“Nemona! You up for a trip to Lake Casseroya?”

  “Most people start a conversation off with ‘hello,’ you know?” I snarked at Friede on the other end of the video call, but I couldn’t help the grin that grew on my face. He smirked back without saying a word, and I relented first. “Yeah, of course I’m down for that. What’s the deal?”

  “I planned on doing a video exploring the symbiotic relationship between Dondozo and Tatsugiri, Pokemon only native to that part of Paldea, but…” He trailed off, shivering.

  “Hah, yeah, it’s a pretty dangerous place. The Pokemon there were so aggressive that even I went around the lake when I went on my Journey.” Before he could get the wrong idea, I added, “Not that we can’t handle ourselves there; we’re even stronger than we were back then, and it wasn’t like the Pokemon posed too much of a threat. It was just bothersome.”

  That might be putting it lightly; multiple Gyarados, Veluza, and a fair number of Dragons make their home there and can be quite territorial. There’s a reason why it’s often also referred to as the ‘Paldean Lake of Rage,’ and I think that the comparison to Johto’s famous lake honestly undersells it. Still, I’m kinda excited to explore the lake.

  “Glad the Rising Volt Tacklers can count on our Champion!” Friede cheered, Captain Pikachu doing the same and pumping a little fist up in the air. It’s a shame I can never let him know how adorable he is, but I get the feeling that I’d be asking for a shock on the level of early-series Ash if I said that.

  Out of the blue, Captain Pikachu sneezed as Friede continued. “We’ll pick you up in a day or two; I’ll send you the details later.” I nodded and hung up. Well, it looks like I’ll have to clear off my schedule- oh wait, I don’t have anything to do! Unless you count stressing out about the results of my entrance exam.

  I frowned at that thought before pushing it to the side and cracking open one of the more detailed Paldean atlases I had on the bookshelf in my room. Let’s see what the Casseroya Lake has in store for us. Oh yeah, plenty of Pellipers there too. I should definitely dress for the rain…

  ***

  Before we got there I had to meet and greet the crew, which I was surprised to see had expanded since last time. There were two new faces aboard: the first was a green-haired young man in a teal button-up collared shirt, with a camera hanging around his neck. Behind him I could make out a pink-haired girl wearing a long pink dress that ended just above her ankles. I also noticed she was staring suspiciously at me. Oh boy, this will be a trip.

  “Oh? Is this the fabled Top Champion of Paldea? A mysterious young girl with a troubled soul and a heart burning for vengeance?” The man inquired. At his feet, a Wynaut made a questioning sound.

  “Haha, not quite,” I replied, stepping fully onto the deck and offering a hand, which he shook. “I’m Nemona, pleased to meet you. Didn’t realize we had anyone new on the crew.”

  “Sohdayo,” he greeted in turn before stepping aside as the girl stepped forward.

  “My name’s Molly,” she said primly, shaking my hand with her own delicate hand as well. It took all my self-control not to gawk at her hair, which had fairly ordinary bangs and was mid-length down the back but, to the side, somehow formed two loops, the lower one connected to the bottom at a perpendicular angle.

  How does it even- I shoved aside questions mankind was not meant to know as she continued. “I thought Sohdayo and I were the newest members of the crew,” she said with a suspicious glance towards the man.

  “The truth is what you make it!” He said enthusiastically, and I rolled my eyes at the green-haired man’s antics.

  “Sometimes. It could apply here, though; I only voyaged with the Rising Volt Tacklers once before, even if I’ve been friends with Friede for a while, so I suppose I might not be considered a proper crew member.”

  “Please, you’ll always be considered a member of the Rising Volt Tacklers!” Friede declared, boldly striding out of the cabin to welcome me. “I see you’ve met our newest members.”

  “Yup! I’ll try to take good care of my juniors!” I said cheekily. Sohdayo laughed, while Molly blushed and bowed to me. I mean, yeah, I was technically here before her, but she’s a teenager and I look like a little kid!

  “Pika pi!” Cap declared, and that reminded me. Turning to him, I pulled out the gift I had prepared. He took the wrapped gift box and even curiously shook it before opening it at my urging. His eyes grew wide as he saw what lay within.

  “Nemona, is that…?” Friede asked, and I nodded.

  “Yup! Your very own Light Orb! I had it fitted to a collar rather than on your hat, since I noticed you tend to leave that with Friede when you fight. Do you like it?” I asked, and he leapt off of Friede’s shoulder and into my arms (suddenly scrambling to hold onto him) as he nuzzled me. Even holding his electricity back, the experience sent a strange jolt through my body from his red cheeks.

  “Haha, I’ll take that as a ‘yes’ then,” I declared happily. Knew that would be a good gift for him. I planned on sending it on Friede’s birthday, but I didn’t think I’d get to see them again in person so soon, so this is good.

