Pokémon Pokemon: Legendary Adventures

[Flyg0n]

Introducing...

LEGENDARY ADVENTURES

NOW IN LIVE ACTION!
​

I am so proud and happy to announce that hollywood has bought the rights to Legendary Adventures and promises to turn it into a beloved live action adaptation that will stun viewers everywhere! They have assured me this will be an incredibly accurate, high quality faithful adaptation.

I have been informed that they have picked an actor for Koa, 14 year old kid from Sinnoh and lover of legendaries!:

Spoiler: LA Koamaru

They've assured me that the age won't be a problem. He's even got a streak of blue!

I've also been sent a finished image of Echo! How exciting!

Spoiler: LA Echo

So cool!

I am told Koa will meet Echo in the final 15 minutes of the film and team up with him. Er. Her! Disney said it's important to have female voices be represented, so Echo will be a female in this.

They also believed Koa's canon backstory wasn't appealing enough to target demographics. Instead, he will be a kid pulled from an ordinary world of earth and ends up in the wild world of thse strange monsters called pokemon! I know the original version of LA is a lot about Koa's legacy and dreams, but Disney has assured me this small alteration will be great for the story.

They have also gone ahead and told me that they will be including a romance to appeal to a more broad audience. Koa will have to choose between a new character who will be a snarky chilhood friend (him not having any friends as a kid isn't in this) and a super attractive nice girl who will also be there. (Avis will be included, but as a brief cameo). Both girls will also hate each other.

Sadly they've told me there's no space in the story for Kitto to be a major character, not enough time. Oh well! These are how movies go. However I have been informed he will have a role still, and he's been cast!

Spoiler: LA Kitto

Isn't that perfect?? I am sure that the age won't be an issue either, can you just imagine him next to Taylor Lautner's Koa?

They said they won't be doing the white hair or red eyes though.

Koa will have an incredibly interesting character arc in this, they've generously given me some details about it. Koa will be insecure and nervous, doesn't like books or really want to go on a journey but his cousin makes him. Then he will learn to overcome his fears and find out the power he needed was inside him all along, and he just needs to believe in himself.

The villain of course, will be a huge focus. While I originally had plans for a fairly malevolent villain, Disney has informed me that's not realistic enough, so instead its being tweaked juuusst a bit! The villain will be pretty bad and kill a lot of people, but then he will have a special moment where he explains how his parents were killed by legendaries, and then thats why he's doing all this! Koa will realize the villain was just troubled and sad. Not a bad guy at all.

Lastly I've been informed there will be a major evolution scene early on for Hazard. Apparently, him not evolving will likely be pretty boring for audiences and they have a spider leftover from another movie. Neat!

Spoiler: Hazard (phobia warning)

Rascal will have 5 minutes of screentime at the very end of the movie, as the budget isn't enough to allow her to be onscreen long. Anubis will be played by a regular doberman and Scrapper will show up for a few minutes in the scene where he's caught. Oh, Flurry? She will be all over the trailers so they can sell toys but mostly won't do a ton plotwise.

Upon reflection that seems like a lot of changes but I am sure this will all be fine.

I am so happy that LA will be in LA!

I showed them my idea for a poster, and they came back with some great adjustments that will represent the final product.

Before:

Spoiler

After

Isn't that great?

Please keep an eye out for LA:LA in a theatre near you!

 

[Flyg0n]

Chapter 35: Laying Down the Jaw
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Happy 6 years of Legendary Adventures!

Exactly 6 years ago to date I rebooted my old fic (New Horizons) with Zubat starter a new Koa and a fresh coat of paint and posted it to ffn. Here I still am, years later, still plugging away. It's been slow and fast, life has been crazy but I am so grateful for each and every reader, reviewer and commenter who has invested time into this story.

Genuinely you guys keep me going. Thank you :D

Recap:

The Silver Wind Festival is in full swing! After a time of festivities, Koa entered the bug catching contest, with his eyes on the prize - an Anorith. And more importantly, beat Fossie and rub it in his face. He successfully scored highly in the contest, thanks to Hazard's help and a keen eyed catch of a shiny Blipbug.

Now he just has to win the battle rounds to earn his triumph over Fossie.

---

"And the winner of Round One is Koamaru Averon!"

Koa exhaled and grinned. He'd picked Hazard for his first battle, counting on his tactics and stature to catch his opponent off guard. And it had worked, at first.

His opponent, a trainer named Jacob, had used a sturdy blue Shellos. The thing was unreasonably tough, but Hazard had more power than it. Then it had evolved mid-battle into a Gastrodon, which almost made things tricky.

Koa had never been so glad before that Hazard knew Giga Drain.

Afterwards, he'd shaken hands with the hiker, who had seemed disappointed but ultimately proud of his pokemon evolving. "That's one fine little bug you got there," he'd said with a chuckle. Hazard had beamed at the praise.

That just left Fossie's match.

Koa took his place on the sidelines beside Kitto as Fossie and his opponent took the field.

"Our second match today is between Sarah Nao and Rikai "Fossie" Hawthorne! Trainers, ready your pokeballs!"

