Eevee Therapy for Little Magi Chapter 47: A Fairytale Ending

Narimasa stopped in his box, swivelling to meet Illya’s gaze. “Your team, Lady Einzbern… I can tell you did not structure them to bring Dragons low. But your team is made up of latent dragonslayers. You hold an advantage that, against a lesser challenge, would trivialize this fight.” He withdrew his first ball from his belt. “Let us see if you are prepared for that advantage to be mitigated. I think you are ready, but let us prove that.”

Ball in hand, Illya nodded sharply. “Indeed,” she stated, right hand clenching and unclenching against Milotic’s ball. “I am ready to test myself, Leader Narimasa.”

“This will be a three on three battle between Illyasviel von Einzbern and Leader Narimasa Tetsutetsu,” Otoshi declared, eyes firmly fixed on the field. “Both trainers will be allowed a single switch out. On begin, you will both release your Pokemon. Leader Narimasa, are you ready?”

“I am.” He readied himself.

“Challenger Illya?”

“I’m ready.” As soon as Otoshi dropped his hand, both trainers flung their Pokeballs into the courtyard, Milotic manifesting on Illya’s side of the field. Across from her, a lengthy pokemon sat upon the ground, before a familiar weave of water lifted them up into an upright position, the seahorse-shaped dragon glaring across the battlefield. Illya listened carefully to catch both the spoken ‘Dragalge’ and the conveyed message of “Not the best match up… but this should be fun.”

Shirou sniffed twice, before calling out to his sister. “That’s a poison dragon, sis.”

“I am aware,” Illya huffed, eyes tracking the seahorse, “Milotic, Aqua Ring.”

Milotic twisted, forming the distinct rings of water flowing through and around her. In response, Draglage’s wing arms shifted, thorns forming within the water before being blasted out, caltrops of poison energy scattering across the arena.

Narimasa nodded as the toxic spikes settled, eyeing Milotic thoughtfully. “Acid. Keep blasting until her scales have dulled,” he barked, Dragalge’s throat bulging before rapid fire blasts of green-tinted poison began to shoot towards his opponent.

“Dragon Tail,” Illya chirped, more than happy to get her foe off the field for now. Setup wasn’t something she was going to allow easily. Milotic darted across the field, taking three of the small acid bursts without flinching, and smashing into Dragalge with a tail smash, the impact of the Dragon Tail forcing the ball on Narimasa’s belt to open and pull him back in.

With a flash, a round, stubby dragon appeared on the battlefield, yellow eyes blinking as she peered around. The Shelgon looked at Milotic, then grunted. “Did that seahorse lose already? Doesn’t seem right.”

“Forced switch out, Shelgon! Hit her with Double Edge!” Narimasa called out, adapting to changing conditions.

“Right.” Shelgon immediately launched into a spin, smashing into Milotic, who rolled with the hit as she was forced back.

“Much better,” Illya grinned to herself. “Draining Kiss Milotic! Then go for the physical fight!”

Milotic nodded, getting in close to land a kiss, only for Shelgon to block with Protect, then attempt to retaliate with a lunging Dragon Claw. The dragon grunted as she was hit by a follow-up kiss, retaliating with a Thunder Fang as Milotic prepared for melee. “Not interested in girls that way, so stop it.” She rumbled, lashing out with another Thunder Fang.

“Not my problem,” Milotic verbally shrugged. “Take it up with Arceus if you have an issue with Draining Kiss.” She lashed out with her modified Dragon Blade, a Dragon Claw layered over her sharpened tail-blade. Striking Shelgon, she sent the round dragon rolling across the field. 

Shelgon came back upright, then used Dragon Rush to boost her speed, trying to smash into Milotic only for the lithe water-type to dodge out of the way, leading Shelgon to roll across the field and smash into a pillar. Unharmed, the little dragon came upright only to eat an Icy Wind as Milotic crossed the field to get back in her face.

“Oh, you’re good,” Shelgon rumbled. “I’ll need to rise to meet this challenge,” she murmured, bracing her legs and beginning to dash back at Milotic. Light began to shine from between the plates in her armor as she closed in on her serpentine opponent.

