Chapter 185 (Patreon)

"So much for our battle, hm?"

I chuckled awkwardly at Kahili's comment, unable to look her in the eyes. As Hope and I had to return to Heahea before competing in our match against Olivia, even that single day delay had been enough for rumors to spread and for other trainers to make their push.

To my understanding, with our successful breach in the barricade, it had mostly dissolved under the collective weight of failure. Most had moved on, others had stayed behind to try and fail to secure the city, and those who had been waiting with their challenge stones surged forward to challenge Olivia to their well-earned match.

Her entire next week was full, and, as a result, several dozen trainers were now eagerly awaiting the start of my and Hope’s match, intending to see what tips and tricks they could pry loose by watching the battle.

Not even twenty-four hours had passed, and rumors had spread that Olivia had finally been challenged. However, this schedule meant we didn’t have time to visit Hano Grand Resort and fight Kahili, and Kahili had heard about it.

"Sorry. I know I told you that Hope and I would battle you for a test, but our schedule didn't end up working out this way,” I said, cringing a little at my own words. “I at least have some measure of your team from the golf match, and Hope’s job is identical to mine. I trust her if she decides to battle you on her own."

Kahili crossed her arms, but she at least looked somewhat amused.

"I'll wait. Perhaps I'll challenge you two to a double match, same as Olivia. If you are to challenge Sinnoh's Elite Four, a more educated comparison might be in my favor."

"Either way, it'll be a good battle overall,” I replied. “Well, unless my Pokémon end up exhausted for weeks after my Elite Four matches."

Kahili shook her head, smirking slightly, before walking off to the stands to watch with the rest. Olivia wasn't battling us in Konikoni, rather, her preferred place of battle was a little ways out.

Here, in this small, south-southeastern section of Akala was Tapu Lele's personal shrine—a decorated cave built into a hillside. Visitors weren't allowed within, but a lowered, widened space spread out before it that was open to the public. This space was essentially a pit where Pokémon battles could take place, and simple seats had been carved into the hills by Rock Types to allow for a decent-sized audience.

From my position within the lowered area, I waved back to Lillie who was watching us excitedly. She looked like a one-man Pokémon army, as Clefairy was in her arms, Brionne was laying on her feet, and then Morelull and Cosmog had each claimed a shoulder. Around her, my and Hope's collective, in-training Pokémon were also sitting around to watch. There was Togepi already cheering animatedly, Eevee looking jealous in a seat of his own, Tinkatuff only half paying attention while she tinkered with her hammer, and then Cutiefly, who was flying back and forth, nerves clear on his face.

Add Hope's Steenee, Tangela, and Rowlet, and then even Kartana floating in the back, too, and we had an entire row just consisting of Lillie and a dozen Pokémon ready to cheer for us. Surprisingly, they weren't too out of place given the number of trainers around who had one or two of their team members out with them, ready to watch. Though, there were no other Ultra Beasts around.

I heard Hope's footsteps approach from behind, and she announced her presence with a friendly nudge to my side.

"So, Wandering Elite, ready for our match?"

"Now more than ever, Wandering Elite,” I mimicked. “This will be my send-off to Alola for now, so let's give everyone a big show."

Hope gained a wide grin, and I smiled right back. With our temporary delay to retrieve Lillie, we had time to plan, and I doubted Olivia was prepared for what'd hit her.

The field we waited in was a lowered pit, like I had already mentioned, except it was different from most fields as there weren't any dedicated, painted lines. Instead, Pokémon had the entire rounded space to battle in, and the trainers stood on what were essentially natural balconies opposite to one another on the edge. Additionally, a few stray rocks and stones were spread through the arena, but none were big enough to provide cover to species outside of the smallest of the small.

Hope and I eventually moved to our determined position, overlooking the field. Olivia exited a tunnel that led out to her own platform. The tunnel exited the hillside directly underneath a small, pink shrine dedicated to Tapu Lele, and Olivia stared imperiously over the field.

She wore a tank top and shorts with bangles on both arms. Her Z-Ring blended seamlessly with the rest, and she adjusted her colored stone necklace before she spoke.

"You two didn't inform me you were members of the Wandering Elite," she said, her voice echoing over the arena.

"Did we need to? You were warned ahead of time. We were going to show up eventually," I called out in response.

Olivia snorted, and her eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Cheeky," she said. "But, you have a point. If you're going to test me, test ahead, but don't think too badly of me when my team grinds yours down into sand."

"You can try," Hope shot back.

Olivia’s grin deepened before she moved on to explain the rules.

This would be a double battle with six Pokémon on each side, except Hope and I would supply three each, and Olivia would use her entire, personal team. Similarly, Hope and I had two switches each, whereas Olivia had the benefit of a full set of four.

"And any limitations on Megas or Z-Moves?" I asked.

"Use them as you can within the bounds of normal League rules," Olivia replied.

That meant Hope and I could only use one Mega and one Z-Move total. A slight hindrance to independent strategy, but considering we planned to work together for this, it wasn’t an issue at all.

With the discussion of rules completed, Hope and I exchanged a look.

"We're ready," we said in unison.

Olivia smirked.

"Good. Let's begin."

The woman tossed two Pokéballs forward while Hope and I each tossed one. Four simultaneous flashes of light burst out, and our Pokémon coalesced onto the field.

For Hope and I, we had Venusaur and Whimsicott respectively, and Olivia had sent out two Rock Types, as expected. One was a bulky, four-legged mound of stone with red crystals growing off of it—a Gigalith—and the other was a tan-coated dog with a black rocks growing out of its neck that resembled a spiked collar—a Lycanroc, midday form.

"Go!" Olivia yelled to start the match.

"Sunny Day.”

"Solar Beam!"

“Full sand!”

Whimsicott's Prankster usually meant his utility moves went first, but, in general, it still wasn’t enough to outspeed an inherent ability. Sand swirled out from the Gigalith, its Sand Stream causing a Sandstorm to overtake the field. While Whimsicott still managed to get his flaming orb into the sky, the Sandstorm was no artificial cloud that could be evaporated away—no, the weather persisted and blocked out the sun that Venusaur tried to use to fuel its move.

Then, Lycanroc blurred. Coarse fur became slick under the gusting winds, and it moved with the force of a gale behind it. Sand Rush, its ability, allowed it to use the force of the Sandstorm to carry it forward at high speeds, and it was on Venusaur before Solar Beam even properly began.

"Sand Attack into Bulldoze! Smack Down, Gigalith!" Olivia called out.

Lycanroc's sharp claws dug into the ground, sending up sand that entered Venusaur's eyes. The dinosaur quickly shut its eyelids in response, but Lycanroc was already causing the ground to erupt beneath it.

At the same time, Whimsicott reacted with a Grassy Terrain, sending energy deep into the earth that pulsed out an enhancing, healing grass bloom. That helped Venusaur resist the damage of the Bulldoze beneath it. However, at the same time, the dense sand of the Sandstorm hid Gigalith's attack, which meant even with all of Whimsicott’s speed, he couldn’t defend himself against a move he didn’t see coming.

The Smack Down clipped him in such a way that the momentum sent him hurtling towards the earth, but his cottony fluff at least gave him a soft surface to minimize the force of the impact with the ground.

"That Sand Attack was bad news," Hope said quietly as our Pokémon fought.  "The Earth Power, he could withstand, but I don't want to Mega Evolve him if his attacks' aim will be off."