  “Thank you,” Friede said sincerely before affixing the collar around Cap’s neck. He preened at the praise (“I’ve heard that Orb is a mythical artifact that gives a Pikachu power on par with a Legendary!” “Really? Wow!” “Wynaut?” “I mean, it doubles their strength, but anyone could be that strong, so…”) before we got ourselves ready. “This is wonderful. Again, thank you so much.”

  “No really, it's nothing. You guys have helped me out a ton. It was the least I could do in return for Cap helping pioneer that journey to Alola for Notch and me. Speaking of, we’ve got another journey to head out on, right?” I said, eager to shift attention away from them praising me. I do like getting gifts people enjoy, but it feels weird doing so here when I can easily get such things with my parents’ money.

  “Pika Pi Chu!” Captain Pikachu nodded his head eagerly, and at that signal we were all hands on deck, the ship lifting off and heading out towards the lake.

  ***

  “Pokedollar for your thoughts?” Sohdayo asked, catching me gazing out beyond the horizon. After takeoff, things had smoothed out, with Orla running the ship efficiently.

  “Just marveling at how fast the Brave Olivine moves. It’s barely been more than an hour, and Lake Caseroya is already in sight, and it’s pretty much on the opposite side of Paldea from home.”

  He peered out intently, putting a hand above his eyes to keep the sunlight out as he squinted out from where we were standing, by the edge of the lower deck. Giving up on that, he pulled out his very expensive-looking camera, zooming in and snapping a few shots.

  “Wow, it looks incredible! And I couldn’t see that at all without my lens. Did you have your eyes replaced with Braviary eyeballs to enhance your vision?” He asked after he finished taking his photos.

  “Wh- no, of course not.”

  “Abap-bap-bap! The truth is what you make it!” He declared with another bright grin. Why would anyone do that though?! Pretty sure that Braviary eyes wouldn’t fit in my ocular sockets anyways even if there was the science to do a successful transplant like that- nevermind.

  “I was wondering-”

  “Say no more! I get the drift!” he said, shoving his hand out toward my face, five fingers splayed out as he cut me off. “You must want to know all about me!” I think I’m getting the drift too… and it’s that this guy can be a bit much.

  “I’m the truth-seeking freelance Pokemon Journalist. Wherever mystery lurks in this world, Sohdayo is here to uncover the truth!”

  “Wynaut?” His Pokemon asked skeptically.

  “Well, that’s lovely to hear, but I was actually wondering about where Molly was; I haven’t seen her much on the trip.”

  He nodded. “She’s down in the med-bay, looking after some of the Pokemon we’ve taken in.”

  “I see.” Deciding against my better judgement to stick around for a moment, I asked, “Why did you join the Rising Volt Tacklers anyways? Is it just for your freelancing?”

  “Hmm, in a way that’s true. Really though, it’s my passion to find out all the crazy things that lurk in the world, and freelancing helps pay the bills, while the ship takes me all across the globe! Doesn’t hurt that Wynaut gets along with Cap as well as I do with Friede though.”

  “Wynaut!” The baby Pokemon cheered. Huh, I hadn’t ever heard of Sohdayo or Molly from Friede before. Then again, he does have his own life and friends, and we only meet sporadically… And also he’s really bad at informing people of stuff like that.

  “Fair enough. Say, do you know why Molly joined?” The instant I saw the sparkle in his eyes, I regretted opening my mouth.

  “Friede and Molly were actually star-crossed lovers in another life! Reborn, they felt that invisible bond that draws them ever closer, which is why he invited her aboard.”

  “Wynaut?” Yeah, little guy, I’m giving him side-eye too.

  “Okay, cool, I’m gonna go… make my own truth, now,” I said, waving at him as I left. If the photographer noticed the sarcasm, he didn’t react to it, just happily waving back as I entered the cabin, walking over to the nurse’s office. The room wasn’t super large, space being limited even on a ship of this size, but the cabinets looked well stocked and had a sterile, neutral air about them.

  In there I saw Molly and a bunch of other Pokemon. Some of them, like Murdoch’s Rockruff and a Sentret I didn’t know from before, were being given food and directions from Molly’s Happiny, while the woman herself was looking after a Bibarel. A Tangela was waiting next in line, sitting on a little stool and kicking its red feet back and forth. At least I think they are. The Seviper and Zangoose are sitting in opposite corners of the room and glaring daggers at each other, so they could already have been looked at or still be in line.

  After she finished with the Pokemon, I greeted her. “Hey Molly, how’s it going?”

  “It’s going well; everyone here is recovering well, though we could use a few more Leppa Berries in their meals to keep their energy up,” she said politely, while refusing to look directly at me.

  “What did Amelia tell you about me?” I asked, holding back a sigh as I saw her flinch away at my appearance. And then - a confused look on her face.

  “Amelia?”

