5:01 p.m. November 2nd, Monday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event). Day 146.
Events: Rhea and the girls are on a Badge Hunt, trying to get all the Kanto Encrusted Badges before time runs out! Our girl started her journey on the 9th of June, and the end of registration for the Winter Indigo Cup is December 5th (32 days away).
Shae materialized on the beach, feeling the warm grains of sand beneath her tiny feet as she took in the battle stage before her. It was a lot harder to move compared to the last rocky area she’d fought on, and this time, she had two opponents!
The sound of waves lapping against the shore filled the air, and the salty scent of the ocean was refreshing. Humans and Pokemon of all shapes and sizes were gathering around the outer edges, taking pictures and talking to one another.
She wanted to hop over and get to know what they were talking about, but she focused on the task at hand—Rhea’s voice echoed through their bond, reminding her of the battle that was about to unfold, keeping her grounded.
Okay, Shae, time to show our team what we can do! Get to know your new friends.
Serenade, Jason’s Lapras, momentarily glided over the sand with her own energy, reaching the lapping waves to sit on the wet sand, water foaming around her. She looked as regal and graceful as the last time she’d seen the big Pokemon. Her reflective pink eyes swept over the scene, taking in every detail with a serene smile.
Shae’s eyes widened as she saw Amira’s new Pokémon, a Ferroseed, exited her Poke Ball across from them, a determined, brave energy radiating from the female spike ball. Lori’s Galarian Slowpoke plopped down on her belly with a dopey smile.
“Hello!” Shae chirped, waving to the newcomers and jogging over to her teammate to greet her, trying to keep her voice confident despite the Butterfree in her belly.…only to trip on her face and roll across the sand. “I’m Shae. What are your—ack!”
The Lapras released a musical chortled, head curling in slightly before rising to look at their much smaller frames as Shae tried to pick herself up. “Careful, Shae. Serenade is my name, and it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
The Ferroseed blinked with her wide eyes, the spikes on its body gleaming in the sunlight as she responded with a curt, steady nod. “Tess. I look forward to supporting you, Serenade. That lump of lard over there is Melon…the lazy tail on a log.”
“Aww. Chiiiill, gurl. No need to be like that, Tess,” Lori’s Galarian Slowpoke lazily yawned. “I just like taking a more relaxed approach. One minute, let me roll into the water…round and round I go.”
Shae giggled while patting her on the head before shuffling out of the way and moving to help the bigger Pokemon spin over the sand to reach the foaming sea. “I can help you get around, don’t you worry!“
“Ooh. I like that,” Melon said, sighing with satisfaction as the water met her body. “Mmm. That’s the cool stuff. Oh, hi, big lady. What was your name again?” she asked, looking up at the Lapras across the battlefield shoreline as Shae jogged back to stand across from Tess.
“Big Lady is fine,” Serenade smiled. “Now that the introductions are out of the way, shall we begin? We are building an anxious audience.”
“I’m ready!” Shae chimed in, raising her small hand and hearing Nova’s snickers to Mya through the Nexus.
“Looks like we’ve got quite the team here.”
The Mawile returned an interested hum. “A Brave Ferroseed and a Relaxed Galarian Slowpoke. I don’t know how Miky would take the idea of a Slowpoke being on Lori’s team. She seems fun, though.”
“We’re in this together,” Rhea reminded them, readying for the fight. “Just follow my instructions, and you’ll be fine. But don’t feel bad to branch out and do something on your own. Often things happen too quickly for me to tell you everything to do without us being way behind. You need to learn how to navigate the battles on your own in the heat of the moment. I’ll support and provide you with information from the sidelines.”
Understood!
“You got this, Shae-Shae!” Lulu called out to her, bouncing atop Rhea’s head and cheering her on. “By the power of Queen Bellelba, Mysterious Lady of the Magical Land, you have dark justice on your side!”
“Dark justice!” Shae roared before getting into character, just as her big sister taught her, taking on a regal air and placing a hand on her hip, pulling her opponent’s confused stares. “Beware, foolish villain MCs, for I am here to show you the true path of darkness. I am the Gatekeeper to the Strange Lady’s Palace, Princesses, and you have trespassed onto my glorious shadowy homeland. You will know despair for your crimes!”
