It was Mallow's idea, because of course it was Mallow's idea.

They were all on the same team: a task force responsible for defeating unfamiliar, alien opponents. And yet, several of them were still unacquainted with each other. They've formally apprehended two people, and yet several members of the group still barely knew anyone outside of the person who invited them to join.

In Mallow's mind, that absolutely wouldn't do.

So one day, after class, Mallow ambushed Ash and asked him if they could hold a massive sleepover at Kukui's place. Ash was instantly on board, and the next day, he returned to Mallow with Kukui's blessing. From there, it was only a matter of planning.

That weekend, the thirteen children gathered in Kukui's living room with their sleeping bags and snacks. They spent hours watching cheesy films and cramming popcorn into their faces; by the time the moon had arisen, time had flown by so fast they hadn't even realized it. No one had yet felt the pull of fatigue at their eyelids.

So, the group all sat in a circle to chat.

"What's taking you all so long?" Acerola laid on her stomach with her chin resting in her cupped hands. "I know several of you are competing in the island challenge. How come I've only seen one of you?"

"I'm still preparing for the grass trial, honestly." Lana sighed as she pulled her knees to her chest. "Mantyke just evolved into Mantine, so I'm hoping its flying typing will give me an edge."

"Oh! A Pokémon on your team evolved recently, too? So did one of mine!" Ash cheered. "My Torracat evolved into an Incinaroar while I was out training with Saki!"

"Oh, yeah, it was quite the sight. All of a sudden his Torracat grows into this giant muscle cat, picks up Aito, and throws 'em across the beach, no mercy. Aito got so pissed it evolved into a Toxapex right then and there," Saki added.

"Yeah... took a while to separate them," Ash said with a laugh as he scratched the back of his head.

Saki huffed. "No kidding. It was like they were trying to murder each other."

"I like that energy, though! Tell your Pokémon to bring that exact energy to my trial!" Acerola chirped.

"Wait a second. You said you've seen one of us at your trial, right? Who was it?" Bob asked.

"O-oh... it was me... I mean—!" Len cleared his throat in an attempt to sound more confident. "It was I."

"Really?" Kiawe raised a brow. "How did it go?"

"Well..."

* * *

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Len could only hear his beating heart amidst the silence of the long-abandoned Thrifty Megamart. It was eerie and nerve-wracking, but he made it this far. He had battled and defeated three of the ghosts that Acerola called her friends, opening the path to the back room where his final opponent waited.

Though it was shameful to admit, Len felt anxious. His fingers trembled as he reached for the door that acted as his only barrier between him and whatever massive ghost was preparing to pounce. But Arcanine's enormous body was at his side, its fur brushing against Len's arm as an encouraging coo sounded from its throat. It was enough to make Len's lips curl into a slight smile.

"You're right, boy. We've got this. There's nothing our flame can't stop."

Arcanine barked, and Len's smile morphed into a cocky smirk. He scratched behind his companion's ear before turning back to the door and snatching the handle into his grip. He sucked in a lungful of air as he prepared for the market's final challenge, another hurdle he must climb and conquer like Mount Lanakila, another step towards his goal of becoming someone formidable.

He twisted the handle and—

The communicator strapped to his hip buzzed violently. Len jumped, releasing the handle as he quailed from the door and fell onto his butt.

Though he was reeling from the surprise, he could hear the muffled words urgently shouting from his communicator:

"Attention! Attention! Calling all members of the International Junior Patrol—!"

Len looked up at Arcanine as the urgent message played: a robbery was taking place that demanded Len's immediate attention. Arcanine whined, its black eyes downcast.

"Lennnn...!"

Acerola's voice echoed from the front of the abandoned supermarket. Len stood up and straightened the cap on his head.

"Coming, coming!" Len stroked Arcanine's snout as he prepared to return it to its Pokéball. "Sorry, buddy. Looks like we'll have to come back another day."

Arcanine released another low whine as it pressed its head against its Pokéball.

* * *

"...Yeah, we're going to have to reschedule that. Though, honestly, we should've just stayed where we were." Acerola's voice grew hollow with exacerbation. "We went all the way out there to fight some Ultra Beast, but we didn't even get to do anything!"

"You know, about that..."

Everyone jumped as "Iridio" suddenly spoke. He was silent throughout most of the evening, carrying this "I really don't want to be here right now" air. But Lillie, for one reason or another, was constantly beaming beside him.

"Why the hell didn't you call us when you found the man wielding the Ultra Beast?" he continued. "You know, like you were supposed to?"

Iridio's tone was cutting and accusatory. Silence fell among the group.

"Well, we sort of got distracted by kicking butt. So... it escaped us?" Scales said with a crooked smile.

The answer served only to annoy Iridio further. "And what if you weren't able to 'kick butt?'"

"We did, though! We were fine!" Scales retorted.

"And if someone got hurt?"

"No one got hurt!"

