As I shifted the call between devices, a woman appeared on my tablet. She sat in an office, hard at work, but she put her pen down to look at the camera with her whole focus. She wore a prim and proper black suit that had a deep blue collar that matched both her eyes and the tint of her hair. Her hair itself cascaded down in a black mane that possessed splotches of yellow highlights.

  “Hello, Nicholas,” came the woman's greeting alongside a pleasant smile.

  I did my best to put on a smile as well, attempting to match her level of energy.

  “Geeta,” I said, replying to her with a polite nod.

  “It's good to see you so well,” Geeta said, not hesitating to get right to it. “I’m calling primarily as a check-in. According to the rankings online, you’ve already reached seven-thousandth place—congratulations! That’s quite an impressive placement to reach within... hm, only a month?”

  “Thank you,” I said.

  Even with her eager politeness, the knowledge of just who Geeta was echoed through my head. She wasn't just the Champion of Paldea, but she was its Chairwoman. She led Paldea’s Pokémon League at its very top, managing and guiding everything related to Pokémon battles there.

  Geeta had been the first human I had ever seen in this world after escaping Paldea’s Great Crater. My sudden appearance had caused ripples due to the Paradox Pokémon I had emerged alongside, so she had arrived to check on me personally due to her responsibility to manage potential... issues.

  We talked. She gave me funds. We made a deal. Every week, I received money on a clock-like basis, and I would always have enough for maintenance costs and meals.

  But more than anything else, the exchange meant Geeta was my sponsor, and that sponsorship had not come lightly. I had been new to this world, and I had wanted to get my feet under me.

  So, of course, I bargained with the only thing I had:

  My knowledge.

  I hadn't realized just how many strings that would bring.

  I think what I hated most about our arrangement was how Geeta was genuine. Whenever she smiled, her smile would always reach her eyes. There was a true kindness to her, but I could never forget the sheer amount of authority that she wielded.

  “As I said, this is a check-in,” Geeta continued, unaware of the thoughts swirling through my head. “All trainers’ official records are public, and I’ve been tracking your progress through your battles in Lacunosa Town. Your profile has been marked with a recommendation for a promotion match—congratulations, again—but all of this has left me curious.”

  She picked up her pen to tap it to her lips, and she never once brought her eyes away from her side of the screen.

  “For a trainer at your level, I expected your progress to be quicker,” she said. “So my question is simple—why did you stay in Lacunosa Town for as long as you did?”

  I fought back a wince, and Geeta tilted her head to the side as if to emphasize her curiosity. Her smile did not drop, and her merry look did not fade from her gaze.

  As much as I had an easy answer, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to speak it. I could admit to going after Kyurem, but Geeta wasn't aware of the Legendary Pokémon there. When I first woke up, as part of our deal, I mostly informed her about the big things I knew—criminal organizations, the storylines of the games, as well as key and impressive trainers. Basically, I told her information that might matter to her but not to me. While I did mention some, I didn’t speak of most Legendary Pokémon because they didn’t seem as important. But after experiencing Kyurem myself, I knew I didn’t want to risk further disturbing its peace.

  I struggled just to start considering what I wanted to say, but that never ended up mattering. After several long seconds, Geeta suddenly blinked at me in surprise.

  “Oh. It’s just barely noon for you, isn’t it? My apologies, I’m still getting used to the time difference,” she said. “I thought it’d be past dusk. I hope I’m not interrupting anything important.”

  To that sudden change in topic, I was able to breathe again, but I still held back a sigh.

  “You’re fine,” I said, and behind me, I could hear Marlon let out an excited shout as he burst from the ocean. “It’s nothing you need to worry about. I was about to start a battle, but—”

  “I will keep this fast, then,” Geeta said. “More than just a check-in, I want this call to serve as a reminder. We both know why I approved your participation, and I want to ensure you haven’t forgotten.”

  ...‘Approved’ my participation? You were the one to tell me about the World Coronation Series in the first place.

  “I do,” I chose to say instead, making sure to keep any grumblings pushed deep, deep down.

  “We need you. Paldea needs you. I need you, Nicholas,” Geeta said. “You represent the best of us. There was a reason why I was so happy to see you sign up.”

  “Recruitment,” I answered bluntly.

  Geeta nodded, but she proceeded with her speech anyway, as she always tended to do.