Tess looked back and forth between her and Serenade. “What is she on about?”
“Woooow,” Melon said, rolling onto her back to rise up and down with the surf. “I’m a princess? Cool. What’s a princess?”
Shae blinked, glancing at the Slowpoke. “Wait, no, no, no! You’re not a Princess. Princesses are the bad guys. We’re the good guys, the Gatekeepers.”
“Ooh. Got it. Got it… What’s a Gatekeeper?”
Serenade’s body shook with silent laughter before taking on a more playful tone, making Shae bubble with joy. “Oh, evil Gatekeepers, you have much to learn about the power of unity that Princess Tess and I share. We will overcome your evil.”
“Ho-ho-ho! Such arrogance,” Shae boasted, holding her head to peek out underneath her thick bunch of white hair. “Be prepared for oblivion, intruders. Ooh! I’m already having so much fun! Sorry. Sorry. Just excited!” she squealed. “Ready?”
“Ready,” Serenade said. “No need to read too much into it, ladies. We’re here for a good battle.”
“Right!” Tess said, eyes becoming serious. “Let’s do this!”
Melon released a long stream of air and flipped back over, stretching out her long tail. “I guess it can be fun. You ready to go, Gatekeeper Shae?”
“Ready to go, Gatekeeper Melon!”
They stared each other down, waiting for their Trainers to give them the signal. Rhea was already providing her with information and tactics, following some strategies from their previous battle against Serenade.
Shae felt the tension surge through her tiny frame as the referee’s voice echoed across the beach. “Begin!”
A pulse of energy rippled through her bond with Rhea, encouraging her to take the first step. Raising her hands, Shae quickly conjured the purple and crimson flames around them, feeling the warmth radiate through her with Rhea’s potent energy feeding it.
With a twirl, she flung the fire toward the weak Grass Pokemon, only for it to be intercepted by a blast of freezing ice by Serenade. The field erupted in steam, blocking the Ferroseed from view—they’d need to handle Serenade if they were going to have a chance to get at Tess. In the next second, with the Grass Pokemon obscured, Serenade’s graceful form spun into a dance.
Ooh, it’s so pretty! She’s doing the princess dance!
“Remember last time, Shae! Focus! We need to take care of Serenade before we can sight Tess for a Shadow Sneak.”
Serenade’s silhouette emerged from the steam, gliding across the rising surf with ease. The Lapras’ eyes sparkled as she began to sway rhythmically, her body glowing with a soft, ethereal light. The Dragon Dance had begun, and Shae could feel the energy building within her opponent. Each movement of Serenade’s long neck was mesmerizing, the air around her shimmering with violet and blue hues—she wanted to be that elegant.
Shae, Confuse Ray—now! Rhea’s urgent voice cut through her awe as Melon rolled onto her back and began patting her belly, creating a booming sound that paused all of them but Tess. The thorny girl’s body illuminated a light-brown before spiked stones erupted around the field, burying into the sand. Why is it so hard for me to focus sometimes?!
“It’s okay,” Nova soothed. “Just take your time and don’t panic. You’ve got this.”
“Sorry, sorry!” Shae squeaked, quickly raising her tiny hands. Ghostly-purple energy swirled around her, forming into a twisting beam of dark light that shot toward the cautious Serenade, probably receiving guidance from Jason as Melon pounded away to her own tempo.
The Lapras attempted to dodge at the last second, her graceful form gliding to the side, but the penumbral light struck true, enveloping Serenade in a disorienting cloud of confusion. Serenade’s movements faltered, breaking Shae’s vision of the graceful lady. Her once fluid dance became erratic as she tried to regain her balance.
Shae’s heart raced with excitement as she saw her chance. Okay, this is it! Time for Shadow Sneak!
Slipping into the shadows, Shae’s body melded with the darkness, her form shifting into a quick-moving blur across the ground. Her heart leaped into her chest when spiked balls shot out of the ground to explode as she went by, but her blurred speed outstripped their detonation just barely.
