can deal a lot more damage."

    Demetria held up one finger. "I actually have a TM for that. I could teach it to your Minun if you like."

    Joanna brightened considerably at the suggestion and nodded emphatically. Demetria pulled out a TM case. A few seconds later, the deed was done. "Thank you so much," Joanna said, smiling. She bid the three farewell then hurried back into the pokemon center.

    Once she had left, Dimitri shot his sister a glare. "I don't get why you gotta be so soft with these trainers. Someone's gotta tell them the facts."

    Demetria rolled her eyes. "Just because we know everything doesn't mean everybody else is interested in knowing. Maybe some people just like training for fun."

    At that, Dimitri snorted. "Fun? What's the point in that?"

    "Oh please," Demetria said. She rolled her eyes and gave her brother a shove. Dimitri just snorted and shook his head, though there didn't seem to be any malice in the gesture.

    "We have company." The third sibling spoke again, and his gaze shifted to stare directly at Koa.

    Koa flinched, then waved awkwardly. He hadn't exactly meant to eavesdrop, but he couldn't help but be intrigued by the trio. Although seeing how they had spoken to 'Joanna' put him on edge. All the talk about stats and numbers and natural strength annoyed him. He was sure there was more to training and to pokemon. Echo and Hazard were proof of that.

    All three approached him, though Dimitri's expression seemed vaguely annoyed whilst his sister seemed amicable. Koa strode forwards, meeting them halfway. "Hey. Sorry about that, I didn't mean to eavesdrop." He held out his hand. "My name is Koamaru."

    Demetria shook his hand firmly. Now that he was closer, he could see the three were probably in their late teens, a few years his senior. "Names Demetria. This is my brother Dimitri-" she gestured to the boy with the green-streak in his hair "-and this is my other brother, Deuce." She pointed over her shoulder to the third sibling, who sported red in his hair.

    Deuce offered a nod in acknowledgment, which Koa returned.

    "We're the Battle Triplets," Demetria stated proudly.

    "I heard about you guys. You're some kind of battle experts, right? And you're supposed to be really strong?" he asked. Perhaps he could learn something from them, and make his team even stronger.

    Dimitri frowned. "Really strong? Yeah, I guess you could say that. We're former champions of the Super Single Battle Subway. So yeah, we're strong. Not to mention champions of the Battle Tree."

    "The...Super Battle Subway? And the Battle Tree?" Koa asked, gritting his teeth and doing his best to ignore Dimitri's derisive attitude. Dimitri rolled his eyes, which earned him a glare from his sister. "That's those specialized battle centers right? Like the Battle Zone, right?"

    "Exactly. It's a special battle challenge in the Unova region," Demetria explained. "And the Battle Tree is located in Alola."

    "Did you want something from us?" Deuce asked, his voice direct, though it lacked the abrasiveness of his brother.

    "Well... I want to be a strong trainer. I'm working my way through the gyms right now, but I thought maybe you could give me some tips," Koa replied.

    A literal groan escaped Dimitri, while Demetria seemed unfazed. Deuce nodded, as if he'd expected Koa's request. Koa resisted the ever-growing urge to smack Dimitri.

    "Sure! We'd love to."

    Koa found himself doubting if Dimitri would 'love to', but he put on his best face. Demetria seemed nice enough after all.

    "So what kind of pokemon have you caught?" Demetria asked.

    "Hopefully you've at least got a Gible or Gabite," Dimitri muttered under his breath.

    Koa scowled at the reminder. He reached immediately for Rascal's pokeball and released her. She burst out with a roar, glaring at the three trainers in front of her, raising her snout proudly. He caught the looks of surprise on the faces of the three and relished it.

    "Huh..." was all Dimitri said.

    "Impressive," Demetria murmured. "So what else do you have?"

    One by one, Koa sent out the rest of his pokemon. First Anubis, then Scrapper, Hazard, Flurry and Echo. They emerged with a cacophony of cries, making Koa smile slightly. As always, the sight of his team filled him with a sense of pride. Each of them was strong, and had trained hard. "What do you think?" he asked, grinning.

    Silence met his question. Dimitri looked downright unimpressed, eyeing his team with a look of disdain, while Demetria seemed hesitant. Her gaze lingered on Anubis, who stared back at her, his gaze narrowed. Deuce's face was unreadable.

    Dimitri spoke first, unsurprisingly. "Your team is unbalanced and ineffective."

    Rage boiled inside Koa. "Excuse me?" His fists clenched unconsciously and he took a step towards the older boy.

    "It's just facts." Dimitri took an annoyed breath before continuing. "It'd be impossible to use a team like that for competitive battles. I mean don't get me wrong, a Houndoom is pretty good. And a Tyrantrum would provide excellent attack power, especially if it has a good ability. But the rest of your team is not gonna go far in pro-level fights. Why is your Joltik holding an Everstone? If it doesn't want to evolve, catch another electric type. And a Golbat? Even if you can get it to evolve, it won't be tough enough. They can get revenge killed or taken out by Stealth Rock. And their attack isn't as good as some other pokemon. A good sweeper could knock them right out. And a Breloom? Sure they have a niche but they also have too many weaknesses. You'd be much better off with a Machamp or another strong fighting type. Maybe a few of your pokemon can work individually but your team synergy ain't great."

    Koa blinked as his mind reeled. Anger pulsed inside him, and a hundred replies raced through his head, but none really matched the confusion, anger, and frustration he felt. His pokemon gave growls of anger, Scrapper, in particular, looking insulted.

    Before he could reply, however, Demetria cleared her throat. "I... I think I have to agree with my brother on this one."

    Koa whirled on her, ready to snap back. Noting his anger, she quickly held her hands up in a placating motion. "I'm sure you worked hard to train your team, and I have no doubt they're wonderful pokemon. But..."

    "But what?" Koa snarled.

    "Numbers are numbers is all. Statistically, your team wouldn't fare well in the long run. Individually, most of your pokemon aren't bad. But you have some gaps in your lineup." Her eyes roved over his team again. "A lot of trainers who become strong in Sinnoh use pokemon like a Garchomp or Staraptor for a reason. And usually, they'll have one of the traditional starters. Those are just stronger pokemon, I'm afraid. Not that you can't use your pokemon, but if you really want to break into the competitive field, you'll need to think about training a new team. Specialize more." She shrugged, then smiled, genuinely. "If you just want to challenge gyms though, you don't have to worry."

    Deja-vu struck Koa as he heard her words. She almost sounded like he had when he'd first began his journey. More knowledgeable, maybe, but the same beliefs. Some pokemon were simply inherently better. "No. I want to battle with my pokemon," he growled, glaring in particular at Dimitri. "Any pokemon has the potential to be strong."

    "Don't be a fool. You asked for our advice," Dimitri said. "You don't become the best by using a Raticate. Hitmonchan lacks any kind of reasonable defense. And Crobat are good but they're not top tier. It's just numbers." He shrugged, as if he'd stated something as simple as the weather.

    "This isn't some kind of game!" Koa cried. "There's more to battling than just numbers. And I'll prove it to you. Come watch me battle at Veilstone gym. I'll show you what my pokemon are capable of." At that, Scrapper gave a cry of agreement, and Echo shrieked defiantly. A low growl rumbled in Anubis's throat.

    Dimitri sighed. "No thanks-"

    "We should watch," Deuce said. Both Demetria and Dimitri turned and looked at him, surprised. "Why not? Perhaps we may learn something," he said simply. They glanced at each other, shrugged, then nodded.

    "We'd love to watch," Demetria said with an eager smile.

    xXx

    "Welcome to the Veilstone Gym." Maylene trotted across the packed dirt floor of the battlefield to her end of the field. A referee took up a position on the side, and Koa stepped into the challenger's box. His heart thudded in his chest, and out of the corner of his eyes, he noted the Battle Triplets seated in the bleachers beside the battlefield. A referee took up a position on the side of the field.

    "So, you good with a three-on-three?" Maylene called.

    Koa grinned and nodded. "Sounds good to me!" He already knew exactly which three pokemon he'd be going with. Echo first, obviously. As for his other two, he'd decided on the walk over that he would be using Hazard and Scrapper. Both deserved the chance to show off what they were capable of.

    Maylene smiled, determination clear in her expression. She began to bounce lightly on her toes as if already anticipating the battle. "We'll go with the usual rules, if that's alright with you. You can substitute, but I can't. We continue until one of us is out of usable pokemon. Sound good?"

    A trace of nervousness flickered through him as he nodded. He hadn't done any of his usual research or preparation. Had he made a mistake? Shaking his head, he pushed away the thought. No. He didn't need strategy anymore. Not with a strong flying type like Echo, plus his other pokemon. He could do this. Across the field, Maylene nodded to the referee, who held up his arm.

    "This match will be between gym leader Maylene and Challenger Koamaru! Will the gym leader please send out her first pokemon," he said calmly.

    Standing confidently, Maylene pulled out a pokeball from her pocket and released his first opponent. A tough-looking Machoke emerged onto the field, flexing its muscles. It grinned, taking up a fighting stance. Koa smiled. Well, if she wanted to use a Machoke...

    "Go, Echo!"

    In a flash of light, Echo emerged, shrieking eagerly.

    "Battle begin!"

    "Poison Fang!"

    Echo had barely moved before Maylene called her attack.

    "Brick Break!"

    The two pokemon lunged for each other, Echo with purple fangs and Machoke with its fist glowing. As Echo drew near, Machoke struck at him. He wheeled narrowly out of the way and sank his jaws into Machoke's arm. In a blur of motion, Machoke smashed his other fist into Echo, sending him flying.

    Echo caught himself midair.

    "Air Slash!" Koa cried. With a flourish, Echo sent blades of air spinning right for Machoke's head.

    Machoke lunged with impressive dexterity, dodging the attack. "Focus Energy," Maylene said. Machoke took up a defensive stance, tucking its head and arms inward. A golden orange aura flashed around its body.

    Koa wasted no time calling his next attack. "Poison Fang." All it would take was a good dose of toxic poison and then an Air Slash or two, and he could win this, easy. Machoke probably wasn't even that strong-

    Echo sank his jaws into Machoke's back, causing the reptilian pokemon to flinch. A purple sheen shone in its eyes and Koa couldn't resist a small grin and a glance towards the Battle Triplets. All three wore unreadable expressions, though Dimitri seemed unimpressed. Well, they would be soon. With the poison weakening Machoke, this battle was practically over already-

    Maylene delivered her next command with absolute confidence. "Brick Break!" Glowing orange, Machoke leaped into the air, above Echo. Koa gasped. He hadn't expected such a muscular pokemon to be able to propel itself so high. In a single, swift motion, it brought its glowing fist crashing down on Echo, slamming him into the earth.

    "Rock Tomb." Machoke landed neatly, then slammed both hands into the earth.

    Panic seized Koa. "Echo, get up!" he cried.

    Rocks surged upwards, surrounding the dazed Golbat, and blocking him from Koa's view. A split second later they crashed down on top of Echo, burying him. A silence fell over the battlefield.

    "Echo!" Koa shouted. He jogged onto the battlefield as the huge rocks crumbled to pebbles. Through the faint film of dust, Echo's unconscious form was clearly evident. Heart sinking, Koa knelt next to his pokemon and scooped him up. His eyes flickered open and he uttered an apologetic squeak.

    "It's ok Echo," he murmured. "We... we just weren't prepared for that Rock Tomb is all." Or maybe you underestimated your opponent. As soon as the thought entered his mind he brushed it off. Machoke had just gotten a critical hit, that was all. Without saying another word, he returned Echo and returned to his side of the battlefield.

    His mind reeled, and he forced himself not to look at the Battle Triplets. This was not how this match was supposed to go. Echo was supposed to beat at least two of her pokemon. Instead he hadn't even beat one. Now he'd just lost his best advantage against the gym. His heart raced as his hand brushed over Scrapper's pokeball and Hazard's. Or perhaps Tyrantrum was a better choice? How would he defeat Machoke plus her other two pokemon?

    After several more seconds of deliberation, he reluctantly released Hazard. "Alright Hazard, we gotta take down Machoke. It defeated Echo, but it's poisoned." Hazard chittered in acknowledgment and glared at Machoke. The reptilian eyed its small opponent with a look of amusement. It flinched again, clearly still suffering from the effects of poison.

    At the sight of Hazard, Maylene smiled. "That's a pretty unique pokemon you got. Let's see how strong it is! Machoke, Rock Tomb!"

    A silvery glow encompassed Machoke and it roared, a circle of rocks forming high above Hazard. With a grunt, Machoke brought them cascading down towards Joltik.

    "Dodge with String Shot!" Koa called.

    Hazard launched a line of web at one of the falling rocks, zipping to it and leaping off. He darted nimbly from rock to with String Shot, displaying an impressive jumping power that surprised even Koa. He landed safely outside the range of the rocks, only a few feet away from Machoke.

    "Brick Break!" Machoke brought its fist down on Hazard, smashing him into the ground. Hazard uttered a cry of shock and staggered backward out of the crater, dazed. Koa cursed inwardly. Another hard hit. Not good.

    "String Shot! Blind it."

    Hazard shook off the damage and fired a blast of webbing at Machoke striking it in the face. It grunted in shock as its eyes were completely covered, and stumbled backward.

    "Electroweb!" Koa shouted, determined to press his brief advantage. Hazard fired the burst of electrical webbing at Machoke, hitting it in the chest, causing it to grunt and fall to one knee. Hope briefly surged in Koa. He could still win this. Machoke was now severely weakened from the poison and the attacks. "Okay Hazard, finish it with Bug Bite," he said nonchalantly, confidence returning to him. He could have this battle in the bag.

    Hazard's pincers glowed white and he moved towards Machoke.

    "Machoke," Maylene called, her voice surprisingly calm. "Dynamic Punch."

    As she spoke the words, she mimicked a punching motion, straight downwards. Machoke stopped struggling, holding up one fist. A vivid orange glow surrounded it and in a near exact copy of Maylene's motion, punched straight down. The command and action only took a second to execute. The next thing Koa realized, Machoke drove its fist straight into Hazard, sending him skidding backward. When he stopped, he lay still for several moments.

    Koa gaped. Somehow, somehow Machoke had known exactly where to attack. Even blinded, it had managed to get off the attack. "Hazard, are you ok?" he shouted. Hazard shifted and pushed himself to his feet. He stumbled around a few steps, confusion kicking in. Koa cursed. Dynamic Punch was an exceedingly powerful move that sacrificed accuracy for power and hitting the opponent in such a way that it confused them.

    Across the field, Machoke had just managed to pull some of the webbings off its eyes. It was breathing heavily, its whole body trembling from the effects of poison. Unfortunately, Hazard didn't look any better. Taking the effects of two very powerful hits had taken its toll. "Alright Hazard, use one more Electroweb!"

    Hazard began charging the attack. Then, without warning, a pulse of electricity surged through him and he shocked himself. At nearly the same moment, Machoke staggered, then keeled over, finally unconscious from the poison. The referee raised his flags.

    "Both pokemon are unable to battle! The match is a tie."

    Koa's heart sank. He slowly raised his pokeball and returned Hazard, gripping the ball tightly. He was down to his last pokemon, while Maylene still had two. How on earth was he going to win this? This was all going so, so wrong. A sense of dread filled him as he selected Scrapper's pokeball and sent him out. At nearly the same moment, Maylene sent out her pokemon. A Meditite emerged, hovering a few inches above the ground, its eyes closed.

    Scrapper glared determinedly at his opponent, dancing lightly on his feet and he threw a few experimental jabs. He stopped, then glared at Koa, giving a defiant cry.

    Koa forced himself to focus. "Let's do this, Scrapper."

    The referee called for the match to start.

    "Mach Punch," Koa snapped.

    Scrapper sprinted forwards, fist pure white. He became a blur, appearing suddenly in front of Meditite and slamming his fist into the opposing pokemon. It glided backward several feet, still maintaining its hovering posture.

    "Seed Bomb."

    Forming the glowing green sphere, Scrapper launched it forwards.

    "Detect!" Maylene gave her command moments before the Seed Bomb struck.

    Meditite's eyes shot open and pulsed with a green light. It twisted its body, allowing Seed Bomb to pass harmlessly by it.

    "Now, Psycho Cut."

    Meditite stood and held out its hands. Its eyes flashed purple and a crescent blade of energy shot from its hands, slamming into Scrapper, making him cringe. The Breloom caught himself, dropping briefly to one knee before standing again.

    Swallowing, Koa forced himself to focus on the battle. "Sky Uppercut!"

    Scrapper sprinted forwards, fist orange. Before Meditite could react, he drove his fist into the opponent's chin, causing it to fly into the air. It landed hard but quickly regained its footing.

    With no hesitation, Maylene called her command. "Drain Punch."

    Both of Meditite's fists began to shimmer with energy. It flitted across the field and appeared in front of Scrapper. It lashed out with one punch, which Scrapper dodged, then caught him in the chest with the second. Just as it did, however, Scrapper leered at it, grinning triumphantly. Meditite withdrew its fist. A second later, sparks danced over its body as it seized up. A brief moment of relief washed over Koa. Effect Spore had kicked in.

    "Now, Seed Bomb!"

    Scrapper summoned the sphere and fired it quickly. Meditite cringed, its eyes flickered purple as it attempted another Psycho Cut, but was cut short by a burst of static as its body froze. The Seed Bomb crashed onto its head, knocking it to the ground.

    "Mach Punch!"

    "Detect!" Meditite eyes flashed and as Scrapper blurred forwards, it deftly twisted out of the way. As Scrapper passed harmlessly by, its eyes flashed purple and it fired a Psycho Cut.

    "Jump!" Scrapper leaped upwards just in time, allowing the attack to pass under him. "Giga Drain." Scrapper landed and shot a blast of green energy at Meditite, sucking away its energy.

    "Psycho Cut!" It shuddered from paralysis, giving Scrapper an extra second to absorb more energy. Then its eyes shone purple and it blasted a blade of energy under the beam of Giga Drain. The attack struck Scrapper's legs, knocking him to the floor.

    As Koa stared at the downed form of Scrapper, a hollow feeling grew inside him. Scrapper struggled to stand, his eyes still burning with determination. Meditite moved closer, still slowed by the effects of paralysis. No attacks, strategies or ideas came to him. What would be the point of trying to think of something now? The battle was over. Scrapper was conscious, yes, but there was just... no way he could succeed. Maylene still had one more pokemon.

    "Bullet Punch." When Maylene gave the command, Scrapper glanced back at him and gave an angry cry. Meditite darted forwards. Its fists shone with a metallic sheen. The distraction was all the opening Meditite needed to hammer Scrapper's face with a rapid flurry of blows. He dropped to the ground, eyes closed. Unconscious.

    "Breloom is unable to battle!" The referee shouted. "Gym leader Maylene is the winner."

    In a daze, Koa returned Scrapper. He stared at the floor, his arms hanging loosely by his sides. From the corner of his vision, he noted the Battle Triplets, watching him.

    Maylene approached, her expression serious. "That was a good battle. I can see that you care a lot about your pokemon. But you can't get ahead of yourself during a battle. A trainer should always give 100%, even if they think they've already won. And especially if they think they've already lost. I had to learn that lesson a long time ago. True strength isn't always about winning. It's in how you battle."

    Koa merely nodded, barely hearing her words. He'd lost. And not just lost, but he'd been humiliated. He hadn't even defeated two of her pokemon. "Thanks..." he mumbled hoarsely. Turning away quickly, he rushed out of the gym. He didn't really want to see anyone right now, or for anyone to see him.

    As he stepped outside, he desperately sucked in a breath of fresh air. A wild flurry of emotions surged through him. Disappointment, anger, sadness. Unlike his loss to Roark, this felt worse. Back then, it had just been inexperience. Challenging a gym with just one pokemon was stupid. This time... he didn't have an excuse. Worst of all, he'd lost in front of the Battle Triplets. At the thought of them, a sick feeling grew in the pit of his stomach. Were they right?

    Picking up his pace, he returned to the pokemon center. His mind was still spinning, but he tried not to think about any of it. Instead, he handed his pokemon off to Nurse Joy and found a seat in the lobby to wait. A few minutes later, his name was called, and he picked up his pokeballs, clipping them back on his belt. He turned around, intent on leaving, only to see the Battle Triplets standing a few feet away, expectant looks etched across their faces. Or rather, two of them. Demetria and Dimitri.

    "That was rough," Demetria said, offering a sympathetic smile. "You had a good strategy though, trying to poison her Machoke."

    "I saw it coming from a mile away," Dimitri grumbled. "A Golbat, Joltik, and Breloom? Those pokemon won't cut it. A Breloom has too much dependence on a good matchup, and he isn't bulky enough to last long. And like I said, Golbat don't become properly viable unless they evolve. If you can make that happen. Although even if that did happen you could probably do better, considering your team build. And don't even get me started on your Joltik."

    "Shut up!" he snapped. He clenched his fits, glaring furiously at Dimitri. "You don't know anything."

    "Yeah, kid, the two-time winners at the Battle Subway and Champions of the Battle Tree 'don't know anything'." Dimitri snapped, air quoting his words. "Maybe it's time you faced reality. You-"

    "I don't care," Koa growled out the words, his fists shaking. He was genuinely contemplating just punching the kid.

    Demetria glared furiously at Dimitri. "Enough! Have some decency, Dimitri!" she cried. "You can't force everyone to battle like you." She turned her gaze upon Koa, "You should have no trouble beating Maylene, I'm sure. But if you like, I would be more than happy to lend one of my training pokemon to you. I have a Togetic that I've been working with that would be perfect-"

    The offer was surprising, but he didn't care either way. "Thanks but no thanks. I'll do this my way." Turning on his heel, he started to stride away. Right now, all he wanted to do was train.

    He hadn't gone more than three steps outside the center before he ran into someone. He stepped back, an apology on his lips when he recognized the boy in front of him. The third sibling of the Triplets, Deuce.

    "Here to gloat?" he grumbled.

    Deuce regarded him with a measured gaze, then sighed. "And you wouldn't have gloated if you had won?"

    The question made Koa pause.

    "You wouldn't have rubbed it in our faces, telling my siblings and I how your 'friendship' and 'bonds' can overcome anything?" His tone remained calm and even, free of any aggression.

    Even so, it ticked Koa off. A scowl began to grow on his face. Before he could muster a response, Deuce continued.

    "Do you think you're the first trainer my siblings and I have battled who tries to preach to us about the merits of friendship over facts and stats?" Still, his tone remained calm as if asking a simple question.

    Gritting his teeth, Koa pushed his anger down. "No," he said slowly. "But it doesn't mean it's not true."

    "How do you know?"

    "Because-" Koa stopped in his tracks. He narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying it's not, then? Some pokemon are just born weak? Born lesser?"

    Deuce regarded him carefully. "I didn't say that. But how can you stand there and tell me that friendship alone can take you anywhere after a battle like that? How can you claim that any pokemon can be strong if you can't show it?" He paused. His tone shifted, growing softer. "Actions speak louder than words. If you believe this so badly, then prove it."

    Koa blinked, then frowned. "Why do you care?" he asked after a moment.

    "Maybe..." Deuce began, then shook his head. He let out a long sigh. "Maybe I think there's more to it than just stats and numbers. And EV's and IV's. But if you can't back up your beliefs, how can you stand behind them?"

    Koa blinked in confusion. "What does Eevee have to do with this?"

    Deuce chuckled softly and shook his head. "Not that kind. Anyways, that's not what's important. I want you to succeed with your team. I want to know if you're right if there's more to pokemon than just natural strength." He smirked. "Of course, I won't believe it until you beat me in a battle. So you better train hard. And beat Maylene next time."

    Koa drew back and blinked. That definitely wasn't the response he expected. He stood up a little taller, looking Deuce straight in the eyes and smirking. "I will. And I'll come back and beat you, once I'm done training."

    Respect glinted in Deuce's eyes and he nodded, then started to walk away. He paused and turned back. "And here, you can probably use this, I think." Reaching inside his jacket, he withdrew a light blue disc. Koa took it from him. "Ice Beam TM. The fancy reusable kind. It would be good for your Spheal." With a faint grin, he turned and disappeared into the crowds.

    xXx

    Thirty minutes later, Koa stood on a hill at the edge of Route 215. It took him another several minutes of searching before he found a suitable spot for training - a valley in between two hills, partially surrounded by trees. He released all his pokemon, who greeted him with varied cries. A smile drifted across his face at the sight of them, and he paused to rub Rascal's head, and give Echo a scratch behind the ears. Then he addressed Scrapper, Echo, and Hazard.

    "I'm sorry you guys," he said, kneeling in front of them. "I really messed up in that gym battle." He sighed. "I didn't prepare you guys, and we lost because of it." Echo and Hazard both offered cries of understanding, but Scrapper only fixed him with furious glare before grunting and crossing his arms. Koa's heart sank. Scrapper he'd failed worst of all. His heart twisted as he recalled the battle, how he'd given up at the end, barely bothering to give Scrapper a command. "Scrapper... I gave up on you during that battle. There's no kind of apology I can give to make up for it. But if you'll give me another chance, I promise to never give up in a battle again." Hesitantly, he reached out with his fists, offering Scrapper a fist bump.

    For several seconds, Scrapper remained silent, his gaze fixed on Koa. Then he grunted and reached out, bumping his fist and grinning. Koa grinned back, relief filling him. "Now, how about we train?"

    At that, Scrapper nodded emphatically.

    xXx

    For the next few hours, Koa trained alongside his pokemon. He sparred, refined their moves, and worked with Flurry. He regretted not asking Maylene if Flurry could watch the match. Even if he'd lost pitifully, the experience still would have been helpful for her. Instead, he'd let himself get so caught up with impressing the Triplets. Fortunately, her training seemed to be coming along quite well. She was growing in her strength and agility, and he felt sure he could teach her Ice Beam soon.

    Between training sessions, he rested and did more research on Maylene. She had three pokemon she used for gym battles - Machoke and Meditite, as he knew, and a Lucario. Based on what he knew, she favored an aggressive, unrelenting attack style. She was also known for having counters for common weaknesses. Her pokemon were all agile and tough.

    The rest of the day and night flew by. As the moon rose into the sky, Koa opted to make camp on the route. He wasn't too far from the pokemon center, but he liked it out here, in the quiet valley, away from the city. Everything felt somehow clearer and simpler. He sat at the campfire, surrounded by his pokemon, taking in the silence. His thoughts drifted.

    At some point, he noted that his pokemon had fallen asleep - Flurry nestled next to Anubis, Scrapper leaning on a tree, and Hazard nestled in the crook of Rascal's arm. It took him a second to spot Echo, who was a few feet farther away, hanging from a tree branch. His gaze lingered on his starter for a few minutes.

    Quietly, he stood up and softly walked away from the camp. He felt restless, and sleep seemed far off. His thoughts kept turning to the gym battle, and his conversations with the Battle Triplets. Everything had somehow gone so wrong... why? The thought had hardly crossed his mind before another followed. Specifically, Kitto's words to him in Celestic. Overconfidence can fell even the strongest trainer.

    At that moment, he realized his problem had started a long time ago, ever since his battle against Fantina. A frown tugged at the corners of his mouth as he wandered farther away from camp. His thoughts drifted all the way back to his loss to Cade. Instead of trying to understand why he'd lost, he'd dismissed it. Except that had been his fault. He'd predicted the final attack wrong. And winning against Avis... he'd foolishly convinced himself that strength was key. Power. And then when he beat Kitto, he let it go to his head. Told himself if he could beat one fighting type, he could handle them all.

    His scowl deepened and he clenched his fists. "I've been an idiot." He felt stupid. So stupid. Instead of actually trying to think, he'd stupidly abandoned the very thing that had helped him win so often. He reflexively smashed his fist against his leg, muttering angrily under his breath. Why had he let himself get this far? Avis had warned him, Kitto had warned him, and he'd ignored all of them. And the worst part of all of it? He could have won the battle today. But his overconfidence had made him mess up.

    Deuce was right as well. If he really wanted to prove that any pokemon, any trainer could become great, he had to prove it. Talk didn't matter if he couldn't back it up. All the belief in the world didn't matter if he couldn't show the world what his pokemon were capable of. And he'd utterly failed to do that today against Maylene.

    Throwing his head back, he let out a primal yell of frustration. For the first time, he noted the black clouds blotting out the stars overhead. Only the barest glow signified where the moon had risen. Lightning flickered amongst the clouds. Then an ominous rumble echoed across the hills. A drop of water splashed across Koa's nose and he blinked.

    Then the heavens opened up. A torrential slew of rain poured from the skies, soaking him in an instant. Koa jerked back and stumbled, shocked by the sudden change in weather. He blinked, then peered at his Poketch. How long had he been out here? Judging by the time, well over an hour. His heart beat a little faster and he glanced wildly around. His pokemon were still back at camp! It took him longer than he liked to orient himself in the dark and the rain. Once he did, he set off at a dead sprint towards it.

    Half running, half sliding, he descended the slope to the valley where he'd made camp. By the time he reached the bottom, his boots sank into the mud, nearly reaching his ankles. Grimacing, he picked his way to his tent. The comfortable fire from early had turned to ashy sludge, the only sign of his camp being his tent. His pokemon were nowhere to be seen.

    A brief wave of panic surged through him before he saw the walls of his tent tremble. A half grin spreading over his face, he knelt down and pushed back the flap. His pokemon huddled together inside, barely able to fit thanks to the relative bulk of Rascal. When they saw him, their eyes lit up in delight.

    "Sorry guys," he murmured. He took out his pokeballs, ready to return them. Hazard chittered urgently, his eyes darting to the outside. The cry was not one of greeting, but urgency and fear. Peering closer, he noted that all his pokemon seemed anxious. And there were only five. "Where's Echo?" he cried. Hazard sprang off Rascal's back and darted towards the flap, jumping up and down.

    Koa's heart skipped a beat. "Echo's out there?" The storm was only intensifying, the winds howling above the valley and the rain boring down harder than ever. He quickly returned the rest of his pokemon and grabbed a flashlight from his bag, which he'd left in the tent. Then he charged wildly up the slope.

    "Echo!" he screamed. The storm swallowed up his voice, but he screamed out again. Surely Echo could hear him, even through the storm. Right? He screamed again for his pokemon, though it was impossible to hear anything. At the top of the hill, he stopped to look around. He could see nothing, except darkness and rain. The occasional flash of lightning lit the sky, though he could still see no sign of his Golbat. A sick feeling churned in his stomach.

    Fumbling, he turned on the flashlight. The powerful beam illuminated the night. "Echo?" he shouted again. He swept the beam across the sky. Nothing. The pounding rain eased for a moment, and Koa shouted again. This time, he thought he heard a faint shriek, so distant he doubted it for a moment. With nothing else to go on, he jogged in the direction of the cry.

    A good minute later he heard another shriek, this one much louder. He swept the beam across the sky again and spotted a dark shape blur through the sky. Lightning flashed, illuminating the area again, and he saw a huge Staraptor, facing down Echo. His heart jolted. The rain shifted from torrential to a steady downpour. Then the clouds shifted just enough for him to make out the Staraptor as it dove at Echo, slamming into him and sending him spiraling through the sky. The Staraptor wheeled around and began to fly away.

    "Echo, no!"

    Echo caught himself and let out a screech. The Staraptor turned back, surprised. Then Echo shot through the sky towards it, aiming to sink his jaws into its body. It strafed around him, jabbing him in the back with its sharp talons and eliciting a cry from Echo. Sweeping his flashlight across the sky, Koa saw that Echo was thoroughly bruised. His flight was erratic and sloppy, and he looked as if he could barely keep himself airborne. What was he doing?!

    He opened his mouth to cry out when Echo fired an Air Slash attack at Staraptor. A few blades struck the bird, making it shriek angrily. Folding its wings, it streaked like an arrow through the sky, smashing into Echo with an Aerial Ace. Echo was knocked out of the air and sent tumbling towards the ground.

    Without thinking, Koa sprinted forwards. Echo's body was nothing but a plummeting shadow, barely visible. He lunged with outstretched arms, and Echo's body thudded into him. Pulling Echo closed to him, he landed and staggered. The ground fell out from beneath him and he let out a yell as he fell off an unseen cliff. A split second later, he crashed hard onto rocky, muddy earth and slid downward at an alarming rate.

    Razor sharp rocks tore at him as he rolled helplessly down the hill. He clung tightly to Echo, his only thoughts on protecting the Golbat. At some point, he realized he'd stopped at the bottom of the muddy slope. He lay on his back, panting and limbs shaking. Blinking mud and water from his eyes, he glanced around to see he'd landed at the bottom of a muddy gully. Behind him, the hill stretched upward sharply. Still dazed, he looked down at the Golbat clutched in his arms.

    Echo's eyes fluttered open and their gazes met. Koa peered closer at Echo and his heart twisted. The Golbat looked beyond exhausted and was covered with scratches and bruises. His body trembled, and he looked as if he'd been fighting long past his limit. A loud shriek overhead drew his attention and he looked up. The dark silhouette of the Starapator circled above. At the sound, Echo thrashed wildly, slipping out of his grasp and fluttering weakly upwards, utterly intent on fighting it.

    "Echo stop!" he screamed. He leaped up but missed him by a wide berth. His mind raced as his heart beat frantically. "What are you doing! Stop!" He jumped again, though he knew it was useless. Echo was already halfway to the Staraptor. Mind reeling, he began desperately attempting to climb the slope.

    His feet slid uselessly against the incline. Glancing around frantically, he spotted his fallen flashlight a short distance away. Snatching it up, he shone the beam upwards just in time to see Staraptor hit Echo again, sending him spinning. Echo retaliated with a quick Air Slash attack, striking Staraptor soundly in the chest, though it didn't appear nearly as worn down.

    Koa's gut twisted. If Echo kept fighting like this, over-exhausting himself, he could be grievously injured. Why was he fighting like this? He had no more time to contemplate as Echo landed another hit with Air Slash. Almost instantly, the Staraptor wheeled around and struck back with Aerial Ace. The force of the attack sent Echo plummeting downwards. Koa ran forwards. At the last second, Echo caught himself just a few feet above the earth. Before he could fly away again, Koa seized him, holding him tight.

    "You have to stop!" he shouted. He reached for Echo's pokeball, but Echo struck it out of his hand. The ball landed in the mud. He screeched anxiously and gestured up towards the Staraptor with one wing. "What? What do you want?" he shouted. Thunder boomed overhead and Echo gestured once more to the Staraptor, who had wheeled closer as if trying to see if Echo would continue attacking.

    Once more, Echo gestured towards Staraptor, then fixed his gaze on Koa. Perplexed, Koa stared back. He searched Echo's eyes, trying to understand. Then, like a bolt of lightning, it struck him. Echo was trying to fight the Staraptor for him. So he could catch a strong pokemon. So he could beat the gym and accomplish his goals. His heart stuttered.

    This whole time... Echo had put on a brave face. He'd supported him, gave his all in battle. But he'd never believed he could be great. That he could ever be strong enough to stand up to powerful pokemon and win. He'd played along, for Koa's sake. But as far as Echo was concerned, the game was up. He'd reached his limit and he couldn't get stronger. And he was willing to do anything to help Koa achieve his dreams, even if it meant being forgotten.

    Echo let out a soft whimper, then reached into Koa's pocket with one talon, pulling out a spare pokeball that Koa always kept on him. Koa's heart broke. In a sudden rush of movement, Echo slipped from his grasp and landed on the muddy earth. He picked up the pokeball and rolled it towards Koa, giving him a long, meaningful look. Then he turned and began to stumble away.

    For a second, Koa stared, stunned. Echo, the ever jolly and upbeat member of his team, his starter... doubted himself. This wasn't just about catching a new pokemon, Koa realized. This was Echo, who saw himself as unimportant and replaceable. Common. Insignificant. Without a word, Koa surged forwards and threw himself in front of Echo.

    "Stop." He spoke softly, but firmly. Echo stared at the earth, not looking up. "Echo, you're my best friend. I would never give up on you. Even if I caught another flying pokemon, I wouldn't forget you. It doesn't matter if I caught a hundred Staraptor. Nobody can replace you."

    "I want you to be there the day I climb Mt. Coronet," he spoke louder, his words tumbling out. "Just because you lost today doesn't mean you can't get stronger. It just means we have to work harder. I don't care what the numbers say! I don't care if we lose a hundred battles. I don't care how long it takes us, or if everyone says it's impossible. I stopped caring about all that the day I gave you your name."

    At that, the Golbat's head shot up and he peered at Koa, disbelief in his eyes. Koa reached out, rubbing Echo gently on the head. "I believe in you, Echo."

    Several flashes of light lit the night as the balls on Koa's belt opened of their own accord. Hazard, Rascal, Anubis, Scrapper and Flurry all emerged, forming a semi-circle around Echo, whose eyes widened in shock. Hazard bounced forward first, chittering something in pokemon language to Echo. Then the rest of his pokemon pulled close around Echo, even Anubis, who didn't seem to care at all about the rain. A sense of stillness seemed to fall, despite the storm.

    Suddenly, a blazing light lit up the entire valley. Echo began to glow, the light intensifying until it reached a near blinding level. The rain died down to a steady drizzle. His pokemon all shifted backward, gazes fixated on Echo's shining form. His silhouette began to shift, slowly at first, then all at once. Two sets of wings grew from his rounded body and long ears stretched from his head.

    As suddenly as it began, it ended. A shower of light exploded outwards, and then, before Koa's eyes, stood a Crobat. Silence hung in the air, only broken by the steady pater of rain. Echo's now yellow eyes blinked at Koa, who stared in open mouth shock at the Crobat that stood before him. Suddenly Echo gave a loud shriek, fluttered his four wings and twisted upwards into an artful loop before tackling Koa.

    Koa caught him and fell backward, laughing, as the overjoyed cries of his pokemon filled the night. He marveled at the feel of the thin, yet soft fur of Crobat, and his new set of additional wings. He was roughly the same size, though his body appeared a bit rounder and more squashed, while his ears were much longer.

    "Echo, you evolved..." he hugged Echo again, too happy to even think. He pumped his fist in the air and gave a loud, wild shout of pure joy before hugging his pokemon again. Echo let out a shriek that briefly left Koa's ears ringing, and wriggled from his grasp. His four wings began to beat, slowly at first, but more rapidly, as he rose into the sky. He began swooping and diving, testing his new abilities. At first, his movements were shaky and awkward, but they soon became smooth and natural, as he learned the rhythm of his own wings. In minutes, he was dipping and twisting through the skies showing off a wild display of acrobatics.

    As Koa watched, a strange sensation filled him. Pride, mainly, but also tentative excitement. He got a strange feeling, the same he'd felt after earning his Trainer's License. A whole new chapter of his life was about to start. A new chapter of his journey.


    Echo has finally evolved! With his starter stronger than ever, no doubt he'll be challenging Maylene again. Will it be enough to earn him a victory?

    Echo (Male Golbat)

    Hazard (Male Joltik)

    Rascal (Female Tyrunt)

    Anubis (Male Houndoom)

    Scrapper (Male Breloom)

    Flurry (Female Spheal)
     
    Last edited:
    Chapter 22: Blackout
  • Flyg0n

    Flygon connoisseur
    Pronouns
    She/her
    Partners
    1. flygon
    2. swampert
    3. ho-oh
    4. crobat
    5. orbeetle
    6. joltik
    7. salandit
    8. tyrantrum
    Chapter 22: Blackout

    With the newly evolved Echo at his side, Koa's next challenge is his rematch at veilstone gym. This time, he's determined for things to go differently.

    Echo (Male Golbat)

    Hazard (Male Joltik)

    Rascal (Female Tyrunt)

    Anubis (Male Houndoom)

    Scrapper (Male Breloom)

    Flurry (Female Spheal)



    When Koa finally returned to the pokemon center, it was well past midnight. The nurse there had been rather surprised to see him, but didn't seem fazed by him showing up on the doorstep, sopping wet, and in just a few moments, produced an armful of towels for him and his pokemon.

    Nurse Joy also helped him check out his pokemon, who aside from being thoroughly soaked, were just fine, she said. After everything was taken care of, she showed him to a room. He took a quick, but deliciously hot shower. By the time he came out, all his pokemon were sleeping soundly. He scanned the room for a second before spotting the dark shape of Echo, clinging upside down from the ceiling fan, his wings wrapped around his fluffy purple body.

    Koa smiled at the sight briefly. It was nice to see that even when things changed, some things stayed the same. He gave a long yawn and stretched. Wasting not a moment more, he crawled under the covers, snuggling into the pillow and taking comfort in the presence of his starter, now fully evolved, hanging above him.

    xXx

    The arrival of the next morning brought a few interesting revelations. One, he was sore. The tumble down the cliff had banged him up worse than he realized. His whole body protested as he tried to roll out of bed. Standing brought a fresh wave of aches and he groaned. Second, he looked terrible. Checking his arms and torso, he noted that he was fairly bruised up as well, giving him the appearance of having been in a fight.

    Third, his jacket was a sorry sight. The arms were noticeably scraped up, and the back had a long rip across it, showing the inner lining. Several more smaller tears pockmarked the outside. He frowned at the sight. It wasn't technically unwearable, given it wasn't uncommon to see trainers in roughed up clothing, but he'd definitely have to get a new one today.

    His pokemon were all still resting, so he slipped downstairs to grab a bite of food from the cafeteria. He nibbled at a muffin, but didn't end up eating much. His thoughts kept traveling back to his choices during his journey. Maybe if he'd fought harder, studied more, he could have beat Maylene. Maybe he could have even beat Cade after he left Hearthome...

    An odd uncertainty filled him. Almost without thinking, he stood up and strode over to the videophones. He dialed Blake's number and waited. A few seconds later his cousin's face appeared on the screen.

    "Hey Little K! What's up? How's your journey going?"

    Koa smiled a bit stiffly. "Awesome! Echo just evolved!"

    Blake's eyes widened. "That's fantastic!" He paused and narrowed his eyes, frowning slightly. "There's something you haven't told me though, isn't there?"

    "Yeah," Koa murmured mareepishly. "I fought Maylene yesterday."

    Blake nodded knowingly. "You lost, didn't you?"

    Koa simply nodded. He looked down, unwilling to meet his cousin's gaze. The way he'd lost still stung. Not even being able to beat two of her pokemon... Blake's voice cut into his thoughts.

    "Did you learn from the fight?"

    "Huh?"

    "Since you lost, did you learn something?"

    After a few seconds, Koa nodded. "I guess. I mean, I have a better sense of how she fights. And what pokemon she uses."

    "That's good," Blake said. "That's something you learned about her though. Whenever you lose a fight, you should try to learn something about your opponent, and about yourself. So what did you learn?" He pointed his finger at the screen in emphasis.

    Koa blinked, considering his cousin's point. Something he learned about himself? He thought long and hard. "Well, I got overconfident. I thought that because I was getting better, I didn't need to try as hard. I guess I felt like battles would just come naturally and I could win."

    At that, Blake grinned proudly. "Now that's what I like to hear." He cleared his throat and sat back from the screen slightly. "Since all the good character stuff is out of the way, let's talk practical. Tell me what pokemon you used and what moves they had."

    Koa quickly reviewed his team, while Blake listened attentively. Once he was finished, Blake tapped his chin in thought.

