I didn't sleep well last night.

Mostly because I'm so guilty about what I did yesterday, and how much of an ass I was. What was I thinking? There are some lines that shouldn't be crossed, and I feel like by targeting Chimchar, preying on Paul's stubbornness about activating Blaze at whatever cost, I broke some type of unwritten code.

Now there's a Pokémon out there, abandoned by its trainer. Because of me. A Chimchar, no less, when my closest friend's starter Pokémon is a Chimchar. What must Lucas be thinking of me? Sure, he wasn't overly critical yesterday, but me treating a Chimchar so badly can't have sat well with him.

In my mind, I couldn't let anything go to chance, because the slightest misstep would have been the end of me. I've seen firsthand what can happen against Ash, and I was extra motivated to both correct that earlier defeat and advance in this competition. This should be a time for celebration! We beat Ash! I looked the plot in the eye and said not today! I didn't think any of that was possible!

Plus, everything I've been working on came together in that one glorious battle. I predicted what Pokémon Ash and Paul would bring, tailored a strategy for it, and all of the training I've done with Glaceon was put into action. I should be over the moon!

Instead, all of that potential happiness has evaporated with the rising sun. I felt so bad that I didn't even plan for the match against Brock and Wendy. At this point, losing would be a deserved punishment. Barry didn't bother me much about it either, considering he was too busy celebrating our victory. The only thing that stopped him from gloating in everyone's face even more was that Paul had left Hearthome after the battle.

I have it from some sources, that I eavesdropped on in the Pokémon Center lobby, that Paul has already started up his search for a new Fire-type. As if I needed any more confirmation for what I've done.

There was a part of me that didn't even want to show up, but I do have a tag partner that's super excited about being in the semifinals, and it wouldn't be right to drag him down because I'm not feeling it. I eventually make my way to the stadium, brushing off Lucas and Barry's questions of what took me so long by saying that I was tired of hearing the host's annoying opening ceremony speeches, which is of course a reason, but not the reason.

Lucas is telling me that there has been some sort of rule change, but I've caught sight of something that has me frozen. Ash is still here, obviously, because his friends are still in the tournament, and he isn't the type to rage and leave after a loss rather than support his friends.

Pikachu is on his shoulder, as usual, but he's got another Pokémon occupying the opposite one. A Chimchar. Paul's former Chimchar, by the look of it.

My friend follows my line of sight. "I guess you went straight to your room, so you wouldn't know. Ash followed Paul last night, and when Paul released Chimchar, he offered it a spot on his team. Ash is Chimchar's trainer now. I suppose you don't need to feel that bad?"

Lucas is called up with Dawn and Ursula and Conway for some pre-battle pictures and apparently to go over the victory ceremony for whoever of our four teams does come out on top, which gives me plenty of time to think.

On one hand, I am happy for Chimchar, that the Fire-type landed on its feet with another trainer. That lightens my mood significantly, but on the other hand, what was Paul thinking? Obviously, he doesn't consider Ash competition, or a rival, or someone to be respected, but letting Ash become the Chimchar's trainer is a bad move, dude. It's going to come back and bite Paul in the butt. I can almost guarantee it.

Is it going to come back and bite me in the behind, after what I've done, though? Possibly. My interactions with Ash and his friends have been a mixed bag, after all. Me trying to ignore them as much as possible and keep my distance clearly is not a viable plan. Ash and company are going to show up for contests, other tournaments like this, and knowing him, possibly events involving Team Galactic as well.

I suppose it's time for me to introduce myself. Not because I'm trying to be friends with him or whatever. More like I don't want Ash to think I'm another Paul, because I'm pretty sure that's the indication I gave him last time, with my brusque mannerisms and Ursula saying that I wasn't taking him seriously.

With all that in mind, I go over to where Ash and Brock are standing. Chimchar flinches slightly when he sees me, which cements in my mind that I need to do this.

"Hello," Ash greets, not sure what to make of me.

"Hi," I say back. "I came over to apologize."

Ash, Brock and Pikachu all exchange confused looks. "What are you apologizing for?"

"Mostly, I want to apologize to Chimchar," I tell them, nodding my head at my intended recipient. "When I saw how Paul battled with you in your first battle, and then I heard the whole story about how you met, and how he was trying to activate your Blaze ability, I knew that he wouldn't be able to resist bringing you again and trying to push your limits against us as well. So, I made sure to use powerful Water-type attacks that I knew you wouldn't be able to break through. Sorry for taking advantage of you like that."

I bow my head and move on to Ash before he can open his mouth. "I also wanted to apologize to you. I wasn't ignoring you during the battle or anything. Paul's seen Glaceon's Water Pulse trick before, and I was pretty certain he wouldn't tell you about it. I knew I could take advantage of that by targeting Chimchar, with the way you were looking out for it yesterday."

