[PKMN OPEN] Z: A Kalos Journey - Rebirth [M] [IC]

Avril Morris

Shalour City

Chapter 18-1 | The Fated Hour

Current Party:

A feeling of apprehension filled Avril Morris' body as she stared up at the massive, imposing tower that stood before her. The girl felt like it had taken months to get to here, a feeling of dread that had been gnawing away in the pit of her stomach ever since she had made that promise back off the beach near Ambrette Town. Now she was finally here at the Tower of Mastery and inside, he was waiting for her... Clifford Morris... her father.

The very thought that their long awaited battle was finally here made the girl begin to wish that it would have taken actual months to get to this point in her journey. Despite his rather... less than pleasant demeanor, Clifford was a very accomplished Pokémon Trainer. And while Avril did in fact respect the power of her team, the blonde teenager found herself wondering if they were truly ready for the battle that awaited them... much less herself.

"Maybe... Maybe it's not too late..." Avril mused aloud, instinctively grabbing hold of the strap of her trainer's bag tightly as she began to mull over her options. "I could just... back away and forget all about this. I mean, it's not like he's got spies or something of the sort following me around the region. Kalos is a pretty big place after all."

The girl sighed, shaking her head at the thought in defeat. Avril knew very well that that really wasn't an option for her. After all, her father had managed to track her down back at Ambrette Town. Chances are the man would merely track her down again if she just decided to up and blow off their little rendezvous. Truth be told, that was not an encounter that the girl would like to repeat.

"Excuse me young lady, but are you going to stand there all day...?" came a sudden voice that snapped the blonde girl out of the daze she was in. Avril quickly spun around to see an elderly man looking at her somewhat expectantly. He was somewhat hunched over, a sign that he was definitely up there in his years, with a warm and comforting smile gracing his lips. "My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you. It's just that you appeared to be lost or something of the sort."

"Oh, yeah... Sorry about that," Avril replied quickly, a small blush gracing her cheeks as turned her focus to the older man beside her. "I guess I was just... taking in the view a little too long, you know?"

The elderly man chuckled at the girl's response. "Yes, yes... The tower is quite the impressive sight, isn't it? Even after all these years I find myself unable to resist coming here every day..." Avril watched as a somewhat distant look came to the elderly man's eyes, as if he was recalling something from the distant pass. A somewhat content sigh slipped pass as he chuckled yet again. "I'm sure you're not here to listen to an old man like me prattle on though. I'm sure there's a reason you're actually here, yes I can tell that much."

He paused, giving Avril a careful examination up and down. "Ah yes... I can tell just from looking, you must be a Pokémon trainer. No doubt you're here to look into the art of Mega Evolution... Yes, it's what many trainers come to this town for."

"Mega Evolution...?" Avril questioned. "Oh, uh no... Not exactly. Truth be told, I'm just meant to meet someone inside for a battle."

The old man raised an eyebrow at the girl's response. "Young lady, you do know what this tower is correct? It's the Tower of Mastery. The only battles that are truly held inside are between those who seek the power of Mega Evolution and the successors who have managed to harness its power... Aside from that, you are carrying a Mega Stone... it's nothing to be ashamed of to come seeking such a power."

"A Mega Stone...? I don't..." Avril began to reply, but stopped promptly as she found the old man's eyes drawn to the stone she had fashioned into a necklace. Robin had given it to her back in Cyllage City for her birthday. The girl had never actually questioned that older sister had given her something so important. In fact, Avril sort of just chalked it up to just being some pretty rock. "Why in the world would she hand something so rare like that...?"

"No matter... Even if you're not here for the power of Mega Evolution, I suppose it would be foolish to keep your friend waiting. Come, let's head inside," the elderly man stated, slowly beginning to make his way towards the door of the tower.

Avril watched as the old man slowly made his way towards the tower before slowly starting to follow behind him. So many questions were rolling through her mind now, mostly about Robin and her father. Where did Robin find a Mega Stone of all things and why did she just give it to her? If the Tower of Mastery was used as a testing ground of sorts for those seeking Mega Evolution, why did her father insist on challenging her here? Did he have the power to use Mega Evolution? Truth be told, the blonde had never really kept up with the man or his abilities as a trainer. That is to say that she knew he was an accomplished trainer, but Avril had never actually taken the time to notice if he was capable of Mega Evolution or not. Then again, the girl had never bothered to actually ask him either.

"I guess I should find out when I meet him," Avril determined, heading inside the tower beside the old man.

The inside of the Tower of Mastery was just as imposing as it was outside. Large and expansive, the tower's height seemed to go on forever. It was accented by a massive, winding staircase that seemed to encircle the entire tower. Ancient and beautifully crafted stained glass windows decorated the walls, shining the inside with in an array of beautiful colors and patterns that took the girl's very breath away. As she stepped further into the tower, her eyes eventually found themselves drifting to a statue that stood in the very center of the room. A proud, powerful Lucario stood there. Carved out of solid granite, the statue of the fighting-type Pokémon gave off an aura of courage and determination. As Avril examined the statue, she noticed that there were several features that seemed to be different from the typical Lucario. At the very least, they seemed to be different than that of Emma's. The girl could only assume that these differences had something to do with Mega Evolution.

"Well, well... You certainly took your sweet time coming here. I was starting to think you weren't going to show up," a familiar voice called out. Avril's eyes drifted over towards the sound of the voice, her stomach twisting into knots as the sight of her father came into view. She watched with bated breath as Clifford slowly made his way down the last few stairs, his eyes staring intently at her as if he was trying to beat her down with his gaze alone. "Robin would have made it here in half the time you did. Then again, you were always one to just dawdle along... Your head in the clouds the entire way, no doubt."

Avril clenched her fists as the man spoke, unable to look him in the eyes the entire time. "That's not what happened... I just... things got in the way and..."

"Save the excuses," Clifford ordered quickly, shutting down Avril's response without so much as a second thought. "I didn't tell you to come here to make idle conversation. The reason we're here is for one reason and one reason only... to test your resolve. To see if you're actually as skilled a trainer as you like to pretend you are."

Avril winced at the sound of her father's words. Every single syllable the man spoke was filled with harshness, as if he was already judging her before they had even reached for their first Pokémon. She could hear Clifford sigh in disgust at the way she stood, her eyes fixated on the ground... and she hated it. She was stuck just taking it all in. To make matters worse, there was no one here to comfort or shield her from the man's comments. Emma, Victoria, Sebastian, Drew, Laurent... hell, the girl found herself wishing that even Jackson was around, as if the very sight of at least one person she was on somewhat familiar terms with would have softened the verbal blows.

"Are you just going to stand there sniffling all day? If you can't even respond to me, then you might as well pack it in and go home where you belong," Clifford stated rather bluntly.

"...N-No... Sorry, y-you're right," Avril finally managed to stammer out. "A battle... We need to have that battle..."

Avril began to fumble around for a moment, quickly yet clumsily grabbing hold of Shino's poké ball from her bracelet. Clifford rolled his eyes at the sight of his daughter, who in his view was acting more spineless than a Tentacool. Is this what he had been waiting around for? So far, it was proving to be an absolute joke to the man.

"Not here, Avril..." the man groaned in annoyance, taking a drag off of the usual cigar that hung from his lips. "This tower, despite being used for battling is a somewhat sacred place. Battling inside this room could risk damaging the windows or the statue. It's a tower, not a gym." The man turned, slowly beginning to make his way up the stairs once more. He glanced over his shoulder at the girl and motioned for her to follow him. "Come. We'll be battling on one of the balconies."

Avril watched as Clifford made his way up the stairs for a few moments before she slowly began to follow behind him. She could feel the frustration rising inside of her. This was her moment, to prove that she she could stand on her own and be a trainer just like she always wanted. Yet here she was, still sniffling and hesitating around her father. Even know, it felt like her feet weighed a good ton each and it was taking everything the blonde girl had to even take a single step... Maybe... maybe he was right.

"I'm absolutely pathetic..."

"Hey, wait up, Bird Guy!"

Kade looked around, he'd been watching a flock of Wingull fluttering over the beach in the direction of the imposing Tower of Mastery when the slightly familiar voice called out to him. Reluctantly, he turned around to see a trainer with a messy hair, scruffy beard and old hoody standing behind him.

"I'm the guy with the Persian, we just battled like an hour ago," he said, apparently realising Kade hadn't placed him yet.

"Oh right!" Kade said, "Sorry about that."

"No worries, man. I just saw you on my way back from the Tower of Mastery and thought I should give you a heads up."

"A heads up?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure you're looking at the Wingull and not the Tower if our battle is anything to go by, but just to be safe you should probably know. The path's being blocked by a couple of morons in an argument and it doesn't look like they're budging any time soon."

"That's a shame, I'm not really in any rush to go to the tower though. From what I understand none of my Pokemon are known to be able to Mega Evolve."

"I guess that makes sense, most can't. Suppose you'll be more interested in heading to the gym then?"

"Yeah, I was planning to head over there after I'm done watching the Wingull. I think they get underestimated a lot compared to more sleek looking birds, but Wingull and Pelipper are excellent gliders since they spend so much time in warm beachy areas they catch a lot of thermals and updrafts and they've developed to spend a lot of time in the air without rest."

The other trainer looked at Kade slightly uncomfortably, hastily looking for a way to change the topic or bail on the conversation.

"Right… well… that's pretty cool I have to admit," he shifted around on his feet for a bit before ploughing on ahead "Well, if you're planning to do that you're going to need to get your hands on a pair of rollerskates or something."

Now it was Kade's turn to look confused and bewildered. It seemed odd to him that skates would be required for a gym battle, he couldn't imagine why.

"Skates? Why?" he asked incredulously.

"The leader here, Korinna, she's got a pretty specific gimmick," the trainer said "Calls it a momentum battle. You skate along around the rink as you battle and if either you or your Pokemon stop moving too long you forfeit the battle even if your Pokemon are in perfect condition."

Kade stood there blinking for a moment.

"That could be a problem."

"Can't skate?"

"Not at all," Kade replied "What should I do then?"

"Well, it doesn't have to be skates," the trainer said "Any form of transport is fine as long as it isn't motorised and you keep moving."

An idea formed in Kade's head at that as his thoughts drifted to a certain item jammed into his bag.

"I think I have that covered then."

---

The Tower of Mastery... the founding site of Mega Evolution.



The promise that Emma had kept to Korrina allowed her to find answers in this landmark. According to Korrina, the Tower is said to hold the ancient and past secrets of Mega Evolution... so to pass through those doors was Emma's first step upon getting stronger herself. Emma surveyed the tower from as much of it as she could. It was tall, and structured significantly to be opposing for the city. The air around this place... it wasn't malicious, but even Emma could tell how oppressive and energizing it felt just being around here. She slowly opened the entrance, hearing the loud creaks it made doing so.

Emma crept inside. Inside, it was quite spacious, with not a soul in sight. She finally stepped all the way in, being as cautious as she could be. Once more, not a soul in sight. She walked inside the tower's floor, surrounded by the many statues that occupied some parts of the floor. There were small ones that seemed to resemble different types and varieties of Pokémon, and one massive one, while seemed ragged, seemed to have resembled a Pokémon of sorts...

The walls and floor seemed to be made out of a sturdy gray stone material, perhaps like the similar materials they've used during medieval times. There were also stairs that seemed to lead all the way up the tower. They wrapped all around the giant statue. Thinking about it more, there was something about that huge statue of the Pokémon that Emma couldn't put her finger on... She crept closer to it, to inspect it. This might be it: It looked like a certain Pokémon, but it wasn't like any other average Pokémon, like Emma has ever seen around here.

