Welcome to Chapter One of this ... story. Which will kick butt and have multiple lemons, pokémon battles, and shippings. Some of the shippings are somewhat unorthodox but they are nonetheless cute 3 Of course this is primarily ferriswheelshipping. Anywho... please review.

1

The Champion of Unova

This was my home for most of my life. I was certainly a spoilt child in many respects, wasn't I, Touko? And of course I had all the friends I could ever wish for. But I consider you my friend, and I didn't wish for you. In that respect I guess I wasn't spoiled at all.

Touko felt her heart lurch as soon as she stepped in to the dusty toy room that had once belonged to Natural. She used to call him N – in fact, she still did. But she had heard that Natural was his real name. Like nature he was wild and unpredictable, but he wasn't nature. He was a human being, no matter what Ghetsis said. Looking around the dark, miserable room she could almost see the scene playing out before his eyes. N returned after brewing in his anger, his mind and heart scoured with still bleeding wounds. Stumbling into the room, his steel eyes would glimpse everything – the skateboard, the toys, the train set, the dartboard – and his teeth would bite down hard enough to hurt his jaw when the lies and the abuse came flooding back. His rage overtook him so much that would scream in fury and tear everything apart, until finally he would be satisfied. Then he wouldn't stay, or look back. He would simply leave that place behind. Her footsteps echoed around the room as she stepped around the basketball hoop that had been knocked to the ground, and over the toy trains and Pokémon that were strewn everywhere, until she finally reached the source of an eerie sound. A gentle tune had been playing – one that she instantly recognised, however... The music box was bent and damaged, and even as it wound around and around, the tune sounded odd and wrong.

"Where are you, N?" In this same castle, an epic battle was waged between two of the strongest trainers in Unova. It was a battle of wills between her and N Harmonia, the King of Team Plasma. He lost. She won. It was simple, but it meant everything. If she had lost, the new champion of Unova would've forced every single trainer in the country to relinquish their Pokémon. At the time, she completely saw N as her enemy. But as soon as she beat him that was crushed and so was he. Unlike her, he was ready to accept what fate had planned. For Touko, there'd have been no way she could ever agree to release her Pokémon, even if she'd lost, but when she defeated him he accepted her truth. To be honest, she knew she was stubborn. But in the face of this she couldn't help but admire someone that she had despised so easily only moments before. She wasn't looking for him for that reason, though. This time she was driven by regret. "Where are you, so that I can apologise? And…" She took a deep breath before carefully placing the music box back on the floor. "…I want to thank you." Every time she remembered, it made her want to die. To think that a man could raise a child as a tool to use… to think that she'd repeatedly insulted N and hated him, while knowing nothing of what that man put him through… it broke her heart.

He's nothing more than a freak without a human heart. Do you think you're going to get through to a warped person like that?

It was in fact, a stronger description of him than was of N. On one hand, Touko loathed N's goal of separating people from their friends, but on the other hand, she understood that he was motivated by love of Pokémon. She understood so easily because she too was driven by the love her friends. Admittedly, she wasn't the best at empathising but she never once had difficulty understanding that man and she absolutely never saw him as being subhuman. Why should she? She hadn't ever heard one person treat another with such abhorrence. And Ghetsis was supposedly N's foster father. Inhaling deeply, Touko spun back around and walked out of the room, her resolve twice as strong as when she'd first entered.

"Vi?" A pair of blue eyes shot up in front of the girl's face, as a small creature fluttered curiously around her.

"Sorry, Victini," she sighed, a small smile on her lips. "I was so sure he'd be either here or in the throne room. But he's not." Victini flapped in front of Touko for a moment, its mouth downturned before it gave a smile and put its tiny arms around her neck. "Okay let's get the hell out of this dump."

x

Thumping heavily onto the ground after slipping off her Braviary's back, Touko brushed the dust off her knees and rubbed the Pokémon's beak affectionately, before returning him to his pokéball. Her breath was hot in her throat as she gazed around at the tall buildings that were all around her. Driftveil City had changed more than she ever could have imagined, even after Touya had described it to her. Glinting green glass from the thousands of hotel windows seemed to stretch on forever, and as she continued up the street she felt amazed that she recognised the old market, but couldn't recognise anything in its immediate area.

