From Trainer to Beast Tamer Pokémon Trainer! Reader x Twisted Wonderland

Chapter 69: Superstar

I own nothing.
Chapter 69: Superstar

"Aether signal tracking successful. We have arrived at the designated coordinates."
They landed outside the gates of Night Raven College, red and yellow leaves falling around them and the smell of autumn heavy in the air.
Sebek glanced around. "This is...Night Raven College, right?"
Silver nodded, glancing around. "All the trees are changing color. That must mean it's nearly Halloween."
"I know it's someone's dream, but it's kinda nice seein' the same ol' school building." Grim admitted as (Y/N) nodded in agreement.
Ortho then turned to Azul. "So... Azul Ashengrotto, how was your first dream-crossing?"
The octomer said nothing, standing still as a statue. It took a few minutes for all of them to realize he was borderline catatonic.
"Floyd handled it fine, but Jade certainly didn't." Silver began waving a hand over his eyes. "Azul doesn't seem visibly ill, but... Ah!"
"Has he passed out with his eyes open?" Sebek asked as (Y/N) stepped closer.
"Azul, respond if you can hear me!"
She clapped in his face and that finally snapped him out of it.
"...I'll take some motion sickness medicine in advance next time."
"You were quiet the whole time we were crossing between dreams, so I thought you were fine." Silver said a little guiltily. "I never imagined you'd passed out. I'm sorry for not noticing."
Azul was still quite stiff in his movements as (Y/N) steadied him. "Actually, I'm glad I passed out so soon into the journey. If anything, I'd prefer to be unconscious before we cross next time..."
"Ooh, that's smart thinking! If you're unconscious during the jump, you can minimize the strain regardless of your natural disposition." Ortho then began practicing his swings. "That makes a ton of sense! Mind if we try that out next time?"
"Why are you making chopping motions with your hand, Ortho?! I'll have you know I wholly reject any violent methods!"
(Y/N) stepped between them. "There will be no knocking each other unconscious unless we come across a Pokémon with a sleep move."
Grim, unsurprisingly, found this hilarious. "Myahaha! I'm losin' it picturing Silver and Sebek haulin' you around like a sack of potatoes."
Overhead, the bell began to ring as it normally did. It seemed as though this dream was similar in nature to Epel's in that it did little to affect the routine of their school lives. Given who was left to rescue, (Y/N) had a few possible candidates for whose dream this was.
"Afternoon classes must have just let out." Sebek noted as Silver pulled out his pen.
"We should change into our school uniforms, then."
Azul nodded. "Agreed. Students don't typically go around campus in their dorm uniform outside of special occasions."
With little trouble, Silver swapped his and Azul's clothes for their normal uniforms, catching Sebek off guard.
"Wh... Silver! Since when have you mastered outfit-changing magic?!"
"It's not that I couldn't use it before. It's just that I need to fully focus to pull it off without any trouble. And I'm especially used to changing into my school uniform. I really rely on it when I accidentally oversleep. This spell is the main thing keeping me from being tardy more often. But I'm less confident in my ability to pull it off when there are distractions afoot, like when we're fighting. So I've been using Idia's spell instead."
"Idia's spell?" Azul repeated as Ortho chuckled excitedly.
"Heheheh, you're about to see it for yourself. Let's do this, Sebek!"
"Rrh... If I must."
"Dream Magical Makeover!"
Azul stumbled back as the two transformed, having not gotten a good look when Silver transformed his own clothes.
"Wh... What was that bizarre spell?!"
"Bizarre?" Idia repeated, offended. "Ugh, normies and their complete lack of appreciation for otaku aesthetics...The presence—or lack thereof—of a clutch catchphrase in transformation scenes is a deciding factor in how hype the viewers get."
Azul shot the tablet a look. "You and your nonsense. You're the only viewer who's even here."
"Hey, Styx staff are watching us 24/7. And Styx staff all are nerds. Do the math."
"Jade and Floyd liked it well enough." Ortho added.
"Floyd I get, but Jade too?"
"Jade was actually the most into it out of the two of them, if I recall..."
"For that matter, doesn't that mean both of them were incapable of basic outfit-changing spells? They're supposed to be Octavinelle's upper management. That's simply sad."
"It was also being able to switch between their merforms." (Y/N) explained as Idia jumped back on.
"She's right. The voice command lets you change up more than just your outfit. The spell formula I inscribed in their magestones lets them shapeshift to specific forms, too. It's basically a way of insta-swapping from merform to land form without needing a transmutation potion. Only inside Malleus's arcane realm, of course."
Azul then nodded, a look of realization on his face. "Aha. That makes more sense. In the real world, you need to register with the Bureau of Magic and get special permission to use full-body transformation spells or potions."
"Speaking of which, I noticed you've changed from your merform into your land form." Silver noted. "Did you transform yourself?"
"Indeed. By the time my dream world collapsed and Milotic and I got pulled into the abyss, I'd realized I was having a nightmare, and was thus able to make the change."
"Not many people could assess their own situation so calmly when every second counted. I'm impressed, Azul."
Grim crossed his arms. "Daaang. Guess that's why even Jamil was all like, "Azul sucks, but he's still a Dorm Leader.""
"I suck...? That's quite a scathing thing to say about his own classmate."
Sebek glared at the cat. "Come now, Grim. Don't mislead him. What Jamil actually said was... "Unpleasant and unprincipled as he is, I suppose he is still a Dorm Leader. His addition to the group would definitely be a huge asset.""
