Erin

  —

  I liked this visit to Pewter a lot more than my previous two.

  Not that it would be hard to beat, honestly. The first visit? Well, beating my first Gym was nice, sure, and the first visit to The Rocky Feast was pretty nice as well, even if I hadn't gotten all the flavors that time. Then Team Rocket happened… Then I literally ran into Maddy, and begged her to fly me far away. I had been very lucky that I caught her in the middle of eating her latest kill. Not because she would have killed me, probably, but mainly that she was in the woods right outside of town and not up in her nest. If not for her, I'd have just… cried in the woods, I guess.

  The second time was a single night in the Pokemon Center, and that morning? Well, then I met Lance. The Lance that was still an egomaniacal prick, even if he was a good guy even then… That visit had been alright, honestly. Dunking on Lance, then the Breeders… I hadn't enjoyed tearing my throat with that Roar up on Mt. Moon, but I had sent a message to that thing…

  I really hadn't enjoyed its return message overlaid into one of my mental screams, however…

  Still, this time?

  This time I got to watch Leaf dominate one of the worst Pokemon I had ever seen. Third worst, honestly, maybe second if I considered the Clefable and Hatterene tied. She had seemed like me. Or maybe like mom, honestly. The nice, happy, cheerful girl had taken a backseat to the enraged fae, one who had nearly killed that fucking Pokemon. Not herself, no, but Stabby had gleefully relayed her words to me later on. Painstakingly relayed them, but I was getting slightly better at understanding him.

  The Museum was a bit of a disappointment. I had expected little, and it had delivered. I mean, I had enjoyed going to a museum in my old world once, but the Pewter Museum? Bland as shit. The mineral collection had been kind of neat, I guess… The Kalos exhibit had been slightly cool too, sure, but of course there hadn't been an ancient ghostly blade that pledged itself to me… That would have been badass, honestly, but it would have had to be the sabre. The huge cleaver-like sword had been neat, sure, but there was no way I could have used it effectively.

  Their Hall of Legendaries had been kind of hilarious, actually. Arceus shown as the most generic humanoid figure surrounded by a halo of light? I guess his crest thing could look like a halo of light, but the llama-god on two legs would look… even more ridiculous than he already did. Giratina as a formless mass of smoke? So much shittier than his actual, badass form, either one…

  Leaf's surprise when we finally left, though? I had really enjoyed that.

  It had been very, very nice to have a… family dinner. I didn't see mom and Lance breaking up any time soon, honestly. They were both good people, and she was aware of his insane workload, so that wouldn't be an issue between them. I doubted Lance had any skeletons in his closet, either, so I guess Lance was here to stay…

  I mean, I liked the guy despite the shit I gave him. He had also been a lot more bearable after Dragonite and I ego-checked him, but I think the vast majority of it was moms influence. She was deflating that ego at a record pace, honestly… So yeah, Lance as part of the family? I… didn't mind that. Alex as a sister? That was pretty damn cool.

  Now if, and most likely when, they got married, that would make Lance my… father. Still, it's not like I'd ever known mine before, so I could honestly get behind it. He was a good guy, and he made mom happy, so… He would still be 'Lance' to me though, probably forever… I wonder how Leaf felt about the whole thing-

  Wait, I had never asked about her father! Asked mom about him! I mean, I had vaguely thought about it before, but I just kind of assumed he was absent or something, the way he was never mentioned… Deadbeat or absent dads were absolutely a thing in this world, unfortunately, maybe even more than my old world. If two trainers got together at least one would have to raise the kid, if they didn't just surrender them for adoption, and it was usually the father who continued on as a trainer to make money…

  Universal basic income was a thing, sure, but there was a reason the entire world didn't just sit around at home. Not having to worry about food and housing was great, such a massive improvement over my old world, but humans always wanted more. A better house, better food, better clothes, better PokeNav, better anything.

  Considering the statistics I had looked up here? Well, younger trainers usually didn't encounter a whole ton of Pokemon sticking strictly to the Routes, sure, but some still died at thirteen. Or ten, previously, but still. Pokemon attacks were kind of a big issue in this world, the leading cause of deaths in fact. Honestly, Kanto was pretty… 'safe', compared to a region like Unova or Galar. There weren't a lot of large Pokemon, ones that hunted humans, and the main risk was from Pokemon that grouped up. That Yanma swarm had been friendly, sure, but a swarm of Beedrill or flock of Spearow could and had killed and eaten people who encountered them…

  Older trainers had a few paths in life they could take, if they didn't just continue to run Circuits, to compete in conferences. The Rangers were a huge organization in every region, and were the primary force responsible for keeping Pokemon populations not only calm and not Stampeding, but also culling said populations when they got a bit too large. They functioned as game wardens for endangered species as well, Kangaskhan being the most 'directly protected' species in Kanto. They worked with Kangaskhan herds to protect them, as opposed to Tauros herds, which didn't need protection… just frequent culling. They also maintained Routes, and frequently swept through before and during Circuits to kill or drive off the more aggressive Pokemon.