She darted left and right, Trace working to mimic the Ability she needed. Her fixated gaze on the Lapras paid off as she glided over the water’s edge, Wave Rider taking effect. She used the lingering cover of the mist and steam to her advantage, slipping into the haze. With a swift leap, she emerged from Serenade’s shadow, aiming a strike at the Lapras’ soft underside.
Her darkness-wreathed fist hit a solid blue shell, leaving her exposed. “Uh-oh…”
“Taaag me in, Gatekeeper!”
Shae winced as a purple light illuminated around her and abruptly felt like her weight had tripled, a strong force pressing her down and flattening the sand underneath her. Her feet sunk into the wet mess, trapping her in place and canceling Wave Rider.
“Not so fast,” Tess laughed, a pink glow brightening her eyes. “Who was it who was going to be in despair?”
Shae smiled as she saw another bright-pink aura surrounding Melon. Serenade spun out onto more open waters, gaining distance as rainbow lights intensified in her open mouth. In a flood of Rhea’s Fortitude, Shae was enveloped in a twinkling array of colors—the world shifted, and she almost lost track of the battle as a wave of salty liquid flooded her mouth, causing her to panic a little when the tide tried to pull her out to sea.
“Ehh—bllrrr?!”
While she almost got pulled into a watery riptide, Melon entered the Gravity field, only a blast of potent Psychic energy exploded around her frame, launching her right at the retreating Lapras. Serenade sent a beam of concentrated rainbow light at the missile-like Slowpoke, only for Melon to charge right through the laser. At the last second, the Lapras managed to shift her angle for Melon to strike her shell. An eruption of water fountained over the area as both of them were carried out to sea by the kinetic force.
Crawling back onto dry sand, spitting out water, Shae took a moment to reconnect to her teammates. “Shae!”
“Little Gatekeeper!”
“Look out, Tess is—”
“Dive! Dive!”
“Huh?”
She blinked as a bright-green seed struck her chest when she struggled upright, immediately growing to pin her arms to her side. She winced when her matrix began to be sapped. Looking up, she didn’t see Melon or Serenade nearby, likely taking their battle underwater, and Tess’s center thorn was glowing bright-green—she was about to launch a big Move.
“Protect!”
A blue shell surrounded her just as a bomb of Grass-Type energy shot toward her, exploding and kicking up sand all around her. Coughing as her barrier faded, she instinctively followed Rhea’s instructions, cupping her bound hands at her front and molding her Trainer’s sent energy.
Magical flames flared out, eating away at the vines sapping her defensive matrix and freeing her arms. Putting more strength behind the Move, she lifted her hand over her head and hurled it through the dust, only to see the rolling spike ball closing the distance.
Panicking as the flames soared right over the gleefully-eyed Thorn Seed Pokemon on her approach, Shae clapped her hands together, seeing the outline foresight of a toxic aura surrounding Tess. Spotlights bathed the stunned Ferroseed in light, confetti falling around her, Encore collapsing her building Move.
“Huh?”
“Ahh! Oh. Oh, you scared me!” Shae cried out, hand going to her chest and breathing a deep sigh while looking into the confused Pokemon’s face.
“I…I can’t use my Move?”
Following up with Rhea’s next Move-choice, Shae extended her hands, shadows swirling around her. “Disabled and Encored, foolish princess!”
“Eh?! Now I can’t move! This is cheating!”
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“Ho-ho-ho,” Lulu called out from atop their Trainer’s head. “You know not the ways of darkness, oh spiky one!”
“For the queen of darkness!” Shae shouted, more magical flames collecting in her upheld hand. “Use your Protect, Princess, and let utter despair—ahhh!”
A frosty beam blindsided her, throwing her off-balance and creating an explosion of steam from her smothered flames. Lower body partly frozen, she came to a stop face first in the sand, flipped around, and sat up to see Serenade on the beach-line, looking a bit worn out. However, floating in the surf a little ways away was a spinning-eyed Slowpoke, foaming at the mouth, energy matrix shattered.
“Oh… Well, shoot. Curse you, Princesses of eeevil!”
