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Operation GEAR: The Angel of Reckoning (R)

The Great Butler

Hush, keep it down
This chapter’s going to be a lot shorter and less intense than the last few.

-:-

CHAPTER 16: The Pursuit of the Truth

-:-

A strange calm settled over Goldenrod City in the hours after the near-disaster with the Magnet Train. The area around the Radio Tower and train station had been closed off, and enough of the protesters had left that it was easy for the police to deal with anyone left trying to cause trouble on the streets.

The night was clear and quiet, with many stars spread through the sky. Their light shined into the group’s hotel suite, providing a soft glow over their rooms as they slept.

It was well into the late night hours when Matt was awoken by the feeling of movement next to him.

“Huh?” he groaned.

“Shut the **** up and go back to sleep. I’m not really here.”

Matt sighed, but he didn’t roll over. He knew what sight would greet him.

“I thought you were sleeping in Olivia’s room.”

“Well I’m not,” Nekou snapped. “Now I said shut the **** up and go back to sleep.”

As he felt Nekou shifting around next to him, Matt let his eyes wander to the ceiling. He was awake enough to realize that something odd was going on.

“Are you okay? You don’t sound like yourself.”

“Sometimes I can’t get drunk enough to sleep. There, does that make you happy?”

This moved Matt enough to make him roll over. He expected to see Nekou right in his face, like the last time she had snuck into bed with him, but instead, she had her back to him and was partially curled into the fetal position.

“This…” Matt’s face sank as he realized this wasn’t another of Nekou’s tricks. “This isn’t right, I know it. What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to talk about it!” She curled up tighter, then said in a tense whisper, “****. You’re a real pain in the ***, you know that?”

“I’m just trying to help…” He started to extend a hand toward her shoulder, but thought better of it and pulled back.

“Have you ever been somewhere where it’s just you? Where you’re cold and alone and…”

“I had nobody else to rely on for a long time, you know that.”

“****, you just don’t get it, do you?” Nekou’s voice was becoming sad and hollow, despite her attempts to keep sounding tough. “I’m talking about a place where it’s totally empty and cold and it’s just you, lost in that void…”

“I… I don’t understand.” Matt was being honest; while he was trying to empathize with what Nekou was saying, he was nearly hopelessly lost trying to figure out what she meant.

“I didn’t think you would.” As she spoke, she continued to curl tighter and tighter. “I’ve been there. It’s in my ****ing dreams, all the time… literally, just that cold, empty darkness, and me floating there. You know what I think it is? I think that’s what it feels like to die.”

“Why…” Matt’s words suddenly caught in his throat as the implication of her words finally dawned on him. “Back at the bar, when I said I wanted to…”

“You don’t know what it’s like to die,” she said, seemingly confirming his suspicion. “But I do. The dreams feel like memories to me.”

“I don’t… how is that possible?”

“I don’t know,” Nekou admitted. “But I’ve been there. I know it. I just… I know I’ve been there. Every time I have that dream I just know I’m living my own death, and…”

“Enough,” Matt quietly said, finally setting his hand on her shoulder. She flinched at first, but then relaxed. “Don’t talk about it anymore. If you want to stay here, you can.”

Nekou shrank further into the bed. She swore into the pillow, but before he rolled back over, Matt thought he heard her thank him.

-:-

The next morning was as clear as the night that preceded it. A bright sun cast warmth across most of Johto, though one place whose air was still brisk was Blackthorn City, deep in the northern mountains.

Renzo was well aware of the temperature as he ventured toward the city with a bag full of supplies given to him by the Tenganists. He pulled up his scarf to cover his mouth and nose, unwilling to make the same mistake that had nearly killed him again.

As he entered the city limits, he quickly sought out a place to sit down. Finding a nearby park bench on the side of the road, he hurriedly sat down and pulled out a map.

“Let’s see here…” he said to himself, looking over the diagram of the city. “The Pokémon Center is here, and the Gym is here. That means that the Dragon’s Den should be right…” He ran his finger up the map and settled it on a point north of most of the city. “...here.”

Renzo stood, put the map back in his bag and set off toward his destination. Blackthorn City had only barely begun to be touched by the urbanization affecting much of the region, so within minutes he reached dirt roads that led away from the more modern buildings in the south. He soon passed the Blackthorn Gym, a stately mansion with two Dragonite statues set outside its gate. Just beyond the building was a lake.

At first, there appeared to be no readily available way to cross the lake. However, upon closer examination of the area, Renzo found a narrow cliff path that skirted the water. Without hesitation he set off, careful not to fall in the lake, which he was certain was icy cold.

When he got to the end of the path, he found himself on a small piece of land facing an opening that went deep inside the mountain. An old, mustachioed man stood guard at the cavern entrance.

“Who are you?” the elderly guard demanded. “Only people who have the permission of the Gym Leader can enter here.”

“My name is Renzo,” he defiantly answered, “and I’m on a quest to capture a Dratini. I know I can find them in the Dragon’s Den.”

“Sorry, I already told you, you need Clair’s permission to go in. Go find her at the Gym and see if she’ll listen to you.”

Renzo started to turn away, but abruptly stopped and spun back around. “I’m sorry. I can’t let anyone stand in the way of what I must do, so I’m going to have to convince you to…”

“What are you doing?”

A woman wearing a blue bodysuit and boots had arrived during their discussion by traveling across the lake on her Kingdra. When she jumped off onto land, her black cape and long blue ponytail blew in the wind behind her.

“Clair!” the old man quickly blurted out. “I was just telling this trainer he can’t enter…”

“I wasn’t talking to you.” Moving her harsh eyes to Renzo, she continued, “Most trainers who come here know better than to march right up to this cave without my permission. I want to know what makes this one think he’s special.”

Renzo stiffened, aware of who he was facing. “Leader Clair, my name is Renzo. I traveled all the way here because I must capture a Dratini. I cannot continue my Gym challenges until I get one.”

“Why must you get a Dratini now? How many Badges do you even have?”

“Right now, zero.” Clair was visibly surprised by Renzo’s bold confession, but he continued speaking. “Dratini is… well, that’s not entirely true. Dragonite is a Pokémon that was very important to someone very close to me. She’s… she’s not around anymore, so I decided that in order to honor her, I must have a Dragonite of my own for my Pokémon League challenge.”

“You intrigue me,” Clair said, putting her hand on her chin. “You certainly have a spine to come here and admit that you expect to get into the Dragon’s Den with no Badges at all. What kind of Pokémon do you even have? Coming here could not have been easy.”

“Right now I have a Gurdurr, a Drowzee and a Cottonee. And you’re right, it wasn’t easy. I risked my life and got some help from…” Renzo hesitated, recalling the secretive nature of the Tenganists. “...from some other travelers. Without them I would have frozen to death in the mountains.”

“So you bit off more than you could chew and needed to be rescued. That doesn’t surprise me.” Clair turned her back on Renzo. “You were foolish to think you could reach this place so easily. And yet, you are obviously greatly dedicated to your goal. That person you described must truly have meant a lot to you, for you to do all this.”

“She was all I had.”

Clair looked over her shoulder, but did not turn around. “I’ve made a decision. You may not enter the Dragon’s Den right now. But your spirit is intriguing to me, so I will give you a one-time offer. I will put you into training so you may prove yourself to me and the other elders of the Dragon Clan. Let me warn you now, I will not go easy on you. Your training will be harsher than anything you’ve experienced, and there’s a good chance you’ll wish you had frozen to death on that mountain. Well? Do you have enough of a spine to face it? Are you that dedicated?”

“I’m not afraid,” Renzo answered. “I’ve been through a lot, and I am willing to do what I must to reach my goal.”

-:-

On the western coast of Johto, the densely-populated urban center of Olivine City sprawled out next to the ocean. Because of its prime location for overseas shipping, it was one of the first cities in Johto to begin developing, and although it was not quite as run-down as the slums of Goldenrod, it wasn’t as well-kept as Cherrygrove City.

In the southeast of the city near the docks, a number of bars and clubs clustered, ready to serve the interests of the sailors and travelers who visited. One building in this seedy district stuck out, due to the fact that unlike everything surrounding it, it had no neon lights or digital signs attached to it. It simply stood there, its street entrance sealed up by a metal shutter.

The building’s unassuming appearance hid a secret, however. It had a hidden underground entrance, and from there, the members of Team Rocket had gathered within. None who passed by would ever suspect it of being Team Rocket’s Olivine base.

A stately bar was set up on the main floor, and Trevor was standing behind it, wiping glasses so he could serve himself and Ariana drinks. The others - Jessie, James, Meowth, Pierce, Proton, Petrel and Rosalie - were gathered around the crate of stolen Pokémon as Ada analyzed its contents using her laptop and a portable scanner.

“Well?” Giovanni asked, sitting in his office chair with Persian alongside him. A banner bearing Team Rocket’s logo was hung up on the wall just behind them. “Ada, what do we have here?”

“O-one second, Giovanni, s-sir…” Ada continued her busy typing, which in turn was causing the scanner to shine a light over the crate. “Analysis complete.”

The light disappeared from the scanner, and it generated a holographic screen displaying each of the Pokémon in the container.

“That’s a lot of Pokémon,” Jessie smugly said.

“Indeed,” Giovanni replied, his hand moving to scratch Persian’s head. He briefly hesitated, then continued, “Your work on stealing these from Polaris was admirable. We need to strengthen the ranks of our Pokémon, and as a reward for your success, I want you two to be the first to choose from them.”

“Did you hear that?” James excitedly shouted. “The boss is proud of us!”

Meowth hugged James’s leg and said, “We did good, and praise from the boss feels great!” Shooting Persian a cunning glare, Meowth then whispered, “Maybe I’ll end up top cat one day after all.”

Persian growled in annoyance at Meowth antagonizing him, and in near perfect sync, Pierce shut his eyes and sighed.

“Let’s keep working hard for the boss’s sake,” Jessie told the others as she wiped a tear from her eye. She walked up to the holographic screen and used her hand to browse its display. “Come here, little Pokémon. I know you’re in there, the one for me…”

After a minute of searching, Jessie stopped on the image of a butterfly-like Pokémon. It had a gray body, black eyes dotted with white, and wide wings bearing a soft blue-and-white pattern.

“That’s a Vivillon,” Ada explained. “Specifically, it’s a Marine Pattern.”

“I like the style. I’ll take it.”

The hologram displayed the Repeat Ball that held the Vivillon, and Jessie dipped her hand into the crate to retrieve it. Meanwhile, James stepped up and moved back several pages in the display.

“What is this Pokémon?” he asked, having settled on a wide-eyed blue squid. “It reminds me of a toy I had when I was young.”

“Inkay is its name. It’s Dark-and-Psychic-type, and from analyzing this data, I would say it’s a good fighter.”

James nodded, then went into the crate to collect his new Pokémon. Proton was the next to approach the hologram, and he went through it with swift, deliberate movements.

“I choose this Pokémon,” Proton declared.

“Pangoro,” Ada said, identifying the hulking black-and-white panda Pokémon. “Dark-and-Fighting-type. This one is apparently good at crippling its opponents.”

Without another word, Proton pulled Pangoro’s Poké Ball from the crate. “You sound like you’re going to fit my tastes perfectly.”

“Giovanni, sir?” Ada suddenly piped up.

“What is it?”

“I-I found something in the data that you may like…” With the tapping of a few keys, Ada displayed the image of a rotund rabbit Pokémon sporting muscular arms for ears and thick, yellow-and-brown fur around its midsection. “It’s a Diggersby, a Normal-and-Ground-type. Not only is this Pokémon your favorite type, according to my analysis, it can be extremely powerful in battle.”

“Excellent thinking, Ada.” Giovanni gestured to Pierce, who retrieved Diggersby’s Ultra Ball for him. “Now, we will keep the rest of these Pokémon in stock for our army. We will need them to combat Polaris’s forces. Pierce, I want you to travel to headquarters and deliver them to Stacia after you drop off the Meteonite at Zager’s laboratory.”

“Sir!” Pierce answered, stiffening into his formal pose.

Rosalie wheeled herself up next to Pierce and tapped his arm to gain his attention. “This contains all the data from the Battle Factory as copied by Petrel,” she said, pushing the flash drive with Team Rocket’s logo on it into his hand. “Deliver that to Zager as well. I cannot crack the encryption with the resources I have here. It will take the power of Zager’s computers to properly decode what we’re dealing with.”

“Understood.”

“Now, you three,” Giovanni said, turning to Jessie, James and Meowth. “I am assigning you to go to Ecruteak City ahead of the rest of us and scope out the situation. I expect intelligence on what Ghetsis and Polaris are planning to do and how we can fight them.”

“It’ll get done before you even know it, Boss!” Meowth promised.

“Now get to your work, all of you.”

“Hail Giovanni!” all of the assembled Team Rocket members declared.

The group dissipated; Pierce collected his cargo and Jessie, James and Meowth left immediately. Once the meeting had broken up, Rosalie approached Ariana at the bar.

“Come on, Ari, come with me to your quarters. I need to give you that exam now.”

-:-

Having recovered enough to walk around, Jacob ventured to the mouth of the cave the Tenganists were using as their base. He had to shield his face from the cold wind that blew by as he stepped outside, and the ragged clothing he’d been provided gave little protection from the chill.

“This is all we have left.” Though he hadn’t noticed her right away, the Prophet was standing alone outside the cave. She’d had her hands clasped in silent prayer until he came out alongside her. “When Saeko Oryo swallowed the Jewel of Life, the backlash consumed all the life energy of this entire area,” she explained, gesturing out at the snowy landscape dotted by ruined stone structures. “This place has been a wasteland of death ever since.”

“I was here, I saw it…” Jacob uttered in shock, staring at the expanse before his eyes. “I watched this place die, and yet, looking at it now, it looks so much worse than what I saw back then…”

“I’m sure that you now understand the struggle we face. What has become of our holy land is very similar to what has happened to us as a people. We are being systemically hunted and eliminated by Ghetsis, for both his own motives and Polaris’s.”

“You are aware of his motives?”

Though she was dressed in her usual clothing, the Prophet didn’t shiver until Jacob asked the question. “I am… intimately aware of what Ghetsis intends to do. You told me you knew about his ancestors’ hatred for our people.”

“I did.”

“Then you have some idea of why he personally wants to do this.” A strong gust of wind parted the Prophet’s robes, revealing an old coat underneath. It had once been white but had become discolored with wear. “This isn’t just about getting rid of us as a people. This is about sending a message. That’s… why I’m still alive. It’s why I’m here but why I’m still alive.”

Jacob considered asking further about the Prophet’s claim of being spared by Ghetsis, but thought better of it. Instead, he questioned, “What about Polaris?”

The Prophet hesitated again, then moved closer to Jacob. “Listen. What I’m about to tell you is something I have not told many of my followers. I hope your regret over witnessing the death of our land is enough to motivate you into understanding why.”

Though he was taken aback, Jacob nodded. “I promise. It’s between you and me.”

“I think there is a traitor to our people within Polaris’s ranks. Ghetsis destroyed a number of our communities by tracking me, but some of them were so secretive that there’s no way he could have found them without help, not to mention that I didn’t even visit some. Someone had to have tipped him off to their existence. But what’s even more troubling to me… how much do you understand about our power? Transcendence?”

“Well…” Jacob scratched the back of his head and laughed softly. “That was always Sutter’s thing. He understood so much more about your people than I ever did. Sutter did tell me back then that Saeko Oryo’s power was exceptional, though.”

“That…” The Prophet held herself back from slapping Jacob much like she had slapped Pierce. “That is true. She was both celebrated and feared before her sin, and she may have been one of the most powerful Tenganists in terms of Transcendence in centuries. My power… I’ve developed a power nearly as strong as hers, and because of it, I cannot help but feel as if some terrible deed is about to come to pass. Those of us with extremely powerful Transcendence are in tune with such things. Do you know what the Coronet Rosary is?”

“I’ve heard the name but… Sutter always told me it was something not worth knowing about.”

“He was a wise man, then. Knowledge of it is too horrible for many to bear. My fear is that it’s going to become frighteningly relevant soon…”

“That’s very bad, isn’t it?” Jacob said, a numb feeling filling his chest.

“Yes. Yes, it is.” After pausing for a moment, the Prophet’s voice softened. “You’re worried about your old student Bunny. I can sense it.”

“I just wish there was something I could do to help her right now…” he muttered, turning away. “She wants nothing to do with me, and I’m here…”

“Do you have any Pokémon?”

Jacob turned back to the Prophet in surprise. “What? Why do you ask?”

“With my power, I can connect with a Pokémon’s heart and let it know anything I want. I can send one of your Pokémon to her.”

“We’re out of luck,” Jacob said with a shrug. “I released all my Pokémon when I went to prison. They’re out there in the wild now. I would send my Xatu if I still had it…”

“I can do that too. Come here.” The Prophet took up Jacob’s hands in her own. “I can call to your Xatu if I focus my power enough.”

“Is that really possible?”

“I’ll show you. Transcend the confines of time and space!”

Jacob’s eyes went wide as his mind joined with the Prophet’s. He wobbled back, the sensation filling his body causing him to become unbalanced, but she held him up with a firm grasp.

“Xatu…” she whispered. “Hear my words. Jacob and Bunny need you. Come to us and give us the aid we need…”

-:-

North of Goldenrod, just outside the city limits, was the National Park. Unlike the massive metropolis nearby, it was a quiet, peaceful place. A cobblestone path lined with lanterns led from the entrance gate and through the trees to a wide, grassy field with a fountain at its center.

Matt and the others were walking through the park toward its northern end, heading for the Battle Cafe. Olivia and Monroe were at the front with Bunny, while Matt and Nekou brought up the rear.

“It’s so beautiful!” Nekou was raving to herself, looking in all directions at the colors of the autumn trees around her.

“I see you’re feeling better…” Matt mumbled, sticking his hands in the pockets of his coat to provide an extra layer of warmth.

Pausing to look at him, Nekou abruptly asked, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t you remember last night? Wait, don’t tell me you totally forgot already?”

“Relax, I’m just ****ing with you. I’m flattered you give enough of a **** to ask about me.”

Nekou turned around and took out her phone to take pictures of the trees. Matt, meanwhile, found himself at a loss for words. He stood still for a moment before rushing to catch up with the others.

Just as he managed to reach them, however, all five of them were nearly knocked over by a Pokémon running past them. They barely had time to realize that it was a Mareep before the Electric-type’s trainer appeared and crashed into Matt. The Mareep turned and snickered at her trainer’s hopeless pursuit.

“Ow…” the boy said, rubbing his face with one hand and picking up his baseball cap with the other. “Are you alright, mister?”

“I’d be more concerned about you than myself.”

“I’m fine.” Looking around Matt to his Mareep, who was still laughing at him, he called out, “Come on, Mareep! Please behave, I’m begging you!”

Mareep ignored his plea and fired off a bolt of electricity from her wool at him. Before it could hit, Matt shoved the trainer out of the way and ended up getting shocked himself. He fell to his hands and knees and convulsed as the electricity worked its way through him.

“Matt!” Bunny cried out, running to his side with Olivia and Monroe.

“Are you ****ing crazy?” Nekou demanded. “You know you can’t get shocked like that!”

“It’s… nothing permanent,” he answered in a shaky voice. “I didn’t want him to get hurt…”

Looking to the trainer, Olivia asked, “What’s up with your Mareep anyway?”

“It sure is nastier than most Mareep I’ve seen…” added Monroe.

“I’m so sorry!” the boy said, bowing his head repeatedly. He ran to Mareep, who started growling at him, and scolded her, “You can’t keep doing things like this, Mareep. I’m begging you, please behave.”

Shaking her head, Mareep bleated a vicious cry at her trainer. When this happened, he could do nothing but sigh and take a Poké Ball out of his pocket.

“Mareep, I can’t take care of you anymore. I’m just not the trainer for you, I guess… I can’t give you what you need.” The boy held down the button on the Poké Ball, eventually causing both it and Mareep to flash with blue light. “You can fight as much as you want out there in the wild… it’s where you belong. I’m sorry I took you out of that.”

After a brief hesitation, Mareep turned and darted off into the tall grass around the park. The boy looked to Matt’s group and saw their confused gazes, but instead of answering, he merely hung his head in shame and walked off in the opposite direction.

“So he finally released it, huh?”

Matt, Nekou, Olivia, Bunny and Monroe all jumped, startled by the young woman who had suddenly appeared next to them. The brown pigtails peeking out from under her puffy, white hat shook when she turned her head to them.

“He’s been around this park a lot recently,” she explained. “That Mareep has a really violent nature. It loves to fight so much that he couldn’t control it. I guess it finally got too much for him, huh?”

“That answers our questions about that, I think, but who are you?”

When Bunny’s question registered in her head, the young woman laughed nervously and fiddled with the strap of her blue overalls. “Sorry, I should have introduced myself! Forgive me for being so rude. My name’s Lyra.”

“I’m Matt, and this is Nekou, Olivia, Bunny and Monroe.” He extended a hand and added, “It’s a pleasure.”

Lyra quickly shook Matt’s hand. When she did so, she accidentally pulled his glove down slightly, allowing herself a glimpse of his prosthetic arm. As soon as she saw it, she gasped.

“Your name is Matt, and you have a metal arm… you’re that challenger from the Battle Factory, aren’t you?”

“How do you know about that?” Matt questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Thorton the Factory Head is a friend of mine! You’re going to the Battle Cafe now, aren’t you? Come on, I’ll take you there myself!”

“Hey, hold on!”

Despite his protests, Lyra grabbed Matt by the arm and dragged him off. Bunny, Olivia, Nekou and Monroe all shared a laugh as they followed.

Within minutes, the group had trekked all the way to the northernmost part of the park. The Battle Cafe, a wide, single-floor brick building decorated with colorful banners, spread out before them.

“Well, this is it!” Lyra declared, putting her hands on her hips. “The Battle Cafe! Just march right on in there and sign up. I promise you’ll have a blast!”

“Are you challenging it too?” Olivia piped up, pushing her way past Monroe and Nekou to address Lyra.

“Nah. It’s not something I need to do, you know? But come on in, I’ll show you the ropes.”

Lyra strode confidently to the front door of the Battle Cafe and pushed it open. She held it until the others had all entered.

A registry desk was set up near the door, while the rest of the spacious room was dotted with dining tables, many of which were occupied by other patrons. At the center, a stage was set up, and at that moment two trainers were battling. On one side of the battlefield, a young man in a red fedora and trenchcoat was commanding a Rapidash against a Raichu.

“Horn Drill, Rapidash!”

The trainer’s opponent, another man wearing a sun visor and jogging shorts, countered with, “Raichu, dodge and use Wild Charge!”

The Raichu ducked underneath Rapidash’s charge, then enveloped her body in electricity and rushed at the Fire-type.

While the two Pokémon clashed up on the stage, Lyra led the group to the front desk, where a tuxedo-wearing waiter with a broad moustache was waiting.

“Welcome back, miss Lyra,” he said, bowing gently to them. “Are these your guests?”

“My guests?!” Lyra shrilled, visibly cringing but quickly composing herself. “They’re the Battle Cafe’s guests, of course!”

“Well yes, of course. Which one of you is the challenger?”

Matt stepped forward and gripped the strap of his bag. “I am.”

“Then let me be the first to say, welcome to the Battle Cafe. In order to join a battle here, you must enter three Pokémon.”

In response to the waiter’s request, Matt felt around in his bag and said, “I’ll enter my Hitmonchan, Sigilyph and Eelektrik.”

“Very well…” The waiter typed the data into a computer on his desk. “Your Frontier Pass, please?”

Matt already had the pass in his hand, and as soon as the waiter requested it, he gave it over. After scanning it, he returned it to Matt.

“Your entry is confirmed, Mr. Chiaki. Now please, follow me this way…”

“Wait!”

Olivia grabbed Matt’s arm, causing him to freeze where he stood. The waiter also stopped, seeing that his guest was no longer following.

“Olivia, what is it?”

“I…” After taking a deep breath, Olivia trained a fiery gaze into Matt’s eye. “I want to battle with you here!”

This news caught the entire group by surprise, but for differing reasons. Matt, Monroe and Bunny all gasped, but only Monroe managed to put words to how they felt.

“O-Olivia, are you really sure that you can do this? You’ve never done a Frontier facility… and Matt has done two…”

“Do you doubt I can handle myself? Geez, for having a crush on me, you sure don’t have a lot of faith in me.” While Monroe turned bright red in embarrassment, Olivia turned to Nekou, who was smiling smugly. “What do you think?”

“I can’t say I expected you to be so gutsy.”

“I have to get stronger if I’m going to stand up to Polaris,” Olivia explained. “I know I’m likely to lose, but I won’t get stronger if I don’t push myself. I have to do it.”

“Then go out there and kick as much *** as you can.”

With Nekou’s endorsement, Olivia approached the entry desk. The waiter returned and set about preparing her entry.

“And which three Pokémon will you be entering, young lady?” he asked.

“Herdier, Mr. Mime and Roselia.”

“Very well.” After typing a bit more, the waiter printed out a Frontier Pass and handed it to Olivia. “You are now entered as well. I wish you two the best of luck. Now…”

The gate blocking the group from entering the main dining area slid back when the waiter pushed a button on his computer. “Please feel free to mill about the dining room until we contact you for your first battle.”

“Th-thank you,” Matt uttered, still in shock over what was happening.

“Come on, this way!”

For the second time in less than a half hour, Lyra seized Matt’s arm. This time, however, she also grabbed Olivia, and dragged them both into the dining area with the others following. After releasing her grip on them, she turned around.

“I hope you have a lot of fun battling here! I have to go do something, so do good and I’ll see you later, alright?”

While Lyra walked off toward a door on the far side of the room, Bunny lowered her eyes.

“I bet I know who the Frontier Brain here is,” she said sarcastically.

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Matt agreed. Before he could say anything further, a strange sound distracted him. “What is that? Is that… harp music?”

The group turned in the direction of the music and discovered that Matt’s suspicion was correct. Nando was sitting at a nearby table, calmy running his fingers over the strings of his harp while waiting for them to come over.

“Hey, it’s Nando!” Olivia exclaimed, running over to the table. “What’s up with you?”

“It is good to see you again, Miss Olivia. It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?” Strumming his harp more, he sang, “I am here for the promise of battle.”

“Well I see he’s the same as always,” Nekou remarked as the rest of the group joined Olivia.

“How is everything going with you?” Matt asked.

“Please, sit and I will tell you.” Nando waited for the entire group to seat themselves at his table, then said, “As you already know, I have collected eight Badges already, so I am focusing on the Frontier Society’s facilities for now. I am also competing in the Pokémon Contests of this country.”

“How many Ribbons do you have?”

“Presently, Bunny, I have three. I will need two more. For now, I have decided to participate in the Battle Cafe on my way to the Battle Hall. Matt, Olivia, how have your challenges gone of late?”

“I still only have the one Medal, from the Battle Arcade,” Matt admitted, turning his head downward. “The Battle Factory was too much for me.”

“Do not be ashamed of failing to meet its challenge. It is considered one of the most difficult of all seven facilities. And you, Olivia? How many Badges have you collected?”

“Two, right now.”

“Ah, well done!” Nando said with a smile. “You are making fine progress. Shall I assume Ecruteak Gym is your next one?”

“Yes, right,” Olivia replied with a nod.

“Ecruteak Gym is considered a significant challenge due to the Gym Leader’s use of Ghost-types. You will need to be prepared to counter both their strength and their unique immunities.” Taking full notice of Monroe for the first time, Nando said, “Hm? I do not believe we have met before. Are you a friend of Olivia’s?”

“Y-yes, I am…”

“Don’t be embarrassed!” Nekou laughed, clapping one hand down on Monroe’s shoulder and the other on Olivia’s. “His name’s Monroe, he’s Olivia’s little secret admirer.”

“Ah,” Nando said, strumming his harp and failing to notice Monroe and Olivia blushing, “it is good to have those you are emotionally close to accompanying you on your travels.”

“And now, moving on to business, a major announcement that will shake up the media world forever.” The group’s conversation was interrupted by the nearby television news broadcast, so they turned to watch. “The Angel Corporation has announced that it has purchased Kalos-based clothing and media conglomerate Lysandre Labs for a currently unknown sum. Angel Corporation president Gabriella Bouchard announced the acquisition at her headquarters in Viridian City earlier today.”

The image of the news desk was replaced on the screen by one of Gabriella standing at a podium on the front steps of the Angel Corporation’s building before a large gathering of press. Her usually long blonde hair was bobbed short, leaving only her bangs to blow in the wind.

“The acquisition of the media holdings of Lysandre Labs now gives the Angel Corporation ownership of a majority of the world’s media channels,” she proclaimed, gripping the sides of the podium bearing her company’s logo. “We now have access to markets worldwide, with the exception of the Orre Region. That is an acceptable price to pay, because we now can work to do good in most of the world! Wouldn’t you agree that’s pretty great? This was Mr. Flordelis’s goal, too, but with just Kalos he couldn’t manage to pull it off. Together, we can do anything! And we will use our power to do good! Now, I am aware that these are hard times in many parts of the world, but I give you my word, I will use every resource I have to help! The Angel Corporation’s expansions will provide much-needed jobs and economic stimulation to areas that desperately need such things, I swear on the footsteps of those who have come before us! Please, won’t you all stick by our side as we develop wonderful new things? I’d love to keep seeing every last one of you!”