    "I've got some advice for you. Teach your pokemon some new moves."

    "New moves? But they already know some good ones-"

    Blake chuckled, then held up his hands. "You know, sometimes I forget that even though you're pretty smart, you can be pretty dumb."

    "Hey!" Koa protested, though he smiled still.

    "My point is this. Even though pokemon are generally only capable of truly utilizing a few moves effectively at a time, don't be afraid to teach them new moves. Experiment a little. Once a pokemon has learned a move, it's easy for them to relearn an old one. So it's to your advantage to learn at least a few extra moves, and you can choose to go back and learn an old one later. I know you like your planning, but don't be afraid to experiment a little too."

    "I... actually never thought of that," Koa mused. "Maybe I'll try that."

    "Do it. And there's no better place than Veilstone. They have the largest department store in Sinnoh, and definitely the widest TM selection."

    "That I knew," Koa replied. "But thanks for the idea! I've been thinking about teaching my pokemon some new moves anyway."

    With a farewell to his cousin, he hung up then headed upstairs to gather his pokemon and his bag. It was time to do some shopping.

    xXx

    Veilstone City sported the largest department store in all of Sinnoh. It was more a mall than a store, and sold just about anything and everything a trainer could want - food, clothes, medicines, pokeballs and most importantly of all, TM's. Which meant it was the perfect place to do some TM shopping.

    A short time later, he found himself on the 3rd floor of the store, browsing the racks upon racks of TM's, puzzling over what moves to teach his team. Thanks to his loss to Maylene, his funds were rather tight. He figured he could afford about two TM's though, as long as he wasn't buying anything too expensive, like those for Blizzard or Fire Blast. After a solid few hours of deliberating, researching, and overthinking, he settled on Bug Buzz for Hazard, and Stone Edge for Scrapper. Bug Buzz was quite a bit stronger than Bug Bite, and Stone Edge would literally give Scrapper an 'edge' against fire and flying types.

    With his shopping done, he returned to the training field at the pokemon center. First, he used his TM case and taught the new moves to his pokemon. He replaced Bug Bite for Bug Buzz and switched Scrapper's Giga Drain for Stone Edge.

    The next hour or so, he trained with Scrapper and Hazard, and Flurry, making sure they were familiar with their new moves. Training didn't take long, since TM's granted a pretty solid knowledge of how to use a move. Flurry seemed to be coming along well, he observed. While he didn't want to give her Ice Beam just yet, she had a good handle on Rollout, Water Gun, and Aqua Ring. It was a shame she was so far behind the rest of his team. She had a long way to go before he could use her in a gym battle.

    With their training complete, he had only one more thing he wanted to do before returning to the gym.

    Seeking out the Battle Triplets turned out to be easy. Asking around for a few minutes got him the answers he needed. He found them on the eastern edge of town, doing a practice match. Quite a few trainers had gathered to watch them fight, making the real challenge squeezing through the crowd to get a good view. Demetria and Dimitri were battling this time. Demetria was using her Incineroar, while Dimitri appeared to be using an Excadrill.

    As far as he could tell, he arrived somewhere near the middle of the battle - both pokemon looked a bit worn down, but were far from tapping out. Demetria Incineroar appeared to have the advantage in raw strength, while Dimitri's Excadrill had an edge in speed. The battle continued for another few minutes, which gave Koa plenty of opportunity to try and evaluate them. They were strong for sure, but not nearly as strong as Cynthia. Perhaps they were as strong as a gym leader's proper team, if he had to guess. Far from impossible to defeat.

    Another interesting thing he noted about their battle was the way they played out. While the battles he'd seen were complex and elaborate, in which creativity and on your feet thinking were crucial components, Dimitri and Demetria's battle seemed almost... systematic. Calculating. It was impressive, yes. Each command was given, and then a counter command. The pokemon seemed to always return to their starting positions, and it seemed much less free-form than the battles he was accustomed to watching. There was a strange sort of structure to every movement.

    A few moments later, the match concluded, with Dimitri's Excadrill getting the upper-hand with a timely Dig attack. Demetria returned her Incineroar, staring at the pokeball for a moment and murmuring something to it. Dimitri returned his pokemon, then shot his sister a pleased smirk. Her only response was to roll her eyes.

    Slowly, the crowd began to disperse. The triplets gathered together, then started to head off, back towards town. Koa quickly jogged after them. "Hey!" he called.

    Deuce, who lagged at the back of the group, glanced over his shoulder, as did his siblings. "Well, look who came back," Dimitri siad, giving Koa a condescending look.

    Koa's blood boiled. "How about you lose the attitude? You think just because you won in the Battle Tree you're some kind of god of battling? I've got news for you. You're not. I don't care how skilled you are, you're not infallible and you're not all-knowing. Yeah sure, you know a bunch of facts and figures but maybe there's more to life than perfect win streaks or knowing a bunch of numbers. Grow up and stop acting like everyone has to play the game your way." He took a breath, his heart pounding. All of a sudden, he realized how tense his body was, and he forced himself to relax. He hadn't meant to blurt all that out like that.

    Dimitri blinked at him in open mouthed shock. Deuce looked impressed, he noted, while Demetria seemed amused. A long silence dragged out. Dimitri snorted, then turned away. "Yeah... whatever. You still lost to Maylene pretty pathetically."

    Biting his tongue, Koa, clenched his fists and resisted the urge to say something extremely uncouth. Actions would be better than words here. "Actually, I came to ask you guys about that. I'm rematching Maylene today, and I figured you might like to watch."

    Demetria gave Dimitri an uncertain look. Deuce stepped forwards. "I'd like to see your rematch," he said coolly. A slight smile played at his lips.

    Koa grinned back at him. "Awesome!"

    An uncomfortable silence stretched out before Demetria spoke. "I suppose I'll come watch. Our boat doesn't leave for awhile yet."

    "Let's go then," Koa said confidently. This time would be different, he was sure. He was ready, and his pokemon were ready. He would prove to Demetria and Dimitri especially, that pokemon were more than just numbers.

    xXx

    "Go, Meditite!" Maylene tossed out a pokeball and a Meditite appeared on the battlefield in a flash of light.

    Koa grinned and tossed out his own pokeball. "Go Hazard!" Hazard emerged in a flash of light, clicking his pincers together as he stared down his opponent.

    At Koa's feet, Flurry squeaked encouragingly, cheering her teammate on. He'd told Maylene earlier how he wanted to have her watch, so she could get a feel for battles.

    The referee waved an arm. "Battle, begin!"

    "Electroweb!" Koa called.

    Swiftly, Hazard formed up the electrical webbing and fired at Meditite. Its eyes shimmered green briefly and it twisted its body, contorting through one of the holes in the web and landing on the other side unharmed. Koa grimaced at the use of Detect.

    "Psycho Cut!" Maylene called. Meditite quickly recovered, stabilizing itself, then firing a rapid blade of psychic energy.

    "Jump!"

    Even as Koa spoke, Hazard sprang nimbly into the air, the attack passing under him.

    Maylene wasted no time. "Psycho Cut!"

    "Bug Buzz!"

    A purple blade shot through the air towards Hazard, and was met by a red beam of energy shot from Joltilk's jaws. The bug type energy pierced through Psycho Cut and struck Meditite. It tumbled midair, but still caught itself, remaining hovering several inches off the battlefield.

    "Bug Buzz, again!"

    Hazard quickly fired another red beam at Meditite, catching it in the chest. It levitated backwards with the force of the blow, stopping itself after several feet.

    Koa decided to try and press his advantage further. "Electroweb!"

    "Detect!"

    Meditite uncurled its legs and sprang forwards, somersaulting through the webs and landing in front of Hazard.

    "Now, Bullet Punch!"

    Its fists glowed silver and it delivered a blinding flurry of blows to Hazard. The Joltik tumbled backwards and landed on his feet.

    "String Shot, rapid fire!" Koa cried. Maybe he could force Maylene to use up her Detect. The move became less reliable the more often it was used.

    Hazard fired three, small bursts of sticky webbing at Meditite. To Koa's dismay, Meditite managed to dodge the three bursts without the use of Detect.

    Maylene shot him a triumphant look. "You won't get us that easy! Meditite's my best dodger. Now, use Bullet Punch."

    Meditite blurred forwards, its fists glowing. It landed three strikes before Hazard managed to spring out of range.

    Koa snapped off a command. "Bug Buzz!" The attack struck its mark, though Meditite still remained standing.

    "Drain Punch." Orange energy wrapped around Meditite's fist as it rushed forward, planting one hand on Joltik's body, drawing energy from him.

    "Giga Drain," Koa said. Green energy struck Meditite, surrounding it, sapping its strength even as Hazard's was sapped.

    On the opposite end of the field, Maylene threw a series of sharp jabs as she spoke her next command. "Bullet Punch!"

    Meditite switched its attack stance, pulling back slightly from Hazard and charging its attack.

    Instinct seized Koa. "Duck and roll," he called.

    Hazard understood his command implicitly. Hurling himself forwards, he rolled neatly under Meditite's hovering form, dodging the attack and emerging behind him.

    "Now Electroweb!" Hazard fired the attack without hesitation, pinning Meditite to the ground and shocking it.

    Hesitant excitement filled Koa. This was his chance. Hazard made an urgent chitter, his eyes darting to the ceiling. Realization dawned on Koa. "Up in the air, Hazard!" Hazard shot a thin line of web to the ceiling, pulling him high, even as Meditite continued to struggle. "Do it!"

    Hazard fired another Electroweb, this time straight down. He dropped himself into the web, cloaking himself in a web of electricity, and plummeting down towards its trapped opponent. Just as Meditite struggled free, Hazard crashed on top of Meditite, knocking it out soundly.

    Koa grinned eagerly as Maylene returned her pokemon. "That was pretty good!" she called. "I wasn't expecting you to dodge under Meditite like that."

    "Thanks!" Koa called. He glanced at Hazard, who chittered happily. Closer examination revealed a sheen of exhaustion in his gaze. No need to over-tire him. "Hazard, take a rest." He held out Hazard's pokeball and returned him.

    Maylene gave him an approving nod. "Now let's see how you handle my next sparring partner. Come on out, Machoke." She tossed out a pokeball and Machoke emerged onto the battlefield. It grunted and flexed its muscles.

    Koa selected his next pokemon confidently. "Time to fight, Scrapper!" he shouted eagerly. His Breloom emerged, bouncing lightly on his toes and throwing several air jabs, his gaze completely fixated on Machoke.

    The referee raised his hands. "Battle, begin!"

    "Your move, Koamaru," Maylene said.

    Koa locked eyes with Scrapper, and nodded. "No giving up this time." Scrapper nodded and smirked. "Mach Punch!"

    Scrapper raced across the field, a mere blur. His fist glowed white and he punched Machoke in the chest.

    At nearly the same instant, Maylene called, "Brick Break!" Machoke lashed out and punched Scrapper, causing him to stagger.

    "Sky Uppercut."

    "Bulk up," Maylene snapped.

    Machoke's muscles twitched as he tensed. A split second later, Sky Uppercut connected with its chin, making it grunt in pain, though the damage was lessened slightly. Koa raised his eyebrows. So Maylene had changed up her pokemon's moves as well. Interesting.

    Koa quickly called his next attack. "Seed Bomb!" Scrapper took two steps back, formed the ball of green energy, and fired at Machoke.

    In a fluid motion, Maylene ducked and twisted, calling for Machoke to dodge. Machoke twisted around the attack, the Seed Bomb striking just behind him. "Now, Dynamic Punch!" Machoke's fist shone vivid orange and he swung at Breloom.

    "Dodge!" Koa yelled frantically. Scrapper danced to the side, allowing the punch to pass harmlessly by him. Koa couldn't resist a grin. Scrapper's fighting instincts were strong, he realized. Probably from training with Jackie, he supposed. The two fighting-types faced each other now, glaring and sizing each other up.

    "Seed Bomb, up in the air." Scrapper reared back and fired a seed bomb up into the air. It arced up and plummeted down towards Machoke. Machoke sprang backwards to dodge. The Seed Bomb crashed to the earth, kicking up a cloud of dust. "Now, Sky Uppercut!"

    Scrapper raced into the cloud. A moment later, he heard Machoke's grunt of pain. Then he heard Scrapper yelp. The Breloom tumbled out of the cloud of dust, which was just beginning to settle.

    "Scrapper?" Koa called.

    Scrapper pushed himself to his feet and glanced back at Koa, giving a cry of acknowledgement. Across the field Machoke was shaking off the punch he'd just endured.

    "Stone Edge!" Koa called.

    "Bulk Up!"

    Scrapper slammed his fist into the earth. Spires of stone erupted, shooting towards Machoke. A spire erupted underneath it just as it finished tensing, its power and defenses growing again. The sharp edged stone jabbed Machoke's chest. It grunted and shut its eyes, falling to one knee and clutching its chest.

    Scrapper smirked at Machoke as it slowly stood up and shook its head. It offered a brief nod of respect before taking up a fighting stance again.

    Maylene mimicked the nod. "That was a good hit. But Machoke isn't done yet! Rock Tomb."

    Machoke raised its palms in the air. A massive boulder formed in its hands and it tossed it at Scrapper with terrifying ease. "Break it with Sky Uppercut," Koa called. Scrapper bounced on its toes, then sprang upwards, fist glowing. The strike shattered the boulder, sending scraps of rock flying.

    Scrapper landed on his feet, tiny rocks pelting to the ground all around him. "Mach Punch, quick!" Scrapper lunged forwards, fist glowing white, striking Machoke in the chest with a quick jab.

    "Brick Break!" Maylene called, bringing her own fist swinging down. Machoke mimicked the motion and brought its fist down on Breloom's head. Almost immediately, it recoiled back, its eyes widening. Then its eyes rolled back, and slumped to the ground, fast asleep.

    A devious grin of delight crossed Koa's face. Effect Spore had kicked in. "Now Scrapper, Stone Edge." Scrapper thrust his fist into the earth. A huge spire of rock erupted under Machoke, launching it into the air.

    Koa grinned. "Finish it with Sky Uppercut!"

    Scrapper raced forwards, leaped into the air, and slammed his fist into Machoke. The two pokemon plummeted back towards the earth. Scrapper landed on his feet, while Machoke slammed into the earth, leaving a huge crater. As the dust settled, a red light flashed as Maylene returned her Machoke.

    "That was some great strategy. But this isn't the end, my friend." She smiled and threw out her final pokemon. Lucario appeared in a flash of light, throwing its head back and howling a battle cry.

    Scrapper snarled a cry of his own. Koa shook his head and took out Scrapper's pokeball. "You have to return, Scrapper. You don't have enough strength left to defeat Lucario."

    At that, Scrapper's head whipped around and he glared at Koa, shaking his head determinedly. Koa opened his mouth to protest. No matter how much Scrapper wanted to fight, there was no way he could win. Then he understood. Scrapper knew he couldn't win, but he wanted to test himself, and his fighting skills, against a skilled opponent.

    Koa nodded in understanding. "If that's what you want, Scrapper, then we fight until the end!"

    "That's what I like to hear from my opponents," Maylene said.

    "Let's start this with Mach Punch," Koa called.

    Scrapper danced side to side, then rushed forwards in a fighting stance.

    Maylene made a swift motion with her hands. "Lucario, Bone Rush!"

    Lucario mimicked its trainer's motion, a glowing blue bone extended from its paws. Scrapper swung his fist. Lucario raised the glowing bone, deflected the punch, then swung it, striking Scrapper in the side. The Breloom skidded across the battlefield and slid to a stop, one claw planted on the floor.

    Koa snapped out his next command. "Seed Bomb!" Scrapper fired the glowing orb at Lucario.

    "Deflect it," Maylene called calmly.

    Lucario twirled the bone expertly and knocked the seed bomb aside. It smashed into the ground nearby, and Maylene grinned.

    Inspiration struck Koa. "Seed Bomb, again!" Koa called. Scrapper fired the attack without hesitation. Just as he hoped, Lucario twirled its bone and slammed the attack back. "Hit it with your tail," he said.

    Reacting instantly, Scrapper rushed forwards and spun, whipping his tail around striking the orb back at Lucario again, three times as fast. It smashed into the fighting-type's chest, sending it reeling.

    "Quick, Stone edge!" In a single fluid motion, Scrapper brought his fist down on the ground. The wave of stones surged forwards, erupting under Lucario and making it stagger. Koa's heart raced. "Mach Punch!" Scrapper rushed in and slammed his fist into Lucario.

    Maylene grinned. Lucario held its paws out, a half-charged Aura Sphere gathering between them, blasted it straight into Scrapper's face.

    Koa winced as Scrapper was thrown across the battlefield. He tumbled across the field and rolled to stop. To Koa's surprise, he stirred. Slowly, bit by bit, he pushed himself up and stood, staring Lucario down defiantly.

    For a second, Koa contemplated withdrawing Scrapper. He shook aside the thought. Scrapper wanted to fight on his terms. And if Scrapper wanted that, he would honor it. "Mach Punch," he said calmly.

    Scrapper walked across the battlefield. Step by step, he walked towards Lucario, eyes burning with determination. He picked up his pace, until he was moving at a jog, then raised his fist to strike Lucario.

    Giving a nod of respect, which Lucario mimicked, she called her final move. "Force Palm." Lucario's hand became a blur as it sidestepped the Mach Punch and placed its fist against Scrapper's chest. Light gathered, then exploded. Scrapper crashed to the ground.

    Koa stared, a mixture of pride and sadness filling him. Then Scrapper moved. He looked up and smirked at Lucario. Sparks flared across Lucario's body and it stiffened as a paralysis took effect. Still grinning, Scrapper collapsed, unconscious, a smirk still plastered over his face. Koa almost laughed as he returned him. Now he understood. Scrapper didn't just want to stay in the fight to test himself (though that was no doubt a large part of it), he was hoping to weaken Lucario even further, for Echo. He was fighting for his team.

    "I suppose I'm in a bit of a bind now, aren't I?" Maylene mused. "I underestimated the will of your Breloom. But my Lucario is far from done."

    "For now," Koa retorted as he selected Echo's pokeball. "But you're not beating me twice. Go Echo!"

    The Crobat screeched as he entered the battlefield, yellow eyes narrowed. His gaze fixated immediately on Lucario, who glared back.

    "Very impressive!" Maylene called, upon seeing Echo's newly evolved form. "Now let's see how he performs in a real battle."

    Koa took a deep breath. This was it. This was his chance. To show everyone, especially Echo himself, that every pokemon was great. No. That any pokemon could become great. "You ready, Echo?"

    Echo screeched in agreement.

    "Battle begin!"

    "Air Slash!" Koa snapped. In a flurry of beating wings, Crobat hurled several blades of wind at Lucario.

    Maylene and Lucario flipped forward, Lucario twisting deftly in between the blades and dodging half of them. It landed, threw its hands out and hurled an Aura Sphere at Echo. Echo flew towards the attack, twisting around the attack with an agility he'd never possessed as a Golbat.

    "Confuse Ray."

    Echo's eyes blazed yellow and he shot a trio of golden orbs at Lucario.

    Lucario drew its paws and produced a glowing blue bone. In a single motion, it leaped forward, planted the bone, and vaulted over the Confuse Ray, slamming the bone into Echo. The Crobat was smashed into the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.

    "Again!"

    A second later, a trio of golden orbs shot from the dust and crashed into Lucario. Lucario staggered, swaying on its feet. The pupils of its eyes narrowed to dots. It raised its palm, energy gathering on it, then struck its own chest, blasting itself with energy.

    "Now Echo, Air Slash!"

    Echo flew out of the settling dust and beat its wings, sending waves of energy at Lucario, striking him several times.

    "Dodge!" Maylene called. Lucario started to move, but then paralysis seized its body. It froze up, getting pounded mercilessly by Air Slash.

    "Don't give up Lucario. Aura Sphere."

    Shaking its head, Lucaio burst forward, energy gathering between its paws. It shot directly under Crobat, twisted, and tossed an Aura Sphere straight up.

    It struck Echo, sending him whirling upwards, spinning as he tried to right himself.

    "Bone Rush!" Lucario extended its paws and leaped gracefully upwards. Holding two bones, one in each paw, he aimed to bring them crashing down on Echo. One strike grazed him, then he twisted, dipping out of the way of the second. Lucario quickly followed it up with a flurry of strikes, which Echo neatly dodged most of. Growling in frustration, Lucario swung one final blow at Echo. The glowing bone crashed into the side of Echo's body, sending him spiraling through the air.

    "Crunch!" Koa shouted. Echo twisted with the momentum of the attack, not unlike how he'd done when fighting Kitto, then darted forward and sank glowing jaws into Lucario. Lucario crashed to the ground heavily, and Echo hovered several feet away, panting.

    A tense silence filled the battlefield as Koa watched his opponent. Then Lucario staggered forwards and collapsed. "Yes!" He shouted.

    Echo did his usual trademark victory loop, though this time he threw in an extra spiral just to show off.

    Maylene returned Lucario, smiling. She strode across the field and stopped in front of Koa, holding out the usual prize money and badge. Grinning in delight, Koa took the badge and slipped it into his case. "That was an excellent battle," Maylene said. "Quite the improvement over last time."

    "Thanks," Koa said. He petted Echo, who had settled onto his head. "I never could have done it without my pokemon."

    Maylene nodded. "True indeed. But don't discount your own strength. Pokemon can only grow strong if their trainer does too."

    Koa nodded thoughtfully. "That's true too I guess. Thanks."

    "This is your fifth badge, right? What gym is next for you?" Maylene asked.

    Koa frowned in thought. "Snowpoint or Canalave," he said after a moment. "Probably Snowpoint, since I really want to attend the Festival of Legends."

    At the mention of the festival, a look of pity crossed Maylene's face. "Oh uh... I guess you didn't hear?"

    "Hear what?" Koa asked, narrowing his eyes.

    "Well, I was talking to my friend Candice - she's the gym leader there - and she said they had to cancel the festival. Too many people on edge because of the incidents with Raikou and Entei recently."

    Koa stared at her, dumbfounded. "Seriously? But there's not even solid proof they were responsible!"

    Maylene shrugged. "Candice and I both think it's ridiculous. But a lot of people are nervous. Not to mention, the pokemon around Snowpoint have been acting strangely. Everyone up north is pretty on edge I guess."

    Koa groaned. "So stupid," he muttered under his breath. "Thanks for the heads up. I guess that means I'll head to Canalave then." Heading home would be nice, he guessed. He hadn't seen Blake face to face in awhile, and he'd love to visit the library again. Bidding farewell to Maylene, he left the gym.

    Once outside, he caught up with the triplets, who were waiting for him. He couldn't resist a triumphant smile. "How was that?"

    Demetria gave an impressed nod. "Not bad. Although I did already say you were capable of beating Maylene, so I'm not surprised, either. That said..." she paused. "Your pokemon seem tougher than I expected. They took some hits that I wasn't expecting them to survive. Maybe they are stronger than I thought."

    Well, that was good enough for Koa. He risked at glance at Dimitri, who had his arms crossed and refused to look in his direction.

    "It was average if you ask me," Dimitri muttered.

    Demetrius rolled her eyes affectionately. "It was good meeting you Koamaru. But we do have to get going. We're supposed to be catching a boat to the Battle Zone soon. But come find us again when you're stronger. I'd love to battle you."

    At that, Dimitri nodded emphatically in agreement. "Yeah, I wouldn't mind battling you." He shot Koa a leering smirk. "Or should I say, wiping the floor with you."

    Koa glared back at him. Then he relaxed and shook it off. He could see the faintest note of grudging respect in his eyes. "We'll see about that. I'll come find you guys again."

    Demetria nodded, then turned and started walking away. Dimitri followed. Deuce waited until they were a short distance away, then turned to face Koa.

    "Dimitri's just bitter because he was wrong," he said, giving a faint smile. "You did excellent today. Which means I was correct. There's more to all this than stats. I think your Joltik could be as strong as a Dragonite one day if you keep training. I'm glad."

    "Oh... Thanks."

    "Thank you," Deuce said. "I'm happy to know that some pokemon aren't just useless."

    Koa chuckled. "So does this mean you won't battle at the Battle Tree anymore?"

    Deuce barked out a laugh. "Of course not. I still love the Battle Tree and all the places like it. And battles are pretty different there. But it was inspiring all the same. Maybe I can work on some new strategies."

    "Oh! That reminds me," Koa said. "I was watching your siblings battle earlier and it was weird. It wasn't like a regular battle. It kinda looked like they were taking turns."

    "Oh that?" Deuce said. He chuckled. "That style of battling is actually what they're all about at the Battle Tree and the Battle Subway, and other places. Unlike a traditional tournament, such as the league, they abide by a very strict set of rules. Only certain moves, pokemon, yada yada. And you have to wait your turn to attack. It's hard, but it makes it fun, too."

    Koa nodded thoughtfully. "Huh... Sounds pretty sick. You know... I have to say that what you guys do is impressive. It can't be easy creating strategies and raising your team like that."

    "Thanks," Deuce said. "It certainly is hard. I think it's easy for my siblings and I to get lost in that kind of battle style, and forget what made battling fun. So I guess we were both right. You won not just because of friendship, but hard work too. Bonds alone won't carry you if you don't train hard. Anyways, good luck getting your badges, yeah? Maybe we'll see you again."

    "I plan on it. Here, take my number. That way I can battle you guys again." They quickly exchanged numbers, then Koa held out his hand.

    Deuce shook it. "See you later, Koamaru,"

    "Later, Deuce. And call me Koa."

    After Deuce had left, Koa headed for the pokemon center. His pokemon deserved the rest, and he had to make some decisions about how to get home to Canalave.

    xXx

    Koa sat in the pokemon center lobby, enjoying a meal as he mused over his options to return to Canalave. The way he saw it, there were three main options. First, he could walk. It would be a huge trek though, and could take up to a month. Next, there were a series of buses he could take, though that would also take quite a few days. His final option was a boat. There were several ships of varying sizes that sailed to Canalave, given that it was a port city.

    The light flickered, and Koa glanced up from his food. They flickered again and an electric charge raced across his body, making his hair stand on end. He froze and glanced around. The few other trainers in the center, plus the nurse, had all stopped what they were doing. The lights went out and the room was plunged into darkness.

    A bright flash burst in the center of the room. Spots danced across Koa's vision and he saw a hazy figure of a pokemon move towards him. Koa started to reach for his pokeball, but something struck him, knocking him to the floor. A jolt of electricity shot through his body and he froze up, unable to move. His heart raced. What had hit him? Was he dying?

    His body refused to obey his commands, though he found he could still move his eyes. With a sickening lurch, he realized he'd been paralyzed. The spots finally faded from his vision and he could make out shapes moving through the room. Dim yellow lightning afforded him only a small amount of visibility, but it was enough to make out the black masked figures. Team Blackout.

    As he watched, one of the men walked over to him. His heart beat even faster and he felt a little sick as the man knelt next to him, removing his pokeball belt. He held it up to some kind of device, scanning the contents.

    A toothy smirk stretched across his face, revealing a single gold tooth. "A Tyrunt, huh? And a Joltik. Perfect." Still grinning, he removed Rascal and Hazard's pokeballs. He stood, about to leave, then bent down again. "On second thought, I'll take this, too." He picked up Flurry's pokeball. "Spheal fur is quite valuable."

    Koa screamed internally, begging his body to move, but it remained unresponsive. He could only watch as the man deposited his pokeballs into some kind of container, then walked away. Several minutes dragged by, where he lay still, unable to move. His thoughts raced, a fiery rage building inside him. After what felt like an eternity, the lights flickered back on. The tingle faded from his body and he found that he was able to move.

    Immediately he sat up, then just as quickly regretted it. Dizziness flooded him and he fell back, catching himself with one hand. With weak, sloppy motions, he managed to pull himself into a sitting position on a nearby chair, fighting back nausea as he did. Closing his eyes, he focused, then pushed himself to his feet. He swayed, then nearly collapsed, until a pair of arms grabbed him, steadying him.

    "Whoa, slow down," a voice said.

    "Avis?" he asked, puzzled. His mind still fuzzy, he looked over to see Avis supporting him, her eyes filled with concern. "What... What are you doing here?"

    "Sit down," she said, forcing him back into the chair. "And I told you I was going to Veilstone, remember?"

    He sank into the chair, looking at Avis, then around the center. All around, several trainers were struggling to their feet, clearly suffering from the same paralysis he was. A few nurses who had managed to recover were helping them. As they did, cries of despair came from the trainers as they realized their pokemon were gone.

    Koa stood back up, determination giving him strength. "My pokemon. They stole Rascal and Hazard and Flurry!" he reached for his belt and took out Echo's pokeball. He pressed the button, but nothing happened. Looking down, he noticed a few stray sparks flickering behind the button.

    "They must have disabled the pokeballs," Avis stated. Her eyes darted towards the entrance. "Stay here." Without another word, she strode for the exit.

    Shaking off the last of his dizziness, Koa stumbled after her, his composure growing with each step. He managed to catch up to her a short way outside the pokemon center. The streets were filled with panicked citizens, and looking around, he noted that a few police officers were around, trying to calm the people and investigate the area.

    "Where are you going?" he demanded, falling in step next to Avis.

    "To get the pokemon back," she replied, not slowing.

    "You know where they are?"

    She nodded. "I saw some unusual activity near the warehouses. I was heading to the police station to make a report when the blackout happened. They hit the department store and the police station as well." She began to walk faster, her fists clenched. "I never should have waited! If I'd just attacked right then..."

    Koa didn't say anything, his own thoughts too jumbled to offer any advice. "So they're at the warehouses?" he asked finally.

    "I think so. I never imagined they'd strike so soon, I thought they might wait until nightfall. But if I don't do something now, they'll leave the city. All the pokemon they stole today could be gone forever."

    His heart raced. "I'm coming with you."

    Avis gave a long sigh. "I can't stop you," she said finally. "But we have to be careful. I placed a call to the police already but with everything going on, they won't reach the warehouses yet. Several pokemon there were stolen, and some of the officers were incapacitated. Which means we're on our own."

    Koa's gaze hardened as they neared the warehouse district. "Fine by me." As he spoke the words, a voice in the back of his mind almost made him pause. This was a little crazy, even by his standards. If Blake knew what he was about to do, he'd probably lecture him for a month and ground him for a year.

    A few minutes later, they drew near to warehouses located near the west entrance of Veilstone. Several rows of buildings stretched out towards the harbor, some of which were in varying states of disrepair. Avis led the way across the street and past a few smaller warehouses to a large one towards the rear.

    "Ready?" she asked. She slowed slightly as they drew near the entrance.

    Setting his jaw, Koa nodded. "Ready. Let's go."

    With no further hesitation, Avis rushed forwards, throwing the door open.

    Koa rushed inside the main warehouse alongside Avis. Four figures clad in black, stood inside, next to what appeared to be the remaining few cases of stolen pokeballs. They all turned to look at him and Avis, shock written across their faces. Two of them snatched pokeballs off their waists, while two grabbed the cases and sprinted for an exit towards the back.

    "Go!" Avis cried, gesturing to the two fleeing. As she spoke, she withdrew pokeballs of her own, releasing her Kricketune, Staraptor, Glameow and Noctowl. Almost simultaneously, the two men released a Luxio, Electrike, Magneton, and a Zebstrika.

    Koa hesitated for only a second, then rushed after the two figures. Avis was a capable trainer, and besides, if he didn't go after the other two thieves, it would all be in vain. Racing after them, he managed to catch up by the door. Now that he was closer, he could see that one apparead to be a woman with short brown hair poking from her black hood, while the other was a man with fair skin and light yellowish eyes.

    The two turned to face him as they reached for their pokeballs. "Last chance to turn around and scram, brat," the woman growled.

    The man leaned a little closer and squinted. "Hey! Isn't that the kid Adam told us about? Said he had dark blue hair and a red jacket?"

    Koa tensed.

    "I think it is," the woman replied. "Hey, I've got a deal for you. How about we return whatever pokemon we stole from you, then you let us go? It's a win-win. You get your precious little pokemon back, we get to go about our business."

    "How about a counter-offer?" he snarled. "You give back the pokemon you stole before I punch you in the face myself?"

    The woman's face contorted in anger. "Fine, if you want to be a fool!" She grabbed the three pokeballs on her own belt and released the pokemon within. A Jolteon emerged, followed by a Lopunny and a Croagunk.

    In response, Koa reached for his belt, grabbing Echo's pokeball first, then Rascal's. When his hand grasped empty air, a pang of sadness and anger struck him, then he grasped Anubis pokeball instead, releasing him and then releasing Scrapper.

    Echo emerged with a mighty shriek, followed by Anubis, who snarled in rage when he saw his opponents and Scrapper, who silently took up a fighting stance.

    The woman glanced at her companion. "What are you waiting for? Get to the boat!"

    His eyes widened and he nodded, then turned and bolted for the turn. "And wait for me there!" she shouted after him. Eyes still blazing, she whirled back to face Koa. "Now to deal with you."

    Without waiting for a command, Anubis leaped into action, tackling the Jolteon to the ground. Turning his attention on the other two pokemon, Koa quickly called out a command. "Mach Punch, Air Slash."

    Scrapper leaped at the Croagunk and slammed his fist into its face, sending it flying. At the same moment, Echo blasted both Lopunny and Croagunk with blades of air. They fell to the ground, briefly stunned. A yelp sounded and Koa looked to see Anubis fling the Jolteon to the ground. Blood trickled from its leg and Koa paled.

    A red glint of rage colored Anubis' eyes and he prowled towards the downed Jolteon. Anubis wasn't fighting to knockout, like a pokemon battle. He planned to kill. "Anubis!" he shouted. The Houndoom blinked, then slowly tore his gaze away from Jolteon and looked at Koa. The bloodlust faded, though Koa could still see the smoldering rage in his eyes.

    Out of the corner of his eyes, Koa saw the woman start to move towards the exit. He whirled on her. "Echo, stop her with Confuse Ray!" Echo fired two golden orbs at her, striking her in the head. Her eyes crossed, then she staggered and slumped to the floor. Her pokemon stared at her, then at Koa. The Jolteon slowly stood, favoring its injured leg, then limped towards the other two, and away from the exit.

    Swallowing, Koa gave the three pokemon one last glance, then made for the exit. Seeing Anubis like that gave him chills. He'd underestimated how furious Anubis must have been with them for taking Flurry. The words of the man who'd stolen her rang in his mind, and he felt sick. "Come on, let's go," he said.

    Pausing only to make sure the woman was unconscious for the time being, Koa raced out the door, his pokemon behind him. Outside, a few narrow alleys of stacked boxes and crates led down to a broken pier, where a motorboat was moored. And in the boat, the man sat, anxiously awaiting his companion.

    Anubis let out a terrifying howl and bounded forward. Scrapper followed, hot on his heels, and Echo flew overhead. Koa raced after his pokemon. They made it halfway down the alley. Then, a single beam of sunlight struck something on the ground, just ahead of Scrapper. It glinted. Then Scrapper stepped on it. A crack split the air and Scrapper screamed.

    Koa screamed as well. His vision narrowed, and he was only dimly aware of Anubis charging to the boat and tackling the man. Echo had stopped short at the cry of his teammate and whirled around. In daze, Koa ran forward towards Scrapper's fallen form. His heart sickened as he took in the sight before him. A metal trap had snapped shut around Scrapper's leg, the teeth biting deep. Blood pounded in his ears as he dropped to his knees beside the Breloom.

    He recognized the trap as the kind poachers used to trap steel and rock-type pokemon. It was designed for pokemon with tough, sturdy hides and armor on their legs. Not soft flesh like Scrapper. Scrapper himself seemed to be unconscious, and a closer inspection revealed some kind of residue on the teeth of the trap. Some kind of poison or knockout agent?

    His hands shook as he reached out to examine the trap. There had to be a way to disengage it. A lever on the side looked promising, and he twisted it. The jaws of the trap snapped open and Scrapper fell limply to the ground. For a second, he sat frozen, eyes locked on Scrapper's leg. The trap had torn the flesh and drawn a thin but steadily oozing layer of blood.

    Snapping back to reality, he grabbed Scrapper's pokeball and quickly returned him. pokeball technology kept an injured pokemon in stasis, so he'd be safe at least until he could get him to a pokemon center. With a grimace he shoved the trap aside.

    Anubis snarled and spat a stream of searing hot flames, melting the trap. Rage sparked in his eyes. Clenching the pokeball in his fist, Koa stood and clipped it back to his belt, then charged down the alley.

    No more traps were around, as far as he could tell. Ahead, he could see the man anxiously scrambling to board the boat. Koa's thoughts blurred. He made a harried assessment. The man was larger than him by a bit. He didn't care. Running faster, he lunged forward.

    Koa crashed into the man, knocking him over before tumbling to the ground. He rose halfway before the man's elbow jabbed into Koa's face. Pain spiked through his skull and he fell back. Something gripped his collar, yanking him upwards. His vision swam and he reached up, feebly pawing at his opponent's face.

    Then a black blur swept by. The pressure around his throat immediately loosened as the man seemingly vanished. A scream filled the air before being cutoff by a snarl. Still dazed, Koa sat up and looked over.

    Anubis had the man pinned down and his fangs bared.

    "Please!" the man screamed. "Get it off me!" he shouted. Rage boiled inside Koa and he fought through his dizziness to rise up, leaning on a piling for support. Something inside told him the trap had been set by the man. Callously placed so that one of his pokemon, or some other unsuspecting pokemon, would get injured. He glared at the man, who squirmed underneath the Houndoom, panic in his eyes. His gaze shifted to Koa.

    "I'm sorry, I swear. Please, let me go. I'll give you back your Tyrunt or whatever! And the other pokemon. You can have them, please just get this crazy thing off me!"

    At that comment, Houndoom snarled, fire flickering in his maw as he moved closer to the man's face. Red clouded Koa's vision. His heartbeat thundered in his ears. This man kidnapped pokemon, hurt them, sold and traded them like objects. He was a member of a group responsible for stealing from Rowan, Wyatt and hundreds of other people. And above all else, he'd left that trap in their path to maim-

    A shriek sounded overhead and a sudden weight landed on his back, making him stagger. Echo gave an anxious squeak, drawing Koa from his spiral of thoughts. He heard footsteps approaching, and turned to see several police officers rushing towards him, pokemon of their own at their sides. A strange sensation of relief and anxiety flooded him, along with disappointment.

    "Are you alright?" one of the officers demanded, stopping beside him. He blinked and stared at the officer, a young woman with dark magenta hair. A badge on her lapel read 'Traci'.

    "My Scrapper!" he blurted. He fumbled and held up Scrapper's pokeball. "I mean, my Breloom. My Breloom was hurt. He was caught in a trap and it caught his leg and he needs to get to a pokemon center. And they stole my Tyrunt and Spheal and my Joltik and a bunch of other people's pokemon!" The words tumbled out in a rush.

    She nodded curtly. "Ok," she said calmly. "First, is that your Houndoom?" She pointed behind him, and Koa nodded. "We need you to call him off, so our officers can apprehend the man."

    "Anubis!" Koa called, turning around.

    For a second, the Houndoom didn't move, glowering at the man. Then he crawled off and trotted towards Koa, shooting furious gazes over his shoulder. He stood at Koa's side, his warm body pressed against Koa's leg. Koa let his hand rest on Anubis' body, suddenly aware his heart was still beating furiously and he was sweating terribly. A steady ache thrummed through his skull. His hands trembled and he gripped Anubis' shoulder to ground himself, and swallowed.

    "Now, are you injured at all? Are any of your other pokemon hurt?" she asked. Koa shook his head. "My pokemon are fine," he mumbled. "Just my head hurts."

    "Good, I'm glad to hear your pokemon are ok," she said in a low voice, her tone soothing. She took him by the shoulder and started to lead him away. "I'm going to make sure we get you some help, alright?"

    He nodded.

    "What's your name?"

    "Koamaru."

    "Okay Koamaru. You can come with me and I can give you a ride to the pokemon center."

    "But what about my pokemon! The ones that they stole-"

    She placed her hand gently on his shoulder. "Easy. We're going to get them back. But right now, your Breloom needs treatment."

    Koa nodded. She was right, Scrapper was his first priority. "Alright Anubis, return for now," he mumbled. He returned Anubis, then Echo, placing the balls back on his belt before looking up at Traci.

    Wordlessly, she led the way back through the warehouses and to the street, where several police cruisers and a motorcycle were parked, as well as an ambulance. Trace led him to the back and sat him on a stretcher. He was vaguely aware of a nurse and a Meowstic examining him, but his thoughts kept straying.

    "What about the other girl?" he asked suddenly. It occurred to him he didn't remember seeing Avis at all, though his mind was focused elsewhere. "Avis. The investigator. She went in with me."

    Traci frowned slightly. "She's fine as well. We'll worry about your pokemon for now, but after that's settled, both of you will have a lot to answer for."

    A few minutes later, the Meowstic was done examining him. It used some kind of healing technique on him, which eased his throbbing headache, but he was barely aware. After that the nurse declared he was fine, and explained that taking Scrapper to the pokemon center was the safest course of action, since they didn't have everything to treat him here. Traci led him to her motorcycle.

    She started it up, then gestured to the sidecar. He climbed inside and stared ahead, barely paying attention to her words. Avis was alright, which was his only real concern. His mind kept flashing back to seeing Scrapper, injured and unconscious. If he'd been more careful, or ran ahead or called out in time he could have prevented this. Hundreds of different scenarios played through in his mind of how he wished he could have handled things. He gazed down at Scrapper's pokeball in his hand, squeezing it tightly.

    "Hey, we're here," Traci's voice broke into his thoughts and his head shot up. He glanced around, realizing with a start they had stopped in front of the pokemon center. Feeling absolutely sick to his stomach, Koa clambered awkwardly out of the sidecar and walked to the pokemon center, praying to Arceus and every other legendary he could think of that Scrapper would be ok.

    xXx

    The hours dragged by as Koa sat on one the couches, staring at the tiled floor of the pokemon center. He glanced up at the clock again, then looked back down. 6 hours, 41 minutes and... 17 seconds had passed since he'd handed Scrapper off to the nurse. He'd also discovered this particular pokemon center contained 794 tiles on the floor, not counting the half tiles along the walls. Traci had left some time ago, returning briefly to assure him that all the stolen pokemon had been recovered. Otherwise, he'd been left alone, which was fine by him.

    Another minute ticked by. Koa leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands. Why had he been so stupid? He clenched his fists tighter, his nails digging into his palms. Scrapper had been injured because of him. Perhaps he was a terrible trainer. Just like-

    "Mr. Averon?"

    Koa practically lunged out of his chair, nearly crashing into the nurse, who stood only a few feet away.

    She smiled gently at him, unfazed. "Your Breloom will be just fine."

    Koa took a long, deep breath, some of the tension leaving him.

    "His leg was injured, but he will make a full recovery. However, you must give him at least three weeks rest. For the first week, no running, jumping or strenuous exercise. After that, no training, and no battles. Understand?" She gazed at him seriously.

    He nodded. "He'll be fine once he recovers, right?" Battle or no battle, he couldn't bear the thought of his tenacious Breloom not being able to run and jump.