"Let's switch, then," I said.

She nodded.

"Come back!"

"You too, Whimsicott!"

Our Pokémon were returned, leaving the pair of Rock Types and a very smug Olivia. In our Pokémon's place were a new set of team members, another pair Hope and I planned for last night.

"Vileplume.”

"Azumarill."

"Both of you, Iron Head!" Olivia yelled.

Azumarill took off, leaving behind the Lycanroc that went after Vileplume, and she moved right up into the relatively immobile Gigalith’s face. A red crystal on its head gained a silvery hue as it slammed downward, but Azumarill’s Splash let her jump out of the way.

"Giga Drain!" Hope hurriedly called out.

Vileplume wasn’t as lucky. Lycanroc managed to lunge right at its chest. The dual Grass and Poison Type coughed from the force of the impact, flinching, and it became unable to follow through with Hope’s commanded move. What was worse is that Lycanroc itself did manage to follow through, and the Rock Type dog bit down on Vileplume’s side with flames flicking out of the corners of its mouth. Fire Fang was super effective, which didn’t spell good news for the poor Vileplume.

"Azumarill's in place," I said as Hope nervously watched her Pokémon.

"Good. This hasn’t been a waste, then. Stun Spore!"

"Liquidation!"

I didn't need to call for the move, but it still felt nice to issue commands. What really mattered was that Hope ordered Vileplumes' attack, and the sound of her voice reminded the Pokémon of the strategy we discussed last night.

From the center of Vileplume’s bouncy flower, a cloud of allergenic dust leaked out and blew over the field. The Sandstorm was to our advantage for this, surprisingly, as not only was Lycanroc now stiffening under the effect of the coughing and sneezing the powder caused, but the winds blew the dust all the way to where both Azumarill and Gigalith were.

Gigalith became paralyzed just like Lycanroc before it, but Azumarill was different. After all, her ability was Sap Sipper, and while Vileplume maintained a constant stream of debilitating pollen, Azumarill could use that to fuel her own attacks.

A punch forward, and her living rock opponent experienced a form of instantaneous erosion. Liquidation pushed into cracks on Gigalith’s surface and broke through its stone. A high cry echoed out as Vileplume suffered from a now much more restrained Fire Fang in the back, but the good news was that with Azumarill's massive physical strength and repeated use of the move, Gigalith was soon the first to fall.

"Probopass," Olivia called out to replace the Pokémon that had collapsed to the floor. "Show that Azumarill why it'd be wrong to underestimate us."

We weren't underestimating her, we were just using an appropriate level of strength. When Probopass was sent out, though, Azumarill hopped back.

We'd fought Nosepass and Probopass in the past, and both times Azumarill had suffered from surprise Electric Type moves. To experience the same here would be a critical mistake. It was better to retreat and focus on something else.

"Vileplume!" Hope shouted.

Azumarill glanced around to see if she could help Vileplume, but the Pokémon was busy keeping Lycanroc at bay, somewhat, by maintaining a Giga Drain. It wasn’t healing much, but it was keeping Vileplume conscious.

Unfortunately, Sandstorm wasn’t just something to enable abilities, the sand itself was great at shielding Rock Types from special effects. While Vileplume was maintaining a drain, the coarse sand flying through the air meant the Pokémon didn’t have a strong grip, and Lycanroc was somehow much better off than it should have been.

Vileplume couldn’t heal anywhere near as much as it wanted.

"Now, Stone Edge, both of you!" Olivia ordered.

"Shift targets!" I yelled.

Azumarill moved back to help Vileplume, but a hastily summoned Stone Edge from Probopass jabbed her right in the side. As for the Grass Type in question, Lycanroc was still relatively active, and rocks levitated off the ground to dig into Vileplume’s face like hail made out of stone.

That caused Vileplume to flag, and it felt like Vileplume was soon to faint. With how fast Lycanroc was, we needed to take it out now before it achieved anything more.

Azumarill used Aqua Jet, rushing away from where Probopass stayed behind to enter the air with Magnet Rise. Without it harassing her, she was free to jet up to Lycranroc, and she unleashed a liquidy punch that contained all the momentum of Aqua Jet behind it.

She was too late—Vileplume fell.

However, Lycanroc did, too.

Unfortunately, that was two Pokémon taken out in the same instance, which essentially kept the battle at even odds. With the still waiting Probopass, the Sandstorm was refreshed in the meantime, and Azumarill wiped sand out of her eyes.

An Aqua Ring formed around Azumarill’s body to help her resist the damage of the grating weather as she waited for both Hope and Olivia to send out their next Pokémon. Grassy Terrain had helped her resist the damage before that moment, but enough time had passed that it was now fading away.

"If there's no Sand Attack, I can use Venusaur now," Hope said.

"Go ahead. Cherrim won't be a help without the sun," I replied.

Her flower-backed dinosaur hit the field once more, and Azumarill moved to its side. However, across from them, a large boulder with legs and feet was sent out as Olivia’s next Pokémon. On its back were a set of magnetic rocks that resembled a rail gun, and the Pokémon’s face was half hidden by a beard of magnetically-controlled iron filings.

"Alolan Golem," I identified.

"I've taken your measure, so don't expect things to go so easily from here!" Olivia yelled. "Probopass! Move in!”

"Hope, can I ask you to Mega Evolve here?" I whispered.

"Already ahead of you," she replied, Key Stone glowing.

Venusaur flashed with light and finished its Mega Evolution in seconds as Probopass came spinning over the field. The floating head carried with it three, tiny, stone wings that shifted around its body. The trio moved to the front of Probopass’s face, where they began to spin in a circle. Between them, sparks flickered out, and then a rotating, triangular shape blasted forward right at where the Mega Pokémon stood.

Fire, ice, and lightning twisted together into one attack in the air. Despite those elements, it was fueled by Normal Type energy, which allowed it to bypass Venusaur's Mega Ability, Thick Fat.

"Azumarill, get in there to help!" I called out.

Countless stones defensively floated up in the air as Azumarill leaped forward. Four sets of vines left the Venusaur’s back in an attempt to tie Probopass down.

But, the stones were like a mass of individually controlled daggers, and they swung and slashed and jabbed at any up-close attempts to attack. Even more, Probopass would jerk around every so often to bang its body against anything that got close. While it was hardly moving from its current position, its defense was insane. Even a Liquidation from Azumarill couldn't land a solid hit. A jab from a stray stone and a secondary smash forward meant most blows glanced off its sides, except—

Except Probopass wasn't the only one of Olivia's Pokémon on the field, was it? It might not have been dealing that much damage, but the skill it wielded with its Rock Type energy and its heavy, floating body made it seem all the more a threat. Yet, the true threat came from the back, where the Golem with facial hair hadn't moved once since the beginning. Sparks crackled between the two, large stones on its back, and a glow emanated from its center.

"Now," I heard Olivia say, her voice just barely above a whisper.

And with that, light. A laser beam of pure electricity shot out of the cannon on Golem's back. The attack resembled a horizontal Thunder, except it was a Hyper Beam, converted to electricity. Its ability, Galvanize, was responsible for that conversion, and the already strong attack turned into an even more powerful move.

Same strategy as a Pixilate Hyper Beam, just with the Electric Type, then.