  Even if they couldn't maintain it permanently, and young trainers still died occasionally…

  Research expeditions were pretty much always ongoing, and competent guards were always needed and well-paid. Expanding a town's fields? Might want an older, experienced trainer to knock back any retaliatory Pokemon attacks. The same with city expansions, new roads, basically anywhere that wasn't an established, patrolled Route. Trainers with at least two aquatic Pokemon were often guards for ships of all types. Commercial, pleasure, transportation, fishing, it was never a bad idea to have more firepower on your side when something like a Dragalge got territorial or a Jellicent decided you looked tasty.

  So maybe he had continued on as a trainer and died? I kind of doubted that, though. There were plenty of pictures hung up of Leaf, and mom of course, but I didn't see anyone else… Oh shit, not even mom's parents… That wasn't good, now that I thought about it. Didn't she come from Saffron, originally?

  I should probably bring it up at some point, though. I didn't want to just blurt it out, but I should probably know that information. I could share my own story of my own shitty 'father', too…

  Actually, maybe-

  The ding was loud in the waiting room, and I jerked a little before I took a deep breath. I wasn't nervous, but I didn't want to walk out there still deep in thought, either.

  I let a vicious grin come over my face as I walked through the door, though. This was going to be fun! Leaf'd had a lot of fun, too, but now it was my turn!

  I still hated crowds, though, and the sight of hundreds of pairs of eyes swiveling to me was more than a bit uncomfortable… The sight of my family up in the stands was nice, though… My… whole family, Lance's arm around mom… Great guy, still kinda weird.

  "The Challenger, Erin Greenwood!" No 'Tiny Tyrant' this time, at least…

  Brock once again defied my expectations. The previous time I had stood across from him I had been surprised at how much he was able to intimidate me, and this time it was almost worse. He couldn't wield his aura, no, but I knew that he was a true Rock Master simply by the pressure he seemed to radiate. Like a super-dense rock or something, honestly… Like he had his own gravitational field, not that he was dumb.

  I kept my grin up as I stopped, and he smiled widely at me.

  "I never got the chance to thank you for before, you know?" I tilted my head to the side in confusion and he barked out a laugh.

  "The Breeders, I mean. Thanks for stopping Team Rocket!" Oh, yeah… He did partially own and run that…

  I shrugged and shook my head, face growing slightly hot as the crowd murmured.

  "I just did the right thing, honestly." His smile grew a little at my words, before he indicated the… empty spot behind me, off to the side?

  "If you want to let the Tyrant Queen out to watch, go ahead! I think by this point everyone knows she's not going to go on an eating spree." My mouth dropped open a little, and he continued.

  "I know you're not going to use her. Not much of a challenge if you send her out, and that's what you're here for, right?" I nodded my head, still slightly stunned, before I lifted her ball.

  "You heard him, mom. Just watch your tail, I know you get excited sometimes…" Brock laughed even as the huge wave of red light burst forth.

  Mom came out and immediately rolled her head around, sending some loud cracking sounds ringing through the arena, and I grinned at the sight. Her eyes focused on Brock and she gave him a slight nod of her head, which he returned. He looked calm, but his words gave it away.

  "She's a lot bigger in person and not through a video, isn't she?" I laughed a little, shaking my head.

  "Mom is… a sizable lady, you could say."

  Brock's smile flickered a little as mom brought her head directly behind me and unleashed a thunderous growl, but I just idly pushed her away, enjoying the crowd's shocked murmurs.

  Brock shook himself out a bit before looking at the referee, and I followed his lead. The referee was looking slightly uneasy after that growl, but the audience… they were taking a lot of pictures, actually.

