The heat burning in Mya’s chest flared while following the condescending voices through the connection with her Trainer; it was nearing the time she could prove without a shadow of a doubt Rhea and her was by far the superior pair, and the world would know it.

Rhea was a powerful partner; she could sense it the moment she entered her pokéball. There was a large pool of energy and so much potential for expansion. She could tap into Rhea’s reserves to fuel the dozens of Moves that naturally flowed through her veins. It was as instinctive as lifting her second mouth, and her jaws itched to close around Lucian’s presumptuous Pokémon.

She’d shared in Rhea’s experiences, watching the fight between the Fennekin and Piplup while sensing the drive in her Trainer grow; the small penguin’s taunts only made Mya’s claws twitch with anticipation to smash into its smug little face.

He would fear her when this match was called. She’d make sure of it.

* * *

Rhea took a deep breath, watching Mallory disappear from sight into the third platform area, and she stepped into the first. The fears surrounding the uncertainty of this battle were beginning to make her hands clammy.

Okay, Amira will be to my right, and Lori will be further over … she still looked pretty anxious about staying back during the match.

The flames practically oozing out of the Fairy-Steel Pokémon next to her heart helped calm her racing pulse, and she pressed the button that showed the visual identifier for Amira’s podium. “Umm … hey, Amira.”

“... Hey,” she mumbled.

Does she sound reserved … scared? I mean, I am, but…

“So … don’t freak out, but … I told Mallory to sit back and let us handle the match.”

“Umm … heh, what?” Amira’s voice showed a bit of the panic Rhea knew would be there. “I … do you know how much … are you trying to humiliate me? Is this just … what is this?” Amira’s voice was flickering between confusion, anger, and distress.

Fair question…

“Okay, listen,” Rhea mumbled, left hand pressed against her churning stomach, “I know this sounds a bit crazy, but … we’ll win, okay? I promise.”

The cute cheers bubbling up from Nova and Mya rolled around her mind.

Mallory’s voice popped in. “Yeah, I trust ya, Rhea! Still, if things are looking pretty bad, I’ll jump in. Hehe, I know just having two random girls tell you it’s chill isn’t very chilling, though.”

“I just … mmhgh … what … do you want me to do?” Amira moaned. “I’ve already used a decent amount of my stamina that I can give Amber, and she’s running out of her own strength. We’d only be useful for support.”

“That’s fine,” Rhea replied, taking out Mya’s pokéball while activating it. “... Mya says all eyes will be on her.”

“What Moves…”

She paused as the new announcers roared with life, pumping up the crowd while introducing them.

“... And we’re back, folks! Jimmy, I just gotta say, lookin’ at those two Shiny Pokémon takes me back to Fredrik vs. Kane.”

“What a match, Bishop! Kanto’s Silver Cup Sixth Season was a phenomenal line-up, but something tells me this year’s gonna have some high-octane participants. Speaking of which, we already have our two contestants waiting in the ring. Amira Rocket and Lucian Allard!”

The people’s cheers rose a level, likely zooming in on the pair, glaring at one another as music blared to life. “Honey, these arms that once held you are ready to fight! Mmh, yeeeahh…”

Once the electric-rock song clip faded, Bishop roared, “Right you are, Jimmy! We got ourselves a New Challenger match-up right out of the gate!”

“Only on PrimeTime,” Jimmy responded with a soft chuckle, tone deepening. “New Challenger rules are the same as always, ladies and gentlemen; if the challenger comes in at a disadvantage, then the opposing side must reveal their starting line-up first. Who’s stepping in to join the rising Kalos star?”

Noise filled the stadium as they recited Sinnoh’s electric Gym Leader’s new single.

“Listen to that crowd, Bishop! Listen to them … they already know it; you can hear Best Part filling the air! Have we stepped into High Master Elesa Hart’s concert, Bishop?”

