When our plane landed on Liocott Island, it was the dead of night. The majority of us made our way into the airport fatigued and drowsy, longing for a bed to sleep in. Kudou and Kiria appeared to be the only ones who were completely fine – an observation I owed to the fact that Kudou needed to be awake and alert as the manager, and Kiria would have rested appropriately beforehand in order to remain vigilant as she kept watch.
"Couldn't have picked a better flight...?" Hikaru yawned as we made our way to collect our luggage.
"This was the earliest flight." Kudou said. "It puts us almost a week ahead of schedule and gives us time to prepare before the tournament starts."
"Uuuughhh..." Yu rubbed his eyes.
"Are we training right away...?" Victor mustered up all of his strength to pull his suitcase from the conveyor belt before it slowly passed him by.
"You'll be working hard, but I'm no savage." Kudou took his own suitcase. "You can rest when we get to the dorms. We won't start training until after midday."
"Oh thank God..." Hikaru stretched.
I looked around the airport at the surprising lack of people. Even though it was late at night, I had never seen an airport so quiet before. There were a couple of people milling about, but nobody seemed to be in any hurry. A young boy seemed to see us from a distance and came to the conclusion that we were part of the Continental Cup, considering we were a group made up of some people whose faces were likely familiar on the island after the success of the previous World Tournament.
"Good luck!" He waved.
Some of the more alert among us waved back, whilst others like Caleb simply ignored the child altogether.
"I assume we'll be taking a bus to our training ground?" Midorima asked, seemingly well-rested.
"That's right." Xene nodded.
"We'll be using the area that we occupied as the Japanese team last time." Jordan looked up at him. "You may recall that last time, each of the sixteen teams had a village of their own – this time it's the same, except there are less teams."
"Destiny Angel's old dorms will be taken up by us – Aegis." Darragh confirmed.
"At least they're somewhat familiar." I said, remembering Destiny Angel's time there back at the first World Tournament.
"We'll know our way around." Nelly nodded.
"What about the other three?" Skyra asked, referencing the three other members of the team who had travelled separately.
"Mira, Zhang and Carmello are already at the dorms." Kudou replied. "I called ahead to make sure."
"Lucky sods..." Hikaru mumbled.
"Now, does everyone have everything they need?" The manager asked. "If so, we'll head out to the bus."
*
The dorms were as I remembered them. Two floors in a largely wooden style, with a small cafeteria on the first floor, as well as offices and meeting rooms. The second floor was exclusively bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. We had been greeted by one of the staff, who had been watching the building until we arrived. She confirmed that the three other members had arrived safely and were already asleep. Now, we were stood in the central hallway, the wooden staircase before us calling us to bed.
"Now, get some rest, and we'll begin training tomorrow." Kudou said as he handed out room keys. He gave a quick run-down of the times when food was served, and how the dorms should be used, as well as what to do should we lose our keys.
"That's all. Now go get some sleep."
We all graciously obeyed, dragging our suitcases towards the stairs. There was a brief wait as everyone funnelled through, but eventually we made it up. Nelly and I sleepily walked over to room 12, and she unlocked the door with a satisfying click.
Within five minutes, we were in our pyjamas, our cases on the floor. Unpacking could wait.
"Do you know what you have to do tomorrow?" I asked, fighting a yawn as I adjusted my watch.
"I have to meet up with Coach Kudou and the others, so I'll have to get ready before you." Nelly rubbed her eyes, climbing into bed.
"Better rest up, then." I said, turning off the lamp.
The last hour or so had been a blur as I had fought to keep my eyes open. But now, finally in a bed again, I let myself fall asleep.
*
The next morning, I woke up to the sound of the shower running. I opened my eyes to find the bed empty next to me, and slowly sat up. Nelly must have quietly gotten up at some point and had managed not to wake me up in the process. I let out a yawn and looked around. Light was beaming against the curtains, and, though they tried to keep it out, the room was fairly bright. A look at my watch told me it was just before midday. I had slept longer than I usually did, but that was to be expected considering the late flight. All in all, I didn't feel too bad. Given a few minutes, I would be up and about, but for now, I just sat there, my back propped against my pillow. All I could hear was the rushing water from the bathroom to my right, and it was almost soothing, pattering down rhythmically.