  I mean, sure, I understood that… I would be taking pictures of the huge Alpha Tyrantrum, myself. Not a fan of mine being taken by proxy, and I knew there were cameras pointed directly at me, too… Screw it, though. Nothing I could do about it, anyway…

  The referee cleared his throat before starting his spiel, again…

  "This will be a five versus five Eighth Badge Exhibition Battle! As the Gym Leader, Brock will release his Pokemon first, and be unable to switch! Challenger, you will release your Pokemon second, and will have four switches available to you! The matches will continue until surrender or knockout! Are there any questions?" We both shook our heads, and then Brock chose to test me.

  There was no other reason for the Cradily to come out. It looked… weird as hell, honestly, but beyond that, I could feel the pressure rolling off of it. That was a strong Pokemon… I doubted it was the same Lileep that Seraphina had faced before, but I knew it for what it was. That was an invitation… Sure, why not?

  "Seraphina, looks like Brock wants to see a bit of a rematch!"

  She came out with her head held high, taking a bipedal stance as she… Well, she didn't glare at Brock, but she was for sure taunting him with the way she was looking down her snout at him. Her markings were already starting to glow with heat, and I grinned as I heard the audience start to murmur again. Seraphina wasn't just an obvious Alpha, she was a shiny Alpha, a beautiful one.

  "Match begin!"

  "Cradily, Earth focus!" Yeah, no shit, double weakness…

  I didn't give Seraphina any instructions, because we had already planned for something like this to happen. This exact thing, in fact. This wasn't a Badge battle, this was for fun and to test ourselves, but were we the only ones who wanted to have fun? No, Brock wanted to see how far we had grown in the past months. Steelix versus Hazard had let us know we were right. Our teams were almost common knowledge by now. Well, now they were to Gym Leaders, other than Stabby and Yanmega.

  So when Seraphina slammed her hands together and an explosion of Normal energy rushed at Cradily at blinding speed? Well, Seraphina was already moving, speeding towards it with great leaping bounds as the Fake Out made the opposing Pokemon flinch. I had seen Seraphina practice with us, of course, but I was still happy to see that Cradily writhe for a moment before its eyes focused on her again.

  Of course, Seraphina knew that the flinch wouldn't last long, so she was already charging up her latest Move even as she closed the distance. The next Earthquake wasn't interrupted, but it didn't need to be. Seraphina leapt at Cradily, an overpowered Sludge Bomb leading the way as she slammed into its 'face' hands-first, unleashing the Poison Move directly into its eyes. The rapid followup Fire Lash into its 'face cavity' did plenty of damage, but that wasn't the real plan, here.

  The real plan was to ride that Pokemon, avoiding the ground and Ground-type Moves. Sera was a good bit larger than it, but it was nice and sturdy on those legs…

  I had confused myself a little bit the last time we were here. I had mistakenly thought that Lileep, and thus Cradily, were immune to Fire energies. I had been wrong, of course, but right in one sense. Sera's small Embers had done nothing because they impacted the hard, rocky outer surface the previous time. This time we knew better.

  So even as Sera latched on with her hands on its head, her tail was swiping in another Fire Lash into its face. Of course, Cradily wasn't idle. Its tentacles Wrapped her up momentarily, crushing her for a brief moment, before her marking blazed with heat. The singed tendrils spasmed, but held, and I began to regret our strategy.

  Then Seraphina got mad.

  Her entire body shone with Poison energies, and I recognized Acid Armor. Kallen had been teaching her, but it wasn't the most applicable Move for Sera, really. She wasn't a bruiser, able to just take punishment. Especially considering that the acid itself burned away from her markings, but it caused enough pain that the Wrap released itself, Cradily managing to fling her off.

  Even as she was hitting the ground Seraphina sprinted for a boulder. She managed to clamber to the top just as the earth began to quake again, and flung herself off, back at Cradily. This time she led with a huge Venoshock, and I grinned at the sight of Cradily once again writhing, this time in pain. It was blackened on top from the fire and poison, and even as she landed on its face a large Dragon Pulse was charging in her open mouth.

  The fast water Move that slammed into her, however, was more worrying.

  It looked like Brine, possibly, but Sera still managed to get her Dragon Pulse off, directly into its facial cavity. It fell backwards, unconscious, but Sera was looking rough. She was still conscious, but her markings had died down completely and she was panting in exhaustion. Panting in short breaths, and as she tried to rise into a bipedal stance her hands gripped her chest… She probably had some cracked ribs from that Wrap, honestly…

  I still waited for Brock to return his Pokemon before I did the same, ignoring Sera's offended glare as I did.