“I don’t know, Jimmy, but it’s destroying those speakers, and I can’t help it! Here we go; let’s get him out here!”

Elesa’s lovely voice mixed with the electro-rock beat picked up with the crowd. “I can be a liar, I can be a cheat, I can be neurotic, I can be a freak, I can be everything in-between, but you always find the best part, the best part of me!”

“We got the son of the Empress of Fashion, rave queen, and vocal superstar, Elesa Hart’s flesh and blood, Len Hart!”

The music increased with the singing as he was brought out.

“... I just wanna say, I’m sorry; some days I know I get out of hand. Wish I was anyone else; I’m a wreck, but you understand …”

All of the noise fell a little when he released his Pokémon. Bishop shouted, “A shiny Chimchar, folks! A shiny Chimchar; the Professors really outdid themselves this season!”

“And next to him is the mysterious Kanto addition … Jason! What might he have … it’s a Scorbunny!”

“Non-Shiny,” Bishop said with a forced chuckle.

“Hey, Shinies aren’t everything, after all!” Jimmy countered. “Lookin’ at these stats, he doesn’t lag behind his other two teammates; I wouldn’t count him out, folks!”

“Now, for our New Challengers! What are we expecting here, Jimmy?”

“Competition! Who doesn’t know about the Sinnoh duo? Mallory and Len are regular party crashers, now jumpin’ into the battle scene! Is it any surprise their popularity with family like Grand Master Shauntal and High Master Elesa?”

Rhea’s hands tightened around Mya’s pokéball as the platform started to rise, smoke expelling around her to hide her entrance. The bright sun overhead made her wince, wishing she’d brought her sunglasses.

“What about that declaration?” Bishop probed. Rhea heard her voice play over the speakers. “Is it just me, or do you think Lucian knows something we don’t?”

“Oh, without a doubt!” Jimmy laughed. “I’m sure many are hoping for our girls’ loss to find out this juicy gossip.”

“Not the news companies!” Bishop followed. “They’re scouring the web, lookin’ for anything to give their network the edge.”

Rhea swallowed, doing her best not to look nervous while gazing to her right. Amira was giving her a slight frown, but Lori was all waves and smiles, soaking in the thousands of encouraging fans.

The speaker in front of her asked to analyze her Pokémon. A puff of air pushed out of Rhea’s cheeks. Nova and Mya were both brimming with emotion, and she placed her Mawile’s pokéball into the slot.

Her gut tightened as silence followed, and a few seconds later, the announcers’ tone shifted.

“Rhea is already registered as having two Pokémon, and she’s refused the Starter Award specially bred selection. I mean, can you imagine that, Jimmy?”

“No. How often has it happened? Well … according to our records, only five times! Her Pokémon must really be something special, then. The current speculations are throwing out … hey, Bishop, do you see this?”

Bishop paused. “Hey, hey, ref … is this legal?”

The throng’s singing and shouts slowly died with the announcers’ confusion.

Jimmy cleared his throat. “Excuse me, folks, but … we’ve got an SS energy reading on Rhea’s selected Pokémon. SS, meaning this Pokémon now holds the new League Record for Bronze-tier energy levels! What is this, Bishop?”

Mom said they were legal…

Rhea felt like a few years were being shaved off her life by the second with the thousands of people staring at her from around the stadium, and she caught Giovanni’s brow furrow, leaning forward to stare at her from under his dark brimmed hat.

Bishop quickly cut in. “It’s legal! It’s legal! This is gonna be a match to remember, folks; I can guarantee it!”

The ref’s hesitant voice returned through her personal speaker. “Everything … checks out; be ready for the announcer’s signal.”

She could tell Lucian’s teeth were grinding against each other even from this distance. Amira looked semi-stunned by the news, and the crowd had grown quiet, breath held as Jimmy yelled, “The battle will start on release! On one … three, two, one! Here we go, folks!”

Rhea pulled back her arm and threw the pokéball near Amira’s Fennekin.

