While some members of my team were less helpful than others (Nightwing and Phantasm for lack of enthusiasm, Bahamut with too much enthusiasm), we eventually got the area in passable shape, heading off to the Pokemon Center.

  Can’t believe I didn’t recognize the signs before. Most Mega Evolutions come with increased aggression instead, but still. She even insisted that I power up her rival! Let’s hope I can break her of that pattern without having her father have to sacrifice himself to save the planet.

  I shook my mind from thoughts about Dragonball Z as I saw the odd stare Nurse Joy was giving me. Is she part of the clan? I can’t tell. “Yes?”

  “Did your Pokemon Mega Evolve?” She asked neutrally.

  “Ah, yes, she did. It was her first time today. Is there a problem?”

  She hummed. “Not necessarily. Just try not to have her Mega Evolve more than once every other day. Mega Evolution puts a lot of strain on the body.”

  “Good to know.” I can probably set her on meditative activities on her off days anyways to get a better handle on what that power does to her mind.

  ***

  The ranch was as lively and joyful as ever. Upon arriving, Mabel quickly waved me over and peppered me with more questions, mostly about my gym battles, but a few about regular Pokemon handling.

  “How do you deal with the torn scales on your Dudunsparce and Bahamut?”

  “What Gym Leader was the toughest?”

  “Why do you feed your Pokemon separate from the ranch Pokemon? We’ve got grade-A Poke chow here!”

  The last question led to a discussion about the different vitamins and supplements I had tailored to each of my team members. Mabel had a great deal of insight on the nutritional needs of different Pokemon and it led to a lengthy discussion on the topic.

  Eventually I asked her, “Why ask me all these questions?”

  “I just think it’s really cool, ya know?” She clasped her hands behind her back, swaying back and forth a little.

  “It is,” I easily admitted. In spite of everything, this has been incredible. I’m barely over halfway done, and I can’t wait to go on my next journey. “Why not go yourself?”

  “H-huh?! You mean- you really think I’d be a good trainer?”

  “Of course. You know a fair bit about handling Pokemon yourself. You’ve already mentioned a bunch of different care and treatment options for the various Pokemon, and it’s not like you don’t have access to plenty of potential friends.” I said, waving my hand out at the field around us.

  My gaze stopped momentarily on Billy, playing eagerly with the singular Drampa on the ranch, scratching behind the ears of the teal Dragon. They seem like a nice fit, though…

  Putting that to the side I focused my attention once more on Mabel, the girl still frozen. “It’s fine if you have other responsibilities, but don’t hold yourself back because you’re worried you can’t make it.”

  “...How do you do that? You’re like six years younger than me, but you sound like an old sage.” She pouted, and I laughed. I was called an old soul in my first life; I suppose I’ve more than earned that by now.

  Her next words struck a bit deeper. “I just- I just don’t know if I can do it. You always seem in control in those videos, like you’ve always got a plan. Your music sounds great too; you’re way younger than me, and you’re so smart, and I-” She cut herself off, and I saw some tears welling up in her eyes.

  Shit. Ok, how do I reassure her without sounding condescending? “I could say that I’ve received a ton of support and have several unique advantages, which is true, but I’m guessing that won’t help?” She shook her head, and I suppressed an unhelpful sigh.

  “Simply focus on yourself. There are tons of people out there, and I’m sure you could find a way you don’t match up to them in some area, maybe even in a field you’ve chosen to apply yourself to.” I know I’ve done that plenty, in this life and the last. “But you can’t focus on that. The only one you’re really competing against at the end of the day is yourself, and as long as you’ve improved, that’s great.”

  Mabel furrowed her brow, not looking quite convinced, so I clarified. “Even if you think you haven’t done enough, or you still have too far to go, your efforts matter. And if some external validation is needed, know that there will always be someone out there who appreciates your efforts. Thank you for well…”

  I got tongue-tied at the end of my impromptu speech, only partially because of the difficulty in pinning down the right words. That brilliant smile on her face isn’t helping either. I blushed and shook my head, looking away for a second as I tried to push down any burgeoning feelings.