  "That was great, Sera! Once again, you beat a Pokemon that you were at a disadvantage towards, one that used powerful Earth Moves! Don't be offended you took damage, though, be proud that you showcased your growth!" I was smiling as I replaced her ball on my bandoleer, but she still got a parting shot off.

  'Erin. Soft. Not weak!' 'Sweetie, I know you're not weak, but I'm not going to let you continue when you looked like that. You looked worse than Honor, and his tail was cleanly broken! Broken tails are one thing, but cracked or broken ribs are next to your organs!'

  I felt her anger die down a little. Just a little. Seraphina might be proud of her new size, and not ashamed by her coloring anymore, but she still wanted to prove that she was powerful to the world. Fair enough, but she just had!

  Brock was smiling at the sight, and caught my eye before he released his next Pokemon.

  "I knew she would be intense this time, too, but to ride an enemy Pokemon?"

  I chuckled a little, shaking my head.

  "Ah, well, I've heard that I'm kind of… insane, and I guess so is she?" The audience laughed, because yeah… I didn't look myself up on the PokeNet, but the other girls were more than happy to give me some occasional highlights.

  I narrowed my eyes at Brock's next Pokemon, though. Was he just going to keep inviting me to either counter him or challenge myself? I mean…

  Tyranitar were intimidating Pokemon.

  I pushed my aura out towards the rest of my Pokemon. I really didn't like talking to more than one at a time through aura, it was overwhelming, but I might as well give them all a chance to chime in.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  'So, who wants to take this? It would be a nice challenge for Hecate, but she'd have to rely on Fairy Moves. Kallen could take it, sure, but so could Ahab…'

  Luckily there seemed to be a bit of consensus already, as I only felt one aura push at mine. My most vicious dragon, even if he didn't have the typing yet.

  'Rock. Break. Funny!' 'Okay, but don't try to kill it, Kallen…'

  He came out deadly silent and still, not even his usual surprising growl, but only at first. He caught Brock's eye and nodded at him, then at Tyranitar. Both nodded back, and I could see both of them smiling.

  "Match resume!"

  "Tyranitar, full electric!" Expected, but how many TM's did Brock use on it… Not that I could say much…

  "Kallen, have fun!" He squelched out a laugh, even as small thunderclouds began to build in the air above the arena, right under the barriers. Not to mention the Sandstorm that was slowly building… Tyranitar was probably going slightly easy, honestly. I knew they could push those out quickly if they wanted to…

  I guess Kallen wanted a real challenge, because he didn't bother with his usual evasive strategies this time. He simply pulled up a Protect, holding it as he painstakingly charged up his 'latest' Move. Not that it was truly 'new', just an… upgrade.

  The overpowered Thunder that slammed into the Protect shattered it like frail glass, and my kelp buddy spasmed as it did a lot of damage. I'd have been worried… okay, I kind of was, but not very. Kallen was vicious, and he never stopped charging his Move. As soon as the bolt of lightning stopped (Seriously, why was it Thunder instead of Lightning?) he unleashed it, although it looked like nothing more than a very overpowered Water Gun.

  After all, most Hydro Pumps were huge torrents, like a fire hose. I'd extensively trained Kallen in Water Moves, however. He would lose his Water typing when he Evolved, sure, but that was why. This way his Water attacks would remain powerful. Less powerful, sure, but still dangerously well-trained.

  Like the literal boulder-cutting Hydro Pump that shot out, barely the width of my finger, straight towards that unfortunate Tyranitar's chest.

  It raised its own Protect, but it shattered even faster than Kallen's had. Kallen's Hydro Pump, when it was this overcharged and focused, was a piercing weapon, and I winced as it dug into that Tyranitars chest. Deep into its chest, and the large blood flow was a bit much for my heart to handle. Kallen dragged it down Tyranitar's chest, but Tyranitar were dangerous as shit for very, very good reasons.

  It charged at Kallen, far faster than I would have thought possible, but he was ready for that. He immediately exploded with a huge Smokescreen that mixed with the Sandstorm, and four Kallens came flying out of the smoke and sand. They split into two groups, one to either side of the charging Tyranitar, but Tyranitar ignored them.

  Shit. I mean, it was a common trick, sure…

  Tyranitar still missed Kallen with what looked like a Heavy Slam, but not by much. As its huge body slammed into the ground it blew a good bit of the Smokescreen away, revealing Kallen right next to its head, another Hydro Pump already charged.

  A Hydro Pump that slammed into the shoulder of the huge Pokemon even as a Thunder Fang found Kallen's lower body.