"Uh… excuse me?" she asked, tapping a passer-by on the shoulder. A chubby man wearing a Hawaiian shirt and dark glasses turned to her with an almost exaggerated grin.

"What can I do ya for, missy?" Lowering her hand, Touko smiled back.

"Do you know where the Pokémon Centre is?" Based on where the market was, she should've been able to figure it out, but damn these tall buildings were so disorientating!

"Not a problem, ya just go up that street, make a left at the lights and follow the street till ya get there. Big orange building – ya can't miss it." Touko thanked him and continued walking slowly up the street, staring with a wide mouth at these modern giants. Honestly, she wasn't sure that it was a good look, but it was bound to be good for the economy. After all, Drifveil could be described as a gateway to Unova. If it wasn't, she wouldn't be there. Sadly, she had no leads that N was even in the Unova region. As soon as she and the Pokémon were rested, they were going to book a flight to Sinnoh – one place she hadn't visited yet. As she swung into through the electric doors of the Pokémon centre, she dragged herself across to the squishy cushions in the corner and flopped down near a group of trainers and closed her eyes. It felt a little stingy, but quite nice to close them after such a long two years.

"Wow, so you're really Rosa?" came a gasping voice, shattering Touko's comfortable trance.

"That's right. I'm so flattered that you know who I am." This person's voice was gratifyingly softer, though she still would've preferred for them to just stop talking altogether.

"How could I not know the illustrious actress, tycoon and Champion of Unova?" Touko's eyes shot open, and she slowly cast her gaze to her left. A blushing girl was sitting somewhat apart from the others. She had long brunette pigtails hanging down from two big buns on the sides of her head, and she wore girly sports visor. Tipping her hat back off her eyes a little more, she ran a more thorough scan of her new rival. Her soft cheeks and petite size suggested that this girl was probably fifteen years old, and her deep blue eyes were bright with youth, but heavy with experience. Admittedly, this girl was a beauty, so she wasn't fully surprised to hear that this person was a famous actor. Heck – someone who got around this much may know something of N.

"I never thought I'd be an actress," the girl said, the smile absolutely glued to her lips. "Pokémon battles are my first love. Actually, I haven't had a battle with anyone fresh for a while. I was thinking of heading to the PWT later. Anyone keen to enter?" All at once, the three guys sitting with her gave a burst of laughter.

"We wouldn't stand a chance against you, but we'll totally watch." Making a quick decision, Touko stretched her arms above her head before getting to her feet, throwing an obvious glance over to the group.

"Rosa, is it?" she smirked, walking over to the table. Looking up from the others, the blush in her cheeks cutely concentrated into little round circles, Rosa gave the newcomer a small wave.

"Hi," she said. Internally, Touko felt a twinge of embarrassment. Why did she always have to come across so intimidating?

"If you're the Champion, can I ask for your help?" This time, she tried to sound a little less prickly, but the sweet thing in front of her still seemed to edge away, even if only slightly.

"You can ask," Rosa replied. Around them, the young men were they exchanging lopsided grins and glances at Touko.

"Okay… I'm looking for the King of Team Plasma; N." Rosa's smile evaporated, and her brow grew heavy. Crossing her arms, she sat forward a little, looking up at Touko with scrutinising eyes.

"Why?" she asked, a slight growl in her voice. Touko bit her lip. How could this girl change her demeanour so quickly? It was a little unnerving, but she was an actress after all.

"Because I need to see him," she replied carefully, watching Rosa's expression. "He's an old friend who I haven't seen in two years." Lips forming around the letter 'o', the girl's eyes widened slightly.

"Are you that certain Trainer?" Touko blinked. What did that mean? Suddenly, Rosa's face broke back into a sunny smile, and her bright eyes widened even further. "You must be! You must be Touko. Two years ago, right?"