The referee called the match and a Luxray burst onto the field, followed a second later by Fossie's Kabutops. "Sick," he breathed. A rush of brief childish envy filled him at the sight of the majestic feline. Even if he had no regrets about his team, it didn't change that he thought they were cool.

Kabutops dropped into a battle crouch as Luxray bared its fangs.

"Begin!"

Brown and blue blurred across the field, sparks flew and claws met blades. The shouts of the trainers faded into the background as Koa watched the two pokemon clash. Fossie's opponent was no pushover, that much was clear.

But Fossie was a former league competitor.

In the space of less than five minutes, the fight was Luxray passed out having tried a final gambit with a full powered Wild Charge which Kabutops managed to withstand.

As bad as Koa felt for the other trainer (and disappointed to see Luxray lose), he couldn't suppress the thrill of excitement that ran through him. Finally.

When it was time to take the field, he almost sprinted into place.

Fossie's mouth twitched into a mild frown as he faced Koa, and Koa glared back. He didn't take his eyes off the boy as the referee called the rules of the match, and then for the trainers to send out their pokemon.

Without hesitation, Koa grabbed a black pokeball, running his thumb over its amber colored helix design.

Two hulking dinosaur pokemon appeared on the field, one blue and the other reddish brown. Gasps of shock and admiration rolled through the ground at the sight of the two. Even Koa couldn't suppress the rush of awe at the sight of the blue-scaled Tyrantrum again. Cobalt, if he remembered right.

Cobalt raised his head, basking in the praise.

Rascal looked like she almost wanted to do the same, but caught herself at the last moment. Fossie gave a sharp whistle and finally, Cobalt gave up preening and focused on Rascal, still looking haughty.

Koa felt the earth rumbling as a building growl rippled through the air and ground. Shivers ran down his spine. Cobalt was older than Rascal. By his estimate, a good few months older. But... Now, seeing them side by side, he could see Rascal was actually slightly bigger now that she'd evolved. Definitely younger looking, but an edge in weight and size. Perhaps due to Rascal being female, or Cobalt's shiny gene?

However, Cobalt's skull crest was more defined and bigger, whereas Rascal's jaws were a bit larger and wider.

Ah. Cobalt probably had Rock Head as his ability.

Koa quickly ran through the techniques that a Tyrantrum could learn, trying to figure out what Fossie would have taught Cobalt. Head Smash. A powerful rock attack that hit with such force it actually hurt the pokemon trying to use it. He remembered considering trying to teach it to Rascal before dismissing the idea. Instinct told him Fossie definitely taught it to Cobalt.

Koa took a moment to steady himself as the match was called. A plan had been formulating from the moment he'd planned to fight Fossie and use Rascal.

Rascal and Cobalt had a different idea. Letting loose titanic roars, they charged across the field straight for each other. They collided with a crack! that rattled Koa to his bones.

They thrashed and nipped at each other, fighting for a grip with their claws. Their hind claws dug gouges into the earth as they fought for dominance and the higher position, each twisting their great heads to try and grab the other in their jaws. Even Fossie looked slightly taken aback.

With a snarl, Cobalt drove his head into Rascal's chest, then heaved upwards, catching her and unbalancing her. She gave a startled grunt and staggered back. Cobalt snatched the opportunity like a true predator. Pivoting, he spun and slammed his tail into her side, breaking their brief stalemate and sending Rascal half-skidding half-stumbling onto her side.

Fossie smirked. "Dragon Dance!"

Cobalt bellowed in a way Koa could only interpret as disgustingly smug, then began stamping his feet rhythmically into the earth. It sounded like thunderous drums, and every hit made the earth vibrate from the force. His tail swayed and head bobbed to ancient notes as the fossil pokemon called forth draconic energy and suffused it into his limbs and whole body.

Light caught on his blue scales, blending with indigo tinted dragon energy and making his entire body glow.

An impressed 'ooooo' rippled through the crowd and Cobalt drank in the awe while Fossie rolled his eyes.

Koa silently cursed him. Dreadfully useful technique.

Rascal, meanwhile, shook off her daze in a few seconds and rose to her feet, giving a low rumble as she began to pace around Cobalt. Her gaze burned with annoyance that she'd lost their first brief clash, and clearly seeing another pokemon as prideful as her didn't help.

"Easy Rascal. This changes nothing." Dragon Dance told him a lot about Fossie's battle style with Cobalt. Speed and power. He had a decent guess what move was coming next.

Okay. He could handle that. Koa caught Rascal's eye. "We got this," he said in a low voice. "But we have to play it smart too, okay? Keep it down and keep it together."

Her eyes narrowed, a gleam entering them.

"Ancient Power! Make some space."

For a moment, he wasn't sure if Rascal even heard him. There was a moment he could almost sense that candle flame of anger beginning to flare up in her. Then she gave a nod and roared. She summoned the silver energy into a large boulder. With effort, she held the attack for a split second to aim it. Then she loosed it right at Cobalt's chest as she loped away.

The attack crashed into Cobalt, disrupting his dance, though he looked barely fazed. At the same time, a flash of silver aura flashed around Rascal. Perfect. The telltale flash showed the effect he desperately sought - the ancient energies of the move had boosted her power. Not necessary for his plan but an incredible boon.

