Pokémon x Male Reader-The Sounds of Battle

Chapter 15-Sand In Unfortunate Places

A/N: I don't own Pokémon. If I did, there would be more options for physical electric coverage.
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February 16th.

The desert is hot. Big surprise. Next thing you know, I'll be telling you it's dry too, which is definitely no lie. I haven't been this thirsty in a long time.

Anyways, these past few days on route 4 have been... an experience to say the least. I expected a lot more mortal peril and brutal struggles, but it's honestly just been more mindless walking than anything else. Bless these mudsdale, because lord knows I would've passed out after the first hour or so.

I suppose the lack of danger is a good thing, because fighting the massive Hippowdon that apparently live here doesn't seem fun at all. These things are apparently nearly as big as the one Bertha has, and that thing is the size of a goddamned building, at least from what I saw online! Hungry hungry hippos or not, there are plenty of cool Pokémon out here though!

As far as I can tell, It's relatively the same selection as route 4 had in the games. I suppose that makes sense, given that those Pokémon are naturally suited for arid environments. Sandile and Darumaka are plentiful, with the occasional non native species, like Diglett and Silicobra occasionally popping out. A Scraggy occasionally drops by every once in a while too, usually trying to Headbutt us...or each other. Sometimes even the ground. It seems that they aren't the pickiest of creatures, at least when it comes to violence.

I even saw a Gible towards the beginning of the day, but it was gone before I could even make an attempt to catch it. I guess it wasn't meant to be. That's a real shame, especially because the Trapinch that are supposed to be around here have been so elusive. It should be fine though. I just got a new team member, and overloading on newbies can apparently lead to rocky team dynamics, with the fresh catches fighting to earn their place or whatever.

Something interesting did happen though! A literal tornado made of fire! It only lasted a few minutes, and didn't travel far at all before it fizzled out, but it tore up the horizon nonetheless! I'm aware those happen back home, but those so called "Fire Whirls" usually need a wildfire to get going. This one just spawned out of nowhere, and it was absolutely massive to boot.

Would you believe that? It sounds like something out of a fairytale or something. I thought I was hallucinating at first, but Ranger Crofton says that they're just a thing that happens out here.

Speaking of the old? guy, he's the trainer I ran into when I was snooping around the other day. He definitely hasn't forgotten, though I'm just glad that scary-ass Nidoking hasn't been reintroduced yet. No Pokémon touted as one of Giovanni's head brutes can be anything but exceptionally dangerous.

Regardless, I'm quite certain he hates my guts, but I doubt that a better first impression would've really changed anything. He doesn't seem the sociable sort, preferring to communicate with grunts and glares most of the time. Definitely the type to keep his mouth shut and his eyes on the road. That's definitely a respectable mindset, but it kind of sucks given that there's really nobody else to talk to out here.

Cell reception is a bust too, so I couldn't even contact Iris and Marlon if I wanted to. Whatever, I'll make sure to send them some pictures when I make it out of this dust bowl.

At least I have Virgil here. He's taken this route before, so he's definitely reliable, to say the least. Apparently making this trek several times is some sort of requirement for a ranger? I'm not quite certain of the details, but I guess it's just a work experience thing. Virgil seems like the type of guy that takes this very seriously, which is honestly what you want from a protector of the ecosystem.

He seems keen to discuss more formal training routines too, which is something I've been wanting to work on more as of late. If you want to hang with the best of the best, then it takes a lot more effort than simply obtaining a lucky egg and dropping the local Audino population to near zero.

So far, I've worked out a basic routine for all three team members. It definitely needs touching up on, but I'll have plenty of time to change it up later.

Meloetta

-Voice Training (daily)
Note: Remember to ask Inga for more advanced techniques, if available.

-Telekinetic Practice (3 hours of sustained work while traveling, or 1 hour of more intense work, location permitting). Carrying around boulders, or similarly heavy objects should work fine. If none are available, then this can be foregone.

-Cardio/Stamina building exercises (every other day in rotation with move practice)

-Protect-can currently be sustained for two seconds, aim to increase time.

-Wake Up Slap-The move is fine as is, though I'd like a two handed variation, in hopes of making learning Close Combat easier down the line. Smashing boulders or troublesome wild Pokémon seems like the path to success here.

Larvesta

-Physical training. Have her pull heavy objects with the strings she produces. This way, she's getting two types of training at once.

-Ember-Larvesta sometimes has difficulty controlling the recoil when this move is released from her horns. It knocks her back several feet. Perhaps this could be honed into a movement technique?

-Protect-Larvesta can only sustain this for half a second. Just like Meloetta, this could ideally be increased.

-Struggle Bug-Larvesta is actually quite talented with this technique, though she has to break up her movement to activate it. Overcoming this disadvantage is paramount.

Pawniard

-Physical training. Same as before, though Pawniard is more limited by not having hands to carry things. Regardless, she can still do Push-ups and the like, which are just as beneficial for Pokémon as they are humans.

-I'd like to see if I can try to get her to start developing more proper swordsmanship too. It's been done before. Pokémon like Lucian's gallade and Wikstrom's Aegislash are practically divine in terms of skill.

-Sucker Punch-This move drains Pawniard's stamina like nothing else. I remember it had low PP in the games. Since that doesn't exist here, I guess that's how it translated over. Obviously, this is something that is just going to have to be fixed with practice.

It's a rough plan, sure, but at least it's better than the nonexistent one I had before. Speaking of keeping track, I'm going to have commiting Pokémon abilities and the common moves they learn to memory. Boring as that sounds, I need to make sure I don't try to water down a mon' with water absorb, lest I embarrass myself on live television.

Hopefully, by the time I get to Sinnoh, the routes will be more filled out with trainers I can battle. Out here is a desolate wasteland, but at least there are still some Pokémon to fight...

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Only when you heard the familiar sounds of combat, were you distracted from your scribblings. You set the journal down with a sigh, before rubbing at the excess of perspiration on your face. "They're still at it, Huh? It's been...what? Two hours? Two and a half?"

Pawniard let out a low growl, rotating her blades around around as she stalked her opponent. Her movements were next to impossible to to track for the naked eye, and the slight shimmering of her arms when she jabbed forward was the only real sign she was attacking at all. The gleaming metal of her body shone in the oppressive sun, making the Pokémon's body into a beacon of light that made staring at her directly an experience equal parts painful and beautiful.

Her current opponent didn't have the same problem as you. The black markings around Sandile's eyes allowed it to absorb the desert sunlight without issue, regardless of whether or not it was reflected. "San-Sand!" The little reptile squeaked out, puffing out its nose at the opposing dark type.

Pawniard was unfettered, and with a burst of speed, your Pokémon shot forward, blades screeching as they fell upon the ground type. Those knives were wielded with fearsome determination, and it seems Pawniard's current opponent recognized that.

"Dile!" The ground type shrieked in terror, diving into the ground below for shelter. A shower of sand was sent rippling across the battlefield in wake of the impromptu attack. Unfortunately for Pawniard, Sandile was able to get its body under just in time to avoid the descending guillotine.

"Paaaaaaawn!" The steel type let out a war cry as sandile disappeared beneath the earth. Though without a Pokémon to absorb her attack, the sand beneath her became the next victim of the blow.

At least it was already in pieces. A cloud of particles was kicked up in Pawniard's wake, as a thin trench the length of your body, and then some was carved into the ground.

"Di-Di-Dile!" The crocodilian Pokémon cackled, popping its head out of the ground not unlike like a prairie dog might've. With a smile full of malicious intent, one that dark types were apparently accustomed towards, Sandile chose to emphasize its teasing with a blast of sand aimed at Pawniard's head. The steel type whipped her head around just in time to get a face full of sand. You winced at the contact, suddenly getting the distinct urge to splash some water in your eyes.

Your little bundle of anger hissed furiously as she was momentarily blinded. Her arms became a blur as she began to slash at anything and everything her short arms could reach, yet Sandile was already beneath the ground again. The glare of her arms cast a miniature light show across the scenery, a dance of reflected sun that really made you wish you'd purchased some sunglasses.

"Niaaaaard." Pawniard let out a low growl as vision slowly returned to her now reddened eye. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was obviously displeased. She was literally trembling with anger. Well, at least you supposed it was anger. Shivering from the cold certainly wasn't a possibility out in these parts, so that left her frustration at her opponent as the only viable culprit. The fact that Sandile was still hiding out of reach probably wasn't helping things.

Pawniard's arm then flickered with a bright purple glow, and said limb was lodged into the ground a moment later. You raised an eyebrow at that. Psycho Cut was obviously of no use here, but you supposed that Pawniard had to figure some things out on her own. It was a low stakes battle, so such frivolities were more than allowed. "Really though, I'm just too tired to get up..."

Sure enough, a wave of purple was released, kicking up sand as it surged through the earth. Psycho Cut was quite the interesting move, by virtue of it being effective both as a ranged and melee option. Regardless of how it was fired though, it was something mighty fearsome. See, what made Psycho Cut so dangerous was its tendency to remain intact until it reached directly beneath the skin of a target, where it would then detonate and cause subsequent devastation.

If memory serves correct, that Psycho Cut possessed a high critical hit rate in the games. Perhaps that was how the mechanic was transferred over here? An interesting notion to be sure. Regardless, such a brutal attack was sure to cause big damage.

Unless of course, one's opponent was a dark type. Some lone particles of sand were wrapped in that ever familiar telekinetic light, before being flung high into air. As you expected, Pawniard was no slouch in the offense department.

Also as expected, the attack diffused against Sandile. Even if you couldn't see the ground type, such a distant fact was certainly apparent. While the waves of purple energy continued to surge across the ground, there was a distinct break in the path where sandile had been struck, and- "Oh! Well, isn't somebody clever?"

"Pawn!" The dark type let out a noise somewhere between a cackle and nails on a chalkboard, before diving into the now Pinpointed location of her opponent.

