》Inyssa sat on the grass across her Kricketune, rolling a few round pieces of candy between her fingers.

"It's all about re-distribution of energy," she explained. "That's how moves like Bide and Counter and Mirror Coat work. I mean, you've experienced it before. Taking damage and then throwing it back at your opponent has been your specialty ever since I met you."

Shadi nodded, a somber look on her face.

"Unfortunately, that's not an option for you anymore. You can't keep relying on others hurting you to win battles." Inyssa looked down. There was a short, heavy silence. "Which got me thinking… is it actually necessary to take that damage?"

At that Shadi blinked a few times, tilting her head in confusion. Not that she could blame her. It'd taken Inyssa a few days to fully understand what she was thinking about herself.

"It's just energy manipulation, right?" she asked. "You take damage, absorb the residual energy and then throw it back. However… our fight with Fantina did prove that you can move that power around your body, not just expel it as soon as you get it. And that raises the question; what if you could move it around from the moment you receive it?"

With a bit of difficulty she rose to her feet, raising her palm as she moved the pieces of candy between her fingers.

"My theory is that, if you practice it enough, you could absorb the momentum or kinetic energy of your opponent's attacks before they harmed you, then move it around your body and use it whenever you needed to." She began to move the pieces faster, turning them into a blur. "Which… I'll be honest, will probably be hard as hell. You'll have to let that energy swirl inside you, going from your chest to your stomach, then to your leg and up toward you arm, then to the right again… all the while moving around, attacking and focusing on my orders and your opponent at the same time and absorbing more kinetic energy with every step you take. And if you ever slip up, that energy will probably be turned against you." Just then one of Inyssa's fingers moved a moment too late and one of the pieces of candy flew off, falling to the ground. "Which won't be pretty."

"…Bele…Belele…"

Shadi's shoulders fell as she spoke, the green of her eyes looking so tired and weak. She couldn't do it. She wasn't good enough. Wasn't that the point of all this, of her having to look for another way to fight? All because she wasn't good enough…

No words came from Inyssa. She knelt in front of her Kricketune and placed a hand on her shoulder, sending her way the most hopeful smile she had.

"Hey. I wouldn't be trusting you with something so difficult if I knew you couldn't handle it." She rubbed her thumb from side to side against Shadi's shoulder. "You're a musician at heart, aren't you? Hell, that's what your name means. The singer. So… think about it like that. Think of that energy like music moving throughout your body, every movement a different note of a long, complicated piece. Think you can do it?"

"…Bel…" The wind rustled her antennae. Shadi looked up, the tiny wings on her back moving back and forth as she felt a burst of confidence spark in her chest. "Bele! Belele!"

Inyssa nodded firmly. "I knew you wouldn't let me down. Oh, and…"

She stood up and looked over her shoulder. Then, kneeling a bit, she grabbed the book resting on the grass behind her and showed it to Shadi. Sinnohan Music Theory and Terminology was written in emblazoned gold on the cover.

"…You'll have to memorize a few of these. Can't have a cool new battle technique and not give it an awesome name, right?" 《

----------------------------------------

Inyssa could feel Byron's gaze on her, cold and questioning. He threw his last Pokeball up and down with one hand, the other one resting on the handle of his shovel which, in turn, rested on his shoulder. For once, he seemed more confused than excited.

"I'm guessing you're not gonna tell me how your little Kricketune did that?"

She shrugged, lifting both hands at her side. "Maybe after you lose. As a consolation prize."

"Heh. Cheeky little shit." Byron caught his Pokeball, but didn't throw it again. "Let's see you win then. See if ya' can stand up against my strongest partner!"

Normally the light that came out of the Pokeball vanished a second after appearing, but the glowing shape which came out of Byron's did not. It hovered in mid-air for a moment, then began to change. It grew and grew, completely filling Inyssa's vision as she lifted her head in order to even get a glimpse at what she assumed was the Pokemon's head. Then, once it had finished growing, the light vanished.

Inyssa should have been prepared. She knew this was one of Byron's Pokemon; hell, it's the one she'd prepared the most for. But even then, as the creature craned his neck down, blood-red eyes meeting with hers, Inyssa couldn't help but stare in disbelief. It was massive; easily ten times taller than she was and, judging by the cracks growing from the edges of its serpentine body, probably hundreds of times as heavy.

Unconsciously, she raised her Pokedex and pointed it at it.

"Steelix: The Iron Snake Pokemon – Steel/Ground Type. Its body has been compressed and tempered deep within the Earth's soil to the point that it's harder than a diamond. It's sharp tail and powerful jaws are capable of smashing even the hardest of metals as though they were paper."