Nelly's suitcase was open on the floor, and I could see that she had removed her toiletries and a set of clothes for the day.
"I suppose I should get ready." I said aloud, getting out of the bed with another yawn. The sound of the water was shut off, and I heard the shower door slide on its hinges. Soon after, the sound of a hair dryer began to whir as I made my way to the curtains and pulled them apart, revealing a clear blue sky. From the window, I could see right out onto the pitch outside the building. It was a replica of a classic battlefield found in the World Tournament, and it was slightly lower in the ground than the rest of the village. The whole pitch was surrounded by grassy slopes that reminded me of the riverbank back in Fuchsia City. There were sets of steps on each side, making it accessible from four places – or anywhere if you were willing to slide down a slope. Shifting my gaze, I could just about make out the shopping district before my line of sight was cut off. We would be able to buy almost anything we needed there. It had proven particularly useful the last time we had been here, having been the place where I had bought the hold items for my Pokemon prior to the final battle, as well as the Sun Stone for Solaris to evolve.
"Oh?" A movement caught my eye. Down by the pitch, someone was climbing the steps down. It was Midorima, the former Korean captain. Apparently, he had gotten up early and was already out to practice.
I was broken from my sightseeing daze as the hair dryer shut off, and I decided to pick out some clothes of my own. As I opened up my suitcase, I wondered when we would be getting our team uniform. Last time, Destiny Angel had a deep blue kit for all of its members, and I could only assume that Aegis would get something too.
Regardless, for now, I picked out a pair of black tracksuit bottoms, a striped, short-sleeved blue shirt, and a thin, dark blue zip-up hoodie.
"It shouldn't be, but hopefully it's not too hot..." I thought as I pulled the clothes out and put them on the bed.
The bathroom door clicked open and a moment later, Nelly appeared.
Her outfit was a new one I hadn't seen, presumably chosen for her new role as an advisory team member. She was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with a black vest over the top, and a pale pink circle skirt that ended just above her knees, with black tights covering her legs. A cute and thin yet smart brown belt ran through the loops in the skirt and presented itself with a simple gold buckle at the front. Gone was the purple bow at her neck, but instead, she had her gold heart-shaped pendant resting visibly on her chest as opposed to beneath her shirt.
"Speaking of hot." I blinked.
"Good morning." Nelly smiled.
"Hey." I straightened up.
"Did I wake you?"
"Oh, no, it's ok. I should be awake about now anyway." I said.
"I tried to let you sleep, but I guess it was unavoidable once I turned the shower on." She sighed, setting her pyjamas down on the bed.
"Really, it's fine. I like your outfit, by the way."
"Oh, thanks." She smiled, grabbing the hems of her skirt and looking down at it. "I felt like a change, and I wanted to look smart for this."
"You look great." I told her. "Seriously."
"Aww, you." She blushed. "I wasn't sure if you'd like it or not."
"Are you kidding? You look great in anything."
"Hehe." She giggled. "Thank you, Sweetheart." She kissed me and began to put her shoes on. "I have to get going, so I'll see you out there, ok?"
"All right." I nodded, watching her as she got up and walked to the door.
"You go the key?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Ok. Bye!"
"Bye!" I held up my hand as she left the room and shut the door. I felt the tightening in my chest begin to subside and I breathed in. "Well." I picked up my clothes and headed for the bathroom to shower.
*
"Hey." Skyra gestured as I walked into the cafeteria.
"Oh, hi." I walked over. "I'm not late, am I?"
"You're not the last one up, if that's what you mean." Skyra replied. I looked around to see Shu-ling sat at a table alone, eating cereal whilst reading a book that was open before him. Hikaru, Victor and Mira were lined up at the toaster, whilst Caleb shovelled a strip of bacon into his mouth as he stared absent-mindedly out the window. By the looks of it, the younger members hadn't woken up yet – namely Yu, Zhang and Carmello. Midorima was already outside, and I assumed Kiria had to be up and about somewhere.