  “Your, uh, cousin? Familial relation from the Joy clan,” I said. “Or is this something else?”

  “Ah, sorry. Just surprised that you recognized me. I’m not wearing a uniform, and I’m a bit of a black Mareep when it comes to the family look.” I blinked long and slow. How could anyone not recognize her as a Joy?! I mean, okay, looking closer, I can see how her face is a bit… sterner? Sharper? Naturally than most Nurse Joys, her eyes maybe a shade lighter. But still.

  “It was Sohdayo. He said that you were a proud, fierce Trainer, battling anyone who met your gaze,” the teenage girl said, still not quite daring to meet my eyes for more than a moment. “I’m glad to have you with us here, but Happiny isn’t much of a battler.”

  “I get the feeling that Sohdayo doesn’t always get the full picture with his theories.”

  “Huh?”

  “I’m not saying he’s a liar or anything; I do enjoy battling after all. But I’m not going to put my full faith in them either, at least not without some independent research. For instance, he said that you came here because you were past-life soulmates with Friede." At her look of shock and horror, I laughed. "Yeah, didn't think that was the case. But I am curious; what is the reason you're here?"

  “My reason for being here… no, my goal, is to become the world’s greatest Pokemon Doctor!” She declared, shedding her shy nature for a moment as she boldly declared that. She immediately shrunk back in on herself afterwards, though. “Ah, you must think it’s a stupid dream…”

  “No no,” I reassured Molly quickly. “Just a little confused. What does being the ‘World’s Greatest’ as a Pokemon Doctor look like? How do you know when you’ve achieved it?”

  “Ah, well, that’s a bit harder to judge than becoming the best Pokemon Trainer… But I’m still going to aim for it,” Molly declared with a clenched fist and a determined look on her face. “When I can fix any ailment any Pokemon is suffering from, then I’ll consider myself to be there.”

  I let out a low whistle. “A lofty goal, that’s good. And I guess that traveling all over as a Rising Volt Tackler gives you a lot of experience with different Pokemon, huh?”

  She nodded eagerly. “Yes, there are so many Pokemon to help here that I’d never get to see if I was stuck in a Pokemon Center, like the rest of my family. I also don’t have to smile for everyone here,” she muttered under her breath.

  Giving her a sympathetic look, I nodded. “That’s fair. It does feel a little unreasonable that you’d be forced to smile too after looking after people’s Pokemon. Though maybe it was just a specific Pokemon Center that placed those standards?” I know Amelia didn’t smile at me when we interacted, and I think the nurse at the Kitakami Center usually seemed too disinterested to smile. Those might be the exceptions rather than the norms, though.

  “I think it’s most places. Though, umm, you mentioned something about my cousin Amelia before?”

  “Hah, yeah. We… didn’t get off on the right foot. It’s mostly cleared up now, but I worried she might have said something unflattering about me before then.” I thought for a moment before releasing Phantasm. “Amelia just made some assumptions about how I found Phantasm here.”

  “Oh. Ohhh,” Molly said, recognition flitting across her face before she took a step closer. Phantasm stiffened ever-so-slightly, but Molly picked up on it and immediately halted her approach. At my nod, she lowered her guard and let the teenager get close, running her hands through Phantasm’s mane.

  “Wow, it’s so smooth and cold.” She commented, in slight awe of being nearby a Hisuian Zoroark. Phantasm preened at the praise.

  “Yeah, we do a lot of brushing.” It really is both of us. Phantasm has a brush of her own and will do her own grooming too if she feels like it. For many Pokemon it wasn’t an option/vastly easier for humans to put that extra touch in, but her body structure made it fairly easy for her to brush her own mane.

  As Molly stepped back, she said, “She looks to be in perfect health,” with a contented expression on her face (though definitely not a smile). “If you find any issues with her health, feel free to let me know; I’d be glad to help. There really aren’t many Hisuian Zoroarks around anymore.”

  “That’s true, and being a Ghost Type, they probably vary a lot more than others do in treatment.” Honestly, it’s a testament to how miraculously ubiquitous the treatments of this world are that almost all Pokemon can be fixed from most common battle wounds by a quick trip to the Pokemon Center or with a Potion or two.

  Catching on to that thought, I asked and chatted with her for a few minutes about the more serious injuries Pokemon might commonly suffer and how a doctor would treat them. Then, Friede’s voice came in through the loudspeaker system, announcing we’d arrived.

  Stepping back out, I went up to the prow and really took in the entirety of Lake Casseroya. It was a massive body of water, almost completely (but not quite) encircled by two long, thin, curving strips of rocky land, the gap in where they didn’t meet leading into the wider ocean beyond.

  In the lake itself there were quite a few islands, most fairly small and scattered, but a couple of largish ones near the middle. The islands looked generally verdant and gorgeous, spectacular destinations and the perfect place for resort houses the likes of which my mother would sell, or even small towns on the larger ones. However, there were no signs of human habitation on these landmasses, likely due to the Pokemon in the water surrounding them.