“Well I guess that’s good,” Bunny remarked once the speech was over. “Bit of a ramble, though…”

“She’s always like that,” Matt said. “She’s loopy as hell but she has a good heart.”

“I’d say that again.”

The new voice that approached the table was punctuated by the sound of a wooden cane tapping against the floor. All the seated group members turned their heads and found Dante standing at the table, holding his briefcase in the hand he wasn’t using for his cane. He smiled at them, but Bunny jumped up and got in his face anyway.

“Who do you think you are, coming and being all nice to us after you left me behind in the Ruins of Alph?” she snapped.

Dante didn’t lose his pleasant demeanor even as he tried to wave Bunny off. “Please, do forgive me for what happened back then. I had no idea the Unown were so riled up.”

“Well it’s about time you started paying attention to the world around you, old man,” Nekou rudely said. “The Unown were upset because Polaris was ****ing with a Meteonite in those ruins.”

“Bloody hell, are you serious?” Dante pulled a nearby chair over so he could sit down at the table himself. “Tell me everything that happened. Bunny, where did they send you?”

“A temple somewhere very cold,” she answered. “I don’t know exactly where it was, but a local resident sent me back right away, and I just went straight to Goldenrod City after that.”

“You really didn’t hear what happened in Goldenrod?” Matt asked Dante.

“No. I’ve been out of the loop of late. Gabriella’s had me studying the effects of the migration of foreign Pokémon to Kanto and Johto. There have been some unforeseen effects for the worse that she asked me to look at.” Seeing the questioning gazes he was receiving, he continued, “Some Pokémon have adapted well to their new settings. Others have begun acting out or destroying their environments. For example, Routes 38 and 39 have become battlegrounds between wild Tauros and Bouffalant as they fight for grazing land and the limited number of Miltank for breeding. The Lake of Rage, meanwhile, has been invaded by wild Basculin, who are multiplying rapidly and eating the native Magikarp population out of their homes.”

“That’s pretty scary…” Monroe said, staring down at the tablecloth.

“It is, that’s why we’re looking into it. I understand you were given a Pokédex by Professor Juniper to document the migrated Pokémon, Olivia?”

“That’s right.”

“I haven’t spoken to her yet myself, but I want to ask you to continue doing that. If a crisis develops because of these new Pokémon, we will need all the data we can get on them. I’m sure Gabriella would appreciate it as well…” Suddenly, Dante realized something with a start. “Oh! I forgot all about what we were talking about. Polaris at the Ruins of Alph and what they did with the Meteonite, right?”

“Polaris brought the Meteonite to Goldenrod City with the intention of shipping it somewhere else by train,” Matt explained. “We interfered though, and ended up getting caught in a fight between Polaris members and Team Rocket. They ended up taking the Meteonite away somewhere with a helicopter.”

Dante’s smile disappeared as his face darkened. “You bloody fool, I warned you to stay out of Polaris’s affairs. You don’t know what kind of danger you’re putting yourselves in. They are much stronger than any of us and far more well organized. You are lucky you walked away from a confrontation with them… the might of their military forces are completely unknown even to the International Police. And Team Rocket, too?” Dante shot a scowl around the table before adding, “They may be weaker than they once were, but they are not people you want to trifle with. I don’t want any of you to ignore this advice and get hurt.”

“I have to try to stop Polaris!” Olivia blurted out. “The way they’re playing everyone against each other… that’s wrong no matter how I look at it. They’re ruining everything my dad tried to do with the Frontier Society!”

“Your loyalty to your father is admirable…” Dante said, leaning back and gripping his cane. “But ask yourself, would your father want you to endanger yourself for ideals he may not have even believed in himself?”

“Shut up! I know he would agree with me!”

“Dante, you might want to stop…”

Nekou interrupted Matt to growl, “Stop ****ing upsetting her, old man. You **** with her, you **** with me.”

Dante was stunned by Nekou speaking to him in such a way, and was momentarily speechless. “I… well, I cannot say I approve of such language. What would your mother say if you spoke to her with that mouth?”

“**** you. Maman taught me how much fun talking like this is.”

“Well… if that’s the case, so be it.” Turning to Matt, Dante asked, “You are here to battle, I assume?”

“Right. Olivia decided to enter too, so we’re hoping to get matched up against each other. Are you battling?”

“No. I just came here to dine, but I’ve been working out of Ecruteak City’s Pokémon Center.”

At that point, a pair of young women dressed in maid uniforms approached the table, interrupting the conversation.

“Nando, we are ready to begin your battles in the next room,” the shorter of the two said. “Please come with me.”

Running his fingers over the strings of his harp, Nando stood and gently said to the others, “I see I must go now. I wish you the best of luck, Olivia, Matt. Let’s meet again soon.”

“I hope we get to battle!” Matt called after him as he walked off with the waitress.

The second of the maids then stepped forward and handed Matt a tablet computer. “Here, Matt. This will be the menu from which you’ll choose your first battle.”

“Menu?” he questioned, raising his eyebrow.

“Yes. Look right here on the screen.” The waitress pointed to a box on the top of the tablet, which contained the number ‘1000.’ “That is the supply of Cafe Points you will use to purchase battles here. We will show you three potential opponents, each with a different clue to what Pokémon that trainer will use. The more revealing hints will cost you more Cafe Points, so manage them wisely. If you manage to purchase and win three battles while still having Cafe Points left over, you will get to battle our Frontier Brain, the Cafe Diva. Now that you have the rules, are you ready to get started?”

“I suppose so.”

“Then please have a look at your options for the first course.”

Matt looked down at the tablet, on which three lines of information had materialized. The top option would have him face a trainer with an unnamed Steel-type Pokémon at the cost of one hundred Cafe Points, while the middle listed a trainer whose team held a majority weakness to Water-types. He immediately passed that option over when he saw it would cost him three hundred Cafe Points, and when he saw the last choice, he knew immediately which one he’d take.

For two hundred Cafe Points, he could battle a trainer with a Herdier.

“Well, Olivia, I think we’re going to get that battle after all,” he said with a smile as he handed the tablet back to the waitress. “I’ll spend two hundred points for the Herdier battle.”

“A good choice,” the maid told him as she bowed politely. “Your prediction is right on. Olivia, please come with us to the stage.”

Olivia jumped out of her seat like a rocket. “All right! Come on, Matt, let’s go!”

“Shouldn’t you…” Matt shrank back, his ire over Olivia rushing right up on the stage softening when he saw how excited she was. “Well, I can’t argue with that.”

While Matt accompanied the waitress onto the battlefield, Monroe called out, “Go for it, Olivia!”

“Man, you really are crushing on her hard, huh?” Nekou joked, much to Monroe’s embarrassment.

Bunny chuckled softly to herself, and Dante asked, “So that’s who you are? Olivia’s boyfriend?”

“No!” Monroe stammered. “I’m… I’m not…”

“They’re just friends now,” Nekou interrupted, slouching in her chair and maintaining her sarcastic tone. “For now.”

Up on the stage, Matt and Olivia stood at opposite sides, while the waitress stood in the middle as a referee. She struck a bell to get the attention of the other diners in the room.

“The Battle Cafe match between Matt and Olivia will now begin!” she announced. “This is the first of the three battles on Matt’s challenge. This will be a three-on-three Single Battle with substitutions allowed. The winner will be the one who defeats all three of their opponent’s Pokémon.”

“Matt, I don’t want you to go easy on me!” Olivia declared. “I know I’ll probably lose, but that’s not the point. I have to push myself so I can be the trainer my dad would have wanted me to be!”
 

The Great Butler

Hush, keep it down
Between Olivia’s bold confidence and the feeling of all the spectators’ eyes on him, Matt could sense a growing nervousness within himself. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, grasping onto one of the Poké Balls in his bag to try and calm down.

“I won’t, if that’s what you want. Do your best.” Matt took the Poké Ball out and threw it, calling, “Rocky, make your mark!”

A flash of light burst from the ball and took the shape of Matt’s Hitmonchan. He stretched out his arms and hit his boxing gloves together in preparation for battle.

“Hitmonchan first? In that case, let’s do this! Roselia, let’s play!”

Despite her diminutive size, when Olivia’s Roselia looked up at Rocky, she showed no fear. A fire burned in her eyes that showed just how ready she was for the challenge she faced.

“The first match is Hitmonchan versus Roselia!” the maid announced, raising her arms. “Battle begin!”

“Rocky, use Thunder Punch!”

As soon as she saw the Hitmonchan rushing toward Roselia with his right glove sparking, Olivia grimaced and mumbled, “Roselia, Toxic Spikes.”

With a swing of her arms, Roselia lay glowing purple thorns all over the floor of the battlefield. Rocky was forced to stop short in order to avoid running right into one.

“Now, Energy Ball!” Olivia ordered while pointing straight up.

Rocky raised his gloves in front of his face to defend from the glowing green sphere Roselia sent down at him. Even though it exploded when it made contact, his defensive maneuver was enough to leave him mostly unfazed.

As soon as the smoke cleared, Olivia thrust an accusing finger at Matt. “I told you not to go easy on me! Thunder Punch? Don’t mock me! I’m serious!”

Matt could feel the accusing eyes of the crowd, especially Bunny and his other friends, burning holes through him. “I… I can’t…” he struggled, limply reaching out to Olivia for a reason he didn’t even know himself.

“You aren’t looking at me as an equal,” Olivia bitterly said, “so you won’t fight me like one. You don’t think I have it in me to stand up to Polaris, do you…”

“No, that’s not…” Despite his hasty response, Matt realized that Olivia’s judgment was correct and stopped himself. “I’m afraid of you getting in over your head. I still can’t let you get hurt.”

“I’m not afraid of them! And so what if I get hurt? What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger! Come on!”

Matt silently raised his Poké Ball and recalled Rocky. While he did so, Olivia glanced over to the table where the others were sitting and saw Nekou give her an approving smile.

“I… I’m still worried about you, you know? But if you really want to go for this, I don’t think I can stop you.” He threw another of the Poké Balls and shouted, “Charlotte, make your mark!”

Matt’s Eelektrik, Charlotte, formed floating over the battlefield, safely out of the way of the Toxic Spikes. A slight hissing sound escaped her mouth as she writhed about in the air.

“So are you going to take me seriously now?” Olivia asked. “Should we get started for real this time?”

“I’ll give you the shot you want.”

“Great! Now, let’s play again! Roselia, Sludge Bomb!”

“Charlotte, use Acid Spray!” Matt countered, pointing forward.

By swinging her arms, Roselia sent two balls of thick, purple slime at Charlotte. The Eelektrik quickly countered by choking up a bubble of her own green sludge. The two attacks met just into Olivia’s side of the stage and broke each other apart into a murky gas.

“Go through the smoke and hit with Headbutt!”

On Matt’s order, Charlotte twisted through the cloud and darted toward Roselia. As soon as she emerged from the haze, however, Olivia was ready.

“Poison Sting!”

Roselia set a storm of glowing purple needles on Charlotte, forcing her to maneuver around them in midair. She couldn’t avoid them all, however, and by the time she managed to smash her head into Roselia’s body, she had suffered enough blows to be afflicted with poison from them. She reeled back, her body growing weak from the toxins. As the Pokémon separated, the crowd murmured in excitement.

“Poisoned, I see…” Matt quietly observed. “I’ll have to fight quickly if I want to win, but first, I need to equalize things. Charlotte, Thunder Wave!”

A weak pulse of blue electricity flowed from Charlotte’s skin and into Roselia. Instantly upon contact, Roselia’s muscles became numb as paralysis took hold.

Olivia clenched her teeth. “Roselia, you can fight through that, right?”

“Ro…” Turning her head back to her trainer, Roselia responded with a strained but determined smile.

“Alright, let’s keep going then!”

“If that’s what you want, Olivia…” Matt made a fist and said, “Charlotte, Acid Spray!”

“Roselia, take it head on!”

Much to the surprise of Matt as well as the entire crowd, Roselia simply braced herself and allowed Charlotte’s Acid Spray to wash over her. She emerged shaking but still standing.

“Now jump and use Energy Ball!”

With great strength in her tiny legs, Roselia sprang into the air and pointed her arms down at Charlotte. A glowing, sparking green sphere formed from her rose hands and descended upon her Electric-type foe, striking with enough force to slam Charlotte into the ground.

However, as she fell, Charlotte came down hard onto one of the Toxic Spikes. The wound it inflicted on her combined with the poison she’d already suffered caused her to cry out in pain.

“Charlotte!” Matt shouted in dismay. Seeing his Pokémon struggling to pull herself off the thorn prompted him to reach for her Poké Ball with the intent to surrender and not force her to battle further. When he looked at Olivia again, though, he hesitated. “If I throw in the towel now, I’m robbing her of her rightfully earned win… but if I don’t…”

Much to his relief, however, Olivia picked up on what he was about to do. She quickly issued the order, “Finish this up with Sludge Bomb!”

Standing over Charlotte’s prone form, Roselia pointed her right arm forward. Charlotte glanced up only seconds before Roselia shot a blast of sludge into her face at point-blank range, throwing her across the stage and knocking her out cold.

“Eelektrik is unable to battle!” the maid announced over the cheering and applause of the audience. “The winner is Roselia!”

“So what do you think now, huh?” Olivia proudly said, putting her hands on her hips. “I took one down!”

At the table, Nekou grinned broadly and said, “I knew she had it in her.”

“You’re right,” Dante murmured, narrowing his eyes. “She’s quite good…”

“You’re doing great, Olivia!” Monroe called out. “Keep it up!”

After recalling her, Matt took a moment to look at Charlotte’s Poké Ball. “I’m sorry I let you get beaten like that, Charlotte… rest up, you earned it.” He put the ball away and took out another, then raised his head to meet Olivia’s determined gaze. “Olivia, I… you’re right. I underestimated you, and that was wrong. I’ll give you a stronger challenge now, if you’re up for it.”

“Of course I am! Bring it on!”

“I like your determination,” Matt said with a weak smile. “Alright, Rocky, make your mark once again!”

“The next round is Hitmonchan versus Roselia!” declared the maid as Rocky reappeared and the initial matchup duplicated itself. “Begin!”

“Rocky, watch your feet, those Toxic Spikes are still dangerous! See how close you can get and go for Ice Punch!”

With swift footwork, Rocky danced around and between the dimly glowing hazards. His right glove started to turn light blue as frigid air flowed from it.

“Roselia, watch out! You have to meet that with Energy Ball!”

At that moment, Olivia’s luck ran out. Despite her best efforts, Roselia couldn’t move due to the paralysis Thunder Wave had afflicted her with. She was wide open when Rocky got within arm’s length of her, and he wasted no time in delivering the freezing punch he had readied. Roselia immediately collapsed upon being hit.

“Roselia is unable to battle! The winner is Hitmonchan!”

“It’s even now,” Monroe observed.

“Olivia, you can beat him! Keep going!”

In response to Nekou’s cheering, Bunny sarcastically said, “You do realize we’re friends with both of them, right?”

“Of course I do. I’m just ****ing with him, come on.”

“Roselia, you did well. I’m very happy with you.” Without hesitation, Olivia put Roselia’s Poké Ball back in her pocket and took out another, which she threw. “Herdier, let’s play!”

“This next battle is Hitmonchan versus Herdier! Begin!”

“Rocky, go in for a Drain Punch!” Matt called, raising his arm.

“Hit back with Retaliate!”

While Rocky weaved between the Toxic Spikes, Herdier locked his eyes on the approaching Fighting-type. A steam-like aura surrounded him, and he shot forward to meet the oncoming punch. Rocky and Herdier were thrown violently back from each other due to the force of the collision.

“If you don’t want me to go easy on you, Olivia, I won’t!” Matt’s eye narrowed to focus on the battle in front of him. His mind was becoming clearer, freer from the pressure he had felt, the more he fought. “Drain Punch again!”

“That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear,” Olivia said, grinning. “Herdier, hide behind one of the Toxic Spikes so you can use Work Up!”

Herdier sprinted to the nearest of the poisonous thorns and crouched behind it, attempting to cover as much of his body as he could. Having already started to swing his glowing green glove, Rocky had to strain to pull back before he punched the hazard and suffered its toxins.

Seeing his opponent stopped caused Herdier to grin in much the same way Olivia had, and a red light enveloped his body as he tensed his muscles.

“Go around it and hit from the other side,” Matt advised his Pokémon. “Just be careful not to hit the spike. Drain Punch!”

As soon as Rocky started to move around the thorn, Olivia seized her opportunity. “Use Strength now, Herdier!”

The red aura around Herdier intensified, and he darted out from behind the Toxic Spike to headbutt Rocky in the chest. He used his gloves to block some of the impact, but Herdier hit him with such force that he was forced several feet back, barely missing another of the poisonous thorns.

“There, what do you think of that?” Olivia shouted across the battlefield.

“I think you just let your guard down. Drain Punch!”

As soon as Herdier relented, Rocky descended upon him, smashing him across the field with a perfectly aimed attack. Green light flowed out of Herdier as he slumped to the floor, briefly cloaking Rocky before being absorbed into his body. Once the light faded, the Hitmonchan stood up straighter using his newly recovered strength.

“Herdier is unable to battle!” announced the maid. “The winner is Hitmonchan!”

“That was rough…” Monroe quietly remarked. “A Normal-type losing to a Fighting-type is natural, but she might be overmatched…”

“She did say that she didn’t expect to win. As a trainer you can hope for the best all you want, but sometimes miracles don’t happen.”

“I don’t believe in miracles either,” Nekou sniped at Dante’s statement, “but try not to be such a ****ing killjoy, geez. Give her credit for trying.”

Though he glared at Nekou, Dante did not respond further.

Up on the stage, Olivia had recalled Herdier, and now was staring at the Poké Ball containing her final Pokémon. Her hand was tightly clenched around it, and her fingers were shaking.

“I won’t give up…” she quietly said in a raspy voice. “I have to do this or I’ll never stand a chance against Polaris…”

“Don’t push yourself too hard, Olivia…” Matt advised. His moment of intense concentration had lapsed, and he felt his eye starting to curl in worry. “There’s no shame in throwing in the towel…”

“No!” Olivia snapped, lowering her head. “I can’t! I came this far… If I gave up now, what kind of trainer would I be?” When Olivia pulled her head back up, Matt could see tears forming in her eyes. “I’d be just what Polaris says people like me are, lazy and coasting on how good I have it!”

Dante leaned forward on his cane, staring intently at the scene unfolding before him. Bunny, meanwhile, turned to Nekou and gulped.

“Nekou, I think someone should stop this. She wasn’t ready for something like this.”

“It’s not like I don’t see where you’re coming from,” Nekou replied, her voice surprisingly soft, “but if we cut her off now it’s like we’re telling her we have no faith in her. I think deep down she knows that this is going to be a hard lesson to learn, but that she has to learn it.”

“Olivia, just send out your last Pokémon…” Matt blankly said. “We should finish this…”

“Fine. Let’s play, Mr. Mime!”

Olivia’s most recently acquired Pokémon, her Mr. Mime, took shape from the Poké Ball she threw. He immediately started to pantomime a wall in front of himself, seemingly unaware of Rocky’s presence.

“The next round is Hitmonchan versus Mr. Mime! Begin!”

“Mr. Mime, start off with Magical Leaf!”

“I better take defensive measures now. Use Role Play!”

By waving his arms, Mr. Mime sent a rush of glowing leaves at Rocky. The Fighting-type protected his face, leaving his gloves to get cut in several places. Once the attack abated, Rocky dropped his defensive stance and glared at Mr. Mime, his eyes flashing several times as he did so.

“Alright, Rocky, use Ice Punch now!”

“Protect!”

Rocky stepped through the field of poisonous hazards once more, but just before he swung his icy fist at Mr. Mime, his target created a shield of green light. The Ice Punch bounced harmlessly back, and Rocky was left dazed by the unexpected backlash.

“Alright, Mr. Mime, use Confusion!” Olivia called out, making a sweeping motion with her arm.

Soft red light filled Mr. Mime’s eyes as he thrust his arms toward Rocky, and the same light quickly enveloped Rocky’s body. He strained under it for several seconds before it faded, but when the light disappeared, he barely seemed fazed at all.

“What?” Olivia gasped. “Wait… before, when you…”

“That’s right,” Matt answered with a short nod. “I used Role Play to copy your Mr. Mime’s Ability, which is Filter. That means super-effective moves don’t do as much damage.”

“Matt really outmaneuvered her,” Monroe commented.

Olivia blinked rapidly, attempting to process the turn of events. “But, if Confusion won’t do enough, then I should… I should…”

“Rocky, Thunder Punch!”

Matt’s command was what it took to snap Olivia out of her daze. “I know! Mimic!”

Just before Rocky’s electrified fist collided with his body, Mr. Mime’s eyes flashed. He was thrown back several feet by the Thunder Punch, but he quickly managed to stand again and shook himself off.

“You use Thunder Punch yourself now, Mr. Mime!”

“Good thinking, Olivia,” Matt complimented. “Give it another Thunder Punch yourself!”

Having acquired the move via Mimic, Mr. Mime ran at Rocky while the Hitmonchan did the same. They both had their right fists glowing with electricity.

When they met, their swings collided with each other, causing electrical bolts to break across the battlefield. Rocky quickly managed to overpower his opponent, however, and broke through to land a powerful blow right on Mr. Mime’s face. Olivia gasped as her Pokémon fell back with Rocky still standing over him.

Matt shut his eyes and took a deep breath. “Rocky, finish this up. Ice Punch.”

He couldn’t look at what happened next, but he had a fairly good idea of it. The sound of Rocky’s attack striking its target met his ears first, followed shortly by the crowd cheering. Knowing what it meant, he clenched his fists and prepared to face whatever outcome he was about to find.

“Mr. Mime is unable to battle! The winner is Hitmonchan, and the victor in this battle is Matt!”

With the cheering filling his head, Matt took a step forward and reopened his eyes. Olivia had fallen to her knees behind her fainted Mr. Mime, and he couldn’t see her eyes. Fearing how she would react to her loss, he quickly recalled Rocky and walked across the field to her.

“Olivia, I’m sorry…”

When she looked up, however, what Matt saw stunned him. Instead of anguish, her eyes were filled with a fiery determination.

“Now I know what I have to shoot for,” she said, smiling. “I’m not upset. I had to know exactly the kind of trainer I have to become to fight Polaris, and now I know. Thanks.”

“I’m proud of you, Olivia.”

Matt extended a hand to her and helped her up. Olivia then recalled Mr. Mime and walked alongside him back down to the table, where another maid was waiting with Nekou, Dante and the others.

“Olivia, that was a good fight,” Monroe said to her without hesitation. His embarrassment quickly caught up with him, however, and he stuttered to add, “I...I… I expected you to do good, th-though…”

“I guess it must have been good if your secret admirer liked it!” Nekou laughed, clapping a hand on Monroe’s shoulder. “In all seriousness, though, you took out one Pokémon. That’s a pretty ****ing good start.”

“Olivia…” Once everyone around the table had turned to face him, Dante calmly said, “For a trainer who has only begun fairly recently, you put on a fine show at a professional battle facility. Polaris will be challenged to stand up to you.”

“Thanks!”

The maid walked up to Matt once the conversation had died down and bowed to him. “A fine battle, sir. We will award you two hundred Cafe Points for having two Pokémon left at the end of battle. Please stand by until we have your next battle prepared.” She then turned to Olivia and said, “We are prepared to begin your challenge.”

“I thought I lost?”

“You see, only the battles in which you select your opponent with Cafe Points count toward winning streaks,” the waitress explained. “Trainers here cycle through being opponents selected by others and selecting their own battles, and only the latter are what you build your winning streak on. Now, please, this way.”

Olivia reached for the maid’s hand, but before reaching it, she reconsidered and pulled back. “Actually, I think it’s better if I drop out here,” she decided, shaking her head. “You guys were right, I wasn’t totally ready for this, even if I learned something.”

“You don’t have to…”

Matt was cut off when Nekou thrust her arm in front of him. “So tell us, Olivia, what do you want to do now?”

“Nekou, would you go out in the park and train with me? I might not be cut out for here, but I don’t want to stop yet.”

“Gladly. Come on, let’s go.”

As Nekou and Olivia walked off, Dante stepped up next to Matt. “She has a strong will. If you ask this old man, she’s going places.”

-:-

Ghetsis sat in his temporary headquarters, his eyes closed in silent contemplation. His room was silent until all three members of the Shadow Triad appeared next to his seat, but even then, the only sounds were three gusts of wind.

“We have news, Lord Ghetsis,” Darkness rigidly announced.

“Speak,” ordered the cloaked man, keeping his eyes shut.

“Anthea and Concordia have finished their work on the Tenganist mythology.”

As soon as Pestilence finished, Chaos added, “We now have everything prepared to your specifications, Lord Ghetsis. The language for the key, the song to break the seal, the Clear Bell… it’s all ready.”

Ghetsis did not immediately answer, but the Shadow Triad all could see him starting to clench his teeth and grip his cane more tightly. Darkness and Pestilence remained calm, but Chaos flinched slightly, remembering what Ghetsis had done to him in the past.

Finally, Ghetsis slowly opened his eyes. He growled to his three followers, “Fine. You three must come to understand something, though. The Sacred Helix has grown suspicious of our activities.”

“Should we push up the schedule for your plan, Lord Ghetsis?” Pestilence asked.

“No. We must wait until the day we picked out in order for the maximum impact of my speech to come across. However, Athleta is sending one of his trainers here. It could present a problem for me, and by that, I mean it will present a problem for me.”

“Should we find and eliminate him?”

“If I knew who he was, Darkness, I would tell you to. All you can do is prepare for his interference in my plan. You three have to be ready to turn your weapons on both enemy and ally at a moment’s notice.”

“Yes, Lord Ghetsis!” all three of the Shadow Triad said at once.

-:-

The boots worn by Jessie and James splashed loudly in the marshes they were running through. Meowth was riding on James’s head to avoid touching the foul water.

“This swamp is disgusting!” Jessie spat, not breaking her pace.

“We didn’t have a choice, Jessie!” James gasped. “Routes 39 and 38 would have taken far too long to get us to Ecruteak! Cutting straight there is the only way we won’t let the boss down!”

“We should have found some other way. Someone like me who has to worry about her image can’t be splashing around in swamp water all day.”

“Come on, Jess,” Meowth said. “If you think you can’t walk in that muck, how do you think I feel? I want to get out of here just as much as-”

Out of nowhere, something fell from one of the trees and collided with Meowth, knocking him off James’s head and into the murky water. While he started screaming and attempting to dry himself, Jessie and James lashed around to face the mystery assailant.

They found, much to their surprise, that it was a small, two-toned slug Pokémon with tiny black eyes and yellow cheeks.

“Goo!” he shouted at them, seemingly trying to appear tough.

“What a little brat,” Jessie remarked. She glanced briefly over to Meowth, who had finally pulled himself out of the water and was drying himself off with leaves.

“It’s a Goomy,” said James, looking at a picture of the Pokémon on his hologram remote, “a Dragon-type Pokémon native to the Kalos region.”

“Then let’s catch it!”

Pulling himself back up onto James’s head, Meowth said in agreement with Jessie, “Just imagine how happy the boss will be when he hears we got another Pokémon! And look at that little wimp over there… the boss will know exactly what to do with it. We’ll use it as a decoy and trick Polaris into thinking we’re weak, then strike!”

“The boss’s assistant wouldn’t think that was a good idea,” James replied, imagining Stacia coldly explaining what they could do with the Goomy. “She’d tell us about what kind of moves it can use. Like, for example, Goomy can learn Body Slam, Dragon Breath and Thunderbolt. When it evolves into Sliggoo and then Goodra, it would be a valuable tool.”

“I’m sold, let’s get it. Vivillon, let’s go!”

“Alright, Inkay, take it away!”

Jessie threw her Repeat Ball while James threw one of his Poké Balls, releasing their new Vivillon and Inkay respectively. Both Pokémon immediately started looking around in confusion at their surroundings.

“That’s right, we took them from Polaris…” Jessie angrily realized. “Vivillon, I’m your trainer now! Listen to me and I’ll spoil you rotten, okay?”

Vivillon nodded back to Jessie after a brief hesitation, but in that time, Goomy threw himself forward again, this time targeting Inkay.

“Hurry, Inkay, use Superpower!”

When Goomy collided with Inkay, the Dark-and-Psychic-type grabbed him with her tentacles, flipped over and smashed him into the ground. As she rose back into the air, a slight red aura surrounded her.

“Looks like squid girl over there likes fighting for you, James!” Meowth cheered.

Angered, Goomy flipped back out of the puddle he’d landed in and choked up a ball of slime at Vivillon.

“That’s Sludge Bomb!” James called out.

“Vivillon, stop it with Bug Buzz!”

Vivillon started beating his wings at rapid speed, sending red sound waves washing over the swamp. Jessie, James, Meowth and Inkay all cringed to endure the noise, while Goomy was stunned. The Sludge Bomb, meanwhile, lost some of its pace due to the waves and fell apart.

“We don’t have time for this,” James warned his teammates. “We have to get to Ecruteak and watch what Ghetsis does!”

Almost as if he sensed James’s desire to end the battle, Goomy took a deep breath and turned his mouth skyward. A sphere of orange light took shape inside, and he quickly shot it into the air, where it burst into several meteor-like blasts.

“Draco Meteor!” James and Meowth exclaimed together.