(Y/N) gripped her nose. "Sebek, not helping."
"Just to put it out there, Azul's imagination is strong enough to construct a dream far removed from reality without that dream collapsing in on itself." Idia said, a hint of amusement in his tone as the tablet bounced. "Reconstructing external appearances without support's gotta be cake from him. Otherwise...he'd never be able to be a sports club's star player and yell out a doofy finisher move name with a straight face. Hee hee hee!"
"Huh? What? A finisher move...? Ah!" His face went pale as the memory came back. "AAAUGH!"
"And if you want proof, look no further than a certain sports star's autograph right here on the back of my tablet..."
Azul grabbed the device, trying desperately to scrub it off. "I can't handle this embarrassment! I'll wipe it off right now. Please, let me wipe it off!"
"Whoa, watch it! That's hot! Could you please not scrub my tablet to the point it generates heat?!"
"I don't see why you're so embarrassed. Sure, some parts of the dream were kinda messed up, but it's a perfectly fine dream for a student to have. Right, (Y/N)?"
"Beat finding you lounging in a bathtub full of thaumarks, sipping mocktails." She pointed out.
He looked at her. "You really think so lowly of me?"
"I think my expectations are completely within reason."
"She's right, of course. And she declared a rule to hold dreams against one another." She interjected. "You've got nothing to fret about."
"Urgh... Please, just stop." The mer pleaded. "Getting consoled by ACTUAL star athletes will only make it worse for me."
Silver looked at (Y/N). "Are we considered star athletes?"
"Honestly, anyone mildly in shape compared to Azul could be considered."
Azul turned his head to the pale haired boy. "When an online news site featured footage from an equestrian competition you two took part in. One particular clip made the rounds on Magicam. The post said you looked like bona fide princes."
"...I had no idea. Did you know about this, Sebek?"
"Hardly!" The green haired male shouted. "I use Magicam only as a means of contact. I have no interest in the trivial videos and pictures humans post online."
"I see... Well, I can understand why everyone would make that prince comparison. After all, Samson, the horse I ride in competitions, is a true beauty of a white horse. Not to mention gallant—he never flinches in the face of hurdles. It makes perfect sense people would call him a prince."
That comment very much got under Sebek's skin. "I won't let that go unchallenged! If Samson is a prince, then my horse Tempest is as well. They say horses are often temperamental, but Tempest is both distinguished and obedient! A finer, more exemplary steed you'll never find! If anyone deserves to be called the prince of horses, it's him!"
"Um, the post was actually referring to the riders, not the horses..." Azul tried to point out as Idia sighed.
"Uuugh. Their sheer obliviousness and lack of self-awareness really gets on my nerves."
(Y/N) rubbed her head. "Wait, is that the same competition Crowley tried to get Rapidash entered in as Riddle's horse?"
Idia ignored her question. "Of course the star athletes of a sports club would be totally indifferent to people fawning all over them. Board Game Club competitions are as dry as it gets—people sitting around tables indoors, with no applause or cheering. The players barely ever talk. And when we DO talk, we do it in hushed tones to avoid leaking our strategies to our opponents...There's no confluence of factors that could ever lead to our band of introverts getting called princes. Yup, GG there."
"Come on now, Idia." Ortho tried to soothe. "Why do you have such a chip on your shoulder about sports clubs? The Board Game Club does great at competitions. You've even been featured in a local paper! Though you pulled the drawstrings on your hoodie so tight that it hid your whole face when it came time for a commemorative photo..."
"If you want recognition, you gotta be able to handle the cameras, unfortunately." (Y/N) said before someone ran past her in a blur: Jack.
"Tch. Class ran long. I gotta hurry, or I'll be late for practice!" He then turned his head on them. "Hey, this is a walkway, not a place to congregate. Move it, you're blocking the way!"
They then spotted the bird flying around Jack's head, confirming this was his dream.
Azul adjusted his glasses. "What's that glowy white bird flying around Jack?"
"That identifies the person whose dream it is." Silver answered. "Quick, let's follow him!"
They all ran after the wolf beastman, tailing him to the coliseum.
"Looks like Jack entered the coliseum." Sebek noted. "Perhaps he's attending club practice."
"I thought Jack Howl belonged to the Track and Field Club." Ortho said, looking at (Y/N). "They mainly use the sports field for their practice. Maybe they changed locations today for some special drills?"
Grim nodded. "Sometimes when we're eatin' lunch together...He starts talkin' with Deuce about how he wants to run faster, or how he's workin' on buildin' his whatever-ceps. Betcha that's what his dream's about—runnin' super fast. Myahaha!"
(Y/N) rubbed her chin. "...I have an idea where this is going. Come on!"
They all ran inside, finding a Spelldrive practice for Savanaclaw currently in progress.
"Hey, backfield! Get back and intercept!"
"Could your reaction time be any slower, forward?! I need some support here!"
Silver kept his head down. "Looks like Spelldrive Club practice. Did he change clubs in this dream...?"
"I don't think so. Look again—they're all wearing Savanaclaw PE uniforms." Azul pointed out. "And it's currently fall. Which suggests..."
"Savanaclaw, assemble!" A familiar voice roared.
"Yessir!"
The beastmen fell in line as Leona appeared.
"No dragging your feet! We've got the interdorm spelldrive tournament coming up next week. This's where the tournament's happening, and we can't book it indefinitely. Make every second of practice here count!"
"Yessir!"