  I may have gasped in fear, but my little kelp buddy wasn't going to go down that easily… Tyranitar did, however, and it dragged him down with it. Not far, it had lunged from its stomach, but enough to whip my kelp dragon's head into the ground with enough force to lightly crack the stone.

  He didn't get up when Tyranitar was returned, but that made a good bit of sense. He wasn't unconscious, but he seemed to be a little too busy to make his floating work.

  After all, he was glowing.

  I let a huge, vicious smile come over my face at the sight. Kallen had been ready for a while, but unless they were frustrated like Hazard, Dragons almost never Evolved without a desperate victory or in life-threatening situations. It just wasn't in their natures to allow something as basic as training or an overwhelming, easy victory to push them to the next level. They felt like they had to earn it.

  He floated up, eyes tight with pain, and the glow became blinding for a moment. When it died down I saw almost the same monster of a Dragalge I had met in the Lowlands.

  Kallen was twelve feet tall now, and it was… startling. In an instant he went from my smallest Pokemon to my largest. Leto didn't count… He also looked dangerous now, and mean. Dragalge had a reputation for very good, valid reasons…

  He turned back and smiled at me, nodded at mom, then passed out, falling to the ground. I was smiling so widely as I returned him, though.

  "I knew you could do it, Kallen! Good job, my huge kelp buddy! I think you're going to have to stop hanging off my arm, though…" Me and mom both laughed, even as the rest of my Pokeballs rattled as the others laughed. Kallen was going to be so upset over that, I just knew it…

  Brock was smiling at the sight, of course.

  "I kind of figured he would have Evolved before now, so that wasn't exactly surprising." Me and mom both laughed.

  "Yeah, dragons hate Evolving without a good, tough fight… I get the feeling he also wanted to be able to hang off my arm for as long as possible…" Brock laughed, then pulled another ball out.

  As soon as I saw the huge neck, I knew what was going to happen, and it amused me greatly. I also felt kind of bad for it…

  Mom's stomach thunderously growling certainly upset that Aurorus a decent bit, not that I blamed it… I glanced back at her, and she seemed embarrassed, but I just smirked at her.

  "Yes mom, I know you hunted them back in Galar, and they are tasty, but maybe you should go back in your ball if that's going to happen again?" Brock burst into laughter.

  Brock, and most of the audience. Mom shook her head, very embarrassed, and gave Aurorus a nod of her head. It returned it, still looking slightly nervous, but its eyes got serious a moment later. I was still chuckling as I spoke. That was great! It was hard as hell to embarrass mom…

  "Which one of you wants to fight, Hecate or Ahab? You know the other two will demand to fight, so now's your chance." Both of them had one great option for this fight. Ahab was a surprisingly good teacher… when he was nice and full. If not, he was a little too 'murderous' to concentrate… Stabby was up in the audience with my family right now. He was my Pokemon, sure, but he was still very powerful, slightly more powerful than Hope, and this was a challenge, a test for ourselves.

  I vaguely heard the whispers of an aura conversation before Hecate came out with her normal slap of the ground into a tight flip. She smiled at Aurorus, and it smiled back briefly. Yeah, Hecate could be vicious, too, but usually when it was even slightly serious. This wasn't.

  "Match resume!"

  "Aurorus, Dark Pulse!" Yep, I figured it would have something like that…

  I didn't say anything, because I didn't need to. Hecate had prepared for this Gym… She could also talk directly into my mind.

  ""They will fear me!"" 'Yes they will, but… I think Morgrem is a bad influence on you, young lady…'

  I guess Hecate apparently decided to get a little vicious…

  This was a bit of a foregone conclusion, especially if Brock didn't go for environmental effects. I had no doubt in my mind that if I had sent Cerberus or Artemis out, there would be a huge Hailstorm building right now… Or maybe not, actually? That Tyranitar had held way back on its Sandstorm…

  I was proven correct as Hecate launched herself with her ponytails, Calm Mind already taking effect. She had learned that independently from Grace, but they shared tips, especially activating it while in motion, so I just smiled as the Dark Pulse blew right past her. So did the next one, and Aurorus seemed to grow a bit irritated by my little witches' mobility.

  That would explain the Hail that started to form. I cursed, but Hecate had already launched herself straight at its head, her entire form ablaze with Grass energies. The actual hailstorm stopped forming as it got nervous, but the first wave of ice had already fallen, large hailstones that slammed into her as she flew through the air.