"Quick, one more!" he called to Rascal. This time, she fired much more rapidly, not taking time to build up power, just shooting a small boulder across the field.

Cobalt, who resumed his Dragon Dance, was disrupted as it nailed him on the side of his head. He growled irritably.

"Head Smash!" Fossie called.

Rascal was already preparing another strike with Ancient Power, this time letting it build. She loosed it as he charged.

Roaring, Cobalt tossed his head, letting light catch his crest. Then he charged forward. Golden energy blazed to life around the crest, near doubling it in size. He smashed through the Ancient Power with ease, moving like a blue freight train toward Rascal.

Koa drew a sharp breath, tensing in time with Rascal. Wait for it... "Now!"

Rascal stepped and pivoted at the last second, letting Cobalt sweep past her. Yes—

Then Cobalt planted one leg, jerked to a stop and spun sharply and lunged back at Rascal.

Crap. "Crunch!"

Rascal summoned dark-energy and opened wide.

Crack! Cobalt's head slammed into Rascal's jaws with a force that made Koa and Fossie wince. He thought he saw a tooth fall.

Rascal dug in, her jaws wrapped awkwardly around Cobalt's crest and flaring with dark energy. She gripped him tighter, and Cobalt gave a garbled roar as he winced. A sickly grayish light seemed to crackle across the other Tyrantrum's scales briefly.

A slight grin tugged at Koa's lips. Perfect. Breaking Cobalt's defenses would further help his plan.

Fossie snapped out a command. "Stone Edge!"

A massive spire of stone erupted from the ground, punching Rascal in the jaw. She gave an agonized bellow and staggered back.

Fossie grinned. "Dragon Dance!" Cobalt snarled and once again began to stomp the earth in a rhythmic march, swaying his head in time to a beat, catching the light with his scales and arching his head.

They couldn't afford to let him keep doing that. "Fire Fang!"

Orange flames exploded to life around her jaws and she hurled herself at Cobalt, grasping his arm in her mouth.

Cobalt roared as she caught his arm in her jaws, disrupting the technique.

He knew what might come next though. "Back, Ancient Power!" Just as Koa shouted the command, he heard Fossie call out.

"Stone Edge!"

A barrage of pointed spires erupted from the earth, but Rascal had already released her grip and heaved herself backward. One struck a glancing blow on her side, but she otherwise was unharmed.

Fossie wasted no time. "Stomping Tantrum."

The transition was seamless. Tossing his head in a showy manner, Cobalt brought down his hindleg, cracking the ground. Chunks of earth shot across the field, battering Rascal's head and making her stagger from the force of the blow.

Koa winced.

Rascal's retaliatory Ancient Power nailed Cobalt in the jaw, but only barely seemed to affect him. She was breathing hard, and he could see a cracked scale where the attack had hit her.

Koa couldn't help but admire Fossie's strategy. The attack and timing paid off perfectly. Stone Edge and Head Smash were potentially powerful moves that were hard to aim. So if those failed, he could fall back on Stomping Tantrum, drawing on his pokemon's natural anger to strengthen his attack. Combine that with Dragon Dance...

Annoying, in a word. Clever too.

Cobalt, meanwhile, tipped his head to gaze down at where Rascal had bitten him. The scales were chipped and charred, superficially blackened. His nose wrinkled in distaste and he pulled his foreclaw close to his chest.

Hah! Take that! Koa thought snidely. Evidently he didn't care for getting his precious scales too dirty.

"Another Dragon Dance," Fossie called.

Cobalt immediately began to sway in rhythm again, his scales shimmering in the sun as he pranced about. A ripple of awe ran through the audience, and the Tyrantrum basked in the attention once more.

Rascal was growling, clearly irritated by Cobalt showing off, like he wasn't even worried about the battle. "It's okay Rascal, we got this. Time for a distraction."

Widening her stance, Rascal let her power suffuse into the ground, spreading out, ripping up stone from earth. She'd been getting better at using the move this way. He had to trust it would be enough.

An array of stones shimmering in purple aura rose up in front of Cobalt, hovering in the air around him. Cobalt's lips drew into a snarl.

With a snort, Fossie lazily called out his next command. "Head Smash. End this."

Cobalt lowered his head. His legs tensed, then he exploded forward with a terrifying burst of speed, faster than Koa even anticipated.

"Bring him down! Bury him!" he shouted frantically.

If she moved, she would lose control of her attack, so instead she frantically struck out at his legs with the rocks as he thundered toward her, then brought down more rocks on top of his head. Nothing stopped him. If he felt it, he didn't show it.

Cobalt slammed into Rascal before she had a chance to even try to dodge. The force of the hit carried her off her feet and several feet before she hit the ground and slid, leaving a furrow in the earth.

Rascal's eyes shot open, anger burning in her gaze. Across the field, Cobalt preened again in the sunlight, and the audience began to clap and cheer. The anger in Rascal's eyes catalyzed into a searing rage.

"Rascal!" he called forcefully. "Remember, push it down! Focus!"