“There’s only one thing left to do,” Jessie decided, taking up another Poké Ball.

The impact of the blasts raining down caused an explosion that swept powerful winds through the swamp.

-:-

“Charlotte, dodge it and finish with Charge Beam!”

Matt was against a young, blonde woman dressed in tennis equipment. Her Growlithe was spitting bursts of flame at Charlotte, but the Eelektrik wound through the air, deftly avoiding every single one. Once the air was clear, she took aim and fired a focused beam of electricity from her mouth into the Fire-type, shocking him and causing him to collapse.

“Growlithe is unable to battle!” declared the waitress refereeing the match. “The winner is Eelektrik, and victory goes to Matt!”

Charlotte landed and looked down victoriously on the Growlithe. She’d beaten him with little effort, much like she had defeated the Psyduck and Doduo before him. Matt’s complete defeat of the trainer drew enthusiastic cheering from the crowd, leaving him cringing as he walked down the stairs from the stage.

Bunny, Dante, Monroe and one of the maids met him at the table.

“Well, another impressive performance,” Dante complimented him. “Maybe I was too hasty in worrying about your safety.”

“Thanks. Think nothing of it.” Though he tried to sound polite, Matt struggled to avoid allowing his nerves to come through in his voice.

The maid stepped up to him, and to his surprise, she handed the menu tablet right back to him. “We will award you three hundred Cafe Points for having all your Pokémon last through the battle. You spent three hundred points last round, so you now have an even balance of one thousand points again. Now, we are prepared to move right into your next battle. Please select your opponent.”

The three options on the tablet’s screen offered Matt the chance to battle a trainer with two Rock-types, a trainer with a Shiftry, and a trainer with a Fighting-and-Flying-type Pokémon. A price of three hundred Cafe Points was on the first choice, while the second and third cost two hundred.

“A Fighting-and-Flying-type?” Matt said, intrigued. “I’ve never heard of a Pokémon like that. I’ll take it.”

“Alright. Now, please take your place once again.”

His nerves temporarily soothed, Matt ascended the stairs he’d only just come down minutes earlier and stood still, waiting to see who he’d face. Another waitress soon appeared on the other side of the stage, ushering his opponent in. When he caught a glimpse of the green hat and cape on the person following her, his mouth fell open.

“Nando?”

“Well, well, what a pleasant surprise,” the bard said as he took his place. “I was hoping we would get to battle here, and I see that’s come true.”

“I was looking forward to it, actually.” Matt weakly smiled, barely hiding the nervous thoughts filling his head. “I’m not as good as I need to be for this. I saw him fight in the finals of both a big battling tournament and a Grand Festival Contest. And I think I can actually stand up to that?!

“The battle between Matt and Nando will now get underway!” the maid at center stage announced. “This is the third and final battle Matt must win in order to earn a battle with the Cafe Diva. Now, begin!”

Matt gripped a Poké Ball in his left hand. He could hear the sounds of his mechanical fingers shaking even from inside his bag, and the noise only served to increase the pressure on his nerves.

“I have to win this. If I can just get to a battle with the Brain, I’ll have the chance to talk to them… I won’t find Reshiram without leads.” Once he finally calmed himself enough, he threw the Poké Ball, calling out, “Charlotte, make your mark!”

“Alright, let’s begin! Kricketune, entry!”

Moments after Charlotte appeared and began floating in front of Matt, a Kricketune materialized from the Poké Ball that Nando threw. The Bug-type brought his arms together and hummed a short tune to announce his presence.

“Let’s get off to a quick start, Charlotte,” Matt decided. “Charge Beam!”

Promptly responding to her trainer’s direction, Charlotte pointed her mouth at Kricketune and started to charge up electricity.

“Kricketune, use Sticky Web!” Nando countered, holding his arm up into the air.

Instead of trying to escape from the imminent Charge Beam, Kricketune began spitting globs of a glue-like substance in Charlotte’s direction. She instinctually started moving to avoid them, but lost her electrical charge in the process.

“Charlotte, see if you can keep dodging them and still get Charge Beam off!”

At the table, Bunny crossed her arms. “Sticky Web’s an attack that slows down any victim that gets caught in it, but it usually doesn’t work on Levitating Pokémon or Flying-types.”

“But then if he’s using it…”

“That’s right,” Bunny said in response to the question Monroe hadn’t finished. “I said it doesn’t usually work, not that it can’t work. Nando is clearly banking on that chance working out.”

In the air over the battlefield, Charlotte continued to weave in and out of the blobs as Kricketune sent them her way. Each one that missed hit a different portion of the battlefield, creating nets of webbing in their wake.

Nando ran his fingers over the strings of his harp, and at that, Kricketune relented. As soon as he stopped, Charlotte paused and began to prepare Charge Beam once more. However, Kricketune’s inactivity was actually a trap, and Charlotte stopping gave him an opening to cut her from the air with one more shot of thread.

“Now, Kricketune,” Nando said once Charlotte was pinned under the web, “Swords Dance!”

Kricketune waved his arms from side to side, and a ring of sword-shaped glowing lights appeared around him. After a moment, the lights absorbed into his body, and he cried out.

“Now that his attacking power is higher, I can’t afford to get hit…” Matt realized. “Charlotte, see if you can burn through the web with Acid Spray!”

Charlotte turned her head and began to spit up acid onto the threads holding her down. They did begin to wear away, but not before Nando thrust his hand forward in a decisive motion.

“Kricketune, X-Scissor!”

In an instant, Kricketune was in the air. His arms began to glow with a fierce red light as he crossed them and began to barrel down on the prone Eelektrik before him.







END of CHAPTER 16
 

Bay

YEAHHHHHHH
Bittersweet opening scene between Matt and Nekou there. Yeah, talking death nightmares can be really heavy at times. :(

“Right now, zero.” Clair was visibly surprised by Renzo’s bold confession, but he continued speaking. “Dratini is… well, that’s not entirely true. Dragonite is a Pokémon that was very important to someone very close to me. She’s… she’s not around anymore, so I decided that in order to honor her, I must have a Dragonite of my own for my Pokémon League challenge.”

“You intrigue me,” Clair said, putting her hand on her chin. “You certainly have a spine to come here and admit that you expect to get into the Dragon’s Den with no Badges at all. What kind of Pokémon do you even have? Coming here could not have been easy.”
Will agree with Clair that Renzo does have a spine to go straight to the Dragon’s Den like that. I’m pretty sure Clair’s training will be quite harsh, lol.

Meowth hugged James’s leg and said, “We did good, and praise from the boss feels great!” Shooting Persian a cunning glare, Meowth then whispered, “Maybe I’ll end up top cat one day after all.”

Persian growled in annoyance at Meowth antagonizing him, and in near perfect sync, Pierce shut his eyes and sighed.
LOL of course Meowth would say that and Persian would notice that.

Yay more Kalos Pokemon! Interesting you have James still get Inkay while Jessie gets a different Pokemon. Pangoro and Diggersby seems to fit Proton and Giovanni well.

“We’re out of luck,” Jacob said with a shrug. “I released all my Pokémon when I went to prison. They’re out there in the wild now. I would send my Xatu if I still had it…”

“I can do that too. Come here.” The Prophet took up Jacob’s hands in her own. “I can call to your Xatu if I focus my power enough.”

“Is that really possible?”

“I’ll show you. Transcend the confines of time and space!”

Jacob’s eyes went wide as his mind joined with the Prophet’s. He wobbled back, the sensation filling his body causing him to become unbalanced, but she held him up with a firm grasp.

“Xatu…” she whispered. “Hear my words. Jacob and Bunny need you. Come to us and give us the aid we need…”

You can already guess I’m looking forward to Xatu’s return.

Should have expected Lyra’s appearance sooner or later considering this takes place in Johto. Nice to see Nando and Dante appearing again, although like Nekou I don’t like it when he said to Olivia her wanting to stop Polaris might not be worth it. And speaking of Olivia, like her resolve in wanting to get stronger no matter what.

Matt and Olivia’s battle is quite enjoyable there. I can understand Matt hesitant to go on all out on Olivia but then goes full force on her. Also great Olivia is happy with the outcome despite losing there. I like a couple twists there, for instance your take on Role Reversal.

Almost as if he sensed James’s desire to end the battle, Goomy took a deep breath and turned his mouth skyward. A sphere of orange light took shape inside, and he quickly shot it into the air, where it burst into several meteor-like blasts.

“Draco Meteor!” James and Meowth exclaimed together.

“There’s only one thing left to do,” Jessie decided, taking up another Poké Ball.

The impact of the blasts raining down caused an explosion that swept powerful winds through the swamp.

Oh, hi there Goomy. Little dragons using Draco Meteor is still scary. :p And well, guess we’ll have to wait and see if Jessie’s plan works.

Aw, stopping the chapter when Matt and Nando’s battle is getting started, huh? I can already guess what fighting/flying Pokemon Nando has, but hopefully next chapter we’ll get to see how he’ll use it. Overall another enjoyable chapter, looking forward to the next one!
 

Matori

THE QUEEN IS BACK
A strange calm settled over Goldenrod City in the hours after the near-disaster with the Magnet Train. The area around the Radio Tower and train station had been closed off, and enough of the protesters had left that it was easy for the police to deal with anyone left trying to cause trouble on the streets.

The night was clear and quiet, with many stars spread through the sky. Their light shined into the group’s hotel suite, providing a soft glow over their rooms as they slept.

It was well into the late night hours when Matt was awoken by the feeling of movement next to him.

“Huh?” he groaned.

“Shut the **** up and go back to sleep. I’m not really here.”

Matt sighed, but he didn’t roll over. He knew what sight would greet him.

“I thought you were sleeping in Olivia’s room.”

“Well I’m not,” Nekou snapped. “Now I said shut the **** up and go back to sleep.”

As he felt Nekou shifting around next to him, Matt let his eyes wander to the ceiling. He was awake enough to realize that something odd was going on.

“Are you okay? You don’t sound like yourself.”

“Sometimes I can’t get drunk enough to sleep. There, does that make you happy?”

This moved Matt enough to make him roll over. He expected to see Nekou right in his face, like the last time she had snuck into bed with him, but instead, she had her back to him and was partially curled into the fetal position.

“This…” Matt’s face sank as he realized this wasn’t another of Nekou’s tricks. “This isn’t right, I know it. What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to talk about it!” She curled up tighter, then said in a tense whisper, “****. You’re a real pain in the ***, you know that?”

“I’m just trying to help…” He started to extend a hand toward her shoulder, but thought better of it and pulled back.

“Have you ever been somewhere where it’s just you? Where you’re cold and alone and…”

“I had nobody else to rely on for a long time, you know that.”

“****, you just don’t get it, do you?” Nekou’s voice was becoming sad and hollow, despite her attempts to keep sounding tough. “I’m talking about a place where it’s totally empty and cold and it’s just you, lost in that void…”

“I… I don’t understand.” Matt was being honest; while he was trying to empathize with what Nekou was saying, he was nearly hopelessly lost trying to figure out what she meant.

“I didn’t think you would.” As she spoke, she continued to curl tighter and tighter. “I’ve been there. It’s in my ****ing dreams, all the time… literally, just that cold, empty darkness, and me floating there. You know what I think it is? I think that’s what it feels like to die.”

“Why…” Matt’s words suddenly caught in his throat as the implication of her words finally dawned on him. “Back at the bar, when I said I wanted to…”

“You don’t know what it’s like to die,” she said, seemingly confirming his suspicion. “But I do. The dreams feel like memories to me.”

“I don’t… how is that possible?”

“I don’t know,” Nekou admitted. “But I’ve been there. I know it. I just… I know I’ve been there. Every time I have that dream I just know I’m living my own death, and…”

“Enough,” Matt quietly said, finally setting his hand on her shoulder. She flinched at first, but then relaxed. “Don’t talk about it anymore. If you want to stay here, you can.”

Nekou shrank further into the bed. She swore into the pillow, but before he rolled back over, Matt thought he heard her thank him.

This scene was really heartbreaking and made me feel really bad and kind of worried for Nekou. I can tell death is something that really upsets and frightens her and I think it sheds some light on some of the things she said last chapter. It's definitely a good insight into her character.

Renzo stood, put the map back in his bag and set off toward his destination. Blackthorn City had only barely begun to be touched by the urbanization affecting much of the region, so within minutes he reached dirt roads that led away from the more modern buildings in the south. He soon passed the Blackthorn Gym, a stately mansion with two Dragonite statues set outside its gate. Just beyond the building was a lake.


I like the description of Blackthorn City and the surrounding area you gave here. It really gives a good idea of Renzo's location.

Renzo started to turn away, but abruptly stopped and spun back around. “I’m sorry. I can’t let anyone stand in the way of what I must do, so I’m going to have to convince you to…”

“What are you doing?”

A woman wearing a blue bodysuit and boots had arrived during their discussion by traveling across the lake on her Kingdra. When she jumped off onto land, her black cape and long blue ponytail blew in the wind behind her.

Good timing in the action here, and I really like the imagery you used for Clair's arrival.

“So you bit off more than you could chew and needed to be rescued. That doesn’t surprise me.” Clair turned her back on Renzo. “You were foolish to think you could reach this place so easily. And yet, you are obviously greatly dedicated to your goal. That person you described must truly have meant a lot to you, for you to do all this.”

“She was all I had.”

Clair looked over her shoulder, but did not turn around. “I’ve made a decision. You may not enter the Dragon’s Den right now. But your spirit is intriguing to me, so I will give you a one-time offer. I will put you into training so you may prove yourself to me and the other elders of the Dragon Clan. Let me warn you now, I will not go easy on you. Your training will be harsher than anything you’ve experienced, and there’s a good chance you’ll wish you had frozen to death on that mountain. Well? Do you have enough of a spine to face it? Are you that dedicated?”

“I’m not afraid,” Renzo answered. “I’ve been through a lot, and I am willing to do what I must to reach my goal.”

Clair seems fair with her offer, and I think she sees Renzo's potential too. Renzo agreeing to it shows she's probably right to see it.

On the western coast of Johto, the densely-populated urban center of Olivine City sprawled out next to the ocean. Because of its prime location for overseas shipping, it was one of the first cities in Johto to begin developing, and although it was not quite as run-down as the slums of Goldenrod, it wasn’t as well-kept as Cherrygrove City.

Nice bit of backstory here.

In the southeast of the city near the docks, a number of bars and clubs clustered, ready to serve the interests of the sailors and travelers who visited. One building in this seedy district stuck out, due to the fact that unlike everything surrounding it, it had no neon lights or digital signs attached to it. It simply stood there, its street entrance sealed up by a metal shutter.

This definitely gives the feel of a run down, seedy area. I love the imagery you chose for it.

A stately bar was set up on the main floor, and Trevor was standing behind it, wiping glasses so he could serve himself and Ariana drinks. The others - Jessie, James, Meowth, Pierce, Proton, Petrel and Rosalie - were gathered around the crate of stolen Pokémon as Ada analyzed its contents using her laptop and a portable scanner.

Reference to the Crux hideout's bar in Star Driver?

“Did you hear that?” James excitedly shouted. “The boss is proud of us!”

This was adorable and made me squee with delight.

Meowth hugged James’s leg and said, “We did good, and praise from the boss feels great!” Shooting Persian a cunning glare, Meowth then whispered, “Maybe I’ll end up top cat one day after all.”

Persian growled in annoyance at Meowth antagonizing him, and in near perfect sync, Pierce shut his eyes and sighed.

Great reference to Meowth and Persian's rivalry.

After a minute of searching, Jessie stopped on the image of a butterfly-like Pokémon. It had a gray body, black eyes dotted with white, and wide wings bearing a soft blue-and-white pattern.

“That’s a Vivillon,” Ada explained. “Specifically, it’s a Marine Pattern.”

“I like the style. I’ll take it.”

Vivillon fits, given Jessie previously trained a Dustox.

“I-I found something in the data that you may like…” With the tapping of a few keys, Ada displayed the image of a rotund rabbit Pokémon sporting muscular arms for ears and thick, yellow-and-brown fur around its midsection. “It’s a Diggersby, a Normal-and-Ground-type. Not only is this Pokémon your favorite type, according to my analysis, it can be extremely powerful in battle.”

“Excellent thinking, Ada.” Giovanni gestured to Pierce, who retrieved Diggersby’s Ultra Ball for him. “Now, we will keep the rest of these Pokémon in stock for our army. We will need them to combat Polaris’s forces. Pierce, I want you to travel to headquarters and deliver them to Stacia after you drop off the Meteonite at Zager’s laboratory.”

It's cute and nice how Giovanni is nice to Ada in this scene and compliments her, especially given how nervous she is around him.

“That…” The Prophet held herself back from slapping Jacob much like she had slapped Pierce. “That is true. She was both celebrated and feared before her sin, and she may have been one of the most powerful Tenganists in terms of Transcendence in centuries. My power… I’ve developed a power nearly as strong as hers, and because of it, I cannot help but feel as if some terrible deed is about to come to pass. Those of us with extremely powerful Transcendence are in tune with such things. Do you know what the Coronet Rosary is?”

I can actually picture her restraining herself here.

“I’ll show you. Transcend the confines of time and space!”

Jacob’s eyes went wide as his mind joined with the Prophet’s. He wobbled back, the sensation filling his body causing him to become unbalanced, but she held him up with a firm grasp.

“Xatu…” she whispered. “Hear my words. Jacob and Bunny need you. Come to us and give us the aid we need…”


The physical effects on Jacob were a nice addition.

“It’s so beautiful!” Nekou was raving to herself, looking in all directions at the colors of the autumn trees around her.

“I see you’re feeling better…” Matt mumbled, sticking his hands in the pockets of his coat to provide an extra layer of warmth.

Pausing to look at him, Nekou abruptly asked, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t you remember last night? Wait, don’t tell me you totally forgot already?”

“Relax, I’m just ****ing with you. I’m flattered you give enough of a **** to ask about me.”

This is really cute and it seems like she's better enough to crack jokes again. Also, I can totally see Nekou as someone who has her own Instagram and constantly posts cool pictures there.

“Mareep, I can’t take care of you anymore. I’m just not the trainer for you, I guess… I can’t give you what you need.” The boy held down the button on the Poké Ball, eventually causing both it and Mareep to flash with blue light. “You can fight as much as you want out there in the wild… it’s where you belong. I’m sorry I took you out of that.”


This made me feel so bad for both Mareep and the trainer.

Olivia grabbed Matt’s arm, causing him to freeze where he stood. The waiter also stopped, seeing that his guest was no longer following.

“Olivia, what is it?”

“I…” After taking a deep breath, Olivia trained a fiery gaze into Matt’s eye. “I want to battle with you here!”

Aww, that's cute, and Olivia sounds so confident.


“I can’t say I expected you to be so gutsy.”

“I have to get stronger if I’m going to stand up to Polaris,” Olivia explained. “I know I’m likely to lose, but I won’t get stronger if I don’t push myself. I have to do it.”

“Then go out there and kick as much *** as you can.”

I like Olivia's reasoning. It really shows how much she's grown.


The group turned in the direction of the music and discovered that Matt’s suspicion was correct. Nando was sitting at a nearby table, calmy running his fingers over the strings of his harp while waiting for them to come over.

“Hey, it’s Nando!” Olivia exclaimed, running over to the table. “What’s up with you?”

“It is good to see you again, Miss Olivia. It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?” Strumming his harp more, he sang, “I am here for the promise of battle.”

“Well I see he’s the same as always,” Nekou remarked as the rest of the group joined Olivia.

“How is everything going with you?” Matt asked.

“Please, sit and I will tell you.” Nando waited for the entire group to seat themselves at his table, then said, “As you already know, I have collected eight Badges already, so I am focusing on the Frontier Society’s facilities for now. I am also competing in the Pokémon Contests of this country.”

He's back!

“I haven’t spoken to her yet myself, but I want to ask you to continue doing that. If a crisis develops because of these new Pokémon, we will need all the data we can get on them. I’m sure Gabriella would appreciate it as well…” Suddenly, Dante realized something with a start. “Oh! I forgot all about what we were talking about. Polaris at the Ruins of Alph and what they did with the Meteonite, right?”

“Polaris brought the Meteonite to Goldenrod City with the intention of shipping it somewhere else by train,” Matt explained. “We interfered though, and ended up getting caught in a fight between Polaris members and Team Rocket. They ended up taking the Meteonite away somewhere with a helicopter.”

Dante’s smile disappeared as his face darkened. “You bloody fool, I warned you to stay out of Polaris’s affairs. You don’t know what kind of danger you’re putting yourselves in. They are much stronger than any of us and far more well organized. You are lucky you walked away from a confrontation with them… the might of their military forces are completely unknown even to the International Police. And Team Rocket, too?” Dante shot a scowl around the table before adding, “They may be weaker than they once were, but they are not people you want to trifle with. I don’t want any of you to ignore this advice and get hurt.”

That escalated quickly. Poor Matt, he had no idea he'd strike such a nerve with Dante.

“I have to try to stop Polaris!” Olivia blurted out. “The way they’re playing everyone against each other… that’s wrong no matter how I look at it. They’re ruining everything my dad tried to do with the Frontier Society!”

“Your loyalty to your father is admirable…” Dante said, leaning back and gripping his cane. “But ask yourself, would your father want you to endanger yourself for ideals he may not have even believed in himself?”

“Shut up! I know he would agree with me!”

“Dante, you might want to stop…”

...Ouch. Dante's really kind of going too far here.


Nekou interrupted Matt to growl, “Stop ****ing upsetting her, old man. You **** with her, you **** with me.”

Dante was stunned by Nekou speaking to him in such a way, and was momentarily speechless. “I… well, I cannot say I approve of such language. What would your mother say if you spoke to her with that mouth?”

“**** you. Maman taught me how much fun talking like this is.”

Haha, that's a great exchange. It's really awesome that Nekou's sticking up for Olivia that way too.

“Menu?” he questioned, raising his eyebrow.

“Yes. Look right here on the screen.” The waitress pointed to a box on the top of the tablet, which contained the number ‘1000.’ “That is the supply of Cafe Points you will use to purchase battles here. We will show you three potential opponents, each with a different clue to what Pokémon that trainer will use. The more revealing hints will cost you more Cafe Points, so manage them wisely. If you manage to purchase and win three battles while still having Cafe Points left over, you will get to battle our Frontier Brain, the Cafe Diva. Now that you have the rules, are you ready to get started?”


I like the rules and would totally play this in the games.

“Man, you really are crushing on her hard, huh?” Nekou joked, much to Monroe’s embarrassment.

Bunny chuckled softly to herself, and Dante asked, “So that’s who you are? Olivia’s boyfriend?”

“No!” Monroe stammered. “I’m… I’m not…”

“They’re just friends now,” Nekou interrupted, slouching in her chair and maintaining her sarcastic tone. “For now.”

Oh Nekou.

As soon as the smoke cleared, Olivia thrust an accusing finger at Matt. “I told you not to go easy on me! Thunder Punch? Don’t mock me! I’m serious!”

Matt could feel the accusing eyes of the crowd, especially Bunny and his other friends, burning holes through him. “I… I can’t…” he struggled, limply reaching out to Olivia for a reason he didn’t even know himself.

“You aren’t looking at me as an equal,” Olivia bitterly said, “so you won’t fight me like one. You don’t think I have it in me to stand up to Polaris, do you…”

“No, that’s not…” Despite his hasty response, Matt realized that Olivia’s judgment was correct and stopped himself. “I’m afraid of you getting in over your head. I still can’t let you get hurt.”

“I’m not afraid of them! And so what if I get hurt? What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger! Come on!”

Matt silently raised his Poké Ball and recalled Rocky. While he did so, Olivia glanced over to the table where the others were sitting and saw Nekou give her an approving smile.

“I… I’m still worried about you, you know? But if you really want to go for this, I don’t think I can stop you.” He threw another of the Poké Balls and shouted, “Charlotte, make your mark!”

I feel like this really shows how Olivia has grown. She knows Matt could hurt her, but she's still willing to go on with what she wants because she knows in the end it'll make her stronger. I'm happy Matt realized that, too.

There's so much going on in Matt and Olivia's battle that going through it line by line wouldn't work too well, so I'll just give my thoughts on it here. I really think their matchup is an interesting one- after all, Olivia has learned in some degree from Matt, and Matt is going to be more familiar with her strategies too. He knows she wants a challenge from him but he's also still conflicted by his protective feelings for her. The action reflected this, I think, and I really like how fast-paced the battle was. It really kept me wondering what would happen next.

Up on the stage, Olivia had recalled Herdier, and now was staring at the Poké Ball containing her final Pokémon. Her hand was tightly clenched around it, and her fingers were shaking.

“I won’t give up…” she quietly said in a raspy voice. “I have to do this or I’ll never stand a chance against Polaris…”

“Don’t push yourself too hard, Olivia…” Matt advised. His moment of intense concentration had lapsed, and he felt his eye starting to curl in worry. “There’s no shame in throwing in the towel…”

“No!” Olivia snapped, lowering her head. “I can’t! I came this far… If I gave up now, what kind of trainer would I be?” When Olivia pulled her head back up, Matt could see tears forming in her eyes. “I’d be just what Polaris says people like me are, lazy and coasting on how good I have it!”

This in particular really hurt to read though. Olivia's truly conflicted and she's clearly been affected hearing Polaris's rants, even to the point it harms her.

Dante leaned forward on his cane, staring intently at the scene unfolding before him. Bunny, meanwhile, turned to Nekou and gulped.

“Nekou, I think someone should stop this. She wasn’t ready for something like this.”

“It’s not like I don’t see where you’re coming from,” Nekou replied, her voice surprisingly soft, “but if we cut her off now it’s like we’re telling her we have no faith in her. I think deep down she knows that this is going to be a hard lesson to learn, but that she has to learn it.”

Nekou's advice is rough but it's pretty sound.

With the cheering filling his head, Matt took a step forward and reopened his eyes. Olivia had fallen to her knees behind her fainted Mr. Mime, and he couldn’t see her eyes. Fearing how she would react to her loss, he quickly recalled Rocky and walked across the field to her.

“Olivia, I’m sorry…”

When she looked up, however, what Matt saw stunned him. Instead of anguish, her eyes were filled with a fiery determination.

“Now I know what I have to shoot for,” she said, smiling. “I’m not upset. I had to know exactly the kind of trainer I have to become to fight Polaris, and now I know. Thanks.”

I was really happy to see Olivia react this way.

Ghetsis did not immediately answer, but the Shadow Triad all could see him starting to clench his teeth and grip his cane more tightly. Darkness and Pestilence remained calm, but Chaos flinched slightly, remembering what Ghetsis had done to him in the past.

You did a good job here showing that Ghetsis is upset.

“No. We must wait until the day we picked out in order for the maximum impact of my speech to come across. However, Athleta is sending one of his trainers here. It could present a problem for me, and by that, I mean it will present a problem for me.”

“Should we find and eliminate him?”

“If I knew who he was, Darkness, I would tell you to. All you can do is prepare for his interference in my plan. You three have to be ready to turn your weapons on both enemy and ally at a moment’s notice.”

“Yes, Lord Ghetsis!” all three of the Shadow Triad said at once.

Yeah um, Ghetsis is pissed.

The boots worn by Jessie and James splashed loudly in the marshes they were running through. Meowth was riding on James’s head to avoid touching the foul water.

“This swamp is disgusting!” Jessie spat, not breaking her pace.

“We didn’t have a choice, Jessie!” James gasped. “Routes 39 and 38 would have taken far too long to get us to Ecruteak! Cutting straight there is the only way we won’t let the boss down!”

“We should have found some other way. Someone like me who has to worry about her image can’t be splashing around in swamp water all day.”

“Come on, Jess,” Meowth said. “If you think you can’t walk in that muck, how do you think I feel? I want to get out of here just as much as-”

Out of nowhere, something fell from one of the trees and collided with Meowth, knocking him off James’s head and into the murky water. While he started screaming and attempting to dry himself, Jessie and James lashed around to face the mystery assailant.

I love this, and James making the decision to cut through the marsh is something that fits him perfectly. Jessie's concerns about her image, too.

Pulling himself back up onto James’s head, Meowth said in agreement with Jessie, “Just imagine how happy the boss will be when he hears we got another Pokémon! And look at that little wimp over there… the boss will know exactly what to do with it. We’ll use it as a decoy and trick Polaris into thinking we’re weak, then strike!”

“The boss’s assistant wouldn’t think that was a good idea,” James replied, imagining Stacia coldly explaining what they could do with the Goomy. “She’d tell us about what kind of moves it can use. Like, for example, Goomy can learn Body Slam, Dragon Breath and Thunderbolt. When it evolves into Sliggoo and then Goodra, it would be a valuable tool.”

You're right, that kind of boss fantasy does work pretty well.

“Looks like squid girl over there likes fighting for you, James!” Meowth cheered.

Heh

His nerves temporarily soothed, Matt ascended the stairs he’d only just come down minutes earlier and stood still, waiting to see who he’d face. Another waitress soon appeared on the other side of the stage, ushering his opponent in. When he caught a glimpse of the green hat and cape on the person following her, his mouth fell open.

“Nando?”

“Well, well, what a pleasant surprise,” the bard said as he took his place. “I was hoping we would get to battle here, and I see that’s come true.”

Well, I didn't expect that.

Matt gripped a Poké Ball in his left hand. He could hear the sounds of his mechanical fingers shaking even from inside his bag, and the noise only served to increase the pressure on his nerves.