The moment Mya was released, she restrained a wince as her spiritual, physical, and mental fortitude was sucked into the Mawile; just as her mother had warned, the hyper-aggressive nature of Mya’s breeding and genetic modification exploded within her. It felt like the sun was scorching her very core as silence fell across the entire stadium before erupting with chants.

* * *

Cobalt smirked while staring across the field at Amber; the fox was sitting in front of the stage her Trainer was on. He found the male and female shapes of humans a bit odd, but what could you really say, they provided a lot of additional strength, and the confidence he felt from his connection to Lucian, mixed with the large amount of energy he offered, was more than a little intoxicating.

The loudspeakers overhead wouldn’t stop their commentary, and the swift change of the flow in their fight only increased the thrill of the match. It was inevitable, he would win.

He chirped across the field, making Amber’s flaming ears twitch while sending a slightly annoyed glare his way. “Still think you have any chance at victory?”

Amber’s soft, regal tone could barely be heard beyond the calamity of sounds surrounding him. “Keep talking. I’ll keep remembering that moment you tripped and fell against the edge of the ring.”

“Heh, right, like when you were panicking while tumbling across the field? How many times did I send you flying?”

“Humph…” Amber’s red eyes turned away, flames flowing from her ears increasing with her embarrassment. In fact, Cobalt would have found it a bit cute if she wasn’t so stubborn; even though it was clear who the victor would be, she refused to see how much better he was.

His focus turned to his two new supports, eyeing each with a thoughtful hum; the announcers identified each of them shortly after being released from their pokéballs. “What’re your names?”

The Scorbunny stretched left and right before hopping a few times. He swapped to aerial cartwheels, voice energetic and cheerful. “Oh, hey! You’re Cobalt, right? I’m Sunny!”

“Sprightly, aren’t you?” The penguin’s left eye narrowed. “What about…” He trailed off with an exasperated chirp, staring at the shiny Chimchar to his left.

The monkey was slack-jawed, two pointed fangs showing while ogling the light gray furred fox across the field. “She’s so pretty,” he mumbled.

An annoyed groan rubbled in Cobalt’s throat, seeing Amber’s small smirk while her deep red irises appraised the Chimchar.

“At least someone can recognize beauty, unlike the dull bird. Don’t go too hard on me?” She winked.

Cobalt waved his small fin at his teammate. “Hey! Get your head in the match … don’t let her sweet voice fool you; she’s not all that tough.”

“Mmh,” Sunny stopped on one foot, balancing while eyeing the Fennekin as she puffed up her chest. “She seemed pretty strong from Jason’s eyes.”

“... Maybe to you, she is,” Cobalt huffed.

Sunny shrugged with a small snicker. “If you say so!”

The Chimchar shook his head, brushing himself off before checking his burning tail, likely trying to make it a bit bigger to impress Amber. “Umm … hey, Cobalt, Sunny! My name’s Chary.”

They turned their attention back to Amber as her ears fell a little, shooting an unsure expression up at one of the new humans that appeared above. This was an important battle for his Trainer; a lot rode on him winning this match, and he wouldn’t let him down. They were both royalty, coming from a long line of nobles.

His gaze shifted between the two other Pokémon. They were of good stock, but of course, they could never match his own while mixed with the strength Lucian could grant him.

“Huh?” Sunny’s sudden exclamation caught Cobalt’s attention.

“What?”

The Scorbunny’s ears were held stiffly in the air. “Uh … the purple-haired human … she’s not going to join the fight.”

“... What do you mean?”

He saw the smiling purple-haired girl waving to the crowd as they cheered for her, and the news just didn’t connect, but apparently, the bunny Pokémon had fairly good hearing.

Chary’s brow creased, giving Amber an uncertain stare; he was definitely Timid, Cobalt concluded. “Umm … Amber, is that true? Maybe I should…”

The Fennekin’s focus darted to the monkey. “Don’t look down on me! Don’t think you’ll win just because it will be two vs. three.”

