Welcome, trainers. I know it's been a long time, but the journey is continuing ever forward. Last time, Kopi engaged in another exhausting, inspiring speech to get Taylor to participate in his dangerous, crazily complicated scheme finally. Can Taylor act the part, or will her grand bluff fail? Let's tune in and find out.

Taylor Pov

After the stunt I pulled in Twinleaf all those weeks ago, my confidence was at an all-time low. Between my stupid decision and mocking of Trixie, my adventurous spirit had been crushed. Despite my wanting for greater things, I didn't think I would be strong enough to accomplish anything. And I would've stayed that way if it weren't for Mr.Kopi. He taught me that courage isn't about being fearless but faking it till you make it. And I hope I can do that here because we were in for the performance of a lifetime.

To maintain our illusion, we had to do several things. First: Kopi needed to match the strength of his opponents to make sure that he was seemingly ordinary and keep to the normal face of ditto. Two: One of his three memory slots (excluding human mode) was already filled up with the slot of regular ditto, and to keep appearances, he would need to stay in said transformation without good reason. Hardest of all was 3: weather because Kopi isn't my Pokemon. Not only could I not check on Kopi's status, but it means I could only make the moves my opponent does as they happen. With so much to worry about, I decided to repeat my tasks over and over again and let everything else fade away.

Amid the roaring crowd, Mr.Kopi walked beside me with a blank face hiding tense excitement. And when I finally reached my side of the field, my opponent made her way up. Igna greeted me with a fiery opening.

"I'm going to make you pay for playing with fire girly, both literally and figuratively! Light em up Typhlosion!"

And as my the infernal Pokémon made their appearance, I look to Kopi. Without verbally answering, all he did was get a thumbs up, and with that, I finally began the last part of our plan.

"Ditto, show your stuff!"

Kopi Pov

Despite my gun-ho nature on this little plan of mine, I never really planned on what it would feel like to be at the command of a trainer. Back at Apex, the closest I ever had to one was Leonard, and even then, we were far from the norm. So having a trainer while also having a trainer was cumbersome. As soon as I moved to the field, I was met with a warm reception. Too warm as I'm barely able to dodge a stream of fire from my opponent. Upon my landing, I transformed into the fabled Volcano Pokemon and engaged a second flamethrower with my own! Using only a fraction of my power, our flames matched in a roaring stalemate.

However, it didn't last long as I quickly realized that the flames grew and swirled into a terrifying flame wheel! Upon Taylor's command, I turned my flamethrower to the side to avoid the attack, only feeling a violent heat. And following her example, I engaged in my flame wheel and made a b line straight to the Typhlosion as we circled each other with coursing speed and lots of near misses. However, upon us circling away from the field, I took the chance to drift around and performed a t- bone! The Thpolsion screamed in pain as it couldn't even turn away from my assault. I thought it would turn into an easy win, but that proved to be a false assumption as multiple bright, swift attacks separated us. Upon our separation, Typhlosion's eyes soon glowed a bloody red as suddenly violate fire surrounded the fire.

Realizing that her blaze ability was active, I braced myself as in a rampage she used her flamethrower as a propellent straight towards me while also using defense curl repeatedly. I use a defense curl of my own, knowing that I couldn't avoid it, but Taylor made a timely call so brilliant I wish that I came up with it myself. As soon as she collided with me, I use my superior strength and speed to slam her back to the floor and use my flame wheel to keep up the pressure! As the explosion struggled in our battle of attrition, Taylor ordered me to send out another swift attack into the air. As I upped the ante the swift attack built up in speed above and at the last possible second I jumped off

In retaliation, a torrent of spinning flames from a combination of flame wheel and flamethrower erupted where I once was. As the Typhlosion got out, she was even more pissed, and even more sloppy as suddenly a swift attack hits her right in the face. Before she could even figure out what happened, a volley of my earlier swift overwhelmed her. Swift was a move that always made its mark, that doesn't mean that I couldn't control where it all went.

I quickly turned to Taylor, who displayed a look of shock. I thought something was wrong, but then I realized the true reason for such a reaction.

"This was probably the first battle she had ever won," I think to myself in pride over my friend's first victory.

Though I may have retracted that statement as she soon started doing a dopey victory dance over her sudden outburst of excitement. I quickly signaled her to keep focus as the next opponent stood up to bat. Ebon, with a very cold grimace deep in thought, went straight to the point and unleashed his second Pokemon.

"Honchkrow, make em' dread!"

As the second Pokemon came out, I prepared for battle as I stared at the serious Pokemon down. Deciding to make the first move I launch another swift attack, but before I could even do that, I noticed a familiar star-shaped beam from above, in haste I was forced to flame wheel away instead of face it head-on. But the decision was made too late, and I was bombarded with blasts! At first, I questioned how such an attack could slip through, but through Igna's snicker, I realized that the retaliation from my pinning would have been the perfect cover. They didn't hurt much, but it allowed my opponent to cast two deadly moves. The chains of the infamous embargo entrap me from my items as my body weakened with poison. Like the attack before, it didn't do much, but it did lower my guard just enough not to hear Taylor's command as I'm hit with a dark pulse!

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In frustration, I decided it would be better to deal with this opponent now, type advantage be damned. I fake the hit to make it look like it knocked me out of the transformation. Undercover of smoke, I morphed back to that of regular ditto, hoping that Taylor would get the signal as the Honchkrow with his deadly accuracy circled back for another attack. With blitzing speed, the enemy approached with a powerful steel wing. I was tempted to move out of the way, but I was ordered to stand my ground and take the attack. Upon impact, my body flattened like dough as I hung on for dear life. With each jerking turn, I kept moving upwards, and on Taylor's command, I transformed into the Honchkrow and hit her with a full force Dark pulse! With my opponent down, I unleashed another toxic to further damage him and dove in for another steel wing, but with the poison messing me up, I couldn't make it time and instead guarded against another dark pulse. As I fall, we engaged in a dance of blasts, but fortunately for me, the toxin was affecting my opponent far more than I. With the distance effectively closed I unleashed two strong steel wings that effectively knock my opponent out and end the battle!