Might as well say everything I want to. "I'd say sorry that Paul let you go, Chimchar, but you're in a much better situation now than you were previously. Ash is going to be much better for you than Paul, and however strong you can be, whether that's through activating Blaze or by evolving, you'll get there with Ash."

"Sorry," I tell them yet again, sounding a lot like a broken record. "I had a lot on my chest that I needed to get off. I'll uh, leave you alone now. Good luck in the semifinals, Brock." Feeling much better, I turn around, when I hear Ash's voice.

"Wait up!"

"You didn't have to do all that," Ash tells me. "We aren't mad at you for battling so well. More at Paul for only being here to further his own agenda, at whatever cost."

I scratch the back of my head, considering I didn't think he'd bother striking up a conversation. "I also know that I didn't make the greatest first impression when we met earlier in Floaroma Town. Making friends isn't really my strong suit."

At least, it wasn't while I was in school. Kinda hard to pretend like you're interested in coloring books and playing with blocks and such when you have the mind of an adult. I stick out my hand awkwardly. "I'm Luna. Nice to meet you. Officially, anyways."

Luckily for me, Ash isn't really the type to hold grudges, or be petty because he feels like it. That's what makes his acrimonious rivalry with Paul so surprising, though it makes sense when you actually see how Paul treats Ash all of the time. He shakes my hand easily. "Ash," he introduces himself, with a smile on his face, before getting straight to questioning me.

"I had a lot of fun battling you both times; your Pokémon were really strong! How many badges do you have? Is this your first time doing the gym challenge?"

"Currently, I have two badges," I reply, wincing a bit internally as I usually do whenever I remember exactly how my third gym battle went down. "This is my first year in the circuit, yeah."

"You battle like a veteran trainer," Brock compliments me. I take it as gracefully as I can, rather than having to explain that I have plenty of battle experience, from playing Pokémon games all my previous life. "Are you from Unova? I recognize your accent from some trainers that came to Pewter for a gym challenge."

I nod as Ash turns towards Brock. "What kind of region is Unova?"

"It can be a difficult one," Brock says thoughtfully. "It's a bit isolated, so many trainers feel like they are starting all over, since they won't really recognize most of the Pokémon found there."

"If you do go, I'd highly recommend heading to Nimbasa City," I chime in. "It's the heart of entertainment, and what's more entertaining than a Pokémon battle? They hold battle competitions comparable to this one every week."

Ash's eyes glaze over as he imagines a paradise with constant Pokémon battles and tournaments. The more I interact with him, the more I realize that he's not some untouchable chosen Pokémon god. He's just a kid. A kid with dreams of being the best. I don't need to put him on a pedestal, or treat him differently than I do anyone else. Barry, who has walked over, also quickly notices Ash's love of battling.

"I wouldn't get too ahead of myself," Barry cuts in, breaking Ash out of his daydream. "You've got a long way to go if you want to be as good of a trainer as I am, let alone be on Paul's level. I see you're finally taking some of my advice though, trading for Paul's Chimchar. The only way you can compete is with the strongest Pokémon possible."

Barry, please. I am begging you to shut the hell up about Paul. "Why are you so obsessed with Paul, anyways?"

My tag partner is happy to educate us. "Because, his training method makes Pokémon stronger faster, and that's what I need, so I can eventually challenge the Battle Tower. I need to win twenty-one straight battles against some really strong trainers and then I'll get my chance at beating the Tower Tycoon!"

I'm fairly certain that Palmer, the Battle Tower Tycoon, is actually Barry's father. Beating your father, who's an expert Pokémon trainer and has a prestigious title certainly is quite the motivation. "There's no one else that you want to emulate, then?" I can understand not wanting to be a clone of your parent, but is Paul really the best the Sinnoh Circuit has to offer?

Barry puts a finger to his chin as he thinks. "There is one guy. Toby, or something. He's a mystery trainer, though. He's apparently super strong too. Like, he's never lost a battle, but what's more, he's never even lost a Pokémon! Even against gym leaders! I think Paul can beat him though. And I'll beat them both, because I'm going all the way to the top."

"Well, you better be ready for us to be there, too," Ash adds. "We aren't scared of some undefeated trainer! In fact, that only makes us more excited to battle him, and give him his first loss! Right, Pikachu?"

"As if you'd be the first to beat him! You can't even beat Paul!"

"Can too!" Ash retorts. These two have identical energy. Brock looks like he's seen all of this before.

Barry levels a finger at Ash. "If you're so confident, why don't we have a little competition? You've never beaten Paul, and I've never beaten him one-on-one either. You want to be the first to beat Toby, and so do I. Let's see who does it first!"

"You're on!" Ash agrees, with Pikachu backing him up. Chimchar looks a bit more nervous, but I can't think about it too long because Barry points at me next.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you! You're obviously really strong, if you can come up with a master plan to defeat Paul. Which means I want to test myself against you! You better get all eight badges and make it to the Pokémon League, Luna, or I'm fining you ten bazillion bucks!"