For a moment, she seemed to struggle, looking ready to fly at Cobalt in a frenzy. But then with great difficulty she seemed to reign herself in.

Koa quickly took in the situation. Rascal was clearly more tired than Cobalt. And while the burn he'd received was bothering him, it wasn't enough to bring him down, nor were the other minor attacks. But for his idea to work, he still needed a better angle. And he needed to goad Fossie into another attack now that he had an idea of Cobalt's speed.

Calm resolve settled over him. "Okay Rascal. Stay close. Harass him with Crunch, get him mad."

Tucking her legs under her, she lunged forward, clearing the ground in a few strides. Cobalt braced, but at the last moment Rascal shifted to her right, moving past Cobalt and grabbing his tail.

He roared, high pitched and surprised. He gave a mighty yank to try and pull free, but only succeeded in dragging her with him.

She dodged as he summoned a Stone Edge again, then lunged away as he lashed out with Stomping Tantrum. But not far, as soon as the attack shot past she leaped back in, jaws blazing.

The two fell into a brief flurry of exchanges, with Rascal biting him at every opportunity, while Cobalt had struggled to keep her at bay. He was stronger, and faster, but her size and jaw strength meant every bite she got him with hurt. And by staying close, it made it hard for Cobalt to effectively use Head Smash.

But Koa knew even that wouldn't be enough for his plan, not yet. Not until Fossie did what Koa hoped he would again.

And then it happened. A well-executed Stone Edge drove Rascal back, corralling her as she tried to dodge, stabbing into her and glancing off her, driving her back. The final spire jabbed her belly, unbalancing her as she snarled in pain. Cobalt took off, moving around the fielding and looping around to the far side.

His hide was peppered with the evidence of her attacks, a fact which Koa felt a little smug about. Rascal had put up an amazing fight, no matter what happened.

The two prehistoric pokemon faced each other across the field, now at opposite ends. Fossie still seemed as unbothered as ever, his expression mirroring his pokemons. With a stamp of his foot, Cobalt brought forth a column of rock on either side of the two, forming a direct path to Rascal, locking them into a narrow lane. Then he lowered his head.

This was it. Their last best chance. "Rascal, brace."

She huffed and shot him an impatient look, but nodded.

Cobalt, still clutching his burnt forelimb to his chest, charged. Golden energy blazed across his crest.

Rascal widened her own stance and braced. Across the field, Fossie seemed unimpressed by the idea.

Koa drew a breath, trying to time the action perfectly. "Now! Trip!"

The energy Rascal had been storing since a few seconds ago surged. Rippled across the makeshift corridor then shifted the ground just as Cobalt stepped. His foot went straight into an unexpected newly formed divot in the earth left by Ancient Power.

With his momentum and speed he flew forward, landing on his belly and skidding chin-first several feet.

Yes! An opening Cobalt wouldn't be able to retaliate.

Rascal didn't hesitate. Triumphant, feral fury blazed to life in her eyes as she saw her enemy downed on his belly only a couple feet away.

In one fluid motion she rose and leaped. Her full body weight slammed into the blue Tyrantrum as she landed, bringing her greater weight on top of him to pin him. Icy blue energy flared around her jaws and she clamped down on Cobalt's neck.

The Tyrantrum's snarl turned into a choked noise and he attempted to heave himself upright to little success. His landing had left his legs in an awkward position behind him, giving him no leverage. He thrashed and staggered, trying to dislodge her, but her jaw strength was unparalleled, even against one of her own species. That combined with the slight size advantage was all she needed.

A predatory gleam burned in her eyes, and Koa even felt a brief flicker of dark pride at the sheer savage delight she displayed. After everything Fossie had done on Iron Island, it felt good to get the upper hand.

Cobalt managed to rise a few feet off the earth but Rascal bit even harder, the savage gleam becoming angry as she heaved against him, trying to force him to the ground.

"Cobalt!" For the first time, proper shock carried through Fossie's voice.

Cobalt scrabbled desperately but his energy was clearly fading. Ice began to form around his neck, the frost creeping over his scales as his struggles slowed. Rascal's jaws were hooked in fully and she had no plans of releasing him.

There was nowhere to go or act. With Rascal pinning him effectively, he couldn't get off an attack, couldn't reach her with jaws or claws, and couldn't dislodge her.

He gave once last heave, twisting to try and throw her off, only to collapse.

Red light cut across the field, wrapping around Cobalt as Koa saw the referee raise a hand to call the match. Rascal's jaws shut on air with a resounding snap! And she was alone on the field. The smoldering anger in her eyes turned to triumph. She roared her trademark victory to the skies.

The crowd, who'd been stunned briefly into awed silence, erupted into cheers. The noise nearly drowned out the voice of the referee calling the match.

Koa's cheeks hurt from grinning so hard. Pride overshadowed every other emotion, filling him as Rascal relished her victory. Beating Fossie so strongly felt oh so good. He let her have a moment, then he took out her ball and returned her. He murmured a congratulations to her pokeball before putting it on his belt.

Across the field, he saw Fossie glare at him. Koa returned it with a smug grin of his own, and Fossie rolled his eyes before crossing the field to him. "Not bad. Your Tyrantrum is impressive. Can't say I'm happy about your little stunt, but it worked. This time. Congratulations."