"Dat's one of the heroes from long ago," called a sudden voice. Surprised, Emma quickly turned, to see a figure in the guise of a hooded cloak with odd symbols upon it. "It was in fact, the first to obtain that legendary transformation... it's Mega Transformation."

Emma directed her sights back upon the statue. So this Pokémon... was transformed? As much as her interest peaked, she turned back to the cloaked individual. "Heroes?" The cloaked individual nodded.

"Been a tale as old as dirt I reckon," they said. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to belonged to a male's voice. But there was something more to that voice... Emma could tell, there was no malice, and she could trust this voice . But why? After all, she had never have met this person before... "But, maybe you shouldn't pry too much... Emma."

"How do you know my name?" Emma asked cautiously. "Who... Who are you?"

"Hmm, thought you coulda guessed by now, kid," the cloaked figure said with a small yet familiar chuckle. Emma then watched as the figure slowly removed his hood. But as soon as he removed it, Emma could tell right who it was right away. It was the last person she thought to encounter here of all places.

"...Grandfather...?"




"Yo." It was indeed her grandfather, with his ragged language and all. He gave Emma a stern, yet friendly stare.

"It is you..." said Emma, still in bewilderment. Ketsuya Kuzunoha, Emma's grandfather, was by no means a simple man. He was the head of the Kalosian mafia in Lumiose City... he's serious and loves to say what he's thinking, but deep down, he has a kind heart to Emma, and a competitive streak that keeps her going. Emma adored him when she was a young lass, reading stories with him when her parents were busy, even playing with the pokemon that was around with him at the time. No matter how much people viewed him, Emma idolized him as a strong and kind man. "Grandpapa... what on earth is going on here? What are you doing here, and what are you wearing?"

Ketsuya let out a sight and crossed his arms. "...You really wanna know, huh? I suppose I should start from da' beginnin'..." he began. He stood beside Emma, and stared right in front of the large statue. "This statue of the lil'guy you see in front of ya'? That belonged to one of our ancestors, Emm. He was an Aura Guardian."

"Aura Guardian?" Emma repeated. "You mean the ones that can sense auras at will?"

Katsya nodded. "It was around 3000 years ago, give or take. 'Dat Aura Guardian was fightin' alongside a man who believed and loved his people, so much he was even willin' to do whatever it took to protect em'. Thanks to our ancestor, the Kuzuonha clan had a special power in particular, the ability to empower aura from emotions."

"Our emotions?" Emma grasped.

"The clan's emotional status are directly linked to life energy. More a person feels, the stronger ans sharper they can be," he continued. "Emm'', you know about Mega Evolution right? Well, our clan has the power to directly link our life energy for Mega Evolution, which our feelings give the pokemon it's power. Least, dat's how our ancestor first developed that power from their own life aura. But, with all power, there's gotta be a price. Dat's the way it goes." Kazyua sighed as he crossed his arms. "If used too recklessly, or not in the right way, one's life energy will eventually fade, till there's nothin' left. I guess someone could call dis... a curse."

Emma looked solemnly to her grandfather. "I understand about the clan's power back then," she stated. "But what does all that have to do with you here right now? Could it be that you're..."

Ketsuya let loose a small chuckle, unfolding his arms. "Sharp as ever, kid. Now that we're in this generation, things have been passed down t'me. I'm one of the guardians representin' our clan now." Emma looked surprised; she had the pieces together, but still was surreal by the time he had said it. "Yer' old man was originally gonna take over, until he met yer' mother. He decided, dat wasn't the life he wanted for her for him, and for you too."

He turned, and stepped away from Emma, turning his back on her to look distantly from the place. "...But, when you were born. You had those eyes that my own wife had, destined for so much more," he added. " Then.. y'know. Yer mom and pop died. For what? For nothin'. I gotta be honest, I thought he, my own son, chose dat has his fate, for runnin' away. I thought he was just runnin' away from his life, gutless... a coward. I secretly hated the lot of em'. His wife... and you as well, kid. But then, I saw ya' in Lumiose. Remember when you were distraught? Ready to give up? It became all clear t'me. It doesn't matter how one ended, it's how one lived, and shined. You lost everythin', but you still had a life, and chose a path for yer' self. I ain't as smart, so I had to think a long time on dis'. What does it mean to live? T'have a destiny? T'fulfill a duty? I wasn't so sure anymore."

He turned back to Emma. "Eventually, I had one idea, see. I watched ya' grow kid, from a hapless little girl to who you are now. And I wanted t'help ya succeed and grow no matter what. And so I decided, dis' is the way things gotta be. My.. final duty for ya'."

"Final... duty?" Emma could only ask.

"Remember what I told ya kid? Our clan's power was passed down from generation, even to us. Our life force is special, but a curse as well. And... as it so happens, mine's is almost up." Ketsuya put on a more serious expression, staring daggers upon Emma. "Before dat happens... I'm gonna give ya, my final lesson t'ya."

"Grandfather?!" Emma shouted. "You're... you're going to disappear...?" Her grandfather only responded by nodded. Emma gave him an look filled with anger.. and sorrow. "How could you... how could you do something like this?! Why...?"

"Dat's enough!" Ketsyua roared. "Please Emm'. Let my life shine for you. Dat would give me... true peace."

"What about my peace?" Emma said in anguish. "If you're gone, I.. I'd have no family left..."

"What are ya' talkin' about?" asked Ketsuya. "You've got yer' Pokemon, right? And yer' friends. yer' never alone. Ya' don't need me anymore. So... lemme be yer' grandpapa just one more time. I will now test, your power! Your resolve!" He held out a pokeball from his sleeve cloak.

"Why..."

He then threw it in the air, as it could soar onto the heavens.

"Why... why...?"

The pokeball opened, releasing energy that morphed into a gigantic green creature - a Tyranitar. It's roar was so loud and ferocious, it echoed for a brief while upon the tower. It roared once more, as it seemingly released a storm of dust from it's body. It was it's special ability, Sand Stream. Around it's collar, it was a black strap with what it seemed like, a small gem... it was a Mega Stone it was holding.

"This isn't..."

"Emm'!" Ketsuya shouted. He revealed another item from his cloaked sleeve; a Keystone. "You know me. I ain't the one to hold back." He activated it. The two stones radiated energy, as the sandstorm raged onward. Soon, prismatic light enveloped the room, as the Tyranitar grew larger, grew spikes, and changed it's form. Ketsuya was surrounded by the prismatic light as well, as it dissipated, making his eyes glow the same light. When the light dimmed, the Tyraniitar was a complete different form. It Mega Evolved. It let loose an even fiercer roar, readying itself for combat.

"This... THIS ISN'T WHAT I WANT!"


To be continued...

Avril Morris

Shalour City

Chapter 18-2 | Onslaught

Current Party:

A cool breeze blew through the air as Avril and Clifford stepped out onto one of the many balconies that decorated the outside of the Tower of Mastery. The wind carried with it the faint sound of singing Chatot, along with the gentle crashing of waves against the beaches of Shalour City. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, allowing the duo to bask in the warm glow of the sun despite the fact they were well into the Autumn season. All in all, it was quite picturesque. Avril wouldn't have minded coming back to enjoy such scenery once more should her time allow it. However for the time being, the girl knew she had other matters to attend to.

"This isn't just some run of the mill battle, Avril," Clifford began, snapping the girl back to attention. "We're not battling for a badge or money... This is about you, whether or not you can prove that you have what it takes to be a Pokémon trainer. If you lose, your journey will be ending here... and you go back where you belong... Do you understand? If you're sure this is your path in life... then you'll hold nothing back, understand?"

Avril nodded in response. "Yeah, sure... no pressure. It's just this whole journey is already relying on one battle..."

Before either daughter or father could utter another word, the sound of the door back into the tower opening caught their attention. Avril watched curiously as the old man from earlier made his way outside, slowly shuffling his way towards a nearby bench. He caught the looks of both Avril and her father, waving the duo off with a small smile.

"Don't mind me. I'm just here to spectate... nothing more," the old man informed them, before promptly taking a seat on the bench.

"If that's your wish," Clifford replied, returning his gaze back to his daughter. "Now, the rules... This battle will be different from your usual battles. I want you to use your entire team... against only one of mine."

Avril raised an eyebrow, slowly looking up at her father in confusion. "Only one of your Pokémon against my whole team...? Doesn't that seem a bit unfair."

Clifford scoffed. "Don't be stupid, girl... My Pokémon are all far stronger than your own, each of them with years of experience. You should know at least that much. Of course... Even with that bit of knowledge, I might still be at a disadvantage... Still, there's a way around that."

Without a moment's delay, Clifford took hold of one of the poké balls hanging from his belt and quickly tossed it forward. Avril watched as a familiar sight was quick to emerge from the capsule-like device... the shape of a massive and imposing Aggron. The massive, steel Pokémon let out a fierce roar, one that took Avril by surprise and almost shook her down to the floor of the balcony in the process. The Aggron stared at the girl with glee, as if it was itching to tear her and her team apart in battle.

"Now then... Release your team," Clifford ordered.

Avril seemed hesitant to follow through with these rules. Even with her father being as skilled as he said he was... as she knew him to be, she had to admit that it did seem downright unfair to unleash her entire team against just one Pokémon. Still, the girl knew better than to outright refuse. Against her better judgement, the girl took all of the poké balls from her bracelet and tossed them forward, releasing her team onto the balcony one by one. Not one word was spoken by her father as the man slowly gazed out at the gathering before him. His eyes moved from Shino and Marble, seemingly accepting that the girl had two Pokémon that seemed to be at a respectable strength based on evolved forms alone. However as his attention then moved towards Radar, Cecil, Lulu and Mint... well, let's just say that Clifford was suddenly less than impressed.

"You've been out on this journey all this time and this is the best you can provide for me?" Clifford questioned before sighing in disgust. "Yet another disappointment... I almost feel like a bully for this, but... I'm not backing down from my plans."

There seemed to be a change in the air as Clifford closed his eyes with a smirk. Avril and her Pokémon began to look around curiously, the sudden croaking of a nervous Shino snapping Avril's focus towards her father... or rather, her father's wrist in particular. There seemed to be a faint, glowing light coming from the bracelet around the man's wrist. Avril watched as a blast of light quickly shot out from the man's wrist, causing her and her team to wince at the sudden, blinding light.

"What... What in the world is going on...?!" Avril questioned.

"I see... Mega Evolution..." the old man mused, watching the sight before him with increased interest. Avril glanced over her shoulder at the man. "It seems like your father is a successor. Looks like that's why he wanted to battle you here instead of just back in town."

Before Avril could respond, the surprised screeching of Radar caught her attention. The girl turned back to the scene before her, her eyes widening at the sight of a brilliant orb of light encompassing her father's Aggron. The Pokémon let out a loud, intense roar as its body began to shift and change. It grew larger...bulkier, with steel, blade-like armor starting to sport around its body. The new attachments must have weighed a great deal, as Avril noticed that the Aggron seemed to slouch slightly as the glowing orb shattered to reveal its true form. The Aggron let out another mighty roar before taking another step forward, one that seemed to shake the very foundation of the tower.

There was only silence for a moment...

"Aggron, Heavy Slam!"


