Quick Status Update + Preview Chapter

I want to thank everyone for being patient! Life’s been a bit difficult lately, but I’ve been trying to write as much as I can. Right now, I’m in the process of building up a backlog of chapters to mass post when the next fiction comes out, and then I also plan to use those chapters to continue into a fast release schedule from there. Once the backlog gets expended, the schedule will slow down to a more reasonable pace. Unfortunately, a fast early schedule is essential for getting a story out there.

Right now, I’m expecting to start posting the next fiction around early to mid-October, with the Type Specialist epilogue chapters coming out earlier in the month. I don’t really have anything to say other than “I’m hard at work,” but I also don’t want to disappear without any further words.

So, as a sneak peek, I’ve included the prologue of the next long fiction alongside this post. Think of it as a sort-of Chapter 0. It’s technically still a work in progress, but it should be a decent look into what the next story will be about—or, at least, how the very start will go.

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Mistralton Airport was busy for once. The place was no longer solely defined by cargo planes and amateur pilots. Full-fledged planes were now depositing people and Pokémon of all kinds on a daily basis. A palpable excitement filled the air, and conversations would start up as soon as people descended the staircase to debark. Meanwhile, Cory stood off to the side and watched all of these people take their first steps into northern Unova.

He knew for a fact that he could beat any of these trainers in a fight.

Cory had conquered during his Pokémon trainer journey; he took on all Unova and won. He hadn’t just defeated a classic eight Gyms, but he had gone on to face Unova’s full breadth of ten. His full badge case sat snugly in his backpack, and he had even competed in the end-of-the-year Vertress Conference to earn a respectable 17th place. Out of the thousands of trainers that had started their journeys in the same year as him, he had firmly secured himself a spot within the top tenth percent.

But none of that mattered right now. The classic Gym Challenge and its final rankings meant nothing in the current goings on in the region. Just about everyone had earned themselves at least eight badges, and just about all of them had competed in a Conference as well. Each and every one of those elite trainers had plenty of experiences at their back, and many of them had trained in other regions, as well.

This tournament was not just an Unovan tournament but a worldwide tournament, and it was one important enough to only take place every five years. Trainers of every level tried their best to rank as high as possible, and Cory was doing the same—but only on the surface. Achieving the best rank possible was too low a goal. He was aiming for the very top.

To get to the very top, however, he needed to beat other trainers, and he needed to make sure he didn’t lose and potentially drop in the ranks. He stood in Mistralton Airport for a reason; a good number of foreign trainers were entering the region through this airport, and he wanted to face them first before they could adapt to the ongoing challenge.

Eyes scanning the arriving crowd, he leaned against an exterior wall and tossed a Pokéball up and down in a hand. He could tell that a good number of these people were just here to sight-see, but many of them were obvious trainers here to compete just like him.

“Not that guy for sure—look at the way he walks. He’s far too confident about his strength,” Cory mumbled while searching. “And that girl off to the side is like me. She’s already looking for weak trainers to fight. That group over there looks like they’re all tourists, so none of them mean anything to us. But maybe that guy in the middle...”

Cory stopped his whisperings and caught his Pokéball. He narrowed his eyes and paid more attention to the trainer he had just found.

This trainer was young. Not necessarily a kid or a teen, but not necessarily a full adult, either. There was a wonder in the trainer’s blue eyes that spoke of naivety, and his blonde hair was pushed back in what had to be the laziest possible way to style it. As for his gear, his backpack was way too full for him to be anyone experienced; he clearly hadn’t yet learned how to minimize what to take to ensure travel stayed easy. And his clothes were bulky—far too bulky. Northern Unova could have a cold environment, but it would get nowhere near as cold to support how this trainer was dressed.

As Cory watched the young man trek through the open airport, a flash of light at the other trainer’s side saw the release of a Pokémon. The appearance of the species only served to increase Cory’s confidence even more; it was essentially a Route 1 evolution. A weak Pokémon. Something that was nothing more than a spotted, purple-and-yellow feline.

Occasionally, a Liepard could learn a trick or two, but very few trainers were ever able to train one to a competitive level and not just have it be a somewhat strong pet.

