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Chapter 18

  (Hey, guys! so, since it's Crismin, I'm going to go on a little break! don't worry, all my stories will be continuing in the new year. Everyone, I hope you have a wonderful Merry Crisis!)

  Nemona hugs me from behind. “You get to have all-out battles with the Gym Leaders?! Man, I’m jealous…”

  The chairwoman clicks her heels as she repositions herself to face us all.

  “Now then, onto another crucial matter… I’d like to discuss with Penny here how to patch up the weaknesses in our League Point system.”

  Penny winces a little. “Um… but there’s a bunch of anime I’ve missed that I was just… gonna… binge…”

  Ms. Geeta’s smile is one that, while friendly-seeming, brooks no argument.

  “Thank you in advance for your willing and eager cooperation.”

  Penny gulps. “Gah-I mean, I’ll d-do it! I’ll help. Let me help.”

  “Excellent. We’ll leave you all to it, then. Come now, Penny.”

  I catch her sleeve as the Team Star Big Boss starts to follow Ms. Geeta.

  “Hey, Penny? When you get done, I’ll swing by your room with some snacks! I’m curious about your tastes in anime and manga!”

  The sheer delight that fills Penny’s eyes is beautiful, and I make a note to share some of my own favourites, making a list with as many different genres on it as possible. That way, she’s bound to like SOMETHING I’ve watched!

  Nemona keeps hugging me as Director Cvell pointedly averts his gaze from our btant PDA.

  “This is awesome, Carmina! Show this inspection thing who’s boss so that La Primera can join our tournament, okay? And enjoy taking another swing at the Gym gauntlet while you’re at it!”

  I nod, as she continues, “I’ll take care of filling out the forms and other administrative stuff so the ball gets rolling on the tournament in the meantime!”

  Director Cvell appuds. “I say, it’s wonderful to see you all showing such initiative. You each have a critical role to py. Miss Penny assisting the League, our newest Champion inspecting Gyms, Miss Nemona organizing the event… give it your best, everyone!”

  Arven grins. “Guess my role’s so obvious it goes without saying, huh?”

  In just under an hour, I’ve packed my bag and set money aside for the Flying Taxi. Artazón and Cortondo are very close by, I should start there… maybe I should follow the exact formu I did when I took the Gym Challenge the first time around?

  However… I do pause to make a quick trip to Arven’s room and borrow a little something from him…. The key to the Zero Gate!

  Returning to the Great Crater, I spend a couple of hours there, hoping to track down the other Koraidon. The st I saw, it was limping away after Rairai whupped its behind. If I can catch it, it won’t break free and go on a rampage. While there aren’t any more ancient Pokémon arriving, there are still those that are strong enough to break out of Area Zero. I want to make sure they don’t.

  Luckily, thanks to Rairai’s renewed confidence, it allows me to ride it while in the Great Crater, making my travels a lot swifter. And, finally, back at the Zero Lab, I find, behind the main building… the other Koraidon. It looks warier now, as if realising that it’s not invincible. Even if it’s more passive now, I can’t take the risk. I MUST catch it before it recovers and decides to bust out and hurt people. It’s already cimed one life… I won’t let it cim another.

  Approaching it, I draw out Galde’s Pokéball. With the moves I’ve taught it, Galde should be able to pacify the Koraidon long enough to catch. I’d rather not use this Master Ball unless I have no other choice…

  “Gwroooh!!!”

  While the wild Koraidon uses Bulk Up, I have Galde use Hypnosis, putting it to sleep and making it an easy target. It’s very strong, though, and I don’t want this to go wrong…

  While it slumbers, Galde nds one, two, three consecutive False Swipes, the restrained attack making sure we won’t give it too much of a beatdown. We want to CATCH it, not knock it out.

  It wakes up, hitting Galde with a Fmethrower, before another Hypnosis puts it back to sleep. More False Swipes nd, and I can see the Koraidon starting to look rough. It wakes up more quickly this time, and I resort to using a Full Restore to heal Galde’s injuries, allowing it to stay in the fight.