    Her smile returned. "Yes. As long as you give him time to properly recover, he'll be back to normal in no time. Pokemon are much more durable than we often give them credit for. The injury itself was not too serious, but to be safe we're making sure he has plenty of time to heal fully, thats all."

    A weighty sigh slipped from him. "Thank you," he said. "But... I don't understand. My pokemon battle all the time and never get any serious injuries. Why was this so bad?"

    She smiled gently at him. "Pokemon moves don't do much to seriously injure each other. As you probably know from your license exam, pokemon use their natural energy to use attacks. Some call it aura."

    Right. He knew the term from talks with Professor Rowan. And from working on Ice Fang.

    "Just as pokemon can choose to attack without this energy in order to do serious harm, pokemon have certain vulnerabilities. Man-made devices, or being pushed far beyond their limits. So Scrapper's healing will take just a bit of time, although the injury was not as serious as it probably seemed."

    Koa smiled a little wider, despite his mixed feelings. Scrapper was fine, and that's what mattered right now. He'd make a full recovery. "Thank you again," he said.

    "Of course. Now, I'll need to keep him here overnight, so you're welcome to stay here and pick him up in the morning. Meanwhile, Officer Traci informed me you're to meet her at the station once I gave you the report on your Breloom. So you'd best be heading out. I'll see you in the morning." She turned and left, leaving Koa to ponder as he walked out of the center and towards the police station.

    It took a couple hours to get everything settled, most of which was due to having to give a full statement on all his actions; first on the theft at the pokemon center, then his decision to pursue the gang. The officer who did it, a stern faced man who was thoroughly detailed, took care of that. After he'd given his statement, they showed him to a waiting room where they promised to return all the stolen pokemon.

    To his surprise, he found several other trainers in the room as well, all looking equally anxious. He scanned the room, and noticed the girl from yesterday who fought the Battle Triplets with her Minun. Then he saw Avis, sitting in the corner. Their eyes locked, and he waved awkwardly to her. She gave a forced smile and waved back.

    He crossed the room and sat in an empty seat next to her.

    "Are you alright?" Avis asked.

    "I'm fine," he muttered bitterly. "But... Scrapper was injured." He explained what had happened, and her gaze darkened.

    "I'm glad that we went after them," she hissed through gritted teeth. "I don't care if I never get to join the international police. Anyone who'd use such barbaric traps is disgusting."

    "What do you mean, never join?" Koa asked, turning to look at her. "Will this mess up your chances with the international police because of what you did?"

    She shrugged. "I don't know. They said they would talk to me afterwards. But my chances of becoming a member of the International Police are probably gone. Not only did I break the code of interference, I involved a civilian trainer." A note of bitterness entered her tone.

    "Oh." Koa looked down. "I'm sorry."

    "Don't be," she said firmly. "I don't regret what I did today, and neither should you. Getting all those stolen pokemon back was worth it. Besides, nothing will stop me from doing what's necessary. I would hate myself more if I'd stood by and not tried to help."

    "Yeah..." was all Koa could think to say. Everything felt like it had become a mess.

    The door to the room swung open, and officer Traci stepped inside. "We're going to begin the process of returning the stolen pokemon. As I call your name, please stand up and come quietly with me. If it is not your turn, remain seated. Understand?"

    Everyone nodded, and she continued. "Joanna Abrams?"

    The girl with the Minun stood, her eyes lighting up, and followed Traci.

    xXx

    Several minutes later, Koa was left alone in the room, save for Avis. All the other trainers had been called before him, which made him nervous, since his last name started with 'A'. Finally, Traci returned. "Koamaru Averon, come with me."

    Koa stood up and started towards the door.

    "Good luck," Avis whispered.

    Traci led him to another room, the interrogation room they had used when he'd given his statement. He sat down on the hard chair, and Traci took a seat opposite him.

    "I apologize for the wait, but there is another matter to be dealt with. Due to the nature of your actions, we had to contact your guardian. I understand that's your cousin, Blake."

    Koa's heart sank. He was in a lot of trouble.

    "He has elected against us escorting you home, or having your license suspended. But what you did today was serious. You endangered your own life and recklessly pursued a gang of dangerous criminals."

    "They stole my pokemon!" Koa snapped. "I couldn't sit there and do nothing."

    Her face hardened. "What you did today was reckless. The police are here for a reason, you were meant to let us handle it."

    He opened his mouth to protest, but she held up her hand. "However, I didn't bring you in here to argue with you. Legally, I'm obligated to give you a warning. Unauthorized pursuit of criminal activity like that is dangerous. You or your pokemon could have been seriously injured. Or killed. I have to tell you this, because these kinds of things can get you in a lot of trouble." She sighed. "But... You did good too."

    At that, Koa cocked his head.

    "Don't get me wrong, you should never have done it. But you saved a lot of pokemon today. Both you and your friend. And you put a serious dent in what those Team Blackout thugs were trying to do." She took out a small case and slid it across the table. "Here are your pokemon. Tyrunt, Joltik and Spheal."

    Koa reached across the table and eagerly took the three balls. The knot in his stomach lessened slightly. "Thank you. May I go now?"

    Traci nodded. "Yes." She stood up, then escorted him out of the room and out of the police station. He paused at the exit and turned back.

    "What about Avis? What's going to happen to her?"

    Traci shook her head. "I can't tell you that." She gave a grim smile. "But I doubt it's good. Some higher up in a trench coat came to speak to her. I believe he's a member of the International Police."

    "Oh." That didn't sound good at all.

    She gave a single nod of farewell, then went back inside.

    Setting his mind on happier thoughts, he returned to the peace of his room, then proceeded to release all his pokemon. Immediately, Anubis jumped on Flurry, licking her and nosing her, whining happily as he whipped his tail back and forth. Hazard sprang onto Koa's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek, then Echo pounced on him as well, licking him and nibbling his hair. Even Rascal, who was normally aloof, nuzzled her head against his leg roughly. It quickly turned into a dogpile, all his pokemon delightedly greeting and checking to make sure everyone else was ok.

    After several minutes, Koa untangled himself from his pokemon and lay back on the bed. The day had been stressful, to say the least. And the prospect of tomorrow felt even scarier. Tomorrow, he had to make plans to return to Canalave, and face Blake. Out of nowhere, Echo dropped out of the air and landed on his chest, nuzzling his chin. The rest of his pokemon all clambered awkwardly into the bed with him, Rascal nearly crushing his leg. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Tomorrow's problems would have to come tomorrow. For today, all he needed was the presence of his friends.


    Koa's pokemon are safe... but what of Avis? And it seems Team Blackout is growing bolder than ever...

    Echo (Male Golbat)

    Hazard (Male Joltik)

    Rascal (Female Tyrunt)

    Anubis (Male Houndoom)

    Scrapper (Male Breloom)

    Flurry (Female Spheal)
     
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    Chapter 23: Heart's Fire
  • Flyg0n

    Flygon connoisseur
    Pronouns
    She/her
    Partners
    1. flygon
    2. swampert
    3. ho-oh
    4. crobat
    5. orbeetle
    6. joltik
    7. salandit
    8. tyrantrum
    Chapter 23: Heart's Fire

    After a disastrous gym battle, a heartfelt evolution and shocking robbery, Koa has rescued his stolen teammates from Team Blackout. However, now he must deal with the aftermath... just how will this affect his journey?

    Echo (Male Golbat)

    Hazard (Male Joltik)

    Rascal (Female Tyrunt)

    Anubis (Male Houndoom)

    *Scrapper (Male Breloom)

    Flurry (Female Spheal)



    Koa lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling and watching the fan blades spin. The clock on the nightstand read 5:17, a fact which he knew because he'd been checking it every couple minutes. His pokemon snoozed peacefully around the room, but he found himself unable to find rest so easily. All night he'd tossed and turned, dark shadows and haunting cries filling his dreams. The events of yesterday were still fresh in his mind as well.

    His gaze traveled to Anubis, who lay curled tightly around Flurry. It was a stark difference to the blood rage he'd seen in the Houndoom's eyes yesterday, facing the thugs who'd stolen Flurry. It was a little scary - not that he was scared of Anubis, but of what he would do to someone who hurt his pack.

    The other thought, the one he didn't want to think about, was how close he'd come to losing his pokemon. Another half hour perhaps, and Team Blackout would have been on a boat and far out to sea with Flurry, Rascal and Hazard. He swallowed and glanced over again at his pokemon, just to reassure himself they were safe.

    His thoughts continued to drift as he lay still, contemplating the robbery. One thought in particular crossed his mind a few moments before he drifted off to sleep. Why take Hazard? Or that girl's Minun? Neither were particularly valuable, at least as far as he was aware. What good could a couple unevolved (or unable to evolve) electric types do? Finally, he drifted off into a restless sleep, with vague dreams of being lost, and his pokemon missing.

    xXx

    Sleep didn't last long. He was awoken by a notification indicating that Scrapper was ready to be picked up. He practically shot out of bed, quickly dressing in semi-presentable clothing before rushing to the front desk.

    When he arrived, a doctor in a white coat was waiting for him. He offered an amiable smile as Koa approached. "You're Breloom's trainer, correct?"

    Koa nodded.

    "Now you understand your Breloom needs plenty of time to recover, right?" The doctor looked him dead in the eyes, and Koa nodded seriously, pushing aside his excitement at getting his pokemon back.

    "Make sure you give him at least a full month until you allow him to battle again. During that time, only walking and light exercise. Here is a detailed care sheet for him. As long as you follow this, he will make a full recovery." He held out a small packet of papers to Koa.

    Koa took them and nodded again, and the doctor smiled. "Excellent. You're all set then. Nurse Joy will be out shortly with Breloom."

    "Thank you."

    The doctor left, and Koa paced as he impatiently waited for his Breloom.

    A minute later, a Chansey appeared from the back, pushing a large cart. And on that cart sat Scrapper. A white bandage was wrapped around his leg, and he sat awkwardly, not resting against it at all.

    "Scrapper!" Koa cried delightedly. Scrapper looked up, then grinned at the sight of him, giving a happy rumble.

    He helped Scrapper off the cart, then thanked the nurse profusely, as well as asking her to thank the doctor again for him. Chansey and Nurse Joy departed, leaving Koa alone in the pokemon center. "I'm going to return you for a bit to rest, that way you don't hurt your leg," he told him. To his surprise, Scrapper's only response was nod. No protests. Shrugging it off, he returned Scrapper, then headed back upstairs to pack. There was still a lot to figure out.

    Upstairs, he released Scrapper again, helping him onto the bed where he could sit comfortably. The Breloom made no attempt to resist help, which felt a bit odd for him. But perhaps he was simply tired?

    "Scrapper... I owe you an apology." He glanced at the rest of his team arrayed around the room. Anubis raised his head and looked at him, while Flurry blinked sleepily from her spot nestled next to Anubis. "All of you guys, really. I dragged you into a situation you weren't ready for, and..." he trailed off. "Especially you Scrapper. My recklessness got you hurt."

    Scrapper, who until now had simply stared towards the floor, looked up and gave a cry of protest. He moved closer and patted Koa firmly on the shoulder, staring fiercely as he did. Even without speaking pokemon, he could tell what Scrapper was trying to say. You didn't make me do it. I chose this.

    "But-"

    Scrapper rumbled, anger in his tone, his tail lashing side to side. He gestured to Flurry, then to Hazard and Rascal, as if to say 'I did this for them.'

    Koa looked away, unable to meet Scrapper's eyes. "I still should have done more."

    Another grunt, followed by Scrapper punching the bed. 'I don't regret anything.'

    Silence fell for a moment. Koa swallowed, not sure what else to say. Scrapper was right of course, he'd made his own choice. Yet he could shake the guilt. He turned away, glancing around the room. At least it had worked out in the end. He'd saved his pokemon from a terrible fate. Now he could move on. Which meant he needed to start packing.

    Halfway through packing, his phone rang. He reached for it, ready to answer, the paused when he saw the caller ID. Blake. For a few seconds, he let it ring. Then he took a deep breath and answered.

    "Hi Blake," he mumbled.

    "Koa."

    Koa gulped. Echo's ears pricked and he grew still, watching Koa anxiously, sensing the shift in his demeanor.

    "You're coming back to Canalave." Blake's voice sounded short and clipped.

    "Yeah, actually I was planning on-"

    His cousin continued, silencing Koa. "There's a boat leaving at 6pm. I've purchased your ticket already. Just show them your trainer ID." His cousin paused. "Don't miss it." Click. The line went dead, and Koa flinched away from his phone. He couldn't remember the last time he'd ever heard Blake sound so cold. A second later, his poketch beeped, showing a text message with more details about the boat.

    Koa stared at, then at his phone. Should he call Blake back? Try and apologize? Explain? He shook his head. He was fairly certain that no amount of apologizing would do anything, not now at least. Besides, doing it over the phone was pointless.

    Feeling as if his head were buzzing, Koa hurriedly packed the last of his things, then left the pokemon center. There were still several hours before Blake's boat left, and he wanted to get away from the city. Almost unconsciously, he took the west exit, making his way towards where he'd made camp just a few days before.

    Less than an hour later, he found himself standing on the same ridge where he'd watched Echo battle a Staraptor. Overhead, grey clouds carpeted the sky, giving the whole area a rather bleak feel. The ground underneath was a bit squishy, and he could still see the glistening water droplets on the grass, indicating rain recently. Unsurprising, considering the area was rather known for its perpetually rainy weather. His hand drifted to his pokeballs, and he released Echo. The Crobat emerged with a shriek, fluttering around Koa's head before settling on his backpack. He reached back, stroking Echo between his ears.

    "Remember this spot, buddy?"

    Echo gave a happy shree in reply, dislodging himself enough to flutter over the edge of the cliff a few feet. Koa crept closer as well, then peered over the edge, letting out a low whistle as he did. Seeing it now, in daylight, the drop was terrifying. It was a miracle he hadn't broken any bones. He stepped back, his thoughts drifting again.

    It was hard to believe how much had happened in just a few days. Even the past week had been crazy. Raikou's attack, losing at the gym, Echo evolving, his pokemon nearly getting stolen and Scrapper getting hurt. A light drizzle started, though the drops were so few and far between it felt more like a mist than anything else.

    Out of curiosity, he scanned the skies, wondering if the same Staraptor might be around. To his dismay, he saw no sign of the impressive avian. He chuckled to himself. To think, months ago, when he first started training, he'd compared the Zubat line to the Starly line, as if all flying types were the same. Now he realized what a ridiculous notion that was. A lot had changed since then, he reflected.

    Yet he'd still ended up getting his pokemon hurt. Had he not changed enough? As if sensing his thoughts, Echo returned to his perch on Koa's backpack, giving a comforting trill. "Yeah, you have a point," he mused out loud. His actions going after Team Blackout had been necessary. Officer Traci had said so herself. The thugs would have escaped if he and Avis hadn't done something. And Scrapper had affirmed he had no regret.

    His gaze shifted in the direction of Mt. Coronet, which was little more than a distant shadow on the horizon thanks to the gray weather. Blake's words came back to him.

    "Whenever you lose a fight, you should try to learn something about your opponent, and about yourself."

    The Blackout incident hadn't exactly been a fight, but the principle still remained. Every situation presented a chance to learn something about himself. Even though he didn't regret his actions, he also knew he could have approached the situation with more caution. Next time, he would. Although hopefully, there wouldn't be a next time.

    A tiny, cold tongue rasped across the back of his neck and Koa flinched out of his thoughts. "Gross, Echo," he grumbled. "Keep it up, and it's the last time I'm letting you ride on my backpack."

    The Crobat's only response was to give him another playful lick.

    Shaking his head, Koa looked out again in the direction of Mt. Coronet. Only three more badges. The drizzle let up, and a gust of wind blew, ruffling his hair. Overhead, the carpet of gray clouds parted, and sunlight fell across the grassy hills, causing the water to sparkle. As more clouds fell away, a rainbow appeared. It arced across the sky like a brilliant bridge of multicolored light, as if someone had taken a huge paintbrush to the sky. Koa gasped softly. It seemed more vivid than any rainbow he'd ever witnessed, each color distinct and blazing.

    On his back, Echo stilled. A huge shadow fell across Koa, blanketing the ridge. Both he and Echo looked up simultaneously. His breath hitched and his heart skipped a few beats. Time slid to a crawl. Shimmering crimson feathers filled his vision, sweeping overhead and kicking up a burst of wind that nearly knocked Koa off his feet. He caught a glimpse of a massive avian pokemon as it soared by only yards above. His brain seemed to freeze, struggling to process the sight before his eyes. No other pokemon sported feathers so red, or wings that shimmered in the sun.

    No pokemon but Ho-Oh.

    Ho-Oh the legendary phoenix, resurrector, guardian of the Bell Tower.

    In stupefied silence, mouth hanging open, he watched Ho-Oh fly overhead. The sun cascaded off its multicolored feathers, causing them to shimmer with red, gold and green. Its great tail streamed behind it like a cone of fire and the feathers on its belly gleamed a pristine ivory. With a few flaps of its mighty wings, it rose higher into the sky, a rainbow of sparkling light trailing after it.

    Then, a single drop of light fell from its form and drifted lazily across the sky towards him. In a trance, he reached his hand up, and the light drifted into it. Closing his hands around it, he opened them to see a single, glistening feather. Warmth flooded his hand. It shimmered in the sun, seemingly red, orange, gold and green all at once.

    He stared out at the sky again, just in time to catch a distant glimpse of Ho-Oh's golden tailfeathers as it disappeared into the clouds. For several more seconds, Koa didn't move. He simply stared at the spot where Ho-Oh had vanished, his heart thudding erratically in his chest. Still dazed, he practically collapsed into a sitting position, ignoring the water soaking his pants. Tearing his gaze away from the sky, he peered down at the feather in his hand. It felt a bit warm, and seemed to pulse lightly, the colors shifting and dancing across it.

    A crazed smile crept across his face. Leaping to his feet and sending Echo fluttering awkwardly off his back, he let out a loud whoop. "We did it, Echo!" he cried. Echo matched his cry with a shriek of his own, their voices joining into an odd harmony of joy. He gazed down at the feather in his hands, still grinning wildly. We did it. He'd met the real Ho-Oh. Of that, he had no doubt. This was no fake. Which meant he'd met an honest to goodness, true legendary. And he had the feather to prove it.

    There were plenty of legends surrounding Ho-Oh feathers, ranging from them being good luck charms to truly ridiculous myths about rainbow heroes or something. He wasn't sure how much of the myths were true, but he didn't care. One thing he did believe, Ho-Oh didn't accidentally drop feathers.

    For a long time, he didn't leave the ridge. Eventually, some time after the sun had crossed the midpoint of the sky, he managed to drag himself away. He returned to Veilstone, still in a state of shock. He'd only been in the city for a few minutes when he felt his phone buzzing. Immediately, unease filled him. He really hoped it wasn't Blake.

    Almost hesitantly, he retrieved his phone and peered at the screen. Avis. Phew. He answered it quickly. "Hey Avis."

    "Koa! You know, I have been calling you for the past thirty minutes." She sounded mildly annoyed, though there was an underlying excitement to her voice.

    "Sorry," Koa replied. "I was distracted. What's up?"

    "I've got some news to share, if you're still in Veilstone."

    Curiosity filled Koa. He had been wondering how she'd fared after yesterday. "Sure. Where do you want to meet?"

    "How about Sawsbucks Cafe?" Avis said. "There's one on the south side of the city."

    "Sounds great, see you there!"

    xXx

    Reaching the cafe didn't take long. When he arrived, she waved eagerly to him from a table outside the cafe. He took a seat across from her. To his surprise, she didn't seem upset or distressed in the slightest. Perhaps she'd managed to keep her investigators license? "So what happened? Did they take away your license?"

    "Yup!" Avis grinned.

    Koa blinked, then frowned. "Okaayy... You're not super upset, which means there's more to this. What happened?"

    Avis leaned forward, placing her hands on the table. "I had to have my license revoked, for breaking the rules about involving a civilian. Which the police guy who was questioning me seemed annoyed about. But then they told me to hang around, there was someone who wanted to talk to me. Then a guy in a brown trenchcoat comes in." She grinned delightedly, her eyes lighting up as she continued. "Turns out, it's Looker!"

    "Who?" Koa asked.

    She rolled her eyes. "I'm the crazy one for not knowing all the weird legendary celebrities, but you don't even know Looker?" She shook her head. "He's one of the most well-known members of the international police, and a master of disguise. And he's responsible for the takedown of Team Galactic. Anyways, I guess he was one of the members looking into Team Blackout. When he heard about what happened, he asked to speak to me." Her voice rose in volume as her excitement grew. "Can you believe that? Looker wanted to talk to me!"

    "What did he say?"

    "I'm getting there," she said, shooting him a playful glare. "So I've been sending in a lot of information about Team Blackout, and other criminals these past few years. And apparently Looker himself has kept tabs on my reports. After what happened yesterday, he met with me." Her voice changed into what Koa could only assume was an imitation of Looker. "He said: 'Even though your actions were foolhardy, they were driven by justice and strong character'. So... Now they want to consider bringing me into the International Police as a trainee!" She finished with a smile and sat back in her chair.

    Koa stared at her, absorbing what she'd just said. "That's sick!" he grinned widely. "So you're really gonna become a member of the International Police?"

    "Technically, I still have a few years training in the academy that I have to pass, but yes. I finally have a shot." Her face grew a little more serious. "Thanks to your help though. And... I'm sorry. I never wanted to have any of your pokemon get hurt. I shouldn't have allowed you to put yourself in danger. It's against the rules-"

    "Stop." He shook his head. "First, you didn't make me do anything. I asked to help you. Second, aren't you the one who told me law and justice walk different paths? I don't regret what I did today, and I know Scrapper doesn't either. No matter what the rules say." He paused, recalling something else he'd heard. "I met Cynthia back when I was in Hearthome. She told me that the world we live in today is good because everyone has a responsibility to uphold. And you did that yesterday."

    Avis brightened slightly. "Thank you. You have a point, I definitely didn't force you. Is Scrapper going to be ok though?"

    Koa nodded. "He'll take a little while to recover, but the doctor said as long as he takes it slow, he'll be fine."

    "That's good."

    "So I guess you'll be heading straight there to begin training?" he asked.

    "Yes. I guess this is where we part ways again. But I'm sure we'll cross paths again. And by then, who knows? Maybe I'll be a full-fledged member."

    "Maybe... I'll still beat you in a battle though." He smirked at her.

    "Don't be so sure. I won't be the only one in training, my pokemon will be too."

    "Yeah, but I will be too. And I'm already better than you, so..."

    "You lost last time we battled," she pointed out.

    "Only because I was testing a new move! Which Rascal mastered by the way."

    Avis gave a nonchalant shrug. "A loss is a loss," she stated, standing up. He scowled at her, mock playfully, and she glared back. Then she chuckled. "We'll settle this one day."

    "We sure will," Koa replied confidently. For the next hour or so, they made amiable conversation. He filled her in on the results of his training, and how Wilma had helped teach Rascal Ice Fang.

    In turn, she told him all about how her Litwick had evolved recently and how her team had been working on some new techniques since they last battled. He decided not to tell her about Ho-Oh, or the feather. There would be time for that one day, but for now, he wanted to savor the experience in his heart.

    Eventually, as the afternoon wore on, it came time for her to leave. "Don't be a stranger," she said, standing up.

    "I won't,'' Koa promised. "See you when I see you." She waved farewell, and Koa waved back.

    After she had gone, he headed for the department store. As long as he had a couple more hours to kill, he might as well stock up. As he wandered the aisles of the mall, trying to get a few supplies, he found himself constantly reached into his pocket, stroking the feather, checking to make sure it wasn't some bizarre dream.

    He ended up purchasing a cheap jacket, which was nowhere near as nice as his old one, but still better than nothing. He also spent some money on treats for all his pokemon - honey, pokeblocks, and some fresh berries. They had all earned it. Then he made his way to the eastern edge of Veilstone, where a large park of sorts lay. It wasn't much more than a fenced-in stretch of grass and a few sparse trees, but it was peaceful and empty.

    After a pleasant lunch with his pokemon, and a rather humorous attempt from Echo to reenact the appearance of Ho-Oh to his other pokemon, he departed for the docks. A short check in, the steward explained the boat trip was roughly a week long, during which they would make several stops before Canalave. He was shown to his quarters, which were comfortable enough, and informed what hours the cafe on board was open. Then he was left to his own devices.

    As soon as he was settled, he released Scrapper, Flurry, and Hazard. The cabin wasn't quite big enough for Rascal and Anubis to fit comfortably, so he opted to wait until later to see them. Flurry greeted him with a cheerful squeak, then Hazard crawled onto his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek, making his skin tingle. He turned to Scrapper, ready to remind him to rest, only to find that the Breloom had clambered onto the bed and was sitting down, staring at the wall. He frowned.

    "Are you okay Scrapper?"

    Scrapper looked up, then quickly nodded. Koa stared at him a moment longer, not entirely convinced. Scrapper was absolutely acting weird. He'd expected more resistance. Then again, it had to be hard for him, knowing he wouldn't be able to do any fighting for a month.

    "Don't worry Scrapper. I know you can't run around or battle, but maybe we could still work on some fighting techniques that use your arms," he offered. At that, Scrapper brightened, giving a happy cry. With everything else settled, Koa decided to explore the boat. He had a feeling it was going to be a very long week.

    xXx

    As it turned out, he was right. The week dragged by. After his initial exploration, there was little else to see. The boat was small, and mostly consisted of cabins, an exercise room, a cafe, and a tiny cubicle where one could buy snacks. Most of his free time he spent on the deck, where all his pokemon could roam comfortably.

    He did some brief training with Scrapper, though he stuck only to some basic punches and walking around the boat. Despite his best efforts to cheer Scrapper up, he couldn't help but notice the melancholy air the Breloom still had. Yet he couldn't think of any words to say to help. In the end, he resigned himself to trying to spend as much time training and helping him recover as possible.

    For the rest of his stay he lounged around his room, wishing Dialga could show up and make time fly by. His only other comfort was admiring the feather Ho-Oh had bestowed upon him.

    On one such occasion, laying on his back on his bed in the cabin, an announcement rang over the PA system. Good evening passengers. We are now approaching Canalave City. Expected arrival time is thirty minutes. Please be prepared to disembark in a timely manner if this is your stop.

    Koa shot out of bed. He paused just long enough to tuck the feather safely into a compartment in his backpack and pack the rest of his things, then he raced out onto the deck. A blast of warm ocean air greeted him. On the horizon, the low buildings of Canalave peeked from the horizon and famous drawbridges started to rise. He took a deep breath, letting the familiar sights wash over him. Even from this distance, he could pick out the pokemon center, pokemart, and the library. It was good to be home.

    A short time later, the boat pulled into port. He darted to the ramp, ready to disembark. He took one step off the boat and caught sight of Blake, standing at the end of the ramp with his arms crossed. He froze and cringed, reluctantly meeting Blake's eyes. They glistened like chips of ice in the late morning sunlight. Scowling, he descended the ramp.

    When he reached the bottom, Blake stayed utterly silent, simply turning and starting towards the house. Koa followed, frustration boiling inside him. The silence only grew thicker as they walked.

    Blake opened the door of the house, and Koa stepped inside. Almost immediately, Absol trotted up to him, nuzzling his hand. He smiled briefly, patting Absol's head, then trudged over to the couch and flopped down. His cousin picked an armchair that faced him. For a moment, he found himself wondering if Blake had rearranged the furniture to make this confrontation easier. Or more intimidating.

    For a full minute, Blake didn't speak. He sat on the chair, hands folded and chin tucked into them, staring at the ground. His foot tapped on the wooden floor, making Koa very anxious. He hadn't seen Blake upset like this since... well probably since he'd broken his arm trying to climb a tree right after it rained. Finally, his cousin spoke. "Tell me what happened." His voice sounded strained and clipped.

    That was a surprise. Koa half expected Blake to launch into a lecture. Swallowing, he began. "Well, after I rematched Maylene, that group, Team Blackout, attacked the pokemon center. They stole a bunch of pokemon, including my Rascal, Flurry and Hazard." He continued, explaining everything that happened after. Avis showing up, pursuing the criminals, fighting the thief and Scrapper getting injured. The entire time, Blake listened, only interjecting to ask for clarification once or twice. Koa ended his tale with a sigh.

    Part of him was tempted to give an explanation, to justify his choice. But he also wasn't sure Blake would even listen, if he was too upset. The clock on the wall ticked loudly and Koa stared at the floor.

    He let out a sigh. "I'm not mad." Blake spoke slowly, carefully.

    Koa looked up.

    "I was mad," Blake corrected. "But only because I was worried. When the police called me about you, I automatically assumed the worst. Getting a call from the police..." he took a long breath. "Usually it means something bad, Koa." He unfolded his hands, resting them on his lap to look Koa in the eyes. "I was so relieved to hear you weren't injured. And then I was angry. Angry because for one moment, I was scared." He shook his head. "I worry about you. And knowing you're out there doing things like fighting criminals only makes me more concerned-"

    "But I can handle myself!" Koa protested. "I have my pokemon-"

    Blake held up his hand. "Koa, I know. I know you're capable and a pretty decent trainer. Your pokemon are tough. But the same way you feel responsible for what happened to Scrapper, I am responsible for you."

    "Oh," Koa said. He sat back, his irritation swiftly fading as his cousin's words fully sank in. He remembered sitting there for hours at the pokemon center, driving himself mad with possibilities. The guilt he still felt when seeing Scrapper's injury. And all that on top of the fact that he'd been in the hospital just a short time before, due to his encounter with the Rapidash.

    He continued. "But... I'm also proud of what you did. A good trainer should look out for his pokemon, and pokemon theft is not something to take lightly." He chuckled slightly and shook his head. "Honestly, I would have probably done the exact same thing."

    Koa stared silently at the floor as he took in his cousin's words. "Did I do the right thing then?"

    Blake let out a long breath, then groaned and ran his hand through his hair. "What's right is hardly ever easy." His cousin's voice grew lower and his gaze dropped to the floor. "Sometimes doing what's right can get good people hurt. Truth be told though, I... I'd rather you do what's right than do nothing."

    Swallowing, Koa nodded in numb agreement. He'd always believed in doing what was right, standing against evil... it was something he'd always had in common with Blake.

    Blake took a breath, and his tone brightened as he continued. "That still doesn't mean you get to be reckless! Try to be careful, please. I mean, at this rate you're going to give me gray hair."

    Koa chuckled. "Gray would probably be an improvement on you. Maybe it would make you wiser."

    Blake smirked. "At least I have hope. I'm pretty sure there's nothing on this planet that can make you smarter."

    Koa scowled, then rolled his eyes. "Ha ha, ok."

    "Please though, promise you'll be cautious? Think a little more and let the police handle things? If you can?"

    Koa nodded solemnly. "I promise." Setting aside his doubts, he grinned. "I've got something to show you!" He reached into his backpack and withdrew Ho-Oh's feather.

    Blake's jaw dropped, and Koa savored the look of utter shock. "Is that-?"

    "Ho-Oh's feather? Yup!" He smirked proudly. Bursting with excitement, he retold the experience of meeting Ho-Oh on the ridge, and getting the feather.

    For a few seconds, Blake sat in stunned silence. "That's amazing, Little K! You met a real legendary. And Ho-Oh of all things." An odd look flashed through his eyes, almost like guilt. He smiled, but his eyes watered slightly. "It's been so long since I've heard of a proper legendary sighting here. Ever since..." he stopped somewhat abruptly, but Koa already knew what he'd been about to say.

    Ever since Team Galactic. Even now their legacy still haunted Sinnoh. And-

    "Well, not counting that Entei I suppose," he said with a humorless laugh.

    "Or Raikou," Koa said quietly.

    Grim silence fell for a moment. Once again Koa found himself asking the same question. Were those real legendaries? And what of the second Entei?

    Blake's expression shifted to a grin. "Well, now that you're here, you'll have to fill me in on everything else that happened on your adventures," Blake said. "Starting with your team. I haven't gotten to meet them yet!"

    Koa nodded, glad for the distraction. One by one, he released each of his pokemon. In an instant, the living room grew more crowded. Echo shrieked happily and flew about, greeting Koa with sticky licks. Flurry bumped Blake's ankles until he picked her up into his lap and began stroking her. Anubis barked eagerly, wagging his tail as he began nosing Blake. Chuckling, his cousin stroked the large canine and then scratched him behind the horns. Scrapper puffed out his chest and threw a few punches, showing off. Rascal sniffed disdainfully, then stood tall and gave a roar, making Blake jump.

    The movement dislodged Flurry, sending her rolling to the ground. She squeaked in shock, and Anubis shot Rascal a dirty look. Rascal, however, ignored him. She strutted up to Blake and plopped her head on his lap. "Well I can see where you get your name," Blake said, shaking his head as he scratched her under her chin.

    Hazard emerged from her ruff slowly, perching on her head as he eyed Blake. At the sight of the small electric type, Blake slowly held his hand out. Hazard studied it for a second, then nuzzled his fingers. Then, a second later he was tackled by Echo, and treated to one of his signature greeting licks. Grimacing, Blake pried the excited Crobat off. He flew back to Koa and settled onto his head.

    "You've really got yourself a nice team," Blake said finally, once everyone had settled down. "I'm impressed. I thought you'd never let go of your plan."

    Koa laughed awkwardly. "Yeah. I almost got rid of Echo at first. But he stuck with me." He reached up to scratch the Crobat's soft purple fur. A lot had changed since he first left Canalave, he reflected. But had it all been for the better? One question gnawed at his heart that he wanted to ask Blake. Yet he couldn't bring himself to say it. Instead, he opted to fill Blake in on everything that had happened on his journey.

    For the next several hours he recounted his adventures, from the pokemon he met, to trainers he battled. He skipped recounting the bits about the legendary beasts, since technically he didn't know what he'd seen. And there was no need to give his cousin more concern. They wore the night away talking. In those moments, just enjoying his cousin's company and recounting his travels, he felt utterly relaxed.

    As he turned in for the night however, his mind turned to the question he'd dared not ask earlier, the question that had been turning over in his mind for the past week. One only deepened by receiving Ho-Oh's feather.

    Am I really a good trainer?

    xXx

    At first, being home was quite pleasant for Koa. He had time to work with all his pokemon, without worrying about traveling. He particularly focused on Flurry, given that she was still a ways behind the rest of his team. Blake was also able to give him some good advice on training, and he made solid progress as well as purchasing him a single-use TM for Steel Wing. Naturally, he used it on Echo to replace Crunch. It would come in handy if he faced Rock or Ice Types. Flurry practiced her moveset as well, until she had a solid handle on each of her attacks. Scrapper had plenty of time to rest too, and seemed to be recovering well.

    By far the best part about returning home, however, was being near the Canalave Library again. Much of his free time was spent within the building, and on this particular rainy afternoon, he had once again taken refuge within.

    He took a deep breath as he stepped inside, reveling in the familiar sight of the book lined shelves. It felt like seeing an old friend again. Today, he had a particular goal in mind to research, a topic he'd yearned to probe once he was back in Canalave - Legendaries. Maybe there was something within these walls that could clear up what was happening.

    Thirty minutes, and a tall stack of books later, he had taken a seat in a quiet corner of the library to scour his findings. Several were ones he'd already read, but a few were newly published. He began by reviewing one of his favorite volumes, an encyclopedia that compiled all the known Legendary and Mythical pokemon. Something Kitto had said to him a long while ago had been bothering him, and he couldn't think of a better time to rectify it.

    What legendary would he try to battle and catch first? An hour later, he thought he'd come to a reasonable choice. Latias. Latias were legendary dragon pokemon, but were also not thought to be as strong as deities, such as Lugia or Rayquaza. They were also not singularities, meaning there were at least one or two around, though they were incredibly rare. It meant he'd have to travel, since they were usually seen in Hoenn, but at least it gave him a solid goal to pursue after he earned his badges.

    And climbed Mt. Coronet.

    With that question answered, he turned to his other research - the legendary beasts and Ho-Oh. His research was quite fruitful. First, his suspicions were confirmed. Nothing in any of the books suggested there were multiple of the beasts. Some speculation, yes. But never anything absolute.

    There were also a few interesting passages about Ho-Oh and his feathers. Like he had heard, they were supposedly given to trainers who were 'pure of heart'. There was also one brief myth about something called a 'Rainbow Hero' but he was pretty sure that was utter bogus. Folktale more than anything.

    One final passage caught his interest. It was one of the last books he skimmed, and it talked about legendaries and their relationships with humans.

    'One question researchers have asked throughout time is why legendaries have been occasionally responsible for disasters and destruction. If they are benevolent deities, why would they commit such acts? The truth is far more complex than most people want to admit. There are many varied reasons for these occurrences. In a few cases, it is the work of humans themselves, attempting to frame legendaries. In one such occurrence, mirage technology was used to misrepresent legendaries.

    In other cases, the legendaries lash out because of various interferences. For example, if pokemon are injured or being attacked, a legendary may step in to fight the aggressor. Instances have also been recorded of the opposite - ordinary pokemon acting strangely because something has happened to upset the balance between legendaries.

    At the end of the day, it is rarely, if ever, the fault of the legendaries themselves. Most known records of rampages can be linked to human malignance.'


    Closing the book, he leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling, thinking. Mirage technology could explain why he'd seen two Entei. Except mirage technology didn't have any real power. It simply created a projection. The Entei at Amity had exuded power. And used moves. But if it wasn't a mirage, then what was it? An illusion? No, still too powerful for that. But perhaps it was faked...

    Making one final sweep of the library, he returned the books he selected and headed for the exit. As fun as his research had been, he still felt unsatisfied. Despite his new knowledge, many questions still lingered. Entei could have become enraged for some reason... But why? Amity Square was one of the most peaceful places in Sinnoh. And the mural in Celestic Town was a mural about legendaries. It had stood for years. Why would Raikou destroy it?

    Fake legendaries were the only answer that made sense, but what else could be strong enough for that?

    xXx

    "So, when are you going to challenge Byron?" Blake asked him over breakfast one morning.

    Koa poked at a sausage on his plate and frowned. Even though he'd expected the question eventually, he wasn't exactly happy to hear it. "Dunno," he began. "Soon. I'd like to keep training more first though." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Blake's gaze narrow in suspicion.

    "Not a bad idea. But you do know training only against yourself doesn't give you or your pokemon much experience," Blake said. "You could train in solitude for years with just you and your pokemon, and still be weaker than a trainer who's been on the road for a few months."

    "I know," Koa replied, resisting the urge to groan. He'd heard the lecture from his cousin before, more than once. "A trainer can only truly grow stronger by battling against other opponents of equal or greater skill." As he spoke, he made air quotes with his hands.

    Blake grinned. "Exactly! So, I'll ask again, when are you going to challenge Byron?"

    Koa stared across the table at Blake. His cousin returned his gaze evenly. "I'll go by today," he said finally. "But just to check it out, and maybe set an appointment."

    His cousin gave a nod. "Good enough for me."

    xXx

    As he walked to the gym, he kept his pace fairly slow, in a poor attempt to drag out the time. He felt torn- part of him really wanted to face the gym, and get back to his goal. He'd beat Maylene, he felt fairly confident in his prowess, and he'd even gotten a Ho-Oh feather.

    Yet on the other hand, he felt just as doubtful, for the same reasons. He'd beat Maylene, but that didn't guarantee a win against Byron. And he'd still screwed up and gotten Scrapper hurt, even after knowing he shouldn't rush into things and get too over confident. What if he allowed the same mistake to happen again? Why had he even received the feather? He didn't deserve it, he wasn't a good person-

    To his dismay, he arrived at the gym all too soon. He gazed up at it, putting aside any misgivings to admire the building. The structure itself was quite the sight. Jagged rock formed the base while a pathwork of metal panels adorned the sides. Four large red steel beams curved up along the outside like support columns, and the entire look was completed by a silver dome-like roof.

    After admiring the outside a moment longer, he walked inside. It felt like stepping into a museum. Hundreds of glass cases adorned the entry hall, featuring a variety of rock specimens that rivaled the museum in Oreburgh. There were fossils of all kinds, and various mineral and stone deposits from different eras. A small counter stood near the entrance. Beyond that, he could see a pair of wide steel doors, which he assumed led to a battlefield.

    A dark-haired young woman at the receptionist counter glanced up at him, giving him a blank stare. Her fair skin made him wonder how often she got outside. "Welcome to Canalave Gym." She said in a monotone drawl. "How are you today? Appointment times are available from 8-6." As she spoke, she kept glancing at something in front of her, almost as if she were reading off a script, which was a rather amusing thought. "Byron is currently on a brief break, but he will return shortly. When would you like to schedule an appointment?"

    "I actually don't want to set one yet," Koa admitted. "I wanted to see the displays."

    She blinked, as if surprised. "Huh, that's new," she murmured. In a louder voice, she continued. "Sure! Uh..." she paused and briefly glanced down, shuffling papers in front of her. "Yeah, that's fine actually. You can go ahead."

    "Thanks," Koa replied. He squinted at her nametag. "Blair."

    She smiled ever so slightly and nodded in acknowledgement.

    Koa took his time browsing the displays, admiring the various pieces. He hadn't been browsing long before he heard the front doors open.

    "Well, if it isn't Koa!" Byron's voice echoed through the empty front hall. "I was wondering when you'd work your way back around to my gym." Turning around, Koa saw Byron, grinning madly and leaning lightly on the shovel he carried at his side. "My son tells me you got yourself a bona-fide, honest to goodness Tyrunt. Is that true?"

    He grinned at the sight of the gym leader. "Yeah! My Tyrunt is pretty sick. I found the fossil at Ore caverns." Looking at Byron, it was strange to think that Roark was his soon. Though there were some minor similarities, such as their jaws and noses, they couldn't have been more different. Byron was boisterous, and enthusiastic. Roark was considerably more reserved and analytical. Byron was also much bulkier than his son.

    "Well then, I've got a proposition for you." He leveled his shovel, pointing it at Koa. "When you're ready for your gym match, let's have a one on one. My Bastiodon vs your Tyrunt. A good ole fashioned fossil showdown!"

    A wide grin spread across Koa's face. A one on one match, facing one of Byron's strongest pokemon? "Yeah!" he cried. "That would be awesome! I hope you're ready to lose," he added slyly.

    "Hah!" Byron chuckled. "Don't be so sure. Few trainers are able to surpass my steely defenses."

    "Few trainers have a Tyrunt," Koa retorted.

    "Indeed," Byron said with a nod. "I look forward to our battle then. Once you're ready, Blair here can set you up with an appointment." He gestured to her and she flashed what Koa thought might be her best customer service smile.

    "Why wait?" he blurted. "How about tomorrow? First match of the day." He pushed down the sudden flicker of doubt that grew in his heart and stared Byron down.

    Byron chuckled. "No hesitation, I see. Very well then. Blair, put him down for my first match," he declared. After she'd quickly penciled it in, he gave Koa a nod. "You and your Tyrunt better get plenty of rest tonight."

    xXx

    Koa fidgeted uncomfortably as he sat on a bench a short distance from the gym. "What was I thinking?" he groaned. His appointment for the battle was in thirty minutes, and he didn't feel ready at all. He reached to his belt and released Rascal. Immediately, she gave a loud snarl, as if ready to battle. He chuckled. "Sorry, not yet girl."