Narimasa smiled broadly. “Ms. Einzbern, thank you. This member of our brood has had difficulties being challenged enough to break her shell,” he said as for the second time in an hour, the light of evolution washed across the field.

“You’re welcome, no matter how irritating this will be,” Illya grimaced, eyeing the emerging Salamence with more than a little annoyance. “Icy Wind, Milotic. We need to cripple her, if not take her out completely.” Milotic nodded, a cone of cold sweeping over Salamence as she stretched out her limbs.

Salamence hissed as the ice coated her new wings, then lunged inward, claws and fangs both flashing as she got within melee range. Thunder Fangs and Dragon Claws ripped into Milotic, who retaliated with Breaking Swipe and more Icy Winds, the clash of lightning on ice causing flashes which filled the entire room.

Narimasa’s eyes bulged as he saw his dragon move to do a full-body slam on her opponent. “Wait, no, you don’t have–” Salamence used Double-Edge, smashing into the weakened Milotic and slamming her into the ground before she in turn cracked her side on the ground. “-Rock Head anymore,” he finished, wincing.

Salamence staggered back to her feet, Milotic rising from her own collapse, both ignoring the trainers as they reared back, Dragon Rush meeting Breaking Swipe in a final burst. The eruption of golden flames from the clash blinded all, and when the light cleared, both combatants collapsed on the ground.

Otoshi winced as he looked across the field, counting down. “...both combatants are unable to battle. Challengers, return your Pokemon, and wait for my signal to dispatch your next combatant.” 

Illya gave a quiet sigh as she returned Milotic. On the one hand, losing her first Pokemon to a draw wasn’t the best start. On the other hand, dealing with a preplanned, midbattle evolution into a top-tier dragon with a draw was about as good as she could hope. Reaching for Fubuki’s ball, she considered it for a moment before she plucked Matilda’s from her belt.

As the flag dropped, Matilda landed, wincing as the poisonous barbs still perched upon the ground dug into her flesh. Across from her, a bulky armored Dragon landed, the Turtonator eyeing his opponent even as he rotated to place his back facing her. “Huh, was hoping to fight the ghost.” Without saying a word, he blasted a Flamethrower across the battlefield, the stream of flames akin to the real weapons of war it was named for.

“Refresh, Matilda,” Illya barked as Matilda strafed to the side, avoiding the oncoming attack even as she focused her energy to cure the toxins she was ailed by. The flames licked her coat even as she dodged, the pain of the spreading poison replaced by the burning feeling across her back. Matilda shook off her pain, immediately retaliating with a pixilated Hyper Voice which staggered the armored Pokemon.

Narimasa snapped off a command. “Shell Smash, then switch to Heat Wave; she’s too agile to catch with targeted attacks.” Turtonator nodded, his shell glowing white before it burst, the power shed from his protections flowing back into his limbs. With a grunt, the bulky Pokemon spun around and released a wide blast of burning air from his snout, the spread of the blast covering much of the battlefield.

“Calm Mind, Agility,” Illya barked. If setup moves were the game Narimasa wanted to play she was more than happy to oblige. Matilda took the Heat Wave with a pant, before rapidly pulsing both buff moves in succession, speeding up to match her opponent and armoring herself against his attacks. She then opened her mouth, another blast of Hyper Voice connecting with the armored Dragon.

Narimasa watched as his partner staggered, the attack hitting harder without the protective aura his shell had provided. “Echo–” he cut himself off with a curse, then chose a different move. “Flash Cannon, use it to break up the incoming attacks!” He ordered, Turtonator nodding before a chrome glow formed in his snout. With a burst, the steel-type shot popped the next fairy Hyper Voice, detonating in a splash. Raising his voice, the gym leader spoke. “I applaud you on the range of moves your Ace is capable of. But how is her endurance?”

“Wish, Matilda,” Illya ordered rather than answer, letting the delayed healing move do the speaking for her. “Follow up with Misty Terrain. Make this a battle of attrition.”

“Got it. If he wants to make a mistake, we’ll make him pay for it~” Matilda responded, before channeling her energy into a plea. The rising star of her delayed healing rose above the battlefield, before she pulsed, pink mist covering the battlefield and causing the already fading poison spikes to vanish entirely. With a chuckle, she ducked into the mist, avoiding the next Flash Cannon lobbed her way, then blasting back with another Hyper Voice.

