Chapter 214 (Patreon)

The villa that overlooked Po Town was sealed off by an old, rusty gate. A row of metal bars divided the Team Skull headquarters from the actual, livable city. As this place was a villa, there were a few rundown houses along its sides where I could already see a handful of Team Skull grunts lingering about. At the very center, however, there was a decaying mansion that was only ever referred to with one name by the locals: the Shady House, otherwise known as Guzma's personal property.

No one actually owned this place, as it was intended to serve more as an abandoned site akin to the old Thrifty Megamart in Tapu Village. Locals wanted to provide a safe, urban-like environment for unusual Pokémon to live, but Team Skull had thrown that plan onto its head.

Now, as Hope and I climbed the steep path that led up to the front gate, the grunts here silently watched us approach. Each one was hard to read with how their faces were covered up with masks, but each gaze was similarly sharp.

“Well, I think we're in the right place,” I quipped.

Hope rolled her eyes.

She went right up to the gate and gave it a shake, checking if it'd open up. There was no resistance to it as it creaked open and provided us a way in.

“I half expected some kind of welcoming party,” Hope whispered as none of the grunts approached.

“I know, but we didn't send any notice before heading here. Then again, we haven’t sent notice to anyone else before.”

She merely hummed as we properly entered, traveling down a cobbled road that curved around a fountain set in a plaza at the center of the villa. No one approached us, and all the grunts continued to silently watch. I felt like I was a lead actor in some sort of eerie stage play.

The main house itself soon loomed ahead of us, only about two stories tall but still clearly once an opulent residence. There was no way that Guzma wasn’t inside, as it was far too ostentatious for the man to have claimed any other building as his home.

“I guess we just head in,” I said quietly.

Hope said nothing to decline.

Just like the front gate, the door to the building creaked as we opened it up. Moving inside, each footstep caused the wooden floors to squeak and crack underneath us. I looked around and saw just how bluntly this place was in disrepair. Parts of the walls had fallen inwards, and the rotted balcony that overlooked this entrance parlor was missing the top of its railing.

“Mimikyu,” I said, releasing my Pokémon. “Mind staying on guard?”

The Ghost Type appeared from his Dusk Ball with a happy squeak before he dipped down into my shadow, disappearing from view. Hope sent me a curious look at how that entire process had taken place without me blinking an eye.

I sent her an easy shrug. I actually liked Mimikyu, and he’d gotten used to staying out like this. Half the time he was either hugging or hiding in the floor beneath my feet. It was either grow used to this or be terrified all the time—and one of those options was completely ridiculous considering how much Mimikyu liked me back.

Just like outside, the interior of the mansion was silent, but this time, there was no one around to carry the potential of making noise. Remembering Guzma’s location in the games, I started towards an old staircase that led upstairs, but a sudden loud noise gave me pause.

There was a muffled roar, then a faint crash. It sounded like it came from outside, behind the building.

Hope and I only had to exchange a single look to express our agreement before we rushed off to find a backdoor.

Half a minute later and ten seconds of running down a side hallway, we found a double door that seemed to lead out into the back. We flung it open and pushed forward, only to be met with the sight of an overgrown garden containing two familiar trainers engaged in a fierce battle.

“Double Team!”

“Flamethrower!”

A bright red Scizor leaped to the side, each slight step causing an illusory duplicate to form in its wake. Its copies positioned themselves in a half-circle around an Incineroar, which clenched its fists and thrust its stomach to send a Flamethrower searing out from a flaming belt.

“Quick Attack!” the Scizor’s trainer yelled.

Before the flames could even reach the copies, the real Scizor bent forward to lunge and sucker punch Incineroar in the gut. The bipedal cat doubled over in pain only for the Scizor to leap back and return to hiding among its duplicates, hidden once more from any damaging response.

“I told you!” a cruel voice shouted out. “Ain't no way you're putting up a fight against me. Not after everything we've done to train.”

His young opponent grimaced, and I was at a loss for words.