"D-Diiiiiiiiile!" Muffled as it may have been, you could clearly hear Sandile yelping in pain as Pawniard drove her blade into the Pokémon's back. Even more sand was kicked as the ground type thrashed beneath the ground.

Pawniard pulled back, and before she could follow up-"Krook!" A shadow fell over Pawniard as a very stern and massively pissed off mother came into view. With a warning consisting solely of a snap of her jaws, the violent Pokémon set forth a message that couldn't be ignored.

Back home, Crocodiles were apex predators in every sense of the world. They were aggressive as they came, and with the strongest bite in the animal kingdom, very few living things could stand up to them.

Even so, the metrics of your old world were nothing to those of your current one. When you had elemental creatures capable of cracking mountains on a bad day running amok, the animal kingdom seemed quite puny by comparison.

That didn't make Krookodile any less of a monstrous Pokémon though. Those teeth could snap through 10 inches of steel with the same ease a human could bite through tissue paper, which meant Pawniard was effectively nothing more than an extra strong snack to the beast of a Pokémon.

You stood back, sighing. Under normal circumstances, you would've been panicking. Yet, this was no random wild Pokémon attack.

After all, the mama Krookodile had requested these matches to begin with. You and your little expedition team had stopped for a lunch break at some point, and had quickly caught the attention of the passing ground type. She'd shown up with a pack of no less than ten Sandile trailing her, which she'd then ordered to challenge your team under the guise of training. You accepted, because Virgil said she was something of a regular out here, and you had no intentions of pissing off an apex predator.

So the Sandile had been sent forth one by one, and though they clearly lacked any combat experience, it seemed that they too weren't eager to defy their mother. Thus, they eagerly marched forward, before being felled one by one.

Meloetta had handled two of them almost effortlessly. The two Junior Pokémon didn't have a prayer against the mythical Pokémon, even with a type advantage against it. Despite the one sided ass beating Krookodile seemed satisfied. "Perhaps she wanted to have her kids humbled in a controlled manner. Though, if we're speaking about kids..."

Larvesta had bailed at the first sight of Krookodile, taking refuge in the sand underneath your legs. The shade you provided was also likely a welcome treat. Scary Pokémon aside, Larvesta seemed to be enjoying herself in the desert quite a bit. You'd even tried to help her build a sandcastle, but it seemed she had been uninterested in using the sand as anything more than a bed.

Not that you could fault her though, because with the complete lack of moisture that characterized deserts, packing any sizable amount of sand together was essentially impossible. Larvesta didn't seem to mind though. If anything, the abundance of sunlight had actually invigorated the young Pokémon.

So with Meloetta having established total dominance, and Larvesta having established total cowardice, that left Pawniard to handle the rest of the pack. A task which she took to with gusto.

"Mighty" as they were, the Jaws of the Sandile could not pierce her armor, and while the sand they spit could definitely bother her, it only prolonged the inevitable conclusion. The Sandile were nothing more than target practice for Pawniard, and as the minutes dragged by, the only thing that seemed to progress was Pawniard's impatience.

"She's bored, obviously. Like a kid with too much pent up energy." You watched as the Sandie cowered behind its mother's leg, glancing nervously up at Pawniard. "That's my fault, more than anything." Denying a Pokémon who longed to fight proper battles had drawbacks as obvious as they came.

Unfortunately, it seemed like Pawniard wasn't planning on waiting around for your guidance. "Pawn!" The steel type lowered her awn towards Krookodile.

It was a challenge. An invitation to many things.

Battle.

Violence.

A "struggle" of blades against jaws.

Most importantly, it would surely result in a one sided beating towards one of the Pokémon you'd sworn to look after.

"Krook? Krook!" Krookodile's eyes narrowed, the dunes themselves shifting in and churning in response to the Pokémon's growls. Pawniard did not yield, though you could've sworn you saw the Pokémon's bladed arm begin to tremble ever so slightly.

"Shit!" You jumped to your feet, so quickly that black spots began to dance in your eyes. "Pawniard, don't start a fight with her! She can kill you!" Your cry did little to stop Pawniard. If anything, the Pokémon only seemed to double down on her previous convictions.

Ranger Crofton, who'd been watching from the sidelines, momentarily set down his sandwich to shoot you a dark look. "Boy, you best stop that dumbass Pokémon before she puts all of our lives in the hands of Mother Nature!" You didn't miss the way his hand drifted towards one of the Pokéballs on his belt. Once Virgil caught wind of the situation, he did the same, obviously uninterested in letting Krookodile and Pawniard throw down.

You couldn't have agreed more with their sentiments. "H-Hold it!" Pawniard cast you a sideways glance as you stepped forward. Larvesta grunted in displeasure from beneath you as her shade was lost. "L-listen Krookodile, Pawniard didn't mean any harm. She was just..." You struggled to find your words as you inched your way closer to the inevitable showdown. "Um...it was just a joke, isn't that right Pawniard?"

"Pawn." The steel type crossed her arms, turning her head away. "Pawn. Pawn-Niard."

It was almost Comical how Krookodile's eyes bugged out. "...Krrrrok!" The Pokémon snarled, clenching her fists as she stared down at the runt in front of her.

It took all of your willpower to not immediately backpedal in the face of Krookodile's anger. Several of the nearby Sandile, still bruised and bloodied from earlier, began squeaking in fear once they realized just how pissed their mama was getting.

You were tempted to join them. Had Krookodile not been so amicable (Well, as amicable as a Krookodile could be), then you too would've panicking with the little gators.

Krookodile turned to you, giving you only a nod before turning her attention onto Pawniard once more. You winced. "Pawniard, why don't you apologize to this lovely Pokémon who's willing to give you a second chance."

"Pawn." The steel type scoffed. Apparently, that was the last straw. Pawniard's snarky attitude yielded her a net negative, and she was eating a slap from Krookodile's tail a second later.

"Looks like Pawniard is blasting off again..." Then reality came upon you with the suddenness of a sandstorm. "Shit. I should probably do something about that."

Time for the old faithful. "M-Meloetta, catch her!" You called, and the psychic type spurred into action. One of Meloetta's hands shot forward, and barely visible against the glow of the sun, a flicker of purple light spun around Pawniard.

Unfortunately, the telekinetic hold dissipated, because of course it did. Dark types were immune to virtually all things psychic, not just the moves. Even within the virtually flawless clairvoyance of the highest level psychics, they existed as a dark blot of nothingness amongst an otherwise pristine inscription of the future.

*thump* Pawniard landed in a plume of sand, no doubt dazed and confused from her impromptu flight.

"Dile..." The massive ground type snorted in disdain, before signaling for her pack of runts to follow. The way they scurried after her was kind of cute, though the fact that didn't hitch a ride in her mouth like the crocodilians back home was kind of disappointing.

Not all was lost though, because by the grace of the powers above, Pawniard had been spared from Krookodile's full wrath. You hurriedly approached the Pokémon regardless, because internal injuries were always a possibility.

"P...Pawn." The Pokémon croaked as you helped her to her feet, making sure not to offer a hand this time. That was a mistake you'd made many times, but nobody could say you weren't trying to improve.

"Doing fine?" You asked, even though you already knew Pawniard's answer. Even if Krookodile had thoroughly brutalized her, she'd still be too stubborn to accept care.

That was a proven fact too, at least according to the reports of the Bisharp incident you'd been allowed to read. After you'd been saved back on that pier, the local authorities had tried to issue medical aid to all the Pokémon present. Despite her having a fractured skull, she'd still tried to walk it off, only to collapse a few steps later.

When she'd woken in the Pokémon center, Nurse Joy had to sedate her.

Honestly, you were just glad she was listening to you at all.

"Niard...Pa..." Meloetta floated over to your side as the steel type gasped in what was likely a combination of shock and embarrassment. Shattered pride aside, besides from the brown mark across her torso, and the slight chipping of one of her blades, she seemed fine.

"Stay still. The ringing should stop soon enough." You muttered, trying to guide Pawniard back to a sitting position as gently as you possibly could.

"Yo, (y/n)!" Virgil waved his arms at you, drawing the ire of Crofton, who'd been enjoying the brief rut in the noise.

"Hm?" You turned, taking in the eager expression on the fellow young man's face. "She's mostly fine, if you're wondering. Just a little rattled-"

"Pawn! Pa-" Her protests were cut short when Virgil passed you an oran berry, which you promptly shoved into her mouth.

"Guess she's all better now though." You scratched at your chin, watching the way Pawniard angrily chomped down on the berry.

"Something on your mind?" Virgil glanced at you curiously. "You're looking rather intense."

"Quite a few things, actually, but I'll spare you the ones that don't really matter." You highly doubted Virgil was interested in hearing your thoughts about the oddity that was Pokémon biology. Seeing Pawniard with a mouth was still a bit odd, in all truthfulness. It made sense for her to have a mouth, but some things still took you off guard, like the idea of seeing a diglett above the dirt. You were no professor though, so you'd have to put the scientific thoughts on hold in favor of ones that would lead you to your goals. "Say Virgil, you wanna have a battle?"

Meloetta and Pawniard both perked up at that. "Lo...Ta?" The normal type asked, gesturing to itself and Pawniard. Both Pokémon had been quite eager to test out their moves, against something that wasn't fodder.

"That's what I was thinking." You confirmed your Pokémon's thoughts, before glancing up at Virgil, trying to garner his reaction. "I was thinking of doing a three on three. My whole team has some gaps we need to work on."

"That's...not a bad idea actually. Umbreon has been getting restless without a proper chance to stretch his legs." Virgil cast a cursory glance to the horizon. "I don't mind a three on three, but it's probably best if we don't go till knockout. It's wise to have some battle ready Pokémon out in these parts."

"Agreed. Should we..." You pointed your thumb over your shoulder, back towards Ranger Crofton. "Ask for permission, I guess."

"I'll allow it." Said ranger called from a quite a distance away, "Though should either of you attempt something stupid, then the wild Pokémon out here will be the least of your worries."