Immediately after, I gave off a small cough as the toxic still writhing in my body. Holding back was starting to become more difficult by the minute. Even still, I kept on keeping on as Flash stepped up to the plate. He gave a smug smile and an even cockier statement.

"I'll give you this, you're certainly a strong Pokemon, but you sure as distortion not going to beat me. Luxray shock and awe!"

With the final Pokemon unleashed, I instantly felt my attack lower upon eye contact and a ferocious roar of thunder as almost instinctively, I dodged the worst of the enormous blast of thunder that shook Sandgem itself! Even with my left talon still hurt badly. As my opponent with an untamed speed made his approach, I use another dark pulse to not only lift myself off and try to get an easy shot, but the opponent launched a powerful protect that stopped the attack in its tracks! Following the failed attack, another thunder plummets me right back to earth!

And ironically, when my head hits the ground was when it all came together. I thought that I was preparing for three opponents, but it was one all along. Each trainer made to test the opponent. Igna sizes them up and deals the most damage Ebon uses that data to poison and Flash to finish them off with a hit and run strategy to drain the opponent. One thing was for sure; I had severely underestimated the expertise of these guys. Any normal Pokémon would have been overwhelmed.

Once again, for convenience's sake, I knocked out of my transformation once again to beat Flash at his own game. Once it was complete, I used to protect to guard against another thunder. I attempted to get close to end this finally, but once again, I was hasty as when I closed the distance, a blinding flash of light envelops my entire being. Next time I opened my eyes, I saw that Luxray was behind me, and right in front of Taylor.

An overpowering fear erupted from my mind as I saw that in a tastefully low blow, I realized that the vengeful Pokémon employed a terrifying scary face that has put Taylor into complete petrifaction. I tried calling her, but she didn't seem to respond at all. All she did was cry as still as a statue. My body shook in palpable frustration as it took all I had not to keep my form and the act. But they crossed a line, and unlucky for them, so did I. Using all my power, I rocketed towards the at Luxray predatory rage, but another protect blocks my path. So, I decided to hit it with the only thing that could break it: protect. Using another Flash attack, I blind the entire arena to allow me to jump several feet into the air and use a combination of my own protect and thunder to propel myself down from the heavens! Absolute defense meets absolute defense, but with my speed, I'm able to breakthrough! Not wanting to continue the battle further, I gave the Luxray a taste of its own medicine. I poured every ounce of rage and frustration into an unfathomable grimace that makes every bystander's blood run ice cold. And while everyone stood in awe of such a spectacle of power and the Luxray fainting from fear. I quickly made my way to Flash, tearing the ground up in a vast smokescreen. In my true form, I tackled him to the ground, and with the voice of a human, I say these chilling words.

"That little display right there, was me being merciful. And if you ever think that you are above the law again, always keep in mind that you will never be above me. Now get out of my sight and pray that we never meet again, for your sake."

I didn't bother waiting for a response as I quickly tended to Taylor. I am hoping that I didn't ruin another life.

Taylor Pov

I think probably one of the biggest reasons why I wanted to become an explorer so badly was because I always hated standing still. People always made fun of me for my energy, but that didn't stop me from hating how still Twinleaf was. So when I finally had my first big victory, being excited was a big understatement. And as we battled together, I became more confident by the second, and it was a rush. But like most things, it seemed it went away all too fast. That scary face showed me that I was still too weak and that I needed to be so much more if I was ever going to make my mark.

And I think that must be a journey that I do on my own. Even with all my adventurous spirit, I know now that the scariest things weren't the gangsters or even that Ursaring. Because even at a young age, I knew that the unknown could be good or terrifying, and especially Mr.Kopi, I knew in my heart of hearts, I never knew him at all.

Flash Pov

Three years, 568 wins, 42 defeats four ties. That was how long it took me to turn the Triumuative from the 3 of us to anyone who knew the truth. That in the end, power decided everything, and no goody two shoe morals were going to get in the way of that. And just like that, all it took was one petty loss for me to lose it all. It took me hours to recover from the shock, and right after, those traitors turned me into nothing more than a laughing stock in a manner of hours, with every two-bit punk thinking they can top my crew and me. And after a night of dozens of battle to quell the chaos, I still couldn't get that bastard words out of my skull. As Igna, Ebon and me sat at the last table standing in our HQ with our former goons tired as heck the door opened up to reveal a large woman with ginger hair and freckles dressed in a plaid shirt and green pants she walked over to us in an aura of dominance as she simply held out her hand displaying three black armbands.

"I've been keeping my eye on you 3 for a long time, and judging from the way things are for you; I think you need me a lot more than I need you. So how about you lend me your power and I lend you mine, so something like this never happens again?"

"And why in the Distortion would I ever do something like that," I say in annoyance

"Because I'm not the type of person to repeat myself much, and I know that you have nothing to lose. We're living in a new age, and I think you and your friends want to thrive instead of surviving. So I'm asking again, take it or leave it, do you want to be at the bottom or do you want to be the Apex?"

Sandgem may be safe, but are Sinnoh and our heroes? Who is this mysterious behemoth, and what is her plan? Will Taylor be able to trust Kopi once again? Find that all out as the journey continues.