    She gave an annoyed huff and flopped on the ground, pointedly facing her snout away from him. "I'm not sure we're ready for today. I jumped the gun. I mean, there's still a lot to practice-"

    Rascal whipped her head around and snarled at him. He flinched back, then relaxed. "I know, I know. But I just don't want to lose again, or mess up in battle again. I can't get over-confident like before."

    She gave a low grumble, which he interpreted as 'Get over it.'

    "Yeah, you're right." Even though he said the words aloud, he didn't quite believe them. Slowly, he slid his hand into his pocket and brushed his hand against the shimmering feather within. Was he worthy of it? Could he really be a good trainer? If he wanted to be, he'd have to be cautious in this battle then, so he wouldn't make the same mistakes.

    Swallowing, he stood up. Rascal looked up at him, then stood as well. "Let's go."

    xXx

    "Gwahahaha! So are you and your Tyrunt ready to face my Bastiodon?" Byron declared, grinning.

    Koa nodded. "Yep!" he declared with a confidence he didn't quite feel. But then again, not feeling confident was a good sign, right?

    "Then let's get this battle started!" Byron led the way through the gym's entry hall and onto the battlefield. The two trainers took up their positions. A moment later, a referee arrived and called for them to release their pokemon.

    Byron went first, tossing out a pokeball. White light poured from it, producing a sturdy quadrupedal pokemon. Sandy scales covered its body, while dark gray ones framed its square head. It was an imposing sight in real life, given he'd only seen them before in pictures and video. It gave an intimidating rumble and stamped one foot into the earth. Koa quickly responded by releasing Rascal from her pokeball.

    She emerged onto the field and lowered her head, glaring down her opponent. For a moment, she remained utterly silent. Then she threw her head back and let out an earth-shaking roar. Byron's eyes widened at the display, and Koa smiled, slightly heartened by her attitude.

    Byron gave a low whistle. "That's quite the Tyrunt," he said. "She looks tough." Rascal preened proudly under the praise. "But enough chatter. Let's have a fossil showdown!" He nodded to Blair, who was refereeing.

    She raised her hands, and both pokemon grew still. "Gym Leader Byron vs Challenger Koamaru. This will be a one on one battle. It will continue until one side is unable to fight." She glanced between both sides. "Battle begin!"

    Koa took a steadying breath and did his best to focus. He vowed not to fall into the same trap he had before. Just because he won against Maylene in his rematch, he wouldn't let that go to his head again

    "Bastiodon, Iron Head!"

    Byron's command snapped Koa from his thoughts. Across the field, Bastiodon stamped one hoof, then charged, head shining with a silver light.

    "Rascal-" Koa's brain went completely blank. His memory deserted him, and he found himself unable to even recall any of her moves. "Move!" In his panicked haste, he shouted the only words he could think of. Unfortunately, the call came much too late. Distracted by him, Rascal was mowed down by Bastiodon's greater bulk.

    Rascal cried in shock as she was tossed halfway across the field, where she landed awkwardly. Blinking, she pushed herself upright and shot him a furious glare. Unwanted emotions began to crowd Koa's mind, and he quickly pushed them aside.

    "Rascal, use Ancient Power." In the blink of an eye, she refocused, charging a silver sphere and firing it at Bastiodon.

    Byron threw his arm out dramatically. "Bastiodon, Stone Edge." The fossil pokemon gave a loud cry as it stamped its foot into the earth. Spikes of shining blue stones rippled across the field and shattered Ancient Power before continuing towards Rascal.

    "Dodge and use Dragon Tail," Koa called.

    Rascal sprang to the side, then charged across the field to slam her tail into Bastiodon's head. She drove her tail into him for a moment before springing away and landing with a snarl.

    Koa quickly called another attack. "Crunch." A dark aura grew around her jaws and she moved to attack.

    "Iron Defense." A pulse of silver light grew on Bastiodon's head before rippling across its whole body. Rascal sank her jaws into Bastiodon's skull with a CLANG. With a grunt, Bastiodon shook its head hard, tossing Rascal off. She landed on her feet with a snarl.

    Koa frowned. Bastiodon's defenses were going to prove difficult to overcome, especially for Rascal. He needed to catch Byron off guard somehow. Or should he play it safer? If he tried to catch him off guard, Byron would expect that.

    "Rascal, use Ancient Pow- I mean, use Ice Fang!" Rascal began to charge Ancient Power, then stopped and lunged forward, tripping over her own feet before catching herself and charging. A shroud of blue icy energy gathered on her jaws. She leaped at Bastiodon's side. As she flew through the air, Bastiodon shifted, facing her. She struck the front of his skull and chomped on the edge. Frost crept across its scales.

    "Iron Head, again," Byron called.

    Bastiodon reared up, then charged with frightening speed at the side of the battlefield, slamming Rascal into the wall hard enough to leave a dent. Rascal grunted as she was dislodged and dropped unceremoniously to the ground.

    "Alright Rascal, try to get behind it and use Crunch." She lowered her head and charged, then ducked to the right, going in a wide circle around the opposing fossil pokemon. Bastiodon began to shift, moving with her and continually facing her, leaving no opening to attack.

    "Ancient Power," As she ran, she fired the silver sphere at Bastiodon, managing to catch it on its side and cause it to stagger. For a moment, it was off balance. His eyes lit up. This could be his chance to attack!

    No. He couldn't rush this-

    "Enough!" Byron's voice boomed across the battlefield. Rascal slid to a halt, stopping a few inches from Bastiodon, who appeared unfazed. She glared at the gym leader, as if demanding an explanation for stopping the fight. Koa looked up at him as well, equally startled.

    "Your heart is not in this battle. You and your pokemon are out of sync. Beating you now would be a dishonor to both of our pokemon."

    "No!" Koa protested. "I'm not done-" He paused. Rascal had actually turned away from Bastiodon and had begun stalking off the field. His heart sank. Byron was right. His heart wasn't in the fight at all. He kept second guessing, thinking too much or too little...

    "There's no shame in it, kid," Byron said in a cheerful manner. "Take some time, figure out whatever's going on, then come back. I'll be waiting."

    Hot shame burned on Koa's face. Every fiber of his being wanted to protest. This was so stupid. How could Byron just call off the match like this? Yet the more rational side of him recognized Byron was right, which only stung his pride worse. He stared at the ground. "Okay." Unable to look Byron in the face, he left the gym as quickly as he could. Behind him, Rascal followed, though at a slower pace.

    Once outside, he glanced down, ready for her anger. He'd let her down, messed up her chance at a good battle- There was no anger in her eyes. She looked... concerned? Which was definitely a different emotion for her. She gave a low rumble and cocked her head to the side. Fresh guilt filled him and he looked away from her and up at the sky. He felt even more mixed up inside now than when he'd stood back on that ridge outside Veilstone, trying to clear his head. But now where to go?

    On an impulse, he dialed Kitto's number. He knew the fighting expert was probably busy training, but maybe he could get some advice from him anyway. It rang several times, then Kitto picked up.

    The sound of several grunts and thumps came across the line, as if a fight were taking place. "Kitto?"

    "Hey Koa!" A moment later, he heard a grunt and a thud. The sound cracked sharply and rattled, as if the phone had been dropped. Hitmonchan's cry echoed faintly, followed by a few more grunts. Then the phone rustled again, as if being picked up. "Sorry about that, Koa. Jackie and I have been training and he thought he could get a lucky hit on me just because I answered the phone. What's up?"

    Koa chuckled. "Do you and Jackie actually fight each other?"

    "Sure!" Kitto replied. "How do you think we got so good?"

    Koa simply shrugged and nodded to himself. "Where did you go to train this time? Back to Unova?"

    "Nope. Ever hear of Iron Island?"

    "You're on Iron Island!?" Koa exclaimed. He knew all about the island, of course. It was both a well-known excavation site, as well as serving as a mine many years ago. Now it was mostly home to many strong wild pokemon and was more like a nature habitat. Both Roark and Byron had trained there too.

    "It's a pretty interesting place," Kitto said. "Jackie's started to develop a reputation among the local Steelix and Golem." There was a brief pause. "You're probably near Canalave by now, right? You should come join me for some training. Jackie and I have been working on something for the past few weeks. You'd like it."

    Koa blinked. He paused and considered the offer for a moment. Maybe some special training away from the rest of the world would help. And he did need to clear his mind... "That sounds awesome. I'll catch a boat there soon."

    "Great. Can't wait to make the score 2 to 0."

    "Don't you mean 2 to 1-" Koa started to retort, but before he could finish, the line went dead. He scowled at his phone. He'd definitely get Kitto for that when he saw him. Tapping a few buttons, he searched the next boat for Iron Island. 12:20pm. Perfect. It gave him time to pack and say goodbye to Blake.

    xXx

    In the end, Blake didn't seem surprised to hear his match hadn't gone well. When he got home and explained what happened, as well as his plan to sail to Iron Island to train, Blake simply nodded knowingly.

    "I figured."

    "What? You mean you knew I would lose against Byron?" Koa asked, feeling almost a bit annoyed.

    Blake chuckled and shook his head. "Well, you didn't lose. And I'm not stupid. I could tell something was bothering you. But you needed to realize that on your own. If I'd told you, you would have denied it."

    Koa frowned. "No I wouldn't."

    His cousin shot him a dubious look.

    "Yeah, you're right," he admitted. "I just... I can't stop questioning myself when I battle. I don't want to get too overconfident again and lose like I did to Maylene. My pokemon deserve better."

    "True," Blake said. "But your pokemon also don't need you to put on a front for them. They need you to be honest with them."

    That made Koa pause.

    "I can see the smoke pouring from your ears, Little K," Blake joked. "Don't think so hard. Just go pack your things before you miss your boat."

    Pushing aside his contemplations for later, he nodded. The next couple hours passed in a blur. Bags were packed, supplies bought, and a short time later, he stood in his room once more, ready to embark on a new adventure.

    On a whim, he opened his computer to check the news before he left. Most of the top articles covered the recent 'attacks' happening around Sinnoh. Entei at Amity, Raikou at Celestic and something about pokemon around Snowpoint acting aggressive. There were a few other legendary sightings as well, rather interestingly. One mentioned Suicune near Snowpoint. Another seemed to hint that some Manaphy had been seen in the oceans nearby.

    Just as he was ready to sign off, another article caught his attention.

    Mysterious Break-in at Aether Paradise Still Unresolved

    Curious, he clicked it.

    Earlier this month, reports were received that a break-in occurred at Aether Foundation, a research foundation based in Alola. The Aether Foundation is known for its efforts to preserve the welfare of pokemon in Alola, and has a base of operations on a VLF in Central Alola Sea. According to reports, the security systems experienced a brief downtime on the night of the 3rd, just after midnight. Functions were quickly restored, however it is believed the thieves escaped with something related to a discontinued project.

    We have reached out to Aether Foundation, but they have not given a comment. Police are currently investigating the theft.

    Update: President Lusamine appeared in a brief video conference to address the public's concerns.


    "I understand many of you are concerned about the recent break-in that occurred here. However, there is nothing to fear. While the thieves did escape with some research, nothing of significant value was taken, merely some discontinued research. I have complete faith in Alola's police force, and this is nothing more than a desperate attempt to gain money." - Lusamine

    Briefly he wondered if Team Blackout had anything to do with it. As far as he knew, they only operated in Sinnoh, but he supposed it was possible they had expanded. Still, he felt confident that between the local police and the International Police, they would catch them quickly. Shrugging it off, he turned off the computer and headed downstairs.

    At the bottom of the stairs, his cousin was waiting for him. "Ready?"

    Koa nodded eagerly. Together, he and Blake left the house and headed toward the port. In seemingly no time at all, he stood at the docks, ready to board a ship. His time in Canalave felt like it had flown by. He lingered by the boarding ramp, not quite ready yet to say goodbye.

    "You'll be careful this time, right?" Blake said, as he stared into the horizon.

    Smiling, Koa nodded. "Yeah, I will." For a few moments longer, they stood together in silence, watching the waves lap against the dock and the Wingull glide overhead. All too soon, the ship's horn sounded.

    "Last call for boarding!"

    Blake clapped his hand on Koa's shoulder. "See you soon, Little K."

    Koa leaned over and gave his cousin a quick hug, then hurried onto the boat. Just a few minutes later, the boat was pulling away from the port and sailing out to sea. He waved to Blake until he was nothing but a blotch on the horizon, then made his way to the ship's bow. Leaning against the railing, he gazed into the distance. The ocean stretched before him, an endless wave of blue. Beyond that, lay Iron Island.

    A grin spread over his face, and for the first time in the past couple days, he felt a genuine excitement. He had a new goal. Train at Iron Island, get stronger, then get back to facing gyms. He would defeat Byron, Candice, and finally Volkner. Once he had all 8 badges he could ascend Mt. Coronet, and find the Spear Pillar. And after that... battle and catch a Latias.


    Echo (Male Golbat)

    Hazard (Male Joltik)

    Rascal (Female Tyrunt)

    Anubis (Male Houndoom)

    *Scrapper (Male Breloom)

    Flurry (Female Spheal)

    Authors Note:


    Hello everyone! I'm finally back with a new chapter! Thank you all for your patience, as it took longer than expected to get this chapter up! (More on that in a moment.)

    First of all, thank you to anyone still here and reading, as well as my followers!

    Updates have been slow, but as of 05/01/23, I have done a full re-edit of early chapters with a lot of minor tweaks and changes.

    Koa met the real Ho-Oh! I was very excited to post this part, since Ho-Oh is one of my favorite legendaries (and they still don't have a proper movie! That Rainbow Hero garbage does NOT count) and I wanted it to feel very special. Hopefully it worked. The intended backing soundtrack is 'Legendary Encounter' on the pokemon Journeys OST.

    I want to make it clear that this is *not* a chosen one thing, or Rainbow Hero or any balderdash like that (sorry to anyone who really loves the I Choose You movie). The feather is important in certain ways but Koa isn't a 'special hero' thing or chosen one or anything. I can't say more because spoilers though. ;) And Avis has received quite the surprise! She has a chance to train to become a real member of the International Police! Of course, it'll take a couple years...

    For anyone wondering, I don't have any plans to have her make a major reappearance, at least for now. But who knows what might happen!


    Thank you again!
     
    Last edited:
    Review Roundup
  • Flyg0n

    Flygon connoisseur
    Pronouns
    She/her
    Partners
    1. flygon
    2. swampert
    3. ho-oh
    4. crobat
    5. orbeetle
    6. joltik
    7. salandit
    8. tyrantrum
    Review roundup time!

    First-
    Thank you very much everyone! Your insight has been very valuable. I was able to smooth over a lot of really easy to miss errors I had.

    To address the most recent batch of reviews...

    Hey tetra, I'm here for Catnip and I'll be picking up at chapter three!
    Heya Pen! You covered a lot of broad stuff in your review so I don't have any specific replies, but I did want to thank you. I was able to make one or two adjustments to some of the simpler stuff. Some of it is advice I don't have the time to smooth over, but I'll file away for future projects for sure.
    Thanks for your input!!

    I will admit that it got a little on-the-nose near the most recent chapters where actual stats were put up to question, and I think it could have gone somewhat without getting in any sort of depth about it and came off as more of an author tract. Still, it was consistent with prior themes, when it was a little more subtle.
    Hehe, I did get very pointed on that chapter. I was going through a hint of saltiness towards how stats were handled, so that probably bled through into my writing. Even so I do still enjoy the vibes. I'll keep this advice in mind for future instances of stuff like this!

    I think one of the weaker parts of the story would be the battles--not because of how they're executed, but how frequent they are. Particularly in the beginning, I felt that some of them went on for longer than they should have, and perhaps could have been glossed over, or perhaps starting at the end of them. Once we're familiar with a Pokemon's fighting ability, it may not be necessary to show it again, you know?
    Yeah, a few people have said that. I'm realizing some of the battles in the early sections don't do much. I'm just such a sucker for them, but they really aren't the same when they're not animated either. And they don't really play into the narrative in early parts.

    Anyways, I cut the Bidoof battle because that was particularly useless long term. Noting this for future chapters!

    I was a bit surprised at how lightly Koa took the second disruption to his Plan - he has a moment of thinking he wanted a Luxray, but then he's just immediately over it, thinking of Joltik as his starter, of Koa and Galvantula. Purely in terms of stats, Crobat has a significantly higher base stat total than Galvantula, and I'd been strongly under the impression up until now that Shinx as his starter was the very most important Pokémon to the Plan! How's he just dropping that whole idea so easily now, after spending the last entire chapter determined that he must get his Shinx and release Zubat because Zubat's not part of the Plan? If I were Echo witnessing this I'd be pretty offended right about now. :P
    Yeah, looking back it reads a wee jarring. It is supposed to be hypocritical to a degree, because Koa has a minor internal prejudie against the idea of having a Zubat. And Joltik is electric type so to his silly brain they're more similar. Might revist down the line to change, thanks!


    This sounds a little funny - if they're available for sale, and only "somewhat" expensive, it doesn't really make sense to say they're generally reserved for those in a professor's personal class.
    Lol yeah this is really silly. Fixed it.

    Can't decide if this is Pokémon having anime unrealistically young professionals or if it's hinting that she's up to something and lying to him.)
    Nah, this kind of stuff is normal. She'll reappear later to explain more fully but since 10 year olds become champions and children are gym leaders and there's an episode of DP feature a young girl and her luxray training to be a police officer its just fun anime world logic!

    Technically her role as investigator is closer to 'Neighborhood Watch' but you know, kids these days love fighting criminals.

    My recommendation would be to dedicate a paragraph once in a while on description of the environment specifically from Koa’s eyes. Like, what do the streets in a city look like as opposed to an overhead view. Then again, early chapters. I get it.
    Yeah, I'm really bad at showing stuff through the MC's eyes! I end up doing a very 3rd 'distant' perspective. I'll have to remember to work on this!

    I’ve already mentioned Koa punching Kody in the face unprovoked. That felt quite out of left field.
    heh, it is a little jarring. I don't plan to take it out but I am now rethinking how to lead into it better.

    Koa so far didn’t seem prone to violence, even hoping to never have to resort to it. And when Kody antagonises him, it’s literally the first thing he does. Seemed a bit ooc for me, but maybe Kody got up really close to his face. I’d probably freak out too.
    To be clear, Koa didn't want to have to use violence against a pokemon unnecessarily, unlike criminals, who he hates. I've done a couple teensy tweaks to show his Intense dislike of criminals earlier though. He has a shorter fuse with people though sometimes.

    • A lot of the day-to-day life of a pokemon trainer kinda blends together when he’s traversing a route. I recall a battle against a girl where he won 200poke and I wondered what the purpose of that was. Were the 200poke important? Yes, Hazard can pack a punch, but I’d believe that from the off-screen training. There was no meaningful interaction between Koa and the girl, so maybe it was to show that Koa is a loner? And then the thing about the travel mentioned above.
    • The skeleton in the cave was a bit off tone – at least for me. It did set the stakes very high and I was gripped and with Koa his entire way out of the cave, but it also introduced death into a usually very light-hearted world. You know, where Team Rocket can blast off at the speed of light and only have a few scrapes. Maybe if Koa only found the old bag with the fossil, wondered where its owner went and then theorised – much to his shock – that they might be dead, it would make for a less jarring scene without taking away from the stakes.
    Yes and yes! I decided to shorten that section drastically, as the fight has no narrative impact.

    And yeah, the human bones bit is overkill, a holdover from my edgy teen years writing this in 2015. I changed it though!

    I really feel like this piece should have gone before the tree-climbing scene, so that the practice would have come across as less random.
    Holy cheese what a good catch. Fixed! Thank you!!

    Hmm... I know that this is a early chapter and everything, and that you don't want extensive feedback about these early chapters, but frankly I find these sentences a bit... monotonous. Those many "he", "he", "he" in rapid succession kinda magnify that feeling.

    Like, for example, I think that the part "He guessed the Aipom had claimed the tree as its own. He knew the monkey pokemon were fairly fond of honey" would work better as "He guess the Aipom had claimed the tree as its own. After all, those monkey pokemon were fairly fond of honey".

    Even if you won't edit this chapter, I think it's a piece of advice that could be useful for future chapters. :)
    You're right. I hate this paragraph now lol. Fixed it.

    There's a bit of inconsistency between using Pokémon and using pokémon, I see. Is there some difference, or...?
    The difference is I am stupid lol. Anyways I'll be going back to address this. I was very in decisive in the beginning.

    With so many people owning Crobat in the games, I find that last claim a tad bizarre.
    It is really bizarre and weirdly put, especially here. Fixed!

    Well, you actually shared your dream at that presentation and people laughed at you for that. I supposed you meant it as "a dream you didn't share recently".
    Good catch, fixed! The presentation was added in a later edit, so I forgot to make everything consistent. thank!

    Sheesh! Wild Pokémon really have no patience, huh? Can't even tap them once that they already want you gone.
    This is some hot lore! See, going too far into the wild/off the Routes is dangerous because pokemon there basically have a sort of mutually understood 'Do not Disturb'. He's kinda walking through their backyard without even offering a battle or being able to defend himself.

    This is all Koa's fault, if he'd come back with more badges he would be just fine. That's what routes are for, silly Koa!

    Not gonna lie. The first time I read this part I was shocked. I didn't really expect things to take such a morbid take so fast.

    Though, I blame that on my overly imaginative mind.
    Yeah this was wayy too morbid, fixed!

    Unless you're trying to lie to yourself and actually won't admit you care about him and want to keep him around, of course. I'd be willing to forgive you, if that's the case.
    This is exactly what Koa is doing.

    Sheeesh, even humans are jerks in this world? I understand being annoyed, but still! Don't let this annoyance spill into the treatment of an injured person!
    I tweaked this slightly, but Nerene isn't rude so much as annoyed with Koa for being irresponsible. He was warned not to go in the caves for a reason. She's more worried/scared concerned, not mean.

    Okay, here's another something I find very odd. While I understand the secretiveness of what this gift Pokémon was meant to be for plot purposes, I find it very strange that we don't know what Pokémon has been stolen. I mean, if Koa were to come across some thief who has X Pokémon, he could question whether that was his Pokémon.

    Sure, it might be moot if the stolen Pokémon ends up bonding with the thief, but... yes, I still find this event bizarre.
    Hmm yeah, I adjusted this. I can't really change it, since its referenced later but I did adjust it to show that Koa purposefully doesn't want to know its identity... I'll revisit this more later.

    Now, for a little pet peeve of mine, I kinda wished we got to see more of Absol. He was a literal shadow from the beginning until the end, and I kinda feel that the encounter with the Mightyena was a missed opportunity to show his role as a protector and close friend for Koa. Maybe next time we'll get the chance to see more about them. Who knows?
    Hmmm yeah, thats a fair point. Maybe I can find a way to fix this somehow later...

    Anyways, thank you thoroughly for all your thoughts, they've been of great help!!!
     
    Chapter 24: Iron Heart
  • Flyg0n

    Flygon connoisseur
    Pronouns
    She/her
    Partners
    1. flygon
    2. swampert
    3. ho-oh
    4. crobat
    5. orbeetle
    6. joltik
    7. salandit
    8. tyrantrum
    After having his gym match against Byron rather humiliatingly cut short, Koa decides to take a trip to Iron Island to visit an old friend. His Breloom, Scrapper, is almost recovered from his injury, and Koa hopes some training will give him a fresh perspective. Meanwhile, the mysterious threat of the Legendary Beasts and their attacks looms ever present over Sinnoh...

    Chapter 24: Iron Heart

    Echo (Male Crobat) {Ability: Inner Focus}

    Hazard (Male Joltik) {Ability: Compound eyes}

    Rascal (Female Tyrunt) {Ability: Strong Jaw}

    Anubis (Male Houndoom) {Ability: Flash Fire}

    *Scrapper (Male Breloom) {Ability: Effect Spore}

    Flurry (Female Spheal) {Ability: Thick Fat}


    The ball arced through the air, sunlight reflecting off the white bottom as the red contrasted against the clear blue sky. Time slowed. The weakened Latias, whom he'd whittled down with the help of his team, watched in anticipation. It made contact with her head, and the light drew her inside. Koa's breath paused and he clenched his fist.

    The ball shook once and then... ding! Koa cheered, grinning wildly, as his heart soared—


    "Only a couple more badges," he murmured to Hazard, still lost in his daydream as he sat in the waiting room. Hazard chittered in excitement from his perch on Koa's shoulder.

    Upon landing on Iron Island, Koa had headed to the Pokemon Center to give his team a checkup. All of his pokemon were given a clean bill of health, save for Scrapper, whom Nurse Joy was currently giving a closer examination. There was plenty of time while he waited for her to finish, and that meant plenty of time to daydream about his future.

    Starting with getting stronger. A few good wins under his belt would be perfect, and he could make things up to Rascal. Guilt still gnawed at him every time the memory of his disastrous gym battle surfaced. He'd failed her, and he intended to make things right. Then he could put everything behind him and train with Kitto.

    Latias... A lofty goal. If he even ended up finding one. Supposedly Hoenn was the most likely spot to see them, but apparently sightings ranged from Paldea to Kanto, and even Sinnoh. Still, it was a goal for now at least, though he had decided on the boat ride that it would be smart to keep his options open. There was no telling what legendary he might encounter after he'd gotten his team strong enough.

    Of course none of it mattered if things kept going the way they did. If the beasts were truly retaliating at humanity, how long before other legendary pokemon followed suit? Shaking his head, he pushed the thought away. Things would improve, he was sure of it.

    "... attack at Snowpoint Temple."

    The crackle of a radio in the back room being turned up caught his attention.

    "Witnesses report seeing a quadruped blue creature with a purple mane attacking the Temple in Snowpoint City. Rangers believe they have identified the being as the legendary pokemon Suicune, making this yet another in a string of inexplicable attacks by Johto's famed beasts of the Brass Tower. This station has reached out to Professor Elm, who has declined to comment so far.

    Police are advising trainers and travelers to stick to the protected routes and to be extra cautious. If you see one of these pokemon, do not attempt to engage it. Report it to the local Ranger Station or Police Headquarters.

    It is still unknown what is behind these attacks, or if Johto's beasts are truly responsible. If you have any information, please inform local authorities."

    Koa's heart sank, a chill settling over him, despite his jacket. Hazard tensed on his shoulder, digging his claws in. It was getting worse. His fingers dug into his thighs as he stared at the floor. Half of him longed to get up and catch the first boat to Snowpoint, except what good could he do? Whatever was behind these attacks, he was powerless against. Amity had proved that.

    "It's awful, isn't it?" Nurse Joy's voice disrupted his thoughts, and he looked up. She held Scrapper's pokeball in his hands, though her cheery smile from earlier was gone. "I can't fathom why they would want to attack Sinnoh."

    "It's not them!" Koa blurted out, standing abruptly. Hazard fluffed his fur in displeasure.

    She flinched slightly at his tone. "Oh?"

    Koa shook his head, then continued in a calmer tone. "I... I've seen them. Twice. Once at Celestic and once at Amity Square."

    Her eyebrows rose at the mention of Amity and her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my..." she whispered. "You were at Amity Square? Are you the kid with the Houndoom who evolved?"

    Koa blinked, taken aback. "Uh... yeah. You heard about me?"

    She nodded. "Most of us nurses are friends and we swap stories all the time. I remember Hearthome's nurse telling me about a Houndoom she examined who evolved after getting attacked by Entei."

    "It wasn't Entei," Koa said firmly. "The thing I saw... it didn't look right." The Thing's cold gaze flashed through his mind, sending chills down his spine. Yet the second Entei he'd seen had appeared so gentle. There'd been two there that day, he was sure of it... "Whatever it was, it was some kind of imposter."

    The nurse frowned. "How awful... to impersonate a legendary like that. I do hope the Rangers find whoever or whatever those things are then." She held out Scrapper's pokeball. "He's in good health and his leg is healing wonderfully. Give it another day or so to make sure it's fine, then he'll be good as new!"

    "Thanks," Koa said as he took the ball and clipped it back onto his belt.

    "Koamaru?"

    He glanced over his shoulder at the nurse.

    "Be careful out there."

    Once outside the center, Koa took a long deep breath. He had come here to train, and he intended to focus on that. He'd already formed a loose plan during the boat ride that included training more with Rascal and helping Flurry learn some new moves. And by the day after tomorrow, he could start working on Scrapper, whom he was sure was looking forward to battling again.

    He started up the hill, unable to keep the surge of excitement at bay. Picking up his pace, he scrambled up the hill with relative ease, stopping at the mouth of the cave. A faint chill hung in the air, mixing with a metallic tang.

    "Iron Island, here I come."

    First, he retrieved a headlamp from his backpack and strapped it on. Then he turned his head so he could see Hazard, still perched on his shoulder. "You wanna stay out or go into your ball?"

    Hazard clicked his pincers together twice, then scurried down Koa's jacket to his belt, returning himself. Koa patted his pokeball, then turned his attention back to the cave. Still grinning faintly, he headed inside.

    Before him sprawled a large cavern, easily as big as a gym's battlefield. The waning light from the entrance showed remnants of the island's history as a mine. Old tracks spiraled off into the darkness, barely visible under new layers of rocks. Metal support beams lining the tunnels sported bite marks, likely from the wild Onix population.

    Singling out a random tunnel, Koa wandered towards it, sweeping his headlamp around the area in case anything interesting happened to be lying around. Daylight faded away entirely as he entered the tunnel, and the distant sounds of the ocean faded, replaced by a peaceful stillness. Every so often he heard a faint rustle of wings from roosting Zubat and Woobat.

    The tunnel eventually led to another cavern farther down the mountain, somewhat smaller than the first one. He did a broad sweep of the cavern. Rusted ore processing machines lined one wall, ringed by headless pickaxes and wheel-less minecarts. Various minecart tracks led into other tunnels, some of them caved in.

    He supposed this had once been a base of operations for the miners, though the pokemon had long since reclaimed it. The thought brought a smile to his face. He remembered learning about how Byron had passed a law a couple decades ago to give Iron Island back to the pokemon, now that most of the ore had been mined.

    Halfway into the cavern, just as he was deciding what tunnel to pick, his headlamp passed over something odd. A large black plastic crate, half buried under a rockslide. It looked old, really old, but not nearly as old as everything around it did. He edged closer and peered at him. Under the thick layer of dirt, he could just barely make out some kind of symbol on it...

    A yellow, stylized G.

    Nausea rolled through him and he turned away. His hands clenched into fists. On an impulse, he grabbed Anubis' ball from his belt and released him. The fire type emerged with bark, then looked around before looking at Koa, head cocked as if to ask 'where's the battle?'

    Koa pointed his headlamp back at the crate. He spoke through gritted teeth. "Burn it."

    Anubis growled softly, confused.

    "It doesn't belong here. Burn it."

    Gazing at Koa a moment longer, Anubis turned, embers flickering in his jaws. He took a deep breath, then let loose a stream of fire. Shadows cast by the orange flames danced across the walls as Anubis kept the fire up. In the flames, Koa could see the crate begin to deform, then liquify. A few minutes later it was nothing more than a misshapen, unrecognizable puddle of black ooze.

    Darkness fell as Anubis extinguished his fire. Pushing down the trembling rage in his chest, Koa scratched Anubis on the head. "Thanks buddy."

    He whined, nuzzling Koa's hand.

    "Leftovers from Team Galactic," Koa spat. The scent of the burnt plastic made his stomach churn. He turned away from the remains and hurriedly selected the nearest tunnel and started walking. "They're bad guys, like the people who kidnapped you. Years ago, they came here and messed this place up. They used machines that hurt the pokemon and placed bombs and..."

    A growl rumbled in Anubis' throat and he spat embers as his tail lashed back and forth.

    "Yeah, me too," Koa said. A pit yawned in his gut that he did his best to ignore. Anger tensed his shoulders. The mere thought of Galactic... their commanders, and—

    Taking a shaky breath, Koa ran his hands across the tunnel walls. Unlike the first tunnel he'd taken, this one had smooth, uniform ridges spaced a few apart, and had a rounded shape. Definitely made by a pokemon. It almost appeared like an Onix tunnel, but the ridges seemed shaped a little different.

    He wandered through the tunnel as it twisted and curved, Anubis keeping him company. He focused on his ideas for training as much as he could, and kept an eye out for any wild pokemon who looked like they wanted a fight. The ground began to slope sharply downwards, and Koa had to slow down to descend safely.

    The tunnel eventually led to a single, empty, dome shaped chamber. No other tunnels seemed to lead out from it. Dead end. Something on the floor caught his attention, and he walked out to the middle. As he drew closer, he could see it looked like... a hole?

    What on earth—?

    Anubis tensed abruptly and growled. The ground began to shake and a loud rumble shook the whole chamber, tiny rocks plinking from the ceiling to the floor. Something burst out of the hole, filling the chamber with a metallic cry as it rose up.

    Koa scrambled backwards, pressing himself into the wall to get away. As he did, he got a good look at the thing. A huge metal serpent, as big as an Onix, lay curled before them around the hole. It looked a little like an Onix too — a body made of segments, though instead of gray it sported a steelier red body.

    It gazed at him, its two pale blue eyes glinting in the light.

    Anubis had positioned himself between Koa and the strange pokemon, his hackles raised.

    Koa quickly withdrew his Pokedex and scanned it, skimming the entry.

    "Orthworm. This Pokemon is native to Paldea, and is known to live in dry arid places. It eats iron from the soil for nutrients and is frequently seen with just its head poking from the ground."

    "Steel type..." Koa mused to himself. Almost instinctively, his hand started to move towards Scrapper's pokeball before he stopped himself.

    Anubis took a half step forward, and the Orthworm's eyes shifted to him.

    "Wait Anubis. Let Rascal fight."

    Nodding, Anubis relaxed slightly and trotted to Koa's side. Simultaneously, Koa tossed out Rascal's pokeball. She emerged with her signature roar and lowered her head, ready to charge. Orthworm responded with a screech of its own, tightening itself and lowering its head.

    No hesitation, Koa chided himself. He wouldn't let this go the same way the gym battle had. "Dragon Tail!"

    Rascal exploded forward, tail aglow.

    Orthoworm tucked its head in, energy rippling across its body as a metallic sheen enveloped it.

    A moment later Rascal made contact. An audible 'clang' sounded and Orthworm barely flinched. Three blue arms shot from the gray segment of its body, and with a swift movement it punched Rascal in the side, sending her stumbling back.

    Koa blurted out the next move that came to his mind. "Ice Fang!" It only occurred a second later that maybe if he froze it he could get the upper hand.

    As Rascal rushed forward, Orthworm opened its jaws, energy coalescing within. Indecision seized Koa but he barreled over it, quashing his instincts as well. Don't think, just act. "Don't stop!" Koa shouted.

    Rascal leaped at Orthworm's head just as it blasted a glob of mud at her. The blow knocked her out of the air and she crashed to the ground, rolling a few feet. Then, before she could rise, Orthworm whipped its tail at her, steel energy encasing it.

    Thwack!

    Rascal slammed into the wall of the chamber and Koa flinched. She slumped heavily to the ground and didn't rise again.

    The Orthworm roared in triumph, then in the blink of an eye, spun around and dove into the earth, tunneling away.

    Biting his lip, Koa turned back to Rascal, who was beginning to rise, and walked over to her. He knelt next to her and dug out a Potion from his bag. She cracked one eye open to stare at him, and Koa found himself unable to meet her gaze.

    He'd screwed up. Again. Even after trying to start fresh and trying to change his approach. And worst of all, he failed Rascal again. Heat rose to his cheeks and he wished he could vanish into the earth like the Orthworm had. His hands shook as he started to treat her wounds, and a growing pit began to form in his chest. The entire time she remained still, watching him with an unreadable gaze.

    Part of him wished she'd be angrier. Roar at him or storm off or return herself to her ball. It was what he deserved. A lump formed in his throat. He opened his mouth, but he couldn't find the proper words. Failure. The words rang in his head over and over. If he couldn't even win here, how was he going to climb Mt. Coronet? How could he possibly hope to reach Spear Pillar, much less fight a legendary pokemon? How could he protect his team if he couldn't help them get stronger? How could he—

    "Rascal, I'm sorry," he said hoarsely. "I let you down again and I—"

    Rascal rose abruptly, and in a swift movement, grabbed his hand in her jaws. She didn't bite down, but she squeezed, hard enough to pinch him. "Ow!" he protested. He pulled, trying to free his arm, but she squeezed tighter. He stopped, staring at her in confusion. She glared back, looking determined.

    Koa glanced around, then gave Anubis a pleading look. The Houndoom simply huffed and shrugged.

    "What?" Koa protested. Rascal hadn't pulled something like this since—

    Since that day, on the cliffs of Coronet. Spending the night with her on that plateau. He'd connected with her by trying to give her space. And understanding her. Taking a deep breath, Koa looked into her eyes, pushing aside the dark spiral of thoughts that lurked at the edge of his mind.

    Her gaze seemed calm, determined. But beneath it he could sense a forceful anger. Anger directed at him. With a great effort, he forced himself not to look away. Then, as he gazed into her reptilian eyes, something clicked. She wasn't angry because he'd failed... she was angry because she cared.

    He'd been so caught up thinking how he'd failed Rascal and his team...Had he even asked how she felt?

    He spoke softly, slowly, as he gathered his thoughts. "Do you feel like I failed you?"

    Still holding his arm, Rascal shook her head slowly.

    Koa swallowed with difficulty. The knowledge hurt somehow, even as he felt the pit in his stomach shrink. "Do you... a-are you mad at me for messing up in our gym battle?" For a good couple seconds, she didn't move. Then she gave a small shake of her head again.

    The pit shrank even more. His next words lodged in his throat, then tumbled out all at once. "Do you think I'm a bad trainer?"

    Immediately she quickly shook her head. Then she gently opened her jaws and stepped back, sitting down. Anubis trotted over and flopped down nearby, watching him with amusement in his eyes.

    "I'm sorry, Rascal." The words tumbled out, stiff and awkward.

    She narrowed her eyes.

    "But not about the battle or losing." He shifted and swallowed, some of the tightness in his chest easing as he found his words. "I got so caught up in everything, I still wasn't thinking about you, or asking how you felt. I should have talked to you first." He reached out and rested his hand on her snout. "Can you forgive me?"

    Rascal nodded, then lovingly headbutted him in the chest.

    "Oof!" Koa grimaced, clutching his stomach. "Thanks for sticking with me," he wheezed. His eyes watered slightly. "And for caring about me."

    Puffing out her chest, she stood, snout upturned pridefully. Then she trotted over to him and returned herself to her ball.

    Chuckling, he stood up. Uneasiness and doubt still lingered, but at least now they felt more... manageable. The pit in his stomach felt more like a tiny knot. He'd messed up, but his pokemon would forgive him, as long as he didn't give up on them. And stopped focusing on his mistakes...

    He snorted and shook his head. How many times had Blake tried to tell him that? Easier said than done, he supposed. "Next time, I'll do better," he murmured out loud. Dusting himself off, he turned to Anubis, who had been waiting patiently.

    "What do you say, Anubis? Shall we go find Kitto?"

    Anubis barked heartily, nuzzling his hand, and Koa scratched under his chin.

    With a sigh of relief and a grin, he headed out of the chamber and back the way he came.

    A short time later, thanks to the help of Echo's echolocation and Anubis' tracking skills, he was trekking up a tunnel towards a circle of light that he assumed led outside. He'd run into a few more wild pokemon, not particularly strong, but they gave him a chance for Flurry to stretch her flippers. Anubis had opted to return to his ball eventually, leaving just him and Echo as he followed the Onix tunnel upwards.

    The light at the end slowly grew brighter and brighter, until Koa no longer needed his headlamp. As he approached, he could hear distant sounds of pokemon fighting. He emerged onto a sprawling plateau, one end open to the sea. Steep walls surrounded the other three sides, and in the center an Orthworm loomed over its opponent. Koa briefly wondered if it was the same one. Judging by appearances, Koa had arrived mid-battle.

    The Orthworm appeared weathered, its hide dotted with faint dents. Its opponent, Jackie, seemed unfazed, dancing lightly on his toes around the larger pokemon. As he watched, Kitto called a command, and with a swift fake out followed by a Fire Punch, the steel snake went down.

    After a few seconds, it rose again. Inspiration struck Koa, and he began to creep towards Kitto, who stood with his back to him. As the Orthworm dipped its head in a nod of respect and departed, Koa crept ever closer to the white-haired trainer. A foot away, he grinned raising his arms, fully prepared to jump him.

    "Hey Koa," Kitto said, calm as ever, his back still to Koa.

    Koa scowled and dropped his arms to his sides. "Come on," he grumbled. "How could you possibly know I was there?"

    Without turning around, Kitto gestured to the ground. Koa looked down, then groaned. Clear as day, his shadow stretched out before him; a dead giveaway.

    Kitto shook his head and laughed, then turned around. "Nice try, though. Maybe one of these days you'll learn to watch your surroundings. Speaking of..." His voice trailed off and his gaze drifted upward. He smiled widely. "Echo evolved! Congratulations!"

    "Thanks," Koa replied. He held out his hand and Kitto grasped it, shaking it firmly. Kitto's gaze followed Echo as he swooped through the air. He beamed as he watched Echo's midair acrobatics. Remembering his evolution brought a special feeling of warmth and pride.

    "So, are you ready?" Kitto's voice broke into his thoughts.

    "For what? Me to beat you again?" he retorted, grinning.

    Jackie snorted audibly in disbelief.

    Kitto chuckled. "Sorry Koa, I'm with Jackie on this one. You're going down."

    "One on one again?" Koa asked.

    Kitto shook his head, a smile growing on his face. "How about two on two?"

    "Two on two? Are you sure?" Koa asked. "Is Kaze's wing healed? I thought the nurse said he might never fly again."

    "Oh I'm sure. And as for Kaze... Well, you'll see."

    Koa thumbed the pokeballs on his belt. "Fine. You're on."

    A familiar rush began to grow in him and he locked gazes with Echo. This battle could be different. All he had to do was focus on what was important. Just like old times. "Alright Echo, you hang back for now." Reaching to his belt, he sent out Scrapper first.

    The Breloom emerged. As soon as his gaze settled on Jackie, his eyes lit up.

    "I know you've still got another couple days before you heal but you can watch if you want."

    Scrapper nodded rapidly, and Koa grinned. Good. It seemed some of his old fire was back.

    Kitto, meanwhile, selected a single pokeball from his belt. A moment later a Pidgey emerged.

    It alighted on Kitto's shoulder, head held high and eyes blazing and chest puffed out. Its feathers shone and it looked a bit larger as well.

    Koa's eyes widened. Definitely not the same shy little bird from Celestic town. "Whoa. That's the same Pidgey? Kaze looks completely different."

    Kaze preened his feathers at the compliment, clearly pleased. Kitto smiled, stroking his head gently. "Turns out he's a proud little guy, once he started training."

    "So does this mean he can fly again?"

    Kitto's only reply was a coy grin. "Well, you'll have to battle us to find out."

    With an eager shriek, Kaze fluttered off Kitto's shoulder and onto the ground.

