Carbink laid out an even sheet of small grey stones on the court, most of which were pieces broken off from the previous battle. For the pieces it couldn’t find, Carbink used small Power Gem bursts to fill in the remaining pot holes. Leaned up against the wall of the lighthouse as Carbink continued its work, Sam held his three Poké Balls in his hand, rotating them around and contemplating the order in which they were placed in.
“Sam?” Starlight’s voice breaking the silence made Sam’s arms spasm and throw his balls up, just barely catching them all. “Oh, sorry. You’re trying to figure out a strategy?”
“Yeah,” Sam breathed out, “but as usual, I’m probably overthinking this way too hard. I mean, you and your friends leaving the island rests on whether I can beat Olivia, so no pressure, right?
Despite Sam’s nervous laughter, Starlight looked unamused. “Listen, I get that you’re afraid of losing, but look at it this way, all but one of Alice’s Pokémon were weak against hers, so of course she was going to have a harder time. You, on the other hand, have Fomantis and Honedge, both of whom are really strong against Rock-types. Even your Salandit should be fast enough to get a couple of hits on Probopass with Dragon Rage. If there’s one person between you two who I’d count on to win this thing, it’s you.”
Sam let out a chuckle. She sure knew what to say. “Thanks, Starlight.” He then looked back down at his balls and rearranged them. “I think I got it now.”
“Okay? Good.” Starlight turned around and headed towards her other five friends, who were all sitting around Alice and Gladion as they engaged in friendly conversation. “Wanna’ hang out a bit before you start? Help calm your nerves?”
Sam fanned his hand at her. “I’ll be fine, but thanks anyway.”
“Suit yourself.”
As Starlight went off to join her friends, Sam placed his Poké Balls onto his belt, looking back up at Carbink who floated itself up with the gems in its body glowing brightly. It then shone rays of light onto the eastern half of the field, moving the rays west and leaving a clean, smooth surface in its wake, the sound of hissing and wisps of vapor spitting out from the stone. Sam walked around to the eastern part just outside where he’d be standing just as Carbink finished repurposing the court.
Sam lifted his leg up over the edge of the new surface, already feeling the heat on both sides of his shoes. He set his foot back down to his side and waited. He was about to do this, and he wanted to be there. He closed his eyes and waited for Olivia’s voice.
“Hey, Sam!”
Sam shot his eyes open, shocked to see Olivia already standing before him on her side of the court with his sister and friends waiting by the lighthouse as he had done. Looking down, he was still standing outside the court, quickly stepping on with a sense of embarrassment.
“There you are, sleepyhead!” Olivia’s voice was patronizing, but clearly in jest. “Was worried about you for a moment. So, you’re ready to see if you can move on?”
Suddenly, everything was happening too fast. The words seemed to allude him like a loose balloon. “I… uh, yes!”
Olivia crossed her arms, sounding sterner. “Don’t act a fool in front of me, boy! Your friends are worried about their friends the next island over, and you’re the one holding them back. Until you can beat me in a battle, you cannot leave this island with them. That being said, are you ready to face me?”
Olivia’s words cut into Sam, and Alice, Gladion, and the ponies could all see it. Olivia already had the upper hand and neither one had a Pokémon out yet.
Sam huffed out through his nose. “Yes! I am ready for the Grand Trial, Olivia!”
“Then let’s start.” Olivia tossed her first Ultra Ball. “Go, Golem!”
Olivia’s boulder Pokémon appeared from the energy popping out from the ball, grinning at Sam’s apprehensive face.
With another deep breath, Sam found the composure to detach his first Poké Ball from his belt and toss it out. “You’re on, Fomantis!”
As it popped out of its ball, Fomantis swung its arms out and landed on its feet, ignoring the titanic size of its foe compared to itself.
“Feisty…” Olivia swung her arm at it. “Golem, hit his Fomantis with Thunder Punch!”
With the protrusion on its back going alight, the electricity traveled around its back, over its arms, and into its balled fists. Tucking its limbs and head it, Golem leapt to the side and rolled over to Fomantis, who continued watching the Pokémon’s advance.
“Fomantis,” Sam ordered, “when it get’s close, hit him with Leaf Blade!”
With just a couple of feet between them, Golem untucked its head, arms, and legs out, using the roll to swing its punch down. Fomantis, seeing Golem’s face come close, leapt ahead and swung its arm just to the left of its head.