"How did you know my name? Does N go giving my name out to strangers?" It wasn't a vicious question. She honestly couldn't picture N talking to people about her.

"We're quite close," Rosa told her, standing up to lean against the table. "Well… not that we talk much, but we've been through some things. But not in the same way that you have with him,
from what I've heard."

"Are you saying he's in Unova?" A smile formed itself naturally on Touko's lips – not only because she now had a lead, but also because this Rosa girl had a sharp attitude about her.

"I don't exactly know where he is, but yes, he's in Unova."

"Thanks. I was about to go searching for him in Sinnoh," she sighed, dragging a hand down her face.

"So Touko – do you want to come to the PWT? I don't think I could take no for an answer," smiled Rosa. "Not now that I've actually met you." For the first time in quite a long time, the ex-Champion felt a minute spark of excitement.

"Is the PWT battle related? And I don't think I can take no for an answer." Laughing, the girl straightened her back and flipped her hair.

"It's the Pokémon World Tournament. There are plenty of categories, but I think we should be entering with the Gym Leaders, don't you?" Touko's jaw dropped slightly.

"Yes. Take me to this PWT now," she replied, her voice almost robotic. Not one of her gym leader friends had kept in touch with her since she left – except Cheren of course. That boy was too close to her heart to just forget about. Although, clearly he'd forgotten to mention this Pokémon World Tournament existed. She'd just have to find out about it for herself.

x

A spark of excitement lit up the dark chambers of Touko's heart as Rosa took her through the glistening arches into the Trainer's utopia – the first spark she'd felt in a while. Even though she'd never visited the Pokémon World Tournament before, the thought of seeing the national Gym Leaders again filled her with nostalgic anticipation. The glow of the white plaza burned into her retinas, as did the bright, flashy stands offering all kinds of services, and trainers seemed to be everywhere with their Pokémon. Somehow, everyone seemed to be smiling.

"Happy Birthday, sweetie," came a gentle voice, that was quickly followed by a delighted gasp. A tiny girl still plump with childhood looked almost glued to her spot as she beamed up at the Aipom in her mother's arms. The purple Pokémon seemed to laugh back, before it bounded down and took the girl by her hands, dancing her around in circles. Out of nowhere, an image of her old Zekrom flickered in the back of her mind. Of course. Had it not been for Zekrom, none of this would've been possible. The tie between people and Pokémon would have been severed.

"So, that stadium over there is the PWT," Rosa stated, her finger outstretched in the direction of an enormous building situated at the northern end of the plaza.

"Well, I didn't come here for the octopus balls, so let's go," she smiled, adjusting her cap to block out the sun. Soon enough, this action didn't matter as they were engulfed in the shadow of the modern looking stadium, which towered over them like a mountain of curving poles and smooth surfaces. "This place is amazing!" Through the glass doors she could see how vast it was, and there was a large crowd of people and their Pokémon bustling around the spectator's ticket booths. Even around the participant section there was a decent crowd, but one of the sections didn't seem to have anyone approaching it. A cool breeze hit them as the two stepped inside and they made their way (to Touko's surprise) swiftly to the least occupied counter in the participant's area. A young lady in a red suit gave them an enthusiastic grin and waved them over.

"It's nice to have you back, Miss Rosa." Chuckling, the young girl shook her head.

"Mel, for the last time – it's just Rosa." Touko regarded them both in silence, somewhat resentful that her Championship didn't consist of anything like this. "This is Touko-"

"Seriously?" Mel gasped, looking to the taller girl with wide eyes. Touko gave her an awkward smile. "Sorry…" she muttered, turning back to Rosa who had begun to frown.

"We'd like to enter the Unova Leader's Tournament, please." Nodding, the lady typed their details onto her computer. Then she individually recorded the Pokémon they were each entering before directing them around the counter and out to the participant's quarters behind a special private door. As soon as they entered the room, Touko's blue eyes fell to three very familiar faces.

"Touko!" the triplets chorused, all getting to their feet and grinning at their old friend.

"It's the three C's!" she cried back, throwing her arms around their necks, when her eyes met yet another familiar figure.

