The next night, Mikael, Divvy, and Jacqui led their Equestrian friends to a black and white pub on the corner of the street. A carved wooden sign above the door showed a small greyish Pokémon with pink, vein-like protrusions holding a large square log which was balancing several trays of food and mugs on each end. As they approached the door, Sam was already pushing the door out from the inside, holding it open to give them clear passage inside.
“Hey, welcome guys!” he greeted. “You’re plenty early, food and drink’s on the tables; grab a plate, stay awhile!”
Mikael and Divvy entered first, following the sounds of many conversations going off at the same time. Walking into a large room on his right, he was greeted by the sights of several Equestrians, griffons, dragons, changelings, and others among them, standing around talking. Their variously-filled plates were either held by claws, unicorn’s magic, or on the small bar tables placed around.
Trays of food were kept in chafing dishes kept warm by small canned lamps on the right wall, another table carrying half a dozen pitchers of water and sodas of different colors. Mikael attempted to squeeze through the crowds to get to the beverage table, but his unique appearance, along with Divvy’s presence ever looming behind him, most eyes turned right his way.
“Hey, you’re one of the new human students!” Mikael stopped, stealing a quick frown of disappointment before turning to his greeter, a dark-brown male griffon. “So how goes it? I’m Grayson.”
Grayson reached his claw out, which Mikael shook out of obligation. “Mikael. Things are great. So… you’re one of Sam’s students?”
Jacqui and her friends began to pour in as well, though Mikael and his Bronzong served as plenty enough of a distraction to allow her and the others to get some food and drink of their own.
“Yeah!” Grayson answered, excited. “He’s awesome isn’t he? I can’t wait to get a Pokémon team of my own. Ever since Gallus came back with his, he’s been the coolest griffon in Griffonstone. And what about you? What’s… uh… what’s that one called?”
Grayson pointed behind Mikael, and he looked back to see Divvy dutifully there as always. “Yeah, that’s a Bronzong. His name is Divvy.”
“Divvy, huh? Where’d he get a name like that?”
“It’s… a touchy subject.”
“Okay! No worries! Hey, sorry, I’m still trying to get this friendship thing down, but you don’t mind if I get some grub, do you?”
“Not at all. I’m a little parched and hungry myself.”
“Perfect! You spared me the awkwardness of having to hop out of this conversation.”
Mikael and Grayson weaved around the other guests to get their place in line. Meanwhile, as Smolder began loading fries black-bean sliders onto her plate, she frequently glanced over to the other end of the room, where an overhead projector shone a blurred image onto the wall which clearly read, “The match between Alice Brier and Jordan Wylie will start momentarily.”
She was so preoccupied with the screen that she ended up bumping into the rear of the pony in front of her. Turning herself around, the pony was a greyish blue with a long-docked tail, a scaly back and nose, a golden mane that wrapped around her head like a lion’s, and a red horn protruding from the top of her head that branched off into two.
“Oops!” Smolder tried to chuckle her rude act off. “Sorry, was paying attention to the screen. Wait… you’re a… kirin?”
“Mmhm!” she answered with a nod. “Ever since Professor Applejack and Professor Fluttershy came to our village a while back, many of us have been interested in enrolling in the school, so here we are! I’m Forest Flare.”
Smolder reached up and shook the kirin’s hoof. “Smolder. I’m in the Pokémon II class.”
“Wow! I guess that’s why you already have your own Pokémon team! I’m only in Pokémon I, so we haven’t gotten to do a lot of ‘catching’ or ‘exploring’ yet… But I’m certain this year is going to feature plenty of that!”
Smolder giggled. “Trust me, it will. You’re going to have a blast with Sam.”
“Going to! I already am, and we haven’t really done too much of anything yet!”
“Hey!” Gallus peaked out from his spot behind Smolder and Forest Flare. “What’s the hold-up!”
“Oops, sorry!” Forest Flare said, blushing. “Let’s find a table so we can get the line moving.”
“Yeah, sure.” Smolder, her gathered food in hand, walked off with Forest Flare.
Outside the building, Sam spoke to a blue projection of Alice on his Holo Caster, a disembodied torso wearing a formal vest and a short-sleeved collared shirt. “Sorry, not to get your stomach more tied into knots than it probably already is, but you don’t know how close he is, do you?”
Alice frowned. “He already beat Dexio, Ace, and Kahili. He’s on Molayne now.”
“…How long’s he been at it?”