  The motion ended up catching the attention of Big Jim, the older man striding to us. “What’s this I hear about becomin’ a Trainer?” Good ears; most regular people would have had a tough time catching that over the ranch Pokemon and that far away.

  Mabel spun around brightly to face her father. “Yes, I’m gonna do it! Next year, I’m taking on the Gym Challenge!” She pumped her fist up in the air cutely.

  The ranch owner didn’t seem upset, letting out a happy chuckle of his. “Sounds like yer set on yer path then. You’ll do great,” he added in a softer tone before turning to me. “Thanks fer talkin’ my sweet daughter up to that. Guess battling ain’t the only skill ya got! Can’t say I’m surprised though; yer folks have been praising ya almost as much as our prized Pokemon here.”

  Right, this ranch isn’t just well rated for good service but also for the ‘quality’ of the Pokemon they produce. Something on my face must have shown because Jim asked, “Ya good, Miss Nemona?”

  “Ah, I’m fine.” I said before sighing, seeing him unconvinced. “I just- don’t believe that’s a thing. That Pokemon bred from strong Pokemon are not inherently any stronger or have any greater potential than others,” I explained. My words brought a shocked gasp from Mabel.

  Jim, on the other hand, didn’t seem upset, merely commenting, “Interesting outlook.” In the distance, I saw two Tauros, a Blaze and Aqua breed, prancing around a corner of the field, scorching and quenching the grass as they went, playfully bashing into each other. “Most serious Trainers wouldn’t agree with that, though.”

  Scoffing, I said, “That’s because those ‘serious Trainers’ are looking for quick fixes to power. Yes, some Pokemon tend to start out a bit stronger in some areas than others and will have natural biological advantages in certain fields, but with enough training, any Pokemon can reach the greatest heights.”

  “Oh? Bunch of sciency folk have studies that say otherwise.” Jim countered, and I rolled my eyes.

  “Those studies only show slight tendencies, and correlation doesn’t equal causation. Any supposed increase in the base strength of Pokemon from ‘prestigious’ lineage is usually just a matter of having some training from their parents already, better nutrition, or just a measure of belief in the Pokemon themselves affecting the study.” To say nothing of the fact that certain people in the breeding industry might well pay good money to fund and shift the test results in their favor.

  “You reckon that just believing in a Pokemon is enough to make 'em stronger?”

  “Of course, that’s a large part of a Trainer’s job. Sure, you set up training plans and regimens, make strategies, and react to changes in the middle of dynamic battles, but at the end of the day, all you’ll be left able to do in a battle is believe in the Pokemon you’ve trained.” I glanced up, looking him straight in the eyes. “And if you believe hard enough, a lot of the time, it’s enough.”

  He laughed again, a full-bellied thing. “Well put. Not sure I entirely agree - not the least of which cause I’d be out of a job if I did, but well put.” Hard to tell if he’s just being agreeable because of my parents/their money, or if he’s just always this polite and reasonable while dealing with other people, but at least he’s pleasant enough to be around. Not as much as his daug- gah! Stop it, brain!

  I made an excuse and drifted away, wandering around the ranch for a while and talking with my parents before heading out again. The daily grind was real, and just because Athena would need to rest didn’t mean that I could slack off with training the rest of my Pokemon.

  ***

  That being said, a large chunk of the next few days was spent helping Athena control her new powers and the emotions that came with them. To varying degrees of success.

  “Patience now,” I chided as a low growl started building in her throat. With a deep sigh, she relaxed again, despite the Mankey, Pansear, and Komala hanging off of her. The monkey Pokemon were scrambling all over her, while the Komala just quietly dozed, hanging off Athena’s left arm. Impressive, I hadn’t even noticed her slipping up and climbing up until she was already there. Quite sneaky for one so sleepy.

  That drew another flash of irritation from my Pokemon, and even if she managed to avoid vocalizing it, I could still see it in the tension she held and the way her furs bristled.