Serenade smiled as Tess continued to struggle to understand why she couldn’t twitch a finger or use any of her Moves. A giant ball of water gathered above the Lapras. Shae prepared her Protect, but at that moment, Rhea called in the towel.
“I think that’s enough,” she laughed, “it’s been good enough practice for the babies.”
Serenade’s big pool collapsed to rain down over her head as Jason walked over to give his girl some love. Rhea was soon scooping her up, examining the ice covering her lower body.
“You did great, Shae, but we really need to work on your focus troubles. I think it’s also hurting you from utilizing your Instinct and Perception Abilities to their potential.”
“Sorry, she’s just so big and pretty,” she mumbled, rubbing her hands together as Lulu patted her head. “I want to dance like that. Why don’t I have Dragon Dance?”
“Aww. You’re the best Gatekeeper,” Lulu chirped. “Don’t be down on yourself. The evil heroines always cheat. We’ll get them eventually.”
She looked to the side, spotting Tess tearing up a little as Amira lifted her up with a smile. “I’m sorry, Amira… I tried b-but I just couldn’t do anything. Why couldn’t I do anything? I-It was like I was totally frozen and, and I couldn’t use any Moves, or pull from your Fortitude…”
“It’s okay. It was your first battle,” the redhead soothed, shooting a slightly dirty look at Rhea. “That was a nasty combo. Encore into Disable? We couldn’t even use Protect if we wanted to. It’s lucky Jason and Serenade managed to handle Melon.”
Lori came walking over with a small smile. “Aww. There goes my bet, but dang, girl. Yeah, that combo was crazy. Shae’s a little monster! Awesome execution on that Ally Swap, too. Melon tried for a Swap++ but I think we’re going to need training from Alice to get that Ability down. Your boyfriend is a beast, though, Sunshine! Serenade ran circles around us.”
Rhea giggled while looking toward the ocean, where Jason was congratulating his happy Lapras, licking his ear and nuzzling his cheek. “Yeah…he really has gotten strong. Also, Serenade has more training than all of our baby Pokemon, probably combined. She was training with my dad and his other Pokemon over the week.”
“Sure,” Amira mused, soothing her upset Ferroseed, “but didn’t his mother help train Shae and you this last week?”
“Uh…yeah. Sure…” Rhea forced a laugh, looking off to the side and thinking back to all the relaxing and fun things they’d done over the week in Fuschia. “We did some training.”
“Some, huh?” Jason laughed, joining them with his proud Lapras by his side. “Honestly, you did a great job distracting Shae and Rhea, Amira and Tess. Great strategy. You bought us enough time to finish off Melon, but woah!” He shot an impressed look at the violet-haired girl. “That Belly Drum, Ally Swap, and Zen Headbutt combo was insane! If we didn’t have Shell Armor, Serenade would have been out right there. You smashed right through our second Protect, too. I thought we’d used it too early. Awesome battle, ladies.”
Rhea’s cheeks brightened with her face, not paying the audience any mind. “Yeah! We all did pretty good. So, how about we stop by the Center, get our girls checked out, and then—hmm?”
All of them glanced down at her phone as it began to buzz, and the ref walked over to them, clearing his voice. “Excuse me, but do you plan to continue with your block or leave it for free entry? Your remaining time will be deducted from the price of the reservation by 50%.”
“Yeah, sure,” Jason mumbled, his brow furrowing as he saw the name on her caller ID. “You need to take that, right?”
Amira and Lori’s lips became a line while glancing between them.
“Why the serious tone?” Lori chuckled. “It’s just Rylee.”
Amira brushed her braid to her back with one hand, following them off the field to the nearest Center as Jason recalled Serenade. “Did something happen to them?”
“Yeah, about that…” Rhea let Jason help Shae with her frozen legs, already starting to melt as the energy that created it quickly dissipated. “There was a Gyarados attack.”
* — * — *
Rylee sighed, lying on the wood floor of the dojo she’d practiced her swordsmanship in since she was five, staring up at the ceiling where a poster of her hero, Samurai, was pinned. Sweat poured down her body, and she tried to calm her breathing.
