Hunger for Adventure

After officially leaving Sandgem Town, the group continued to trek their way through Route 202. It was, for the most part, a concrete trail surrounded by some grass patches and multiple trees of varying sizes. Overall, this route was easy to navigate and would lead straight to Jubilife City in no time at all. Unfortunately, after only a few minutes passed, Goku was already beginning to crack under the overwhelming pressure of his empty stomach.

With each step he took, Goku began to grow more and more overwhelmed by delirious thoughts of food. A little bit of drool trickled out of his mouth as he limped forward, dragging his new backpack across the pavement without much concern.

"Are we almost there?" Goku groaned in delirium. Dawn and Barry slightly chuckled at Goku's "exhaustion" while Vegeta, as usual, just rolled his eyes.

Dawn blankly shook her head from side-to-side. "It's only been five minutes, Goku. Just be patient."

"Yeah. I'm a professional when it comes to impatience and even I don't act that bad!" Barry snorted in disbelief.

Goku stopped for a moment, clasping both hands on his knees to take a deep breath. He looked at the two with a distressed grimace.

"I'm trying my best, guys. You just don't know what it's like to have a Saiyan stomach." Goku sighed. "We have to eat much more than usual."

"How much more?" Barry asked, wondering if he really wanted to hear the answer or not.

Still panting, Goku cupped his chin and made a general estimate of the average diet for Saiyans like him and Vegeta.

"Well, I don't know the exact number, but let's just say that breakfast, lunch, and dinner are almost doubled on a daily basis. It depends on my training schedule." Goku honestly exclaimed with a small shrug.

"Doubled?! Geez! How you fit it all, I'll never know!" Barry shouted in surprise. To him, it was a miracle Goku and Vegeta weren't humanoid Lickilickys by this point.

"Now, you can see why me and Vegeta can get hungry so fast. It's unbearable!" Goku held his stomach as it growled in utter despair.

"That's no excuse to hold us up, Kakarot. Like the girl said before, we'll eat in the next city over." Vegeta reminded his fellow Saiyan. He didn't even wait for Goku's reply to start walking again.

"But, Vegeta—"

"Just ignore your damned stomach and get a move on!" Vegeta barked in annoyance. Goku, not wishing to instigate Vegeta's heated temper, nodded and quietly kept moving. He also strapped his backpack on for good measure.

"Fine. Sorry for the hold up, guys." Goku firmly apologized for his actions. Dawn lightly grinned at Goku, deciding to walk beside him.

"No need to be sorry, Goku. You and Vegeta just got here. Of course you guys need to eat." Dawn kindly assured the boy. "It won't be long until Jubilife City, I promise."

"Thanks for understanding, Dawn." Goku smiled back in gratitude. The two then kept walking in Barry and Vegeta's stead.

Barry, starting to get a bit antsy himself, decided to scout out the area to see how close Jubilife City was from their current location. He opened his satchel and brough out the newly-caught Starly's Poké Ball.

"Might as well, I guess." Barry grumbled, blowing a strand of hair out of his face. "Go, Starly!"

Upon command, the Poké Ball popped open and shot out a blast of white light. This blinding light dispersed, taking the form of Barry's Starly as she enthusiastically ruffled her small feathers and wings.

"Staar! Starly!" Starly chirped. She looked up at Barry, waiting for his instructions.

"If you're so close to dying, Goku, I'll send up Starly to see how close Jubilife is from here." Barry sarcastically offered.

Goku nodded almost too enthusiastically. "Sure! That'd help a lot.

"You heard the guy, Starly. Fly over this route and stop at the next location. Alright?" Barry calmly instructed his second Pokémon.

"Star!" Starly bobbed her head in understanding. She then outstretched her wings and took flight, moving northward as Barry instructed. The group watched as Starly's body grew harder to see as she continued flying across Route 202 from start to finish.

With each passing second, Starly was now a barely visible speck blocked out by the sun. Said speck became even more miniscule until it eventually stopped, and proceeded to hover in one place.

"Star! Starly!" Starly shouted from the distance. The Starling Pokémon waved one of her wings in order to show Barry where she currently was.

Smirking, Barry cupped both hands over his eyes in order to imitate a pair of binoculars. Vegeta looked embarrassed by the mere sight of this action, but Barry, whether he outright knew it or not, continued to do so, anyway. The blonde-haired Trainer closed in on Starly's location and, to the best of his ability, guessed the proximate distance between them.

"Good job, Starly! You can come back now!" Barry yelled out, so the Flying-type could hear him. As instructed, Starly speedily flew back to her Trainer and flapped idly in mid-air. Barry then pointed his Poké Ball back at Starly.

"Return!" A red lightning bolt struck Starly's forehead, transmuting her physical form into corporeal energy as she was sent back into the Poké Ball. Barry then stuffed it back into his bag, and glanced at the others.

"Looks to me like we're about halfway there, guys." Barry surmised from the trajectory of Starly's flight. In response, Goku sported a look of disappointment, yet relief at the same time.

"Halfway, huh?" Goku scratched his head, peering over at the sea of trees and bushes yet to be traversed. "Guess that's not too bad."

"See? I told you so." Dawn teasingly remarked. Goku just chuckled with a typical grin on his face.

"Good. Now, that we're on the same page, let's just shut up and walk there in silence." Vegeta said, wanting some time to think for a change. With idiots like Barry and Goku around, real, intellectual thought was a rarity. And he definitely had some thinking to do when it came to both finding the Dragon Balls, figuring out a way to make his big-headed bird less of a wimp, and coming up with a proper method of execution for that blue dwarf bastard responsible for this whole mess.

"As you wish, Your Highness." Dawn grumbled sarcastically. Vegeta was starting to get annoyed by the lip this little girl had, but calling it out definitely wasn't worth his time. He simply crossed his arms and proceeded onward.

Barry tapped his cheek a few times in deep thought. "You know, normally this would be the point where I run off and beat you guys to Jubilife, but I'd rather stay on Veggie's good side this time around. It's the least I can do after you saved me and Starly back in Sandgem Town."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. Part of him couldn't care less about Barry's so-called "gratitude" for his past rescue, but admittedly, another part of him was surprised that the buffoon was showing restraint for a change. Maybe he wasn't completely incompetent, after all.

"Hmph. It seems that you do have a brain, Blondie." Vegeta lightly smirked in recognition. Barry, blinded by Vegeta's rare compliment, didn't notice this passive-aggressive jab at first.

"Well, Veggie, this future Sinnoh Champion isn't just a pretty fa—Hey!" Barry whined in sudden realization.

"Not a big enough one, it seems. Haha." Vegeta snickered in amusement. Steam could practically be seen billowing out of Barry's head as he muttered various Pokémon-related curses under his breath.

"Are you gonna fine him for that one too, Barry? Teehee." Dawn mischievously giggled. She held a hand over her mouth to conceal a wide smile beginning to form.

Barry stuffed both hands into his pockets, grimacing. "Don't push me, Dawn."

Meanwhile, in the back, Goku's mind began to wander. He deliriously thought of the possible food he'd want to eat in this so-called Jubilife City. Since Pokémon were essentially the animals of this world, he began to wonder if, like in Universe 7, some of them were prepared as food. Such a thought was a bit disturbing, admittedly, since Pokémon, based on his Chimchar's behavior, were a bit more intelligent and complex than normal wildlife. But, then again, where else could meat come from? Professor Rowan did emphasize the strong connection between people and Pokémon, so were certain species processed as food in the past? Goku was far too hungry to really think about such a dilemma. He just wanted to eat.

"Man, I could really go for some giant fish right now." Goku murmured aloud. He euphorically rubbed his stomach, thinking back to the fish present on Mt. Paozu.

Surprisingly, Goku's thought was heard by a still-eavesdropping Mesprit. Said Emotion Pokémon continued to float directly above him, using invisibility to keep itself hidden.

It began to intently think over Goku's words. "Mess…"

Moving its head around, Mesprit caught sight of Route 219's shoreline from a distance. It beamed in sudden realization.