"If we're all planning to enter the Lily of the Valley tournament, it could be fun!" Ash says, also looking at me.

What was that old saying? When in Rome, do as the Romans do? A little friendly competition isn't the worst thing. If only there were a prize. "Ah, what the heck. Sure. Let the best trainer win."

"Speaking of the best trainer," Wendy says, amused, as she's been watching our little conversation. "They're about to start battling!"

Conway has already sent out his Pokémon, an armor-clad bird with bladelike wings, though they remain folded, as the Skarmory hasn't yet taken flight. It doesn't draw out either Pachirisu or Monferno, as I would have expected, as instead Dawn sends out a very confident looking Buizel, and Lucas chooses Porygon.

On closer inspection, this Buizel seems familiar. There's no way it's the one that challenged me all the way back near Eterna City, is it? The cocky expression on its face is identical to the one that Bellossom fought back when she was an Oddish. I feel like such a battle-hungry Pokémon would be more suited to Ash, no?

In any case, Buizel's selection has elicited some furious whispering between Ursula and Conway. Ursula does not look happy, but Conway seems insistent. I see why when Ursula eventually sends out her Helioptile to battle, because it has an abnormally good matchup against a Water-type, with its Dry Skin ability. Unfortunately, Ursula has a little bit of Paul in her, because like how Paul didn't disclose crucial information to Ash during their battles, I'm almost certain that Conway doesn't know that Helioptile still isn't listening to Ursula.

That might be the thing that finally throws off Conway from his careful, controlled, style. For now, he starts off the way he usually does. Defensively.

"Skarmory, Iron Defense!"

"Buizel, Water Gun!"

"Porygon, Tri Attack!"

Both attacks are directed at Skarmory while it reinforces its armor. The optimal thing for Ursula to do would be to direct Helioptile into the way of Water Pulse, since Skarmory should be able to easily stomach a not very effective Tri Attack. To be fair, she does try to…

But her Pokémon decides to use Swift instead, and while Porygon and Buizel get peppered with the attack, it also means Skarmory takes two attacks right off the bat, and its takeoff from the ground is a little slow as a result.

Everyone glances at me, thinking that I might have an explanation for Helioptile's behavior, but all I can do is shrug helplessly. I have no clue, considering Ursula has barely said a word to me since the contest, and I'm fairly sure even she doesn't know why her Pokémon is disobeying her.

"Use Spikes!" Conway commands, not letting his partner's issues get in the way of his prepared strategy. Skarmory shaves off some of its wings, and scatters the metal shards on the opposite side of the battlefield, covering about a third of it.

I don't know, though. Those spikes seem avoidable enough.

"Porygon, Psybeam!"

"Helioptile, Shock Wave!" Surprisingly enough, this time Heliotile actually counters the attack with the correct one, and the two attacks clash with firework-like sparks. That leaves Buizel free to attack Skarmory, though I don't agree with the Aqua Jet that Dawn orders.

Skarmory is a physically defensive tank in the first place, even before having used Iron Defense. This attack really isn't going to be doing any damage. Conway lets Buizel connect with his Pokémon harmlessly before he calls for his move. It's not an attack, technically.

"Whirlwind!"

The armor-clad bird blows Buizel back, sending it straight into the scattered Spikes. Buizel rolls in them before getting up gingerly, covered in scratches. So, that's Conway's plan.

Dawn and Lucas quickly take measures to prevent their Pokémon from being damaged by spikes again, although one is much more effective than the other.

"Watch your step, Buizel!"

"Turn into a Flying-type, Porygon."

"Not so fast!" Conway interrupts. "Skarmory, Taunt!"

The Steel-type laughs at Porygon while glowing dark, and Porygon's usually apathetic eyes flash red, as its internal processor or whatever makes this thing tick turns into a Pokémon version of the Terminator, with its only objective to eliminate the target. That means no using Conversion, and thus it will be a Normal-type until Skarmory's Taunt wears off.

Credit to Conway. He saw Porygon's type-changing trick once and immediately realized what was going on, and knew how to counter it. At his command, Skarmory uses another Iron Defense, while Helioptile decides to test itself against Buizel. Both Pokémon bash into each other repeatedly with Quick Attack, with neither creating much of an advantage.

Dawn's order for Sonicboom is met by another Shock Wave, before Ursula can get the words out of her mouth, and that ends up in a stalemate as well.

Buizel doesn't seem to know any moves that can break through Helioptile or Skarmory. Porygon knows Discharge, and while Buizel would definitely feel a powerful Electric-type attack such as that, it might be a necessary evil to take out Skarmory. Then Porygon should be able to defeat Helioptile by turning into a Ground-type, with no Skarmory to stop its type conversions..

Pulling a page out of Paul's book wouldn't sit right with Lucas, and he doesn't go for it. Skarmory shrugs off another Tri Attack and showers another third of the battlefield in Spikes.