"I'm thinkin' that should be th' four C's," Clay smirked, lifting his cowboy hat to the two girls. Heart pounding in her chest, Touko took a step back and looked at all her friends with a smile on her lips.

"It's amazing to see you all again – Cilan, Cress, Chili and Clay. And to think that we're about to start battling in a few minutes," she told them.

"I know right," Chili laughed, his eyes still wide with joy. "It's only been two whole years since anyone's seen you, Touko. Where the heck've you been?"

"Seeing the rest of the world," she replied, completely disregarding the plasma televisions as they burst into life with the battle line-up. "But I've clearly missed out on what's been going on here – and Clay's done some amazing work here in Driftveil."

"That's fer sure," Clay confirmed, giving a stiff nod.

"Hey guys – check out the matchup," Rosa said, drawing their gazes in her direction. "See here – me and Chili are up against some strangers, Cilan is battling Cress, and Touko's fighting Clay." Just as Touko opened her mouth to comment, and as Cilan and Cress gave one another a high five, a short man with a pointed beard stepped into the room.

"Your individual battles are about to begin, so follow the assistants to your posts." Right away, eight stagehands came into the room. A young man with dark hair and scowling eyes approached her.

"Miss Touko – if you'll please follow me," he drawled, directing her through one of the many doorways and up a long corridor. "When you hear your cue you simply go across the walkway and onto the stage, where your battle will be commenced. When it ends, come back here and I'll take you to the next stage, or back to the participant's quarters." As they drew to the edge of the stage, Touko could hear the powerful buzz from the crowd. The room wasn't lit except for the seats, and when she peered around, she could see that although the stands weren't extensive, they were completely full. Suddenly, she had to withdraw as with a loud crash, the spotlights switched on and a fanfare started to play. An enormous TV screen burst into life and a young woman holding a mike stood on the sizeable stadium in front of it.

"Welcome to the Pokémon World Tournament – Unova Leaders, where you can watch your favourite Gym Leaders fight it out with their amazing Pokémon." A cheering crowd wasn't loud enough to cover the volume of her mike, and Touko had to cover her ears. "These are the heats, and today we have two very special trainers fighting on this battlefield. Please give Driftveil's very own Gym Leader Clay a warm welcome!" Suddenly the crowd's cheering went into overdrive, and in the distance she could just see the old sheriff step up onto the platform, as he waved at his loving crowd. "And fighting Clay, we have a newcomer to the PWT, but by no means a newcomer to battles. Give Touko, the ex-champion of Unova a big hand!" Caught up in listening to the announcement, her legs forgot to walk her out onto the stage, until the assistant gave her a small push. As her legs slowly began to move, she was suddenly overwhelmed by the roaring of the crowd, or was it her blood roaring in her ears? Soon enough, she was stepping up onto the stage, where Clay immediately locked her with a fierce and friendly gaze. "Let the battle begin!" What? Already?

"Go, Golurk!" the man growled, snapping the girl to attention as the sentinel burst from its Pokéball. Shaking away all remaining light-headedness, Touko seized her own Pokéball and hurled it forward.

"Let's go, Samurott!" she cried, as the loyal Pokémon burst out of the ball and faced the Golurk. Breathing out through its nose, Samurott regarded its opponent with a straight face – not thrown by Golurk's size.

"Golurk – Shadow Punch!" Clay ordered, drawing a swift diagonal with a sweeping arm.

"Use Night Daze!" Touko shot back, and before Golurk could charge up his fist with dark aura, her Samurott's eyes began to glow blue, and as it raised its front legs, it became bathed in a crimson aura. Then, smashing its fists back to the ground, the crimson light burst out across the room, smiting the Golurk in the shockwave. The entire creature was thrown off its back, and it landed heavily in front of Clay, making a cloud of dust. Watching with a keen eye, Touko could see that Golurk wasn't about to get back up – not from a dark-type move with that kind of power. A scowl on his face, Clay returned his Pokémon to its Pokéball, before shifting his hat on his head. There was a great cry of shock from the audience, but both trainers ignored it, as the man threw his next Pokéball after Golurk's failure.