Without warning, the massive Aggron charged forward, his body slamming down into the ground where Shino and the others stood. The Pokémon all scrambled about as best they could, the group of six just narrowly dodging the assault. Shino slowly climbed up to his feet from the sudden attack, both Radar and Lulu close by his side. On the other side of the Aggron, Cecil seemed a bit shaken by the force of the blow. Marble seemed to be doing her best to keep the little fossil Pokémon on his feet. Meanwhile, Mint looked quite eager to fight against this creature.

"Aggron, use Heavy Slam once more! Take down that Frogadier and the other two with him!" Clifford ordered.

Once more the Aggron let out a mighty roar, charging forward in what seemed to be an uncontrollable rage. Avril's mind was racing at this point, the girl already stammering on just how in the world she could order her team to counter.

"S-Shino, Smokescreen quick!" the girl finally managed to stammer out.

Shino let out a croak of agreement. The water Pokémon jumped back just as the Aggron slammed itself into the ground before spitting out a black, ink-like ball in the direction of the Aggron. It slapped right up against the steel-monster's face, exploding into a thick cloud of black smoke. Taking this as an opportunity to put herself on the offensive, Avril turned to her Shuppet and Noibat and gave the tiny Pokémon a quick nod.

"Shadow Sneak, Lulu! Radar, follow up with an Air Cutter!" Avril ordered out.

Lulu giggled in delight as she sunk down into the ground, seemingly fusing herself with the shadow of the blinded Aggron. Meanwhile, Radar took high to the sky and began to flap his tiny wings quickly, managing to stir up a sharp blast of wind that he wasted no time in launching in the direction of Clifford's Aggron. The Aggron groaned in annoyance as the blades of wind sliced up against him, but much to Avril and Radar's dismay there seemed to be little damage occurring. Clifford merely chuckled at the sight, the man seemingly not worried in the slightest bit.

"Now Aggron, Dragon Tail!" the man ordered.

A beastly growl escaped the Aggron has he quickly turned and slammed his tail into the ground. Avril's eyes widened as a pain-filled screech echoed out into the air, the sight of her Shuppet being flung into the air by the powerful tail filling her eyes. The Shuppet cried in pain as she hit the ground of the balcony roughly, essentially landing in a crumpled heap on the ground.

"Aggron, Shadow Claw!" Clifford bellowed out.

"C-Cecil, Protect!"

The Aggron launched itself forward, taking a mighty swing down in the direction of the wounded Lulu. However before the attack was able to connect, the form of a charging Cecil came into view. As if on instinct, the little Shieldon dashed in front of the Shuppet and took what many would consider to be a full-on blow from Aggron. However, thanks to Avril's quick thinking, the only thing that took damage appeared to be a quick barrier of sorts that Cecil had managed to raise just a moment before the impact. The Aggron seemed to be stunned by the sudden repel of its attack, a factor that Avril took advantage of as quickly as she could.

"Shino, Ice Beam now!" she shouted out.

The Frogadier dashed forward, taking a deep breath before shooting out a frigid blast of ice in the Aggron's direction. The giant Pokémon wailed in pain at the blow, its eyes narrowing as it took focus onto Shino. Clifford seemed to be echoing his Pokémon's anger.

"Aggron, Thunderbolt now!" Clifford shouted.

"Shino, another Ice Beam!" Avril ordered.

Shino unleashed another frigid blast of ice in the direction of the Aggron. At that exact moment, sparks of electricity formed around the Aggron's sharp, imposing horns. Letting out a deep growl, the electricity blasted out from Aggron and collided with the Ice Beam being fired from Shino. The two waves of energy began to push against each other, but with what appeared to be relative ease the Aggron's Thunderbolt quickly managed to overpower Shino's attack, pushing the ice all the way back into the Frogadier before shocking the frog Pokémon with intense power. Shino wailed in agony as the voltage coursed through his body, before sending the poor water-type flying back towards Avril.

Aggron didn't seem satisfied with the attack, however. Without wasting a moment, the massive Pokémon charged forward, seemingly determined to plow into the shocked Shino with a Heavy Slam.

"Radar! Wing Attack!" Avril quickly ordered out, earning an affirmative screech from her Noibat.

In a mad fury, the tiny bat quickly dropped down from the ground and attempted to slam his wing into the charging Aggron. Clifford only scoffed at the sight, the man in a state of disbelief over his daughter's tactics. As one might expect, Radar's attack had virtually no effect against the Aggron. Rather, it caused the poor Noibat to take the full force of the Heavy Slam. Avril could only watch with horror as her Noibat slammed up against Shino in agony, before the duo were then slammed into a nearby wall. The two Pokémon were helpless as they both fell to the ground limply.

"Is this the best you can do...? I thought you were serious... You ought to have your liscense revoked for this travesty of a display, girl..." Clifford growled.

"...N-No, we can still continue!" Avril snapped, trying her best to not let the man's words sting. "Marble! Attack it with Iron Tail! Mint, follow up with Gyro Ball!"

Marble dashed towards the Aggron, her tail taking on a metallic-like shimmer as she charged forwards. Meanwhile, Mint quickly fell to the ground, slowly beginning to spin her balloon-like body in a fashion that resembled that of a spinning tire. Letting out a loud cry, the Jigglypuff released and rolled forward, dashing past the chargining Marble and slamming herself into Clifford's Aggron.

"Iron Defense, Aggron!" Clifford shouted just as Mint collided into his Pokémon. The Aggron grunted as Mint pushed into it, the Jigglypuff doing everything in her power to try and topple over the giant Aggron. It was at this point that Marble joined in. The Flaaffy let out a determined wail as she slammed her tail right into the Aggron's gut. Yet despite all this it seemed that the creature simply would not relent. Its body began to shine, seemingly shrugging off the attacks as if they were nothing. Clifford smirked at the sight. "Now, Metal Burst!"

Letting out a deep roar, the Aggron suddenly slammed a massive fist right into Marble's own gut. The Flaaffy's eyes went wide as she took the full force of the blow, standing completely still for a moment as if time had completely stopped around her. Then, without warning, the Flaaffy was suddenly sent flying backwards, slamming right into Cecil with a loud, agonized yell. Cecil squealed in surprise as he toppled over, quickly turning to look over at his teammate with a look of absolute horror. Mint slowly stumbled backwards, the Jigglypuff impressed with the power at which this Aggron displayed. She had never seen anything quite like it... but there was a strange feeling that seemed to be filling the balloon Pokémon. Mint found herself to be trembling at this display of raw power. It was almost as if she was... scared...

"This... This can't be happening..." Avril thought, her eyes wide with fear at the sight of her team. Marble and Radar were both down and out for the count. Lulu seemed to still be conscious, but... the ghost barely seemed to have the strength to float an inch or so off the ground. Shino was also badly damaged... Turning her attention to the Frogadier, she watched as he somehow managed to pick himself off the ground. His normally blue, slick-looking skin was charred a deep black from the blast of electricity he took. His legs were shaking, as if it took everything ounce of strength he had to support his own weight. "This... This is crazy... There's no way we can win against this..."

"Of course not..." Clifford replied with a sneer. "Do you understand now? Do you finally get it? This is what you are... Weak. Incapable. Your Pokémon team is merely a reflection of yourself. I'm sure you've all managed to skate by this far... But do you honestly think the rest of this so called journey is going to be a cakewalk. They're not ready. You aren't ready."

Avril clenched her bag tightly, her gaze quickly falling to the ground as she took in what her father said. "That's not... I just... You don't..."

"It's over... Aggron. Finish this battle now with Earthquake!"

Avril flinched, closing her eyes as she braced herself for what came next. In a matter of seconds, her entire team was going to be down and out for the count. Again, the girl found herself completely helpless. Just like when she came face to face with Gabriel and he shot Shino. Just like when she faced Volkner and he completely wiped out her team with minimal effort.

"He's right..." Avril thought as she fell to her knees. Tears began to well up in her eyes as the despair of the whole situation truly began to set in."I'm not strong... I'm no trainer... I was so stupid to think I could ever stand up on my own two legs and do any of this!"

Suddenly, Avril felt a small weight fall on her shoulder. The girl's eyes widened as she slowly looked over her shoulder. It was Shino... The battered and weakened Frogadier looked down at his trainer with a surprisingly determined expression. Despite his burns... despite his injuries... the Frogadier refused to end this battle.

"Shino... N-No... we can't do this," Avril stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please... I can't... I can't let you get hurt anymore..."

The argument seemed to fall on deaf ears, however. Avril watched as Shino staggered his way forward, coming to stand between the blonde girl and Clifford's Mega Aggron. Clifford seemed to be somewhat impressed by the tenacity that was being displayed by Avril's water-type Pokémon.

"Well... You've got guts, I'll give you that..." Clifford mused. "Still, it's nothing more than a ruse... just like you..."

Avril clenched her fist as Clifford spoke. "N-No... No, no, no, no!"

Avril quickly picked herself off the ground, wiping a stray tear from her eyes as for the first time she looked Clifford right into his own. "I... I don't care what you think or what you want me to do! D-Don't you get it?! I didn't take this journey to earn your approval! I've never cared what you think of me or what I can do! This is my journey! You don't get to pick when it ends... when it starts... or any of that, damn it!"

She paused, glancing over to Shino, the Frogadier looking back at his trainer with a sense of pride in his eyes. "We... We get to. All of us. Me and my team, this is our journey... our time to find ourselves! So just shut up and leave us alone already!"

Suddenly, a burst of bright light shone out onto the balcony. Avril winced as she shielded her eyes as best she could with her forearm, her vision coming to rest upon the source of the light. Shino... it was coming from Shino! The frog Pokémon let out a loud croak as his form was completely overtaken by the light. Avril watched in amazement as the shape of the Frogadier's body began to shift and change. He slowly began to grow taller, his arms and legs suddenly looking much more defined. Avril watched as his tongue slowly began to protrude from his mouth, wrapping itself around the Pokémon's neck as if it was some sort of scarf. He seemed to take on a look that screamed confidence... It was like he was an entirely different creature... There was no doubt about it. Shino had evolved.

-- Profile --​

A Mega Challenge: Part Three

~​

---

RING! CLING!

The dual sword Pokémon burst forth from it's Pokéball, blades tugging against each other as they face down the heavily afflicted Mega Pokémon, and it's furious glare.

"So. You've managed to inflict quite a nasty combination of afflictions on Camerupt. But you still must last long enough for them to finish him off! Camerupt! Lava Plume." Maximillian called out, issuing his commands as to not warrant Chris any time to think.

"Shadow Sneak." Chris called out, the blades stabbing themselves into the ground and causing the loose stones and cracks within the tower to cast distended shadows that all curled and wrapped themselves around the Mega Pokémon as it launched a jet of magma out towards the dual blades, who both began to burn red hot from the devasting super effective attack that they had been dealt.

Cling! Ping! The blades chimed as they weakly began to pull themselves out of the ground and faintly hover above the battlefield once more.

"So much for the strongest of your Pokémon." The fiery haired guardian mocked as the swords struggled to keep themselves afloat.

The spiritual bells began to toll once more, and Camerupt fell to one of its knees, before weakly climbing back onto it's feet. It's breathing was heavy, and the fire that glowed within it's internal volcano had begun to dull as the last of it's battle energy had begun to give way.

"Everybody plays their part in our victory." Chris stated plainly as he pointed directly at the Camerupt. "Even if they're at a terrible disadvantage against an impossible enemy, my team will always give it their all, now show him you've still got your edge with a Night Slash attack!" The archeologist called out, causing the blades to whirl forward and cut an X of dark energy across the form of the volcanic camel.

Another spurt of lava flew forth, smothering the blades and easily causing them to return to Chris' Pokéball, just as another bell began to ring.