It's looking rough, especially when Skarmory dodges a Water Gun from Buizel and then Conway orders Whirlwind again, throwing both Buizel and Porygon onto the Spikes. One more usage of them and there will hardly be a place for Buizel to put its feet down on its side of the arena.

The one thing I continue to underestimate is how volatile not having a Pokémon obey you makes a battle. Charmeleon hasn't given me any problems like this, but the possibility always is in the back of my mind that he could. Perhaps after evolving, which would be even worse.

Right when the battle seems to be firmly in their favor is when Helioptile decides to start acting out again. Ursula orders a Shock Wave on Buizel, but Helioptile decides to use Parabolic Charge, the move where it sends out an orb of electricity into the air, and then tendrils of electricity branch out from it in every direction.

It looks amazing when you see it, but it also covers the battlefield in electricity, and each tendril drains energy to heal up Helioptile. Porygon ends up somewhat worse for wear, but Buizel and Skarmory struggle to endure the super-effective move. Buizel goes down first, but the Flying-type manages to get out of the air and land onto the ground.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Temporarily. When Dawn recalls Buizel, Lucas sees his chance, with no ally to get struck by an attack. "Discharge!" he shouts, and a second wave of electricity, this one with Porygon as the epicenter, flies outwards, hitting both the enemy Pokémon. Helioptile is barely bothered, but Skarmory collapses on the ground, the second electric attack too much for the Flying-type.

Right as I think that's about it, both Dawn and Conway bring out a second Pokéball, and throw it into the battlefield. Dawn has selected the Buneary I haven't seen much of, and Conway chooses a Pokémon that I associate way more with healing than fighting.

I'm not sure if I'm more surprised with Conway's Chansey, or by that he and Dawn get a second life. No one else seems surprised though.

"Did I miss something? Everyone gets two Pokémon now?"

"The host mentioned it at the start of the day," Brock explains why I missed the major change in rules. "Each trainer can use two Pokémon for this round."

"In finals, everyone gets three Pokémon!" Ash adds. "Man, that would have been exciting!"

Oh, that's why the tournament organizers required you to have three Pokémon before you entered the competition. I guess there really is no point to filling up this stadium on matchday four for thirty measly minutes. May as well make it worth their time.

Conway's strategy of putting up layers of Spikes makes even more sense now, because Buneary winces as it lands on the ground, though it lifts one foot, then the other, brushing the shards out of its feet and hopping to a safe area, where it starts bouncing back and forth as the trainers and Pokémon size up their new opponents.

Lucas says something to Dawn that immediately makes their strategy clear. Porygon turns into a Ground-type with no Taunt from Skarmory denying Conversion, and makes a beeline for Helioptile, while Buneary squares off against Chansey.

"Porygon, Tri Attack!"

"Dodge it and use Swift!"

"Jump Kick, Buneary!"

"Chansey, use Protect!"

One side of the battle is an utter disaster. Helioptile decides he can take this Tri Attack no problem and retaliate with Shock Wave, neither of which goes well for him, considering Porygon is immune to electric damage.

Buneary's attack should have gone as poorly, with its high flying kick stopped cold by Chansey's Protect, but instead of crashing onto the ground painfully as most Pokémon would have done, it bounces off its ears and does a somersault to land on its feet.

"Buneary, Dizzy Punch!" Dawn orders, which Helioptile meets with a Quick Attack, actually disrupting Dawn and Lucas's plan because now Porygon is facing Chansey.

"Use Seismic Toss!"

"Use Psybeam!" Lucas calls. His Pokémon fires off several of the rainbow colored beams, but they all bounce off Chansey like nothing. The pink Pokémon waddles towards Porygon, short arms held out, its kind smile promising a miserable time.

Lucas doesn't really have many good options. He decides on the one I would have also picked, which is turning into a Ghost-type to be immune to Seismic Toss, as Chansey tries to wrap its stubby arms around it to fling Porygon into the air. Conway is waiting on it, though.

The super nerd's glasses flash as he smirks. "Now, Thunder Wave!"

No longer a Ground-type, Porygon shudders as Chansey sends an electric current through the digital Pokémon. I can tell you for a fact that it's never a good thing for your Pokémon to get paralyzed, but can Chansey actually damage Porygon, now that it's a Ghost-type? Conway doesn't seem to prioritize learning attack moves on his Pokémon.

He calls for Softboiled instead, with Chansey creating an egg-shaped ball of energy and eating it. Better safe than sorry, I suppose, because Chansey doesn't look to have taken all that much damage from Porygon.

On the other side of the battle, Buneary has a clear edge. It is much fresher than its opponent, and as one might expect of a Normal-type, has an impressive array of moves. It's cute enough to pull off the dreaded Fake Tears and Charm combo, to make your opponent utterly unwilling to fight you, as well as Attract, to make Helioptile fall head over heels.

If there was any chance of Helioptile obeying Ursula, it's gone now. Buneary has all the time in the world to use Bounce, then Jump Kick, to turn the hearts in Helioptile's eyes into stars from the force of its attack.