  Gyaradoses thrashed about, creating tremendous waves and clashing with each other (and any other Pokemon foolish enough to approach them). Veluza and Baraskewda lurked below the surface, zipping towards any prey that caught their eyes. A few Dragons floated just above the water, daring anyone to get close. None of those were fully mature Dragons, but they still boasted enough strength to be a force to be reckoned with. Even the peaceful Pokemon were dangerous, like Pellipers that brought storms in their wake, or Avaluggs that sought out no challenges but simply plowed through anything in their path.

  I felt my hands twitching towards my belt and the Pokeballs stored on it, the sleepy days of peace giving way to the desire to test myself. Of course, before I could even fully contemplate such things, a shout had me jumping slightly, and I turned to see Friede there.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  “Careful, Nemona, we don’t want to lose our bodyguard on this trip before we’ve even landed,” he said, and it took me a moment to parse his words before the meaning clicked in my head.

  “Please, this?” I said, stretching an arm out to the breeze around us. “I’m not going to fall from a little thing like that; heck, you’re more likely to fall off than I am,” I boasted. Admittedly because of my Aura - If I ever slipped, I could just float right back.

  “Pika, pika,” Captain Pikachu chided, which I took with grace, stepping back. “Alright, alright, I’m coming back. Now tell me about how your experiment will go and what you need me to do.” He had outlined it briefly, but I could never be certain I hadn’t missed something with him.

  “We were hoping you could keep some of the more ferocious Pokemon away from us as I documented Tatsugiri and Dondozo. I’d heard they can get stronger when working together, so I might see how they do in a battle against Cap and Charizard. Of course, we have to find them first,” he explained as we headed back down to the captain’s chambers.

  “Well, Dondozos are pretty easy to spot,” I said, glancing down at the water. “They’re larger than even the Gyaradoses.” The big blue bulbous Pokemon drifted through the waves much like the Avalugg did, floating along and utterly unconcerned with the struggles of most of the smaller Pokemon.

  We reached the rest of the group waiting in the steering room, with Sohdayo eagerly taking photos out the window. Molly was watching with a sort of detached interest, while our faithful engineer was wincing.

  “Holy-” Orla cut off a curse (possibly because of my presence). “Just look at how many Gyaradoses there are down there! Friede, are you sure we should do this?”

  He frowned, taking a look down. The Gyrados did seem more common than usual and particularly dense in one spot, with dozens of them gathered in that section. “It must be mating season for them,” he mused.

  Peering over (with a slight assist from my Aura), I took a glance at the situation and said, “It should be fine.” Then I dropped back down instantly, narrowly avoiding Sohdayo’s camera as he whipped around, holding an innocent expression on my face.

  Orla wasn’t quite convinced. “I know you’re strong and all, so maybe it won’t be a problem for you, but that kind of gathering of Gyarados would be cause for a major warning back home. I wonder why the rangers haven’t sent out any alerts about it?”

  It was Molly who answered. “Gyarados are generally very territorial, so they’ll spread out after the mating is over.”

  “Isn’t that an even bigger cause for concern?! The Gyarados can fly, and if they reach the mainland-”

  “They won’t,” I interjected. “You can’t see them from here, but there are flocks and flocks of Kilowattrels waiting just beyond the ‘arms’ of the lake. Gyarados aren’t great fliers, and the Pokemon on the cliffs would defend themselves if attacked.” Or if anyone just came too close. Some, like the packs of Goomys, might just cower at such a sight, but the other Pokemon around these parts are pretty tough too.

  “Can a couple of Kilowattrels really stop all those Gyarados?” Murdoch asked, to which Ludlow chortled.

  “Never underestimate a Pokemon; all of them can be terrifying in the right situation.”

  “Indeed. The Kilowattrels have a major Type advantage against Water and Flying Types. They’re much faster than them too, so they’ll fry- deter any Gyarados from slipping out and hurting anyone ashore.” Molly grimaced slightly, and I offered her an apologetic expression.

  For someone who wants to heal even the wild Pokemon, hearing about how they fight and even sometimes eat each other can be hard. But those Gyarados would hurt more Pokemon if they were allowed to populate and spread en masse. The pink-haired older girl gave me a curt nod, showing she understood that too.

  “Why don’t the Kilowattrels just fly over to the lake then, instead of waiting?” Orla inquired, which led to me and Molly responding at the same time.

  “The Drakloaks/Lack of oil.” We blinked and both stared at each other. “No no, you go first; I was just guessing.”

  Her cheeks grew almost as pink as her hair. “I was just making an assumption too,” she demurred before speaking up, as it was clear I wasn’t going to go first. “I know that Kilowattrels have very little oil on their feathers, so they have a tough time swimming.”