"Mesprit!" It cried. Mesprit's form then glowed an ethereal blue before teleporting away.

Back at Sandgem Beach

Roseanne and her Dunsparce continued cleaning up the mess caused by Goku's Pokémon battle against Vegeta. Dunsparce used Dig to help fill the massive crater created from Chimchar and Piplup's recent clash while Roseanne swept away some of the excess debris with a broom in toe. The sun shined down upon Roseanne, causing her to wipe away drops of sweat off her brow.

"Phew. Keep going, Dunsparce. We should be done in no time…" Roseanne sighed. Unfortunately, in spite of what she claimed, they had barely scratched the surface of Sandgem Beach's mess, much to the evident chagrin of Dunsparce. His small, barely mobile body just couldn't take it anymore.

"Dunspar…" He whined in disappointment. Slightly drooping its small wings, the Land Snake Pokémon then buried itself within the sand and used Dig again.

Roseanne adjusted her glasses, frowning. "This wouldn't be so bad if we had some water to keep ourselves refreshed."

In that moment, Mesprit materialized itself above the waters of Route 219. Roseanne immediately stopped what she was doing in complete shock and awe.

"I-Is…Is that the guardian of Lake Verity?! What's it doing here of all places?" Roseanne stammered. The research assistant rubbed her eyes, making certain that she wasn't imagining things.

Mesprit, keeping Goku's mention of giant fish in mind, glanced down at the Pokémon swimming around down below. Although it was mostly filled with Magikarp, one of them fit Goku's description perfectly. It was an abnormally large Magikarp that seemed to be the de facto leader of this specific group.

Growing excited, Mesprit outstretched its pink appendages and used telekinesis to slowly lift Magikarp out of the water.

Still watching the Legendary Pokémon's every move, Roseanne quirked a brow in puzzlement. "Huh? What would a Psychic-type need with a gigantic Magikarp?"

Suddenly, Magikarp began to panic as it was plucked from the water. It frantically writhed about in midair, but was unable to throw off Mesprit's psychic abilities.

"KARP! KARP! KARP!" Magikarp gasped for breath. In the midst of being levitated, the Water-type hit a bit of the water and unintentionally used Splash.

Surprisingly, this form of Splash proved to be more potent than usual. It created a huge splash of water that was shot directly at Roseanne and Dunsparce.

"Wait, wait, wait! Gyahh!" Roseanne girlishly shrieked. Her green hair, lab coat, and pants were now completely soaked beyond belief. Sadly, Dunsparce wasn't spared from the splash either.

As the two awkwardly stood there, Mesprit transported itself and the nervous Magikarp back to Route 202. It was simply too anxious to give Goku his "gift" to wait any longer.

"Mess! Mesprit!" It excitedly chirped. Within a single millisecond, the mysterious Pokémon was gone.

Roseanne blinked a few times, still surprised that such an event even took place. She examined her wet clothes and obviously, didn't not look all that amused by them.

"This isn't exactly the kind of refreshment I had in mind…" Roseanne grumbled. Professor Rowan had better give her a raise after all of this.

Back in Route 202

"So, you said there's other trainers in these routes, right?" Goku asked. He and the rest of the group continued walking, getting a bit closer to the spot Barry's Starly stopped herself at.

"There should be. We'll probably find more as we get closer to Jubilife's entrance." Dawn replied. She then dug through her bag and brought out an empty Poké Ball.

"In the meantime, we should probably look for some new Pokémon to catch. We won't be able to achieve much with just our starters, after all." She considerately suggested.

Barry puffed up his chest with a proud, confident smirk. "Yeah. I'm already one step ahead of you guys with good ol' Starly here. Not that I'm surprised."

"Well, quality is better than quantity…" Vegeta grunted.

"Not when you only have a single Piplup, it isn't." Barry snapped back. "How 'bout you catch a nice Bidoof or something? I think it would suit you, Veggie."

"Tsk. If such a thing really has "doof" in the name, it's not worth my time." Vegeta dismissively scowled. His bird being called Piplup was already bad enough. He didn't need two creatures with embarrassing or strange names to drag around.

"You can't be too picky, Vegeta. Routes like this one only have a select few Pokémon wandering around." Dawn advised. "Who knows? If you can keep an open mind, maybe one of them will look appealing enough to catch."

"The chances of that are slim to none, but fine. I'll play along for now." The Saiyan prince muttered in defeat.

Goku then tilted his head to look up at the area directly above this route.

"You think there's any Pokémon to find up in the sky?" He wondered aloud. All of a sudden, a gigantic fish materialized in midair and began to speedily descend towards Goku.

"KARP! KARP!" The Water-type Pokémon gasped in fear.

"Waahh!" Goku yelped as he leapt out of the way. Magikarp then smashed into the patch of grass near his feet, causing clumps of dirt and soil to be flung about in various directions.

Goku and the group then circled around it in curiosity. The poor creature was clearly panting due to a lack of water in its body.

"Holy moly! That's one big Magikarp!" Barry shouted.

"It might be one of the biggest I've ever seen. But, why would it be here of all places?" Dawn asked in immense confusion.

Vegeta grimaced. "That's your question? Tch. You should be asking where the hell it even came from in the first place!"

"That too, yeah. It's definitely an odd situation for sure." Dawn shrugged. She couldn't even tell what part of the sky Magikarp could have realistically come from.

Goku, on the other hand, was salivating at presence of such a large fish. He licked his lips and slowly inched closer to Magikarp.

"A-A…giant fish…mmmm…" He stammered hungrily. Once his hand inched ever-so-closer to the Pokémon's red body, Dawn took upon herself to smack it away.

"Yow! What was that for?" The Saiyan yelped in pain. There was now a red mark where Dawn's palm made contact.

"You can't just eat any random Pokémon in the wild, Goku. The poor thing's suffering enough as is." She chastised her new friend.

The Saiyan whined in frustration. "But, it reminds me so much of the big fish I caught back home! C-Can't I just have a little teeny…"

Dawn then slapped his hand away again, but with even greater force this time.

"No." She repeated. "How about you catch it instead? You already have a Fire-type, so adding a Water-type to your team will balance things out."

Uncertain about this suggestion, Goku opened up his Pokédex to find out what was written for its entry.

"Scanning Pokémon 023: Magikarp, the Fish Pokémon. It is a Water-type with possible abilities including Swift Swim and Rattled. Description: A Magikarp that lives for many years can leap a mountain using Splash. The move remains useless, though. Identified Gender Ratio: 50% Male and 50% Female. Specified Nature: Adamant." The device read off Magikarp's less-than-stellar status in battle. Closing the device, Goku then glanced down at the giant fish in slight disappointment.

"Maybe Kakarot should just put it out of its misery then." Vegeta snorted.

"Eh, don't be so hasty, guys! With time, Magikarp will eventually evolve into—"

Dawn suddenly placed her hand over Barry's face in order to make him shut up. She then brought him away from both Saiyans, frowning.

"Shhhh! Don't spoil the surprise like that." Dawn hissed. Considering that Goku and Vegeta were new to this world, she wanted them to experience it from a relatively blind perspective. This included the more surprising evolutions like Gyarados, especially.

"Ohh, right. My bad." Barry whispered with a knowing wink.

The two trainers then broke apart, pretending that nothing happened at all. Vegeta, as per usual, just clicked his tongue in response to such an act.

"Hmmm…" Goku hummed. While a new type of Pokémon would be useful, the fact Magikarp knew a single move that basically did nothing wasn't all that appealing, even if he was quite massive in size.

Then again, there was always room for improvement. The comical fish would probably learn other moves at some point, so the situation wasn't all bad.

"He does kinda remind me of the time I spent on Mt. Paozu, so why not?" The martial artist ultimately decided. He then grabbed a Poké Ball from his backpack and threw it at Magikarp.

"Karp!" He cried as his form was materialized into the ball as red electricity. The Poké Ball then wiggled three times on the floor before coming to a sudden halt.