"He heard that!" You gulped, pushing his threat towards the back of your head. As you'd come to find out, like most things, dwelling on idle threats was counterproductive to your mental health. "Does he have super senses or some nonsense like that?"

Or perhaps he'd just grown up around reckless youth, and had seen them jump to battle at the most menial of things. People tended to do that around here, regardless of what age they were, "But while we're on the topic of jumping into battle..."

You took a deep breath. "Larvesta! We're-Uh-gonna spar against Virgil!" At your command, Larvesta began to stroll forward, pouncing across the hot sand on the tips of her feet.

Slowly...she approached you.

Every few seconds, she'd get distracted by you guessed it-more sand! You had no idea what was so interesting about it, but you decided to let her have her little moment.

She'd get here eventually, and besides, Pawniard was actually going to combust if you didn't set her loose. Had bloodlust been measurable on a scale, Pawniard certainly would've broken the readings.

Her lone eye met yours, and your approving nod was all she needed to step forward. Pawniard raised her blades to Virgil, who palmed a worn Pokéball from within his jacket.

You still had no clue how the rangers weren't overheating out here. Maybe there was more of that superhuman mumbo-jumbo involved. "Then get ready! Umbreon...deploy!" Virgil called, and a shadow fell across the sand, familiar and yet so mysterious all the same. The dark type bounced to attention, red eyes shining like rubies.

"Geez, I really need a catchphrase." You'd actually attempted to come up with one before, but it seems that all the good ones, and all of the dogshit ones were already taken.

There was actually even a dude who used to read out his divorce agreement before every match, but you got the feeling something else was involved there.

What does a man have to do to get a decent calling card around here? "Maybe I should just yell 'Bankai' when I send out my last Pokémon. Nobody will understand, but at least it'll be unique. Or maybe I should just scream extremely loud. That'll certainly be memorable."

Umbreon scoffed when he saw his opponent, and Pawniard hissed back. They were like a pair of feuding street cats, though this fight was far more important than a simple food or territorial dispute. It was a matter of pride!

"C'mon (y/n). I'll let you have the first move." Virgil called, beckoning you forward. "I'm interested in seeing how you approach a fight like this."

"I appreciate that." Pawniard flicked her blades upward, fully intending on co-signing Umbreon's death certificate. "So Pawniard! Unload with Fury Cutter!"

What better attack for a Pokémon already brimming with anger? Pawniard leapt through air, letting out a battle cry as she descended upon Umbreon, streaks of green trailing behind her.

"Thunder wave!" Virgil called, and a wave of electricity rippled across Umbreon's fur, causing the formerly regal Pokémon to fluff up like a dog that had just gotten out of the bath.

"Damn. Should've led with Taunt!" As you lamented your bad decisions, Pawniard brought down her swords with the fury of a thousand Mankeys. Green blades sunk into darkened fur, spinning in maneuvers that would've been impossible for a normal human to pull off.

Umbreon did not dodge, nor did he flinch in anticipation. He simply stood there and tanked it, not even blinking in response to the super effective attack. Bug type energy diffused against his shadowy fur, snuffed out by darkness in physical form.

Fury Cutter started off weak, but still!

"Pa-" Pawniard whipped forward once more, another round of Fury Cutter howling as it tore through the air, the Pokémon fully committed to making her second strike a lot more painful.

For the briefest of instances you saw it. Barely visible beneath the brutal sun, a ring of candescent lightning burst forth, sweeping through Pawniard's body.

"Niard?" The Pokémon gasped, for she could no longer properly move. Her legs shot outward, locking into place as Pawniard shuddered in midair, before collapsing to the ground like a doll that had just had its strings cut. Sparks of electricity raced across her body, seeping into her bones and locking her muscles in place.

Even if electricity wasn't super effective against steel...metals were still great conductors, and it seemed that Pokémon made of metal followed that logic. "Your Pawniard is quite fast." Virgil praised. "Had I not disabled her, then Umbreon could've been in real trouble. A Ranger is always prepared for everything, both in and out of battle!" A brief look of guilt shot across his face once he noticed Pawniard's struggle "Sorry if that was a little scummy though. I know-"

"Ready for anything, Huh?" You watched as poor Pawniard spasmed and twitched, "I won't say I doubt him, but let's put that to the test." Screw letting him monologue. Pokémon battles were a game of time, and even if Virgil had strong Pokémon...

Judging by the way he was so guilty about Pawniard's current state, it was safe to assume he didn't have too much experience. Well, either that, or he was just a softy. It certainly wasn't a bad trait to have, but even you knew that sympathy for an opponent could be a slippery slope. Morality and pragmatism must be balanced so that a trainer could be successful both on and off the battlefield.

Regardless, he was distracted, and that worked for you. "Pawniard. Blind Umbreon, then Taunt!"

"Umbre-" Virgil noticeably jumped at your sudden command, and then jumped again when Pawniard used the flat of her blade to fling a myriad of granules directly into Umbreon's eyes. The opposing Pokémon yelped in pain, staggering backwards as he shook his head furiously in a vain attempt to undo the damage.

You let out a sigh of relief at the successful maneuver. It seems that your dark type had caught onto your unspoken plan rather quickly. Looking back on it, you were just glad Pawniard didn't try and gouge out on Umbreon's eyes, because that was certainly within her power. Of course, it didn't really matter how Umbreon was blinded, so long as you got the job done in the end, and taking a page out of Dale Gribble's book worked just fine. It was no Sand Attack, but it still probably stung like hell.

Though given how Umbreon was stumbling about, that 'probably' was more of a 'definitely.' Meloetta clapped in praise from beside you. Larvesta offered her own commentary in the form of a lazy grunt.

"Umbreon, fall back!" Virgil called, and yet the dark type surged forward, disregarding his trainer's cries. How could he not, given the strain of tainted vitriol now pouring out of Pawniard's mouth like a faucet. Taunt was a move that worked better if the opponent was angered first, for very obvious reasons. It was a move designed to amplify anger, and focus that anger towards aggression. Therefore, its potency obviously rose to staggering heights once a solid base of rage was established.

Trails of black smoke rolled from Pawniard's tongue as she cackled in amusement. The message was clear. "Come get some."

She probably could've done without the exaggerated poses though.

Umbreon did not disappoint, and neither did his trainer. With all other options cut off, total offense was the only answer. "Dark Pulse, then Swift." Virgil ordered as the still blinded Umbreon pounced across the sand towards Pawniard, stumbling back and forth like a drunkard.

You thought your little ploy had worked quite well. After all, surely a Pokémon with a support move pool as deep as the sea itself would be hindered once it was boxed into a role outside of that norm. Unfortunately, you were sorely mistaken.

"Sucker Punch to get in close! Then unload with a Fury Cutter!" You commanded, undaunted by Umbreon's advance. Augmented by the priority of Sucker Punch, Pawniard closed the remaining distance, plunging a shadowy dagger into Umbreon's chest with a nasty ripping sound.

Umbreon's sand caked eyes shot open, just as all the Eeveelutuon's anger erupted from his mouth. Dark Pulse was a beam of pure malevolence, evil concentrated into the form of a blast. It took the form of a massive black laser beam, pulsing (hence the name) with enough dark power to fuel the nightmares of a dozen timid children.

Scorching sand brought about by divine sunlight fell under the cooling hand of darkness, shadows rising and falling from the Umbral laser. Any darkness manifested by Sucker Punch was instantly one-upped, and the ensuing cascade of nightmarish energy launched both Pokémon backwards.

Blood sprayed out of Umbreon's chest as Pawniard was sent cartwheeling through the air. Chips of metal tumbled to the ground like snowflakes, stemming from a shadowy blotch on Pawniard's chest. Had she not had a resistance to the move, it was very likely the attack would've done a lot more than put a chink in her amor.

Larvesta whimpered from beside you as the wave of darkness descended upon the dune you stood on. Meloetta tugged in the sleeve of your shirt, letting out a whimper in sympathy. Even you felt the chills race up your spine. It seemed Dark types might be giving ghosts a run for the scariest type after all. "Pawniard! Try and steady yourself! Guard with Metal Claw if need be!"

And by the powers above, she certainly needed to guard. If Dark Pulse was the concentrated power of the night itself, then Swift was the stars that lit up that darkened sky.

Hundreds of white stars spun around Umbreon, leaving glowing trails as they shot towards Pawniard by the dozens. Even if they could be blocked, dodging even a single one was impossible. Umbreons's current state of blindness did nothing to alter that universal truth.

Though not all truths were universal. In the air, Pawniard should've been defenseless, and yet it seemed like the Pokémon's stubbornness defied even the laws of Nature itself. Her claws transformed into gleaming swords, augmented with a purpose to destroy each and every last projectile sent her way.

Unfortunately, for each wild swing of Pawniard's arms, there were ten gleaming projectors to match it. Stars exploded against her blades, sending showers of sparks towards the ground as she continued to plummet further and further. With the lingering effects of paralysis still stepping into her body, her attacks slowed to a crawl, until...

While the stars aligned for Umbreon, they very much did not for Pawniard. "Paw-" The steel type yelped as her joints locked up.

"Do it now!" Virgil Shouted, and all of the remnants of Swift descended upon Pawniard in a brutal crescendo of screeching light. Even the glow of the sun couldn't drive away the ball of white energy wrapping around Pawniard as she tumbled towards the sand below.

The dune trembled as your Pokémon's made impact, trails of steam still hissing off of her armor. "Hey, that actually looked pretty impressive. Good work Umbreon!" Umbreon just snorted at his trainer's remark.

"Pawniard! Can you still move?" You cried out. That attack should've been resisted, and yet getting flamed with a miniature constellation was sure to leave a mark or two.

"Ni-Ard!" The steel type growled, bolts of electricity racing off her body as she shakily stood to her feet. Her outer shell was dented to all hell, but for the most part, she was intact. Judging by the look on her face, she also wanted Umbreon to pay.

Umbreon stood a few dozen feet away from her, panting and frustrated but mostly unharmed. The only tear in his otherwise flawless coat was the puncture wound on his chest, trickling with blood. The dark type rubbed at his eyes with his paws, still furiously trying to loosen the trace amounts of sand still clouding his vision.