"Let's get 'em, Excadrill!" shouted Clay, his voice sounding grittier as his heart began to burn with the heat of the battle. As the Excadrill burst onto the field, it snapped its claws at Samurott with a great energy, but Samurott continued to look back with the same sharp stare, as it awaited its master's orders.

"Okay, let's use Focus Blast," Touko told it, a small smile on her lips. Rapidly opening its mouth, Samurott began to form a blue orb in its mouth.

"Excadrill – Drill Run!" The blue orb shot at speed in Excadrill's direction, but in an instant the Pokémon had slammed its pointed claws up over its head and lunged, spinning through the air to intercept Samurott's attack. Colliding with the pulsing energy, Excadrill's momentum wavered, but the orb broke first, bursting and shattering across the wake of its attack.

"No!" Touko gasped, as the huge Pokémon slammed into her own, sending it crashing back to her feet in a cloud of dust. Clay watched, the same smirk still glinting in his eye – but as the dust began to dissipate into the dark air, the smirk flickered into shock.

"A Zoroark, huh?" he huffed, as it dawned on him that it was unusual for a Samurott to know Night Daze. Breathing heavily, the night fox looked wearily across as the Excadrill and slowly pulled itself to its feet.

"Are you okay to keep fighting, Zoroark?" she asked it, casting her gaze to her Pokémon. Eyes permanently fixed to its opponent, the noble creature gave a nod and retook its position in front of its master. Taking a deep breath, she looked across at Excadrill too, her mind buzzing. "Use Focus Blast again, Zoroark, and watch out for its claws!" Without hesitation, the Zoroark brought its paws together and shot an orb of powerful energy after the Excadrill.

"Use Drill Run!" Again, the bulk of the attack was deflected by the spinning drill as it powered toward Zoroark. Leaping into the air, the night fox jumped it as Excadrill shot past, leaving a jet of turbulence in its wake.

"Shit!" As it flew past her, Touko swung to the side to avoid the grinding steel.

"Now use Submission!" Before the girl could even clamber back to her feet, the Excadrill shot back and seized Zoroarks arms with its claws. As she saw the shock in its eyes, Touko's heart gave a sickening pound.

"Zoroark!" The Excadrill hissed, tossing her Pokémon into the ground like a rag doll, still holding its limbs tight. "Zoroark!" It cried out as the ground-type's hold tightened, and the girl could sense that it was in pain. "Use Flamethrower!" At close range, the Excadrill wouldn't stand a chance. As soon as the night fox's jaws opened, the Pokémon were engulfed in roaring flames.

"Confound it!" she heard the Underground Boss curse, as the flames slowly petered away. Apparently unconscious, his Excadrill was recalled to its Pokéball. Though it was another win for Touko, when she saw how tired her Zoroark was, she knew it was hard won.

"Zoroark, you've done great," she smiled. "You can take a break from the rest of the battle, okay?" Staring into her with its deep eyes, the fox gave a nod, before it was bathed in a red glow and it disappeared back into its Pokéball. "Sawsbuck – you're on!" As the deer-like Pokémon came out from its Pokéball, it trotted forward onto the scene adorned with its thick autumn headdress. She was an elegant trainer, and she had very elegant Pokémon.

"Yer on too, Krookodile!" In seconds, the elegance factor in the room was crushed, as the burly sand gater burst onto the field, with snapping jaws and a malicious grin. Lowering its gaze at the Krookodile, Sawsbuck snorted, scratching at the ground with its hoof.

"You're rearing to go, aren't you?" Touko laughed. Perfectly conscious of his predicament, Clay's frown deepened.

"Use Fire Fang!" he shouted, jabbing his finger in the grass-type's direction.

