Once she took a step back and evaluated what had occurred thus far, she came to a realization.

She could use Pokemon moves.

Dwelling on the implications of that was pointless, what mattered was that she could and whether she should.

The discovery of others being able to use aura had let her take a momentary breath but now she was back where she had started, weighing the risk of using her abilities and attracting unwanted attention.

The answer was, of course, a resounding yes. Had she been reborn in antiquity and given a rifle she'd gladly use it for survival. It was the same principle here, all she had to do was properly manage the risk, saving her abilities for the appropriate time. That was no issue, she was a responsible individual after all.

Her hand came to her forehead, rubbing her smooth skin. Iron head would be a powerful last resort but she did not fancy the concussions she'd earn trying to master it. That left her with the other move she'd displayed.

Hands outstretched, she closed her eyes and remembered the feeling of when that tail tried to end her life. Pulling her power, she formed the shield function. An eye squinted open, there was no hexagonal shield.

"Damnit" She cursed. She'd spent the entire morning on this and it had no right to be this challenging. She was fairly certain she pulled off the same feat multiple times while nearly drowning.

There was a snicker to the side and her eyes snapped to its source.

"You have time to laugh? It seems your training isn't set to the appropriate difficulty. I'll be sure to rectify that going forward." She growled. It did not have the desired effect and Mawile laughed so hard that she fell off the log she'd been resting on.

They were in a clearing a distance from the cave. Close enough to enable them to retreat if needed yet far enough to be able to practice without prying eyes.

A week, that was how long Gurkinn was planning on staying on the island. After which, she could hitch a ride with him back to the mainland. It was an acceptable timeframe, made more so when she inquired about borrowing his holo caster to phone her 'family'.

They were in a dead zone with no way of communication with the mainland. Thus, the chance of him discovering her true identity was vanishingly small.

She planned to make good on that time by bettering herself and Mawile.

She'd been about to 'motivate' the latter when the prone form glowed, indicating the use of Stockpile.

Mawile's work ethic had much to be desired. It would improve; she would allow nothing less. Unfortunately, her usual methods weren't currently viable. Not unless she suddenly mastered some offensive moves.

Centering herself, she set about making another attempt at Protect. Perhaps it was her instincts as a veteran but in the next instant, her hands moved without prompt. A streak of light bashed against her defenses, fizzling out.

"You little…"

Her retort died as she took in the crumbling shield in front of her.

"Ma Ma Wile~"

"You're lucky I don't feel like dulling my knife on your hide." She grumbled, considering the results she'd let the attack slide.

Holding onto the feeling, she projected another shield, grinning as it took shape. She repeated its casting, experimenting. After the fifth, she paused to review her findings.

It wasn't as reliable as her magic shield, in that its uptime was seconds. As a result, its usage would require proactive measures on her part. It followed her movement easily enough and she was able to shape it into a bubble covering herself, however, she did notice it looked noticeably thinner after achieving that shape.

The biggest takeaway was regarding her aura itself. Their power was one and the same, only her aura took a transformative property before forming the Protect.

She formed a hypothesis.

Now to test it.

Logically, she should start without a target, then move on to a sapling, and finally a proper tree. Her previous successes told her the added stakes would improve her odds.

Stopping in front of a birch some inches thick. She held out her left arm, palm flat. Risking her right hand would be a step too far. She recalled the transformation and took the same steps she did when forming the Protect, when it came time for the formula she subbed in magic blade.

Her hand swept down at a sixty-degree angle, there was no resistance.

The top section of the tree toppled and she had to hop back to avoid the branches on their descent.

She cared little about whether that had been cut or slash she'd been able to pull off, the key was that it had worked.

"Wile?"

Mawile was on its feet, tilting its head towards her and questioning what it had just witnessed.

She approached the befuddled Pokemon with her palm still flat. A strong sense of vindication welled up within her as she saw Mawile's eyes widen.

"Hold still will you?"