  A Giga Impact almost takes Galde out, but it hangs in there, allowing me to resort to a cheesy tactic known as ‘heal-stalling’, where I alternate between healing and commanding my Pokémon. A third Hypnosis eventually nds, allowing me to return to the False Swipe trick, nervous energy running through my fingers as I draw an Ultra Ball from my bag, and hurling it. The other Koraidon breaks out, and Bulk Up raises its abilities, much like a berserker getting frenzied.

  A second Ultra Ball fares no better, and neither does a third. I have plenty, but I need to keep Galde in the fight. If it faints, we’re in big trouble…

  The fourth ball’s a failure, too, and I start to worry. Just how tough IS this angry Koraidon?! This is the fifth ball, and STILL no luck! AGH!

  Galde finally succumbs to the relentless onsught, and I call out my Azumarill, hoping its tankiness can allow us to hold on a little longer.

  Finally, with over thirty Ultra Balls thrown, the second Koraidon gives up, and submits to being caught. I pick the gleaming bck-and-yellow ball up, before collecting all the broken ones to throw away. No point leaving trash around. Anyway! I’ve got a lot of work to do! First up, now that it’s been caught, the second Koraidon should have calmed down. Thanks to the advanced technology used in the construction of Pokéballs, catching a wild Pokémon curbs their natural aggression, allowing them to follow a Trainer’s instructions. Although, depending on HOW naturally aggressive a Pokémon is, you’ll need a lot of Pokéballs, probably of high quality, to catch something as powerful as what I just did. Let’s hope I can get out of here and lock up before I get caught!

  Making my way to Cortondo via Flying Taxi, I prepare myself to face off against Katy, the Sugarbug, once again. With Rairai raring to go, I feel it’s only fair to let it have some fun and warm up with some nice battles. Besides, I’m sure, now that it’s better, Nemona’s going to be climbing the walls for the chance to battle it. Might as well give her what she wants!

  After Katy, I head over to Artazón to battle Brassius, Cascarrafa to meet Kofu, Medali to deal with Larry, then absolutely curbstomp Iono, who’s not streaming, clearly having been warned by Ms. Geeta to knock it off with me. Then, Montenevera, where Ryme gets very upset about me being sent to battle her instead. Finally, since we’re already in the mountains, I have the Flying Taxi take me to Gseado Gym right after my battle with Ryme, and again pay the standing fee to have it waiting for me once I’m done with the irascible pretty-boy Gym Leader.

  It doesn’t take me long to track him down, since Gseado Gym is the only building there besides the Pokémon Centre. He’s waiting for Geeta, but pauses when he spots me.

  “Huh? I recognize you… you here to hit the slopes? I don’t recall the snow being too good today…”

  I smile. “I’m here on behalf of La Primera. She asked me to evaluate the Gyms, and that means I’m here to battle you!”

  “Oh, I see… you’re here to cover for Geeta. So, your dream came true. You’re Champion-ranked now. You must be so happy…. Wait, that sounded a lot more sarcastic than I thought. My bad. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s amazing. It’s just complicated for me- that’s all. Anyway, you came to test my skills right? Let’s get this over with.”

  I follow the Sub-Zero Shredder out to his battle court, ready and prepared. “C’mon out, Rairai! You’ve got this one, too!

  Heh. These League-mandated inspections happen a few times a year, y’know. If we don’t show we’re up for the job, we’ll lose our positions as Gym Leaders. Geeta always says it’s just a formality, but… I’ve already had to give up on being a pro snowboarder. If she takes away the talents I still have to show, then what’ll be left? Sorry, didn’t mean to bring the temperature down. It’s simple enough, really. All I need to do is make sure the power of my Pokémon chills you to the bone! Go, Frosmoth!”

  Rairai’s roar echoes off the mountainside, and I use Breaking Swipe, allowing us to cim the first round with a swift K.O, before Grusha’s Beartic meets a Drain Punch head-on and goes down right after.

  Cetitan is barely any more threatening, and hits the deck too, putting us in a comfortable 3-0 lead. Grusha’s Weavile is a Dark/Ice type, meaning Fighting moves are extremely effective against them, and it, too, eats a full-force Drain Punch and slides across the ice of the court on its back, probably seeing stars. Grusha’s Ace, Altaria Terastallizes, but I simply point.