The sight was obvious: the protagonist from the games, Elio, was locked in a fight against Guzma himself.

Hope and I didn’t continue forward; we stayed stock still in the doorway, taking the scene in. Our sudden action had alerted Guzma, however, and his eyes flicked over to us as he gained a manic grin.

“And the second set of ‘challengers’ have finally shown up!” he said sarcastically, laughing a bit at the end. “Sit back and watch. You’ll have the chance to take on the Big Bad Guzma together once I beat my first challenger down.”

He pointed forward rather dramatically, playing up the action by throwing his whole body into it.

“Wing Attack!” he ordered with all the flair he could muster.

“Cross Chop!” Elio cried in a desperate attempt to counter.

The Scizor left its Double Team once more, heading straight into the path of the rising Incineroar, which had begun to cross its arms. The cat prepared a dual swipe downwards, but Scizor easily ducked and weaved out of the way to take its metal-covered wings and slice them across Incineroar's chest.

Wing Attack wasn't that powerful of a move, but when combined with Scizor's ability, Technician, the relatively weak attack landed with precise aim. It hit in just the right way to strike where it was vulnerable, causing the Incineroar to fall to its knees. The cat tried to take a moment to recover, but Scizor was relentless. Before it could attack again, a Bullet Punch uppercut smashed into its chin, and the rest of its body hit the floor, falling unconscious.

Silence prevailed for a long while as everyone took the sight in. Guzma stood there, blinking, before he threw his head back and started to laugh.

As for Elio, he fell to his knees almost in the same way Incineroar had done only moments before.

“I... I lost,” Elio whispered.

His voice was so quiet I almost didn’t hear him. He sounded like he was in shock.

“To think I didn't even need to pull out my secret weapons!” Guzma cackled once more before turning to us. “Come on, don't keep me waiting! Send out your Pokémon! I'm itching for a good fight!”

Elio looked even more distraught at the backhanded insult, and Hope scowled at Guzma before rushing over to help Elio stand up and move off to the side. The boy had a blank look in his eyes but managed to stay on his feet. His gaze was foggy, and he collapsed onto a rusted bench right after managing to return his Incineroar.

He’s... taking this poorly. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

I found myself walking slowly to stand across from Guzma. My eyes didn’t leave the Team Skull leader’s form.

Elio is supposed to be the protagonist of the games. From what I’ve seen, he should have been able to defeat Guzma here. Back in Malie Garden, Elio was only slightly weaker than Guzma, and he’s had over a month on this island to train up and become stronger.

Has that much changed? Did Guzma suddenly manage to bring his team to a new level of power? No, I should have expected this. If my challenge made him hide out here, of course he’d practice and train his team. Unlike in the games, he isn’t just sitting around, arrogant, thinking he’s the strongest trainer in Alola. He’s actively making himself stronger, so of course the more experienced trainer won.

I should have seen this butterfly effect coming. I had directly challenged Guzma after all. This world wasn’t a game. Trainers could both improve and weaken depending on whether or not they trained their team. Between a novice with high potential and a trainer who once was comparable to Kukui in his prime, of course Guzma would be victorious. Seeing it in person just shocked me, especially since I had been convinced Elio would end up as strong as he was in the games.

As I stared at Guzma, I couldn’t wipe the grimace off my face. In return, Guzma’s mad gaze never left my form as Hope finished helping Elio and moved to my side.

“Incredible, isn't it?!” he shouted, throwing out his arms. “The true depths of my power! My Pokémon are unbeatable! We’ve practiced far too long to lose! You bullies won't beat me! This is what you get for lying.”

Bullies?

His tone took a dark turn at the end, and it took me a few seconds before I managed to speak.

“We never lied to you,” I said quietly.

“Liar!” Guzma spat. “You’re doing it again! You mocked me, pretended to care, and taunted me with the idea I could be a Gym Leader!”

He counted off those ‘offenses’ with his fingers before clutching his hands into his fists at his sides.