—

"After the seeds are removed pulp it as so." Gurkinn mashed the Oran berry with a mortar and pestle. "Once it gets to this consistency" He tilted it displaying the content. "Add the tree sap and a dash of water." The tree sap whose collection she'd witnessed was mixed. "The end result should be a paste like this. Dip a finger and give it a whiff."

Her right index finger dipped in and she brought it to her nose, a sweetness assaulted her.

"Take note of that scent, it's from a ripe berry. You can make them with more mature ones but they'll lose potency. Now go ahead and apply it to the bandage and wrap that hand up well. With your aura, it should recover quickly."

Recover was a move she'd need to consider learning. Medical formulas had never been her forte so it might take longer than the two she'd learned thus far, in the meantime she'd have to make do with this salve.

Mawile's natural defense was nothing to scoff at. Especially when the little bastard used stockpile to boost it.

She might have been overly enthusiastic in her attempt to redefine their power dynamic. Her hand hadn't been broken per se but she was fairly certain it had been fractured. She tugged the gauze and secured the bandage in place.

Next time she'd try to empower her blade rather than using her palm like a brute.

"See? Much better than what you can find in a store. Their products work, they have to or the league would crack down on them, but natural is always going to give you a better result."

She'd been about to apply the potion Team Flare had been kind enough to supply when Gurkinn interrupted her and offered an alternative. Not willing to pass up a useful survival skill, she requested he show her the process from start to finish.

Her inquiries on other remedies he would be willing to share were halted as the sight of a rapidly approaching gray rock appeared.

"Bink Bink!" Her good hand stretched out, stopping the excited Pokemon from tackling her. Her fingers curled on its body, that bit of white fluff around its collar. It was softer than she expected...

She banished the thought.

"Where have you been?"

And why couldn't it have stayed there?

"Car Car Car, Carbink! ink Bin Bin-"

She listened as Carbink weaved together a tale of epic proportions. Her cynical nature would normally make her discount the claims it was making. Her gut reaction was stifled by the utter sincerity with which the story was delivered.

"I'm sorry for the trouble." She stood and gave a bow to Carbink's shadow.

It shifted and a Gengar slid out, slumping on the floor with an aggrieved expression.

"That's quite a tale. It's a shame you didn't find that friend you were looking for."

Her face didn't shift as she digested that Gurkinn had understood the rambling from a Pokemon not his own. She wasn't sure what aura usage had to do with being able to talk to Pokemon but it was another mystery solved.

"Bin bin?"

Carbink floated to her other side and looked at her injured hand with worry.

"It's nothing to be concerned about." She'd still be able to fulfill her part of the contract. "It doesn't interfere with my duties."

"Good to hear it doesn't bother you." Gurkinn responded before Carbink. "I hate to ask you of this but I have a problem I was hoping you'd be able to help resolve."

They had never agreed to payment for lodging however Tanya was not an ingrate. As long as the task was not too hazardous to her well being she was willing to repay her debt.

"If it is within my ability I would be glad to assist."

"It should be. I would handle it myself but Alakazam is tied up and Gengar…" The Pokemon's head perked up at its mention and vigorously shook his head before retreating into the cave. "Deserves a rest. My remaining Pokemon on hand isn't well suited for this. Mawile should be able to deal with it handily."

"Bin Bink!" Carbink chirped, getting into Gurkinn's face

"My mistake, Mawile and Carbink."

"I'm afraid Carbink won't be able to participate." It turned to her with wide eyes. "Aren't you tired, if what you said was true you've been traveling non-stop since yesterday."

"Car!"

Its attitude was commendable, if foolish. It reminded her of a distant memory.

"Fine, but I'll be returning you to your ball if you can't keep up."

—

It had been a long time since she'd last been at the beach. It was a shame this was for business and not pleasure.

Not that this was a beach fit for tourists. There was no white sand and warm waters. Instead, the waves crashed against jagged rock. Each impact sent white foam spraying into the air, giving it a salty taste. Debris were scattered along the length of it, bits and pieces blending into the scenery. The sea itself maintained a constant fog.