    If he was going to use Kaze, then he had a perfect choice. He quickly selected his pokeball and tossed it out. "Go Flurry!" he called.

    Flurry emerged onto the battlefield and rolled in a circle, letting out a happy squeak. Then she settled down, narrowing her gaze and staring determinedly at Kaze. Kaze glared back, his gaze burning with equal ferocity.

    "First move is all yours," Kitto declared, gesturing.

    "Flurry, Aqua Ring." She squeezed her eyes tight. Blue rings of water formed around her body, then condensed around her form, causing her to glow briefly.

    "Kaze, Quick Attack."

    Letting out a loud shree, Kaze lowered his head, tucked his wings in tight, and sprinted across the ground, becoming nothing more than a white streak.

    "Defense Curl!" Even as Koa spat out the command, Kaze drove his beak into Flurry's body and sent her rolling backward. He hopped backwards, almost smirking with delight.

    Flurry rolled to a stop and tucked her fins in tightly, a silver glow flashing across her body, then uncurled and stared fiercely at her opponent. Koa quickly composed himself. He hadn't expected Kaze to move like that. "Okay Flurry, get him with Water Gun!"

    She took a deep breath and fired a tight stream of water towards Pidgey.

    "Counter, Twister."

    Kaze shrieked and flapped his wings. A small tornado of purple winds formed, then surged across the battlefield, wrapping up the water before crashing into Flurry, sending her tumbling back. "Now, Gust!" He beat his wings rapidly, stirring up a powerful current that hit Flurry again before she could recover.

    Squeaking in frustration, she slapped her fins on the ground. A blue glow flashed over her body as the healing from Aqua Ring kicked in.

    Koa scowled. Kitto had trained Kaze well. He moved effortlessly across the ground, as naturally as a bird in the air. "Flurry, use Rollout!"

    She hurled herself forwards, rolling straight for Kaze, and barreled into him at top speed. Knocking him aside, she circled around to strike again as the Pidgey got to his feet.

    "One more Twister," Kitto called.

    Spinning on a dime, Kaze dashed to the side, narrowly dodging Flurry's attack before turning around casting a purple twister of wind at her.

    Not again. "Flurry, spin around it!"

    Still rolling, Flurry whipped around the twister, using its momentum to hurl herself at Kaze twice as fast. At nearly the same moment, Kaze blurred into another Quick Attack at Kitto's behest. The two pokemon collided, bouncing off each other and rolling backwards before coming to a halt.

    For a moment, neither pokemon moved. Koa gritted his teeth. "Come on Flurry..." he whispered. To his relief, Flurry shook herself and started to rise, while Kaze still looked stunned. "Water Gun!" Koa called frantically.

    Flurry drew in a deep breath. A pulse of energy flowed through her from Aqua Ring. Then he saw a faint glow of energy in her jaws. She opened wider and unleashed a torrent of water across the field, sending the Pidgey reeling and drenching it.

    Kaze didn't rise again.

    "Yeah Flurry!" Koa called happily. "That was amazing!" She gave a rapid series of happy squeaks. Meanwhile, Koa pulled out his pokedex to do a quick scan. "Flurry, you picked up Brine?" He asked, surprised.

    She nodded, rolling her whole body as she returned to his side.

    "Amazing work," he murmured, reaching down to rub her head.

    Kitto nodded as Kaze recovered and hopped back to his side. The Pidgey shook himself and began preening irritably. "Not bad, using my Twister to counter like that," Kitto called. "And learning a new move too."

    "Thanks! And Kaze is really something, I can't believe he can move like that." Flurry nuzzled against his leg, and he reached down to rub between her ears. "You did so good," he murmured. Kaze was amazing. He should've guessed as much, looking back. Kitto had received Kaze sometime in Unova. He'd surely been doing intensive training with him, especially since he only had two pokemon to focus on.

    Jackie slammed his fists together, then jogged onto the field and took up a battle stance.

    "Well, who will you use next?" Kitto called.

    Scrapper. Scrapper would have been the pokemon he wanted to use next. The Breloom probably would have loved the opportunity to rematch his old rival. But he couldn't.

    Koa forced himself to smile, then grabbed Rascal's pokeball, tossing it onto the field. With all their time spent working on Ice Fang and training recently, she could definitely use the experience. Not to mention, she possessed the most raw power out of his entire team. She emerged with her usual roar before cocking her head back and giving him a sharp glare. Koa nodded reassuringly, and she turned her attention back to Jackie and Kitto.

    Swallowing, Koa set his jaws and clenched his fists. He wouldn't let Rascal down a third time.

    Rascal fixed a predatory gaze on Jackie, who gestured for her to 'come at him' with a glove.

    The two pokemon stared at each other for a long moment.

    "You ready?" Kitto called.

    Koa nodded. "You can go first."

    A dangerous smile flickered across his face. "Are you sure?"

    Koa nodded.

    "Very well. Jackie, it's time. Now! Full Combo Strike!"

    Confusion flickered through Koa. What kind of command was that?

    Jackie's eyes glinted and ice built up over his fist. Bending low, he spun in a tight circle, driving his fist into the ground as he did. The ice from his fist kicked up, swirling around him and forming into a jagged icy barrier, surrounding Jackie completely.

    For a moment, Koa found himself unsure if the result was intended or not. What reason could Kitto possibly have to nearly immobilize Jackie? Pushing aside his musings, he called his attack. "Rascal, break through with Crunch!"

    Rascal charged at the ice and sank her jaws into one of the spires, shattering it. That's when Koa saw it. Blue light pulsed from within the ice, growing in intensity. Something inside the ice flashed orange, and Koa's eyes widened. "Get back!" he shouted.

    Rascal turned to run backward. The ice shattered and a flaming sphere of blue and orange energy erupted from within. There was no time to dodge, move, or even counter. It smashed Rascal full in the face, launching her into the air. She crashed to the ground and for a moment, lay still. Koa's jaw actually dropped. His mind blanked as he tried to process what he'd seen.

    "What...?" was the only word he could think to say.

    A huge smile spread across Jackie's and Kitto's faces, and they turned to look at each other. "It worked!" He pumped his fist in the air.

    Reeling, Koa quickly gathered himself. "Rascal?"

    She huffed, then rose to her feet. "Do you want to keep going?" Her scales were bruised and battered, and she seemed to sway slightly on her feet. Still, a spark of anger still flared in her eyes.

    A snarl formed in Rascal's throat and she stamped her foot before nodding.

    "What was that?" Koa asked, eyeing Jackie, who bounced lightly in place as he watched his opponent.

    "I'll tell you after I win," Kitto teased.

    Koa snorted, then turned his attention back to Rascal. "Alright, let's do this."

    "Ancient Power!" He'd barely finished giving the call before Rascal acted. She roared and raised a foot, stamping the earth. Chunks of rock surrounded by a purple energy rose into the air. With a swing of her tail, they were flung across the field at Jackie.

    Koa had only a moment to absorb what she'd done. Somehow, she'd managed to use Ancient Power to shoot a barrage of attacks instead of a single strong one. He grinned. "Rush in and use Ice Fang and slow him down!"

    "Fire Punch double-time!" Flames burst to life around Jackie's fists and he pummeled the slew of rocks as Rascal charged. A few managed to hit, pelting Jackie's face and chest, but the worst of it was countered by Jackie's speedy punches. Of course, that barely mattered to Koa, as he had something different in mind.

    Jaws open wide, Rascal lunged forward, biting Jackie's ankle. A swift layer of frost formed, creeping down to his foot and the surrounding earth. At the same moment, Jackie retaliated with a flaming strike to Rascal's face.

    She barked in pain and jerked away.

    "Ancient Power, full strength!"

    Rascal gathered herself and effortlessly launched the rocky sphere at Jackie. Unfortunately, the Hitmonchan seemed hardly tired, and reacted instantly, vaulting sideways and dodging the attack.

    "Finish this!"

    Rolling to his feet, Jackie put his fists together, a sphere of blue forming between them. He shot it at Rascal, who tried to jump to the side, only to stumble weakly. The Aura Sphere struck her in the side, knocking her to the ground.

    Silence fell and Koa gritted his teeth. Not again. Rascal lifted her head, and for a moment hope rose in Koa. Then she slumped back to the ground and lay still.

    Koa sighed and returned her. "You did your best," he whispered to her pokeball, before clipping it back to his belt. For a brief moment, a surge of frustration rose up, but he let it pass. Kitto had been training hard, and Rascal had fought well. He couldn't ask for more than that. Next time, he'd be more ready. "So will you tell me what you did now?" he said as he approached Kitto.

    The older trainer patted Jackie's back affectionately. "I call it the secret of the fifth move. It's what I came here to work on. A way to combine all of a pokemon's moves into a single combo. We're still refining it, but Jackie is getting the hang of it very well."

    "Teach me!" Koa demanded, grinning. Something like that would be perfect to nab him his next win. And give him a leg up over other trainers.

    Kitto frowned and glanced at Jackie. "We'll see," he said finally. "It's something that we don't have down yet, but maybe we can figure something out."

    Koa shrugged and nodded. That was good enough for now he supposed. He tucked Rascal's ball away and nudged Kitto playfully. "I won one, and you won one, so technically we're even, right?"

    "Won?" Kitto snorted. "You're lucky Flurry pulled off Brine at the end there."

    Flurry squeaked indignantly at his comment.

    Koa rolled his eyes. "Please. Just because Flurry is more skilled than Kaze doesn't mean it doesn't count."

    Jackie grunted, and Kitto patted the Hitmonchan's shoulder. "It's okay Jackie, Koa is just mad because he still can't beat you."

    A chuckle escaped Koa. "Sure, keep telling yourself that."

    "Dinner?" Kitto questioned. "I was planning on making something right before you came."

    Koa started to answer, but Echo beat him to it with an eager screech. "Sure," he said with a chuckle.

    Less than an hour later, Koa and his team were arrayed around a fire with Kitto and his team, a bowl of curry for each of them.

    "So what's the story there?" Kitto asked, nodding to Echo as he took a bite of food.

    The memory of Echo's evolution filled Koa with a pleasant warmth, and he smiled. "He evolved after I lost to Maylene the first time I challenged her." Kitto quirked an eyebrow in question, but remained silent as Koa continued. "I got uh... pretty overconfident I guess. Stupid, now that I look back, but I rushed into her battle to prove something to some trainers and lost."

    Hazard looked up from his tiny bowl of food to give Koa a pointed look. "Lost badly," Koa added with an awkward laugh. In between bites of dinner, which was as delicious as all of Kitto's meals, he caught Kitto up on his gym battle with Maylene, Echo's evolution, and then his rematch.

    "Pretty impressive," Kitto said. "Did you challenge Byron yet, if you were Canalave?"

    Koa chuckled awkwardly. "I uh... Byron sort of called off our match. So that's why I came here. To train and get back on track," he added cheerfully. He glanced at his team, who had all almost finished eating. Except Scrapper, who'd barely touched his food. Koa looked away, back to Kitto. Suddenly he got the impression Kitto was studying him.

    "I saw something outside Veilstone." He blurted, smirking. His hand unconsciously brushed the feather. Gently, he withdrew it and held it up for Kitto to see. In the fading light of the sunset, it rippled with a prism of colors, sending light dancing across the rocky earth. The pokemon fell silent for a moment as they gazed at it.

    Kitto gasped as he stared at it, the rainbow reflecting in his red eyes. He looked down slowly and made eye contact with Koa. "Is that... you saw Ho-Oh?"

    Koa nodded, his cheeks hurting from grinning. He handed it off to Kitto as he recounted the sighting breathlessly. Even as he did, the words felt paltry compared to the memory of the great phoenix, soaring overhead, feathers shining like fire.

    Kitto handed the feather back with a low whistle. "Incredible," he murmured.

    A comfortable silence fell as Koa tucked the feather away and took another bite of his food. He couldn't help but notice Scrapper's meal was still only half eaten. His gut churned and he put aside his meal with another forceful still remaining. He swore he could feel Kitto scrutinizing him.

    "The news said that Suicune attacked the temple at Snowpoint," he blurted.

    Kitto's brow creased, and his frown deepened to a scowl. "Another attack?" he asked, voice dark.

    Koa nodded numbly, both angry at the thought but relieved to focus on a different problem. "Between Celestica, Amity and now Snowpoint... that's all three of them."

    "And now Ho-Oh."

    Koa's gut churned. "It's not a coincidence. Something is wrong."

    "So what do you think Ho-Oh was doing here?" Kitto asked.

    Koa shrugged and shook his head. "Ho-Oh sightings are almost always around Kanto and Johto... but if the legendary beasts of the tower are being seen here then maybe Ho-Oh came because of that."

    Kitto nodded thoughtfully. "So Ho-Oh is chasing the beasts here?"

    "I don't think so," Koa said. "Assuming that what I saw was somehow fake, then maybe Ho-Oh and the beasts are trying to fight the fake ones?"

    "That sounds plausible," Kitto replied. He hummed in thought. "Something doesn't add up though. Why here?"

    Hazard finished off his meal and crawled onto Koa's shoulder to listen. "What do you mean?" Koa asked, cocking his head.

    Kitto leaned forward. "Okay, what could fake a legendary?"

    "Hmm..." Koa drummed his fingers on his leg. "Mew can transform into any legendary, but I don't believe for a second that what I saw was Mew. I know people have tried to use machines to make illusions, but the thing I saw seemed to have real power. And the only other pokemon who can really do proper illusions like that is a Zoroark, I think? But like I said... the thing that attacked Amity seemed too strong for a Zoroark. Oh, or a Ditto but...the eyes were wrong."

    "Exactly. So regardless, it's not by accident. If the legendaries are being faked, it would take a lot of effort to do. Someone who knows what they're doing."

    Koa blinked and stared blankly at Kitto. "Yeah, and...?"

    "That's just it, this can't just be about making illusions or fakes. Whoever is doing this has to know what the result would be. If we assume the real beasts are here trying to chase the fakes..."

    "Then whoever is doing this wants the beasts here on purpose," Koa said slowly, his eyes widening. He met Kitto's gaze, his horror reflected in them. His stomach churned and static buzzed in his ears. It was happening all over again. Someone using legendary pokemon. First Team Galactic, and now whoever was doing this.

    And you're too useless to do anything.

    Setting his jaw, he stood up, jostling Hazard. Mumbling an apology, he nodded to Rascal. "How about some training before we turn in for the night?" A spark flared in her eyes and she stood up, growling eagerly. Koa couldn't help but notice Scrapper staring at her. He looked away and picked a spot a safe distance from Kitto and their camp.

    As he walked, he could see Kitto in his peripheral vision, watching him with a thoughtful gaze. He kept his gaze ahead. Better to get away before Kitto could ask questions he didn't feel like answering.

    For the next hour, Koa lost himself in training. He ended up working with his whole team, save Scrapper, refining their moves. He worked with Flurry as well, trying to get the basics of Aurora Beam down, though to her disappointment the closest she got was a jet of chilly water. She gave a mournful bark as she shot yet another jet of water at the rock they'd been using for target practice.

    Koa patted her head as he knelt next to her. "Don't worry Flurry, we'll keep working on it, you'll get it."He stood up, stretching and yawning, and glanced towards camp to see that Kitto had cleaned up and was training with Jackie and Kaze. He briefly considered trying to explain his abrupt departure, then quickly decided against it. Even thinking about the legendary situation caused a surge of unpleasant emotions.

    Blake was probably right. He couldn't do anything, so he should stay out of it. Maybe tomorrow things would look up... somehow. His team lounged around the fading the fire, either dozing off or relaxing after training.

    "I'm turning in," he called to Kitto. He started towards his tent, only for Kitto to call out to him.

    "Wait."

    Swallowing, Koa turned around.

    Kitto had stopped training with Jackie to walk over to Koa. He spoke in a low voice, brow creased in concern. "Is everything alright with Scrapper?"

    The knot of emotions resurfaced full force and for a moment, Koa blanked. "Yeah, he's fine," he managed after a moment, hating the way his voice wavered. "Just a minor injury he's healing from, but he'll be fine. Actually, the nurse said he's ready to get back to training tomorrow." Regret swallowed Koa as soon as he finished talking.

    Liar.

    It's not a lie, just a condensed version of the story,
    he argued to himself. Kitto didn't need to hear how he'd gotten Scrapper injured. That was done and gone. "Maybe Jackie can show Scrapper some moves then?"

    "Sounds like a plan," Kitto replied, his tone light. Too light.

    Koa nodded and ducked into his tent as quickly as he could, then dropped onto his sleeping bag. He was sure Kitto knew he'd lied. It's not a lie, he protested. Somehow the argument failed to make him feel any better. With a sigh, he crawled into his sleeping bag and did his best to steer his thoughts away from Scrapper, legendary pokemon, or his half-truths.

    Long after Echo crawled into his tent with Flurry and Anubis, Koa still lay awake. Time dragged and he tossed and turned as quietly as he could so he didn't wake his sleeping pokemon. He mentally reviewed his plans for tomorrow's training, then reviewed them again, then again. Then he tried to quote his favorite book from memory and got as far as the first paragraph before drawing a blank. He eventually entertained himself by inventing a story about traveling to another world and being turned into a pokemon who became a hero. Just after he'd settled on a Manectric as the pokemon he was most likely to turn into, he finally drifted into an uneasy sleep.

    Imagination blurred into dreams and he saw himself climbing a mountain. His boots sunk ankle deep into the snow as the winds around him howled endlessly. He could just barely make out Raikou's tracks winding upwards. Lightning split the sky. Thunder crashed and ice slowed his ascent.

    As he neared the summit, Raikou's shadow stretched out, beckoning him onwards. Except when he reached the top of the mountain, a Manectric lay waiting, a Manectric as big as a Raikou. Slowly it turned around and fixed him in a cold, sightless gaze. It howled with the voice of a Suicune, ice surging around it.

    Then it lunged.

    With a strangled cry, Koa turned and fled. The dead-eyed beast gave chase. Snow and panic swallowed Koa as he surged forward. He threw his weight into the drifts, only to stumble as the cold suddenly gave way to hard pavement and absurdly tall warehouses hemming him in on all sides.

    He tried to move forward, only to find his leg stuck. Looking down, he saw the steel jaws of a trap clamped around his boot. A voiceless scream escaped his lips. He tripped and fell onto the concrete. Ahead, another figure struggled, also caught in a trap. His heart lodged in his throat. "Scrapper!"

    The Manectric stalked past him as if he were invisible, closing in on Scrapper. Shadows gathered around it and its body began to morph, legs growing stockier and a smoky mane billowing from its neck, until it resembled an Entei. Scrapper, oblivious to the approaching beast, struggled fruitlessly in the jaws of the trap.

    Koa's cry of warning died on his lips, coming out a whisper. He tried again, the hoarse squawk drowned by Entei's howl as orange-red energy gathered around it. Koa's breath caught. With leaden limbs, he lunged for the legendary, only to flop helplessly to the ground. He had an instant to look up at Entei, standing over Scrapper, before fire engulfed everything in smoke and searing heat, his own scream of despair lost in the cacophony.

    Charred grass crunched beneath his hands as Koa coughed and crawled sluggishly forward, searching for any sign of Scrapper. He kept crawling until the smoke around him faded and he saw endless sky, all of Sinnoh laid out around him. He was on top of Mt. Coronet. Sheer cliffs surrounded the peak on all sides, trapping him.

    A primal avian shriek split the air. Golden light burned away the last of the smoke and a great shadow blanketed Koa. He looked up, his heart stuck in his throat. Above him hovered Ho-Oh, massive wings covering the sky and blotting out the sun. It scrutinized him with burning scarlet eyes.

    Koa shrank back, searching its gaze for gentleness or mercy, but found only disappointment. Disgust. It shook its great head. Opening its beak, it released a stream of prismatic fire, razing the earth around Koa before letting loose a terrible cry that shook the skies. Koa fell back, cowering as the legendary loomed over him.

    Ho-Oh advanced, and Koa scrambled backward, his own shadow stretching out in front of him... growing longer and longer, until it spread unnaturally outwards. Terrible oozing blackness rose from his shadow, crawling up Ho-Oh's legs and up its body, draining all color from it; swallowing and consuming until nothing remained of the great phoenix but writhing darkness. Six black tentacles tipped in scarlet sprouted from the abhorrent crimson-eyed beast, looming larger and larger—

    Koa's eyes shot open. Two yellow eyes floated in the air above him and he almost screamed until he recognized Echo's concerned gaze. The Crobat had perched on his chest, and judging by the sticky dampness on Koa's face, had just given him a good lick to wake him. Blinking groggily, Koa reached out and scratched him behind the ears.

    "Hey buddy." His heart drummed in his ears and he drew an unsteady breath.

    Echo trilled softly and nuzzled his chin.

    "I'm fine. Just a..." The ominous red eyes flashed through his mind and he mentally winced. His gaze darted around the tent until he spotted the shadow of Scrapper's sleeping form. The knot of fear in his chest eased. "Just a weird dream. You can go back to sleep."

    The only response was a doubtful narrowing of the Crobat's eyes.

    Koa did his best to ignore his starter's worried look and push the images of the dream from his mind. In some ways, he was beginning to regret coming out to Iron Island, even if it meant seeing Kitto. With a soft sigh, he rolled over in his sleeping bag and closed his eyes. Despite his reluctance, he soon drifted off into a thankfully dreamless sleep.
     
    Last edited:
    Chapter 25: Iron Fist
  • Flyg0n

    Flygon connoisseur
    Pronouns
    She/her
    Partners
    1. flygon
    2. swampert
    3. ho-oh
    4. crobat
    5. orbeetle
    6. joltik
    7. salandit
    8. tyrantrum
    Chapter 25: Iron Fist

    Koa's adventures on Iron Island are just beginning...

    Echo (Male Crobat) {Ability: Inner Focus}

    Hazard (Male Joltik) {Ability: Compound eyes}

    Rascal (Female Tyrunt) {Ability: Strong Jaw}

    Anubis (Male Houndoom) {Ability: Flash Fire}

    Scrapper (Male Breloom) {Ability: Effect Spore}

    Flurry (Female Spheal) {Ability: Thick Fat}



    Koa jolted awake, opening his eyes as he sat up abruptly. Darkness greeted him. With a yawn, he glanced at his poketch and squinted at the time. Not even sunrise yet. He laid back on his sleeping bag and closed his eyes, but his thoughts kept racing. No chance of sleep. He crawled out of his bag and poked his head out of his tent.

    By the faint light from the mouth of the cave, he could just make out five silhouettes of sleeping pokemon around the dying embers of the campfire. He blinked again, and rubbed his eyes. Five? That wasn't right. Another frantic search still showed only five - Echo draped across Anubis' back, one wing covering Flurry; and Hazard nestled into Rascal's neck ruff.

    No sign of Scrapper. Koa tensed. "Scrapper," he hissed. Nothing.

    Echo's ears twitched and he looked up at Koa.

    "Have you seen Scrapper?" he whispered, easing out of the tent.

    Echo tipped his head towards the far side of camp, and flicked his ears towards a tunnel Koa hadn't noticed before. Frowning, Koa pulled on his boots, grabbed his flashlight, then headed towards the tunnel, shining the flashlight ahead of him. The tunnel seemed to be another of many pokemon burrows he guessed, and sloped up at a slight incline.

    As he walked, his thoughts kept turning to Scrapper. He couldn't shake the image of rushing down that stupid alley, Scrapper ahead of him, and then the awful snap— Koa shivered and shook his head. If only I'd paid more attention... No. He couldn't keep thinking like that. His only worry now was if Scrapper was okay.

    Eventually the tunnel grew a bit lighter before flattening out and opening onto a wide overlook. Koa switched off his headlamp and peered out from the tunnel. At the far end of the overlook, he spotted the familiar silhouette of his Breloom, and heaved an internal sigh of relief.

    Scrapper was facing away from him, practicing a series of rapid punches followed by swift kicks. A brief flicker of concern rose in Koa. Technically he was sure Scrapper was fine to train but he couldn't bear the thought of Scrapper hurting himself more. Besides, Nurse Joy had said he'd be ready tomorrow, not today. Koa started towards him.

    "Hey," he called. Scrapper froze and slowly turned around. "Scrapper, you should be taking it easy you know. I don't want you straining yourself too soon."

    Scrapper grunted in response and went back to practicing, turning his back to Koa. Koa couldn't help but notice his motions seemed less smooth than before, and more stiff and erratic. Was he hurt, or just distracted?

    "Is your leg feeling okay?" he ventured again. Scrapper nodded abruptly, then continued, his back still to Koa. He didn't appear to be in pain, at least.

    After a moment, Koa spoke again. "Is... is there something else bothering you?" More silence. The Breloom's gaze had hardened and he shook his head. Without warning, he turned and drove his fists into the wall in a series of rapid strikes that dented the rock. Then he drew back with a grunt and seemed to hesitate for a moment, his arms dropping to his sides, scrutinizing his work.

    Now that Koa looked, he could see a series of dents running all the way down the wall, starting at the tunnel's entrance. By the looks of it, Scrapper had been training for some time. Unease simmered in Koa. "Scrapper, come on what's wrong?"

    Scrapper gave another grunt, then turned back to his training once more. The message was clear. Nothing is wrong.

    "Are you sure-" he'd barely finished the sentence before Scrapper paused his training and gave a frustrated bark. I'm fine.

    Koa withheld a sigh and nodded. He stared at Scrapper's back for another several seconds, torn. Maybe if he pushed more... He shook his head to himself. Perhaps it would be better to drop it. "Okay. I'm gonna go back to camp then."

    Scrapper gave little indication he'd even heard Koa.

    "Don't stay out too long."

    Silence. With a sigh, Koa turned and headed back the way he'd come.

    XXX

    By the time he'd made it back to camp, the sun was already halfway up. It was far too late to get any more sleep, so he'd decided cooking breakfast would serve as a good distraction.

    Koa poked idly at the breakfast scramble of berries, vegetables and eggs in the frying pan. His breath fogged the air ever so faintly, and he could barely make out the food in the dawn light. He couldn't help but think about Scrapper every time his gaze drifted to his team.

    Why would he want to talk to someone like you? He wouldn't be hurt if you'd done better.

    Koa's brow scrunched up and he jabbed at the pan harder than necessary. No. He refused to believe that. And he couldn't keep dwelling on his mistake. What did Scrapper need? Time? Space? Or maybe extra training? He hadn't seemed to want to train with Koa like he usually did. Maybe just giving him some time alone would help?

    Eager to distract himself further, he tried to turn his thoughts to legendary pokemon. He felt sure the Johto beasts weren't responsible, which meant they had to be some kind of illusion. But why? He couldn't shake the sense he was missing something, that there was more to this than simply illusions and bad press. Maybe he could ring up Avis and see if she knew anything...

    A slight acrid tang filled the air and Koa snapped back to reality. Swirls of gray smoke were rising from the frying pan. With a frantic yelp he pulled the pan off the fire and stirred it, groaning as he noted the burnt patches. Great.

    "Where's the fire?! Should I call the Squirtle Squad?" Kitto quipped, emerging from his tent with a grin.

    Koa rolled his eyes. "I did that on purpose. It's the newest cooking trend, a real delicacy. Seared food."

    Kitto chuckled. "Right, 'seared'. Well let's try your delicacy, I'm starving."

    To Koa's relief, as he started portioning out the food, Scrapper emerged from the tunnel and took a seat in front of his bowl. Once Koa had finished, he took a spot for himself beside Anubis, suddenly realizing how hungry he was. He started to wolf down the food.

    A few bites in, he paused, chewing slower. The food was... a bit plain, compared to some of the dishes Kitto had made. In fact, it was barely different from some of the bland pre-cooked trainer meals he was accustomed to. A twinge of disappointment filled him and he found himself longing for the flavorful twist of Kitto's dishes. Casting a discreet glance around camp, he saw his team eating their meals. It was hard to tell for sure, but he felt like their expressions lacked enthusiasm.

    Finishing off most of his meal, he looked up to see Kitto had cleaned his plate and was reading something in his pokedex. "Hey Kitto," he began hesitantly.

    "Hm?"

    "How come your food always tastes so much better? I tried to add some flavors and spice but it's not the same."

    Kitto grinned but didn't look up. "Cause I'm a better cook."

    Koa mock-scowled and flicked a piece of berry at him, pegging him on the shoulder. "Come on, what's your secret?"

    "There is no secret, Koa," he said as he set down his Pokedex. "There's tips and techniques I learned, but I became good at cooking the same way you probably got good at pokemon identification or I got good at battling. Trial and error. Practice."

    "Huh... Okay. Any tips then?" he asked finally. Somehow Kitto's point seemed obvious, but he realized a part of him had always assumed Kitto was naturally good at everything.

    Kitto stared upwards, tapping his chin. After a few moments, he looked back down. "Here's an easy one. Always smell your ingredients before you combine them. If the scents blend well, the flavors probably will too. You can try a lot of unique combinations that way. And always use more seasoning than you think you should. Most people under-season their food."

    Nodding intently, Koa made a mental note of everything. Now that he thought about it, he had only used a pinch of seasonings...

    As Kitto started to gather up the dishes, he paused to look back at Koa. "Oh and, last thing. You can't be afraid to mess up. Experiment a lot and eventually you'll figure out what works. There's not a right or wrong, just whatever works and doesn't work."

    Koa grinned. "Thanks." Kitto's words had set his mind running, already thinking about his next stop in at a mart to see what new things he could try. He set aside the thought and turned to his team, who'd finished their own meals. "You guys ready to train?"

    A chorus of excited barks and squeaks greeted him, and Koa smiled as he rose to his feet. His gaze went to Scrapper first, but to his dismay the grass-type averted his gaze. He'd planned to try and train with Scrapper first but... maybe giving him space would be better. "Are you okay doing some group training, Scrapper?" Scrapper shrugged and nodded noncommittally.

    Koa frowned. He considered pressing him, then decided against it. "So I was thinking we can try and work on tightening up dodging—"

    "We're gonna work on dodging alright," Kitto's voice came from right behind Koa and he jumped, startled. "I'm gonna see how you've been keeping up with your training. Let your pokemon train among themselves for a bit."

    "Oh great," Koa groaned.

    XXX

    "Again!" Kitto shouted, his voice echoing through the cave and above the sound of the pounding rain outside.

    Shortly after breakfast, a storm had rolled in with almost unnatural swiftness, forcing them to shelter in the cave to train instead of outside. Most of his team were further inside, save for Flurry who seemed pleased with the development. Every few minutes she would go a few feet out into the rain, splash around then return to the cave.

    Picking himself up off the floor, Koa ignored his aching arms and legs. The training gloves they wore blunted the impact, but did little to protect his now bruised ego. He resumed the fighting stance Kitto had taught him, his gloved hands clenched into fists and raised in front of his face.

    For the past couple hours, Kitto had done little but train him how to fight, leaving their pokemon to work among themselves. 'You can't expect to improve as a trainer if you don't improve yourself as well' had been Kitto's words. Which had led to grueling combat training. On the bright side, it was much less boring than the coordinated punches he'd had to practice before. On the less bright side, it hurt. And worst of all, he'd barely gotten any proper hits in.

    A brief flash of lightning lit the cave, followed by a peal of thunder. Koa's dream flickered through his mind and he pushed it away. He spotted Hazard at the cave's entrance, staring into the storm. Focus.

    Dancing lightly forward, he took in Kitto's stance, trying to find an opening. Zeroing in on his chest, Koa threw a sharp jab. Kitto brought his left arm down and threw a jab with his right hand, blocking the attack and delivering a strike to Koa's chest with an open palm.

    Koa gasped from the impact and staggered back. Grimacing, he reached up and rubbed the spot. His pride stung more than the hit had. His frustration surged for a moment but he quashed it. He was starting to get sick of missing the mark.

    "Remember," Kitto began. "Fighting isn't just about launching an attack, or defending against one. You have to strike a balance. If you attack, you leave yourself open to one, so you must be prepared to counter. And if you only defend, you can never defeat your opponent."

    Koa nodded, clenching his jaw. Balance. Defense and offense. Like you couldn't defend Scrapper? His throat clenched. Never again. He'd train as much as it took to be strong enough. His eyes narrowed and he studied Kitto's stance, a heat burning in his chest.

    "Now, again."

    This time, Koa didn't hesitate. He sprang forward and threw a hook at Kitto's jaw. When his strike was blocked, he was ready. As Kitto threw a strike of his own at Koa's face, Koa anticipated and jerked his head to the side. The glove grazed his cheek as he brought his knee up into Kitto's stomach, all his frustrations pouring into the attack.

    His knee connected and Kitto gasped, stumbling back. Koa pressed forward, swinging for Kitto's face. Still disoriented, Kitto threw up a palm, narrowly redirecting Koa's blow from his face to his shoulder. Coughing, he staggered back.

    Before Koa could try to follow up, Kitto held up a hand. "Enough," he wheezed, annoyance coloring his tone. He doubled over, hands on his knees as he gulped for air.

    Koa's eyes widened and he grimaced. "Are you ok?" He hesitantly moved towards him. A sinking feeling settled over him as it dawned how hard he'd probably hit him.

    Kitto managed a nod as his wheezing slowly turned to normal breaths. He was muttering something to himself, his voice too low to make out.

    "Sorry," he mumbled awkwardly, staring at the floor.

    With great effort, Kitto spoke, forcing words out through still gritted teeth. "Take it down a notch, will you? This is just training."

    Shame settled over Koa and he backed up, giving Kitto space. Every movement of his body suddenly felt stilted, and his arms hung heavy at his sides. What was he thinking? He unclenched his fists and tried to force his body to relax. His head buzzed and he found he had to make a conscious effort to breathe.

    "You need to learn control," Kitto said, once he'd gathered himself. Motioning to Koa, he led him further into the cave, away from their training spot near the entrance. "Anger should fuel your fists, not cloud your mind." He took Koa's gloved hand in his own. "The worst mistake you make in a fight is to fight angry. You get sloppy and drop your guard. Or do something stupid," he added pointedly.

    Koa grit his teeth and nodded. Kitto was right, but his words still stung. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so small and stupid. He'd lost himself. Forcing himself to focus, he zoned back in to realize Kitto was staring at him. "Sorry. I guess I've got a lot on my mind." He studied the rock wall of the cave for several seconds. "I'm... worried about Scrapper," he said slowly. "There's more to the story of what happened to him."

    Nodding thoughtfully, Kitto gestured to a low plateau of rock and they sat down.

    With some trepidation, Koa explained the full story. Losing; then winning against Maylene, getting attacked at the pokemon center, and then chasing the criminals and Scrapper getting hurt. "Scrapper is injured because of me. And I thought he was doing better but he's still not himself. Something is bothering him but he's being weird. Distant. I don't know what's wrong."

    "You've tried talking to him?"

    Koa shrugged then nodded. "I tried to. He acts like he's okay but I know he's pretending. The nurse at the center said he's fine physically. And he's training on his own so it's not pain, I don't think."

    Kitto hummed in thought. "Clearly there's more to this then. Do you think he's afraid of getting hurt again?"

    "No. I mean probably not, I don't think he's the type to be afraid of that." He tapped his fingers on the rock and stared at his boots. "Maybe he doesn't need my help. I should just leave him be."

    "Don't be so hasty. Sometimes staying silent isn't the way. What—"

    A loud shriek pierced the air, echoing through the cave, followed by a burst of cries and noise from outside.

    Koa whipped around to face the cave mouth. The rain had died down and he could see the rest of his team gathered by the exit. Echo glanced towards him and called out with a nervous shree. Koa scrambled to his feet and started towards the exit, Kitto following.

    As Koa stepped outside he spotted Scrapper taking jabs at a feathered reptilian pokemon he recognized a moment later as an Archeops. The Archeops had perched itself on a rock just outside hitting distance and kept hopping up into the air to avoid Scrapper. Scrapper kept throwing casual jabs at it and barking, trying to goad it into a fight. Archeops wore a conflicted expression, as if it wanted to fight him but wasn't sure.

    "Scrapper!" he called in admonishment.

    Scrapper turned to him and cried out demandingly. Koa eyed the Archeops curiously. Surely it had to be a trainer's. He'd never heard of a wild Archeops population, except maybe in preserves in Unova. His question was answered a moment later when a trainer came scrambling from over a ridge.

    He moved across the terrain with a casual confidence, descending the hill with ease. His vest, turtleneck and olive hair looked slightly damp, and his boots were scuffed and dirty. No stranger to the outdoors then.

    "Shale!" he called as he approached.

    The Archeops gave a relieved squawk and swooped away from Scrapper to return to the boy's side, following him on foot.

    Koa gave a wave of greeting, which the trainer returned as he approached. As the trainer drew near, Koa could see he looked around Kitto's age.

    "Ho there! I see you met Shale," he said, once he was close enough to be heard. The Archeops landed beside him and squawked in greeting. "Nice Breloom you got." He held out his hand. "Name's Fossie, by the way." He cocked his head expectantly.

    "Koamaru." He shook Fossie's hand, slightly surprised by his friendliness. "That's a weird name."

    Fossie chuckled. "Coming from the guy called Koamaru?" he gave a wry grin before continuing. "It's actually a nickname though, I've used it so long it's all I go by." His gaze shifted over Koa's shoulder.

    Kitto stepped forward and gave Fossie a light fist bump in greeting. "Kitto."

    "Nice to meet you, Kitto and Koamaru. And what about you?" he smiled at Scrapper, who was still looking impatient for a battle.

    "Scrapper," Koa said. "That's an awesome Archeops."

    "Thanks, she's really a beauty. Looks like your Breloom was trying to get her to fight. You down for a battle?"

    Koa grinned. "You bet. Is a one on one good?"

    "Sounds perfect!"

    As Koa moved to take up a position a little ways away on the plateau, Scrapper hurried ahead of him, bouncing in place and shadow boxing the air. Koa paused in front of Scrapper. "Scrapper... Are you sure you're read-"

    Scrapper shot him a glare and nodded.

    "Okay." He smiled encouragingly at him. "Let's win this then."

    "Well? First move is yours," Fossie offered with a friendly grin.

    Koa hesitated a moment. "Nah, you go first. We did take you by surprise after all." He swore Scrapper gave him an annoyed look, but Koa ignored it. Better to try and play safe for now.

    Fossie shrugged, then smirked. "Your loss. Shale, let's speed things up! Tailwind!"

    Regret washed over Koa as Shale shot into the air and summoned a swirling jetstream that washed across the battlefield. Wind whipped through Koa's hair and pushed back against Scrapper, who leaned forward to steady himself.

    "Seed Bomb, rapid fire!" Koa shouted.

    Scrapper planted his feet and fired a small barrage of green orbs from his jaws.

    Fossie looked utterly unperturbed. "Sandstorm!" Shale reacted almost instantly, whipping her wings in a frenzy and summoning a swirling storm of sand around herself. The tornado of sand swallowed the barrage of seeds and almost completely obscured Archeops. "Now, Pluck!"

    Koa hesitated. "Hold..." Scrapper tensed. From within the sand, a glow flared up. Archeops burst out, beak glowing, a blur of feathers. "Mach Punch!"

    Energy flared around Scrapper's fist and he struck swiftly, meeting the Archeops attack with his own. Time stilled for a moment and Koa gritted his teeth. Then the collision of energy burst and the two pokemon skidded back a few feet. The tornado faded into a steady stinging storm that he could barely see through.

    "Again!" Fossie called.

    Shale shrieked as she darted forwards, beak still glowing with energy.

    Koa reacted quickly. "Mach Punch!"

    The two pokemon clashed, then engaged in a flurry of blows so rapid Koa couldn't track them. He saw Scrapper deal out a few solid blows, but he saw Shale's beak make contact more than once, each blow making Scrapper wince. Sand continued to swirl around the battlefield, eating away at Scrapper's stamina as well.

    A grimace formed on Koa's face as he watched the two. Maybe playing cautious would be better for this fight, watch Shale more and not try anything crazy. There was the flying-type advantage to consider. Could he wait and try to counter if he got an opening?

    Then Fossie shouted another command. "Rock Tomb!" Glowing boulders rose around Shale.

    Koa hesitated for a moment, torn. Try to counter, or dodge? The moment cost him, and suddenly an array of boulders was hurtling through the air towards Scrapper. He saw the Breloom tense, then lunge to the side, narrowly missing getting hit.

    As Scrapper landed, he whipped around and growled at Koa. Even without speaking human, the message felt quite clear — stop messing around and fight.

    But was that what—

    "Koa!"

    Koa turned at the sound of Kitto's voice.

    Kitto was staring at him pointedly. He spoke one word. "Again."

    Slowly, a grin formed on Koa's face. Balance. That's what Kitto had told him. "Okay Scrapper," he said, grinning. Clarity settled over him. "I hear you. Stone Edge!"

    With a wild cry, Scrapper drove his fist into the rocky earth. Spires of stone shot upwards towards Shale, who hovered just above the ground.

    At a quick command from Fossie, Shale beat her wings to rise upwards. Exactly how Koa expected.

    "Jump, Sky Uppercut!"

    Scrapper was already moving before the command finished, leaping upwards onto his own rocks and launching himself even higher. Shale didn't have a chance to move before Scrapper drove his fist into the Archeops' chest. She squawked and faltered as Scrapper fell back to the earth and landed.

    Fossie grinned. "Not a bad combo. Shale, whip that sandstorm up some more!" Shale recovered, shaking her head, then began stirring up an even denser cloud of sand, almost completely obscuring her and the battlefield, pelting Scrapper with sand.

    Koa grimaced. Shale was well hidden now, and he could only barely make out Scrapper. A second later, a deluge of rocks burst from the sandstorm, burying Scrapper almost to his chest in a tomb of rocks.

    Scrapper screeched in shock and began thrashing to get free to little avail.

    "Use Mach Punch to break free!" Koa called.

    With his fists lit up, Scrapper began a fierce barrage of strikes on the rocks, shattering them. Before he could make enough progress to get free, Shale burst out of the storm and lunged beak-first for Scrapper.

    The blow struck Scrapper in the chest hard, knocking him free. Scrapper tumbled across the ground and skidded before recovering, standing shakily.

    Koa winced but didn't hesitate. "Seed Bomb!" Scrapper didn't hesitate either, managing to summon a decent showing of explosive seeds and firing them.

    The barrage of seeds came down on Shale, exploding on top of her. Almost immediately, Scrapper charged in again. Shaking off the blow, Shale shrieked and charged at Scrapper.

    The two clashed again, launching a flurry of blows. Koa did his best to call any openings he saw, or dodges he could. Despite his efforts, a clever feint from Shale gave her enough of an opening to deal a good blow to the Breloom, making him stagger.

    Koa frowned. This couldn't go on forever. If he wanted to win, he needed to act now. His gaze darted between Scrapper and Shale. Play the game. Anticipate. Maybe...

    "Scrapper, another Seed Bomb!"

    With a loud cry, Scrapper hopped back out of reach of Shale and fired the attack. As Koa had hoped, Shale dodged, using a powerful wingstroke to soar upwards.

    "Great job! Now get back in there!" Fossie called. Shale gathered herself then shot down towards Scrapper once again, flying lower to the ground.

    "Charge and dodge!" Koa cried. Scrapper gathered his legs and exploded forwards before leaping upwards at the last moment. Shale sailed underneath him and he landed, skidding forward.