  “Collision Course, Rairai!”

  And… boom. Down goes the cloud-bird.

  Grusha shrugs, adjusting his scarf.

  “Your burning passion… I kinda like it, to be honest. Man, though… Geeta must have it out for me. Sending someone there’s no way I could beat… still, no regrets on my part. I gave it everything I had. I hit you full force, and lost anyway. It made me feel… frustrated. It makes me want to become stronger as a Gym Leader. Put more of myself into it. I’d thought my passion had frozen over, but… you’ve rekindled it for me. Thanks, Carmina. I won’t lose next time, you’ll see! Try not to catch a cold on your way down the mountain, eh?”

  Finally, I make my way for the final stop on my duties. Alfornada, the home of Tulip and her Psychic-type Gym. When I arrive, Tulip greets me warmly.

  “Oh? If it isn’t Carmina. It’s been too long! Your beauty has become even more refined since the st time we met.”

  I smile. “Yours as well, Tulip!”

  She giggles cheerfully. “Who taught you the art of fttery? Is my young friend all grown up now? Anyway, I got filled in by the others. You’re here in pce of Geeta, yes? Just between you and me, I’m… not exactly her biggest fan. That bewitching aura of hers overps too much with my own style. So it may be for the best that she sent someone else for the job. With you, I feel like I can really give this battle all I’ve got. Are you ready for us to pursue quintessential beauty together?”

  I smile. “I am indeed, Tulip. Show me everything you’ve got!”

  Heading out onto the Battle Court at Alfornada Gym, I breathe deeply, energising myself, as Tulip takes her position opposite me. She sighs happily.

  “Ah, the rush of exhiration before a battle. Every cell in my body is humming with excitement. Having a totally amazing opponent such as yourself makes the feeling even more powerful. You know what? I’m really happy right now. A diamond in the rough that I helped to polish is now sparkling as bright as the finest of gems. Seeing others work so hard allows me to work hard myself, and never shed a tear. ‘Sadness’ is NOT in my vocabury, after all. The closest emotion I allow myself is the beauty of surprise. Allow me to teach you how to do true Emotional Spectrum Practice!”

  I raise a hand, one of my Pokéballs csped in my fingers. “Go, Garchomp!”

  I hurl it, as Tulip’s Farigiraf bsts out of its own Ball onto the court. Garchomp roars, and I command, “Dragon Rush! Now, buddy!”

  The power difference is clear, as Farigiraf eats the full-force attack, going down like a wilting flower. Tulip’s Gardevoir tries to tag my Pokémon with a Dazzling Gleam, but Garchomp burrows underground, tunnelling over to the Gardevoir, whose face shows clear panic as she tries to spot my ndshark. However, even scanning the ground frantically doesn’t prepare her, and Garchomp’s Dig allows it to pull off a brutal sneak attack that utterly K.Os the poor Gardevoir. I smile. “Come on back, Garchomp! Rairai, you’re up!”

  Koraidon rises from where it’s been curled nearby, watching, and enters its Battle Forme, as Tulip’s Espathra appears in a fsh of light. I click my tongue at Rairai, and it turns its head. I murmur, “Breaking Swipe, Rairai!”

  It nods, and then lunges, bodying the Espathra across the arena and into a wall. Tulip’s Galde tries to do ANYTHING, but an Ice Fang proves too much for it and it goes down as well. Tulip’s final Pokémon, her precious Florges, Terastallizes, and I smile.

  “Rairai, IIIIICE… FANG!”

  Even the power boost from Terastallizing doesn’t help, as Florges gets one-shot. Tulip recalls her fainted Pokémon, sighing. “A shocking glow-up, to be sure. You’re the total package! I expected no less. Beauty, strength… you’ve got it all. You know, in my line of work, people who ck talent in one area or the other often fade away quickly- never to be heard of again. Met with all kinds of setbacks, they fall into corruption in their desperation and end up even more miserable than the mundane do. It would be better for those people if they never had even the slightest bit of talent to begin with. Don’t fade away, Carmina. I want to see just how far your talent can go. This can be a promise between us. I hope you won’t break it. You did splendidly today. Thank you for everything.”

