Scizor burst onto the field in a flash of red, landing low with a metallic clang as his claws flexed open. His wings buzzed once, then settled into a steady hum. He didn't rush. He waited.
Steven's expression didn't change, but there was recognition in his eyes. "Scizor," he said softly. "A Pokémon that embodies precision." He turned the Poké Ball in his hand once. "Let's begin."
The ball opened in a burst of light. Empoleon emerged with a commanding presence, landing with a heavy thud.
The battlefield rumbled. Stone cracked and sank as water surged up from below, flooding the arena in seconds. Small platforms of rock rose just above the surface, barely stable. The air thickened with humidity as the sound of rushing water filled the chamber.
Steven didn't look away. "This battle will not remain constant. Adaptation is everything.
Empoleon stepped forward, water rippling around his legs as he let out a sharp cry. I felt Scizor's focus sharpen. Fast water. Limited footing. He wants control.
Then don't give it to him.
"Empoleon, Hydro Pump."
The attack fired instantly, a pressurized torrent tearing across the arena.
Move Scizor!
Scizor vanished in a burst of speed, thrusters igniting as he launched sideways. The platform he'd been standing on exploded into fragments.
Close the distance and use X-Scissor!
Scizor skimmed the water's surface and snapped into range, claw glowing for an X-Scissor.
"Detect," Steven ordered.
Empoleon shifted with surprising grace, catching the strike and redirecting it just enough to throw Scizor off balance. A perfect parry.
He's reading me.
Yeah, he is. But that takes time that you can use to reposition. Use his hesitation against him.
Scizor kicked off and flipped backward onto another platform as Steven's voice cut through again. "Maintain pressure. Ice Beam."
The temperature dropped instantly. A beam of freezing energy carved across the field, flash-freezing the water in its path. The battlefield changed again, ice spreading rapidly, turning unstable footing into slick, jagged sheets.
Scizor landed and slid.
Careful!
Empoleon advanced, now controlling the terrain completely. He's turning the field against us.
Then we take it back.
Scizor dug his claws into the ice, wings buzzing louder.
Flood your thrusters.
A brief pause of understanding followed.
Got it.
He skimmed low across unfrozen water, drawing it into his thrusters. Steam hissed as the internal temperature spiked. Steven's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Now, vent it."
Scizor surged forward, releasing a dense plume of toxic gas behind him. It spread low across the battlefield, clinging to the ice and water. Empoleon hesitated, just for a second.
"…Interesting," Steven murmured.
"Keep moving," I said. "Don't let him adjust."
Scizor blurred across the field, weaving between ice sheets, each burst leaving more gas in his wake. Empoleon took a step, then faltered.
It wasn't dramatic, but enough to make us aware of Emploeon's status.
"Back," Steven said quietly.
Too late.
X-Scissor!
Scizor launched forward, cutting through the haze with explosive speed. His claws glowed as he closed the distance and struck. The impact echoed, sending Empoleon skidding across the ice before slamming into stone.
Silence.
Empoleon tried to rise, but failed.
Steven watched a moment longer before recalling him. "…Well done." He slipped the ball away, eyes returning to me. "That was… inventive."
Scizor landed beside me, wings settling.
He was tough.
Yeah, I muttered. And that was his opener.
Across the field, Steven reached for his next Poké Ball. The air shifted before he even threw it.
"Let's continue."
Steven didn't rush.
The moment Empoleon's Poké Ball clicked into place, the battlefield responded again. The ice cracked, not melting this time, but fracturing as the entire arena shifted. Water drained away in seconds, vanishing beneath the surface as the platforms collapsed inward. What replaced it was something far less forgiving.
Solid steel.
The ground beneath Scizor darkened into a seamless metallic floor stretching across the entire arena. There were no footholds or variations here. Just cold, reinforced alloy. His claws scraped slightly as he adjusted.
"Steelix."
The Poké Ball opened, and Steelix crashed onto the field with enough force to ripple the entire arena. Its massive body coiled, head lowering as its eyes locked onto Scizor. The difference in scale was immediate. Scizor didn't flinch, but I felt it.
That's… a problem.
"Let's see how you handle something less forgiving," Steven said calmly. "Steelix, Iron Defense."
Steelix's body hardened, the grooves between its plates tightening as its metallic sheen intensified. I clenched my jaw. "Go, X-Scissor!"