Virgil's eyes widened in surprise once he noticed the pool of red sand beneath Umbreon's feet. "Huh, haven't seen that in a while." The young ranger remarked. "That's the kind of brutality I'd expect in high-level battling. You really are on the road to becoming a professional."

"Not sure if that's a good thing or not." You took note of the red liquid dripping off Pawniard's blade. "Though if the world is going to pull any punches, we shouldn't either. Torment!"

The move flowed out of Pawniard in a very similar way to Taunt, though instead of being an onslaught of vocal blasphemy, Torment was much sharper and more sudden. When Pawniard let loose a cackle to symbolize the attack, her cries seemed to echo far across the dunes. More importantly, they sunk into the already irritated Umbreon, further wounding the Pokémon's already damaged pride.

Umbreon's eyes tightened in frustration, the Pokémon's breathing becoming more and more labored each second. Though in a stark contrast to the carefree look he'd been sending Pawniard earlier, it seemed that your Pokémon had his full attention now. Red eyes burned furiously at the young Pokémon who'd wounded him so deeply.

You weren't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. "Fair play, though I won't let my Pokémon down either! Double Kick!" Virgil called.

"Shit!" That on the other hand, was definitely not a good thing. Umbreon's back legs exploded with fighting type energy, and the Pokémon bounced forward like a jackrabbit, practically flying towards the air. "Don't engage Pawniard! Fall back, and prepare Metal Claw!"

Whether it was due to genuine obedience, or a simple instinctual fear of the Umbreon's attack, you weren't certain. Regardless, Pawniard kicked herself backwards just in time to dodge the first kick. It was not enough.

Paralysis, much like many things in this world, worked a tad differently than it did in the games. Moreso, it was entirely unpredictable. Rather than chopping down a Pokémon's speed down to half, it turned the afflicted Pokémon's muscles into a factory of inconsistent movement.

Once a Pokémon was inflicted with the status effect, each and every movement became a crippling gamble.

Each twitch of motion brought with it the chance for brutal spasticity, thus rendering any hopes of fluid motion a pipe dream. It's unpredictability made adapting to the condition over the course of a single battle an absurd notion, even for the most skillful of Pokémon

It's a silent killer, and because of it, Umbreon's Momentum won out over Pawniard's hindered movement. The evolved dark type spun on the leg he'd just planted in the ground, before bringing his free leg around with concussive force.

At that same instant, Pawniard attempted something monumentally stupid. Something that wouldn't have been too out of place in your line of thinking.

She moved to block the kick with her face.

The logic was sound in a Vacuum. If Umbreon was going to kick her, then the least she could do was make that kick as painful as possible for him.

Thus, Pawniard deemed it fit to try and counter the super effective attack with nothing more than a headbutt. By putting the massive blade on her face directly into Umbreon's path of destruction, both Pokémon should've sustained major damage, rather than just her.

Though durable as skulls are, especially those of a Pokémon, the brain underneath is not as hardy. It goes without saying that blocking something exceptionally dangerous with your head isn't the wisest of moves.

It sounded like church bells.

Double Kick (or would it be Single Kick?) made an impact with enough force to turn a man's organs into mush. Paralysis surged through Pawniard once more, and then your Pokémon literally saw stars. Again.

"Me-Ta! "Meloetta tugged on your shirt again, a plea to interfere in what was honestly shaping up to be quite a brutal match. You grit your teeth, forcing yourself to look at the carnage.

As sound reverberated through the air, both Pokémon trembled in pain. Umbreon's leg was still planted firmly into where Pawniard's other eye would've been.

"Crap! Umbreon!" Virgil cried, nearly jumping onto the battlefield himself to tend to his Pokémon. You couldn't fault him, for while Pawniard had no doubt gotten the worst of the exchange...

Her foolish gambit had paid off. Two Pokémon collapsed to the ground, both in varying degrees of pain, but both very much conscious. Pawniard's face had been slightly caved in, her only eye bloodshot and swelling.

Umbreon lay a few feet away, the Pokémon staring at his battered leg with no small degree of shock. Though the exact details were a bit hard to distinguish from this distance, it was very obvious that Umbreon wouldn't be as mobile for the rest of the fight.

Pawniard gasped in pain, and time seemed to move again. "She's outmatched." Very outmatched. Fighting through his pain, Umbreon also stood once again. "Besides Fury Cutter, I can't think of a sustainable way to inflict damage upon him, and with Umbreon boxed into an offensive role, I doubt that's going to work either."

"So much for taking it easy, huh." You remarked. "Though I guess that's hard to do when both Pokémon..." You carefully searched for a pair of words that hopefully wouldn't offend either of the dark types. "Are quite passionate."

"I'll say. Only my brother has ever pushed Umbreon this far." Though rather than the exited attitude most trainers fell back on after a heated exchange, Virgil seemed quite cautious of his Pokémon's current condition. "Though just to be safe..."

The young ranger in training reached into his coat, withdrawing a pair of blue objects you quickly recognized as oran berries. "A mid battle snack? Alder apparently does stuff like that all the time, but Vergil doesn't seem like the type."

He was apparently not the type, because unless he was tossing around fruit for the hell of it, those berries weren't met for him. Umbreon snatched one out of the air in an obviously practiced move.

Pawniard nearly missed the one thrown towards her, though with a lucky jab of her blade, she managed to spear the fruit. "Pawn?" The Pokémon stared at the juices dripping down her arm. She was not the only one lost.

"This is certainly a first." You stared blankly at opposing trainer. "Is this some sort of ranger tradition I'm not privy to?" You looked over to old man Crofton in hopes of some confirmation, but by the glare he was still giving you, it seemed you still being on his shit list was the only confirmation you'd be getting.

"If you want the truth, I couldn't bear to see my Pokémon in such pain. When I said my Pokémon were focused on search and rescue, I meant it. Battling isn't exactly our lane. We mostly just practice against wild Pokémon, with other rangers rarely sprinkled in." Virgil sighed. "You seem to have been thrown into the deep end from the start, so you may not know...but casual battles are pretty loose on restrictions." Some guilt flickered across his face, realizations of the confusion he'd just created dawning upon him. "It wouldn't have been fair not to give it to Pawniard though, even if she already had one earlier. She's not allergic, right?"

"Only to relaxation." The steel type was holding the berry at an arm's length though, as if it was something disgusting.

Meloetta pouted regardless, obviously a bit jealous of the treat.

Larvesta was eating sand.

Pawniard snorted, before dropping the berry into the sand, and smashing it with her foot. Huh, maybe she didn't like them after all. She seemed just fine with the one earlier... "Maybe she's just watching her figure."

What a waste. Virgil didn't seem too bothered though. "Feisty as ever. Reminds me of my newest team member."

Filing that information into the back of your mind (which was probably littered with far too many intrusive thoughts to be healthy), you decided to push this battle along.

You sighed. "Pawniard, I'm calling you back for now. Take a moment to compose yourself."

Pawniard's eye widened, and the Pokémon let out a cry in protest. "Pawn!" The steel type then swung her arms outwards, only for another jolt of Paralysis to silence her doubts. A silent understanding was reached, and Pawniard slumped down, her blades still stained with Umbreon's blood.

"Lar..." You felt the bug type inch closer to your feet, burying her face in the sand below. It seems she too was taken aback by how intense the battle had gotten there.

That meant all the more reason to take it a step back, though. Thus, with no small amount of shame on her face, your Pokémon allowed herself to be recalled. "Don't worry, you fought...well. This fight isn't over yet." You murmured to the now sealed Pawniard. "Meloetta, you're up next!" All that eagerness earlier was not simply for show, as Meloetta leapt forward with haste.

"Lo-Me!" Larvesta let out a little sigh of relief as Meloetta took its position against Umbreon. You couldn't help but agree with the bug.

"A psychic type, if I remember correctly." Virgil chuckled as the two Pokémon squared off. Meloetta puffed out its chest, trying to make itself appear tougher to the opponent. Umbreon, on the other hand, looked too worn out to care. Sweat dripped down the dark type's chest, his legs trembling as if he were going to collapse at any moment. "You're a little bolder than I initially thought, (y/n)."

"More like cornered." You countered. "Your Pokémon is well trained." That was honest praise too. Umbreon weren't really strong special attackers, so for one to be able to inflict good damage from both the special and physical sides was quite a sight to see.

"Ah, thanks, but there's no need to be so formal! I'm interested to see your best, so don't disappoint me now." Virgil punched at the air, a newfound spark of determination in his eyes. "Isn't that right Umbreon!"

"Breee-on." The dark type let out a low growl. It seems that Virgil was not the only one eager to take to the battlefield again.

"Alright then, get ready (y/n)!" Virgil grinned. "Umbreon, Moonlight!" You'd almost expected another round of that horrifying Dark Pulse, but this might've been even scarier.

The rate of sun beating down onto the battlefield instantly shone with a beautiful blue light, bathing Umbreon in restorative power. "Crap." In the time it took for the thought to cross your mind, Umbreon's battered leg had already begun to heal.

Due to Larvesta's usage of Morning Sun, you'd done some research into healing moves, especially ones that worked in response to the weather. Much like Morning Sun, the healing effect of Moonlight was amplified to absolute staggering levels of sunlight. But in the brutal sunlight that beat down over the sounds of route four, it was elevated even beyond that realm of absurdity.

If this went on uninterrupted, Umbreon could've become a damage sink so dense that even Meloetta would have struggled to put him out of commission. You couldn't let him finish his spell. "Disrupt him. Hyper Voice!" Virgil's eyes widened as the normally silent desert bore witness to a downpour of sound.

There were some things you'd truly never tire of seeing. Watching the opponent's Pokémon go flying like a leaf in a windstorm placed somewhere near the top of that list.