    "Rock Tomb, trap it!" Shale braked and turned effortlessly on a dime. Rocks rose into the air and with a flick of her wings she sent them flying at Scrapper. With no time to dodge, the deluge crashed down around Scrapper, pinning his legs. Fossie smirked. "Trapped you."

    Scrapper's eyes widened and a glow began to form around his fists as he prepared to try and escape again.

    "Wait," Koa called. He hoped Fossie might try the same trick again. Except this time he planned to give it a different ending. Scrapper shot him a confused look, but paused anyway.

    Shale gave a resounding shriek, clearly triumphant and confident. Fossie gave a nod. "Finish it with Pluck!" Folding back her wings, Shale flew forwards like a bullet, aiming straight for Scrapper's head.

    "Stone Edge! Protect yourself!" The confusion in Scrapper's eyes turned to understanding. With a cry, he struck the earth. Spires of stone surged up, knocking side the rocks and surrounding Scrapper just as Shale approached. They enveloped the Breloom almost completely, giving no avenue of attack. Shale backpedaled for a moment, easily avoiding getting hit by the outer spikes, and shrieked angrily as she rose higher into the air. Her eyes frantically scanned the makeshift shield for an opening.

    Fossie tilted his head. "Not a bad defense, but you can't hide there forev-"

    "Now Scrapper! Mach Punch the rock!" A glow shone from within the rocky prison. Scrapper threw his punch. A chunk of stone exploded outwards, shooting through the air and nailing Shale full-on.

    As Shale spun through the air, dazed, Koa grinned. "Now use Sky Uppercut!"

    Scrapper lunged out of his rocky shield, jumped, and slammed his fist right into Shale's head.

    A garbled squawk came from the Archeops as she plummeted through the air then crashed to the ground. Scrapper landed as well, panting.

    Shale shook herself, then slowly rose to her feet. Koa tensed for a moment. The strikes she'd landed had battered Scrapper quite a bit. If she kept fighting...

    Archeops staggered a few steps, then collapsed and did not rise again.

    A huge smile formed on Koa's face and he whooped. Scrapper raised his fist and let out a victory cry. Just as his call petered out, he swayed on his feet and then collapsed.

    "Scrapper!" Koa rushed forward and dropped to his knees next to him.

    The Breloom's eyes were closed, but he otherwise appeared fine. A second later, one of his eyes cracked open and he grinned, before pushing himself upright.

    "You alright?"

    Scrapper nodded eagerly, and Koa smiled, relief filling him. Some of the old fire was back in Scrapper, to his delight.

    "Everything good?"

    Koa looked up to see Fossie and Shale, looking concerned.

    "Yeah," Koa said standing up. "That was a good battle. It really wore Scrapper out."

    "I'm impressed, you're pretty strong to beat Shale." He stroked her neck. "She's one of my strongest team members in training."

    Koa frowned. "Wait, she's in training?"

    Fossie nodded. "I've got a few pokemon that don't travel with me regularly. She's one of them."

    "Awesome! What's your team like then?" If Shale was that strong...

    "Want to meet them?" Fossie's hand was already at his belt before Koa could nod eagerly. Five flashes of light burst forth and an array of pokemon emerged.

    A hulking behemoth of a Tyrantrum drew Koa's gaze immediately, its indigo scales shining in the sunlight. His mouth dropped open. Still in shock, he took in the rest of Fossie's team.

    Perched a few yards away was an Aerodactyl, regarding everyone with a bored expression. Flanking him were a bright-eyed Kabutops and a cheerful Aurorus. Last of all was a pokemon he'd only read about in a scientific study - a Dracozolt. Only a few existed, thanks to some strange fossil restoration accident by an inexperienced Galarian scientist. The only ones he'd read about were staying at a nature preserve.

    Kitto gave a low whistle. "That's some team." A blue-scaled Tyrantrum... It was gorgeous.

    Koa's own team seemed both in awe of and excited by the newcomers, particularly Rascal, who seemed enthralled by the Tyrantrum, gazing at it with a mix of anger and envy.

    A touch of jealousy ran through Koa before fading. Fossie's team was incredible and probably the exact kind he would be salivating over just a few months ago. But now he wouldn't trade any of his team for anything, even a fossil pokemon. Even so, it was impossible to look away, especially from the Tyrantrum.

    "I've never seen a Tyrantrum with those colors. Or a live Dracozolt! How'd you get them? I mean I've read about the restoration process sometimes affecting the color but I've never actually seen one. And how'd you get a Dracozolt, I thought all of them were in special preserves?" He couldn't help but ramble a little as he moved closer to the Tyrantrum and held out a palm to it. It lowered its huge head and huffed lightly, tousling his hair.

    "Koamaru, meet Cobalt," Fossie said proudly, gesturing to the Tyrantrum. "Sidian is the Kabutops, Aurorus goes by Seraphi, and Dracozolt there is Tourmal. And of course, my faithful starter, Apex." He nodded towards the Aerodactyl, who tipped his head in acknowledgement.

    "You guys are incredible," Koa whispered. He gave Cobalt a gentle rub on his snout. A second later, Tourmal almost bowled him over as it stomped up to him and headbutted him before holding out its chin. Grinning, Koa scratched its chin obligingly, surprised to find it covered in a fine layer of shiny feathers.

    "So how'd you get a Dracozolt?"

    Fossie seemed clearly delighted at the chance to talk more about his pokemon. "I help out a lot at labs and with researching fossil pokemon and helping to care for them. Tourmal and I grew close while I was interning in Galar. The head researcher there decided it would be healthier for her to stay with someone she was familiar with, and agreed she could accompany me. As long as I reported back with any observations."

    "Sick..." Koa murmured.

    "Take it you're a big fan of fossils then," Kitto asked wryly.

    Fossie put his hands up. "You caught me. I've been fascinated with ancient pokemon ever since I was a kid. Anything and everything I could find about them. I was cave diving practically as soon as I could walk, begged my uncle in Paldea to send me all these Occulture magazines about weird pokemon, and I probably spent more time in school reading about fossils than actually doing my classwork. All the librarians knew me by name too."

    The longer Fossie spoke, the more Koa found himself smiling. He wondered if he'd ever run into him at the Canalave library. Fossie sounded like the kind of person he would have liked to have been friends with. "Oh yeah, I spent hours in Canalave library when I was a kid."

    Fossie's eyes widened. "Whoa you lived near there?"

    "Yeah, I'm from Canalave actually!"

    "Dang, lucky! Can't really complain though. I'm actually from Pewter City, so if I wasn't at the library there, I was at the museum."

    Lucky indeed. Pewter Museum of Science was on his list of places he wanted to go if he ever left Sinnoh. "Nice." Koa hesitated for a moment, glancing briefly at the sky. Around noon, by his estimate. After another moment's consideration, he asked, "Hey, you want to join us for lunch?"

    A flicker of something passed through Fossie's eyes. He glanced at his watch, then shrugged. "Sure, why not, I have some time. Only if I don't have to cook though."

    Kitto cut in. "I can handle that."

    "Count me in then."

    XXX

    With Kitto all too happy to handle all the cooking, Koa ended up passing the time by watching his and Fossie's teams hang out, and swapping stories. Fossie told him how he got trapped by a cave-in which inadvertently led to finding the amber he revived into Apex. Koa ended up sharing how he'd found and finally befriended Rascal on his trip through Mt. Coronet.

    Lunch turned out to be a quick but tasty affair both their teams enjoyed thoroughly. Afterwards, Fossie lingered, which Koa realized he didn't mind. The fossil trainer was good company.

    "Shale took a long time to get used to battling. I actually thought she didn't like it at first and I didn't battle with her as much. Turns out she loved to do it; she just really really hated losing. Any time she lost she'd practically throw a fit," Fossie said, chuckling. "Had to get her to realize nobody wins all the time."

    Koa held back a bitter laugh. He couldn't help but be a little reminded of himself. Almost unconsciously, he found himself watching Scrapper for a moment as he casually sparred with Sidian. Was Scrapper worried about losing? He'd never seemed to be this bothered before though... "So what brought you to Iron Island?" he asked Fossie.

    Fossie shifted, crossing his arms then leaning back slightly. There was a slight pause before he replied. "Training. Lot of good rock types out here for practice, and there's always a pretty strong trainer around. Yourself included," he added.

    Koa chuckled "Thanks. Couldn't do it without such a great team. Are you training for the Sinnoh League then?"

    "No... just training," Fossie said slowly. "I did a couple leagues already in Kanto and Johto actually."

    "You've fought in league tournaments?" Koa asked in surprise. That meant Fossie was even stronger than he first thought.

    "Ah yeah. Didn't place super high. Top 64 in Kanto and then top 32 in Johto. Everyone except Tourmal and Shale were on those teams. What about you? Any dreams of trying to beat the champion?"

    "Hah... no," Koa said, shaking his head. "Just here to train too. I need to earn my gym badges for now. Byron is my next so I figured I could get some good training here."

    "Hm." Fossie tipped his head, studying Koa for a moment. "Why the gyms then, if you don't mind me asking? You seem like you have more plans than just going home and putting your badges in a display case."

    Koa swallowed, fidgeting slightly. How much should he say? He tried to catch a glimpse of Kitto in his peripheral vision but his back was turned as he worked on packing his backpack. "Well actually... I need 8 badges to be allowed to climb Mt. Coronet. I've always wanted to try and reach the Spear Pillar." He studied Fossie's face for any kind of reaction. Strangely, Fossie's amiable expression had become a mask, and Koa couldn't read him at all.

    "Spear Pillar? You mean the place Team Galactic was trying to reach?"

    Ice shot through Koa's veins and he shivered even through his jacket. His fingers dug into the fabric of his pants. His voice wavered. "I just want to get there is all." Lies. "See if I can reach the top."

    "Sounds cool!" Fossie shrugged, some of the mask fading again and his cheer returning. "Too cold for my taste but I've heard the views there are beautiful. Or well, used to be," he added with a humorless laugh. "Cursed now and all, but I'm sure you're ready for it. I bet it'll be one amazing hike if you can do it. And after that?"

    The words came out before Koa could stop himself. "I'm actually hoping I'll get lucky and see a legendary someday. Maybe not Palkia or anything but I hope I get to—"

    "You're kidding, right?" All the jovial friendliness had vanished from Fossie's expression, his jaw set and his eyes hard.

    Koa tensed, and he felt a heat rising through him. "Excuse me?"

    "Haven't you paid any attention to the news? You seriously want to see a legendary?" Now Fossie was leaning forwards, and there was a distinct challenge in his tone.

    "Yeah, I do," he retorted. "The news isn't even accurate, the legendaries wouldn't even do that."

    Fossie snorted and folded his arms. "Great. You're making excuses for them. Legendaries are dangerous. People should stay away from them, and they should stay away from people. They cause enough trouble without trainers like you trying to 'seek them out' or whatever."

    Koa snapped to his feet. "How can you say that! Legendaries aren't dangerous, they're protectors! They're—"

    "Hah! Like they 'protected' Amity Square?" He glared evenly at Koa, utterly unflinching. "Like they protected Celestic Town? Like they protected the Snowpoint Temple? Or the Brass Tower?"

    "But that wasn't them!" Koa's voice shook and a knot formed in his chest. His mind scrambled to find words. Fossie spoke before he could.

    "So it's all coincidence those things from Johto are everywhere lately while Sinnoh is being attacked? Legendaries are dangerous, powerful pokemon who only cause problems."

    Around them, Koa could see his team had moved away from Fossie's, each eyeing the other trainers' pokemon defensively.

    Koa glared at Fossie. "That's not true! It wasn't them, it was something else!"

    "Oh yeah? What was it then?"

    Behind him, his Aerodactyl snorted and leveled a demanding glare at Koa.

    "A mirage or illusion or something," he blurted out. He hated the way his voice trembled, the way he struggled to keep his hands steady through the haze of anger in his mind.

    "Or something?" Fossie gave him a dubious look. "What, is that your expert opinion? Okay, let's pretend for a second you're right, they didn't do it. Well, if they didn't exist in the first place, there wouldn't be anything to fake and there wouldn't have been a fire at Amity at all." Finally, he rose to his feet. Even though he was only a few inches taller than Koa, he suddenly seemed bigger than that. "So no matter which way you look at it, they're the issue."

    A buzz filled Koa's ears. "Are you kidding me? You can't possibly blame the legendaries for someone using them! Evil people are the problem! That's not their fault!"

    In his peripheral vision, he saw Kitto had stopped what he was doing and stood nearby, arms folded.

    Fossie took a step forwards, still infuriatingly calm. "Oh yes it is. Legendaries are the problem. If legendaries didn't exist, Celestic Ruins would still be standing. If legendaries didn't exist, there wouldn't be some freaks in secret labs making clones and there definitely wouldn't be any Team Galactic trying to destroy the entire freaking universe."

    "I think that's enough," Kitto began, tone quiet but firm.

    Red clouded Koa's vision. He stepped forwards, glaring at Fossie. "Shut up!" he snarled. "You're wrong! I was there at Amity and there was a second Entei! You're an idiot if you think the pokemon are to blame for evil people! We wouldn't even be here if Giratina hadn't stopped Galactic!" Stupid stupid stupid. He never should have said that. A threatening rumble came from Anubis.

    Fossie paused for a moment and blinked. "I don't know what absurd blog you read that rumor on but even if that were true, it still wouldn't matter if legendaries were around. They should either be locked up or stay away from humans permanently. That's the only solution."

    "What?" Koa practically shouted. "You're a monster! You're no better than groups like Team Rocket."

    "Excuse me?" Fossie stepped forward now, a dangerous glint in his eyes. Apex rumbled a growl, and Cobalt tensed, lowering his head.

    Anubis began to snarl, embers flickering in his jaws and Rascal had risen to her feet, glaring up at Cobalt.

    "I think that's enough." Kitto's stern voice broke the tension.

    Blinking, Koa turned to see Kitto standing beside him now, arms crossed and eyes glinting dangerously.

    Kitto continued, his voice like cold steel. "Responsibility for evil is on the ones who commit the crimes. Not the innocent."

    Heavy stillness settled. Fossie glared between Koa and Kitto for a moment before shaking his head. "Naivete is a dangerous trait. Stay out of my way, Koamaru." Fossie gave him a final, reproachful glare. He silently returned his team. Then without another word, stalked up and back the way he'd come, disappearing over the hill.

    Koa glared after him for several long moments after he'd gone, fists still clenched and a buzzing still filling his ears. Finally, he turned to Kitto. "Can you believe him?" he raged. "How dare he say that! It's not legendaries fault if people—"

    Kitto held his hand up. "I know, I get it."

    "It's wrong!" His thoughts still raced and the boiling heat in his chest wouldn't go away. He paced back and forth, aware of his team, especially Echo, watching him. He almost wished he'd slugged Fossie when he'd had the chance but he also figured he would have regretted it. Knocking his lights out probably would have felt good but it wouldn't have changed his mind. "I hate it! It's not fair." His voice echoed loudly across the clearing. "They don't deserve to have people hate them for things they didn't even do, just because they exist. Why can't people give them a chance? They didn't do anything wrong!"

    "Koa-"

    "They're trying their best but that's not good enough for anyone and now it's happening again and everyone is blaming them for something they didn't do! And I can't even do anything yet. I need to show everyone that things can be better. That legendary pokemon can trust humans but I can't do anything right! I can't even get my stupid gym badges!" He breathed hard, suddenly painfully aware of how quiet it had gone, and everyone's eyes on him. Where was a Dugtrio hole when you needed one?

    Forcing his fists to unclench, he let out a slow breath, then took another. Without thinking, he started to talk, words he wasn't even meaning to say at first. "I know I'll get there one day. But Fossie isn't the only person who probably thinks like that. What if it's not enough? What if I'm too late."

    Silence lingered, and he glanced toward Kitto from the corner of his eye, half expecting to see him look exasperated or annoyed. Instead he mostly seemed thoughtful. After several seconds, he met Koa's gaze, then spoke carefully. "I have no idea what's really going on with all this. But legendaries have been around for centuries, right? Wanting to do something good is good, but they can take care of themselves"

    "Yeah," Koa admitted. He stared at the direction Fossie had disappeared. Kitto was right. As far as he knew, legendaries existed since the beginning of time. They'd be fine. Even so, Cynthia's words to him rang through his thoughts. Everyone must uphold their responsibility. No matter how small. This was something he had to do. To make right.

    After several seconds he turned back around to Kitto. "Is this what the person behind all this wants? Are they trying to make legendary pokemon look bad?"

    Kitto sighed, then shrugged. "Honestly Koa? I'm not sure. But there's no denying it's not helping legendaries either way. But..."

    Koa narrowed his eyes.

    "Remember what I said during training?"

    Rolling his eyes light heartedly, Koa nodded. "Let anger fuel my fists?"

    "So you do pay attention," he said, nudging Koa. "Anyways, that applies here too. If you let your anger overtake you, you can't think clearly. It makes it easy for people like Fossie to get you riled up."

    "Yeah yeah, okay." He glanced upwards, noting a few gray clouds on the horizon. "Might as well train some more before another storm starts." His gaze dropped to his team, who'd settled down somewhat with Fossie gone. He singled out Rascal and grinned. "How about it, Rascal? Want to get ready to beat that Bastiodon?"

    Her loud roar was more than enough confirmation for Koa.

    XXX

    The afternoon passed by sluggishly as Koa alternated between training team members. Only an hour in, another rainstorm started, forcing them to shelter once more in the cave. Scrapper and Jackie picked up some training, while he did his best to work on what he could in the cave.

    As the rainy day wore on, he couldn't help but notice Hazard, constantly watching the cave entrance. Twice he missed an easy dodge and got nailed by Flurry practicing her Brine. Finally, almost some hours after it began, the storm finally subsided.

    "Finally," he said, ambling towards the exit. As much as he enjoyed caves, he couldn't say he was overly fond of being stuck in one because the weather decided to get freakishly stormy. He stood outside the cave and stretched, enjoying the sensation of sunlight before moving further onto the plateau. Unsurprisingly, his stomach began to rumble.

    He glanced at his poketch. Too early for a full dinner, but maybe time for a quick bite. Koa nodded absentmindedly to himself before he started to turn back towards the cave. He stopped short, his gaze catching on something on the muddy ground beside the cave mouth. Squinting, he took a few steps closer.

    "Huh..." he muttered, staring. A set of pawprints. Pawprints were a bit odd somewhere like Iron Island, considering it was mostly home to rock, steel and ground types. He studied them curiously. Somehow they felt familiar. Feline, three toes, and narrow. Three distinct holes at the tip of the print marked the claws. Maybe a Luxray...? Some instinct told him otherwise.

    He'd taken a basic pokemon identification course for his Trainers License exam, and they covered a few types of prints, but his memory of that was fairly foggy. Still, something nagged at the back of his mind.

    Still puzzled, he wandered over to a drier bit of ground (which really, was only slightly drier and rocky instead of muddy) and laid out his waterproof blanket. He was halfway into eating a small sandwich when it clicked. Swearing, he nearly dropped his sandwich.

    Kitto looked up from his own food, confused.

    "Zeraora!" he exclaimed. Koa's team stared blankly, save for Hazard, whose eyes widened.

    "Zera-what-a?" Kitto asked, looking around.

    Koa scrambled to his feet and rushed back over to the print, Hazard hot on his heels. The sun had nearly set and he had to pull out his flashlight to see it properly. Two individual prints, side by side. Three toes, three claws. Hazard stood by the print, which was as big as he was, and stared at it, a strange shine of excitement in his eyes. "It's biped!" he nearly shouted.

    "What is?" Kitto asked as he came up beside Koa. The rest of Koa's team squeezed around him to see what he was looking at.

    In a breathless rush, heart beating wildly, Koa continued. "That's what I was missing! It's biped with protracted claws. That's why I know this print, it's not a Luxray or something, it's a Zeraora!" he looked up to see Kitto staring blankly at him.

    Undeterred, he pressed on. "I studied all the different tracks of legendary pokemon. Zeraora is a legendary pokemon. Or well, mythical I guess? The distinction is weird but it's really rare and..." his brow furrowed. "...definitely not native to Iron Island."

    "So... a mythical pokemon is on Iron Island?" Kitto said slowly.

    Koa nodded, beaming despite his confusion. "Yeah... Yeah it looks like it," he said breathlessly. His whole body felt as if it were tingling and he felt as if he could run a mile. Even despite his encounters with the strange beasts of Johto, and his glimpse of Ho-Oh, the idea of meeting a mythical pokemon was exciting. Especially if it was a real one. "But why?" he mused out loud.

    Still deep in thought, he snapped a photo of the print, then headed back to his blanket and sat down. Kitto followed, looking intrigued. "So Zeraora is a powerful electric type."

    Koa held out his phone to show Kitto an artist's rendition.

    Kitto studied it, fascinated. "So what's the story with this Zeraora?"

    "Nobody knows for sure where it's from but there's a myth that an Entei and a Zapdos fought over territory. Or a Moltres and Raikou, depending who you ask. When they clashed at the peak of a volcano, Zeraora was born. Realizing they were stronger together, the two stopped fighting. They say Zeraora is considered a protector of wild pokemon. It roams across Kanto and Johto, but also its been seen around Alola and sometimes Kalos."

    "But never around here?"

    "No," Koa said, shaking his head. "I don't even think there's confirmed sightings in Sinnoh. Much less way out here on Iron Island. It's got to be here for a reason." His thoughts drifted as he stared down at the ground, puzzling over it, wracking his brain for any connections between Iron Island and Zeraora but coming up with none.

    Finally he shrugged and shook his head. "I guess I'll just have to keep an eye out."

    "Maybe he likes rocks," Kitto suggested with a grin. Despite his light tone, his eyes betrayed a glimmer of worry.

    Koa chuckled, but he couldn't help but feel vaguely unsettled as well. What if there was something worse going on?

    XXX

    For the few remaining hours of light, Koa did his best to focus on training again and put all the events of earlier out of his mind. Which proved easier said than done. Between Fossie, Scrapper, and Zeraora's prints he found himself thinking about everything but training. Particularly every time his thoughts circled back to Scrapper.

    Even as Koa watched him train with Jackie, he could see Scrapper was not himself. He was too focused, too frustrated, too tense. But every time Koa wanted to talk to him, his thoughts went to that morning. Scrapper refused to open up. Maybe pushing too hard would only make things worse. Doubt lingered in his mind. Something told him whatever was bothering Scrapper wouldn't resolve itself.

    Winning the battle earlier had lifted his spirits slightly, but he was still troubled. This was about more than losing and yet... Scrapper was pushing himself. Trying to get stronger, battle better. Why? This was more than a pokemon's natural inclination for battling; this felt like obsession. The question nagged at him for his entire training session, which ended up being less productive than he hoped.

    "So you're cooking tonight, right?" Kitto teased as they were resting, sitting against the rock wall of the cave and sipping water. "Given the lovely lunch I made."

    "Yeah, but I made breakfast," Koa pointed out.

    Kitto elbowed him. "Not a very good one."

    "Ah, but I did make one. So that makes us even."

    "Fine, then we both cook?"

    Koa sat forward and blinked. Experiment... "Actually..." he frowned, an idea forming in his mind. "I think I will cook."

    "Oh?"

    Koa grinned as he stood up. "Yeah. I've got an idea."

    "Be my guest."

    XXX

    Five minutes later Koa had set up a short distance away from his team and from camp, and brought Scrapper's pokeball with him. He'd told the rest of his team to stay at camp for his idea. It was only a vaguely formed idea in his head, but it was better than nothing. He sent Scrapper out, who emerged and eyed the array of berries and vegetables Koa had set out.

    He grunted and looked at Koa questioningly.

    "You're gonna help me cook. If you want," he added.

    Scrapper deliberated for a second before shrugging and nodding. Koa beamed.

    Time slipped by as Koa worked with Scrapper in relative silence, cutting and chopping. "Kitto told me you should always smell the flavors and spices together to see if they fit." He took a Tanga berry he'd saved, sniffing it next to a few different spices before stopping on a clove of cinnamon. The cinnamon and spice flavor blended together in a surprisingly aromatic way he wouldn't have thought of. He handed it to Scrapper. The Breloom sniffed the two, then nodded enthusiastically.

    Koa added the food to the pot.

    "Kitto also told me that in cooking, you'll always end up making mistakes, but that's how you learn." Scrapper stared quietly at the pot, but Koa got the impression he was listening. "It took me a long time to figure that out. I mean to really get it. I thought I knew what I was doing but I was still letting my mistakes get to me. I think part of me wanted..." he paused, trying to find the words, his throat feeling tight. His mind flashed back to his battle against Byron.

    "I guess I wanted to be perfect. To do everything right, all the time. I kept thinking if I tried hard enough I'd never make a mistake again. But that didn't help me get better or improve. I got so hung up on thinking I could be perfect it just made me mess up more."

    Koa stopped stirring the soup and turned to look at Scrapper. The words he wanted to say felt almost silly, but he hoped Scrapper would understand. "You don't have to be perfect for me, Scrapper."

    Scrapper's gaze shifted and he tensed, uneasiness seeping into his eyes. He pulled away, the mushroom on his head wilting ever so slightly.

    Steeling himself, Koa pressed on. "I've seen how you push yourself in training. I know you're working really hard to get strong again. But I can tell you're still mad about getting hurt. You want to get back to the way things were before."

    Scrapper huffed and crossed his arms, and tilted his head up in challenge. Koa could tell exactly what he meant. What's so bad about that?

    "Nothing. I'm glad. I love that about you, the way you always try your hardest and push yourself. And me." Hesitantly, Koa reached out and took one of Scrapper's claws in his hand. He knelt down and peered into his dark eyes. "Listen. This isn't about how hard you train. I just... I wanted you to know you can make mistakes." He felt Scrapper's claws tense and then felt the tug as he tried to pull away. Koa held him firmly. After a moment, Scrapper stared at him, hesitant. Guilty.

    His suspicion was true then. Scrapper was mad at himself for getting hurt. Not just mad, he didn't feel worthy anymore. "You can lose matches and mess up and get hurt and I won't care about you any less. So... so if the reason you feel like training so hard and pushing yourself is because you feel like you have to make up somehow... you don't. You don't have to earn my love or my respect or anything else from me by being good enough. You're my friend, that's never going to change."

    Scrapper's grip on his hand tightened, and he gave a small nod. Yet something almost like fear or hesitation shone in his eyes. As if he almost wasn't sure he believed Koa.

    A lump formed in Koa's chest. He couldn't help but remember how he'd first met him, all those weeks ago, in the Safari Zone. And why he'd been out there in the first place. Always wanting to be strong enough, good enough. Pushing himself for his first awful trainer. Abandoned. All because he wasn't strong enough.

    Acting on instinct, he pulled him into an awkward hug. "I love you, Scrapper."

    Something almost like a squeak of surprise came from him. Then he relented and accepted the embrace. The knot of worry in Koa's chest unwound and he cleared his throat and sat back. "I'm glad I met you."

    Scrapper's eyes widened and he frantically pointed to the pot of stew. Dark smoke had begun to rise from it.

    "Oh shoot," Koa yelped. He turned around and quickly started stirring it. To his relief, it wasn't completely burned yet. "Phew..." A few minutes later a delicious aroma wafted through the air.

    "Ready to eat, Scrapper?"

    Flashing a smile, Scrapper nodded.

    Koa smiled back. He had a feeling everything would be okay.


    AN: It would not be okay.

    Also the cooking tips in this are real! Sniffing seasoning helps a ton.


    I had a lot of fun with this chapter. I wanted to do something tender and meaningful after the troubles arising in the last chapter, and I felt like Scrapper's troubles weren't quite resolved yet. There was more to say with him and this was the perfect cap off for him after his injury.

    Look forward to chapter 26 next week, in which More Things happen and Koa encounters something rather unexpected...
     
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    Chapter 26: Iron Claws
  • Flyg0n

    Flygon connoisseur
    Pronouns
    She/her
    Partners
    1. flygon
    2. swampert
    3. ho-oh
    4. crobat
    5. orbeetle
    6. joltik
    7. salandit
    8. tyrantrum
    Chapter 26: Iron Claws

    Chapter 26! Koa has repaired his relationship with Scrapper, but more trouble awaits...


    Koa lay awake, listening to the sounds of wild pokemon in the night. Two days of training had passed since his encounter with Fossie, but the memory still lingered - not because of Fossie himself, but what he'd said. How many more people probably agreed or were starting to agree that legendaries were dangerous? Did legendary pokemon also dislike humanity then? His thoughts swirled, dancing around others he tried to avoid.

    Time slipped by, but sleep never quite came, and at some point he realized he'd been lying awake for some time. With a sigh, he sat up. His tent was empty tonight, since his pokemon had all opted to return to their pokeballs for the night, save for Hazard, surprisingly. Koa poked his head out of the tent and glanced around. The camp was quiet, and the campfire had long since died out. Pulling on his boots and jacket, he slipped out, past Hazard, and headed out of the cave.

    A few minutes later he found himself hiking upwards away from camp and through the hills, enjoying the peace and quiet. He spotted a few Murkrow darting through the skies, and the occasional Geodude or Sandshrew hanging around. As he walked, he kept his eyes on the ground. The moon was full, giving him plenty of light to see by, and he kept hoping he might see another Zeraora print.

    The mystery of it still baffled him. Why was a Zeraora on Iron Island? It couldn't have always lived here, someone would have to have seen it. Maybe it was just... sightseeing? Did legendaries do that? Or was it somehow connected to everything else going on...? Unless... Unless it was another fake. But the pawprint had been real. Unlike Celestic. Maybe he'd missed it but there hadn't been any prints there, right?

    Minutes ticked by as Koa wandered ever further, always keeping track but not heading in any real direction otherwise. A distant rumble filled the sky. Koa looked up, and realized for the first time that darkness had fallen over the area. He could still spot the moon, but pitch black clouds now obscured much of the stars. Blue lightning tore across the sky, blinding him, just as a deafening thunderclap shook the air.

    Drops of rain splattered his head and shoulders. Koa's brow knit as he blinked to clear his vision. The weather report for tonight had said it would be clear. Was this somehow connected to Zeraora? He couldn't help but think of Fossie again. "Legendaries and humans aren't meant to mix". A frustrated sigh escaped Koa. Too many mysteries, not enough answers. Not enough time. He shook his head and turned around. Might as well head back to camp.

    Another flash of lightning and clap of thunder shattered the air and Koa jumped. The rain abruptly shifted from 'friendly drizzle' to 'downpour'. Muttering angrily, he hastened his pace, though in a minute, he was already plenty soaked. Again, he thought wryly to himself. He really did have a knack for getting caught in rainstorms.

    Still muttering, he picked his way through a slight valley between two hills, scanning the area for any caves he could duck into. And then there was another flash of lightning and all of his annoyance vanished in an instant as the light illuminated a figure standing just yards away.

    Zeraora.

    Koa's mouth dropped open.

    It faced away from him in a low crouch, studying the area, its yellow and black fur glistening in the darkness.

    Koa's mind reeled and his heart surged. He stifled a cry of excitement. A familiar tingling filled him, almost like when he'd seen Ho-Oh. This felt real. Not at all like Entei or Raikou.

    Zeraora might not have been as awe-inspiring like Dialga or Xerneas or the like, but it was still a legend in its own way. And it was standing right there. Almost close enough to walk over and touch.

    Now's your chance.

    He blinked as the thought ran through his mind. Time stretched and in a daze, he realized he still had a spare ball in his jacket pocket. His heart raced as the sound of the rain fell away. Fossie's words echoed through his mind again. Legendaries and humans don't mix.

    Koa's jaw tightened. He was wrong. Legendary pokemon and humans could be friends. He believed it with all his heart.

    Then prove him wrong.

    Zeraora was still standing there, back to him.

    Koa's heart thundered in his ears as rain soaked his hair. Taking the ball from his pocket; he primed it. Then he threw it.

    The moment the pokeball left his hand, a pit of guilt and regret opened inside him.

    In slow motion, he watched the ball arc through the air. Lightning lit the sky like daylight. Zeraora turned, eyes glowing in the night, and caught the ball in one paw. Then it squeezed, shattering it effortlessly.

    For one second, Koa met its eyes, and every hair on his body stood on end. Pure unbridled rage burned in its blue irises.

    Yellow blurred toward him, an impact against his chest, then pain in his back, and throbbing in his head. His vision spun. Rain splattered on his face, mingling with tears as he laid on his back - when had he ended up on his back? A terrible yowl filled the air, though it somehow sounded close and far off all at once. Darkness encroached on his hazy thoughts.

    A great weight landed on his chest and then a thousand pinpricks of white hot pain pierced his shoulders, his whole body on fire, couldn't move couldn't think couldn't breathe-

    Zeraora on top of him, pinning him. Stunning black and yellow and eyes like lightning incarnate filled his vision, burning with such vitriolic anger that pierced his soul. The pain receded from his shoulders for a moment and he gasped—

    One of Zeraora's paws slapped down on his throat, squeezing. The other it raised, claws glistening in the rain. Koa thrashed. He grabbed feebly at its paw, vaguely aware of his mouth moving, pleading, but no sound coming out, searching Zeraora's eyes desperately for mercy or compassion and goodness. He found only anger.

    His lips moved in a silent plea. Please.

    The rain battered down endlessly. Koa felt his struggles weakening. His vision pulsed and throbbed. Maybe this was what he deserved...

    Rain soaked through his jacket. He stared dully up at Zeraora. The sky darkened and his limbs grew slack. His eyelids started to drift shut... Zeraora's searing gaze burned into in his mind, behind his eyelids—

    The pressure withdrew.

    Koa sucked in heaving breaths, coughs wracking him, hard rock biting into his upper arm as he lay awkwardly on his side, shivering and wet and gasping. He coughed again, the movement awakening fresh pain in his shoulders. Jumbled thoughts rattled through his mind as he tried to gather himself.

    Through blurred vision, he looked up to see Zeraora standing a few feet away, another small yellow shape in front of it. His heart skipped a beat. "Hazard!" His cry came as a garbled cough. What was Hazard doing here? Dazed, he stared at the scene before him, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

    Hazard stood defiantly between him and Zeraora, his fur fluffed to twice its usual size. Tiny sparks kept shooting from his body to Zeraora; followed by flashes of blue electricity connecting harmlessly to Hazard.

    Curiosity superseded fear. Hadn't he seen this before...? A long time ago, at Rowan's lab. A Raichu and an Electabuzz, communicating through electricity. Was Hazard talking to Zeraora?

    The light show seemed to stretch on, and for a moment he caught a hateful look from Zeraora, directed towards him, its eyes burning with disdain. A spark of fear tickled the back of his mind, but he couldn't summon the will to move or do anything except watch.

    Finally, with a last crackling blue spark from Zeraora, it seemed some kind of resolution was reached. Hazard's fur settled and his stance relaxed, and Zeraora shifted, standing taller and more at ease. Then he turned, glaring at Koa. Koa swallowed and winced, inching backwards.

    "One."

    Stunned, Koa managed to croak out a response. He hadn't even realized Zeraora could speak human. Or had he imagined it? "O-one?"

    Its' voice sounded again, in Koa's mind. Firm and piercing. "One mercy. Stay away, human."

    Hot, blinding light filled Koa's vision, followed by a thunderous crash. When he could finally see again, Zeraora was gone, leaving only a charred, smoking crater where it'd been standing. The rain ceased unnervingly abruptly, blanketing Koa in eerie silence.

    xxx

    Koa sat huddled in his tent, still shivering. He'd managed to slip back into camp without Kitto waking, then dried himself off and changed out of his wet clothes. Then he'd sat in his tent, arms wrapped around his knees, Hazard tucked into his chest, staring vacantly at his wet jacket. Hazard must have sensed Zeraora, he reflected. Normally he would have been fascinated by the idea, but the light of rage in Zeraora's blotted out all his thoughts. The silence dragged on until he couldn't bear it any more.

    "Why... why was Zeraora here?" he rasped.

    Hazard gave an uncertain chirp.

    "It didn't say?" He looked down at the Joltik.

    Hazard shook his head.

    Koa stared at his jacket again, digging his fingers into his kneecap. "This is an island. Why is Zeraora out here? It's not right." Why did it attack him? Why was it so angry? What did I do wrong?

    Hazard clicked his mandibles together and crawled down Koa's arm to nudge his hand.

    "It attacked me because I tried to capture it, didn't it."

    A soft churr and a single click. Yes.

    He knew. From the moment he'd thrown that stupid ball he'd known it was wrong. No. He knew before that. Unconsciously, Koa rubbed his neck, memories still bouncing through his head. Stupid... How many times had he pictured the scene in his head? Battling a legendary. Doing it the right way. But as soon as you had the chance you took it. He shivered again. What kind of person does that make you?

    Still in a daze, he picked up a mirror from his bag, running his hands through his stiff hair as he examined himself. He blinked dully at the image that greeted him in the mirror.

    Dark circles had formed under his eyes and he could see a slight bruise on his neck. His shoulders still stung, but when he'd checked them out earlier he'd realized Zeraora's claws never dug very deep and only barely drew blood.

    But they could have. In his mind he could see it, he could feel Zeraora giving him what he deserved, claws slicing easily into his flesh, the pain- Had Fossie been right? Were legendaries dangerous? No. There was more to this. Legendaries might be dangerous but they weren't cruel. Something else had Zeraora angry already. Yes he'd upset it but that didn't make legendaries killers.

    With a weary sigh, he tossed the mirror aside and ducked out of his tent. By the campfire, he spotted Kitto.

    Kitto's back was to him as he stirred a pot of some kind of stew. "Well look who finally decided to wake up."

    Koa opened his mouth to snark out a reply but drew nothing.

    "Delcatty got your tongue?" As Kitto stood and turned, his words faded as he took in Koa. "Lugia below, What happened to you?"

    The image of Zeraora's hateful eyes flashed through his thoughts. He saw himself throwing the pokeball, like an idiot and felt sick to his stomach. What had he been thinking? No battle, no challenge he'd just...

    You saw the opportunity and you took it. You're no better than every criminal out there, no better than-

    "Koa?"

    He felt a firm pressure on his shoulders. Kitto was standing in front of him, hands gripping him.

    "Yeah sorry. Lost in thought," he muttered, voice still raspy. "I-"

    I tried to catch a legendary when I shouldn't have when I should have battled and done it the right way? I...

    You what? You showed your true nature? You proved what you are?


    His words choked him and he stared anywhere but at Kitto's face. He was sure he could feel Kitto's gaze boring into him, accusing him, demanding answers. He knew what was coming. Kitto would tell him how stupid he'd been, how reckless, how wrong and bad-

    Strong arms grabbed him and pulled him into a hug.

    Koa blinked, face pressed against Kitto's chest. His chest tightened and for a moment, he stood there, unable to move. Then hesitantly, he returned the hug.

    "So what happened?" Kitto finally asked some moments later, as he stepped away. Casual and collected, as if everything were ordinary. Koa found himself appreciating it. He did his best to recount what had happened with Zeraora the night before.

    "Something's not right, Kitto. Zeraora shouldn't be here at all. Sure, they roam around but it wouldn't be on some island way off the coast of Sinnoh for sightseeing. And... and I wasn't thinking when I threw that ball to try and catch it but..." He shifted his weight from side to side. "It was angry. Really angry about something. There's something bad going on."

    Or maybe that's what you want to believe. If only he could take it back.

    "That seems pretty likely," Kitto said with a frown. "But we haven't seen anything on this island yet. The most recent attack was at Snowpoint Temple, right?"

    Koa nodded. "Exactly. I mean as far as I know there isn't even anything happening around here. Unless an attack is going to happen? Could Zeraora have found out and come here to stop it?"

    "For now that seems the most likely, although we can't rule out other possibilities," Kitto mused. "Tell you what, we can explore the island later today while we train. I'm sure there's some trainers around to challenge, and it's a good chance for our teams to put into practice everything they're been working on. And while we train, we keep an eye out for anything weird, okay?"

    "Sounds like a plan."

    xxx

    Shortly after breakfast, they put out their fire completely, packed their camp, and ventured deeper into Iron Island. As they walked, Koa kept Echo out with him. An idea had come to him while breaking down camp and he wanted to test it out.

    "Okay, remember Echo, focus on how it felt to be a Golbat."

    Echo twitched his ears in acknowledgement and flew up a little higher before narrowing his eyes. His rear wings grew still and he began to beat frantically with his forewings. A moment later he began to spiral out of control before going into a nosedive. Koa lunged forward, catching him before he could hit the ground.

    "That was a good try," he said. "Want to go again?" Echo nodded.

    "What're you working on?" Kitto asked as he scrambled over a small rise.

    "Well, I had an idea earlier. If something ever happens to Echo in battle, I figured it could be good if he could learn to fly a little with just two wings." He glanced upward as Echo took up a spot in the air just above Koa and and once again tried to glide without using his rear wings. He managed for all of one second before pitching forward and instinctively righting himself with his rear wings.

    Kitto hummed in thought. "The old 'less is more' principle."

    Koa nodded. "I'm not sure if it can actually work though... Usually when a pokemon evolves their body instinctively adapts to their new form pretty quickly. I don't even know if he could fly with just two wings again."

    "I know what you could try," Kitto said. There was a tone to his voice, almost mischievous. Koa cast him a wary look.

    "What is it," he asked slowly. Something told him it probably wouldn't be fun.

    A grin crossed Kitto's face. As he walked, he unslung his backpack and fished out a length of rope.

    "Oh no," Koa muttered under his breath, without real malice.

    "Oh yes," Kitto said.

    A few minutes later, Koa found himself bound, his arms tied to his sides with rope and only his legs free. It was unnerving, he realized. And weirdly hard to balance.

    Kitto folded his arms and nodded, clearly proud of himself. "The best way to help your pokemon learn something is to try and do it yourself. That's how Jackie and I get so strong."

    For what felt like the better part of the next hour, Koa hiked along the trails winding through Iron Island, arms pinned to his sides, while Echo tried his best to control his flight with only his forewings. At first, nothing felt any different. Mostly, Koa kept stumbling and staggering across the terrain. Twice he would have fallen face first if not for Kitto grabbing him once, and Echo the second time.

    His annoyance started to rise. A shrill call from Echo broke through his thoughts. He looked up to see the Crobat flashing a grin at him. Don't give up. Koa nodded. Maybe there was a trick to this he could figure out. Pausing for a moment, he studied the landscape, then looked up at Echo, who seemed to be pondering as well. Then Echo's eyes widened and he gave an excited screech.

    "What is it?" Koa asked.

    Echo swooped down and began dancing around Koa and giving a series of soft squeaks, bumping Koa before pointedly closing his eyes and swiveling his ears.

    Koa frowned, steadying himself on the gravel. "What, I don't get-" And then he remembered. Battling Gardenia, and Echo getting blinded, guiding him by hearing alone. But what did that have to do with what was happening now? It was hardly like flying blind would work here. Echo stared at him imploringly. Taking a deep breath, Koa closed his eyes and listened.

    Wind whistled across the rocks, waves crashed against the distortion shore. A Starly sung its song, and he heard the faint clatter of rocks from some burrowing pokemon emerging. The faint flutter of Echo's wingbeats came from overhead.