  I wave her off as I make my way back to the Gym, as my Rotom Phone begins chiming. Ro-to-to-to-to…!

  I answer. “Hello?”

  A familiar voice speaks. “Hello. Am I speaking to Champion Carmina? This is Geeta. How is your inspection of the Gyms going?”

  I smile. “I just finished, actually. Uh… how did you get my number?”

  “Heh… I’m the head of the organization. I have the addresses and contact information of every Champion-ranked Trainer.”

  I smile. “Nemona gave you my number, didn’t she.”

  There’s a short, but clear silence. I’m right!

  “A-anyway, I was informed by each of the Gym Leaders that you stopped by to see them. I knew giving you this task was the right decision, Champion Carmina. All of them seemed quite happy to battle you. Now, I would like the inspection report from you in person. Join me at the academy in the entrance hall. I will be waiting for you there.”

  She hangs up, and I sigh. “That woman… I swear, she has NO patience… ah well, back to Naranja for little ol’ me!”

  I make my way back to school via a Flying Taxi, paying the driver for the ride, and disembark in Mesagoza, climbing the stairs to the academy, and pushing through the huge doors as I spot the Chairwoman of the Paldean League waiting for me. she smiles as I draw near.

  “Good day, Champion Carmina. Now, tell me… what do you think of our entrance hall? Do you enjoy being surrounded by books?”

  I smile. “I love it! So much knowledge, free to absorb anytime I want. Plus, books were a big part of my life back in Gar…”

  The chairwoman smiles. “That’s good to hear. It was renovated a few years ago, and I was the one who came up with the new design! But, more importantly, I would very much like to hear your report on the Gym Leaders! Ah, now that I think about it, this location is perhaps a little too… public. Do you know of anywhere quiet we might be able to discuss things a bit more discreetly?”

  I nod. “My dorm-room here should be fine. Only me and the teachers here have a key.”

  I lead the way, unlocking my door and letting Geeta in. she looks around with interest.

  “So this is the dorm room where you live. I wonder, is this room what helped nurture your potential as a Champion?”

  I smile and shake my head. “It’s my mum… my Pokémon… my friends, Arven and Penny, and everyone in Team Star… and my girlfriend Nemona. They’ve helped me grow as a person, and supported and encouraged me throughout all my time here in Paldea… they’re the treasure I was looking for during the Treasure Hunt. They… are my greatest treasure.”

  Geeta smiles. “That’s right, you only moved into the dorms here recently. In the near future, perhaps I’ll pay your family’s home a visit, if I may…”

  I shrug. “Just let me know when. Mum’ll want to make sure the tea’s hot for any guests we get.”

  Geeta clears her throat demurely. “Anyway, let us get to the topic at hand. I would very much like to hear your report now that you’ve inspected the Gym Leaders. Tell me… which Gym Leader did you feel was the easiest to face in battle?”

  I muse. “Well, for ME, it would be Tulip, but my team has a good amount of Dark types on it. I’m very impressed she put up a good fight regardless.”

  Geeta nods thoughtfully, tucking away that little nugget of information.

  “Next, which Gym Leader left the strongest impression on you?”

  I answer instantly. “Ryme! She’s really cool, and very fun to battle. The whole Double Battle switch-up was quite refreshing compared to the formuic pattern of Single Battling.”

  Geeta tilts her head. “Then… which Gym Leader gave you the most trouble during battle?”

  I sigh. “Iono. I still don’t like her very much, after the whole ‘forced stream interaction’ thing, but… I can’t deny she’s talented as a Gym Leader. Her Tera Pokémon really screwed with my pns for a clean sweep when I battled her the first time.”

  Geeta leans in. “Now, this is the st, most important question. Which Gym Leader did you like the most?”

  I smile. “Larry. He’s so down-to-earth, though I think he could use a break, he seems really tired. Maybe a week off or something, let him rest up.”

  Geeta nods. “I see. Those are all the questions I have. Thank you very much for your help on this. Your perspective was fascinating, Champion Carmina. I have no doubt it will assist me when running the organization. Please accept this as thanks.”