Why can’t I make any progress with my Aura? Am I just not talented at all? Ash helped awaken me to it… I should be amazing…but I’m not. I’m just…below average, at best.
Knight floated over to look down at her, the concerned Honedge being one of the rescue Pokemon her mother had brought in. A few other Pokemon huddled on the sidelines, used to seeing her train at this time every day while munching on berries and talking to one another—probably making fun of her.
“Sloooow.” Her eyes dulled as a pink lard of a Pokemon came waltzing onto the floor and lightly butted heads with her. “Slow?”
“I’m fine, Speedo,” she sighed, the Pokemon asking her not to die and leave him, as he always did. “I’m not dying. I’m just tired and sad.”
“Hone?”
“Slow.”
“Hone-hone.”
“Poke?”
“Edge.”
“Pooooke.”
“Oof! Hey, what are you doing?” She gasped as the fat Pokemon climbed onto her chest to plop down and give her a hug, pinning her to the floor. “I said I’m fine…but let me breathe, fatty!”
“Slowpoke.”
“Yeah…I know you care about me,” she soothed, stroking his head and recalling all of the times he’d followed her and everyone else around to check up on them. She wanted to say not everyone would end up like his last Trainer, but she couldn’t do that to him. “I’m fine. It’s okay.”
“Poke.”
Knight floated down to join them, making her groan.
“I don’t need more weight! Ack. It’s hard to breathe, guys…”
Suddenly, she jolted awake, placing a hand on her chest and chuckling at the weight she still felt there.
Smiling, she looked at her dutiful Slowpoke, curled up at her feet, looking dead to the world. Due to her size, she didn’t have the chance to bring out Tissa that often, so she tried to navigate toward areas that allowed her big crystal girl a chance to stretch her ice. She reached down to affectionately rub his head.
“Yeah, you’ve been through a lot, bud. Look at us now, though. I’m doing so well with my Aura now… So why are my nightmares all about me failing in the past? Whatever. Stress, I guess?
“Hannah thinks our boost is Rhea’s doing. Maybe. I don’t know. She certainly lit a fire under our butts… Stupid hacks. She’s so strong. Hmm… We can catch up, though.”
She glanced at the opposite bunk to her as the ship they were on tilted, making the lazy redhead groan and press her face against the guard rail. It made Rylee giggle inside.
Yeah, she’s going to wake up with more bar-prints on her face and freak out. How does she always somehow press her face against something hard when she sleeps? And…there’s Cami’s snoring.
Above them, Jade’s older sister breathed heavily, mumbling in her sleep every so often. This morning, it seemed to be about them being tied up and captured by a bunch of Spinarak—true story.
Tissa woke up as she settled back into her bunk and pulled out her phone from the drawer; it was 5 a.m. on the 1st of November. Hmm. I could get some extra practice in. You up, Knight… No, I know you’re up, Tissa, she laughed, the Crystal Onix asking if she could explore the ocean today. It’s a storm right now, so I don’t think that’s a wise idea. Maybe when it breaks.
Dropping the railing, she saw her Honedge’s eye snap open, and he floated up to look at her. The dim lights of the cabin provided just enough light for Rylee to see as she threw her arms over her head and scratched her exposed belly, examining herself—this bikini fit a lot better than her old one that would always threaten to slip out of place when she slept. Plus, it was a fashionable blue, which matched her hair.
Let’s get dressed and do some light training. Now, did I wash my tank top last night… Eesh, I forgot, she dully said, staring at the item on the floor. It was kind of a mess with six girls staying in one cabin for a few days. The cheap price meant a cramped space, too.
Being as quiet as she could, Rylee got up and sorted through some of their tousled together piles to find a pair of dirty shorts she could get wet and wash later.
No use in using something clean if I’m just going to get soaked on the deck. We need to practice our balance, and this is the perfect time to do it!
Tissa groaned through their connection as Speedo blinked and lifted his head, slow on the uptake. Rylee scratched her neck before pulling up her shorts and buttoning them.