Smiling, Goku knelt down and grasped his new friend's Poké Ball. "Looks like I got a Magikarp. Hehe."

"Congratulations, Goku! You'll be a pro in no time at this rate." Dawn chirped.

"Thanks! Now, all I need to do is send him out and get a light nibble from…"

Dawn's expression soured from irritation. "Hrmmm…"

"Kidding, kidding!" Goku chuckled as he held his hands up in mock surrender. The young Pokémon Trainer sniffed in response to this joke.

"Tsk. You think you're sooo funny." Dawn grumbled sarcastically. Despite this, she couldn't fully conceal the amused grin etched on her lips.

"Welp, that makes one of you who's caught up with me then. Time's a tickin', guys!" Barry cried while lightly tapping on his wrist.

"Right. I'm utterly shaking in my boots. How will I ever find another damn Pokémon in time?" Vegeta droned on in heavily exaggerated concern. Crossing his arms, he walked over to a random, nearby tree.

"Like, honestly! I could probably find one in this tree right here. It takes absolutely no effort for an elite warrior such as myself! Watch!"

He then slammed his fist on the tree, causing it to aggressively shake from side to side. This, to no one's surprise, caused various Starly and Starvia to fly away in sudden fear. However, Vegeta was surprised to see something else fall from atop the tree. It was a large cherry with stubby legs and a green leaf that connected its head to a smaller one.

Once it landed on Vegeta's head, the cherry blinked its small, beady red eyes. This caused Vegeta's mild annoyance to change into that of disgust and immense confusion.

"Gaah!" He yelped. He flung the new Pokémon out of his hair, causing it to unceremoniously fly across the entire route.

"CHERUUUU!" It screamed. Concerned for the creature's safety, Dawn ran over and hurriedly caught it in her arms.

"Phew! That was a close one." She sighed in relief. "You could have been a bit gentler, Vegeta. This poor Cherubi would have been squished if I hadn't grabbed it in time."

Vegeta glanced from Cherubi back to Dawn in bewilderment. He didn't even care that the thing was shaking right now.

"Well, I'm sorry. How in the hell was I supposed to know that some fruit could be a Pokémon too?" The Saiyan Prince scowled.

"He's got a point there. How does that even work?" Goku asked in confusion.

"It's not rocket science, guys. All Pokémon come in various different shapes and sizes. They can look like fruit, trees, flowers, garbage, and even ice cream, believe it or not." Barry explained.

Vegeta deadpanned at the last part. "Ice cream? Really?"

"Hey, it may sound dumb, but a Pokémon like that does exist. They're pretty common in the Unova region."

Vegeta frowned in further skepticism. Goku was still trying to wrap his head around the whole concept as well.

"Here, I'll give you an example. Cherubi here may look like a cherry, of course, but normal cherries are still around. Pokémon can grow and develop around the objects they're based on while still being separate things." Dawn added.

Goku continued to scratch the back of his head. "But, if that's the case, would Cherubi's body match the inside of a cherry too?"

Barry and Dawn awkwardly looked at each other in surprise. They've never really thought about that before.

"…"

"…"

This short period of silence was interrupted by Dawn abruptly clearing her throat.

"Ahem. I think that kind of question's more suited for Professor Rowan, Goku." She pointed out.

"Yeah. Guess you're right." Goku shrugged absentmindedly. "What are you going to do with it, anyway?"

Looking down at Cherubi, Dawn brought out her pink Pokédex and examined its respective entry.

"Scanning Pokémon 058: Cherubi, the Cherry Pokémon. It is a Grass-type with the ability, Chlorophyll. Description: The small ball is not only filled with nutrients; it is also tasty. Starly try to peck it off. Identified Gender Ratio: 50% Male and 50% Female. Specified Nature: Modest."

"Tasty?" Goku whispered curiously. In a way, the reference to nutrients sort of answered his previous question.

"Don't get any ideas, Goku. I'm going to catch this little guy." Dawn stated. Before the Cherubi could wriggle out of her arms, she grabbed a spare Poké Ball from her bag and tapped it on the Grass-type's head.

"Cheru!" It squeaked. Like with Magikarp, Cherubi was sucked into the ball via red static. The ball then wiggled three times before stopping in place.

"Nice! Can't believe I got it on the first try!" Dawn beamed. She then picked up Cherubi's Poké Ball and set it alongside Piplup's.

"Looks like you're the last one, Vegeta."

"Feh. As if it really matters. I can wait to find a Pokémon worthy of my interest." Vegeta proudly grunted.

"I mean, there's plenty of Bidoofs running around. Just saying." Barry mumbled. Although he was partly joking, Bidoof, given the proper training, could prove to be quite powerful in battle. Its affinity for HMs didn't hurt either.

"Oh, just shut up about the doof thing already. It's not happening." He growled back.

"Fine, fine. Just thought I'd keep your options open, Veggie."

"Like I need your help with that, moron." Vegeta spat.

Sensing that Barry was starting to lose his temper, Goku smacked a hand on his forehead. "Oh boy. Here we go again…

"Woah! I was just trying to help you out, jerk!" Barry shouted angrily.

"And did I ask for it? No, I didn't. So, how about you save my ears the trouble and keep your big mouth shut."

"Errgh! Let's see what Turtwig has to say about that!" The blonde Pokémon Trainer hissed. He clenched his fist while bringing out Turtwig's Poké Ball with the other hand.

"Oh, please. It would only take a matter of seconds for that pathetic turtle to be beaten. Why should I even bother?"

"That…That does it, you piece of absolute—"

Dawn then stood between the two and shouted, "Would you two idiots stop it!"

All of a sudden, Goku and everyone else saw the sun glow significantly brighter than before. It shone down the group as sparkles of sunlight twinkled all across Route 202.

"That's weird. Why'd the sun start shining like that?" Goku wondered.

"No clue, but for some reason, I feel much happier than before." Barry commented with a wide smile on his face.

"Hmph. I don't feel any different." Vegeta grumbled.

"Maybe cause you don't have a soul." Barry slyly joked. The Saiyan just glared at him in annoyance.

Once the sunlight faded, a small Grass/Poison-type Pokémon waddled into view. It was a rosebud-like creature with a yellow face and slitted black eyes. A green bib was placed under its chin while it had stubby yellow feet shaped like triangles.

"Budew, Budew!" Budew uttered.

Vegeta scrunched up his face in displeasure. "The hell is that?"

"Awww! It's so cute!" Dawn cooed. She brought out her Pokédex once more and scanned Budew's form.

"Scanning Pokémon 025: Budew, the Bud Pokémon. It is a Grass/Poison-type with Natural Cure and Poison Point as its possible abilities, and Leaf Guard as its only Hidden Ability. Description: Sensitive to changing temperature, the bud is said to bloom when it feels the sun's warm touch. Identified Gender Ratio: 50% Male and 50% Female. Specified Nature: Quiet." The Pokédex audibly announced.

As the description stated, Goku noticed that Budew's bud was fully open. One part sported a blue petal while the other was red. "I guess this Budew caused the sun to shine then, huh?"

"Yup. It probably used a move like Sunny Day or something." Barry presumed.

"You'd be correct, my friend." Someone replied. He was a young man with long black hair and blue eyes. His outfit comprised of a green cloak that was held down by a red pendent, white pants, and a green, wide-brimmed hat. He also possessed a pair of black boots and, more notably, a yellow harp that was held in between both of his hands. This harp appeared to be shaped like some sort of cat-like Pokémon, but Goku couldn't exactly tell what it was.

Smiling, the man got up from a nearby tree and walked closer to the group. He was significantly taller than all four of them, funnily enough.

"While normally it is used to strengthen Fire-type attacks, Sunny Day also helps soothe hardened hearts. For when your heart is filled with light, your mood becomes happy and bright. Don't you two feel better now?" The man asked as he played a soft melody on his harp.