"But what if someone did? We're a team for a reason. These Ultra Beasts are dangerous and that fact needs to be taken seriously—!"

"Alright! Alright!" Mallow shouted. "Enough! We're here to bond as a team, not to start fighting!"

Iridio fell silent as he crossed his arms and looked off to the side. Scales leaned back with a groan.

"Anyway..." Mallow turned to Kiawe with desperation in her gaze. "S-so I heard you caught a new Pokémon!"

Kiawe swiftly nodded. "Yes, a Salazzle."

"Ah! Neat addition!" Lillie commented.

"Agreed! I caught a new Pokémon, too!" Lana said. "Kyogre!"

Everyone turned to Lana, who wore a guileless smile on her face.

"...Woah, really?!" Ash and Hau both shouted in perfect sync. Sitting beside Hau, Saki dropped her face into her palms.

"Hau, you're too innocent..."

Hau blinked a couple of times as he looked back at Saki. "I am?"

"Yeah. She's obviously pulling your leg."

"I am not." Lana shook her with that same, calm smile. "I'll tell you all exactly how it happened."

* * *

"It was so nice of my mentor to lend us his rowboat!"

"... Yes, but he could perhaps use a new one."

Lana and Ilimia sat in Tides's rowboat as they drifted from the lake's shore. Brooklet hill was as quiet and serene as ever, but Ilimia's legs rhythmically bounced up and down regardless. His gray eyes refused to drift from the plaster and tape that lined the boat's interior, acting as their only protection from sinking like rocks.

"Perhaps he could, but this boat can still get the job done." Lana leaned back as she let the sunlight sink into her skin, her expression tranquil. "Are you ready to catch some fish?"

"Naturally, Lana girl." Ilimia held up his fishing pole with his token charming, sparkling, perfectly white smile. However, he couldn't hide the way his gaze kept flitting to the tape below his feet that seemed to be slowly peeling back. "The sooner we do this, the sooner we can go back to shore."

"That's the spirit, Li!"

Lana squeaked out a cheer before pulling her fishing pole over her head and throwing it forward, sending the bobber soaring through the air. It landed on the water with little impact, creating a modest ripple.

Ilima quickly followed suit. The two friends sat with their lines cast, the boat gently swaying atop the placid waves. Lana let her eyes drift shut as she leaned back, allowing the back of her head to rest on Ilima's back. The boat's rocking was lulling; sleep inched toward her.

She felt the muscles in Ilima's back tighten. "Lana..."

Lana opened her eyes and lazily turned her head toward the open water. She sprouted up pin-straight in an instant, aquamarine eyes wide and alert.

A massive shadow lurked beneath the surface. Its silhouette was not only unfamiliar but incredibly out of place. For something this large to survive within the petite lakes of Brooklet Hill was impossible, and yet there it was. It breached before diving deeper, revealing a pair of dorsal fins that disappeared as quickly as they emerged. The resulting waves shook the boat, forcing Lana and Ilima to grip the sides for balance.

"What on earth—?!" Ilima cried out.

He turned to Lana to share a look of shock, but Lana's expression was set in a stone-cold lour. She reached into her satchel and retrieved her fishing cap that read:

Women fear me. Fish fear me. Men turn their eyes away from me as I walk. No beast dare make a sound in my presence. I am alone on this barren earth.

"Kyogre..." Lana lowered the hat onto her head and adjusted it. "I knew this day would come."

"...KYOGRE?!" Ilima stammered.

Something tugged at Lana's fishing pole. Lana tossed a Net Ball at Ilima before clutching it with both hands. Ilima fumbled the netted Pokéball between his hands.

"Listen, Li! I'm going to reel this baby in, and you're going to throw that Pokéball!"

"W-what?! Do you think that'd even work on something like Kyogre?!"

"It will! Trust me!"

Lana turned her attention to the tug of her pole. She began reeling in the line as she tugged back, hoisting the pole above her shoulders. The sea basin Pokémon was strong— stronger than anything she has ever faced— but she was Lana. She was the master of the seas and water-types, and she wouldn't let even a god of the oceans triumph over her. Every muscle in her arms ached, but she kept reeling and reeling and reeling—

With one final upward thrust, the humongous blue body was torn from the water and into the air. With no hesitation, Ilima hurled the Net Ball at the legendary. The legendary was sucked in, and the shaking Pokéball fell into the row boat.

It shook once more. Twice more. And...

Click!

Lana and Ilima have caught Kyogre!

* * *

After Lana finished her story, no one spoke for a full sixty seconds.

"...Brooklet Hill?" Hau eventually muttered.

"No way Kyogre could fit in those lakes..." Ash murmured.

"Hah!" Acerola sprouted onto her knees and jabbed her elbow into Lana's side. "You weren't able to fool even the gullible ones!"

"But I'm not trying to fool anyone. I'm being honest." Lana reached for her bag packed to the brim with her essentials, unzipped it, and dug through it to retrieve a Net Ball. "I'll prove it to you."

