//------------------------------//
// Chapter 10 – Fighting Solo 
// Story: Pokémon Eclipse 
// by moviemaster8510 
//------------------------------//

“Silvally,” said Gladion, “Multi-Attack.”

Sam shut his eyes as he and his Honedge braced themselves for the hit. Almost immediately, there was a powerful tremble in the earth, making Sam open his eyes back up.

He looked up to see Hau’s dragon Pokémon standing between him and Silvally, looking around to see that the canyon pass where he was battling looked far more grey and dark, the rock walls themselves looking more like brick.

Looking up at the back of the dragon’s head, both it and Hau eerily turned their heads in the exact direction so that their sideward glances were locked onto Sam’s face–

_____________________________________________________


Sam opened his eyes and gasped, the room around him still dark in the night. He tilted his head and saw Honedge sleeping still to the left beside him inside its sheath. Sam rolled his head back to his pillow, but after a minute of stillness and staring at the ceiling, he could already tell that he was pretty much up for the day.

Gently sliding to the opposite edge of the bed, he pulled the remaining covers off of him and lightly tread towards the door. Upon grabbing the door’s handle, Honedge floated underneath his hand, making its presence known.

“Sorry, Honedge,” he sighed. “I’m just getting a drink of water and I’ll be back.”

Sam slowly opened the door, making no noises other than the slightest creaks. He disappeared from around the hallway, leaving Honedge alone where he levitated, gently pulling its sheath from off of itself.

As Sam walked into the kitchen, his eyes first went to the clock display on the stove, which read 3:30. Sam grunted and went the cupboard, opening several doors before finding the cups and glasses. Grabbing a large glass, he took the towel hanging from the oven door and walked to the sink, filling his glass full.

After several small gulps, the glass was empty again, and with the towel, he wiped the rim off where his lips touched and put the glass in the drying rack to the sink’s right.

He leaned over the counter and reflected on the dream that he had, hoping the mulling over would make him feel drowsy enough to return to bed. After another minute of waiting, feeling no less tired than he did moments ago, he quickly and quietly stormed out of the room, heading back towards the bedroom.

Entering, he saw an unsheathed Honedge floating out to him, as if knowing he’d be going with him somewhere.

“Right…” Sam stepped towards his bag beside his bed. “Hold on.”

As he knelt down and looked through his bag, he pulled out his Normalium Z, his Pokédex, as well as a flat, grey TM, putting all three of them in his pocket. After slipping on his shoes, he stood back up and scooped up his Z-Ring from his nightstand with his left hand, slipping it over his wrist with the right.

“Okay,” Sam whispered, “let’s go.”

Sam exited the room first, followed by Honedge. After a few moments, Alice stirred from her bed and sat up, already knowing that her brother and his Pokémon were gone.





Once Sam came out the doors to Hau’s home, his walking became more casual, the fears of waking someone having left him. Sam turned toward the town, the exteriors of the buildings almost identical to Hau’s minus their much smaller size. He also took note of a large wooden platform that three quarters of the buildings surrounded. Off to the left at the other quarter, he spotted another path covered over thickly with trees, two stone idols on both sides of the path. He and Honedge stared at the entrance ahead, as if it were luring them in.

“Yeah,” Sam said, “that’s the place.”

“Sam!” Alice’s hissed voice was sharp enough to get his full attention, and he turned around to see his sister standing ten feet away from him and approaching, barefoot. “What in the hell are you doing out here?”

“I should be asking you that.” Sam backed away as he avoided eye contact with her.

“Well, you’re the one waking up at 3 in the morning…”

“It’s closer to 4–”

“…making noises with your bag and then going out. Seriously, what’s wrong with you?”

“I…” Sam finally worked the mental strength to look into his sister’s eyes. “I had a dream. I was battling Gladion again.”

“Sam, we already–”

“But it wasn’t him that woke me up. Hau and his dragon came to save me, and… that’s when I woke up.”

Alice cocked her head away but still kept her eyes on him. “And… what do you think that means?”

“We never stood a chance against Gladion. Yet Hau comes in, and even he’s scared to face him. Up until now, Hau has been this really cool person to us, but I just realized when I woke up how powerful of a trainer he must be if he sends people like Gladion running.”

“So what now? You aren’t seriously implying that you’re now too scared to fight Hau now, are you?”

