Melia walks up the stairs to find Ava surrounded by Butterflies of Fate. The Arceus statue's gold shines, the cloudy white marble reflecting the golden sun sitting just above it. The smell of autumn and fresh water is accompanied by the sound of flowing water and rustling leaves. The wind blows softly, picking up scattered leaves and spreading them even further.
"Wow…" Melia whispers under her breath.
"You ready!?" Ava tosses a Net Ball in her hand.
"You know, Ava, I had a great time today, but this is different." Melia starts walking towards Ava. "Even though I do love researching things, battling is another passion of mine." Ava smiles as she turns to Melia. "You were able to beat Venam, but I've beaten her too. Let's use this battle to determine which one of us is the strongest. So don't hold back, okay?"
The pair confidently chuckle. "Let's go!" they say in unison as they throw out their Pokémon.
Ava looks at her Aevian Sewaddle. "Swaws! Use Infestation!"
Swaws starts chirping, but Melia's Buneary cuts their focus with an affirmative clap. "Now hit her, double time!"
"Let's try it again! Give that lil' shit aggressive lice!" Buneary starts rocking side to side in a boxing pose, her purple arms glowing with a white hue. Oh my god, SHE'S GONNA FUCKIN PENDULUM SWING. Swaws takes the combo to the face and, while obviously dazed, starts chirping again.
"You got this! Let's go again!" Melia cheers from behind her Buneary as it stops itching. Sewaddle comes at her again. "You got this!" Buneary goes in for the punch but misses, scratching her side instead.
"Bug Bite!" Swaws' fangs glow white as they grow an inch or two. Once she gets in close again, Buneary throws another punch but gets her arm bitten in the process.
"You did well as always," Melia whispers, recalling the fainted Buneary and bringing out another Pokéball. "Come on out, Stufful!"
Is that the cotton candy teddy bear? Ava recalls Swaws and brings out a Luxury Ball. "Deluxe! Time to wreck house." Deluxe howls, but Stufful seems unfazed. "Light that little shit up!"
Ava's Braixen takes a huge inhale. "Roar!" Stufful takes an equally deep inhale, but before he can get it out, Deluxe's flames torch him, resulting in a faint.
"Wow… and you only just started…" Melia whispers with a soft smile. "Wooloo!"
"VeeVee!" Char cheers from behind Melia as they snack on something.
"You traitor! Deluxe, after you make mutton, turn Char into dog food!" Deluxe looks at her senpai and shakes her head disappointedly, then spews a wall of flames.
"Get out of there!" Melia cries. The wall of flames dies down seconds later, revealing a slightly charred Wooloo. Melia steps back. "W-wait… I-I don't think this is how it was supposed to go," she states a bit frantically as she sends out Hapi.
"Lamb and scrambled eggs. My favorite! Flame Charge!" Deluxe creates another wall of fire and runs through it, tackling the young Togepi. Hapi yawns after getting hit, forcing a yawn out of Braixen. Oh fu— "Grill'em!" Deluxe jolts from the holler and spits fire as a response. "That works too," Ava adds as the Togepi faints.
"I see, so that's how it goes…" Melia picks up Hapi and uses a revive on him. "Looks Like I've got a long way to go." Ava pats her on the shoulder
"It's too early to be doubting yourself. Plus nobody has beaten me yet, so…"
Melia sighs. "I didn't say it wasn't ok but thanks. It's not like people can be the best all the time." Char rubs against her ankle. "I'll take this battle as a lesson."
"That a girl." Ava goes over to the spot where Char was. "You mother fu-!.. You ate the rest of the macaroons. You betray me and then you take my reward." She sighs
"Eev.." Char shakes out a macaroon from his mane fluff
Melia takes a napkin filled with some from her pocket. When Ava reaches out to them Melia grasps Ava's hand in her own "Thank you, Ava. For the battle and for today."
"No issues" Ava replies, staring at the cookies "Now let's start cleaning up." Ava taps Melia's shoulder
"I already did, but I'll need help with the blanket." An explosion is heard right as Melia ends her sentence. "W-what in the world was that?!"
"That sounded like it came from the forest!"
"Ava, let's forget the blanket. We have to go back to Goldenwood Forest immediately." Ava finds out that Melia wasn't asking but telling her as Melia grabs her by the hand and bolts for the cave.
Was that an Absol? Ava thinks as the two enter the ruin passageway.