Now, I was a fan of buffing my Pokémon up, and it seemed Olivia was too. Golem had spent all of that time making itself stronger with Charge, and while Azumarill had withstood attacks from a Legendary Pokémon in the past, those had been attacks she resisted several times over. When it came to Electric Type moves, she just wasn't built to take a super effective attack like this.

With a flash, the beam struck her, searing into the flesh of the center of the back. She cried out then convulsed, falling to the ground with energy still sparking off her unconscious body.

I returned my Pokémon to the sound of cheers from the crowd. Looking around for just a moment, I did note that several of the observing trainers now had grim looks on their faces.

Olivia was strong, which was clear especially after that. There was a reason we were here to test her for a position in the Elite Four, after all, even though her attitude might leave people wanting at times.

"We need to remove that Sandstorm," Hope said as I thought over who to send out next. “It’s costing us the battle.”

"How so?"

"Check out Probopass. Look at its stones closely."

At her guidance, I squinted my eyes. Through the flowing sands before us, I figured out what she meant.

Probopass was controlling its stones so well for a reason. It seemed to have not gone unbuffed as well. With the Sandstorm still up, the floating sands were coalescing and hardening over Probopass's moves and making them even more solid. Not only that, but they were still shielding the Rock Types from anything at range.

"Vileplume fainted because the Sandstorm limited her ability to damage Lycanroc. If Probopass’s offense is also being buffed, likely through its Sand Force ability, we won't be able to win."

My gaze hardened. There was only so much we could do. But, if it was utility moves we needed, I did have one Pokémon on the team who was an absolute master at that game.

"Whimsicott," I said, and the Pokémon in question returned to the field.

Without an Aqua Ring up like Azumarill, he was forced to squint just to see through the Sandstorm. He glanced between Golem and Probopass before entering the air, and, when he joined the match, his re-upping of Grassy Terrain was almost automatic.

Venusaur roared, empowered by the move, but, still, Probopass was defensive enough. In the back, Golem began to charge up once more.

"Rain will allow for Thunder," I pointed out. "Weakens Synthesis, too."

"That's fine. We'll have to rely on Florges, then," she said.

I nodded.

"It'll do."

I yelled for Whimsicott to use Rain Dance, telling him to only use that move. Below, Venusaur focused on healing, doing its best to withstand the Probopass's stones. Then, a moment passed, and another Hyper Beam came out, this one just as strong. Whimsicott’s Protect let him withstand the damage of the attack, and the beam continued through him to strike the barrier surrounding the field.

(Which was strange to see, considering there was a conspicuous lack of Psychic Types around. Briefly, I looked around, and while I didn’t see any Pokémon that could have been responsible for the barrier, I could have sworn I saw a glint from the shrine above Olivia's head.)

"Rain Dance. Keep it up," I said, pushing that thought out of my mind.

Back above the field, Whimsicott continued to bounce in the air. This whole time, clouds had been building in the sky. Sun couldn't evaporate away the sands of a Sandstorm like it could the clouds of Rain Dance and Hail. Yet, Sandstorm could add enough blowing sand to the air to completely blot out the sun. Not all weather moves could replace one another, so, then, what could remove a Sandstorm?

Well, water was adept at washing sand away.

The clouds turned black, and the field soon became drenched. All of the sand flying through the air was turned into motionless mud. Probopass's attacks immediately weakened, and Golem shifted around to aim its back at the sky instead of straight ahead.

Within seconds of that change of direction, another blast left Golem’s back, and Whimsicott suffered from a Thunder—a direct blow.

"Are you okay?" I shouted to ask.

Whimsicott hadn't managed to use Protect thanks to not expecting the attack. He was covered in singed markings now, but, even though he coughed up some smoke, I could tell he still had a bit of fight left in him.

"Ball games," I said.

Whimsicott, a goat that floats, smirked. At his command, orbs of green started to lift up from the terrain beneath him.

Through the use of Prankster-enhanced Nature Power, countless spheres flew through the air. Where water fell from the sky, weak Energy Balls ascended from the earth. Probopass was forced to limit its movements to maintain a better defense, and the less specially-resistant Rock Type in the back let out a pained groan.

"Now, Venusaur!"

This attack wasn't a Hyper Beam, but with the power of a Grassy Terrain-enhanced Mega Evolution, it might as well have been one.

Venusaur hadn't been taking in light, but the Pokémon had been building up a charge. There was a reason it had been focused on staying still and weathering attacks up until this point. Using the raw Grass Type energy provided to it from the field instead of the power of the sun, the small jungle of a flower on its back glowed, and Venusaur released a beam attack of its own.

The Solar Beam struck Golem, whose inherent Sturdiness let it resist the attack. Conscious but barely standing, it crackled for one last attack—

Then a small Energy Ball shot from the ground, sucker punching it right in its face.

"Return, Probopass," Olivia said.

I thought it was wild she returned her healthy Pokémon before her fainted one.

"Now, go, my twins! Dusk and Night, take them out!"

Usually, teams of Pokémon were somewhat diverse as it was expected that people would use different species. But, in the case of differing forms, Olivia seemed to have made an exception, as two more Lycanroc hit the field, bringing the total used in this match up to three.

That's a lot of dogs.

Dusk, which I assumed was the quadrupedal, orange-furred Lycanroc-Dusk, charged forward with an Accelrock, stones forming as forward-pointing spikes on its side. Meanwhile, Night, which I assumed was the bipedal, red, werewolf-looking Lycanroc-Midnight, grinned and whispered Taunting words under its breath.

From that Taunt, Whimsicott went still, and he gained an aggressive glare. Holding his hands up, he began to form a ball of energy right over his head. At that, Dusk, moving over to Venusaur, jumped onto the Mega Pokémon's head before leaping into the air. From there, it used its height to unleash a combination Crunch-Accelrock that brought Whimsicott to the ground.

"Now, Night! Z-Stone Edge! Continental Crush!"

Olivia began the dance, but my eyes were firmly locked onto her Pokémon. Fueled by the Z-Move, the werewolf dug its claws into the ground, and it began to lift, and lift, and lift.

The attack started as a pebble, but then it became a boulder, and then it became a stone half the side of the field, held aloft into the air. Our Pokémon were thrust into the shadow of the massive attack as everyone present strained their necks to look up.

"What," I said.

Hope's mouth opened and closed without forming any words.

Venusaur tried to defend itself, but Whimsicott couldn't do anything thanks to the Taunt. As Dusk fled with the speed of Quick Attack, our Pokémon were helpless in the face of such a massive stone coming crushing down.

It shattered upon smashing onto the field, crushing our Pokémon then jabbing them with its shrapnel. Whimsicott fainted outright, whereas Venusaur somehow still managed to stay up. Next to me, Hope swayed, and she slurred some of her words.

"Hey. Hey! Stay focused. We're in a match."

She slapped her own cheek.

"Yeah!" she yelled. "No use being tired just because Venusaur took a hit!"

Her proceeding smile came out a little strained.

I only had one Pokémon left after this, but at least she was a healer. I brought out Florges, who glanced up, annoyed at the pouring water blocking out the sun.

"Need to leave it for now. Can't afford a Sandstorm," I explained.

She frowned but accepted that before forming a Pollen Puff in her hands. As Olivia prepared her Pokémon for their next attacks, the ball of healing dust was thrust into Venusaur’s mouth, where the dinosaur chewed and was healed and refreshed.

"So!" Olivia yelled, not even looking the slightest bit drained after that massive attack. "What'll your strategy be next?!"

