Things have been pretty busy for Jaydin and the others upon their return to Alola. For one, their classmates have been swarming Jaydin and Reeka, the latter being treated surprisingly well despite some of the girls' remaining jealousy from her spending the most time with Jaydin. Second, Damian seems to be hellbent on humiliating Jaydin and taking Reeka from him, so much so that he's started to neglect his schoolwork.
It was now the beginning of April, and the midterm exams were nearing. For Jaydin and Reeka, the academic side didn't particularly bother them, but they still studied hard regardless. For the battle part however, it was making Reeka nervous.
Not only will the midterms give Reeka a chance to rank up further, but it also gives Jaydin another chance to outdo Damian.
"The midterms are next week right?" Jaydin asked during Homeroom.
"Yeah..." Reeka said with clear nervousness.
Jaydin placed a hand on her shoulder, surprising her and making her blush.
"Don't worry, you'll do great, just like you did in the first major exams" Jaydin said with a reassuring smile.
"Jaydin..." Reeka said with awe. She smiled and nodded her head.
Pikachu and Charcadet were playing a video game on an old fashioned handheld that Jaydin and Reeka got them on Reeka's desk.
"Yes! I've sunk your battleship! All that's left is your submarine!" Pikachu said with excitement.
"Don't think you've won yet, I'm almost done sinking your aircraft carrier and I've already sunk your submarine, all I need to do is find your battleship" Charcadet said.
"I still haven't used my sonar scanner, I'll find it in no time" Pikachu said.
Jaydin and Reeka watched them happily playing. It was great seeing Charcadet having fun.
Zoroark was off to the side snuggling with Teddiursa, both blissfully giggling. Barbara, while still maintaining her deadpan expression, blushed as she took pictures of the two on her phone. Even Noctowl was amused at watching the two interact.
Reeka had been having this feeling lately, a feeling of guilt. She peaked inside her bag, looking at Meltan's ball safely tucked inside a special pocket. Jaydin saw her staring down at her bag. He figured out what she was looking at.
"That's Meltan's ball right?" Jaydin said in a volume only she could hear.
"Yeah, I just feel bad that I never let Meltan out until we get back to the dorms" Reeka said with a guilty face.
"Have you ever thought about revealing him? I mean, it wouldn't be as bad compared to me revealing Marshadow" Jaydin said.
Reeka sighed. She had been on the fence about it for a while. Plus Jaydin did have a point. After all, Ash once had a Meltan, and everyone seemed fine with that.
"I'll talk to him after school about it" Reeka said.
Jaydin nodded in agreement. Soon after the bell rang and the school day started.
To everyone, the written exams were already well known, however the battle exams were not known. There were constant rumors going around on what it'll be. It was lunchtime and said rumors were the main topic.
"Wonder what the battle exam is this time" Jaydin said.
"There's tons of rumors going around. Some say it'll be a 3v3" Reeka said.
"Y'know we can always ask Marshadow to sneak in and find out for us" Pikachu suggested.
Everyone looked at Pikachu with an unreadable expression.
"Pikachu, you know that's not an option" Reeka said with disapproval.
"I mean it's totally possible. Marshadow is the king of stealth" Zoroark said.
"True, but I don't want to essentially cheat" Jaydin said.
"I guess you're right" Pikachu said.
Zoroark suddenly caught something with her Extrasensory, surprising everyone. They looked and saw it was a meatball.
"What the? Where'd that come from?" Reeka asked with surprise.
"Damn, I forgot your Pokemon knew that move" a voice said.
They looked and saw it was Damian.
"What'd you do that for?" Jaydin asked angrily.
"I was just trying to get your attention that's all" he answered in an uncaring voice.
"By throwing food? What are you, 2?" Reeka asked with a scowl.
"2 good is more like it" Damian said with a chuckle.
"A pun? Seriously? Who does that?" Zoroark asked with irritation.
"If anything his IQ is 2" Charcadet said.
The Pokemon laughed, Jaydin and Reeka holding theirs in to avoid exposing their ability to understand Pokemon.
"Now that, was well delivered" Pikachu said.
"You just won an award buddy" Zoroark said.
Damian saw the Pokemon laugh and assumed they were laughing at his pun.
"I guess even your Pokemon know great humor when they hear it" Damian said with a smug grin.
Upon hearing that, the three girls immediately stopped laughing and changed their expressions to deadpan almost instantly.
"Not from you" they said together.
"I don't think they were laughing at your so called 'humor'" Jaydin said with smirk.
"If anything they were just laughing at you" Reeka added. The three Pokemon nodded their heads in confirmation.
Damian growled as he tightened his fists.
"If all you wanted to do was start some kind of food battle, Zoroark put a stop to that, so you can just leave" Jaydin said.
Damian scoffed. He turned away. "Fine, then I guess I won't tell you what the battle exam will be" he said with a sly smirk.
"Reeka can you pass the ketchup please?" Jaydin asked.
Damian turned around and saw Reeka casually handing a bottle of Ketchup to Jaydin to put on his burger. Pikachu was blushing as she ate fries covered with Ketchup.
"Can I have your water bottle since you haven't opened it?" Reeka asked.
Jaydin gladly gave her his water bottle.
"Hey! Did you hear me?" Damian said angrily.
"We did, we just don't care" Jaydin said, not even looking at him.
"We'll find out when we hear it from a credible source" Reeka said as she took a sip of her drink.
Damian grunted as he turned away. Zoroark suddenly had an idea. She powered up her Extrasensory and threw the meatball back at Damian, hitting him in his hair. He turned around and saw Zoroark holding up her middle claw and sticking her tongue out. This infuriated Damian but knew she could do far worse, making him leave with a scoff.
"Try that shit again and I'll throw more things at you, you dumb shitbag" Zoroark growled.
Lunch eventually ended and the afternoon classes started. Throughout the classes Reeka would occasionally think about what Jaydin had said during Homeroom.
'Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea if people know I have a Meltan' Reeka thought.
The school day eventually ended and Jaydin and Reeka returned to their dorm room.