“I have to win this. If I can just get to a battle with the Brain, I’ll have the chance to talk to them… I won’t find Reshiram without leads.” Once he finally calmed himself enough, he threw the Poké Ball, calling out, “Charlotte, make your mark!”

A good reminder Matt has a reason for what he's doing and it's serious.

Good call ending the chapter on a cliffhanger, it's definitely got me wondering what's in for Matt and Nando.

Overall, this chapter was fantastic. I especially liked the Team Rocket segments of it- you definitely have a good eye for their dynamic, the organization and the trio, and I really like seeing the oddball little family they are in action. I think Olivia got some great development too. And your battles, particularly Olivia vs Matt, were fantastic.

I'm ready for the next one!
 
Last edited:

Blue Saturday

Unfurl your Blessed Wings!
This was a very good chapter, I felt like you held the torch well on this one. You had several things happening this chapter, your scene transitions felt fluid, your ending felt well, your beginning felt like it worked nicely. I just felt like a lot was accomplished in this chapter without it going overboard and I wasn't underwhelmed in the slightest. Starting off, I have to say I loved how you had a scene tapping into Nekou's viewpoint. The scene was pretty cute considering she seemed to be doing her best to feign toughness when faced by Matt. I felt like you did well peppering us with what's going on and her own inner demons without it being too dragged out, which is commendable for a scene of a beginning of a chapter that won't be focusing on it primarily. The subtle build-up really works wonders. I honestly thought all the pacing of this chapter was pitch perfect when it came right down to it.

Renzo focus is great, I'm glad we got to see him again, but I do wonder what's going on with Avril at the moment. Anyway, I like how you have really made Renzo his own character rather than a rival that seethes and hates his opposition and is bitter toward most people. Once again you've done well portraying a character of your own as an actual multifaceted individual rather than a caricature. A one-dimensional character comes off as flat and uninteresting. Here we see Renzo is doing his own thing of his own desire with no toxic feelings toward Olivia in-mind. He doesn't even have Olivia on the brain, which is something I've been wanting to say for a while but haven't had the chance to. Renzo has his own wishes, in this case getting a Dratini, and went through all that trouble, has zero badges, faced Clair and going to go through training from hell more than likely to achieve his goal. You're showing him as driven, caring and somewhat bold which are some nice redeeming qualities for him.

I also have a question, did you base Clair's dialogue and speech style as well as characterization off her anime incarnation or game incarnations? I felt like her speech and the way she said things had a tone about it I think I might be associating more with one over the other. As for Team Rocket, they were great here too. Again you really nailed the dialogue and I could really picture a lot of things well, specifically Meowth and James somewhat fearfully shouting in unison at the incoming Draco Meteor with Jessie keeping her composure. Jessie saying she would spoil Vivillion rotten in return for listening to her and James's, "Alright, Inkay, take it away!" Jessie's vanity coming into play during the trek through the muck without it being overplayed to the point where it's somewhat flanderizing worked greatly. Way to end their swamp scene with Goomy on a nice cliffhanger.

Like Bay said, yay for Kalos-native Pokemon. I'm glad you kept Inkay but I was indifferent to Pumpkaboo(And the way it was obtained) so I was glad it got replaced, fortunately I think Vivillion fits well in Jessie's arsenal and as a Pokemon. Is there any specific reason you chose it? I have my own theories but I'm interested in what made you pick it for her? Diggersby is an odd but interesting choice for Giovanni, mainly because the Pokemon is so ridiculous in its appearance it seems a bit odd for Giovanni to utilize one. But then I again I suppose you wanted to highlight his Ground-type specialist traits and Kalos's pickings of Ground-type Pokemon are downright bad.

As for the scene with the Mareep, I have a feelings this isn't the last we've seen of that Pokemon. Especially with Nekou and Olivia leaving to train at the end. I'm impressed by your adaptation of the Battle Cafe from the XY games, clever way of really taking something from canon and making it your own. The points system and all felt really authentic and like it would fit right in place within the Pokemon universe on its own. Also, the title of "Cafe Diva" too. I don't know why, but I'm really liking Monroe and what you're doing with him. Not once did I think Avril's siblings would matter. I figured they were throwaway characters for the moment but I'm surprised, you've taken this side-character and given him his own way about him. He's quite endearing, Bunny also read more interestingly and entertaining here too. I enjoyed a number of he lines, for example her line about sarcastically guessing who the Frontier Brain could be.

Seeing Nando here was a surprise, the battle between Olivia and Matt was great. I like how it had meaning and I like how you portrayed their relationship and how Matt has kept sheltering and babying her up until this point. She handled the loss well and it showed her character in a better light and how determined she is to face Polaris. Despite Dante's words that got under her skin and her luck running out she keeps on going along. It also showed that once Matt gets into the zone his battle skills really do become much sharper, I remember a similar bout of hesitance during the battle against Dahlia. Nice to see that recurred again here. As for the battle itself, wonderfully descriptive and great strategies from both sides. I can tell you really have done your research.

The usage of Toxic Spikes in-particular caught my attention.....that's a nice way you went about things. It always made me wonder how the opposition would not take damage from their own status condition, you did well adapting game-y mechanics like that and working with aspects like Charlotte's Levitate and Rocky's Roleplay. It's always great when important battles like this aren't about straight-up attacking and have some strategy and a certain pace about them. I enjoyed seeing Olivia's Mr.Mime again, though inexperienced it always seems to bring an interesting battle to the field. You're doing well developing these Pokemon strengths without wasting time needlessly meandering about it. I can tell you have a definite idea on how you want to further Olivia strength as a trainer.

Lovely cliffhanger too with Kricketune and Charlotte, ohh...and I think have an idea what Pokemon Nando has in his arsenal. :p Haha, fantastic, I love the species. Though Nando usually goes after sound/bug/grass related species and this Pokemon doesn't fit any of that criteria it'd a bit odd but interesting. Well actually it could fit the sound bit now that I think about it, but I'm very much looking forward to the next chapter. I wish I could say more in my review from a technical standpoint though but I honestly caught nothing that was abnormal to my eyes or mind.
 

The Great Butler

Hush, keep it down
I want to mention that I plan to edit Chapter 12 a little to better introduce Cassy, based on help from Spiteful Murkrow. I haven't done it yet, but please look forward to it.

Chapter 17 teaser

"The Bard and the Diva"

Summary: Matt’s battle with Nando continues, with a match against the Cafe Diva at stake.

Character List*:
*Presence on this list does not necessarily mean screen presence

Matt Chiaki
Nekou Langley
Olivia Mistbloom
Bunny Spruce
Monroe
Dante Fantomos
Nikolai
Anabel Mistbloom
Nando
Dr. Zager
Pierce
Jessie
James
Meowth
Giovanni
Stacia
Proton
Petrel
Ariana
Ada
Trevor
Professor Rosalie
Ghetsis
Zinzolin
Shadow Triad Darkness
Lyra
Kate
AZ
Rich Mistbloom

Bittersweet opening scene between Matt and Nekou there. Yeah, talking death nightmares can be really heavy at times. :(

Hers are heavier than you can even possibly imagine. This scene was only a hint.

Will agree with Clair that Renzo does have a spine to go straight to the Dragon’s Den like that. I’m pretty sure Clair’s training will be quite harsh, lol.

For some reason I had some image in my head where Clair had a whip in Generation 2, but I'm wrong about that.

Either way, you know it. You know she's not going easy on him.

LOL of course Meowth would say that and Persian would notice that.

That's one thing I miss, Meowth and Persian's rivalry.

Yay more Kalos Pokemon! Interesting you have James still get Inkay while Jessie gets a different Pokemon. Pangoro and Diggersby seems to fit Proton and Giovanni well.

I wanted to go with things that fit each Rocket member well; it just so happened that Inkay still fits James.

You can already guess I’m looking forward to Xatu’s return.

Of course.

Should have expected Lyra’s appearance sooner or later considering this takes place in Johto. Nice to see Nando and Dante appearing again, although like Nekou I don’t like it when he said to Olivia her wanting to stop Polaris might not be worth it. And speaking of Olivia, like her resolve in wanting to get stronger no matter what.

I think Dante may be more right than he seems here. Olivia is a little blinded by her own passion for what she believes, in this case stopping Polaris. She doesn't have the greatest grasp on what that means entirely.

Matt and Olivia’s battle is quite enjoyable there. I can understand Matt hesitant to go on all out on Olivia but then goes full force on her. Also great Olivia is happy with the outcome despite losing there. I like a couple twists there, for instance your take on Role Reversal.

I assume you mean Role Play by "Role Reversal." If so, that was something I was quit enthusiastic to include.

Oh, hi there Goomy. Little dragons using Draco Meteor is still scary. :p And well, guess we’ll have to wait and see if Jessie’s plan works.

I selected Draco Meteor precisely because it's so bizarre to see Goomy using it.

Aw, stopping the chapter when Matt and Nando’s battle is getting started, huh? I can already guess what fighting/flying Pokemon Nando has, but hopefully next chapter we’ll get to see how he’ll use it. Overall another enjoyable chapter, looking forward to the next one!

I think you'll be quite pleased with how the battle goes, and how that specific Pokemon will perform. Glad you liked the chapter!

This scene was really heartbreaking and made me feel really bad and kind of worried for Nekou. I can tell death is something that really upsets and frightens her and I think it sheds some light on some of the things she said last chapter. It's definitely a good insight into her character.

And this is just the beginning. Believe me, the Nekou you know isn't the only one.

quote]I like the description of Blackthorn City and the surrounding area you gave here. It really gives a good idea of Renzo's location.



Good timing in the action here, and I really like the imagery you used for Clair's arrival.[/quote]

Thanks on both counts.

Clair seems fair with her offer, and I think she sees Renzo's potential too. Renzo agreeing to it shows she's probably right to see it.

Hm. I was a bit concerned that Clair came suddenly in that scene, but I guess it worked. She definitely is tough but fair, I think.


Nice bit of backstory here.


This definitely gives the feel of a run down, seedy area. I love the imagery you chose for it.

Since Olivine City is a port city, I felt it made sense to feel like a really sleazy place. With the heavy traffic of sailors, the idea of sleazy clubs and such places heavily populating that area seemed perfect.


Reference to the Crux hideout's bar in Star Driver?

Partially!


This was adorable and made me squee with delight.

They still want to please Giovanni above all else.

Great reference to Meowth and Persian's rivalry.

I had to include it. I had to bring it back.

Vivillon fits, given Jessie previously trained a Dustox.

Surprisingly, that was secondary in my mind. I decided to give her a Vivillon before remembering Dustox.

It's cute and nice how Giovanni is nice to Ada in this scene and compliments her, especially given how nervous she is around him.

It's got both a practical and a personal reason. He knows that he won't get anything useful from her if he doesn't soothe her nerves, but he also feels no need to be harsh on her due to how loyal she already is. Contrast with Ghetsis, who could not care less what his followers do for him.

The physical effects on Jacob were a nice addition.

It's not an easy thing to have your mind opened like that.

This is really cute and it seems like she's better enough to crack jokes again. Also, I can totally see Nekou as someone who has her own Instagram and constantly posts cool pictures there.

I may or may not have gotten serious inspiration for RChannel from that.

This made me feel so bad for both Mareep and the trainer.

Interesting.

Aww, that's cute, and Olivia sounds so confident.




I like Olivia's reasoning. It really shows how much she's grown.

She is tough, surprisingly so. Some of how she acts may mislead you when it comes to that.

That escalated quickly. Poor Matt, he had no idea he'd strike such a nerve with Dante.



...Ouch. Dante's really kind of going too far here.

Well, he did warn them about Polaris.

Haha, that's a great exchange. It's really awesome that Nekou's sticking up for Olivia that way too.

I think this is one of the biggest "big sister" moments between them. Or at least a good example of such.

I like the rules and would totally play this in the games.

Thanks!

Oh Nekou.

She knows.

I feel like this really shows how Olivia has grown. She knows Matt could hurt her, but she's still willing to go on with what she wants because she knows in the end it'll make her stronger. I'm happy Matt realized that, too.

I think she finally recognized that she has to get hurt in order to grow.

There's so much going on in Matt and Olivia's battle that going through it line by line wouldn't work too well, so I'll just give my thoughts on it here. I really think their matchup is an interesting one- after all, Olivia has learned in some degree from Matt, and Matt is going to be more familiar with her strategies too. He knows she wants a challenge from him but he's also still conflicted by his protective feelings for her. The action reflected this, I think, and I really like how fast-paced the battle was. It really kept me wondering what would happen next.

I was hopeful the battle would do that. It was meant to be more of an emotional conflict than a necessarily action-based one.

This in particular really hurt to read though. Olivia's truly conflicted and she's clearly been affected hearing Polaris's rants, even to the point it harms her.

She probably already has self-conscious tendencies. Polaris's speeches, however, certainly aren't helping.

Nekou's advice is rough but it's pretty sound.

She's surprisingly wise.

I was really happy to see Olivia react this way.

In a sense, that's her admitting she really looks up to him, if you think about it. She was holding him up as the example of who can fight Polaris.


You did a good job here showing that Ghetsis is upset.



Yeah um, Ghetsis is pissed.

Implying he is ever NOT pissed.

I love this, and James making the decision to cut through the marsh is something that fits him perfectly. Jessie's concerns about her image, too.

It felt right, that scene.

You're right, that kind of boss fantasy does work pretty well.

I was pleasantly surprised by it working out.

Well, I didn't expect that.

You should know me better than that. :p

A good reminder Matt has a reason for what he's doing and it's serious.

Especially given that it was a little out of focus last time at the Battle Factory.

Good call ending the chapter on a cliffhanger, it's definitely got me wondering what's in for Matt and Nando.

Overall, this chapter was fantastic. I especially liked the Team Rocket segments of it- you definitely have a good eye for their dynamic, the organization and the trio, and I really like seeing the oddball little family they are in action. I think Olivia got some great development too. And your battles, particularly Olivia vs Matt, were fantastic.

I'm ready for the next one!

Thank you so much! I'm very happy you enjoyed it.

This was a character/development heavy chapter, so it was very reliant on those things coming out right. Sounds like they did.
 

The Great Butler

Hush, keep it down
This was a very good chapter, I felt like you held the torch well on this one. You had several things happening this chapter, your scene transitions felt fluid, your ending felt well, your beginning felt like it worked nicely. I just felt like a lot was accomplished in this chapter without it going overboard and I wasn't underwhelmed in the slightest.

That's a pleasant surprise to hear. I was concerned about pacing due to the relative brief length of the chapter.

Starting off, I have to say I loved how you had a scene tapping into Nekou's viewpoint. The scene was pretty cute considering she seemed to be doing her best to feign toughness when faced by Matt. I felt like you did well peppering us with what's going on and her own inner demons without it being too dragged out, which is commendable for a scene of a beginning of a chapter that won't be focusing on it primarily. The subtle build-up really works wonders. I honestly thought all the pacing of this chapter was pitch perfect when it came right down to it.

I think the Nekou scene was one of my personal most important ones in this chapter. We're entering a period of the story where she's going to undergo a lot of development, a lot of it probably quite surprising.

Renzo focus is great, I'm glad we got to see him again, but I do wonder what's going on with Avril at the moment. Anyway, I like how you have really made Renzo his own character rather than a rival that seethes and hates his opposition and is bitter toward most people. Once again you've done well portraying a character of your own as an actual multifaceted individual rather than a caricature. A one-dimensional character comes off as flat and uninteresting. Here we see Renzo is doing his own thing of his own desire with no toxic feelings toward Olivia in-mind. He doesn't even have Olivia on the brain, which is something I've been wanting to say for a while but haven't had the chance to. Renzo has his own wishes, in this case getting a Dratini, and went through all that trouble, has zero badges, faced Clair and going to go through training from hell more than likely to achieve his goal. You're showing him as driven, caring and somewhat bold which are some nice redeeming qualities for him.

He is sort of motivated by hatred for Olivia here, but not necessarily directly. He wants the Dratini as part of his larger goal of defeating Olivia. That said, he's not operating with her as his sole focus, like he had in earlier chapters. This caps off a bit of an arc for him where he sought his own way to Blackthorn, interacted with the Tenganists freely and now is undergoing the training.

I also have a question, did you base Clair's dialogue and speech style as well as characterization off her anime incarnation or game incarnations? I felt like her speech and the way she said things had a tone about it I think I might be associating more with one over the other.

The games, actually. I didn't directly lift her dialogue from either, but her attitude and speech style are based on her hard-driving personality from the games.

As for Team Rocket, they were great here too. Again you really nailed the dialogue and I could really picture a lot of things well, specifically Meowth and James somewhat fearfully shouting in unison at the incoming Draco Meteor with Jessie keeping her composure. Jessie saying she would spoil Vivillion rotten in return for listening to her and James's, "Alright, Inkay, take it away!" Jessie's vanity coming into play during the trek through the muck without it being overplayed to the point where it's somewhat flanderizing worked greatly. Way to end their swamp scene with Goomy on a nice cliffhanger.

I'm really pleased how they turned out in this chapter. Thanks for your kind words.

Like Bay said, yay for Kalos-native Pokemon. I'm glad you kept Inkay but I was indifferent to Pumpkaboo(And the way it was obtained) so I was glad it got replaced, fortunately I think Vivillion fits well in Jessie's arsenal and as a Pokemon. Is there any specific reason you chose it? I have my own theories but I'm interested in what made you pick it for her? Diggersby is an odd but interesting choice for Giovanni, mainly because the Pokemon is so ridiculous in its appearance it seems a bit odd for Giovanni to utilize one. But then I again I suppose you wanted to highlight his Ground-type specialist traits and Kalos's pickings of Ground-type Pokemon are downright bad.

Dustox played a role in reinforcing my choice of Vivillon, but I initially chose it because it just felt right. It seemed like it suited her. And someone else may be getting Pumpkaboo anyway.

I picked Diggersby for Giovanni because it can be surprisingly powerful in battle, is Ground-type, and honestly, because I've seen fanart depicting it as a mob boss. I liked that image.

As for the scene with the Mareep, I have a feelings this isn't the last we've seen of that Pokemon. Especially with Nekou and Olivia leaving to train at the end.

You'd be right there.

I'm impressed by your adaptation of the Battle Cafe from the XY games, clever way of really taking something from canon and making it your own. The points system and all felt really authentic and like it would fit right in place within the Pokemon universe on its own. Also, the title of "Cafe Diva" too.

The Battle Cafe is actually an original creation. I incorporated bits of the Battle Castle, the Battle Maison and the Battleground from Platinum into it. I'm happy to hear that you like it, though! I'm actually quite proud of it.

The title was yet another thing that felt right. It sounds like a Frontier Brain title, wouldn't you agree?

I don't know why, but I'm really liking Monroe and what you're doing with him. Not once did I think Avril's siblings would matter. I figured they were throwaway characters for the moment but I'm surprised, you've taken this side-character and given him his own way about him. He's quite endearing, Bunny also read more interestingly and entertaining here too. I enjoyed a number of he lines, for example her line about sarcastically guessing who the Frontier Brain could be.

I'm still working on Monroe, but I'm still glad I brought them back. Avril was always going to be a rival of Olivia's, but Monroe originally was just going to be window dressing to her antics until I made a snap decision to introduce the crush element. And somehow, it actually worked. I'm honestly surprised.

Bunny is kind of a surprise to hear, though. She didn't have that prominent a role. What is it that made her stand out?

Seeing Nando here was a surprise, the battle between Olivia and Matt was great. I like how it had meaning and I like how you portrayed their relationship and how Matt has kept sheltering and babying her up until this point. She handled the loss well and it showed her character in a better light and how determined she is to face Polaris. Despite Dante's words that got under her skin and her luck running out she keeps on going along. It also showed that once Matt gets into the zone his battle skills really do become much sharper, I remember a similar bout of hesitance during the battle against Dahlia. Nice to see that recurred again here. As for the battle itself, wonderfully descriptive and great strategies from both sides. I can tell you really have done your research.

I wanted to run a few recurring themes from the story in the Matt VS. Olivia battle. Among them are Matt's stage fright and Olivia's desire to no longer be so coddled. I think you really need to sustain such themes throughout a story so they can be revisited and developed, otherwise they fall away and characters become static.

The usage of Toxic Spikes in-particular caught my attention.....that's a nice way you went about things. It always made me wonder how the opposition would not take damage from their own status condition, you did well adapting game-y mechanics like that and working with aspects like Charlotte's Levitate and Rocky's Roleplay. It's always great when important battles like this aren't about straight-up attacking and have some strategy and a certain pace about them. I enjoyed seeing Olivia's Mr.Mime again, though inexperienced it always seems to bring an interesting battle to the field. You're doing well developing these Pokemon strengths without wasting time needlessly meandering about it. I can tell you have a definite idea on how you want to further Olivia strength as a trainer.

It was a little tough to balance the inevitable fast pacing of an overwhelming battle with the necessary development and strategy, but I think I pulled it off. I feel comfortable with the game mechanics. Role Play I had fun throwing in, and I'm not done either.

I have some interesting ideas for Mr. Mime that I think you'll really like.

Lovely cliffhanger too with Kricketune and Charlotte, ohh...and I think have an idea what Pokemon Nando has in his arsenal. :p Haha, fantastic, I love the species. Though Nando usually goes after sound/bug/grass related species and this Pokemon doesn't fit any of that criteria it'd a bit odd but interesting. Well actually it could fit the sound bit now that I think about it, but I'm very much looking forward to the next chapter. I wish I could say more in my review from a technical standpoint though but I honestly caught nothing that was abnormal to my eyes or mind.

Nando has it for Swords Dance and aerial performance techniques. It's sort of like his Lopunny in the anime.

Glad you enjoyed the chapter!
 

diamondpearl876

Well-Known Member
“Huh?” he groaned.

“Shut the **** up and go back to sleep. I’m not really here.”

Matt sighed, but he didn’t roll over. He knew what sight would greet him.

“I thought you were sleeping in Olivia’s room.”

“Well I’m not,” Nekou snapped. “Now I said shut the **** up and go back to sleep.”

As he felt Nekou shifting around next to him, Matt let his eyes wander to the ceiling. He was awake enough to realize that something odd was going on.

“Are you okay? You don’t sound like yourself.”
This whole scene was cute, but you know how much I love Matt/Nekou. I wonder what's going on with those dreams, though. Is it something real or are they just dreams? I'd like to know.

Renzo stiffened, aware of who he was facing. “Leader Clair, my name is Renzo. I traveled all the way here because I must capture a Dratini. I cannot continue my Gym challenges until I get one.”

“Why must you get a Dratini now? How many Badges do you even have?”

“Right now, zero.” Clair was visibly surprised by Renzo’s bold confession, but he continued speaking. “Dratini is… well, that’s not entirely true. Dragonite is a Pokémon that was very important to someone very close to me. She’s… she’s not around anymore, so I decided that in order to honor her, I must have a Dragonite of my own for my Pokémon League challenge.”
I rather like this little quest Renzo is going on. A solid reason to get a dratini, even though they're rare and probably very hard to train.

“I’ll show you. Transcend the confines of time and space!”

Jacob’s eyes went wide as his mind joined with the Prophet’s. He wobbled back, the sensation filling his body causing him to become unbalanced, but she held him up with a firm grasp.

“Xatu…” she whispered. “Hear my words. Jacob and Bunny need you. Come to us and give us the aid we need…”
If you want to portray how powerful the Transcendent power really is, I would give more description here, though the concept itself already seems cool it needs some embellishment.

“It’s so beautiful!” Nekou was raving to herself, looking in all directions at the colors of the autumn trees around her.

“I see you’re feeling better…” Matt mumbled, sticking his hands in the pockets of his coat to provide an extra layer of warmth.

I feel like that "extra layer of warmth" he gets from his hands is important. The last thing you showed him touch was Nekou herself, and she was talking about cold. To see warmth and her feeling better seems really important to me. I don't know, I was just struck by this sense of detail here, whether you did it intentionally or not.

“No. I’ve been out of the loop of late. Gabriella’s had me studying the effects of the migration of foreign Pokémon to Kanto and Johto. There have been some unforeseen effects for the worse that she asked me to look at.” Seeing the questioning gazes he was receiving, he continued, “Some Pokémon have adapted well to their new settings. Others have begun acting out or destroying their environments. For example, Routes 38 and 39 have become battlegrounds between wild Tauros and Bouffalant as they fight for grazing land and the limited number of Miltank for breeding. The Lake of Rage, meanwhile, has been invaded by wild Basculin, who are multiplying rapidly and eating the native Magikarp population out of their homes.”
Sounds pretty intense, but I do like the description of the feuds happening here.

As soon as the smoke cleared, Olivia thrust an accusing finger at Matt. “I told you not to go easy on me! Thunder Punch? Don’t mock me! I’m serious!”

Matt could feel the accusing eyes of the crowd, especially Bunny and his other friends, burning holes through him. “I… I can’t…” he struggled, limply reaching out to Olivia for a reason he didn’t even know himself.

I was wondering why he used Thunder Punch too, and now I'm wondering why he accepted her battle at all if he was going to react this way.

“I’m not as good as I need to be for this. I saw him fight in the finals of both a big battling tournament and a Grand Festival Contest. And I think I can actually stand up to that?!
Forgot quotation mark at the end.
“That’s right,” Bunny said in response to the question Monroe hadn’t finished. “I said it doesn’t usually work, not that it can’t work. Nando is clearly banking on that chance working out.”
I gotta say, Kricketune is an interesting choice, and so is Sticky Web.

I gotta say, I wasn't expecting the chapter to end where it did, but at least it didn't drag on with two long battles. I was glad to have a chapter without as much action, as sometimes you need a break. I really like the character interactions with Matt/Nekou and Matt/Olivia particularly, though I would try to make Olivia's dialogue less cliche. She says pretty much the same thing every time she speaks, which is something about being like her dad or not giving up. Try to expand that a little bit, but otherwise I was glad to see her take down one of Matt's pokemon.
 

The Great Butler

Hush, keep it down
This whole scene was cute, but you know how much I love Matt/Nekou. I wonder what's going on with those dreams, though. Is it something real or are they just dreams? I'd like to know.

You're going to find out. Oh dear will you ever find out.

I rather like this little quest Renzo is going on. A solid reason to get a dratini, even though they're rare and probably very hard to train.

He's tough enough to see it through. I think you'll find he has surprises up his sleeve.

If you want to portray how powerful the Transcendent power really is, I would give more description here, though the concept itself already seems cool it needs some embellishment.

I actually stepped back on the detail in that scene for a reason. If I showed too much about their minds joining together, it would overly hint or outright spill who the Prophet is, and I'm not ready to play that card yet.

I feel like that "extra layer of warmth" he gets from his hands is important. The last thing you showed him touch was Nekou herself, and she was talking about cold. To see warmth and her feeling better seems really important to me. I don't know, I was just struck by this sense of detail here, whether you did it intentionally or not.

Interesting. I'll admit, it's accidental, but I really like the thoughts raised here.

On the other hand, the reference to cold was deliberate, so now I think I have some ideas for how to use the cold/warm symbolism further.

Sounds pretty intense, but I do like the description of the feuds happening here.

I'm not done either, it'll be back next chapter.

I was wondering why he used Thunder Punch too, and now I'm wondering why he accepted her battle at all if he was going to react this way.

Because he's so weak-willed to be honest. She had to force him into stepping up.

Forgot quotation mark at the end.

Oops, thanks.

I gotta say, Kricketune is an interesting choice, and so is Sticky Web.

Nando is a character from the Pokemon anime, and Kricketune (along with Roserade) are his signatures. Sticky Web is new though.

I gotta say, I wasn't expecting the chapter to end where it did, but at least it didn't drag on with two long battles. I was glad to have a chapter without as much action, as sometimes you need a break. I really like the character interactions with Matt/Nekou and Matt/Olivia particularly, though I would try to make Olivia's dialogue less cliche. She says pretty much the same thing every time she speaks, which is something about being like her dad or not giving up. Try to expand that a little bit, but otherwise I was glad to see her take down one of Matt's pokemon.

Hm. You're right about Olivia's speech, but on the other hand, she didn't have the most diverse role this chapter. Her role really was fixed on establishing her strength and goal, so I guess that led to her speech being a bit rigid. Next chapter should do better for her.

I'm happy you liked everything!
 

ChewieJ

Pokémon Writer
Well, this is definitely an impressive story. I didn't realize how long it was until I started reading it, but I'm not complaining. If it was any shorter, the story probably wouldn't have been that interesting.

I apologize if I can't quote things and give detailed commentary. I'm still working on reading the rest of the story. If only I knew about this story when it was beginning. I would've followed every chapter like a crazy fangirl.

Anyway, keep up the good work! This story has a lot of potential :)
 
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The Great Butler

Hush, keep it down
Well, this definitely an impressive story. I didn't realize how long it was until I started reading it, but I'm not complaining. If it was any shorter, the story probably wouldn't have been that interesting.

I apologize if I can't quote things and give detailed commentary. I'm still working on reading the rest of the story. If only I knew about this story when it was beginning. I would've followed every chapter like a crazy fangirl.

Anyway, keep up the good work! This story has a lot of potential :)

Don't worry about not having detailed feedback yet, I truly appreciate your kind words! I hope you will enjoy the rest you haven't yet read and will feel fit to review again sometime. ^^
 

The Great Butler

Hush, keep it down
Nothing to warn for here aside from some suggestive dialogue, but that’s in a humorous way. Just sit back and enjoy.