  It didn't stop the sickeningly overpowered Giga Drain that slammed into that poor Aurorus' skull. It reeled backwards in pain, and then Hecate was there, ponytails glowing pinks as she unleashed a Play Rough into its face. The retaliatory Ancient Power was kind of startling, honestly. Nothing like moms, of course, but I had never seen her use the move quite like this, either.

  The spinning barrier of jagged boulders was an inventive use of the Move, but not all that surprising. Ancient Power was one of the most versatile Moves in existence, and a… brachiosaurus? I think that's what they looked like… That or brontosaurus. Either way, a slow Pokemon like that with so much of its surface area outside of its own reach, one that didn't have sharp teeth to bite with? It was a great way to intercept Moves or Pokemon.

  Or to trap them.

  Hecate managed to roll onto its back, already glowing with Grass energies again, but a boulder shattered on her fast Protect, Grass energies dropping as she lost concentration. The Protect was badly flickering, now, but not for long.

  The next boulder caught her square in the chest, blasting through the Protect like it didn't even exist this time. She didn't take it well, but she was probably still conscious. Only for a brief moment, though, as the boulder slammed her into another hovering, spinning boulder. I winced as she was blasted away from Aurorus. She was out, and not easily… I think one of her arms was broken, actually…

  I returned her with a smile, though.

  "Good job, sweetie! We kind of figured that would happen, so don't feel bad when you finally wake up!" We had known Hecate would probably get knocked out, too. Aurorus looked rough as hell, so I got the feeling if she had been partially Grass, and her Giga Drain had done even more damage, that Play Rough would have ended the fight…

  I could feel the rage radiating from one of my Pokeballs, and it made me smile widely. The furious words made me smile even wider.

  'Sister/Tear! Hurt/Kill! Rage/Rage!' 'Of course, buddy!'

  That was the clearest Cerberus had sounded since he had Evolved! I mean, sure, it was mostly his nice head being pissed and lining up with his aggressive head, but I could easily understand him! That was… progress, right? I mean, his nice head was already beginning to dominate the other, even without letting them fight, so probably?

  "Cerberus, your sister needs her big brother to avenge her!"

  Cerberus came out stomping, dual roars ringing out as his heads honed in on Aurorus. An Aurorus that looked very uneasy.

  As it should be.

  "Match resume!"

  "Aurorus, defense!" Yeah… Nope.

  "Cerberus, don't kill it!"

  Cerberus let out another dual Roar, the actual Move this time, and Aurorus froze for a moment. Too long of a moment, because Cerberus was already charging into a Dragon Rush. Both heads slammed into Aurorus, and even as Aurorus unleashed an Ice Beam into his chest, he was chomping dual Crunch's into its neck. I winced, hand on his Luxury Ball, but I didn't need to do anything. Even as Cerberus began to shake its neck, Brock was returning Aurorus.

  He wasn't glaring at Cerberus, but it was… close, honestly. I stretched my aura out and slapped him on the base of his necks and he stopped growling at Brock. He did stomp his way back to our side of the arena, though.

  I gave Brock an apologetic shrug of my shoulders.

  "Sorry! Aurorus hurt his sister, so he got… a tiny bit mad." The audience laughed, but I was kind of serious, actually. Cerberus understood that this wasn't a life and death fight, and he hadn't tried to complete those Crunch's and seriously hurt Aurorus. He had been far more furious in those tunnels, honestly…

  Brock shook his head, though.

  "I kind of figured that would happen… I also figured that you'd bring him out, too." Nuts…

  I scowled at Brock's next Pokemon. I liked the species, actually. I was also intrigued… I wonder what kind of contract Brock had it under…

  Carbink were one of my favorite Fairies. They were… bland and boring in battle though, honestly. Top tier defenses, sure, but that was it. Of course, I had never cared all that much for battling in the games, or been competitive at all. The try-hard sweaty strategies from the games? That people used in online tournaments? Literally didn't know them, I just hit shit hard, and if that didn't work, I hit harder. I just liked Pokemon, and Carbink were cute! Especially those ears!

  This one looked happy and confident, and Cerberus felt it. He got… nervous, the first time I had seen that outside of spars. He knew what a Moonblast could do to him, and as far as I remembered, that was the only Fairy Move Carbink learned naturally. Fairy TM's were also kind of expensive on this side of the world…

  "Match resume!"