“Of course I’m scared…” Alice breathed audibly in disappointment as Sam refused to defend himself. “…but not scared enough to run away from this. Honedge and I are going to train our asses off until sunrise, and then we’re taking him on.”

“Sam… I know how important protecting them is, but at the same time, you… no, we can’t afford to make any dumb mistakes anymore, and I don’t think crash-coursing before facing a Kahuna with only your Honedge is a very smart move.”

“It’s the only move I can think of!” Alice stepped back at the sudden volume of his voice, but moreso the determination she heard in it. “And please, I know full well what I’m doing is not something you would do, but I want to… no. We need this. After almost losing to Gladion, defeating Hau is something I need to do sooner than later, and if we can do it right here and now, everything after that, the other trials, finding the other ponies, maybe even Gladion, won’t seem nearly as bad.”

“But do you really think Honedge can take him on alone?”

Honedge looked to Sam, and Sam back at it. Sam made a glance back to the direction of Hau’s home, making a subtly audible gulp. Looking back at Honedge, it continued giving Sam a blank and expectant stare. Nodding at what Honedge wanted, he faced his sister again, the look of steadfastness on his face already telling Alice what she was about to hear.

“Yes. Yes I do.” Sam felt a smile creep up on his lips. “I have faith in him, and I’d like to think he has faith in me.”

Alice gasped as Honedge reinforced his point but placing its cloth arm onto his shoulder. She then closed her eyes and smiled, knowing nothing she could do or say could change her brother’s mind.

“Okay then,” she finally said, crossing her arms, “if you think you can do this, I’ll be rooting for you. I’d just like to know what your plan is.”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” he replied. “What I’m planning is between Honedge and I, and we’re going to win with it. I’m certain.”

Alice relaxed her arms back to her sides, both disappointed and yet wholly satisfied with his answer. “Alright, hotshot, I’ll see you in the morning then.”

“Okay.”

Alice turned and headed back toward Hau’s home, Sam and Honedge standing still until they saw her enter back inside the house.

“Alright, then.” Sam reached into his pockets and pulled out his TM, holding it in front of his inquisitive Pokémon. “You don’t mind forgetting how to use Fury Cutter, do you?”

Honedge, seeming to sense Sam’s intentions, shook its body with slight rotations. Sam led Honedge into the path, disappearing inside the darkness of the foliage.





The sky had become a starry dark-purple, the sun soon to rise. Hau stepped outside the house in his shirt and board-shorts, a pair of orange water-shoes on his feet. He began jogging down the steps to the ground and prepared to head towards the south exit, only to find himself immediately coming to a stop at the sight of Sam standing on one end of the wooden platform with Honedge beside him. Hau smiled warmly to see his friend up, stepping casually to the side of the platform.

“Hey, Sam!” he called with a wave. “You’re up early today!”

“Yes.” Sam’s stern voice sounded focused. “I’m ready now.”

“…Ready for what?”

“My Grand Trial. My Honedge and I have just spent the last couple of hours preparing ourselves, and now, we’re ready to go.”

Hau approached closer, a bit slower and cautious this time. “How… long have you been standing there.”

“Only a few minutes. But whenever you’re ready, I’ll still be here, waiting to take you on.”

Hau’s smile started to grow. “So you’re really ready then?”

“I absolutely am.”

Hau relaxed himself as he began backing away in the direction of his house. “Give me a few moments.”

“Take your time.”

Hau jogged back to the house and nearly threw the door open, managing to catch the door by the handle to keep it from slamming into the wall, Sam watching him the whole time.

He quickly went to the couch where he kept a folded-up orange jacket, white shorts, his Poké Ball belt, and his sandals underneath on the floor. As Hau grabbed his shorts and slipped them over his board-shorts, he didn’t notice as the bedroom door opened a crack with Starlight peering through the gap. As Hau put his sandals on, Alice and Fluttershy stepped up behind Starlight, also watching Hau put his clothes on. Upon grabbing his jacket after fastening his belt to his waist, he walked back outside, sure to quietly close the door behind him.

“Is he…?” Fluttershy wondered.

“I’m sure he is,” Alice said.

The tired mewing of Alice’s Pikachu sounded beneath them as it walked underneath and between Starlight’s legs, the three of them chuckling in glee upon looking down to see it.