“Eh…” Sunny forced a laugh. “It still doesn’t look good, but the other will join if it gets bad.”

Cobalt smirked as he heard Lucian advise him on how they should proceed. “Bad, huh? Guess I just have to keep throwing you around the…”

He trailed off as the announcer counted down, and the two new Pokémon were released from their pokéballs before the devices shot back to their owner’s hands; it was time for battle.

His focus first shot to the shiny blue frog, but all thoughts vanished from the penguin’s mind as a cold rush burst through his entire body, almost generating a shiver.

A sharp wave of ominous pressure shot across the field, weighing down on his shoulders, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a massive mouth open, releasing a feminine yet bone-chilling roar as she screamed at the top of her lungs. “Can you hear me now? Hi, I’m Mya! Now, which boy’s prepared to catch these fangs?”

Whatever just happened, the beautiful white and black Pokémon dashed the confidence in his core. This alluring, smiling monster swept the cheerful tone of the field away within moments of her release; his physical strength was instantly reduced, and the answer soon came from the commentating humans.

“Mawile? Jimmy, Jimmy! I’ve never seen a…”

“Intimidate! Intimidate!”

“Watch out, folks,” Bishop shouted, “this Mawile is unlike anything you’ve ever seen! All the opposing Pokémon’s Attack-Stat has been dropped, and look at that stance; I’ve never seen a Mawile face her opponent head-on like that.”

“The aggression in that Growl!” Jimmy yelled. “The opposition is stunned; no one expected there to be such a powerful Ability right out of the ball, followed so quickly by an attack, too! What’s she building up for now?”

Cobalt’s focus returned as Lucian told him to prepare for another Aqua Ring since the last one ran out. Chastising himself, he built his internal energy for the Move while Sunny rushed forward to engage their opponents, Amber intercepting.

Chary was charging something up himself. “Just give me a bit of time,” he mumbled, and Cobalt could sense the large energy building with the monkey, but just then, Mya appeared right in front of Chary, catching both Cobalt and the ape off balance.

How in the…

Her jaws opened wide, ready to swallow Chary whole as he panicked, jumping back before she slammed into him; the monkey was sent tumbling, and Mya vanished as if never there.

Cobalt glanced back and found the Mawile in the exact same place.

“The quick interrupt, Astonish!” Jimmy called out.

“Jimmy, are we sure this Mawile just recently hatched?”

“I know, Bishop; this is insane!”

It was an attack … Chary took some damage, but he’s recovering. Right, there’s no need to panic … she shouldn’t be able to launch another one soon. This Mawile may have a lot of energy, but that doesn’t mean she has that many Moves, and she’s already shown two. I feel like she’s at a lower level than us, too. She must be a newborn. Plus, no one here can compete with me in speed right now!

He blew a burst of frigid wind from his mouth as Aqua Ring completed, jumping forward to skid across the surface; his small wings pushed him forward at an accelerated pace.

Sunny was surprisingly fast, maybe as quick as Amber, but with Cobalt’s +2 Speed, he swiftly overtook the rabbit, daring right to attack the haughty little fox as she popped off more Embers, but he knew how to dodge the projectiles at this distance.

Amber’s eyes glowed purple, but Lucian and Cobalt expected the same tactic; it was an effective close-range defensive play to keep them at a distance, but it also made it all too predictable.

Bearing right, Cobalt shot straight for the new contender; Mya’s intense pink eyes were centered on him, glowing with anticipation, and Amber’s focus broke upon his changed trajectory. It would be too late for her to try to interfere, though.

Cobalt’s eyes narrowed into a smirk as he gained ground. The Mawile was facing him with an infuriating leer that made his beak itch to peck her. Does she really think she’s all that? Still, the dreadful waves Mya emitted didn’t sit well with him. What has she done? How can she possibly look down on me?