"Ah, ok. You eaten already?"
"Yeah. I was just about to go before you showed up."
"Oh, ok then."
"A quick suggestion, though." Skyra stood up from his seat and grabbed his plate. "If you want toast, don't be like them." He nodded to the three-person queue. "There's a separate toaster over there." He pointed.
"Thanks." I nodded. He walked away and I made my way over to the toaster that neither of the other three seemed to have noticed. Hikaru saw me walk past and her eyes followed me over to the unoccupied machine.
"Are you kidding?" She mumbled to herself as Mira took her bread and went to sit down. "I didn't have to wait at all?!"
*
About ten minutes later, everyone was accounted for, as the three boys had showed up for breakfast, though it was almost lunchtime in reality. I had just finished my toast when Darragh appeared in the doorway.
"Listen up, everyone!" He caught everyone's attention. "We'll be starting in fifteen minutes! Be out on the pitch before then!"
He was met with a mixture of nods and 'yes sir'.
I finished my juice and took my glass and plate to the front of the cafeteria. No point in waiting.
*
"Good afternoon, everyone." Coach Kudou addressed us as we all stood together on the pitch. His assistant coach Darragh was stood beside him, and the technicians Xene and Jordan were sat on a bench to their left, their laptops open. Nelly stood beside the bench, her hands resting over her front as she too listened to Kudou. "As you know, we are ahead of schedule. The competing teams are not required to be here on Liocott Island until three days before the first round of the Continental Cup. On that day, all teams will attend the draw, where we will find out who our opponents are for the first round. It is a formal event, and as such, you will be expected to dress and act appropriately. However, the draw does not take place until the day after tomorrow, so we have two extra days to prepare for the tournament."
"This will surely prove advantageous." Mira said.
"Depending on the strategy of our opponents." Midorima argued.
"But we have the most time to get ready, right?" Zhang asked.
"Not quite." Kudou shook his head. "Europe's team arrived before us, and North America and Australia are not far behind. Therefore, I intend to get started immediately, especially since we have already lost half a day due to our flight last night. For this first day, training will be fairly simple. You will battle each other one-on-one."
We all looked around at each other. As a group still not accustomed to one another all too well, Kudou's plan was smart. Though he had said that this form of the tournament relied more on individual strength than teamwork, there would still be benefits to learning to trust each other – namely, being supportive of fellow teammates could only be good for morale. Having us battle each other would be a good start – after all, I already had more respect for Midorima following our earlier battle before the team was even announced.
"I will choose who faces who, and then my team and I will observe your battles. Should I spot anything of note, Nelly will relay my message to the individuals so that everyone can continue to fight on uninterrupted. Any questions?"
There were none. "Then we'll begin."
*
Coach Kudou paired us up himself, and as a result, I was to be facing Shu-ling. I stood opposite the former Taiwanese captain and reached into my pocket. I had no idea what kind of Pokemon he had. Midorima would have known, giving him an edge. Which made me wonder who Midorima could face without knowing their strategy. A quick glance downfield gave me the answer – Kiria. Made sense, since she was the only one of us who hadn't competed in the first World Tournament at all. Off to the side, Kudou was issuing instructions to Nelly, and she was nodding along, making sure she understood her job.
Skyra was fighting Caleb, whilst Yu took on Zhang. Victor fought Mira, and Hikaru battled Carmello.
"Are you ready?" I asked.
"Yes." Shu-ling nodded, a PokeBall in his hand.
"Ok then." I brought one of my own out. I was about to throw it when Nelly stepped between us.
"Hey guys." She looked at us both.
"Hello." Shu-ling eased up.
"Hey." I lowered my arm.
"Coach Kudou has a message for you both."
"Already?" I was surprised.
"Yeah. Shu, he says he wants you to use your Delphox."
"Oh, ok." Shu-ling put his PokeBall away and swapped it for a different one.
"And Toby," Nelly turned to me. "He says he wants you to use Grovyle."
"Huh? Well..." I pocketed Tyranitar's PokeBall and brought out Grovyle's instead.
"This doesn't seem fair..." Shu-ling felt bad.