For a moment, Koa hesitated. He couldn't get a read on if Fossie was actually sincere. And it was hard to forget what he'd said and done on Iron Island. "Thanks," he said somewhat stiffly.

The crowds began to disperse, chattering among themselves. Wearing a beaming smile, Amarillo strode over and congratulated both of them, then led them to the sidelines.

Anorith awaited there, sitting comfortably atop her pedestal. She'd evidently watched the battle, as she was gazing at the two of them with looks of fascination. Amarillo held a Fossil Ball in one hand, and handed it to Koa.

"Anorith, say hello to your new partner."

Eyes shining, Anorith hopped off her pedestal.

Slowly, she started toward Koa.

Then walked straight past him and over to Fossie. She made a low churring noise and clicked her front claws together eagerly.

Koa gaped and blinked. Amarillo looked taken aback, but quickly recovered. She knelt next to Anorith. "So you want to go with Mr. Hawthorne?" she asked.

The fossil pokemon nodded. It was impossible to doubt the eagerness in Anorith's gaze when she looked at Fossie. Of course she did. They were a perfect match. It was downright annoying how well she fit.

Amarillo turned to him with an apologetic smile. "Mr. Averon, it seems Anorith has taken quite a shine to Mr. Hawthorne."

Anger surged through Koa and he quickly swallowed it. He made himself smile, though he was sure it was strained. Anorith wanted this, and he hardly wanted an unwilling teammate. Still, it was hard to get past the sheer petty annoyance of it all. Even if Anorith wasn't a planned seventh pokemon the idea had had a certain appeal. Whatever. Besides, more than anything he'd wanted to show up Fossie. Which he'd done by winning. Fine.

"Unfortunately we have no secondary pokemon to offer."

Seriously?

"But given the circumstances, we will provide an ample prize to compensate in addition to the usual second place prize." She turned to Fossie. "Mr Hawthorne, I take it you are fine with yours?"

Fossie's eyes were gleaming with delight and triumph. Koa wanted to wipe it off his face, even if a part of him was glad for Anorith. "Absolutely."

Amarillo nodded, satisfied. "Excellent." She handed off Anorith's pokeball to Fossie, who took it and thanked her as he returned her. Then he shot Koa a smug grin and waved farewell.

Koa had half a mind to stick his tongue out, but resisted the urge. Instead, he turned to Amarillo.

"Since we'll be providing some extra prizes for taking first place, it'll take some time to arrange everything. You can stop by the Pokemon Center and pick it up this evening."

Koa thanked her, then with Hazard, headed back to find Kitto. He pushed the last of his anger away. Even if he'd lost the prize, he'd won what mattered.
His steps were light and spirits high as he wandered his way back through the festival. Victory left a taste sweeter than any honey.

"Remember when you first joined and you could barely use your electricity? And Rascal was just a grumpy Tyrunt?" Koa said to Hazard as they walked. "now look at you two."

Hazard clicked his mandibles and sent out a few sparks. Koa got the sense he was reminiscing too. "You're probably gonna be the world's strongest Joltik soon too," he joked.

His smile grew serious. He wondered for a moment if that was a thing. "World's strongest Joltik..." That did have a nice ring to it. The gleam in Hazard's eyes told him that he thought the same.

A flicker of white hair in a mirror hanging from a vendor's stall caught his eye and he whirled around just as Kitto stepped up to him, hands raised and ready to try and scare him.

"Hah!" Koa crowed triumphantly. "Got you!"

Kitto ruffled his hair. "Looks like you're finally learning! Congratulations on sticking it to Fossie by the way." He took Koa's arm and started to drag him down a walkway between stalls. "Come on, you have to come try this honey-glazed corncob."

The mention of food made Koa suddenly aware of how hungry he was, and he hurried after Kitto eagerly.

A few minutes later they were seated in a clearing a ways away from the crowds, their teams out and hands sticky. Koa was sure he'd never had such good food in his life. Echo looked like he was in heaven, and had already chewed through three cobs while Flurry could eat twice as much now that she was a Sealeo.

It occurred to him that even with the affordability of pokemon food he'd need to do some bigger challenges to support the cost of his team. Especially once she became a Walrein.

While Koa ate, his mind wandered. His win against Fossie had been solid but tricks wouldn't work twice against the same trainer. And they certainly wouldn't win every fight. He found himself reflecting again on the trainers he'd fought. Fossie and his team, Hilgar's combos, and the gym leaders. Byron's Bastiodon was a master of its own niche. Fossie's Tyrantrum made the most of its power and ability.

Though he'd come far, he still had a long way to go to be able to be strong enough. But he didn't just need raw power. Any trainer could get six badges eventually, or even eight. Most did. Truly great ones had to work hard to bridge the gap between having badges and becoming proficient or even a master. There was a good reason many trainers ending up fading out after earning their badges.

No, he needed something more. So far he'd been focusing on training and building his team. His recent battles proved they were plenty strong and skilled in their own rights. But to truly go far he had to figure out how to start honing his team's skills. He stared distantly at his team arrayed before him. Where did he begin?