“I mean, why would the Pokémon League care about poor ol’ Guzma?” he mumbled. “Why would strangers like you bother? If a ‘criminal’ like me had potential, isn’t that something to worry about rather than reward? No, you were just manipulating me, trying to get me to fall to your tricks. But I’m smart. I saw through you. You ain’t got the power to beat the boss of Team Skull!”

From there, his darkened expression faded away only for him to regain a cruel smile, and there was a glint in his eyes that I very much didn't like.

“Let’s add some stakes to this,” Guzma continued. “Beat me and I won't hand over that girl to Lusamine. Plumeria’s out collecting her right now.”

I stilled.

“...Lillie?” I asked. “To Lusamine?”

He continued to grin, nodding his head.

Their names fell out of my mouth as soon as Guzma finished speaking. Any bit of hesitation faded as I couldn’t stop a scowl. I had half-expected Guzma to try to pull something, but I hadn’t expected him to be so blatant about it.

Everyone had tried to warn me this was a bad idea. My perspective of Guzma had been warped by my experiences in the games. I refused to let Guzma succeed. I had come here to test him, but now I saw I had been completely misled.

Guzma and Team Skull needed to be stopped. Luckily, Hope and I had the authority to do so.

“Face me!” Guzma screamed.

He tossed forward two, deep blue Pokéballs that were covered with a thin lattice. A moment later, a pair of massive Bug Types appeared on the field, and I paused while reaching for my own Pokémon.

His team members weren’t normal. One was bright red, appearing like a skinless, muscled insect. It stood on four, pointed legs with a pair of bulging arms and wings on its back. On its face, a sharp proboscis vibrated with noise, and it flexed its massive arms to show off its strength.

Then, next to it, there was a second Bug Type that towered over us as well. This one was significantly thinner, with a body appearing as fragile as twigs. However, despite its apparent frailty, it stood with a confidence that spoke of power. On its back, a carapace framed its body, and it resembled some kind of roach that stood on two legs.

“Those are Ultra Beasts,” Hope said slowly and carefully, the emotions in her voice flat and unreadable.

“Two of them,” I replied. “Buzzwole and Pheromosa.”

I found my own words came out flat as well. I stated their names like I was simply stating a fact.

In response to our words, Guzma gained a pleased smile. He rubbed his chin while raising an eyebrow.

“Is that what they're called? These past few weeks, I've just been calling them Red and White,” he called out.

These past few... weeks?

In my mind, too many pieces suddenly fell into place.

The invention of the Beast Ball.

Anabel's warnings.

Guzma's comments about Lillie and Lusamine.

And now he had Ultra Beasts?

This was blatant confirmation; not only did Lusamine have Ultra Beasts at her disposal, but she had enough that she could give them out without blinking an eye. I wouldn’t have been wary if Guzma just had one, but two individual, otherworldly Pokémon?

Each one was equivalent to a Legendary Pokémon—a weak one—and Guzma was challenging us with both of them at once.

I wasted no time. Gardevoir appeared next to me, but I didn’t intend on having him compete in the match.

“Go to Lillie. Help her escape before she can be captured,” I ordered.

Gardevoir bowed his head like a loyal knight, but Guzma was quick on the uptake.

“Ariados!” he yelled.

His spider revealed itself to have been waiting in a half-dead tree, and its eyes flashed with Disable to prevent Gardevoir’s Teleport.

“I knew it,” Guzma whispered. “You don't trust me at all. Just. Like. I. Thought. I told you I’d leave the girl alone if you beat me, but you didn’t even give me that, did you!”

His face was bright red. I could almost see the steam coming out of his ears. I wasn’t sure how much Lusamine had been whispering to him in the background, but he had been nowhere near this bad back in Malie.

“Tropius!” Hope shouted, rushing to start the battle sooner rather than later.

“Ninetales!” I added right after, choosing the Pokémon I trusted the most.