  “Athena, don’t be upset just because I find other Pokemon interesting too. Everyone has their own skills and powers; that doesn’t diminish your own.”

  That earned a grumble from her. Not necessarily a disagreement, but more an ‘I don’t like it.’ If she’s this involved in what I’m saying and feeling, the meditation probably isn’t going anywhere.

  Waving the Pokemon off of her, I circled around to face her. “Hey, this training is just as important as the rest of your practice. You know you only lost to Dun that first time because you lost yourself.

  My Lucario huffed, clearly unhappy about the loss, despite the fact that she had improved greatly since then. So far she’s won two out of three rematches, even with me guiding Dun once she won the first time. And she’s only going to get so much stronger.

  ‘I feel frustrated with myself. I should be better than this, have greater control. Dun must think me a fool, to have such little self-control.’

  “Hey, none of that now; you’re doing good. This is just a bit of a learning curve. Every Mon has that when they evolve. Given our limited windows to train those powers, it makes sense that you’d be having difficulty. Especially with that technique.” I wonder if I suggested it too soon. It would be really cool if she could pull it off, but using Aura that way will be tricky, even for an expert like her.

  My words didn't seem to reach her and I paused. "Wait, what was that about Dun." She stiffened up at my words, and if it weren't for her fur, I'd swear that she would have been blushing.

  'I jus- just wanna beat him, that's all!' I mentally appended a 'baka' onto the end of her sentence, smiling slightly. Ah right, she's always had a bit of an infatuation/obsession with him. Now that she's evolved too, makes sense that she wants to show off.

  "Don't worry about it. There are bumps in everyone's training; remember the time he practiced Ice Beam with his tail, aimed too low and froze his own head?" That earned a small smirk from the jackal-like Pokemon as she remembered that incident. He broke out almost immediately and acted like nothing had happened, but the whole team was howling at that.

  Dun was hardly the only one with a funny story about a mistake or gaff they had made - all of us had something like that. "We're a team, right? We've all seen each other at our highest and lowest points. If something didn't go well recently, then just do better tomorrow. You'll practice and get more control, and by the time we face Tyme, you'll be sure to wow Dun and everyone with how much you've grown." Those words brought her a bit of comfort for a minute, but as she resumed meditating, I could feel her thoughts spiraling again.

  Athena was brought out of her brooding by a long lick from the Drampa, who had wandered over. Billy trailed behind him, huffing and puffing, out of breath. There was like twelve meters between us; you can’t be exhausted from that!

  An angry bark from Athena had Drampa wilting backward, looking sad. “I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it,” Billy quickly leapt to the Pokemon’s defense.

  “True, I think Athena is just a bit upset about other matters.” At a gentle nudge from me, she let out a grunt that could be interpreted as an apology, which had the Dragon Type perking back up quickly. “She can be a bit prickly when you catch her off guard,” I continued, while sending a pulse of contrition to her for using her as an example for this. “You don’t always know every aspect of a Pokemon when you first meet them, or even after spending a few days with them.”

  Much like humans, they constantly find ways to surprise you. My father didn’t seem to get it, however. “I feel like I know Drampa perfectly already. He’s bursting with Glitterati enthusiasm!” The Dragon in question leaned into some cuddles from Billy, happy but not showing the usual draconic pride at praise. His species wasn’t noted for that, but they were noted for surprising bouts of anger.

  No guarantee he has that; not every Pokemon exactly matches their Pokedex entry, but still. Wouldn’t hurt to check that out, though. Jumping to a seemingly unrelated topic, I suggested, “Hey, do you think you want to battle with him? It’d be a good chance to get to know him better and-”

  “Yes!” He eagerly exclaimed, clearly needing no other excuses. “I challenge you to a battle!”

  There was a moment of silence, my father’s proud declaration and dramatic finger pointing at me turning awkward as I, Athena, and Drampa just gave him a look. After a moment, I chuckled. “Great Glitterati eagerness there, but I think my team might be a bit much for Drampa at this point.” To say nothing of the difference in skill between us as Trainers. “Why don’t you battle Mom with a Pokemon she chooses from the ranch as well?”