Scizor launched forward in a blur, claws glowing as he struck Steelix's head.
A deafening clang rang like a hammer on an anvil. Scizor recoiled instantly as the force of his attack partially redirected back into him. He skidded across the steel, claws vibrating from the impact.
No damage.
"Again."
Scizor darted in, faster, striking at joints, the neck, anywhere that looked vulnerable. Each hit landed clean, but none broke through Steelix's reinforced shell.
Nothing.
Then Double-Edge came out of nowhere. The steel serpent blitzed forward faster than anything his size should have been capable of.
Scizor fired a short thruster burst, barely slipping out of the way in time. Steelix slammed into the PAP barrier, sending a ripple across its surface.
Then its tail came.
"Scizor!"
The impact hit like a freight train, launching him across the arena before he slammed hard and skidded to a stop.
Atrea… I don't think I can break through his shell.
I hesitated. What're you saying?
Scizor inhaled, steadying himself. I'll tire him out the best I can so Trilla can finish this. I think I'll go down here… but I'll make it count.
I reluctantly nodded.
He turned back to Steelix, wings buzzing.
C'mon, you big bastard. I'm right here.
Steelix reared back, energy building in its jaws.
"Flash Cannon, "
Scizor moved first.
Full power.
He shot forward in a blur as the beam fired, only to pass straight through an afterimage. In the same instant, Scizor slid beneath Steelix's tail and Mega Evolved mid-motion.
His frame expanded, claws locking around a reinforced plate along Steelix's midsection. With a violent wrench,
The plate bent.
Then snapped.
Steelix roared, thrashing as Scizor was thrown free, but he caught the tail, claws digging in. Another wrench. Another plate tore loose.
Then a third.
The gleaming reinforcement Steelix had built shattered away piece by piece, exposing the older, less fortified armor beneath.
Steelix turned in fury.
Scizor didn't hesitate.
"Now, X-Scissor!"
He struck clean across the exposed section, the impact finally drawing a reaction, Steelix's body jerking under the blow.
Then it retaliated.
Iron Tail slammed Scizor upward into the PAP barrier with crushing force. Before he could recover,
Double-Edge.
Steelix barreled forward like a living battering ram.
Scizor's vision blurred. He closed his eyes as the attack hit.
Everything went still.
I closed my eyes briefly and returned him. "You did well," I said quietly.
Across the field, Steelix settled as Steven slipped a hand into his pocket, composed as ever. "This is where adaptation matters most," he said. "Show me."
I didn't hesitate.
The moment Scizor's ball clicked shut, my next was already in my hand.
"Your turn."
Light burst forward as Trilla materialized in a soft shimmer just above the steel. She touched down as her eyes found Steelix.
He's damaged.
I nodded slightly. Yeah. The recoil from the beating he gave Scizor did some damage, but clearly not enough.
Steven studied her, sharp and attentive.
"Steelix," he said calmly. "Flash Cannon."
Energy built in Steelix's jaws as Trilla's focus narrowed, attempting to get a psychic lock. The air around her tightened as she reached out,
I have him.
"Fire," Steven ordered.
Protect!
Trilla was forced to pause the lock-on to defend herself. The barrier flared around her, but the attack never came.
Steelix lowered its head and fired straight down. The beam bored into the steel, turning it white-hot in an instant as it melted through the alloy. Then Steelix dropped into the opening and vanished.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
The field went still.
Atrea.
I squinted as a faint glow beneath Trilla caught my eye. It deepened from white to orange as the metal below her began to liquefy.
"Move!"
She sidestepped just as a pillar of searing light erupted from the ground where she'd been. Heat washed over the arena as another glow formed, then another. Steelix wasn't gone. He was repositioning and striking from below.
How is he tracking you? I asked, already piecing it together.
Your movement… he's reading the vibrations. Hover. Don't give him anything.
Trilla rose higher, perfectly still. The next Flash Cannon burst upward and missed. Then another, and another, each blast tearing molten holes through the battlefield as Steelix searched blindly.
Can you get a fix on him?
A pause.
No. He's too deep.
Steven folded his arms, calm as ever. "You won't lock onto him down there. Eventually, he'll get lucky."
I exhaled slowly, eyes scanning the field.
"…What's this made of?"