"Tch." The guardian scoffed in annoyance of the stall tactic but said no more as he knew that battle was almost over as Chris pulled forth his final Pokéball.

"Aero! It's time!" Chris shouted, tossing the Pokéball directly into the air, releasing the rocky pteradon Pokémon into the sky with a flash of red energy and a deafening screech.

"Ancient Power!"

"Rock Tomb!"

The two trainers issued their commands. Chunks of the battlefield flew left and right, a brick clipping the Aerodactyls wings and causing him to careen downwards and crash into the ground next to the Camerupt angrily before being buried by a pile of stones, only for the entire pile of stones to become surrounded by a mystical energy and begin pelting the mega Pokémon one after another, all the while the aerial titan began to crawl its way along the stone balcony floor towards it's opponent. Leathery stone wings wrapped around the volcano of the Pokémon as the strong jaws of the Aerodactly began to sink it's neck, causing chips of bonelike stone to break off.

"Don't let it sit there! Lava Plume!"

Another ring of the bell echoed around the Battlefield as boiling magma began to spill over the prehistoric Pokémon's wings, causing it to cry out in pain. Thankfully, due to its rock typing it wasn't nearly as effective as it could have been and it shook it off and took to the air once more just as Camerupt began to stumble and collapse to the ground again.

"You won't last another round! Admit your defeat!" Chris exclaimed victoriously to Maximillian, the latter clenching their fist angrily as he watched the winged Pokémon circle above. However, before he was able to issue his response to Chris, a loud snapping drew both trainers attention towards the camerupt who roared victoriously as fragments of the ghostly chain sealing its mouth shut were flying apart and quickly dissolving. A sadistic grin spreading across the guardian's face, he turned to his Pokémon and Chris instantly knew what was going to happen.

"DIVE NOW!" He screamed, the Pteradon instantly dropping into a spiral of claw and fang as the crackling energy filled the mouth of the Camerupt. The beam of energy shot forward and smashed into the diving Pokémon, silhouetting it against the completely white background. However, the Pteradon didn't stop it's downwards decent, and continued to pick up momentum as it flew through the other side of the hyper beam attack, energy burned and screeching angrily as it smashed it's rocky head into the jaw of the camel Pokémon, sending the two of them tumbling end over end and crashing into the wall of the tower of master. The energy marred Aerodactly quickly sunk it's teeth into the muzzle of the camel Pokémon, holding it shut as a ghostly bell began to ring out once more. The Pokémon's eyes began to glaze over, stunned from it's expension, however the Aerodactly wasn't finished with it's new prey yet. Holding the camel in place with it's jaws it flared it's wings out and that ancient energy began to cause every stone around the battlefield to glow, and one by one they began to pelt the camel over and over, Muffled pained screams echoed from the Pokémon as the last embers of strength drifted away and it devolved into an ordinary Camerupt once more, a last few stones smashing into it's unconscious form before the rest all fell harmlessly to the ground mid flight.

"YES!" Chris cheered as the Aerodactly let go of it's prey and flew into the air with a victory screech.

"Ungh." Maximillian gasped, as he fell to his knees exhausted. "Alright… alright, you win."

Avril Morris

Shalour City

Chapter 18-3 | A Victor Decided

Current Party:

Avril stared at the sight before her in a state of utter shock. She had no idea that Shino was on the cusp of evolving once again... yet there he stood in front of her, in a fully evolved form. The sleek, deep blue hue of his skin... The way he used his tongue as a scarf... His lean, yet toned arms and legs... Hell, the frog Pokémon was even giving off a vibe that just screamed determination and power. All in all, Avril had to admit it was a pretty cool moment to say the least. There was no time for her truly bask in the glory that was her new Pokémon, however. She knew full well that her father was not going to give her the time for that.

"Well, this is an interesting development indeed..." the old man thought, leaning forward from his seat on the bench. This entire time, he had kept his eyes focused on the battle before him. More importantly, he kept his eyes focused on Avril and her Pokémon team. Despite the complete domination that Clifford's Aggron had been showing at this point, the old man found himself captivated by Avril and her Pokémon. "I've seen my fair share of Pokémon evolutions in my day, but there's no doubt about it... That Frogadier of the girl's evolved as a result of the girl's will to not give up against her father or on her team... Yes, I can definitely tell the bond is strong between them... I wonder if she'll be able to use that to her advantage..."

"...S-Shino... S-Shino, use Ice Beam!" Avril quickly ordered out, regaining her composure.

"Aggron, Thunderbolt now!" Clifford shouted.

Much like before Shino unleashed a chilling blast of ice directed at Clifford's Mega Aggron. In turn, the steel-type Pokémon unleashed his own attack, the two beams clashing much like they did previously. There was one small difference, however. Unlike before, Shino's Ice Beam was managing to hold its own against the Aggron's Thunderbolt. While the frog Pokémon was not gaining any ground against the Mega Aggron's attack, Shino's beam was at the least managing to hold it in a stalemate of sorts. The only problem was that Avril knew that Shino couldn't keep that beam up all day... And so did Clifford.

"Aggron, now! Heavy Slam!" the man shouted.

The massive Aggron let out a mighty roar as it quickly stopped the Thunderbolt and began to charge forward in a blind fury. All the while, it completely powered through Shino's Ice Beam as if it was just a simple breeze. Avril stared intently at the oncoming attack, ready to give Shino all the support she could as his trainer.

"Shino, jump over it and use Smokescreen!" the blonde girl commanded.

Shino gave a small nod and nimbly managed to hop over the rampaging Aggron. Without a moment's delay, the Greninja launched a blot of black smoke at his opponent. It smacked right into the Aggron's head, shrouding it in a thick cloud in the process. Aggron let out an angry screech as it swung its tail backwards, managing to slap Shino right in the chest with its powerful Dragon Tail attack. Shino gurgled in pain as he flew back, just barely managing to land on his feet in the process.

"This is pointless, girl! Evolution or not, do you really think that he has the strength to keep this up for very long?" Clifford questioned.

"We'll fight as long as we can..." Avril replied bluntly. She stood firm, looking at her teammates scattered about. "Even if we lose... we won't give up! Not without giving it everything we have! Shino... Marble... Lulu... Radar... Cecil... Mint... I trust all of them! I've made it this far because of them! And I'm not gonna turn my back on them now!"

As if on cue a weak, yet determined mewl reached the girl's ears. Turning, Avril gasped to see the Flaaffy in question stumble her way forward. Much like Shino, she too shared a look of determination, as if she would not be able to stand herself if she didn't give this battle all of the energy she could muster. Likewise, Mint stepped forward with Cecil by her side. The four Pokémon seemed to be full of vigor now.

"You truly are an idiot..." Clifford sighed.

"Maybe... But this idiot isn't gonna give up now!" Avril snapped. "Cecil, Take Down! Mint, Gyro Ball!"

The little Shieldon squealed in response as he began to charge his way towards the Aggron. His small, metallic head lowering as he charged forward. Mint was quick to begin rolling around in circles, the Jigglypuff picking up speed and friction quickly before suddenly launching herself straight in the Aggron's direction.

"This kind of attack again?" Clifford sighed. "Aggron, Iron Defense!" Much like before, the Mega Aggron braced itself for the oncoming attack. With minimal effort, it stood steady as it took on the full force of the blow of both Cecil and Mint. All the while the mega Pokémon managed to hold its ground without so much as flinching. "This isn't going to work, Avril!"

"No... but this will! Marble, Thunder Wave!" Avril shouted.

"What?!" Clifford exclaimed.

In the man's and Aggron's focus of the two attacking Pokémon, they managed to forget all about the Flaaffy. Letting out a loud wail, Marble suddenly latched herself onto the back of Mega Aggron before sending out an electrically charged blast of energy. The Mega Aggron howled in pain as the voltage ran through its body... before slowly stumbling forward as sudden paralysis began to set in. The Mega Aggron growled in irritation... before suddenly slamming itself into the ground in a fit of rage. The very foundation of the stone balcony began to tremble and shake from the force of the blow, sending all three of Avril's Pokémon reeling in the process.

"This battle ends here... Aggron, one more Earthquake!" Clifford ordered.

The Aggron growled, preparing to throw itself to the balcony floor once more... but no sooner had it began to bend its knees did the massive Pokémon suddenly find that it was having trouble moving... Avril watched as seemingly all of the Aggron's limbs locked up,

"Shino, now! Use Surf!" Avril ordered.

Shino croaked in agreement, focusing all of his remaining energy as a wave of water began to flow around him. Water was quick to gush and flow over the railings of the balcony as a massive wave of water formed, lifting the Greninja high into the air as he narrowed his eyes at the sight of Clifford's Pokémon. Without warning the cascade of water slammed forward, crashing into the Mega Aggron with the intensity of a massive tidal wave from the ocean. Aggron wailed in pain as the water drove into his form, agony written all over its face. However, Shino's assault on the creature didn't end there. Without warning the Greninja suddenly dove into the water, only to suddenly appear directly in front of the Aggron and deliver a final sucker punch right into the creature's skull!

Avril watched in amazement as the water slowly began to dissipate, the girl holding her breath as she watched the form of her Greninja reappear right in front of her. The Mega Aggron fell to its knees, clearly suffering at the very least a good portion of damage from the onslaught of all the attacks from Shino, Marble, Mint, and Cecil colliding together. There was silence on the balcony as both trainers watched their Pokémon. After what seemed like an eternity, Aggron growled in anger... as it slowly began to pick itself off the ground. Meanwhile, Shino found himself stagger forward before falling to his knees. The newly evolved Pokémon just did not have the strength left to keep up the battle. His breaths were heavy and deep as the Greninja did everything in his power to stop from collapsing right there on the spot.

"I believe that this battle has gone on for long enough..." a sudden voice called out, catching the two trainers off guard. Both Clifford and Avril turned to see the old man smiling at the duo as he slowly climbed off the bench he had been seated on. "I have to admit, I've never seen such an intense battle as this one... at least, not for some time."

"Stay out of this, old man..." Clifford growled. "This is a matter that doesn't concern you."

"Ah, but it does... After all, as the master of this tower I believe I have every right to say when a battle has gone on long enough. Besides, any longer and I fear the two of you might cause this place to come tumbling down," the old man explained with a chuckle.

"Master of the tower...?" Avril questioned. All this time she had figured that he was just some old man. "Wait, just who are you actually?"

Clifford grunted, rolling his eyes. "Of course... I recognize you now... Mega Evolution Guru."

"Well... that is a name that I'm called on a regular basis, but I believe Gurkinn will do," the old man replied quickly. "It's been some time, Clifford Morris... Your skills have a trainer have only gotten sharper over the years."

Clifford scoffed, recalling his Aggron in the process. The man didn't so much as look in the direction of either Avril or Gurkinn as he made his way towards the door. He did pause, though...

"Avril... You're skills are still lacking and you once again seem to just have managed to skate by on luck and luck alone," Clifford said, his voice harsh and heavy. "However... Your Pokémon somehow have managed to hold their own regardless... This isn't over though, not by a long shot. I won't acknowledge your skills until you truly manage to best me... If you're as serious as you say you are... Then I will allow you to continue this journey. But if you don't make it to the league and defeat me in battle... then I never want to see your face again. I want you to show me this conviction you have, and I will not accept failure. Are we clear...?"

Avril remained silent, trying to muster up the strength to not crack right then and there. "...Yeah. Crystal..."