"H-Help! Help!" an old lady screams as she runs onto the ruin entryway.
"Ma'am, are you ok? What's goin on?" Melia still panting checks on the old lady.
"I heard this awful explosion near the forest and went to go take a look!" Melia steps away from her "Then these awful people in black showed up and blocked off the exit! They took my darlin Furfrou and now they won't let us leave!"
"People in black?"
"Xen…" Ava's tone filled with disgust
"Yes, actually I think that's right! It's Team Xen!"
Ava starts walking past the woman "We'll try to figure something out, you stay here."
"NO! I'm going to go rescue my dear old Foofie!"
Ava knocks out the old lady. (Imagine it as you will) "Nah."
"Ava!"
"What!? She was going to get hurt."
"You have a point, but you can't just hit people without talking to them!"
"Fine… Mom, sorry. Now can we go and check what's going on?"
"Fine. If it's true that Team Xen is here we'll have to fight our way out. We got this, Ava!" Melia runs off leaving Ava in the cave alone.
I'm about to make me an enemy. Ava chases after Melia. "Yo! Wait for me!"
Another explosion goes off as Ava catches up to her friend. "So it's true… Team Xen really is here!"
"Glad you heard of us." A black haired male grunt replies
"Where's the bald guy? And the purple haired one? Especially the purple haired one."
"The hell you worrying about that for? You ain't makin it that far." He scoffs. "Enough talk! We're here for the girl, Any resistance will result in a firm display of-!"
Ava steps in front of Melia and tosses a Netball. "Guess we're fighting."
"There's always one!" The grunt tosses out a normal pokeball, the Meowth that came out emits a purple aura.
"That Meowth… There's something different about it.." Melia looks at it, her voice was hiding a negative emotion
"Madelis wasn't able to hide its appearance, but you're right! This is what's called a shadow Pokémon. A pokémon that has its heart completely closed. A truly Ruthless fighting machin!-"
"It's an emo. They don't know how to fight."
"You little bitch!"
"At me."
"Ava!" Melia interjects
"I'm talking, what more do you want from me? Jeez mom-" Melia tosses a techy glove to Ava as she turns around
"Put it on your dominant arm!" Melia rubs her temples "Ava, this is going to sound awful, but I need you to catch-..."
"GO POKEBALL!" 1..2.3… The pokeball chimes confirming the catch. "As Purple venom would say, "it's just that easy". "
"W-What?! My Meowth!" The grunt falls to his knees.
"Y-You snagged his Meowth? How is that possible?" a blonde woman says beside her fallen comrade
"So, it is a Snag Machine. Why would a Snag Machine be in the briefcase?" Melia turns away from Ava. "Unless…"
"Can we not think about stuff while in an active raid?"
"Y-yeah."
"..Hey.. give me back my Meowth. I raised it from an egg! You can't just take it away from me!"
"No! You used it for experiments, and worst of all you are the direct reason it turned emo. and you yelled at me, but that's beside the point. Evidently it doesn't want to come back home." Ava puts his Meowth in her backpack
"You'll regret this! Both of you!!"
"He says running away. Fuckin Pokestar "villain". "
"Ava, I don't know why all of this is happening, but together we can get out of this." Melias peeps to Ava
She's just saying that to herself at this point.. I guess I can be serious. Ava stretches. "Why wouldn't we? We got a Pre-Gym Leader and the world's best rookie. Now come on we got a forest to leave." Ava says, signaling to Swaws to follow her jogging body.
Melia comes up to her companions' side wearing a combination of shock and terror. "They've destroyed the lake…"
"And summoned a gateway for Giratina.." Ava points over to an black orb of miasma with a tall blonde man kneeling before it with open arms
"What in the world is that???" The blonde female steps back, her voice confused "I don't like the look of it at all."
"Well if it makes you feel any better I don't find it beautiful either.." Ava sighs "All jokes aside. Like it or not we need to take care of it, otherwise we can't leave. Negative Nancy attitude or not."
Melia's eyes grow along with a smile "You're right, Ava. We have to win! We can't lose here!" her smile dims but her determined stare overlooks it. "Our lives.. Our lives depend on it! We can do this!"
As Ava takes her next step a tired voice calls out "Uh-Uh This is as far as you go,you two.."
"Sharly, is this people we are out for?" A timid yet energetic voice seeks confirmation.