Golem followed through with the rest of its arm, clocking Fomantis on the top of its head, sending sparks traveling through its body. The strength and weight of Golem’s stike slammed Fomantis down to the ground as Golem was knocked back to Olivia, spinning back onto its feet before it could hit its trainer.
Sam grunted as sparks still appeared in several flashes on Fomantis’s body as it struggled to get up. “Come on, buddy, come on, buddy!”
Getting to its feet, it swung its arms back out, shaking off another set of sparks that had accumulated onto it.
“Yeah!” Sam shouted. “That’s it!”
Olivia’s smile refused to leave her face. “It’s been quite a long time since I’ve seen a Pokémon cure itself of paralysis like that. The bond you and your Pokémon must share… Golem, hit her with Heavy Slam!”
“Fomantis, dodge it!”
Golem and Fomantis ran at each other, Fomantis weaving and Golem doing its best to follow it. Fomantis then tried for a hard juke to the right, only for its feet to slip up, leaving it motionless enough to leave Golem with an easy target. Golem leapt up with the bottom of its body hurdling at its target. With Fomantis quickly rolling forward, Golem’s attack landed just a few inches from it, though was successful in blasting it and several chunks of the court into the corner to Olivia’s right.
“You have some distance!” Sam shouted. “Hit it with Razor Leaf!”
Fomantis let out a shout that increased in pitch before whipping its arms about, sending out a flurry of leaves that soared straight and true at Golem’s back.
Sam could see that Golem was slow to get up from its Heavy Slam, struggling to pick itself up while also being assaulted so continuously. “Keep at it, girl!”
Fomantis threw its arms and its leaves even faster as Golem finally turned around to face it.
“Hurry,” Olivia cried out, “take her out with Earthquake!”
Golem charged the protrusion on its back with electricity and slammed its fists onto the ground, breaking the freshly constructed court apart and throwing pieces of it and the ground beneath it into the air. With Fomantis so focused on its own attack, it only noticed the wave of rock and earth coming at it as its Razor Leaf attack began bouncing off it. Without enough time to react, Fomantis was flung into the air by the ground and struck by the pieces of rock that were knocked up with it.
Sam took a running step forward in shock. “Fomantis!”
Alice, Lady, and the ponies all looked on with quivering lips and nervous eyes as Fomantis landed hard upon the floor, writhing on its side as it tried getting up.
“No second chances,” Olivia muttered. “Golem, finish her with Thunder Punch.”
With its fists running with electricity, Golem took another charge at the injured Fomantis, who closed its eyes and waited for the next attack to take it out.
“Don’t give up, Fomantis!” Sam cried, followed by a loud whine from Lady from the sidelines. “Try one more Leaf Blade!”
Strengthened by the calls of its dearest friends, Fomantis pushed up off the ground and flipped back onto its feet with its arms held out. Golem reeled back to punch, and Fomantis ran straight at it. Throwing its punch forward, Fomantis leapt over Golem’s fist and bounced off the inside of its elbow, shooting itself at Golem’s face and thrusting its leaf arm across its right cheek.
Golem was forced down as Fomantis continued soaring over it, landing far behind its foe and turning around to see if it had survived. With its arms and legs splayed out over its rotund body and its head slung down with its mouth hanging open, Fomantis breathed a content sigh and hopped back to Sam.
As Alice, Lady, and the ponies cheered his first successful takedown, Sam knelt down to Fomantis. “Give me some!” he whispered to it, holding his hand out.
Olivia smiled warmly as Fomantis fervently slapped the palm of his hand with its leaf arm. The two of them certainly earned this partial victory. She then aimed Golem’s ball at it.
“You did well too,” she assured it, the red beam bringing Golem back inside. “You can rest for today.”
Olivia placed the Ultra Ball back onto her belt and took out Probopass’s, keeping it held in her hand at her side.
“Sam!” Both he and Fomantis looked up. “Not doing too bad so far! However, I’m sure I don’t need to remind you about the difficulty your sister had against my next Pokémon.”
“Right,” Sam agreed, “but I don’t think it will be as hard for us.” Sam glanced back to Starlight and nodded, who looked happy for him to have taken her words to heart.
“We’ll just see.” Olivia whipped the ball out. “Go, Probopass!”
Olivia’s head Pokémon landed hard upon the ground, producing a threatening trembling beneath Sam and Fomantis’s feet.