  “I was just thinking that the Drakloaks and Dreepy are floating a bit above the lake’s waters, and they’d be faster and more resistant to the Kilowattrels attacks.” Gyrados also learn Bite upon evolving and could probably easily devour them. It could just be that Ghost Types don’t make for good meals, but with how freely they let the Dragon packs drift around them and how there are fewer Dratinis nearby, I think them using the Drakloaks as a sort of protection/buffer doesn’t feel unreasonable. I wonder how much the Gyarados consciously think of that, though? Is it just a learned behavior past generations took up and stuck around as an evolutionary advantage? Or am I on the completely wrong track, and there’s some other reason for the relatively peaceful cohabitation?

  I realized two things - one, that everyone was looking at me, so I probably said those thoughts aloud, and two, that Friede had his Rotom Phone held up. “Did you get all that for your video?” I asked.

  “Most of it!” He chirped back. “Those were some good theories you were tossing about and would definitely be fun to investigate. For the moment though, we should look for a place to ‘weigh anchor’ and begin looking into the Tatsugiri and Dondozo.”

  “I’ve heard the greatest Tatsugiris gather on the peak of those island cliffs!” Sohdayo exclaimed excitedly.

  “Wynaut?”

  “Umm, well, I’m not sure about that, but most Tatsugiri seem to be on land, not in the water, so we’d probably want one of the islands a bit closer to sea level, like that one.” I pointed at one of the smaller islands, which happened to have a few Dondozos swimming nearby. I don’t know if anyone else’s eyes can make them out from this far away, but some of those multi-colored blobs on the ground could easily be Tatsugiri.

  It was also far away from the Gyaradoses, and we’d be able to easily fly off if a large number of them started gathering towards us. Assuming I didn’t just beat them all. Which might have felt a little cocky, but I was confident that my team could handle anything the world could throw at us, especially a bunch of untrained, uncoordinated wild Pokemon rampaging without thought.

  Such a thing was not a threat to even the Pokemon down below, as a school of Veluza began attacking one of the Dondozos near the island we were approaching. As I was getting ready to head down and help drive the predators off, we all saw as one of the Tatsugiri on the island jumped out onto the water and then dived into a Dondozo’s mouth.

  “I see, Dondozo consumes the smaller Pokemon for power!” Sohdayo declared, causing Molly’s eyes to bug out.

  “What?!”

  “No. Just watch; see how Dondozo is fighting back now?” I said, pointing out the window, where the large blue and white fish Pokemon was fighting the pack of small silver and purple ones far more efficiently now.

  Gathering the group up with a powerful Surf, Dondozo followed it up by tossing the Tatsugiri out of her mouth at the cluster, following it up with a long sweep of her tail, which knocked the Veluza aside, and Tatsugiri hopped on top of it, riding it back and letting him get flicked back into Dondozo’s mouth.

  “Tatsugiri uses Dondozo as a living shield but seems to power up the Water Type. They work together quite well.” I have some other theories too, especially about how much smarter Dondozo started fighting after Tatsugiri joined the fray - no more thrashing about wildly there.

  We made our descent at the same time as the pair was approaching the shore - and our presence wasn’t unnoticed. Immediately the Tatsugiri started scattering on the small island, with a couple of Dondozo swimming closer. The one that was already paired up fired off a Water Gun that hit the side of Brave Olivine hard.

  “Whoa, was that a Hydro Pump?” Sohdayo exclaimed, and I shook my head, though any explanation I could have given was cut off by everyone scrambling around me. Orla left, fretting over the repairs needed, and Friede was charging out on his Charizard.

  I followed him, releasing Notch, hoping that we could talk them down. Despite the situation, I couldn’t help but smirk at how happy Notch still was with their hands, delighting in the princess carry they used as we floated down. “Having fun?”

  [‘With you? Always! Each day is a blessed treat,’] they declared, whilst calling up a shield of diamonds to block another attack from the big fish below.

  “Can you ask them to stop?” Almost immediately, they halted, but I could see how suspiciously the Dondozo was looking at us (likely mimicking what the Tatsugiri within was feeling). But at least the attacks stopped, so Friede didn’t have to dodge those blasts of water anymore.

  “Whoa! They’re really riled up, huh? Suppose we shouldn’t have expected anything different if the Gyarados are congregating.” Friede commented more to himself than to me before turning to Dondozo. “We’re just here to study. We even brought treats!” he shouted to the pair before pulling a very large, Dondozo-sized Poketreat from his satchel and tossing it down to the big fish, who scooped it up in one gulp.

  “Our chef made that himself. Tastes great, right?” As Friede attempted to win them over, I caught a bit of back and forth between the Tatsugiri and Dondozo, which I could barely hear, the big fish making very deep sounds. I’d need to be more familiar with Dondozo to accurately read them off of those sounds. Thankfully, I had Notch to relay a proper message between us.