I grumbled slightly.

"With our jobs, shouldn't that be our question to you?" I said under my breath.

I didn't want to lose. With how things were looking, we'd need to be clever to win. That Sandstorm had sand-blasted our plans, and Olivia still had a Probopass in her pocket. Given that Hope only had Cherrim in reserve, I wasn't sure our team had enough firepower to finish off our opponents.

"How healthy is Venusaur?" I asked.

"He—" Hope yawned. "He might have taken a lot of damage, but I've trained him to be a tank. He can go a lot further."

"Good," I said. "Thinking about it, I think we need to go with a sacrificial play. Can you send Venusaur forward?"

Hope snapped her gaze to me, offended, but when she saw my grim look, her expression mellowed out.

"Sure. Let's end phase one of Alola on a high note, yeah?" she said.

I smiled, but I didn't feel very happy.

"Charge!" Hope yelled.

Venusaur's gait was a little strange. It kind of reminded me of the leaping of a frog. But, it still charged forth regardless, and its flowers swayed on its back.

"Scary Face, both of you. Then move in," Olivia yelled.

Florges didn't use any buffing moves in the back. She kept herself looking as small as possible outside of the occasional, weak Magical Leaf. The leaves homed in on the two Lycanroc, but teeth or claws sliced them away. The Lycanroc-Midnight didn't even bother to use Taunt with how pitiful Florges was performing.

Good.

"Petal Dance!" Hope yelled.

Olivia was prepared.

Jaws locked into horrific grins that intimidated Venusaur and slowed it down, the two Lycanroc used Rock Tomb to tear up cover from under the ground, and the Rock Tomb provided ample cover to save them from the slicing petals.

As Venusaur continued, Olivia waited for a gap, and she soon found it. Soon enough, there was a moment where the combined Scary Face did its work, and it almost seemed as if the continual Petal Dance stuttered in a delay.

"Crunch. Stone Edge!" she ordered as fast as she could.

Both dogs leapt out from behind the stones towards Venusaur, and, just like Olivia, I saw a chance.

"Florges, it's time."

She sent me a single nod.

As part of our plan, a star from Wish was sent up into the air, and then Florges disappeared only for Venusaur to take her place.

"Ally Switch," I whispered.

It'd been a long time since she last used this move. Florges and Venusaur’s positions were swapped.

Two hounds bore down on her, and two hounds were subjected to burning light. Night took the Dazzling Gleam worse than Dusk, but they still managed to push through, as they weren’t especially vulnerable to the attack. Florges took two direct hits.

"Stone Edge!"

I said nothing in response to Olivia's yell.

Florges was jabbed and jabbed and jabbed as if she was receiving rapid fire from a rock-based machine gun. Both Pokémon unleashed a shared assault to take Florges out while they outnumbered her two-to-one. But, Florges wasn't here to last; all she needed to do was unleash one final attack. Even through the pain, she brought up her arms, and a flurry of petals exploded out of her mane.

Pink.

And then the three Pokémon fell to the ground. Only Venusaur hadn’t fainted.

The two Lycanroc couldn't withstand that final, explosive Petal Dance, especially after that first Dazzling Gleam had weakened them up.

That was what they get for forsaking defense for all-out offense, and the same was unfortunately true for Florges.

"Return, Florges," I said, a bittersweet feeling in my stomach.

"It was a good play," Hope said at my side.

I agreed, so I just shrugged.

Across from us, Olivia stared at her two fainted dogs before chuckling slightly to herself.

"The sheer power your Pokémon wield... it seems I underestimated you for this match."

I took a step back, and the tired Hope took a step forward. Despite it being so long, Mega Venusaur was still on the field. Now, as a post-conscious move, Florges's Wish entered its form. The Mega Pokémon let loose a rumble from its throat, and it was clear that after that final healing, it was ready to finish this off.

"Shame. Cherrim won't be able to compete in the match," Hope mused.

I was jealous of her—my half of the team was out. From here, all I could do was watch.

And of course, Hope won.

In the midst of a rainstorm, of course a Mega Venusaur won against Probopass. The floating head didn't have a Sandstorm to fuel its attacks.

A faint yet thick puff of Stun Spore allowed Venusaur to paralyze its opponent, then a flurry of Grass Type attacks finished it off. It didn't matter what Probopass did—it was fighting a Mega Pokémon. It was strong, but it wasn't strong enough. No matter how many stones or Electric Type moves were sent Venusaur’s way, it was simply too tough to be knocked out after all of Florges’s healing.

The battle ended in a one-on-one fight.

Then it was over, and no Pokémon were on the field. The ground was covered in mud, sand, and the faintest marks where the grass from Grassy Terrain once was. It was a mess, but it was nothing a Rock Type couldn't fix with a little extra work. Olivia didn't even blink as she left her balcony to circle around the field’s edge and meet us on the side.

"Incredible match," she said. "I haven't had a battle that great in a long time. So, thoughts?"

"You can't compare to Hala," I said right away. Next to me, Hope nodded to agree. She still seemed to be recovering from just how much energy went into maintaining Venusaur’s Mega Evolution.

To my surprise, Olivia laughed at our reaction.

"That old man? Of course, of course. He's a monster in his own right. I'm years off."

But then, Olivia grinned, and her teeth almost looked sharpened as a predator.

"But when I say years off, that’s not an assumption. That’s a fact. My team might not have the experience yet, but that means they don't have it yet. Give us time, and we'll surpass him. Strongest of the Elite Four? Hah! That'll be us before too long!"

She brought her head back and laughed while most of the audience filtered out. I imagined the observing trainers would have a lot to think about when it came to developing their strategies in the next few days.

"So,” Olivia said as she clapped her hands. “As you've completed the part of the challenge for Akala, I do have some rewards. You got some of them a little early, but I can at least fill out the rest."

The Kahuna Challenge was different from the Island Challenge, but the rewards were basically the same. Z-Crystals were handed out individually by Trial Captains, but for those who beat the Kahuna, they would be handed the sum if deemed worthy.

That meant Hope and I now had a third of all Z-Crystal Types: Normal, Fighting, Grass, Water, Fire, and Rock. Though, due to the Melemele Trainer School's Professor Oak, I had an extra Fairy Type crystal all to myself.

"Be sure to leave me a good review, and remember how kind I've been to you!" Olivia cheered. "Honestly though, a heads up would have been nice. It was a bit of a surprise to be challenged so out of the blue like that."

I shrugged.

"It's good to see how candidates react when off guard," I easily lied. Of course, the rush was entirely selfish. I only had a day left in Alola.

And, with that day came a day of goodbyes. I technically could have battled Kahili next, but I wanted my team to relax. We had just reached a new city—Konikoni—and now we could actually experience it. I only had so long, but Lillie and Hope would be staying here for a while. I wanted to spend what time I could with them before I left, and then I’d have to bid them a temporary goodbye.

After that, Sinnoh awaited."So much for our battle, hm?"

I chuckled awkwardly at Kahili's comment, unable to look her in the eyes. As Hope and I had to return to Heahea before competing in our match against Olivia, even that single day delay had been enough for rumors to spread and for other trainers to make their push.

To my understanding, with our successful breach in the barricade, it had mostly dissolved under the collective weight of failure. Most had moved on, others had stayed behind to try and fail to secure the city, and those who had been waiting with their challenge stones surged forward to challenge Olivia to their well-earned match.