“You think my baby is going to let you take her down so easily?” Olivia scoffed. “I’m not even sure your little leaf bug is faster than it. Probopass, take it down with Power Gem!”
Probopass’s mini-heads began to spin around before it like a turret, small sparkling stones shooting out from each one once it reached the top of the rotation. Each gem shot off in different directions, producing a spray of rocks that Fomantis surely couldn’t avoid.
“Fomantis, hit Probopass with Leaf Blade!” On Sam’s instruction, it ran at Probopass with reckless abandon, miraculously missing and dodging each rock that came anywhere near it with a jerk of its head.
Leaping through the circular gap in Probopass’s mini-head gun, Fomantis swung its leaf arm into Probopass’s left cheek, sliding it back a few inches. Even with the miniscule movement, Olivia gasped in amazement at its strength.
Olivia’s teeth bared themselves, a new look that brought chills to Sam’s spine. “Enough playing around! Probopass, use Dazzling Gleam!”
Appearing from the sides and above, Probopass’s mini-heads separated Fomantis from itself and then pushed it back hard enough to throw it onto its back. While Sam was fearfully surprised by the forceful move, it didn’t seem to matter with Probopass’s attack just finishing charging as Fomantis just got back up to its feet. A bright flash lit up the entire field as the color beams from what were created shot into Fomantis and blasted them back to its trainer. The light died down just as a fainted Fomantis had finished sliding up to Sam’s feet.
“Fomantis, no!” Starlight shouted, followed by a saddened yowl from Lady.
Olivia panted, her enraged façade fading away to a calmer one. Alice and the others watched as Sam picked Fomantis up and cradled it in his arm.
“Say what you want,” Applejack commented with a tip of her hat, “that critter sure had some spunk in him.”
“Who do you think he’ll send out next?” Rainbow Dash questioned, watching Sam bring Fomantis back into its ball.
“There’s really only one Pokémon he can send out right now,” Gladion said. “His Honedge may still be weak to Probopass’s Earth Power, but it won’t be nearly as weak against it as–”
“Go, Salandit!” Sam threw his ball out, stopping Gladion’s words in his throat, watching with dread as Sam’s black lizard hissed at Olivia’s Pokémon.
“Welp, he’s done for.” Gladion pinched his forehead.
“You brought a Fire and Poison-type to this battle?” Olivia sounded close to laughter. “You do remember that she has–”
“Yeah!” Sam loudly interrupted. “I heard Gladion the first time, but that’s not what I’m aiming for! Salandit, hit Probopass with Dragon Rage!”
With a blue energy filling its mouth, Salandit shot it out at Probopass as a large ball of aura. Upon striking the bridge of Probopass’s nose, the blue energy exploded, the ember-like wisps snaking all around it as it slid back hard, forcing Olivia to step back off the court as her Pokémon stopped with about a foot of its base hanging off the edge of it. Even as Probopass strained to float back to where it had set itself, Olivia could tell that it was very fatigued from the blow that it took.
“I don’t need you to remind me about your Probopass’s Earth Power,” Sam explained, “but I suppose you need a reminder that Dragon Rage always deals the same amount of damage no matter what.”
“Whoa!” Rainbow Dash suddenly seemed to understand. “I didn’t know that!”
“So it doesn’t really matter how much of a beating your Probopass can take. Unless it’s a Fairy-type, Dragon Rage will be just as strong against any other Pokémon it hits.”
“My brotha'!” Alice shouted.
Olivia stepped back onto the platform, slow and calculated. “Not very bad, Sam. However, it still doesn’t change the fact that a Ground-type attack will be all but fatal to a Salandit. Probopass, hit her with Earth Power!”
“Salandit, run!” As Probopass charged its attack, heating the ground beneath it, Salandit ran forward at Olivia’s Pokémon, only for Sam seize up with apprehension over what he thought would happen. “Salandit, stop!”
Just as Salandit did as it was told, a circle of red warmth opened up ahead of it. Sam looked reassured that Salandit would avoid it, only for the patch to expand out so that it crept beneath the top half of Salandit’s body. The ponies on the side gasped with the knowledge that Salandit would not run away from this.
“Salandit, fall back, hurr–” The ground blasted up, flinging and flipping Salandit up into the air as if it were a toy.