"You bet! I feel like a 1,000,000 bucks now!" Barry beamed. The man then looked toward Vegeta, who was far more indifferent as always.

"The only mood I'm feeling is anger and irritation. And your "Sunny Day" crap just made that even worse."

"Budew?" The Bud Pokémon cried in confusion.

The man stopped playing his harp for a moment. "Ah, that's unfortunate. You must be a fairly unhappy person then."

Vegeta's expression soured. "Excuse me?"

"But, fret not! I, the Pokémon Bard, Nando, will continue to bring you and others joy with the soothing tunes of my music! And I'll continue to travel the entire world to do so. Isn't that right, my little Budew?" Nando exclaimed as he lightly strummed the strings of his harp.

"Bud! Budew!" Budew cheered.

The group blankly stared at Nando's little speech in surprise. Vegeta, on the other hand, shook his head and sighed.

"Just great. I've managed to find an even bigger clown than both Kakarot and Blondie combined." Vegeta mentally groaned.

"And what are your names?" Nando asked.

"The name's Barry! I'm gonna be Sinnoh's next Champion soon!"

"Hey, I'm Goku. It's nice to meet you, Nacho!" Goku cheerfully greeted.

The bard chuckled and said, "It's Nando, but likewise. Hehe."

"Yeah, sorry. I'm still really hungry. Heh." Goku sheepishly muttered.

Nando grinned at this goofy reply before addressing the aloof Vegeta. Said warrior scoffed and turned his head away from the calm, collected Pokémon Trainer.

"Vegeta."

This brisk response disheartened Nando a bit. In all of his prior travels, he's never once encountered someone whose heart was this closed off. It honestly made Vegeta one of a kind in some weird way.

Dawn, sensing Nando's disappointment, gave Vegeta the stink eye. She then looked toward Nando with a warm, considerate smile.

"No need to worry about him. Vegeta isn't exactly what you'd call a people person." She grumbled. "My name's Dawn. I'm planning to become a successful Pokémon Trainer and Coordinator like my parents."

"Both Coordinating and Battling, you say? Interesting. I'm dabbling in those two as well." Nando revealed.

Dawn gasped in delight. "Really?! That's great! It's good to know that I'm not the only one doing that."

"I dunno. Wouldn't training for Gym Battles and those Contest things be a bit time consuming? There's only so much you can do in one day." Goku wondered, given his own experiences with training as a martial artist.

"You'd be right, Goku. That's why I'm trying to decide which direction I should take with my journey. It's either one or the other, or both." Nando said.

"Well, if I were you, I wouldn't waste my time with some girly old contests, but…"

Before he could finish talking, Dawn suddenly grabbed the end of Barry's ear and pinched it. This seemed to hurt way more than expected.

"Shut it, Barry…" Dawn growled as one of her eyebrows began to twitch.

At the same time, Goku lightly rubbed his chin in thought.

"Hmmm…well, if you do want to make a decision about that, then how 'bout we have a battle? That way, you can test to see if your skills as a Trainer are up to snuff." He recommended.

"If that pleases you, I don't see why not." Nando complied with Goku's request.

Dawn bit her lip. "Oh, but Goku, don't you think I should battle him instead? We're going through similar experiences, after all."

Goku crossed both arms behind his head in uncertainty.

"Guess you got a point there. Though, I did kinda want to test out my new Magikarp…"

Since both kids seemed to have an interest in battling him, Nando came up with a compromise of sorts. "Should a Double Battle suffice then?"

"A Double what now?" Goku blankly asked.

"It's basically a special type of battle where teams of two Pokémon fight each other all at once. Experience is shared between both Pokémon by the end of it." Barry briefly described. Goku nodded along with a more enthusiastic grin.

"Woah. Sounds pretty neat." He said.

"Come on, Goku! It'll be fun." Dawn encouraged Goku while lightly tugging on his arm.

The martial artist couldn't exactly deny that level of enthusiasm. "Alright. If that's what you want, then let's do it then."

"Splendid. There's a clearing up ahead that'll be perfect for such a battle." Nando informed. He then walked in front of the group and led the way.

"Man, I was hoping I'd be able to battle him. Watching someone else's battle isn't nearly as cool." Barry groaned.

"For once, I agree with you. A battle against this pretentious clown won't be engaging in the slightest." Vegeta glowered in dismay. If he knew this weirdo was going to show up, he would have put more time into catching another Pokémon. It'd be to his own benefit, at least.

Barry slightly winced. "Yeesh. I wouldn't go that far, but…at least, we're sorta on the same page now? I think?"

"Feh. Don't get used to it."

Walking in front of those two, Goku began to examine the details of Nando's unusual instrument. Its appearance was unique enough to pique his interest.

"By the way, is your harp based on some Pokémon that lives here, Nando?" He asked.

"Ah, yes. Quite perceptive of you, Goku." Nando praised. He then gestured to the harp's most prominent details. "It is based on a Mythical Pokémon from the Kanto Region known as Mew. Legends say that it's the shared ancestor of all Pokémon and thus, has the ability to transform into any known species."

"Mew, hm? Seems really powerful." The martial artist admitted. Like in his world, it appeared that looks could be deceiving. Who knew a small cat-looking thing could be capable of such abilities?

Nando nodded in confirmation. "It is. Since Mew exists as the embodiment of all Pokémon DNA in one single body, I feel its likeness works well with my harp. I wish to bring a sense of unity to all people and Pokémon with my music, you know?"

"I don't exactly get it, but yeah, I see what you're saying, I think." Goku shrugged in semi-understanding.

Nando chuckled. "I suppose that's suitable enough for me, Goku. Hehe."

"Bud! Bud!" Budew giggled in a similar manner.

As Nando described, the group arrived at an open field within Route 202. He and Budew positioned themselves on one side, preparing for battle.

"We may start the battle whenever you're ready." Nando said calmly. "But, first…"

The Pokémon Bard pulled out another Poké Ball and threw it. It popped open to reveal a small Bug-type Pokémon with stubby black hands and feet. Alongside having a pair of black, curled up antennae, it also had beady white eyes, and a red head that matched its body and circular nose. The Pokémon also had a yellow collar that coiled around its head and neck.

"Kricketot!" It warbled.

"Meet Kricketot. He'll be helping Budew battle your Pokémon." Nando introduced another member of his team.

"You sure have some cute Pokémon, Nando." Dawn giggled. She brought out her Pokédex once more and read through Kricketot's entry.

"Scanning Pokémon 015: Kricketot, the Cricket Pokémon. It is a Bug-type Pokémon with Shed Skin as its ability and Run Away as its Hidden Ability. Description: Its legs are short. Whenever it stumbles, its stiff antennae clack with a xylophone-like sound. Identified Gender Ratio: 50% Male and 50% Female. Specified Nature: Relaxed."

"Looks like Kricketot specializes in sound-based moves…" Dawn noted under her breath. "You ready for this, Goku?"

"Yup! Let's do this already." Goku happily bobbed his head.

"Kay! Let's make a gorgeous entrance for your second battle, Piplup!" Dawn brought out Piplup's Poké Ball and gracefully tossed it. "Spotlight!"

Piplup emerged from the ball with both flippers on her hips. "Piplup Pip!"

"Guess I'll do the same then. Go, Magikarp!" Goku cried out. His Poké Ball unveiled the giant Magikarp as he helplessly flailed about on the grass.

"I see. It appears that both of you are deciding to go with two Water-types for this battle. That's an interesting—"

Suddenly, to Goku's surprise, Magikarp powerfully bounced into the air and began to steadily crash down toward Nando's Pokémon.

The bard's eyes uncharacteristically popped out of their sockets in shock. "W-WHY IN THE WORLD IS THAT MAGIKARP SO HUGE?!"

The gasping fish then made contact with the ground, creating a massive shockwave that sent Budew and Kricketot flying across the entire field.

"D-Dew!"

"T-Tot!"

Both Pokémon painfully smacked into the ground, causing about half of their HP to drop down in an instant. Nevertheless, they managed to stand up and keep battling.