In the split-second we had before the start of the battle, I glanced behind us. The one allied Ultra Beast we had—Kartana—waited at the mansion’s back door. I wasn't sure what this Ultra Beast was doing or planning, but the second we entered the garden, it had been intent on merely watching the fight.

We’ll have to hope Mawile and Cherrim are enough to keep Lillie safe.

The fight began without any further delays.

“Grab them!” Guzma yelled.

The two Ultra Beasts on the field didn't resist Guzma's command. In an instant, they loyally obeyed and exploded forward, practically flying through the air at our two Pokémon on the field.

An Aurora Veil was thrown up in an instant, and snow filled the air in a desperate attempt at defense. Unfortunately, the Buzzwole's massive fist broke right through thanks to a Brick Break, and the Pheromosa followed that up with a kick to Ninetales’s stomach.

“Whirlwind!” Hope yelled, and Tropius's leaves billowed out with an impressive gust. It was enough to cause Buzzwole to hunker down, with Pheromosa nimbly moving behind it to use as cover.

“Look at that teamwork,” I whispered.

I hated to admit it, but I already was impressed. Despite barely anything happening in the battle so far, I could already see the two Ultra Beasts had been trained well if they were able to act that in sync.

“Back off and Calm Mind,” I told Ninetales as she recovered while Tropius continued to send out waves of wind. “Confuse Ray to throw off any attacks.”

With Tropius's Whirlwind pinning down our foes, Ninetales was able to leap back into her snow and hide herself. Tropius entered the air soon after. Our pair of Pokémon hidden by snow, Guzma's Ultra Beasts stood up, and with how dense Ninetales’s snow was, they were only able to blindly look around.

“Pheromosa first,” Hope whispered.

I nodded, agreeing with her assessment of which Pokémon to focus down. Pheromosa was much more fragile than Buzzwole and would be less likely to withstand a hit.

However, Guzma wasn't intimidated, and he just chuckled and pointed forward.

“Red, Dynamic Punch! White, Triple Kick!”

And his Pokémon moved.

The Buzzwole didn't aim at anything. Instead, its fist impacted the ground. Sheer friction from the speed alone ignited it, causing the punch to explode against the battlefield floor. It sent out a blast around it, and the subsequent shockwave pushed back the weather. That cleared the area just enough for Pheromosa to lurch forward. After all, the sudden burst had Ninetales become exposed.

Pheromosa displayed its massive speed here, its long legs stretched out to hit Ninetales before she could unleash her fast Confuse Ray. She was forced to use Agility just to keep up and dodge as the Ultra Beast unleashed several jabbing kicks that each clipped her side.

“Icy Wind!” I shouted.

“Body Slam!” Hope added.

Through the pain, Ninetales caused a chilling breeze to blow out from around her, causing the slender Bug Type to reel back. Tropius used this moment to crash through the clouds that obscured the sky, intent on surprising the Bug Type and crushing it beneath him.

Yet, this was a double battle, and Buzzwole moved in. Before Tropius could actually hit, the muscled Ultra Beast grabbed his ankle and yanked him out of the sky.

Reversal threw Tropius to the ground, and Buzzwole immediately pierced its proboscis into its side. Tropius began to visibly wither as a Leech Life threatened to drain him dry.

We can't let it heal.

“Blizzard!” I yelled.

A desperate act, but a viable one given the strength provided by Ninetales’s storm. The very snow itself collapsed inwards, filling the previously formed gap and battering her foes.

“Speed Swap.”

My eyes widened at how calmly Guzma gave that order.

Snow and ice spiraled around and encompassed both of the Ultra Beasts. Frost formed across Pheromosa's body, and it almost fell to a knee. Its defenses were as thin as its shell, a Pokémon made for speed and power and nothing else. However, though it suffered greatly from this sole Ice Type move, it was still an Ultra Beast, and it pushed through.

Pheromosa glowed. Buzzwole did as well. A moment later, energy left both Pokémon’s bodies to be exchanged in the air and enter one another’s form.