The dune you'd been fighting on practically collapsed, releasing a tsunami of sand in all directions. Larvesta squeaked in shock as the ground level dropped a few feet, the bug type falling onto her back. You shielded your eyes, wincing in pain as sand pelted your body. "Yeah, probably didn't think that one through too well."

"Lar...Ves-Ta." The bug type wiggled her legs into the air, and you reached down to pull her upright. The second her head was removed from the ground, she took to coughing up no small amount of granules onto your shoes. "Ves." At least she had the gall to look guilty.

"Go ahead..." You dismissed her concerns. "Might as well. I already have sand everywhere else." Judging by the very human coughing a distance away, it seems Virgil was in the same boat.

But if the trainer was up and about, then where was...

"Lar!" The bug type gasped, gazing directly at the burning skies. A second later, you understood why. Gazing up was damn near an impossible feat, and even with your eyes shielding your hands, you felt the singing of your retinas.

Umbreon seemingly stood atop the air itself, a black speck against the beaming sun. A flicker of purple beneath the Pokémon answered the obvious question. "So he saved himself from the fall with Reflect, or was it Light Screen?"

Regardless, he'd done it without trainer input, which you had to give him credit for. "Didn't I tell you." Virgil spoke, his voice uncharacteristically loud. "A Ranger is always prepared. Even if the earth were to split open, or the skies were to come crashing down, we-"

"Dammit you bastards!" Ranger Crofton roared, ending Virgil's epic lines before they truly begin, "If I catch you pulling some shit like that again, I'll tan your hides! Let me-"

"Copycat!" Virgil called, and you braced for impact.

"So his ears were ringing after all." Meloetta perked up, its eyes shooting back to you for guidance. "Did he plan for this? Well, I suppose it doesn't matter."

Hyper Voice was a dreadfully powerful move, but against Meloetta, it was surely one of the worst possible options. Your Pokémon worked in sound, in the same vein as master craftsmen worked in sculpting or mechanics.

Even if it didn't possess the soundproof ability, catastrophic noise was Meloetta's element, and using it against your Pokémon was far from a variable option. One might as well have tried to throw water into the ocean, or extinguish a wildfire with a burst of flame.

For many weeks now, you'd been having Meloetta train its barrier to bear the brunt of its own voice powers, so it could successfully pull off the echo chamber truck it did to Druddigon on a more consistent basis.

"Surround him with a barrier! If he's still kicking, close in with Quick Attack-" You cried.

The technique was still far from perfect, but it was enough, enough to handle the inferior Hyper Voice Umbreon sent roaring through the air. Even if the move was the same, the Pokémon casting it was not, and that would be Umbreon's Downfall.

"and end it with Wake-Up-Slap!" You finished just as a bubble of psychic energy wrapped itself around Umbreon. You would later realize it was Meloetta's first time casting the technique at such a distance.

*BOOOOOM* Unfortunately for Virgil, it seems he was very much not equipped for the skies to come crashing down, because that was exactly what happened. Umbreon began to plummet, though it was quite the testament to the Pokémon's endurance that he was able to remain conscious even now.

Unfortunately for the dark type, he could only tank so much, especially at his current level of power. In a blink of motion you'd grown long since accustomed to in the past months, Meloetta appeared directly at the side of the falling Pokémon, far too fast for him to properly react to.

"Umbreon, Disrupt it with Thunder Wave!" Virgil tried to save his Pokémon regardless, Unfortunately, it was too late for such a move to shape the outcome of the battle to his will. Wake-Up Slap collided before Umbreon could even charge up the attack, and the air around the dark type's face cracked as Meloetta brought its palm down with the effective power of a wrecking ball.

It was a shame Pawniard wasn't around to see Umbreon get clobbered by a fighting type move. Even if she couldn't deliver retribution herself, the Pokémon certainly would've gotten a kick out of the small dose of payback.

When Umbreon hit the ground in a burst of sand, you knew it was over-

"Or not?"

"Bre-e." Even from here, you could see Meloetta's eyes widen as it stared down at the Pokémon who'd just taken a super effective attack, and was currently attempting to stand up not a moment later.

"Well I'll be damned. If this is what an Umbreon is like, then I'd hate to see how much something like an Aggron could sponge." You met Virgil's gaze, and you were greeted with the knowing eyes of a proud trainer.

"Umbreon, Return!" The fatigued Pokémon was recalled. For good, most likely, given the look of resignation on Virgil's face. That's right, you'd almost forgotten that this wasn't a knockout match.

"Meloetta, are you still good to fight?" The Pokémon pumped its arm into the air, smiling brightly at you. The reassurance was certainly a relief, especially given what came next.

"Espeon, Deploy." Virgil called, and his second Pokémon hit the field. While Umbreon had been packed with muscle beneath his thin layer of fur, Espeon's build was much more slim by comparison.

The psychic type's skin practically glowed under the sunlight, its eyes shimmering like deep purple lakes. The red gem on its head brought your thoughts back to Grumpig's pearls from the tournament. Perhaps the red gemstone also acted as a catalyst for Espeon's power.

You also needed to start reading up on Pokémon biology, even if that sounded more boring than learning their move lists. Regardless, you knew Espeon's M.O. While Umbreon was a walking bunker, Espeon was a master of psychic energy in its purest sense.

While Meloetta simply used its psychic powers as an extension of itself, Espeon very much lived and breathed psychic energy. Mental power flowed through the Pokémon organs in harmony with its blood, seeping out to the tips of its fur, and up to the ends of its tail that was currently extended upward like the antenna of an old school television.

While the species wasn't quite as terrifying as the infamous Alakazam, (Good god, were those things monstrous), you could certainly tell deep in your heart...this was not going to be a fun one. For with each passing moment, the psychic aura ripping off of Espeon grew more and more profound, amplifying with each breath you took.

Even Meloetta noticed, taking a step back as Espeon's power surged. You had absolutely no clue what the hell was going on, but to put in simple terms...more power=bad news, and you needed to cut this thing down to size fast.

Of course, things were never going to be that easy.

"Espe..." The Pokémon hummed, sizing up its competition for the first time. Meloetta, the imminent threat, got by far the most attention, psychic auras colliding and meshing as the Pokémon locked eyes.

Comparatively, Larvesta got a much shorter analysis. That was kind of obvious though, because a first stage Pokémon lounging about wasn't typically too threatening. Although, when Espeon got to you...

You recognized that look in the Pokémon's eyes. It was evident, intense Fear. The kind of fear you remembered as a kid, when you shakily peered down into the darkness of the basement from the top of the stairs, wondering just what sort of monstrosities may lay in waiting.

"W-What did I even do?" Somebody had mentioned that you had a resting bitch face once, but that was once. Besides, Espeon was a fully evolved Pokémon. A powerful one at that. Should Virgil have willed it so, the Pokémon would've been able to snap your neck with a thought. Speaking of the young man, it seems he had also caught onto his Pokémon's unusual behavior.

"Espeon...is everything alright out there." Virgil reached out a hand to his Pokémon, snapping it out of its trance. The psychic type still stared at you out of the corner of its eyes, with a hunched back and dilated pupils. "Are you not ready for a fight now?"

"Peon!" An embarrassed cry rang out in response, and Espeon huffed, turning its attention back to Meloetta. "Esp. Espeon?" It was practically demanding an explanation.

"Lota! Melo-etta?" Your Pokémon looked back to you, blinking, before shrugging in confusion.

"On..." Espeon's ears dropped.

"Well, now I'm lost. Wish I could read minds right about now." You looked to Virgil for an explanation, but he had no help to offer you. "Enough of that though, I believe..."

The Pokémon locked eyes, and with that signal of aggression, round two began a moment later.

"Thunder Wave!" Virgil went for the same opener as last time, obviously hoping to disable your biggest threat.

From the tip of Espeon's tail, a ripple of electricity spun towards Meloetta. While the attack had been generated faster than before, the intensity of the Thunder Wave was clearly a step below Umbreon's. "Protect!" You responded, and a solid shield of clear air diffused the status move.

Meloetta let out a gasp as the barrier quickly faded, and yet Espeon wasn't done. "Psybeam!" Virgil ordered, pumping his fist in sync with Espeon's responding cry.

"Answer in kind!" You shot back, feeling excitement brimming from within. While probably not the most effective move, you honestly just wanted to see an honest to god beam struggle.

Two purple beams, equal in strength and yet opposite in direction, screeched through the air at blistering speeds. They drew closer, stretching towards each other like contrails across the sky.

Just when they were about to collide...

"Catch It!" The gem on Espeon's forehead flashed with power, and Meloetta's Psybeam was halted in midair, before it was ripped from Meloetta's grasp in a burst of sparks.

Meloetta's Psybeam became Espeon's Psybeam, the dual trials of Psychic energy lashing through the air like titanic whips, spitting unstable energy and crackling air. "Acrobatics to dodge! Maneuver in close!" You quickly ordered, trying to figure out just where you'd gone wrong.

"Psychics can control the attacks of other psychics? That's a thing? Why is that a thing?" You watched as a green blur bounced across the air, dodging the titanic purple whips that spun around it. "I thought psychic was supposed to resist itself...unless Espeon's control is just that much finer."

*crack* No matter how great Espeon's mind was, that didn't mean it was immune to being kicked in the head. "Esp-on!" The Pokémon cried out as Meloetta cartwheeled onto its skull, plunging the Pokémon's face into the ground.

If there was an award for getting your face pushed into the ground gracefully, it certainly would've gone to Espeon. It took a certain level of class to remain stoic and unbothered as somebody put you on your neck, and anybody, Pokémon or human, who managed to do so was worthy of commendation.

"Me-Lo-Ta!" Your Pokémon grunted as it bounced back, landing on the air and balancing on a single leg. Espeon rose from the ground with equal speed, Levitating on psychic energy to propel itself upwards. Grains of sand trickled from within the Pokémon's fur as it regained its previous posture. Amusingly, the psychic type paid no notice to the growing welt on its forehead.

Espeon turned to you, giving you a small bow. What a polite Pokémon. Virgil seemed to have trained it well. "But we haven't been slouching either. If they want grace, we'll show em' grace!"