Ruggie then appeared. "So, Leona. I'm not the only guy getting unpleasant memories from being here, right? You know, from last year's tournament?"
"Tell me about it. Really twists my tail that we lost to Malleus's team in the first round. I'll never forget the rage I felt that day. But we're different than we were back then. We've spent a year sharpening our fangs, and now we're finally prepped to go for the dragon's throat. Am I right?"
"YEEAH!"
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to turn the world upside-down. We've honed our techniques to make sure we get the jump on them! We've built up our stamina to snap back every time they try to swipe the disc! We've cultivated teamwork to corner our prey every time! And...We've got hearts burning with drive! Let's show 'em what Savanaclaw's spirit of persistence really means!"
"YEEAH!"
"Follow my lead, everyone!" Leona demanded. "The next king's gonna be ME!"
"That's our Leona!" Ruggie cheered. "Long live the king!"
"Long live the king! Long live the king!"
"Heh, looks like you're all in it to win it." The Dorm Leader stated. "I'll put you through your paces 'til you drop today. Be prepared! Savanaclaw spirit!"
"YEEAH!"
"TOTAL STRANGER ALERT!" Idia yelled as everyone else stared in complete horror. "It's Leona Kingscholar in the guise of a hot-blooded sports manga archetype... This is scaring me! Help!"
(Y/N) shook her head. "And now I'm adding overly enthusiastic Leona to my list of things that have traumatized me during this adventure. Also, this can never leave this dream or I think Leona might actually kill him."
Azul shuddered in fear. "I've suddenly developed a much fuller appreciation for how terrifying Malleus's signature spell is."
Grim was clinging to (Y/N)'s leg. "That scared me so bad, it made me wanna cry..."
"Get a hold of yourselves, you sniveling cowards!" Sebek demanded. "We've seen changes of this caliber plenty of times in the dreams we've visited."
"Urgh, lookin' at that Leona sends a shiver down my spine. We gotta wake up Jack, and fast!"
Silver rubbed his chin. "Judging by their discussion, Jack's dream is taking place right before the interdorm spelldrive tournament."
"Yes, and it seems they've used their prior year's failure as motivation to train extra hard..." Azul noted. "...with the intent of challenging Diasomnia in a fair match. Unlike in reality."
"It don't look like they're plottin' any dirty tricks at all." Grim added as Sebek looked disgusted.
"Rrgh... Wretched Savanaclaw. I still get angry whenever I recall that reprehensible incident. Injuring potential players wasn't enough for them, oh, no...They even started a stampede among the humans in an attempt to crush Malleus underfoot. The GALL! Sheer effrontery!"
"Yes, their behavior lacked even the slightest sliver of sportsmanship." Azul did his usual dance. "I, the head of the spelldrive tournament planning committee, was positively aghast when I first learned of Leona's plan. It was MOST deplorable. What a relief it was that no attendees were hurt!"
(Y/N) slowly turned to him, her cold expression eating at his facade. "You know, Azul, Leona mentioned owing you something when he agreed to break the contracts, and Ruggie also said he had to take a magic enhancing potion to use Laugh With Me to work on the crowd. Now, I know exactly 2 students capable of brewing something like that, and I know for a fact Vil would never do something like this. So, where did Ruggie get the potion."
"..."
Silver intervened, thinking this was not the time. "Thinking back on it... I heard it was Jack who revealed what Savanaclaw was plotting."
Grim nodded. "Yeah, and it took a whole lotta work to get him to spill, too. He kept ramblin' on about all sortsa macho stuff like his "path.""
"It's understandable that Jack was conflicted." Azul agreed, trying to get away from the trainer. "While our school does allow dorm transfers, selling out one's dormmates could very easily lead to retaliation."
"It's true. Savanaclaw got a lot of people hurt." Ortho reminded everyone. "I'm sure that took a heavy mental toll on Jack."
(Y/N) frowned. "It did. Leona was the person who inspired Jack to enroll at Night Raven College, and to him sink that low broke something in him. Still, I think Jack's underestimating the effect he's had on his dorm this year alone."
The continued to Savanaclaw's training, Ortho studying Jack's expression.
"Jack looks like he's having a blast playing spelldrive with his upperclassmen."
(Y/N) nodded, "He was always talking about walking to play a serious game of spelldrive with Leona."
Sebek stuck up his nose. "Hmph. It's truly unfortunate for him that he was sorted into a dorm led by someone so unworthy of his respect. On second thought, the same could be said for everyone sorted into any dorm except Diasomnia!"
"Oh, geez..." Idia groaned. "Of course someone from Diasomnia would say that, considering your Dorm Leader fan following there."
(Y/N) looked at Azul and Idia's tablet. "Are none of us going to point out to him that we're all Dorm Leaders?"
The octomer shrugged. "Most students at our school view upperclassmen as thorns in their side and underclassmen as handy errand boys, yes?"
"Personally, it's harder for me to name students I know who ain't gotten in fights with their Dorm Leader." Grim admitted as Silver tried to focus everyone.
"But in this dream, Jack never had any conflict with his Dorm Leader. It reminds me a bit of Sebek's dream."
"That means he'll wake up if we beat him up, right?" Grim asked. "Let's get down to violence!"
"Hold up." Idia interjected. "Leona and Ruggie are right there with Jack, and they're probably darkness. The version of Leona we fought in Azul's dream was weakened since he had his signature spell taken away, but we should assume this Leona's operating at full capacity."
"And considering Jack admires Kitty, odds are he's actually going to be stronger than he normally is."