There was no doubt in Cory's mind. He had just identified his first prey.

“He’s the perfect trainer,” Cory whispered to the air. “If he’s here, he’s skilled, but there’s no way he’s that skilled. There’re way too many flaws with how he’s acting. We can beat him in a fight for sure. And do you see that? Look closer at his hand.”

Scars.

Beneath a watch around his wrist, faint rips had been torn into his fingers and improperly healed a long time ago. 

It was a sign this guy was irresponsible. Specifically, inexperienced. If he had bothered to carry the proper medicine, scars like those would have never formed.

“Yeah. Him,” Cory said, pushing off the wall and beginning to walk straight toward his target. “He'll be our victim. He won’t be prepared. In a way, we’ll be helping. After losing to us, he’ll have a chance to learn from his mistakes.”

Cory pocketed his Pokéball to place it with the Pokéballs containing the rest of his team, and he strolled to where that trainer was walking through the airport with an empty look of awe on his face. Upon getting close, the Liepard noticed Cory first, and it was only due to a nudge from that feline that its trainer finally noticed Cory’s presence.

“Hey!” Cory said with a practiced smile. “New to the region? Noticed you’re a bit overdressed.”

“Huh?” the other trainer blinked upon realizing Cory was there. “Oh, uh, this? Yeah, it’s a bit heavy, but it has a crazy amount of protection!”

A genuinely proud grin crossed the other trainer’s face as he patted the thick snow jacket he was wearing. With how bulky his backpack was alongside it, he looked like he was about to spend a month in the mountains—which wasn’t exactly a wrong look given how long some trainers preferred to stay in the wilds.

“You here for the World Series?” Cory asked, ignoring how the Liepard narrowed its eyes.

“The World Coronation Series?” the trainer asked. “Yeah! We’re here to— Wait! No way.”

Realization struck the trainer like an attack, but his smile carried a genuine excitement.

“You’re really approaching us about that? You’re actually going to challenge us already? Wow, I didn’t expect to get into a battle this fast. I guess she really was right to register us before we got here.”

“She?” Cory asked.

“Just my sponsor,” the trainer replied nonchalantly. For a second, Cory was slightly intrigued, but then he realized he didn’t care, and having a sponsor didn’t matter.

“Yeah. I want to battle you,” Cory said. “Consider it a welcome to Unova. And, if you were only just registered, that means you should be in the Normal Rank. You’re not allowed to run from our fight.”

Almost ten thousand trainers had already registered this year, and all of them were flooding into Unova. Originally, this tournament was meant to happen in Galar, but a controversy about corruption in the region’s higher-ups led to the location of the tournament shifting around. Any trainer was allowed to register, but the purpose of the tournament was to determine the best of the best. So newbies could enter, but there were limitations in place. To not have the top-ranked trainers be bothered all the time, all competing trainers were divided into tiers. 

“Challenge rules are pretty simple,” Cory explained. “There are four tiers of trainers, each named after a type of Pokéball. Master Rank is for the very best—the top sixteen—and the Ultra Rank below that is for the top 128. Under them, there's the Great Rank for the top 1024, and then everyone else is Normal Rank. So, you’re Normal Rank by default, and you’re not allowed to turn down challenges from trainers within the same tier as you.”

Trainers could still present challenges to a trainer in a higher tier, but those battles were allowed to be turned down. The only time cross-tier challenges couldn't be avoided is if the lower-tier trainer was within 10% of the numerical rank of the higher-tier trainer.

“Okay. That makes sense. So if you’re in the Normal Rank, what's your position?”

“Me? I'm 1308th,” Cory said.

Grinning, he thumped his chest out of pride.

The trainer he faced continued to smile, but it thinned ever so slightly after Cory stated his position.

In fear, probably, he thought to himself.

This guy was likely realizing just how screwed he currently was.

“And the rules for our match?” the other trainer asked.

“Competitive Standard. We each choose four Pokémon and then face off in a double battle.”

“Hm. But I only have three Pokémon?”

“...You seriously registered for a worldwide tournament with half a team?”