  “Think Murdoch can make up more of those snacks?” I asked as the Dondozo and all the Tatsugiri on the island began looking hopefully at us. “Uhh, that’s a lot of treats to whip up…” I added doubtfully, but Friede waved it off.

  “It’ll be fine; you haven’t seen Murdoch during the lunch rush before.” That’s right, he worked in a pastry shop before this. Hmm, I wonder what brought him away from that and to go on a life of adventure?

  To be entirely fair, there hardly needed to be a huge impetus for that in this world. While it had gotten better with advanced communication systems and social media, there were still plenty of cases of people heeding the call to adventure and disappearing for months on end. If they returned at all. So a gig with a Pokemon Professor-sponsored airship would likely sound pretty sweet to most people all on its own (myself included).

  We flew back up to the airship to relay the instructions to Murdoch. Friede and Cap then helped him out in the kitchen while I lent a hand to Orla in fixing the ship (though the damage was fairly minimal - the Brave Olivine had originally been a sea ship after all, so the hull could take a Water type attack quite well).

  True to the Professor’s words, in just half an hour, Murdoch was rolling out a large feast of delicious treats. We had to enlist the help of a couple of my other flying Pokemon (who could actually help them, which was mostly just Gliscor, but I could ride atop Dun while she and Notch helped deliver it) to take it down to them. I also had to promise one treat each for my fliers and promise more for the ones who couldn’t join us in that. Geez, you’d think that we don’t feed them well, but I am well aware of how much they chow down at home.

  The small island was covered in Tatsugiri, and Tatsugiri alone. They were a little nervous at first (a fact that might have been attributed to the Legendary Fairy Type delivering the food), but one of the braver ones wiggled up on the odd, cloud-like substance under their bellies, taking a tentative bite of one of the puff pastries before his eyes lit up.

  That signal had the rest swarming over, eagerly devouring the desserts and making short work of it all, happily cheering for us in between bites. They sure changed their attitudes quickly, but I guess that’s the power of a good meal. A little too trusting, though; a slow-acting sedative could have just taken them all out if we had been poachers.

  I paused and shook my head. God, my thoughts can be way too dark sometimes. People in this world are, generally, far kinder and more trusting than the ones in my previous world, and these wild Tatsugiri in particular would have no reason to mistrust us.

  Friede had finished giving Dondozo (and likely the Tatsugiri within her mouth) on the water her portion of the treats, dropping them down from atop Charizard. “So, ready to give us a demonstration of your teamwork?” He asked, and the response he got was:

  “Do. Dooooozo. Don Don, Do.”

  “Uhhh…” Friede began awkwardly, not getting what that and Dondozo’s gestures upwards meant, but luckily, we had a translator.

  [‘They-… they’re demanding that we give them our chef. Or at least, the little one is, and the big one is happy enough to follow along.’] Notch informed us. [‘He does claim he’ll help us if we do so though.’] The Tatsugiri on the island cheered at that, and I even saw a few more Dondozos drifting in closer, looking interested.

  Do they think that just by having a chef they’ll magically get food that good?! I mean, he probably could prepare and make the fish they eat tastier, but not on this level. And also- “No way,” Friede declared firmly, a response which provoked all the Tatsugiri to wiggle and hiss aggressively. The main Dondozo also slapped her tail against the water hard.

  I decided to step in there. “Let’s have a battle: if you two can beat us, you get our chef.”

  “Nemona!” Friede hissed, and with a subtle signal, had Notch telepathically transmit my next words to Friede alone.

  "A battle is a great way to show off the power they get from working together like that, and besides, I said they had to beat both of us; my Pokemon will easily sweep them up if you lose." After an unimpressed stare and a beat, I added, "I mean, I believe in you. You should, uh, still use both your Pokemon, though, since there’s two of them there too."

  With a heavy sigh, Friede passed me his Rotom Phone to record the battle before pulling out a pair of small capsules that he tossed onto the water, which expanded to grey-white platforms to stand and move on. Cap tossed his hat back to his Trainer and stood atop one platform, moving ahead of Friede, who slid off Charizard’s back and onto the other. Huh, guess those are the things the PC uses when battling on the water in the games. I wonder how someone directs them to move around? Probably foot-pressure based, but how are they programmed to take in the differences of even Pikachu and Friede, let alone Pokemon with a different number of limbs from a human?

  I didn’t have time to geek out and examine them any further as the battle began in earnest. ‘Donduo’ began with a Surf, the water rising like a massive tidal wave, the power letting it threaten to hit even the flying Charizard. A widespread Move, good for catching both of their foes, one of whom is weak to Water. Dondozo hardly seems like the greatest special attacker, but with Tatsugiri boosting him, it’s a decent opening.