-:-


CHAPTER 17: The Bard and the Diva


-:-

Northeast of the National Park and Battle Cafe, between Ecruteak City and Mahogany Town, stretched Route 42. It was a rugged road broken up by multiple rivers, which flowed from within Mt. Mortar. The craggy peak dominated the landscape, casting a wide shadow over the woods around it.

The thick brush around the road rustled as a black-and-white shape cut through. It was Nikolai’s jacket, and when he was about halfway down the route, he emerged from the bushes to observe his surroundings.

“Something’s not right here,” he mused out loud to himself. “I can feel so much negative energy here, so much suffering…”

A cry from below attracted Nikolai’s attention. It had come from a wild Magcargo, which was slithering away as fast as she could from a crab Pokémon with a large block of earth on his back.

“Transcend the confines of time and space!” Nikolai chanted, closing his eyes. “Crustle, please, stop chasing… oh!”

Overwhelmed by his attempt to connect with the Crustle, Nikolai reeled back. Down on the road, Crustle raised his claws and formed a giant boulder between them, which he then used to violently sweep away the Magcargo.

Just as Nikolai managed to recover, however, his ears filled with the sound of beating wings as a horde of large-eared, blue-and-black bat Pokémon flew over him. He raised his arms to shield his face and only lowered them when the Pokémon had passed.

“Noibat…”

All of a sudden, another rock flew through the air after the Noibat, nearly hitting Nikolai in the head. He whipped back around and saw that it had been thrown by a Timburr standing on an outcropping. The Fighting-type was accompanied by two other humanoid Pokémon, one red and one blue. Both of them had thick black eyebrows and wore white robes.

“Timburr, Throh and Sawk driving out Noibat…” Nikolai shook his head in disgust. “These Pokémon just cannot adapt to their new environments naturally…”

“Grab that Crustle!” a voice down on the road ordered. “The Timburr, Throh and Sawk too. Their aggressiveness is just right for Dr. Colress’s experiment!”

Nikolai returned to hiding in the bushes, but cleared just enough space so he could peer down at what was going on.

A group of five people - three men, two women, all dressed in identical Polaris uniforms - had assembled. On the orders of their leader, they drew gun-like weapons and began firing strange, blue-and-black Poké Balls at their targets. It took mere seconds for the Crustle, Timburr, Throh and Sawk to all be engulfed. Each ball floated to the person who had fired it, depositing themselves in tanks worn on the Polaris members’ backs.

The commander took a handheld computer out of his pocket and tapped on its screen. “These Pokémon should be enough to fulfill our work for Dr. Colress. With the work of the other teams, we’ve surely passed the quota. Come on, let’s get going.”

Nikolai waited until the Polaris members had completely retreated from sight before stepping out from the foliage.

“Those people…” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “They say they’re taking Pokémon for an experiment… I can’t sit and watch this.”

His mind made up, Nikolai carefully climbed down the rocks and headed for the road west to Ecruteak City.

-:-

Immediately after leaving the main dining floor, Nekou and Olivia had begun heading for the Battle Cafe’s exit, leaving Matt behind to wait for his next match. Right near the doors, Olivia stopped walking and grabbed Nekou’s arm to stop her.

“Olivia?” Nekou glanced back over her shoulder and down at her young friend. “What?”

“Before we go out training, I have…” she gestured toward a line of videophones against the wall, “...something I think I want to do first. I want to call someone.”

“Go ahead, I’ll wait here.”

Olivia released her grip on Nekou’s arm and hurried over to the phones. She methodically punched the number she wanted to call into the keyboard of one; at first, Nekou failed to understand the automatic nature of Olivia’s movements, but when Anabel’s tired face appeared on the screen, it hit her.

“Olivia…” Anabel’s voice sounded strained, and the bags under her eyes were particularly prominent. Nekou immediately thought she looked like she hadn’t slept for several days. “I’m… I’m really glad to hear from you.”

“I really had to call you, Mom. I wanted to tell you that I just had a battle with Matt.”

“Oh?” This news seemed to make Anabel’s tired eyes brighten slightly. “How did it go?”

“I lost,” Olivia said with a shrug. “I don’t care though. I got what I wanted, which was a chance to understand how strong I have to be. And besides, I got to knock out one of his Pokémon, so I’m happy with it. That’s not the only reason why I called you, though.”

“What would the other be?”

From her vantage point several feet away, Nekou could see Olivia’s fists tighten. “I made a decision. You’ve seen those Polaris broadcasts, right? Well, Matt, Nekou, Bunny and I… we got caught up in what happened in Goldenrod City.”

“What?” Anabel’s eyes went wide, and from her side of the call, the sound of something crashing down could be heard. “Olivia, please, stay out of trouble! If anything happens to you, I…”

“Nothing is going to happen to me,” Olivia interrupted her mother to firmly say. “I decided that I’m going to honor Dad by standing up to Polaris. What they want is against everything he taught me. And… I have to admit, I have very good friends who will help me get stronger and protect me. I can do it.”

“Your father’s primary concern was your safety. After all the torture we had to go through together… all we wanted was to give you a safe, comfortable life.”

“I… I…” Suddenly, Olivia was choking up, leaving her speech broken. “Don’t you think I know that? But you saw the news, if nobody does something to stop Polaris, there won’t be a safe, comfortable life for anyone!”

“But why does it have to be you?” Now Anabel was becoming noticeably distressed. “How much more do we have to give? Is it going to take my life and yours too before this stops?”

Olivia took a deep breath, seemingly in preparation to voice a strong counter to her mother’s fear, but instead relaxed slightly and changed the subject. “I know Dad would want me to do what’s right. I… I want to remember what having him around was like before things get any worse. I’m going to be in Ecruteak City later, so I want you to send some old home videos to the Pokémon Center for me. Please.”

“I… I can do that,” Anabel muttered, accepting defeat. “Not like I could do anything. I couldn’t save Rich from himself when I was right there, why would I think I could save her from here…”

While Olivia and Anabel worked their conversation to its conclusion, Nekou found herself standing rigidly still and staring. A cold chill worked its way down her body in spite of her coat.

“She tries to be tough, but… her strength isn’t just from her. She is strong when she has strength to draw from around her. She relies on Matt and Bunny and Monroe and…” Nekou felt her heart skip a beat, and her skin began to feel as cold as ice. “...me. ****… I’ve been using her and lying to her just like everyone else… but, I’m… I’d be nothing without Maman, and now there’s someone who needs me just like I need Maman…”

“Nekou, I’m ready to go.”

The sound of Olivia’s voice snapped Nekou out of her daze. “Yeah, yeah… sorry about that, I started daydreaming.” Before she could check herself, Nekou blurted out, “I have something I want to tell you.”

“What?”

“I…” Nekou had realized what she started, and suddenly found her courage gone. She quickly improvised, putting on her usual attitude and saying, “I really can’t ****ing wait to help you train! Let’s get out there and raise some hell, how about it?”

-:-

About twenty minutes after Nekou and Olivia departed for the park, Matt found himself facing down the elegant yet furious force of Nando’s Kricketune’s offense. Charlotte was desperately trying to free herself from the Sticky Web she was trapped in by burning through it with Acid Spray. Yet, with Kricketune bearing down on her with his arms glowing intensely, she knew that her chances of escape were slim.

“Come on, Charlotte, go for it! Break through!”

Charlotte redoubled her efforts on Matt’s urging, and with the more intense flow of acid she used, she finally managed to burn the last of the threads away. However, just as she got free, Kricketune was on top of her. With a flowing motion he cut her twice in a brutal X-Scissor attack boosted by his earlier Swords Dance. Charlotte collapsed backward, two long gashes slashed into her sides.

“Eelektrik is unable to battle!” the refereeing maid announced over the roar of the crowd. “The winner is Kricketune!”

“He totally wrecked me…” Matt thought to himself as he recalled Charlotte. He took a moment to note the warm smile Nando greeted Kricketune’s performance with. “I can’t underestimate him. Beneath that calm surface is a real fighter.”

“He will have to tread very carefully,” Dante observed, leaning back in his chair and gripping his cane. “Kricketune’s moves are much more powerful as a result of that Swords Dance. Nando thought this out well.”

Deciding on his next course of action, Matt removed another Poké Ball from his bag and threw it. “Cordelia, it’s your turn! Make your mark!”

Matt’s Sigilyph took shape in the air above the battlefield, hovering safely over the Sticky Web hazards. She quickly glanced over the battlefield to gain an understanding of her environment.

“Go with caution, Kricketune,” Nando advised his Pokémon. “A partial Flying-type will not be an easy opponent.”

“Krick!” Kricketune enthusiastically responded.

“Cordelia, let’s strike first! Air Slash!”

“Kricketune, you know what to do!” Nando immediately countered, throwing his free hand into the air. “Disable it using Sing!”

While Cordelia’s wings started glowing, Kricketune crossed his arms and began rubbing them to create a soothing song. It manifested in the form of colorful music notes that first surrounded their maker before starting to float toward his enemy.

“Stop attacking and dodge!” Matt hurriedly directed.

Just before the notes reached her, Cordelia aborted her attack and threw herself backward. The notes floated harmlessly past her, but she struggled to right herself in the air.

“Use that opening to perform another Swords Dance,” Nando calmly said, running his fingers over his harp’s strings.

“That’s really bad…” Bunny gasped as she watched Kricketune sway on the stage. “Sigilyph might have been able to weather an X-Scissor with one boost behind it, but two? This could be over already…”

“How Matt responds to this will tell us if he really thinks he can stand up to Polaris or if it’s all bluster,” Dante added.

Up on the battlefield, Matt was well aware of the danger he faced. A combination of the intensity of the battle and his nerves from the increasingly enthusiastic crowd left sweat dripping down his forehead.

“Nothing we can do but attack, Cordelia! Try Air Slash once again!”

“Kricketune, X-Scissor will be adequate for defense.”

Once again, Cordelia’s wings took on a soft blue glow. She crossed and then sharply separated them, sending several blades of wind through the air in Kricketune’s direction.

The Bug-type wasn’t shaken, however. He merely swung his arms, which were now cloaked in twice as much energy as before, and cut down each blade before they reached him.

“So now you’re so strong that you can use an attack to defend,” Matt said through clenched teeth.

“Indeed,” Nando confirmed, “but I would like to show you Kricketune’s offensive capability as well.”

“I guess there’s no way we can avoid that. Cordelia, Psychic!”

Nando pointed forward and called, “Kricketune, another X-Scissor!”

Kricketune started to fly upward, only to be pinned by the psychic energy Cordelia used to restrain him. He valiantly fought to free himself, but Cordelia had a sharp focus on his position.

“Ah, well played, Matt,” Nando complimented. “I see you still had some tricks up your sleeve.”

“But what now?” Just as his thought completed, Matt was hit by an idea. “Cordelia, release Kricketune!”

Nando was taken aback by this turn. “He must be intending to execute a plan… but what?” Once Kricketune had been freed from the Psychic, Nando said, “One more X-Scissor, if you please.”

With his arms once again shining brightly, Kricketune flew straight at Cordelia. This was, however, exactly what Matt expected.

“Ice Beam right now!”

Before Kricketune could deliver his blow, he was blasted back by a ray of freezing energy that Cordelia fired from her body. Ice formed on the edges of his arms and wings, impairing his movements.

“Kricketune, you must try to move!”

“Just what I had hoped for.” Matt smiled, his focus on the battle allowing him to forget the crowd momentarily. “Air Slash!”

Several air blades rained down on Kricketune, and this time, he was unable to knock them away. His lack of defense left him to suffer the rapid, cutting strikes, and when they finally relented, he fell.

“Kricketune is unable to battle! The winner is Sigilyph!”

“He turned it around!” Monroe cheered.

“Perhaps I was underestimating his capability…” Dante said to himself.

“Kricketune, your performance was admirable. Have a fine rest.” Once Kricketune had returned to its confines, Nando placed the Poké Ball in his bag. “Matt, I am impressed with your techniques. For someone with no Contest training, you are skilled at improvisational movements.”

“I studied in Hoenn for years, what can I say?” Matt chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. His nerves had returned after his brief spike in focus. “I’ve seen my share of Contests, even if I haven’t participated in them myself.”

“Then we shall see how you handle my next Pokémon.” Throwing his next Poké Ball in a fluid, dramatic motion, Nando announced, “Ludicolo, make your entry!”

Nando’s Ludicolo seemed completely unaware of Cordelia once she materialized on the battlefield. She simply danced cheerfully around in place, singing to herself.

Matt thought back to when he had seen Dahlia’s Ludicolo fight Nando’s Leavanny at the Battle Arcade. While the tables had been turned back then and the Ludicolo belonged to a Frontier Brain, the sight had left Matt well aware of what the species was capable of, especially in the hands of a creative tactician like Nando.

Cautiously putting his right foot forward slightly, Matt directed, “We shouldn’t take this easy, Cordelia. Try to get in an Air Slash right away!”

“Ludicolo,” Nando said, closing his eyes, “Rain Dance.”

Ludicolo continued to ignore Cordelia and dance around. Dark clouds gathered against the ceiling over the battlefield and soon gave way to a steady rainfall. Cordelia brought down the blades of her Air Slash, but with sudden, surprising speed, Ludicolo swayed away from most of them. Only one nicked her, across the leg.

Matt started to gasp, but he realized what was going on and stopped himself. He looked up and mumbled, “Oh, right. Ludicolo’s Swift Swim, raises up its speed in the rain. I should have figured it out.”

“Very apt observation, Matt. Swift Swim is the centerpiece of Ludicolo’s performance.” Thrusting his finger forward again, Nando called out, “Now please, experience it! Blizzard!”

As soon as her trainer gave the direction, Ludicolo performed a sharp backflip and breathed out a vicious gust of icy air. Cordelia was able to anticipate it, however, and frantically flew away from the vortex. Just before Ludicolo ceased her attack, though, it managed to clip Cordelia’s wing. The Psychic-and-Flying-type shuddered violently; she wasn’t terribly hurt, but the blast had sent a strong chill through her body.

While the Pokémon separated, Matt stared forward, trying to take stock of his situation. “Cordelia’s just a bit too slow. She won’t be able to keep up, and those Blizzards will overwhelm her. On the other hand, Rocky is more threatened by the Sticky Web… although…” He raised up a Poké Ball once he came to a decision. “Come back, Cordelia. Rocky, make your mark!”

“He’s sending in Hitmonchan?” Bunny gulped as Rocky appeared on the stage. “A land-based Pokémon is susceptible to those traps Kricketune laid…”

“I suspect he has a trick up his sleeve,” Dante mused. “If not, his reckless nature will only lead to his demise in battle.”

“Hitmonchan? I consider that a surprise. Ludicolo, let’s incapacitate it swiftly. Grass Knot, please.”

“Rocky, use Role Play!”

Rocky and Ludicolo locked their gazes, and both Pokémon had their eyes flash. A tendril of grass appeared below Rocky’s feet and attempted to grab his leg, but the Hitmonchan avoided it by leaping agilely out of the way.

“Ah!” Nando exclaimed, his eyes briefly widening. “Clever, very much so. You used my strategy against me.”

“That’s right,” Matt replied, focusing in on the battle once more. “Now we both have Swift Swim, so we’re on even footing.”

“Very well. You’re thinking like a Coordinator would, so please, show me what you make with my strategy in your hands.”

“Alright!” Vivid images were running through Matt’s mind. Once he had shut off the crowd again, he was actually able to visualize a number of ideas for how to conduct the battle. “Rocky, Ice Punch!”

“Ludicolo, Surf!” Nando countered, dramatically waving his free arm.

Rocky shot like a bullet toward Ludicolo, who surrounded her body with a wave of water she sent his way. He swung and punched the water itself, causing some of it to freeze back to Ludicolo while the rest buffeted him.

“Drain Punch, and use the ice for a vantage point!”

Rocky jumped onto the trail of ice the clash of attacks had created and skated down it toward Ludicolo, his fist pulled back and glowing green. The tactic caught Nando off guard, and he hesitated in giving an order.

“Ludicolo, Blizzard!”

Nando’s hesitation resulted in Ludicolo not making a move before Rocky had already hit her with a strong uppercut to the chin. The green light broke away from his fist and flowed back into his body, healing some of what he had suffered due to Ludicolo’s Surf.

Once she shook off the blow, Ludicolo had nearly point-blank range to blast Rocky with her harsh, icy gale. He stumbled back several paces, only just managing to avoid stepping right into one of the Sticky Webs.

“Alright, Ludicolo, use Surf once more!”

“Meet it with Thunder Punch!”

Ludicolo released another flood of water, which Rocky met with an electrically charged punch. The electricity flowed through the water, shocking the Pokémon on both ends. An explosion moments later forced him to break apart once more, and both of them were battered and breathing heavily.

“It looks like this will be the conclusion of this match,” Nando commented. “Shall we go ahead and see who prevails?”

“I’m up for it if you are…”

“Then let’s find out how this performance ends!” After pulling his fingers quickly across his harp strings, Nando said, “Ludicolo, Blizzard!”

“Rocky, use Drain Punch!”

Using what speed he could gather from the fading rain, Rocky tried to rush Ludicolo in the hopes of recovering some stamina, but she was more than ready to stop him. The Blizzard she unleashed violently washed over him, sending waves of painful cold through his muscles. Well before he had gotten to within reach of Ludicolo, he fell to his knees, then collapsed forward.

“Hitmonchan is unable to battle! The winner is Ludicolo!”

An ocean of cheering erupted from the spectators surrounding where Matt’s friends had gathered. They didn’t share the sentiment. As they watched Matt bring Rocky back to his Poké Ball, they began quietly murmuring amongst themselves.

“He’s only got Sigilyph left now,” Bunny pointed out.

“And Ludicolo can beat it with Blizzard…” added Monroe.

“Sigilyph still has a type advantage.” Dante tightened his grip on his cane until his hand started to redden. “You’re his friends. I’m sure you’re hoping for him to win. He needs to, right?”

The rain ended and the clouds dissipated while Matt prepared Cordelia’s Poké Ball once more. His nerves were more frayed than ever; he stood still, nearly crushing the Poké Ball in his grip. He wasn’t shaking violently enough for the crowd to see it under his heavy coat, but the cheering was echoing through his head and making him dizzy.

“Matt!” Nando’s voice was actually relieving to him, as it gave him something to ground himself back into reality with. “Don’t give up yet. You came this far, so I think you have a bit more left to show me.”

“Al…” Matt steadied himself by widening his stance slightly. “Alright… you’re right, sorry about that.”

“Shall we begin, then?”

“Get through this and you get to talk to the Cafe Diva about Reshiram,” Matt thought. Taking a breath, he finally threw the Poké Ball. “Cordelia, make your mark once again!”

When she appeared in the air in front of Matt, Cordelia looked down. She lowered her eye when she noticed that Ludicolo was still active and grumbled to herself.

“Don’t get worked up, Cordelia!” Matt called up to her in an attempt to soothe her. “Ludicolo’s not as fast anymore!”

“Good thinking, Matt,” Nando complimented. “Your perception is accurate. Unfortunately for you, I still have Blizzard!”

“Cut it down with Air Slash! Hurry!”

The absence of the rain was enough to tip the balance of power. Both Cordelia and Ludicolo readied themselves to strike at each other, but Cordelia was the one to act first. Her Air Slash blades cut away at Ludicolo’s body, sending pieces of Nando’s Pokémon’s grassy cloak flying everywhere.

Nando gasped and stepped forward, but there was nothing he could do. Ludicolo spun around in place, then collapsed forward.

“Ludicolo is unable to battle!” the referee maid confirmed. “The winner is Sigilyph!”

“And now it comes down to one-on-one.”

“Say again? I can’t hear you…”

Dante looked at Bunny and, after a moment, laughed. He hadn’t realized that the crowd was drowning out his voice at first and raised it. “I said it now is one-on-one. And you doubted him before?”

“I didn’t say I did!”

With a chuckle, Dante turned slowly back to the battle. “Fine, fine. Forgive me. Let’s find out how this ends.”

“I know what’s left, Nando,” Matt said, speaking loudly so he could be heard. “The Fighting-and-Flying-type Pokémon. I picked you so I could see it. Please, bring it out!”

“So you want to see one of my newest Pokémon? Very well. Allow me to show you a new kind of performance I’ve crafted.” After a quick strum of his harp strings, Nando pulled a Poké Ball from his bag, threw it and announced, “Hawlucha, make your entry!”

The Pokémon that appeared was shorter than Matt had expected, only about three feet in height. His white body was cloaked in red, cape-like feathers, and the green pattern on his head made it look as if he was wearing a mask.

“Haww!” the Pokémon cried, spreading his wings and raising his head to the sky.

“That sure isn’t anything I’ve seen before after all…”

Matt fumbled with his bag to get his tablet out, then pointed it at the Pokémon and scanned him with the Pokédex program.

“Hawlucha, the wrestling Pokémon. Type is Fighting and Flying. Although its body is small, its proficient fighting skills enable it to keep up with big bruisers like Machamp and Hariyama. With its wings, it controls its position in the air. It likes to attack from above, a maneuver that is difficult to defend against.”

“Hawlucha is a Pokémon from the Kalos region that has come here,” Nando calmly explained, “and it is also the only Fighting-and-Flying-type in existence. No Pokémon can perform in the way that Hawlucha can. Your choice to face it out of curiosity was a good one.”

“It’s not like the Pokémon I know you use, at least the usual lot.” Matt lowered his head. “That’s an understatement. Kricketune and Ludicolo, I had an idea how he’d use them. This thing…”

“I think you’ll enjoy the aerial show I’ve devised. Shall we begin? Hawlucha, Swords Dance.”

Hawlucha crossed his arms, cloaking himself in his feather cape. Sword-shaped lights surrounded him, much like they had done for Kricketune earlier, and revolved around him for a moment before floating into his body. As soon as they connected with him, he spread his wings and cried upward once more.

“Fighting and Flying means the weaknesses of both,” Matt reasoned. “Let’s take quick action, Cordelia. Use Psychic!”

After her experience with Kricketune, Cordelia knew well enough to not underestimate a Pokémon fueled by Swords Dance. She swiftly used her power to wrap Hawlucha in light and lift his shaking body upward.

“Alright, Cordelia,” Matt shouted, throwing his hand upward. “You know what to do!”

Mimicking her trainer’s motion, Cordelia swung her body back, tossing Hawlucha toward the ceiling.

“So you’re not used to Hawlucha’s battling style yet, I see.” Smiling smugly, Nando played a chord and directed, “Recover and use Steel Wing, please.”

Almost instantly, Hawlucha turned his erratic flight path into an elegant somersault. Matt could only watch in awe as the Pokémon landed gently against a nearby pillar, then dove straight for Cordelia with his wings shining like metal.

“Hurry, get out of the way!” Matt gasped.

Cordelia couldn’t react quickly enough to her opponent, who was shooting at her like a bullet. She only barely managed to avoid a direct blow to her body. Hawlucha’s iron-hard wings slashed a thin but bloody gash into her side instead.

“Cordelia!” While Cordelia was tumbling through the air, Hawlucha landed on another column. Matt could see him preparing his stance for his next attack. Desperate to cut it off, Matt called out, “Air Slash!”

“Hawlucha…” Nando responded, accompanied by a chord from his harp.

Hawlucha sprang off the pillar and dove straight toward the blades of air that were approaching him. Just before the collision, he spread his wings, catching the wind from his opponent’s attack and using it to propel himself upward.

“Flying Press!”

Straightening out his body, Hawlucha dropped himself into a body slam technique that Cordelia had no defense against. The two Flying-type Pokémon separated violently from each other, with Hawlucha using the impact force of his attack to throw himself into the lights above the battlefield.

“Recall what your Pokédex said about Hawlucha, Matt. It uses its wings to control its movements and prefers to attack from above.”

“That’s right,” Matt silently realized. “I should have paid attention…”

“And Flying Press is a move that only Hawlucha can learn,” Nando further elaborated. “It is unique in that it does damage of both the Fighting and Flying types at the same time. Truly, a performance technique that only Hawlucha can achieve!”

“I have to have some response for that… if I can’t even outmaneuver it in the air, there’s no way I can win at all…”

“Hawlucha, Steel Wing!”

“Cordelia, dodge it and use Ice Beam!”

With a shrill cry, Hawlucha darted straight down at Cordelia from the lights. She managed to swing out of the way of his attack this time, however, and responded with a quick shot of ice into his back. He recovered only a fraction of a second before he would have hit the ground, but it was still enough for him to spread his wings and glide back onto a column.

“Ah, well done, Matt. If Hawlucha was to take much more of that, it would be the end for us. So, shall we end this once and for all? Hawlucha, Steel Wing once more!”

Hawlucha, now angered by Cordelia’s resistance, started growling at her before springing off the pillar. Even though he’d been weakened, his emotion was driving him to shoot through the air at an even higher speed than before. She began to prepare an Air Slash despite not having a command to do so, but Hawlucha collided with her long before she could act. Nando’s Pokémon used the force of the blow to kick himself back up toward the lights, while Cordelia hung limply in the air, her body battered.

“Cordelia can’t take much more of this. I’m lucky she survived that one alone…” Seeing Hawlucha getting ready to finish the battle with another Steel Wing, Matt was suddenly struck by an idea. “Air Slash at close range! Fight it on its own terms!”

Just as Hawlucha started to descend toward her, Cordelia found a final burst of energy within herself. She used the wind blades that took shape around her wings to lash out at Hawlucha. Despite avoiding getting directly hit, he couldn’t break through to strike her either, so he used the wind coming from Cordelia’s wings to drift back.

“Steel Wing again and again!” Nando shouted, extending his arm in the direction of the clashing Pokémon. “Do not relent!”

“You keep fighting back with Air Slash, Cordelia!”

Using every bit of strength they had, Cordelia and Hawlucha rushed each other. Neither could score a finishing blow with how fast they were moving. All they could do in their furious duel was graze each other.

The crowd, which had been actively cheering throughout the battle, became quiet. They were fascinated by Cordelia and Hawlucha rising higher and higher, twisting around each other as they fought for the one moment of dominance they’d need to come out victorious. Matt’s friends at his table were no exception.

“Look at them go…” Bunny said in awe.

“This really is like a Contest battle,” Monroe added. “I wish Olivia were here to see this.”

Dante, meanwhile, sat silently in his chair. He was rocking back and forth, watching the battle through narrowed eyes.

“He is relentless!” Nando thought to himself. “Expecting basic techniques to win the day was a mistake. I will have to resort to my final performance combination!” Tightly holding onto his harp, Nando ordered, “Hawlucha, use Flying Press!”

Hawlucha abruptly broke away from the exchange, leaving Cordelia to fumble in midair. He dropped himself into her, but he failed to do significant damage.

This was, however, exactly what Nando intended to happen. “Now seize Sigilyph with Sky Drop!”

Pushing himself against Cordelia, Hawlucha sank his claws into her sides and started plummeting toward the stage with her in his grasp.

“Sky Drop has no effect on Flying-types,” Bunny said out loud. “What is he going for?”

“The Sticky Web!” Monroe realized.

Indeed, Hawlucha was carrying Cordelia straight for one of the traps of thread that had been on the battlefield all along. Matt saw this and immediately knew what to do.

“Cordelia…” he said, clenching his fist, “...flip and use Psychic!”

“Hawlucha, do not allow it!” Nando cried, realizing instantly what Matt was trying.

Hawlucha tried to hold onto Cordelia, but her violent flip combined with the influence of her Psychic caused him to lose his grasp. She threw him downward, straight into the Sticky Web he had been aiming for.

“Now finish it with Air Slash!”

Righting herself in the air, Cordelia glared down at Hawlucha, who was completely trapped in the thread. After taking a moment to savor her victory, she rained down blades of wind upon him.

“Hawlucha!”

Even though he called out to his Pokémon, Nando knew the battle was over. Once Cordelia’s assault ceased, Hawlucha was lying still in a pile of shredded feathers and silk.

“Hawlucha is unable to battle!” announced the maid, confirming what was already obvious. “The winner is Sigilyph, and victory goes to Matt!”

“I… I did it…” Matt said, staring blankly ahead. “Maybe I’ll find something out after all…”

Nando, meanwhile, approached his fallen Hawlucha and lowered himself to take the Pokémon in his arms. “You gave it your all, Hawlucha. Do not find shame in your loss.”

“Lucha…” replied the Fighting-and-Flying-type. He curled up comfortably in his trainer’s arms.

“Rest up for your next performance. You’ll win then.” After sending Hawlucha back to the safety of his Poké Ball, Nando stood. “Well done, Matt. You completely overwhelmed my tactics.”

“I… I don’t know how I did it…” Matt was still frozen in shock, and could barely speak. “You were so much better…”

“Your Pokémon fought fiercely. I saw belief in what they fought for in every move. Perhaps you’re not fully perceiving it yet?”

“I’ll have to ask Nikolai if that’s true…” Matt thought.

“Anyway, I wish you the best of luck in your battle with the Cafe Diva. I must be off for my own challenge battles. We’ll meet again!”

Nando turned around and walked off the stage, playing an upbeat tune on his harp. Matt didn’t snap out of his daze until he was approached by one of the maids.