Outside, Sam kept his eye on Hau as he walked to the platform, smiling to see him dressed and ready to go. Hau came up opposite Sam on the steps, standing outside the white ring with a tribal design on its surface.

“You sure you don’t want to wait just a little bit?” Hau asked. “I’m sure Alice and the ponies would love to see our battle.”

Sam cocked his head to the right and smiled to see Alice, the two ponies, and Pikachu coming out from the door and making their way to the stage. “I don’t think they’d miss it for the world.”

Hau glanced behind him to see Alice, her Pikachu, and the ponies stop along the side of the stage. “Oh, good morning, guys! I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“On the contrary,” said Starlight. “You couldn’t have done so at a better time.”

“Right.” Hau then turned back to his opponent. “Looks like you get to have yourself an audience. So then, Sam, I shouldn’t expect a different answer, but I have to ask again, you ready for this, man?”

“Can’t remember a time that I’ve been more ready,” he responded, Honedge putting its arm and scabbard up in an offensive stance.

“Excellent. Then let us begin your final trial on Melemele Island.”

“You got it.”

Sam turned to his Honedge and cocked his head to Hau, signaling him to float within the circle and await Hau’s first Pokémon.

“Come on,” Alice whispered. “Please don’t blow this.”

Hau reached behind and pulled out an Ultra Ball with a black top and a large yellow “H” design along its surface. “Let’s hold nothing back. Go, Passimian!”

Hau threw out his ball, and from it emerged a very tall black-and-white monkey that appeared very slender save for its gargantuan, muscular arms. It wore half of a hollowed-out melon on its head as a helmet and kept a whole melon under its right hand. With a screeching howl, the Pokémon accepted Honedge’s challenge.

“Passimian?” Sam wondered, pulling out his Pokédex and scanning it.

“Passimian,” it spoke, “the Teamwork Pokémon. They form groups of roughly 20 individuals. Their mutual bond is remarkable. They will never let down a comrade.”

Sam looked further at the entry, noticing the reddish-brown bar by its name that was labeled “FIGHTING,” which made him grin excitedly.

“So,” Hau said, “looks like you know what my specialty of Pokémon are. Yes, like my grandfather, I use Fighting-types too. But just because your Honedge is a Ghost-type doesn’t mean this will be a cake-walk for you.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” Sam’s smirk refused to die down.

“Huh?” Fluttershy turned to Alice. “What does he mean about ghosts?”

“Honedge is a Ghost and Steel-type Pokémon,” she responded. “That means Normal and Fighting-type attacks can’t hurt it.”

“But I have to assume that monkey will have attacks other than fighting, right?” asked Starlight.

Alice continued watching the battle, prompting the ponies to redirect their attention back to the battle.

“Alright,” Hau exclaimed, “let’s get warmed up. Passimian, use Focus Energy!”

The Passimian stood on its two feet and held and held its melon in both hands, humming as a bright red aura began spiraling around it.

“Fine with me,” Sam said. “Honedge, use Swords Dance!”

Honedge straightened itself so that its blade pointed to the sky, Sam holding out his closed fist as if he were holding it. With elegant movements of his arms and legs, Honedge mimicked Sam’s motions as every slash and swipe left behind a bright blue band of light that disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Starlight, Fluttershy, and Pikachu sighed in admiration at their display, which ended with a thrust back up to the sky.

“Amazing,” a familiar voice said beside Alice. “I’ve always wanted to see a Honedge’s Swords Dance.”

The others turned to see Makana watching the battle, his hands in his shorts' pockets.

“Makana,” Alice gasped. “What are you doing here?”

“I was just in town. Tried and failed to take Hau on yesterday and I came back to try again. Looks like someone’s already going to try and beat me to it.”

“Well, it will be an interesting fight, no doubt,” Hau responded. “And now that we’re all fired up, let’s get this on the road. Passimian, use–”

“Shadow Sneak, now!” Sam ordered with a downward punch of his fist.

Honedge threw itself down to the floor and its shadow raced out at the large monkey. Upon reaching it, the shadow exploded up, sending the Passimian flying and making it drop its melon. It nimbly landed on its feet and did a backflip for good measure.

“Whoa, nicely done!” Hau put his hands on his hips, proud of his Pokémon’s recovery. “Now, use Smack Down!”