"Oh crap! Dodge it!" she shouted back, as the gater flew at her Sawsbuck with flaming jaws. The slightly faster Sawsbuck just managed to dash away from its path, but the Krookodile swung around quickly to make another lunge, its teeth still burning. "Now jump!" Using a similar tactic to with her Zoroark, Sawsbuck leapt just as Krookodile tried to catch it, and now the grass-type had it with its back turned. "Use Jump Kick!" Before the gater had the chance to turn, the grin was knocked from its lips as the Sawsbuck ploughed into its back, knocking it face first to the floor. "And finish it off with Horn Leech!" The hoof was immediately replaced by glowing golden horns which stabbed into the Pokémon, sapping its remaining strength, until Clay finally relented and returned it to its Pokéball.

"Thanks, Sawsbuck," she muttered as she recalled it to its Pokéball.

"And the winner is Touko!" the announcer cried, and Touko gave a final nod to Clay before departing back down the aisle to where she could sense the seedy assistant was still lurking backstage. As she was swamped back into darkness, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I need to heal your Pokémon before the next stage," came the bored drawl, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness she passed her Pokéballs to him. Sweeping over them with a handheld scanner and healer, he gave a tired sigh before handing them back. "The remaining competitors are Rosa, Cilan, and Chili. You will be facing Cilan once he has been brought to this stage." And so we wait… By the time the next match up was announced, Touko was barely paying attention, and the assistant once again had to give her a push. With a slightly irritable huff, she glared back at him before striding out onto the walkway, where she was once again welcomed by powerful cheering.

"Yeah, Touko!" she heard someone shout. Smirking, she stepped up to the stage and looked over to the announcer.

"And fighting Touko in the semi-finals of this Tournament is Cilan – the Grass type Master!" Another roar from the crowd ushered in the green-haired young man. He gave a nervous wave as he took his place facing her from across the field. "Let the battle begin!"

"Go, Samurott!"

"Ok… Go Ferrothorn!" Samurott, or Zoroark, stared as the Ferrothorn clambered onto the field, its organic and armoured limbs lifting its large and heavy body off the ground. "Use Powerwhip!"

"Flamethrower!" Touko shot back, her heart thudding at the sudden attack. As the creatures front appendage began to glow purple, it lifted off the ground. "Hit its underbelly!" she cried, as her eyes spotted the large area that was open to attack. Dashing forward, the Samurott's mouth began to spit fire, sending out a torrent of searing flames at the exposed area. Cilan gasped, his eyes widening as the power of the attack began to blow the Ferrothorn right over backward.

"Ferrothorn! Get out of there!" he gasped, but it was too late. Fire was an extremely strong move against a grass-steel type. Hissing in agony, the Pokémon collapsed onto its back unconscious, the metal underbelly glowing red with heat. "Return!"

"Great work, Samurott!" Touko laughed, as the imposter gave a gentle nod, trotting back to its master's side.

"Ok… Let's do it, Simisage!" As the monkey-like Pokémon burst out onto the field, the girl's brow furrowed. She couldn't count on Zoroark's speed here – as Simisage's almost matches it. "Use Seed Bomb!" Dropping down into a faster position, Simisage began to dash forward, its eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Flamethrower!" Touko shouted back, and Samurott opened its burning mouth.

"Dodge it!" A jet of flames shot from Samurott, but the Simisage jumped, as put its hands together to form a green orb.

"Dodge that too!" Touko began, but Simisage was already on her Pokémon, and it hurled its package right at it. Crying as the explosive force crashed over it, Samurott's shape began to flicker, before it finally faded to its true form. Leaping back, both Cilan's Pokémon and the trainer himself gasped. A scowl crossing her eyes, the girl clenched her fists. "Grab it, Zoroark!" Let's see how that Simisage likes a face full of fire! Giving a small bark, the blur of the night fox shot out of the dust at the grass type, pinning its arms to its sides, grinning at it with its malicious eyes. "Now, let's use-"

"Use Low Kick!" Suddenly, a powerful leg shot out, slamming into Touko's Zoroark, and sending it crashing back into the dirt. Weak to the fighting type attack, the fox panted in pain, unable to clamber back to its feet.