  “Nicholas, there is only so much I can do to recruit more trainers in the short term. And, as you know, Paldea does not have the same number of elite trainers as other regions. Our reserve force is smaller than almost anywhere else on the globe, and we don’t have any truly strong trainers that are free to head out and compete at a national level—no one but you.

  “I shouldn’t need to remind you just how crucial your presence is. We need you to reach the top and show the world just what Paldea has to offer. The moment your name is announced and you’re declared to be a trainer from Paldea? If not to recruit through inspiration, then your presence should allow you to find impressive trainers and recommend them to me directly.”

  “I know,” I said, sighing. At least for this, our goals aligned.

  “And I can’t have you forgetting your main goal, either,” Geeta added.

  “Yeah, I remember,” I said, fighting through a grumble. “I’ve been to the Great Crater. I know what happened. I’m not going to forget to recruit—”

  “Please, Nick,” Geeta quickly interrupted. Her eyes closed briefly while she fought to maintain her smile. “I would much prefer that you do not complete that thought out loud.“

  Ironically, the main reason that Paldea was so well-known was the same reason Paldea was in its current situation. The region didn’t have anywhere near as many of the powerful “older” trainers that other regions had, but it did have a world-renowned trainer school. The academy in Paldea was filled with trainers of almost all ages—but they tended to be younger. Unfortunately, due to issues caused by Paldea’s previous administration, the vast majority of graduates chose to move on to other regions rather than stick around.

  Paldea was seen as a “stepping stone” rather than a place to settle. Ever since she had ascended into her role, Geeta had been hard at work trying to change that, but there was only so much she could do when a change in policy would only ever result in slow, long-term gains.

  Hence, my presence here. All of Paldea’s strongest trainers were occupied with teaching at its academy, managing its Gyms, or directly working under Geeta as members of her Elite Four. And her Elite Four were truly busy. The sheer amount of work she had to delegate to them was honestly terrifying, and there was even one member of her Elite Four who had to pull the double-duty of being a Gym Leader as well.

  Honestly, Geeta was practically desperate. She was so strapped for candidates for strong trainers that one member of her Elite Four was an actual child.

  There was a reason I was here in Unova, and, as I was distinctly aware, there was a reason so much weight had been placed onto my shoulders.

  “We need you to place high,” Geeta continued, and though she kept smiling, her voice was deadly serious. “You’re representing us, which is why I’m concerned about your slow progress. You’re our best shot at building our Ace Trainer forces, but that’s hard to do given that you’re not even in the Great Rank yet.”

  And that was the key to it, wasn’t it? Paldea’s Ace Trainer forces. For a region to maintain safety and order, it needed to have a reserve of powerful trainers to call upon in case of emergency, and the vast majority of them under Geeta were already stretched out trying to cover all of Paldea’s expansive wild areas at once. Plus, a not-inconsequential number of them had been sent into the central Area Zero. My appearance had caused some... revelations, and Geeta had already been stretched thin as it is.

  (Of course, there was another reason Geeta was so desperate to search for recruits. Almost like a pattern, regions were seeing the presence of legendarily strong Pokémon threatening large cities. Most infamously, Hoenn was attacked by a weather-changing Pokémon until a “great serpent” calmed it down, and then Alola outright experienced attacks by Pokémon from other dimensions on a nearly daily basis.

  There were no signs of anything like that happening in Paldea, but a region would rarely be given any signs. Even if things seemed safe now, that didn’t mean Paldea could neglect its preparation.

  After all, there was one more, additional trend—one that was especially true in Unova:

  Criminal organizations were on the rise. Geeta could not afford anything like that taking root in her region.)

  Exhaling once more, I leaned back against the boulder I was using as cover and took a moment to just listen to the waves crashing against the shore. I was thankful to have not leapt at holographic technology just yet—as much as I wanted access to it, not having this call take place through full-body holograms gave me a bit more privacy when it came to hiding my body language.

  “To answer your earlier question,” I said, finally feeling as if I had the room to speak. “I was in Lacunosa Town to train. Really, I was taking on the Giant Chasm there for practice. I was also able to catch a Metang to expand my team.”

  “Oh. Congratulations! I understand now, then,” Geeta said, a proper smile returning. “You’ve been preparing. That’s wise. It’s better to get stronger sooner rather than later.”

