Emerald eye peer across the stadium arena on a very familiar face, but nothing more than an acquaintance. All this time and she still had yet to meet with FERNANDO SILPH . Perhaps it was because they were both horribly busy. Now that mattered little, their first official meeting could be a battle, she’s ok with that. There’s something thrilling about challenging one of the Hoenn’s most revered Gym Leaders, “Silph,” she grins in return, the name rolls off her tongue easily but Fernando isn’t the first Silph she thinks of at the sound of it.

Lips purse, watching curiously as a pink mist begins to drip from his fingers. The pleasant scent doesn’t take long to reach her. Eva can’t help but inhale deeply, it’s intoxicating.

“Having a blast, you?” she plucks a pokeball off her waist in preparation. There’s an innate desire to impress her colleague. No one expects too much from a scientist at these sorts of things. She has already chosen her pokemon, keeping her fresh for a battle such as this.

FERNANDO SILPH

SILPH VS MORALES

SPLASH DOWN ON AQUA'S HOME FRONT

“WOULDN’T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.”

His voice betrays his words. It lacks the enthusiasm of those around him, muted in comparison. Fernando breaks character on occasion, but the lack of a crowd robs him of a reason to. He maintains the same no-nonsense wall that entrenches his reputation as a businessman before all else.

“zenji jabami’s alreayd had a chance to observe Tapu Fini. I suppose now’s as good a time as ever for you, Doctor.”

And, on cue, the MISTY TERRAIN thickens. Deep within the glowing pink waves of vapor is the shadow of something else—something more.

“Arise, Tapu Fini!”

A black hand cuts through the veil, parting dense clouds to reveal the Hoenn deity. It stares directly at her, unflinching, as the MISTY SURGE underneath them cackles in soft pops and heavy expunges of fairy dust.

VS TAPU FINI!

Eva Morales

This is now, probably, the longest conversation she’s ever had with FERNANDO SILPH . He’s just as she expects him to be: all business. His lack of excitement is a little disappointing, to be honest. Here she was, all energy and smiles and she’s been met with a stoic, unyielding wall. Pity.

The mention of Tapu Fini does pique her curiosity. A brow rises, questionable. Is he really going to let her battle his deity?

A sudden surge of MISTY TERRAIN answers her question before he calls forth the legendary. Her smiles grows, curling into a satisfied grin, “Alright, we’ll try not to disappoint,” the anticipation of a good fight stimulates a rush of cortisol, bringing goosebumps across her bare skin. Eva stares back, steadfast in her challenge.

The cool metallic ball leaves her hand. A familiar light materializes into a Gardevoir. The dual-type creeps forward and floats into a familiar pink mist. She bathes in it, letting the fairy’s dust fuel her as well. A rather stoic, crimson gaze meets the Tapu’s. The red turns soft, fading into a pink as she calls upon her psychic typing. The Gardevoir peers into the future, calculating a strategy to use against its powerful opponent.

FERNANDO SILPH

Adele uses FUTURE SIGHT
It will strike in 2 turns

SILPH VS MORALES

SPLASH DOWN ON AQUA'S HOME FRONT

HER CHOICE IN POKEMON COMES AS NO SURPRISE. Saturating the field with his MISTY TERRAIN benefits her as well. It’s either that or pick something that has a distinct advantage over Tapu Fini.

“Battle routine set.”

His famous trademark booms as the FUTURE SIGHT sets in. It’s become so routine that the AQUA merch of Fernando’s action figure has the audio built into it. All his posters and stickers come with the catch phase. But it doesn’t end with that. He’s still missing a word.

A mass of glitter congregates between the Tapu Fini’s hands. It builds into itself, turning silver as a replica of the moon harnesses fae energies.

“Execute!”

A cursory glance forward shows the Gardevoir a sight it’s never seen before. It’s indistinguishable. A huge, hulking titan of purple energy. It towers over the field, several meters behind both Fernando and Tapu Fini. Seedy eyes bleed with the same crimson of Gardevoir’s eyes as the behemoth raises it’s fist.

And the vision ends, a flash in the backdrop.

Perfect timing as the MOONBLAST is fired straight for the Gardevoir.

Eva Morales

Eva could have selected her Electrivire or Serperior would have been a n excellent choice with both poison and grass type attacks. Obviously, she didn’t. Adele is one of the newer, but more powerful, members of her team with the ability to Mega Evolve. The duo had yet to explore her abilities. A battle against a legendary seemed like an appropriate time.

Fernando prepares the Tapu for battle with a routine phrase marked into practically everything AQUA associated with Fernando. Sparkling energy forms between the fairy’s palms, Eva clenches her jaw, “Adele! Power up!”