"Exactly." Ortho agreed before turning to Azul. "You're a prime example, Azul.After all, in your own dream, you'd acquired and mastered a bunch of the other Dorm Leaders' signature spells."
"Then how about we have Azul beat up the darkness?" Grim suggested. "He can blast out Leona and Riddle's signature spells no problem!"
"About that... It seems that once you wake from your dream, your own logic overrides your previous abilities."
Sebek nodded. "I get it. I should have no trouble using my signature spell perfectly in dreams, but I keep getting held back by my memories of reality."
"Even with something like Mega Swampert, if we openly challenge darkness-Leona running at full specs with Jack's fanboy buff, we're bound to take some damage." The older Shroud brother warned. "And if the fight escalates too far, there's a chance we draw the attention of the admin. So how do we wake Jack up non-violently, and weaken darkness-Leona while we're at it? Hrrrmmm..."
Down below, Jack was running a play with Ruggie as his opponent.
"All right, broke through the defense. I can land a goal if I act fast!"
"Jack, don't overextend!" Leona warned as Ruggie stepped up with two other students.
"Aww, lookit that, a little wolf cub jumped outta the brush by himself! Let's make a sandwich outta him and eat him up!"
"Once he's past the center hash mark, he's in our territory! Surround him!"
"Heheheh!"
Jack, holding the disk, glanced around looking for an out. "Argh... I'm surrounded!"
"I don't think so, hyenas!"
Leona roared, crashing through the defense.
"Leona?!" Jack yelled.
"Pass to me, Jack!"
"Yes, sir!"
The disk whirled over their heads. "Oh no, he's passed the disc to the Dorm Leader!"
"Leona, weren't you just lounging around your side's goal?!" Ruggie shouted, trying to catch up. "Stay sharp, guys! I want three on him!"
Leona was forced to weave through the defensive line. "Haha, you're all coming after me? Do you have the brains of a warthog? Jack!"
"What?!" One student yelled as Jack rushed past him. "Since when was Jack right in the red zone?!"
"This point is MINE! HRAAAGH!"
Ruggie broke away, trying to block the shot. "I don't think so! HAAAH!"
Jack hurled the disk towards the goal and past Ruggie. Unfortunately, a blur of white and orange fur intercepted the disk, and turned back to face the students.
Jack was stunned. "What-!? Lycanroc!"
"Time!" Leona shouted. "Who let the Herbivore's wolf in?"
A couple of students tried to chase after the Wolf Pokémon, only for him to run away with the disk. Dream Leona just rubbed his temples.
"All right, while we're waiting on that: Heh... You really slammed that disc into the goal, Jack. Not a hint of technical skill to be seen. But it was a decent enough approach against Ruggie."
Jack nodded. "...Thanks, sir!"
"As for you, Ruggie—how could you let a freshman brute-force his way past you? And you call yourself a member of the starting lineup? Don't embarrass your captain."
"Look, you can't expect me to go one-on-one against a heavy hitter in front of the goal!" Ruggie argued. "Still, that did give me a pretty good idea of your weakness, Jack. Next time I'm swiping that disc before you can get it near the goal. Assuming I don't have to fight Lycanroc to get it! Seriously, have none of you caught the dog yet!?"
Said wolf was using Rock Climb to move freely about the terrain, causing the Savanaclaw students to crash into one another.
"Lightbulb! I have an idea." Idia quickly explained his plan. "(Y/N), get Ortho into that game."
"On it." (Y/N) whistled, getting everyone's attention. "Lycanroc! Drop it!"
The rock type did as he was told as (Y/N) jumped down onto the field.
"(Y/N), what are you doing here?" Jack asked as Leona crossed his arms at her.
"Oi, Herbivore. Control your beasts."
She petted Lycanroc as he wandered up to her. "Aw, he just wanted to help you boys. After all, if you can't get a goal past him, you have no business saying you'll beat us next year, let alone Diasomnia!"
Ruggie cackled. "Oh, is that a challenge?"
Grim jumped onto her shoulder. "You bet! Ramshackle challenges you to a practice match!"
"A spelldrive practice match?" Jack as Ruggie chuckled.
"Let's see. A talking cat, a magic-less freshman, a couple of pampered Equestrian Club members, and some egghead Board Game Club members...Ah hah hah! What kind of team are you guys supposed to be? Our team'll have you guys laid out in the dirt in five seconds tops. You might wanna turn around and go back the way you came if you don't wanna get hurt."
(Y/N) tossed out Swampert as Ruggie's ears immediately went flat. "I believe I tend to let my talent as a trainer do the talking. Don't worry, I left Raboot behind for this."
Jack flinched slightly at the words, already cracking the dream as Azul stepped forwards to smooth talk.
"Dear me... How could you laugh so cruelly? We're trying SO very hard to train up for the spelldrive tournament."
Jack blinked. "What?"
"To be honest, Octavinelle and Ignihyde have never come close to the top spot since these spelldrive tournaments first began. Whenever tournament time comes around, it casts a pall over our dorms—a mood of defeat sets in before the tournament even begins. As Dorm Leaders, we've both decided that this state of affairs cannot go on. Spelldrive isn't a game about physique or magic. It's all about what's up here, in your head." He theatrically dabbed at his eyes. "In which case, we should have a chance of winning. Wouldn't you agree, Leona Please, could you spare some of your time to train with us? We... We want to improve ourselves!"