And with that, the man exited the balcony. Avril didn't utter a single word as the door shut behind him, leaving just the girl, the old man, and her Pokémon alone. It felt like hours went by as Avril stared at the door silently, as if she was waiting to make sure that Clifford was truly gone. After enough time went by, or at least what she assumed to be enough time, the girl finally sighed in defeat and fell to her knees.

"Holy crap..." she managed to whisper out. "I can't handle this..."


Avril took a moment, allowing herself to regain her composure before turning to face her Pokémon. Radar and Lulu were still down for the count. Shino and Marble were definitely looking like they had seen better days... but all in all, they were all going to be alright. And it was that thought alone that managed to push Avril back up to her feet as she quickly made her way over towards her team.

"Thank Arcues you're all okay," the girl exclaimed, gathering all of her Pokémon together in a warm, yet gentle embrace. "You guys really had me worried sick, but... you managed to pull through... We all did. I really don't know where I'd be without you guys."

Marble clung to the blonde's jacket for dear life, nestling her head into the girl's side with a smile that seemed to echo her trainer's sentiments. Cecil too nuzzled up close, while Mint gave the girl a proud smile. The Jigglypuff was clearly happy with how she and the others had managed to at the very least hold their own. Shino on the other hand seemed to drop his suddenly obtained, tough-guy persona. A look of absolute relief graced the Greninja's features. He was just happy that everyone made it out okay.

"I see now... I think I see how you all managed to pull through..." Gurkkin mused.

"Sir...?" Avril questioned, turning to face the man. "What do you mean, Master...?"

"Master? Please, there's no need to be so formal," Gurkkin exclaimed, a hearty laugh escaping his lips in the process. "I never could stand for people to address me so formally. Not even my own granddaughter!"

"I see... sorry about that," Avril replied, blushing lightly.

"Anyways... I was responding to your bond... the one between yourself and your Pokémon," Gurkkin explained. "Even in the face of unmatched, raw power you and your Pokémon never gave up on each other. I haven't seen such spirited fighting in quite some time, that much is for sure."

Avril watched as the man paused, reaching into his pocket. A strange, colorful stone with a weird, black design etched into the middle. He looked at the stone fondly for a moment, before gently handing it to the blonde girl with a soft smile.

"Here... I think you'll be able to make fine use of this one day," Gurkkin reasoned. He could read the puzzled look upon Avril's face and explained. "It's a keystone... it's the other piece needed for one to harness the power of Mega Evolution."

"Keystone...?" Avril questioned. "But didn't you say there was something about a test or whatever for one of those?"

Gurkkin nodded. "Indeed I did. Normally one has to face off against a Successor... While your father technically isn't what we here would consider a normal opponent... well, he does count as one to some degree... And while the battle itself ended in a draw, I do believe that you have proven yourself worthy to hold this..."

Avril was at a loss for words. Did this man really think she was a capable user of Mega Evolution? She really didn't know if she believed it herself. However at the same time, the blonde had a feeling that Gurkkin wasn't going to be taking no for an answer. Slowly, the blonde reached out and took the stone from the man's hand.

"T-Thank you... I mean it," Avril replied, a warm smile gracing her lips all the while.

The Emma Kuzunoha Case Files

The Tyranitar stood ready for battle upon the sandstorm ridden battlefield. Kazyua stood nearby, arms crossed, ready for the battle begin. Emma meanwhile, stood silent with her head down. She didn't make one more for a while, but with all good reason. She had just found out that her grandfather was destined to vanish, apparently after this moment with her. Emma wasn't ready for this. The sacrifice. Her grandfather was the only blood relative she had left in Kalos, so to lose him would be... nothing short of torture.

Come on Emm...
Show me that strength you always had. Show me beyond that strength...

What's the point of strength if you're losing all you sought to protect? She was losing everything. Everything.... was she? Her grandfather did a small grunt followed up with a muffled sigh. It was disappointing to how this all would turn out... at least, that's what he thought, until Emma slowly risen up her head, giving him a fierce, serious look. Her eyes said it all. It was a mix between rage, sorrow... and regret.

She quickly got out one of her pokeballs from her hand bag, and from the top of her lungs, she could only shout, "LET'S GO!!!" Throwing it as passionately, with top determination, and aggressively as she possibly could, she released her precious Vida, the Roselia, to the battlefield.

The sandstorm was rough on her, but she was determined to get the job done. By Emma's command, she released a barrage of pedals from it's two roses, which was her signature Leaf Storm attack. it flew around the Tyranitar with vigor and grace, but the enemy Tyranitar managed to fend it off easily with one swipe from it's claws, dissipating the pedals all around the area as it blew in mixture with the sandstorm. The Tyranitar couldn't see much with the pedals flowing around, in which the next instant it could see, Vida managed to get in closer, to fire off a barrage of Leech Seed droplets, trying to seize it in place as the vines sprouted, wrapping around it's body. Emma then threw out another pokeball -- her next Pokemon being Julia the Lapras. She quickly received the order to fire off her powerful Ice Beam attack. The attack connected, and eventually, the Tyranitar was encased with ice, alongside the vines that wrapped it around because of Vida's Leech Seed. However, the Mega Tyranitar managed to escape with it's overwhelming power, blasting the two pokemon away with a powerful stream of lightning form its body -- a Thunderbolt attack, sending the two crashing to the nearby wall.

The Tyranitar then released a raging flow of flames from its mouth -- it's Flamethrower attack, straight to Emma's two vulnerable Pokemon. That was when Emma released another pokemon -- Kaen, her Arcanine. Kaen let loose it's own Flamethrower attack, trying to battle against his worthy foe's power. The Tyranitar's flames were too strong for it, as slowly, yet surely, it pushed back Kaen's own flames. Soon another pokemon was sent out, which was Linde, Emma's Espeon. She assisted Kaen with it's Helping Hand, boosting his power, and released a wave of energy -- also known as her Psybeam attack, to co-strike alongside Kaen's Flamethrower to try and push back the Tyranitar's attack.

C'mon, Emm'.
Keep attackin'!

Titania, Emma's Milotic was sent out next. It used a strong Water Pulse attack to keep the pressure going. Combined with Linde's Psybeam and Kaen's boosted Flamethrower attack, it collided with Tyranitar's assault, as the whole place flickered with spit fire flames, and pulsating waves of energy that flowed throughout the entire room, causing the sandstorm to rage even more, and the floor's structure to shake and destabilize. Eventually, the team work of the three managed to push out the attack, colliding with the Mega Tyranitar.

The Sandstorm was eventually cleared, as the room was covered with a black smoke from the after effects. But as soon as it cleared, Emma and the pokemon saw the unthinkable. Tyranitar was still standing, with not even a scratch on its body. It let out a fierce roar, as it then released a stronger burst of energy from it's mouth. Hyper Beam. The attack contacted with the three Pokemon, sending them flying throughout the room, crashing and slamming against upon various parts of the area, leaving them all gravely injured.

"That ain't good enough Emm'! You a'int never going to achieve victory like that!" Kazya shouted. "Not against the Emerald Dragons! Not against Team Cinder! It's your desire, and your feelings that fuels your power! Your emotions fuels your pokemon! They won't be granted power unless you want it! Do you have what it takes?! SHOW ME!"

"I'm not done YET!" Emma then shouted fiercely, sending out her final pokemon, Kagura the Lucario. Kagura ran towards her Tyranitar opponent, releasing barrage after barrage of Aura Spheres, as Tyranitar easily manages to knock them away again and again each time. After the assault from Tyranitar, it clenched it's fist to use a powerful Thunderpunch attack, straight at Lucario as it was in mid-air. Kagura managed to air-roll in time by leaping against the nearby wall, avoiding the attack, and counter-attack with strikes from a staff it developed from her aura that was shaped like a bone. Bone Bush. She tried to bash Tyranitar with it, as Tyranitar could only block for a while, until it finally managed to overpower Kagura, sending it flying with but a snap of it's powerful tail. Emma jumped in front of where Kagura was hurdling to, and managed to catch her to lessen the impact, but the force still easily managed to send them both flying until they've hit the nearby wall. Emma held Kagura with her arms, her back against the wall. The impact also made her head hit against the wall, so much that she started to bleed. Kagura had gotten herself injured on her arms as well. Emma managed to eventually pick herself back up, and helped Kagura get back on her feet.

That's it, kid...
Never give up on your life... or on yer' Pokemon...

Kagura then tried to channel her aura into another Aura Sphere attack on her un-injured arm, but the weight was almost too much for it to bear... until Emma then helped her out by gently holding on to her paw, keeping it raised. The two exchanged determined glances, and both nodded, as it they both could tell what they were both thinking. The Aura Sphere grew larger and larger in both trainer and pokemon's hands, until eventually, Emma helped Kagura along by giving her a boost to jump in the air. Emma's other five pokemon, slowly managed to work through the pain of their injuries, to get themselves back up, even if it was only by turning their heads to watch Kagura close in with her Aura Sphere.

Vida released her Leaf Storm. Then, Kaen with his Flamethrower. Julia with her Ice Beam, Titania with her Water Pulse, then finally, Linde with her Swift attack. The pokemon were injured, so they couldn't unleash their full power, but they all managed to combine their powers to unite with Kagura's Aura Sphere, causing the attack to grow larger in size, giving off various colours that represented their attacks. Kagura closen in closer and closer with her newly enpowered and united attack, as Kazuya ordered his Tyranitar to use another Thunderpunch attack to intercept it.

The two attacks collided.

The collision caused a giant maelstrom that rapture the room causing it to quake and disfigure. The statues were being knocked down, the tower's windows flew open, and the ground's padding became disfigured even more, causing brick and stone to fly over the place. Emma and her other five pokemon tried to cover and protect themselves from the flying debris, and from the impact the two attacks caused.

There was then a spark of light as the waves of energy from the attacks dispersed. There was a horrible sound, like the mixture of windstorm and sparks of electricity like it was about to catch on fire.

It grew brighter.
Then brighter.


...

Good job kid...


Everything seemed white.


The light engulfed everything. Nothing could be seen.
And nothing could be heard.
Dead silence.


****



...

...

I guess dat's all for me...


I wonder... did I shine?
What does it mean to die this way?



Was I seekin' death, cause I was livin'?
Or was I seekin' death, because I didn't know how to live? I dunno anymore...


...

Either way, this is as far as I go, seein' the future for yer' eyes... fer' yer' dream... Chisato.



Son... Sakura...
Chisato...
I couldn't protect any of ya.
I kept bein' the old stubborn fool.


Forgive me.


Chisato... I remember when I first met ya.
That look in yer' eyes... you loved this world, didn't ya?



My life... you saw it bright and shining.
But deep down, I was runnin' away from it. Scared.



But not anymore.
If nothin' else, I promised you at your grave this.


Your dream will live on.


Emma...

Promise this old fool somethin'.
Keep on... livin' in this world.


I'm leavin' the future... in yer' hands.
Make our curse... a miracle...


I know you can do it.
After all...


...


Yer' my grandkid.


*****


The light grew dimmer, and dimmer, as Emma could see, but everything around her was still white to her.

Emma was standing on her own, as she came face to face with her grandfather. Her Grandfather looked at her, and gave her a friendly smile. He was then suddenly encased by a golden light. He then slowly lifted his arm, and gave Emma a gentle wave... a goodbye.

Emma became flustered as she then sprinted to her grandfather... but she was unable to reach him. He dissipated into particles of light that dispersed into prismatic light that was similar to the light and the shape that was used to Mega Evolve.

Soon, there was nothing left.

When Emma came to, she noticed she was holding something. A small stone appeared in her hands. A keystone.