  She hands me a strange stone shaped like a crown. “This is a King’s Rock. It can cause a targeted Pokémon to flinch in battle if the holder successfully nds an attack.”

  I set it down on my desk in a nice spot, the little quartz-y facets winking prettily in the light. “Thank you, Ms. Geeta.”

  “Thanks to you, my schedule has cleared up quite significantly… so I will most definitely be joining the tournament we discussed in the Director’s office. I’m sure Champion Nemona will be pleased too.”

  I shudder and smile. “I can already hear her squeals of delight.”

  The chairwoman smiles. “Well, thanks for letting me visit. I should get back to work now. You must also be tired. I suggest you take it easy for the next day or so.”

  She departs, and I smile. “Time to go and find my girlfriend. I want to go on a date with her!”

  We spend the next week doing cute couple stuff together, going shopping, eating a nice meal in a restaurant in Cascarrafa, even attending that concert of Ryme’s, and kissing a LOT.

  One week ter, thanks to Nemona’s pushing and a bit of cooperation from the Pokémon League, the day finally arrived for the great Pokémon battle contest to be held!

  I make my way to my door to leave, but Nemona barges in, beaming. “Hey, Carmina! I’m so gd we juuust managed to get everything ready for the Academy Ace Tournament! That’s what we decided to officially name it! It’s cool, right?!”

  I give her a hug, smooching her cheek lovingly. “It’s perfect. Just like you!”

  I smile at her blush. She tries to distract me. “Anyway, how you feelin’, Carmina? In the mindset to do some winning?”

  I smile. “I’m just hoping to have fun. And even more if I can have fun with you and my friends!”

  She smiles, then slumps with a bummed-out look on her face. “There’s that enthusiasm! Show us what a Champion’s made of! It’s so cool that La Primera’s gonna make a guest appearance, thanks to your hard work! I wish I didn’t have my hands full with all the behind-the-scenes admin stuff. I won’t even get to do any battling myself…”

  I smile. “Well, you’ve shown me enough of what you’re helping with, I can take over for a match or two. You can still have a bit of fun!”

  She almost throttles me with a hug, squealing in my ear, before kissing me deeply. “Thank you!”

  We make our way down to the entrance hall, and I sign in. even the teachers are in the running, and all matches are drawn by lottery, meaning there’s no way to predict who I’ll face. I smile and sign my name, entering the tournament, heading down to the battle court.

  I stand out there amongst the crowd of prospective hopefuls, as Director Cvell looks down at us from the podium. “Excellent. It seems everyone is here. Some f you will certainly have heard the happy news. We have a new Champion here at Naranja Academy! Yes, none other than our very own Miss Carmina!”

  He indicates me, and I can feel my cheeks pink with embarrassment.

  There’s some muttering about how I must be amazing at battling, or a really lucky girl, going round, but I ignore them, trying to focus. My girlfriend’s standing next to the Director, smiling at me.

  The Director continues, “It gives me great joy to see one of our students achieve this feat during their time at the academy. Today’s tournament was organized by your student council president, Miss Nemona, in celebration of her friend’s accomplishment. I invite all of you here to see for yourselves the prodigious strength of our new Champion, not to mention the talents of those students ciming the spotlight for the first time today… and of course, the superb battle prowess and acumen of our esteemed faculty. Now, without further ado, let the Academy Ace Tournament, our School Battle Brawl… BEGIN!”

  The radio club takes over as emcees, announcing each match in tandem, using the P.A linkups they’d installed so that each match py-by-py isn’t drowning out any other.

  “Alright! Let’s jump right into the first round, everyone! Who will the fates pair up today?! Champion Carmina will be facing… ARVEN, FROM CLASS 2-G!”

  I start as my friend saunters out to meet me, grinning insouciantly. “Ah, you’ve gotta be kidding me. Up against my Champion buddy right from the get-go? Well, how about it? I bet you’re surprised to see me in this tournament, right?!”

  I smile. “Not at all, Arven! I knew you’d be here!”

  He blinks. “Wait, you actually thought I’d sign up? Boy, I guess you really do get me… no wonder we’re best buds!”