"Hmph. You never get tired of rambling on unprompted, do you?" The lion beastman growled. "I've got no idea what angle you're working, but fine. I'll play along. Just remember, it's gonna cost you."
Azul smiled cunningly. "Ah... Thank you so much!"
Ruggie crossed his arms. "Leona, you know there's nothin' in it for us to play these guys."
"Yeah, probably not. But Azul and Idia are still Dorm Leaders—and the silver-haired guy and spiky-haired guy are Malleus's flunkies. And let's not even talk about Herbivore's beasts. Even tiny mice can provide a bit of sustenance."
"Leona... Wow, that's smart." Jack said. "There's always something you can learn, no matter who you're up against, isn't there?"
"That doesn't mean we're goin' easy on 'em. You know the drill, right, Ruggie? Jack?"
"I gotcha. / Yes, sir!"
Idia's tablet chimed in. "I gotta hand it to you, Azul. You can lie like nobody's business."
Silver nodded in agreement. "Without your silver tongue, we might've gotten chased off right then and there."
"Heh. You can always count on me for negotiations."
"This is hardly the time for bragging." Sebek scolded. "We've gotten our practice game, but this is where the hard part begins."
"Yeah. We need seven people to play, so Idia's here in hologram form, but..." Ortho trailed off, only for Lycanroc to step forward.
"There, seven." (Y/N) confirmed.
Grim looked at the android. "You sure you can handle this, Ortho? When we were planning this, you said you've never played spelldrive before, right?"
"Right. But I've installed the bio-data of a spelldrive pro league player. I'm sure he'll come chasing after me."
"This whole plan is riding on you, Ortho." Silver reminded him.
"Heh heh, you can count on me! So, before we start playing... I've kinda wanted to do the thing. Could we?"
(Y/N) raised a brow. "The thing?"
A chant came from his speakers. "RAMSHACKLE, RAMSHACKLE, GO GO GO!"
Getting the point, everyone huddled together, catching Grim off guard.
"So everybody's squishin' together in a circle and yellin'? What's the deal?"
"It's called a group huddle, Grim. According to data online, it creates a sense of unity and cohesion, as well as improving focus and easing jitters."
"Huh... I don't feel any different."
"Back when I saw Vil and the others doing a group huddle on the Island of Woe. It made me think to myself, "Wow, humans do the strangest things!""
Azul stiffened. "Wait... You were watching that?"
"Yeah, I had surveillance camera access. And after everything, we lost to you guys, right? That got me thinking... Maybe the thing that pushed the fight in your group's favor was that group huddle."
"I STRONGLY doubt that was it." Idia argued, getting a laugh from his brother.
"I'm kidding, anyway. I just thought it'd be fun and fitting to do here. Tee-hee!"
"Are you done with your pointless pre-game good-luck ritual?" Leona called. "Let's get started. We're burnin' daylight here."
Swampert and Lycanroc roared and howled, leading everyone to take their positions on the field. With them there along with Sebek and Silver, the playing field was evened out. Swampert wasn't afraid to throw his weight around as a shield for his teammates, and Lycanroc was outrunning the students even on their brooms, even maneuvering around the rocks Swampert kicked. Everyone else played their parts, positioning themselves for the perfect opportunity for Ortho. Eventually, Azul looked on the verge of collapse, panting and wheezing.
"Savanaclaw certainly knows how to play for keeps..."
"You're sweating badly, Azul." Silver wanted. "You look like you're on the verge of passing out. I'm calling a time out! Sebek, get us some water!"
The ref gave it to them, but Ruggie took a dig per usual.
"Oh dear. You okay there, Azul? Maybe you should call the game here."
"D... Don't worry on my account..."
"Azul, your legs are shaking." Ortho pointed out. "Would you like me to use some freeze spray on them?"
"No, really, don't mind me!"
"Sheesh, Azul." Idia taunted. "Shouldn't you be a billion times better than this?"
"Huh?"
"You're Azul Ashengrotto, the guardian of the Golden Tridents. Have you forgotten your patented Kraken Shot? If you don't use it now, when WILL you?!"
Azul immediately grabbed the tablet and began shaking it. "DON'T BE ABSURD! Now that I've got my full wits about me, I can't picture myself as some star athlete. Not to mention, we're on land!"
Sebek rubbed his neck. "Hmm. As I recall, with Floyd and Jade, they firmly believed they couldn't shift to land form without a transmutation potion. I suppose you must believe you're bad at sports just as firmly. That's quite the conundrum. Anyway, here. Have some water."
"Thank you..."
As Azul chugged, Idia began to re-examine their situation. "Malleus's domain is a magical place where dreams come true if you believe in them. Which means children who don't believe in dreams can never fly or be heroes, huh. That's pretty messed up."
"Who are you to talk, Mr. Tablet? (Y/N)'s contributing more to this game than you without magic! You really are no better than a blue field cone!"
"Uh, yeah?"
Sebek stepped between them. "Hey, this is no time for bickering. Our time-out is almost over!"
"Savanaclaw will have the disc when we start." Silver pointed out. "If Leona gets possession of it, he'll attempt a long shot immediately."
"Swampert and I'll stay on Leona. Silver, you keep Ruggie busy while Ortho and Lycanroc draw Jack away."
Ortho nodded. "Things are heating up for our team and the opposition both. I'll launch our plan when the time's right."
"All right, game on!" Silver shouted as the ref blew the whistle.
As the game started again, Swampert and Sebek tailed Leona. Swampert would use Aqua Jet to cut off Leona's path as Sebek attempted to block the disk in case it came back to him, greatly annoying him.