Emma was kneeling, until she managed to find her way back up. Kagura, and the other five pokemon were injured, but managed to stand back up as well. There was nothing else, not even the Tyranitar, in sight.

Emma stood up, and held the mega stone gently with both of her hands.


"...I promise I will, Grandpa. Goodbye... and thank you."

Margarita Fas​

Kade entered the Shalour Gym to find that it truly was, in essence, just a giant rollerdrome. However its true purpose was apparent enough if one looked carefuller. The skating rink bore the unmistakable wear and tear of a field that had been home to many battles.

Already skating around the gym, apparently just for her own amusement, was a blonde girl close to Kade's own age. She was dressed in a short white and orange dress, matching skates and helmet and dark shorts. Kade recognised her quickly enough as the Shalour Gym Leader. She skidded to a halt in front of him.

"Hear to challenge me?" She said, a note of confidence in her voice.

"That's right," Kade said "I've heard about your interesting rules too."

"That means we can skip the boring explanations then!" Korinna replied "Have you got your skates ready?"

"Uh...actually I can't skate," Kade replied, "Your rules just say I need to keep moving though, so I have a solution."

"Works for me!" Korinna said enthusiastically, taking off down the battlefield. "Well come on then!"

Kade couldn't help but smile a bit, the gym leader's energy and enthusiasm was quite infectious.

"Arcus, come out!" Kade released his Fearow from his ball, a flash of light fading away to reveal the large brown bird with the spear-like beak. Arcus was already wearing Kade's flight saddle. He hopped onto the saddle and Arcus gave a mighty flap of his large wings, pushing himself into the air, and began to fly around the arena.

"Very clever!" Korinna complimented. "Let's see if you battle cleverly too. Try my Hawlucha out for size!"

With that, she released her Pokemon. The bird luchador with the green gliding wings and mask like face. Kade was impressed with how it had been raised. It looked very healthy and quit powerful. He spent the next several moment simply ogling it.

"You good there?" Korinna eventually called out.

"Sorry, I was just admiring your Hawlucha. He's been very well raised and looks formidable."

"Thanks!" Korinna applied with sincerity, "So what will you be using?"

"I'll go with Contrail," Kade decided, throwing his own ball and releasing the red and grey form of his Fletchinder. Contrail squawked musically and did a loop-the-loop, flourishing his wings. The battle was under way.

"Lucha, use Swords Dance!" Korinna instructed as her Pokemon glowed red, making sharp dancing movements as he rushed around the battlefield in pursuit of Contrail.

"Ember!" Kade responded. Contrail whirled in mid-air and gave a hard flap that send a small rain of tiny fireballs towards the Hawlucha, rotating back to resume his flight.

"Agility!" Korinna countered. Her Hawlucha picked up the pace, ducking and weaving around the sparks of flame, narrowly avoiding damage as his speed increased. Then the gym leader grinned, "Baton Pass!"

Suddenly, the Hawlucha was a ball of light, jetting back into its ball. Then, with an explosive flash, its replacement took to the field. Now sprinting after Contrail was the blue and black, canine form of a Lucario, the already powerful Pokemon basking in the stat boosts its comrade passed to it.

"Flash Cannon!" Korinna called. Her Lucario, still sprinting for Contrail, thrust a hand forward as a vividly white blast of silvery-white energy erupted from it and streaked towards Contrail.

"Up!" Kade instructed. Contrail flapped harder, rising up just in time for the attack to rocket by below him and collide with the wall with a bang. "Now Ember again!"

Contrail once again unleashed the barrage of embers towards his foe, but again it would be evaded. Without any instruction, the Lucario ran up one of the roller rink's ramps and leapt up over the embers which harmlessly struck the ground.

"Aura Sphere!" Korrina yelled. Before it even hit the ground, perhaps before Korrina even finished speaking, the Lucario and launched a glowing orb of blue straight for Contrail. There was no time to dodge.

"Steel Wing!" Kade called, hoping to deflect the attack. Contrail's wings took on a silver glow and he flung himself around to whip one into the oncoming projectile. He managed to shield himself from the worst of the attack but the powerful Aura Sphere had an advantage of the Steel attack and blasted Contrail into a spiral. Only some frantic flapping kept contrail from slamming into a wall, allowing the Lucario to further close the gap between them.

Even with a type disadvantage, Korinna was proving to be quite the tough opponent. Arcus cawed roughly, apparently not impressed with how Contrail was fairing.

---

Mission 5
Annika walked towards the gym with Bagel at her side. She opened the doors and stepped in, only to find that a battle was already going on. The challenger seemed like he was flying around on a Pokemon, while the gym leader was skating.

"So... we ride around on Pokemon while the gym leader skates" Annika assumed, watching the battle. She was frustrated that she wouldn't be able to battle yet, and was planning to just watch this battle until it finishes so she could have a turn before Bagel stepped in front of her.

'Luxio' There's other stuff to do he said, gesturing out the door. 'Lux-Luxio, Luxio.' Like signing up to that festival tournament you wanted to join

"Bagel, get out of the way" Annika said, annoyed. "I'm gonna wait for them to finish their battle so I can have mine as soon as possible"

Bagel sighed. 'Luxio...' Oh how I wish you understood me... he muttered before grabbing his Pokeball from her and holding it in his tail.

"Bagel, you better not..." Annika started saying before Bagel grabbed her near the bottom of her left leg with his mouth and started dragging her out the gym. "I hate it when you do this!" Annika said, trying to shake him off but only made it worse by falling to the ground. "Let go!"

'Luxio!' We're going to sign up to the festival first! He grumbled into her leg as she fought to pull away.

_______

It took a while, but Bagel managed to get her to where the festival tournament was having their sign ups. They got a few odd looks from passersbyers, but none of them really stopped and did anything. Bagel stopped and, panting, looked over at Annika
"Bagel, we are going back!" She said, still struggling to get free from his grasp

They heard a snicker from behind Bagel, and, looking over, they saw a black-haired boy who couldn't be older then 17 smiling at them. "Well, never did I expect a trainer to be controlled by their Pokemon" He said, an evil glint in his brown eyes. "Guess you must be a weakling"

"I'm not a weakling" Annika replied. "Bagel is just stubborn"

Bagel dropped Annika's leg and barked at her 'Luxio!' Look who's talking!

The boy laughed. "Oh, look! Your Pokemon is giving you an order! You better obey it weakling!"

Annika got up and stared at the boy. "Don't you have anything better to do?" she asked.

"Of course I do!" He said before pointing towards the festival. "I'm gonna be joining that up. If you wanna join up too, that's cool. I'm just gonna wreck you. After all, you are both a weakling trainer and, well, you Pokemon... was it Bagel? Hah, that name makes it sound gullible"

'Luxio?' Excuse me what? Luxio said, getting angrier by the second.

"You are really acting mukty right now" Annika said, eyes furrowing.

"So what if I am?" He said, a prideful look on his face. "It's not like you can do anything about it" He laughed once more and walked away.

Bagel looked up at Annika and irritability asked 'Luxio?' Can we beat him up now?

"You're right" Annika said. "We need to put him in his place" They walked up to the signing area and she put her name down. After the guy at the counter reviewed stuff, he said "Okay, you'll be fighting against Morey in the qualifier round. I'll notify him of the recent challenger. It shouldn't take long since he was just here, so you can enter the field. Please take your Pokemon inside your pokeball as you do so."

Annika nodded and, after a bit of hesitation, took the Pokeball from Bagel and retrieved him. She entered, taking her place at one end of the field. After a minute, someone walked into the field. It was the black-haired boy she saw earlier. "Guess we get to fight him sooner than expected" Annika said to Bagel's Pokeball, hooking

"Hey, look! It's the weakling!" The boy said, approaching them. She remember his name as Morey from the receptionist. "So your names Annika, huh? I've got to say, that's a positively dreadful name. I can't believe your parents named you like that."

"Take your place at either sides of the field!" The referee said, causing Morey to move away and take his stance place. "This will be a one-on-one battle for entry into the tournament! The pokemon you use here will not have to enter the actual tournament if you don't wish! Now, to make everything fair, both of you, grab your pokeballs" Annika and Morey both put their hand on the Pokeball that they chose. Annika was gonna send out Bagel as he was itching to get his power all over him. "And send them out now!" They both threw their Pokeballs at the same time, with Bagel popping out of Annika's and a Marowak coming out of Morey's.

Bagel looked at the Marowak and then back at Annika, grinning. 'Luxio' We can use ice fang against it he said, signalling to his teeth. She got it straight away and looked up, smiling.

"Guess your stupid as well as weak" Morey said, his hand on his hip. "You know you have the type disadvantage, right?"

"You sure about that?" Annika said, right before the Referee shouted "And.. begin!"

"Marowak, use Bone Club!" Morey shouted, which caused the Marowak to rush forward, bone held in both hands and flung over its shoulder.

After it got close, Annika shouted "Bagel! Ice fang on the arm!" Bagel's teeth covered in ice as he grabbed its right arm. The Marowak shrieked, unable to hit it and ice slowly covering its body.

"Use Headbutt to get it off, Marowak!" Morey yelled, and Marowak knocked its head on Bagel, getting three hits off before he finally was knocked off. "Now hit him with Bone Club!" Marowak raised its club high and hit Bagel, knocking him over. He got up, staggering a little, and looked over at Marowak, who seemed to be having trouble keeping the bone up with its right arm.

"Okay, Bagel! Ice fang again!" Bagel ran forward, seeming to be aiming for the same arm again.

"Marowak, use Bone Club again!" Marowak lifted its bone up, struggling to keep it there. Suddenly, when they got close, Bagel changed targets and went for the left arm, which made Marowak confused. It swung its bone, but missed as Bagel chomped down on the other arm. Marowak howled in pain as it dropped its bone, unable to hold it any longer.

"Gosh dang it, Marowak!" Morey yelled. "Knock it off with headbutt and get your bone back!" Marowak managed to knock it off after three hits, but when it went to pick up the bone, it was unable to lift it.

"Okay, one more ice fang should do it!" Annika shouted, and Bagel ran up, biting the Marowak on its head. It yelped, before crumpling down onto the floor. After 5 seconds of it doing nothing, the referee yelled "Marowak is defeated! Annika wins and will be participating in the tournament!"

"But… how?" Morey said, unable to believe that he had lost.

"You were unable to react to change quick enough" Annika said, walking up to him. "Because of this, I was able to get a free hit off and that hit allowed me to win"

Morey looked up at her, then smiled. "Yea, whatever. You're still a weakling, I just am sorry that you had to join up against people who are MUCH stronger than you are" Morey grabbed his Pokeball and absorbed Marowak back into it, then proceeded to run out of the stadium.

"Some people never change" Annika said, shaking her head. She went to the receptionist, who said "Congrats on winning the battle! Here's the prize!" He handed her a Pass and a Great Ball, which she promptly put in her bag.

Obtained Festival Tourney Pass and a Great Ball

After this, she walked out and looked around, then turned to Bagel and said "Can we go challenge the gym now?"

Bagel looked at her. 'Luxio' Pokecenter first he groaned.

"Oh, right, you're damaged. Pokecenter, then the gym!"

'Luxio' Agreed

Avril Morris

Shalour City

Chapter 18-4 | Family Ties

Current Party:

"So, the old man just basically bailed on ya? Just like that?"