  He sighs. “See, when we went down into Area Zero, it really drove home for me how I need to get stronger. So, I’ve been off doing some special, super-serious training with Mabosstiff and my team! If we ever end up in trouble again, I want to be there fighting beside you- on the same level. So today, I’m here to WIN! Even if it might only be by a stroke of luck! Get a taste of this! Arven’s here with some spicy new fvours for you!”

  I smile. “Alright, buddy! Hit me with everything you have! I’m not gonna hold back at all, either! Come at me and earn your win, I want you to beat me!”

  He chuckles, and draws his first Pokémon out.

  “Go, Greedent!”

  I send out my Garchomp, my first order to Dig, as the Greedent’s Body Sm misses by a mile. However, its Earthquake would’ve caught my Garchomp if it’d stayed underground, the burrowing ndshark managing to nd a vicious hit and almost take the fat, dopey Squirrel Pokémon down immediately.

  I snap my fingers. “Dragon Cw, Chompy!”

  Garchomp obeys fwlessly, finishing the Greedent off and then dealing a serious beatdown to Arven’s Toedscruel, then his Cloyster.

  Garchomp does take some serious damage, and I call out, “Are items allowed?!”

  The Director nods. “Yes, items are allowed, I should have crified!”

  I dig into my bag and use a Max Potion to heal my Pokémon, even though that gives Arven another chance to inflict major damage. Then, I finish the Cloyster with another Dragon Cw.

  Switching out Garchomp, I send out Azumarill, Arven’s Garganacl taking the field. I smile. “Liquidation, Azumarill!”

  The Garganacl goes down, and then Arven’s Scovilin eats an Ice Punch after using Fmethrower. Then… Arven’s Mabosstiff enters the field. I smile. “Hey, Mabosstiff! Let’s py, yeah?”

  “BWOOF!”

  I cp my hands. “Okay, Azumarill, use Py Rough!”

  Mabosstiff goes down, and Arven smiles. “You’re so strong and cool… I’m real proud to call you my best friend, you know!”

  I skip over to hug him. “You too, Arven. I’m so gd we got to know each other on my first day in Paldea!”

  After helping him patch up his team, I take care of my own Pokémon, before we walk off the court to let the next match take pce.

  I sub in for Nemona so she can tear the field up a little and blow off some steam, before my next match is called. My next opponent is…

  “Champion Carmina will face, in her second round… JACQ, THE BIOLOGY TEACHER!”

  He smiles at me as the crowd goes wild. “Hello, hello, Carmina. I hear you went out on your Treasure Hunt and ended up becoming a Champion . That’s quite the achievement! I guess I’m the homeroom teacher for TWO Champion-ranked students now! I won’t lie, I’m feeling a wee bit of pressure here! I’ve got to work hard so my students don’t outshine me TOO much, huh? Well then, let’s get stared, shall we?!”

  I smile and nod. “You got it, professor Jacq! I’m going to demonstrate what you’ve taught me this year!”

  Professor Jacq releases his Arcanine, a huge tiger-like canine with an extremely spiky mane and tail. Garchomp takes the field on my behalf, and I raise a hand. “Earth Power, Garchomp! Give it all you’ve got!”

  The bst of energy erupting underneath Arcanine’s paws sends it flying, and it fails to make it back to its feet, slumping as my homeroom teacher recalls it, before sending out his Swalot.

  I smile and bring out another Pokémon.

  “You’re up, Rairai!”

  “Gias!”

  Koraidon takes the field, its Battle Forme garnering impressed reactions from the crowd, before I command, “Ice Fang, Rairai!”

  The Swalot counters with Protect, then takes the second Ice Fang, managing to hold out long enough to nd an Ice Punch. Rairai shakes its plumed head, before using Drain Punch. Jacq’s Swalot colpses, and the teacher sends out a Slowbro, which doesn’t fare much better.

  “Breaking Swipe, Rairai!”

  “Agias!”

  Next is a huge Mudsdale, a beast of an equine Pokémon that even towers over Koraidon. An Ice Fang is enough, though, and I switch in my Gardevoir. “Go on, show them who’s the boss!”

  Jacq’s Lurantis gets taken out of the fight with a single Moonbst, and his Farigiraf Terastallizes, only for another Moonbst to deal significant damage. It retaliates, and I resort to having Gardevoir use Draining Kiss to earn the win.