He blinked once. "An alloy developed at Devon Corporation."
"How deep?"
"Several hundred feet," he said, then narrowed his eyes. "Why?"
I smiled, an idea forming in my mind.
"Is it conductive?"
That did it.
Steven's eyes widened in shock.
"Steelix, surface now!"
I shook my head. "He can't hear you."
Trilla's hands began to crackle with electricity.
Do it.
She lowered her hand to the steel and released Thunderbolt. The current didn't spread outward. Instead, it sank into the battlefield, racing through the alloy beneath us.
For a split second, nothing happened.
Then the ground ruptured.
Steelix burst upward in a violent surge, his massive body convulsing as the current forced him out of the ground. Not damaged, it's ground typing ensured that. It was stunned as the electricity pulsed down Steelix's shell. We used his biology against him rather than his typing.
Now, Trilla, lock him up!
Her eyes ignited, but Steelix's body spasmed wildly.
His tail smacked Trilla aside in a jerk of uncontrolled movement.
The impact knocked her back and sent her skidding across the steel.
"Trilla!"
I'm fine.
She recovered faster than he did.
Steelix was still twitching from the residual current, its movements delayed just enough. Trilla's gaze locked onto him completely, psychic force snapping into place as Steven went still across the field.
Finish this.
Trilla moved with sharp precision, wrenching Steelix up from the ground and slamming him back down with crushing force. The steel beneath him cracked on impact, and before he could recover, she drove him sideways, then back again, each motion faster and more controlled than the last. The entire arena rang with it as she held him there, suspended in her grip.
She inhaled once, steady and focused.
"Psyshock."
The attack detonated through Steelix's core, bypassing the armor entirely. His body seized, then went still.
Unable to battle.
I let out a slow breath. "That's how we do it."
Trilla hovered beside me, calm as ever.
Well done, sweetheart.
Across the field, Steven recalled Steelix, his expression composed. There was something sharper behind his eyes now.
"Excellent," he said. "You forced the adaptation."
His next Poké Ball came up.
"Let's see if you can do it again."
Aggron hit the field like a landslide.
The battlefield shifted with him, steel giving way to jagged stone as a craggy mountain terrain rose from below. The ground was uneven with sharp inclines and tight corners all around.
Steven didn't wait.
"Aggron, move."
Aggron surged forward, weaving through the terrain with surprising agility for something that massive. As he moved, he smashed through several stone outcroppings with his shoulder.
Fragments scattered across the battlefield, revealing veins of crystal embedded within the rock.
At first, it looked random, but as each outcropping was demolished, I began putting the pieces together.
"…Trilla, wait!"
Too late.
"Flash Cannon."
Energy surged in Aggron's jaws as the beam roared out.
"Protect!"
Trilla threw her arms out to create the barrier just as the beam struck.
Relief flooded through me for a moment,
Then it split
The blast refracted the instant it hit the shield, splintering into multiple beams that ricocheted off the exposed crystals. Light bent and twisted across the battlefield, scattering in every direction before converging back inward from all sides.
"Trilla-"
The impacts slipped past her defense in fragments, striking from angles the barrier couldn't fully cover. Not full power, but enough. Her concentration broke as the barrage forced her downward, her feet touching the stone for the first time.
That's all Steven needed.
Lock her down!"
Aggron surged forward and locked his hands around her. With little to no effort, he swung Trilla around and threw her into a wall.
She hit the stone hard enough that I felt it.
Her body slid down for a moment before her eyes snapped open.
"Heavy Slam!" Steven shouted as Aggron began rushing toward his downed opponent.
Trilla reacted on instinct and Mega Evolved.
The shockwave erupted outward as her form shifted, the sudden surge of psychic force blasting Aggron backward mid-charge and tearing through the scattered debris around them. For a brief moment, the battlefield stilled.
Then Steven's keystone ignited.
"…Of course he's mega capable." I sighed, preparing for the worst.
"Mega Evolve!"
Light engulfed Aggron, his form expanding and hardening into something even more immovable. The ground beneath him cracked as he settled into place, heavier and ready for another fight.
I have him.
"Do it."
Trilla's eyes flared as the psychic lock snapped into place far faster than before. Aggron lifted from the ground despite his weight, and was violently wrenched upward before being slammed back down. Despite her boost, however, his added weight seemed to be draining her stamina.