She threw the ball into the air to release the Pokémon within. Ash shrieked and reached to stop her, fearing they were all about to be crushed beneath the weight of a sea god.

No such thing occurred. Instead, a six-legged arachnid emerged from the ball and landed on top of Lana's lap. It folded its many limbs beneath its body to snuggle itself into the nest of Lana's crossed legs and let out a soft purr-like sound as she rested her chin on top of its head.

"... That's just an Araquanid!" Sophocles shouted.

"Its name is Kyogre, excuse you." Lana glared at Sophocles as she wrapped her arms around her Pokémon.

Acerola snickered. "Well, guess what Lana? I can one-up you! Because I didn't fight any ordinary Pokémon named after a legendary! I fought a real legendary Pokémon once! The one! The only! Rayquaza!"

"You did?!" Ash and Hau both shouted in perfect sync. Once again, Saki dropped her face into her palms.

"Heck yeah, I did! As a matter of fact, let me tell you all about it!"

* * *

Acerola stood on the peak of Sky Pillar, looking up to the limitless, cloudless, perfectly blue sky above her. The air felt light in her lungs; the breeze felt cool as it tossed her hair. It was quiet, serene, peaceful...

Any second now, that would all be destroyed.

She smiled as she lowered her heavy backpack to the ground. She trekked up this tower fully prepared for this moment. The contents of her backpack... it was her key to the success she wanted— no, needed to obtain. Any second now, she would be meeting with her destiny. Her heart danced with both giddy excitement and tense apprehension.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

A thunderous roar shook that tower at its very core. Even as the ground quaked beneath her sandals, the girl's resolve did not dare waver. Her stance remained stable as she lifted her fists, spread her feet apart, and glared up at the distant figure above that was quickly drawing near.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq!"

A long, sleek, emerald body descended from the heavens at the speed of a missile. It took mere seconds for the monstrous snake-like creature to be hovering only a few feet in front of Acerola, proud and imposing. Its eyes, with their black scleras and its golden irises, narrowed into thin slits as it opened its massive maw. Another roar swayed the tower.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Rayquaza and its bloodlust faced her, unrelenting. It was now, or it was never. Acerola unzipped her backpack to retrieve her ultimate weapon.

"Go, Ayame! I chose you!"

Acerola threw the small, unconscious child out into the battlefield. Ayame curled up into a ball and nuzzled against the stone floor, her features relaxed in dreamless sleep. The legendary dragon that loomed above her froze. Its eyes popped wide open; its jaw snapped shut. It looked to Acerola with utmost disbelief.

"Well?" Acerola crossed her arms as the smuggest and cheekiest of grins overtook her expression. "Go on. Let's battle."

Rayquaza blinked, once, twice. It shut its eyes tightly, shook its head vigorously, then opened its eyes with renewed drive. It pulled its head back with a deep growl. A white glow peeked out from behind its clenched, bared teeth. Its mouth opened to reveal a hastily developing ball of light— a charging Hyper Beam.

The powerful beam shot out from Rayquaza's throat and straight towards the peacefully slumbering child. When the attack struck, the resulting thick cloud of dust (don't ask where the dust came from) blinded Acerola. Try as she might to strain her eyes and make out distant shapes, she couldn't see Ayame or Rayquaza.

All she could see were two crimson pupils illuminated like lit matches.

A sudden, powerful gust of wind cleared the dust clogging the air and nearly knocked Acerola off her feet. Though her eyes burned and watered, Acerola opened them to see that those ignited red eyes belonged to none other than Ayame. A feral green aura enveloped her form, swaying and snapping like a wildfire.

"You..." Ayame spoke, her voice low, gravely, resonant, demonic. "You dare to interrupt my slumber?"

With a war cry, Ayame leaped up into the air like a Dragon Ball Z character and pulled back her fists. She unleashed a flurry of punches onto the unsuspecting legend, each blow more impactful than the last.

"Ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora—!"

Ayame's merciless attacks sent Rayquaza flying into the stratosphere. Rayquaza was never seen again.

* * *

"I don't believe that for a minute," Hau said.

"Me either," Ash said.

"I dunno. I could kind of see Ayame going off the rails like that..." Bob mused.

"Either way, whether you believe it or not, you can't disprove a single thing I said." Acerola gave Lana a smug smirk. "That's how you tell a tall tale."

Lana's brow furrowed. "Did you admit to your story being false just so you could correct me on how to tell a tall tale?"

"Yup!" Acerola winked.

Lana said nothing in response. Instead, she slowly laid back, allowing "Kyogre" to snuggle into her chest. Her eyes drooped shut.

Lillie leaned towards her, getting a closer look at her face. "... I think she fell asleep."

"...Perhaps we should follow her lead," Mallow said. Her hand hovered over her mouth as she yawned. "It's getting very late... goodnight, everyone."