  "Carbink, Moonblast!" Yep…

  "Cerberus, Protect and Body Slam!" Cerberus was… very limited when it came to Moves that weren't Dark or Dragon, honestly… I should really work on that…

  Carbink's first Moonblast shattered Cerberus' Protect, but did no damage to him. The next one slammed into his right head, instantly knocking it out. I winced as Cerberus stumbled, but he kept charging Carbink as it slowly floated backwards. A lot more unsteadily now, though, tripping over his feet as he went.

  This had happened during training spars, so he wasn't completely unused to controlling his body with only one head, but it wasn't easy, either. I had to imagine it was like having a limb fall asleep, but instead of a limb, it was half of his body… spread throughout it, not just one side. Nothing worked as fast as he wanted it to, but he didn't let that stop him.

  He launched himself at Carbink even as another Moonblast slammed into his other head. I knew he was out the instant it hit, but his body was already in the air, and in motion. His body smashed Carbink into the ground, and I waited a few seconds before returning him. Carbink was… It didn't look bad, but while it was conscious, it was cracked slightly right down the middle, and lodged in the ground. Brock returned it with a huge grimace a moment later.

  "His contract stipulates that he be returned after taking any structural damage larger than small chips… and now he gets a full week after he's healed to play pranks on the entire Gym…" Oof, that's rough… also hilarious!

  "Your Zweilous is… something else, Erin." I laughed a little sheepishly.

  "Yeah, he's… a handful. He was the biggest sweetheart when he was a Deino, actually, so soon enough he'll be back to normal. Well, I get the feeling he'll always have a bit of a temper now, but he'll be a sweetheart with a temper…" He snorted in amusement, even as the audience murmured. Yeah, a sweetheart Hydreigon… I understood their disbelief.

  Well, last Pokemon, last match. Ahab had known he wouldn't get another chance when Hecate came out instead, as well…

  "Artemis, it's time to hunt!"

  She came out with an adorable little roar… Well, adorable to me. She was an Alpha, and that roar was a bit… angry. Not at me or Brock, just that everyone else had gotten knocked out or forced to return.

  She looked back and grinned at me and mom before she nodded at Brock, setting herself into a crouch.

  Brock nodded back before he grinned at me and pulled out his last Pokeball.

  "I also figured you would enjoy this last match up. I mean, you could have sent out your Dhelmise, but I highly doubted you would…" I narrowed my eyes, but it made sense a moment later.

  I don't think any of us expected Brock's last Pokemon, but it made so much sense! There weren't a ton of Rock types that were also super effective against Dragons. Carbink was the only non-legendary Rock/Fairy, and I was relatively sure Aurorus were the only Rock/Ice…

  There was also only one Rock/Dragon Pokemon, and my grin grew vicious. Mine, Artemis', and moms grins, obviously.

  The Tyrantrum that came out wasn't an Alpha, of course, but over eight feet of tyrant Pokemon was still intimidating as shit. It- He came out with a thunderous roar into the air. Then his eyes dropped, met moms, and he flinched before bowing his head almost to the ground. Then his eyes met mine, and after they widened in surprise, he gave another bow. Artemis, however, only got a nod.

  Artemis didn't like that, of course, even if she returned it…

  She started to growl, but I reached out and poked her with aura before she could continue. I met Brock's eyes and smiled.

  "Okay, I should have expected that, but still, awesome! Thanks, Brock!" Mom nodded from behind me, tail already wagging as Brock laughed.

  "I figured everyone would enjoy this, actually! He's been looking forward to it!" I could see that… His tail was wagging, too, even as he dismissively glanced away from Artemis.

  The referee cleared his throat, loudly, and I straightened my back a little. Yeah, we're kind of in the middle of a match…

  "Match resume!"

  This time neither me or Brock gave an order. I was very grateful for this match up, honestly. In the games, Tyrunt Evolved by leveling up during the day. How did they Evolve in reality?

  Well, competition! They didn't require pack dynamics, but if Artemis could beat this Pokemon, it was almost a certain thing for her. She had also been ready for weeks, for over a month even, but aside from an actual life or death fight, 'pack' dominance was the best way to induce an Evolution like hers.

  Tyrantrum Roared at her, but of course, Artemis didn't flinch. She did, however, begin running in place, thighs rubbing together as she ran her little arms up and down her chest, the light of Rock Polish already settling into her. She began to run after the first one, starting to circle around the arena. She never stopped shining with Rock Polish, but she would stack the buff much slower in motion.

  Still, she had moved for good reason.