Each impact cracked the stone, but put more strain on Trilla.
She hurled him through a boulder, shattering it on impact, and followed up with a Thunderbolt that lanced through the dust cloud in a blinding arc of electricity.
For a moment, I thought that was it.
Then the dust cleared, and revealed an enraged Mega Aggron, standing perfectly still as a shimmering field rippled around him.
The field had somehow caught Trilla's Thunderbolt. The electricity twisted unnaturally, caught in an invisible current that wrapped around Mega Aggron's body instead of dispersing.
"…No way." Was the only remark I could get out before the Thunderbolt snapped back.
Trilla vanished just as the redirected blast tore through the space she'd occupied, detonating against the stone behind her. She reappeared a few feet away, already reaching out again.
I can still take control,
"Aggron, anchor."
Mega Aggron grinned and drove his tail straight down into the rock. It pierced the ground like a spear, locking him in place.
I felt it immediately, as did Trilla
Even with the boost, I don't think I can wrench him free now.
"Then don't move him," I said out loud.
Steven's eyes flicked to me.
"What?"
"Move everything else."
Trilla didn't hesitate.
Her arms spread wide and snapped inward.
The mountain answered as the rock surrounding Aggron compressed violently, collapsing inward from all sides as the terrain itself turned against him. Stone folded and crushed, sealing him inside a rapidly forming tomb of his own battlefield.
A muffled roar echoed from within.
Then the stone began to glow.
"…Oh shit."
The tomb detonated.
Flash Cannon erupted from within, superheated and amplified, blasting through the collapsing rock and catching Trilla mid-recovery. The beam slammed into her, scorching across her form and sending her crashing to one knee.
That really hurt. She remarked as she forced herself upright.
Aggron tore free from the shattered stone, as steam and dust rolled from his carapace.
"Giga Impact," Steven ordered.
He moved like a bullet.
Psyshock Trilla, now!
She steadied herself, eyes blazing as the psychic lock snapped into place once again. It was now or never.
The moment Aggron entered range, she seized him and drove him forward into the ground with devastating force.
The attack detonated through his nervous system, stopping his charge cold, but not his momentum.
"Trilla!" I called as Aggron's unconscious body slammed into her with the full force of the attack behind it. The collision echoed through the arena as both were thrown back, hitting the ground hard.
The referee paused while the dust cleared.
"Both Pokémon are unable to battle."
He announced.
I exhaled slowly, staring at the aftermath.
"…Damn."
For a moment, the battlefield was still. Then,
"Ferrothorn."
Steven's voice cut cleanly through the silence as a flash of red light burst forward. Swampert hit the ground a heartbeat later. Ferrothorn emerged from her ball already spinning, spiked tendrils whipping around her like a storm of steel. She drove them into the ground and yanked herself down, her metal body slamming into the arena hard enough to crack the earth beneath her.
How could something that heavy move that fast?
"I'll start us off," Steven said. "Frenzy Plant."
Ferrothorn's tendrils stabbed into the ground, and the arena answered immediately. Massive vines, thick as pillars, erupted upward, twisting and lashing toward Swampert.
"Move!"
He reacted instantly, pushing off the ground as the first vine slammed down where he'd been standing. He twisted aside from another, but the third caught him clean and launched him across the field. He hit hard, skidding before rolling to a stop, and Ferrothorn didn't give him a second to breathe. Her body began to spin, slow at first, then faster, then faster still until her spikes blurred and her tendrils vanished into the motion, the rotation tightening into something violent and controlled.
Swampert forced himself up just as the spinning mass surged forward.
"Brace!"
Ferrothorn slammed into him with a ringing crash of metal on stone. The force drove him back, his feet carving into the ground as he struggled to hold his ground, and somehow, he did. Instead of giving ground, he stepped into it, snarling as his fist ignited with white energy.
"Ice Punch!"
He drove his arm straight into the spinning body. The impact tore into him as much as it struck her, and when Ferrothorn was knocked back, two of her tendrils hung limp, but Swampert staggered as well, his chest lined with fresh cuts and punctures. Both of them had felt that exchange.
Ferrothorn recovered first.
"Seed Bomb, if you will," Steven ordered.
Her tendrils snapped forward, and two small seeds shot out, fast.
"Swampert!"