Duraludon immediately got on his back and took a nap. Audino secured a spot under Jaydin's bed and read a book Reeka loaned her after finding out they both like the same genre of books. Greninja went up to Jaydin's bed and did some meditation. Togekiss was getting her fur brushed by Jaydin, blissfully sighing and blushing as he did so. Zoroark was drawing in a notebook that Jaydin got her. Marshadow was playing video games with Pikachu and Charcadet.
Reeka figured now was the best time to talk to Meltan. She climbed up to her bed and once she sat down she let out Meltan. He looked around and finally saw Reeka looking at him with a hesitant look.
"What's wrong Reeka?" He asked with concern.
"Meltan, there's something I want to talk to you about" Reeka said.
"Is it...bad? Did I do something wrong?" Meltan asked in worried tone.
"You didn't do anything wrong, and it's not exactly something bad" Reeka assured him.
"Then, what is it?" He asked.
Reeka took a breath before speaking again. "Do you...do you want others to know that I have you?"
Meltan was surprised to hear something like that.
"I...I-I don't know, I mean, I don't want anyone to separate us, I can't bare being away from you Reeka" he said as he clung to Reeka as teardrops fell from his eye.
Reeka placed a hand on Meltan. It warmed her heart hearing how much Meltan cares about her.
"I'm scared of that too, but thinking about it more, I doubt that would happen. Ash used to have a Meltan himself, and no one tried to take it from him, even as a Melmetal it's still with him" Reeka said.
Meltan thought about it, and it made a lot of sense. He himself came from the same place Ash's Meltan came from, although he came into existence long after Ash's.
"Plus, you're incredibly strong, even Pikachu saying she's the backup instead of you" Reeka added.
Meltan looked away in embarrassment. He was happy his teammate thinks so highly of him. He always admired Pikachu's kindness, being incredibly fortunate to be a part of her family.
He looked back at Reeka who just smiled at him.
"I...I'm okay with it. But, maybe not just yet?" He said.
"Of course, take us much time as you need" Reeka said as she petted the top of his hexagonal nut, making him let out giggles.
The next day arrived and it was going to be revealed what the battle test will be on Friday, which was tomorrow. The midterms were going to take place the following Monday, giving the students the weekend to study.
The day was pretty uneventful and all the classes were mainly about finishing up all the topics that will be on the respective exams.
Friday morning finally arrived. Everyone was sitting in Homeroom waiting for Mallow to come in to deliver the news of what the battle exam will be.
The door finally opened and Mallow and Tsareena walked in.
"Good morning everyone. I'm sure you all know what the announcement today will be, so I'll explain what the battle exam will entail" she said.
Everyone was waiting in anticipation.
"The battle exam will be a double battle" Mallow announced.
Everyone was surprised and grew excited. Mallow had to calm them down before speaking again.
"Now then, you will also know who your opponent will be today so you have the weekend to strategize" Mallow added.
"Has the school already paired who will face who?" One student asked.
Mallow shook her head. "No. But you'll find out now."
Tsareena held up a box. It projected the list of intermediate group students. After some configuration it listed all the students' name in the class.
All the names started flying around in multiple directions. Everyone held their breath as they waited for the screen to stop.
It eventually stopped. All the students started to search for their names. Jaydin spotted his name and was surprised to see who his opponent will be.
Jaydin Silver vs Barbara Phillips
Jaydin and Barbara eyed each other. Jaydin smiled and nodded, Barbara nodded back with a determined, yet still close to deadpan, expression.
"Who are you facing Reeka?" Jaydin asked as he looked at her.
Reeka said nothing, only staring at the screen with disbelief. Jaydin looked and saw her name, but once he saw her opponent, he understood her reaction.
Reeka Amana vs Damian Garland
"Of all people..." Reeka said.
"Oh crap...!" Pikachu said with fear.
"What's the big deal? He can't be that bad right?" Charcadet asked.
"It's not that simple" Pikachu said.
This concerned Charcadet but was promised a full explanation after school.
"Hmph, this will be too easy" Damian said with a chuckle.
"Don't underestimate Reeka, she's way better than you!" Jaydin said with anger.
"More like way better at giving up. That's all she's ever done, even when we were just little kids. Face it nerd, you'll never beat me" Damian mocked.
Reeka looked down, unable to answer back.
"I'm this close to wringing this brat's neck...!" Zoroark growled as her claws twitched.
Jaydin looked at Zoroark with surprise. He's only ever heard her say that about Jacob or his uncle.
'Zoroark...' was all that came to his head.
Pikachu wanted to growl at Damian too but was also unable to answer back.
"If I were you, I'd just forfeit right now to save myself the embarrassment" Damian said as he walked away.
"Bastard...!" Zoroark growled.
"What a douche" Charcadet said with a scowl.
Jaydin grunted in anger. He looked at Reeka and saw she hadn't moved or spoken during the entire exchange.
"Don't listen to him Reeka, you can beat him" Jaydin said reassuringly.
He felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked and saw Barbara looking at him. She motioned for him to come closer. She held her hand in front of the space between her and Jaydin's ear.
"I think Reeka needs a little space right now. What you're doing might be overwhelming her" she whispered.
Jaydin was surprised by this but taking another look at Reeka told him that Barbara had a point. He reluctantly did as Barbara advised.
The bell rang and everyone got up. Reeka recalled Charcadet and made a mad dash to their first class while holding onto Pikachu. Jaydin, Zoroark, Barbara and her Pokemon looked on with worried faces.
Classes soon started but Reeka remained silent throughout all of them. In P.E. she avoided Damian like the plague, although being occupied by Jaydin challenging him to a rematch in basketball helped. Reeka and Pikachu watched Jaydin and Zoroark play against Damian and Lycanroc in a 2 on 2 match. Everyone else cheered them on as the match progressed. It ultimately ended with Jaydin and Zoroark destroying Damian once again. Everyone celebrated Jaydin's victory, although Reeka remained emotionless throughout all of it. Damian was of course pissed off that Jaydin won but became infuriated when Zoroark raised both her middle claws up and down with a shit eating grin.
It was now lunch time and Jaydin and Zoroark were sitting at their usual table, however for the first time, Reeka and Pikachu weren't there. As soon as P.E. ended Reeka ran to the bathroom with Pikachu and hasn't come out since.
"This isn't good. The matchup is really bothering her more than I thought" Jaydin said with worry.