In the distance were peaks stretching to the sky, one of them they had come from.

"You know the land well." She complimented the man. Gurkinn had led them safely to the coastline that they were now hugging as they traveled. It hadn't been a straight shot, they'd needed to make several detours to avoid obstacles; Pokemon and otherwise. "For an island that appeared out of nowhere." She finished with her voice laced with sarcasm.

She'd asked about its origin earlier and he claimed it had simply sprung into existence one day.

"In my defense." He rubbed his chin and took on a crooked grin. "You might be surprised at how many people bought that line."

"They must have been trying to be polite." Or could have also thought him senile.

"Maybe, Maybe. Well, my family has been the stewards of this place for generations. If I didn't know my way around it my dad and his would be rolling in their graves."

The pride he delivered that with must have been misplaced. There was nothing to show anyone had managed the property.

However, she'd be a poor guest to point that out.

"That one is different" She pointed at a rusted hulk sitting on the bank, its ocean-faring days were long past. Part of it remained submerged and sections of it were torn off. It was of decent size, at roughly forty meters long. Unlike the others whose pieces of scraps littered the area, it was remarkably intact.

"You're right, the pack didn't get that one." At her questioning glance, he gestured to the open sea. "Look there, one of them is keeping tabs on us."

She followed his hand and, through the fog, saw the light reflect off of glossy scales before it dipped underneath the waves.

"A pack of Gyarados lives around the island. They each have their own territory and take offense to any intrusions. It's how we managed to keep it a secret for so long. Publicly, it's also the justification the league gave for restricting the surrounding area once they found out about it."

"Have you thought about removing them?" She said with seriousness, one of those had probably attacked her.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"Remove a pack? You don't aim small, do you?" She didn't respond, assuming it to be a rhetorical question. "It wouldn't work, not long term. More would come in their place. That's not the real reason, I'll tell you but you have to promise to keep it to yourself and not to catch it. Or try in this case."

"You have my word." That was a simple concession, she didn't plan on gaining any more 'team' members.

He turned, giving her a hard stare before continuing.

"The leader of the pack is an Alpha with a Mega Stone."

That was a frightening combination. Alphas themselves already stood above their peers, when you added the Mega Evolution…

She took some steps away from the coast.

"Hmm." Gurkinn made a confused sound. "I thought for sure I was going to have to stop you from trying to capture it."

"What would possess you to think I would want any part of that?"

Was he insane? She liked her insides where they were. Gyrados were already famously volatile, the Mega version would only be more so.

"But a Pokemon like that would guarantee anyone's rise?" He regarded her with skepticism.

"The only thing it would guarantee is an obituary." She wasn't conservative in her response.

"Not everyone would agree with that. If the information was made public, people would flock from other regions to try their luck with it. It's definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience to fight." He shook his head with a forlorn expression. "We've dwelled on the pack long enough, back to that ship you were talking about. It was before my time but from what my grandfather told me it was run aground."

"Navigational error?" With the rocks and fog, it was an understandable error.

"No, it was intentional. Something was wrong with the crew. Physically they were fine but mentally?" He spun a finger around his temple. "They were gone. Raving about something or another. They recovered eventually with the help of specially trained Hypno but couldn't say anything about what happened. In my youth I checked out the wreck, nothing of note in there."

There were stories in her old life about sailors going mad after time at sea. It could have been as mundane as that. She examined the wreck as they passed, the faded name was barely visible.

The Spirit of Ula'ula

The name did not stand out to her. Her eyes were drawn up, for a moment she thought something was on the bridge but it was gone in a blink.

"We should be coming in on it soon." Gurkinn's voice drew her attention. "Should be straightforward, do you have a plan?"