  I had my suspicions about what Pokemon she’d use, and (after clearing the match in the ranch with Jim) I was proven correct, though not quite in the way I’d expected.

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  “Oh, I’d love to, dear,” she answered Billy’s challenge. “But I just don’t know which of these two cuties I should use!” She despaired looking between two, nigh identical plush white mouse-looking Pokemon.

  “Uhh, actually Tandemaus counts as one Pokemon for battling and catching,” I mentioned, sweatdropping a little. The Tandemaus chittered in amusement.

  “Whaaaat? How does that work?” O’Nare questioned.

  “Actually, it’s a really interesting phenomenon. I think it has something to do with linking their Auras up on a very tight level, closer than most regular bonds can work. While they are distinct beings with their own personalities and minds, when they’re so closely linked, they can sort of sync up their thoughts and act as one, letting a Pokeball catch them together. It also means that there are deleterious effects upon both of them if they’re forcibly separated - not that you need to worry about that for the relatively small space you have to battle in.”

  I gestured at the corner that had been cleared for them before clamping my mouth shut. Whoops, went a bit too far there. Don’t want Mom to worry, but I shouldn’t be giving either one of them advice here. I reached for Notch’s Pokeball before catching a subtle shake of Athena’s head.

  She must have caught onto my plan and the precaution I want to take here. Not really her forte, but with an Aura construct, she might be able to… I quickly nodded at her before focusing my attention on my parents.

  Jim laid down the rules quickly. “Alright, this should be a nice, fun battle. Fight till the other Pokemon is down or surrenders; let’s not go too far here.” With a gesture to the Kadabra standing nearby, a barrier was raised in a cube around the space. “Ready, set, begin!”

  “O-Okay, go, attack!” Billy called out first, eagerness clashing with a lack of experience. For his part, Drampa looked confused for a second but then followed the command as best he could, raising up a Twister around the Tandemaus pair and tossing them about the arena.

  O’Nare furrowed her brow, eyes darting rapidly about the field before she gave an order. “Converge on Drampa, hit him from both sides!” The mouse-like Pokemon rapidly ran at the Dragon, giving him no time to escape before slapping him, knocking his head first one way, then the other.

  “Play Nice!” Billy cried, and the Dragon reached out, grabbing each Tandemaus by one hand and dancing in a circle with them. They seemed quite happy and were hesitant to attack the Drampa at O’Nare’s orders even after the Dragon released them. Despite that, their Play Rough really hit the Dragon hard. Nice, they’re both getting the hang of strategy, at least a little bit.

  The battle continued like that, with Billy on a more defensive and disruptive strategy to O’Nare’s aggressive one. It seemed like my father might have the edge until my mom used her special weapon.

  “Super Fang!” The Tandemaus charged in, teeth shining bright, each pair striking through Drampa’s scales as if they weren’t even there. A lucky hit that took out a lot of Drampa’s health. Super Fang has to aim for critical spots on the enemy Pokemon, so for them to both hit different ones was lucky, but quite strong.

  Drampa had his own secret trick, the beast letting out a splitting howl that shook the barrier. Tossing the Tandemaus off of him, he began spitting out dragon fire without any orders on Billy’s part.

  Mom cried, “Get out of the way!” Which was enough to let the dazed mice roll aside, avoiding the Dragon Breath. The attack then hit into the barrier, shattering it.

  “What in tarnation-?” Jim began as my father was calling for Drampa to stop, to no avail. I stepped forward, nodding to Athena, and she was in front of the rampaging Dragon in the blink of an eye. Pushing his head up and letting the Dragon Breath pass harmlessly into the air above.

  He began to struggle, but a giant hand of Aura reached out from Athena and clasped him tight. Then she raised a paw and sent a pulse of Psychic energy into the Drampa; the Dragon Type instantly drooped, and his struggles stopped.