"Yeah, I'm also worried about her. Damian must've really gotten to her" Zoroark said.
"But what can we do? We agreed to give her space but I don't know if I should say something" Jaydin said as he looked down.
Barbara was nearby and heard Jaydin talking, not understanding Zoroark's sounds, but figured she was also worried about Reeka. She decided to help them out. She powered up her wheelchair and headed for the girl's bathroom.
She entered and saw Reeka's legs in one of the stalls. She then heard her talking to Pikachu.
"What am I gonna do Pikachu? I don't want to battle him but I also don't want to let Jaydin down, but I'd probably let him down regardless..." she whimpered.
"Pika..." Pikachu said.
"Maybe I should just do as he says and forfeit" Reeka said.
"Pika! Pikachu Pika! Pika Pika!" Pikachu shouted in anger.
"Pikachu..." Reeka said.
"Pikachu, Pika Chu Pika Pika" Pikachu said.
"But what if I fail? You know how strong Damian is, and I'm not" Reeka said.
"Pika, Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu said.
Reeka sighed. "Yeah, I guess I could get Jaydin's advice. After all, he's beaten Damian every chance he's gotten" Reeka said. "But still I—"
"Pika" Pikachu said in a tone that Barbara guessed was a "don't say it."
"Sorry, force of habit" Reeka said shyly.
Barbara decided to leave, figuring that she wasn't needed after all. Reeka and Pikachu eventually came back and apologized to Jaydin and Zoroark.
The afternoon classes flew by and once the final bell rang, the weekend began. Jaydin and Reeka were walking back to their dorm in silence. Pikachu was riding on Zoroark's shoulder. The two didn't even look at each other. Jaydin decided to start a conversation.
"So um, do you wanna hang out in Hau'oli City after we change out of our uniforms?" Jaydin asked.
Reeka didn't respond, she just looked down towards the ground. Her mind was somewhere else. A memory of when Reeka and Damian were little played in her head.
Reeka was on her knees, holding a scared Pichu in her arms, tears falling down her face. Damian stood in front of her with a Rockruff with an unimpressed expression.
"You're always giving up so easily, how weak ARE you?" He mocked.
"W-Why do you h-have to be s-so mean...?" Reeka asked through her tears.
"Mean? I can't be mean if I'm stating facts, and the facts are you're weak and will always be a helpless nobody that no one would want to be friends with. I bet your weak little rodent will get sick of you soon" Damian said, pointing to Pichu at the end.
Reeka held onto Pichu tightly. "N-No! You're wrong! Pichu and I h-have a bond that w-won't ever be b-b-broken!!" She said with a short boost of confidence in her tone.
This annoyed Damian. He went up and kicked Reeka in the face, knocking her glasses off and making her lose her grip on Pichu. Said Pokemon hit the ground and grunted in pain. Reeka whimpered as she held the spot where Damian kicked her. She looked up at him with fear in her eyes.
"Always remember. You will NEVER beat me. You will NEVER have ANY friends. You will ALWAYS be a weakling. Know your place you ugly nerd" Damian said in a voice that terrified Reeka, only letting out sobbing noises. Damian then left with Rockruff, leaving her and Pichu all alone.
Up until she met Jaydin, memories like these terrified her and gave her constant nightmares, causing her to start going to therapy. But after meeting Jaydin, those feelings started to change. Instead of having feelings of fear, she now has feelings of hatred. Hatred that was reaching its boiling point.
Memories with Jaydin played side by side with memories of Damian. Everything Damian had once said to her was now nothing more than utter lies. This just made her angrier.
She suddenly stopped walking, causing Jaydin and Zoroark to stop and look back at her. Her eyes were covered black and her fists were tightened.
"Reeka? What's the matter?" Jaydin asked with worry.
Reeka thought back to all the times he disrespected Jaydin, and all the times he'd gone out of his way to bring her down. This caused her to snarl as she grit her teeth.
She suddenly ran forward, passing by the three.
"Wha?! Hey, Reeka! Wait up!" Jaydin said as he and Zoroark ran after her.
Reeka ignored their voices, focusing on running as fast as she could.
"Damn she's fast" Zoroark said.
"She's surprisingly very athletic" Pikachu said as she held onto Zoroark.
Jaydin didn't say anything, trying to keep Reeka in his sights.
Reeka finally stopped running when she arrived at a shoreline. The water was calm and there was no wind. Jaydin and the others finally caught up to her. Zoroark was panting from all the running, making her fall onto the sand and let out a loud groan. Pikachu comforted her and thanked her for the ride.
"Reeka! Why did you suddenly take off like that?" Jaydin said while slightly out of breath.
Reeka didn't say anything. She still had her back turned.
"Reeka? What're you—" Jaydin started to say but stopped when he saw her move.
Reeka let out a grunt as her arms shook.
"DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.
Everyone jumped back when she did that.
"DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!!!!!!!! WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU!!!! I'VE NEVER GONE AGAINST YOU ALL THESE YEARS!! I PUT UP WITH ALL YOUR STUPID BULLSHIT!! WHY DO YOU STILL FEEL THE NEED TO TREAT ME THIS WAY!!! EVEN NOW, WHEN I'M FINALLY STARTING TO PROVE YOU WRONG, WHY DO YOU STILL TREAT ME THE WAY YOU DID WHEN WE WERE LITTLE?! WERE YOU BORN AN ASSHOLE?!?! CAUSE THAT'S ALL YOU'VE EVER BEEN!! WELL GUESS WHAT!! I HAVE EVERYTHING YOU SAID I WOULD NEVER HAVE!! I HAVE FRIENDS!! I STILL HAVE MY PRECIOUS PARTNER!! I EVEN HAVE A BEST FRIEND!! A BEST FRIEND YOU TREAT LIKE SHIT!!!! YOU'RE THE WEAKLING!! YOU'RE THE LOSER!! I HATE YOU DAMIAN!!! I HATE YOU!!!!!!!!!!" She yelled at the very top of her lungs.
Reeka took deep breaths after yelling out her words. She looked behind her. Jaydin, Zoroark and Pikachu were staring at her with shocked faces. Zoroark was covering her mouth with her claw. Pikachu had tears running down her face. Jaydin couldn't find any words to say.