  After its ineffective Roar Tyrantrum had looked surprised, but only for a moment, eyes flickering to mom. Yeah, we all got to experience her Roars, and the Pokemon got to experience much worse Roars than us humans…

  He charged Artemis, huge clawed feet tearing the stone up, and dark energies began to gather around his jaws. Expected, but a poor choice… Because he couldn't catch Artemis despite his longer legs. She just kept getting faster and faster as she ran literal circles around him, and after a few moments he wised up. The dark energies dissipated from his jaws even as a small swarm of boulders began to rocket towards Artemis.

  She snorted in amusement and sharply changed her course, dodging out of the way of the first few with dismissive ease. She was fast, and closed the distance in almost no time. She didn't attack him, though… No, she just ran right past him, taunting him.

  Tyrantrum Roared at her again, but it still did nothing to her. Then he got mad. The Earthquake began, but Artemis was apparently done playing around. A huge Dragon Pulse flew from her mouth and smashed into his head, disrupting the Move before it could do much damage. She didn't stop there as she continued to close in, though. No, Artemis apparently decided that now was the time to brawl it out.

  She led with a fast Dragon Tail to his knee, spinning into a Dragon Claw that tore vivid lines across his flank. Even as he was crouching with a Bite, or a Crunch, she was gone, and those huge jaws closed on nothing. Another Earthquake began, but of course, Artemis hadn't run.

  She had just repositioned herself.

  No Tyrantrum enjoyed having humans ride them, and that extended to Pokemon as well, so when Artemis ran up his tail onto his back? He was furious.

  Unfortunately for him, Artemis hadn't run up his back just for fun.

  Her next Dragon Tail slammed into the back of his head, and even as he stumbled forward she was unleashing another Dragon Claw into his skull. He threw his head forward, sending her flying, but Artemis had trained for that, too. She flipped herself over in midair, claws sparking as she slid to a halt, facing him.

  Then her eyes turned red.

  Outrage was an intimidating Move from any Pokemon, but Artemis somehow made her cute little face terrifying as she darted in. Tyrantrum tried to Stomp on her, but she was once again too fast, and the first bite crunched into his left knee. He roared in pain, but Artemis loved this Move.

  Her followup flurry of attacks honestly looked like a mixture of Thrash and Fury Attacks, considering how fast and wildly she attacked his legs. It didn't put him down, but he did stumble forward, head dropping as he began to spin, probably into his own Dragon Tail.

  The jaws that met his throat froze him in place, though. I was mildly worried that she would tear his throat out, but luckily the Outrage ended. Before the Confusion could take hold, though, she squeezed and he dropped to his knees, head bowed to the ground.

  She released him and roared out her dominance, and as he returned himself I stared at my first sister in anticipation…

  In anticipation…

  In great anticipation…

  In overwhelming anticipation…

  Artemis looked back at me, Confused and confused, and I shrugged. I guess that had been too easy? I glanced back at mom and she just chuckled before I felt her aura touch mine.

  'Challenge. Lack. Easy!' 'I kind of figured that, but dangit…'

  I met Artemis in the arena and hugged her head as she came in for attention. The crowd's applause was such a nice sound to hear… Even if I did not like all the eyes watching me…

  "Maybe next time, baby girl? I mean, you're kind of ridiculous when you get up to speed…" She laughed, then looked at Brock as he walked over to meet me.

  "That was a hell of a match, Erin! And you, uhh, Artemis? You are a hell of a Tyrunt, you know that?" She laughed, nodded, and then returned herself.

  I met Brock's eyes- Brock's squint, and smiled widely.

  "That was great! Thanks for bringing him out, Artemis had a lot of fun showing her dominance!" He barked out a laugh, then stuck his hand out. I gave him a firm handshake this time, thankfully.

  "I'll see you at the Conference this year! I'm looking forward to it, actually." His head turned briefly, and I knew he was looking up at my family, even without eyes to follow. His voice dropped a little so the audience wouldn't hear.

  "I guess I'll see your… sisters there, too?" I flushed a little, because I knew what he was getting at.

  "You will, and yeah… Lance is a good guy, and mom likes him… I'd say don't spread it, but I can see people still taking pictures…" He barked out another laugh and released my hand.

  "Again, congratulations on your victory, all of you. I'm looking forward to watching your fights with Sabrina, actually. It should be a lot more… dynamic than this one."

  Damn, it felt good to hear that. Also a bit worrying, because Sabrina was for sure going to bring out some intense Psychics… Not to mention real strategies, not the slug-fest we just participated in…