"Buddy, finish up with Disarming Voice!" Izzy finally yelled to her Pokémon.

The Popplio barked loudly before taking a breath and letting out a a high pitched shrieking noise. The wild Lillipup howled with pain at the unearthly noise, cowering as it suddenly fled off back into the tall grass, defeated.

Once the long grass stilled and the yelping died away in the distance, Izzy clapped her hands together and called happily, "Good job, Buddy! You're getting much better!"

Her sea lion Pokémon yipped with excitement and slapped his paws together before sliding across the dirt road to his trainer. Hau, who had been watching the battle beside her, was beaming with pride and told her encouragingly, "You both are getting a whole lot better! Good job, Popplio!"

"Don't you have anything to say to Buddy, Omoiyari?" Izzy added, picking up her Water Type and holding him up to the green Lurantis on her other side.

Omoiyari continued to look just as unamused as ever as he looked from the smiling Popplio to his adopted daughter. After a moment he said quietly, "I have nothing to say to him."

"But you gotta say something, Omoiyari! You gotta be an encouraging leader! Didn't he do good?"

She held Buddy up closer to Omoiyari's face, ignoring Buddy's squeak of fear. The beast looked at her, exasperatedly before growling, "Very well, very well, he did fine!"

"Fair enough," Izzy sighed, setting her Popplio done as he moved away from Omoiyari a great distance.

Izzy and Hau had ventured off to Route 5 near Paniola Ranch to train her Pokémon further. Since entering Paniola Town, Hau had begun helping Izzy train her Pokémon, specifically her Popplio. They would take Buddy out to the nearby routes to encounter wild Pokémon to fight instead of actual trainers. Lillie, meanwhile, would stay behind at the Pokémon Center for reasons unknown. She would insist that she should stay behind with Nebby and Rowlet so that Izzy and Hau could go out to train.

"Hau, when do you think I'll be ready to do a trial?" Izzy suddenly asked as she turned to look at her friend. "Buddy is getting stronger, and Omoiyari and Iris are already really good!"

"Well, I think you're getting closer, but not quite there yet," Hau started slowly. "You see, I think Buddy should evolve before you do a trial. That way he'll have a little more strength to throw at the totem."

"How does evolving work, exactly?"

Hau paused at her inquiry, a surprised expression on his face. He then asked uncertainly, "You were never told the basics of Pokémon evolution?"

"I know a little bit, but I don't quite understand it. What does evolving do?"

"Pokémon Evolution not only gives Pokémon a boost in power, but can also change ones physical appearance," Omoiyari answered before Hau could reply. "Most Pokémon evolve a total of two times, while some either evolve once or not at all. Popplios are able to evolve once it has gained a certain amount of experience. Iris and myself, on the other hand, can't evolve at all, so we don't get the same boost as others."

"He's right," Hau agreed, continuing to add on to the conversation even though Omoiyari summed it up. "My Pokémon have evolved at least one time each! Torracat was a Litten when I first got him, but he recently evolved into a new Pokémon! Pikachu evolved from Pichu, a Pokémon I found on my first day!"

"Do Pokémon change in personality when they evolve?" Izzy questioned with some concern.

Hau opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it after a moment's pause. He seemed to not know the answer himself.

"Well, mine didn't," he began, looking to Omoiyari for assistance. "I guess I'm not quite sure how that works all in all..."

"Evolution can effect behavior before or even after evolving," her father explained to her. "I've seen it in passing. A Pokémon either becomes friendlier to their trainer or more aggressive. It really depends on the method of evolution and the Pokémon itself, so I doubt Buddy will exhibit any aggression. Isn't that right?"

The Popplio looked horrified as Omoiyari's lip curled threateningly at him. With Iris safely in her pokéball, Omoiyari was free to claim dominance once again. But Izzy wouldn't stand for this.

"You need to be nice, Omoiyari!" Izzy told him sternly, waving her finger disapprovingly. "As team leader, you need to be nicer and more encouraging!"

Omoiyari opened his mouth to speak but suddenly straightened up and looked around at the grassy and rocky area. His antennas twitched and sparks flew out of them.

"What's wrong with him?" Hau asked Izzy perplexedly as Omoiyari began moving around the grass with his antennas moving around.

"I think he's... looking for something," Izzy finished slowly. "He moves his antennas around when looking for stuff. He's just weird that way."

"You don't need to convince me- OH MY GOSH!"

Both Hau and Izzy screamed with terror as a huge Pokémon suddenly poked its head out of the tall grass Omoiyari had been investigating. Even Omoiyari looked startled at his discovery, while Popplio made a shrieking noise and fled behind the trainers.

The Pokémon was monstrous. It was taller than the trainers with a frightening appearance to boot. It had a mane of rough gray fur and smooth black skin for the rest of its body. It also had a large axe attached to its head, which was covered by a metallic mask. The only part of its face that could be seen was it's gray eyes, reflecting a sort of deadness to them. As it came out of the grass, Izzy could see it's entire body was mismatched. It had the front legs of a bug, the hind legs of a canine, and the tail of a fish.