  Friede wasn’t just going to stand there and take it, however. “Charizard, Fly above it! Cap, ride it out!” He called out. Charizard shot into the air, while the Pikachu… Is that Surf? It is! Cap is using his own Surf to ride out the wave! It looked both awesome and adorable to see the electric rodent Pokemon carving along the wave his foe had made.

  Donduo attempted to crush the smaller Pokemon, jumping up over top of the approaching Pikachu. Cap saw it coming and slid on his flotation device to the side, then jumped right as the big fish landed, reversing their positions.

  “Thunder Punch!” Friede’s voice carried out over the water, and Cap’s fist sparked with electricity before impacting Dondozo. The large Pokemon reeled back, howling in pain. Yeah, Cap certainly packs a punch, especially with that Light Orb boosting his power even further. He’s a real Elite-Tier threat on his own now.

  Dondozo was quite tough, though, both naturally and boosted further with Tatsugiri inside of her, so she prepared to swing back at Cap while he was in the air. However, they had forgotten that this was a 2 v 2, a fact that Charizard dropping down from the sky dramatically reminded them of. The diving impact threw Donduo off from hitting Cap, letting the Pikachu flip through the air and land perfectly back on his floaty.

  Dondozo glared between the two on either side of her, caught, until she suddenly dropped down below the waves. “Huh? Running away already?” Friede questioned.

  “No, they’re using-” The great fish burst dramatically out of the water, smacking Cap aside as they surged back up. “-Dive,” I finished lamely.

  The Pokemon Professor called out, “Flamethrower! Thunder Punch!” The first attack hit, Charizard’s flames licking away Dondozo’s thick blubber but doing little damage, while Cap was having trouble swimming towards the fishy pair and was unable to make it before they dove back beneath the waves.

  Friede clicked his tongue in frustration before ordering Charizard to grab Cap, the Flying Type rushing over and barely picking his ally up in time to avoid the Dive.

  Dondozo grinned, launching Tatsugiri out of her mouth like a living missile that hit Charizard hard, nearly causing him to lose his grip on Cap. Is that a sushi board Tatsugiri hit them with? Wow, Order Up really goes all in on that theme. It was also dangerous for the boost it just gave them, which I warned my friend of.

  “Watch out - I think that Move increases their Defense!” I shouted, and my fears were proven true when Captain Pikachu darted through the air with a few Quick Attacks to land a fast Thunder Punch against Dondozo, but he took it with much more ease than before, nearly clipping Pikachu with an Aqua Tail before Charizard dove down and scooped him out of the way.

  Charizard placed Cap back down on his floaty before turning and trying to Flamethrower Donduo again, but it failed, the Pokemon Diving once more. Friede wasn’t worried, though, instantly jumping into action the moment they went under the waves.

  “Double Team, then back in the air!” A series of clones appeared all around the floaty before Cap jumped back atop Charizard. Predictably, Donduo burst through the water at the spot where Cap had previously been, her bulk and the waves caused in her wake ripping through the clones. But it left her right where they wanted her.

  “Hurricane!” Charizard beat his wings hard, whipping up a violent storm in the sky that kept Donduo aloft for a moment. The strain of that was real, but it gave Cap time for his Move, jumping off of Charizard’s back at Friede’s final command. “Special attacks aren’t really Cap’s specialty, heh. So I guess we’ll just have to power through it, Volt Tackle!” Why do I suddenly hear ‘You Say Run?’ Also, note to self: Write that music for my next album; it’s a banger.

  Captain Pikachu landed in the air, racing along the edge of the Hurricane. Around and around he went, gathering more charge, until he was a blinding bright blur. This contrasted the air around, which had become dark, and the winds even more violent. Dondozo thrashed in place, but even Tatsugiri had no idea of what to do in this situation - and no time to think about it.

  Reaching the top of the storm, Cap leapt off the outer ring, drifting in the air for just a second until they were right above the center - right above Dondozo and Tatsugiri. Dropping down, they hit the pair with Captain Pikachu’s patented ‘Rising’ Volt Tackle, like a fist of god. Like a bolt of lightning striking down, Cap hit the water first, then their foes a moment after, the storm gone and Charizard looking very tired, struggling to keep himself in the air.

  Slowly, Dondozo surfaced from the waves, rising back up and coughing out Tatsugiri. The False Dragon Pokemon was just as knocked out and defeated as his partner. And then, off several meters to the side, Cap resurfaced as well, looking exhausted but conscious, paddling over to Friede to jump onto the man - and then, after embracing him, shaking off all his wet fur, causing the Pokemon Professor to sputter.

  I might have used something like a Sunny Day to weaken the Water attacks, especially if Charizard had Solar Power. Cap maybe using Eerie Impulse to let Charizard’s special attacks hit harder, but damn, Friede’s way worked well too. That Volt Tackle is beyond just Elite in power; it’s starting to look like some of the stronger Moves Ash’s Pikachu could do.