Avril glanced up from her coffee, the blonde's eyes meeting those of her sister's for only a brief moment. Concern was evident in the older Morris sister's face. At the same time however, Avril was fully aware that Robin was desperately prying to get as much information about the battle as she could. If Avril had known that the sudden call for a meeting over a cup of coffee would have led to having to dig up memories, no matter how recent, of something that she was trying desperately to forget then the blonde would have turned her down.

"Pretty much..." Avril eventually responded. "Told me that he wanted to battle me again, but only at the actual Pokémon League. No pressure or anything, just have to make sure I basically win every single other battle along the way..."

"Well, gym battles at least," Robin chimed in. "But come on, that'll be easy. I saw your battle against Grant, ya know. If you handle the rest of those guys like ya did him, it'll be an absolute cakewalk."

"I'm... not to sure about that," Avril sighed. "It took everything we had just to get that deadlock against Dad. Even if I manage to get all the badges, who's to say that I'll stand any kind of chance against him after all that?"

"Look, you're worryin' way too much about this kiddo," Robin replied, putting her hand on top of her sister's own. "Don't ya understand what he meant by that? He challenged ya to another battle! That means that... in his own twisted way that he's acknowledgin' your skills!"

Avril honestly wasn't too sure about that. While she did appreciate her sister's enthusiasm, the thought of having to throw everything she had into a battle against her father once more... Well, it was safe to say that the very thought was enough to make Avril's stomach turn knots. Robin seemed to be quite capable of picking up on this. She was easily able to tell that the whole situation was enough to really put a damper on Avril's spirits. Her eyes lit up, suddenly rising from the table.

"Come with me, I've got an idea!" Robin exclaimed, taking her sister by surprise.

"W-What...?" Avril questioned.

"Come with me! Ya definitely need something to put some vigor and confidence back into ya, and I know just the thing!" Robin repeated.

Without waiting for Avril to even have a chance to argue, the brown-haired girl practically drug her sister from chair and out of the doors from the local cafe. The blonde was quite confused about where her older sister was taking her. Robin was remaining absolutely quiet as she led Robin down the Shalour City streets, a broad smile stretching across her lips the entire way. Eventually, Avril's questions were answered as Robin led her towards what looked to be a sign-up booth of sorts. An older, balding man was sitting behind the table. A small smile of familiarity stretching across his lips as the duo approached.

"Oh, Miss Robin! I wasn't expecting to see you come back here so soon," the man greeted. "I know you must be eager for the tournament, but I'm afraid it won't be starting for several more hours yet."

"Yeah, yeah... I know that much. Trust me, I'm not here for myself," Robin replied. The girl paused, dragging Avril around to be in front of her before pushing her forward toward the table. "This is my sister, Avril. I told her all about the tournament that was coming up and would ya believe it? She was absolutely beggin' me to let her take part in it too. Eventually I ended up cavin' and decided to let her sign-up. I mean, can ya blame me? Just look at that face! She's irresistible!"

Avril's eyes widened, the blonde quickly glancing over her shoulder at Robin with a look of disbelief. "I did what...?! What are you talking about?!" Avril whispered.

"Okay, okay..." Robin replied, an apologetic grin gracing her lips as she spoke. "Maybe I stretched the truth just a bit... But ya need this! A chance to clear your mind and have some harmless fun, right?"

"Robin... I dunno about this," Avril sighed. "I mean... I just had that battle... Besides, I don't even have my entire team right now! Radar and Lulu are both still in the Pokémon Center resting up."

"Then don't use those two!" Robin retorted. "The rest of your team is still up and functioning, right? Besides, you only get to actually enter with just one Pokémon. That gives you four other choices!"

"What does that have to do with anything?!" Avril protested. The blonde quickly spun around, giving Robin a somewhat dirty look. "There you go, again! Just like when we were kids, you go making all these decisions and try to rope me into your shenanigans!"

"Look, Avril... I really want ya to do this, okay? I think it'd be a good way to vent your frustrations... and trust me, there's a ton in there. I can tell that much," Robin reasoned. The older sister's smile faltered, a look of sincerity replacing her usual jovial facial features. "Besides... I just wanna have fun with my little sister like we used to... Is that really such a bad thing...?"

Avril sighed, rolling her eyes at Robin's begging. "Alright, alright fine... I'll do it, just... just stop with the Lillipup eyes, okay? For Arceus' sake, you're almost 24 years old..."

"Ladies, is everything okay?" the man at the sign-up booth questioned.

Avril turned her attention back to the man and sighed. "Yeah, everything is fine... Anyways, yeah I'm here to sign-up for this tournament thing."

The man beamed at the girl's statement. "How wonderful to hear! All you have to do is win a preliminary battle and you'll be all set to go!"

"Preliminary battle?" Avril questioned. She quickly glanced over her shoulder at Robin. "You didn't mention anything about this..."

"Ya didn't ask..." Robin replied, quickly looking away with a small laugh.

"Whatever..." Avril sighed. "Let's just get this over with."

Margarita Fas​

"Contrail, Aerial Ace!"

The Fletchinder streaked down towards the Lucario like a javelin, but Korinna and her partner were having none of that. With a cocky smile plastered on her face, the gym leader retaliated.

"Force Palm!"

The Lucario thrust its palm forward as Contrail closed it, the bird striking the Lucario's outstretched hand. The blue Pokemon's arm buckled slightly and it skidded back under the force of the attack, but otherwise it held strong. Then there was a flash of bright yellow and Contrail was blasted back again, being sent tumbling through the air.

"Flash Cannon!" Korinna continued her offensive, her Lucario bringing his other hand forward to join the first, a silver-white energy beam shooting forwards from between them.

"Drop!" Kade instructed as Contrail righted himself with a flare of his wings. The Fletchinder snapped his wings shut and dropped towards the ground as the attack sailed over him. Korinna's Lucario attacked again. Contrail was already flapping to regain altitude and this time the attack struck the ground below where he flew.

"Ember!" Kade called and Contrail send the small flames scattering from his wings in the direction of Korinna's Pokemon. There was a slight billowing of smoke from each ember that struck the Fighting and Steel type as he continued to run forward, ploughing through them with tenacity.

"Not bad, but not good enough!" Korinna exclaimed.

"I suppose we'll just have to see," Kade responded

"Get him!" There was no specific instruction, but the Lucario seemed to know exactly what his trainer wanted. Still running forward he brought his fists together, then dragged them out a glowing blue bone forming in his grasp like a staff. He jammed it into the ground without halting his momentum and pushed, using the Bone Rush to pole vault forward at an intense velocity. When directly in front of Contrail, he thrust his arms forward.

"Roll!" Kade called.

The Aura Sphere shot forward as Contrail threw himself into a barrel roll, the Aura Sphere shot past in a narrow miss, but its power was so great that it blasted Contrail to the side anyway. It didn't do much damage but it hurt his balance. The Lucario took advantage of that and shot another Aura Sphere at him before he could properly get his bearings.

"Steel Wing!" Kade ordered. Contrail's wings shone silver even as he continued to roll uncontrollably to the side. By chance more than anything, one of his wings struck the Aura Sphere before it could strike him directly, mitigating much of the damage. The force of the attack continued his wild tumble, he was on the other side of the arena before he righted himself and the Lucario was rushing him again with his palm drawn back ready to strike.

Kade thought back to his last gym battle, Grant had told him he needed to be more direct and that advice had paid off for him there when Arcus had come out victoriously. Korinna seemed even more skilled than Grant, her Pokemon even more powerful, would that hold true? Kade's instinct was to avoid the attack as best he could, but that had been proving extremely difficult to do with Korrina's relentless assaults. He decided to fight fire with fire.

"Ember!" Kade instructed and Contrail immediately began bombarding the incoming Lucario with the flames. He kept up the assault, but the Lucario continued to charge him. The Lucario formed a Bone Rush as he ran, spinning the attack before him to deflect the majority of the embers. Contrail kept up the attack, but the Lucario was closing in on him. "Quick Attack right through them!"

Contrail suddenly dove forward, straight through the Ember just as he'd done during the Parfoum Contest. He was a majestic streaking lance surrounded by the warm glow of the Embers as they got pulled along in his wake like the tail of a comet.

Contrail shot through the Lucario's guard, and struck him. The blue Pokemon was knocked back by the rapid attack, losing his balance and causing his Bone Rush to disappear. Contrail flared his wings, falling back as the Embers he had dragged along with him bombed his opponent, powered up by the boost they'd taken in speed.

The Lucario was knocked from his feet in a flash of flames and rolled along the smooth ground of the roller rink until he could skid to his feet and charge forward again. Arcus screeched again from beneath Kade, Kade could tell from the tone that now Contrail had earned the Fearow's approval. Arcus flapped harder, flying faster as if feeding off of Contrail's energy. Kade pressed the attack.

"Again!"

Contrail flapped hard, summoning a storm of the tiny flames once more. Then, he dove through them again. Something was different though. Kade could feel it too, the energy of the room was different. He could see Korinna felt the same, her eyebrows were raised. As Contrail hot through the Embers the individual flames extended into a trail, swirling around him until he was clocked in a roaring fire. Contrail shot forward towards the incoming Lucario like a blazing arrow.

"Flame Charge!" Kade shouted enthusiastically. Korinna's own expression seemed to glow with the same excitement as his as she cried out her response.
"Blaze Kick!"

The Lucario leapt up to meet Contrail, his foot glowed with a burning orange and an arc of flame exploded into being with the powerful kick. The two flaming attacks met in mid air with a bang and a flash of intense fire, a sudden inferno that burst into being and faded just as fast as both Pokemon were launched back in the directions they had come from. Contrail and Korinna's Lucario both hit the ground and skidded along it before coming to a dead stop.

"Didn't see that coming!" Korinna cheered, returning her Pokemon with a word of thanks.

"Me either," Kade admitted "I'm not about to complain though. You were great, Contrail." He too returned his Pokemon.

"Don't get too comfortable now," Korinna teased "The battle isn't over yet!" In a fluid motion, she tossed a Pokeball and with a flash her Hawlucha was running alongside her. Kade had to admit it made for an impressive visual.

He reached for his own ball, releasing his chosen competitor for the next round of the battle. There was yet another flash, then the light took shape to reveal a small, rounded brown bird with vast red eyes.

Nox gave an uncertain, but determined cry. It was time he made his gym battle debut.

---

Emma x Jackson

She composed herself and while working through her injuries, Emma returned each of her injured and fallen Pokémon back in their pokeballs, save Kagura. Kagura herself insisted that she was healthy enough to walk on her own, and Emma gladly complied. She grasped the Keystone she received in her left palm. "Thank you, grandpa," she once again thanked. "...I finally found my answer now. What it means to be truly strong. My answer..." She stepped outside with Kagura, basking in the Shalour City air. "...is what?" As Emma stepped from the archway into the now cool evening air, she found a familiar face waiting for her. Standing in the middle of the bridge, the sun highlighting his shape, was Jackson. "...what's your answer, Emma?" He had witnessed the whole fight, following the noise as he had exited the tower after his own battle. He wasn't going to hide it from her, he had watched her conversation, he had watched as she witnessed her grandfather disappear forever... and now? He had a test for her all his own.

"Jackson..." Emma greeted. She stood nearby, turning her back to watch the horizon. "...I thought about what it meant to find strength. True strength. You see, ever since my parents were kiled, I hated crime with a passion, and I still do. I thought I needed strength to defeat the toughest of crime in the world, striking down as much evil as I could. I thought that way, no matter the cost to myself, I was bringing peace to the region. After what happened in Lumiose... I couldn't forgive myself for being so powerless, so I I thought that was the only path to take on becoming stronger."