Her entire next week was full, and, as a result, several dozen trainers were now eagerly awaiting the start of my and Hope’s match, intending to see what tips and tricks they could pry loose by watching the battle.

Not even twenty-four hours had passed, and rumors had spread that Olivia had finally been challenged. However, this schedule meant we didn’t have time to visit Hano Grand Resort and fight Kahili, and Kahili had heard about it.

"Sorry. I know I told you that Hope and I would battle you for a test, but our schedule didn't end up working out this way,” I said, cringing a little at my own words. “I at least have some measure of your team from the golf match, and Hope’s job is identical to mine. I trust her if she decides to battle you on her own."

Kahili crossed her arms, but she at least looked somewhat amused.

"I'll wait. Perhaps I'll challenge you two to a double match, same as Olivia. If you are to challenge Sinnoh's Elite Four, a more educated comparison might be in my favor."

"Either way, it'll be a good battle overall,” I replied. “Well, unless my Pokémon end up exhausted for weeks after my Elite Four matches."

Kahili shook her head, smirking slightly, before walking off to the stands to watch with the rest. Olivia wasn't battling us in Konikoni, rather, her preferred place of battle was a little ways out.

Here, in this small, south-southeastern section of Akala was Tapu Lele's personal shrine—a decorated cave built into a hillside. Visitors weren't allowed within, but a lowered, widened space spread out before it that was open to the public. This space was essentially a pit where Pokémon battles could take place, and simple seats had been carved into the hills by Rock Types to allow for a decent-sized audience.

From my position within the lowered area, I waved back to Lillie who was watching us excitedly. She looked like a one-man Pokémon army, as Clefairy was in her arms, Brionne was laying on her feet, and then Morelull and Cosmog had each claimed a shoulder. Around her, my and Hope's collective, in-training Pokémon were also sitting around to watch. There was Togepi already cheering animatedly, Eevee looking jealous in a seat of his own, Tinkatuff only half paying attention while she tinkered with her hammer, and then Cutiefly, who was flying back and forth, nerves clear on his face.

Add Hope's Steenee, Tangela, and Rowlet, and then even Kartana floating in the back, too, and we had an entire row just consisting of Lillie and a dozen Pokémon ready to cheer for us. Surprisingly, they weren't too out of place given the number of trainers around who had one or two of their team members out with them, ready to watch. Though, there were no other Ultra Beasts around.

I heard Hope's footsteps approach from behind, and she announced her presence with a friendly nudge to my side.

"So, Wandering Elite, ready for our match?"

"Now more than ever, Wandering Elite,” I mimicked. “This will be my send-off to Alola for now, so let's give everyone a big show."

Hope gained a wide grin, and I smiled right back. With our temporary delay to retrieve Lillie, we had time to plan, and I doubted Olivia was prepared for what'd hit her.

The field we waited in was a lowered pit, like I had already mentioned, except it was different from most fields as there weren't any dedicated, painted lines. Instead, Pokémon had the entire rounded space to battle in, and the trainers stood on what were essentially natural balconies opposite to one another on the edge. Additionally, a few stray rocks and stones were spread through the arena, but none were big enough to provide cover to species outside of the smallest of the small.

Hope and I eventually moved to our determined position, overlooking the field. Olivia exited a tunnel that led out to her own platform. The tunnel excited the hillside directly underneath a small, pink shrine dedicated to Tapu Lele, and Olivia stared imperiously over the field.

She wore a tank top and shorts with bangles on both arms. Her Z-Ring blended seamlessly with the rest, and she adjusted her colored stone necklace before she spoke.

"You two didn't inform me you were members of the Wandering Elite," she said, her voice echoing over the arena.

"Did we need to? You were warned ahead of time. We were going to show up eventually," I called out in response.

Olivia snorted, and her eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Cheeky," she said. "But, you have a point. If you're going to test me, test ahead, but don't think too badly of me when my team grinds yours down into sand."

"You can try," Hope shot back.

Olivia’s grin deepened before she moved on to explain the rules.

This would be a double battle with six Pokémon on each side, except Hope and I would supply three each, and Olivia would use her entire, personal team. Similarly, Hope and I had two switches each, whereas Olivia had the benefit of a full set of four.

"And any limitations on Megas or Z-Moves?" I asked.

"Use them as you can within the bounds of normal League rules," Olivia replied.

That meant Hope and I could only use one Mega and one Z-Move total. A slight hindrance to independent strategy, but considering we planned to work together for this, it wasn’t an issue at all.

With the discussion of rules completed, Hope and I exchanged a look.

"We're ready," we said in unison.

Olivia smirked.

"Good. Let's begin."

The woman tossed two Pokéballs forward while Hope and I each tossed one. Four simultaneous flashes of light burst out, and our Pokémon coalesced onto the field.

For Hope and I, we had Venusaur and Whimsicott respectively, and Olivia had sent out two Rock Types, as expected. One was a bulky, four-legged mound of stone with red crystals growing off of it—a Gigalith—and the other was a tan-coated dog with a black rocks growing out of its neck that resembled a spiked collar—a Lycanroc, midday form.

"Go!" Olivia yelled to start the match.

"Sunny Day.”

"Solar Beam!"

“Full sand!”

Whimsicott's Prankster usually meant his utility moves went first, but, in general, it still wasn’t enough to outspeed an inherent ability. Sand swirled out from the Gigalith, its Sand Stream causing a Sandstorm to overtake the field. While Whimsicott still managed to get his flaming orb into the sky, the Sandstorm was no artificial cloud that could be evaporated away—no, the weather persisted and blocked out the sun that Venusaur tried to use to fuel its move.

Then, Lycanroc blurred. Coarse fur became slick under the gusting winds, and it moved with the force of a gale behind it. Sand Rush, its ability, allowed it to use the force of the Sandstorm to carry it forward at high speeds, and it was on Venusaur before Solar Beam even properly began.

"Sand Attack into Bulldoze! Smack Down, Gigalith!" Olivia called out.

Lycanroc's sharp claws dug into the ground, sending up sand that entered Venusaur's eyes. The dinosaur quickly shut its eyelids in response, but Lycanroc was already causing the ground to erupt beneath it.

At the same time, Whimsicott reacted with a Grassy Terrain, sending energy deep into the earth that pulsed out an enhancing, healing grass bloom. That helped Venusaur resist the damage of the Bulldoze beneath it. However, at the same time, the dense sand of the Sandstorm hid Gigalith's attack, which meant with all Whimsicott’s speed, he couldn’t defend himself against a move he didn’t see coming.

The Smack Down clipped him in such a way that the momentum sent him hurtling towards the earth, but his cottony fluff at least gave him a soft surface to minimize the force of the impact with the ground.

"That Sand Attack was bad news," Hope said quietly as our Pokemon fought.  "The Earth Power, he could withstand, but I don't want to Mega Evolve him if his attacks' aim will be off."

"Let's switch, then," I said.

She nodded.

"Come back!"

"You too, Whimsicott!"

Our Pokémon were returned, leaving the pair of Rock Types and a very smug Olivia. In our Pokémon's place were a new set of team members, another pair Hope and I planned for last night.

"Vileplume.”

"Azumarill."

"Both of you, Iron Head!" Olivia yelled.