Despite Cory’s blank stare, the other trainer just shrugged and looked otherwise unbothered.

“Figured I could build up my team in the meantime,” the trainer said. “We have over half a year until the final tournament. That's plenty of time to train!”

Slowly, Cory nodded, but he had to force back the air that threatened to leave his throat.

He didn’t want to appear too cocky and make this guy fight harder. It was a battle in its own right to stop the laughter from leaving his throat.

“Alright, then. Want to keep it even simpler? We're allowed to bend the rules if both trainers agree,” Cory offered.

“What are you thinking?”

“I'm thinking... we keep this simple and only use two Pokémon instead of four.”

The other trainer crossed his arms to consider it. He exchanged a look with his Liepard and glanced at the watch on his wrist. Cory knew he technically had an advantage if he used four Pokémon against three, but keeping it to two meant he could save the health of the rest of his team for other fights and quickly eliminate this guy's team in a sudden blitz.

Come on. Cory tapped his foot. Don't think too hard and accept!

“Sure!” the other trainer finally said. “A two-on-two fight sounds good to me!”

“Great!” Cory turned away to hide his grin. “They don't exactly want people to battle on the tarmac, so there are a few fields set up off to the side.”

He glanced behind him to make sure this trainer would be following him and only had to do a slight double-take when he swore he saw the face of the trainer's watch blink.

When they arrived, two of the four fields at the side of the airport were already in use—and the battles taking place saw both fields be flush with flame and steam. Cory brought his chosen opponent over to one of the empty fields, and he walked across the painted rectangle to take up position in an outlined box meant for trainers to stand.

“We'll start on three,” Cory said. Since this would be a tournament-official battle, he took out a device to report the existence match as the other trainer did the same. “When I finish counting down, we'll both send out our Pokémon and begin fighting right away.”

“Got it. So, two each. A double battle. A quick match overall,” the other trainer said. “Liepard? Do you want to step forward now?”

The feline meowed, and Cory had to fight not to laugh once again when he realized he could already choose a Pokémon specifically to counter this revealed pick on his opponent’s team.

The other trainer grabbed a Pokéball, and Cory did the same, pulling two from his pockets.

“Alright,” he said. “Get ready. We start in one... two-three!”

He didn't hesitate. Throwing his Pokéballs, a pair of creatures appeared on the field, both of them plant-like in nature. After forming from light, the one with a mane of thick cotton drifted to the ground with a bright smile on its face. The other landed dressed in a dress of leaves that billowed out to allow it to touch down gracefully.

“Tailwind, Whimsicott!” Cory shouted. “Petal Blizzard, Lilligant!”

Whimsicott could use Tailwind in an instant, and the helpful wind would speed up Lilligant and ensure she could land the first attack in a blitz.

A harsh wind blew, and a barrage of pinks sliced through the air. The other trainer was still in the process of releasing his other Pokémon by the time the attack came out.

“Block!” the other shouted as soon as he threw a Pokéball forward.

This first order wasn't even a shout for a move, just a basic shout for a mundane technique.

Hearing that, Cory stood taller out of confidence, but that feeling faltered when he saw just what hit the field.

He didn't know what to call it. He wanted to say it was a Gallade, but it possessed enough aspects of a Gardevoir to say it was that species, instead. It carried that same, weird green horn on its head, and what was either a white robe or dress protected its legs.

But it wasn't flesh. It wasn’t anything biological. This creature was made entirely of metal, and it carried pink crystal blades attached to its forearms.

Immediately upon its appearance, it followed its trainer’s command to bring its blades up. The flat of the crystals served as a cover, and its quick thinking and positioning let it stop the worst from happening to both it and the Liepard.

“They're an Iron Valiant,” the other trainer said as Cory stared in bewilderment, “a rare species from Paldea. But for Valiant here? They’re special. They're one of a kind!”

The robot Pokémon proceeded to slam its arms together, and the attached blades swung out to disconnect. However, they weren’t lost—just changed. A pole connected the two blades to give the Iron Valiant a weapon to wield in one hand.

“You’re using Grass-types, huh?” the other trainer mumbled. “That means... Valiant, use Fury Strike! And Liepard, trap that Whimsicott with Encore!”