Coincidentally, or perhaps intentionally due to hearing the name of his species, the Steelix lunged his head forward and let out what he probably considered to be his best roar. Both Shadi and Inyssa had to cover their ears at the horrible, nails on chalkboard sound. Even then she could feel it on her bones, like someone dragging an invisible sharp object through them.

"Agh! Cut that out you dick!"

"Hah! If ya' can't take the heat then get outta the kitchen!" Byron screamed out, his voice full of energy. "The sturdiest shield and the strongest spear! Avalon here's gonna teach ya' why you shouldn't mess with steel types!"

"Oh shove it!" she replied. "Shadi, don't let yourself be intimidated by that thing! This is what we trained for; the bigger they are, the harder they'll fall!"

Shadi nodded firmly, slicing the air with her scythes. "Bele! Belele!"

"Good!" she yelled. "Flight style! Emerald Ecclesia!"

"You ain't gonna win by speaking useless poetry at us, lass!" Byron exclaimed. "Avalon; Iron Tail!"

Steelix moved fast despite his massive body; the ground under him cracking as he coiled in a circle and used the strength of his momentum to whip his tail forward. Its tip, in itself bigger than Shadi, moved fast enough to become a blur. The Kricketune concentrated, feeling the residual energy within herself and sending it to two specific parts of her body.

A hail of stones erupted with tremendous force as Avalon's tail buried itself halfway into the ground. The beast snarled, focusing his gaze on the now airborne Shadi. The dark-red energy exuding from her legs, now weaker due to her massive jump, moved up to cover her wings as she flew up Steelix' serpentine body with an agility previously impossible for said wings. She challenged her opponent's glare with her own, brandishing her scythes.

"Stab up!" yelled Byron.

"Dodge!" Inyssa countered.

Avalon slithered back, unearthing the tip of his tail. Rotating slightly to the side, he threw it up toward his opponent like a gigantic needle, the tip going straight for her stomach. Shadi looked down, her forehead dotted with sweat as she concentrated hard. Flying out of the way wouldn't work, she realized. That meant she had to use that.

Instants before impact she sent the energy back down to her legs again, but this time she let some of it go. She was immediately propelled up and to the side. As her foe's tail missed her by inches, most people –including Byron– interpreted what happened as Shadi simply jumping off nothing. Like an invisible platform had suddenly materialized beneath her feet.

By releasing the right amount of kinetic energy from her feet she can jump in mid-air without needing a platform, Inyssa thought, smiling. Take that, ashhole.

"Keep it up and hit him!"

Off the momentum of her last jump, Shadi sprung her legs and did it once more, sending the remaining energy to her wings as she flew directly toward Avalon's face, scythes wound back. In the confusion of the moment Steelix threw his head forward in an attempt to head butt her. Shadi saw the massive piece of steel coming and jumped to the side, barreling over his head as she spun in place and released the remaining kinetic force through her scythes, slamming them right between his eyes.

A cone of air exploded upwards from the point of impact. Avalon shrieked. Shock could be seen all over his face as it went down with a lot more force than should have been possible from a Kricketune's attack. He managed to stop himself before hitting the floor, his body bent in an upside down U shape and a small crack forming between his eyes. Many feet above, Shadi flapped her wings furiously as she hovered back and away from him, landing close to Inyssa.

"That's it; you're doing great!" she said. "Did you use all the energy from your Swords Dance?"

"Bele! Lele!" Shadi nodded, almost out of breath.

"I doubt he'll let you use it again; be ready to absorb some from his next attack," Inyssa advised. "Here he comes!"

Shadi didn't need to be told; she could feel it beneath her feet even before turning around. A shiver ran down her spine. Steelix slithered close to the ground at amazing speed, rocks and metal breaking down over his teeth as he advanced with his maw wide open. The red of his eyes gleamed with hatred and hunger.

"Dunno what kinda trick you're using lass, but this over!" screamed Byron. "Avalon, crush that bug with Crunch!"

"Absorb it!" she yelled. "Amber A Capella!"

Shadi extended her scythes to the side as Avalon's jaws closed around her. They held in place, though barely. The powerful tailwind of Steelix' charge washed against his tail and back, pelting him with rocks and pieces of metal which didn't even leave a dent. Shadi stood in the middle, trying to keep them apart.

Inyssa saw it; the dark-red energy, the power Shadi was absorbing from her opponent's attempt to crush her. She siphoned it toward herself like a fountain, but it was too much. It began to move erratically around her, tendrils of energy twisting and coiling at the edges of her body as though they wanted to escape. Inyssa clenched her teeth. She couldn't keep it up much longer, and if all that turned against her body…

"Throw it back at her!" she shouted, tone uncertain. "Use…"

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Not so fast!" This time it was Byron who interrupted her, throwing his hand forward. "Take'er for a ride, boy! Earthquake!"