One, he swatted it aside with the back of his hand. It detonated midair, the blast ripping past him, but the second struck his chest and exploded on impact. The force swallowed him whole, smoke and debris bursting outward as he was driven across the battlefield, his body skidding through the dirt before finally coming to a stop.
For a second, he didn't move. My chest tightened. That had to be it.
Then his fingers twitched.
Slowly, painfully, Swampert pushed himself up. His breathing was ragged now, his body shaking under the accumulated damage, cuts, burns, and blunt force stacking on top of each other. That should've dropped him. It didn't. He lifted his head, eyes locking onto Ferrothorn. Still standing. Still ready.
"Hydro Pump!"
He surged forward and fired at point-blank range. The torrent exploded from him, slamming into Ferrothorn with crushing force and ripping her off the ground. Water tore across her metal frame as she was hurled backward, but Swampert was already moving, pushing through the fading spray, closing the distance before she could recover.
"Hammer Arm!"
He leapt and brought his arm down with everything he had left, smashing Ferrothorn into the ground hard enough to crack the arena beneath her. For a split second, it looked like she might not move, then her body shuddered, and the field answered.
Spikes erupted outward in jagged clusters, embedding themselves across the battlefield.
I froze.
…That was going to be a problem.
Swampert didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, fist already glowing. He shouldn't have had anything left, but he did.
"Ice Punch!"
His fist crashed into Ferrothorn's core. Frost exploded outward, spreading instantly across her body and locking her in place, freezing her solid. Silence fell over the arena as she tipped, then hit the ground with a heavy, final thud.
"Ferrothorn is unable to battle!"
Swampert remained standing. Barely. His chest rose and fell in uneven breaths, his body covered in cuts, punctures, and bruising. Water dripped from him, mixing with the dirt at his feet.
He'd won.
But as I looked at the battlefield, at the Spikes scattered across it, I already knew that victory had come with a cost.
Steven smiled.
"Your Swampert sure can take a hit, but he's about to go against something that can match his endurance."
I gulped as Steven deployed his next Pokémon.
"Bastiodon," Steven said as the massive steel type hit the field with a heavy, ground-shaking thud. "Iron Defense."
I felt my pulse spike.
That move again.
He was trying to do exactly what Steelix had done: fortify first, force us to waste energy breaking through later. But this time I wasn't about to let him get away with it.
"Swampert," I called, sharp and urgent. "Give this move everything you've got left. Ice Punch, now!"
Swampert surged forward before the command had even fully left my mouth. Frost exploded across his fist as he charged, feet hammering into the battlefield with enough force to crack stone beneath him. Bastiodon had only just begun to brace, steel plating tightening as that familiar metallic sheen started to spread across his body.
He wasn't fast enough.
Swampert's fist slammed into Bastiodon's head plate with a brutal crack.
Ice burst outward in a spray of white shards, racing across the shield-like face of Bastiodon and freezing the entire front plate solid. The cold hit so fast it left a layer of frost steaming against the arena lights.
"Yes!" I shouted.
But Steven didn't flinch.
Because Bastiodon hadn't stopped moving.
The instant Swampert's punch connected, Bastiodon pivoted with far more speed than something that bulky should've been able to manage. His body rotated hard off the impact, using the momentum instead of resisting it.
"Now. Iron Tail."
His tail came around like a steel battering ram.
Swampert was still planted from the punch, too committed, too battered, and too close to evade in time. Bastiodon's tail smashed into his side with a metallic crack that echoed through the stadium. I felt the impact through our link like a jolt up my spine.
Swampert staggered hard, a pained grunt tearing out of him as he was knocked sideways.
Before he could recover, Steven stepped in immediately.
"Iron Head."
Bastiodon lowered himself and lunged.
Even stunned, Swampert tried to brace, but his footing was gone. Bastiodon's frozen head plate drove forward anyway, the sheer force of the charge overpowering the ice coating it. He slammed straight into Swampert's chest and launched him backwards across the field.
Swampert hit the ground hard and slid, leaving a deep trench in the stone before finally coming to a stop.
He tried to push himself up.
His arms trembled, then gave out.
My stomach dropped.
The referee raised his flag. "Swampert is unable to battle!"
I exhaled slowly, staring at where he'd fallen.