"Wow. I never thought I'd the see the day where a Magikarp would actually be useful." Barry whispered from the sidelines. He didn't even want to think of what kind of monster this Magikarp could be as a Gyarados. Goku sure had some pretty good luck on his side.

Flabbergasted by this moment, Nando coughed a few times to regain his composure. "V-Very impressive. The power of your Magikarp's Splash attack seemed to be strengthened by its size."

"Is that what happened? I didn't even tell him to do anything there. Weird." Goku replied in puzzlement. "But, good job, Magikarp! That's one way to start a battle."

"Karp! Karp!" The Water-type cried happily.

"That was good, Goku, but now, it's Piplup's time to shine!" Dawn confidently proclaimed. She looked directly at Nando's Budew as it stared into space.

"Since Budew's a Grass-type, I want you to use Peck!" She ordered. With that, Piplup's beak glowed white and slightly grew in size.

"Pip Pip! Plup!" The Penguin Pokémon charged at Budew with a fierce, determined glare. Nando, however, didn't seem concerned by this at all.

"Dodge that, please." He instructed. Right as Piplup was about to hit Budew, it leapt into the air and performed a forward somersault.

"Oh no! Why is it so fast?!" Dawn grimaced.

"Now, use Bullet Seed on Goku's Magikarp." Nando stated. Still in midair, Budew spun its body around and locked eyes with the defenseless Magikarp.

"Bud! Dew dew dew!"

Multiple seeds sprung out of Budew's mouth and sailed toward said Water-type at exceptionally fast speeds.

"Shoot! He's too big to move out of the way in time." Goku glowered. Sadly, all he could do was watch as Magikarp took the Bullet Seed at full force.

"K-Karp!" The fish gasped in pain.

"Just hang in there, Magikarp. You can do this!" Goku tried his best to soothe the Water-type's panicked state. Sharing direct eye contact with his trainer, Magikarp tried to calm himself down for the time being.

Nando tipped his hat down, smirking. "As for you, Kricketot, please use Struggle Bug on both Piplup and Magikarp."

"Both of them? That's not fair!" Goku shouted.

"Kricketot Tot!" The Cricket Pokémon unleashed a series of small green projectiles that encircled its two opponents. Upon being gathered together, the projectiles rapidly struck Magikarp and Piplup's respective bodies from various angles.

"M-Magi…karp! Karp!"

"P-Pip Piplup!"

Dawn frowned in concern. "Try to dodge it, Piplup!"

The Water-type starter begrudgingly nodded as she leapt about the area to evade most of Kricketot's Struggle Bug.

"Pip, Pip, Pip!" She tweeted. By the end of this little evasive maneuver, Piplup was in a much better state than Magikarp overall. It was a miracle that Magikarp could even remain conscious, in fact.

"Phew. Real nice work there, Piplup." Dawn sighed in relief. Feeling sorry for all the damage Magikarp had to endure, she suddenly thought over a new strategy.

"Alright, Goku. I'll be using my next attack to knock out Kricketot. Try to get at least one more hit in on Budew with Magikarp." Dawn quietly whispered over to Goku. "I have a feeling it has a special trick up its sleeve."

Although Dawn was mostly referring to Budew's Sunny Day move, Goku was too focused on the figure of speech she said to really notice.

"Wait, but Budew doesn't even have a sleeve?" Goku obliviously asked.

Dawn huffed. "Ugh. Never mind that! Just do what I told you."

She furrowed her eyebrows and glanced over at Piplup. "Use Peck on Kricketot!"

"Piiiplup!" Yellow beak glowing once more, Piplup dived directly towards Kricketot. However, this time, Nando's Pokémon wasn't quick enough to avoid it.

"Tot!" The Bug-type screamed as Piplup's beak pierced straight into its stomach. Due to Peck being super effective, Kricketot was flung into the ground and fell unconscious.

"Kricke…tot…" It groaned with black swirls in its eyes. Nando just closed his eyes in dismay.

"Yes! That's one down!" Dawn pumped her fist in glee.

"Nice one! Looks like we won't be hearing any Kricketots chirping now." Barry joked from the sidelines.

"Return. You deserve a gentle, soothing rest." Nando murmured comfortingly as he placed Kricketot back into its Poké Ball. "Quite commendable efforts so far, my friends, but this battle is far from over. Budew has a special tune just waiting to be played."

"Bring it on then, Nando! We can take it." Goku chided in anticipation.

"Hmph. If you insist." Nando murmured. He lightly strummed his fingers along the harp's strings. "Sunny Day, please."

"Budeeeew…" The Grass/Poison-type hummed. Like before, the sun's light became far more intense and potent.

"That again? Why wouldn't just use Bullet Seed on Magikarp?" Goku wondered in confusion. After all, Magikarp was close to fainting at this point.

He then brought out his Pokédex and looked over Magikarp's moves. There was Splash, a move that usually did nothing, but could be enhanced by Magikarp's abnormal size, and Tackle. Despite that not being the best attack out there, Goku was just relieved that Magikarp actually had a normal means of defending himself.

"Okay. Use Tackle, Magikarp!" Goku ordered. Narrowing his widened eyes, Magikarp used the ground as a makeshift launchpad and bounced himself against Budew's body.

"KARP!" Magikarp yelled.

"Dew!" Budew seethed in pain. Fortunately for Nando, it managed to sidestep away from Magikarp, so his Tackle only grazed part of Budew's body, rather than the entire thing.

Goku looked slightly impressed. "Man, that little guy sure is fast."

"Naturally. Budew's Speed stat is her specialty next to Special Defense." Nando proudly informed.

"Dew…Dew…Dew…" Budew lightly gasped for breath.

Seeing Budew in such a watered down state, Dawn's determination to win this battle was at an all-time high. "A high Special Defense won't save it from Peck then, Nando! Try to hit Budew this time, Piplup!"

"Piplup Pip-Pip!" Piplup fumed. She spun her body around, making Peck function like some sort of corkscrew in terms of motion.

"Jump in the air and dodge it, please." Nando said with little concern. As instructed, Budew used its little legs to backflip into the air.

Piplup soared past the area Budew used to be, causing her to become a bit dizzy from using Peck.

"P-Plup…Pip?" The Water-type woozily squeaked out.

Dawn dejectedly snapped her fingers. "Dang it! Piplup's just not fast enough."

Her and Goku looked up into the sky, trying to get a good idea of what Budew was doing. To their bewilderment, they saw Budew's bud open up in midair.

"Now, Budew," Nando paused for dramatic effect. "Use your Solar Beam!"

"W-What?" Dawn gasped.

"A Budew with Solar Beam?! You've got to be kidding!" Barry yelled in shock. Vegeta covered his ears to drone out Barry's incessant screaming.

"When you have TM22, it is quite possible, actually. And with Sunny Day in effect for five turns in total, there's no need to charge it up." Nando coolly revealed his strategy. "Release fire on Piplup, Budew."

"Buuud…Budew!" After sunlight gathered into the top of Budew's head, she unleashed a devastating blast of yellow-white energy. It was as if Budew was shooting a beam from the sun itself in a way.

"Woah. It straight up looks like a ki blast!" Goku mentally noted. He didn't think something as small as Budew could be capable of unleashing such a powerful attack.

Solar Beam hit Piplup head on, causing her to scream in horror. "PIIIIIIPLUP!"

Filled to the brim with scorch marks, Piplup abruptly collapsed onto the grass and fainted. Her body ever-so-slightly twitched from these wounds.

"No! Piplup!" Dawn cried in concern. She knelt down and clutched Piplup in her arms.

"I'm so sorry, Piplup. Please get some rest now." Dawn whispered. She sent Piplup back into her Poké Ball without another word.

"P-Pip…" The Water-type stuttered as she dematerialized into red static.

Dawn drooped her eyes and put Piplup's Poké Ball away. She then darted her eyes toward Goku, waiting to see what he'd do.