“Sam please. I’m really nervous right now. After getting my ass handed to me in Galar–”
“Hey, hey, no! Galar doesn’t mean anything. You’re the champion of Alola; I know you’ll fight to keep it that way.”
“It’s just… he just had to come right when I was on a roll with my Gym Challenge.”
“I know, I know. But hey, look on the bright side, you actually get a face someone this time around! I mean, the whole reason you took the Gym Challenge on in the first place was because not enough people were making it through the Island Trials. I’m… actually kind of surprised you’re not stoked about this.”
“In any other circumstance, I would be, but… that last loss really hurt.”
“I know, but look. You’ve only gotten stronger since our last battle, and you have your new Pokémon on you to help. You got this.”
“Yeah… I sure hope–”
“…Alice?”
“He just beat Molayne. I gotta’ go. Wish me luck.”
“Okay sis. Good lu–”
Alice’s image quickly faded into nothingness as the connection was cut. Sam clenched both the Holo Caster as well as his eyes; if only he had more time to say what he needed.
With a decided huff, he shoved the device back into his pocket and quickly walked inside. Stepping into the large private room, the Equestrians were all still conversing as they waited for an update. Sam looked to the screen and watched as the message across it began to fade and the image behind it sharpened its focus.
The crowd inside all loudly gasped and commented at this change, knowing that the match was going to begin shortly. Once the camera fully retained its focus, it showed Alice standing on the opposite side of the battlefield from where the stairway from the teleportation pad was. Her arms were crossed, and her face put on the most serious façade it could muster.
“Come on, Alice!” Smolder cheered. “You can do this!”
Cheers and proclamations for Alice and her success rang throughout the room. Sam leaned on the side of the entryway, wanting to get as comfortable for next half hour or so as he could. The camera then cut to the stairwell as the sound of footsteps began to ascend them. After only five or six steps, they stopped, confusing the Equestrians inside and filling them with a little dread.
At that moment, the steps grew louder and quicker, and after only a few moments, Alice’s challenger was visible sprinting up each step by two. On the last step, he sprung up, the cameras doing their best to capture his mad rush to the champion.
The trainer looked to be in his low to mid-30s, sporting long black hair, very tan skin, and a thick growth of stubble on the lower half of his face. In the air, his stylish black leather pants waved like a flag of an enemy nation come to conquer their enemy. His dark-blue tank-top clung to his chest and gut, showing off his incredibly well-toned muscles. He landed with a crouch upon his side of the field on thick leather boots before slowly standing upright, his threatening entrance failing to get a rise out of Alice.
After several moments of staredown, the man smiled warmly at his opponent. “Not even breaking a sweat. Not even that Plumeria woman couldn’t resist flinching when I came into her site.”
“I wouldn’t be champion if I let every trainer who faced me get me shaken up so easily,” Alice retorted.
“Hmm. I guess that explains Galar…”
“Oh, shut up. I may have lost the Champion Cup, but I certainly won’t lose my championship, not here.”
The man put his hands on the Poké Balls on his belt as he widened his stance, ready to send his first one out. “Yeah, you will…” Despite Alice keeping up her scowl, he noticed a telling glaze forming on her brow. “There it is…”
A sound system kicked in around the room. “The championship title match between Alice Brier and Jordan Wylie is set to begin.”
The Equestrians were silent now, wanting to see and hear the first seconds of the match with as much clarity as possible. Smolder in particular began to shove as much of the food that she had taken into her mouth as possible, not wanting anything to distract her from this most decisive match.
“Come on!” Jordan hollered. “Aren’t you supposed to send out the first Pokémon?”
Alice bared her teeth as her hand finally grasped hold of a Poké Ball and tossed it out. “You’re up first, Dragapult!”
Alice threw her ball out, which opened up with a massive explosion of white. The energy smoothed and solidified into a draconic creature with a large black-and-red head shaped like a stealth bomber and creamy-yellow chest that faded into a solid cyan all the way down the rest of its body to the translucent tip of its massive tail.
“Yeah, awesome!” Smolder cheered. “That’s one of her strongest!”
“Hey, Smolder!” Gallus called from another part of the room. “You getting paid to commentate?!”
“Don’t worry about him!” Jacqui’s assuring call immediately got the dragoness out of the funk she was suddenly in. “You just do you, girl!”
Jordan observed Alice’s dragon, his stance relaxed and unmoved. “Not bad. I can do one better.” He picked a ball of his own clip and threw it with a fearsome spin. “Go, Bisharp!”