Sam shielded his face as he was slammed with a wall of hot wind that forced him to widen his stance for balance. Off to the side, Starlight formed a magic barrier, protecting her friends and Pokémon from the blast. Fluttershy looked up through it to see Salandit limply falling down and still flipping about. She could tell that it had already fainted.
When Salandit’s body hit the floor flat on its stomach, Sam removed his arm to see his Pokémon lying there unconscious. “Salandit! Salandit!”
He slid down on his knees to it, gently scooping it up and feeling its limp flaccid body in his hands. With a sigh, he kept Salandit propped up in his left and returned it inside its ball. Placing his forehead to it, he tried to channel his apologies through to his Pokémon, hoping it could understand.
“I hope that strategy was worthwhile,” Olivia called out, bringing Sam’s attention to her. “From what I can tell, you have one Pokémon left at your disposal. Your odds certainly aren’t hopeless. Your sister came out on top with the same odds, after all.”
“Yeah… you’re right.” Sam put Salandit’s ball back and took out Honedge’s Poké Ball. “I’d even say my odds may be greater than hers. Let’s end this, Honedge!”
With a toss of his ball, Sam’s trusty spirit sword zipped out from it and faced Olivia’s Probopass with steadfast determination.
“Greater odds, you say?” Olivia snarled. “With a Pokémon that’s even slower than your Fomantis?”
“Damn,” Alice hissed. “Did she stalk us, or is she really that well-read?”
“Probopass, hit him with Earth Power.”
As Probopass and its mini-heads set themselves down and heated the ground beneath them up, Sam crossed his arms with his right over his left before his face.
“You can try and Z-Power your way out of this, but first you have to outlast this!” Olivia shouted.
Lava erupted from beneath Honedge, Olivia and Probopass unable to see either it or Sam behind the plume of molten rock that was created. From the side, Alice, Gladion, and the ponies looked to Sam with his crossed arms hugging his chest and the fire geyser before him wordlessly, unsure if their eyes were deceiving them.
With the lava coming back down, Olivia grew wary as she heard the faint sound of an arm whooshing through the air. The top of the plume had finally fallen, revealing Sam holding his right fist out at Probopass and Honedge speeding at Probopass, looking unscathed.
“What?” Olivia gasped. “How did my attack miss?”
“You couldn’t see it from your angle,” Starlight spoke, “but Sam had Honedge pull back from the attack so it wouldn’t get hit!”
“Were you surprised?” Pinkie Pie hopped up.
“Honedge!” Sam continued. “Finish Probopass off with Brick Break!”
Honedge descended down at the bottom of Probopass’s body, shooting itself back up and striking just below its mouth with the tip of its blade. With the speed and strength of its strike, Honedge was successful in sending Probopass off the ground and flying just over Olivia’s head, landing twenty feet behind her. Quickly turning, she ran out to her Probopass, unsure if it had survived.
“Probopass!” She ran into her Pokémon to break her run, looking down into its eyes. “Baby?”
Probopass’s eyes were looking off in different directions. Sam didn’t appear to react as Olivia returned Probopass into its ball, certain that Honedge succeeded.
“That’s astounding!” Rarity was nearly drowned out by her other friends’ cheers. “He should have no problem against her Lycanroc now!”
“Don’t be so sure.” Gladion remained stone-faced as ever. “Sam’s Pokémon is a Ghost-type, which means that Lycanroc’s Crunch attack will be incredibly dangerous. However, if Honedge can survive long enough…”
Olivia stepped back up to the court, keeping her eyes on Honedge as it clanged its scabbard against the side of its blade. “Very good, Sam. Very good indeed. Your Pokémon certainly love you to carry on this far and trust your judgment. You’re very much like your sister. However, even then, she and her Pokemon weren’t quite as reckless as you.”
“Yeah, well, sometimes we hurt for the ones we love.” Honedge backed Sam’s statement by sharpening both sides of its blade against its scabbard.
“And do you?” Olivia’s face continued looking serious. “Do you hurt for the ones you love?”
“More than you’d care to know. My Pokémon– no! My friends know that I would never put them through something that I would never put myself through. That’s why we all push the limits of what our bodies and minds can handle, because we know we’d do the same for each other.”
The ponies and Alice smiled respectfully at Sam’s response, seeing him in a completely different light.
“Then show me, Sam.” Olivia pulled out her last Ultra Ball. “Show me what your Pokémon would put themselves through for you… one last time. Let’s end this, Lycanroc!”