    What am I supposed to listen for? He thought, annoyedly. He shifted, and felt the rock under his boots move as well. And then it clicked. His eyes shot open and he grinned.

    With a surety of step, he began to move across the trail, focusing less on the loss of his arms and more on what else he could use. What angle he was walking at, the shift of the ground underfoot, the way he could move with the terrain instead of fighting it. Overhead, he could almost sense Echo, even without looking. Echo had understood it too - to fly as a Golbat again, it wasn't about what he'd lost, but what he'd gained.

    Echo's irregular flight was beginning to even out, just a little. He still dipped awkwardly and struggled to control himself, but as he learned to guide himself through the air, Koa could see he was improving, slowly but surely.

    The next hour or two dragged by. Despite his revelation, Koa found progress after it to be painfully slow, though at least it was steady now. Kitto would occasionally call out advice, but otherwise they mostly traveled in companionable silence.

    By the time the sun had passed the halfway point in the sky, and Koa's legs were thoroughly aching, Echo had managed to reach a place where he could perform basic flight without relying on his hindwings at all. It would never be as proficient as actually using all four wings, but it would be helpful in battle anyway.

    After a brief break for lunch, Koa resumed training, this time without ropes, so he could keep an eye out for trainers to challenge. As it turned out, it wasn't long before he spotted someone. A figure in the distance, picking their way among the rocky hills. Perhaps it was another trainer?

    "Hey there!" Koa called out, waving.

    The figure waved back, and Koa hiked up the hill. As he got closer, he quickly evaluated them, like Kitto had taught him to do. A girl, around his age. Her yellow hair had been woven into a neat braid. She wore sturdy dirt-stained boots, and a rugged vest, worn but well-cared for. Five pokeballs hung from her belt, and she carried herself with her head held high.

    A fellow explorer, if he had to guess.

    Echo fluttered into the air and squeaked a greeting.

    When she saw Echo, her eyes lit up. "Oh that must be a real Crobat, yeah?"

    "Uh, yeah," Koa said, cocking his head. She spoke with an odd lilt to her voice, but he was sure he had heard it before...

    She held out her hand, and Echo butted against it, shreeing in delight. "Zubat are actually rare back home in Galar. They only live on this one particular island. So seeing a Crobat is really rare."

    "You're from Galar?" That explained the accent he'd picked up on. Seeing anyone from Galar was rare, considering how far it was from Sinnoh.

    "Gal-er," she corrected. "And I sure am. Parents moved me there when I was younger. I came out here to catch myself some different pokemon and to train. Name's Joan by the way."

    Koa narrowed his eyes. The pronunciation definitely sounded off to him...

    Before he could say anything, Kitto walked up. "Found a trainer?" he asked Koa. Turning to Joan, he smiled amiably and held out his hand. "My name is Kitto."

    "Koa." He held out his hand as well.

    "Joan. Good to meet ya."

    "So where did you say you're from?" Kitto asked, once they'd shook hands. "Galar?"

    She laughed awkwardly. "It's Gal-er..."

    Koa frowned. "Pretty sure it's Ga-lar."

    Joan narrowed her eyes. "Gal-er."

    "Galar," Koa and Kitto said, speaking in unison.

    Silence fell. Tension grew. Joan glared at Koa, and he glared back. "Fight me," she growled.

    Koa stepped forward. "Gladly."

    Joan's hand dropped to her belt and she selected a pink and cream colored ball from her belt.

    Before she could throw it, Kitto held up his hand. "Perhaps we ought to move to a better spot?" he gestured further up the slope where the ground flattened into a small outcropping.

    Koa shot Joan one last look, then scrambled up the slope, scattering pebbles as he climbed. Joan glared back with equal ferocity and began climbing, moving quicker to keep pace with him. By the time Koa reached the top, he was winded, but triumphant. He'd beat Joan up by a full two seconds.

    All his exercise with Kitto was paying off.

    She snorted in displeasure as she stood, dusting her hands off. "Not bad, for a pampered Sinnoh trainer, I guess." She smoothed her braids, frowning. "But you'd never last in the wilds in Galar," As she said the word, she enunciated it slowly, shooting him a smirk.

    "You can run home crying to Galar when I'm done beating you."

    Joan snatched the ball from her belt and tossed it into the air. Light burst out and took the shape of one of the strangest pokemon Koa had ever seen. The top of its body looked almost like a fluffy blue nightcap, worn by a diminutive little pink creature crouched underneath.

    Echo shrieked and flew forward as Koa stepped back, making room for the pokemon to battle. As the two pokemon faced off, Koa took the opportunity to scan his opponent with his pokedex.

    "Hattrem. The Serene Pokemon." He skimmed the information about it. Hattrem were native to Galar, which explained why he'd never heard of it. Galarian pokemon were nearly impossible to see in the wild outside of their home region. Psychic-type, apparently. A bit tricky, but not a huge issue. Echo had fought at a type-disadvantage before.

    Kitto moved away to give him space, and Koa stepped towards Echo. "Ready buddy?" he asked in a low voice. Echo nodded, and Koa withdrew a soft, durable band from his backpack and wrapped it around Echo's rear wings. When he was done, his wings had been secured in such a way that they were rendered safely immobile.

    Echo shrieked determinedly and rose into the air once more, this time with only the power of his two forewings.

    "Ready?" Joan called out. Her Hattrem let out a low trill and tensed.

    "First move's all yours!" Koa called back. He let his senses fall away, fixing his gaze only on the opponent.

    Joan's voice carried across the battlefield, her tone even. "Calm Mind."

    Hattrem raised its hands and shut its eyes as a pink glow began to envelope her body.

    "Confuse Ray!" Koa snapped out the command. Echo flew forwards, his movements still a bit awkward, and fired a series of golden orbs at Hattrem.

    To Koa's surprise, Hattrem didn't move or make any attempt to dodge. The orbs struck her body, then bounced back, straight at Echo.

    "Dodge!" Koa yelled. Echo started to move, but was moments too slow. The orbs struck him in the face. His eyes glazed over and he fluttered slowly to the ground, looking dazed and, well, confused.

    Koa muttered angrily under his breath. Hattrem must have had some kind of ability that could bounce attacks back.

    "Now, Brutal Swing!" A Dark aura formed around Hattrem's head. It lunged forward, and before Echo could gather himself, spun and smashed her head into Echo, sending him tumbling across the ground.

    "Echo! Come on, you can do this! Snap out of it!"

    "Psychic, Hattrem."

    A blue glow flashed around Hattrem's eyes and Echo's body. Slowly, Echo rose into the air. With a loud cry, Hattrem raised her hands and brought Echo crashing back down again, belly first. At the same moment, Koa felt a strange sensation in his mind, almost like shivers down his spine.

    An idea flashed through his mind. If Echo moved just right, he could-

    "Echo, Poison Fang!"

    Fangs bared, Echo drove his forewings into the ground, launched himself forward and crashed into Hattrem. The impact bowled the both of them over, and he heard Hattrem yelp. Echo had gotten a good hit. With a triumphant cry, Echo rose into the air again, his movements much more confident. Hattrem lay on the ground, still stunned.

    Koa could feel his own confidence rising. Echo had understood his precise intentions. "Now Echo, Air Slash!"

    Echo whipped his wings forward and hurled blades of wind at Hattrem, pummeling her. Hattrem recovered and shook herself, then charged forward again, head glowing with dark energy.

    "Dodge, use Steel Wing!" Just as Hattrem swung at Echo, he twisted his body to the side, letting her sweep past him, then spun and drove his wing into her back.

    She crashed to the ground and fired a ball of pink energy in retaliation, hitting Echo and knocking him through the air. He flared his wings and managed to catch himself, just as Hattrem fired another blast.

    "Steel Wing." Echo's sliced through the orb with his glowing wings. "Now, Poison Fang!"

    Echo continued his dive and bit Hattrem's head. She yelped and staggered, her skin taking on a purple sheen.

    "Psychic!" Joan called.

    Flinching and mustering up her remaining strength, Hattrem's eyes glowed and she shoved Echo back, although with much less force than before. She was growing weaker. He glanced up at Echo for a moment. Despite his determination, he could see by the beat of Echo's wings he was weakening as well.

    Joan frowned. "Hattrem, let's end this. Give it your all! One last Brutal Swing!" Hattrem gave a loud cry, the familiar dark aura flaring around its head, this time even larger than before.

    Koa shared a quick glance with Echo, then nodded. "Echo, you too! Steel Wing!"

    The two pokemon surged towards each other with loud cries, colliding in the middle of the battlefield. A wave of energy exploded outwards and the two pokemon skidded back.

    Hattrem growled, panting, and Echo let out a low cry. He hovered a few feet off the ground, eyes narrowed.

    Before either of them could give another command, both pokemon collapsed. The tension left Koa's body and he let out a long sigh. A tie. Not exactly the outcome he'd hoped for, but that didn't matter.

    Striding across the ground, Koa knelt next to Echo. The Crobat's eyes fluttered open and he squeaked sadly. "You did great," Koa said, smiling. "And you're really getting the hang of flying like that now!"

    Echo perked up and squeaked happily. Koa gently scooped him up and then took out his pokeball. "Take a rest, ok?" Echo nodded, and a moment later was withdrawn into his ball. Koa stood, eyeing Joan. "So..."

    Joan eyed him back. "A tie." The silence lingered. "Not bad," she said finally. Her serious expression shifted into a grin. "Anyways, good luck with that trick you're trying to teach your Crobat, yeah?"

    Koa stared a moment longer before slipping into a smile. "Good luck to you too."

    xxx

    They encountered a few more trainers throughout their hike. He saw Kitto's Pidgey defeat a wily Prinplup, and Flurry managed to take down a tough young Onix. Their walk had seemingly taken them through a tunnel and to a somewhat more deserted section of the island, closer to the north side. Koa squeezed between a narrow gap and down a short slope.

    He'd only taken a step before an unearthly yowl broke the peace and quiet. Almost immediately it was followed by a second enraged cry. The sounds sent shivers down Koa's spine and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He recognized it almost instantly. Zeraora. Except unlike its fury filled yowl the night before, this one carried something else - pain.

    Koa charged ahead, easily scaling the rocky terrain and zigzagging up the slope towards the noise. From behind, he thought he heard Kitto calling to him, but he pressed on, skidding and scrambling on the terrain. The sounds grew louder as he drew closer, and he could feel faint rumbles in the earth and the sounds of pokemon fighting. He crested a rise and spotted a box valley some distance below, a natural dead end formed by three hills. And there, backed into a corner, stood Zeraora.

    An Aerodactyl hovered above it, pestering it with rocks while staying well out of reach of its claws, while an all too familiar Kabutops, Tyrantrum, and Arctozolt hemmed it in on all sides. Anger surged through Koa. Fossie.

    As he watched, a spire of stone shot from the earth. Zeraora tried to dodge, only to get berated by a flurry of strikes from Aerodactyl just as more rocks surrounded Zeraora. A second later, Koa spotted the trainer standing several yards behind his team, commanding them.

    Even from a distance, Koa could see Zeraora looked worn, even as it did its best to counter attacks. It seemed as if it had been fighting for some time, and sported a nasty looking graze on its forearm where the fur around it had turned purple. Poison. Toxic poison too, no doubt.

    Zeraora slammed its paws into the earth, sending a surge of electricity towards Kabutops, only for Dracozolt to lunge into the path of the attack and absorb it. Kabutops moved in a blur of brown, and slashed Zeraora across the chest. It staggered and before it could recover, Tyrantrum roared and summoned a hail of stone down upon it once more. In a blur of yellow, Zeraora weaved through the attack, though several shards of rock still hit home.

    Koa winced as he watched the pokemon trade blows. Zeraora was still going strong but how long could it face a team of six before succumbing to that poison? He had to do something. He felt himself take a step, then for a split second, hesitated. The image of Zeraora on top of him flashed through his mind, the air being crushed out of him, the rage in its eyes...

    One mercy. Stay away.

    What if he shouldn't help? Surely a pokemon like Zeraora could hold its own. And Zeraora's warning had been clear. Stay away from it. Or maybe Fossie is right, they're dangerous.

    As soon as the errant thought crossed Koa's mind, he banished it. Zeraora was getting ganged up on, and Koa had no idea what Fossie planned to do, but he couldn't stand by and watch. Not after what Fossie said. Maybe Zeraora would hate him forever for interfering, but he had to help.

    With a wild yell, Koa charged down the hill. The skirmish paused for a brief second as Zeraora and Fossie's team both turned towards him, as did Fossie. Koa skidded into the valley just yards away from Fossie, one hand at his belt.

    "Back off!" His shout echoed across the walls.

    Fossie clenched his fist. "Stay out of this," he growled in a low voice.

    "No I don't think I will," Koa snapped. His gaze shifted briefly to Zeraora, who was regarding him with an unreadable look, still in its battle stance. "Whatever you're planning, I'm not letting you get away with it. Let Zeraora go."

    Fossie whipped back around to face his team. "Don't stop, keep attacking!" he shouted.

    As Fossie's pokemon started to attack again, Koa released his team. They emerged with a cacophony of cries. "Help Zeraora!" he called.

    His team leapt into action. Echo picked up Hazard and shot through the air towards Aerdoactyl, while Scrapper fired off several seed bombs to distract Kabutops and Dracozolt. With a roar, Rascal and Anubis jumped Tyrantrum, dodging in and out to pepper it with attacks.

    "You stupid—" Fossie began to snarl. "Cobalt, dodge!"

    The blue-scaled Tyrantrum jerked back, narrowly missing a blast of water from Flurry, who was launching attacks from the edges of the skirmish.

    For seconds that felt like an eternity, Koa watched his team scuffle with Fossie's stronger one. Would it even make a difference? His pokemon were tough but Fossie was a league fighter. A few seconds later relief flooded Koa as the brief distraction turned out to be all Zeraora needed. It zigzagged forward like a bolt of living lightning, slashing and striking as it moved forwards, no longer blocked by Aerodactly from above, who found himself too distracted by Echo's harassment and Hazard clinging to his back to stop the legendary.

    With Fossie's team's attention drawn by Koa's pokemon, Zeraora struck back with devastating force against them. A pummeling blow to Dracozolts skull, a bolt of thunderous lightning knocking Kabutops off its feet, and a slash to Tyrantrum's vulnerable belly followed by a bolt that knocked Aerodactyl from the sky. Moments later, a silence had fallen as Fossie's team lay fainted, leaving only a battered but very angry looking Zeraora standing silently amongst them.

    Koa's breath caught and he saw Fossie tense. Zeraora looked between Fossie and Koa, narrowing its eyes before glancing at Koa's team. Its gaze seemed to linger on Hazard for a brief second. And then a moment later, with a furious yowl, Zeraora exploded forward in a burst of light and heat, shooting past them and out of the canyon, then vanished.

    Fossie whirled upon Koa, storming up to him with clenched fists and fury in his gaze. "You stupid child," he snarled, getting right into Koa's face.

    Koa glared back with equal ferocity, separated by just inches. A low, building growl from behind Fossie shattered the stillness. Anubis and Rascal and come up behind him, along with Flurry and Scrapper. Fossie's own team was only just beginning to rise, and looked much worse for wear.

    With a final glare, Fossie grabbed the pokeballs off his belt and returned his team one by one. "You got lucky this time, Koa. But one day you're gonna learn. Humans and legends don't mix." And with that he turned and stormed off.

    "You did good."

    The sound of Kitto's voice from behind him made him jump, and he whipped around. He'd been so focused he'd completely forgotten about him. "Kitto! When'd you get here?"

    Kitto surveyed the area for a moment, taking in the setting. "Not long after you actually, but by then it looked like you managed to settle things. That yellow pokemon was a Zeraora, right?"

    Koa nodded. "Yeah I... I had to do something. I don't know what Fossie was planning but he was trapping Zeraora and..." he shrugged. "I don't care if Zeraora hates me forever for stepping in. I couldn't abandon him."

    "You made the right call," Kitto said, nodding slowly. "Although perhaps Zeraora doesn't hate you for it as much as you think."

    A lump formed in Koa's throat again. "I wish I'd had the chance to apologize for last night. I didn't mean... well I did I guess, but I made a mistake." He shook his head, then shrugged.

    "You did your best to help it here. That counts for something. And maybe we'll see it again."

    Koa nodded absentmindedly. "I hope so..."

    xxx

    That evening, Koa found himself still stuck running through the events of the past days. No matter how much he thought about it, he still couldn't manage to make headway. Finally, on a whim, Koa pulled out his phone and dialed the number Avis had given him. He hadn't checked in with her in awhile, and maybe talking to someone new could give him perspective.

    It rang several times, and Koa was beginning to worry she wouldn't answer at all when the line picked up.

    Her cheerful voice crackled from the speaker. "Well well well, I thought you'd never call, Koa! What's up?"

    "I'm training at Iron Island for my gym battle against Byron. How's your training going?"

    "Great! It's been crazy though. Lots of battling and even more studying. But I'm just happy I'm actually getting to do something more, you know?"

    Koa smiled. "Yeah, I get that." A momentary silence fell. No sense beating around the bush with Avis, he decided. "I actually need your help. Something's been bugging me, and I thought maybe you could help."

    "Sure, shoot. What's got you so bothered?"

    "Everything," he blurted. His frustration surged, but he let it pass. "Team Blackout. And these legendary attacks. You ever feel like you're missing something obvious but you just can't really get it?"

    Avis snorted. "All the time, Koa."

    Maybe he could glean some useful information... "What do you know about them? Team Blackout I mean?"

    There was a pause on the other end for a moment. He almost thought she'd refuse to answer, which he couldn't have blamed her for.

    "I can't tell you anything we're working on now. But I'll save you the hassle of combing through news reports and police records. As long as you're not going to run after them alone, are you?"

    "No," Koa replied quickly.

    "Hmm... Promise me you won't do anything reckless?"

    "I promise," Koa said solemnly.

    "Good," Avis replied cheerfully. "A lot of it I already told you about. Grunts that escaped from the initial arrests of Team Galactic got together and formed their own group."

    Koa gritted his teeth at the mention of the name, grunting in acknowledgement.

    "Most likely, without the funding and stability of Galactic they needed something else to fill that void. At first, it looks like it was all about money. If you check the reports that match their MO, its basic things. Jewelry, TM's, money and the occasional mugging or theft, you know. They were a nuisance, but not as dangerous, and the International Police weren't even looking into them, just local Sinnoh authorities."

    "But then something changed, right?" Koa asked. "They went after pokemon?"

    "Precisely. Just over a year ago, it shifted. Rather abruptly, a string of pokemon abductions and poaching happened. At first, Sinnoh PD didn't even think it was the work of Team Blackout because that wasn't their usual target. But the MO matched and witness reports lined up. Thieves in all black, and using electric type pokemon." Avis paused for a moment. "Here's what's really weird. Almost all the pokemon taken in their initial strikes were fire-types."

    Koa's eyes widened. "Like what happened at Professor Rowan's lab?"

    "Exactly. Some of the last fire-types taken were from the lab, your pokemon and a Chimchar and a few others. Sure, they nabbed a few other ones, but that seemed to be opportunistic."

    Old anger surfaced in Koa at the mention of the robbery. Unconsciously, he began pacing back and forth across camp. Robberies, then poaching, then stealing fire-types. Like Anubis. "But why only one type? Poachers usually target rare pokemon, don't they?"

    "Usually, but sometimes certain types get 'hot' on the market... Except as far as we can tell there was nothing to indicate an influx of buyers seeking fire-types."

    "And now they've moved on from fire to electric?" A thought began to form in his mind, one he couldn't shake. It was a weak connection, but certainly something.

    "Seems that way..." Avis' voice trailed off. "There's another possibility for the strange shift in their MO."

    Koa stopped pacing and listened.

    "Someone could be paying them. There's no concrete evidence yet, but it would certainly explain why a group of petty thieves would graduate to pokemon poaching. And it could explain the weird type obsession."

    Koa's heart twisted and he gripped the phone. "So some sicko is trying to collect a bunch of pokemon of certain types?" he growled under his breath. And what did this have to do with Zeraora? "I don't get it..."

    Silence fell for a few moments.

    "What are you thinking? She asked finally. "I can practically hear the gears turning."

    "You know about Amity Square burning, right? And the attack at Celestic Ruins?"

    "...You think this is all connected?"

    Now that Avis had said it out loud, it seemed to click. "Yeah, maybe. Think about it, not long after taking a bunch of fire-types, something resembling Entei appears and sets fire to one of Sinnoh's biggest destinations. Then electric-types, and Celestic Ruins are supposedly destroyed by Raikou?" Koa's heart beat a little faster. "I thought this was about luring the beasts here but... What if Team Blackout is trying to take attention away from themselves? I mean, setting up a bunch of fake legendary attacks would be a good distraction, wouldn't it?"

    "Fake attacks?"

    "It's not Entei," Koa snapped. Almost immediately he regretted his harsh tone. "Sorry. It's just... I was there. I know everyone thinks it was the legendaries but it wasn't."

    "Relax, I know. I believe you, remember? But clearly something weird is going on. If it really is all a distraction, that's a lot of effort and damage to do though... but you might be right. If everyone is talking about that they won't be as focused on catching a group of criminals."

    Koa found himself rubbing at his neck as he chewed on her words. "There's something else..." he said finally.

    Avis said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

    "I saw a pokemon called Zeraora here, on Iron Island." He grimaced inwardly, wondering how much to share. A prickle of shame still ate at him whenever he thought about what he'd done. "Zeraora is... a mythical pokemon. An electric-type, and supposedly it's a protector, especially of wild pokemon. But the weird part is it's never been known to come to Iron Island."

    Avis hummed in thought. "So you're thinking that if it's there that means something is up." The words sounded more like a statement than a question. As if she herself had guessed what he was thinking already.

    "I think it's here because of Team Blackout." It was a thought that'd crossed his mind briefly, but he hadn't fully considered until now, talking to Avis. It tracked, though. If Zeraora truly had come to help wild pokemon, perhaps it was enraged because of Team Blackout, not just him.

    And you got in its way.

    And why it had been determined to flee from Fossie instead of continuing the fight.

    "I see..." Avis said slowly. "I'll have to let my superiors know... We've been so busy with what happened in Alola but it might be worth checking out."

    Koa blinked and frowned, the memory of the news report from some days ago resurfacing. "Wait, Alola was Team Blackout too?" Just how far was their reach? And what did they want with their research?

    A bitter laugh came from Avis. "The Aether Foundation is refusing to cooperate much so technically we don't know anything yet. It's been a hassle and a half... " she gave an exasperated sigh. "Anyways, good luck with your training. I'd better go, I have a class I'm about to be late for and I'll get an earful if I am. I'll pass on what you told me to Looker."

    "Alright. Thanks for the help, and good luck to you too."

    After he'd hung up with Avis, he turned to Kitto. His mind was still ruminating on their conversation and everything else going on. Fire-types... then electric-types... Now Zeraora.

    "So what did you find out?" Kitto asked.

    Koa relayed the jist of his conversation with Avis to Kitto. "There's two theories I guess. First, maybe it is about somehow luring the legendary pokemon. Maybe whoever is doing this is trying to catch them. Or this is about something else."

    Kitto quirked an eyebrow in curiosity.

    "Maybe this isn't about the beasts themselves. It could be that Team Blackout is trying to distract everyone from their actions by stirring up the legendary pokemon. That and Zeraora might be here because Team Blackout is."

    "Divert the focus..." Kitto mused out loud. "Could be. If everyone is fixated on when the next attack will happen they won't be watching out for a gang of thieves... but you also said Avis mentioned that they could have someone funding them. If that's true, whoever is paying them might be up to something even worse."

    "What do we do then?" Koa asked.

    "For now, we stay aware. And keep an eye out. That's all we can do."

    Koa managed a nod, but he couldn't help but feel increasingly uneasy.

    Would it be enough?


    Koa has encountered Zeraora, but in an impulsive act, almost jeopardized himself. Only thanks to Hazard was he seemingly spared. But what made Zeraora so angry in the first place? And what is the truth behind the legendary attacks? Unfortunately there seem to be more questions than answers...

    I was really excited to write this, especially the initial scene! The mental image has been in my head for some time. I love the idea that an angered legendary can be a force to be reckoned with, and some legendaries are likely to be less gentle than others.

    Also had some fun poking at the pronunciations of Galar. Before the trailers mentioned the name I definitely recall there being some talks about, and even after there were different perspectives. Just thought it would be fun having characters take different sides.

    The final chapter of this arc is set to be posted next week... Quite excited to have finished this arc finally! Hope everyone enjoyed! As always, your comments are read, loved and appreciated.
     
    Last edited:
    Chapter 27: Iron Chains
  • Flyg0n

    Flygon connoisseur
    Pronouns
    She/her
    Partners
    1. flygon
    2. swampert
    3. ho-oh
    4. crobat
    5. orbeetle
    6. joltik
    7. salandit
    8. tyrantrum
    Chapter 27: Iron Chains

    Finally, the penultimate chapter of this arc! Without further ado, I present Iron Chains. In which things take a 'shocking' turn and danger is just around the corner...

    Echo (Male Crobat)

    Hazard (Male Joltik)

    Rascal (Female Tyrunt)

    Anubis (Male Houndoom)

    Scrapper (Male Breloom)



    A weak buzz of electricity shot through Koa's body and jerked upright, gasping. He blinked, pushing aside an unpleasant dream of trying to flee from Entei, and looked around.

    Hazard stood an inch in front of his face, his blue eyes shining with urgency and fur fluffed. "Hazard?" he mumbled, still fighting off the remnants of sleepiness. "What's up?"

    Hazard chittered softly, then scurried a few feet away before looking back expectantly.

    "You want me to follow you?" If Hazard had woken him to show him something, it was probably important. But what could be that important? Quickly grabbing his flashlight, he crawled out of his tent.

    Cool air greeted him. Several yards away, he could just barely make out the shape of Hazard, body glowing faintly with electricity and waiting expectantly. He started moving again, and Koa quickly hurried after him.

    Once he began walking, his brain started to wake up. Worry set in. How far were they going? What did Hazard want to show him? For another minute, Hazard just scurried quickly forwards, determinedly following some kind of route he seemed to have memorized. As they delved deeper into the caves, he glowed a bit brighter, lighting the way.

    "Hey Hazard," Koa began slowly. "How much further?"

    Hazard slowed only barely, chittering urgently before hurrying along once more. He scurried through another cavern, past a sleeping Onix and into another tunnel that sloped sharply upwards.

    As Koa stumbled after Hazard, he became aware of a constant crashing noise. It reminded him of something he'd heard before... He'd only been following the new tunnel for a minute before it widened and opened up. Koa stepped onto a small open area that seemed to overlook a much larger cavern below. The noise had grown much louder now, and he instantly recognized it - waves, crashing against a shore.

    Below him spread out a wide, flat cavern. The ocean stretched into the cavern itself a good distance, and a boat lay moored within. Dim lightning on the boat provided a semblance of visibility, though his own spot remained cloaked in shadow. His gaze was drawn almost immediately to a yellow and black shape on the deck of the boat. A second later, as his eyes adjusted, he could make out the shape properly.

    There, chained to the deck of the boat, was Zeraora.

    Four sets of chains restrained each of Zeraora's limbs, and a heavy collar of chains wrapped around his neck. Each chain had been securely bolted to the boat in a way that stopped Zeraora from moving more than a few inches. It was hard to see from a distance, but he looked injured as well, and lay mostly still.

    A soft pressure on his arm made him look down. With one foreleg, Hazard pointed across the cavern. Koa looked to where he gestured. Past the boat, on the far side, a huge tarp covered something. A gust of sea wind swept through the empty cavern, lifting the tarp for a few seconds before it settled again. Cages.

    Chills crept down his spine and his stomach twisted. Cages upon cages were stacked, each one containing a pokemon, some even with two crammed inside. By his estimate, over twenty cages filled the cavern. "What the-"

    Every single pokemon was some kind of electric type - Plusle, Pikachu, Luxio and more. Many of the pokemon appeared poorly kept as well, weak or injured in some way. His heart dropped. Was this the fate that had awaited Hazard? Where had they even gotten this many? Forget that, what were they planning on doing?

    Rage filled him and he clenched his fists. He could feel his heart racing as his breaths quickened. This had to be the work of Team Blackout. He had to stop them, to get those pokemon free somehow, get Zeraora out.

    His eyes darted frantically around the area. Just below the ledge he perched on he could see an area where the wall seemed to jut out and slope downwards. It was just close enough to reach, and if he carefully scaled the wall, he was sure he could remain unseen among the shadows.

    Every urge screamed at him to leap down from his hiding place, run in and fight them himself. Memories of Scrapper's leg getting broken flashed through his mind. He grimaced and shook his head.

    He couldn't just jump into a situation again and let his pokemon get hurt. He scanned the room again, quickly as he could. At least five people were below, standing near the boat, dressed in typical black clothing. No less than two pokeballs each on their belts. Some had three or four each. Too many for him to try and handle alone. He needed help.

    A warning chitter from Hazard broke him from his thoughts. He glanced over to see the little Joltik staring fiercely back at him, his eyes blazing with equal, if not greater rage. "Yeah, I know," he growled. His gaze lingered on Zeraora. Chained like a mindless creature. Held captive. His fingers curled into a fist.

    Turning around quietly, he edged away from the ledge and back into the tunnel, Hazard by his side. Once he was certain he was far enough away, he broke into a run, Hazard leading him back through the tunnels. The journey back felt twice as long, but eventually he emerged onto the plateau he and Kitto had made camp on.

    With the light of the moon to guide him, he raced across the expanse and burst into Kitto's tent. "Kitto!" he shouted. "Kitto get up!"

    Kitto's eyes blinked open and he stared at Koa. "Koa? What are you doing?" he grumbled hoarsely.

    "Kitto, get up!" he hissed. All he could think of now was the pokemon. Of Zeraora, trapped on that boat.

    Kitto sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What?" he demanded. "Spit it out."

    "They have Zeraora and a bunch of electric pokemon there was something going on on the island, that's why Zeraora came here because Team Blackout is here and I saw them and they've got cages and cages full of electric pokemon and they're up to something horrible and they've got him chained up and we have to try and stop them -"

    "Whoa, slow down!" Kitto said, holding up his hand, clearly wide awake now. "Take a breath, then tell me what is going on." His tone remained calm and level, but his eyes betrayed his anger.

    Koa forced himself to take a long breath, then let it out slowly. He refused to make the same mistake he had with Scrapper... "Hazard led me to a cave across the island. I saw a bunch of guys dressed in black, and they've got Zeraora chained up on a boat and there's cages of electric type pokemon. I'm pretty sure it's Team Blackout. We have to go down there and stop them!"

    Kitto frowned, his gaze growing dark. "Do you know how long they've been there?"

    Koa shook his head. "No, but there's at least five of them, and about three to four pokemon each."

    "Do you know if they're planning on leaving soon?"

    Koa shook his head again.

    "Hmm... Then we need to try to find out as much as we can, without being seen," Kitto said slowly.

    "So we can stop them, right?" Koa asked.

    "So we can alert the police," Kitto said firmly. "Taking on all of them at once is not a great idea. Especially if we don't know what we're up against. We need backup." Almost as if reading Koa's mind, he added, "Trying to stop them ourselves could just get our pokemon and those pokemon hurt. We don't have the numbers. We let the police handle this. Got it?"

    Reluctantly, Koa nodded. Kitto was right, they had to play it safe. They had no idea what they were dealing with. "So what do we do first?"

    "Show me where you saw them."

    xXx

    Koa crouched just inside the tunnel while Kitto scoped out the cavern. He didn't want to see them again, to see what they were doing. His thoughts felt crowded, distant. Memories of Veilstone kept flashing through his mind. Scrapper, racing down the alley, and the chilling 'snap!' that followed.

    Kitto moved away from the ledge, past him and back down to the tunnel's entrance. Koa followed, navigating by the dim light of his phone. When they reached the exit, Kitto lit a lantern, providing a passable amount of light to see by.

    "You're right, there's at least five of them down there," Kitto said. His red eyes glinted in the lantern's light, full of simmering rage. "Zeraora looks like it's chained up with some kind of special chain. They must have ambushed it to subdue it."

    Anger boiled inside Koa, mixed with another emotion. Fear.

    Kitto continued. "I'm going to place the call to the police. Let them know what they're dealing with." His voice was somber.

    "Wait," Koa whispered. "Don't tell them about Zeraora."

    Kitto nodded then turned and walked a few feet away, quickly dialing a number. Koa watched him for a moment, then walked away.

    Crouching down, he sent out all of his pokemon, one by one. All of their gazes were somber and serious, even Echo. His gaze briefly settled on Flurry. Anubis stood protectively over her, and her dark eyes flickered with fear.

    He took a deep breath to gather his thoughts, glancing at Scrapper encouragingly. "I don't know what's going to happen down there. Hopefully the police will get here quickly and handle everything. But just in case..." He took another deep breath. "I want you guys to stay out of this. Team Blackout is dangerous. If anything happens, I don't want to see any of you hurt-"

    Scrapper stepped up, pushing past the others, and raised his fists. He stamped his formerly injured leg on the ground. A snarl rumbled in Anubis' throat. He stepped forward as well, eyes blazing. Echo shreed softly in a clear signal of agreement, and the rest of his pokemon all gave soft cries as well, indicating their desire to fight.

    Koa blinked. He wasn't surprised at the show of support, not really. Yet seeing it was still heartening. They all shared a hatred of Team Blackout, just as he did. He looked once again at Flurry. She was much too inexperienced in battle for something like this. If something happened, and it came to a fight... "Listen Flurry. No matter what happens, stay in your pokeball, ok?"

    She stared back at him for a long moment, then nodded. Koa looked over the rest of his pokemon, taking a measure of comfort in the knowledge they had his back.

    xxx

    A short time later, he was on his way back to the overlook.

    "Now remember," Kitto said, his voice a low whisper, "We're only here to observe. Got it?"

    Koa locked eyes for a moment with Kitto, then nodded.

    Tense silence settled over them as they crept back out to the ledge, lying prone to stay hidden. Koa took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm and take in the scene before him. The cavern was large, even bigger than a league battlefield. A couple of dark tunnels could be seen along the shadowy edges of the room to the left. Most of the room was flat, rocky ground and on the far end, the inlet of water where the boat was moored, surrounded by dark water.

    His stomach twisted and he swallowed. The sound felt loud in his head, and he felt certain everyone in the whole cavern could hear him, though they never looked in his direction. What if the police didn't arrive in time? What was Blackout going to do to Zeraora and the other pokemon? He saw a few of the poachers milling around, and one of them appeared to be checking the locks on the cages at the far side.

    A short ways below, he saw a couple of the thieves watching over the process, making conversation amongst themselves. By leaning close and tilting his head just right, he could make out snatches of their conversation.

    "You believe... thing is really... legendary?"

    "Ythica, legenda, hell if I ca-. I ... Silas talki...buyer earlier ... pay good for it."

    Silas? Was that their leader's name? He leaned closer.

    "...Heh. So I guess we get a bonus then."

    "We'd better. That thing was a beast to knock out. Half of our pokemon are still recovering. Excadrill's gonna be feeling that hit for a week."

    "Eh, better than having to fly all the way to Alola to steal a bunch of nonsense. I don't get what the deal is with all these stupid fetch quests we're going on."

    "It's that muking guy Boss has us working for. Guess he must pay real well for Boss to take orders from him."

    "Yeah well I wish he'd grow a backbone. Getting sick of being someone else's fetcher. Give me a nice simple robbery, not all these battles against freaking legendaries and holing up in some damp cave."

    Koa frowned. It sounded like Team Blackout had been hired by someone to catch all these electric pokemon. And Avis had been right, they were behind whatever happened in Alola. He glanced at Kitto, and they shared a brief look before focusing their attention below. Koa tried to comfort himself with the knowledge that the police would be here soon.

    From some annex of the cavern, another figure appeared, a woman with dark teal hair and a bulky build.

    "Listen up!" her voice came out like the crack of a whip, and immediately the grunts jerked to attention and faced her.

    She slowly took in the group of them almost robotically. "Change of plans. Buyer only wants that thing—" she gestured at the Zeraora chained on the deck "—and he's coming early to pick it up. Which means he's not taking all those other pokemon we brought him. If he ain't gonna buy em we'll have to try and sell them elsewhere. Which means I want everyone to start loading those cages back onto the boat. Got it?"

    They nodded.

    "Good. Now check the locks on the cages and move them, double time."

    "Yes Minerva!" they replied in unison, bowing low.

    Seemingly pleased with the response, she spun and began to walk away towards the oceanside exit.

    Koa's blood turned to ice. 'Within the hour'. Those had been her words. The police wouldn't be here in time at this rate. They needed to try to rescue the pokemon now. He dragged his eyes away from them to look at Kitto. Kitto met his gaze, eyes blazing.

    Kitto tapped his shoulder lightly, and they crept away from the ledge and deeper into the tunnel.

    "We have to do something," Koa growled, keeping his voice as low as he could manage. "If the buyer gets here, Zeraora is gone. All those pokemon will be gone. We have to-"

    "I know," Kitto's voice was terse, filled with more anger than he'd ever heard from him before. "We will." He paused, thinking. "Echo knows Confuse Ray, right?"

    "Yeah..." Koa said, nodding slowly. His mind raced as he tried to concoct a plan. "We could stun the guards. And then get their pokeballs." A Confuse Ray wouldn't have quite the same effect on humans, but it would be more than enough to stun everyone if they moved fast.

    "Hazard can immobilize them," Kitto added.

    Koa nodded. "And I'll try to get to Zeraora while you take the guards pokeballs."

    Kitto nodded and whispered in acknowledgement. "Let's go then." There was a shuffling noise, then he moved back towards the ledge. Koa followed, then released Echo from his ball. He glanced at Echo, and a flicker of understanding passed between them. He quickly whispered the plan. "Ready?"

    Echo nodded, eyes glinting.

    Everything happened quickly after that. Echo dove from his perch at the guard farthest away. Just a foot away, he fired a golden orb at his face. The man staggered, then crumpled to the floor. His comrades hadn't even noticed. Moving like a blur, Echo quickly disabled two more.

    Minerva, who'd been near the east exit, gave a cry of shock and reached for the pokeballs on her belt. She was too slow. Echo acted first, striking her with a Confuse Ray, and she slumped to the ground. The rest of the guards swiftly met the same fate. In the space of less than a minute, the room had been subdued.

    He and Kitto slid down from their perch. Now was the crucial aspect of their plan. A Confuse Ray attack would only stun and disorient for a few minutes. They had a short window to act before the guards would recover and start sending out their pokemon. Starting with the guards closest to their perch, Koa quickly took the pokeballs off one of them, while Kitto did the same with the others. They tossed the pokeballs aside to retrieve later.

    Then he sent out Hazard, who quickly began using his webbing to secure the guards.

    Koa was halfway across the cave, heading for the boat, when a piercing yowl filled the cavern. His blood froze and he flinched instinctively at the noise, stopping in his tracks. A second yowl sounded and he turned to see a positively giant Luxray standing near the east entrance to the cavern. Behind it stood a man with more pokeballs on his belt, wearing the same black attire, though he carried himself with a greater air of authority and wore no black cap.

    Dread rushed across Koa's body. They had missed someone. One person, just outside the cave. Only one. Silas?

    "Well. You must be the blue-haired brat my grunts keep talking about." His voice was cold and unconcerned, as if their presence meant nothing.

    "You must be Silas," Koa spat. It was a guess, but the expression on the man's face told him he was right.

    Silas sighed. "You trainers, always trying to fight back. No matter." With an almost bored expression, he reached inside his vest.

    And just like that, everything fell apart.

    Flashes of light lit the cavern as more pokemon were released from their pokeballs - Drapion, Toxicroak, Gastrodon, Weavile. To Koa's dismay, Silas wasted no time hurrying to the side of Minerva to release her pokemon as well. A massive Purugly was quickly joined by a Toxicroak and a Jolteon as well as a Gliscor. Koa's heart started racing. They were outnumbered, too many pokemon—

    Lights flashed from Koa's belt as his own pokemon released themselves. Anubis' howl echoed, a chilling call to battle. Then he surged forward, no more than a shadowy blur, and slammed into a Luxray. They rolled across the cavern, snarling and howling, a tangle of dark fur.

    A raucous din filled the cavern in seconds, a wild cacophony of shrieks and howls and snarls. Koa froze and his mind blanked. He stared as Anubis brawled with the Luxray. Its claws moved in blurs, slashing Anubis' shoulders. He retaliated with a blaze of fire straight to its face. Blinding light flashed from its body as it delivered a powerful shock to Anubis, stopping him in his tracks.

    He seized up, his entire body shuddering. Luxray yowled and lunged, tackling him to the ground. Fear for his pokemon flooded Koa. But before he could make a move, a silver boulder smashed into Luxray's side, knocking it halfway across the room.

    Anubis got to his feet, and Koa looked to see Rascal, looking smug as ever. A loud screech drew his attention and he looked up just in time to see a Gliscor raise a shining claw and bring it crashing down on Echo's head.

    Stunned, the Crobat sailed across the room, straight for a stalagmite. "Echo!" Koa's heart skipped a beat. He leaped into action, dodging around a stray blob of mud from a Gastrodon. A couple yards from crashing into it, Koa leaped up. Echo crashed into Koa and he slammed into the stalagmite. The impact jarred his body, the rock biting into his skin. Echo dropped roughly to the ground.

    Koa slid to the floor, coughing. Wincing, he looked over. Echo had fluttered back into the air, looking winded but mostly unharmed.

    "You ok?"

    Echo bobbed up and down. Yes. His gaze shifted to the Gliscor, who had joined with a Weavile and was now fighting Jackie several yards away. Letting out a piercing screech, Echo shot towards them, colliding with Gliscor, knocking out of the air and sending it careening towards the ground. The Weavile hissed and whirled on Echo, momentarily distracted. The opening was just enough for Jackie to clobber it in the face with a powerful Fire Punch. It rolled across the floor and back onto its feet, baring its fangs.

    Meanwhile, the Gliscor had risen again. A purple sheen shimmered in its eyes, and Koa couldn't resist a smirk. Echo had got it with Poison Fang. It dove at Jackie, swooping just out of range while kicking sand and gravel at him with his tail.

    Echo shrieked again. His wings glowed as he prepared an attack to aid them. Until a flurry of icy shards struck him in the back. He faltered mid flight as ice completely solidified over his rear wings. Weavile smirked, seemingly pleased with itself.

    For a brief second, Echo dipped, ready to nosedive. Then he caught himself, his front wings beating faster. They glowed silver and he circled and dove at the shocked Weavile, slashing it across the chest. It emitted a shocked yelp, then skittered away.

    Koa smiled. Despite the situation, pride filled him at seeing Echo flying with ease, despite his wings being disabled. Echo would be alright. Already he had engaged the Gliscor again and the ice was beginning to dissipate. Between him and Jackie, Koa felt certain they'd be fine. Tearing his gaze away from Echo, he quickly scanned the battlefield.

    Along with Weavile, he could see a couple other pokemon had been knocked out. A Jolteon lay sprawled out, and one Toxicroak lay near it, both unconscious. Anubis was fighting the Luxray still, but seemed to be going strong, while the Luxray looked exhausted. Every few seconds, Rascal would dodge away from the Drapion she was brawling to fire a haphazard attack at it, keeping it off balance.