Azumarill took off, leaving behind the Lycanroc that went after Vileplume, and she moved right up into the relatively immobile Gigalith’s face. A red crystal on its head gained a silvery hue as it slammed downward, but Azumarill’s Splash let her jump out of the way.

"Giga Drain!" Hope hurriedly called out.

Vileplume wasn’t as lucky. Lycanroc managed to lunge right at its chest. The dual Grass and Poison Type coughed from the force of the impact, flinching, and it became unable to follow through with Hope’s commanded move. What was worse is that Lycanroc itself did manage to follow through, and the Rock Type dog bit down on Vileplume’s side with flames flicking out of the corners of its mouth. Fire Fang was super effective, which didn’t spell good news for the poor Vileplume.

"Azumarill's in place," I said as Hope nervously watched her Pokemon.

"Good. This hasn’t been a waste, then. Stun Spore!"

"Liquidation!"

I didn't need to call for the move, but it still felt nice to issue commands. What really mattered was that Hope ordered Vileplumes' attack, and the sound of her voice reminded the Pokémon of the strategy we discussed last night.

From the center of Vileplume’s bouncy flower, a cloud of allergenic dust leaked out and blew over the field. The Sandstorm was to our advantage for this, surprisingly, as not only was Lycanroc now stiffening under the effect of the coughing and sneezing the powder caused, but the winds blew the dust all the way to where both Azumarill and Gigalith were.

Gigalith became paralyzed just like Lycanroc before it, but Azumarill was different. After all, her ability was Sap Sipper, and while Vileplume maintained a constant stream of debilitating pollen, Azumarill could use that to fuel her own attacks.

A punch forward, and her living rock opponent experienced a form of instantaneous erosion. Liquidation pushed into cracks on Gigalith’s surface and broke through its stone. A high cry echoed out as Vileplume suffered from a now much more restrained Fire Fang in the back, but the good news was that with Azumarill's massive physical strength and repeated use of the move, Gigalith was soon the first to fall.

"Probopass," Olivia called out to replace the Pokemon that had collapsed to the floor. "Show that Azumarill why it'd be wrong to underestimate us."

We weren't underestimating her, we were just using an appropriate level of strength. When Probopass was sent out, though, Azumarill hopped back.

We'd fought Nosepass and Probopass in the past, and both times Azumarill had suffered from surprise Electric Type moves. To experience the same here would be a critical mistake. It was better to retreat and focus on something else.

"Vileplume!" Hope shouted.

Azumarill glanced around to see if she could help Vileplume, but the Pokémon was busy keeping Lycanroc at bay, somewhat, by maintaining a Giga Drain. It wasn’t healing much, but it was keeping Vileplume conscious.

Unfortunately, Sandstorm wasn’t just something to enable abilities, the sand itself was great at shielding Rock Types from special effects. While Vileplume was maintaining a drain, the coarse sand flying through the air meant the Pokémon didn’t have a strong grip, and Lycanroc was somehow much better off than it should have been.

Vileplume couldn’t heal anywhere near as much as it wanted.

"Now, Stone Edge, both of you!" Olivia ordered.

"Shift targets!" I yelled.

Azumarill moved back to help Vileplume, but a hastily summoned Stone Edge from Probopass jabbed her right in the side. As for the Grass Type in question, Lycanroc was still relatively active, and rocks levitated off the ground to dig into Vileplume’s face like hail made out of stone.

That caused Vileplume to flag, and it felt like Vileplume was soon to faint. With how fast Lycanroc was, we needed to take it out now before it achieved anything more.

Azumarill used Aqua Jet, rushing away from where Probopass stayed behind to enter the air with Magnet Rise. Without it harassing her, she was free to jet up to Lycranroc, and she unleashed a liquidy punch that contained all the momentum of Aqua Jet behind it.

She was too late—Vileplume fell.

However, Lycanroc did, too.

Unfortunately, that was two Pokémon taken out in the same instance, which essentially kept the battle at even odds. With the still waiting Probopass, the Sandstorm was refreshed in the meantime, and Azumarill wiped sand out of her eyes.

An Aqua Ring formed around Azumarill’s body to help her resist the damage of the grating weather as she waited for both Hope and Olivia to send out their next Pokémon. Grassy Terrain had helped her resist the damage before that moment, but enough time had passed that it was now fading away.

"If there's no Sand Attack, I can use Venusaur now," Hope said.

"Go ahead. Cherrim won't be a help without the sun," I replied.

Her flower-backed dinosaur hit the field once more, and Azumarill moved to its side. However, across from them, a large boulder with legs and feet was sent out as Olivia’s next Pokémon. On its back were a set of magnetic rocks that resembled a rail gun,  and the Pokémon’s face was half hidden by a beard of magnetically-controlled iron filings.

"Alolan Golem," I identified.

"I've taken your measure, so don't expect things to go so easily from here!" Olivia yelled. "Probopass! Move in!”

"Hope, can I ask you to Mega Evolve here?" I whispered.

"Already ahead of you," she replied, Key Stone glowing.

Venusaur flashed with light and finished its Mega Evolution in seconds as Probopass came spinning over the field. The floating head carried with it three, tiny, stone wings that shifted around its body. The trio moved to the front of Probopass’s face, where they began to spin in a circle. Between them, sparks flickered out, and then a rotating, triangular shape blasted forward right at where the Mega Pokemon stood.

Fire, ice, and lightning twisted together into one attack in the air. Despite those elements, it was fueled by Normal Type energy, which allowed it to bypass Venusaur's Mega Ability, Thick Fat.

"Azumarill, get in there to help!" I called out.

Countless stones defensively floated up in the air as Azumarill leaped forward. Four sets of vines left the Venusaur’s back in an attempt to tie Probopass down.

But, the stones were like a mass of individually controlled daggers, and they swung and slashed and jabbed at any up-close attempts to attack. Even more, Probopass would jerk around every so often to bang its body against anything that got close. While it was hardly moving from its current position, its defense was insane. Even a Liquidation from Azumarill couldn't land a solid hit. A jab from a stray stone and a secondary smash forward meant most blows glanced off its sides, except—

Except Probopass wasn't the only one of Olivia's Pokémon on the field, was it? It might not have been dealing that much damage, but the skill it wielded with its Rock Type energy and its heavy, floating body made it seem all the more a threat. Yet, the true threat came from the back, where the Golem with facial hair hadn't moved once since the beginning. Sparks crackled between the two, large stones on its back, and a glow emanated from its center.

"Now," I heard Olivia say, her voice just barely above a whisper.

And with that, light. A laser beam of pure electricity shot out of the cannon on Golem's back. The attack resembled a horizontal Thunder, except it was a Hyper Beam, converted to electricity. Its ability, Galvanize, was responsible for that conversion, and the already strong attack turned into an even more powerful move.

Same strategy as a Pixilate Hyper Beam, just with the Electric Type, then.

Now, I was a fan of buffing my Pokémon up, and it seemed Olivia was too. Golem had spent all of that time making itself stronger with Charge, and while Azumarill had withstood attacks from a Legendary Pokémon in the past, those had been attacks she resisted several times over. When it came to Electric Type moves, she just wasn't built to take a super effective attack like this.

With a flash, the beam struck her, searing into the flesh of the center of the back. She cried out then convulsed, falling to the ground with energy still sparking off her unconscious body.

I returned my Pokémon to the sound of cheers from the crowd. Looking around for just a moment, I did note that several of the observing trainers now had a grim look on their faces.