"I-Is that a Pokémon?" Izzy gasped while Omoiyari blocked the Pokemon's path with a snarl.

"I haven't seen or heard of a Pokemon like this!" Hau answered as he too gaped at the creature. "Its huge!"

But Izzy suddenly heard the creature give a threatening growl at the Lurantis and swipe at the ground. It was trying to look intimidating to Omoiyari,  but it wasn't working. Omoiyari didn't back down easily, not without a fight, anyway.

Sure enough, the next thing they knew was that the two Pokemon lunged into a fight. The two large Pokémon were swiping and kicking at each other while howling and roaring with fury.

"Omoiyari, no!" Izzy cried at the top of her voice, stomping her foot on the ground to show she meant business. "Omoiyari, stop it at once! You need to be nice!"

"Null, drop it!"

The two Pokémon froze in the middle of their fight at the sound of the two voices. Even Hau and Izzy looked around to see who else had spoken. A boy a little older by a year or two had approached them. He was quite frightening for someone so young. He wore dark clothes, ripped and torn from the claws of a Pokémon. His blonde hair was just as untidy, but was uniquely styled to cover one eye. The one visible grey eye was glaring sharply at the tall mismatched Pokémon.

"Get over here, now." the boy ordered the Pokémon in a icy stern voice.

The Pokémon immediately backed off from the Lurantis at the command. It instead kicked away from its opponent and padded over to its trainer. Izzy had not been a trainer for long, but she could tell that this boy must be quite talented to tame a Pokémon of such ferocity.

"You newbies should really learn not to pester Pokémon on sight," the boy growled at Hau and Izzy harshly. "Not every Pokémon is a wild one, trainers train here too."

"It was just a misunderstanding!" Hau defended Izzy hurriedly before she could think of a good enough retort. "Omoiyari wasn't ordered to attack, the two Pokémon just started squabbling all of a sudden!"

But the boy snorted as he ran his hand on the beast's helmet before asked sneeringly, "Which one of you owns the Lurantis?"

"I do," Izzy answered, doing her best to swallow her dislike of the older boy by approaching him and holding out her hand to shake his. "I'm Izzy, I just started my journey a few days ago. I'm sorry Omoiyari attacked, it won't happen again."

When the boy continued to look down at her coldly, Izzy quickly lowered her hand. Hau instead came up to the boy and chimed, "I'm Hau, nice ta meet ya! What's your name?"

The boy's gaze narrowed suspiciously, but after a moment he replied simply, "Gladion."

He then turned to look at Omoiyari, who was still rooted next to the tall grass. The beast was making a strange hum-like growl at the mismatched Pokémon, which returned a threatening snarl.

"A newbie like you actually caught a Pokémon like that?" The boy, Gladion, questioned with a hint of curiosity. "Lurantis are rare Pokémon to find in the wild, and those ones are usually pink. I've never seen one so aggressive."

Gladion looked back down at Izzy and continued, "Show me what a Pokémon of that strength sees in you. I challenge you to a one-on-one battle, me and Null against you and your Lurantis. I won't take no for an answer."

Izzy was taken aback by this statement. She suddenly felt completely unprepared for such a battle. She had never even fought using Omoiyari before, she only ever used Buddy or Iris.

"But Izzy isn't ready to battle yet!" Hau protested for her. "She's still training, I don't think it such a good idea!"

"She'll never learn by only fighting wild Pokémon," Gladion argued, waving off Hau's protests dismissively. "Some of the greatest lessons are taught only through battling another trainer. Besides, it's not exactly a matter if she's ready for battle, but her Pokémon."

"Izzy, come here!"

Omoiyari was gesturing for her to come over to him. Izzy looked from her Pokémon to Gladion before ducking away from them to confront her Pokémon.

"Omoiyari, I don't know what to do," Izzy told her adoptive father fearfully in a quiet voice so no one else would hear. "I haven't fought another trainer since Hau, and I don't think I'm ready!"

"But he's right, Izzy," Omoiyari insisted while placing his scythe on her shoulder. "You'll never grow as a trainer if you don't battle others. I'm ready to fight. Heck, I'll gladly fight."

"Why do you hate that Pokémon? What is it even?"

"Its called Type: Null, an artificial Pokémon. They're extremely rare, only a handful even exist, but I've had the misfortune of encountering them in the past. You could say we have a history, so believe me, I will fight."

"But your disguise-"

"Let me worry about that. Just let me do what I do best."

*~*~*

"Are you sure you're ok with this, Izzy?" Hau asked Izzy nervously as she moved a ways away from Gladion to prepare for battle.

"Not really, but I know we can do it!" Izzy told him as bravely as she could. "I battled with Buddy and Iris last time, but now I'm battling with Omoiyari, and you said it yourself that he is much stronger than any of yours!"

"I did, but... I got a bad feeling about this guy," Hau admitted as he glanced over at Gladion, who was preparing his Pokémon, the Type: Null. "He seems tougher than other trainers I've encountered, and that Pokémon, that Type: Null he called it..."