  Hypnosis? No, he doesn’t look sleepy, just calm. Did she use Calm Mind on someone else? That’s incredible! My musings were cut off by the sudden bout of action as Tandemaus jumped up, the pair slapping the top of Drampa’s head and knocking him out, earning a moment of stunned silence from the rest of us.

  “... I know we didn’t call the match off, but if the barrier breaks and other Pokemon are jumping in, the match is over,” I informed Tandemaus. The duo at least had the decency to look a bit sheepish at that.

  Billy rushed over with Potions to heal Drampa, while praising O’Nare for her battling skills. His wife did much the same, boasting about the strength Drampa showed while holding the Tandemaus close and snuggling them.

  Good to see that everyone is getting along and that my parents are one step closer to their goals. As Athena walked back, I said, “Good job there; that was an impressive trick.”

  “Only that. Just a trick. So far away still from that technique you want me to master.”

  “Perhaps, but each journey begins with the first steps. Trite, but true. You remember me telling you about how frustrated I got with my Aura progress at first?” Looking her in the eyes, she nodded. “It’s like that. All the training you’re doing here helps immensely. It might also end up being one of those ‘cool but impractical’ ideas, so we’ll see how it goes. Just be proud of how far you’ve come. Or, if you’re worried about those feelings overwhelming you again, then at least respect the effort you’ve put in, as you do for mine.”

  At that, she bowed to me, one paw clasped in the other. I returned the gesture to her before clasping her forearm.

  ***

  With my parents' battle done, the other Pokemon, some staff, and others just part of the ranch stepped in to help fix the terrain. With several Grass Types around, they were able to patch over the ground quickly. It wasn’t instantaneous, but after about fifteen minutes, most of the damage looked as it would if humans had spent a couple of days working it over. Not that everyone was happy about it.

  “That’s why we don’t have many Dragon Types,” I heard the ranch owner mutter under his breath as he took in the few remaining burnt patches of field before us. It’s easy to take these things for granted when you don’t have a different frame of reference to compare it to.

  “I had wondered about that,” I responded in a far more conversational tone, earning a slight jump from the big man as I approached. “There are a fair number of Dragon dens not too far from here. Tatsugiri, Dreepy, Gible, and Dratini are all fairly common, and yet you only have Applin, a few Goomy, and the one Drampa.”

  “Applin don’t go wrecking the place if they throw a fit.”

  “Remind me not to introduce you to Kieran’s Applin,” I quipped before I thought about it and realized he’d have no context. “Ah, he’s just a friend of mine. Honestly, his Applin isn’t prone to wanton destruction, actually, but he’s a well-trained battler and strong enough to cause at least as much damage as Drampa did. I’m looking forward to a rematch.” Should I send Bahumat against him next time, Dragon vs. Dragon? Or Nightwing? Probably Nightwing; I imagine his starter will be evolved by then, so we can have a rematch with both of our now-evolved Pokemon. Oh, and I should send him some Eviolite for his birthday.

  “I love all Types of Pokemon, but Dragons can be a bit temperamental. You might be a great Trainer, but a lotta folks, they don’t know how ta handle ‘em. And the nearby ones have fierce parents. Don’t think anyone would want to tangle with Ol’ Waterspout over yonder,” he said, pointing at the Collonade Hollow.

  Right, it’s a Water Tera Type. I knew that Garchomp was a Tera Pokemon but forgot what Type. My answering grin caused the man to pale dramatically.

  “You- you’re going to- you can’t go and fight the Garchomp!” He exclaimed, his accent slipping. “I know you think you’re some hotshot, but-”

  “I’ll be f-” I cut myself off from the smugness radiating off of Athena. “I’ll take every precaution to ensure I’m safe. Besides, I do need to give Athena a good fight, and I think this will be that.”

  The man still seemed worried, but there was nothing he could do to stop me. I informed my parents as well before heading out, and they were remarkably less concerned. Then again, they know me better and don’t know this wild Tera Pokemon nearly as well as someone who has lived here.