  She nodded along with her words, but there was a glint to her eyes. Though subtle, I had talked to Geeta enough times before to recognize that she had come up with an idea.

  “But, as you know, Nicholas, I do carry a large amount of influence and authority. If you ever desire a rare Pokémon, I will acquire one for you.”

  She smiled, but there was not a single ounce of humor in her voice. She was completely serious in her offer. After all, Geeta was both my sponsor and the person who wanted me to represent Paldea as a whole. Sending me a single Pokémon would not even be a difficult task on her part, and giving me a strong, new team member would be a major help for me to reach the heights she wanted me to reach.

  But I stayed quiet. I wanted my success to be my success, and I wanted my Pokémon to be my Pokémon—not just team members sent to me by her.

  “Thank you, but I'm alright,” I said. I didn’t even hesitate. “Like you said, I still haven't even reached the Great Rank. If I’m to represent Paldea, it’s better for me to battle with Pokémon I’ve trained on my own, right?”

  Immediately, Geeta nodded in approval, and it hit me then that I couldn’t tell if this had been a test or a serious offer. Either way, I knew that if I had said yes, Geeta would have sent me a rare Pokémon.

  “Very well,” she replied. “Nicholas, I trust you with this. It’s not my place to tell you how to train your Pokémon, or my place to tell you what to have on your team.”

  Except, you’re called La Primera. You’re specifically known for being able to draw out the true potential in any Pokémon.

  “Regardless,” Geeta continued, “all of this so far was just a reminder. I trust that you’ll explode onto the scene as soon as you ascend to the tournament’s higher ranks.”

  “I wouldn’t say ‘explode,’ but—”

  “I bought you a gift,” she said, interrupting me again. “Please, check your email.”

  Of course she didn’t call for just a reminder.

  With a ding, Rotom was already pulling up the message for me, and I could see the alert pop up at the top of my tablet. As far as I could tell, it was just a simple note, consisting of nothing more than a link and a downloadable image.

  “Tickets?” I asked, looking over the message on my watch.

  “Undella Town is close to Humilau. There’s an event soon to take place there. I think you’d stand to gain from watching such a high-level battle,” Geeta said.

  Looking closer, I was able to see more specific details—the Champion of Sinnoh, Cynthia, was going to facilitate a promotion match. Specifically, a member of her own Elite Four, a Psychic-type specialist named Lucian, had challenged her to a battle out of hopes of joining the sixteen trainers currently placed in the Master Rank.

  Given how rarely Master Rank promotion battles happened, it spoke of Lucian’s skill to have earned the right to participate in one. The importance of this match was immense, and it had drawn an enormous crowd.

  Tickets weren’t being sold for profit, but they were being sold as a form of crowd management. Undella Town might have been a small resort town, but Cynthia’s name on its own had practically filled its sole arena.

  “I’m surprised it’s Cynthia and Lucian,” I said, too curious to remain quiet. “Shouldn’t they both be in Sinnoh?”

  “Cynthia and several others of importance have decided to stay in Unova for the duration of the tournament,” Geeta answered promptly. “It’s a strategy to show faith in the stability of their regions while ensuring they’re nearby if Unova requires assistance with any of its... problems.”

  Meanwhile, Geeta wasn’t competing in the World Coronation Series, and she had no plans to leave Paldea. She claimed that was due to a confidence in her own abilities, but also because, as a Champion, she had a duty to her region.

  The real answer was that she was too swamped with work to even think about heading out, but the way I saw it, Geeta was also just hiding.

  Publicly, Geeta wasn’t seen to be at the same level as the other Champion-tier trainers, but there were no public records to support that doubt. By staying behind, she wouldn’t have to participate in any of the Series’s high-level fights, and she also wouldn’t have to suffer any losses that'd blemish her “perfect” record.

  I need to beat her, I affirmed to myself as I had those thoughts. It’s the only way I’ll be able to break free of her influence. I owe her way too much to head off on my own right now, but if I can keep climbing as she wants and then turn around and prove my team and I are strong enough to head out on our own...

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  Then, I won’t have to follow these “suggestions” that are actually orders.

  These tickets weren’t a gift. Not truly.

  No matter what, Geeta expected me to go.

  “Seeing a Champion-level trainer will help you understand the level of power you’re seeking to reach,” Geeta said as I silently stared at the message on my watch. “And, I imagine many of the people in the crowd around you will be feeling the same feelings.”