I think Buneary's attack was essentially a Hi Jump Kick. It feels like Dawn prepared that one for the contest. In any case, it's way too much power for Helioptile to handle. Ursula recalls her Pokémon with a sigh and brings out another Pokéball, though she switches it when Conway says something to her.

Out comes Masquerain, which makes sense, seeing as Buneary is a physical attacker with a Fighting-type attack in its repertoire, Chansey's worst nightmare. Both Buneary and Porygon back up slightly as Masquerain unfurls its wings.

"Chansey, Thunder Wave!"

"Masquerain, Air Slash!"

Both moves are targeted towards Buneary, which surprises all of us watching.

"Why aren't they finishing off Porygon?" Barry asks aloud. "It's paralyzed, and it has been battling for a long time. It must be worn out."

The realization hits me as they say it. That's precisely why they aren't going for Porygon. They can take out both of Dawn's Pokémon, and then deal with Porygon at their leisure, since it isn't much of a threat, especially because Chansey can soak all of its attacks and use Softboiled to heal off whatever little damage it takes, which would mean the last stage of the battle would be a two vs one against Lucas.

Conway's strategy becomes clear to Lucas as well. Buneary is preparing to dodge as best as he can, but Lucas orders Porygon to get in the way. The paralyzed Pokémon manages to hover in front of Buneary to intercept the attacks. I think Lucas realizes what they are up to, as well, and that Dawn's and his chances are much better with two Pokémon facing two, as opposed to one versus two.

Porygon refuses to get out of the way of follow up attacks from Masquerain and repeated status attempts from Chansey. Conway nods at Ursula.

"Sticky Web!"

"Shadow Ball!"

Porygon's still a Ghost-type at this point, and while Dawn calls for Buneary to intercept the Shadow Ball, Lucas shakes his head grimly. He knows that Porygon doesn't have much more to contribute to this battle compared to Dawn's Pokémon.

The Shadow Ball finishes Porygon off, but Masquerain, instead of attacking, covers the part of the battlefield that isn't filled with Spikes with sticky threads, similar to String Shot. It's a move that I haven't seen before, but clearly it's based on the same principle of slowing down your opponent.

When Lucas selects Monferno for his final Pokémon, the Fire-type grimaces as he tries to lift up his feet from the sticky trap. Buneary similarly doesn't look very enthused about getting her feet dirty. They're going to have to, if they want to win.

"Monferno, Flame Wheel!" I think the plan is to burn some of the Sticky Web away, but it's more resistant than I would have expected. The Flame Wheel zooms straight at Chansey, not as fast as it usually is.

That means Ursula can cover. "Water Pulse!" Monferno comes to a halt mid attack, still covered in spinning fire, as if expecting this.

"Fire Spin!" Lucas orders. Monferno's flame explodes outwards and upwards into a vortex of flame, and Water Pulse, now that Masquerain has given up a life on the water for one in the air, isn't quite strong enough to completely douse the flames. Instead, the collision of attacks fills the arena with steam.

We all squint to try to see what the silhouettes of Pokémon are up to. Conway calls for his Chansey to be ready with Protect in case of a sneak attack, while Ursula tells Masquerain to blow all the steam away. The only issue is, when the battlefield is clear again, Monferno and Buneary are nowhere to be seen.

Conway immediately starts scanning the ground, no doubt looking for a hole that would be a giveaway that one of his opponents used Dig. He was on the right track, but he's looking in the opposite direction.

Monferno and Buneary come flying down from above. The Fire-type rockets towards Chansey with a clenched fist, while Buneary aims for Masquerain with Bounce.

Chansey manages to block the Mach Punch with Protect, while Masquerain dodges Bounce elegantly. What she and Ursula did not anticipate was Buneary springing back up right as it landed, straight into Dizzy Punch that strikes Masquerain from underneath.

Masquerain is sent into a tailspin, like every helicopter you fly in a Call of Duty game, confused by where the attack came from. Monferno immediately disengages from dodging Chansey's Thunder Waves in between trying to hit it with Mach Punch, to target Masquerain. As annoying as it is to battle Conway, Monferno turning its back to Chansey isn't really going to be punished, with how defensive both Pokémon and trainer are. That means Masquerain is quickly defeated by a Flame Wheel and another Dizzy Punch.

Ursula is somewhere between distraught and infuriated at her loss, but Conway seems resigned to their defeat. He puts up a token defense, but Chansey is soon overwhelmed by the repeated Fighting-type attacks coming her way.

Still, Conway takes the loss gracefully, compared to his partner, who runs off the second she can. Conway congratulates Lucas and Dawn on their victory, says he learned a ton during this tournament, and finishes by stating that he'd be happy to battle anyone here again. It would have been very nice, if only he didn't say it so creepily.