With his ball coming open, Jordan’s first Pokémon made its appearance: a fully-armored red-and-black bipedal creature with two circular blades protruding from its waist, two blades on the tops of its forearms, and a golden axe-head in its helmet.
Alice felt herself relax and give Jordan a smug grin. “You thought you got me with a Dark-type! That’s not going to matter much longer! Dragapult, use U-Turn!”
Pushing its feet off an invisible force in the air, Dragapult sped forward, making a beeline at Jordan’s Bisharp. Bisharp attempted to put its arms up to defend itself, only for its head to get clobbered with Dragapults. As Bisharp painfully rolled toward its trainer’s feet, Dragapult soared back up and looped around to dive straight at Alice, who already had its Poké Ball aimed up at it. The patrons in the bar cheered as Alice called her Pokémon back before throwing another ball out from her belt.
“Your turn, Sandaconda!” she declared.
The ball came open, and from it, a sandy-white snake leapt out with most of its body coiled around itself, along with a large brownish-green pouch covering its head.
Jordan’s Bisharp stood back up as it assessed its next opponent. “That’s fine. I can keep him around. Bisharp, attack her Sandaconda with Foul Play!”
Bisharp charged at the reptilian Pokémon, a black cloak of energy forming around its body and arms as it picked up speed. Alice’s Pokémon responded by springing up onto the last few inches of its tail, standing itself straight and hissing at the encroaching Bisharp. Once it got close enough, the Bisharp thrust both arms into the underside of Sandaconda, the black aura channeling itself out and into the snake as well. Sandaconda’s eyes narrowed in pain and it slightly uncoiled as it struggled to withhold the hit. A wave of groans and gasps washed over the patrons of the Timburr Tavern, though Sam just watched on expectedly; no way it would end that quickly.
“Awesome job, girl!” Alice cheered. “Now that he’s close, hit it with–”
“Psycho Cut, now!” On Jordan’s call, the Bisharp wound its arm back, producing an afterimage in the swiftness of it.
Alice then gasped to see what appeared to be an animal’s claw hanging from Bisharp’s neck, suddenly making her understand how the Pokémon was able to move before hers. Looking back to her Sandaconda, she watched as Bisharp began to take a step back to give space for its attack as it began to swing its arm out. However, Sandaconda reached its head out, clamping down on the blade in Bisharp’s helmet. Using all its muscles from the top down, it swung the lower part of its body up and catapulted itself up into the just as Bisharp swung. A band of magenta light shot from the blade on its arm, heading straight towards Alice.
“Watch out!” Smolder screamed amidst the other frightened noises of the others around her.
Alice leaned back and to the side, the blade quickly passing her and striking the throne directly behind her. Looking at the potential damage that it caused, she then watched in shock as the left corner of the throne began to slide off and fall to the floor. As scared as she was in that moment, she was snapped out by the shriek of her Pokémon, which was beginning to reach the apex of its ascent.
Seeing the opportunity given to her, Alice felt safe to smile again. “I knew you could do it, girl! Now, finish him off with Body Press!”
Squeezing its own body tighter, Sandaconda dove down from above Bisharp, who looked up to see the snake coming down at it. With a raspy shriek, Sandaconda tucked its head in and crashed down on Bisharp, bringing both to the ground in a stony explosion that covered them both in dust. After shielding their bodies from as much debris as possible, Alice and Jordan looked into the billowing cloud to see the state of their Pokémon. As it began to clear, Sandaconda slithered out and rejoined its trainer before turning back to see if it had done the job. Sure enough, the Bisharp laid motionless on its back, its arms and legs splayed out in the crater that was left.
The blue floor turned red as a voice picked up. “Bisharp is unable to battle. Jordan Wylie has… five Pokémon remaining.”
A wave of sudden cheers burst out from the audience in the tavern. Sam also began to relax himself and smile, his confidence in his sister burning stronger.
Jordan stared at his Pokémon as he returned it to its ball. He then kept his sights on Alice as she allowed Sandaconda to slap the tip of its tail against her hand, putting his fainted Bisharp’s ball back on his clip and removing another one.
“Really hoped to save you for later, but what can you do?” he muttered to himself before breathing deeply in. “Hey, Alice!” Both her and her Pokémon gave him their attention. “Did you really think we came all this way just for you to smack our bottoms and call it a night?”
“I mean…” Alice couldn’t help but feel unsure with her sarcastic shrug. “…was kind of hoping that’d be the case.”
“Then you’ve dedicated yourself to false hope.” He held his next Poké Ball up. “With this next Pokémon, I’m going to show you how hopeless your situation really is.”