Around us, battles had begun, and shouts were ringing out as attacks shot through the air.
"He said it isn't about who wins or loses." Nelly went on. "The point of your fight in particular is..." She looked at me. "For you to realise something."
"Me...?" I looked over at Kudou in the distance. He was busy looking down at Xene's laptop as the boy relayed information to him.
"That's what he said." Nelly smiled apologetically. "He didn't tell me exactly what he meant, but he did say that he wants you to 'go all-out' from the very beginning."
"Go all-out..." I thought. "He must mean..."
"Ok. Thank you, Nelly." I smiled.
"Thank you." Shu-ling nodded.
"Good luck!" Nelly waved and walked briskly back to her post beside the manager.
"All right, then..." I looked up at my opponent.
"Shall we?"
"Yeah."
"Delphox!"
"Grovyle!"
My trusted companion appeared on the battlefield before me, standing with his arms crossed, sizing up his opponent.
Shu's Delphox stood tall, its robe-like fur giving off a wise aura as it held a stick like a wand.
"I take it you heard our orders?" I asked my Pokemon.
"Groh." Grovyle nodded, shifting to a battle-ready stance.
"Good. We need to sync up, so let's get into rhythm by attacking head-on! Quick Attack!" I pointed.
Grovyle's powerful legs propelled him forward in the blink of an eye.
"Flamethrower!" Shu countered.
His Fox Pokemon lifted its wand and waved it through the air, sending a tongue of flame shooting forward. Grovyle quick-stepped to the left, then back to the right as a second blast came his way. He got in close and hit the opponent with a tackle at speed, pushing it back.
"Pursuit!" I called out, slipping into the battling mindset once more.
The moment Grovyle's foot touched the ground, he pushed off in a jump, chasing Delphox down.
"Fire Spin!"
The ground began to heat up, and a sweltering orange ring began to form before Delphox. It swept its wand into the air, and a fiery tornado erupted from the earth, flinging Grovyle into the sky.
"You're all right!" I swept my arm to the side enthusiastically, and in mid-air, Grovyle spun round and mimicked my movements, swatting the embers away from his body. "Leaf Blade!" I sliced my arms downwards.
Grovyle raised his arms and plunged down at Delphox, swiping down fiercely. Shu's Pokemon hopped back and Grovyle landed, his blades glowing and dust swirling round his feet.
"I feel it." I clenched my fists.
"Grovyle! It's time!" I cried, crossing my arms in front of my face as if bracing.
Grovyle straightened up and did the same. The wind picked up, and a swirling mass of leaves was conjured. The tornado engulfed Grovyle and turned a deep black, with green leaves whizzing past on the wind.
Even though I was clear of the tornado, with my eyes closed, it felt like I was standing at the heart of it. That was it. Grovyle and I had synchronised.
"Hyyyaaaah!" I cried to the sky, forcefully uncrossing my arms and opening my eyes.
The vortex of leaves was torn to shreds, blasted outwards by Grovyle imitating the exact same motions.
Pieces of greenery fluttered to the ground as the wind died down, and Grovyle smirked. The leaves on his body had turned from green to black, and his eyes had turned brown, matching my own.
Now in perfect sync, Grovyle was drawing power from me to make him stronger, changing form. Bonnie had once dubbed it 'Toby-Grovyle' – but no matter the name, the result was what mattered. Grovyle was stronger now, without a doubt.
Kudou was watching carefully, and both Xene and Jordan had switched their attention solely to mine and Shu's fight.
"I see..." Shu-ling nodded slowly. "That's what he meant..." He lifted his arm and held it out in front of him, seemingly staring at his fingertips from arms length.
"Let's go!" I cried, lifting my arms. Grovyle copied, and the blades on his arms began to glow with intense power. Maybe it was the rush of adrenaline, but I failed to notice before it was too late. Shu's eyes were concentrated on his closed fist, and he hadn't said a word. That wasn't the issue, though. The real problem was the his Delphox was doing exactly the same thing. It was holding its wand out at arms length, and was focusing completely on the tip, where a small flame was burning.
"Wait...!" I began to pull back.