Turtonator managed to intercept the first sound blast with another shot, but the second and third coming out of the mist sent him reeling. In response, the fire type shuddered, then slammed down his foot, the Bulldoze barely catching Matilda, but making her stumble enough for another Flash Cannon to connect.

Woozy from the hit, Matilda perked back up as the star she’d evoked fell back upon her, reinvigorating her and giving her the boost she needed to smash Turtonator with another Hyper Voice– and this was enough. The bulky dragon turtle slumped, still upright but clearly out of the fight as the mist cleared from the battlefield.

Narimasa returned his fire-type with a sigh. “Well done.” He produced the first ball he’d used over the course of the match, throwing out Dragalge with a smile. “Sludge Bomb, before she can set up the Terrain again!” He barked.

“Baton Pass!” Illya barked, watching as Matilda retreated into her ball, passed her buffs to Fubuki, and the latter slammed onto the field, taking the Sludge Bomb full on yet managing to tank it with ease, considering both her typing and Calm Mind, “Snowscape!”

Narimasa flinched as ice was whipped up across the battlefield. “Rain Dance, then hit her with Hydro Pump!” Dragalge began to move, the ice around him slowly turning into water as he attempted to seize control of the weather from his opponent.

“Ice Beam,” Illya barked out, giving up on the weather for the moment. “Use the rain to your advantage!”

Fubuki nodded, conjuring an orb of icy energy out of the fading snow, then blasting it across the field to strike the still-stationary dragon. The kelp dragon groaned as the ice covered his form, before responding with a massive blast of water, forcing Fubuki to dive into the ground. Moments later, she rose again to fire off a second beam of ice. Dragalge took the shot before he shot forward, riding a Surf to attempt to close in upon Fubuki.

“Shadow Sneak, get behind him!” Illya called, grimacing slightly as her second Pokemon took a glancing hit from the Dragale as she repositioned, “Icy Wind!”

The ghost sunk into the ground, coming up behind Dragalge and landing a glancing blow before she spun away. Fubuki waved one arm, the icy spray bursting through the water and peppering Dragalge with ice. In response, the Dragalge injected more power into his watery cloak, the suspension of liquid turning into a proper Aqua Ring, easing the pain of his frostbitten scales. Dragalge fired a Hydro Pump at Fubuki, who dodged to one side with relative ease.

Narimasa winced as his final Pokemon missed his shot, panting slightly as Fubuki took the opportunity to turn the rain back to snow. “Sludge Wave, try to poison her. Stick to wide-area attacks,” he rattled off, not giving up the fight, so long as Dragalge was willing to try.

“Blizzard,” Illya countered simply. Fubuki lashed out, a building storm washing over the battlefield, freezing the liquid toxin, the remaining water, and the final dragon in a wave of cold. Fubuki drifted over the battlefield, winded but hale, while her opponent was locked, frozen in his own water bubble. With a crack, it shattered, and the unconscious form of Dragalge was withdrawn into Narimasa’s Pokeball.

“Leader Narimasa is out of usable pokemon! The challenger is victorious!” The stands erupted in polite applause, and Narimasa smiled as he stepped across the battlefield to meet Illya.

“Well done, young lady.” He said, holding out her Eternal Badge. “I chose my team with the intention of countering yours; you did well to break the pattern and force Dragalge to retreat early.”

“Thank you for your kind words, Leader Narimasa.” Illya demurred with a quick curtsy, withdrawing Fubuki into her ball in the same movement. With a pat and softly muttered; “well done”, she returned the ball to its place on her belt and fully focused her attention on the Leader. After a few moments of simply staring at him, she nodded and accepted the badge.

“I am sorry to say I don’t keep Technical Machines on hand to give out, and despite your Milotic’s relation to my specialty, Echo of Time is not something I can teach to her.” The leader ignored her reserved behavior. “You are, however, welcome to come to your brother’s training sessions; I may not be able to teach our move to her, but I still know how to train serpentine Pokemon, and I suspect I have a move or two which I could teach the other members of your team.”

“I would gladly accept,” Illya answered far more rapidly this time, finally smiling openly. “I would like to apologize, Leader Narimasa. My first impression of you was far less kind than it should have been, and it has definitely been affecting how I perceive your actions.”