"Kid, I've battled Pokémon much bigger and stronger than Nulls," Omoiyari hissed to Hau sharply in English. "I think we can handle it."

The Type: Null suddenly leapt into the field and crouched to the ground with a growl. Gladion called over to them sternly, "Let's get going, I don't have all day. Make the first move."

Omoiyari immediately leapt into the field and let out a snarl. Izzy took one she's breath before shouting, "Alright, Omoiyari, start with Fury Swipes!"

The Lurantis lunged at the mismatched Pokémon with a roar. He continually swiped the opponent with his scythes. Izzy was shocked to see that the Type: Null didn't even flinch. Omoiyari could usually get a reaction out of a Pokémon when fighting, but this one didn't even care.

The moment Omoiyari tired out, Gladion casually called to his Pokémon, "Null, Tackle."

The Pokémon growled and swiftly butted its great metal helmet against the Lurantis's head. The beast recoiled and was flung backwards with a roar. Type: Null seemed to take hits better than the Ultra Beast.

"Please get up, Omoiyari!" Izzy pleaded with her adoptive father. "Please use Fury Swipes again!"

"Surely your Pokémon knows more than that!" Gladion shouted to her tauntingly as the two Pokémon began to beat each other back once again. "You can't win a fight on Fury Swipes alone! Null, Pursuit."

The Type: Null suddenly slammed straight into the Lurantis's chest. The wind was clearly knocked out of him as Omoiyari once again collapsed and wheezed. Izzy didn't know what to do as Omoiyari repeatedly got up, again and again, and continued to work to bring the Type: Null down. She knew Omoiyari had said he got this covered, but he clearly didn't. Type: Null was more sturdy than they thought, and Omoiyari could not use any of his fail-safe moves.

"Come on, Omoiyari!" Hau suddenly shouted to the Lurantis encouragingly after fifteen minutes of torture. "We know you can do it! I think it's time you stop going easy on them!"

"I would be very surprised if you could beat Null at this point," Gladion called to them sneeringly as Omoiyari tried standing back up with one scythe digging into the ground. "You've exhausted yourself by beating yourself up. You win battles by actually trying. Pathetic."

Izzy gritted her teeth furiously. She had had just about enough of this boy. Omoiyari had beaten himself up because of her lousy job leading. She just couldn't let this continue anymore.

"Omoiyari, make them eat your Psychic!" Izzy suddenly bellowed at her Pokémon.

The Lurantis grunted with pleasure as its eyes suddenly flashed yellow. Before Gladion could make another snide remark, the Type: Null suddenly levitated off the ground in Omoiyari's yellow aura. The Pokémon howled as it was slammed effortlessly into the ground repeatedly like a rag doll.

"Finally we've accomplished something!" Omoiyari bragged victoriously at the mismatched Pokémon as the aura vanished and the Type: Null fell to the ground in defeat. "Suck it, iron head! I hope I never see you again!"

Gladion looked speechless as the beast continued to trash talk the Type: Null. Izzy felt satisfaction that he had finally stopped his taunting and jeering. After a moment the older boy snorted as he returned his Pokémon to its pokéball.

"It seems you deserve more credit than I gave you," huffed the older trainer as he approached the two humans. "But I know for a fact that Lurantis can't learn Psychic, or any Psychic moves. Care to explain?"

"Maybe you just didn't know Lurantis can learn Psychic!" Hau defended Izzy while shrugging his arms. "Obviously Omoiyari knows Psychic!"

"Obviously."

The boy paused before continuing to speak to Izzy, "I'm all for getting stronger, but I despise cheaters. Watch your back, because I will find out how you won. Keep a close eye on that Pokémon of yours."

"I didn't cheat," Izzy replied while crossing her arms with sass. "I'd love to hear all your warped theories on Omoiyari, so be my guest! But in the end, I just got tired of hearing your voice!"

Hau made a noise of stifled laugher. The boy's jaw clenched with anger, but thankfully left wordlessly toward the grassy area in the direction of the road. When he was out of ear shot, Izzy winced as Hau suddenly flung his arms around her in a bone crushing hug.

"Congrats, Izzy, your finally won your first battle!" He told her happily. "Soon you'll be ready to face the Totem!"

"Are you sure it counts?" Izzy couldn't help but ask, recalling Gladion's accusation. "I didn't cheat...did I?"

"He may think that, but you didn't cheat! Omoiyari has his own special move set, and even though he looks like a Lurantis, he has to use what he knows! Besides, I don't think you could've won without using Psychic or Thunderbolt!"

"And you thought you could handle a Type: Null!" Izzy added to Omoiyari with a smirk. "Wasn't that easy in the beginning now, was it?"

The Lurantis growled and blushed a little and grumbled inaudibly. Izzy giggled at his stubbornness, but continued to think of the strength of the Type: Null and it's trainer. She dearly hoped she'd never have to meet Gladion again, or encounter the Pokémon with the power to defeat an Ultra Beast.