"Eli, it's.. Sharon. Not Sharly." A woman with Orange hair walks out from her corner
"Ah, yes! Sharol! Of course!" The timid voice affirms with more energy. A black haired male steps out from the opposing side of the female
"Gutted" Ava smirks
"Are you two… alright?" Melia asks
"Never better. I just got pulled into a mission I had no desire to commit to. And even worse, I was paired up with a partner that can't even speak my language. But considering your position, I'm assuming your afternoon is worse?" The Orange haired woman sounded annoyed with a default boredom in her voice
"I say give it a little past half a year." Ava looks down at Swaws who looks dead at her "What?"
Melia ignores Ava "It's your fault it's like this…"
Sharon sighs "Well I can't beat that logic, but… Unfortunately this is how life is. Isn't it a drag? Let's just get this over with, yeah?"
Eli and Sharon send out a Misdreavus and a Murkrow. "Swaws! Bite that ghost…"
"Confuse ray, Murkrow! On the… bug!" Eli shouts with a bit of uncertainty as Swaws smiles at him
"Misdreavus use psywave on the togepi." Togepi starts yawning which forces a yawn from the other pokémon.
Swaws bites down on the Misdreavus right after it shoots its psywave. "Do it again!"
"Likewise Misdreavus." Sharon looks at Eli "Attack the togepi if we don't end it." Misdreavus notices Swaws recovering from the slight fall and runs away, but not without shooting at the togepi.
"Use Metronome!" Togepi finishes her yawn fest and before she can do another thing she's wacked by another pink wave of energy.
"Wing attack, Murkrow!" Eli points to the togepi, noticing it hasn't fainted. Swaws runs across its field of vision to bite into the Misdreavus
"Come on out Buneary!" Melia tosses out a pokeball with Ava looking at Swaws, who yet again, looked back at her with now half lidded eyes.
"Let me see your Glameow." Sharon asks Eli, who complies with no objections
"I'm bringing you back." Ava cups her netball with a steamball. "Go King!"
Buneary claps beside the Glameow making it stumble and fall. "Confuse the bunny." Eli demands with more certainty
Murkrow stares deeply into the Buneary's eyes, making it wobble a little. "Use double-"
"hit!"
"Kick" Melia and Ava say simultaneously looking at the Glameow
Buneary beats King to the punch, punching Glameow twice before it can process the danger it was in. King sees the Murkrow rather close to the wall and starts galloping for the wall. "My bad. Stunky!" Sharon apologizes to Eli
King climbs the wall and pounces down on to the Murkrow, kicking him in the back twice. "Now do It again! Add some flare this time." Ava demands with a playful wink. But Melia's Buneary yet again beat Ava and king to the punch. Drilling to hits into the stationary bird. "... Go for the skunk!"
"I sorry" Eli says to his tired-looking partner.
"It's alright, not like I expected us to actually beat them. Bite the Buneary!" Sharon looks at her partner then at her Stunky. As it runs toward Buneary King kicks it in its side twice.
"Buneary end this! Use double hit!" Buneary looks at the Stunky, its agitation was evident before it threw haymakers into its sides. Once the Stunky fainted it lets out a gas making the little Buneary cough.
"This went exactly as I expected. No surprises here" Sharon shakes her head. "This was expected… Pretty boring, isn't it? Having things go exactly the way you predicted?" Sharon sighs "Eh, whatever. We're still going to try and capture you."
"Y-Yes! We give up don't!" Eli adds uncertain of his words
"Yeah, whatever he said."
"Try me.." Ava and king take defensive stances
"W-We won't hesitate to hurt you!" Melia threatens
"Tip: When threatening people, don't stutter. Have confidence." Ava tightens her fist
"I wonder… If you'd actually do that?" Sharon questions looking at Ava
Right now you're on fuck around, but if you breath the wrong way you about go on whole ass adventure. Ava zones back in to reality smirking at her own joke
"..But our boss is literally right behind us, so…" Sharon continues
The tension is stiff with awkwardness and determination. The flames nearby waver and the Magikarp that used to inhabit the lake flop about on the dry land. A sound snaps the tension "Gabugga!!" It's the Garbage Menace running through the couples
"Th-That's the Garbodor from the sewers!" Melia states with surprised relief.
"That thing's trying to help us escape! Chasing it away will improve your chances of catching us, please don't do that!" Ava says looking at them while doing a "Shoo" gesture with her hand
"Yeah! We should get on that, too bad for you…" Sharon plays along with a very small smile. "Eli that thing is a threat to our mission. Let's abandon our post and chase it away.