Inyssa couldn't help but yelp. "W-what!?"

Avalon threw his head back –Shadi still trapped between his jaws– and slammed the ground with his tail as he jumped up at least fifteen feet. Inyssa could barely form a coherent thought. She saw as he curved down, ready to dive straight at the ground far beneath him with Shadi still trapped within his mouth.

"Shield! Protect yourself!" Was all Inyssa could shout before the crash, her voice tinted with desperation.

It felt like the world turned upside down; the ground threw Inyssa up like a trampoline as both Pokemon disappeared beneath it. Avalon's wiggling tail, or the tip of it at least, was the last thing Inyssa saw before falling on her butt and having a hail of dust and small rocks rain on her. Even then, dazed and in pain, she felt the tremors. Cracks spread all throughout the floor, turning the already wrecked arena into a complete mess of rubble and dust.

The shaking continued, even as Inyssa cursed under her breath and pushed herself to her feet, eyes blurry from the pain. She could hear the distressed gasps of the audience, but didn't care. Shadi… she could feel them moving underground. And yet she had no way of speaking to her, of telling her what she should do. All on her own, as she had believed herself to be so many times before.

Come on… Inyssa balled her hands into fists, her own heartbeat ringing in her ears. I know you can get out of this…

Fortunately the skin-crawling anxiety lasted for only a few more seconds, though they felt like minutes to her. Just when it looked like even Byron was getting worried about the possible structural damage their underground strife was causing, a sudden crack formed on the middle of the arena. It exacerbated for a moment before erupting upwards, coating Avalon's enormous body in a mantle of dirt as he propelled himself up. Inyssa held her breath, squinting as she tried to look past the cloud of rubble. Was…?

She let out an embarrassing noise when she finally noticed Shadi, still there, still holding both halves of her opponent's mouth apart. A few scratches and cuts covered her body, but nothing serious. And… was that…? That mantle of energy covering her from head to toe…

S-she did it, Inyssa thought, letting out a strained laugh. I can't believe it…

"What!? She's still…!" Byron screamed out in rage. "Avalon, stop playing around and finish her off!"

"Don't let go, Shadi!"

An air-shaking roar left Avalon's throat as he slammed his head with all his strength against what little was left intact of the arena. Shadi looked behind her, drenched in sweat and dirt, and expelled as much kinetic as she thought necessary from her feet just before the impact, cancelling out the damage she would have taken. However, her opponent didn't let on. He kept pushing her harder and harder against the ground even as he tried to crush her with his jaws, the red of his eyes perfectly reflecting the immense rage the beast was in.

"That's it! We got her pinned down!" yelled Byron. "Use Flamethrower now that she can't escape!"

Both Shadi's and her trainer's eyes went wide with horror as they heard that. Inyssa noticed a faint, orange glow growing from within Avalon's skin, steam rising from the steel of his body. Shadi, however, had a much clearer look at what was happening. Past the darkness of the interior of her opponent's mouth she noticed a spark, then a raging inferno which began to travel from the depths of his body toward her, ready to burn her to a crisp.

Shit! Shadi can't absorb fire! Inyssa thought, pressing her nails against her palms in panic. Then, a thought came to her. Wait… fire? That's it!

"Close them! Now!"

Whether because Shadi had the same idea or she simply acted on instinct, she followed her trainer's orders before she'd even finished speaking them. Kicking against both halves of Avalon's mouth, she jumped back. Immediately his jaws snapped closed from his own strength. Then, before the behemoth had a chance to understand what was happening, Shadi jumped forward once more and slammed her scythes against his snout and chin respectively, sending out a constant stream of energy toward them to keep them closed.

Steelix' eyes grew wide and realization hit him; he couldn't open his mouth or stop the attack. A wave of heat crashed against Shadi as the stream of fire found only a dead end and was forced to bounce back, heating up the beast's insides instantly. He moved with a speed only born from excruciating pain, trashing back and forth, unable to scream or get Shadi off of him as his own skin began to steam and turned a bright red, the small crack on his forehead exacerbating due to the sudden and intense change in temperature.

And all throughout, Shadi endured. She could shield against her foe's attempts to slam her on the ground, but could do nothing against the unbearable heat now exuding from his body. Still, she would not let go. Not until her trainer ordered her to or…

"Now's your chance!" Inyssa cried out. "Hit him where you did before!"