The sudden shouted orders snapped Cory out of his surprise. Remembering he was in an active battle, he was quick to change commands.

“Taunt it to stop the Encore, Whimsicott!” he yelled. “Lilligant, use Leaf Storm again to blow off the attack!”

The first to move was Whimsicott, as the Tailwind combined well with his penchant for lightning-quick status moves. Lilligant, meanwhile, was no slouch, and she was already conjuring leaves to blow toward her opponent.

Her Leaf Storm was a powerful offense that could be turned into an even stronger defense. Meanwhile, Whimsicott's Taunt could stop the Liepard from using any move that wasn’t a direct attack.

However, Cory realized he had made two crucial mistakes:

First, he had forgotten that Dark-types like Liepard were adept at ignoring pranks.

And second, he had vastly underestimated just how strong this Iron Valiant was.

Whimsicott's Taunt fell flat; irritated, the Liepard ignored the move with a roll of its eyes and let out a sharp “Mrow!” that encouraged him to re-try that pointless attack. Then, the Iron Valiant all but rocketed across the field. Even with the Tailwind up, it caught up to Lilligant within a second.

Its assault was immediate; the metal Pokémon's blade gained an off-yellow hue, and then it started to strike with slash after slash. Lilligant was far too overwhelmed to do anything but try to put up a defense. And then, the Liepard used a second move without the need for any other command from its trainer: it also used Taunt, but this Taunt was against Whimsicott. He’d be encouraged to only use direct attacks, but tricked by the previous Encore, he was unable to come to any decision and only began to Struggle.

“I...”

Cory’s hands twitched. Generally speaking, he’d been in enough fights to know how to respond, but he’d never been in a position like this. There were no openings. No options. Technically, Lilligant could use a move, but she’d never been under assault by such an unrelenting series of attacks.

“See, my Pokémon and I have a certain perspective when it comes to battling,” the other trainer said as Cory's eyes flicked around. “It's all about offense and ensuring that offense. We outlevel, and then we overwhelm. Strategy doesn't need to be that complicated. The only tricks we need are the tricks that ensure we can’t be stopped.”

Lilligant was taking a beating. The Bug-type Fury Strikes ate away at her leaves. Meanwhile, the Liepard was practically playing with Whimsicott. With a cruel grin on its face, it stalked around the Whimsicott while he looked to be in pain due to his indecisive Struggle.

“L-lilligant! You have to strike back! Take a move if it means landing one! And Whimsicott, if you can't attack, then... You just have to run away!”

“Sorry, but that’s not going to happen,” the other trainer said, casually adjusting the straps of his backpack. “Finish them off, you two. Take them out with Psycho Cut and Assist.”

The battle had barely even started. Hardly any time had passed. Yet, Lilligant was already injured, and Whimsicott was only managing to hurt himself.

Cory was able to do nothing as both of the other trainer's Pokémon drew back, and both Pokémon prepared their final moves.

The Iron Valiant's blade sharpened with a blue telekinetic hue, and the Liepard drew light from its trainer's sole other Pokéball to form a paw shape in front of its face.

“Go!” their trainer cried out.

The two moves were used at once.

The Psycho Cut practically sliced right through Lilligant, and Liepard’s glowing paw turned into a ball of shadow that burst against Whimsicott's chest.

Cory’s Pokémon fell.

Neither of them got up.

Just like that, the battle ended. Even if he had the option of sending out two more Pokémon, he wouldn’t have won.

He had been completely outmatched. 

“Who... are you?” Cory said, looking up from his team to stare the other trainer in the eye.

“Me?” The other trainer was smiling. He hadn’t stopped, not even once. “The name’s Nick—short for Nicholas, but ‘Nick’ is easier to say.”

“And you...”

“Are going to win the tournament,” Nick finished for him. “We're going to make it all the way up to the Master Rank to earn the right to compete in the final tournament at the end of the year. And believe me—I promise you! You might have lost, but at least you lost to the team that's going to place first overall!"

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Like I said, this is technically a work in progress. Expect parts of this chapter to be tweaked.