A familiar power rises and whips around the doctor. The pendant that rests idly on her chest stirs, pulsing with a similar energy. Adele tenses, watching Tapu Fini’s monstrous beast of energy rises to tower above her. Eva activates the keystone with a firm pressure over the pendant.

The Gardevoir immediately rises to float above the battlefield. A vortex of energy pours from Eva towards the dual-type. The primal power resonates from the Gardevoir’s center, wrapping around her and boiling with energy reminiscent of the bright sun above them. The MOONBLAST fires, and from within the fading energy the Mega Gardevoir uses the MISTY TERRAIN to harness her own fae energy. A crystalline pink energy cuts through the lingering primal energy. The DAZZLING GLEAM cuts through the last of it and challenges the more powerful MOONBLAST with its own sparkling energy. It breaks a portion of the MOONBLAST like rock against a tidal wave. The Tapu’s more powerful attack still tears through towards Adele.

The Mega Gardvoir is blasted with a portion of it, forced back by the power but still holding strong and defiant against her opponent. Gracefully, she moves forward back onto the battlefield, crimson eyes locking with Tapu Fini. She watches, waits, prepares.

FERNANDO SILPH

Adele MEGA EVOLVES
She lessens the impact by countering with DAZZLING GLEAM
FUTURE SIGHT will strike in 1 turn

SILPH VS MORALES

SPLASH DOWN ON AQUA'S HOME FRONT

“MEGA EVOLUTION?”

Fernando questions her choice on the basis of her decision. With very little familiarity of the Head Scientist, he can only assume her pick hinges on the fact that her Gardevoir can Mega Evolve. A wise decision considering what she’s up against.

“Impressive but will it be enough?”

The Gardevoir’s DAZZLING GLEAM dissects the MOONBLAST in the same fashion that Eva scalpels through Bailey’s Spoink. Residual light from the attack burns against the Tapu Fini’s midnight shell but the MOONBLAST mitigates it into being negligible at best.

An exchange of attack highlights the difference in fairy Pokemon. But it doesn’t end there. Another threshold to challenge is the sparks radiating from Tapu Fini’s hand as it starts to pool the MISTY TERRAIN around it. It all comes out at once, leaping arcs of lightning that surf across the battlefield. They swim through the terrain, using it as a conductor. Sure enough, NATURE’S MADNESS lives and breaths from the MISTY SURGE.

Eva Morales

Will it be enough? Probably not. The pair wouldn’t go down without a good fight, “We’ll just have to see,” she grins back before the MOONBLAST is cleaved in two by the DAZZLING GLEAM.

Mega evolution isn’t the only reason she chose the Gardevoir to go up against the deity. It certainly did play a role in her decision. If she stood a fighting chance against the legendary Fernando Silph and his fae companion, they would need more than that. Although she doesn’t have an obvious advantage over the water and fairy type, Adele still has a few tricks up her sleeve.

The MISTY TERRAIN bends under the will of Tapu Fini. There’s no time to waste and the quick Mega Gardevoir doesn’t. As NATURE’S MADNESS builds, she melts into the arena’s floor, becoming a pool of darkness that spreads beneath the pink mist. The fae’s lightning cracks over the terrain, searching for something that is no longer there. Still, energy finds energy, and the sharp snap of the Tapu’s signature move threatens to disrupt the SHADOW SNEAK.

Adele reappears behind Tapu FIni as a haunting specter, bathed in black with palms pressed forward, aiming to blast her opponent with an ethereal energy.

FERNANDO SILPH

Adele uses SHADOW SNEAK
FUTURE SIGHT will strike the next turn

[1/3]

SILPH VS MORALES

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THERE IS NO PANIC WHEN THE GARDEVOIR MELTS. In fact, neither trainer nor Pokemon react as their attack misses entirely. It’s a great opening move, and one Fernando acknowledges mentally, but this level of execution is expected. As for Tapu Fini, it merely prepares another attack for when the Gardevoir returns.

Their SHADOW SNEAK allows them to reposition in Tapu Fini’s blind spot. Ghastly energies reverberate against the Tapu’s shell, ejected as a blast, leaving visible scuff marks against the carapace. But the Legendary does not falter against the attack. Up close and personal, a surge of SURF spreads from the Tapu Fini in all directions, looking to wash their opponent away.

Eva Morales

There’s a steady calmness to the pair. It’s appreciable but expected. Someone as seasoned as Fernando and Tapu Fini shouldn’t react to such predictable tactics. Eva, on the other hand, it anxious. She’s on edge, grinning, watching intently. It’s mostly due to the fact that this is the most exciting battle she’s had since the start of the tournament. It’s hard to imagine there being a more exciting one after this.