Meloetta bowed back, as was only courteous.

You were so proud.

"Blind with Dazzling Gleam, then unload Echoed Voice!" You shouted, completely forgetting the spectating Pokémon scattered around the area.

You did remembered to plug your very own ears, as well as avert your eyes, as Espeon was treated to a shower of rainbow light. Waves of blue, purple, and white burst forth erupting into balloons of fae energy. "Esp!" The psychic type yelped in pain, blinded by the flash.

"Hold fast!" Virgil shouted. "Use Calm Mind!" Espeon's entire body began to glow, the gem on its head shining like a star.

Serenity.

Grounding.

Inner peace.

Calm Mind was a move so simple, and yet so dangerous all the same. Once a user reached out to grasp their mind, their mind connected back to them, creating a perfect unity that brought with it devastating power.

The connection could not be severed, at least not through ordinary means. No matter what force was brought upon the Pokémon casting Calm Mind, the move would reach its completion. So long as their mind was untouched, their body could be smashed to smithereens, and yet that connection would hold fast.

The sound pounded against Espeon, its roar becoming deafening. The power Echoed Voice could achieve when it reached its maximum output was theoretically only limited by the stamina of its user.

Meloetta had enough. Enough energy, and enough fervor. Its body was an instrument unlike any other, and the sounds it could produce were the stuff of legends. The vortex of sound descended upon Espeon in a great downpour of viscous noise, the shockwaves soon growing loud enough to match the roar of thunderbolts.

Espeon should've been blown away, snuffed out like a candle before the winds of a hurricane.

Though somewhere in the heart of the storm, Virgil's Pokémon held on, its defenses ramping up to match Meloetta's sheer output.

Each ripple of music, its sound like the shout of a furious angel, spun through the air, washed over Espeon skin, driving it further and further backward. Though unlike Umbreon earlier, this time the eeveelution did not falter to the wave of noise.

The waves of Echoed Voice stretched across the dunes as far as the eye could see, blowing the tops off of the mountains of sand, and pulling all the remnants of destruction deep into the vortex of vibrating air. You and Virgil stood on opposite sides of the attack.

Somewhere in the great tunnel of sound sat Espeon, each and every drop of its being concentrated into maintaining its standing. A task, that against all logic, it seemed to be succeeding at.

Big stall was clearly a force to be reckoned with.

"And stall for time, it did." Meloetta gasped as the last bellow of Echoed Voice escaped it, one last hurrah for the brilliant choir of ear damage. "Good lord, I still feel my legs shaking."

No, that was Larvesta, actually, who'd attempted to scale you in an attempt to get more comfortable. Either way, you know who probably wasn't comfortable:

Espeon.

That much blood leaking from the ears couldn't have been healthy, and you felt a pang of sympathy when you realized just how messed up the Pokémon was. Some of its fur had been torn off by the sound, and each breath it took was closer to a wheeze than anything.

Though even more than that, Espeon's form glowed with telekinetic power, a perfect conduit for the Pokémon's mind. The air around it was practically vibrating with loose psychic energy, to the point where even you could feel a headache coming on.

"Wait a minute! Does it have..." A split second before Virgil made the call, you realized what was about to happen. "Meloetta, Protect!"

Virgil's predictable follow up came a second late. "Stored Power!" From the gem on Espeon's head, a practical river of psychic power poured forth, taking the form of crackling purple thunderbolts.

Protect couldn't have come sooner, especially when the Stored Power detonated with enough power to shear a building to run, the concussive purple shockwave it released sending you tumbling backwards onto your ass.

"L-Lar!" The bug type, who'd been clinging to your leg, yelped as she was treated to the reality of gravity. It was kind of remarkable just how ungraceful her fall through the air was. With all of her legs tucked in on herself, she looked like some sort of hairy Boulder.

She was lucky though, given that your body was there to provide a nice cushion for her landing.

You, on the other hand, weren't so fortunate. It went without saying that having fifty-something pounds of insect dropped onto your stomach wasn't the best experience of your life. "And now I really understand why all those official matches have barriers to protect the trainers and spectators."

Loose particles of Psychic power fell from above like raindrops, stinging as they struck your skin. "Sorry about that." Virgil called. "Do you need any bandages? I brought bandages."

"What the hell are bandages going to do?" You groaned, clutching your stomach as you lay there.

"Me-Lo!" Meloetta was shouting for you too, though you couldn't tell which of the blurry copies in the air was actually the real one.

"I'll be fine." You answered the Pokémon's worried calls for help. Larvesta poked your face nervously. "Eventually."

As you regained your bearings, and shakily stood up, something became apparent. Espeon's power was...still definitely crazy, but the crazy cache of power had been diminished somewhat. That meant it wasn't infinite.

"Are you ready?" Virgil called. "I'll let you have the next move, just in good sport." You were too tired to argue with him, so you went all in.

"Quick Attack to get behind it, and then launch Acrobatics!" At this point, physical attacks were your only valid option, and Virgil knew that.

Dancing across the air at speeds barely visible to even trained eyes, Meloetta descended on Espeon's blind spot.

You were now playing a very dangerous game, one that relied solely on your ability to predict Vergil's timing. Something you...weren't entirely confident on. That confidence was shaken further when Meloetta actually brought down its attack on Espeon, spinning through the air like a corkscrew with the power of Acrobatics.

Espeon's tail twitched, and without any input from its trainer, the blow was sidestepped. Meloetta sunk into the sand, a baffled expression on its face as Espeon pounced away unharmed.

"Surprised? Espeon is incredible, isn't she! Her fur is so sensitive, that she can respond to the air currents her enemies produces if she focuses enough, and predict their moves in advance!" Virgil stated proudly, and Espeon preened in response to the praise, despite her ragged state.

Two things. Firstly, that was some bullshit. Who even comes up with this stuff. Was Arceus bored or just stoned out of its damned mind.

Secondly, holy hell, this dude really was an anime character. Dude was practically a walking encyclopedia on how to defeat himself. Espeon seemed happy when Virgil was hyping her up though, so you couldn't really fault him for trying to boost his Pokémon's ego. Bloodied as they were, the way Espeon's ears twitched was still quite cute.

That didn't mean you weren't going to capitalize on his current bout of misjudgment. Espeon was a walking psychic WMD at this point, so you needed all the help you could get.

"If that's the case, then I'll just block your currents!" You snapped. "Meloetta! Put a shield around Espeon and send it up!" By trapping Espeon in the barrier, you'd effectively be able to cut off her source of air, and thus foreknowledge.

Once she was in the air, Hyper Voice could do the rest. Of course, as always, your plans would always end up broken. "That isn't going to work anymore!" Virgil shouted, practically on command.

With a flick of Espeon's tail, Meloetta's shield was reduced to a pile of formless goo. "Crap."

"Thunder Wave!" Virgil shouted, and the battered Espeon let out a furious screech, sending another wave of spiraling lightning at your Pokémon.

"Dodge with Quick Attack!" You grit your teeth as Meloetta responded to your command, ducking away from Espeon's attack in a jet of white. "Retaliate with-"

But wait!

There was another.

While Meloetta was able to avoid the first Thunder Wave just fine, the second planted directly in its trajectory with Espeon's foresight was not as easily avoided.

Meloetta's eyes widened at the streaks of thunder now inches away it's face, the crippling status essentially impossible to avoid with a dodge. Blocking it though, was still an option. "Protect!"

The shield materialized.

Virgil grinned.

"Oh dear, it seems I've made an oopsie." While Protect was truly a powerful technique, over reliance on it could be just as much as a crutch.

You'd already boxed yourself into that mistake, and a moment later-

Having done its purpose in blocking Thunder Wave, Meloetta's barrier immediately waned.

Protect was put on a timer, and you had nothing to protect yourself from a full tilt- "Stored Power!"

A veritable storm of psychic energy was let loose from the top of Espeon's head, the shiny red pearl there providing a catalyst for a simply batshit insane amount of telekinetic force.

The massive purple laser, as wide as you were tall, sliced across the sand with the speed of a thunderbolt, and the power of a missle strike. "Me-" Before your Pokémon could even cry out, it disappeared into a sea of wrathful indigo.

*BOOOOOOM* Once again, the structural integrity of the desert was put to the test, as an arc of psychic power exploded out of newfound chasms in the ground. "That was like Psybeam on crack!"

That was also the most coherent thought your mind could put together at the moment, which was hard when you were trying to blink dozens of dark spots out of your eyes.

Though, what about-

"L-Lo...T-Ta." An all too familiar voice whimpered from within the smoke. Even after that, Meloetta was still standing, even turning to you to give you a weak smile. That didn't mean it was unharmed though. Its body was littered with shallow cuts, and the mythical Pokémon had once again been subjected to an untimely haircut.

Though even if it was conscious, you were keenly aware of Meloetta's limits at this point. The signs all pointed to the Pokémon being spent. Even something as small as the diminished speed at which its chest was rising was proof of that. Durability was still not exactly the Pokémon's forte. "I-I think that's enough for now. Meloetta, return."

In a flash, the Espeon's famished opponent was recalled. Your greatest asset had been spent, but at the very least, so had all of Espeon's accumulated power. Virgil tapped his own Pokéball, but Espeon shook her head, still staring at you with a look that bordered on intrusive.

"She looks ready to pass out too. That much psychic power can't be easy to handle." You frowned, reaching for the freshest of the Pokéballs on your belt. "I made a deal though, so even if Pawniard is also nearly done for, I owe her this much."

*click* Espeon took a step back, carefully licking a bleeding paw as she stared at the equally battered Pokémon who'd just materialized. "P-Pa-Wn." The dark type was already gasping in exertion the moment she released, but the moment she felt the sun on her metal skin...

She snapped up into a salute, scraping away at some of the dried blood clinging to her face. "Back in action already? Your Pokémon have some serious grit (y/n)." Virgil offered his praise as Espeon and Pawniard stared each other down. You still couldn't help but feel like Espeon was still looking directly at you though.