Soon enough, it's our turn to go through the whole pre-battle process. Most of it makes sense, unlike most of the stuff in this damn competition. All of our Pokémon will be on the stage with us, receiving ribbons. They even have a water tank for a fish, if one of us were to have one.

The winners will lift the trophy together, which is very important, the host tells us, because this tournament is all about cooperation. Then, the winning team will get their chance at the mystery prize.

There's apparently one for each of us, though I still can't figure out what it is. We take a few photos for the Hearthome newspapers and magazines, and take our places on the battlefield; Barry to my right, and Brock and Wendy opposite us.

This time, I end up with the shortest straw, and I need to send out my Pokémon first.

The one thing that this change in format has done for me is give me more flexibility in who I can battle with. Everyone is going to get a chance to shine. I'm not worried about giving Vivillon a chance to battle, considering I have Charmeleon in the back, who matches up well against three of the four Pokémon I've seen from these two.

Vivillon's nervous right when he pops out of his Pokéball, but his expression slowly changes to steady determination. Whatever has happened to him recently, it's been great.

"Go, Sudowoodo!" I was hoping Vivillon would lure this thing out, and that Barry would cover for me.

"Flapple, let's do it!"

The fake tree I expected, but I did not anticipate Flapple to be sent out again, though it does protect Sudowoodo very well against Barry's possible Prinplup, considering the best way to reveal Sudowoodo is to take advantage of its severe aversion to water. It is also an aerial fighter, so it can match Vivillon.

My partner has a much better option, the strongest Pokémon I've seen from Barry so far. "Show 'em what you've got, Heracross!"

Heracross is obviously a beast, as of the strongest Bug-types out there, but two Pokémon who overlap isn't ideal. I whisper to Barry hastily before the battle starts. "I'm using Charmeleon as my second, heads up."

Barry nods quickly, and then we both focus our attention to the battle.

"Vivillon, Air Cutter!" I direct. My Pokémon whips up two balls of wind and flaps his wings through them, sending slices of air at both of our opponents.

"Flapple, dodge it!"

"Sudowoodo, Mimic!"

The Dragon-type dodges all of our attacks, annoyingly enough, but what's worse is Sudowoodo glowing while taking the brunt of our Air Cutter. Its stony body gets scratched up, but Brock can't help but grin.

"Now, use your own Air Cutter!" Sudowoodo sends out a copy of our attack right back at us. Thankfully, Barry and Heracross, being extremely weak to Flying-type attacks, have the classic stone shield built with Rock Tomb prepared. The enemy Air Cutter clatters against our shield harmlessly, as Vivillon and Heracross hide behind it, though our opponents intend on changing that.

"Flapple, Seed Bomb!" The apple dragon scatters seeds in every direction that explode like grenades. Our stone shield is smashed into rubble, a stark reminder about how much power this diminutive Pokémon is packing.

"Use Flash!" I shout. Vivillon pops out from behind Heracross, glowing brilliantly, and has our opponents seeing spots for a few seconds.

"Brick Break on Sudowoodo!" Barry calls, and his Pokémon charges forward, one arm raised.

Even blinded, Brock has a counter. Literally. "Counter attack!"

Sudowoodo's eyes are closed, but even has Heracross's attack rattles the fake tree, it punches its branchlike fist into the rhino beetle's stomach in retaliation, sending Heracross flying back.

"Flapple, Acrobatics!"

The main reason I had Vivillon used Flash was because this thing traded power for accuracy like few Pokémon I had ever seen. It screams towards us like a fighter plane, covered in waves of light blue energy, though thankfully off track. Even so, Vivillon gets clipped by the outermost flares, but he manages to turn around and fire Air Cutters into Flapple's back regardless.

Barry isn't enjoying similar success against Sudowoodo, despite it being a decent matchup. Their attempts to stay at range using Bullet Seed and Pin Missile keep getting interrupted by Sudowoodo's copied Air Cutter, and I don't think Barry is confident to go close range with the threat of Counter always present.

My tag partner keeps his eyes on the battlefield while talking to me. "Can we switch?"

I hesitate to pull the trigger on that one. We're doing well against Flapple, and one stray rock from Sudowoodo could spell the end for Vivillon. Yeah, we have Protect to fall back on, but I don't think that will save us from a Rock Slide or a Stone Edge.

There is one thing we can do to tip the scales in Heracross's favor, though. "Hold on," I tell Barry, before I call out to Vivillon. "Flash!"

The Dragonbreath Flapple has been preparing whiffs a few feet to the right as we temporarily blind it once again.

"Any time now," Barry says impatiently, as Heracross once again hides behind its Rock Tomb to protect itself from the Air Cutter Sudowoodo stole from us.

Fine. "Vivillon, use Pollen Puff on Heracross!" My Pokémon scatters spores of pollen onto Heracross, as Flapple shakes its head and eyes up my Pokémon, whose attention isn't on.

"How is that supposed to be helpful!' Barry shouts, jumping up and down, though he quickly quiets when he realizes that our Pollen Puff is actually healing Heracross.