The Shadow Sneak hits Tapu in its blind spot. Naturally, the legendary is quick to counter with its own attack. A wall of water suddenly surges from the water-type deity. The SURF is sudden, and unexpected. The Mega Gardevoir is caught off guard. Water forcefully smacks into her, pushing her back as Tapu Fini wishes. Almost overwhelmed, but not quite, the Gardevoir raises a PSYCHIC between her and the water, spitting it around while she recovers from the dizziness settling in her head form being tossed around.

Meanwhile, a tempest of psychic energy curls around Tapu Fini like a strange storm cloud. It strikes like lightning, triggering an explosion of psychic energy that has been lying in wait.

FERNANDO SILPH

Adele is hit with Surf!
Adele counters some of the blow with PSYCHIC
FUTURE SIGHT strikes!

[2/3]

SILPH VS MORALES

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A TWISTED FATE CONTORTS AROUND THEM. Psychic impulse tear through time and space, a pinpoint prediction of FUTURE SIGHT that rewards patience with vengeance.

The impact of the blast proves overwhelming in contrast with their earlier attack. It knocks Tapu Fini cleanly off balance. The round curvature of its shell teeters back and forth as the Pokemon rebalances itself on a bed of disturbed MISTY TERRAIN.

Tapu Fini is momentarily disoriented from the sudden vertigo. It responds in kind, unleashing a wild BLIZZARD from within its shell, spinning in place to blanket the field in a newfound frost.

Eva Morales

Surf dissipates, and Future Sight strikes true. Where Adele felt like she was lacking, the potent trap gives her the momentum she needs to keep strong against the legendary. She looks to continue the momentum, but is stalled by the sudden, raging Blizzard.

Ice and wind snap like whips against the Gardevoir’s sensitive skin. It threatens to FREEZE but the MISTY TERRAIN sooths wind burnt skin. Arms raise to shield her face and keep her eye on Tapu Fini. She wouldn’t lose sight of her target during the Blizzard.

As the sleet and snow fade, the wind remains. A gust blows from behind the Gardevoir as she arms raise. The rustle of leaves grows into a roar. Emerald blades lift behind her like an imposing wall. Thrusting palms forward sends the wall surging past her towards Tapu Fini. The MAGICAL LEAVES swarm like a Beedril hive, looking to slice at the opponent. Death by a thousand papercuts.

FERNANDO SILPH
Adele is hit with BLIZZARD!
Adele uses MAGICAL LEAF

[3/3]

SILPH VS MORALES

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AND SLICE THEY DO. Each leaf finds their mark. Some cut skin. Others dent carapace. All attacks land with impunity as the Tapu Fini simply takes it. There is no response aside from a deathly stare as the Legendary Pokemon becomes inactive.

But the world outside the two of them starts to bend. MISTY TERRAIN rises, evaporated steam that comes together to take form. At first, its shape is loosely humanoid, abstract without purpose. It is time that serves as their artist, carving muscles into the sculpture as a face is given new life.

The GUARDIAN OF ALOLA stands behind Tapu Fini. It stares down with the same glare, right hand raised. Intense winds circle within the deity’s palm right before it hurls the storm toward the Gardevoir. Hit or miss, the whole field becomes saturated in the power of a Legendary’s hurricane. Intense fairy energy cuts in the same manner as the MAGICAL LEAF, bruising where cuts won’t suffice.

Eva Morales

Adele’s time is up. With a flash of light, her mega-evolution fades, leaving your standard Gardevoir in its place. It couldn’t have come at worse timing. It seems Tapu Fini has have enough of its opponent’s resistance. It gathers a mass of power that towers above them as a looming giant. The storm it conjures makes the MAGICAL LEAF look like a strong summer’s breeze.

Adele is caught in the deity’s hurricane. It thrashes and tears at whatever it touches. Caught in a vortex she can’t escape, the Gardevoir is thrown clean across the arena. She’s shot like a bullet and slams into the base of a set of spectator stands. The whole thing shudders violently against the blow. The audience gasps, grabbing a hold of whatever they can as if that would save them if the whole thing collapses. Thanks to its structural integrity, it holds strong.

Eva winces, watching expectantly for the Gardevoir to make its reappearance. After a beat too long, Eva accepts their defeat. A quick hop, skip, and jump over to the crater in the stands gives her closure. The Gardevoir lies unconscious in the rubble. She sighs, extracting the pokeball to return her champion, “That was a hell of a battle, Silph!” she spins around towards the Gym Leader with a bright smile as she walks towards him and Tapu Fini, “I look forward to our next one,” she extends a hand to shake on it.

FERNANDO SILPH
Adele FAINTS