I know it’s dangerous, Tissa, and I’m not letting you go into the ocean, but you way overestimate your ability to swim in these currents. You’re used to really tranquil, high mountain cave lakes… Hmm? No, I know you want to get better at rotating and swimming. Speedo still holds the record for the fastest lap… Yes, and you took up like half the pool length. You’re just getting past your clumsy stage. You’re still a little girl. You’re doing great, Tissa.
“Slooow.”
Rylee smiled at the supportive Dopey Pokemon as he yawned and got up to follow her out. She made sure to put a finger to her lips to keep him quiet, though.
Shhhh. We need to respect the girls’ sleep…or they may try to stop me again.
She did a quick double check of the five other girls in her squad. Luckily, Cami’s snoring had made all of them heavier sleepers over the last few months. The woman’s Exeggcute and Oddish snuggled up against the messy-haired woman. It was cool that Jade’s older sister hadn’t given up on her dream of Training. She went from hardstuck Bronze Two, to Silver Six with them in one season, which was Master-children-tier in her book.
We’re doing awesome!
Sam was kind of their unofficial leader. Cami, as the oldest in their party, had more leadership qualities in Rylee’s eyes. However, Jade’s sister willingly took a back seat to the brunette, letting her make most of the decisions, only offering advice when asked. It was a bit weird to Rylee, but she could respect it.
Their brown-eyed leader had really come into her own recently, standing up to her big sister back in Pallet, who never missed a chance to tease her. Sam actually worked up the courage to challenge her mouthy sister, Dai, to a battle when they passed back through her hometown. The young woman’s Metapod and Kakuna had recently evolved, and she didn’t believe Sam was Silver-tier.
Sam appeared to be fine with letting that go on, which was a bit suspect to Rylee and her code of honor. Still, she didn’t know Sam’s background with her ‘diabolical’ sister. She acted like they had a somewhat-rocky but loving history. Still, battling a newly evolved Butterfree and Beedrill with her beast of a Pineco, Phanpy, and Kadabra? It would be a slaughter.
Hannah was the secret final boss of Amira’s fan club, idolizing the celebrity Rocket girl and running interference at every turn, weaponizing her growing fan club to stop any slanderous or unsightly things online, such as the gross content some were now making of Viridian’s superstar. In Rylee’s opinion, she was a bit obsessive, but that was how some girls were of their idols, and she couldn’t talk with how she idolized Samurai.
Jade and Cami together were a riot; the sisters were either pulling one another’s hair to get a rise out of the other or being the most wholesome sisters on the planet. Mimi, Jade’s Pichu, was doing wonders now and actually showing a lot more power than she should, but, being one of the rare-born Hidden Ability Pokemon, she fell outside the norm.
Lastly, Jayline, their bronze-skinned, brown-eyed, and blonde-haired Alolan mascot, was a bundle of energy. Poppy, her Steenee was still charming but maturing into a rather…dominating personality as time went on. Bruce, her Growlithe, did everything the affectionate lady wanted. She caught his tail wagging on the top bunk across from her, curled up beside Jay’s feet. Poppy lay right next to her Trainer.
It looks like I can now comfortably have two Pokemon out at all times. Next goal, three.
She took one last look at the resting girls, internally thanking Rhea for introducing her to a group that could actually put up with her antics. Wow… I’m such a hard person to live with. How do you all do it? she sighed, asking her Pokemon on the way out. Time to make them worry again! Off we go to train. Onward, soldiers!
Marching out of the room, she was careful to close the door as quietly as possible. The boat tilted left and right under the heavy storm. The seas were often like this, she heard, due to powerful Pokemon like Lugia or other Legendaries’ actions across the globe that caused butterfly effects. It was just something they had to deal with. To Rylee, it was an opportunity, though.
Forcing open the thick metal door, she braced herself as the sharp gust nearly yanked it out of her hands. Speedo took one look at the black skies, howling wind, and cracking thunder that rippled through the ship, and lightly latched onto her ankle with his mouth, prompting her to go back inside.
“Sloooow.”
“It’s fine!” Rylee reassured him, standing a bit clear of the door in case it whipped back on them as she bent down to pet the frowning Slowpoke. “The guard rails are good and high. Plus I have two Pokemon who can swim…well, one that can basically float,” she chuckled, feeling Tissa’s grumbles about practicing. “We have to face our fears!”