  The hint was pretty obvious.

  “...I’ll see if there’s anyone interesting,” I said, doing my best not to mumble. “After a battle that intense, people are going to want to have their own matches. I’ll stay in Undella to watch a few, and I’ll send you a list of any independent trainers who stand out.”

  “Perfect! I’ll make sure to offer them generous terms,” Geeta replied cheerfully. “And Nicholas?”

  “Yes?” I asked warily.

  “Good luck with your promotion match.”

  I tried to ignore how she truly meant her well-wishes.

  As her image disappeared with the end of the call, I let out a long breath to release all of the tension I was holding. Then, I looked back at my watch to make eye contact with Rotom. The little Pokémon was still smiling, but right now, the curve was less than it had been before.

  “Ugh. She mentioned Humilau, didn’t she? And she’s been tracking me this whole time. Undella Town isn’t that far away, either. Cynthia’s match is happening within the next few days, and I wouldn't be able to go if I wasn't so close. So, all of that means...”

  I grumbled again.

  “Of course,” I groaned. “Geeta knew I was here, and she probably knew I was waiting on my promotion match this whole time.”

  “Aw, man. You’re ready to battle already?”

  Marlon climbed out of the ocean with a glum look on his face, and he took a moment to bring his head back to get the water out of his hair. Although his hair was only medium-length at best, the sharp movement caused water to flick out from those blue strands to form a glimmering mist.

  I didn’t want to admit just why, but I was in a bad mood. Normally, I wouldn’t have blinked at the act, but right now, it felt like purposeful showboating.

  “Didn’t make sense for it to be a long call,” I said, walking over to meet him. “I do need to get to the Great Rank sooner than later, so...”

  “Yeah! We’ll get right into it!”

  Marlon’s smile practically caused his white teeth to shine.

  Having already exchanged team summaries, there was no point in going over the rules again, and we took up opposite positions on the beach. Overall, this match would be simple: we would select four Pokémon from our teams, and we would use two Pokémon at once, each.

  Additionally, there were no limitations on switching out our active Pokémon. Single battles always tended to restrict the number of switches since officials wanted to ensure a battle would keep moving. However, double battles weren’t so limited. After all, if one Pokémon was recalled, the other would still be on the field. In that case, they’d be open to a short moment of retaliation from both opposing Pokémon at once—so switching came at a cost. Therefore, there was no need to limit switching in double battles in the first place.

  The best trainers always kept the cost of switching in mind, only ever choosing the absolute best moment to recall their Pokémon.

  I didn’t care.

  At this level, if my Pokémon were ever in a situation where fighting two-on-one was an issue, then that meant I had failed them as a trainer. A struggle meant I hadn’t trained them well enough, and that I had made a bad decision against the wrong opponent.

  At least for this fight, I wasn’t too worried. After all, Marlon was a Gym Leader; his job meant he was always in the mindset of testing his opponents. While this was a promotion match, this battle wouldn’t be a true Great Rank battle. This was still only a test, just a test to see if my team and I had the power to reach the Great Rank—not to climb through.

  Anyway, since our goal was to reach the Master Rank and not the Great Rank, then defeating Marlon here and beginning to move up in this tournament would never be an issue.

  “Ready?” Marlon called out from across the field. “We’ll release our Pokémon at the same time!”

  “What about alerting tournament officials?” I shouted in reply.

  “If you talked to the guy at the front desk, then a notice of our match should have already been submitted!” Marlon shouted right back. “And you can trust me for that—this is my job! I’ve been a Gym Leader for years at this point!”

  He sent me another bright grin, and while on any other day I would have just nodded, I had to fight against a scowl. I just wanted to get this battle over with so I could start moving on to Undella Town as soon as I could.

  Both of us drew Pokéballs, and Rotom left my watch to fly into my backpack, selecting just which of his remaining two devices he wanted to possess.

  “Ready?” Marlon called out. “On the count of three...”

  His smile widened.

  “One!” he shouted. “Two...”

  “Three,” I finished for him, throwing one ball forward.

  Valiant appeared on the field already locked into a dash. They placed their arms together to quickly connect their blades, bringing out their polearm in a lightning-quick draw. Behind them, Rotom flashed forward in their washing machine, their flickering arms raised and crackling with static.