Muttering began to take hold of the Equestrians gathered in front of the screen, and Sam stood up straight again, realizing very quickly that the match would no longer be easy for his sister past this point.
Jordan chucked his ball forward. “Go, Kartana!”
Sam seized up. “Kartana?!”
Several Equestrians looked back at Sam, unsettled by the contortion of fear his face made, only to be forced to look back upon Jordan’s ball opening itself. Forming into a tight, shiny square from the Poké Ball’s energy, it then unfolded itself into a metallic creature with the appearance of an origami samurai whose lightness allowed it to float freely in the air.
“H– How?” Sam sputtered quietly. “How’d he get an Ultra Beast?”
On the screen, Alice and her Sandaconda also looked tremendously fearful, the Kartana appearing to exude an energy that instilled an irresistible urge to feel that way.
She quickly put her scowl back on. “Yeah, I remember fighting with one of those in Hau’oli.”
“I’d wager you never fought against one though!” Jordan roared back. “And you’ve certainly never fought against mine.”
“But I know how to, and that’ll be good enough for me! Sandaconda, hit it with another Body Press!”
Sandaconda hopped back up on the tip of its tail, springing itself out at the Kartana with fangs bared and a guttural hiss escaping its throat. Jordan smirked, and as if sensing its trainer’s reaction, the Kartana shot to the right and disappeared. Sandaconda’s assuredness was quickly replaced by sheer confusion.
“Leaf Blade!” Jordan bellowed.
Alice then watched as Kartana, its bladed arms raised up, appeared directly above Sandaconda, who was completely unaware of its presence. “Sandaconda! Abov–”
Kartana swung into Sandaconda’s back hard and fast enough to twirl about several times in the air, the slashes it made producing two large bands of green light that hammered down. As if shot down from a cannon, Sandaconda crashed into the floor with a sickening rumble beneath Alice’s shoes.
Smolder felt the color and warmth in her face drain as the Equestrians around her went into a frightened and anguished uproar. Even standing in his spot in the restaurant thousands of miles away, Sam could feel Sandaconda’s brutal landing as if he was standing right beside his sister, making him clench his teeth.
Once the dust settled, Alice’s Pokémon lay partially uncoiled in a crater of its own, its body completely motionless.
The floor went red again. “Sandaconda is unable to battle. Alice Brier has… five Pokémon remaining.”
“Oh no!” Silverstream whined. “Now they both have the same number of Pokémon. And that Kartana is scary strong!”
“Where’d he even get that thing?” Grayson wondered.
Alice brought her Sandaconda back into its ball, her head hanging low as she put it back onto the clip on her belt and taking another ball off of it.
“I suppose you didn’t bring any Ultra Beasts of your own to this battle, did you?” Jordan’s mocking voice already knew the answer. “Oh, what a pity.”
“I don’t need any Ultra Beasts or legendary Pokémon to beat the likes of you! The fact you would need one to face me… what a coward you are.”
“Coward, you say?” Jordan cocked his head, perplexed by the choice of words. “Perhaps unsportsmanlike is a more fitting label, but last I checked, this region’s first champion got to sit on that throne with the aid of Solgaleo, but I’m certain you’ve told him numerous times how much of a coward he was, haven’t you?”
Alice hacked out a sigh, unable to counter his retort. To see Alice so mentally and psychologically whipped as she was brought the morale of the Timburr Tavern plumetting.
“Now, if you really want to prove yourself worthy of being called one of the strongest trainers alive, then shut your mouth and fight!”
“You’re right…” Alice held her ball up in her tightly-clenched hand. “No more talking. Your turn, Noivern!”
With a throw of her ball, it came open and unleashed her black-and-purple wyvern, who landed upon the field and greeted Kartana with a piercing shriek. The sight and sound of Alice’s ace Pokémon brought out another wave of cheers in the crowd, Smolder’s voice overpowering them all. Sam clapped in solidarity, nodding confidently that his sister’s Noivern would turn things around.
“Hmm…” Jordan looked away in annoyance before taking Kartana’s ball and aiming it at his Pokémon, the red beam bringing it back inside, much to Alice and Noivern’s confusion. “This won’t do.”
“What’s he doing now?” Forest Flare sneered.
“I’m guessing that Kartana’s super weak to one of Noivern’s moves.” There was an equal amount of nonplusment in Smolder’s voice. “Say what you will about this guy, he’s playing super smart.”
After returning his ball back to his clip, Jordan threw another out. “Bisharp! You’re up!”