Her closed colossal second mouth following his trajectory, but she was far too slow for him. Even if she tried to snap those scary fangs around him, he’d be long gone before she had the chance, but the amount of energy rapidly building inside the Mawile alarmed him; it far exceeded his own.

The unsettling manner she stared at him soon evolved; her pink irises were overshadowed by an inner white glow, and waves of light frothed off her form as he neared.

“... Wait, don’t go…” Sunny yelled from behind him, zoned by Amber’s Embers, but Cobalt ignored him; Lucian wasn’t concerned about it.

Cobalt’s right hand began glowing white as he swiftly drew in the required energy, cutting the power from Icy Wind to deliver a Pound.

How will this feel, huh? Try to dodge...

His blue eyes widened as the aura faded around Mya, and her sluggish movements turned fluid, sidestepping his attack with a soft chuckle. “What kind of pathetic Move is that?” She asked with a lilting voice.

Recovering swiftly, he turned, aiming an Icy Wind to counter, but the air caught in his throat; a slick, white tongue lurched forward, welcoming him into its sticky void, sharp fangs glistening wetly against her black gums.

… How’s she so fast now?

Lucian’s emotions swiftly changed as Jimmy screamed, “Psych Up! Psych Up! I can’t believe this, Bishop; Mawile copied Piplup’s Agility! They’ve got a speedy Steely-gurl on their hands now!”

The powerful jaws closed around Cobalt’s body, and a weighty force collected around his frame; her jaws opened, sending him flying back across the field. He watched in stunned silence as the ground left him, but a massive wave was forcing him out of the sky at an accelerated pace, dragging the air out of his throat in a puff of frosty flakes.

“Seismic Toss!”

He didn’t take that much damage, but the news stunned him; he couldn’t even gather the energy required in that short of a time for that Move, yet the Mawile was executing Move after Move without blinking an eye.

How … she copied my Agility? No, I just need to get rid of Amber! We can handle Mya; I can wear her down with Aqua Ring. Just stay calm.

* * *

The flames burning in Mya’s chest exploded with pleasure upon unleashing some of her first few attacks; this was what she was born for, but she needed more power. Rhea’s strained voice entered her mind.

Mya…

However, the voice was soon drowned out as her mind hyper-focused on the bunny Pokémon, changing directions to dodge an Ember shot by Amber; she was doing an excellent job at zoning him. The cocky Piplup that had charged her was still soaring through the air with a stupidly astonished expression.

Time to really dominate!

Amber was running after Sunny, showing they were around the same speed as she tried to distract him with Embers while keeping her distance. He caught up to her, a small wave of white energy powering into her.

She cried out, tumbling to the side as Sunny corrected his position, trying to follow, but the fiery fox managed to right herself and dash away.

The Chimchar, on the other hand, had recovered from her last attack, producing a red glowing aura that roared to life around him, another skill she could copy, to Mya’s delight.

“Fennekin is zoning for Mawile … oof, that Tackle hit hard! Froakie continues to lean idly by, watching the match while blowing small bubbles out of his mouth. It doesn’t seem like he even feels the need to join the battle!” Bishop laughed.

“Wait, Bishop, is that Focus Energy? Chimchar is trying to set up for a sweep, and if he can get a critical hit Fire-Move against that Mawile, then it could really spell the end for her, but she’s not just sitting there for no reason! What’s she doing next?”

Using the time Amber bought her, Mya pulled in her energy, liberally drawing more from Rhea’s pool as her chest burned with anticipation. Shimmering orange swords flowed around Mya’s form as yellow light swirled viciously around her, chest swelling with the growing power that birthed from within.

“I’ll show all of you what power is!” She roared, finally ready to attack.

Bishop gasped. “How does she know these Moves, Jimmy? Jimmy, what kind of monster is this Mawile? Swords Dance! Swords Dance! We’re lookin’ at a full sweep, ladies and gentlemen! Hold on to your seats!”