  The emcee bres, “And the winner of this second-round battle is… Champion Carmina!”

  Jacq chuckles. “Hehe. You beat me! You’re quite the strong Trainer, aren’t you? You might be a better fit for the teaching profession than me with your boundless confidence!”

  Director Cvell bellows, “Mr Jacq! Did I hear you correctly just now?!”

  My homeroom teacher turns to see an irate school director frowning at him. “Uh… well, I’m going to go get yelled at. Good luck in the coming battles!”

  He heads off to the Director’s side, and I leave the court to heal my team before my next match.

  The battles come and go, and I sub in for Nemona again, giving her the chance at a few extra battles, until…

  The emcee whips the assembled crowd into a fever-pitch. I can even see Gym Leader Ryme in the audience, clearly having the time of her life.

  “Finally, only four contestants remain! Time for our Trainers to face their third matches, everyone! The matchup for this battle will be Champion Carmina versus… MS DENDRA, THE BATTLE STUDIES TEACHER!”

  I gulp. “Ah, I’m in trouble. She’s been angling at fighting her students since day one, and now, I’m on the chopping block…”

  “Osu! Hey, new kid! This ‘School Battle Brawl’ is for deciding who the strongest Trainer is in the academy, right? Man, I’m so pumped up! There’s no better pce for me to show off my strengths!”

  I sweatdrop. “Oh my Arceus, you sound like my girlfriend right now. She’s as battle-hungry as you, Ms Dendra…”

  Her first Pokémon is Falinks, a weird hive-mind entity with several bodies that all follow the one with the most ornate colouring. It still goes down to a Dragon Cw, and her Medicham takes its pce.

  I keep Garchomp on the field, and command, “Dragon Rush!”

  The Medicham tries to dodge, but Garchomp’s like a missile, just too fast, and the blow causes Medicham to become a rocket itself, though… not exactly of its own volition. The teacher’s Tauros tries a Close Combat, but Garchomp’s burrowed underground with Dig and nds a crushing blow to the underside of the bullish bovine.

  To my surprise, Ms. Dendra sends out ANOTHER Tauros, and I use Dragon Cw, dealing a good amount of damage, before comboing right in an Earth Power. Her Hawlucha proves to be a bigger problem, and I switch out for Azumarill, the water rabbit-mouse bounding around excitedly as it uses Py Rough.

  I gasp when her final Pokémon, a massive blob of muscle and anger emerges. “Hariyama!”

  I switch to a little something I’ve been saving. While I was down in Area Zero to catch the other Koraidon, I’d stumbled upon a rather unusual creature, unlike even the ancient beings roaming the crater. This one looked like some kind of robot, and exhibited appearance traits of both Gardevoir and Galde. It appears to go by the species name of Iron Valiant.

  I’d caught it, of course, since it was rampaging, sshing its bdes at anything that got near, and I’d taken the chance to train it up a bit. It seems like I’d need its power now, though.

  “Go, my newest friend! I summon Iron Valiant in attack position!”

  The shocked and amazed gasps from the crowd, as well as Ms. Dendra, are enough to send a thrill down my spine. Iron Valiant appears, twirling its bdes into position as Ms. Dendra Terastallizes her Hariyama.

  I smile. “Use Spirit Break, please!” I watch as Iron Vvaliant, charges, swinging its bdes so fast that they appear to be still. The Hariyama takes half-a-dozen hits in the span of a second, crashing onto its back with spirals in its eyes as it groans, “Hari…” before passing out.

  And with that, Ms Dendra… is defeated.

  The emcee roars, “And the winner of this third-round battle is… Champion Carmina! And what a win! She’s showed us something never-before seen, and there’s no telling just how far she can go!”

  Ms. Dendra sighs, “No way! I got crushed! But I still got something great out of this battle. This was a massive chance for me to grow! You might be surprised to hear this, but we adults are still learning every day, too! That’s why we’re always harping on you kids to study! Turns out, we actually DO know what we’re talking about, kyahahaha! Thanks for the battle! Keep aiming for the top, and don’t forget… Osu! Osu! OSU!”