Bursting out from the ball, another Bisharp posed out from its ball to signal its readiness to battle.
“Huh?” Ocellus put her hoof to her mouth. “Another one?”
Alice appeared to not be dismayed or confused by this choice. “You wasted your turn to bring out another Steel-type, and one I’ve already beaten? I mean, anything to protect your fragile little Kartana from what’s to come, right?”
Jordan stayed silent, his stoic expression a far more deafening reply than anything he could have said.
“Whatever,” Alice breathed. “Noivern, attack his Bisharp with Flamethrower!”
Breathing in deeply, Noivern spat a steady, yet powerful stream of fire at Bisharp, who stood in patient anticipation as the heat and brightness barreled closer.
“Dodge it!” With an imperceptibly fast crouch, the Bisharp spun wide to the right on Jordan’s order, letting the fires pass behind it before it broke into a sprint at its attacker.
Alice seized up as the Bisharp came closer with a bloodthirsty squint of its eyes. “Don’t let him get closer! Another Flamethrower, now!”
Noivern, it’s flames still pouring from its mouth, tilted its head downwards, attempting to chase the Bisharp down before it could reach it.
“Excellent!” Jordan howled. “Now, hit it with Poison Jab!”
With less than a foot separating the second Bisharp from Noivern’s attack, the Bisharp lunged forward, both of its arms glowing purple. After managing to drive both of its fists into Noivern’s gut, Noivern doubled over as it’s choked gag extinguished its attack.
Alice seethed, angered by this setback. “While he’s there, attack him with Hurricane!”
Noivern leapt upward, leaving the Bisharp behind below. With its wings raised, it then beat both down, creating a terrible whirlwind that first beat down on the Bisharp with all its might before it was thrown back Jordan’s way. Jordan barely reacted as his Pokémon swung itself back onto its feet, though faltered, its sense of balance suddenly diminished. Noivern landed back on the floor, and Jordan was merely happy to see two purple splotches where his Pokémon’s attack managed to land.
“Oh no!” Sandbar gasped. “She’s been poisoned!”
“Now what’s she gonna’ do?” another pony called from the crowd.
“Don’t worry guys, look!” Smolder pointed at the screen, spefically the wobbling Bisharp. “His Bisharp’s confused!”
Jordan’s smug smile felt cold, especially with his woozy Pokémon directly before him. “You wasted two Flamethrower attacks and hit me with a little Hurricane attack. And for what? Some minimal damage and some confusion?”
“And you just got my Noivern a little sick,” Alice snapped back. “She’ll last. I’ll make sure that Bisharp won’t.”
“We’ll see… Bisharp, attack Noivern with Dual Chop!”
Bisharp charged at Noivern once again, but its gait was slower and far more concentrated as it struggled to just not fall. Once it got close to Noivern, it leapt back up, now eye-to-eye with Alice’s dragon.
“Don’t let him run away!” Alice shouted. “You can do this!”
With illusions of Noivern’s head dancing in circles around his vision, Bisharp slash its right arm down to the left, though Noivern easily curved its neck out to avoid the slash. Bisharp then slashed down to the right with its left, and Noivern was able to dodge that too, making Jordan gasp in genuine surprise for the first time.
“Looks like you’re not as all that as you thought you were!” Alice cheered. “Noivern, it’s right there! Finish Bisharp off with Flamethrower!”
With a harsh, hot glow forming in Noivern’s mouth, Bisharp was lucid enough to understand its predicament and stared at the light with widened eyes. Noivern shot another powerful plume of fire point blank into the Bisharp’s body, throwing it over Jordan as it threatened to go far over the edge of the battlefield platform and to the bottom of the room far below. Jordan casually pulled his Pokémon’s ball off and aimed it at the Bisharp as it fell, the red beam shooting from it connecting with it and bringing it safely back in.
Regardless of Jordan’s save, the floor turned red and the speakers came on. “Bisharp is unable to battle. Jordan Wylie has… four Pokémon remaining.”
The Timburr Tavern’s patrons cheered and applauded again, Sam’s claps ringing forcefully over them as he nodded over his approval of his sister and her Pokémons’ resolve.
“Yeah, that’s a shame,” Jordan sighed, cracking his neck. “However, he did exactly what I needed him to do, and for that, I’m thankful.”
“You sure have a funny way of showing how much you care for you Pokémon.” Alice’s spiteful comment was backed up by a high-pitched bark from Noivern.