"Well, I'll be. Figures one of Malleus's hangers-on would know all about following someone around nonstop."
"Keep talking! We'll be the ones to score the next point. You won't get that disc on my watch!"
"Leona, heads up!" A student called.
"Mrah! They're passing it to Leona again!" Grim shrieked "Block it, Sebek!"
"You don't have to tell me! HRAAAH!"
Sebek lunged, but Leona smirked.
"Heh, you think you can take the disc from me with moves like that?"
Despite being blocked on two sides, the beastman managed to catch it and make headway. Swampert wasn't making it easy for him, and Sebek refused to give up. Unfortunately, it led him to being faced first in the dirt and out of bounds with the disk in Savanaclaw's possession.
Jack came to halt in front of them. "That Diasomnia freshman... Sebek, I think? Leona's making him look like a chump, but he's taking his lumps and sticking with it. He's pretty dang resilient. Not to mention Swampert's not giving an inch without a fight."
"Heh. You don't have any of the skill or moves it takes to be a back fielder. But you still never slowed down. That takes some serious guts." Leona grabbed Sebek's arm, hauling him up. "C'mon, frosh. Up you go."
"Huh? Um, thanks..."
Azul had to readjust his glasses. "Leona? Helping a fallen player to his feet?!"
"You took a bad spill, but all you got for it were a few scrapes. You're pretty sturdy." Leona patted the freshman on the head. "But if you injure yourself in practice, you'll be warming the bench come game time. That defeats the purpose of practicing. Stay aware of your limits and your surroundings."
Jack grinned. "Leona's respectful even of his competitors. That's incredible."
"...Leona would never talk like that! Not in a million years!" Grim yowled. "Back when we first played 'em in spelldrive, we barely knew the rules, but that didn't stop 'em from wipin' the floor with us!"
(Y/N) just shook her head. "Oh, Jack, you sweet summer child."
"Yeah, this dream's probably changed him into someone worthy of Jack's genuine respect." Idia reasoned. "Judging by the way he's ribbing Sebek, he hasn't turned into a saint or anything, but he does value sportsmanship and never goes for dirty plays, I guess."
"How long is this game going to go?" Azul asked pleadingly. "This is exhausting me physically AND mentally."
"You wouldn't be half this exhausted if you stopped reacting to every little thing."
Ortho began running the scans. "Analyzing Jack Howl's vital signs. Elevated heart rate and blood pressure detected. Frontal lobe activity partially inhibited. Yeah, now should be a good time. Let's proceed with the plan."
"Hey, Ortho. What've you been waitin' for?" Grim asked.
"When people are in an excited state, their hormones can inhibit their brain's capacity for reasoning and decision-making. That makes them lean more strongly toward emotional responses, and they have a harder time making rational judgment calls. And that applies to Jack right now... Heh heh."
The ref blew the whistle. "Game on! Savanaclaw has the disc!"
"Don't screw this up, guys!" Leona ordered as Silver turned to the others.
"Two guards on Ruggie! Don't let them get the disc near the goal!"
The hyena laughed. "Shyeheehee, over here!"
Leona wound up to the throw. "Here goes... Hrah!"
Lycanroc, seeing where Leona's foot was pointed, quickly repositioned himself as the disk flew in the opposite direction.
"What?" Azul shouted. "He was facing Ruggie but passed in a completely different direction!"
"Who's it heading for?" Sebek's eyes widened. "...Jack! Ortho, stop him!"
Ortho didn't need to. Lycanroc leapt and struck the disk with Acelerock, knocking it away from Jack into the android's hands.
"I've got the disc now. Can you keep up with us?"
Both took off, passing the disk between them and leading Jack on a chase.
"They're suddenly moving with way more precision! You're not getting away!"
"Not one of you was guarding me." Ortho taunted. "I can't help but feel a little sad that no one is taking me seriously. Now you'll see what I can really do. Catch us if you can!"
"You think you're so clever? Never underestimate the spirit of persistence!"
"We're right here!"
Jack tried to dive for him, but Lycanroc cut him off, nearly causing him to trip.
"Rgh, stop weavin' around!"
"You'll never catch up to us like that. Is that the fastest you can go?"
"I've got a wolf's conviction and endurance. I'll keep chasing you until you yell uncle!"
Everyone else stopped as the three fought it out, Grim barely able to keep up.
"Whoa! They're goin' so fast, there's no chance for anyone else to step in!"
"Jack!" Leona yelled. "If you give up now, you won't be doing our spirit of persistence justice! You'd better get that disc!"
Lycanroc and Ortho nodded to one another, knowing it was time.
The android smirked at their opponent.
"Heh heh... I'm impressed you've managed to keep up this long. We're going to get serious now, Jack!"
"That's what I wanna hear! Bring it on!"
The three sped up, until, shockingly, they went airborne. Ortho had to use a few nanobots to get Lycanroc to float, but it was worth it as they breached the atmosphere.
"Heh..." Ortho chuckled. "I'm surprised, Jack. You actually kept up with us all the way here."
"Darn right I did! Ever since the day I got accepted into Night Raven College, I've been training nonstop for the interdorm spelldrive tournament. Seeing Leona play on TV three years ago made me want to play in a game alongside him. I'll do whatever it takes to get there...!"
Lycanroc rolled his eyes and finally spoke. "Not to burst your bubble, Jack, but not what he meant."
Jack's eyes went wide. "Y-you can talk!?"
