Pokemon: A New Path

Sylveon suddenly pushed off with her hind legs and sprang high off the icy ground, neatly dodging Kyurem's Ice Beam with a nimble midair twist.

The moment she landed, Sylveon didn't stop. She took off again, sprinting around the battlefield with incredible speed.

As she ran, a soft pink glow began radiating from her fur, trailing behind her like ribbons of light. To anyone watching, she looked like a fairy darting through snowfall.

That glowing energy spread outward, and in an instant, the battlefield was shrouded in a gentle, misty veil.

Misty Terrain!

"Buee!" Sylveon chirped proudly. This was one of the tricks Naoki had taught her. She had to claim the field before the fight began.

Kyurem let out a low snort, and the ground trembled slightly beneath him. A second Freeze Beam charged in his throat and blasted out, sweeping across the icy terrain like a freezing laser, chasing after Sylveon's quick-moving form.

But Sylveon picked up speed, dashing in a sharp arc. Just as she turned the corner, she pivoted and charged straight at Kyurem.

A blinding pink light burst from her body. The energy quickly condensed into a tight beam that shot straight toward the dragon.

"Dazzling Gleam," Naoki recognized the move, watching from behind with focused eyes.

The beam struck Kyurem cleanly. Even for one of the strongest Dragon-type Pokémon, taking a direct hit from a Fairy-type move made him grunt with discomfort.

"Hmph. You've got some tricks," Kyurem muttered, clearly surprised.

He retaliated immediately. A shimmering claw of darkness emerged from his arm as he lunged forward, using Shadow Claw to intercept Sylveon.

The next second, dragon and fairy collided. The force of the impact sent Sylveon flying, crashing onto the icy ground with a painful thud.

Kyurem wasn't done. His heavy frame followed through with a leap, and as he soared overhead, he unleashed a fierce Dragon Pulse from his mouth, aiming directly where Sylveon had fallen.

But what happened next caught even Kyurem off guard.

As the Dragon Pulse hit, the energy split unnaturally to both sides. It didn't land a single blow on Sylveon lying in the center.

Kyurem blinked in confusion.

His attack hadn't worked?

Of course. It was Misty Terrain. Dragon-type moves couldn't harm Fairy-types on this blessed field.

Taking advantage of Kyurem's momentary distraction, Sylveon quickly got to her feet.

Naoki's voice echoed in her memory: "If you're ever struck, don't panic. Use that moment to counterattack!"

With a determined gleam in her eyes, Sylveon broke into a dash, this time wrapped in a faint white light.

Kyurem narrowed his gaze. "Trying to match me in raw strength? You're underestimating me!"

He swung another Shadow Claw toward the incoming Sylveon.

But right before it landed, Sylveon leapt straight upward.

The attack slashed empty air as she soared over it, glowing brilliantly with Draining Kiss. She twisted in midair and stuck close to Kyurem's cheek, the white light flaring as she sapped his energy.

Kyurem's eyes widened in disbelief.

The moment he felt his strength being drained, he roared and hurled Sylveon away with a vicious Dragon Claw.

Dark energy erupted from his body.

His entire form began shifting under a blanket of shadows, surging with electricity.

His upper body rose higher, standing fully upright. Yellow eyes sharpened into black-slitted pupils, and curved obsidian horns grew from his skull. One massive black wing unfurled from his back, while the other remained icy blue.

This was Black Kyurem, empowered by the energy of Zekrom.

The transformed Kyurem flapped his blackened wings and rose into the air, looming over Sylveon like a thundercloud.

His tail spun rapidly like a high-voltage turbine, releasing thick arcs of blue lightning. The electricity flowed into the icy crystals forming around him.

In a flash, the entire battlefield seemed to freeze and spark simultaneously as the electric-charged ice launched toward Sylveon like a thunderstorm made solid.

Naoki's heart clenched. That energy was massive.

"Watch out!" he shouted instinctively.

"Booee!!"

Sylveon looked up at the towering form of Kyurem, her heart pounding. In that moment, everything leading up to this battle came flooding back.

She remembered what Naoki had told her.

He wouldn't be giving her commands during the fight. Kyurem didn't like interference, and battles with it had to be one-on-one.

So when the time came, she would have to face Kyurem all by herself.

That was why Naoki had spent so much time teaching her how to think and fight on her own. How to read the flow of battle. How to use Draining Kiss after taking a hit to recover stamina. How to take control of the field early with Misty Terrain. How to outthink her opponent when things turned desperate.

And right now… it was time to use that one move.

Substitute.

A flicker of pink light shimmered from Sylveon's body—just before Kyurem's Fusion Bolt exploded across the ice field, swallowing her in a thunder-charged blast of frozen energy.

High in the air, Kyurem flapped its wings and peered down at the spot where the move had landed.

A direct hit.

The tiny Pokémon should have been down for the count.

It gave a cold snort. Brave, yes. Determined, absolutely. But in the end, Sylveon had overestimated herself.

To become a true hero, courage and kindness alone weren't enough.

Compared to Keldeo, the last Pokémon who came seeking a battle, Sylveon had fared better. She hadn't trembled, and she hadn't backed down. For that, Kyurem could at least respect her.

Of course, Kyurem had no idea that Sylveon had sparred with Pokémon like Articuno, Mewtwo, Ho-Oh, Rayquaza, and even the mighty Koraidon before. If it had known, perhaps it wouldn't have been so surprised.

But Kyurem didn't know.

And now, it was time to end the battle for good. Or so it thought.

That's when a sharp cry rang out—familiar, fierce, and very much alive.

"Buee!"

Kyurem froze.

It turned its head just in time to see a faint glow rising from behind. From atop Sylveon's head, a glowing crescent began to shine.

Moonblast.

The silvery light condensed into a dense beam and fired directly at Kyurem.

It had no time to dodge.

The blast hit square in the face.

Kyurem staggered as a massive force struck him. His hulking frame was hurled backward, crashing onto the icy battlefield. Shards of ice shattered around him as his feet skidded several meters across the frozen ground before he managed to dig in and stop.

A tremor passed through the ground beneath them.

Kyurem's eyes widened.

That power. How could such a small Pokémon deliver such strength?

He had underestimated her.

No... this Sylveon wasn't like the others.

She was far stronger than the Keldeo who once challenged him.

She deserved his full strength.

With a heavy breath, Kyurem's body glowed. The black lightning of Black Kyurem faded. In a flash of white light, he reverted to his original form.

An invisible wave of pressure rolled out from his body.

The surrounding temperature plummeted.

A massive surge of icy energy began to spiral around him, coiling tighter and tighter, as if the entire glacier had awakened.

Sylveon's ears twitched.

She looked up, eyes narrowing as she felt the overwhelming power rise.

Even after such a long period of special training, it did not dare to guarantee that it could deal with it.

It was terrifying.

Sylveon hesitated for just a moment. But then, remembering all the hard training she had undergone over the past year, her eyes lit up with determination. No matter what, she had to give it her all in this battle against the mighty Dragon-type Pokémon before her.

With her heart full of resolve, Sylveon stepped forward on the shimmering Misty Terrain, her body beginning to glow softly as she gathered her energy.

Across the battlefield, Kyurem remained still, its body gradually enveloped by freezing mist as it summoned a storm of ice energy.

The surrounding pink fog began to ripple violently from Sylveon's buildup of power, as if the very air trembled in anticipation.

Watching from a distance, Naoki's heart skipped a beat.

"They're both preparing their strongest moves," he whispered. "Sylveon's Misty Explosion... and Kyurem... is it going to use Glaciate?"