  ‘Experience and Wisdom.’ Came Athena’s mocking, empathic voice, and I glared at her as I ran across the plains towards the Hollow. Normally, I’d be making great gliding leaps as I covered the land, but I was trying to conserve my Aura before using Mega Evolution. Using it had gotten slightly easier, but still far from the point that I could casually activate it or risk it when tired.

  “I don’t see you turning around either,” I groused before sighing. “Ok, fine, you come by the overconfidence honestly; I should be careful around the Garchomp. And I will be.”

  True to my word, before entering the Hollow, I released Notch and Nightwing, then after a moment’s consideration, Miles. “Notch and Miles, I want you two to make an extra strong barrier to keep the Garchomp in and from going after the rest of us. Nightwing, you can handle outside threats.”

  Once they all agreed, I called upon the Keystone, Mega Evolving Athena. The rest of my Pokemon were well used to this transformation by now, though I felt it was still an awesome sight. Nightwing pretended she wasn’t interested, miming a yawn afterwards, earning a semi-playful swat from a giant Aura Hand, smacking the Gliscor down.

  “Enough fighting, we’ll get plenty of that-” A loud roar from within the depths interrupted me. “-Inside,” I finished, any jovial cheer taking a back seat to seriousness as we entered.

  The rocky space felt at once enclosed and massive, the ceiling yawning high overhead, yet the thick sheet of rock blocking out the sun from above. Light still streamed in from the side, and through pillars of stone, the gentle plains were visible but separate from the Hollow. Like a television screen. Clear and close, but feeling like a second world from this one.

  Plenty of Pokemon scuttled around in the gloom of the Hollow, but the few that tried to get close to me were driven off by Nightwing swooping down to terrorize them, cackling as she did so. The others aren’t very strong here, at least not in comparison to my team. I can feel down to my bones, though, that the Garchomp will be different.

  Part of why I could feel it that deep was in how much the ground shook as it roared, the frequency increasing as we approached. Clearly, it can sense us approach-

  A flash above caught my eye, and I leapt back. That still wouldn’t have been enough had Nightwing not interposed herself inbetween me and the sparkling Garchomp, a Protect stopping the landshark’s deadly claws cold.

  “Circle throw! Barriers up!” I shouted quickly to Athena and the rest of my team. She shot forward, pulling the Garchomp by her elbow and tossing her atop one of the massive pillars nearby, following before the wild Pokemon had landed. Notch and Miles conjured an impressive barrier from the cavernous floor up to well above the pillar where my Pokemon and the Dragon now clashed.

  Grabbing onto Nightwing, I was pulled up to a far narrower but taller pillar to get a view of the fight. From here I could see the water spout Tera jewel ‘hat’ above the wild Pokemon’s head as she violently screamed. The Garchomp rushed violently at Athena, but the Mega Pokemon simply danced around the attacks, letting the wild Pokemon crash into the rock, creating large craters. I doubt she’ll break the pillar intentionally, but there is a chance that Garchomp could do that in her rage. I do appreciate Athena taking the time to set up a bit with Dancing Sword.

  “Trailblaze!” My voice echoed out through the Hollow, and Athena rushed ahead. Green energy surrounded her as she smacked hard into Garchomp, the blow striking hard into the Pokemon’s side. Not without a return shot from the Dragon Type, however, her claws cutting a narrow slice out of Athena’s fur.

  For her part, there was barely a wince of pain, and she used the speed boost well, easily avoiding a Liquidation as Garchomp chased after her. With Mega Evolution she was already slightly faster; now she greatly outpaces him.

  “Extreme Speed, then Close Combat!” My eyes lost track of them for a moment again, just the blurring motion of fighting as the two bounced around the top of the large pillar. Even when the motion across slowed down enough to make out their position, Athena’s arms and legs were a blur that I couldn’t precisely pin down.