“I care for my Pokémon very much. Just because I don’t coddle them nearly as much as you doesn’t make my love for them any less valid. They got me farther than any Island Trial challenger has come in the past half-year, and today, they’ll help me defeat you.” Jordan tore his next ball off his belt and tossed it out. “Go, Turntonator!”
Appearing from the ball upon its opening was a large turtle-like dragon with a large, yellow-and-red shell with large brown spikes jutting from it, whose head had a flatter top similarly colored to its shell, along with a long snout with a single wide nostril.
Noivern roared at its next potential enemy, only for it to swoon and catch itself from falling on the claws on the ends of its wings. Alice gasped as she saw the left glowing splotch of purple pulsing, looking back up to Jordan to see him snickering.
“My Bisharp really saved me there,” he continued to chortle, “and now this is going to make Turtonator’s job so much easier.”
“Save it!” Alice shouted. “My Noivern’s got plenty of fight left in it! Attack Turtonator with Dragon Pulse!”
Noivern’s mouth glowed again, this time a purplish-blue. With its claws digging into the ground to ensure its accuracy, Noivern let out a booming yap that sent a rippling comet of a similarly-colored aura straight out at Turtonator. The Turtonator was struck in the center of its chest, causing it to falter back several steps. Despite the blackened, smoldering mark now left there, Turtonator hung on strong, stepping back to its original spot.
“And now,” hushed Jordan, “the moment Bisharp helped make possible. Turtonator! Attack Noivern with Venoshock!”
“What?” Forest Flare shouted, looking to Smolder for confirmation. “It can learn that?”
Smolder could not answer, only able to gulp with worry.
The Turtonator spun to show its back to Noivern, the tips of its spikes turning purple. With a roar, Jordan’s Pokémon fired a flurry of slimy bolts out in every direction that Noivern could try to run. Over a dozen of them struck Noivern all over, several of them piercing its sensitive glowing spots. Noivern screeched as its claws could no longer hold it up, falling onto its sides as its poisoning got worse.
“Wow!” Silverstream guffawed, her wide smiles a sheer contrast to the anxious air the crowd felt. “Alice sure knows how to put on a show!”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” Jacqui shouted over the noises of the crowd, “but her Noivern’s not in good shape!”
“And then her other Pokémon are gonna’ swoop in and avenge it! Eee! It’s all so exciting!”
Noivern could barely pick itself up, but it’s scowl showed Jordan and his Turtonator every tooth in his mouth.
“She’s still got a little more fight in her,” Alice shouted, “and we can still take you out! Noivern, attack Turtonator again with Dragon Pulse!”
Noivern’s mouth filled with energy and it attempted to shoot its shot once more, but in its weakened state, the blowback sent the attack far to Turtonator’s right, striking the wall with a small explosion. Alice winced, looking back up at her Noivern who looked back to her regretfully.
“It’s too weak now,” Jordan grumbled. “Time to put her out of her misery. Turtonator! Finish off Noivern with a Dragon Pulse of your own!”
The inside of Turtonator’s snout lit up with blue, and with a roar, it fired a small, but fast ball of draconic aura at Noivern as it closed its eyes and waited for the attack to come. The attack struck the top of its chest, slamming it onto its back where it spread its wings out, getting into the most comfortable position to lose consciousness.
The Equestrians watching the match stared at the projection in desperate silence, not even reacting as the floor turned red. “Noivern is unable to battle. Alice Brier has… four Pokémon remaining.”
Alice returned her Pokémon back into its ball before placing the top upon her forehead. “I’m sorry, Noivern. And thank you.”
With a serious expression returning to her face, she picked up her next Poké Ball and held it out to Jordan and his Pokémon, the latter of which breathed a plume of fire from the corners of its mouth in anticipation for its next victim.
“You may think that my hope is gone because my Noivern is,” Alice proclaimed, “but I still have four great Pokémon left to fight you and the rest of your team! If you think I’m going to give up now for even a moment, then you’ve greatly underestimated me, and for anyone watching this right now, know that I’m not going to give up on you either!”
Smolder, looking up at Alice as the camera put her in a cozy medium shot, pumped her fist with widened, glistening eyes. At that moment, the Equestrians also began to cheer, invigorated by Alice’s hopeful words.
Jordan’s expression remained unchanged, his eyes only focused on the Poké Ball she held and what Pokémon it would hold.
“First,” Alice declared, winding her arm back, “your Turtonator. Then, the rest of your Pokémon, including that Kartana of yours! Let’s go!”
Alice threw her ball forward.