“Speed Swap does exactly as it implies,” Guzma explained, as if to taunt. “I was waiting for this opportunity. Red might not be as fast, but he can move as quickly as White, now.”

Buzzwole was physically stronger than Pheromosa, but Pheromosa had speed to make up for that in exchange. With Speed Swap, however, that changed, and all of the Ultra Beasts’ strengths were now combined in Buzzwole’s form.

An instant later, I blinked, and both Buzzwole and Ninetales were gone. Tropius was left on the ground, and Pheromosa was left clutching its chest. Several feet away, the muscled bug held Ninetales in the air by her neck.

“Finish it,” Guzma ordered.

I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or terrified when the bug jabbed her with its proboscis instead of tightening its grip.

Her attempts at Icy Wind seemed to have no effect on it as the Ultra Beast pushed through the frost. It didn't use a draining move, but something much more dangerous: Fell Stinger.

The attack struck true, and Ninetales let loose a cry. A moment later, it released her only for her to collapse on the ground.

Buzzwole seemed to inflate with power as Ninetales didn’t get up. Behind it, the collapsed and weakened Tropius wasn’t able to land a called-for Air Slash before a Stomp from Pheromosa finished him off.

“Um, Alex?” Hope asked. “We're getting crushed.”

“He caught us off guard. We just have to be smarter. We just have to...”

I eyed the pair of Ultra Beasts as Hope and I returned our Pokémon. While Pheromosa was weakened both speed-wise and health-wise, Buzzwole was not, and it was now an even more massive threat, too. After all, not only did it have immense physical power, but Speed Swap made it insanely fast. Fell Stinger empowered the user when it knocked out a foe—like what it did against Ninetales—and in addition...

“They’re Ultra Beasts. They have the same ability,” I said with a wince. “It’s called Beast Boost. Their best attribute increases each time they knock out a foe.”

The boost from Speed Swap combined with Beast Boost itself meant Buzzwole had not increased its strength, like usual, but its speed. Fell Stinger took the place of the usual strength increase, and Pheromosa gained physical power for opposite reasons.

This is bad.

We weren't facing untrained, wild Ultra Beasts. We weren't facing a trainer who only relied on raw power, either. Right now, we were facing someone who had trained alongside Kukui, the strongest trainer in the region, and he had personally studied under Kahuna Hala, too.

Guzma might have been out of practice in the past, but my challenge and his new Ultra Beasts had allowed him to train enough to shake off the rust. A few weeks ago, we wouldn’t have struggled. Now? I was worried I was still underestimating his strength.

Truthfully, there was only one way to describe this situation, and I felt that Hope stated it pretty well.

“We're screwed,” she said.

I hated to admit it, but I kind of agreed.

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Mawile stood in front of Lillie. Cherrim stood next to her. The two Pokémon's glares were palpable as they stared at the uninvited guest.

A scoff. The pink-haired woman at the edge of the Pokémon Center's training fields crossed her arms out of pure frustration.

“Puh-lease,” the woman said to the Pokémon, a tinge of annoyance in her voice. “I know better. I've come here to challenge the girl to a battle, that's all.”

Lillie had heard about this woman from Alex—her “guest” was Plumeria, the Team Skull second-in-command who had destroyed Altaria's basket. Unfortunately, Plumeria hadn't come alone. She had brought a trio of tough-looking female Team Skull grunts behind her.

“I don't believe you,” Lillie said.

Plumeria merely rolled her eyes and held out her hands. They were empty.

“If I wanted to do something, I would have done it already. Besides, we’re right outside of a Pokémon Center. I can’t do anything about that. I've come here for a battle and nothing more. You and me, facing off with our entire teams.”

Lillie glanced at Plumeria's hip.

She only has two Pokémon?

“What about your friends?” Lillie accused.

“Oh, them?” Plumeria smirked. “They're back-up. Just in case, you know?”

Presented with such a boldfaced lie, Lillie already knew what to do. Taking inspiration from Alex, she turned around with the intention of heading back inside the Pokémon Center.