Goku gave her a small grin. "Come on, Magikarp. Use Tackle before Budew can fire another Solar Beam.

Unfortunately, Magikarp was too nervous to even move a muscle. "K-Karp! Karp!"

"Huh? What are you doing, Magikarp? Use Tackle!" Goku repeated in a more concerned tone.

Instead, Magikarp just used Splash and as usual, did absolutely nothing. This refusal to comply with Goku's orders caused Vegeta to facepalm.

"How embarrassing…" He grumbled. Vegeta had a feeling Kakarot made a mistake not eating that fish when he had the chance.

"Solar Beam once more." Nando ordered. Budew landed on the ground and shot another blast at Magikarp.

Upon impact, Magikarp instantly fainted due to Solar Beam's super effective status. "Magi…karp…"

"Aw, man! Sorry about that, Magikarp." Goku apologized. He sent Magikarp back into a Poké Ball and shook his head.

"The battle isn't over yet. Both Dawn and I have two other Pokémon left to use." Goku said. He rummaged through his backpack and brought out another Poké Ball.

"Let's go, Chimchar!" He called out. The ball popped open to reveal said Fire-type monkey.

"Chimchar!" He cheeped happily. He seemed to be basking in the sunlight's rays with a wide, mischievous grin.

Dawn did the same. "You too, Cherubi!"

"Cheruu!" The cherry-like Pokémon said while lightly bouncing in place. Surprisingly, in spite of her small stature, she was still bigger than Budew by comparison.

"A Fire and Grass-type, hm? That's certainly a change of pace." Nando mused.

Remembering what Nando said about Sunny Day's effects, Goku examined Chimchar. He noticed that his fiery tail was much more lively than it was during the battle against Vegeta.

The Saiyan smirked. "It's time to finish this, Chimchar! Move closer to Budew and use Ember!"

"Chim!" Chimchar nodded. At higher than average speeds, Chimchar sprinted to his intended target.

"So fast…" Nando grimaced. It appeared that Chimchar's Speed stat was arguably even higher than Budew's.

"Prepare to counterattack with another Solar Beam, Budew." Nando advised with caution. Narrowing her eyes, Budew gathered sunlight into her bud once again.

"Dewww!" She cried. All of a sudden, Budew's form was engulfed by a white, ethereal glow. Everyone, including Vegeta, were stunned by this event.

"What's this?" Nando inquired.

"B-Budew's evolving in the middle of a battle?! That's incredible!" Dawn stammered in disbelief. She didn't think such an occurrence was even possible.

The light surrounding Budew grew in size until a new Pokémon was revealed. It was a small, light green creature that seemed much more humanoid than Budew. Along with having three thorns on tops of its head, this Pokémon had black eyes with long eyelashes and roses on each of its arms. The right arm's rose was red while the left arm's rose was blue, much like the appearance of Budew's bud when it bloomed. While bigger than Budew, its evolved from was still comparatively smaller than Cherubi for some reason.

"Roselia Rose!" Roselia announced her name. She batted her eyelashes and performed a small curtsy of sorts.

Vegeta quirked a brow and brought out his Pokédex. He had no clue how a small, pathetic-looking shrub became…whatever that thing was.

"Scanning Pokémon 026: Roselia, the Thorn Pokémon. It is a Grass/Poison-type Pokémon and the evolved form of Budew. Possible abilities include Natural Cure and Poison Point with Leaf Guard as its only Hidden Ability. Description: The more healthy the Roselia, the more pleasant its flowers' aroma. Its scent deeply relaxes people. Identified Gender Ratio: 50% Male and 50% Female. Specified Nature: Quiet."

"Tch. Doesn't seem all that impressive." Vegeta grunted.

"I really need to get me one of those…" Barry muttered to himself. Overhearing this, Vegeta figured the moron's clear interest in this Roselia already proved his observation to be true. Barry seemed to be the type of person who'd be impressed by everything, especially if it had to do with Pokémon.

"An interesting development to say the least, but a welcome one." Nando said while stroking his chin. "Solar Beam, if you'd be so kind, Roselia."

"Rose…ROSELIA!" Roselia pressed her roses together and unleashed a massive Solar Beam that was clearly more powerful than the others. This already showed how beneficial evolution was in terms of improving one's strength.

"Now's your chance! Ember, Chimchar!" Goku commanded.

Nodding, Chimchar ran on all fours and managed flip over Roselia's Solar Beam as it touched the ground. Plumes of black smoke billowed behind him as Chimchar leapt into the air and used his only Fire-type move.

"Chim, Chim, Chimchar!" Chimchar opened his mouth and shot out multiple pellets of fire. These orange, infernal pellets relentlessly smacked into Roselia's head, face, and body.

"Ahhhh!" Roselia screamed in response to Ember's burning sensation. She woozily stepped back and collapsed in on herself.

"R-Rose…selia…" The Thorn Pokémon weakly cried. She then fainted, much to Nando's displeasure.

"Well, that's the end, Roselia. It seems that we lost." The bard sighed.

"Yeah, we did it! Amazing as always, buddy!" Goku cheered, giving his starter a well-deserved thumbs up.

"Chimchar Chim!" Chimchar repeated the same gesture and sniggered. Goku then returned him to his Poké Ball with the utmost satisfaction.

Dawn knelt down next to Cherubi, smiling. "Sorry you didn't get to do much, Cherubi. I promise you'll get a chance to battle soon."

"Bibi." Cherubi nodded. After that, she was sent back to her Poké Ball as well.

Nando picked up the fallen Roselia and warmly grinned. "A brilliant effort. Please take some time to rest."

"Thanks for battling us, Nando! Your Pokémon were pretty strong!" Goku exclaimed.

"I'll say. You managed to take down both Piplup and Magikarp with Budew…erm…I mean, Roselia alone. That's really impressive." Dawn commended Nando on his battling abilities.

"I should say the same to you. You're exceptionally skilled battlers for your age. I would have never guessed that you'd just be starting out on your journeys." Nando kindly admitted.

"Yep. This is only my second battle so far!" Goku replied.

Dawn sheepishly played with the strands of her hair. "Mine too. But, as you can tell, I still have a lot to learn."

"Nothing wrong with that. Every battle you participate in will bring forth more and more experience. And judging by how well your Piplup did against Kricketot, I can tell you'll be a strong Trainer and Coordinator one day. I guarantee it."

"Wow. That's so nice of you to say, Nando. Thank you." Dawn beamed in gratitude.

"My pleasure. But, I should be the one thanking you, Dawn and Goku."

"What for?" Goku asked.

"Seeing your different styles of battling, I've ultimately decided to participate in both the Sinnoh League and Grand Festival." Nando exclaimed, not wishing to give up either form of training in the end. "So, as both a Pokémon Coordinator and Pokémon Trainer, I'm looking forward to seeing how our paths cross in the future."

"That's great! We'll have to battle again sometime." Goku replied in excitement.

"I wouldn't mind that at all." Nando nodded in agreement. "Speaking of which, are you planning to participate in Jubilife City's Contest Hall, Dawn?"

"Oh, right! I completely forgot about that!" Dawn widened her eyes in realization. "You bet I am. This will be my first Contest, so I want to make it worthwhile."

"Then, I suppose I'll see you there. That'll be my first Contest in awhile as well." Nando nodded his head.

Before he could walk away, Nando glanced at Vegeta and leaned over to Dawn's ear.

"Oh and by the way, I wasn't going to mention this, but what's with that Vegeta fellow's odd getup? I've never seen anything like it before." Nando wondered curiously.

Barry, deciding to intrude on the conversation, observed Nando from top to bottom. "Isn't that like the pot calling the kettle black?"

"What do you mean?" Nando asked.

Barry shrugged. "Nothing, nothing. Just an observation."

Dawn lightly glared at Barry for his poor attempt at a joke. She then gestured to Vegeta and Goku with her hand.

"See, Goku and Vegeta come from a…well…far-off region of sorts. That's why their outfits are a bit different from ours."