  “Good job,” I shouted down, my starter drifting to Friede and his team, now that the surrounding area looked clear. Notch telekinetically pulled over the other floaty, and I released Athena to stand on it, offering out Heal Pulses and Life Dews for all the Pokemon that had fought. That, combined with beating the Tatsugiri/Dondozo pair, and it didn’t seem like any of the nearby Pokemon were eager to mess with us.

  Cap was looking a little roughed up, but he gave us a broad grin and wave as we approached, clearly quite proud of his victory. The Light Orb definitely helped, but it’s clear that they’ve been training too.

  “Those were some good plays you pulled there,” I complimented Friede once I was in normal talking distance. “Felt like some of the pro double battles I’ve been watching.”

  “Professional Double- oh right, you’re heading off to Blueberry, and they focus on those kinds of battles there.”

  “Yup. Tatsugiri and Dondozo have great synergy working together, giving the big guy a huge boost in power, with further boosts available with that signature Move of hers. But you were able to use both your Pokemon at once, and your strategy cinched it!” I gushed. Ah, I love Pokemon battling!

  “Haha, thanks. You were right,” he said suddenly, causing momentary confusion, before he explained. “About needing more Pokemon for a Champion Tier team. Charizard is great, but some of the challenges we’ve faced around the regions, he couldn’t have taken on easily, and the same is true for Cap.” The Pikachu in question crossed his arms at that but eased up as Friede gave him back his hat.

  “Together though, we’ve been able to do a ton and discover so much more of the world.”

  “Well, feel free to ring me up whenever you’re going on an adventure next, and I’ll see if I can swing by.” Part of me is tempted to just travel with them now; I’m sure there’s a ton I could learn with them… but it’s fine. I’ll learn a bunch at Blueberry too, and I’m sure I could join up with the Rising Volt Tacklers fully later.

  “Will do. Hmm, you mentioned how Double Battles are common at Blueberry. Do you think a Dondozo and Tatsugiri pair would do well with your strategies to guide them?” He offered, looking out at the Pokemon that had gathered around to watch Friede’s match.

  Absolutely, without a doubt. “I think they’d do well, but I’m not looking to expand my team right now. Still focusing on training up Anya and Radiance.” And Bahamut - he’s gotten a lot stronger, but he’s still not quite on the level of the original six. More to the point though, I saw the hurt and verklempt expressions on the faces of the Tatsugiri (and probably on the couple of Dondozo in the distance, though they were harder to read) and figured none of them were really interested in joining me. A Pokemon’s drive is the biggest factor in if I’ll take them onto my team or not.

  “Good luck with that, and thanks again for coming out to help us film this,” he said, taking the Rotom Phone back and shaking my hand. “Now let’s get you back home before the Gyarados do decide to drift our way.”

  Kinda feel like this is the point where disaster would strike or everything would go wrong. I waited a second, but when no one appeared to smite us for our hubris, we flew back to the Brave Olivine. There we began the significantly less exciting process of editing his video to make it an exciting and engaging production for the public to consume.

  Discord. Thank you, and I hope you have a great day.

  - Tera Type: Normal

  - Held Item: Expert Belt

  - Abilities: Run Away, Serene Grace

  - Moves known:

  - 'Miles' (Rotom, Genderless, Electric/Form dependent Type)

  - Tera Type: Electric

  - Held Item: Life Orb

  - Ability: Levitate

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Nightwing' (Gliscor, Female, Flying/Ground Type)

  - Tera Type: Water

  - Held Item: Toxic Orb

  - Ability: Hyper Cutter, Poison Heal

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Notch' (Diancie, Mega-Evolvable, Genderless, Rock/Fairy Type)

  - Tera Type: Fighting

  - Held Item: Light Clay

  - Ability: Clear Body

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Phantasm' (Hisuian Zoroark, Female, Normal/Ghost)

  - Tera Type: Ghost

  - Held Item: Lax Incense

  - Ability: Illusion

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Athena' (Lucario, Mega-Evolveable, Female, Fighting/Steel)

  - Tera Type: Fighting

  - Held Item: Clear Amulet

  - Ability: Steadfast

  - Moves Known:

  -'Bahamut' (Haxorus, Male, Shiny, Dragon)

  - Tera Type: Dragon

  - Held Item: Dragon Fang

  - Ability: Mold Breaker

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Radiance' (Iron Moth, Genderless, Fire/Poison)

  - Tera Type: Poison

  - Held Item: Booster Energy

  - Ability: Quark Drive

  - Moves Known:

  -'Anya' (Gothorita, Female, Psychic)

  - Tera Type: Psychic

  - Held Item: None

  - Ability: Shadow Tag

  - Moves Known:

  *Custom Moves