“Slow?” The pink Pokemon let go and looked up at her with big eyes, wanting to trust her. “Slowpoke?”
“Mhm! I know you’re afraid,” she giggled, stroking his head and jumping a little as the door slammed shut on them again. “Arceus! Haha. You’re afraid of me getting into a swimming pool! Remember the water park? I was fine, right? We had fun.”
“Slowpoke.”
He frowned and looked her in the eyes, and Rylee could see him struggling with how his previous Trainer died, years earlier and before she’d met the cautious Pokemon.
“Yeah. I’m strong. You’re strong, too. In fact, you’re the strongest one on our team—even more than Knight! We couldn’t have made it this far without you, bud. This is just another challenge. We practice as a team. Are you ready to join me?”
He nodded slowly. “Poke. Poke.”
“Mhm! If it gets too bad, then we’ll return back inside. Plus, there’s probably a Master on each side of the ship, making sure everything is fine. It’s their job.”
“Slow.”
Speedo convinced, she took a deep breath and moved out onto the wide side deck, leading to the front. She held her arm in front of her face, fighting the wind and slick floor to reach the top with Knight and Speedo beside her.
“We’ve got this,” she yelled through the gales, already soaked several seconds after stepping into the tempest. “We’re almost there… Tissa, you’re up!”
Taking out her Poke Ball upon reaching the wider, reinforced deck, she released the giant Crystal Onix, spotting a Master who appeared to be in his early twenties watching her from a higher deck in the dark. The early-morning storm made him hard to make out, though, but she recognized his Alolan-style outfit from the Masters introducing themselves before they boarded. Immediately, the gale was mostly curbed as her giant crystal snake took the brunt of the wind.
“Nice work, Tissa,” Rylee grinned, holding out her hand for Knight to enter. “Now, hold down the right side; that way, I’m less likely to get blown away and hit the railing. Good! Keep it up! Now for sword swings. You with me, Speedo?”
“Slow!” The Slowpoke turned his back, lifted his stiff tail and swung down with her sword motion. “Slow!”
“That’s it! Open up the way, Tissa. It’s training time. One… Two… Three!” Firming her balance, they led them through the practice as the storm went on, and an hour later, it broke, her sides hurting with the strain on her body as she finished her daily practice. “One-thousand and ninety-eight! One thousand and ninety-nine! Two…two thousand!”
Hands trembling, the wind started to die down, and the rising sun broke through the darkness, bathing the Master who had been watching them in a warm, early glow. He hopped down with a smile on his face, slicking back his drenched hair and wearing flip-flops that somehow didn’t squeak while he walked—her clothes gave off an ungodly amount of noise as she recovered, rubbing her dry throat.
He tossed her a water bottle he’d obtained at some point that she hadn’t noticed. “Quite the routine there, young lady. I’m impressed. Rylee, right?”
“Hmm? You know me?”
“I’ve seen some of your recent battles.” He nodded his head toward Triss as Rylee sipped at the water, not wanting to chug it too fast and upset her stomach. “Can’t say I’ve seen a Crystal Onix in a Gym Battle before. Interesting stuff. Anyway, if you’re free later today, maybe I can give you a few pointers for your next battle with Blaine.”
He gave her a thumbs up and turned to swap places with a female Master in her late twenties who exited the cabin area, still looking sleepy. “You’ve made me a fan with that dedication. You’re Master material, for sure. Jasmine! You look terrible, woman. Off to clean myself up and get some sleep. Yo, why take a sea job when you get seasick?”
“Oh, shut up, kid, I could trounce you any time, any place… Blah. I just had a bit too much wine. Ugh. My stomach…”
Rylee giggled as he gave her a helpless shrug and Jasmine lurched toward the railing to vomit. Butterfree were swarming in her stomach, though.
Well, I guess even Masters have their weaknesses… Us, Masters? No way a Master just said that to us, and he wants to give us some pointers! I knew training in the storm was the right call. We’re making it! We’re getting stronger… I’m getting stronger, Mom.