Our opponents notice too. "Sudowoodo, Double Edge!" The fake tree charges forward, its partner not far behind.

"Flapple, Dragon Rush, on Vivillon!"

This time, Flapple hurtles towards us like a meteor, one that's one track. Sudowoodo charges forward recklessly at Heracross, and while Barry now is happy to meet it head on with a Megahorn, I definitely don't want to try our luck matching Flapple's attack.

"Protect, now!"

Heracross and Sudowoodo collide like sumo wrestlers, both of them digging their legs into the ground to try and break through to overpower their opponent. It's Heracross, whose shining horn is around Heracross's midsection as the two Pokémon struggle to gain an inch, that manages to lift the Imitation Pokémon off the ground with its incredible strength.

It briefly takes off into the air, only to sharply twist so Sudowoodo is slammed straight into the ground. It slams an arm down on the still moving false tree with Brick Break just to ensure its defeat.

On our end, Flapple shatters Vivillon's Protect like it's made of glass. With the move failing, my Pokémon eats the full brunt of Flapple's ridiculous power, and he drops to the ground.

I take a few deep breaths to steady myself, as Barry apologizes profusely for interrupting the flow we had. "We're still in a fine spot," I assure him, as I recall Vivillon, and Brock does the same to Sudowoodo. "You were excellent, Vivillon. Take a long rest while we win this."

Brock says something similar, I'm sure, to Sudowoodo, before he brings out his next Pokéball. He sends out Croagunk as I bring out Charmeleon. The poison frog backs up slightly when he sees Charmeleon's fiery appearance, and that confirms to me its special ability is Dry Skin.

My Pokémon scoffs out our opponents, so I make sure to set him straight. "We're not in the business of underestimating anyone, Charmeleon. Take them seriously, and give this battle your all."

He doesn't turn around to agree with me, but his tail flame doubles, and I'll take that as a yes.

This time, Barry and I swap opponents.

"Charmeleon, Flamethrower on Croagunk!'

"Counter with Dark Pulse!"

"Flapple, Dragonbreath!'

"Pin Missile!"

The battle resumes in earnest, but I feel like we have a clear advantage now, with Sudowoodo out of the way. It's so nice to be able to command Charmeleon to use Flamethrower, and have him use a consistently, powerful, reliable attack. It easily pushes back Croagunk's Dark Pulse, while Pin Missile and Dragonbreath collide explosively, neither getting an edge.

"Mud Bomb, Croagunk!" Brock calls, seeing us overpower his attack. The poison frog starts spitting blobs of mud that at least put our Flamethrower out before it reaches Croagunk.

Croagunk doesn't seem that strong. I feel pretty comfortable boosting Charmeleon's power. "Use Dragon Dance!"

Brock grimaces slightly when he hears my command. "Brick Break, go!" The Poison-type races towards us, as Heracross has taken to the air to match Flapple, and both Pokémon are flitting around the battlefield, occasionally taking the opportunity to strike out with an attack.

Charmeleon gets chopped on the head while he Dragon Dances, but he doesn't let the attack interrupt his movements. He glows red briefly after he's finished, and charges forward with Fire Punch.

"Cover yourself with Mud Slap," Brock instructs his Pokémon. Pretty soon the only part of Croagunk we can see is its eyes, although it looks perfectly comfortable being plastered in mud. It's not bad armor, it's just not that effective of a defense against a Fire-type move. Every punch Charmeleon lands dries out the mud, causing it to fall off in flakes. Croagunk tries to strike back with a combination of Brick Break and Poison Jab, but Charmeleon is putting way too much pressure on it for it to get a decent attack in.

"Dragon Rush!"

"Megahorn!"

I don't agree with Barry's strategy of taking Flapple head on, because this thing is ultra-powerful, but Barry has let his impatience get to him.

I look away from the imminent collision as both Pokémon charge forward with their most powerful attacks to concentrate on Croagunk, who we have isolated out. Most of his mud armor has been stripped away, and it's time to put the finishing touches on this battle.

"Use Flamethrower on the ground, Charmeleon," I order, taking some inspiration from how Gardenia used a similar strategy against me. We can't torch the entire battlefield, but we can make it so embers and wisps of flame lick against Croagunk's legs wherever it tries to run, slowly weakening it.

The colossal midair explosion of energy means I don't see exactly when Charmeleon deals the finishing blow, and instead I see Heracross and Flapple both getting blown back into the arena barrier.

Heracross gets up woozily, and Flapple doesn't. Couple that with Charmeleon knocking out Croagunk with one last Fire Punch, and I'd say we're on our way to victory.

Brock turns to his tag partner. "I'm so sorry, Wendy. I'm not as practiced as I used to be for a competition like this."

She winks at him. "We're not out of this yet. Go, Dachsbun!" '

How many food associated Fairy-types are there? There's Slurpuff, Alcremie, their pre-evolutions, and now this thing, which looks like a dog made out of bread. I think we'll be ok, though…

"Use Play Rough on Heracross!"