Exploding from the energy spilling out from the ball, Lycanroc landed on its feet and roared at Honedge, which jolted back in shock.
“Don’t let her psych you out, buddy!” Sam advised. “This is the last one and we’re set!”
“We’ll see.” Olivia crossed her arms. “If your sister’s Pikachu can’t match my Lycanroc’s speed, surely your Honedge cannot. Lycanroc, hit him with Crunch!”
Lycanroc ran forwards at Honedge, who waited Sam’s instruction. With the red wolf leaping forward with its mouth open wide, Sam could only cross his arms before him, this time with his left wrist over his right.
As Lycanroc bit down hard on the top and bottom of Honedge’s X formation, Sam’s Z-Ring and Fightinium-Z began to light up inside of it, Lycanroc ignoring the faint, subtle glow coming off of its prey’s body. When Sam threw his arms down, Honedge slipped out of Lycanroc’s jaws and set its blade and scabbard down as Sam’s arms were doing. Lycanroc slowly retreated back as Sam and Honedge crossed their arms out before them and finishing with a series of synchronized jabs and punches that concluded with a final stronger one.
Z-Power burst off of Sam and flowed into his Honedge, making it flare up with yellow aura. “Alice used her All-Out Pummeling to block your Z-Move, but I don’t think it’s going to come to that for us. With as strong as my Honedge is, I’d like to see your Lycanroc survive this. Honedge, take Lycanroc out with All-Out Pummeling!”
Honedge flipped and spun its blade about as if wielded by an expert sword dancer, each slash out throwing a fist-shaped aura at Lycanroc.
The wolf dug its bottom claws into the ground and crossed its arms over its face as several of the fists whizzed by it. Several of them began to strike, Lycanroc’s holding of its ground keeping it from moving back. The wind that rushed past Olivia with each fist that zipped past her forced her to crouch down to keep from getting blown away herself.
The last of the fists was thrown out, allowing Honedge to slip inside its sheath and rocket out at Lycanroc itself. Lycanroc kept watch of Honedge’s tip, hovering its still-crossed arms over its chest. Setting its target to just above the stomach, Honedge kept itself locked on, hitting Lycanroc just after it shifted its arms there to shield itself.
Nonetheless, Lycanroc was hurled back over Olivia’s head and crashed into the side of the mountains of the Diglett Tunnel. Olivia turned back to see her Pokémon stuck inside the self-shaped imprint that the attack left. As Sam watched intently, Honedge returned to his side to join him. Alice, Gladion, and the ponies all looked anxiously as Lycanroc began to peel off the side of the wall, Olivia glowering over what would happen next. Rather than fall on its stomach, everyone, Sam and Honedge especially, were shocked to see Lycanroc catch itself on its four paws and pick itself up to its feet before running back to the court to rejoin the battle.
“No…” Sam began breathing heavily. “How did that not do it?”
Olivia, while visibly pleased over her Pokémon’s survival, reflected a sense of disappointment in her voice. “My Pokémon has fought by my side for many years. While All-Out Pummeling is a strong move, and a good one at that against her, you should know that it would take more than that to defeat it. Now, your Honedge has already taken a Crunch, so I don’t think it will withstand as strong of an attack. As the Kahuna, I must end it this way.”
Olivia crossed her arms over her face, her Z-Ring and Rockium-Z flaring with light. Together, she and Lycanroc threw their arms down and crossed them back out, followed by them falling into a crouch and standing back up straight, flexing their arms before falling again into a rightward lunge with another flex with their backs to their opponents.
With her Z-Ring glowing brighter, Z-Power shot out from her back and arced over and swirled into Lycanroc’s body, the aura emanating from it making it appear as though it was aflame.
“Your Pokémon are very strong,” Olivia said, “but strength alone cannot win all your battles. Maybe once you learn this, you’ll be fit to go out and protect these ponies from Team Prism. Until then… Lycanroc! Attack Honedge with Continental Crush–”
“Strength isn’t all we’re good for!” Sam whipped his arm out. “Honedge, hit Lycanroc with Shadow Sneak!”
Lycanroc threw its arms out and howled up into the sky, countless rocks and small boulders flying upwards and forming a small mountain above. Honedge thrust the tip of its blade down to the ground, the shadow beneath it racing along the ground until it stopped underneath Lycanroc. The shadow exploded up, throwing Lycanroc up with it.
“Oh yeah!” Rainbow Dash cheered. “That oughta’ do it!”