“Is this legal, ref? Is this legal?” Jimmy screamed with the throng’s gasps.

The Cimchar was on the move to cut off Amber, but Sunny vanished from sight, alarming the fox from the shadows. “Gotcha!” He cheered, and the black energy surrounding his fist slammed into her side.

Amber whimpered, her small frame tumbling across the grass towards Chary.

“Sucker Punch! All three combatants are now focusing on the poor little fox! She’s defenseless!”

Is that how we’re playing it?

Cobalt had recovered, sliding along his ice to pincer Amber. “Chary, let’s finish her so we can…”

Mya giggled; shadows surrounded her.

The bird’s beak fell open as she appeared beside him with a nefarious grin. “Did I say we were done?”

Cobalt’s eyes bulged as the dark energy around her fist flared, twisting the Piplup’s body with the strike as she sent him three meters into the air, smashing against the barrier to fall into a heap.

He groaned, coughing a bit while struggling to his feet, clearly in pain while his Aqua Ring continued to try and heal the chunks of damage to his stamina.

“A vicious +2 Sucker Punch, ladies, and gentlemen!” Bishop screamed.

Jimmy soon following. “How many Moves does this Mawile know? How many?! How is this even possible on a Starter?!”

Mya’s body began to glow with a faint brown light that separated into four balls of white energy housing green cores, swiftly converting into jagged stones before flying at the two advancing Pokémon.

Sunny hopped around them with aerial cartwheels, still advancing toward the fallen Amber. Mya laughed, rushing forward with the rocks, jaws open wide while copying Chary’s Focus Energy; she was practically steaming with power. “Fight me!”

The Chimchar ducked one, feet birthing with fire to smash through the second, but Mya was already on top of him, gaping maw reaching to snap around the monkey’s frame, tossing him into the air.

“Ancient Power! Scorbunny manages to dodge both with beautiful footwork, but Chimchar’s in trouble; Seismic Toss followed by another Sucker Punch!”

“Incredible! I can’t believe Rhea has this much energy to give this Mawile… how can she even do this after being bonded for less than a day? Is this it for our boy team?”

Mya smirked at the monkey, emerging from the shadows to his right as they flew through the air; he winced with the heavy energy surrounding him, forcing the monkey to the ground. However, he managed to clap his hands before her fist smashed into his face, sending him rocketing to the field.

She frowned, unable to gather energy for a Slam. What did he do?

Landing next to him, she punted Chary away with a backward smash of the steel outer shell of her maw. Glancing back at Amber as she tried to keep the Scorbunny busy. It was growing increasingly difficult, and it looked like she might be in trouble. “Hmm…”

It was a bit odd, but she couldn’t really feel Rhea giving her any advice throughout the fight; she’d just been acting on instinct.

The fleeting thought was soon washed out with the heat in her chest, frown vanishing when spotting Cobalt. The penguin was recovering with his Aqua Ring in the corner, and she stalked toward him, trusting Amber to keep on the defensive with her Hypnosis.

“Hey, how are you doing?” Mya snickered.

Cobalt’s pained eyes widened upon drawing her focus again. “W-What kind of … energy do you have?” He asked with horror, gathering more to send a rush of biting wind at her.

She skipped forward, jumping into the air with several twirls, but again, she couldn’t draw her energy to the Move she wanted, and Jimmy answered her question.

“Chimchar is having to recover after that nasty Sucker Punch, but he managed to get an Encore, preventing Mawile from using any of her other Moves. An effective counter to the onslaught of Moves this Mawile has been dominating with, now restricted for a time by Chimchar and Len!”

Is that how it is? Any other Moves, which means…

Shadows surrounded her as she used Sucker Punch again, appearing beside the stunned Piplup, but to her surprise, Sunny mirrored her action, small shadowy fist driving into her side. The strike threw her a little off-balance but ultimately didn’t feel all that strong.