Hau’s Passimian sneered as it galloped toward its melon, scooping it up in one hand and winding it back. With a swift underhanded throw, the melon shot out at Honedge so fast that neither Sam nor Honedge could react fast enough as the hard rind struck it where the hilt met the blade.

The force of the attack was enough for Honedge to shove Sam in the upper chest and send him to the edge of the platform, where he began to fall backwards.

“SAM!” Alice cried out, the ponies and her Pikachu beside her gasping in equal shock.

Before Sam could fully tip, Honedge’s cloth arm dropped its scabbard and grabbed hold of the front of his shirt’s collar, and with a yank forward, Sam was back on his feet just outside the ring on the platform.

“Sam, you alright there?” called Hau.

“Fine…” Sam panted.

Honedge’s eye squinted in annoyance at Hau, its arm at its side as if its hand were on its hip.

“Hehe.” Hau put his arms up and behind his back. “I’m glad to see you’re okay too Honedge.”

“It’s okay Honedge,” Sam said as his Pokémon picked up its sheath. “No hard feelings. Now, hit him with a Brick Break!”

Honedge leapt out at the Passimian, who arched down, ready to intercept the hit.

“Oh no you don’t!” Hau shouted. “Use Beat Up!”

While in its crouch, Passimian dove out at Honedge, its fists balled up. Sam was now prepared, crossing his arms while his Honedge formed an X-formation. Passimian made a toothy smile as it pulled its arm back, keeping its eyes on its target. The monkey punched again at the exposed base of the blade, sending Honedge back toward Sam again as it loudly groaned.

“Come on…” Sam watched the movements of his Pokémon as it continued falling back, and once the blade was pointed out toward him, Sam reached behind him and balled his fist, Honedge holding its pose.

With a downward and upward swing of Sam’s arm, Honedge too followed through, the edge of the blade striking Passimian along the center of its chest, the strength of the hit making its eyes bulge and sending it flying back toward Hau, shouting.

“That’s it!” Makana jovially grunted.

The ponies stomped their front hooves in celebration as Passimian continued flying back. With a hard land on its side and a roll to its hands and feet, Passimian faced Honedge once again.

“Don’t worry about it,” Hau said, seeing his Pokémon pant. “Just go for another Beat Up!”

Sam crossed his arms again, and Honedge formed itself into an X as Passimian charged out again. Sam kept a watch on its right hand as it leapt about the platform, clearly trying to trip both of them up. Once it leapt out and thrust its fist forward for another punch, Sam could see it was going for the same spot. He ran his right forearm close to his elbow, Honedge covering its exposed spot with its scabbard.

Before the attack could connect, Sam thrust his arm out, Honedge responding by pushing against Passimian’s punch.

“Keep at it!” Hau yelled.

Sam kept watch as Passimian continued wailing on Honedge with its fists, Sam and Honedge blocking most of its blows with its sheath, Alice and Fluttershy observed on with concern.

“Wait,” Fluttershy said, “I thought you said Fighting-types couldn’t hurt Ghost-types.”

“Fighting-type moves can’t,” Alice explained, “but Beat Up is a Dark-type move, which Ghost-types are weak to.”

“So… Honedge will–”

Fluttershy gasped to suddenly see Honedge shove Passimian back with its scabbard, giving it some room.

“Okay, buddy, let’s finish this.” Sam wound his right arm in and swung down and up and out. “Use Return!”

“Return!?” Hau’s eyes widened.

Passimian, already tuckered out from the battle, couldn’t react fast enough as Honedge soared towards it with its sword wound in to the left, and then swung down, up, and out as Sam had done, a brilliant white trail of light following the blade as it hit the Passimian in both the chest and the chin.

Hau breathed in hard with worry as Passimian screamed out while its body limply flipped back towards him. The monkey landed flat on its chest and rolled over onto its back, Hau telling from its lazily open mouth and lopsided eyes that it had fainted.

“Not bad, Passimian.” Hau knelt down to his Pokémon and gave it a few gentle pats along its side. “You did awesome.”

He then took out the Ultra Ball and returned his Passimian inside. Starlight and Fluttershy cheered on while Alice and Makana smiled excitedly for Sam’s progress.

Hau stood again before Sam and his Honedge. “You may have gotten the best of my Passimian, but there’s one more of my guys you have to face, and he was one of my grandfather’s.”