"Far-off region? Hmph. Is that why Vegeta is so…how you say…antisocial?" Nando inferred.

Dawn shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. That's just how he is."

"Ah, I see. Pity." Nando whispered sympathetically. "I bid you farewell then. Until we meet again in Jubilife City, my friends."

"Bye, Nando!" Dawn waved.

"See ya later!" Goku waved him off in a more enthusiastic manner.

As Nando made his way down the path to Jubilife City, Vegeta reconvened with the others.

"Good. I thought he would never leave." He grunted.

"You gotta admit that he was pretty good at battling, though. I don't think your Piplup would fare much better against that Solar Beam move." Goku pointed out.

Vegeta couldn't exactly deny any of those statements. "I suppose you're right about that. But, even so, his personality just pisses me off. I don't buy that whole "bringing joy with my music" crap for a second."

"Oh, you're just mad that his music and Budew's Sunny Day didn't leave an impact on you." Barry mischievously proclaimed.

"No, I'm mad at you for making asinine statements like that every five seconds." Vegeta growled.

"Sure, Veggie. Whatever you say." The blonde Trainer said in a sarcastic tone.

"Knock it off, guys. Goku and I need to find a Pokémon Center in Jubilife." Dawn informed as she pointed to the end of Route 202. "The exit isn't that far ahead, so let's keep walking."

"Does that mean we can—"

"Yes, Goku. We'll be sure to eat when we get there." Dawn amusedly rolled her eyes.

"Great! I'm starving!" Goku eagerly whooped.

"If I had a nickel for every time I've heard him say that…" Vegeta grumbled in irritation.

"You'd be rich, right?" Barry chimed in.

"Well, I'm technically already rich back in my world, but yes." The Saiyan Prince nonchalantly replied.

Barry nodded a few times before realizing what Vegeta just mentioned. "Wait, what?!"

As Barry relentlessly hammered Vegeta with one irrelevant question after another, Mesprit became tangible in the skies above them. It was pleased that Goku accepted its gift with relatively open arms.

"Mess…Mesprit." The Legendary Pokémon bobbed its head in satisfaction.

Despite wanting to see what else Goku would do, Mesprit ultimately decided to take a break and head back to Lake Verity. Staying away from its main territory for too long wasn't exactly the best idea at this time.

"Messss!" Mesprit yawned. It gave one last look at Goku before teleporting away in a flash of blue light.

In that moment, Goku looked behind his shoulder. He squinted his eyes, trying to see where that energy could have originated from.

"Something wrong, Goku?" Dawn asked.

Goku didn't exactly know how to answer that question. "I don't think so. I just thought I saw something for a second."

"It was probably just a Starly or another Flying-type. Don't worry about it." Dawn assured him.

"Yeah, you're right." Goku nodded, albeit with a smidge of uncertainty. Maybe this had something do with Magikarp falling out of the sky?

Heeding Dawn's advice, Goku shook his head and continued walking over to Jubilife City's entrance. Now, all he needed to worry about was getting some food in his stomach as fast as possible.

Mt. Coronet, Team Galactic Headquarters' Basement

After an incredibly awkward trip in the Headquarters' elevator, Emperor Pilaf, Mai, and Shu were brought to a fairly open facility. The walls contained shelves upon shelves of Poké Balls, Great Balls, and Ultra Balls, some of which were labeled with names of Pokémon they held. These shelves were even categorized by specific regions that Pilaf couldn't exactly pronounce to save his life.

"Ho-enn? Kay-los? U-Nova? What in the hell kinds of names are these?" Pilaf thought in puzzlement.

"Assuming that you're wondering what those names are, they describe regions from across the globe. Each region has their own species of Pokemon and we have most, if not all kinds of them at our disposal." Cyrus explained in a monotone voice. Pilaf nervously nodded, wondering how in the hell this freak managed to read his mind.

"Yeesh. That must be a lot then." Shu muttered.

"Over 1000, give or take a few." Mars added with little change in her expression.

Mai gaped at this number. "Are you serious?! T-That might as well be a whole army."

"It is, obviously. But, unfortunately, most of our grunts are too incompetent to handle the stronger species." Sird sneered. She then glared down at the trio. "You'd best hope that you're not the same way."

The Pilaf Gang collectively gulped. """Y-Yes, ma'am."""

"Good. Now, I want you to select as many Pokémon from these walls as you wish. However, the maximum is six, so choose wisely." Cyrus advised.

Mars crossed her arms and frowned. "Master Cyrus, are you sure this is a good idea? We know barely anything about these three. For all we know, they could double-cross us at any moment."

"No need to be concerned, Mars. We already possess the Dragon Radar, so without us, Pilaf and his gang have no way to locate the Dragon Balls as initially planned." Cyrus said. He then thought about Mt. Coronet's immense height. "Besides, if they do, in fact, decide to rebel, we could always drop them off somewhere."

"Right. I shouldn't have doubted you." Mars closed her eyes, smiling. Sird snorted at this behavior with a malicious smirk.

"Tch. Just choose some Pokémon and get a move on." She ordered. "We still have to test your skills in a battle."

Not exactly knowing where to begin, the Pilaf Gang awkwardly examined each shelf. There were so many Poké Balls to choose from that grabbing some by random would probably be a quicker option. However, neither of the three wanted to be screwed over with a weak Pokémon in their possession, especially when compared to say, Cyrus' Houndoom, Sird's Persian, or Charon's Porygon-Z.

For all they knew, some Pokémon could be at a severe disadvantage ability or appearance wise. This brought up a question in Pilaf's head.

"So, how exactly did your…ergh…Pokémon become so strong?" Pilaf asked.

"Through training them, of course. While certain Pokemon only have a single stage all their lives, others can have one or two evolutions that can significantly change their appearance. Evolutions also exponentially enhance their strength and power as well." Cyrus explained the strange phenomenon that was Pokémon evolution.

Curious, Mai joined in on the conversation. "So, would selecting a fully evolved Pokémon be the better option then?"

"If you want to die painfully, I suppose. Pokémon need to be accustomed to their masters before learning to follow orders. Owning a fully grown Pokemon from the start will increases its chances of going rogue and disobeying your every command." Sird warned. She then smirked and rested a hand on her chest. "There are exceptions, of course. But, I doubt you have as much of a hold on a Pokémon's mind as myself."

"Feh. Someone's humble…" Mai thought sarcastically. Observing the 'Kalos' row, she quirked a brow and looked through there.

"S-Smaller Pokémon it is then…" Shu stammered. He glanced over at the 'Hoenn' category before spotting multiple Poké Balls labeled Pokemon #261, Poochyena. Considering his experience with the Dog Police back home, Shu figured commanding a team of six dog-like creatures wouldn't be too difficult for him. He quickly grabbed six Poochyena and stood to the side.

Mai, on the other hand, selected about two Poké Balls and one Great Ball. They contained Pokemon #677, Espurr, Pokemon #692, Clauncher, and Pokemon #441, Chatot. Although she stopped at three, Mai thought they had enough variety in terms of appearance and typing. It was better than grabbing six of the same thing like Shu did.

Last, but not least, Emperor Pilaf tapped his chin indecisively. He always hated being the last person to select stuff and thus, broke out into a cold, unwavering sweat.

"We don't have all day, Pilaf. Make a decision." Sird sourly spat.

Emperor Pilaf ground his teeth in annoyance. "Don't rush me, you dolt! I'm thinking…"

Mars struggled not to laugh while Sird glared daggers at the blue dwarf standing before her.

"What in the hell did you just call me, you little piece of—"

"Enough, Sird. Just give him some time." Cyrus interrupted her small rant. Sird haughtily upturned her chin in outrage, but didn't dare say anything else.

"Alright. I think I've picked a group worthy of my greatness!" Pilaf grinned in satisfaction.

In the end, he chose Pokémon #769, Sandygast, from Alola, Pokémon #351, Castform, from Hoenn, Pokémon #46, Paras, and two selections of Pokémon #100, Voltorb. They were all contained in Poké Ball with the exception of Castform, whom had a Great Ball.

