Whoosh—
Boom!!
A towering azure wave rose in the distance, then hurtled toward the cliffside. As it drew closer, the sunlight gradually faded, turning pale and bleak.
Pheobe stood on a reef layered with shellfish, her bare feet seemingly unconcerned by the shell ridges as sharp as blades beneath them. These were wild scallops, food for most of the creatures living on Mt. Pyre. Ordinary creatures ate the scallops, while Ghost-type Pokémon fed on the various emotions those creatures gave off. Together, they formed a unique ecosystem.
On closer inspection, a faint spectral glow circled her ankles, corroding every protruding scallop until it turned deathly white and crumbled to ash.
Pheobe studied the figure before her intently. Her blue eyes seemed probing, then curious, before she finally let out a soft laugh like the tinkling of silver bells. "...Just kidding." She narrowed her eyes with a smile, lifted her right foot slightly, and held up her blue, wave-patterned skirt with both hands, performing a courtly dance twirl like a child. "But, Dian, are you here to challenge Pheobe of the Elite Four?"
"...Or do you just want a battle?" The smile vanished from Pheobe's face. She straightened again, growing more serious.
If he intended to challenge Pheobe of the Elite Four, then unfortunately, whether she wanted to or not, she would have to use the Ghost-type beings passed down through generations of her family. There would be no holding back, no honor at stake, only victory or defeat... because Pheobe of the Elite Four would not lose, and could not lose.
The duty and dignity of the clan that guarded Mt. Pyre depended on it.
But if he simply wanted to battle her...
Dian flicked his hand, and a Poké Ball appeared in his palm. A light press of his