"Somebody has to." You offhandedly remarked. "You can have the first move this time."

"I appreciate that!" Virgil was already back in action mode. You might've been too, had it not been so oppressively hot out today. "Espeon, get back into the game with Morning Sun!"

That cheeky little-

"Taunt!" You felt your heart rate immediately speed up as the sun's rays began to intensify, but Pawniard thankfully put a stop to that, via producing sharp and dreadful screeches from her metallic throat.

"Es-pe-Es!" The psychic type gasped in shock as she was denied her healing, the rays of light sputtering out. Now if only the sun above you could also level out.

Virgil sighed, knowing full well what was coming. "Espeon, Mud...Slap."

"Sucker Punch." Espeon never had a chance. The shadowy blade was already against her neck by the time Virgil's command reached her ears.

No amount of foresight would save her from the priority move, and with a flick of Pawniard's wrist-

"Pawn." An all too dramatic spray of blood burst from the side of Espeon's throat, and the psychic type became the first true knockout of the match, collapsing to the ground with a weakened cry.

"Well fought." You offered praise the Pokémon could not hear. "Tough to the bitter end."

*thump* Pawniard became the second knockout the instant Espeon finished her fall. You scrunched up your face at that. "Was that destiny bond? Can Espeon even learn..."

Had she really been holding onto consciousness this long?

That must've been the case, because Virgil looked just as surprised as you. "Well I'll be..." Espeon's limp body was recalled in sync with Pawniard. "That was intense. Even our senior over there look interested."

You turned to Crofton, and when he only frowned at you, you turned away. "Oh. He looks like he's well, I might not call it interested, per say." Virgil chuckled at that, before locking eyes with you.

"Shall we finish this up." A premier ball was raised into the air, before soaring towards the center of the battlefield on a sunbeam.

You were half expecting another Eeveelution, but you let out a relieved sigh when you saw the brown ball of fluff materialize onto the field. Eevee was a hodgepodge of all things cute in the games, and that held true here. Its brown fur looked soft and clean, practically glowing under the sun.

This one looked quite spirited too, given the intense look it had as the Pokémon practically strutted onto the field. "Somebody must've been the pick of the litter." Speaking of Litters, Eevee had that all too familiar curiosity about it, clearly evident of a younger Pokémon.

All things considered, Eeevee would've been a cool Pokémon to have, though you weren't counting your luck. As nice as a Sylveon spamming Hyper Voice alongside Meloetta sounded, you were certain that wouldn't come to fruition. Nothing ever worked out that nicely.

However, that didn't matter now. What mattered was the...underwhelming conclusion of this battle. You loved Larvesta dearly, but Pawniard was head and shoulders above her in strength, who was in turn well below Meloetta. That didn't mean you were at a disadvantage though.

Before, the terrain had been working against you. Espeon drew her power from the sun, and while Umbroen had been a Pokémon of the night, he drew in the daylight to fuel himself throughout his use of Moonlight. But now-

Larvesta drug herself across the sand, her abdomen dragging across the ground, leaving patterns similar to those of a snake.

-The terrain was in your favor. If Volcarona was the embodiment of the sun itself, then Larvesta was the rays it sent down to the earth, an extension of its power.

"Vee-Eevee!" The rabbit-cat-fox hybrid lowered its head to the ground, raring to go. Larvesta stared at the normal type blankly, with the same look she gave to most things that weren't food.

Eevee's were not part of a balanced diet.

You felt your heartbeat hasten as you stared down the field. This would be Larvesta's first real one on one match, and you weren't exactly sure what to expect from her. You nodded at Virgil, letting him kick off the third round. "Eevee, open with Tackle!" The young Pokémon let out an energetic cry, ears folded back as it barreled towards Larvesta.

Ah, Tackle! You'd think it would be more powerful, considering that the Pokémon performing the attack was throwing its entire body weight around. Then again, the first stage Pokémon that typically performed the move didn't have much weight to begin with.

That didn't mean you were going to let it hit though. "Larvesta, String Shot!" You'd just subdue Eevee from the get-go, stopping off the source of danger before it ever truy grew.

Credit where credit was due, for a somewhat Lazy Pokémon, Larvesta had been putting her due diligence in where it mattered. The String Shot she let loose was both far faster and more accurate than the ones she'd performed in weeks prior, the sticky white thread nailing Eevee head on, before spinning around its body and pinning the Pokémon down, almost like the net of a gladiator.

"Eevee, shake yourself free!" Virgil cried, and yet the it seemed that the normal type couldn't muster up the strength, struggling haplessly underneath its newfound bindings. A futile kick here, a twist of the neck there, and yet none of it did any good.

"Ve-Eevee." The Pokémon yelped as the sticky threads hooked onto its fur, holding it in place. Larvesta, hearing the enemies please for help, looked back at you in worry.

"Well, now what?" You shrugged at Larvesta unhelpfully. It was true that you felt a bit bad for Eevee, but it wasn't like the Pokémon was really hurt. The Pokémart sold chemical solutions that specialized in removing those threads, synthesized from some sort of chemical in the stomach of flying type Pokémon. You'd purchased some in case of potential accidents, so once the match was over, you could just hand the solution over to Virgil.

Honestly, you were just...relieved that this seemed to be concluded. Eevee was still folding under the weight of the threads, and it seemed no amount of encouragement from Virgil would help his Pokémon break free. Almost unconsciously, you reached for Larvesta's Pokéball, ready to call off the match.

"Tackle! Again!" Virgil cried suddenly, and your hand hovered at your waist.

Whether Eevee found the strength within itself to push forward, or Virgil's commands served to bolster him, you were unsure.

Yet even under the mass of threads that weighed it down, Eevee dove forward at speeds even faster than before, pushing itself to its very limits, white energy flickering across its body. "E-Ember!" You called as Eevee approached, wasting no time in time in issuing a counter.

Larvesta lowered her head, before the top of her highest horn flickered with sparks. The small flame started no larger than the flame of a candle, but quickly erupted in size, and by the time it impacted Eevee, the Ember had the size and speed to match a baseball pitch.

When the flames washed against Eevee's fur, the effect was twofold. Not only was the Pokémon's body singed, but the threads that'd been encasing Eeevee's body were instantly blown away, burnt into ashes courtesy of their natural elemental counter. "Protect!" You called as the now unburdened Eevee descended upon Larvesta, who was trying to regain her footing as a result of Ember's recoil.

"Veeeee!" The flying mass of fur slammed against the unbreakable wall of invisible air, Larvesta squeaking in exertion and fear as the opposing Pokémon's face squished against the shield.

Eevee dropped to the ground, its fur smoking slightly as the Pokémon immediately rebounded. "Sand-Attack!" Sensing an opening, Virgil ordered his Pokémon to retaliate.

Now, it's important to mention Protect still very much had the same limitation it had in the games. Conjuring it repeatedly would not only weaken the Pokémon, but the move would also outright fail. Such was the reason Meloetta faltered against Espeon earlier. However, with Larvesta's more limited movepool, that meant you had even more shallow options for defending here.

That meant you had to play offensively. "Ember!" You cried, and Larvesta's horns began to flicker. Eevee's eyes widened in focus, the Pokémon sprinting across the ground, before coming dangerously close to Larvesta's smoking horns.

The gambit paid off though, for Ember soared above Eevee's head, sizzling as it went. "Ee!" Larvesta's blue eyes went wide as a ball of brown fur landed directly in front of her, the tip of the Enemy's tail brushing against her face.

"Lar!" A pitiful squeak exited the fire type as Eevee then placed its paw on the ground, launching a splash of sand directly at the bug type's eyes.

Turns out Anakin's hatred of sand was entirely justified. Not only did getting a shit load of small particles in your eyes blind you, it also stung like a bitch. You felt your stomach churn unusually fiercely as Larvesta shook her face in a vain attempt to gain sight again. "Struggle Bug!" You cried.

Fight against your fate! Cry out from the bottom of the food chain! All of Larvesta's fear and squealing was immediately weaponized, spun into green waves of air that chipped away at Eevee's fur.

Sweat dripped from the normal type's face as Struggle Bug sunk into its skin, keeping a reserve of space between the two Pokémon.

"Keep your distance!" Virgil watched as Eevee was driven back inch by inch. "Circle her and launch another Tackle!"

"Ve! Ve! Ve!" The Pokémon chanted as it began to run literal circles around Larvesta, who was still writhing in pain. The moment there was an opening, the normal type dove forward.

"String Shot! Cover the ground around you!" You reacted quickly, your voice catching in your throat as Eevee approached.

"Laaaar..." Larvesta's stamina was waning fast, and that exhaustion only intensified as she spit out a ring of thread around her, marking the area as a sticky death trap.

"Fall short! Drop another Sand Attack as you land!" Virgil responded quickly, and Eevee responded even faster. With a move no amateur Pokémon should've been able to execute, Eevee gave physics a massive middle finger, dropping out of midair directly onto its front most legs.

"Look away!" You cried. Larvesta immediately rolled onto her side, ducking beneath the sand that washed over her. Eevee huffed in frustration as it's technique fell short.

Was that Virgil's only plan? Spam Tackle and Sand Attack? "If that's the case, then-"

"Let's see...Eevee, try and pull off Covet!" Virgil called, and Eevee dove over the threads, plunging towards Larvesta, who was still laying belly-up.

"Damnit!" That move stole items, and snatching away Larvesta's Eviolite was a surefire way to cripple her defenses. Without it, Larvesta's only shield would be the inconsistent Protect.

Speaking of- "Protect!" You called as Eevee cutely (or as cutely as a Pokémon could throw its body weight at somebody) descended on Larvesta.

A flicker of light, and-

Protect fizzled out as soon as it was cast, allowing Eevee to knock Larvesta across the ground, an obvious purple shape flickering across Eevee's furry chest as the normal type landed next to her.