“As you’ve fulfilled your challenge requirement,” she said to him, “your next match will be against the Cafe Diva. You’ve won one hundred Cafe Points for finishing this battle with one Pokémon left, so you have a total of nine hundred points in reserve. Please return to your table and await your match with the Frontier Brain.”

“Uh...right, thanks.”

Bunny and Monroe were standing as Matt returned to the table. She went right up to him and said, “You really have to stop doubting yourself! Not everyone could have done that!”

“Bunny’s right,” Monroe agreed. “I think I even learned something watching that.”

“I really didn’t do anything special…” Matt responded, shrinking back from the compliments.

“No, they’re right,” Dante interjected. He didn’t stand, instead gently tossing his cane back and forth between his hands while he spoke. “Your opponent was an entrant in multiple Pokémon League and Grand Festival tournaments. Not someone to be trifled with.” Catching his cane in his right hand, he locked eyes with Matt and said, “I apologize for my words earlier. I can see now I was getting too big for my britches telling you that facing Polaris was a danger. I misjudged you. If anyone can lead a resistance to their plan, it’s you.”

Matt laughed weakly and gripped the strap of his bag. “I’m flattered, but really, I wouldn’t say I lead anything against them…”

“Sometimes the strongest leaders are those who aren’t even recognized as such, even by themselves,” Dante said with a smile. “Now go on, face the Frontier Brain. I want to be even more impressed.”

-:-

Zager’s laboratory filled with the sound of Pierce’s heavy boots striking the floor as the agent entered. He was carrying a case in his right hand, and there were traces of frost on his face, coat and hair.

“Pierce!” Zager came dashing out from a side room when he heard his visitor, and Galvantula emerged from underneath his table in the main lab. “I’ve been waiting for you! Please, show me what you’ve brought.”

“As per Giovanni’s command, the small piece of the Meteonite that we managed to steal from Polaris.”

Pierce stiffly extended his arm, and Zager accepted the case from him. The two Team Rocket members then walked together to Zager’s computer console. Galvantula followed, so Pierce turned around and leaned down to pet her.

“I’m glad to see you too, Galvantula. Sorry I didn’t bring you any Poké Puffs this time.”

“She only just finished that huge lot you gave her last time,” Zager said, not turning from his work setting up the Meteonite piece on a machine. “She’s not getting any younger. It’s bad enough she ate half of Ariana’s doughnuts.”

“Yes, forgive me…” Pierce awkwardly stood up, then returned to Zager’s side. He reached into his coat pocket, retrieved the flash drive and set it on the computer. “Giovanni and Rosalie also requested I bring this. It’s the data extracted from the Purine Base’s computers. We need you to decrypt it and see if you can learn anything about their plan.”

Zager gulped. “I’ll have a look…”

-:-

The car Zinzolin had used to flee Goldenrod City’s plaza after Team Rocket attacked his speech tore north through the streets of Ecruteak City. A Polaris member was driving while the old man sat in the passenger seat with his arms crossed and his eyes tightly closed. Beads of sweat ran down his forehead, brought on by his thoughts of having to go before Ghetsis.

When the car reached the Bell Tower temple, it stopped. Zinzolin took a deep breath to compose himself before getting out, but what he wasn’t aware of as he walked inside was that three trenchcoat-wearing figures were watching him from the trees.

“Well, well,” Jessie said to James and Meowth “the iceman cometh.”

“And he led us right to Ghetsis,” James added. “I’d put our last paycheck on that shrine being his base.”

“Come on, we gotta tell the boss about this!” Meowth pulled on the suitcase in James’s hand. “We keep making him happy and we’ll be at the top in no time!”

-:-

“I’m very disappointed in you, Zinzolin,” Ghetsis growled, clutching the handle of his cane in one hand and the armrest of his throne in the other. Zinzolin was bowing before him, noticeably trembling even under his heavy coat. “You had a very simple task. Present our ideals to the people of Goldenrod City in preparation for the speech I’m going to give here. And yet some relics of the past like Team Rocket disrupted you?!”

Zinzolin clutched at his coat. His back was breaking, but he knew that if he straightened up, the consequences would be dire. “Flash polling suggests that our ideals have still taken hold, Lord Ghetsis. Team Rocket’s interference caused only minimal harm.”

Ghetsis turned his head up so he could glare down at the old man cowering in front of him. “And what gives you the idea that any harm at all is acceptable? Perhaps you do not recall who you serve, Zinzolin. You do not serve that idiot Finansielle, or even Father. He calls himself a leader and yet he fears showing himself… No, you serve only me, Ghetsis, the perfect ruler who will inherit this world in the name of Harmonia. What have you got to say for yourself?”

“I… I dealt with them,” Zinzolin stuttered. “I was ambushed, but I did what I could…”

“Team Rocket’s members are not trembling at my feet and awaiting their judgment. You are. Does that make it sound like what you could do was enough? Perfect? Tell me, have you lost all hope? What punishment do you think you deserve for your failure?”

Zinzolin’s skin ran cold. He knew exactly what Ghetsis was capable of, and feared that things had gone past the point where anything he could say would help. “A...Anything you decide, Lord Ghetsis…”

“Pray to whatever you can that my judgment will be merciful. Begone.”

After struggling to stand, Zinzolin hobbled out of Ghetsis’s chamber, his mind consumed with fear. “Just allow me to see the speech…”

Once Zinzolin was gone, Ghetsis relaxed. A moment later, Darkness of the Shadow Triad appeared next to him.

“Very well done, Lord Ghetsis. If I may ask, have you decided upon a punishment for his failure?”

“You just watched me give it to him. Now what is it?”

A look of awe and respect briefly flashed through Darkness’s eyes. “I have received word that Team Plasma’s Trojan horse has arrived in Ecruteak City, Lord Ghetsis.”

“Establish contact with her at once,” Ghetsis ordered. He then turned upward, allowing the light of his video screen to sparkle in his eye. “The two Tenganist witches, Professor Elm, the Clear Bell and our Trojan horse… we now have everything we need. Polaris and this entire world will fall at my feet.”

-:-

“Dalian, use Thief!”

“Minccino, counter it with Tail Slap!”

Nekou and Olivia were out in the grass of the park, not far from the Battle Cafe. They had all of their Pokémon out from their Poké Balls for the training they were conducting, with Minccino and Dalian the Gothorita currently sparring. While they dashed at each other, the other Pokémon were clustered together, watching from the sidelines. Mr. Mime was the only one separate from them, sitting off by himself.

“Snea…” Marie snickered as she watched Minccino and Dalian bat at each other.

Picking up on the passive aggression Marie was showing, Olivia’s Roselia turned and hissed at her. Marie brought her claw to her mouth and simply laughed back, mocking the incensed Grass-and-Poison-type.

“Sneasel, snea. Snea ea sel…”

Roselia stared in awe of Marie’s bad attitude, but Dewott was upset by how she was insulting Minccino. He pulled one of his shells from his legs and drew a Razor Shell with it, which he then angrily swung at Marie. She nonchalantly batted the weapon away with her False Swipe, then turned to her companions, Edgar the Duskull, Lenore the Murkrow and Nekou’s Zorua.

“Sel!”

Edgar and Zorua laughed along with Marie at her prompting, while Lenore audibly groaned. Among Olivia’s Pokémon, Herdier turned away, while Roselia continued to fume. Dewott’s anger only increased with Marie’s behavior.

“Dewott!” he cried, bringing out his other Razor Shell.

“Krab! Krabby!”

Though he was still a new addition to the team, Krabby was comfortable enough to try getting between Dewott and Marie, holding them apart with his claws.

“What are you all doing?!” Olivia had finally taken notice of the Pokémon fighting, and broke off her training to run over to them. “What is this?”

The Pokémon all turned up to face Olivia and Nekou, who stepped up alongside her friend. Their responses to her scolding were sharply divided by group. Olivia’s own Pokémon seemed apologetic for the argument, aside from Dewott, who kept grumbling to himself as he retrieved his shells. Nekou’s Pokémon, on the other hand, all looked smug. Only Lenore showed even a hint of embarrassment.

“Marie, were you ****ing with them?” Nekou asked, though she didn’t even need to wait for a reply before turning to Olivia. “She does this all the time, breaking the balls of other Pokémon. She doesn’t mean it, it’s all fun to her.”

“Is that true?” Olivia demanded of Marie, putting her fists on her hips. Marie just snickered once more, prompting Olivia to say, “You little sneak. Although, it doesn’t shock me much given who your trainer is.”

Both Olivia and Nekou laughed, but their cheer was short-lived once they noticed Mr. Mime, who was still sitting alone.

“What’s up with Mr. Mime?” Nekou wondered. “He’s looking out of sorts.”

“I… I’m not sure. Do you think that he’s upset over losing before?”

While Olivia and Nekou continued discussing the circumstances, they were unaware of a pair of dark eyes watching them. A cloud-like yellow shape shifted through a nearby patch of grass, attempting to get a better view.

“Mareep…”

-:-

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the head maid announced from the center of the stage, “we now present the main performance of today’s Battle Cafe event! Entering on the challenger’s side, Matt from Snowpoint City!”

A spotlight went up on the left-hand side of the stage, illuminating a path for Matt as he was escorted by the waitress who provided the menus. He cringed under the pressure of the audience’s loud cheering and lowered his head, finding himself missing the hat he’d lost on the train. He did, however, find some comfort when he saw his group’s table. Monroe and Bunny were applauding, while Dante smiled supportively.

“Matt, it’s now time for you to make your final selection.” After handing Matt the menu tablet, the maid said to him, “This round will work a little differently from the others. Because your opponent has already been determined, you will decide which of three pieces of information you would like to purchase about them. Please have a look.”

Matt looked down at the options he was being given. For three hundred Cafe Points he could learn the types of one of the Cafe Diva’s Pokémon, two moves of one for Pokémon for five hundred points, or the name of a single Pokémon for seven hundred.

“Well, I can afford any of these, so I think I have to take what sounds like the best one,” he said with a shrug. “The name of a Pokémon.”

“Very well.” The waitress took back the tablet, then said to him, “The Cafe Diva will be using an Azumarill in your battle with her. Good luck.”

“Did she say Azumarill?” Monroe asked Bunny as Matt got ready on the stage.

“Yeah. He should be well-equipped to deal with a Water-type, since he has Eelektrik plus Hitmonchan and Sigilyph with Electric and Grass moves.”

The spotlights went down on the stage before the head maid began speaking again.

“And now… the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Honorable guests of the Battle Cafe, we now present to you the one you came to see! Our leader and Frontier Brain, the one and only… Cafe Diva Lyra!”

All the lights went on at once, in perfect sync with an eruption of cheering from the crowd. Matt didn’t become nervous, though; instead, he just slouched when he saw Lyra coming up the stairs toward him.

“I knew it was her,” he sighed.

“Thank you!” Lyra shouted, waving to the crowd. “Thanks, everyone! Aw, you’re all so sweet! I love all of you!” She shifted her attention to Matt and fixed an intense gaze on him. “I had a feeling I’d get to face you from the moment we met. Thorton told me to watch out for you.”

“How would he know? I never even got to battle him.”
 

The Great Butler

Hush, keep it down
“He said you showed enough ingenuity to take down a Tornadus and only lost to foreign Pokémon you probably haven’t seen before.” Lyra put her hands on her hips and demanded, “Are you saying you’re going to disappoint me?”

“Don’t get your hopes up…”

“If you don’t think you can win, why did you come here?”

“Because I’m looking for Reshiram,” Matt immediately answered, a sudden surge of confidence flooding through him. “I figured trainers gathered from all over would be able to give me information, so Frontier Brains seemed natural to approach.”

“You’re a funny guy, you know that?” Lyra said with a playful wink. “I never thought anyone would come here looking for a Pokémon from Unova. But enough talk. Let’s get started!”

“The challenger, Matt, versus the Cafe Diva, Lyra!” announced the referee maid. “Send out your first Pokémon!”

“Alright, it’s showtime for us! Come on out, Ninjask!”

“Rocky, make your mark!”

“What is that boy up to?” Dante wondered aloud, seeing Matt’s Hitmonchan come out to face Lyra’s Ninjask. “Did he forget his bloody type matchups?”

“Bug-and-Flying is pretty nasty against Fighting,” Bunny admitted, “but I think he’s got some kind of plan. He must.”

“The first round is Hitmonchan versus Ninjask! Begin the battle!”

Lyra wasted no time in giving her first order, saying it as she clicked her heel on the floor. “Ninjask, Swords Dance!”

“I thought you might do something like that. Rocky, Role Play!”

Ninjask was surrounded by swords of light that flowed into her body, much like Nando’s Pokémon had been earlier. Rocky made no attempt to even approach her, instead, he stared at her and allowed light to flash in his eyes. A blue aura enveloped them both shortly afterward.

“Clever, that’s simply so clever!” Lyra complimented. “Stealing my Speed Boost like that… maybe I can be as rough as I’d like to be with you!”

“I’d expect nothing less from a Frontier Brain.” Raising his head, Matt directed, “Thunder Punch!”

“Ninjask, use Protect!”

Rocky lunged through the air toward Ninjask at a high speed, but the Bug-and-Flying-type’s reaction was too fast. She put up a shield of green light in front of herself, and the Thunder Punch bounced harmlessly off of it. As the two Pokémon separated, their blue auras got slightly more intense.

“Alright, Ninjask, it’s time to kick this into high gear! Baton Pass!”

A bright flash burst from Ninjask’s body, and she turned into energy that returned itself to her Poké Ball. Matt grimaced as he watched Lyra take out another Poké Ball, which was glowing with the same light that Ninjask had flashed, and threw it.

A Typhlosion burst out from the new Poké Ball and roared toward the ceiling.

“I knew as soon as I saw Ninjask you’d be setting up power-ups to throw onto another Pokémon… and now I know all three Pokémon on your team! Rocky, Thunder Punch!”

Using all the strength in his legs, Rocky sprang at Typhlosion and hit the Fire-type across the face with his sparking right fist. He then retreated back toward Matt in order to prevent Typhlosion from quickly counterattacking at close range.

“Well played, Matt!” Lyra took a sharp breath, and her body shuddered. “I love it when challengers put their brains into it! Give me an Eruption, Typhlosion!”

Typhlosion instantly straightened up, his muscles full of energy thanks to the Speed Boosts he’d been given by Ninjask. A ring of flame ignited around his neck, and a number of fireballs erupted from it. They flew high into the air before threatening to rain down on Rocky.

“And now I’m glad I took Speed Boost for myself. Rocky, go for it!”

After quickly nodding to acknowledge his trainer’s direction, Rocky shot off toward Typhlosion, his body turning into a blue blur due to his newfound speed. The fireballs descended around him, but he sidestepped every one, leaving each to strike the floor and explode uselessly. Both Lyra and the crowd murmured in surprise at the Hitmonchan’s skillful movements.

“Alright! Now use Drain Punch!”

Before Typhlosion could react, Rocky was upon him. When the uppercut Rocky aimed at Typhlosion’s jaw connected, the Fire-type was thrown up and back, ultimately falling backward.

Lyra bit her lip. “So it’s a close fight we’re going to have, I see. I can’t stop getting excited!” Tightening her fist, she called out, “Show him what you’ve got, Typhlosion! Wild Charge!”

Typhlosion rolled onto his stomach and charged at Rocky, his body becoming cloaked in electricity. Rocky had started to turn away, so Typhlosion’s sudden lashing out caught him by surprise. With Matt unable to react quickly enough, Rocky simply swung his fist and tried to catch Typhlosion.

When Rocky’s punch collided with Typhlosion’s head, the Fire-type’s trajectory was thrown off. He didn’t hit his opponent cleanly, and the two of them ended up being tangled up as they rolled toward Matt.

“Break away by using Thunder Punch on the floor!”

The thrust of Rocky’s punch combined with the burst of electricity pulled him from Typhlosion and pushed him several feet into the air. Typhlosion stumbled, but quickly recovered.

“Oh no you don’t!” Lyra exclaimed, pointing at Rocky. “You won’t get away from me that easily! Shadow Claw!”

“Meet it with Drain Punch!” Matt’s reaction was automatic. The continued chatter of the crowd was starting to leave his mind as he focused on the action before him, to the point where he was developing tunnel vision.

Rocky spun in midair and descended toward Typhlosion, meeting Lyra’s Pokémon’s Shadow Claw with his own glowing punch. They collided in a shower of sparks, and Rocky deftly backflipped away.

“Keep it up!” both Matt and Lyra ordered at the same time.

As soon as he landed, Rocky rushed right back into the fight. He bobbed and weaved around Typhlosion, trying to avoid the dark slashes aimed at him. At first, they exchanged an equal number of blows, and their bodies quickly accrued the physical signs of such.

The fight had become an impromptu boxing match, and as Rocky and Typhlosion sparred, the blue glow of the former’s Speed Boost steadily grew. Before long, Rocky was steadily outpacing Typhlosion and escaping his swings with little effort. At Matt’s table, Bunny and Monroe were enraptured with the unfolding duel, much like the crowds around them. Dante had even leaned forward on his cane to get a better look.

“This is exciting, but…” Lyra’s words were punctuated by heavy breathing, “...I think it’s about time I put you in your place! Typhlosion, Wild Charge!”

Matt smirked. “I knew you’d have to do something differently eventually. Thunder Punch!”

As soon as Typhlosion stopped and covered his body in electricity, Rocky charged in. The combination of the energy from the two Pokémon and their respective moves caused an explosion that violently threw them apart.

“Please work… If this doesn’t pan out, I’ve got nothing left up my sleeve…” The smoke started to lift, and the two Pokémon came into view. Both of them were still standing, though they were panting weakly. Matt’s thoughts instantly turned bitter when he saw this. “****! Without this, I can’t…”

He was cut off when Typhlosion’s legs gave out, dropping the Fire-type Pokémon to the floor. Lyra urged Typhlosion to get back up, and he tried, but there was just not enough strength left in his body. He collapsed, leaving Rocky standing battered but victorious over him.

Lyra gasped, but it was drowned out by the cheering from the crowd.

“Typhlosion is unable to battle!” the maid announced from mid-field. “Hitmonchan is the winner!”

“Well that’s one down,” Bunny sighed as she slumped over the table. “Ninjask and Azumarill to go.”

“I didn’t think he’d be able to pull it off…” Monroe said.

“Think about it, young man,” Dante explained, “during their fighting, Hitmonchan struck with Drain Punch several times. That gave it the stamina necessary to outlast its enemy.”

“You’re good…” Lyra said, continuing her heavy breathing as she recalled Typhlosion. “A lot of challengers get swept up in my Eruption once Typhlosion has the Speed Boosts… I see I’ll have to try something a little special with you. Ninjask, come back out and use Aerial Ace!”

Lyra’s Ninjask erupted from the Poké Ball she threw, and before she even had fully formed, she shot forward like a rocket.

“Ice Punch!”

Even with all his speed, Rocky couldn’t react fast enough to Ninjask’s assault. He barely had his arm pulled back before she collided with him, cutting him down in one swift movement.

“Hitmonchan is unable to battle! The winner is Ninjask!”

Matt took a deep breath, releasing what tension he could. He had hoped to take down a majority of Lyra’s team using Rocky’s attacks supplemented by Speed Boost, but he was able to relax slightly without having to worry any further about Rocky doing it alone. His nerves tightened again, however, when he saw the blue glow of Ninjask’s ability beginning to brighten once more.

“Oh, right, you still have it…” He held up Rocky’s Poké Ball and recalled the fallen Fighting-type, then threw another. “Charlotte, make your mark!”

When she appeared from the Poké Ball, Charlotte shook herself out as she floated. Her eyes eventually settled on Ninjask, and when they did, she let out a hiss.

“An Electric-type against one that’s partially Flying,” Monroe mused. “This might go a bit better.”

“But Ninjask’s getting powered up with Speed Boost again,” Bunny reminded him, waving her finger.

Matt shut his eye and pinched his nose, once again well aware of the threat he was facing. In an attempt to soothe his nerves, he tried to make small talk with Lyra. “I certainly get why you’re a Frontier Brain. Looks like you’re having a blast, too…”

“You bet I am…” Lyra’s words failed to fully convey how much excitement she really was feeling, but her posture made up for it. She had become slack, standing hunched over with her arms hanging limply at her sides. She was still breathing erratically as she spoke. “It’s not every day someone comes in here and shows off like this…”

“I...I…” Matt’s uncovered eye went wide with exasperation at Lyra’s actions. “...I’m not showing off. I’m just…”

“Shut up and keep going!” she snapped.

Matt sighed, then pointed forward. “Alright, then… Charlotte, Charge Beam!”

“Ninjask… Swords Dance!”

Swords Dance’s glowing swords of light surrounded Ninjask and started circling her. The ray of electricity that Charlotte fired broke through one of them, but the rest remained intact and flowed into Ninjask’s body. She shook herself off as the blue aura intensified, not hurt much by Charge Beam despite her weakness.

“Oh, ****…” Matt groaned. “I have to slow that thing down or I’ll never be able to stop it… Charlotte, use Thunder Wave!”

Lyra grabbed at her collar and cried out, “Protect!”

Matt gasped and stepped forward with his right leg, but there was nothing he could do to stop the scene unfolding before him. The shield of green light that Ninjask encased herself in absorbed the pulse Charlotte sent her way, nullifying its effect completely, and Ninjask’s aura got brighter the moment the shield went down.

“Oh, yes, Ninjask, that’s exactly what I wanted!” Lyra shrieked, briefly spinning around on her heel. “Come on back now! Baton Pass!”

Lyra held up Ninjask’s Poké Ball, and after flashing brightly, the Bug-and-Flying-type Pokémon returned to it. She then spun around and threw her last remaining Poké Ball, finally releasing her Azumarill.

“And there it is…” Matt said out loud to himself. “Powered up with Swords Dance and Speed Boost… the one thing I can do is slow it down! Thunder Wave!”

“Go on, my darling,” Lyra ordered with a wink, “show that thing a taste of your Superpower! Go full throttle!”

Charlotte released another electric pulse, but Azumarill simply charged right into it. The electricity brought paralysis onto her, however, she kept charging forward. Once Azumarill got within reach of Charlotte, she struck the Electric-type with a double punch that sent its helpless victim crashing into a wall several feet away.

“What? How?!”

“Huge Power,” Lyra explained as Charlotte fell, wide-eyed, out of the wall. “Azumarill’s Ability. Surely you didn’t forget it has one, right?”

“That’s right…” Matt weakly answered, going slack-jawed as he spoke. “An Ability that…”

“It takes the power I came in with and dials it up all the way to twelve!” Lyra interrupted. “So what do you think? Behind the facade of this cutie lies the true terror of the Cafe Diva!”

“Eelektrik is unable to battle!” the refereeing maid finally announced. “The winner is Azumarill!”

“She’s bloodthirsty…” Bunny said, her own mouth hanging open.

“Bloodthirsty?” Dante scoffed. “More like totally bloody insane. Do you see the physical arousal she’s getting from this?” Lowering his head, he mumbled to himself, “Bloody disgusting, this show of hers. And young people look up to Frontier Brains…”

Once again, Matt found himself shaking. Having recalled Charlotte, he now held his last Poké Ball, but felt so weak that he feared he’d drop it.

“I… I have to do this…” he stuttered to himself. “I just have to get through Azumarill. Then I bet I can stop Ninjask when I have it alone…”

“Aw, what’s the matter?” Lyra taunted, leaning forward menacingly. “Don’t tell me you’re going to wimp out now. You brought me this far, seal the deal.”

“If you say so…” Matt felt unsteady on his feet, so he spread them apart to balance himself before limply tossing the Poké Ball. “Cordelia, make your mark!”

“And so now I get to meet the Sigilyph that’s been running up the ranks here,” Lyra said. “It feels right, the final climax being this and all. You know?”

“I...I guess?” Matt took a step back. “She’s too… erratic? I don’t know. Whatever it is, it’s impossible to get a stable read on her. She could do anything.” Raising his arm into the air, he called, “Energy Ball!”

While she wasn’t immobilized, the paralysis slowed Azumarill enough that she couldn’t simply run away from the Energy Ball as she wished. She got out of its direct path, but it clipped her on the side, causing her to stumble.

“Looks like I better finish up myself if you aren’t able.” Lyra’s face flushed as she issued her next command. “It’s the most thrilling point yet, so let’s throw everything on the table! Azumarill, Belly Drum!”

Regaining her composure, Azumarill began striking her stomach with her arms in a rhythmic fashion. A bright red glow enveloped her, and her expression only grew more intense with each passing second.

“He better have something up his sleeve right now to stop that thing…” Bunny said out loud to Monroe and Dante.

“Maximized attack power… plus the boost of Huge Power…” Matt’s arms hung at his sides as he let the reality of his situation sink in. “Cordelia, we have to win this right now or never. Energy Ball!”

“I won’t let you!!” Lyra beamed. “Azumarill, claim victory! Aqua Jet!”

Cordelia started to form another orb of green energy, but she never had the time to finish. Azumarill, in full defiance of her paralysis, surrounded herself with water and shot like a rocket at Cordelia. When they collided, Cordelia was violently thrown back at an upward angle, eventually crashing into the rafters. She went limp as she fell to the floor, where she rolled over to reveal a huge bruise directly on the center of her body.

“No way…” Matt gasped, watching Cordelia in shock while Lyra let out an ecstatic groan.

“Sigilyph is unable to battle!” The maid had to scream to be heard over the roar of the crowd. “The winner is Azumarill, and victory goes to the Cafe Diva, Lyra!”

“That’s it then…” Matt mumbled to himself, barely able to hear his own words thanks to the audience’s continued reaction. He stood still and stared into space for a long moment before turning and walking deliberately to where Cordelia had fallen. Leaning down to her as she awoke, he smiled as well as he could and said, “You gave a hell of a show out there today. Everyone did. Remind me to treat you all tonight, you guys earned it.”

Cordelia responded with a weak chirp, and Matt recalled her to her Poké Ball. As he stood back up, he could hear Lyra clapping as she approached him from behind.

“That… that was fun, all things considered!”

Slowly turning to face her, Matt replied, “I thought you’d say that. So much for finding out about Reshiram, I guess.”

“Oh, I’ll still talk to you,” Lyra cheerfully said. “You just gotta give me time to finish up my battles for the day.”

-:-

“Krabby, give me a Bubble Beam!”

“Edgar, Blizzard!”

A brisk breeze blew over the National Park as Olivia and Nekou continued their training, rustling the grass and leaves around them. From her vantage point, the Mareep watched them, as she had been doing the entire time. As she observed the attacks used by the Krabby and Duskull cancel each other out, she smirked to herself.

Seeing that Bubble Beam hadn’t been effective, Olivia started to give another direction to Krabby. However, Nekou cut her off.

“That’s enough for today,” she said, stretching her neck. “”I’m starving, and I’m sure you must be too.”

“You know…” A sudden growl from her stomach made Olivia realize just how hungry she really was. The training had completely distracted her. “That’s a good idea,” she replied with a weak laugh.

With an agreement reached, Nekou and Olivia sent all of their Pokémon back to their Poké Balls with the exception of Marie, who climbed up on Nekou’s back and hid under her hair.

“I wonder how Matt is doing at his challenge,” Nekou said once Olivia had started walking next to her. She winked and asked, “Think he ****ed it up yet?”

“Who knows. Maybe he’s got a shot, if he keeps going like he went against me…”

Immediately picking up on the tone of Olivia’s voice, Nekou questioned, “Are you alright? Is something wrong?”

Olivia did not answer right away, and there was a short, tense silence between them. “I just… I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. What is the point of all of this?”

“You said you wanted to **** up Polaris, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but…” After a brief hesitation, Olivia said, “I don’t really feel like I know why I’m doing it. I mean, I know I said I wanted to do it because my dad would have, but… knowing he’s gone now, something about that just feels so pointless. Who am I really trying to impress? A dead guy? What’s the point…”

As they walked, Nekou set her hand on Olivia’s shoulder. “This might be tough for you to think about right now, but what I’ll tell you is that you have to live for yourself and nobody else. You’re the only one who can truly give yourself what you need.”

“I… I guess you’re right.” A small smile crept onto Olivia’s face. “Nekou, when we get to Ecruteak City, would you do something for me?”

“Sure, what?”

“Buy me a Pokégear. I have something I want to do…”

-:-

In the woods on the Ecruteak outskirts, Jessie, James and Meowth stood rigidly before a projection of Giovanni generated by the R-Pad. Wobbuffet, Vivillon and Inkay were nearby.

“Boss, sir, we’ve confirmed Ghetsis’s location,” Jessie reported.

“He’s holed up in the gateway shrine leading to the Bell Tower,” James added.

“Hm, I see…” Giovanni shut his eyes and took a breath. “I am on my way to Ecruteak right now with everyone but Rosalie. Stand by until we arrive. I fear we must consider it a certainty that Ghetsis’s true ambition is the Bell Tower.”

“Wait, Boss, don’t go yet!” Meowth blurted out before the transmission ended. “We got you another Pokémon for the army we’re gonna use to knock Polaris off!”

“What?”

“Jessie, show him!”

At Meowth’s urging, Jessie took the Poké Ball off her belt and released the Goomy. He simply sat still once he appeared, not even making a sound.

“It’s a Goomy,” James explained. “We found it on our way here.”

“Goomy’s a Dragon-type Pokémon from Kalos,” Ada could be heard saying in the background, her words punctuated by the sound of her typing. “Evolves twice, into Sliggoo and Goodra.”