“Oh…” Sam put up a façade of anticipation, hiding the sudden pang of nervousness he felt. “Sounds great.”

“I’m glad you think so, because I’ll bet your Honedge won’t be a match for him.” Hau took out a second Ultra Ball and tossed it out. “Let’s go, Hariyama!”

White energy shot from the ball, and forming from it was a heavy-set bipedal humanoid with blue legs, large orange hands with three wide fingers, an organic yellow-skirt, and a beige torso and head with a dark-blue cresting like large eyebrows. The creature lifted its left leg, and consequently most of its body up, and brought it back down with a thunderous and threatening boom.

“Careful now,” Sam said, watching the Pokémon put up its hand out to them. “We have just him left to go.”

“And it certainly won’t be easy.” Hau put his hands on his hips, seemingly inviting Honedge to attack. “I have to imagine that it’s already pretty tired after facing my Passimian.”

Sam smirked, confident as ever. “Honedge, Shadow Sneak!”

Honedge thrust to the ground and its shadow slithered along the platform. The Hariyama saw this and widened its stance while hugging its forearms to its chest. When the dark shadow lunged out from the floor, Hariyama stayed upright while it was lifted about a foot into the air, landing straight on its feet and resuming its stance.

“It will take a lot more than that speedy move of yours if you want Honedge to stay standing. Now, Hariyama, use Knock-Off!”

Hariyama lunged at Honedge, its uncanny speed completely throwing it and Sam off guard. With their attention and shields down, Hariyama chopped its hand into Honedge’s blade, knocking the scabbard out of its grasp and sending Honedge to the ground with a heavy clang.

“That’s it!” Hau shouted. “Now, use Heavy Slam!”

Sam looked to his Honedge as it slowly got back up, looking at its discarded sheath directly beneath and between Hariyama’s legs, as it prepped to attack.

Sam suddenly gasped at the plan that popped into his head. “Quick! Dodge it!”

Sam crouched down with his right leg out, motioning his arm with a low, swinging chop. Honedge blinked several times as it understood what to do. As Hariyama charged at it with its shoulder aimed at it, Honedge laid flat and zipped underneath the Hariyama’s foot before it could step down on it.

“Woo!” Starlight stood on her hind legs and bucked her forelegs out.

“Nicely done!” Makana shouted.

Now safely behind its opponent, Honedge scooped up its scabbard and held on tight again. Realizing it’s being close to the edge of the platform, Hariyama scuttled and slid back before Hau, ready to meet Honedge’s next move.

“What a maneuver!” Hau exclaimed as he threw his arms out. “Your Pokémon must really trust and love you to be as in synch with you as it is. No wonder you taught it Return before our match!”

“That’s not the only reason.” Sam’s low, sinisterly-confident tone turned Hau’s happy excitement into one of wary surprise. “On his own, yeah, my Honedge probably wouldn’t last much longer against your Hariyama, but thanks to you and Ilima, I’m literally wearing my victory on my wrist!”

“On your… no way!”

Sam crossed his arms at the wrist, revealing his Z-Ring with the Normalium Z on it, the position of his arms making it glow and a projection in the shape of the circular icon in the crystal to pulse outwards before disappearing. Alice and Makana stood in awe as Sam moved his arms and legs in accordance with the Z-Crystal’s activation, Honedge attempting to mimic its trainer’s moves with its one cloth arm.

With his side of his right fist at his gut and the side of his left centered on the forehead, Sam’s body radiated with a sparkling yellow light that branched out from all sides and flew out toward Honedge and converged into its center. Once every ounce of energy had transferred from Sam into Honedge, they both flared up with a warm, fiery aura as the symbol of the Z-Ring pulsed out of Honedge.

“Whuhuhoa.” Sam shuddered as he lifted his hands up to see the aura dancing around his arms to the tips of his fingers, feeling it like a soft static flowing to every end of his body from his chest out. “Honedge, can you feel this too?”

Honedge let out a guttural yell as it slashed the air excitedly, Sam feeling the aura suddenly rush about his limbs at the same instant and shudder again gleefully.

“Hahaha!” Hau roared. “Amazing, Sam! Now you can feel the bond between you and your Pokémon! This is both of your Z-Power!”