  “Carracosta! Wailord!” Marlon called out, naming his pair of chosen Pokémon. “Wailord, use Rain Dance! And Carracosta, defend with Protect!”

  As Marlon’s Pokémon readied their moves, Rotom dropped to the floor, stabbing his arms into the sandy beach. Lightning crackled out to chase after Valiant, and Valiant’s polearm swung with an increasing speed to crash into the barrier put up by the turtle-like Carracosta’s large, front fins.

  The edge of their blade crackled with the latent energy of Rotom’s Electric Terrain, and Valiant’s Quark Drive hummed at full power. As they fought against the absolute protection of their opponent, I took a moment to look over the two Pokémon facing us on this shoreline field.

  Marlon had made great use of this space divided by sand and water. His Carracosta, a large turtle with a heavy black shell, stood on the sand and faced Valiant with a Protect that had stalled their change.

  Behind it, in the water and taking up almost the entire length of the battlefield, was a leviathan of a whale so large that it might as well have been a blimp. The Wailord displaced the water with its appearance, causing feet-high waves to crash against the shore. Its cry was a low rumble that sounded more like a foghorn than a living Pokémon’s noise.

  With Carracosta’s Protect keeping Valiant’s attack contained, the Wailord had free rein to continue its cry and direct that energy into the sky.

  I could taste the growing humidity. The sky darkened as clouds formed. The whale’s control over water conjured a small rainstorm over the battlefield.

  Meanwhile, the Carracosta continued its Protect even as Valiant pressed down harder and harder with their blade. The turtle Pokémon wouldn’t be able to easily use that absolute protection move twice in a row, but it could at least maintain the Protect for a while now that it was up. Both of the clashing Pokémon’s allies were occupied with finishing their field-effect moves, so right now, it was just Valiant and the Carracosta immediately involved in this fight.

  However, neither Marlon nor I had the space to give any further commands; Valiant kept pressing, and Carracosta strained to maintain their shield. However, the pressure of Valiant’s blade grew and grew and grew, and then blue energy started to crackle from its sides.

  The turtle Pokémon’s eyes widened. The sand shifted.

  Support gave way beneath the Carracosta’s feet.

  Finally carrying through with their swing, Valiant was able to finish their attack to send the Carracosta flying far back.

  I grinned.

  “Rotom, you’re up!” I shouted. “Use Thunder! And Valiant, make sure everything’s ready for him with Psycho Cut!”

  As my Pokémon prepared themselves, I heard Marlon let out a laugh.

  “Uh-oh,” he said, somehow managing to keep smiling even through what was happening before him.

  Sand entered the air as Valiant rocketed after the Carracosta. Still flying backwards, the turtle pushed its fins forward to conjure a blast of water, but Valiant dashed to the side to avoid its Hydro Pump.

  Then, Valiant caught up. A second strike to its chest saw the Carracosta fly back even harder. The Psycho Cut sent it slamming into the Wailord’s side, pressing the turtle deep into the enormous Pokémon’s spongy flesh.

  Rotom acted at exactly that moment. I supported him with a shout.

  “Now!”

  Marlon replied with a call for a Water Spout, but the water that blasted out of his Wailord’s blowhole served more as a lightning rod than an attack.

  Every cloud above the battlefield rumbled at once. Thunder was like a harsher version of the lightning bolt strike that was Thunderbolt. However, instead of being directly delivered to its opponents, Rotom sent a streak of lightning up into the clouds.

  The storm became the perfect medium for his Thunder to travel, and within only a second, every volt of that electricity crashed down into the Wailord with perfect accuracy. As Valiant had knocked the Carracosta directly into it, that turtle Pokémon ended up being caught by the electricity of Rotom’s attack, too.

  The field briefly turned white. Rotom’s Thunder was delivered with the power of the divine. Not only did the rain increase its accuracy, but his Electric Terrain served as a battery that made Electric-type moves that much stronger.

  “Ah, well. That’s what I get for using Rain Dance against an Electric Type,” Marlon said as the lightning faded. “That was pretty epic, though.”

  Both of his Pokémon were smoking, and his Wailord sat there with its mouth hanging open. Its eyes had gone completely white.

  “Your next Pokémon, please,” I said. “The sooner we win, the better. Apparently, I’m taking too long and need to start heading toward Undella Town.”