With that, Mai had three Pokémon, Pilaf had five Pokémon, and Shu had a full team of six. This already put them at a slight advantage over Vegeta and Goku in terms of number. Power, however, was something that still needed to be determined.

"Yeah. Greatness." Mars lightly gagged.

"Well, now that you've got your selections out of the way, it's time to see how they'll in an actual battle." Cyrus stated authoritatively. "Turn the lights on, Sird."

"On it." She replied. She walked over to a switch on the nearby wall and twisted it.

Once the lights were activated, a rectangular stadium was revealed to be located below this platform. It was metallic gray in color and contained the Team Galactic logo inside of a white, outlined Poké Ball.

Shu scratched one of his ears. "Huh. How did we not see that before?"

"It doesn't matter. All you need to do is go down the stairs and bring your new Pokémon." Cyrus said. He then gestured to the stadium with his hand. "In the arena, you'll be battling Mars, Mai will be battling Sird, and Pilaf will be battling myself. Is that exact order understood?"

"Y-Yes. I believe so." Pilaf begrudgingly nodded his head.

"Let us begin then." Team Galactic's leader ever-so-slightly smirked. "You'll be going first, Mars. Don't disappoint me."

"I wouldn't dream of it." The redhead airily proclaimed. Her mood then took a swift 180 when addressing Shu. "Come along, mutt. This should be quick…"

"Mutt?" Shu repeated in offense.

They walked down the stairs and stood at each of the stadium's respective sides. While Mars stood in calm, collected silence, Shu clasped his hands together nervously.

"I hope I made the right choice with these Poochyena things."

Meanwhile, Cyrus and Sird remained atop the upper platform. They sat down in front of a computer interface that seemed to control a screen installed somewhere above the arena. This high definition screen displayed Mars and Shu's names, along with the amount of Pokémon they owned. Mars had about four in total, but two others were either blank or purposely kept concealed.

Mai noticed this. "So, does Mars have two other Pokémon or something?"

"Yes, but they're currently in storage at the moment. Those last two are exceptionally powerful, so she only uses them for emergencies." Cyrus coldly replied.

"I see." Mai nodded.

Cyrus then pressed a button that projected his voice across the room. "The point of this exercise is to survive more than anything else. I don't expect you to beat Mars, Shu, but try to use any of your Poochyena's moves as effectively as possible."

"Erm, what moves?" Shu obliviously wondered. Mars sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"There should be a list of attacks located inside the Poké Balls. Just send out one of the Poochyena and you'll see what they are." Cyrus explained from afar.

Shu shakily brought a Poké Ball in front of his face. "O-Okay. Got it."

"Prepare yourself, dog. No one will go easy on you in a battle like this, especially me." Mars spat in a brutally honest tone. She then grabbed an Ultra Ball from her uniform's pocket and prepared to throw it.

Cyrus clasped his hands together and set them in front of his mouth. "Begin."

"Go, Purugly!" Mars cried.

Her Ultra Ball was thrown to reveal an overweight, 3'03'' tall cat with gray-white fur. It had piercing yellow eyes and large ears that were both tipped purple at the end. Its whiskers had a zigzag pattern while its tailed was springy and forked at the tip. Based on Purugly's facial expression, it was not a Pokémon to be messed up with.

"Purrrug!" Purugly roared.

"Well, that name does fit…" Shu commented jokingly. Purugly, hearing this joke, narrowed her eyes and revealed a pair of sharp, knife-like claws.

"I suggest you don't repeat that. My little Purugly's very sensitive about her weight." Mars cooed as she lovingly stroked Purugly's side.

"Mroww…" The Tiger Cat Pokémon purred happily.

"Well, as you can obviously tell, I'm not much of a cat person, lady." Shu snapped. He then took a deep breath and tossed his own Poké Ball.

"Help me out here, Poochyena!" Shu called.

From the Poké Ball, this Poochyena was a small, 1'08'' canine with red eyes and yellow pupils. It had gray, spiky fur, black paws, stomach, face, and a red nose. Its teeth were sharp enough stick out at the side of its jaws as well.

"Poochy! Poochyena!" Poochyena growled aggressively. Although it acted ferocious, Poochyena was significantly smaller than Purugly by a large margin.

"Aw, crud! I did not think this through, did I?" Shu blurted out in dismay.

Up on the platform, Mai and Emperor Pilaf darted their eyes at one another. Pilaf just sighed and said, "Welp, this isn't gonna last long."

While Poochyena fearlessly glared at Purugly, Shu began to shake in his boots and hope that the poor Bite Pokémon wasn't put on life support after this.

He stumbled over Poochyena's Poké Ball and found the list of moves Cyrus told him about. On it, the moves, Tackle, Howl, Bite, and Sand Attack, were listed.

"A-Alright. Use Bite, I guess, Poochyena!" Shu unsurely ordered.

Upon command, Poochyena fully opened its jaw and pounced toward the obese cat. "Pooch Poochy!"

Mars stood completely still, not at all concerned with Poochyena's low-level attack. She lazily brushed her short hair back and smirked.

"Dodge it…" Suddenly, Purugly dashed away so quickly that she disappeared from view. This left Shu, Pilaf, and Mai completely flabbergasted.

"What the hell? How is a fat cat moving so damn fast?!" Shu thought.

Poochyena's jaws then clamped down, but they weren't able to make contact with anything. "Poochy?"

After a few seconds, Purugly reappeared right behind the small Dark-type Pokémon. It turned around with a more nervous expression on its face.

"Purug…" The Normal-type lowly growled.

Mars deviously narrowed her eyes and pointed at the now-defenseless Poochyena. "Now, Purugly, let's Play Rough."

In that moment, Shu, to his horror, realized that Team Galactic's members weren't like any other typical Pokémon Trainer in this world. They were absolute monsters.

*And that's a wrap for Chapter 9! Not much happened in this chapter, but I hope you guys liked the double battle between Goku, Dawn, and Nando. Nando was a character I barely remember from the Diamond/Pearl anime, so I tried my best to write him accurately to that series. He'll be making frequent appearances in this story, especially in Jubilife City like I mentioned near the end. I also decided to give Dawn a Cherubi in order to reference the Pokémon Adventures manga where her counterpart, Platinum, had a Cherrim. Dawn will be getting other Pokémon exclusive to the manga, but I won't spoil what those are just yet.

I finally managed to include another scene with the Pilaf Gang and Team Galactic too. It was a bit short, but I managed to select some Pokémon Pilaf and the others will be using in later chapters. They'll be based on attributes of the characters as they were in the original Dragon Ball series. They'll be appearing in Chapter 10, whenever I decide to start working on that.

Again, I apologize for the extensive wait, but I appreciate who's favorited, followed, and left reviews for this story. I very much appreciate it. However, I do want to point out that I don't need suggestions for Goku and Vegeta's teams. I've already planned them out, so you'll just need to wait and see what Pokémon they'll both have by the end. I originally had them all on my profile, but I decided to remove them because of potential spoilers.

With all that being said, please tell me what you think. Chapter 10 will take place in Jubilife City and have the potential first appearance of Cynthia. I'm really excited to write her character, so see you guys then.

Here's all the teams so far as well:

Goku

Chimchar/Gender: Male/

Magikarp/Gender: Male/

Vegeta

Piplup/Gender: Male/

Dawn

Piplup/Gender: Female/

Cherubi/Gender: Female/

Barry

Turtwig/Gender: Male/

Starly/Gender: Female/

Nando

Budew/Roselia/Gender: Female/

Kricketot/Gender: Male/

Emperor Pilaf

Sandygast/Gender: Male/

Castform/Gender: Female/

Paras/Gender: Male/

Voltorb (2)/Gender: Genderless/

Shu

Poochyena (6)/Genders: Male (3) and Female (3)/

Mai

Chatot/Gender: Female/

Espurr/Gender: Male/

Clauncher/Gender: Male/