She held out the keystone in front of her. "But, before I was fighting against my grandfather, I realized... that wasn't the strength I really wanted. I was desperate to the point to take power for myself, so much that if it wasn't my grandfather, someone else would of lost their light. Even if that were to bring harm to myself... to be willing to die for my path... But that wasn't the strength I wanted. That's not true strength. I'd just be running away from my own weakness." As the words left her mouth, Jackson closed his eyes and if they didn't know any better, someone might think he was smiling.

She turned to her Lucario. "True strength comes from within, accepting your weakness, and improving on your sense of self, not only for your life... but for the ones you love and care for too. I forgot the real reason why I wanted to become a detective. It was to protect others, and be a shield of light for everyone else who couldn't protect themselves. No one wants a life filled with pain and misery. I've been there... so I understand how that feels. I don't want anyone to feel that way again. It's because I cherished life that I vowed to protect it. That's why Dad, Mom, and Grandpa all entrusted me with the future."

She then turned back to Jackson. "I know. I know can't protect everyone and everything on my own, and even as I speak there are more and more tragedies that I can't prevent. I learned that the hard way. But still, I want to do everything I can, and protect as many people as I can with my light and my strength, just as my parents and my grandfather did for me. I want my light to be stronger, to shield them all from the looming darkness of crime." She gave a sinsere smile. "It's not like I'm truly alone anyway... right? I've got Kagura, and all my pokemon, and all you guys. So, I'm going to become the shield for you all. I going to become the knight that protects our king - the future generation of Pokemon Trainers. That's why I want to live. What I want to live for. For our era, and the next."

As she finished, Jackson opened his eyes and made no effort to hide a small smirk that had found its way to his lips. "For a moment there, I thought I'd have to tell you that myself... but you weren't kiddin'... you found new strength." He steps a bit closer to her for a moment, looking down at her from his taller height, examining her... as if measuring the worth of her resolve. For a brief moment, something else flashed in his gaze, a thousand emotions at once. Fear, pity, resolve, desperation... they all hit Jackson like a wave, almost knocking him off of his feet. He began to see memories in his mind, Santalune forest, Lumiose city, the cave where he found Wave, the old Flare base, countless other times as well.

He had been trying so hard to deny something to himself. He had been afraid of accepting it because he couldn't bear the weight of it all. All of his life he had protected Malorie with all that he had... because he cared about her, because he loved her. He had told himself over and over that he didn't want to care about those he had met on his journey, that facing up to that responsibility wasnt something worth his time... but the reason, the real reason he was so hostile to these people, to Emma, Drew, Avril, Sebastian, Laurent and... Odette...

Was because he didn't want them to hurt if he died.

He shook slightly, a wave of uncomfortable emotion flooding through him like a wrecking ball to his resolve. His mind flashed back to an old room in Veilstone city, an appartment with paper thin walls, his sister sleeping sickly while he quietly bandaged his open wounds, doing everything he could not to wake her, to let her rest. Yet even in this memory, things were changing, he saw Malorie's face peeking down from the bed at his, her words echoing his hollow truth.

"You cared all along... right big brother?"

Without thinking he grabbed Emma and pulled her close to his chest. "...but you don't have to do that, you don't have to put yourself in danger... please." The experience in the tower had changed Jackson as well, it had granted him the strength to face his compassion. For the first time sinnce they had met, Emma could hear his voice shaking. "...god damn it, I'm sick of you ****ty kids actin' like you're the be all, end all. ****..." He forces out, struggling to find the words he needs. "...you've lost a whole lot Emma... it isn't fair that you be the shield for everyone do you fet that? A shield takes blows for those who've taken too many already. You deserve to have a shield not to be one. You deserve some time to rest, to mourn, to just sit a while without losing someone else. You don't always need to be strong, especially when you've got no family left, damn it..."

He pauses for a moment, barely keeping his composure. "You don't have to... become like me." In those words was a great weight, one that explained all of who Jackson had always been. Throwing himself in the line of fire, forcing other people away, standing up, front and center to enemies that approached him or anyone else, all without a second though. It was all there, laid bare to see.

"Trust me. I think one of you is more than enough," Emma giggled, adding in her sense of humour. "But, it's true. I've lost a whole lot. And you don't have to worry about me too much. After all, like I said... I'm not alone, right?"

"Tch... very funny..." And as if that comment was enough to snap him out of his stupor he pushes her away. "Maybe not... not yet... but it's not always about you, but the people who care about seeing you hurt." He sighs and turns away, taking a few steps down the bridge and away from the tower before stopping. "I can get away with that... you can't. A lot more people care about you than you realize... and a lot of people won't want you to be a shield for them."

"Jackson," Emma sternly began, she turned herself away, hiding her embarrassment. "You're... you're not alone either."

He paused for a moment, looking out at the sky above, painted in orange light. He wasn't alone? Was that what she was trying to tell him? If that was true then... had his resolve failed him at last? "Maybe not..." He said plainly, letting that same light paint over him, his being suffused with that gentle orange glow, for just a moment.

"Malorie isn't my sister by birth... we found each other in an orphanage alone. Surrounded by enemies we worked together... and I came to protect her with all I had. It's because I cared about her, because she meant everything to me." He paused for a moment, refusing to turn and show his face, his expression unreadable. "Emm." He spoke the shortened name softly, in a way it felt right, considering his way of speaking wasn't too dissimilar to that of the late man who used it. "Without even realizing it... I think you became my sister as well."

He turned his head to glance at her over his shoulder, his eyes reflecting that same evening light. "So go be a shield if you like... no matter how many times you throw yourself into the fire... I'll be there to drag you back out. That's the promise I'm makin' to you. You're not out of family yet." Smiling he turned again and waved a hand flippantly behind him as he did so, as he had to her many times before. "Don't make me regret those words, Emm."

"As long as my big brother doesn't do foolish stuff like scale buildings again," she replied. "Honestly, that was way too much paperwork to fill out... Not to mention, r-really dangerous! And um... thanks. You've been rash, thick headed, and pretty crazy, but... you're still.... What I mean to say is, you've... become a precious friend."

"Ha!" Like a switch was flicked, Jackson immediately turned heel, a cloud moved to cover the glowing evening sun and the light left him. He stood, looking back at Emma with a sneer. He was still Jackson, after all. "Sorry that savin' the day back then gave you such a headache, **** I'll just let the damsel in distress die next time if y'prefer?" He chuckled and turned away again, his shadow extending slightly to reveal two burning purple eyes where his head should have been. Gaspar had been there the whole time, of course, his trainers shadow was much preferable to a stuffy old pokéball.

"I assume you've heard about the tournament in the square?" He began as he started to move away. "Don't disappoint me and fail to show up, I feel like I need t'kick your ass to make sure you know I ain't goin' too soft on you."

"We'all see about that," Emma boasted. She then jogged up to him. After a short moment, she clenched out her fist and stuck it out in front of him. "Let's have a good battle."

"Tch... still a kid at heart, huh?" He smirks, but taps his fist a little too roughly to hers despite it. "You'd better hope it is... don't you dare let me down, y'got that?"

"Right!"

"You sure he's up to it, he looks nervous," Korinna called over to Kade as they continued to do laps around the rink.

"Of course," Kade said calmly, "I have complete faith in Nox's abilities."

"That's the spirit!" Korinna replied "Back into it then! Flying Press!"

Her Hawlucha picked up speed,sprinting faster before leaping high into the hair. It threw its wings open wide as it half-fell and half-glided towards Nox, a faint red glow emanating from its striking figure.

"Up onto its head!" Kade instructed. Nox frantically beat his little wings as the Hawlucha closed in on him,gaining a slight amount of altitude that let him land on top of the descending Hawlucha with a forward tumble onto his feet.

Korinna's Hawlucha pulled out of the attack, hitting the ground hard on all fours and making to quickly push back to his feet.

"Peck!" Kade called and Nox hurriedly jammed his glowing beak into the Fighting bird's back pushing him down again. Nox lacked the power and weight to floor the Hawlucha though and with a mighty heave it threw Nox off its back into the air and was quickly moving again, not stopping long enough to end the battle.

"Interesting approach but you're not quite powerful enough to pull it off!" Korinna said, visibly enjoying herself. She was nothing like the other gym leaders that was for sure, she seemed to be just as much a part of the battle as her team. "Swords Dance!"

The Hawlucha's sharp, tribal dance began again as a savage red light overtook his body.

"Feather Dance!" Kade interjected. Nox fluttered gracefully above Korinna's Pokemon, glowing feathers falling from around it over the Hawlucha, each one fading away as it made contact and diminishing the Hawlucha's glow. The Attack increasing Swords Dance was cancelled out by the Attack decrease of Nox's Feather Dance.

"More and more interesting!" Korinna cried out joyously, "That's enough dancing! Aerial Ace!"

Suddenly, the Hawlucha launched up like a rocket. Nox scrambled to avoid the upward attack, ceasing his own dance and flapping hard to dodge. Aerial Ace was often an attack in two parts though, and this was one such example. The Hawlucha suddenly streaked down, hitting Nox hard and sending him careening into the ground.

"Better hurry back up or you'll lose!" Korinna said,picking up the pace of her skating to overtake Kade and Arcus,her Hawlucha running alongside her. Kade squeezed his legs towards each other, signaling Arcus to speed up to catch her. His broad wings beat harder as they pursued the gym leader.

"He's doing just fine!" Kade replied,his tone offering encouragement to the struggling Hoothoot as he managed to force himself shakily back into the air. He hurried to cross the roller rink and rejoin his trainer in battle.

"That's what I like to see!" Korinna cheered "Aerial Ace again!" The Hawlucha shot across the middle of the arena to meet Nox. This was it, this was the moment Kade had been waiting for.

"Fly right at it!" Kade instructed. Nox increased his speed, squeaking nervously even as he did so, shaking as the Hawlucha rushed him. He trusted Kade though, and he knew it, he could tell Nox wouldn't back out. They would collide any minute now, but their eyes were locked. That was what Kade needed. "Hypnosis!"

"Oh no!" Korinna shouted. Nox's eyes glowed an eerie, sleepy blue and that glow was mirrored in the dreery glow that encapsulated the Hawlucha. At close range, with their eyes locked, the effect was instant. The Hawlucha was deeply asleep, his attack ceasing immediately as his momentum carried him forward and into Nox. Nox was sent reeling but just barely managed to stay airborne whilst the Hawlucha dropped to the ground like a stone and lay there still and slumbering. "Wake up!"

Korinna's shout may as well have been sign language. Her Pokemon wasn't waking up any time soon. The momentum battle was over. Korinna returned her fallen Pokemon and came to a halt near where Kade was dismounting.

Arcus looked to Nox, who was slowly making his way back to them also. He gave a stiff nod of his head and a caw of approval; a sure sign that Noctilucent had come a long way from the scared infant stuck in a charred tree with the bodies of his brethren.

"That way very clever, I have to admit!"Korinna said cheerily "Very brave too!" She said the last bit to Nox who chittered happily at the compliment, coming to rest on Kade's shoulder. "Only the best trainers have that kind of trust and communication with their teammates. I think you and your Pokemon are going to go far."

"I'm really glad to hear that!" Kade beamed, "It's my goal to open a Flying type gym here in Kalos one day. To hear that from someone who has already reached that height means I'm on the right track."

"There's a way to go still, it's not easy," Korinna said "However, you're definitely on the right flight path. Keep it up!" She grabbed Kade's hand and pressed the cool metallic form of her badge into his palm.

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