Sighing in relief, Shadi let go of both halves of her foe's jaw. Immediately the Steelix threw his head back and began coughing up flames and smoke, eyes tightly closed in pain and his entire body coiling in on itself.

"Belele!" Shadi cried out, sending energy to her legs and wings. "Beel!"

A dent was left behind as she jumped, jets of air exploding around her. Avalon was still distracted. She brandished her scythes and took aim, focusing on the crack atop her opponent's forehead.

Inyssa pointed forward, her voice echoing throughout the arena: "Sword style: Obsidian Overture!"

A hollow, repetitive sound filled the stadium as Shadi slashed at Steelix' forehead over and over, like that of an electric hammer against a metal sheet. Every hit threw his head up or down, the crack between his eyes growing. Inyssa smiled as she watched; the more his metal cooled the more damage each hit would do and the easier his armor would crack. They were so close now…

"Bounce back, boy!" yelled Byron. "Iron Tail!"

Whether due to pain or anger or desperation, Avalon moved a lot faster than he'd done before. Inyssa opened her mouth to yell at Shadi to dodge, but she wasn't fast enough. His tail cut through the air like a knife through butter and Shadi barely noticed the gleam of the metal approaching through the corner of her eyes.

She felt the crash in her bones, even from all the way down where she was. Shadi's body seemed to bend around Avalon's tail and, judging by the shriek of pain she let out, she hadn't been fast enough to shield herself. Something like a yelp or a scream tried to claw itself out of Inyssa's throat but found that her heart was blocking it. The tail kept going down, ready to pummel her against the ground; it was too fast for Inyssa to be able to respond, it…

…It stopped. A moment away from the crash, Avalon's tail stopped as though frozen in place. Then it rose again, ever so slightly, revealing the gleaming figure of a furious Shadi hugging the tail as though her life depended on it, all of her power focused on her legs and arms.

Inyssa didn't need to think twice before yelling. "Now! Finish him off!"

"BEEEEEL!"

An air-shaking scream echoed throughout the arena as Avalon was dragged against his will like he was made of paper. Every ounce of Shadi's stored energy helped her propel the Steelix from one side of the arena to the other, his gigantic body forming an arc as he was thrown up into the air and then slammed down with enough force to shake the whole arena.

Part of the ground gave in, thick clouds of dust and a shower of rubble exploding in a circle around the point of impact, blinding everyone in the audience. Then nothing. The world seemed to freeze as Inyssa uncovered her face and looked forward, mouth gaping slightly.

Avalon's face lay a stone throw's away from her, half buried in dirt. The beast's eyes were closed and his mouth hung open slightly, no sign of consciousness to be seen. And, taking a couple of steps forward and standing atop his tail, was Shadi. Minuscule in comparison to what she had defeated; her shoulders were down from exhaustion and every inch of her body was covered in dust and grime, and yet a triumphant smile could clearly be seen under her frazzled mustache.

A sigh was heard and Avalon's body vanished into light, pooling back toward the Pokeball on Byron's palm. Shadi's feet touched the ground, and she staggered. The strength of her body left her but Inyssa rushed forward without thinking and caught her before she could fall.

"B-be... bele…" Shadi's voice came out hoarse and muffled, since most of her face was buried against her trainer's coat. "Be…"

"You're seriously the best," Inyssa whispered, feeling her eyes water. "I love you."

"Be…"

The cheers of the audience drowned out Shadi's whisper somewhat, but Inyssa understood nonetheless. Planting a kiss on her forehead, she let her rest. The red beam of her Pokeball swallowed her and Inyssa stared down at it, a proud smile on her face.

"Niss! What was that!"

And then she rolled her eyes. She barely had time to rise to her feet before Barry almost threw her down again with his hug.

"That was… I… wh–" He leaned back, still grabbing her shoulders, and stuttered. "I can't even…"

"Take your time, Barry."

She noticed two things as Barry breathed in, trying to keep his composure. First was Byron as he walked through what little was left of the arena toward them, one hand holding his shovel and the other one balled into a fist, probably containing her prize. Then there was Selena and her camera, pointed straight at her.

An idea crossed her mind. She figured it was about time she started making amends, even if it was in such a convoluted manner.

But before that…

"Hey," she said, looking up at Barry. "Where's my congratulations kiss?"

Barry had little time to speak as she pulled him toward her by his arms, planting a sudden kiss on his lips. He caught up quick, however, and hugged back as he returned it. A few distant gasps were heard. Inyssa could have sworn that she felt Selena's surprise and the lens of her camera pointed directly at them.

"Ehem… lass?"

Right… Byron. Red tinted both trainers' cheeks as they separated and turned toward the Gym leader, slightly out of breath.