Olivia was strong, which was clear especially after that. There was a reason we were here to test her for a position in the Elite Four, after all, even though her attitude might leave people wanting at times.

"We need to remove that Sandstorm," Hope said as I thought over who to send out next. “It’s costing us the battle.”

"How so?"

"Check out Probopass. Look at its stones closely."

At her guidance, I squinted my eyes. Through the flowing sands before us, I figured out what she meant.

Probopass was controlling its stones so well for a reason. It seemed to have not gone unbuffed as well. With the Sandstorm still up, the floating sands were coalescing and hardening over Probopass's moves and making them even more solid. Not only that, but they were still shielding the Rock Types from anything at range.

"Vileplume fainted because the Sandstorm limited her ability to damage Lycanroc. If Probopass’s offense is also being buffed, likely through its Sand Force ability, we won't be able to win."

My gaze hardened. There was only so much we could do. But, if it was utility moves we needed, I did have one Pokémon on the team who was an absolute master at that game.

"Whimsicott," I said, and the Pokémon in question returned to the field.

Without an Aqua Ring up like Azumarill, he was forced to squint just to see through the Sandstorm. He glanced between Golem and Probopass before entering the air, and, when he joined the match, his re-upping of Grassy Terrain was almost automatic.

Venusaur roared, empowered by the move, but, still, Probopass was defensive enough. In the back, Golem began to charge up once more.

"Rain will allow for Thunder," I pointed out. "Weakens Synthesis, too."

"That's fine. We'll have to rely on Florges, then," she said.

I nodded.

"It'll do."

I yelled for Whimsicott to use Rain Dance, telling him to only use that move. Below, Venusaur focused on healing, doing its best to withstand the Probopass's stones. Then, a moment passed, and another Hyper Beam came out, this one just as strong. Whimsicott’s Protect let him withstand the damage of the attack, and the beam continued through him to strike the barrier surrounding the field.

(Which was strange to see, considering there was a conspicuous lack of Psychic Types around. Briefly, I looked around, and the while I didn’t see any Pokemon that could have been responsible for the barrier, I could have sworn I saw a glint from the shrine above Olivia's head.)

"Rain Dance. Keep it up," I said, pushing that thought out of my mind.

Back above the field, Whimsicott continued to bounce in the air. This whole time, clouds had been building in the sky. Sun couldn't evaporate away the sands of a Sandstorm like it could the clouds of Rain Dance and Hail. Yet, Sandstorm could add enough blowing sand to the air to completely blot out the sun. Not all weather moves could replace one another, so, then, what could remove a Sandstorm?

Well, water was adept at washing sand away.

The clouds turned black, and the field soon became drenched. All of the sand flying through the air was turned into motionless mud. Probopass's attacks immediately weakened, and Golem shifted around to aim its back at the sky instead of straight ahead.

Within seconds of that change of direction, another blast left Golem’s back, and Whimsicott suffered from a Thunder—a direct blow.

"Are you okay?" I shouted to asked.

Whimsicott hadn't managed to use Protect thanks to not expecting the attack. He was covered in singed markings now, but, even though he coughed up some smoke, I could tell he still had a bit of fight left in him.

"Ball games," I said.

Whimsicott, a goat that floats, smirked. At his command, orbs of green started to lift up from the terrain beneath him.

Through the use of Prankster-enhanced Nature Power, countless spheres flew through the air. Where water fell from the sky, weak Energy Balls ascended from the earth. Probopass was forced to limit its movements to maintain a better defense, and the less specially-resistant Rock Type in the back let out a pained groan.

"Now, Venusaur!"

This attack wasn't a Hyper Beam, but with the power of a Grassy Terrain-enhanced Mega Evolution, it might as well have been one.

Venusaur hadn't been taking in light, but the Pokémon had been building up a charge. There was a reason it had been focused on staying still and weathering attacks up until this point. Using the raw Grass Type energy provided to it from the field instead of the power of the sun, the small jungle of a flower on its back glowed, and Venusaur released a beam attack of its own.

The Solar Beam struck Golem, whose inherent Sturdiness let it resist the attack. Conscious but barely standing, it crackled for one last attack—

Then a small Energy Ball shot from the ground, sucker punching it right in its face.

"Return, Probopass," Olivia said.

I thought it was wild she returned her healthy Pokémon before her fainted one.

"Now, go, my twins! Dusk and Night, take them out!"

Usually, teams of Pokémon were somewhat diverse as it was expected that people would use different species. But, in the case of differing forms, Olivia seemed to have made an exception, as two more Lycanroc hit the field, bringing the total used in this match up to three.

That's a lot of dogs.

Dusk, which I assumed was the quadrupedal, orange-furred Lycanroc-Dusk, charged forward with an Accelrock, stones forming as forward-pointing spikes on its side. Meanwhile, Night, which I assumed was the bipedal, red, werewolf-looking Lycanroc-Midnight, grinned and whispered Taunting words under its breath.

From that Taunt, Whimsicott went still, and he gained an aggressive glare. Holding his hands up, he began to form a ball of energy right over his head. At that, Dusk, moving over to Venusaur, jumped onto the Mega Pokémon's head before leaping into the air. From there, it used its height to unleash a combination Crunch-Accelrock that brought Whimsicott to the ground.

"Now, Night! Z-Stone Edge! Continental Crush!"

Olivia began the dance, but my eyes were firmly locked onto her Pokémon. Fueled by the Z-Move, the werewolf dug its claws into the ground, and it began to lift, and lift, and lift.

The attack started as a pebble, but then it became a boulder, and then it became a stone half the side of the field, held aloft into the air. Our Pokémon were thrust into the shadow of the massive attack as everyone present strained their necks to look up.

"What," I said.

Hope's mouth opened and closed without forming any words.

Venusaur tried to defend itself, but Whimsicott couldn't do anything thanks to the Taunt. As Dusk fled with the speed of Quick Attack, our Pokémon were helpless in the face of such a massive stone coming crushing down.

It shattered upon smashing onto the field, crushing our Pokémon then jabbing them with its shrapnel. Whimsicott fainted outright, whereas Venusaur somehow still managed to stay up. Next to me, Hope swayed, and she slurred some of her words.

"Hey. Hey! Stay focused. We're in a match."

She slapped her own cheek.

"Yeah!" she yelled. "No use being tired just because Venusaur took a hit!"

Her proceeding smile came out a little strained.

I only had one Pokémon left after this, but at least she was a healer. I brought out Florges, who glanced up, annoyed at the pouring water blocking out the sun.

"Need to leave it for now. Can't afford a Sandstorm," I explained.

She frowned but accepted that before forming a Pollen Puff in her hands. As Olivia prepared her Pokémon for their next attacks, the ball of healing dust was thrust into Venusaur’s mouth, where the dinosaur chewed and was healed and refreshed.

"So!" Olivia yelled, not even looking the slightest bit drained after that massive attack. "What'll your strategy be next?!"

I grumbled slightly.

"With our jobs, shouldn't that be our question to you?" I said under my breath.

I didn't want to lose. With how things were looking, I might not have a choice. That Sandstorm had sand-blasted our plans, and Olivia still had a Probopass in her pocket. Given that Hope only had Cherrim in reserve, I wasn't sure our team had enough firepower to finish off our opponents.

"How healthy is Venusaur?" I asked.