Reeka felt all her rage disappear instantly, replacing it with guilt and regret.
"I-I..." was all she got out as her body started to shake.
"...Reeka..." Jaydin whispered.
Reeka looked away as her tears started to fall down. She started to run away again but this time Jaydin gently grabbed her arm, keeping her from leaving.
"Don't go...please..." he said with a hint of begging.
Reeka didn't say anything, nor did she look at him.
"I know the feelings you're having. I know because I have them too. I told you about my tormentor, and just now...I know about yours. But...unlike with yours, I'm still afraid to yell my hatred for mine. What you did just now, is the one thing I haven't done not even once in 7 years. You're so brave Reeka..." he said.
Reeka didn't say anything, only trying to swallow the lump in her throat. It hurt her heart hearing him say that.
"You have to deal with yours almost every day, and you always face it head on. I haven't set foot in my home region in over 7 years because I'm too afraid to face him. Compared to you...I'm the weakling..." Jaydin said as he looked down.
Reeka's heart shattered completely. Her crush, the love of her life, was letting himself become vulnerable just to help her.
Without thinking, Reeka turned around and engulfed Jaydin in a tight hug. Jaydin was caught off guard by this. Zoroark and Pikachu were shocked, but couldn't help but blush at Reeka's bold move.
Reeka cried into Jaydin's shoulder. Jaydin remained frozen, mainly due to her surprise hug. He let her hold him though, believing this will help her feel better.
"You're not...a weakling...!" Reeka said as she cried into his shoulder. "You're...you're amazing...!!"
Jaydin's eyes widened upon hearing that.
"I always hated him, but I was too scared to admit that, even to myself. But then...I became your friend...and I thought, I could finally change. I could finally stop being the weak and timid little crybaby I always was. I could finally stand up for myself. But even now, when I finally have a chance to put Damian in his place, he still found a way to keep me down. I'm all talk! So how come you haven't given up on me even once?? Why do you always support me? Speak so highly of me? Believe in me? Why would someone as amazing as you be my friend!!" Reeka said through her tears.
There was silence at first.
"...because we're the same...!" Jaydin said, in a voice that sounded strange.
Reeka finally pulled back. She saw Jaydin looking at her with his own tears falling hard.
"Before you, before my Pokemon, no one supported me, no one spoke highly of me, nobody believed in me. I was all alone, no friends, no family, no meaning to my existence. That's why...I didn't want to see someone like you, who also knew that feeling, to keep going through that hell all alone. That's why, I'm so terrified of losing you...! I need you Reeka...!" He said through his tears.
Reeka blushed as her tears continued to fall. Zoroark and Pikachu finally joined in the hug, both crying as well.
Suddenly multiple flashes came from their respective bags. Greninja, Audino, Togekiss, Duraludon, Marshadow, Meltan and Charcadet all appeared and were crying hard. They joined in on the hug as well.
"We need you too!" Zoroark said.
"We're all terrified of losing you!" Pikachu said.
Everyone else conveyed the message too. Jaydin and Reeka softly smiled as the big hug continued.
After a while they finally ended the hug. They all wiped away their tears. It was quiet at first. Giggling was then heard. Everyone turned and saw it was Reeka who was giggling.
Jaydin let out a breath. He started to giggle as well. One by one everyone started to giggle. It wasn't long before they all burst out laughing, way harder than last time, all having to hold onto their stomachs because of it.
At one point Duraludon was laughing so hard he produced a loud burp, furthering everyone's laughter.
They all started to calm down. They wiped away their tears of laughter.
"Man, I needed that" Jaydin said.
"Big time" Reeka said.
Everyone else agreed as well. After fully calming down, Reeka spoke up.
"Hey, Jaydin?"
"What's up?" Jaydin asked.
"Thank you" was all she said, but was all that was needed.
Jaydin smiled. He held his fist out in front of Reeka. Reeka smiled. She held her fist out. They fist bumped each other, neither breaking eye contact. Everyone smiled at seeing them. After separating, Reeka blushed.
"Is um, i-is the hanging out offer still available?" She asked shyly.
"Of course, let's just go back and change out of our uniforms first" Jaydin said.
The two agreed. They recalled almost everybody and returned to the dorms. None of them noticed a couple Island Guardians had been secretly observing them.
"Now I know why you grew an interest in her Tapu Fini" Tapu Koko said.
"I should say the same to you about the boy. The last one you had a big interest in was Ash" Tapu Fini said.
"True. All we can do right now is to just keep observing their actions before we approach them" Tapu Koko said.
"You're right" Tapu Fini said. She thought back to when she saw Reeka battle with Pikachu in the first battle test, how determined she was to win.
Jaydin and Reeka went out to Hau'oli City to have some fun. They had an early dinner at their favorite restaurant and talked about their plans for studying and training for the weekend. Zoroark and Pikachu were blowing bubbles in their milkshakes as they let their trainers chat.
The next two days were filled with nothing but studying and training. Everyone on the floor studied together, tossing battle strategies around as well.
At one point Reeka saw Jaydin and Barbara talking to each other. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but judging by Jaydin's excited look, they were most likely talking about their midterm battle.
At long last Monday morning had arrived. Everyone got up, showered and grabbed breakfast. Reeka had a determined face as she thought back to all the treatment she had gotten from Damian over the years. This made her tighten her fists.
They all entered Homeroom. Jaydin, Reeka and Barbara all began to mentally prepare themselves.
"We've got this" Barbara said with a determined deadpan face.
Jaydin and Reeka nodded in response.
"Let's all just do the best we can" Reeka said.
"And the best you can do is being weak" a voice said.
Jaydin's group turned and scowled at Damian.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that" Jaydin said.
Damian got up and approached the group. Jaydin got up and stepped in front of Reeka and Barbara. The two stared each other down. Zoroark secretly got ready to attack if Damian moved.
"You mind getting out of the way? I've got a few words to say to the nerd" Damian said with an intimidating glare.
"I very much mind" Jaydin said as he glared back.
"I'm giving you 5 seconds to get out of my sight" Damian said.
"I'm giving you 3" Jaydin shot back.
Jaydin and Damian locked eyes, showing no fear in either of them. Damian scoffed as he turned around.