"I… suppose I should congratulate you for that win."

There was a bit of shame in those harsh features of his, though was mostly overshadowed by the big smile stretching across his face.

"I underestimated you, Inyssa," he said. "Turns out that sappy poetry you were spewing was good for something after all."

And just like that yet another idea came to Inyssa, this one more fitting for her. She raised a hand and began reciting:

"You lost the moment Shadi's scythes unsheathed; their sharpness proof that she would act her deed." The smuggest of smiles stretched across her lips. "You thought this bug would be your Steelix' meal, though she was much more sturdy than you thought; her heart is made of stronger stuff than steel, and tempered through her every battle fought. And whether wind or flame or stalwart stone; through hardened will and mastered skill her weakness still would never bleed into her bones."

Byron and Barry stared at her like she'd just spoken in another language, sporting hilariously similar dumbfounded looks on their faces. A voice spoke inside her mind, surprisingly not belonging to Uxie.

"That was some rather decent iambic pentameter," said Mesprit, a reluctant hint of respect in its voice. "Though that final bit could have used more polishing."

It was improvised, asshole, not much polishing I could do. She rolled her eyes. But… thanks. I guess growing up with a thespian mom can be useful sometimes.

A cough was heard as Byron cleared his throat.

"Anyway… this is yours, lass." He held out his hand, smiling. "Wear it proudly."

It was hard to stop her hand from shaking as she grabbed the Mine Badge from his palm, feeling it surprisingly cold. She studied it closely. Three silver pickaxes forming a circle, the spaces between them a light brown made of some sort of gemstone.

My fifth badge…

She'd come prepared, of course. Taking her badge case from her pocket, she opened it to reveal the four other physical manifestations of her pride as a trainer. An involuntary, dreamy sigh left her lips. She'd never noticed before; the colored parts of the badges were all some sort of precious gem. Smoky quartz for Roark's badge, emerald for Gardenia's, amethyst for Fantina's and lapis lazuli for Wake's. And, if the rough texture of the one she was holding was any indication of it, Byron's was made of brown tourmaline.

Rock. Grass. Ghost. Water. Steel. Her heart fluttered as she recalled each fight, each victory attached to those badges. Only Fighting, Ice and Electric to go. Then I'll… I'll be able to…

But, as exciting as the thought was, there was something else she needed to take care of before immersing herself in it. Breathing in, she saved the case back in her pocket. Then she turned to Barry with a thin, nervous smile.

"Give me a minute, okay? I'll be right back."

Maybe it was because she was too shocked that Inyssa was approaching willingly, but Selena said nothing as the young trainer stopped in front of her camera, hands balled into nervous fists and a lopsided smile on her face.

"Hey… uh, I guess I don't need to introduce myself, heh." She swallowed, anxiety forming a knot in her stomach. "Sorry if that came off as… uh… never mind. I just wanted to say something after… what happened. Not my victory, I mean. All the… other stuff."

Oh come on, she could do this. It was just talking. She talked all the time, didn't she? What was so hard about doing it to a camera? It's not like all the thousands of people watching were… right there. Staring. Judging. In the same way the people in the audience behind Selena were…

You're being ridiculous, she told herself. You've done way harder stuff than this. Just… talk.

"Not to… sound arrogant or self-important, but I'm sure most of you have heard of me and my boyfriend Barry. There's been some… rumors, about us. Most of them true and… most of them about me, I've noticed." She let out a nervous laugh, swallowed by the silence of the arena. God. Was it getting hot or was it just her? "There's been a few hurdles in our journey. More often than not it's been me who's… given a bad name to those bearing our title, to trainers in general. And I… I wanted to apologize for that, I guess. I'm sorry to the people of Canalave for what I did to your park. I'm sorry to Sarah and my mom and anyone else who's had to put up with me when I failed to set an example of how trainers should act toward others."

She looked up briefly, finding herself pelted by dozens of curious and questioning glares. It was probable that what she was saying would only make things worse. Still, she had to. For herself, if anything.

"Even so; I started this journey to become the Champion, and that hasn't changed from the moment I left Twinleaf." She could feel her tone turning firmer, voice gaining strength. "I know that most people would think that I'm not fit for the role; they want someone kinder and taller and more imposing, not a… spoiled brat, as some have said." She almost choked on the words, as though swallowing poison. "But… I want to let all those people know that they shouldn't worry. Once I'm at the top, I'll show everyone why I deserve to be there."

Taking in a quick breath, she held her closed fists to the side and looked up at the camera, smiling.

"I swear it on my life; I will become a Champion that Sinnoh, and its people, can be proud of."