  Despite how both his chosen Pokémon had fainted to what was essentially a single move, Marlon casually returned his Wailord and Carracosta, going on to grab two shrunken Dive Balls from a pocket in his pants.

  As he made his choices, Valiant flicked their blade off to the side, cleaning it of fallen water. Although they had not dealt the finishing blow, I could practically feel how that quick, dual-knockout had caused them to radiate with pride.

  “Mantine!” Marlon shouted. “Jellicent!”

  This time, Marlon sent out a blue jellyfish the size of a man as well as a manta ray that was larger than a surfboard.

  “Aqua Jet and Shadow Ball!” Marlon then called out for orders.

  After what happened to his Wailord, I was confused as to why Marlon would send out a Pokémon with a four-times weakness to electricity like the Water and Flying type Mantine. However, I quickly understood that he wanted to rely on its speed—Mantine’s ability, Swift Swim, saw it double its speed in the rain.

  The ray Pokémon used its fins to push off the ground and enter a supersonic glide. The rain became a perfect medium for it to carry itself forward, and the Mantine passed by Valiant with only the breeze announcing it in its wake.

  It planned to skip right past my front line of offense, aiming right where Rotom sat as artillery in the back.

  All the while, Marlon’s Jellicent had brought up its fin-like tentacles to build a growing Shadow Ball. Valiant remained in place, staring at their opponent, ready to deflect this attack and then charge once again with a strike of their own.

  I took one look at the current state of the field, tracked how the Mantine was rushing directly at Rotom, and did not hesitate to give my order.

  “Discharge!”

  Thunder might have had perfect accuracy in the rain, but Discharge was a fast, unaimed release that would cover every possible inch around him. It would be the perfect defense.

  But that was when Marlon suddenly smirked.

  I had fallen for his trick, hook, line, and sinker. Although Mantine had seemed as though it had been going after Rotom, it used its enhanced speed to bring itself into an impossibly sharp turn, changing directions to rocket right toward Valiant’s back.

  “Behind you!” I shouted.

  I was too slow.

  Due to the Mantine’s Swift Swim, even with the Electric Terrain, Valiant wasn’t prepared to be targeted by two attacks at once. They easily used the flat of their blade to knock away the Shadow Ball being sent right at them, but the Mantine slammed into their back while they were distracted.

  This impact sent water flying everywhere. Valiant stumbled forward from the surprise damage of the Mantine’s Aqua Jet. This wasn’t the most powerful move in the world, but it was just enough to catch them off guard.

  And then, the Jellicent moved. Its slow build-up of Shadow Ball had been yet another purposeful attempt to set false expectations. Once more raising its tendrils, the falling water of the rain churned, and in no time at all, the droplets shifted to spin and spiral in a mid-air Whirlpool that trapped Valiant where they stood.

  “Bubblebeam,” Marlon then ordered. “Jellicant, get ready to fight against that Rotom when it comes to help!”

  The churning rapids of the Whirlpool meant Valiant couldn’t escape, and the constant spiral of the move meant they were taking damage over time.

  And, Mantine shifted its glide to move in short circles just above the spiraling cone of water. Valiant was forced to go onto full defense as violently-popping bubbles joined the currents that pinned Valiant down.

  “They’re stuck and overwhelmed,” I mumbled to myself, watching Valiant. In front of me, Rotom let out a whine from where he floated over our half of the battlefield. “We can’t even call for a Thunder to help. Mantine is right above the Whirlpool—hitting it will have the electricity carry downwards to damage Valiant, too.”

  I let out a sigh.

  “My fault for not thinking a Water-type specialist would know how to counter the Electric type,” I said, grumbling slightly. “Marlon’s trying to take out our strongest team member first. Not a bad strategy, honestly.”

  The Jellicent was still exposed in this battle, but it was giving Rotom a look as if it were prepared for anything he could send out. I didn’t know if I was reading it right or if it was just acting in a bluff, but we were on a time limit given how Valiant was locked in a constant defense.

  They could withstand the ongoing damage for now, but they wouldn’t be able to withstand it forever.

  “Alright, then,” I said casually. “Rotom, come back. I’m swapping you out.”

  Right now, we didn’t need raw power. What we needed was skill.

  Upon hearing my voice, Rotom zipped off the field to float at my side, and I tossed out a Pokéball to replace him with a different team member.