"Fine. But like I said nerd, forfeit while you still can" Damian said as he started to walk away.
Jaydin and the others watched him walk away.
"Douche" Barbara blurted out.
"That's one word to describe him" Noctowl said.
The bell eventually rang and classes finally started. Jaydin and Reeka had studied nonstop over the weekend, so both of them powered through every exam, being the first two to finish in all of them.
After the final written exam, the midterm battles for the intermediate students started. Jaydin and Barbara talked while they waited for their turn.
After a few battles it was finally their turn. They went up to the examiner and said things that no one else could make out. The examiner nodded, appearing to agree to what Jaydin and Barbara had said to them.
Jaydin and Barbara walked into their respective trainer boxes. Zoroark hung back with Reeka, holding Teddiursa in her arms. The examiner stepped forward.
"This will be a double battle between Jaydin Silver and Barbara Phillips. You will be graded on how you perform with your Pokemon, victory or defeat does not matter. Now then, both of you reveal your Pokemon" the Examiner instructed.
Jaydin took out two Poke Balls. "Audino, Togekiss! Let's do this!"
In a couple flashes, Audino and Togekiss appeared. They took battle stances and had excited facial expressions.
Noctowl flew up and landed on the battlefield. Barbara reached into her bag and pulled out a Poke Ball. "Maushold, let's go."
In a flash, Maushold appeared. Barbara's Pokemon took a battle stance.
"If both sides are ready, then you may begin!" The examiner said.
"Togekiss, get into the air! Audino, use Fire Punch on Noctowl!" Jaydin said with his hand out.
Togekiss flew up and Audino powered up her fist. She ran towards Noctowl.
"Noctowl dodge. Maushold use Population Bomb" Barbara instructed.
Noctowl flew up but Togekiss suddenly appeared and unleashed a Heat Wave towards him. It hit Noctowl but was able to recover. Maushold threw a barrage of bombs towards Audino. She was able to dodge a few but was eventually hit and knocked back.
"Togekiss use Air Slash on Maushold!" Jaydin said.
Togekiss did so.
"Protect" Barbara said.
Maushold formed a wall, which produced a shield that protected them. A smoke cloud erupted. After it cleared, Togekiss and Audino were gone.
Barbara looked around but didn't see them. That changed when Togekiss flew in while holding Audino with her feet.
"Fire Punch!" Jaydin said.
Togekiss swung Audino around and launched her towards Maushold. She then powered up a Dazzling Gleam and flew into Noctowl. They managed to hit both of their targets. Everyone was surprised at seeing the combo.
Noctowl and Maushold got up again.
"You're strong Jaydin. I have to use all of our strength to win" she said.
"You're pretty strong too Barbara, I have to do the same" Jaydin said.
Jaydin and Barbara reached into their bags again. Jaydin pulled out his fingerless gloves and put them on. Barbara pulled out a Tera Orb.
"Let's go guys!" Jaydin said as he fastened his Key Stone glove.
Audino started shadow boxing while Togekiss spread her wings out.
"Noctowl. Maushold. Let's go all out" Barbara said.
Noctowl spread his wings out while Maushold huddled together.
Jaydin placed his fingers on his Key Stone. "Let our bond become our power! Audino, Mega Evolve!!" He said as he raised his fist in the air.
Audino let out a battle cry as she started to transform.
Barbara held out her Tera Orb. "Noctowl, power up" she said as her Tera Orb started to sparkle.
Noctowl got absorbed into the orb and after the jewels and luster pillars shattered, it showed Noctowl Terastillized and had a cluster of helium balloons attached to him.
Mega Audino emerged and took a stance. The two powered up Pokemon stared each other down.
Everyone else was in utter shock. Reeka finally figured out what Jaydin and Barbara said to the examiner, and this was also probably what they were talking about all weekend. Zoroark smirked, expecting nothing less from Jaydin.
"Noctowl's Tera Type is Flying" Barbara said.
"Thanks for the info. When Audino Mega Evolves, she becomes a Normal/Fairy type" Jaydin said back.
Barbara nodded in understanding.
"Now then, Audino use Fire Punch! Togekiss use Dazzling Gleam!" Jaydin said with his hand out.
Audino and Togekiss initiated their attacks.
"Noctowl use Brave Bird on Togekiss. Maushold use Play Rough on Audino" Barbara said.
The helium balloons on Noctowl glowed as he powered up his attack. He and Togekiss flew towards each other. Maushold ran forward as Audino readied her fist.
Togekiss and Noctowl collided as Maushold overwhelmed Audino. After both attacks ended, Togekiss and Audino crashed to the ground in front of Jaydin. They grunted as they got back up again.
"Damn, now I know why you struggled this much in your battle against that Terastillized Pokemon back in Paldea" Audino said as she grunted from the pain.
"At least that one couldn't fly" Togekiss said with one eye closed.
"Audino! Togekiss! Are you guys okay?" Jaydin called out.
Audino and Togekiss looked at him and nodded. Jaydin looked at Barbara.
'Dealing with her Terastillized Noctowl is hard enough, but her Maushold is even more troublesome considering theirs four of them together. If we're going to win this, we need to focus on a single target. Considering Noctowl is a pure Flying type now, and only has one Flying type move, which will also do damage once it's used, I think we should focus on taking him out first' Jaydin thought.
Jaydin looked at Audino and Togekiss again. They looked into his eyes. They all nodded together.
"Togekiss use Heat Wave on our side of the field! Audino, use Dazzling Gleam on Maushold!" Jaydin said.
Togekiss flew up and powered up her wings. She unleashed her attack just as Audino took off.
"Noctowl fly up. Maushold use Population Bomb" Barbara said.
Noctowl flew up into the air. Maushold threw their attacks at Audino. Said Pokemon narrowed her eyes.
"Catch them with Psychic!" Jaydin said.
While still cloaked in light, Audino held her hand out. She caught the Bombs and threw them back at Maushold. She then crashed into it with her Dazzling Gleam. Noctowl started to descend.
"Audino jump in front of Noctowl!" Jaydin said.