“I see. What is it capable of?”

“It knows Body Slam, Sludge Bomb, Flail, and…” Jessie hesitated, recalling how violently they had been attacked. “...Draco Meteor.”

“Goo…” The Pokémon began to slowly turn around. He glared dramatically at Jessie and James before launching himself toward Meowth and biting onto his head. “Goomy!”

“Aah!” Meowth screamed, clawing at his head as he ran off. “Go goom off somewhere else, you!”

In the projection, Giovanni scowled. “Do you have this under control?” he growled.

“Uh, yes, of course!” Jessie floundered. She used the Poké Ball to call Goomy back off of Meowth’s head. While he stumbled to the ground and rubbed his head, she continued, “We’re just socializing Goomy, that’s all!”

“Yeah, you can count on us, Giovanni, sir!” James hastily added.

“Don’t screw it up!”

With that last warning from Giovanni, the transmission cut out. James and Jessie both sighed as they turned to each other.

“You know, Jessie, we do have to do something if that Goomy won’t listen to us. We can’t rely on Wobbuffet forever.”

“Tell me something I don’t know. I shouldn’t have had to put Wobbuffet against a wild Pokémon in the first place!”

“Hey!” Meowth shouted. “Did you two forget that I just got bit by that little slimeball?”

-:-

Giovanni leaned back in his chair in the car once the conversation was over.

“Sometimes I still wonder about promoting those three…”

Another holographic screen suddenly appeared. Rosalie was on the other end of this one, and her face was blank.

“Giovanni, is Ariana there?” she asked.

“I’m right here,” Ariana spoke up.

Rosalie took a deep breath, then swallowed. “I’ve got something I need to tell you, and I don’t know how…”

-:-

Hours later, the setting sun cast a warm, orange glow over the National Park and the Battle Cafe. The dining areas were bathed in the light shining through their floor-to-ceiling windows.

Matt’s table had become much more crowded over that time. Besides Nekou and Olivia returning from training, Nando and Lyra had also joined them. Over their dinner, they had been discussing the events of the day.

“It is unfortunate that you did not manage to defeat the Cafe Diva,” Nando said after hearing of the rest of Matt’s challenge. “However, I did accomplish the deed. We should battle again someday to learn which of us is really stronger.”

“I’d be up for that,” Matt replied. “It was exhilarating fighting you.”

“And Miss Olivia, I hear that you and Matt actually did battle, and you managed to defeat one of his Pokémon.”

“That’s right!” Olivia beamed. “I didn’t manage to get far, but it’s a step, right?”

“Indeed it is. I look forward to the day when we can battle each other as equals ourselves.”

“You better get ready for her to wreck your ****!” Nekou laughed between sips of beer.

Nando simply reacted with a smile, as did Bunny. Monroe remained silent, and Dante grimaced.

Lyra took one of the small, square hamburgers off her plate and tossed it to her Typhlosion, who was eating from a bowl of Pokémon food next to the table. She then said, “So, Matt, what exactly is your deal with Reshiram?”

“Well…” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I’m looking for Reshiram because I know of the legends surrounding it. They say that Reshiram’s flames burn to reveal the truth, and there are some truths I must know. I’ve spoken to Dante before about it, and he’s told me I’ve got to locate the Light Stone that will lead me to Reshiram by putting an overwhelming amount of effort into finding the truth.”

“Is that true?” Lyra asked. Her question was followed by a loud sip from the strawberry milkshake she was drinking.

“It is,” Dante answered.

“Then I hate to say it, Matt, but you’re out of luck. I don’t know anything.” When she saw Matt slump in his chair, she quickly added, “Don’t worry though! You’re going to the Battle Hall, right? Talk to the Hall Matron, the Frontier Brain of that place. Kate has been all over the world to perform, so she knows way more than I do.”

“Thank you.”

“Hey, bard boy.” Nekou sat with her arms crossed, recalling a conversation she’d had with Giovanni earlier in the day. He had contacted her from Olivine City before she had left Goldenrod City with Matt. “You know all about legends, right? Can you tell me about something called the Oberon?”

Nando turned his head to her and saw that Bunny, Monroe and Olivia were also staring at him in interest. Dante, Matt and Lyra also fixed their attention on the conversation, especially Dante. He played a brief chord on his harp, then began speaking.

“I know but a little. The Oberon is a part of the tale of the Tenganist king AZ, ruler of the Kalos region of three thousand years ago. They say that it was a great treasure he possessed that was passed down to humans from Arceus itself. Furthermore, it is said that the Oberon granted AZ power over a type of Pokémon that is unlike nothing that exists today. His most beloved partner was one of these Pokémon, a Pokémon said to be from the realm of fairies. That is why, in the performance describing this tale, he is described as Oberon, the king of the fairies, while Titania, his queen, is representative of AZ’s beloved Pokémon.”

“A Pokémon like a fairy…” Olivia said in wonder. “Like Clefairy? I don’t understand.”

“But what exactly is the treasure called the Oberon?” Nekou questioned.

“Unfortunately, I do not know of its true identity. However, I can guide you to someone who does. The famous Kimono Girls of Ecruteak City are very traditional Tenganist practitioners. They will be able to tell you the entire story.”

-:-

Meanwhile, Pierce stood before Stacia in Team Rocket’s secret headquarters, having delivered the crate of Pokémon. Giovanni’s assistant was stone-faced as she analyzed the contents of the container using a holographic tablet.

“All the Pokémon that were reported to me have been confirmed,” she said once she was done. When Pierce reached down and collected several Poké Balls, she coldly warned, “Do not disobey Giovanni. Do you have authorization to take some of these Pokémon?”

“They’re for our army to defeat Polaris and take over the world. Naturally, I should put them to use for that purpose in Ecruteak City.” Pierce turned and started to walk away, but he stopped and looked over his shoulder. “What is coming is unlike anything Team Rocket has ever faced before. The danger is very real. Whatever happens, promise me you will continue to survive.”

Though her facade didn’t break, Stacia was dumbfounded at Pierce’s strange words. She could only stare at him as he left.

-:-

“Happy birthday, Olivia!”

“Blow out the candles and make a wish!”

Later that night in their room in Ecruteak City’s Pokémon Center, Olivia was sitting in the dark watching the old videos sent by Anabel. She clutched the blanket she had wrapped herself in, recalling the exact birthday party she was now watching once again. It had been her sixth, the last full year of peace she had living with her parents in their cottage.

After some time of seeing herself opening presents and celebrating, she had to close her eyes. A tear rolled down her face as her mind filled with both the images and voices of Rich and Anabel, as they were back in those happy times.

“I’m so proud of you, Olivia! Polaris collapsed because of you!”

“But I didn’t beat them alone, Dad,” she said aloud to the voices in her head. “Matt and Nekou and Bunny all helped me. A lot of people did.”

“It doesn’t matter, your father’s right. Your resolve to see it through is exactly what brought them down.”

“Does this mean I’m like you now?”

“You’re better than us. We’ve both made a lifetime’s worth of mistakes. You still have your entire life ahead of you. But for now, let’s go home.”

“Mom, Dad, thank you…”

Though Olivia was unaware, Matt was watching her converse with thin air from a doorway on the other side of the room.

“Is she alright?” Nekou asked him, suddenly appearing at his side.

“She’s hallucinating… or imagining, or something. She’s been sitting there talking to Rich and Anabel like they’re right here.”

“Should we do something?”

Matt put up his arm to stop Nekou from going into the room. “Not yet. I don’t think we should interrupt her right now. She might not be totally okay, but she needs to get out of her own head herself… When she wants to talk to you, go ahead.”

“Why don’t you think she’ll talk to you?”

Matt smiled, though his face thinly masked his sadness. “You get her in ways I’ve never been able to. I’m just a teacher to her, an authority figure. You were her first real friend and you were the only one she could go to after finding out Rich was gone.”

“I…” Nekou drew a short, sharp breath. “No way. There is no way I’m her first real friend.”

“I guess it’s not literally true, but in a sense, it kind of is. Rich and Anabel sheltered her and she had everything she needed through them, and I ended up being a fool and continuing that. Everyone she interacted with was through one filter or another. You didn’t know her or any of us, so I think she sees your friendship as genuine. I’d even go as far as to say she sees you as more of a big sister than a friend.”

An overwhelming wave of emotion washed over Nekou, and she had to run her hand down her face to fight it back. “Then… in that case, she might be my…”

“You know, it’s kind of funny,” Matt continued, having not heard her speaking. “In spite of everything I think I’d say you’re the glue that holds us all together. I would probably be dragging myself halfheartedly through this right now if you weren’t forcing me to step it up.”

“What are you talking about?” Nekou’s eyes were going wide. She wasn’t used to the kind of openness Matt was showing, and it left her on edge.

“Think about it,” he wistfully said, avoiding her gaze with his glistening eye. “I probably would have folded in Ilex Forest if I confronted Cassy alone. I’ve been spending years trying to forget her. Knowing you were there backing me up, that made me feel less afraid to confront her.”

“No way…” Nekou thought.

“And in Goldenrod, when I got stuck on that train. I never could have stopped it alone, and quite frankly, I don’t know if I even would have tried. Having you telling me not to give up and let myself die actually made me not want to.”

“No ****ing way…”

Not noticing Nekou take a step back, Matt kept talking. “I don’t get why, but you didn’t judge me for what I am, either. Someone who’s gotten a bunch of people killed and installed tons of robotics in his body instead of just letting himself die? You would have had every right to run like hell from me, but you didn’t. Just knowing that there’s someone who didn’t know me already who wasn’t afraid, that alone gives me strength sometimes.”

“And… you did the same thing after Union Cave. I almost… I almost killed you, and you didn’t act any differently around me. Like that **** in my head doesn’t even matter…”

“Why should it?” Matt said with a shrug. “I knew that wasn’t who you really are, and I’ve seen enough crazy **** in my life that something like that hardly affects me anymore. I know you saw yourself acting like a monster, but I saw someone who was terrified of the shell they’re trapped in. I might have ****ed it up with how I should have approached Olivia, but I couldn’t turn my back on someone in your position.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?!” Nekou stammered.

“Look at her out there.” Matt gestured toward Olivia, who was still wrapped in her blankets. “She has no real family anymore, not with her father dead and her mother one step above catatonic. I feel like I sympathize with her… I never have had much of a real family either.”

“What about Amanda?”

“If I got too close to her I’d drag her down. Look at how well she’s done for herself largely on her own and away from me… Anyway, my point is, both of us, right now we have the closest thing to a family we can have, you know? Me, her, you and Bunny. It’s not perfect but it works.”

Nekou felt another wave of emotion hit her. “In the end he’s just a sadsack piece of ****, just like I am… He really needed me, and I’ve been doing all of this… I’ve pretty much been doing it all to my own ****ing self…”

“I have to find out the truth,” Matt said, snapping her out of her daze. “There’s no way I can move on with my life until I finally put this to rest.

“Matt, I’ve got something to tell you. I’m…” The weight of what she was about to do hit Nekou, overriding her guilt and making her change her mind about admitting her identity. “...really worried about what Polaris is going to do next.”

“As we all are. We just can’t let them hurt anyone, but I have no idea what our next step is.”






END of CHAPTER 17
 

Bay

YEAHHHHHHH
Looking forward to see Nikolai’s chase when he makes it to Ecruteak City.

Nice to see Anabel again, even though she still hasn’t forgiven herself over Rich being gone. Slightly rough conversation between her and Olivia there. Also looks like Nekou’s guilt over betraying Olivia and the others is starting to catch up on her.

Matt and Nando’s battle overall is quite enjoyable to read, as expected. Some of my favorite parts:

Charlotte redoubled her efforts on Matt’s urging, and with the more intense flow of acid she used, she finally managed to burn the last of the threads away. However, just as she got free, Kricketune was on top of her. With a flowing motion he cut her twice in a brutal X-Scissor attack boosted by his earlier Swords Dance. Charlotte collapsed backward, two long gashes slashed into her sides.

“Eelektrik is unable to battle!” the refereeing maid announced over the roar of the crowd. “The winner is Kricketune!”
Poor Charlotte. :<

Nando was taken aback by this turn. “He must be intending to execute a plan… but what?” Once Kricketune had been freed from the Psychic, Nando said, “One more X-Scissor, if you please.”

With his arms once again shining brightly, Kricketune flew straight at Cordelia. This was, however, exactly what Matt expected.

“Ice Beam right now!”

Before Kricketune could deliver his blow, he was blasted back by a ray of freezing energy that Cordelia fired from her body. Ice formed on the edges of his arms and wings, impairing his movements.
Nicely done plan there.

“Rocky, use Role Play!”

Rocky and Ludicolo locked their gazes, and both Pokémon had their eyes flash. A tendril of grass appeared below Rocky’s feet and attempted to grab his leg, but the Hitmonchan avoided it by leaping agilely out of the way.

“Ah!” Nando exclaimed, his eyes briefly widening. “Clever, very much so. You used my strategy against me.”

“That’s right,” Matt replied, focusing in on the battle once more. “Now we both have Swift Swim, so we’re on even footing.”
Another cool use of Role Play. Unfortunate later on Ludicolo wins, though.

Hawlucha sprang off the pillar and dove straight toward the blades of air that were approaching him. Just before the collision, he spread his wings, catching the wind from his opponent’s attack and using it to propel himself upward.

“Flying Press!”

Straightening out his body, Hawlucha dropped himself into a body slam technique that Cordelia had no defense against. The two Flying-type Pokémon separated violently from each other, with Hawlucha using the impact force of his attack to throw himself into the lights above the battlefield.

Yay Hawlucha’s appearance and the move Flying Press. Indeed Nando does know Hawlucha’s potential.

“The Sticky Web!” Monroe realized.

Indeed, Hawlucha was carrying Cordelia straight for one of the traps of thread that had been on the battlefield all along. Matt saw this and immediately knew what to do.

“Cordelia…” he said, clenching his fist, “...flip and use Psychic!”

“Hawlucha, do not allow it!” Nando cried, realizing instantly what Matt was trying.

Hawlucha tried to hold onto Cordelia, but her violent flip combined with the influence of her Psychic caused him to lose his grasp. She threw him downward, straight into the Sticky Web he had been aiming for.
And Nando’s plan to have Cordelia be trapped in Sticky Web backfired.

Nando, meanwhile, approached his fallen Hawlucha and lowered himself to take the Pokémon in his arms. “You gave it your all, Hawlucha. Do not find shame in your loss.”

“Lucha…” replied the Fighting-and-Flying-type. He curled up comfortably in his trainer’s arms.
This is actually very cute. And I think that’s enough highlights, lol.

“No, they’re right,” Dante interjected. He didn’t stand, instead gently tossing his cane back and forth between his hands while he spoke. “Your opponent was an entrant in multiple Pokémon League and Grand Festival tournaments. Not someone to be trifled with.” Catching his cane in his right hand, he locked eyes with Matt and said, “I apologize for my words earlier. I can see now I was getting too big for my britches telling you that facing Polaris was a danger. I misjudged you. If anyone can lead a resistance to their plan, it’s you.”

Glad Dante realizes he was being tough before.

“She only just finished that huge lot you gave her last time,” Zager said, not turning from his work setting up the Meteonite piece on a machine. “She’s not getting any younger. It’s bad enough she ate half of Ariana’s doughnuts.”
The image of Galvantula eating doughnuts is both amusing and cute.

The interaction between Nekou and Olivia’s pokemon is pretty fun, although I’m a little worried over Mr. Mime being by himself there. Also hey Mareep! :p

Matt and Lyra’s battle is also fun to read even though he lost there. Really looks like the both of them were focusing a lot of their energy during the Hitmochan vs. Typhlosion match. Also some crazy stuff with Ninjask and Azumarill there. At least Lyra will still talk to Matt about Reshiram.

“Goo…” The Pokémon began to slowly turn around. He glared dramatically at Jessie and James before launching himself toward Meowth and biting onto his head. “Goomy!”

“Aah!” Meowth screamed, clawing at his head as he ran off. “Go goom off somewhere else, you!”
Goomy will sure be a fun addition, lol.

“I know but a little. The Oberon is a part of the tale of the Tenganist king AZ, ruler of the Kalos region of three thousand years ago. They say that it was a great treasure he possessed that was passed down to humans from Arceus itself. Furthermore, it is said that the Oberon granted AZ power over a type of Pokémon that is unlike nothing that exists today. His most beloved partner was one of these Pokémon, a Pokémon said to be from the realm of fairies. That is why, in the performance describing this tale, he is described as Oberon, the king of the fairies, while Titania, his queen, is representative of AZ’s beloved Pokémon.”
The new info of Oberon is neat here. Looks like off to see the Kimono Girls, then!

Matt’s speech to Nekou is very heartfelt, but ouch over her feeling guilty once more. The more she keeps it to herself the more it’ll hurt her inside (even though she needs to hide her identity).

Overall another great chapter there. Both battles are nicely done and I think Nekou is great. Looking forward to next chapter!
 

The Great Butler

Hush, keep it down
Coming soon…




The climax in Ecruteak City arrives!


First…

18: Winter of Discontent

As Matt’s group arrives in Ecruteak City, multiple plots unfold!

First, an unexpected development in Olivia’s team takes place, leading to a climactic showdown for the Fog Badge!

[Inside Ecruteak Gym, which is designed like a haunted mansion, Minccino runs through a room avoiding attacks from Gym Leader Morty’s Yamask.]

Nekou and Bunny pursue clues to the truth regarding the mysteries of the Tenganists and the Coronet Rosary!

[In the ruined basement of the Burned Tower, Bunny examines words written in an ancient language, recording her findings in a small notebook.]

Rivals old and new make their appearance!

[In a traditional hall, Avril and another girl - both dressed in kimonos - are battling. Avril uses her Staryu against the girl’s Eevee.]

[Olivia and Monroe are walking down the street of Ecruteak when they are suddenly accosted by Nikolai.]

At the Battle Hall, Matt pursues the best lead yet on Reshiram, but fifteen others stand in his way!

[On the street outside the Battle Hall, Colress smugly confronts Matt, Nekou and Bunny. Nekou is scowling intensely.]

[In a backstage waiting room at the Battle Hall, Silver confronts Giovanni face to face. A number of other trainers, including Matt, Nando, Trista and others, surround them.]

All leading to the Frontier Brain, Hall Matron Kate, and her shocking Pokemon!

[On the Battle Hall’s battlefield, Kate taps a small, multicolored stone fixed in the side of her sunglasses, causing it to glow brightly.]

“Will your star outshine mine? Here comes my showstopping final act! The power that comes from going beyond the limit of evolution… now, Mega Evolve!”




And then…

19 & 20: The Weight of the World (Part 1 and Part 2)

[All the members of Team Rocket other than Nekou and Rosalie are gathered in the woods just outside Ecruteak with Giovanni. Zager is present via a hologram screen.]

“I’ve analyzed the data from the Battle Factory. They seek to create ultimately powerful Pokemon using all research into the subject, including Shadow Pokemon and Mega Evolution. And their Adenosine Base, where this will happen… I’ve found it.”

[Nekou is standing before the others with her arms crossed, wearing a dark expression on her face.]

“We’re born, we eat, we sleep, we **** and we die. That’s what we all are. In the end, all that matters is what you do today for the people you care about, because when you’re gone, you rot in the ground and nobody gives a **** anymore. Now what do you intend to do?”

When Ghetsis arrives in person to deliver Polaris’s cause to the people, everything changes. But what is Ghetsis really planning?

[Ghetsis is standing on a stage in a park, addressing a large crowd.]

“And to whom can we give the credit for destroying the Magnet Train, a vital link many workers struggling to get by must use? Why, the Tenganists, the same people who devised this wretched Pokemon League! It is all their fault, the situation you find yourselves in! And now, a gang of terrorist bombers calling themselves the Tenganist Liberation Front have decided to take out those of us who want to end their reign over you!”

As Ghetsis ascends the Bell Tower to execute the final part of his plan, Team Rocket strikes!

[A Bonemerang attack descends toward Ghetsis, who is standing on the top of the Bell Tower between Anthea and Concordia, who are strung up on crosses shaped like the one on his cane. He deftly turns and blocks it using his cane.]

“So you’ve come, Giovanni… I was wondering when you’d show your cowardly face.”

A grand battle erupts under the light of the rainbow…

[While numerous orb-shaped drones circle the city to generate a barrier, a dozen Reuniclus form a ring above the Bell Tower, joining hands to boost their psychic powers as rings of rainbow colors form in the sky overhead. Ghetsis spreads his arms, looking right into the center of the rings.]

“Hear my voice and the voices of your people cry up to you! Golden light of salvation, descend upon us from the rainbow and rescue those you call your own!”

At the end, who will survive the desperate fight?

[Colress, grinning maniacally, enters a command into the controls of his airship.]

[On top of the airship, Nekou viciously fights all three of the Shadow Triad alone using her knives and Primal Nekou powers.]

[Multiple bombs planted by the Tenganists detonate around the square in the center of Ecruteak City.]

[A blue Greninja catches Olivia from falling through the air with its tongue, then quickly dodges an attack by a black Greninja, which lands on the ground nearby. A Chesnaught and Delphox soon join the black Greninja.]

[From their balloon, Jessie, James and Meowth fire missiles at an airborne target.]

[Matt’s Salamence and Golurk dodge a combined attack from Ghetsis’s Hydreigon and Chandelure as they fight in the air near Bell Tower.]

The end of the beginning of Operation GEAR: The Angel of Reckoning, the Operation Atlas arc, coming soon!

Looking forward to see Nikolai’s chase when he makes it to Ecruteak City.

He's going to have an... interesting part to play.

Nice to see Anabel again, even though she still hasn’t forgiven herself over Rich being gone. Slightly rough conversation between her and Olivia there. Also looks like Nekou’s guilt over betraying Olivia and the others is starting to catch up on her.

On Nekou's guilt: yeah, that's accurate.

Anabel's got some places to go in the future.

Matt and Nando’s battle overall is quite enjoyable to read, as expected. Some of my favorite parts:

Glad you liked it! I put a lot of effort into it.

Poor Charlotte. :<

She really was punching above her weight class against opponents like this. Maybe evolution needs to happen soon.

Nicely done plan there.

Felt pretty simple, really.

Another cool use of Role Play. Unfortunate later on Ludicolo wins, though.

I really did have fun using that move here.

Yay Hawlucha’s appearance and the move Flying Press. Indeed Nando does know Hawlucha’s potential.

I think readers were probably surprised by how well Hawlucha worked with him.

And Nando’s plan to have Cordelia be trapped in Sticky Web backfired.

I do still like how creative that combination was turning out. Looking at the moves he possessed, it seemed natural to play out that way.

This is actually very cute. And I think that’s enough highlights, lol.

It was a spur of the moment thing to give Hawlucha a cute side, to be honest.

Glad Dante realizes he was being tough before.

Tough love is his kind of thing.

The image of Galvantula eating doughnuts is both amusing and cute.

I wanted to call back to the scene where Galvantula was eating Ariana's, actually.

The interaction between Nekou and Olivia’s pokemon is pretty fun, although I’m a little worried over Mr. Mime being by himself there. Also hey Mareep! :p

Perhaps you're getting some ideas where some of the plots with her Pokemon may be going.

Matt and Lyra’s battle is also fun to read even though he lost there. Really looks like the both of them were focusing a lot of their energy during the Hitmochan vs. Typhlosion match. Also some crazy stuff with Ninjask and Azumarill there. At least Lyra will still talk to Matt about Reshiram.

Lyra was a blast to write all around.

Goomy will sure be a fun addition, lol.

Yes, yes it will. :p

The new info of Oberon is neat here. Looks like off to see the Kimono Girls, then!

Have you begun piecing together what it is yet?

Matt’s speech to Nekou is very heartfelt, but ouch over her feeling guilty once more. The more she keeps it to herself the more it’ll hurt her inside (even though she needs to hide her identity).

I don't know if I'd necessarily call it a speech. It's more of him just starting talking and not being able to stop. But yeah, things are only going to get rougher from here.

Overall another great chapter there. Both battles are nicely done and I think Nekou is great. Looking forward to next chapter!

Thank you for your compliments!
 
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Starlight Aurate

Just a fallen star
Yo! I saw a request in the Review Game, so here I am. I actually haven’t read any of your other works (I didn’t realize this was the third in a trilogy until I read your little note at the beginning ^_^; ), but I hope that I can catch on well enough to provide decent feedback  I may not be what you would call a "seasoned reviewer," but hopefully this review is okay enough for you :)

Chapter 1
A loudspeaker system was set up to connect the two sections of the lab, and at the moment Zager and his aide entered, it was filling the air with the sound of a woman’s agonized screams punctuated by the beeping of a heart monitor. Several other scientists were doing their best to handle the situation at their computers, but the frantic mood in the room was overwhelming them.
The story has just begun, and you've already made me feel uneasy and successfully created a tense atmosphere. Kudos to you!

“We played God and this is what we got…”
This quote reminds me of Dr. Fuji and his team creating Mewtwo, and his last words right before Mewtwo killed them. I'm not sure why I'm so reminded of it, perhaps because they both tried "playing God" or doing something considered crazy.

And while I'm at it, I'm just going to add that I'm someone who gets very queasy with anything to do with hospitals and surgeries and this whole story so far is making me feel really uncomfortable. If that's what you're going for (and I assume it is), then congratulations to you!

The man’s body gave out on him, leaving him to fall against a nearby desk. He started to gag, then wretched the contents of his stomach into the waste bin next to him.
That's how I'm feeling right now....

The individual addressing them from it was obscured by shadows, with only a pair of light-filled glasses clearly visible.... When the man Zager called ‘Father’ spoke, it sounded as if several people were talking at once, obscuring his true voice.
Hm, the glasses and numerous voices are pointing this "Father" guy to be someone who is no good, amirite?

“We’ve separated you from your body and kept you alive.”
Whaaaa I guess "Father" wasn't that crazy o_o Though it is mightily suspicious as to why others call him "Father" as well....
Staring back was that man’s own unique mask, which loaned him the appearance of a Darkrai; the left half of his face was covered by flowing white plumage, while an opaque eyepiece in a half-circle shape covered the right.
There's just a little too much emphasis on the description here for me to throw this appearance away as nothing. What it is, I can't tell, but I may yet find out :p

Only a single night watchman – a portly, gentle-looking individual - remained, and he was perfectly content to remain in his security booth watching the news on television and snacking absentmindedly from a box of doughnuts.

His complacence was directly the reason why he did not notice the infiltrator who slipped into the museum.
Ah, typical. I feel bad for the guy; the one night that something actually does happen, he lets it go.

With a special silver briefcase in hand, he strode across the wide hall to a certain exhibit – a pair of shining glass orbs, one with angular, uneven surface, and the other with a smooth surface.
Those orbs to summon Palkia and Dialga? :D

Setting the briefcase carefully on the floor, he read the sign in front of the exhibit out loud, “Adamant Orb and Lustrous Orb.”
I KNEW IT because I has smarts

“Jessie, James, Meowth"
When I saw that, my face was all =D

Outside, the building Jessie, James and Meowth lived in exploded in flames
D: Poor guys...
[A gentle breeze blew through New Bark Town, a peaceful district in the Johto Region’s southeast. Once a completely residential location that required its citizens to take the short stroll to nearby Cherrygrove City for supplies, time had passed and the touch of tourism had arrived; a few hotels, shops, restaurants and other facilities now stood anachronistically alongside the stately wooden homes and power-generating windmills.
I can say that after being on edge for the last few chunks of the story, this set me at ease. You really captured the peace and pleasantness of the area well.

"... and all DNA evidence was removed, leaving only the signature imprint of the shape of the killer’s lips in the victim’s blood on him.”
Reminds me of Kissin' Kate Barlow from the Book Holes. I don't know if you've ever read it, but in the off-chance you have, then I noticed.

Though she was wrong, Nekou probably would have made the same joke even if she truly did know about what was going on four floors above them.
Which gives us just a perfect taste of Nekou's personality :)

I just want to take this moment to say that I notice that you focus on description for your characters, yet you don't dwell too much on it. You're one of those authors that manages to reach the perfect balance of describing something so that the audience can visualize it, but you don't go into it too much. It's something a lot of us less-experienced writers are struggling with, and I'd like to commend you for doing it so well.

The next day, clouds were beginning to gather over New Bark Town.
Literally, or figuratively? ;)

She did not want to lie to Olivia, but at the same time, she felt an obligation to respect Matt’s wish to not tell Olivia of Rich’s death as well.
O_O As much as I can sympathize with Bunny's discomfort, that is way too big and personal of a thing for Olivia to not know. Hiding the death of a family member from someone just makes everything worse, especially when they find out it's been kept from them.

“Hell yeah, I am! Let’s go!”
If I'm to assume that Olivia is a ten-year-old like most beginning trainers are, then she has quite the foul mouth.

Overall, this was a fun read. Other than my uneasiness at the beginning (and it's not your fault that I'm such a pansy about that stuff), I thought it was quite entertaining. Your writing style is incredible, and I realize now that one of the best things about reviewing a more mature author's work is that I'm learning a lot myself. So, in a way, you're teaching me, and I'd like to thank you for that :)


Chapter 2
“Ah, that’s right,” Bunny commented to herself, “the government is working to bring foreign Pokémon in from Unova so trainers here have more diverse options.”
GOOD. We can definitely use them....