As it returned down to fall, Lycanroc jerked its legs up and back so that it flipped back to be upright, nimbly returning to its feet and maintaining its balance further with its left front paw. Sam’s fists squeezed as Lycanroc confidently stood back up and held its arms up, the titantic rock above the court continuing to build up as it continued floating.
“You can’t stop it that easily,” Olivia spoke. “You’re a decent trainer, Sam. Quite good, even, but quite good will not be enough to protect your friends. Lycanroc, finish them.”
Lycanroc threw both arms down, letting the boulder fall down to the court. Sam looked to his Z-Ring, unable to help but think how he could have stopped it had he followed his sister’s example. It wasn’t the ideal strategy, but it was all Sam could think of to allow his Pokémon to make it out. “Honedge! Sheath yourself and lay flat!”
Without a sign of hesitation or mistrust, Honedge squinted as it covered its blade in its sheath and dropped down to the ground with a loud clang, lying face down to protect its front. The boulder was only a few seconds from impact, and even with the size in fuller perspective, Sam refused to budge from his spot, despite how badly his trembling legs wanted to.
The boulder finally came down with a deafening boom and blasting of dirt and dust, the edge of the bottom just inches from both Sam and Lycanroc’s toes. With Starlight’s magic protecting herself and her friends from the winds and the shockwave, she looked out to the boulder as it quickly began to crack apart, a light shining out of the multiple fissures. The light grew brighter and brighter until an explosion of light enveloped the entire area. When the light died down, the boulder was mostly gone save for a few shards of rock that disintegrated into dust before they hit the ground, leaving the field as if it had never even appeared.
Sam, Alice, and his friends were then quick to notice Honedge, still in the same spot before the attack hit.
“Hondege!” Alice, Starlight, and Fluttershy cried out.
“Did…” Rainbow Dash was unsure if the twitch of the cloth on the end of its pommel was due to the wind or its own volition. “Did he make it?”
“If it survived that,” Gladion said, “I think this battle is as good as over.”
Sure enough, the cloth slowly and unnaturally picked itself up, followed by Honedge slowly sliding out of its scabbard, stabilizing itself with its blade’s tip striking the ground as it picked itself up.
Sam laughed loudly and proudly as Honedge floated back up, facing a near-devastated Lycanroc and her equally mortified Olivia. “Honedge! You’re a legend!”
The six ponies began to celebrate and dance, cheering for their upcoming journey to their remaining two friends.
“Yeehaw!” Applejack cried out. “Twilight, here we come!”
Gladion became incredibly unnerved by Alice wrapping her arms around his body and arms in a tight embrace. “He did it! He did it! Oh my god, he did it!”
With their opponents’ victory now all but certain, Olivia and Lycanroc calmed down, accepting their defeat. “You spent a lot of time this battle talking some good talk. I’m honored to see that you’re walking the walk to back your words up. Let’s do this, Sam. I want to see this to the very end. I’m sure Lycanroc does too.” Lycanroc roared out in agreement, pounding its chest once for good measure. “Okay, girl. Go get him with Crunch!”
Lycanroc ran out, but Sam was no longer afraid. “Honedge, finish her with Shadow Sneak!”
Honedge thrust itself down to the ground, its tip hitting the floor and its shadow beginning to race out to meet Lycanroc. Just then, Lycanroc noticed as Honedge’s single pupil began to roll back and its body tipped forward. Sam’s joyful grin morphed into one of terror as Honedge’s shadow began to fade and slow its approach. Lycanroc slid to a stop just as Honedge fell flat on its face, the shadowy attack blowing out of existence like a mild smoke.
On the sidelines, Gladion was the only one whose mouth was not completely agape, instead baring his teeth with sheer anger and disappointment. While Lycanroc looked as surprised as Sam’s friends, Olivia frowned, her pity and sympathy for her opponent all but palpable.
“No…” Sam stepped forward and fell to his knees over his fallen Pokémon, gently turning it over. “No, Honedge! You can’t! You couldn’t have!”
Sam felt tears well in his eyes to see Honedge’s single eye closed, clearly fainted and unable to continue battling. Pressing Honedge’s hilt to his forehead with his hands holding the back of the cross-guards, Sam fought with all of his strength to not begin bawling in front of everyone.
Olivia slowly approached him with Lycanroc by her side. “Sam… I’m so sorry about that. No trainer should lose a battle that way, especially a Grand Trial.”