Audino nodded. She performed a huge jump and appeared in front of Noctowl. Instead of attacking, she stared him down. Audino suddenly smirked as she started to descend. Once out of his line of sight, Noctowl saw Togekiss with a green outline and about to fire an attack from her mouth.
"Togekiss, use Solar Beam! Audino, use Hyper Beam!" Jaydin said as he punched the ground.
Togekiss fired her attack. Audino landed and fired her attack at Noctowl.
Reeka and the others thought this was it.
"Use Psychic on Maushold" Barbara said. Every gasped at this.
Noctowl's eyes lit up and lifted Maushold up in front of him.
"Use Protect" she said with her finger out.
Maushold produced a shield in front of Noctowl. This made the beams get absorbed. Everyone, including Jaydin and the girls, were shocked.
"No way..." Reeka whispered.
"How did she..." Zoroark whispered.
"Big sis...she's so cool...!" Teddiursa whispered in awe.
Damian had a shit eating grin on his face. 'There might just be two losers today' he thought.
Togekiss descended back to the ground. Audino couldn't move due to using Hyper Beam.
"Dammit...! That was just...!" Audino said between breaths.
Togekiss grunted in frustration. 'Ugh, we have to end this now or we might lose! That Maushold is annoying enough already, not to mention Noctowl is still—' she thought until an idea popped into her head. 'Hang on...maybe we could try that.'
She called out to Jaydin. She smiled at him as she spread her wings out. Jaydin was confused at first but quickly realized what she had in mind. He nodded in response.
"Fly up and use Air Slash on Noctowl!" Jaydin said.
Togekiss took off again. She sent her attack at Noctowl, who managed to dodge it. Instead of attacking, Togekiss flew past him.
"After it" Barbara said.
Noctowl took off and chased after Togekiss.
"Strike it down with Moonblast" Barbara said.
Noctowl sent Moonblasts towards Togekiss, who managed to dodge them all. Audino had recovered by that point and was awaiting Jaydin's next move. He didn't say anything, but Audino knew the plan.
Togekiss kept flying around, avoiding Noctowl's attacks. She started to fly faster. Barbara got an idea.
"Use Brave Bird to catch up to Togekiss" she said.
Noctowl did so. The gap between him and Togekiss started getting smaller. Togekiss started flying towards the ground, Noctowl close behind her. Just when she was about to get hit, she smirked.
"Pull back!" Jaydin said with a grin.
Togekiss spread her wings out and was ejected upward, passing by Noctowl. Said Pokémon was stunned by this, failing to notice he was about to crash right into Maushold. It became too late and the Pokémon crashed into each other. Everyone gasped, even Barbara.
Noctowl and Maushold grunted in pain. Jaydin and the girls acted fast.
"Audino, hold them up with Psychic!" Jaydin said.
Audino did as instructed. Noctowl and Maushold were lifted up and held in place.
"Togekiss! Dazzling Gleam full power!!" Jaydin said as he threw his open hand out.
Togekiss let out a loud battle cry as she enveloped herself in light. She flew towards her opponents at mach speed. She crashed into them, causing an explosion to erupt. Once it ended, it showed Audino and Togekiss still standing and Noctowl and Maushold lying motionless with swirls for eyes.
"Noctowl and Maushold are both unable to continue! Togekiss and Audino win, making Jaydin Silver the winner!" The examiner declared.
Everyone cheered loudly, not just for Jaydin but for Barbara as well. Reeka and the girls were blushing and smiling at both of them. Damian of course was pissed that Jaydin won again.
Togekiss and Audino sighed as Audino returned to normal. They both fell onto their stomachs.
"So tired...!" Audino moaned.
"I need a nap...!" Togekiss moaned.
Jaydin went up to them. He got down on his knees and started petting them both.
"Both of you were amazing out there. I'm so proud of both of you" Jaydin said happily.
Audino and Togekiss blushed madly at hearing Jaydin happily praising them. They got up and hugged him tightly. Jaydin wrapped his arms around them as he laughed.
Barbara moved her wheelchair up to her defeated Pokémon. She recalled Maushold and thanked it. She turned and went up to Noctowl. Said Pokémon started to wake up.
"Noctowl. Are you alright?" Barbara asked with a concerned voice.
Noctowl nodded his head. Barbara reached her hand out. Noctowl extended his wing and Barbara helped him get up. She then picked him up and laid him on her lap. It felt a little embarrassing for him but he was too tired to perch himself on Barbara's wheelchair handlebar.
Barbara made her way over to Jaydin. He saw her approaching him and got up. Audino and Togekiss got up as well.
"That was an incredible battle Barbara, you had us against the wall a couple times" Jaydin said.
"Thank you. You're as strong as ever Jaydin" Barbara said with her usual deadpan face and voice.
The two shook hands. They faced the crowd again. They both waved. Jaydin recalled Audino and Togekiss and returned to Reeka along with Barbara.
"You both battled so well! That was an amazing battle to watch" Reeka said while holding Pikachu in her arms.
"Thanks Reeka, we both had fun" Jaydin said, Barbara nodding in agreement.
"Although I'm curious about one thing. Where did you get a Tera Orb Barbara?" Jaydin asked.
"I've always had one" she said nonchalantly.
Jaydin and Reeka were surprised.
"You've always had one?! Why didn't you tell us?!" Reeka asked.
"You didn't ask" Barbara said.
Jaydin and Reeka groaned as they comedically fell down.
'Guess that explains why she wasn't with us during the school activity in Paldea' Jaydin thought.
The matches continued soon after. Reeka's battle was going to be the last one, which gave Reeka the most time to mentally prepare herself for it.
At one point Evan, Bethany, Matt, Tom, Ameri, Nori, Megan and Kate came up to the three. They were already done with all their exams and rushed to watch Reeka's battle. They congratulated Jaydin and Barbara and apologized for not being able to watch them battle, to which the two said it was fine.
As they waited, Jaydin spotted a small stand that was set up nearby. There was a male student trying to get people's attention.
"Everyone! Place your bets on who will win in Reeka and Damian's battle!" He called out.
Some people started to gather around and handing over some money.
"They're betting on this? That's just wrong" Jaydin said.
He saw Zoroark putting her arms behind her back.
"You weren't going to bet money on this right?" Jaydin said with a disapproving face and voice.