He withdrew a rectangular smartphone and touched its screen several times, opening an application titled ‘Pokédex 3D.’
That's a pretty creative touch (I haven't played the 5th generation games, so I assume they just use regular Pokédexes). If this is to take place in the present, it would make sense that a Pokédex app would be implemented into a smartphone!

“I went through a lot of time trying to figure out what Pokémon to take,” she repeated, “and I decided I wanted Totodile. I don’t know if I can get behind either of these two.”
Olivia's quite a brat; my sympathy is draining away quickly.

He had long since replaced his glasses with a monocle over his left eye
As weird as this is, it's hard for me to imagine him being too shabby if he has a monocle, since monocles=class.

One was a Galvantula, the evolved form of the Joltik he’d kept as a pet since his days as a member of Polaris; the large, six-eyed yellow-and-blue spider Pokémon busily skittered about the lab, amusing herself by staying active.
This made me smile; the fact that his Pokémon has stayed with him all these years and even had the strength to evolve and is now just "amusing herself" brings a really heartwarming image to mind :)

“Don’t be such a killjoy, Zager,” Ariana flippantly countered, making sure to drop another batch of crumbs deliberately.
Just from this one sentence, I'm getting a taste of Ariana's personality and am loving it.

“Ah, medicine you have to take with coffee instead of water. A miracle of modern science.”
Unless you hate coffee PX

Eventually, Nekou knocked out two of the attackers by hitting them in the shoulders with the heels of her shoes, then stopped the third by stabbing him in the back with her knife.
Pardon my language, but what a badass!

“Would you two just shut up already?” Meowth snapped angrily. “We’ve been past the motto thing for years now! There’s no reason to start it up again!”

“Can I at least get to say that we’ll keep them from uniting all peoples within their nation?” asked a pouting James.
I admit, this gave me a chuckle :) I would love to have the motto back! Don't be such a killjoy, Meowth!

“I want my dad to come back,” Olivia responded, prompting a nervous exchange of glances between the adults, who all knew that her father Rich was gone. “He left because I wasn’t living up to his expectations. That’s what I believe. If I can win a lot of badges and Ribbons, and win the Pokémon League and Grand Festival, he’ll have to admit I’m good and come back to love me again.”
The irony here is just painful :(

“I don’t know. I’m sure he’s watching me, though. He’ll come back.”
He's watching you, all right... ;_;

“We know,” Matt chuckled, “because we went through it. On the other side was this country in the year 1850. A military official of the era was planning to overthrow the government there, and we ended up getting roped into helping stop him.”
This genuinely sounds interesting! Just curious (and perhaps a bit lazy): was this in one of your previous installments of the trilogy? Or is it just an off-mention? Because if you haven't written about it, I'd certainly be interesting in reading it!

“That little prick…” Olivia growled
Just proving my point earlier :\

“I don’t even really care,” Olivia growled back, showing a degree of indignation. “I’m only taking it because I pretty much have to take something.”
If she's going to have that attitude, I don't know if I would let her have a Pokémon at all!

All of them were now disguised in identical black trench coats, fedoras and sunglasses; even Meowth, despite his smaller, feline body, had one suited for him.
Unless such outfits are fashionable in their world, you'd have thought by now that wearing those clothes are just going to make them more noticeable than anything XD

The tiny flower Pokémon stood bravely before her opponent’s gaze and glared back with all the ferocity she could muster.
It's hard to imagine a fierce-looking Roselia XD

“A Fighting-type against a Grass-and-Poison-type. Olivia should be able to handle this.”

“Yeah,” Matt concurred, before adding, “Fighting-type moves don’t work very well against Poison-types.”

“Olivia will win this, I’d even bet a beer and some chips on it.”
Hmm, all this confidence gives me the feeling that Olivia won't be winning this....

“It is unsurprising that you would be able to defeat the weaker of my two Pokémon, Olivia Lynn Mistbloom,”
Knowing her full name gives him extra creepy points!

Olivia’s patience was being tried as well, through a combination of the pressure she already felt in addition to her concern for Minccino’s well being.
At least here, you make it evident that Olivia is more concerned for her Minccino than she is about actually winning this battle. It's sympathy and concern such as that that I enjoy seeing :)

"What could Rich have possibly done to you that justifies what you’re doing right now, cruelly crushing the one thread of hope this girl has?”
The real cruelty here is that Olivia doesn't even know her dad is dead, but is just living blissfully believing that he's watching over her and will come and congratulate her someday. Though I know Matt and the others are doing what they think is best, it's just the worst that they can do at this point.

Professor Elm’s lab actually has a professional-grade Pokémon healing machine, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind us borrowing it.
Ah, that healing machine was one of the things I liked most about Elm's lab ^_^

Juniper then nodded approvingly to Olivia before walking back toward the direction of Professor Elm’s nearby lab.
I know Juniper seems nice and everything (and I haven't read any more of this story, so I really don't know), but leaving one's Pokémon with someone else just doesn't seem safe in this story.

“What is this? We get called here and Father doesn’t bother to show up?”
... Yeah, someone who has everyone call himself "Father" really doesn't sit well with me.

“I was busy!” she yelled as she arrived at her seat.

“Stalking that boy you’re infatuated with on the Internet does not count as ‘busy,’ Séduire,” Ghetsis sarcastically admonished her.
Oh ho, so evil villains of evil teams have time to stalk and fall in love with people on the internet!


As I said before, this was an enjoyable read. I particularly liked the description of a battle between Olivia and Renzo :) Though all the talk of Olivia's father without her knowing is just so cruel and upsetting.... Even though I haven't read previous installments, I can say that this is a good fic; the plot is already catching and moving apace and you so successfully characterize the people with as little as a sentence or two.

I'm somewhat confused as to what the evil teams are talking about, but then again, I haven't read the previous installments, so that is my own fault and nothing on your own. And, as a regular of TVTropes, I would like to commend you on having an article on there :) It's a high honor (at least I consider it one XD) and is most impressive! Sorry that I don't have much to say, but hey, maybe when I learn to be a better reviewer, I can come back and give you some feedback that will be more than just someone rambling. Good job on this, and good luck on everything else that is to come!
 

flamebeam

DAYN-JUH ZONE!
Hopefully, this chapter will be a bit more streamlined and easy to digest. There’s not as much going on in this one, so let’s see how it goes.

-:-

CHAPTER 3: Opening Moves on Fate’s Board

Hello! This is probably weird of me to review Chapter 3 when you're already at Chapter 17 last time I checked but it's the farthest I've gotten and I'm here from the review game.

“Jessie, I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” James whimpered. “We’re not cut out for this. Team Aqua, Team Magma, Team Galactic, Hunter J… Polaris is bigger and stronger than they all were.”

So does this mean all of these anime-canon villains are also canon to your story? I don't remember reading much about them in your backstory unless I totally forgot that they were there, so I was just wondering how important they are to this story. Now, regarding Polaris, I've googled them but all that comes up is the North Star. However, this name also comes up in Jax's fic, so I'm curious as to how Polaris fits into the PokeVerse.

“Don’t break my concentration!” both Olivia and Nekou snapped at exactly the same time, prompting all four to laugh.

I found this line kind of unusual. Based on the first two chapters, the gag seems to be that Matt says something and either Nekou or Oliva (or both in this case) snap at him and he gets annoyed. Maybe you could have said "prompting Bunny to giggle and Matt to roll his eyes." Otherwise, the dialogue exchange is pretty good between these characters. And the battle scene between Zorua and Oshowatt was superbly written. I found it very exciting, especially for a couple of baby Pokemon in a friendly battle, which makes me excited for future battles involving Rocket and/or Polaris.

The dark clouds that covered the sky over Route 29 into Cherrygrove City and New Bark Town cast ominous shadows over the cliff-laden road, and rumbles of thunder could be heard approaching.

The humble yet busy streets of New Bark Town gradually disappeared behind Matt, Olivia, Nekou and Bunny as they headed west into Route 29, giving way to a curving, cliff-laden road framed by long blades of fragrant grass. Off in the distance on all sides, tall trees provided boundary lines appropriate to the concept of a road through the woods.

Nekou, Olivia and Bunny all nodded in agreement with Matt’s suggestion, so with Oshawott and Zorua walking alongside them, they resumed their westward trek down the cliff-laden road.

Be careful with repetition. While it doesn't faze me all that much, it could get on reader's nerves to see the same description (e.g. cliff-laden) for the same subject (e.g. the road) over and over. Other alternatives you could use are, simply, "the path" "the upcoming trek" etc.

Jessie, James and Meowth had moved south...

...

...“An opening might appear so we can swoop in and grab it.”

Not much to say about this short scene probably the shortest out of the first 3 chapters. I'm a little worried at this point about the roles of Jesse, James, and Meowth in this story since they appear to be replicas of their anime counterparts. Personally, I prefer deeper explorations into the characters than the anime offers, or alterations in their personalities. Hopefully I get to see that as I continue to read on.

“Something’s not right, I can sense it,” she replied, continuing to crinkle her nose in an attempt to identify the scent. “We’re being watched.”

Be careful with that comma splice there. A period would actually be the correct symbol to use. Or, if you wanna go the dramatic route, "Something's not right... I can sense it."

Before anyone could answer, a second Pokémon identical to the first jumped from a nearby tree and attempted to cut Nekou with his knife arms, but she dispelled the assault by swinging her switchblade to knock him away.

I love how badass Nekou is. She's definitely my favorite character at this point, which is interesting since I expected it to be Bunny. Hopefully she gets developed more later on.

Marie jumped down from Nekou’s back to stand alongside Zorua, and joining the two of them was Bunny’s Ninetales, Balin, who appeared in a flash of light from his Poké Ball. Almost immediately upon materializing, he growled at the pack of Pawniard and their Bisharp leader, correctly picking up on the threat they posed.

I somewhat remember Marie being mentioned in previous chapters. But with the length of each chapter, and the amount of posts between them, I don't think it's fair to expect readers to search through your older chapters to figure out what Pokemon she is. Nor is it reasonable to expect all readers to recall Marie's identity of the top of his/her head when you're utilizing a ton of characters and Pokemon in this fic. So I would suggest mentioning the identities of nicknamed Pokemon every chapter to be on the safe side; it's not hard, either. By the way, this action scene is totally exciting! I had to share that with ya :)

With the shivering, injured Lillipup still in her arms, Olivia attempted to flee in Matt’s direction. Tears were running down her face, which was contorted into a look of nightmarish torment.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen… make it stop…” she was mumbling hysterically to herself. “Make it stop, make it stop!!”

I thought this was a great portrayal of Olivia's character. It fits her very well to be this frightened and reliant on the man whose head she keeps biting off when she pretends like she can handle anything. It's also the first time I empathize with her since she was annoying in Chapter 2.

Matt, Nekou and Bunny all froze. For the latter, her thoughts were primarily on Olivia’s safety. Bunny had faith that Olivia would come out of this incident relatively fine; it was obvious that things were bad, but she hoped that it wouldn’t come out as a full-fledged disaster.

Nekou handled it significantly more poorly. Even though she had only known Olivia for a little over a week, Nekou was already developing both sisterly and maternal instincts toward the girl, and an aggressive creature causing Olivia direct harm deeply violated those bonds. She flew into a screaming rage, viciously rushing Bisharp with her switchblade; however, she was unable to inflict much damage due to Bisharp fighting back.

“You ****er!” she cursed the Dark-and-Steel-type Pokémon during her assault. “You’re ****ing answering to me for hurting her!”

Matt’s paralysis was entirely mental, caused by the deluge of crushing thoughts that hit him instantaneously upon Olivia falling.

Again, great characterization here, this time for the these three. I'm already getting emotionally attached to these characters. Now you just gotta develop everyone else and you're golden! Overall, this was a very stunning and well-written scene.

Mere seconds later, the sound of footsteps indicated the presence of someone else in the area. A golden-bodied, reptilian Pokémon with blade-like tusks protruding from her mouth stomped into the vicinity, followed by her trainer, an ELDERLY man wearing round spectacles and a heavy brown coat.

I'm reviewing as I go along, so I'm guessing this is an Axew. Even if it isn't, now is as good a time as any to ask you something that's been lingering in mind: what's with the Unova invasion? I know you mentioned that the Gen 5 Pokemon have found their way onto Johto, but I originally thought that was just a fair excuse to incorporate them into your story---not to exclusively feature them. This is probably coming off as complacent and maybe part of it is since Unova is probably my least favorite region but I just think it's more believable to feature some of the original 251, since those are the Pokemon who have made Johto their home since the region's inception. And yes, Bunny has a Ninetales, but she could have gotten that anywhere. So far in Route 29, we come across a Lillipup, Pawniard, and a Bisharp, and the majority of trainers' Pokemon are Gen 5. So yeah...just wanted to rant get your thoughts on this.

After that, the conversation between the three died out, and they went back to calling out in differing directions in the hope that Olivia would hear them while they walked. All they managed to garner for their efforts was an assortment of Pokémon, though, things like Pidgey, Sentret, Rattata and even the odd Shinx and Exeggcute.

Perhaps I ranted too soon...perhaps...

Once the door finally opened, the occupant of the house came into view. It was the same elderly gentleman who had picked up Olivia earlier, though he had dispensed with his heavy brown coat. He had a very plain appearance, being simply dressed in a sky-blue dress shirt and black trousers; his main distinguishing characteristics were his glasses, his thick white beard that filled out his otherwise thin face

Ah, well he seems nice.

and his double helix-printed necktie.

http://metsmerizedonline.com/wp-con...0-1-18394-zoinks-shaggy-scooby-doo.png?c4e8ae

Back in the bushes, Jessie, James and Meowth all shared a sigh of relief that they hadn’t been caught. Wobbuffet, meanwhile, simply stood still and stared ahead while holding onto the satellite. All four of them were hiding under a tarp they had put up from their supplies to shield themselves from the rain.

Can't wait to see their reactions when they found out they're planning to raid a world-renowned scientist/Polaris affiliate. Don't let me down, Butler.

“Eleanor Laplace was a young woman I met in La Ciudad Dorada after being invited there by the villainous Count Fernando the Eighth. She was only on a vacation… so she was entirely innocent and never should have gotten caught up in what happened there. Needless to say, she ended up working with me, and during the final battle against Fernando she perished for my own cowardice.” Opening his eye, Matt glared at Dante, who had a rather dramatic backdrop for himself with the rain battering the window behind his chair. “Sure, we found the Golden City. But I was never the same person after I left La Ciudad Dorada. That was where my life started to change.”

I realize this passage was to help new readers catch up to the world you've been creating throughout your multiple fics, but it also gets major bonus points for adding emotional depth to Matt. Kudos!

“I’d like to take you apart,” Nekou wryly commented at the exact moment Matt finished speaking. “Your insides sound fascinating.”

PfftHAHAHA Nekou for MVP! I'm really loving her character. So please, please work on Bunny. Seriously, Nekou is fantastic.

“Yes. I was asked by the Angel Corporation to study this Meteonite and try to determine some of its properties, because we have reason to believe that its resonance has some kind of effect on Pokémon. Olivia told me about the pack of wild Pawniard and the Bisharp that attacked you earlier today, and I think that my research on the Meteonite may have triggered their violent rampage, so please accept my apology for that.”

Okay, I think you've mentioned Angel Corp. before, but is there anything we should know about them at this point besides "oh hey this Dante guy is collaborating with them"? Still, I must admit that I'm almost done with this chapter and I haven't really been left confused like in the past, so it's definitely an improvement. Also, great job connecting that "random" attack to the Meteonite, which is connecting this former-Polaris scientist to Team Rocket and the 4 protagonists.

“Don’t forget me, I’m a woman of science,” Nekou piped up, before slyly adding, “Just because my science is a lot madder doesn’t disqualify me.”

Uh-oh! Another comma splice. Still, 2 in one very long chapter isn't so bad. They're a huge peeve of mine, so I can't help but point them out.

“Pierce, it’s currently in the possession of an old man who is keeping Matt Chiaki’s little group at his home tonight,” Jessie explained. “He’s also got this powerful-looking Haxorus that we can’t possibly defeat. Attacking him now would be foolish.”

Oh, it was a Haxorus. So I was only a little off... Like I said, Unova ain't my fave.

As she listened to Matt’s almost indifferent explanation of his interest in the book, Nekou’s inebriated cheer vanished and was replaced with a cold disgust that grew with each word he spoke. Once he was done, she immediately responded, “You’re looking at that story completely wrong if it’s the captain who you identify with. I thought you were going to say that you identified with Ishmael, who quite frankly suits you more, but the captain? Did you even read to the end? I don’t care if this is a spoiler to you or not, but the captain’s obsession with his revenge gets all but one person on his ship killed! If you see yourself in him, what does that say about how you see us?”

This is a very touching scene. I was kinda hoping things would get a bit more snuggly between Matt and Nekou, unless you're not taking the shipping route between them. Anyway, if you're gonna reference classic literature that not everyone has read, be sure to be detailed. You talk a whole lot about Captain Ahab but you barely explain Ishmael, the person whom Nekou uses as a comparison for Matt. In the end, I don't even understand her reference since you didn't explain Ishmael's relevance to Moby Dick.

“Well, go get dressed. We’re going to Cherrygrove City and Dr. Fantomos is coming with us.”

You know, there were multiple points in this chapter where I thought, "This would've been a great place to end this chapter." I know you like writing long chapters...but, you know, I don't see the point of them being that long which probably discourages participants of the review game thread to review them. So I find it kind of amusing that you chose to end it very...anticlimactically. I thought the second to last scene between Matt and Nekou would've been a great place to end. Call me crazy, but I sensed a variety of tension in that scene, including sexual. It's a shame because you did a good job keeping me interested so far with the endings of Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.

Luckily, this chapter blew my expectations out of the water, so I'll definitely tune in for Chapter 4 (and maybe the other 13). Sorry to any reviewers who might be annoyed with me reviewing a really old chapter. Looking forward to what lies ahead! ~flamebeam
 
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Blue Saturday

Unfurl your Blessed Wings!
I already told you a few things before, so I'll try to focus on the newer content rather than be reductive.

Not bad, not bad at all. Nice battles all around, per usual. The highlight of this chapter I felt was Lyra's characterization and battle. You just seem to know how to write nicely characterized individuals and it showed here with Lyra. Especially since she doesn't have much of a striking game characterization to go off of, you decided to go with your own interpretation of the character rather than simply going with the anime's. You seemed to portray her as a "destroyer," sweet but brutal.
“She’s bloodthirsty…” Bunny said, her own mouth hanging open.

“Bloodthirsty?” Dante scoffed. “More like totally bloody insane. Do you see the physical arousal she’s getting from this?” Lowering his head, he mumbled to himself, “Bloody disgusting, this show of hers. And young people look up to Frontier Brains…”

I like how Bunny and Dante are painting her in such a violent light, they are Matt's support and seeing him getting trounced by such a mighty opponent probably lead to them making pretty harshly conceived notions about Lyra. Not sure if it was intentional, what with how grim "bloodthirsty" sounds. As for the battle, I particularly liked your descriptions of attacks. Eruption specifically and Baton Pass's imagery felt like something I feasibly could see in any area of canon. I'm glad you seem to be deciding to do your own thing with some of these attacks.

I actually figured Azumarill's secondary typing was going to come into play somehow, given you pointed out the idea of "Fairy" and alluded to Azumarill being Lyra's Pokemon pre-battle. Just something I had on my mind, not really anything bad or good. Also I like how you reaffirmed Matt's main mission in life is to meet Reshiram and reveal "the Truth." Still not quite sure what "the truth" refers to, seems a bit vague but nothing wrong with not laying all your character's cards out on the table from the start.
Lyra took one of the small, square hamburgers off her plate and tossed it to her Typhlosion, who was eating from a bowl of Pokémon food next to the table.
I just thought this was a cute scene, just seeming the gang being all chill and casual with one another and her Pokemon outside of its ball. You seem to know how to treat Pokemon without going overboard with their personality quirks, they feel like lessers to the humans in some forms but your story is more driven by the humans than the Pokemon so it makes sense and there's nothing wrong with that. Your own route you're going with handling the Pokemon feels fine.
“Unfortunately, I do not know of its true identity. However, I can guide you to someone who does. The famous Kimono Girls of Ecruteak City are very traditional Tenganist practitioners. They will be able to tell you the entire story.”
Set-up of the next destination, great way to end a scene transition.

The ending scene with Matt and Nekou caught by eye and both of themdefinitely have the strongest connection to Olivia. Felt very fitting seeing them confide to each other. As for the villain scenes, not much I can say other than I'm glad TR added Goomy to their numbers. Fitting conclusions to the little B-plot you had going last chapter. The group scene between Olivia and Nekou with Mareep appearing again, had a strong feeling we weren't going to see the last of it. Still loved the interactions between the trainers a lot and the contrast their Pokemon have with one another, Olivia's being more cute and respectful while Nekou's were more problematic and tended to be dark-colored. Your Nikolai scene was great, really liked the character's actions.

Apologies if this was a bit short. Overall I didn't really have much critique on this chapter and wasn't disappointed with what you brought to the table at all. I just didn't have a huge amount to say that I feel could really benefit you and didn't want to soundlessly waffle on.

Cheers!
 

The Great Butler

Hush, keep it down
Yo! I saw a request in the Review Game, so here I am. I actually haven’t read any of your other works (I didn’t realize this was the third in a trilogy until I read your little note at the beginning ^_^; ), but I hope that I can catch on well enough to provide decent feedback  I may not be what you would call a "seasoned reviewer," but hopefully this review is okay enough for you :)

Don't worry, the review is fantastic. ^^

Chapter 1

The story has just begun, and you've already made me feel uneasy and successfully created a tense atmosphere. Kudos to you!

I did have a clear idea when I set out to write that scene, so good to know it worked. It's actually a revision.


This quote reminds me of Dr. Fuji and his team creating Mewtwo, and his last words right before Mewtwo killed them. I'm not sure why I'm so reminded of it, perhaps because they both tried "playing God" or doing something considered crazy.

The premise is kind of similar, I suppose.

And while I'm at it, I'm just going to add that I'm someone who gets very queasy with anything to do with hospitals and surgeries and this whole story so far is making me feel really uncomfortable. If that's what you're going for (and I assume it is), then congratulations to you!

Definitely, that is exactly what I was going for. Don't get used to it (it's not going to be non-stop) but it will be present as a theme.

That's how I'm feeling right now....

Good. :p

Hm, the glasses and numerous voices are pointing this "Father" guy to be someone who is no good, amirite?

You might be surprised.

Whaaaa I guess "Father" wasn't that crazy o_o Though it is mightily suspicious as to why others call him "Father" as well....

There's just a little too much emphasis on the description here for me to throw this appearance away as nothing. What it is, I can't tell, but I may yet find out :p

Correct on both counts.

Ah, typical. I feel bad for the guy; the one night that something actually does happen, he lets it go.

I wanted his appearance to be a bit of comedic relief after the intensity of the other scene, even though important things happen here.

Those orbs to summon Palkia and Dialga? :D


I KNEW IT because I has smarts

Foreshadowing!

When I saw that, my face was all =D


D: Poor guys...

They're going to be ... a little different than they usually are. I hope it's still to your liking.

I can say that after being on edge for the last few chunks of the story, this set me at ease. You really captured the peace and pleasantness of the area well.

Yeah, get used to the mood whiplashes. :p

Reminds me of Kissin' Kate Barlow from the Book Holes. I don't know if you've ever read it, but in the off-chance you have, then I noticed.

I haven't read it, but I do know of it. That's something interesting to cite in your review.

Which gives us just a perfect taste of Nekou's personality :)

It's only just begun. :p

I just want to take this moment to say that I notice that you focus on description for your characters, yet you don't dwell too much on it. You're one of those authors that manages to reach the perfect balance of describing something so that the audience can visualize it, but you don't go into it too much. It's something a lot of us less-experienced writers are struggling with, and I'd like to commend you for doing it so well.

I wouldn't say I'm perfect on that, I do still struggle a bit with it.

Literally, or figuratively? ;)

Both.

O_O As much as I can sympathize with Bunny's discomfort, that is way too big and personal of a thing for Olivia to not know. Hiding the death of a family member from someone just makes everything worse, especially when they find out it's been kept from them.

That's a major theme right here; they all made major, major mistakes not telling her. That much was fully intentional. I wanted to show them struggling with a difficult choice that they ultimately answer incorrectly.

If I'm to assume that Olivia is a ten-year-old like most beginning trainers are, then she has quite the foul mouth.

Fourteen, but still.

Overall, this was a fun read. Other than my uneasiness at the beginning (and it's not your fault that I'm such a pansy about that stuff), I thought it was quite entertaining. Your writing style is incredible, and I realize now that one of the best things about reviewing a more mature author's work is that I'm learning a lot myself. So, in a way, you're teaching me, and I'd like to thank you for that :)

Oh, wow, thank you. I'm really truly honored you liked it so much. I don't deserve such praise. ^^


Chapter 2

GOOD. We can definitely use them....

Agreed.

That's a pretty creative touch (I haven't played the 5th generation games, so I assume they just use regular Pokédexes). If this is to take place in the present, it would make sense that a Pokédex app would be implemented into a smartphone!

It's based on the Pokedex 3D 3DS/phone app that was a real thing that generation.

Olivia's quite a brat; my sympathy is draining away quickly.

Perhaps I overplayed it, but I wanted to go as far away from the "trainer who you're supposed to like" stereotype.

As weird as this is, it's hard for me to imagine him being too shabby if he has a monocle, since monocles=class.

Maybe, but this is the Pokemon universe. Fashion is pretty bizarre there.


This made me smile; the fact that his Pokémon has stayed with him all these years and even had the strength to evolve and is now just "amusing herself" brings a really heartwarming image to mind :)

Even mad scientists working for the mafia can have a soft side, right?

Just from this one sentence, I'm getting a taste of Ariana's personality and am loving it.

I do try to give my characters very distinct personalities, and this one felt right for who Ariana was in HGSS.

Unless you hate coffee PX

But if you have coffee as an option, you can probably get other options too!

Pardon my language, but what a badass!

There's more where that came from.

I admit, this gave me a chuckle :) I would love to have the motto back! Don't be such a killjoy, Meowth!

Give it time. All we need there is the right incentive.

The irony here is just painful :(

As intended.

He's watching you, all right... ;_;

Again, as intended...

This genuinely sounds interesting! Just curious (and perhaps a bit lazy): was this in one of your previous installments of the trilogy? Or is it just an off-mention? Because if you haven't written about it, I'd certainly be interesting in reading it!

The Firestorm Rebellion.

Just proving my point earlier :\


If she's going to have that attitude, I don't know if I would let her have a Pokémon at all!

Just gives you more ground for her to develop, I suppose.

Unless such outfits are fashionable in their world, you'd have thought by now that wearing those clothes are just going to make them more noticeable than anything XD

There's much worse out there, really.

It's hard to imagine a fierce-looking Roselia XD

It happens. :p

Hmm, all this confidence gives me the feeling that Olivia won't be winning this....

You're thinking well here.

Knowing her full name gives him extra creepy points!

He has a very good reason for it.

At least here, you make it evident that Olivia is more concerned for her Minccino than she is about actually winning this battle. It's sympathy and concern such as that that I enjoy seeing :)

About there is where she becomes a little more sympathetic, I suppose?

The real cruelty here is that Olivia doesn't even know her dad is dead, but is just living blissfully believing that he's watching over her and will come and congratulate her someday. Though I know Matt and the others are doing what they think is best, it's just the worst that they can do at this point.

Like I said, I wanted to show that these are deeply flawed people, ones who absolutely will make the worst possible decision sometimes out of a concern for putting off inevitable pain.

Ah, that healing machine was one of the things I liked most about Elm's lab ^_^

I have tried to toss in little nods to the game here and there.

I know Juniper seems nice and everything (and I haven't read any more of this story, so I really don't know), but leaving one's Pokémon with someone else just doesn't seem safe in this story.

Elm didn't entirely plan on it.

... Yeah, someone who has everyone call himself "Father" really doesn't sit well with me.

His name is just more straightforward than the others, really.

Oh ho, so evil villains of evil teams have time to stalk and fall in love with people on the internet!

The thing is, maybe she's not so evil. Some people in this dance on the borderline.

As I said before, this was an enjoyable read. I particularly liked the description of a battle between Olivia and Renzo :) Though all the talk of Olivia's father without her knowing is just so cruel and upsetting.... Even though I haven't read previous installments, I can say that this is a good fic; the plot is already catching and moving apace and you so successfully characterize the people with as little as a sentence or two.

Cruel and upsetting were the intentions, really. I don't want this to be totally happy. I want it to be a place where people struggle, where they make terrible mistakes, and where they have to fight to find the good in some very bad situations.

If you're already on board with the plot, you should be good since the previous installments will be recounted a little further from where you are.

I'm somewhat confused as to what the evil teams are talking about, but then again, I haven't read the previous installments, so that is my own fault and nothing on your own. And, as a regular of TVTropes, I would like to commend you on having an article on there :) It's a high honor (at least I consider it one XD) and is most impressive! Sorry that I don't have much to say, but hey, maybe when I learn to be a better reviewer, I can come back and give you some feedback that will be more than just someone rambling. Good job on this, and good luck on everything else that is to come!

The evil teams stuff is foreshadowing, really.

And thank you! You don't have to worry about your review, it was not rambling at all. It was fantastic.
 
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