"He—" Hope yawned. "He might have taken a lot of damage, but I've trained him to be a tank. He can go a lot further."

"Good," I said. "Thinking about it, I think we need to go with a sacrificial play. Can you send Venusaur forward?"

Hope snapped her gaze to me, offended, but when she saw my grim look, her expression mellowed out.

"Sure. Let's end phase one of Alola on a high note, yeah?" she said.

I smiled, but I didn't feel very happy.

"Charge!" Hope yelled.

Venusaur's gait was a little strange. It kind of reminded me of the leaping of a frog. But, it still charged forth regardless, and its flowers swayed on its back.

"Scary Face, both of you. Then move in," Olivia yelled.

Florges didn't use any buffing moves in the back. She kept herself looking as small as possible outside of the occasional, weak Magical Leaf. The leaves homed in on the two Lycanroc, but teeth or claws sliced them away. The Lycanroc-Midnight didn't even bother to use Taunt with how pitiful Florges was performing.

Good.

"Petal Dance!" Hope yelled.

Olivia was prepared.

Jaws locked into horrific grins that intimidated Venusaur and slowed it down, the two Lycanroc used Rock Tomb to tear up cover from under the ground, and the Rock Tomb provided amply cover to save them from the slicing petals.

As Venusaur continued, Olivia waited for a gap, and she soon found it. Soon enough, there was a moment where the combined Scary Face did its work, and it almost seemed as if the continual Petal Dance stuttered in a delay.

"Crunch. Stone Edge!" she ordered as fast as she could.

Both dogs leapt out from behind the stones towards Venusaur, and, just like Olivia, I saw a chance.

"Florges, it's time."

She sent me a single nod.

As part of our plan, a star from Wish was sent up into the air, and then Florges disappeared only for Venusaur to take her place.

"Ally Switch," I whispered.

It'd been a long time since she last used this move. Florges and Venusaur’s positions were swapped.

Two hounds bore down on her, and two hounds were subjected to burning light. Night took the Dazzling Gleam worse than Dusk, but they still managed to push through, as they weren’t especially vulnerable to the attack. Florges took two direct hits.

"Stone Edge!"

I said nothing in response to Olivia's yell.

Florges was jabbed and jabbed and jabbed as if she was receiving rapid fire from a rock-based machine gun. Both Pokémon unleashed a shared assault to take Florges out while they outnumbered her two-to-one. But, Florges wasn't here to last; all she needed to do was unleash one final attack. Even through the pain, she brought up her arms, and a flurry of petals exploded out of her mane.

Pink.

And then the three Pokémon fell to the ground. Only Venusaur hadn’t failed.

The two Lycanroc couldn't withstand that final, explosive Petal Dance, especially after that first Dazzling Gleam had weakened them up.

That was what they get for forsaking defense for all-out offense, and the same was unfortunately true for Florges.

"Return, Florges," I said, a bittersweet feeling in my stomach.

"It was a good play," Hope said at my side.

I agreed, so I just shrugged.

Across from us, Olivia stared at her two fainted dogs before chuckling slightly to herself.

"The sheer power your Pokémon wield... it seems I underestimated you for this match."

I took a step back, and the tired Hope took a step forward. Despite it being so long, Mega Venusaur was still on the field. Now, as a post-conscious move, Florges's Wish entered its form. The Mega Pokémon let loose a rumble from its throat, and it was clear that after that final healing, it was ready to finish this off.

"Shame. Cherrim won't be able to compete in the match," Hope mused.

I was jealous of her—my half of the team was out. From here, all I could do was watch.

And of course, Hope won.

In the midst of a rainstorm, of course a Mega Venusaur won against Probopass. The floating head didn't have a Sandstorm to fuel its attacks.

A faint yet thick puff of Stun Spore allowed Venusaur to paralyze its opponent, then a flurry of Grass Type attacks finished it off. It didn't matter what Probopass did—it was fighting a Mega Pokémon. It was strong, but it wasn't strong enough. No matter how many stones or Electric Type moves were sent Venusaur’s way, it was simply too tough to knocked out after all of Florges’s healing.

The battle ended in a one-on-one fight.

Then it was over, and no Pokémon were on the field. The ground was covered in mud, sand, and the faintest marks where the grass from Grassy Terrain once was. It was a mess, but it was nothing a Rock Type couldn't fix with a little extra work. Olivia didn't even blink as she left her balcony to circle around the field’s edge and meet us on the side.

"Incredible match," she said. "I haven't had a battle that great in a long time. So, thoughts?"

"You can't compare to Hala," I said right away. Next to me, Hope nodded to agree. She still seemed to be recovering from just how much energy went into maintaining Venusaur’s Mega Evolution.

To my surprise, Olivia laughed at our reaction.

"That old man? Of course, of course. He's a monster in his own right. I'm years off."

But then, Olivia grinned, and her teeth almost looked sharpened as a predator.

"But when I say years off, that’s not an assumption. That’s a fact. My team might not have the experience yet, but that means they don't have it yet. Give us time, and we'll surpass him. Strongest of the Elite Four? Hah! That'll be us before too long!"

She brought her head back and laughed while most of the audience filtered out. I imagined the observing trainers would have a lot to think about when it came to developing their strategies in the next few days.

"So,” Olivia said as she clapped her hands. “As you've completed the part of the challenge for Akala, I do have some rewards. You got some of them a little early, but I can at least fill out the rest."

The Kahuna Challenge was different from the Island Challenge, but the rewards were basically the same. Z-Crystals were handed out individually by Trial Captains, but for those who beat the Kahuna, they would be handed the sum if deemed worthy.

That meant Hope and I now had a third of all Z-Crystal Types: Normal, Fighting, Grass, Water, Fire, and Rock. Though, due to the Melemele Trainer School's Professor Oak, I had an extra Fairy Type crystal all to myself.

"Be sure to leave me a good review, and remember how kind I've been to you!" Olivia cheered. "Honestly though, a heads up would have been nice. It was a bit of a surprise to be challenged so out of the blue like that."

I shrugged.

"It's good to see how candidates react when off guard," I easily lied. Of course, the rush was entirely selfish. I only had a day left in Alola.

And, with that day came a day of goodbyes. I technically could have battled Kahili next, but I wanted my team to relax. We had just reached a new city—Konikoni—and now we could actually experience it. I only had so long, but Lillie and Hope would be staying here for a while. I wanted to spend what time I could with them before I left, and then I’d have to bid them a temporary goodbye.

After that, Sinnoh awaited.

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Author Note:

I feel like every Rock Type trainer ends up using fossil Pokémon at one point or another. Olivia had a really unique team in Sun and Moon, but then in Ultra Sun and Moon, they dumped Armaldo and Cradily onto it. Why?

So, I changed things around a little bit, taking inspiration from her original team in the games. She had a Lycanroc-Midnight as her ace in the games, but, in the anime, she just had a Lycanroc-Midday. When planning this chapter, I had a bit of trouble figuring out what her sixth would be, as I didn’t want to repeat Carbink and I had trouble thinking of how to write a Relicanth. Thankfully, my friends gave me the brilliant idea of Olivia fielding not one, not two, but three of the same Pokémon in one match.

Three Wolf Moon? Nah, more like Three Lycanroc Moon.

Pokémon (and people) mentioned in this chapter (contains spoilers):
Alolan Golem
Gigalith
Lycanroc / Lycanroc / Lycanroc
Probopass

Olivia

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