"..." Had Larvesta's fur not been a brilliant white, you wouldn't have noticed it at all. Barely visible underneath the sun, so minor that even a human wouldn't have been deterred by it, blood trickled down from a small cut beneath Larvesta's fur.

Even in Unova's most arid climate, you felt a chill run down your spine. One familiar, and yet terrifying all the same. "M-Morning Sun!" You shouted, immediately going on the defensive.

"L-L-Lar!" Larvesta cried, conjuring a divine ray of light from above to aid her in her plight. Eevee winced, turning away to shield its face as Larvesta began to bask in the sunlight.

You let out a sigh of relief as Larvesta began to recuperate, slowly working her way to her feet. Eevee looked outright dumbfounded, likely having only seen such a technique form its evolutions before.

"Huh." Also, perhaps it was just your poor memory showing...but the technique looked massively weaker than it did back on the docks. "Is it exhaustion?"

To be fair, Larvesta looked gassed. Bless her little heart. Though the heat hadn't been kind to Eevee either, and having all of its damage undone in an instant was probably quite the rude awakening for the normal type.

Virgil, on the other hand, was as eager as ever. As soon as Morning Sun fizzled out, he took action. "Eevee, get ready! Show them your real power!"

"Laaaar..." Your bug type groaned in worry as Eevee lept upwards, with movements very much analogous to those you'd seen in Umbreon when it performed Double Kick. They were powerful, and yet carefully measured as if pre planned every step of the way.

They also didn't mean much, "The match is just going to be a stalling contest. Nothing Eevee has can break through Morning Sun's healing properties, so it'll have to be an endurance test." You held the advantage, but then why...

Why did you feel like you'd just swallowed a brick?

Why was it aching again?

"Eevee! Last Resort!" Your eyes widened as Eevee's fur began to glow an angry white. Trails of stars, not unlike those you'd seen in swift, peeled off of Eevee's body, painting a river of white behind the normal type as it dove through the sky.

Last Resort did exactly as it said on the tin. It was an extremely powerful normal type move, no...it was an extremely powerful move, period. However, one rarely saw a Pokémon actually run the move.

For no truly monstrous technique came without drawbacks. Explosion generated massive shockwaves from within the user's own body. Giga Impact damn near shut down all the users bodily functions immediately after use, rendering them effectively a vegetable.

Last Resort could only be used after the user had up all of their other moves in advance. In the games, that was troublesome. Here, that limitation was nightmarish, and the technique compensated for that. Born of repeated failure, the move sought to make up for those shortcomings with an overwhelming burst of strength.

If translated literally from Japanese, the move was simply dubbed "the best." That was highly debatable, but regardless, the attack Eevee was putting out was far above his normal weight class. Judging by the sudden wind rushing against your face, that attack probably could've even knocked Pawniard down, and she resisted it.

Could Larvesta have taken it? Perhaps. Even if she didn't have a will of steel, she was oddly resilient.

Would you ever know. Certainly not.

Larvesta squealed in terror, pulling up her frontmost legs in an attempt to defend herself. Eevee was fast, but when propelled by fear, you were even faster. "Return!" You practically shrieked, and then Larvesta was gone, called back into her Pokéball in the most unceremonious of gestures.

Eevee sailed through empty air, yelping as he skidded across the sand. Stars scattered off of his body as he bounced, sinking into the newly formed clouds of dust. The Pokémon slid to a stop mere feet in front of you.

"Ve?" The normal type gave you a look of confusion. His fur was ruffled, and his body bruised, but it seemed the Pokémon was still rowdy as ever. He jumped to his feet, before sprinting back to his trainer, and leaping into the young man's arms.

Sweat poured down your face as you stared at Larvesta's Pokéball. The capsule practically trembled in your open palm.

"(y/n)?" Virgil called out, still cradling Eevee in his arms. "D-Did I go too far? Are you alright? What the hell was that all about?"

You did not answer, for even you did not know.

...

Walt yawned to himself, typing away at his computer in a feeble attempt to distract himself from the absolute onslaught of nothing going on. His trusty Hippopotas snored beside him. Without his trusty partner, he likely would've gone insane a long time ago.

Working the reception area to the desert resort was quite the arduous task. One would think that one of the greatest historical finds in the last century would be a thrilling foundation for any sort of job.

Reality was often disappointing. The desert resort, as cool a historical area as it was, offered very little to the causal explorer. Less than 2% of the Relic Castle was actually open to the public eye, and that was just the parts they knew about.

The place was meant to house an entire civilization, and thus stretched for miles underground. It was a feat of architecture unlike perhaps anything else, and even in the modern day, it had yet to be replicated. Though even the mightiest of civilizations fell, and time had not been so kind to the castle. Most of the lower levels were nothing more than endless lands of sand, or in other words-"The same as everything else in this god forsaken desert!" He snorted angrily to himself.

The only people that came out this way were reckless travelers and demented ruin maniacs. Do you know what the best part was? He had to essentially live out here, because making a daily trek back to civilization was such a dangerous and arduous process that it wasn't even worth undertaking.

*clank* *clank* Walt groaned at the sound of approaching footsteps. It was already getting late. What nutso really thought it was a good idea to wander out here at this hour. "Welcome to the desert resort." He uttered with the same bored tone he'd perfected over the last year or so. "How can I help....you."

These were no Ruin Maniacs. Not even close.

In front of the desks stood three knights, looking like something straight out of a storybook he'd read as a kid. Only there was no princess to rescue out here, no dragon types to slay, so they ended up feeling more out of place than anything.

Each one was even more imposing than the last. Three paladins wrought of tempered steel and infallible honor. Their armor was heavy, far too heavy to wear in a trek through the desert, and yet they stood tall regardless, undaunted and unbothered.

Above all else, what startled Walt more than anything...it was the fact that their armor was absolutely pristine.

When travelers made their way through the desert, it was expected they'd get at least a little roughed up. Veteran trainers with decades of experience came through these parts on rare occasions, often to seek training. Thus, the clothes they donned were often beaten and smudged, no doubt the result of one of the beastly Pokémon that lingered in these parts.

These knights though...they were utterly flawless. Not a single spot of filth lay on their armored frames. No scrapes, no dents, no anything. The cloaks draped over their shoulders shone a brilliant white, as if they were crafted from the very light of the heavens itself.

The lead knight stepped forward, offering a bow to Walt. He...at least Walt assumed he was a guy, given the deep tenor that rumbled from beneath his helmet a moment later. "Greetings, noble watcher of the gate, and caretaker of this fine wooden desk. I am Sir Lamorak of Team Plasma. I come seeking entry into the Relic Castle. Might I inquire as to where your supervisors may be?"

"It's...just me around these parts." Walt couldn't help the slight shake that came to his voice. Ridiculous outfits or not, if these guys really were part of the team Plasma he'd been hearing so much about-

Then they were sort of celebrities, right?

"If you want to visit, then it'll be 120 Pokédollars each."

"That won't be a problem, my good man. Team Plasma is as generous as it is renowned." Sir Lamorak rumbled. "However, our aim lies in the deeper parts of the Relic castle, for something of great value to us lies there."

If Walt made a list of all the suspicious things said to him over his year of working the desk, then this would've taken second place, right after the time somebody had asked him if they could bring explosives into the ruins.

Wasn't that one hell of a day. Perhaps sending these guys on their way would've been the moral thing to do, but Walt knew better than to spite men with pointy swords.

Noble men sought righteousness.

Wise men sought a paycheck.

"That's not something I exactly have control over." He sighed. "Do you want me to call my manager or-"

"We've already obtained the suitable clearances from the Nacrene Museum." Lamorak reached into his pocket, before slamming an honest to god scroll onto the table. "Shall you have any questions, direct your attention to this comprehensive document."

"Well...that's..." Walt frowned as he stared at the document, which appeared to be written in some sort of odd runic language. Did they think he was actually some sort of historian. He was just a grunt worker. "What even is this? Did you guys fetch this off the back of a cereal box?"

"..." The pressure in the room mounted, and the smoldering desert suddenly felt very cold.

Walt gulped. Apparently, that wasn't the right thing to say. "W-Well, just give me the money, and...I'm sure they will be somebody in the castle you can talk to."

"You heard the man!" Lamorak brought down his hand onto the desk, and Walt could've sworn the room shook. "Dispense the necessary payment, and let us make way into the heart of the bastion!"

"Potta?" Hippopotas justled awake as one of Lamporak's companions dropped a wad of cash onto the table. The amount was at least quadruple what was required, and yet the knights didn't even bother to let him count it before making their way towards the other end of the gate.

"Hip-Po?" The curious ground type watched in awe as the warriors marched through the gate. One of the Knights leaned down for a moment, giving the Pokémon a quick pat on the snout.

"Good Pokémon." Was all he said, before the trio disappeared back into the desert.

"Potas?" The ground type nudged Walt's leg, clearly curious as to the identity of the odd strangers.

"I don't know buddy." Walt groaned. "Not like it's my problem anymore." For now, he'd just relax as the skies grew darker and darker. If there was one thing he did like about the desert, it was that the nights were truly peaceful and serene, like something out of another world entirely.

But deep down...Walt could've sworn...that the desert was even more silent than usual.

__________________________________

A/N: Jeez, looking back at this fight scene, it ended up taking up a good 10k words or so. Makes me wonder (and kinda worry) how long the eventual 6v6 slugfests will end up being, since those will likely be on a far more absurd scale than this to begin with. Eh, I'll tackle it when I get there.

From experience, I know longer fights can be tiring to read, but I hope I'm doing alright with it. I try my best to balance strategy and spectacle, though I admit I really just write what I think is neat and leave it from there.

Virgil also has Espeon and Umbreon specifically because I was on a colosseum kick before life hit me with the "double kick to the nuts combo."

He has all of the Eeveelutions (bar Sylveon) in canon, so it wasn't like I was pressed for options. Speaking of Eeveelutions, I'm dreading the day I have to include that Pokémon, because the blasted internet can't let us have nice things.

Nevertheless, have a nice day/evening/whatever y'all. Thank you for the continued support!