“I'm not fighting you. You're not worth it,” Lillie said.

She was thankful she had turned around. Her smug smile might have ruined the dramatic moment she sought to achieve.

However, rather than anger, Lillie’s comment only warranted a scoff. She paused her movements when Plumeria spoke, not even blinking at what Lillie just said.

“Ugh. Should have expected this. You're just as weak as that other one. Alex. Pathetic.”

Plumeria spat on the dirt, and Lillie found herself turning around.

“Excuse me?” she asked.

“You heard me. You and that mentor of yours are weak. I've already fought them, and you know what the outcome was? I won. I'd win against you, too, and you just don’t want to admit it.”

Lillie could feel the pressure of her fingernails digging into her palms as her hands unconsciously clenched into fists. She had already returned the members of her team just in case, but now she wanted nothing more than to send them back out.

“Step back,” Lillie said, stepping between Mawile and Cherrim. “I’m going to accept her challenge. Make sure no one interferes.”

Cherrim's expression was unreadable under the petals of her downcast form. Mawile kept a flat expression on her face, but her eyes betrayed her doubt as she glanced between Lillie and Plumeria unhappily.

“Please,” Lillie begged, whispering. “I know my team can do this. I know I can do this. I don't want to just be someone waiting on the backlines. We've been training. We can help!”

Another moment passed as neither Alex's nor Hope's Pokémon responded, but eventually, they moved back. The two elite-level Pokémon didn't let their guard down, though. They made it obvious that they were keeping an eye on Plumeria and the three grunts behind her.

“Yeah, whatever,” Plumeria said. “Let's get this over with.”

A ball was tossed forward. A Golbat appeared on the field. Lillie moved to the appropriate position and sent out her own Pokémon for this match: her Grass Type, Shiinotic.

Remember your strategy. Focus on weakening them to make it that much easier to win.

Lillie patted her own cheeks to ensure she’d give this battle her full focus. She’d been training for far too long to lose here!

(Plus, she wanted to teach Plumeria a lesson. She was still angry on Altaria’s behalf.)

“Stun Seed!” Lillie shouted.

A cloud of Stun Spore spread out in front of Shiinotic, then several Leech Seeds blasted right through that dust.

“Air Cutter,” Plumeria countered, a bored expression on her face.

As the three flying seeds were cleanly sliced in two, Lillie’s gaze hardened as she gave the order once more.

“Again!” Lillie shouted. “Use Sleep Powder this time!”

Another trio of seeds flew forward, and another Air Cutter sliced them in two. Shiinotic tried to create a cloud over the field in the meantime, but Plumeria gave a lazy order for Defog to push the lingering spores back.

She scoffed.

“I actually thought this would be difficult,” Plumeria mumbled.

“Moonblast!” Lillie ordered.

The attack was no Energy Ball, but it was at least one sort of special move that’d let Shiinotic attack at range. It had been easy to develop with the help of Alex’s Pokémon as the Fairy Type attack was their specialty.

“Venoshock,” Plumeria commanded.

A simple flap of its wings brought Golbat to the side, and after dodging the Moonblast, the Venoshock’s sharp needles plunged into Shiinotic. He couldn’t withstand the four times effective move and fainted far faster than Lillie expected.

“Next.”

It grated Lillie to hear the woman’s voice come out so uninterested.

“Fine. Maybe Shiinotic wasn’t the best choice. I get it. But now I’ll have the Type Advantage. Primarina! Come out and use Icy Wind!”

Lillie enjoyed how Plumeria’s eyes widened at the sight of the towering seal sending a wave of freezing wind forward. Golbat tried to dodge, but the Icy Wind covered too much area to let it escape.

“Now Hydro Pump!”

“Air Cutter!”

This blast of water was no weak trio of seeds. The slicing wind could not match the blast of pressurized water as it slammed into Golbat and sent it crashing into the ground.

“A-Air Cutter!” Plumeria said yet again.

Lillie simply grinned.

“Hydro Pump.”