"Take a look around you! Me talking isn't the weirdest thing at the moment."
"Around me? ...Huh?!" Jack tumbled in low gravity. "WHOA! What am I doing in space? When did I get here? That's not possible... Hrk!"
"That's right. It's not possible." Ortho confirmed. "Space lacks the oxygen needed to sustain humans' biological functions. And it's unbearably cold without a space suit."
"Then how am I...? Urgh, my head! What's going on?"
"This is a dream, Jack." Lycanroc finally told him.
"A dream? What did you do to me?!"
"We're not the one that did something to you." Ortho insisted. "Think back to what happened before you fell asleep!"
"Before I...fell asleep? Augh..." Jack suddenly remembered everything. "That's... That's right... I was...I was... Rgh..."
"Jack!" Ortho yelled as he began to fall.
Back on the ground, Ruggie was looking skyward.
"Those freshmen got so into their race, they blasted clear off the field. We can't resume play without the disc."
Leona rolled his eyes. "Sheesh... Jack has a bad habit of losing sight of his surroundings when he gets fired up. Where'd they even go?"
Just then, all three began plummeting out of the atmosphere, Lycanroc and Ortho clinging to the unconscious Jack. Fortunately, Idia came in with the save, changing Ortho into his Cerberus gear as Noivern and Hydreigon also flew up to help intercept them.
"That was too close!" Ortho said as the flying Pokémon set them down.
"Ortho?" His brother shouted. "You okay?!"
"Light damage to outer gear plating. No abnormalities in Jack Howl or Lycanroc's vitals. We landed safe and sound. You remotely swapped out my gear and pushed my technomantic thrusters to the max to decelerate us... Way to go, Idia!"
"Hee... Boy, that left me in a cold sweat. I wasn't expecting Jack to black out up there."
"Pretty sure he started panicking thinking he needed air." Lycanroc pointed out.
Leona and Ruggie ran over, Swampert subtly following behind them. "Jack! Are you okay?!"
"You okay there, Jack?"
Slowly, the wolf beastman came too. "Urgh... What happened...?"
Leona sighed in relief. "Looks like you're not hurt anywhere. Man, talk about an idiotic stunt. It'd be no joke if you seriously injured yourself before the tournament, y'know."
"You gotta be more careful." Ruggie scolded. "You're our dorm's star rookie—our treasure!"
"If we want to take down that blasted Malleus and take back our throne. Every member of our team needs to be in top form on tournament day. You're too worked up, Jack. Go sit on the bench and cool off for a while."
Jack just began laughing, an angry laugh. ""Every member of our team needs to be in top form on tournament day"? Man, I wish you'd said that for real. But neither of you did. Not only did you go around injuring potential players for other dorms' teams, but on the day of the tournament, you weaponized the spectators against Diasomnia. I...When I saw Night Raven College's interdorm spelldrive tournament on TV, I was riveted by the way Savanaclaw played. Each formation executed like a perfectly synchronized pack of beasts closing in on its hapless prey. It wasn't just about flashy magic. They played to each player's unique traits. I watched the recording more times than I can count. I looked up to you all so much! And then, as soon as I enrolled here, I learned about the nasty plan you were hatching. It burned me up. You were so obsessed with winning, you guys threw away what made you such a great team! I wanted so desperately to make you guys realize that. But I couldn't do anything by myself.That's why I... I..."
Jack began to cry as Shadow Leona revealed his true colors.
"Oh, Jack... You've woken up. Poor guy. I guess you were gonna figure it out sooner or later. There's no hiding things from someone as smart as you."
"Man, that was mean of them." Ruggie shot a look at the rescue party. "You were right on the verge of experiencing the best possible spelldrive tournament! Come on, Jack. Let's go back to sleep. You can always go back to reality AFTER getting your nice tournament in, right?"
"That'll be a no, gentlemen." (Y/N) shouted from the stands. "Swampert!"
The Mud Fish did as pleased and neither shadow had time to react as he gut punched both with Ice Punches and sent them flying to the other side of the arena. As they stood back up, Lycanroc lowered himself to the ground.
"Come on, Jack! No time to sit and cry!"
Jack gritted his teeth and stood up. "Right. The ones I looked up to, the ones I wanted to go all out... That wasn't you guys! I don't wanna fight alongside fakes. I'm gonna clear my own path!"
With that battle cry, all hell broke lose. Jack was no longer boosting Leona, so Swampert got to exact some petty vengeance as he always dreamed as Lycanroc and Jack comboed Ruggie. The others handled the Savanaclaw fodder, who attempted to go after (Y/N) in the stands, but she made sure to step on their hands when they attempted to climb up and drop them into the waiting claws and teeth of Grim and the Pokémon. Eventually, Shadow Leona and Ruggie fell.
"You...traitor...!"
"Jack... That's real low..."
Everyone was out of breath as the shadows disappeared, but they all let out sighs of relief.
"Whew..." Sebek said. "We managed to fend off the darkness."
Ortho patted Swampert's head. "Good thing that once Jack woke up, Leona's fanboy buff fizzled out. And a bonus, I think Swampert let out his pent up rage with Leona!"
"Pert..."
"Agreed." Azul said before examining Jack. "He seemed rather weakened once Jack recognized him as a fake."
"And even then he was still tough as nails. Are you okay, Jack?"
As Silver bent down to help him, Jack suddenly swung at him, forcing him back as Grim's fur stood on end.
"Hey, what's the big idea?!"