    A tiny seed of hope grew in Koa. Maybe they could win this, or at least hold off Team Blackout until help arrived. He quickly glanced around again. Where was Scrapper? He spotted him a second later, dancing around another frustrated looking Toxicroak. It kept jabbing at him and spitting poison, but he managed to leap to the side just fast enough each time, never getting hit.

    Yes. They could win this, just a little more—

    And then another light flashed. Koa whipped towards it and spotted a behemoth of a Rhyperior standing before Silas, a taunting look in its eyes. Slamming its fists together, it let out a grating roar that made the earth tremble.

    It smashed both arms into the ground, and two lines of stone shot from the earth, one erupting beneath Scrapper and the other hitting Rascal in the side. The two pokemon were knocked aside, staggering and stunned. Koa's eyes widened, his cry to dodge dying on his lips. Rhyperior was clearly a level above the other pokemon. Rascal rose to her feet, then hastily scrambled away from Drapion's tail as it embedded it right where she'd been standing.

    Scrapper had managed to shake off the Stone Edge, blinking and growling as he turned towards Rhyperior. Toxicroak crept up from behind, readying a strike.

    "Scrapper, right!" Koa shouted. Scrapper hurled himself to his right. The Poison Jab from the Toxicroak met empty air and it croaked furiously.

    Rhyperior, however, had turned its sights elsewhere. Its gaze had locked onto Anubis, who was still facing off against the Luxray. The two quadrupeds paced around each other, spitting sparks and embers as they sought an opening to strike. Anubis was blissfully oblivious to Rhyperior singling him out.

    With another earth-shaking roar, Rhyperior threw its head back, a golden aura flaring around it. A similar glow spread into the earth around it, then zigzagged through the ground towards Anubis.

    "Dodge Anubis!" Koa cried frantically. Before Anubis could move, Luxray swiped at Anubis, knocking him off balance. A moment later the earth under the Houndoom erupted. The blow tossed him and sent him rolling.

    Fear flooded Koa. Anubis rolled to a stop and lay still, dazed. Except that didn't seem to be enough to Rhyperior. It held its arms out in front of it and a rock shrouded in a sinister red aura began to form.

    Koa scrambled to grab Anubis' pokeball before Rhyperior could strike. Hardly had his hand started to move to his belt before a light flashed from it and Flurry appeared. The light didn't have a chance to fade before a jet of water shot across the room, nailing Rhyperior in the side of the head.

    It flinched and grunted, the attack crumbling, and it turned to her with a furious glare.

    "Flurry no!" Koa grabbed Flurry's pokeball and tried to return her, only for her to deftly dodge the beam. With a battle cry, she set off rolling and hit Rhyperior with another rapid blast of water.

    Enraged, it started firing chunks of rock at her, which she zigzagged through, each one missing her more narrowly than the last, until she hit it with a final jet of water, this time making it flinch and shift backwards. The distraction had been enough. Anubis rose to his feet, shook his head, then charged back at the Luxray, who had since turned on Scrapper. Tackling it, the two rolled back into their brawl.

    Golden aura flared around Rhyperior once more as it screeched in rage at its lost prey. The earth began to shake and Koa staggered, scrambling for balance as everything around Rhyperior and Flurry erupted.

    Flurry screamed as she sailed through the air and Rhyperior followed up with a swift rock blast, right at her falling form. Koa's heart lurched, his hand reaching for her ball in slow motion. Too slow too slow she was falling, the rock flying towards her helpless body—

    A blur of purple and suddenly Flurry was gone and the rock struck the far wall instead. Koa whipped to the side and spotted Echo awkwardly dropping Flurry back to the ground, unharmed.

    Shaking, Koa returned Flurry. He opened his mouth to call a thanks to Echo when he saw Rhyperior furiously charging another attack.

    "Roll!" Koa shouted.

    Echo spiraled to the side, rolling through the air as a barrage of rocks flew at him. One, two, three, four, five. The fifth one sailed wide as Echo faked out Rhyperior before soaring upwards towards the darkness of the ceiling.

    Koa seized the opportunity. "Steel Wing!"

    Echo screeched and became a shining blur as he dropped down and delivered a rapid one-two strike with each wing before shooting back up into the air.

    Rhyperior cried out again as it turned fruitlessly in circles, trying to spot Echo.

    "Again!" Koa called, his heart hammering in his ears and his chest tight. This Rhyperior needed to go.

    Echo swooped down once more, but only managed to deliver a glancing blow before Rhyperior swung a glowing fist that narrowly missed nailing the Crobat.

    Koa scowled. At this rate they'd never do enough to stop it. And then salvation came in the form of a blue sphere from far off, hitting Rhyperior in the back and causing it to fall to one knee.

    A slow grin formed on Koa's face as Jackie came sprinting across the room, fists glowing. Without slowing down, the Hitmonchan exploded forward even faster and slammed both fists into Rhyperior's back. It whirled upon Jackie with frightful speed, slinging its own fist, but Jackie ducked and delivered a devastating uppercut that made it reel backwards.

    Koa's heart soared and he cheered inwardly as the two began to exchange blows in a rapid brawl. As fast as the Rhyperior might have been, it simply stood no match against Jackie's martial arts. Every movement precise, every strike perfectly-timed.

    A frantic clicking and a tug at his ankle jerked Koa's attention downward to see Hazard, eyes wide with fright and gesturing frantically to something behind them.

    Whirling around, Koa turned his back on Jackie's brawl and looked towards the inlet, where the boat was. Or rather, had been. Half of it had sunk beneath the water, while the deck where Zeraora was chained remained tilted about the surface, but steadily sinking.

    A curse slipped from Koa's mouth as he spotted a smoking hole in the hull. A stray attack had to have struck it. Panic resurged in Koa as the full weight dawned on him. Zeraora would drown. He had to do something. "Come on!" he sprinted towards the boat, Hazard hot on his heels.

    "Koa, to your left!" Kitto's shout came from across the cavern, and Koa spun and spotted Silas making for one of the downed guards. One whose pokeballs he'd hadn't had a chance to take.

    Hazard skittered past Koa, firing a bolt of electrified webbing. The blow caught Silas around the ankles and he tripped, falling to the ground. Koa couldn't help but smirk. His gaze shifted back towards the boat, still sinking.

    How—

    With a flick of a knife, Silas cut himself free from the webbing and rose to his feet. Hazard gave a low hissing sound and advanced towards him. Koa's eyes went wide. "Hazard, use—"

    Silas charged Hazard. His foot shot out, connecting solidly with the tiny bug-type, knocking him across the ground. Rage filled Koa and red blurred his vision. He raced to his fallen Joltik's side and let out a sigh of relief as he saw Hazard crack one weary eye open. Good, he was stunned but okay. Before he could protest, Koa returned him.

    "A move befitting a foolish trainer such as yourself," Silas' taunting voice rang out from behind Koa and he turned to see the Blackout leader standing over the body of the guard, four pokeballs in hand. "Should have come after me instead of the bug."

    With a cold smile, he tossed them out and gave the command. A Skuntank and Golem emerged, alongside an Onix and Excadrill, and a second later all four shot past Koa and towards the battling pokemon.

    No no no. Even just four fresh pokemon would change everything, his team was tiring and as strong as Jackie was, the tide could too easily be turned back towards Blackout.

    The boat was still sinking as well, water now lapping dangerously at the deck. Zeraora appeared barely conscious, still immobile on the deck. And between Koa and the boat stood Silas, cool and confident. In his hand, he casually tossed a single pokeball up and caught it again.

    Koa's gaze shifted once more to the boat behind Silas, desperately trying to calculate his odds of getting past him. They didn't look good.

    Suddenly, a furious roar came from Koa's right and he turned just in time to see Rascal racing toward him. She skidded to a stop before Silas and took a menacing step towards him, before glancing behind her and grunting at Koa. The message was clear: I'll distract him. Go.

    Koa had only made two steps toward the boat when Silas released his final pokemon. A fiery mane and tale, cream fur and horn honed to a deadly point. Koa's body froze and he saw Rascal lock up as well at the sight of Rapidash.

    "Flame Charge".

    Rearing up, Rapidash cloaked itself in fire and charged. Right at Koa.

    For a moment, memories flared to life in Koa's mind like a lit match. Rascal's injured form, racing to protect her, Rapidash bearing down on them, to slow to move—

    Koa's mind blanked. His mind screamed at him to move, but his body refused. Fire filled his vision. And then a shining burst of rocks slammed into the Rapidash's side, knocking it off course and interrupting its attack.

    Still in a daze, Koa looked to see Rascal, a triumphant gleam in her eye. And then, the spell seemed to break. He shook his head, then focused on Rascal. His heart still thrummed in his ears and his throat remained tight, but he could at least move. Think.

    He shouted with a confidence he didn't feel. "Another Ancient Power!"

    Rascal began to summon a single boulder this time, a shining silver aura flaring around her as she did. A glint flickered in her eyes and abruptly, the boulder crumbled. A momentary confusion rose in Koa. "What..." his voice trailed off as understanding struck him, like a mental image in his head.

    Silas' voice rang out. "Smart Strike."

    Lowering its head and aiming its horn, Rapidash exploded forwards, all but a blur. Just a mere couple feet in front of Rascal, a massive deluge of rocks from above buried Rapidash, halting its charge instantly. Rock Slide.

    A furious cry came from within the pile of stone, and Koa could see Rapidash thrashing to break free. Ever unflinching, Silas called a counter. "Inferno."

    An orange glow began to shine from within. The temperature in the area abruptly spiked. Koa grimaced and moved back, calling for Rascal to do the same as everything suddenly began to grow much, much hotter. The rock pile exploded in a blaze of fire, sending shards of flaming rocks everywhere. Koa yelped and ducked as one shot past his head.

    A few battered Rascal, making her stagger, but she stayed upright, jaws twisted into a furious snarl. Black marks scorched her scales and Koa could tell that the blast had done a number on her. "Dragon Tail!" Koa shouted. Could they try to end this? The familiar green aura formed around her tail and she charged at Rapidash.

    "Flame Charge."

    Wheeling around, the Rapidash took off away from Rascal, fire encasing its body. It galloped in a fiery blur, outpacing Rascal in a few strides before turning sharply around to face her again. The two pokemon met, tail clashing against Rapidash's larger body.

    For a brief moment, Rascal struggled against Rapidash, valiantly trying to force it back. In the end, its size won out, and with a triumphant neigh, the force of the attack sent Rascal sliding backwards.

    Brand new fury flared in her reptilian eyes. Fury at being pushed back once again. Fury at being weaker, at not being enough, at losing. A chill traveled down Koa's spine. She threw her head back and roared.

    The sound shook Koa to his core, deeper and more primal than any noise she'd ever made. He covered his ears and he saw Silas do the same, and even Rapidash flinched back, pinning its ears to its skull.

    Koa waited for the roar to fade as it usually did, but instead, it only seemed to grow louder and louder until a searing glow illuminated the cavern, forcing him to shield his eyes.

    Through his fingers, he saw Rascal's shining shape began to morph and grow, every part of her body growing larger, bigger, stronger, her proportions evening out and a crest forming on her skull.

    And then, after a seeming eternity, the light faded, revealing the towering form of a Tyrantrum, glaring down at the Rapidash, dwarfing it. Koa's jaw dropped.

    Silas took a step back, the first sign of fear showing in his eyes. He tried to mask it quickly. "Smart Stri-"

    Rascal's head snapped down, clamped around Rapidash and hurled it across the room. It sailed through the air, before coming down on top of a Skuntank, crushing it and knocking both pokemon out cold.

    Koa gulped at the display. Before he could say anything, Rascal lumbered over, spun and slapped her tail into Silas, barely putting any force into the blow. Even so it sent him careening sideways where he thudded into a rocky outcropping and lay still.

    Then she roared again, and charged across the cavern towards the brawling pokemon and her team. Without slowing, she barreled into the Rhyperior, sending it tumbling, before swinging her tail and smashing its side. Even from here Koa could see the vengeful gleam in her eyes. Whirling, she set her sights on the Onix, who was looming above the brawling pokemon and trying to strike with its tail.

    With not even a hint of hesitation, Rascal charged the serpent and full body tackled it. The two devolved into a raging, chaotic mass of rock and scales. There was nothing Koa could offer now, she'd have to handle it herself.

    His heart lurched. In all the commotion, he'd completely ignored the most important thing in the room. Shaking and still in shock Koa whipped back around to the boat.

    The boat was gone.

    Oh gods was Zeraora-? No. He had to try.

    He shot one final glance over his shoulder at his team. Rascal had bowled over the Rhyperior and they were still scuffling with the pokemon Silas had released, but with the arrival of Rascal - she was a Tyrantrum now, he still couldn't believe it - things had once again balanced. It was enough. It would have to be enough.

    Koa rushed up to the water's edge, then unclipped his pokeball belt, setting it on the ground. Then he took a deep breath and dove into the dark water.

    Immediately, a chill set in as the water rushed around him, soaking past his jacket and through his shirt and pants. For once, he found himself glad to have his jacket and boots on, since they weighed him down. Forcing his eyes open, he began to swim downwards.

    Through the darkness, he could just make out a shadowy gray mass below, seemingly at the bottom of the inlet. Chest growing tighter with every second, Koa kicked steadily as he pumped his arms rhythmically. He forced all thought of fear and depth and water swallowing him, filling his lungs— buried it, buried it deep, keeping his gaze only on the hazy smudge of yellow below him.

    And then, quite suddenly but still too long, he found himself before the battered form of Zeraora. He could see it thrashing, even though it could only move a few inches in any direction.

    Chains looped around its paws, ankles and neck, securing it to the ship's deck. To his dismay, the steel of the deck was well intact. Zeraora's eyes flicked open and locked on him. Time stilled as the lightning pokemon glared at him. Koa could see the anger, feel it snarling, even as they were underwater. The warning felt clear. Back off.

    Koa glared right back.

    Hesitantly, he swam around to the anchor point where the chain met the deck and tugged experimentally. Solid. His chest grew a little tighter as he moved back to examine Zeraora again. Time was running out. His gaze broke away from Zeraora and back to the chains again, this time on Zeraora. They were tight, digging into the skin beneath the fur. The chains themselves were thick, coated in some kind of rubber material. They'd never break.

    Koa's thoughts raced at lightspeed. Cutting them was out of the question, unlocking them impossible without a key, and Zeraora had no hope of breaking them like this.

    And then, all at once, it struck him.

    His hand shot to his jacket pocket. He withdrew the empty pokeball that he kept inside and primed it.

    Zeraora's eyes widened and it snarled soundlessly, bubbles escaping its jaws. It jerked towards him and Koa felt the faintest buzz of weak electricity course through his body.

    Koa's chest grew tighter and he felt his body crying for air. Forcing himself still, he stared defiantly at Zeraora as the first threads of blackness danced around his vision.

    Legendaries and humans don't mix. He refused to believe that. He refused to let Zeraora die here, like this. Staring into its eyes, he willed it to understand.

    Please.

    Zeraora's response was a defiant glare and tensed body. Never.

    Koa lurched forward and grabbed Zeraora by the chain, pulling its head right up to his own, pressing his face against it. Its eyes widened and for a single moment, Koa forgot about everything around him - the water, the ship, the chains, the despair and ever growing vice around his chest.

    Blue eyes met his own brown ones, and he saw beneath all the anger, determination. And beneath that, fear.

    And then Zeraora nodded.

    Koa acted instantly, pressing the pokeball to Zeraora's snout. Red light encased its form and drew it inside the confines of the ball and right out of the chains. Clutching the ball tightly, Koa began kicking frantically, panic seeping in. Suddenly the surface seemed so far away...

    He stroked with one arm, keeping the pokeball tightly clutched in the other. His chest burned more and he forced out a small breath, kicking... kicking... Instead of it growing lighter as he neared the surface, it felt darker and darker and he could hardly put any effort into his kicks. His boots felt so heavy. His jacket felt like a Hippowdown sitting on his shoulders.

    He gave a half hearted kick with his legs, but the effort felt too much. The surface didn't look any closer than before... Where was the surface again? Where... where was he trying to get to? Maybe if he couldn't remember it wasn't important.

    His arm slackened slightly. His grip loosened on whatever he had in his hand... what was so important that he was carrying? The burn in his chest overrode the rest of his thoughts. Air. He needed air now now now. Maybe if he just took a quick gulp, he'd be okay. Right?

    Cold water filled his mouth and nose. He gagged instinctively, sucked in more. Panic gave clarity, but not strength. A watery scream swallowed him. The moment crystallized, then his panic and fear faded. Peace filled him. The surface wasn't so far off... Yet now such a detail seemed unimportant. It was close, yes, but not close enough. Shame...

    Great... ruined another jacket probably. Maybe he could get one in Canalave. Where had Blake gotten the first one?... His thoughts trailed away as bliss enveloped him and he finally stopped struggling. At least he'd tried. Maybe the police would retrieve the ball with Zeraora.

    Sorry...

    Somewhere above, a tiny flare of light shone. Then a blur of something pale blue in the water, something soft and dense and round and he was surging, surging upwards— his head broke the surface and he gasped and coughed and choked as he scrabbled for purchase and something shoved him up onto the rocky ground.

    Water spilled from his mouth and he coughed and coughed compulsively until his throat and nose burned and tears streamed from his eyes. His head throbbed and darkness pulsed in his vision in time with his heartbeat. At some point, he found he could finally breathe normally, though his throat still felt raw and his stomach churned. Awareness came with oxygen, and he realized his right hand was still clenched around something... he'd been holding something down there.

    A jolt shot through him. Zeraora!

    Sitting up so fast his head spun, he managed to stabilize himself before glancing around. The sound of battle still raged on, somewhere to his left. Behind was the inlet, and before him sat Flurry, her dark eyes wide with worry. He stared at her a full few seconds before realizing it had to have been her who'd saved him. "Thanks," he whispered hoarsely. She butted against his leg.

    Still dazed, Koa held up the pokeball in his hand. He realized he was shaking all over still, and his heart hadn't stopped racing. His breath came in lurches, but he ignored it and pressed the button on the pokeball. Light spilled out, taking the form of the mythical plasma pokemon.

    It blinked, taking in its surroundings, before looking down at him. Something akin to surprise registered in its blue eyes, along with relief. Swallowing, Koa reached into the pocket of his soggy pants and withdrew a Full Restore. He half rose to his feet and held it out towards Zeraora. For a second, it drew back. Then it stopped, hesitantly.

    Koa sprayed the gash on its arm. It flinched and hissed reproachfully then seemed to relax as the healing effects kicked in. A second later, the light returned to its eyes and sparks began to crackle across its body.

    Then it let out a mighty yowl. Lightning surged through the cavern and in an instant, Zeraora was gone, tearing across the room in a raging blur of yellow fur and blue electricity.

    All Koa could do was watch as the newly unleashed Zeraora decimated the remainder of Blackout's pokemon, and none too gently. Every strike knocked out or incapacitated its target and in less than a minute, every one of Blackout's pokemon was unconscious.

    Koa stared as Zeraora stepped around the bodies, sprang across the inlet, and strode over to the caged electric types still stacked along the wall. With a flash of claws, it made its way down the line, shattering the locks one by one. The pokemon began to emerge, some timid, others relieved or angry or confused.

    Just as the last pokemon was freed, an ear splitting howling sound shattered the stillness. It pulsed and reverberated almost unnaturally as lights began to flash near the mouth of the cavern.

    Koa clamped his hands over his ears as he dropped to his knees. Turning around he saw an Exploud standing near the ocean entrance, mouth agape. Behind it stood several police officers, flanked by powerful looking pokemon - Arcanine, Alakazam, Machamp and more. Beyond that, he spotted several police boats.

    Koa sagged back and let out a breathy sigh of relief.

    Movement at the far end of the cavern caught his attention and he turned to Minerva trying to edge away to escape down one of the tunnels. Before he could even consider trying to warn someone, a Yanmega buzzed through the air, blocking her way out. Its eyes flashed pink and a wave of light struck her. She slumped to the ground, fast asleep.

    A couple of the other guards had seemingly recovered from Echo's initial strike at some point, and picked now to try and escape. Lights flashed as they released their own pokemon to try and make a run for it, only to be swiftly overwhelmed by the police. Staraptor and Swellow dive bombed them as the police pokemon dispatched them with frightening ease.

    For every one of them, there were now two or three Pokemon. The remaining poachers who were conscious either surrendered or were swiftly being subdued by the officers, Silas among them. In seconds, it truly had ended.

    Quiet. Overbearing, uncomfortable quiet. The cavern had fallen still. Compared to the sounds of battle it felt creepy.

    Koa blinked. In a daze, he searched for Zeraora, but the mythical pokemon had seemingly vanished. A swift headcount confirmed his own pokemon were still standing. Battered, but standing. Echo fluttered over and flopped into Koa's lap, tired but clearly proud. His gaze shifted back to the police, some of whom had gone to check on the stolen pokemon, while he saw another heading towards Kitto.

    Good... Kitto was okay. Jackie too, by the looks of it, though the Hitmonchan looked much worse for the wear.

    They'd made it. Everything would be okay now. The police moved with impressive efficiency, locking down the rest of the room, sweeping the area, and calming the escaped electric types.

    "It's over buddy," he mumbled, idly stroking the Crobat. Anubis trotted over, as did Scrapper. Both looked exhausted and covered in scrapes and bruises, but he didn't see any permanent damage. With great, lumbering steps, Rascal came over and settled protectively behind him. Of all his pokemon, she seemed the most fine, thanks to her evolution.

    A dazed smile came over his face at the memory, and he stared at her new form in delight. She was gorgeous... big too. Maybe almost ten feet standing. Her scales had changed to a rich reddish-brown that gleamed in the faint sunlight from outside.

    Was it really dawn already?

    "Mr. Averon?"

    Anubis let out a warning rumble. Koa was suddenly aware of one of the officers kneeling beside him, asking him something. "Huh?" he asked, staring at her dumbly. He found himself staring at her nametag, which read 'Jamie'.

    "Are you and your pokemon alright Mr. Averon? Do you require healing?" her sharp gaze was roving across each member of his team scrutinizing them, lingering on Rascal.

    Wearily, Koa summoned the strength to look around again and survey his team, then take stock of himself. His limbs felt like weights and his body ached, but he felt fine otherwise.

    He opened his mouth to speak but the words felt thick and jumbled. " 'm fine... tired." Suddenly, he very much missed his bed at home. "My pokemon need some healing though," he mumbled. "Rascal evolved. She's OK I think."

    Jamie nodded curtly. "Don't worry, we'll take good care of them."

    At his side, Flurry pressed against him, and he found himself leaning back against Rascal. With his head to her side, the steady beating of her heart felt oddly relaxing.

    Jamie was talking, asking him something else, but the steady thumping of Rascal's heart drowned out her voice.

    They were safe.

    XXX

    Jamie waited with him while the rest of the officers handled rounding up Team Blackout and their pokemon. He half expected her to start peppering him with questions, but she seemed much more concerned with the stolen pokemon and Koa's own team for the moment.

    Rather quickly, a Chimecho and a Blissey arrived, and started healing up his pokemon. Only Rascal seemed completely fine, dismissing the healer pokemon with a snort after they'd done a quick checkup.

    Koa watched tiredly as the officers moved efficiently about the room, marking the area and leaving a buoy in the inlet where the ship had sunk. Hasty provisions were made for the electric-types. An extra boat was called in to ferry them to the mainland, where he guessed the trained ones would be returned to their trainers and the wild ones could be taken to their proper territory.

    His thoughts drifted as he pulled the blanket they'd given him tighter around his shoulders. Kitto sat a few yards away, sprawled against a boulder. Jackie sat next to him, half-asleep, head on Kitto's shoulder. Both looked thoroughly tired.

    All of Koa's pokemon had refused to return to their pokeballs for the time being, instead staying near him. Not that he minded. Having them out made him feel better. Between Flurry's thick fur and Anubis' warmth, he began to warm quickly. He let himself drift into a pleasant, half-asleep haze.

    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the boat holding the captured members of Team Blackout departed, and one by one, most of the others left, save for Jamie and one other officer. Koa returned his pokemon to give them a chance to rest.

    "If you like, I can arrange for both of you to head back to the mainland. We can take your statements there instead, and save you the trouble of a ferry ride," Jamie offered.

    A grateful smile crossed Koa's lips and he glanced over to Kitto. Despite his confident stance, Koa could spot the weary edge in his gaze, and he nodded in agreement as well.

    "That's settled then. We'll take you two back to Canalave then."

    Koa began to rise somewhat unsteadily, and Jamie reached out, steadying him. He took a step to follow her to the boat, then paused. "I... can I do something before we leave, please?"

    Jamie frowned, scanning the room before her gaze settled back on him. "Sure, kid. Just don't be long."

    Koa nodded. He selected one pokeball from his belt and headed in the direction of the back of the cavern, opposite the ocean entrance. He tapped the release button on the pokeball, and Hazard emerged, looking once again bright-eyed and perky.

    "Is he down there?" he asked softly, nodding towards the tunnel before them. Hazard closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and nodded. Koa started down the tunnel, Hazard lighting the way.

    A minute later, they emerged into a small chamber. And there, at the end of the cavern, stood Zeraora. Its gaze was unreadable as Koa approached, but it was clear it had been expecting him.

    Standing before the mythical, he had a chance to fully take in Zeraora. It had looked so tall and huge before, but now he could see it was around his height, though it carried itself with such a presence it seemed larger. When upright, he was just able to look it in its eyes. Its fur gleamed in the light provided by Hazard, who gazed up at it in awe and admiration.

    Koa's mouth suddenly went dry, and all the things he wanted to say suddenly seemed paltry and silly. In hindsight, it was plainly obvious what had been going on - Zeraora had been drawn to the island by the electric-types and sought to free them. And both he and Fossie had interfered. Now he understood its rage the night before, trying to catch it when it was on a rescue mission. It must have believed he was with Team Blackout. 'Sorry' seemed so empty.

    If only he'd just waited, just challenged it the right way...

    Wordlessly, he reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew the pokeball that he'd caught Zeraora in, then held it out.

    Zeraora narrowed its eyes, though Koa swore he caught a flicker of something else behind the suspicion and irritation. Surprise? Respect?

    With surprising gentleness, it reached out and took the pokeball from him. Then in a swift movement, it shattered the ball and incinerated the remains in a burst of plasma.

    Hazard chittered something, and Zeraora shot it a sort of sly grin before putting out its paw and firing a small burst of blue electricity. The jolt made Hazard's fur stand on end, puffing him out to almost twice his usual size.

    Then Zeraora turned back to Koa, his piercing gaze boring right into Koa. He resisted the urge to flinch and look away, even as he felt as if his soul were being bared and his defenses peeled away until he was an open book. Almost unconsciously, he held his breath, half expecting Zeraora to be angry. Disgusted. Disappointed.

    Instead, Zeraora took a step back and then, so slightly Koa thought he imagined it, nodded. For another moment, its gaze lingered. It didn't speak, but Koa sensed rather than heard Zeraora's sentiment. Gratitude. And an apology.

    Then a second later, it vanished in a burst of lightning.

    A long sigh escaped Koa and a weight lifted off his shoulders. It was over. The debt was paid. He never imagined that uncatching a mythical pokemon would feel so good.

    Now he understood that his team would have his back, no matter what. Today they had proven what they were capable of. And what he could do with their help, if he trusted them as they trusted him. Despite the nagging exhaustion of his body, a renewed determination burned within him. His doubts and fears the past week were smaller now. Distant.

    Koa leaned down and picked Hazard up, setting him on his shoulder, then turned toward the tunnel. "Let's go home."


    And thus concludes the Iron Island arc! I hope this was an enjoyable arc and worth the wait!

    There will be one more 'special episode' to follow this, a unique POV which I will post either over the weekend or next week.

    I had a lot of fun writing Zeraora in this. I always enjoyed the idea of some legendary or mythical pokemon being very calm and others being more aggressive, and I liked the idea that one could easily get the wrong idea and turn on Koa, thinking he was actually one of the bad guys.

    Fortunately, Koa was able to reach out to it and prove himself, and they resolved things, and Zeraora offered an apology of sorts. And Koa 'technically' caught a mythical!

    Also, writing an all out brawl was an absolute delight! I hope it felt as fun to read as it was to write (even if I did spend ages banging my head on a wall over it). Was inspired quite a lot by the fic 'Legendarian Chronicles' by Chibipika, which also features awesome and epic big scale battles. Its a stellar fic, I highly recommend it, as well as Of Sand and Shadows by helloyellow17, which features lots of gritty brawl battles that are very excellent, very recommend. Also, orre.

    Thank you as always for the reviews!


    Further thoughts....

    Fossie was created on a whim but I am very excited to write him more, hopefully. There's a lot I want to explore about him to contrast Koa. I am equally amused and delighted about his reception. Definitely a bit of a snot, but one I hope to flesh out a bit more.

    Something that I really wanted to do was focus on how sometimes as people, even when we learn from our mistakes, change is a hard road and it's not always as clean cut as movies make us feel. Humans have a way of making the same mistakes over and over, or letting doubt consume us the closer we seem to get to our desires.

    But even when things feel impossible, there's always a way through with perseverance, faith and hope.

    That said, I have been taking a break from preparing these 4 chapters by playing loootts of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom. I hope I can work more on this and have another chapter up in a month or two!

    Happy writing and reading everyone!
     
    [Special episode] Iron Will
  • Flyg0n

    Flygon connoisseur
    Pronouns
    She/her
    Partners
    1. flygon
    2. swampert
    3. ho-oh
    4. crobat
    5. orbeetle
    6. joltik
    7. salandit
    8. tyrantrum
    Remember how I promised I'd post that special POV after the iron island arc and then never posted anything... oops. Anyways, it was written but I wanted to try and polish it, plus I got busy.

    Without further ado, I present to you...


    Iron Will


    Keep moving... I will not fail.

    Zeraora drew another slow, shuddering breath, despising how his chest trembled. Snarling quietly, he moved one leaden paw after the other over the rocky terrain. The sky and hills in the distance swam and distorted unnaturally. He'd made it far after leaving those foolish humans, but he still had a mission to fulfill here. Accursed, wretched humans.

    If not for the law he abided by, he'd gladly cut their throats and rend them limb from limb... He pressed onward, his thoughts drifting to the previous night.

    [He sought to ambush and capture me, to steal me away without even the honor of combat, and you would plead for his life?]

    [Please. He is not your enemy; he made a mistake. He's a good trainer, and a good human.]

    [Mistakes have costs.]

    [Then take my spark, my electricity, in his stead.]

    He could see no deception, no signs of manipulation in that little Joltik's eyes. In that moment, the Joltik would have willingly given up the very essence of its power to save its master, so confident it was. It could have offered its life, and he'd seen plenty of pokemon who would die for stupid humans, so loyal were they. But this Joltik would give its own electricity, its inner spark.

    Fine then. But he still had a responsibility on this island, and he didn't need some idiotic human interfering.

    "One."

    He relished the fear he saw in the human.

    "One mercy. Stay away, human."


    He gasped as one of his legs gave out and he fell to his knees, grabbing the earth to steady himself. A fresh burning pain pulsed through his arm and he hissed. His gaze settled upon the toxic wound. Purple poison oozed from it and he snarled. A lucky shot from that boy's bladed fossil. Nothing he wouldn't eventually shake off, but with each passing moment, more and more of his strength left him. Strength he couldn't afford to lose.

    The ground beneath his paws swayed and he closed his eyes for a moment, forcing himself to take a steady breath. No weakness. Don't give in. Pokemon were counting on him. Even now, he could sense it, just barely. Somewhere on this island, a mass of electric aura. He was sure it was the stolen pokemon, he just needed to find them.

    Failure wasn't an option.

    XXX

    "I will go." Zeraora stepped forward, meeting Raikou's gaze.

    Raikou shook his head. "You will do no such thing. I cannot permit you to go in my stead."


    "Raikou, please. To go by yourself is foolish! At least let me scout the island! Protecting pokemon is as much my duty as yours." He bowed his head to Raikou. "Let me help."

    "I gave my answer. Heed it." Raikou started to turn and walk away.

    Impatience and frustration coursed through Zeraora and he fired a weak blue bolt at Raikou. [No].

    A snarl like thunder came from Raikou and he whirled around, slamming a paw against the earth, thunder backing him. "I am Lightning Incarnate! You will not defy me!"

    Tilting his head up, Zeraora stepped up to Raikou, meeting his gaze snout to snout. "And when you suffer the same fate as
    Fire Incarnate? Am I only to act then? To take action after we lose you?"

    The snarl in Raikou's throat built as electricity flared through his mane. His eyes sparked and he opened his jaws, letting out a mighty roar of anger and grief. Zeraora glared back, unflinching and defiant, then returned with a mighty yowl of his own. The air itself crackled with fury as their cries blended.

    Raikou's cry faded first and moments later, Zeraora fell quiet as well. Bowing his head low; Raikou exhaled slowly. The crackling sensation in the air faded. Zeraora allowed himself to relax as well, the tension slipping from his shoulders. He leaned close, pressing his head against Raikou's; sharing for a moment in the quiet buzz of electricity pulsing between them.

    [I don't want to lose you, Little Spark.]

    [I know. But we must act.]

    Raikou stepped back to meet Zeraora's gaze. "Very well. You may go. But you must also remember our laws. And until we know what has become of Entei, you must practice utmost caution."

    He huffed and gave a derisive snort. "Very well."


    "Then go. You have my blessing."

    He dropped to one knee and bowed. "Thank you. I will not fail you."


    XXX

    Snarling, Zeraora slammed an electrified paw into the ground before shoving himself upright again, ignoring his shaking limbs. His eyes roved the hillside until he spotted a cave, half tucked behind some rocks, and started towards it. His arm throbbed with every step, and more than once some insignificant pebble or dip in the earth nearly tripped him.

    Somehow the warmth of the sun, which he normally enjoyed, felt overbearing. His own fur now trapped him, suffocating and smothering him in heat. Finally, he dragged himself up the slope and into the cool darkness within the cave. He staggered into the small chamber, catching himself against a stalagmite. Rest... he needed to rest. If he could close his eyes just for a moment—

    A loud exclamation from a human sounded from his right and he whipped around, snarling. All pretense of rest left him as his eyes swept across the darkness. In his mind's eye, he saw the blue haired boy who'd thrown the pokeball just the night before. The same boy who had inexplicably driven off the swarm of ancient pokemon from the other trainer... Had one returned?

    Instead, he saw a human dressed head to toe in black, with an Electabuzz.

    The human whipped out an electronic device and shouted into it. "There's a Arceus damned Zeraora here, send backup!" She jammed the device back onto her belt. "Electabuzz, distract it!"

    Electabuzz spun its arms and started to move forward.

    Zeraora summoned lightning, sparks crackling through his fur as he locked gazes with Electabuzz. He snarled and spat a string of what humans would probably call swears, but among pokemon was closer to a literal curse. Electabuzz froze, the fight in its eyes dying out as it bowed its head, cowering back.

    "Thought so."

    The human woman glared at Electabuzz but quickly grabbed two more pokeballs from her belt. Light flashed through the cavern and faded to reveal a Golem and an Excadrill. They sported twin leering grins. Zeraora dropped into a battle stance and hissed.

    "Know your place, mortals. I have no quarrel with you. But if you challenge me I make no promise to spare you."

    "Spare us from what, little kitty?" Golem growled.

    And then, at a barked command from the woman, they attacked. Zeraora surged forward, claws outstretched. His electricity was useless here, which meant a melee. A melee he could not easily afford. He needed to distract and escape.

    He bowled over the Golem with a single punch, before slashing the Excadrill's arm in a blur of movement. Excadrill staggered back and howled as Golem struggled to stand.

    Keep going... I will not fail.

    The air crackled and Zeraora gathered electricity in his legs, then exploded in the opposite direction, towards a tunnel that led deeper into the cavern. Zigzagging through them like lightning, he broke out a moment later into a sub chamber, much deeper in. Immediately, every hair on his body stood on end and his spine tingled.

    The electric pokem-!

    WHAM

    Breath left Zeraora's lungs. Something smashed into his side hard, launching him across the cavern. The crack of his body connecting with the opposite wall filled his ears. He collapsed, gasping, darkness dancing around his vision.

    It took all his effort simply to lift his head and look up. Across the room he could see an Onix looming by the tunnel he'd come out of.

    "Don't let it get away!"

    Now Zeraora could take in the room, he could see several humans, along with a small group of pokemon. Ground-types, but several other sorts too - Weavile and Purugly and Toxicroak. Past them he spotted a human boat and far to one side, several boxes covered by a tarp. Just looking in that direction sent a tingle down his spine. The missing pokemon?

    Zeraora's gaze roved back to the assembled pokemon. They now blocked the entrance he'd come from. No matter. He'd found what he sought.

    "Trapped," growled the Onix.

    The other pokemon shifted into battle stances.

    Zeraora narrowed his gaze as he took in the various assembled pokemon. His lip curled as he snarled. "I'm not the one who's trapped."

    Eight pokemon. Onix, Golem, Weavile, Rapidash, Purugly, Gastrodon, Toxicroak and a Hippowdon. He could defeat them. Weavile first, it was fast. Knockout Onix before it could strike. Then toss Golem into Gastrodon. Get rid of the ground-types. And then eliminate anything still standing.

    I will not fail.

    His lungs burned as he tore forward, calling on every ounce of lightning within him to give him strength and speed. Weavile lunged first and he danced and sidestepped to avoid its strikes before kicking it across the cavern and sending it into the water. Keeping his momentum, he spun and lunged upwards, smashing Onix with a devastating uppercut. Its agonized roar was music to his ears.

    Keep going...

    He dropped to the ground, landing on all fours. Before the other pokemon could even strike, he gathered himself and leapt for the Golem. Energy formed around his fist and he threw his whole weight into it, knocking the rock type into the Gastrodon and KOing both pokemon. He didn't even wait to see if they rose again, instead turning his sights on Rapidash. Springing forwards, he summoned a sphere of electricity in his paw.

    Light flashed behind him. A roar shook the cavern and a spire of stone erupted from the earth directly before him. He crashed into it full force, pain exploding across his muzzle as he fell. The ground rumbled and before he could rise, a second spike shot into his chest. He gasped and coughed, desperately sucking in air. His shoulder bore the brunt of the impact as he landed on his side. Darkness flared and he fought it back with every ounce of will left in his body.

    Craning his head, he saw a behemoth of a Rhyperior just yards behind him.

    I will not fail.

    He pushed himself to his feet, his limbs shaking.

    Behind him, Rapidash neighed and galloped forward, body cloaked in flame. He leapt to the side. Too slow. His body failed him. Rapidash's charge caught him, sending him spinning. He landed on three paws and fired a bolt of lightning that knocked Rapidash off its hooves and into a stalagmite. It didn't try to rise.

    Rhyperior's roar echoed through the cavern and he saw it pound the earth from the corner of his eye. Instinct saved Zeraora as he threw himself backward, a chunk of stone slamming down where he'd been a moment ago. Rhyperior needed to go. Dropping to all fours, he hissed and charged.

    At a command from its trainer, Rhyperior slammed its fists together. Sand began to gather around it, swirling and expanding into a whirling mini-storm. Charging his fists with energy, Zeraora plowed through and delivered a flurry of blows to Rhyperior before it could muster any defense. It gave a rumbling cry before collapsing, the half-formed sandstorm dissipating before it could take hold.

    I will not fail.

    Then he whirled back around. Just in time to see the white light of a hyper beam shooting towards his face. Stars exploded across his vision. Dimly he realized he'd smashed into the wall but he barely felt it any more. On autopilot, he forced his body up as he swayed unsteadily side to side. Doubles of every pokemon in the room surrounded him. Except the doubles kept pulsing in and out of existence.

    I will not fail.

    The burning sensation in his arm faded to a distant throbbing and he realized he didn't ... couldn't really feel anything. Only his heartbeat, slow and steady. His own haggard breathing filled his ears. He reached for the reserves of energy inside him and realized only a small spark remained.

    I will not fail.

    The spark exploded and he threw his head back and yowled. Blinding light and deafening thunder exploded inside the cavern as a bolt of lightning crackled through the air, striking all the remaining pokemon. Seconds later they lay in a smoking heap, unconscious.

    A smirk worked its way across Zeraora's muzzle even as he struggled to keep himself upright.

    BANG

    Something splattered against Zeraora's side. In a daze, he looked down to see a thick, glue-like substance coating his legs and right side. Before he could react, it had hardened. His eyes widened as he tried to move, only to realize that his legs were now cemented to the floor. A yowl of rage escaped him as he looked up to see one of the humans holding a weapon.

    Then a blast of mud struck his chest, drenching him. The spark of electricity he'd drawn on before flickered, then faded. Another light flashed and another pokemon emerged from a pokeball. A Golurk. With slow, lumbering steps it moved forward. It raised its fist, a swirling mass of energy forming at the end.

    Zeraora glared up at it silently.

    It stared back, impassive.

    I will not fail.

    A snarl built in his raw throat again even as his vision darkened.

    I will not—

    Golurk fired.

    XXX

    Water, all around. Chains. He thrashed uselessly, knowing he was wasting air but not caring. Struggling was better than accepting death. Yveltal would come for his spirit soon regardless.

    He hoped Raikou would forgive him.

    Instinct took over and he jerked again, in vain. The chains remained tight. Not much longer now... Would anyone come for the stolen pokemon? Raikou would chase them, but Entei still remained missing, and Suicune had not found him.

    You failed...

    And then he heard it. A splash from above. Twisting in his chains, he looked upward and could just make out a shape in the water... a human. The blue-haired one. Koamaru, as the little Joltik had called him that fateful night.

    Swimming down to him. He'd attacked the child and yet it persisted... It reached him and began pulling at the chains, only to quickly realize the truth. They were too secure, too thick to break. The boy waved frantically, then pulled something from his jacket pocket.

    A pokeball.

    Anger crackled in Zeraora. With a hiss he lunged for the child but moved only an inch. The child glared back, this time with a raw determination Zeraora had not seen before. A fearless sense of ironclad purpose. A promise.

    Let me help.

    His lips curled in a growl and he glared back with all the anger he could muster. Darkness swirled at the edges of his vision and his chest burned. The child seized the chain around his neck and yanked him close, nose to nose.

    Zeraora gazed right into the child's amber eyes, his own fear and determination reflected back at him. Whatever scraps of strength that remained in his limbs began to ebb.

    I will not fail. He'd promised. He could still see the pokeball in the child's hand. No matter the cost.

    Before Yveltal could take him, he nodded.


    Writing Zeraora here was really fun! It came to me kind of unexpectedly, on a whim, as I was picturing how things felt from his POV and what he was struggling with. I really like to think of Zeraora as a mythical who is al about the wild pokemon in particular, or at the very least, pokemon before humans.

    He came looking for a bunch of missing electric types in the stead of Raikou, since Entei seems(?) to be missing. yet all of a sudden some random boy tries to capture him. Needless to say he wasn't fond of that.

    Also maybe I just wanted some (more) whump okay
     
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