"Whaaat? No way, that's just wrong like you said. I don't even need to bet on Reeka. I was just...scratching my butt" she said nervously.
Jaydin grunted as he looked away, not needing to hear that. Zoroark stealthily used Extrasensory to put the money in her claws back into Jaydin's bag.
The final match was about to start. Pikachu jumped onto Reeka's shoulder. She took a breath.
"Guess it's finally our turn now" Reeka said.
"You've got this Reeka" Jaydin said with a thumbs up. Everyone else agreed.
Reeka smiled. "Thanks you guys, I promise I'll do my best." Pikachu nodded as well.
Reeka and Pikachu entered their trainer box. Damian was standing in his with an overconfident smirk.
"This is your last chance. Forfeit now, or face embarrassment" Damian said.
Reeka's body momentarily shook, but immediately refocused.
"I'll never forfeit!" She said.
Damian gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Have it your way then."
The examiner stepped in the middle.
"This will be a double battle between Reeka Amana and Damian Garland. You will be graded on how you perform with your Pokemon, victory or defeat does not matter. Now then, both of you reveal your Pokemon."
Damian pulled out two Poke Balls. In a flash, his Weavile and Klawf appeared.
'Pikachu is obviously going to fight, and she's got sight issues, and her Charcadet must've had a traumatic experience with the giant Klawf I heard about, making it an easy target to take down. This is going to be way too easy' Damian thought.
"Pikachu, let's go!" Reeka said.
Pikachu jumped up and landed in front of Reeka. She took out a Poke Ball. Damian smirked while everyone else was on edge. Reeka stared down at the ball. She closed her eyes as she tightened her grip. She felt a surge of determination as her eyes shot open.
"I choose you!" She said as she threw the ball out.
In a flash, Meltan appeared. Everyone gasped in utter shock. Jaydin and Zoroark slyly smirked.
"What the?! When did she get that?!" Kate said.
"I've never seen her with that Pokemon before either!" Evan said.
Damian couldn't believe what he saw. 'She had another Pokemon besides that Pikachu and Charcadet all along?!'
"Pikachu, Meltan, get ready!" Reeka said.
Pikachu got on all fours and let out sparks from her cheeks. Meltan looked nervous but put on a brave face.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Weavile! Meltan, use Headbutt on Klawf!" Reeka said with her finger pointing forward.
Pikachu adjusted her glasses and charged up her electricity, then firing it towards Weavile. Meltan lunged forward and rammed into Klawf. Weavile managed to dodge Pikachu's attack.
"Weavile, use Dark Pulse on Pikachu! Klawf, use X-Scissor on Meltan!" Damian said.
Weavile fired her attack towards Pikachu. Klawf powered up his claws and made his way towards Meltan.
"Pikachu, use Dig! Meltan, use Harden!" Reeka countered.
Pikachu dove into the ground, narrowly dodging Weavile's attack. Meltan hardened his body, taking Klawf's attack with ease.
"Now Meltan! Use Thundershock!" Reeka said with her hand out.
Meltan shot out electricity, albeit weaker than Pikachu's, and struck Klawf. He was pushed back and electricity started to travel around Klawf's body.
'That means Klawf is paralyzed now right? That'll make it harder to move around now. We can do this!' Reeka thought.
Pikachu suddenly emerged from underground. She struck Weavile and pushed her back.
Damian was seething at seeing her battle. 'What the hell is going on?! Why is she doing so well?! She's supposed to cry and avoid fighting like she always has done! And that Pokemon...! Where did she get it?!'
"Kay Pikachu, use Iron Tail on Klawf!" Reeka said.
Pikachu jumped in the air and powered up her tail. She struck Klawf, knocking him back again.
"Weavile use Ice Beam!" Damian countered.
"Intercept with Thunderbolt!" Reeka countered back.
The two Pokemon fired their attacks. They collided and caused an explosion. After it ended it showed both still standing.
Jaydin and the others watched on in amazement.
"Reeka has improved a lot hasn't she?" Ameri said.
"Yeah, I've never seen her so confident" Nori said.
Damian looked at his Klawf. He was still suffering from Paralysis and couldn't move much. He pretty much deemed him useless at this point. He looked at Meltan. He saw the uneasiness in its eye. He thought of something.
'If I can't get her to surrender through words, I'll just have to do it by force' he thought. "Weavile, use Ice Beam on Pikachu!"
Weavile shot her attack towards Pikachu. She managed to dodge it in time, although this made her get further away from Meltan. Klawf suddenly struck Pikachu with his Rock Blast attack, knocking her back.
Damian was surprised, but didn't let it show. He smirked as he looked at Meltan. Said Pokemon didn't like the look in his eyes.
"Weavile use Slash on Meltan!" Damian said.
Weavile lunged towards Meltan. The latter was too frightened and braced himself.
"Meltan!" Reeka called out.
Weavile slashed her claws but Meltan didn't feel anything. He looked up and saw Pikachu shielding him while she give him a smile.
"I won't let them hurt you" Pikachu said.
Meltan's eye started tearing up as he let out a sound.
"Don't let up Weavile! Slash again!" Damian said.
Weavile slashed at Pikachu again, who shielded Meltan again. She grunted in pain but stayed firm.
"Stop it Damian! That's too far!" Reeka pleaded.
"Oh sure I'll tell her to stop, just as soon as you forfeit" Damian said in an uncaring voice.
Reeka didn't say anything, mainly due to fear. Jaydin and the others wanted to intervene but knew it would cause Reeka to fail her exam.
Weavile kept Slashing, Pikachu still protecting her scared teammate. A little bit of blood started to drip from Pikachu's back.
"Stop it!!" Reeka yelled.
"Give. Up" Damian said.
Reeka didn't know what to do. She didn't want to give up but she also didn't want to see Pikachu get hurt even more.
Pikachu kept shielding Meltan, her own tears of pain started falling down.
Meltan thought back to all his moments with Pikachu. All the ones filled with smiles and laughs. All the times Pikachu had protected him, comforted him, reassured him, all of it. And now here they were, Pikachu once again protecting him while he was crying. This made him feel so pathetic.
"Weavile, finish Pikachu with a full power Slash!" Damian said with a wicked grin.