"Charmeleon, stop it with Flamethrower!" I shout in reply.

Dachsbun runs straight through our attack without any issue. If it wasn't for a last second Detect from our partner, that would have been the end of Heracross.

Fire resistant means it still would have felt our attack. Dachsbun is fireproof, apparently.

Body Press, then Play Rough again!" is Wendy's order.

"Metal Claw!" I call, knowing Heracross is tired, and using another Detect might be too much for it.

Charmeleon puts himself in the way, and lashes out with his extended claws, but despite being super-effective, they barely leave a mark. He gets bowled over, and slammed on for good measure, and then Heracross gets jumped on by this bread dog.

I don't know what's going on in the cloud of dust that Dachsbun kicks up, but when it fades, the Fairy-type is standing victoriously over a fainted Heracross. Barry recalls it while I evaluate what I know. It doesn't take any damage from Fire-type attacks. And for whatever reason, even our super-effective Steel-type attack isn't doing much damage, either. Plus, Dachsbun is a Fairy, so Dragon Rage is useless.

Let's hope Barry has something for this. He certainly seems confident. I know he doesn't have a Roselia, but another Poison-type here would be amazing. "I've got the perfect Pokémon for this situation! Go, Mudbray!"

This Pokémon… is just a donkey. "Mudbray?" I ask Barry incredulously.

"Yeah! You know I met my dad one time while I was on my journey, and he gave me Mudbray, saying that raising it would teach me a really important skill that I need to master. I don't really get it though, because Mudbray's awesome!"

I assume what Palmer is trying to teach Barry is to slow down, because I barely understood that. Well, I'm not sure what a Mudbray does, but today's a fine day to find out.

"Take it slow," I tell Charmeleon, who looks as impressed with our new teammate as I do. "Only Metal Claw, because it seems fire is useless against Dachsbun."

Charmeleon takes a couple of swings at Dachsbun, then retreats as the enemy Pokémon readies another move.

"Howl, Dachsbun!"

"Mudbray, Iron Defense!" The doglike Pokémon howls to the sky, while Mudbray's skin shines like steel.

Mudbray and Dachsbun prepare for a massive collision. "Use Play Rough!"

"Strength!" Dachsbun is way faster and it charges into Mudbray. I expect Barry's Pokémon to get sent flying, but somehow, Mudbray's slight frame is holding up. They back up to begin round two.

"Use Body Slam!"

"Counter that with Headbutt!

"Alright, try Play Rough!"

"Go for Heavy Slam!"

Charmeleon looks at me for instructions, as they continue to slam into each other, and all I can do is shrug. He keeps going for a Metal Claw here and there, but we're basically bystanders at this point, watching the slugfest of endurance, of who is going to fold first. Dachsbun looked to be the one who outlasted its opponent, but every time they ram into each other, Mudbray is getting stronger.

It comes to a point where Dachsbun can't even dislodge Mudbray from its spot, and eventually, the donkey Pokémon is pushing the bread dog back. This Pokémon's stamina is crazy.

Heavy Slam is taking a way heavier toll than our Metal Claws, because apparently Mudbray is packing some weight. I think Wendy realizes that she's got to throw out her best attack. "Use Body Press!"

"We'll show you a real Body Press! Go for it, Mudbray!" Barry shouts while grinning like a madman.

The two Pokémon pause for a second, gathering their strength and will for one last strike, before throwing themselves at each other, with their full weight behind the attack.

It's not even close, this time. Mudbray lives up to its name and brays loudly as Dachsbun this time is sent flying backwards. It doesn't get up.

The lesson for today? Sometimes, you have to know when not to get in the way. We barely have time to congratulate our Pokémon before we're ushered back onto the host's stage for a faceoff against our opponents in the finals.

I'm the first to break the ice. "What's in the water around Twinleaf Town, anyways?" I wonder aloud.

"The legendary Pokémon of Lake Verity," Barry answers immediately.

"You mean the one we never actually saw," Lucas says, making a face at his old friend.

"I saw it!" Dawn pipes up, and we all look at her.

"You did?!"

"Well, yeah? You mean all those days you two went out there, you never saw Mesprit once?"

Barry and Lucas shake their heads. I can guess why. Mesprit is the type of Pokémon to lead you on a wild goose chase to catch it. I'm sure it found it hilarious to not show itself to people searching for it, and reveal itself to Dawn randomly instead.

"Whatever the case," Lucas changes the subject, somewhat saltily, "I don't think us being here has to do with Mesprit. We're the two teams with the best teamwork."

"You guys are alright," Barry says condescendingly. "We'll come up with a master plan and prove that we've got the best teamwork in this tournament, for sure!"

For once, I back up his boasting. "I like you two, but I didn't come all this way to lose at the very end. No hard feelings, yeah?"

Dawn grins. "We can say the same to you. May the best team win tomorrow!"