Sam quickly wiped his eyes and nose with his arm, looking up to face her. “But I still lost. And that still means I can’t leave with them, right?”
“Sam, wait…”
“No, it’s alright.” After returning Honedge to its Poké Ball, he stood up and turned to face Alice, Gladion, and the ponies. “I know they’re strong enough to go on without me.”
“Sam, that’s not what I wanted to say.”
Sam ignored Olivia, feeling even more upset as his sister and friends all refused to leave their spots. “What are you waiting for? Twilight and Spike are just on the next island! Please… don’t let me be the thing that’s holding you back from them! Please!” Sam couldn’t contain himself any longer, sinking to his knees and blubbering into sobs. “I’m sorry!” He held one hand over his eyes as he kept himself up with his other. “I failed you all! I failed you.”
It pained the ponies to see him like this, especially with the truth, as small as it was, in his words. With a long breath, Alice slowly approached her brother, standing with her waist just inches from his face.
Sam looked up at her sister, his expression begging for some kind of encouragement or support. “Alice…”
*PWCK*
Alice slapped Sam hard enough to throw him to his side and making him wince as he put his hand onto his stinging left cheek. The act left the ponies, including Lady, Comfey, and even Olivia gasping loudly.
“Calm your dumb ass down,” Alice spat. “We aren’t going anywhere without you.”
“But… why?” Sam, adrenaline from the slap stopping his crying and getting him back to his feet. “I shouldn’t keep the ponies from getting back with their friends. It’s not fair to them.”
“And what about yourself?” Applejack stepped forward, her two front hooves coming onto the court. “While we go off and leave you behind, who’s that fair to? It still ain’t fair to us, and it sure ain’t fair to you.”
“How’s that not fair to me? I lost, Applejack; I’m a liability!”
“Sam, for the love of all that’s holy!” Olivia’s voice bellowed over his. “Don’t you see what they’re getting at?”
“What’s that?!”
“That we don’t want to leave without you!” Fluttershy shouted
Sam couldn’t think of something to say in that moment. With everything that happened in the last few minutes, he was stunned to hear any such words come out of either of the ponies’ mouths.
“We’re sticking through this together,” Rainbow Dash added with a stomp of her hoof. “Either we all make it out of here or none of us do.”
“But… what about Twilight and Spike? Don’t you–”
“Never mind about them,” Gladion said. “I just received word that Guzma, Acerola, and Professor Burnet are going to be staying with them at the Aether House until it’s time for us to go over there.”
“Guz…” Sam was now more confused by the names more than anything. “Acer…”
“They’re two members of Alola’s Elite Four. And fortunately for them, both of them specialize in types that are strong against Psychic-types.” This statement was quite a relief for Sam.
“You see?” Pinkie Pie squealed assuredly. “Team Prism isn’t even going to be able to sneeze in their direction unless they want trouble. Though, it’s hard to imagine how powerful their sneezes must be for that to happen.”
“The point is,” Rarity said, “that as long as Twilight and Spike are both safe, and we’re all together here, then we’ll be safe too.”
“It’s also like you said.” Starlight shrugged. “If you do something, we’ll do the same for you. You can’t leave the island, then neither will we.”
Sam let more tears fall from his eyes, quickly wiping them with his forearm. Suddenly, his loss didn’t feel half as painful. “Thank you all. You don’t know what that means for me.”
“Sure we do!” Rainbow Dash flew beside Sam and wrapped her arm around his neck. “What kind of friends would we be if we didn’t stay?”
“Some pretty bad ones, I’ll tell you that!” Pinkie Pie chirped in.
Olivia chuckled, happy to see the issue finally settled. “Come on, follow me.”
Olivia began walking to the forested hill leading back to town, confusing Sam. “Hey, where are you going?”
“To the Pokémon Center. That is, unless you want your Pokémon healed for our rematch?”
Making perfect sense to him, Sam quickly tagged behind her and her Lycanroc. “Oh, right yes!”
“That sounds good for me too!” Alice hopped beside Sam to go with. “My Pokémon could use some care.”
Gladion watched the four of them go off, putting his hands in his pockets and walking to follow them. “No use splitting off. Let’s go.”
Wordlessly, the ponies, Lady, and Comfey all followed Gladion back to Konikoni City. Their time on Akala Island wasn’t at an end quite yet, but were quite hopeful that it soon would be.