  They sure are hurting Garchomp, though. Despite the wild Pokemon’s impressive durability, I could see even her thick scales breaking and denting under the flurry of blows. Before Athena could escape, however, a counterattack was launched. Stomping the ground to shake it at the same time as her two fin blades cut down on my Mega Lucario’s shoulders Bulldozed her down into the ground, up to her knees.

  Pinned like that, Garchomp began tearing into her with a wild Thrash. The Move wasn’t very effective, beating against Athena’s iron-hard bones, but the sheer power Garchomp carried was enough to bruise my Pokemon.

  “Toss her off, then Rock Throw!” I shouted. With an Aura Whip wrapped around Garchomp’s leg, she chucked the Dragon away from her before pulling up a piece of stone and tossing that at the wild Pokemon after. Garchomp quickly caught herself mid-air and began flying towards Athena, but dodging around the stone she had tossed gave her time to break free of the stone holding her (the rock being pulled from around her feet made it easier to break free as well).

  Jumping above her opponent, Athena landed down on the Garchomp’s head with a powerful kick, knocking her back down onto the pillar. As she alighted down, a tidal wave of water erupted from nowhere, conjured purely by the screaming Garchomp below.

  The wave didn’t hit Athena hard, but it did force her back and cause us both to lose sight of the wild Tera Pokemon as the water rushed over the sides of their battle stage. My keen sight picked out the small funnel of water going straight down the middle of the stage, however, and Athena’s Aura Sight likely gave her the same knowledge; the Garchomp had burrowed through the rock.

  Athena wasn’t about to wait and just let her pop back up, raising a leg up high before glancing at me. My quick nod was all the sign she needed to strike down, driving her foot, superimposed by a larger Aura leg, into the ground. The resulting Earthquake shook the cavern slightly, but most of the force was contained by the pillar, which violently splintered apart, breaking off into chunks.

  The barrier meant there were no Pokemon on the ground in range of the pillar, but many nearby still scrambled back in a fright as they heard and saw the rocks raining down in a devastating storm. Intermixed with the thunder was a sharp cry of pain from the Garchomp. From the dust, she created a massive storm of sand, a Sand Tomb larger and much taller than I had ever seen, trapping Athena within. Without waiting for a command from me, she let out a sharp cry, ensconcing herself in a sphere of Aura and pushing the grating particles away, breaking free.

  A quick Vacuum Wave directed her out of the lower, still remaining half of the Sand Tomb as she fell, but Garchomp, despite her many injuries, pushed ahead, running to the spot where Athena would land.

  She can’t have too much energy left, but there’s no sense in risking things here. No need to go all out when she can win by taking it slow. “Drain Punch,” I commanded as they met, and my Mega Pokemon’s fists slammed into Garchomp as the Tera Pokemon’s claws cut into her. As they pulled away, Athena was rejuvenated while Garchomp looked worse than ever.

  “Extreme Aura Sphere, finish it!” It wasn’t quite the ultimate technique I was hoping for from this power-up, but it would be a significant stepping stone to what I envisioned. One that she performed gloriously. A vast barrage of Aura Spheres of varying sizes blasted across the cavern, too quick for Garchomp to dodge. After one knocked her back, the others did too, some of which had been spread out to catch Garchomp if she had managed to move away, curving in, each one slamming into her and breaking her defenses down further until the final shot exploded.

  Blinking the spots out of my eyes, I saw Garchomp, kneeling on the ground, her Terastalization fading away as she heaved, defeated. Her yellow eyes glared up at me, but she couldn’t bring herself to move towards even Athena, let alone myself.

  For her part, Athena had a few bloody scrapes on her but nothing serious, but I could tell from the slight shake to her arms that she was tired too. Still, she gave Garchomp a respectful bow before walking away.

  Calling off the barrier, I had Nightwing carry down a small satchel filled with berries down to Garchomp before turning and leaving. I didn’t hear her move for a moment, but hunger and fatigue beat out pride, and I soon heard her chomping down rabidly into the berries, the energy they gave helping her lick her wounds.

  As we left the Hollow, Athena’s Mega Evolution stopped, and she shifted back, dropping to one knee for a second, tired from the strain.