"Now." Shu lowered his arm.
Delphox did the same, and the flame at the tip of its wand erupted, engulfing the Pokemon in a huge firestorm. It lasted less than two seconds, and then the fire crackled away into cinders.
Delphox's form had changed. The tufts of orange fur coming from its ears had now turned black, as well as the markings on its robes. Its red eyes were now a brilliant green, mirroring Shu's own.
Shu and Delphox had just done the exact same thing that Grovyle and I did! The scary thing was how easily and how quickly they had done it. There had been no dramatic build-up, no big movements and no warm-up. It was as if they had flipped a switch and summoned the transformation at will.
To make matters worse, Delphox's change was not purely cosmetic. It now had two magic wands.
"Mystical Fire!" Shu called, pushing both of his hands forward so that they overlapped.
Delphox crossed its wands and a gigantic blast of fire shot out from the centre, accompanied by flaming rings as it scorched across the battlefield.
Grovyle was hit directly by the fire before we had a chance to react. I cried out as I felt his pain course through my body. My Pokemon hit the ground and tumbled, smoke trailing his body. A faint light enveloped him briefly and then dispersed, removing the transformation from his unconscious body.
"Gah!" I staggered backwards a couple of steps before falling forward onto my knees, clutching my head. After a few moments, the pain faded away, as if it had never been there.
"What the...?" I panted, looking up. Grovyle was knocked out, his body smeared with ash in places. Shu and Delphox stood opposite us, the latter emanating raw power.
"The Bond Phenomenon."
I turned my head. Kudou was standing at the side of our battle. I had heard the term used before.
"Until now, I'd wager you've never seen anyone else synchronise with their Pokemon."
I shook my head slowly.
"The power that you and Grovyle wield is special – but it is not unique." Kudou looked across at Grovyle. "I pitted you against each other to show you that your biggest strength does have competition."
"No way..." I struggled back to my feet. "Back then, Grovyle was able to fight toe-to-toe with Paolo's Mega Sceptile..." I thought back to the World Tournament. "But just now... Shu wiped us out in one move..."
"There is a fundamental difference between you and Grovyle, and Shu-ling and Delphox." Kudou went on. "Whereas you and Grovyle only 'mastered' your bond relatively recently, Shu-ling has been honing his bond with Delphox for years."
As if on cue, Shu closed his eyes and Delphox did the same, allowing its transformation to fade away, with no repercussions on its Trainer at all.
"In truth, you haven't mastered Grovyle's power whatsoever. At most, the two of you have only tapped into a mere twenty percent of its potential, according to our readings." Kudou gestured back at Xene and Jordan.
"Only twenty percent...?" I was dumbfounded. Grovyle was outputting that much power, and there was still more hiding inside?
"At most." Kudou repeated. "When you fought Paolo, you tapped into twenty percent. Here, in a considerably lower-stakes environment, you managed about twelve."
"I had no idea..." I looked at Grovyle and felt bad for not being able to make the most of his potential.
"What you see with Shu and Delphox is a near-perfect transformation. No warm-up, no exploitable opening upon transforming, and no significant drawback on the user." Kudou nodded Shu's way. "The type match-up aside, you could never have won this fight. Do you understand what it is you must do?"
"...Learn from Shu to perfect mine and Grovyle's bond..." I said.
"'Perfecting' it in the time we have may be an impossible task." Kudou admitted. "But you must certainly aim to improve it. You two are the only ones on the team who have tapped into this power. It goes without saying that having you both at your strongest would put us in good stead for the tournament at hand."
"Yes, Sir." I nodded, walking over to Grovyle.
"Thank you, Sir." Shu-ling bowed slightly.
"Good. Now, continue." Coach Kudou turned and walked away. Nelly and the technicians were looking our way concerned and intrigued at the same time.
"Hey, you ok?" I asked as I propped Grovyle up.
"Groh..." He shifted himself to look at the Pokemon that had knocked him out.
"We can get stronger..." I realised. "And here I thought our power was one-of-a-kind... Well, I guess it's true what they say..." I helped Grovyle to his feet and looked across at our opponents. "'There's always someone better than you'."