Narimasa chuckled as the group started making its way outside. “Believe me, you’d not be the first. I am a bit imposing, and busy. I also prefer to interact with those that prove their strength, when I have the time.”

“You will have more time soon, Narimasa.” The group was stopped near the entrance, a tall man with traditional Diamond robes meeting them at the entrance, his gray hair tied back in a ponytail and streaked with dark blue.

“Chief Ferrus.” Otoshi said, greeting the older man. “It’s good to see you.”

Ferrus nodded, before turning his gaze to Illya and Shirou. “So, these are the travellers who have come here this day.” His face was a placid mask. “From the cheers I heard, they both succeeded in their challenges.”

Narimasa nodded. “They did, yes. Impressive for those so young.”

“Mm.” He looked between the siblings. “So they will be departing tomorrow, yes?”

“No,” Illya stated flatly. Turning towards Shirou, she shook her head. “I’m not dealing with this. I don’t have the patience right now.”

“Fair enough.” Shirou sighed, “What my sister was attempting to communicate politely was our intent to remain here and seek the training we were offered by Leader Narimasa. And Lady Lilligant.” Looking the man dead in the eyes, he continued, “You know what they say about assumptions, sir.”

Ferrus’ eyes narrowed. “I assume that Leader Narimasa–”

“Will not be breaking his word,” Narimasa said sternly, unruffled.

“The safety of the Diamond Clan relies upon–” Ferrus began to speak, his voice rising.

“Is not impeded by two young people, here on good faith on their journey, no matter how odd their origins. Or how foreign, if we were to use your oft-repeated words.” Otoshi stepped in. “Chief Ferrus, you are trying to order guests out of the clan grounds, before one of them has even been able to complete her second trial. Why?”

“They are outsiders, and though mystery gifts may be divine, they also bring trouble. It is unfortunate, but for the safety of the clan, they must leave,” Ferrus said matter of factly.

“So, how would you enforce this?” Narimasa asked blandly.

Ferrus stopped, staring at the Gym Leader. “As Chief, I declare that they will be turned out of their rooms tomorrow–”

“And the Gym will host them, gladly. If Aster would even follow such an order. He takes his duties to the Center seriously,” Narimasa cut him off, some heat entering his voice. 

Ferrus bristled, but Otoshi intervened. “Chief, before you waste any more time… look around.” The Warden said simply. Illya and Shirou followed the Chief in panning their gaze over the clansmen who’d emerged from the gym, and others who’d come out to watch the confrontation from the nearby buildings. While a few were sending aggrieved looks at the siblings, many, many more were muttering and glaring at their chief. Ferrus paused as the weight of the crowd revealed itself– firmly against him. “I’d advise you not to push this further, sir,” Otoshi said as his chief paled slightly.

Ferrus paused, trying to puff up, before turning and stalking away, the crowd parting as he left. Otoshi sighed. “Sorry you had to see that.” He muttered. “Though, he was right; you did stir up trouble.”

“Not our problem,” Shirou shook his head, grimacing as he realized that could have come across as entirely too insensitive. “Not exactly what I meant, but I want to be clear that both my sister and I have been nothing but polite as guests. We have honored your customs to the best of our ability and have followed your laws. None of this was deserved.”

“No, you do not. Thus, Ferrus’ gaffe.” Narimasa sighed. “Ferrus, as a youth, had to deal mostly with foreign poachers or thieves, and then the more recent surge in tourists caused his animosity to solidify.” He stroked his beard. “It does not help that his council, which once consisted of people of all generations of the clan, has become older and older as he too aged, which means the town hall has slowly become an echo chamber.” He offered the siblings a tired smile. “Today, he overstepped his bounds, clearly and publicly. Time will tell whether he will recover, but I doubt it.”

Isabella snorted. “Nah, he won’t. Times change, and he’s failed to change with them. Next time he tries to convene a clan gathering, which he’d need to do to kick you two out– well, I suspect someone will call for a vote of no contest.”

Everyone took in that before Narimasa sighed. “That’s not your problem, but ours, as you said, Mr. Emiya. Come, let’s go get our partners healed up, and then we can discuss training schedules for the next week…”