Sam’s smile grew wide as the energy in him built up enough to whip his shirt, shorts, and hair about as if caught in a fierce wind. Fluttershy and Starlight then noticed all of Iki Town beginning to glow a bright red, looking behind them to see the sun begin to rise over the oceanic horizon, the alpenglow stretching across where the sky and sea met.

“Now, let’s show them everything we have!” Sam screamed out.

Honedge’s aura began to grow brighter in intensity as it flipped its sheath into the air and slid into it as it dropped, completely ready to go.

“Breakneck Blitz!”

The aura around Sam’s Pokémon grew white and hot, and in an instant, Honedge shot out at Hariyama with the tip of its covered blade aimed right at its stomach, a bright tail following it. Upon making contact, all of Honedge’s remaining energy exploded into Hariyama and launched it off the platform, Hau barely managing to step aside as it flew past his face.

Hariyama managed to get to its hands and knees and push and grab at the ground, sliding to a stop just inches from the outer walls of Hau’s kitchen. Alice, Makana, and the ponies were too amazed by the smoke coming off Hariyama’s body to care about it standing back up to its feet.

“Oh my god!” Alice shrieked with a leap and punch. “That was incredible!”

The ponies cheered while Makana could only clap and laugh. Sam found their cheers and applause infectious as he began to chuckle. Honedge floated back to Sam and flicked its sheath off its blade, catching it in its arm with a satisfied twirl.

“That was great,” Sam huffed.

Honedge tipped its body to nod, its eye squinted in anticipation. Just then, a loud boom shook the ground, and Sam and Alice could see as Hariyama leapt from where it stood back to in front of Hau in a single bound, its landing blowing a blast of wind all around it.

“Congratulations,” Hau said, completely steadfast, “you just performed your first Z-Move. While you’re lucky enough to not see mine firsthand, you still have a ways to go before Hariyama is down for the count.”

Hariyama grunted and forced its hand out, ready for Hau’s next orders.

“I’m honestly surprised to see your Pokémon still standing after that.” Sam didn’t look the least bit intimidated anymore. “At this rate, I have to think that a few hits will do it for him, and thankfully, I have speed on my side! Honedge, use Shadow Sneak!”

“Hariyama, Heavy Slam!”

Honedge’s shadow, strengthened by the rising sun and bright sky above behind them, shot along the ground toward Hau’s Pokémon, who charged forward with its shoulder leading. When the shadow came up from the floor, Hariyama broke through it, its charge not impeded. Sam’s breath caught in his throat as Hariyama’s shoulder struck Honedge.

“Alright!” Hau balled his fist up. “Now use Knock Off!”

“Quickly!” Sam called out with a clockwise spin and slash out with his right arm. “Brick Break!”

Honedge swung around clockwise, avoiding Hariyama’s left hand thrusting at it, and in the same swing, struck it in its right ribs. As Hariyama grunted in pain, it raised its right hand and swung down, swatting Honedge off of it and knocking its scabbard out of its grasp once again.

With the distance between them, the two Pokémon shifted back around so that they were standing before their respective trainers. Both Hariyama and Honedge panted heavily, the former in particular placing its left hand on its right side.

“I think each of our Pokémon only have one more hit in them,” said Sam.

“I agree.” Hau looked to his Pokémon faithfully, and then to Sam’s Honedge, noting the scratches and spots covering it. “Let’s give it all on this last attack!”

“Yes. Let’s!” Sam stood in a wide stance, his arms and fists raised in anticipation.

“Hariyama!” Hau’s Pokémon stood up straight.

“Honedge!” Sam’s Pokémon slashed the air.

“Knock Off!”

“Return!

Both Pokémon charged at one another, Hariyama’s hands pushing out one at a time in quick repetition, while Honedge lowered its blade to the right, following Sam’s stance. Sam looked intently at the pattern of Hariyama’s thrusts, seeing the path to victory within them.

Holding his fist straight out, Sam reeled in his arm, wrapping it around his neck. Honedge’s sword now aimed its tip to the upper left, soaring to Hariyama’s upper right, barely managing to slip in between its hands before they switched. Coming around behind it, the end of Honedge’s pommel was aimed at the back of Hariyama’s head.