Swampert let out a frustrated grunt as I returned him, and I felt the same emotion through our link. He'd made the right read. So had I. It just hadn't been enough.
Steven rested a hand in his pocket, calm as ever, as Bastiodon stood his ground with frost still clinging to his head plate.
"A strong adjustment," he said. "But Bastiodon was prepared for it."
I clipped Swampert's ball back onto my belt and looked up at Bastiodon, then at Steven.
He was prepared, but he'd missed a key moment in the battle: Bastiodon had chipped his plate after using Iron Head. Swampert's ice Punch had softened his opponent's greatest weapon.
I plucked my next partner's ball from my belt.
Simon took flight the moment he materialized.
You're a big one, he remarked before folding his wings for a dive.
Dragon Rush! I sent.
His body ignited with that dangerous green energy as he bore down on Bastiodon's position.
The beast simply sidestepped, forcing Simon to pull up before he crashed. The instant Simon adjusted, Steven called for the counter.
"Iron Head!"
Bastiodon reared back and blitzed forward, his reinforced head plate slamming into Simon with brutal force.
Simon cried out as he landed on a cluster of Ferrothorn's Spikes. He got to his feet and shot back into the air, shaking his head hard to fight off any daze from Iron Head.
Try disorienting him in return. I suggested.
Simon opened his jaws and released a low-frequency burst of sound that struck Bastiodon head-on. The Supersonic made Bastiodon begin to sway, giving Simon the opening to dive, land, and slam his tail into the ground. Earthquake rippled outward in destructive waves that crashed into Bastiodon.
His opponent dug his hooves into the floor and stayed upright, refusing to buckle.
He retaliated with Stone Edge, stomping hard enough to send jagged pillars of rock bursting up toward Simon.
Simon twisted midair and shattered one of the pillars with his tail before climbing back into the sky.
"Force him to the ground, Bastiodon!" Steven ordered.
Bastiodon let out a blood-curdling Metal Sound from his head plate.
Simon grabbed at his ears and dropped out of the air, crashing into the shattered remains of the Stone Edge he had broken only seconds earlier.
Bastiodon wasted no time charging in with Skull Smash.
Simon pushed himself to his feet, but didn't turn to face him.
Block the sound out, buddy.
Simon inhaled sharply. A second later, I felt his thoughts clear. His shoulders relaxed as Bastiodon thundered toward him.
Fifty feet.
Thirty.
Ten.
Then, faster than I'd ever seen him move, Simon whipped around and drove a punch into Bastiodon's face so hard it broke the sound barrier.
The crack that followed was deafening.
Bastiodon dropped instantly.
One second, he was charging. Next, he hit the floor like he'd been shot in the head.
Simon staggered back as Bastiodon lay motionless, breathing softly but unable to continue.
Then I noticed it moments before he cried out. The adrenaline had dulled the pain.
His hand was broken in several places. He wouldn't be throwing a punch like that again for a while.
The referee raised a flag. "Bastiodon is unable to battle!"
To my surprise, Steven began to clap.
Not mockingly. There was real admiration in it.
"I haven't seen a punch that hard since Chloe's Krookodile dropped my Rampardos in our placement match," he said with a smile. "Well done, Atrea. You too, Simon."
Simon held his broken hand against his chest and managed a weak grin.
Worth it.
Then Steven's expression shifted, and my stomach tightened.
"Metagross."
The Poké Ball burst open, and the moment Metagross hit the field, everything changed. I felt it immediately, that pressure, that control. It wasn't just strength. It was precision, like every movement had already been decided before it happened. My chest tightened as recognition hit me. That's his ace. A chill ran down my spine. Simon… be careful.
Metagross moved first, lunging forward with a gleaming limb as Meteor Mash came crashing in. Too fast! Simon reacted on instinct, his tail whipping around to meet it. The crack of impact rang out as tail met steel, knocking Metagross slightly off its path, but not stopping it. Simon's eyes hardened. Then I'll make space. He slammed his tail into the ground, and the arena exploded beneath us. Earthquake tore through the battlefield, the ground splitting and heaving as Metagross staggered just enough to flinch.
Now!
Simon surged forward, draconic energy erupting around him as Dragon Rush carried him in, but his broken hand lagged, just slightly. And Metagross saw it.
It sidestepped. Clean and effortless.
My heart dropped. "No."
"Meteor Mash!" Steven ordered.