Icy Wind had done its work; not only had Golbat been too slow to dodge the first watery blast, but it was still too slow to avoid the second as well.

One more impact, and the bat collapsed onto the ground with a splash of water. Plumeria suddenly seemed hesitant to return it. It took several full seconds for Golbat to disappear in a flash of light, and Plumeria didn’t send out her next Pokémon right away.

“Alex told me what Pokémon you used in your battle,” Lillie said. “Golbat and Salazzle. And Salazzle is a Fire Type, right?”

...Alright. That’s enough, Lillie.

Lillie took a mental step back to recognize she might have been enjoying this a little too much. Shiinotic had been an awful choice against a Poison Type Pokémon, but Primarina was strong, Lillie had been meek for so long that it actually felt good to be in a position of power for once.

“Urgh.” Plumeria pressed a palm to her head. “I should have listened to Guzma and trained more. I didn’t think you’d be stronger than them.”

Stronger than Alex? ...I think she doesn’t realize just how much Alex held back.

Plumeria still didn’t send out her next Pokémon. Instead, she gestured with her head and encouraged her allies forward.

“Whatever. I was lying, alright? This was all just a pretense, anyway. Surrender, girl!” Plumeria shouted.

Three flashes of light, and three more Pokémon hit the field, followed by a fourth.

They were all Poison Types: an Alolan Muk, a Mareanie, and a Haunter. The fourth Pokémon was Plumeria’s own, her Salazzle, and while none of them were very strong, together they’d likely be able to take out tough foes with their combined effects of poison.

Salazzle will be able to poison Mawile. According to Alex, its Corrosion ability lets it poisons Steel Types. I know we can still win, but I also know just how much of a difference poison can make in a fight. They could simply poison us and wait it out. If they know Protect, it won’t matter how strong our Pokémon are if they can block every move.

“Should... Should I go?” Lillie whispered to ask the two Elite Pokémon with her.

The Pokémon Center was right there, and it wouldn’t take much to run inside. Yet, at the same time, she didn’t want to leave the Pokémon out here alone. What if they got hurt?

Mawile or Cherrim could probably win on their own if it wasn’t for the poison.

Victory would be based on speed, and Lillie wasn’t sure what to think. However, Plumeria must have taken Lillie’s hesitance as fear, as the older woman gained a cruel smirk.

“Give up. We’ve got you outnumbered.”

But... we have you overpowered?

Cherrim’s petals peeled back as she entered her Sunshine form, and Mawile’s jaws snapped together as if to stretch before a fight.

No one moved, but the implicit threat was still there. Either side could act at a moment’s notice, but no one did. Lillie steeled herself to take part in the imminent fight, refusing to run away once more. One order was all it would take to start the match, and she was ready to be the spark that caused this battle to begin.

She was able to throw a hand forward, but she spoke no words. The sound of the Pokémon Center doors opening up interrupted her, and an extremely familiar voice spoke up.

“Hmph. How annoying. I’m stopping the match.”

Lillie went completely still. Plumeria looked to be taken by genuine surprise.

“Gladion?” Plumeria asked with far too much familiarity.

Lillie turned her head only to see her brother, of all people, approaching. Not only that, but the Pokémon at his side that was decidedly not his rescued Type: Null. However, despite all of its differences, Lillie was still confident she was looking at the same Pokémon.

Tall, four-legged, yet missing its previous form’s mask, Gladion had done what had been thought to be impossible. Walking at his side was the evolved form of Type: Null, and everyone here was quiet as they waited to see what he’d do next.

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Author Note:

Wrote half this chapter on zero hours of sleep. Hopefully it came out okay. I will be tweaking it in the future once I've actually got some rest, but all the basic plot points will still be the same.

Pokémon (and people) mentioned in this chapter:
Alolan Muk
Ariados
Buzzwole
Golbat
Haunter
Incineroar
Mareanie
Pheromosa
Salazzle
Scizor
Type: Null

Gladion
Guzma
Lusamine
Plumeria

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