"Zoroark?" Touko cried, suddenly awash with horror as her eyes widened and her skin went pale. "Return!" How was she supposed to beat two more grass types, when all she had herself was a grass type and a water type? Breathing deeply, she put away her Zoroark's Pokéball. "Go Samurott!" When her partner stepped out, her heart fluttered as it always did when she battled with her first Pokémon. For once, Touko was going to give the first command, and before Cilan could open his mouth she jumped in. "Use Swords Dance!" Lightning fast, the samurai warrior unsheathed its scimitars, both of which began to glow white.

"Use Seed Bomb, Simisage!" Cilan shouted, pointing at the Samurott who was doing what appeared to be a war dance with its ever lengthening weapons. Once again, the Simisage threw itself in Samurott's direction, raising its hands to form the glowing seed. Looking bravely to the type that it knew it was weak to, the samurai wielded its scimitars with its strong arms and awaited its master's order. It trusted her to keep it safe. Samurott flinched as the Simisage raised its arm to toss the explosive weapon.

"X-Scissor! Now!" In a flash, the Pokémon was struck by two sweeping blades tearing across it in an X shape. The sheer force of the attack sent it flying back the way it came, and it crashed onto the ground in front of its aghast trainer. Baring its teeth, the Samurott took a step toward the cloud of dust. Suddenly, something caught Touko's eye. "Samurott! Look out!" she cried, as the seed that Simisage had dropped tumbled toward it. Reacting quickly, the Pokémon leapt backwards, but as the seed exploded onto the ground a shock wave blew Touko off her feet, and Samurott had to cover its head. A sharp pain thudded into her back as she hit the earth, but she ignored it, clambering back up as she saw Cilan return the unconscious Simisage to its Pokéball. "S-Samurott," she gasped. "Are you okay?" Lifting its head slightly, it turned to reply but a ripple of green energy shot through it, making it flinch. "Samurott! I'm putting you back in your Pokéball!" Snorting, the Pokémon whipped its head away, before narrowing its eyes at Cilan. "You want to keep battling?" Touko didn't want another Pokémon to faint, but she knew her Samurott thought that she was too soft on them. N told her that over two years ago, when it was still just a Dewott. "Okay," she sighed, nodding to Cilan.

"Right… Let's go, Lilligant!" Raising her eyebrows, Touko watched as the gentle Pokémon came out onto the field. It probably knew Petal Dance – so she'd have to watch out for that. And if it knew Teeter Dance, that could be problematic seeing as Samurott had raised its attack, so hurting itself in confusion could be dangerous. Damned stubborn Samurott…

"Use X-Scissor!" Like a bullet, Samurott sprang toward Lilligant with its Scimitars ready to strike.

"Use Sleep Powder!" Her eyes widened as the Lilligant's flower began to glow, and the shock loosened her tongue.

"Come back! Get away from that powder!" Skidding to a halt, the Samurott resheathed its scimitars at speed, before darting away as dust began to flow into the air around Lilligant. Gritting her teeth, Touko realised her Samurott couldn't get anywhere near its opponent with X-Scissor, otherwise it'd fall asleep, leaving it open to any lethal attack from that potent grass-type.

"Use Petal Dance!" Cilan commanded, and Lilligant obeyed, as it began to spin rapidly, shooting waves of unavoidable petals at her Samurott. As the petals slammed into her Pokémon, beating it down with every hit, Touko's mind raced. At this point, she had to come up with a new strategy, and come up with it fast. But it wasn't hard – for Samurott had just the move for these situations.

"Ice Beam!" As the last few petals burst from Lilligant's body, the samurai opened its mouth and directed a sudden bolt of ice at the grass-type. Like a spear, the beam pierced the Lilligant straight through the chest, making its body freeze at the sudden chill.

"No! Lilligant!" Cilan cried, as his unmoving Pokémon fell to the ground. Panting harshly, the exhausted Samurott closed its eyes as Touko recalled it to its Pokéball.

"And the winner is Touko!" Once again, the battle was ended with little ceremony and Touko could only wave back to the shy young man as they both turned to walk back down the walkways. But now Touko wanted to get to the next battle quickly. She was anxious to see if she could test the new champion's strength. This Rosa person couldn't be as strong as her, surely?

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