The Battle Triplets had been off, yes, about their initial outlook. But he couldn't deny the pragmatic side. There was a degree of wisdom in analyzing his team and considering strengths and weaknesses, even innate ones. Hazard had had to work hard to overcome his lack of ability to generate his own electricity.
Maybe he could call Deuce and get some pointers. As frustrating as they had been when he'd first met them, he knew they weren't bad. They had skills and valuable knowledge.

"I think I need to figure out a specialization," he murmured out loud. Hazard glanced up from the cob that was nearly twice his size, listening curiously as he kept nibbling.

"Oh? Might be a tad late to become a type specialist," Kitto said light heartedly.

"Not that," Koa said, rolling his eyes before gnawing on his nearly finished cob, savoring the sweet spice as he organized his thoughts. "It's just, I'm still gonna need to get better. A lot better, to battle a legendary. All the best trainers have some kind of focus. Like the Gym Leaders, Fossie, the Battle Triplets... But I never really thought of one for my team."

Kitto glanced at him curiously, then at Koa's pokemon. "Wait didn't you tell me you had your whole team planned at one point? Before you went on your journey?"

The memory made Koa roll his eyes at his old self. "Yeah but that's different."

"Different how? Didn't you have reasons for your old team? Your 'Perfect' one?"

"Well..." Blinking, Koa paused. That time before his journey felt a lifetime ago. Why had he wanted those pokemon so bad? "I guess I wanted something special back then. And I wanted a lot of different types and skills. Strong pokemon that I thought could fight a legendary and had power." He laughed awkwardly. "And I sort of thought those pokemon were the coolest."A legacy of his own, half the reason the idea of a Crobat had irked him so long ago.

But even back then he'd been naive and hadn't thought of how to bring together his pokemon. They'd always just existed as nebulous ideals.

"But I have to do more if I want to beat a legend. I have to be more... Figure out what I'm good at, what my team is good at, and refine that. Really focusing on something. Make a team." He could already see some obvious strong traits. Speed from Echo, Rascal's raw power. Long ranged attacks from Anubis and martial prowess with Scrapper. And yet...

Yet no singular focus seemed obvious.

"A good idea," Kitto agreed. "Though if you ask me, having a diverse skillset is important too. You know that saying, right? Jack of all trades-"

"But a master of none?"Koa finished.

Kitto nodded. "Except there's another bit that says 'better than a master of one'."

Koa frowned in thought. "Yeah, I've heard that but... look at all the strongest trainers like Lance or Steven or Iris. All the gym leaders and Elite Four." He rolled his eyes. "Even Fossie. I can't just get by on... on..." he waved his hands. "...good vibes and hope. Winning comes from a good balance of skill, work and focus."

"Well you're right about that at least," Kitto pointed out amiably.

"I mean even the best martial artists usually practice only a couple styles. I just don't know what I can do. Everyone on my team is good but I can't make all of them good at one thing. I mean it's not like Rascal can ever outpace Echo or Hazard be as tough as Flurry."

What strength could he possibly focus on? What focus could he refine that his whole team could do? Sure, he did have all dual-typed pokemon on his team but that didn't count for much, as helpful as it sometimes was in battle. None of his pokemon's skills overlapped.

"Isn't Cynthia a generalist?" Kitto pointed out. "And that showoff in Galar, Leon." A determined fire blazed in his eyes. Koa snickered at his choice of words. He had no doubt that Leon and his Charizard were on Kitto's personal list of champions he wanted to defeat.

"Yeah but... Cynthia is Cynthia. And Leon's... I don't remember, but he's known for his Charizard, not for being a generalist."

Kitto shrugged neutrally and hummed, gaze distant.

Tossing his finished cob to Scrapper, who crunched it whole, Koa side-eyed Kitto. "You're usually full of knowledge. Do you have an idea what I should do?"

"Nope," he said. "Team specialties aren't my strong suit, obviously. You're on your own there. But knowing you, you're overthinking. Sometimes complicated questions have simple answers."

He caught a pointed look from Echo at that comment and rolled his eyes. Still, maybe Kitto was right. Maybe the answer was closer than he thought. His thoughts turned back to the weeks leading up to being a trainer, the team he'd dreamt of and why he'd wanted them.

Some of the reasons were a bit shallow admittedly, but there'd been a practical side too. Luxray's x-ray vision for navigation. A powerful water-type like Gyrados for swimming. A close combat specialist like a Tyrogue. A strong flier like a Staraptor. Pokemon known to be predisposed to natural strength. His gaze fell on each of his team members, one by one.

Back then, he'd chosen his team for versatility. Adaptability for any challenge...

In a way, he had still fulfilled his goals. As a Houndoom, Anubis was a valuable tracker. Echo's echolocation was useful both in and out of battle. Scrapper was gifted at combat and Flurry had potential as a powerful swimmer, while Hazard's size had proved a boon many times before. Rascal's strength and brute power was a force to be reckoned with.

"Better than a master of one." He murmured the words aloud.