"Mawile." She spoke to the Pokemon that had been following along silently. "You haven't sensed one have you?" Mawile gave a sound of dissatisfaction. Gurkinn had explained that Pokemon could sense when a compatible Mega Stone was nearby, there was a chance they'd stumble upon one on the way here but their luck was not that good. "We'll keep looking. For now, you'll max stock pile before we enter. If negotiations fail taunt immediately, follow up with a sweet scent. The rest will depend on its reaction but expect to rely on crunch to defeat it."

Mawile gave her a sloppy salute that would have had someone running until dawn in her battalion.

"Carb?" Carbink who had strayed slightly, bobbed closer.

She hadn't planned on its participation but with the security that Gurkinn presented, it wouldn't hurt to see what the Pokemon was capable of.

"What moves do you have?"

The Pokemon gave an excited chirp. His form started to spin clockwise.

Rollout? It wouldn't be useful here but it was a solid option elsewhere.

His ears then began to alternate rising and falling. When he started swaying she realized how Carbink had interpreted her words."

"I meant Pokemon moves. Not dance moves."

He halted and his ears fell.

"Bink?"

She was not about to humor that request.

"Do you want to join or not?"

"Bink! Bink!" It responded with fervency and rapidly followed up. "Bin, Car, Bink."

"You'll have to stick by me then." She ignored its crestfallen expression. "Like Mawile, I want you to max out Harden. If we fight use Reflect on us immediately." Their opponent was more likely to use special moves but on the off chance things got physical, it would help. "Do not use rock throw or Smack Down without my express permission. Do you understand?"

The only other move it possessed was tackle and if it came to that something had gone horribly wrong.

"Bin!"

Rely on him? No, she would not.

No further words were exchanged as they neared the location. Once they confirmed visual of their target, she instructed them to begin their preparation.

"Wile" "Ink"

"Any questions?" She asked after receiving the confirmation that they were ready.

Mawile's hand rose.

"I meant questions related to the potential battle."

The hand lowered.

"Very well." Her hand fell to her waist but she kept it from grabbing the knife.

"Good luck." Gurkinn supplied, waving her forward with a small smile. "You'll be fine, if not Blaziken and I will jump in." At the announcement a red light flashed and Blaziken appeared, giving her a thumbs up.

That explained why he said it wasn't suited for this.

With nothing left to say or do, she stepped forward. The arch she was crossing under was some fifty feet high. In front of her, lay a series of shallow pools with stalagmites dotting the area. From their uniformity, she suspected they had been intentionally carved out of the stone. In the largest one, a pink creature lazily floated on the surface.

"Greeting Slowbro." She opened the dialogue. "I've been led to believe you are in the possession of a Mega Stone. It is harmful to you. I respectfully ask you to relinquish it and we can then arrange for medical care for the damage already done."

The rhythmic sounds of waves crashing along the coast were the only response.

"Excuse me." She raised her voice. "Slowbro, please let me know if you have trouble understanding me."

An eye peeked open, studied her, and then closed.

"Change of plans." She crouched and whispered to Mawile. "It's disregarding us. See if you can get in close and open with a crunch instead."

"Wi, Wi." It patted her cheek and began to skip forward. Her hands were folded behind her back and an innocent smile was on her face, she managed to get to the rim of the pool before Slowbro's eye peaked open again.

"Ma~"

Mawile sat at the edge, dipping her feet in and kicking them back and forth playfully.

The eye shut again and she was beginning to see why Gurkinn was so confident she'd be able to deal with this on her own.

She waded into the water and Slowbro looked again, only to find Mawile blowing bubbles under the surface.

"Broooooo" Its voice echoed. "Slow-" it cut off with a yawn. Not a move yawn, a genuine yawn and it settled back to floating.

Mawile inched closer and closer. Tanya found herself leaning forward in anticipation.

"Bro." The change in tone was evident and she could see the jig was up.

Long-ivory teeth glowed and clamped down on an exposed leg. The reaction was instant and a purple beam of energy impacted Mawile who stubbornly held on.