  Just like Valiant had done when I first sent them out, Liepard hit the field running, charging straight toward our opponents. I could tell that the falling rain and wet sand did not make this a pleasant environment for him, but Liepard had still joined this battle, and battle was where he thrived.

  “Energy Ball!” Marlon ordered. “Mantine, keep up your Bubble Beam!”

  No matter what, Marlon did not want Valiant to escape, so right now, it was just his Jellicent against Liepard. Mantine was doing its best to faint Valiant sooner rather than later, and its Bubble Beam meant Valiant couldn’t start working to escape.

  Still, Liepard knew exactly why he was on the field. He continued his charge, glowing slightly to prepare what looked like an Assist.

  The Jellicent was skilled enough that when it unleashed its Grass-type sphere of raw energy, the Energy Ball actually clipped Liepard when he tried to avoid it. However, Liepard was still able to cross the beach fast enough to reach the Jellicent without slowing down.

  But Jellicent was not the target of his attack.

  Surprising it, he jumped onto its head rather than do anything directly aggressive, and he used the Jellicent’s spongy body to plant his paws firmly on its head. Jellicent became the perfect platform for him to leap into the air, and though Liepard could not fly, he could at least jump pretty high.

  Just above the Whirlpool, the Mantine looked over a moment too late to recognize this surprise attack.

  Liepard’s Fake Out ended up only barely clipping the Mantine from below. Honestly, the attack was more of a surprising noise rather than anything direct, but the purpose of Fake Out was not damage.

  Mantine’s Bubble Beam stopped.

  The ray Pokémon flinched.

  With the stream of bubbles having ceased, the Whirlpool became that much less of a threat. Able to focus on offense instead of defense, a glow built from inside the spiraling cone, and Liepard landed on the other side to run to make as much distance as possible.

  Then, a burst. Valiant exploded with an incredible Dazzling Gleam, and every droplet of water was knocked back. The Whirlpool dissipated from that one move.

  The Jellicent’s eyes then widened as it realized Valiant was suddenly right there.

  “Protect!” Marlon called out.

  Once again, Valiant’s blade slammed into a perfect defense. The Jellicent took no damage from this move.

  “Assist, Liepard!” I shouted.

  Having recovered from its flinch, the Mantine rocketed downwards from above. Bubbles formed in its mouth, but Liepard was faster.

  Even with the rain enhancing the Mantine’s speed, Liepard’s Prankster ability let him complete his Assist in an instant. He collected a borrowed light from my team members, and this time, his body became coated with the silver sheen of Steel.

  Before Mantine could reach Valiant, Liepard was right there. Mid-leap, he became coated with energy, and he slammed down to pin Mantine to the ground with an Iron Head borrowed from Metang.

  “Surf, Mantine! Jellicent, use Brine!”

  Water began to build around both of Marlon’s Pokémon. He wanted his Mantine to sweep my Pokémon away, and he wanted his Jellicent to take advantage of all of the damage done to Valiant.

  But this was a double-battle, and though Marlon’s Pokémon could attack, mine could as well.

  Claws tore into the Mantine, and a blade slammed into the top of its head.

  The Surf failed to land—or even build, really—as Valiant and Liepard worked together to take it out.

  The consequence was that Valiant became subjected to a Brine. The watery impact dealt damage, and the salt in the spray of Brine made it worse with how it crept into their wounds.

  But Valiant refused to faint to something as simple as this.

  Heavily injured, they turned, and Liepard turned with them. Marlon had three of his Pokémon faint, so it was now two against one.

  And Jellicent was part Ghost type.

  It didn't take long for a pair of synchronized, super effective Night Slashes to finish off Marlon’s final Pokémon. The sheer amount of damage that combination represented marked the end of this fight.

  “Man!” Marlon said, laughing as he recalled his last two team members. “I didn't expect to get completely swept away—that was a wicked battle!”

  “Thanks.” I actually laughed as well. A lot of the pressure on my shoulders felt like it had faded away with just that single win. “But, it wasn’t as easy as you might think. I mean, my team and I spent the entire past month training, and we're trying to make it to the very top. If we couldn’t win that quickly, then all of our training would have been pointless. Winning like this here means we’re well on our way to reach our goal.”

  Marlon briefly looked away to wave at someone, and I saw one of his Gym Trainers lazing out back behind his Gym. With that signal, the person in the distance did something, and my watch rang out with a beep.

  Just like that, I got a notice.