Leaning back, he studied his team again, then sighed. "I'll also have to see about working on some defenses too..." It was undeniable that aside from Flurry, his team was more offense oriented. "Rascal's tough but even she's better at fighting head on than taking hits. It'll be important to find ways to last long. Especially if I want to fight a legendary." The list of things he wanted to do was beginning to feel daunting.

He realized he'd naively assumed before his journey that a handful of the "right" strong pokemon would somehow make it a cinch to become powerful enough to challenge a legendary. But even if he had caught that team, he still would have needed to work hard to hone that.

Kitto took a thoughtful bite of his corn. "That barrier you created with Scrapper when you fought Fossie on Iron Island was a good idea."

"Oh yeah. And Hazard has his Sticky Shield. That one is pretty sick. Really useful against fire-types especially."

Hazard beamed at the praise, looking thoughtful as he listened.
"After today, I'm gonna keep working with Rascal on her control. I think she could pull off something similar..."

For the rest of the afternoon, Koa relaxed with his team, trading ideas and strategies for the future with Kitto. All the while, the idea in the back of Koa's mind turned the idea over and over. How did he make his six pokemon into a true team?

XXX

A few hours later, tired from exploring the rest of the festival with Kitto, Koa entered the Pokemon Center and gave his name to the nurse. He figured he'd given plenty of time for them to prepare his prize.

The nurse dialed a number on the phone and a couple minutes later, Amarillo strode through the door and approached him. She carried a package in both arms. "I pulled some strings to make sure you got something good," she said brightly.

"There is a small cash reward, and a Dream Ball from a local Apricot carver." Her eyes glimmered and she flashed a grin. Koa blinked. He didn't want to be rude, but he wasn't sure that qualified as particularly impressive. "Oh is that... it?" Smooth.

"Yep," she replied brightly. Then she winked. "Kidding! I got you a voucher for a bike, a set of vitamins and..." She paused dramatically. "Your choice between two TM Sets."

Now those piqued Koa's interest. The bike voucher was technically a moot point since he had one but... Kitto could use that. Then they could both ride bikes. Even more intriguing however was the TM set.

"What are they?" he asked.

Amarillo reached into the box she was holding and withdrew two cube shaped boxes. The sides were slotted with something similar to a CD case but slightly smaller. One box had a sort of starburst like effect, while the other had a cloud with a small sun shape on it. She held up the starburst box. "This set has powerful and rare attack moves. There's Hyper Beam, Giga Impact, Fire Blast, Hydro Pump and Leaf Storm."

Koa was just about ready to take that one immediately.

"This one contains weather moves. Rain Dance, Sunny Day, Sandstorm, Snowscape and Hail, and Defog."

Koa's eyes widened. Those were good prizes. All together the reusable versions of those TM's went for a sizable sum.

The idea of each of his team members being able to use such powerful moves was alluring. He was pretty sure most of them could learn Hyper Beam or Giga Impact. And Anubis could learn Fire Blast. Flurry could get a head start on a powerful water move.

He started to reach for the box, then stopped. The attack moves were undeniably useful. But the TMs for weather moves all together? That had serious value. Weather techniques were notoriously challenging, especially if a pokemon didn't have a knack for it. Not only were they hard to use, but learning to maintain them took time. The TM's would give him the edge on learning them.

It came down to power or technique. Resolve took shape in Koa's mind, and he picked a box.

"You're sure?" Amarillo asked, though there was a flicker of respect in her brown gaze.

Koa nodded without hesitation. "Yeah, I am."

She placed the TM set in the box and handed it to him. "Enjoy your prizes, Mr. Averon. Good luck on your journey."

He grinned at her. "Thank you very much." As she walked away, he gazed down at the box in his arms, with the TM case nestled on top, the sun emblem shining in the overhead lights. The future was looking brighter and brighter.

XXX

Fluffy white clouds drifted across a blue sky, carried by a gentle breeze. The sun was beginning to dip towards the horizon, but hadn't yet reached the peaks of the mountains. Koa leaned back on the bench, enjoying the pleasant weather. Kitto was sprawled beside him, equally relaxed, enjoying a honey drizzled ice cream cone.

It had been a few days since he'd beat Fossie in the contest, and the festival was beginning to wind down, giving Koa some much needed peace and quiet. The vendors had been remarkably efficient at breaking down, and a majority had already packed up. They'd spent almost all day for the past few days enjoying the games and contests and the occasional impromptu battles. That left only the late evening to squeeze a bit of training in. Still, it was nice to enjoy the days.

They'd ended their last day by relaxing and taking it easy. Hazard was perched on the backrest of the bench, looking blissfully relaxed. He seemed at peace and content, and Koa was happy. It truly had been worth coming here. Flurry making a new friend and evolving, Hazard reuniting with his mother and even the prizes he'd ended up winning, plus all the useful stuff he'd bought.

His thoughts wandered as he closed his eyes, and he let himself daydream a bit. Each day got him a little closer to his goal. His plans were actually coming together, even if it was in slightly different ways than he expected. Kitto definitely hadn't been in his plan, but he was grateful to have someone to challenge and train with. Without him, he definitely wouldn't be as strong.

'Be careful who you trust. You can only ever trust once.'

Blake's words rang through his thoughts. Blake was right, they always had to be careful, but he felt certain that Kitto could be truly trusted. With everything.