“Humph … you can do better than that?” Mya laughed, sending the back of her maw to bat him away; the action ultimately helped her since it left Amber to her own devices, and the rabbit was too slow to try to counter her enhanced speed.

The crowd roared with every action she performed, and the mirth she felt increased while catching Amber send a wave of hot air at the recovering monkey. “Sorry,” the fox chimed in a forced snicker.

“Chimchar and Len are out of this match!” Bishop yelled with the crowd.

“That brutal +2 Seismic Toss, Sucker Punch combo left Chimchar in a rough state, and with Mawile drawing away Scorbunny and Piplup’s attention, it provided the perfect opportunity for Fennekin to drive home the win with a Heat Wave!”

Mya’s smile brightened as she felt whatever Chimchar did to her fade; her Moves opened up again, and she brought around her sticky jaws as feathers exploded around her, causing Mya to lift an eye at the strange attack.

Both of the announcers screamed.

““Feather Dance!””

Jimmy continued. “If Piplup can weaken this speedy bruiser, then maybe…”

She didn’t understand the enthusiasm, feeling the feathers trying to lower her Attack-Stat.

Her Ability activated on its own, and every feather was instantly cut into pieces as she opened her jaws wider, wearing a sinister grin as the Piplup whimpered, sending a useless wave of chilled air that caused ice to gather around her maw.

The announcers’ voices cracked with emotion.

“Hyper Cutter! Hyper Cutter!” Jimmy yelled.

Bishop’s clamor wasn’t far behind. “Impossible! Impossible! Two Abilities! Two Abilities without the Dream World!”

Mya pushed through the desperate struggle of air, sparks dancing across her jaws as four electric fangs grew with her gaping mouth.

Piplup was screaming as she converged on him, ice falling off her maw upon the penguin. Energy coursed through his small frame, and the ensuing explosion sent chunks of dirt cascading around them.

“Oh, my God! Arceus! Did you see that?” Jimmy screeched.

“Thunder Fang! +2 Thunder Fang! Super Effective, Critical Hit! It’s over! It’s over! Jason forfeits as Fennekin scores a Hypnosis! Two vs. Three, Jimmy. Two vs. Three and these girls dominated!”

“We need more info on that Mawile, Bishop! We need that info like … now; because she is stupid powerful! Legend! Legend! Her name is listed as Maya, folks, and hehe, she even has a shorter nickname attached, Mya.”

Mya threw her arms in the air, jaws gaping, screaming at the top of her lungs; pride filled her chest as her name was chanted. “Who’s weak now?” She yelled as Lucian recalled the battered and fainted penguin.

Amber walked over to her, showing signs of a pretty hard fight, but there was a pained smile on her mouth. “Wow, Mya, you’re…”

She couldn’t hear what her teammate said because a red beam called her back to her pokéball. Huh? Rhea?

“Mya!” Nova screamed at her.

What?

* * *

Rhea’s legs trembled to support her, muscles burning with fatigue as she tried not to give a fake smile at her victory, waving at the throng.

Mya demanded more and more energy, so wrapped up in the battle that she couldn’t even hear her desperate pleas to slow down. Nova was currently chastising the Mawile as Rhea pressed the button to enter the locker room below with the deafening chants of Mya and her name above.

Only partially remembering her promise to Lori, she pressed the button to the opposing team, working up as much strength as she could muster.

“What…” Lucian snapped on the other end, clearly upset.

“... Sit the Muk down,” she replied.

“Woah, your Mawile is insane!” Jason managed to mumble with a disappointed tone before she cut the connection, stumbling into the locker room.

She could feel Mya’s growing guilt while realizing what she’d done, but Rhea’s head was already spinning. It was hard to think, hard to move, and her body felt like it was going to fracture into pieces.

“Rhea, that was … Rhea?” Amira’s confused voice floated to her from a distant place as the world went white, then black.