Hau gasped as his Hariyama turned around to see Honedge from the corner of its eyes. Sam then thrust the bottom of his fist out, Honedge speeding down and striking Hariyama in the temple, the hit making Hariyama crumple to its stomach.

Sam, Alice, Starlight, Fluttershy, and Makana held their breath as they watched Hariyama tremble as it tried pushing up to stand. As Honedge returned to Sam’s side, Hariyama grunted as its arms struggled to support itself, finally buckling away to make Hariyama lie still. Pikachu stared out at the still Pokémon, almost entranced by it.

Sam began breathing quickly as Hau approached his fallen Pokémon, smiling wider as he approached his victorious opponents. Kneeling before his Hariyama, he pulled out its ball from his belt and returned him inside.

“Hala would’ve been so proud.” He placed his forehead upon the ball above the center button.

With his thanks given, Hau stood before Sam, who restrained the urge to celebrate until he could hear what he knew he would say.

“You’ve shown me an amazing battle, man,” he said. “I still can’t believe that it only took you one Pokémon to beat me. Regardless, it really serves as proof that you two share an exceptional bond. But, a win’s a win.” Hau began reaching into his jacket pocket, pulling out a reddish-brown crystal with a fist-shaped icon inside of it and placed it on Sam’s palm. “Please take this Fightinium Z, as proof of your victory over the Melemele Grand Trial. Congratulations.”

Hau stood back and applauded Sam who continued looking at his prize, ignoring the cheers of his friends off on the side. He was suddenly pulled from his concentration by Alice leaping onto Sam and hugging him tightly.

“Oh my god, you won, you won!” she bellowed. “My brother cleared the Grand Trial everyone!”

“Alice, shh!” Sam hissed, struggling with the urge not to laugh. “People are still sleeping!”

Sam was then pulled from Alice’s grasp by Makana, who locked him into a hug and patted his back with the side of his fist. “That was awesome, sir. Respect.”

The two ponies and Pikachu came up to the platform next, and once Sam turned to see them, he knelt down, tears beginning to well in his eyes. With open arms, he invited Fluttershy and Starlight into a hug, and they both came up with their arms around his neck and his arms around their bodies.

“I’m not going to fail you,” he whispered, a tear falling from one of his eyes. “You’re safe with me.”

Honedge joined in and wrapped its cloth arm around Sam’s head, resting its hilt on his temple.

The sound of Hau clearing his throat, broke Sam, Honedge, and the ponies up, and Sam stood to face him. “Just one more thing before I let you go. If you want to use that Fightinium Z and draw its Z-Power, you need to perform a special pose. Here’s how it’s done.”

Hau crossed his arms before his face at the wrists, swung them down to his sides, and held both arms out and crossed over, he then pulled his right wrist to his side and punched out with his left fist, then punching with his right and moving his left wrist to his side. With a quick series of punches and a step off the ground with his left foot, he delivered a final punch out with a step back to the ground.

“Looks easy, right?” Hau asked in a more relaxed stance.

“Yeah,” Sam responded. “It does, actually.”

“Then that’s really all I can do now. You and your Pokémon will probably need a shower after such an intense battle. Go ahead, you’ve earned it.”

“Thanks again, Hau.” Sam nodded so vigorously that his whole body bowed with him. “Thank you so much.”

Sam ran off the platform and threw his arm up before hitting the ground. As he walked back to Hau’s home, Honedge and Starlight following him back, Alice stayed behind and approached Hau.

“Sorry,” she said, “I know your Pokémon had quite a battle there, but I just want to know when I can have a go.”

Hau put his hands on his hips, looking impressed. “You must be so revved up seeing your brother’s battle that you want to go as well. Well, tell you what, my Pokémon will need a few hours to rest up, but once they’re ready, I’m sure they’ll be dying to try your Noibat and Pikachu on.”

Pikachu watched from the other end of the platform, it’s ears drooping down and a look of worry coming across its face.

“Thank you, Hau. We’ll be ready” Alice made her way to the platform steps with Fluttershy following. “Pikachu?”

Pikachu sprinted out from around the platform and onto Alice’s back, climbing over and sliding into her arms, much to her surprise.

“Well, someone’s energetic this morning!” Alice hugged Pikachu close as they approached the doors of the house.

Pikachu kept its gaze on the inside of the house once Alice opened the doors, not wanting to look back until it was inside and the doors were closed again.