He turned his thoughts toward his journey.

Now they could get their last two badges together. He already planned to challenge the gym at Sunyshore next. But what he didn't know was how he would get there. Sunyshore was quite literally on the other side of the region. He could try and catch a ferry, the same way he'd gotten from Veilstone to Canalave. Of course that would mean traveling to a port. Or he could try and catch a ride via Drifblim Air.

Every region had developed their own taxi services with pokemon aid in the past decades. Alolan officials had been the one to push for it, as they felt it important to work alongside pokemon instead of relying on machines solely. Hoenn had TropTaxi with Tropius. Kanto and Johto relied on Pidge-Air. Sinnoh had gone a more unusual route and partnered with Drifblim.

He was impatient to get his last two badges, and he felt properly confident his team could handle Sunyshore. Not like when he'd faced Maylene, full of was a calm certainty. As he understood, there was a new gym leader there, since Volkner took up a spot in the Elite 4 and Bertha retired. He planned to research her when he arrived.

If he used some of his saved up money on a DrifblimAir taxi he could be there by the end of the day tomorrow. Which meant he could have his gym badge in under a week. That just left Snowpoint. He wasn't exactly looking forward to the arduous hike through the snowy hills of Route 217, but it was considered a rite of passage for trainers and he wouldn't skip it.

The longer he considered it, the more appealing it sounded, getting his seventh badge soon...

Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he glanced over to see Hazard returning from wherever it was he'd been hanging out. The Joltik emerged from some bushes, followed by a small blue and yellow shape inching after him.

Confused, Koa watched as the two pokemon came up to the bench. After a moment, he recognized the pokemon as a Blipbug. A vaguely familiar one. He felt oddly sure it was the weird shiny one they'd run into during the contest. What was it doing all the way out here?

Koa watched curiously as Hazard hopped onto the bench, and shortly after the Blipbug inched awkwardly up one of the legs, across Kitto's lap and perched next to Hazard. Baffled, Koa stared at Kitto, who looked back at him and shrugged.

Blipbug bobbed up and down and Hazard made soft chittering noises as he clicked his mandibles together.

"Found a new friend?" Koa ventured after several seconds. Hazard beamed up at him and nodded.

First Contessa, and now this strange shiny Blipbug. It felt like a bizarre and amusing coincidence. He studied the Blipbug closer. There was definitely a sheen to its chitinous skin. "Are you the Blipbug from the contest?"

At first, he wasn't sure if the Blipbug heard him, as it didn't nod or even move. Instead it gazed implacably at him, giant round eye shapes reflecting the sun.

Perplexed, he looked at Hazard, who nodded. So that was a yes, he guessed.

"Well you're welcome to hang out here I guess," he said with a shrug. "I'm leaving in a bit though." He shifted and leaned back on the bench.

The rest of the evening drifted by in a pleasant daze as Koa enjoyed the weather and quiet, making occasional idle conversation with Kitto. Hazard seemed pleased to have made a new friend, and chittered away softly, with the Blipbug content to listen patiently. It was hard to read its expression, though occasionally it would wave its antennae.

As the sun finally began to sink below the mountains on the far horizon, Koa sat up and stretched.

"Alright. Tell your friend goodbye. I'm gonna head back up to the room."

Hazard's eyes gleamed with some emotion Koa couldn't read. In one swift movement he hopped over to Koa, crawled up his leg and then into his jacket pocket, and used a bit of sticky thread to pull out the Dream Ball Koa'd put there.

Koa had no time to react as Hazard dragged the pokeball across the bench, rolled it over and right into the Blipbug. In a flash of light, it was gone and only the ball remained. A second later, the ball dinged.

Koa blinked. "What."

---

AN: Well well well... whats this?

Guess you'll have to see how the next chapter goes!

(I have some backlog so I hope to have it up soon.)

Aside from the surprise at the end, I stressed but had a lot of fun with the battle against Fossie. I mean two Tyrantrum duking it out is just. Dinosaur peak. I have a reason I'm bringing this guy back up and its always fun to revisit old characters. I also like to think a lot about pokemon battles and I think that it must be awfully hard to be a good trainer. Bringing 6 individuals together and then teaching them and finding their strengths? Even harder if you're not a type specialist.

I did channel a little of my personal contemplations into Koa's discussion with Kitto. Koa's gonna have to find a new edge to push past some invisible barriers and level up. Surely nothing else willhappen on his journey to disrupt him. Right.? Right?

As ever and always, thank you again for everyone who reads, thank you for your comments! Perhaps I will start answering reviews again in my AN? I miss hearing and responding to your guys thoughts. If anyone has any questons or comments on the story so far I'll try to answer them next time I update!

Echo (Male Crobat) {Ability: Inner Focus}
Hazard (Male Joltik) {Ability: Compound Eyes}
Rascal (Female Tyrantrum) {Ability: Strong Jaw}
Anubis (Male Houndoom) {Ability: Flash Fire}
Scrapper (Male Breloom) {Ability: Effect Spore}
Flurry (Female Sealeo) {Ability: Thick Fat}

A Blipbug...?