Tanya had been about to remind Carbink when a rainbow-colored shield appeared in front of them.

The Pokemon thrashed in the water and then went still. Its entire form took on a white light and Mawile was flung back.

"It's evolving, Carbink use smack down. Mawile, original plan."

A rock levitated off the ground and was launched at Slowbro's location. The transformation finished and the rock harmlessly broke on the now expanded shell.

It was an odd-looking Pokemon. The shell had engulfed most of its body with its head and arms poking out from the top. At the bottom, it balanced on its exposed tail.

It sucked in and a jet of water was sent in their direction. She withheld using Protect and grabbed Carbink while ducking to the side.

"Wile!" The loud voice caused Mega Slowbro to turn to the side she'd been thrown.

Mawile stuck out a tongue and dragged down its eyelid in a mocking faction.

"Bro!" It lashed out with what she recognized as a Confusion.

"Carbink, hit him again. Aim for the head."

Another rock trembled and then sought out its target. Mega Slowbro retracted into his shell and the attack had no effect.

Which was fine, it was only meant for a distraction. What wasn't fine was the water in the pool swelling before forming a tide and heading towards them.

This would be the perfect time to use Protect…

She didn't give in to the temptation and recalled Carbink while diving towards the largest stalagmite and hugging it tightly.

The water broke on its other side and she withheld a wince as the wave buffeted her bad hand. She waited for it to subside and then released Carbink.

"Reflect first and then get your hardens in." They would have been wiped by the return.

Mawile had closed the distance and was gnawing on the shell. A light blue aura surrounded Slowbro before spreading to Mawile whose movements stopped in response.

Disable? She'd hoped it be down by now. That move did require its concentration. Contrary to her earlier assertions, she sprinted forward.

"Smack Down on me!" She yelled, hoping it'd not question her orders. Her head dipped low and she felt the rush of wind as an object passed above her.

Mega Slowbro blinked and the hold on Mawile collapsed as it retreated into the shell again. The rock burst and she dove low, knife extended.

She didn't use any moves, the steel alone cutting into the tail which quickly retracted to join the rest of its body. She pushed up and with her shoulder shoved the shell, toppling it towards Mawile.

"Clamp your jaw on its mouth and spit up." She gave the command and ran to Mawile's side, wary of being in the blast range.

Mawile's black maw secured its position and a light built up.

"Slow?"

The force launched Mega Slowbro like a rocket into one of the arch's supports. Shrapnel and sand were kicked up obscuring the area.

"Bink?" Carbink floated up to her.

"I think so, be on your guard."

The debris settled revealing the shell wedged deeply into the rock. Thankfully, it didn't seem ready to come down on them. It shone and then Slowbro came out on unsteady feet. From behind her, a Pokeball was tossed sucking up the Pokemon. It shook once before clicking.

"Excellent work Visha." Gurkinn and Blazekin walked. "Can't say I approve of you throwing yourself in the mix but I can't argue with the results." He picked up the Pokeball. "Thanks to your efforts I'll be able to get this guy the help he needs. Unlike that Salamence, he's not too far gone. I know some people who will be able to safely remove the stone and give him rehab."

It was certainly far less dangerous and aggressive compared to the dragon. She wasn't quite satisfied with the level of risk she put herself in but her two companions had done well.

"Bink, Bink, Bink" Carbink pushed into her space.

Well, it deserved some manner of reward. Her hand obliged to his request and she stroked the cotton-like collar. Carbink closed its eyes and leaned into her touch.

"Ma." Mawile walked up, looking up at her with crossed arms.

"Thank you for your cooperation." She inclined her head towards it, remembering how it appreciated the positive feedback from before.

Mawile turned on her heel and the backward jaw impacted her chest, knocking the breath out of her.

"Hahahaha." Gurkinn laughed at her expense. "Team dynamics can be like that." That did little to explain what she'd done to deserve that from Mawile. "No reason to linger here, your battle would have attracted attention."

On that, she could agree.