Weavile's claws grew bigger and brighter as she raised them in the air.
Jaydin and Zoroark stood up while the others looked away, not being able to watch anymore.
"Pikachu!!" Reeka yelled with tears.
Pikachu shut her eyes tightly as she awaited the attack.
Meltan's eye suddenly turned red. He let out an angry sound as his eye took the shape of an angry one. He leaped in front of Pikachu and intercepted Weavile's attack. Said attack made contact with his hexagonal nut but shattered upon impact. He landed and took a protective stance in front of Pikachu.
His eye grew angrier as his body shook, letting out angry grunts. Energy started to build up in front of his eye. He let out a huge battle cry as he fired the attack at Weavile at point blank range. This sent Weavile flying backwards and into the wall behind Damian.
"Was that Flash Cannon?!" Matt said.
"No...that was Steel Beam...!" Tom said.
Everyone else was in utter shock. Meltan looked at Klawf next. He shook in fear as Meltan let out more angry sounds.
Meltan charged up his Steel Beam again as he let out another angry battle cry. He fired it and struck Klawf, sending him back into the wall next to Weavile.
After the explosion ended it showed both Weavile and Klawf motionless and having swirls for eyes.
"Weavile and Klawf can not continue, Pikachu and Meltan win! The victory goes to Reeka Amana!" The examiner declared.
Everyone cheered loudly upon hearing Reeka had won. Jaydin and the others cheered with excitement. Jaydin and Zoroark had proud expressions on their faces.
Reeka initially ignored all the noise, running to Pikachu to check on her. Pikachu assured her that she was alright. Meltan hugged Pikachu tightly.
Once it was confirmed that both were alright, Reeka finally noticed everyone cheering. This confused her at first but slowly realized what was happening.
"We...we won?" Reeka said to herself. Tears started to fall down her face as reality finally set in. She hugged Pikachu and Meltan tightly as they cried.
"We won!!!" "We won!!!" They yelled.
Damian remained frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened. He managed to recall Weavile and Klawf.
"What? Did...did I just...lose? I really lost...to that worthless nerd?" He asked himself. He finally lost it. "This match doesn't count!!!" He yelled.
Everyone looked at him in shock.
"Doesn't count?!" Bethany said in disbelief.
"Spoken like a true sore loser" Barbara said.
"She never told the school she had another Pokemon! Which means she used an unregistered Pokemon and should be disqualified!" Damian said while pointing his finger at Meltan.
Before Zoroark could attack him, the examiner stepped in between Damian and Reeka.
"Students are not required to reveal how many Pokemon they have, as long as it's within the carry limit. And if they've exceeded it, their Poke Balls will be locked and trainers can't send out their Pokemon. Since Reeka's Meltan was able to be released, she is still within the carry limit and can therefore use her Meltan in the battle. This match does and will still count" the Examiner explained.
Damian grunted in anger as he gritted his teeth.
"Face it Damian! Reeka kicked your ass fair and square!" Jaydin said.
Reeka stepped forward. She glared at Damian before speaking.
"I used to listen to you, believe all the horrible things you said I was, took all your abuse without standing up for myself! But then I met ones who didn't treat me the way you did! And it's because of them that I'm not gonna listen to anything you say about me anymore, I'm not scared of you anymore! There's one thing I've always wanted to say to you. My true feelings about you" Reeka said.
She took another deep breath before speaking with a defiant glare.
"I hate you Damian! You are everything that's wrong with a person! You have the worse personality and you suck as a trainer! You're an asshole who shouldn't have all that you've gained! And if you ever cross me, my Pokemon, my friends, or Jaydin and his Pokemon, I will show you no mercy and kick your ass again just like I did today! Now get out of my sight!!"
Everyone was in shock and awe at hearing Reeka's words. She stood her ground as she kept glaring at Damian. Pikachu and Meltan copied their trainer.
Damian was furious but couldn't do anything right now. He reluctantly left.
All the other students gathered around and congratulated Reeka.
All the girls in Jaydin and Reeka's class came up to her.
"We're so sorry Reeka!" They said as they bowed their heads.
"Eh?" Was all Reeka got out.
"We've all been so awful to you" one girl said.
"Yeah, you didn't deserve any of it" another girl said.
"Please forgive us!" They said.
Reeka was trying to process everything that they were saying. She finally managed to speak.
"It did hurt and it didn't help improve my self confidence, and there were times I didn't even want to go to class..."
The girls looked down in shame, knowing it hurt her so much.
"But despite that...I hoped we could all still be friends. So, don't feel bad, cause you all don't deserve to feel ashamed in my mind" she said with a closed eyes smile.
All the girls looked up with shock. They saw her smiling, making them all tear up. They ran over and hugged Reeka, tearfully thanking her for her forgiveness.
Jaydin and the others smiled brightly at the sight.
"Seems like classes might become a little more peaceful now" Zoroark said.
"I hope so" Jaydin said.
With all the battles now over, the school day was finally over as well. All of Jaydin and Reeka's floormates put together a party for everyone to celebrate the end of exams. Bethany came as well and introduced her Pokemon, which was a Gardevoir and a shiny Sylveon.
"Everyone, I'd like to make a toast" Jaydin said as he held up his cup. "Here's to everyone who gave it their all today. And most importantly, here's to Reeka, for her victory against Damian and continued growth."
"Here here!" They all said as they clanked their cups together.
Reeka smiled and blushed at Jaydin's words.
"I um...I'd like to make a toast too" Reeka said shyly as she held up her cup.
Everyone looked at her and prepared their cups.
"Here's to all of you. It's because of you all that I'm where I am, and WHO I am. I'm honored and thankful to call you all my friends, no, my family. All of you complete me, and I love you all" Reeka said as her eyes became watery.
The girls teared up while the guys softly smiled.
"Here here" they all said happily as they clanked their cups together again.
They all enjoyed the rest of the night, having fun and strengthening their bond with one another.
Outside, Tapu Fini was observing them, focusing more on Reeka. She had watched the entire battle between Reeka and Damian, greatly moved by Reeka's strength. She nodded her head happily as she returned to Poni Island.
It was a rough few days for everyone. A lot of mayhem happened for some more than others. But in the end, it was a victory for all of them.