The strike slammed into Simon's torso with crushing force, folding him as the air was ripped from his lungs. He didn't even get to hit the ground as Metagross's eyes flared purple,
The Zen headbutt's impact was brutal, sending Simon flying into the barrier with a deafening boom that made the entire field tremble.
Everything went quiet.
Simon slid down slowly. For a second, just a second, he forced himself to stand.
I can still-
His legs gave out before he could finish. He slouched forward and collapsed, unmoving.
My hands clenched at my sides as the referee announced that Simon was unable to battle.
This entire battle with Steven felt like I was taking one step forward and another back.
You're up next, buddy.
Metagross growled as Nick touched down, its voice a raspy, metallic buzz that crawled down my spine. It felt… alien. Then again, my partner was an armored dinosaur with axe-blades for jaws, so I didn't exactly have room to judge.
Nick didn't hesitate. His tail slammed into the ground, Earthquake.
"Use Magnet Rise, my friend."
Steven's voice cut cleanly through the chaos. As the battlefield ruptured, Metagross lifted smoothly into the air, hovering just above the tremors, untouched.
Then it moved.
A blur of steel and psychic force, its fist collided with Nick's face, snapping his head to the side and forcing him back a step.
Before Nick could recover, Metagross twisted midair, slipping behind him. Zen Headbutt.
The impact drove Nick forward, his footing gone, but then his eyes ignited, glowing a deep, furious red.
Atta boy, Nick. Fucking lose it.
Nick roared, the sound rattling against the PAP barrier. He slammed his fists into the ground and surged back to his feet, turning just as Metagross lunged in with a finishing Meteor Mash.
Nick caught the punch.
Metal groaned under the force as his claws locked around Metagross's arm. The second fist came, caught again.
For a split second, everything froze.
Then Nick yanked it forward and drove his skull straight into Metagross.
"That's how it feels."
Metagross reeled back, its hover faltering as it shook off the blow, but it was too late. Nick was gone, completely consumed now.
He moved faster than I could track.
His tail whipped overhead and crashed down, slamming Metagross into the ground. Before it could rise, Nick stomped down, pinning it in place, completely exposed.
I couldn't help it. This one came out loud.
"Earthquake!"
Nick grinned, at least as much as those tusks allowed, and brought his tail down again.
The ground detonated.
Shockwaves tore outward, slamming into Metagross again and again like relentless surf. A psychic screech split the air, sharp and wrong.
"Mega Evolve!" Steven shouted.
"Oh… shit."
Light swallowed Metagross as mega energy surged. When it faded, Mega Metagross hovered far higher than before, its presence heavier, sharper.
Nick hesitated.
That was all it needed.
"Meteor Mash!"
It descended in a storm of strikes, faster than sight, faster than thought. A blur of silver fists hammered into Nick again and again, each hit landing before the last had finished.
Then silence.
Nick hit the ground.
I didn't waste a second. His Poké Ball snapped open, red light pulling him back.
"Good job, big guy. You did some serious damage."
And I meant it.
Even in its Mega form, Metagross wavered in the air, dipping every few seconds. A deep dent caved in beneath its chin, and one arm hung at an unnatural angle, barely responsive.
I exhaled once, steadying myself, then reached for my final Poké Ball.
"Zoey. Let's finish this."
The ball snapped open, and she hit the field at a run.
A thick smokescreen swallowed the arena almost instantly, buying her a few precious seconds to reposition. Metagross didn't hesitate. It surged forward, tearing through the haze, and found itself surrounded.
Dozens of Zoroark clones burst into view, each one lunging forward with Dark Pulse.
"Isolate her, Metagross. Gyro Ball!" Steven shouted.
Metagross dropped low and spun. Not as fast as Ferrothorn, but heavier and more deliberate. Metagross blurred into a crushing cyclone as it tore through the illusions one after another, not stopping until only one remained.
There you are. It muttered
Metagross surged forward, Meteor Mash coming down like a hammer. Zoey barely had time to react before the blow connected, launching her across the arena. She slammed into the barrier with a sickening thud, the impact knocking the wind out of her, but she didn't stay down. Twisting midair, she kicked off the force field and shot back in, Night Slash already formed. The strike landed, forcing a brief stagger out of Metagross, just enough for her to gather a Dark Pulse at point-blank range,
"Scatter."