  This one victory alone had earned me over a hundred points—a record so far—and I was now firmly placed within the Great Rank.

  I’d been promoted successfully.

  “So now that you’ve reached the Great Rank, let me break down how the ranks work a bit more specifically,” Marlon said as he walked over.

  I made sure to take this chance to return both of my Pokémon. The rain might have stopped, but Valiant was injured, and Liepard was desperate to be brought out of this water.

  “Every rank is named after a Pokéball, from Normal, to Great, to Ultra, to Master, and every rank is smaller than the last,” Marlon explained. “Last I checked, there were a few hundred trainers in the Ultra Rank, and the Great Rank itself has a few thousand more than that.”

  Compared to the sixteen trainers in the Master Rank, just the differences in those numbers alone spoke of the exponential difficulty that came from climbing higher in the tournament.

  “As a Great Rank trainer, you’ll be required to accept any challenge given to you by other Great Rank trainers. But, in return, you’ll be allowed to give them challenges of your own—without any limitations, by the way. Also, expect at least some Ultra Rank trainers to challenge you, but you’re allowed to turn those battles down. At your level, you’re actually worth a few points if an Ultra Rank trainer beats you in a match.”

  “I... see,” I said. I hadn’t realized cross-rank matches were possible like that. “Thank you for telling me.”

  Marlon nodded with a grin. The clouds leftover from the rain were now beginning to clear above our heads.

  “But!” Marlon said, and he crouched ever so slightly to better speak to me at eye level. “You aren’t going to stop here, are you?”

  “I already told you—I’m going to the top. So, yeah. My team and I need to get way stronger.”

  Once again, Marlon nodded at the expected answer.

  “Then, from one strong trainer to another...” He rubbed his chin while looking me over. “I’d say you could probably reach about mid Ultra Rank if you really pushed. But even then, it’d be pretty tough to get that high with your current team.”

  “...You’re kidding me,” I said.

  Hearing that felt as though I had been slapped, but Marlon shook his head humorlessly.

  “Don’t underestimate just how hard it is to get higher into the tournament. You’re trying to reach the top, but that’s true for everyone competing. If you want my advice, your Pokémon are plenty powerful enough, but you need a bit more variety in your strategy. Maybe something like teaching Protect to your Pokémon, which I didn’t notice. Or maybe, a bigger plan? I didn’t see you send your fourth Pokémon out.”

  “I... didn't have a reason to send him in,” I mumbled.

  Marlon looked as though he expected that answer.

  “Don't rely on your Iron Valiant so much, dude. Even if your fourth Pokémon is weaker, a match like this one would have been a good training moment for it.”

  I almost fell into that mistake again. I'll need to put more focus on Metang's practice.

  After all, a team is only as strong as its weakest Pokémon.

  As much as I had barreled through this match, Marlon was, in truth, a tougher trainer than he had demonstrated here. This match had only been a Great Rank battle. While this was the level he was ranked at, if he had been fighting with his absolute best Pokémon, the battle would have been much more difficult—likely, it would have been one worthy of an Ultra Rank test.

  I couldn’t forget that Marlon was a Gym Leader, and Gym Leaders were genuinely some of the toughest trainers in a region. However, instead of chasing after a constant pursuit of strength, Gym Leaders stepped back to dedicate themselves to a life of giving tests and guiding others on their journeys.

  “Thank you,” I said genuinely. “I really mean it.”

  Marlon sent me a wide smile.

  “No prob, little dude!” he said, slapping my arm. “Keep having battles, but don't be afraid to lose! Promotion matches are more important than just earning points, so focus on trying to earn a match like that instead of just climbing the ranks. And challenge everyone you can! Even a loss can teach you a whole bunch.”

  I appreciated all of the advice he was giving me, but I knew most of it already. We hadn't beaten Kyurem. We had lost to it; the strength of that Legendary Pokémon far outmatched my team.

  But seeing that strength had given us a goal, and now, we needed another.

  As much as I hated to say it, maybe Geeta had a point.

  Seeing a Champion battle in person would show us exactly how a Master Rank trainer fought with their team. If we already knew just how strong we needed to become, then we also needed to understand the level of skill we were yet to achieve.

  Pokémon (and people) mentioned in this chapter:

  Nick’s Team:

  Iron Valiant

  enormous thank you to everyone reading! Your support keeps this story going.