"Calm yourself, Jack Howl!" Sebek ordered. "I know you're confused, but we're not your enemies!"
"Hmph, a likely story. You're fakes just like they were, aren't you?"
"Of all the harebrained ideas..." Azul growled. "Our group is all real. Silver used his magic to bring us here into your dream. Look closely. Don't you see the sincerity in my eyes? How could I be anything but real?!"
"Actually, the more I look at you, the more shady you seem. You're all fakes!"
"Oh, come on!"
"Get ready, 'cuz I'm about to kick all your tails!"
"Nope." Lycanroc said before ramming head first into Jack's gut with an Acelerock.
The gasp Jack let out made everyone cringe in sympathy. (Y/N) then knelt beside him and patted his hair.
"Still think we're fake?"
"No, I definitely recognize that pain anywhere."
Grim shook his head. "Jack... You REALLY gotta stop tryin' to solve every problem with your fists."
"Jack seems to be the type that believes strongly in himself." Ortho noted as (Y/N) pulled him to his feet and Lycanroc gave him an apologetic lick to the hand.
"Good grief..." Azul sighed. "Playing spelldrive wore me out as it was. Now I'm downright exhausted."
"Maybe if you weren't so sus all the time, Azul..." Idia said snidely before his tablet was snatched.
"Ortho, where's the power button on this tablet? I'd like to turn it off now."
"Whoa, time out!" Ortho interjected. "We need to get Jack up to speed. He'll need the tablet to watch the video!"
"What video...?" Jack asked as he was promptly handed the tablet and shown the video. "So we're all trapped in an arcane realm that Malleus created? Is this for real...?"
Ortho nodded. "Yup. And in order to maintain happy dreams for all the people trapped inside...He's thoroughly removed every bad memory and adverse event in the dreams."
"I get it. So that's why those fakes were acting like that...Blast! What's wrong with me? How could I immerse myself in such a self-serving dream for so long? I feel beyond pathetic."
"Hey, don't beat yourself up." (Y/N) assured. "You managed to wake up without us having to beat you up. That's more than some people."
Jack blushed, rubbing his head. "So, going by what I saw in the video... You guys have been going around waking others up and fighting the darkness?"
"Yeah!" Grim cheered. "We've woken up a buncha people at this point. We're basically pros at this job."
"Heh, that's not half bad. You guys have some serious grit." Jack then turned to (Y/N). "Then again, you've never taken a challenge laying down."
The two fist bumped. "You know it."
Idia as impressed. "Oho. You drew some astute inferences from one basic overview video. Who knew you were such a quick thinker?"
"Your video deserves the real credit there, Idia. It was really helpful and easy to understand. I'm curious, did you draw all those round little caricature faces too? They were great matches. You're a good artist."
"Gaaah! Could you not give feedback like a textbook non-otaku?! As long as you got the info from it, that's all I care about!"
"Uh, sure. Anyway, we're waking everyone up, then giving Malleus some payback, right?"
Silver nodded. "Yes. Will you fight with us, Jack?"
"You bet I will. Between the spelldrive tournament and this... I'm breaking this losing streak! And I'm getting that payback!"
"That's the spirit!" Ortho encouraged, handing him the invite. "Here's your invitation."
"Ah. This will get me into the fight with Malleus? I'm itchin' to throw down already."
"I've also received your dummy data from Styx HQ. I'll generate it now."
The double was generated and Jack couldn't help but circle it.
"Wow... Incredible. It's like looking in a mirror. This makes it easy to tell which muscles I haven't been toning enough. I let Ortho outpace me from the first sprint earlier, too. I need to focus more on my quads and hamstrings. I've got some leg extensions and lunges to do..."
Grim rolled his eyes. "There, see? He's ramblin' on about ham and eggs or whatever."
"I didn't bring up ham OR eggs! In the time you spend whining, you could be toning your abs."
"Excuse you?! My tummy is already PERFECTLY soft and squishy, thank you very much!"
"All right, I think we're ready to leave." Silver said. "Let's move on to the next dream."
Azul went green already. "Hold on. Let me take some medicine for motion sickness first..."
Sebek stared intently at Jack, who took notice.
"What? You're eyeing me like you've got somethin' to say. If you want a fight, I'll give you one."
"Can that not be you answer for everything?" Lycanroc asked as Sebek kept his gaze.
"I will never let the students of Savanaclaw off the hook for trying to sabotage my liege through underhanded methods. Diasomnia had its share of injured students, and some of my clubmates were targeted as well."
"Yeah, that's totally reasonable."
"What?"
"The guys got a whole boatload of payback during the spelldrive tournament, but it makes sense not everyone would call it even with that. Because we did all that and worse."
Sebek blinked but nodded. "...I never realized even Savanaclaw had students like you."
"Huh?"
"That was just an observation. Don't read anything into it!"
Jack just shook his head in confusion. "What in the world...?"
"Don't think about it too hard." Lycanroc suggested as they headed back to the group.
"So everyone holds onto Silver?" Jack asked. "Is that safe? This is a lot of people, and those are some thin arms... Ah! Geez... He may look skinny, but he's got some serious strength!"
"I've been training since I was a child." Silver assured. "I give you my word I won't let any of you go. You can rest assured of that."
"Also, Jack." (Y/N) handed him a dream ball. "For Lycanroc."
He nodded, grinning. "Thanks."
Once the Pokémon were secured, Silver readied everyone.
"All right, here goes. Those I've met and will someday... Meet in a Dream!"