Metagross came apart.
Its arms tore free from its body, leaving its core suspended as three fists shot forward at once. Zoey's eyes widened, but there was no time to adjust. The blows hit hard enough to drop her to one knee, her breath hitching as the fists snapped back into place.
Ow.
That was all she said.
With effort, she forced herself upright, slipping back into her stance like nothing had happened. That all you got?
Metagross answered with motion, blitzing forward again, but this time, Zoey cut the lights.
For half a heartbeat, the arena went black. When they flickered back on, a massive tidal wave was already crashing forward.
"H-how?" Steven gasped.
Too late. The wave swallowed Metagross whole… and vanished into smoke.
Silence.
You trust your senses too much, metal head.
The voice came from behind.
Metagross turned, just as Zoey uncloaked herself directly at its back. Their eyes met for a split second before Night Daze detonated point-blank. The blast forced Metagross forward, its body slouching,
, and then its eyes snapped open again.
One arm shot out and grabbed her.
You hit like a bitch, little fox.
He hurled her.
Zoey slammed into the barrier and dropped hard, her body crumpling as the impact echoed across the arena. The referee's flag went up. Metagross, already turning away, began charging a Meteor Mash that would end it.
Zoey didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
Then her arm lifted.
I picked up a trick… she forced out, her voice unsteady as air clawed back into her lungs, …watching Dakashi battle Caitlin's Medicham.
She brought her paws together. A slow inhale. Then an exhale.
Metagross charged.
Her paws opened, and something faint slipped from them, barely visible,
, and then the explosion hit.
"Holy shit! Was that Focus Blast?!?" Skyla yelled.
Metagross dropped like a cannonball, slamming into the ground without catching itself.
It didn't get back up.
My jaw went slack.
Zoey swayed where she stood. And he said I hit like a bit-
She collapsed before she could finish.
"The victory goes to Atrea Morgan and Zoroark!!"
The words echoed across the room, but they didn't fully register. Not yet. My heart was still pounding too hard, my body too slow to catch up. For a moment, all I could do was stand there, staring across the battlefield at the spot where Metagross had fallen.
Then it hit.
We won.
I rushed forward, dropping to my knees beside Zoey, pulling her into my arms. "Hey—hey, you're good," I murmured, brushing her hair back gently. "You were incredible."
Her illusion flickered faintly but held. Obviously, she mumbled weakly.
Steven approached from the other side of the field, recalling Metagross with a quiet nod of respect. There was no frustration in his expression. No disappointment.
Just… admiration.
"That," he said, stopping a few steps away, "was one of the most exhilarating battles I've had in years."
I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding, still half-laughing from the adrenaline. "Yeah… you don't exactly go easy."
"I wouldn't insult you by doing so."
He studied me for a moment, something thoughtful settling behind his eyes.
"Your mother would be proud of you."
That landed harder than the battle had.
I swallowed, glancing down briefly before meeting his gaze again. "…I hope so."
Steven gave a small, certain nod. "I know so."
A quiet beat passed between us before he continued.
"You came here looking for an answer," he said. "Whether you're ready."
My grip on Zoey tightened slightly.
"Well?" I asked.
A faint smile crossed his face.
"You are."
The weight in my chest shifted. Not gone, but steadier.
"You have the strength," Steven continued, "but more importantly, you have control. Trust in your team, and they in you. That is what will carry you through what comes next."
Cynthia.
The name didn't need to be said.
I nodded once. "Thank you… for this. For everything."
He inclined his head. "It was my pleasure."
Skyla stepped up beside me, offering Steven a grin. "Next time, maybe we do this somewhere with less… terrain shifting."
Steven's expression softened slightly. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Guess this is it," I remarked
Steven nodded. "Indeed. Until next time, Atrea."
"Yeah," I said, smiling faintly. "Until next time."
We returned to the lobby, and I withdrew Zoey to her ball before placing hers and the rest of the team's on the healing pedestal.
The soothing beeps sounded off in that familiar order, and everyone was as good as new.
"Ready to go home?" I asked Skyla, tapping the activation button on Trilla's ball.
"Absolutely," Skyla replied.
Trilla lifted a hand, and the air around us began to warp.
It was in that solemn bubble of light that I realized just how far I'd come, and how far I had left to go.