  I head back to heal up my team for the finals, and, after giving my girlfriend a kiss to reward her for doing so well in her own matches, I get called out as one of the finalists.

  “There’s one st match left in this tournament, dies, gentlemen, and folks of all persuasions! Allow me to introduce the two Trainers who’ll be facing off to finally determine who’s strongest in the academy! It’s Champion Carmina up against…”

  I stare with dull surprise. “Well, I should have seen that coming. Hello!”

  The emcee continues, “A special guest joining our tournament, the Top Champion, La Primera, Ms. Geeta!”

  Ms. Geeta smiles, her bck business-suit immacute.

  “Good day, Champion Carmina. I had a feeling I would meet you here. Honed strength against honed strength… such a csh is what captures the crowd… and makes their hearts race. This is extremely close to what I would call my ideal world. As the chairperson for both the League and the academy… I find this situation to be incredibly satisfying. Now, if we both push each other to greater heights, we will achieve greater synergy. COME, Champion Carmina! Our battle will inspire all those who watch us today! Let me show you… the full might of the Top Champion!”

  I smile despite myself. “Bring it on, La Primera! I will not hold back! I have too many friends to count on to lose so easily!”

  Geeta’s Espathra takes the field against my Garchomp, and I demolish the rge flightless bird with a Dragon Cw, before pivoting into a Switch, allowing Garchomp to return and sending out Iron Valiant again.

  Geeta’s Veluza suffers a Spirit Break, before her Gogoat meets a Psychic Bdes and withstands the assault long enough to retaliate, causing damage to my mechanical Pokémon. I snap my fingers. “Moonbst, please!”

  The sphere of lunar energy finishes the Gogoat’s defiant stand, and I Switch again, bringing Rairai to the front as Geeta’s Kingambit roars, arms folded like a samurai general.

  “Come on, big fel. Go with… Collision Course!”

  Leaping up, Rairai spins into the Kingambit with terrifying speed and force. It braces itself, trying to hold back the sheer power of my partner, but to no avail. Inch by inch, Kingambit’s cwed feet slip back, until it slips just enough for Rairai to nd the hit, sending it down on the floor.

  Geeta sends out her Avalugg to try and even the odds, but a Drain Punch takes it out instantly. And her final partner, Glimmora, Terastallizes into a new type, surviving a Breaking Swipe from Rairai, and unleashes a Moonbst of its own, sending Rairai skidding back as it eats the full force. Shrugging its head, Rairai gathers itself to attack once more.

  “Ice Fang!”

  “Giyaaaah!”

  With a chilling crunching sound, Rairai tches on, shakes the Glimmora like a chew-toy, and hurls it across the arena, down and out.

  Geeta starts to cp. “The future of Paldea is bright indeed.”

  The emcee stammers, clearly a bit shocked. “U-Unbelievable, everyone… The victor of this tournament…and thus the strongest Trainer in the whole academy is… CHAMPION CARMINA!”

  The crowd goes ballistic, roaring and cheering my name, screaming approval and compliments so loudly I can barely make out a word. I can see Arven, Penny, Nemona, Eri and Carmen, Atticus, Giacomo, Me and Ortega, Ryme the Gym Leader, and all the other faces I’ve gotten to know through my journey. In just six months, I’ve found my pce, here in Paldea. The Gar region and its Trainer’s School, and the hard times I’d been through back there, are growing harder to focus on now that my life’s begun anew… I raise my head and let out a whoop, my heart lighter than it’s been in years.

  Nemona bolts out of the crowd to throw her arms around me, her lips finding my cheek as she celebrates my victory. And, with the first annual Academy Ace Tournament over, I settle back into a comfortable routine. Attending csses, eating lunch with everybody, group study session in my dorm room. All the things I’d missed out on at school back in Gar.

  Penny and I start gaming together on the regur, with Arven and Nemona occasionally joining us, and I help out the League with odd jobs here and there, along with plenty of battles against my girlfriend, as well as all my friends.

  And that’s where my adventures come to an end…

  Or so I thought! After the summer break, I get a call from Professor Jacq, inviting me to stop by the school entrance hall, something about a ‘cultural exchange trip’?

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