"D-Do we?" Sharon grabs him by the hand runs towards The Garbage Menace
"I'm going to be honest, I'm not really sure what just happened there. But Garbodor saved us there… I'll repay it for this one day. But first we gotta get out of here, and there's something standing in the way of that. Let's give it our best and save the forest!"
"Huh, so you're Melia?" The blonde man questions turning around and seeing the pair step up to him. "That's what you look like… Yep, things are starting to make sense now. And as for your friend… Hold up, you're Ava!" the man cracks a wide smile with a passive "huh" "Well isn't this my lucky day! I'll hit two little birds with one large rock."
"Enough nonsense! Why are you attacking this forest just to get to me?!"
"If I had to guess the destruction was a sub effect, a consequence for whatever that is." Ava stares intensely into the orb.
"You're right. The people of the forest retaliated, so we did what had to be done."
"How is that proportional, blowing up the lake!?" Melia adds in
"That's what's called a dimensional Rift. A collection of dark energy that houses the potential of many things. Right now they're formless balls of dark energy, but when fused together with something… It can be used to squash idiots who dare stand in their way." Zetta's smirk turns to a grin that turns to a tired expression.
"So even if we defeat you, we'll be attacked by that Rift?" Melia steps back with her arm slightly raised
Zetta readjusts his red gloves "That's just about right. And with that, I think I'll just get things started, alright? The name's Zetta." Zetta looks at Ava and sends out a Snorunt
"I got this one. Swaws!" Swaws chirps making a patch of small bugs infest the Snorunt's fur, shortly after rolling in the dirt it sends a shadow wave to Swaws. "GO POKEBALL!" 1…2….3…..The pokeball chimes "It is truly that easy."
"That Snag Machine is truly a problem. I'll thank the professor later. Zepto!" Zetta's word makes Melia flinch
"Wha-What do you mean?!"
"King! He's just trying to fuck with you, can't run if you can't think." Ava comments not looking away from Zetta. Where I'm standing at allows me to keep an eye on both Zetta and Melia. I can get her out of here.
"Double Hit." Type:Null charges at king, its front claws glowing white. King kicks it twice but receives two scratches to his lower body
King takes a defensive pose waiting for the next move. Zepto repeats itself, its front claws glowing whiter. As soon as it's in striking distance King socks it in the side of its neck; taking two deep cuts to his side. King starts to wobble "Just one more! Double kick!" Null turns its head to where King was and receives two powerful kicks to its abdomen. "Alright! Come on Back!" Ava takes out his steamball, cupped against a moonball "Go, Rattata!"
"Come Minior!" Once the Minior was summoned something made Rattata stare into its empty eye sockets, she bites into the shell making a crack "Self destruct!"
"Bite it hard!" Rattata bites into it, but it wasn't enough to make it faint. The explosion makes Rattata fall back right in front of Ava. "My bad slime. Come on back." Ava recalls her then sends out Fletch.
Zetta sends out a Galarian Meowth, who claps in front of the low flying bird.
"Use Flame charge!" Fletch's feathers combust as it dives at the nightmarish cat, making it faint.
"You can't be serious? I've only begun your torture! Come Quilava!" Zetta hovers his hand in a commanding pose
He's really trying to be remembered.. Good on him. Ava stands tall almost as if she was looking down on Zetta. "Try Ariel ace! Don't stop til you got it right!" Fletch flies high and slices some fur off the Quilava. Who returns in kind by rapidly prancing around Fletch and slicing off a few feathers, before Fletch could recover Quilava quickly tackles her. "Not till it's perfect!" Fletch feints a high dive by soaring up a few feet and quickly diving back at Quilava, dust rises from the impact... Fletch sings the same song she was caught by. "Alright.."
"This won't change anything, you know. But, Bravo! I can see how you were able to hold your own thus far. And you even managed to snag away that precious Snorunt I've been training."
Melia looks at the orb of miasma "So now that we beat you…"
"Yep, I think it's time we test out the new weapon I got. Look closely, idiots. This is the product of what happens when you fuse a rift with the essence of pokémon." The rift sucks in all the struggling Magikarp surrounding it. "Now, Dimensional Rift! Devour Ava!"
"Nani?!" A discolored Gyarados jumps out from the rift and devours Ava
"Noo!" Melia cries, gutturally