  ‘How did I do?’

  The grin that stretched across my face would have told her the answer even if she couldn’t sense my emotions, but I spoke my answer anyway. “You did amazing. Keep that up, and you’ll sweep Tyme.”

  “Lucario!” ‘You bet I will!’

  “Gar gar?” Nightwing asked from the side.

  “What?! No, we aren’t literally betting that.”

  “Gli li.”

  “Don’t call me a coward, and no, you can’t bet anyways if I’m not-”

  ***

  After some ‘spirited’ discussion, we made it back to the ranch as the sun was setting. Today is the last day they have off; after this, I’ll be back on my own. Not that I’ve ever really been ‘on my own’ for the journey.

  To no one’s surprise, I found my parents beside familiar Pokemon. “So I take it you’ve made your choices?” They nodded, glancing down at the Tandemaus and Drampa beside each of them. The two Normal Types had clearly made friends with each other after the battle and were happily chatting away. “Even if they have some aggression or rage issues?” I pressed.

  “‘Yes.”” Their unified declaration was firm, and I saw steel in their eyes. They had noted potential issues from their battle but were prepared to grow together with their chosen Pokemon.

  “Alright then, congrats on your first steps as Pokemon Trainers!” I announced. As I raised my arms up, they swooped down and grabbed me in a tight hug.

  “Thank you for all your help in guiding us here.”

  “You shine like a true, brilliant Glitterati already.”

  “Ah, thanks.”

  Mom cleared her throat and backed off. “Sorry if we got too worried about you. It's clear you can handle yourself.” I had informed them before we went off to fight the Garchomp of what I was doing, which had them a little nervous, but I didn't think they realized how powerful a Garchomp (and that one in particular) could be. But I also showed them the video Miles had recorded of the fight, and demonstrated both the Dragon's strength... and how much greater our own was.

  "I hope you can for-" Before she could continue, I vehemently shook my head.

  “No, no, I’m sorry for worrying you guys. You're my parents; it’s your job to worry.”

  “Actually it’s our job to run a large electronics company and real estate firm,” Billy cheekily pointed out, rubbing his watery eyes. I rolled mine in response.

  “But seriously, thank you for caring. I- I don’t know how to describe how bad life would be without you in it, so thank you for everything. And I’ll promise to take more precautions in the future.” Not to say I won’t do anything dangerous; some paths are thorny and can’t be avoided. But I’ll try to tackle them smarter from now on.

  We had one last dinner together at a fancy restaurant. They bought the whole place out for us, including my Pokemon and Cash & Kin (Tandemaus) and Happy (Drampa). My parents left early in the morning to get back to work, while my journey continued. Next stop, Montevenera.

  Pokemon ranches/farms are an interesting concept that really brushes up against that muddy line of 'how sentient Pokemon are treated as.' Hopefully I do it justice here (or at least it was fun to read). And we got to see a bit more of what Athena's been feeling and what she can do now that she has a basic handle on her Mega Evolution.

  There were a lot of fun ideas for what Pokemon the elder Glitterati might get here (and no promises I won't steal some of these ideas for the future) but these were two Pokemon I really liked and felt fit well with them. Tandemaus/Maushold and Drampa were also Pokemon I originally had planned for Nemona herself, but ultimately got cut from the roster on account of other Pokemon filling their roles, as well as just leaving her with too many Normal Types (seriously, there were so many Normal Types to start, and even now I get to at least four by the endgame). But what did you think of the choices for Billy and O'Nare?

  As a heads up, we won't actually be hopping immediately to the next Gym but instead checking on Geeta in an Interlude next time. Thank you so much for reading, and if you're interested feel free to join the the to talk about it. Thank you and have a great day.

  Nemona's Current Team:

  - 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' (Carbink, 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' (Fraxure, Male, Dragon)

  - Tera Type: Dragon

  - Held Item: Dragon Fang

  - Ability: Mold Breaker

  - Moves Known: