(Author's Note: Getting tired of translating Pokemon cries, just assume Niyah knows that they're saying.)
The faint light of dawn filtered through Hulbury's misty windows, soft and silver-blue. The rhythmic crash of distant waves was the only sound in Nessa's apartment until the soft click of a door opening broke the calm.
Niyah stepped out, hair a tousled cloud, hoodie sleeves dangling well past her hands. Litwick floated behind her, flame dim and sleepy before he returned to his Luxury Ball. She moved like someone who wantedto sneak out quietly but couldn't resist humming under her breath.
"Going somewhere?"
Nessa's voice came from the kitchen, calm but pointed. The Gym Leader stood beside the counter in an oversized shirt and dark leggings, hair half-tied, holding two bowls of oatmeal like she'd been waiting.
Niyah froze mid-step. "…No?"
Nessa raised an eyebrow. "You're in your shoes, backpack on, and I can see your Rotom poking out of your pocket. Try again."
Niyah groaned, dropping onto one of the stools. "I was gonna train early."
"And you still are," Nessa replied smoothly, setting a bowl in front of her. "After breakfast."
The younger girl sighed, stabbing her spoon into the oatmeal like it had offended her. "You sound like a mom."
Nessa smirked, sitting opposite her. "Someone has to make sure you eat something that's not vending machine snacks."
Roty buzzed faintly from Niyah's pocket. "Bzzt. recording audio evidence: 'Niyah loves Nessa acting like a big sister!"
"Roty!" Niyah yelped, cheeks puffing.
Nessa chuckled. "You're lucky I find that cute."
The girl huffed, but a faint smile tugged at her lips. She ate quietly for a few moments, pretending not to enjoy the warmth of the meal.
Once her bowl was empty, she slid off the stool, stretching her arms. "Okay, now I'm going training."
Nessa leaned against the counter, watching her with amused eyes. "Try not to level half the docks this time."
"No promises!" Niyah called as she bolted out the door, Roty buzzing after her and Mimikyu's shadow trailing behind.
—
The morning air was crisp, carrying a salt-tinged breeze from the sea. Niyah's boots thudded softly against the planks of the eastern pier, where fishing boats were still docked and the horizon shimmered faintly with sunlight.
She stopped near a stretch of open water framed by tide-worn rocks. The area was quieter no fishermen yet, no locals gathering for morning errands. Perfect.
"This'll do," she said, dropping her bag beside a mooring post.
From her shadow, Mimikyu emerged her small form unfurling from the darkness, cloth head tilting playfully. "Miii~?"
"Yeah, yeah," Niyah said with a grin. "You get to go all out today."
The disguise Pokémon twirled once, her ragged fabric rippling, and gave an eager squeak.
Roty hovered beside them, projecting small graphs midair. "Objective confirmed: improve Wood Hammer chain efficiency, increase impact rate, and sustain energy between hits."
Niyah cracked her knuckles. "Let's see if we can make that hammer swing faster than a Pelipper's wings."
—
Their first opponents came easy, a few Remoraid floating close to the surface, curious about the sudden commotion.
"Mimi, start with single hits!" Niyah called. "Wood Hammer, full force, test the recoil!"
Mimikyu dashed forward, she swung her tiny, spectral arms upward, and her disguise pulsed. The ragged cloth stretching and hardening, forming an eerie wooden hammer that cracked through the air.
CRACK!
The first Remoraid went spinning through the water in a splash of foam.
"Nice hit! Now again and chain it!"
Mimikyu turned on a dime, her shadow flaring out to propel her. Another Wood Hammer, then another faster, sharper, until her strikes blurred.
Each impact left a faint shockwave on the water, ripples overlapping in chaotic patterns.
But by the fifth swing, her cloth trembled, and the weapon faded, leaving her panting softly.
"Too much strain," Roty beeped. "Energy retention dropping below sixty percent."
Niyah frowned, thinking. "Okay. Time to work smarter. Mimi, try channeling through your shadow instead of your disguise."
Mimikyu blinked, then nodded. She pressed her ragged arms into the dock, and the shadow beneath her deepened, stretching toward the waves like dark ink.
Then whoosh a massive wooden hammer rose out of the shadow itself, larger and cleaner in form. Mimikyu grinned under her costume's jagged mouth and swung downward with almost no lag time.
The resulting boom sent a spray of seawater high into the air and the shadow hammer reformed instantly.
"Yes!" Niyah cheered, clapping. "That's what I'm talking about! Keep that up, I want no pauses between hits!"
—
As the sun climbed higher, Mimikyu faced stronger foes, a small group of Goldeen and a Seaking drawn by the noise.
"Mimi, chain formation! Hit 'em before they can react!"
Mimikyu darted across the dock, slipping between the fish Pokémon's water jets. Her cloth blurred, her shadow following in perfect sync.
"Wood Hammer on your left flank!"
THWACK! One Goldeen went flying.
"Jump and double swing!"
Her shadow extended upward like an echo, a second hammer strike slamming into the Seaking before it could charge up Horn Attack.
Niyah grinned wildly. "You're keeping momentum, good! Don't stop!"
Mimikyu's disguise flared as she spun, hammer after hammer crashing into the waves in perfect rhythm, thud, splash, boom!
The water steamed from the friction, a perfect mix of ghostly aura and physical energy.
But suddenly, a powerful Water Pulse struck her square on, knocking her back.
Niyah winced. "Shake it off, don't get too deep into the motions! You can't lose awareness of your surroundings!"
Mimikyu steadied herself, the cloth fluttering then, with a low hum, her body flickered, splitting into two.
Double Team.
Half a dozen Mimikyus appeared across the dock, each swinging a hammer in sync. The illusionary strikes hit like thunder, overwhelming the remaining water-types in a cascade of spectral wood.
When the water finally stilled, the reflections of all those Mimikyus faded, leaving the real one standing, head tilted proudly.
Roty beeped, "Bzzt, energy sequence synchronized. Average interval between attacks reduced to 0.3 seconds. Efficiency rating: optimal!"
Niyah whooped. "You're a menace, you know that?"
Mimikyu gave a bashful wiggle, but her jagged "smile" curved wider.
—
By late afternoon, the tide had risen high, submerging part of the dock's lower steps. That was perfect for what Niyah wanted next.
"Alright, Mimi. One last test, movement training. Blend shadow travel with physical strikes. Let's see how fast you can vanish and reappear."
The ghost Pokémon's eyes gleamed. She sank into her shadow like liquid ink, slipping under the surface of the water.
For a moment, there was silence then boom! A hammer burst upward from the tide, slamming into a startled Pelipper that had just landed. Before the splash even cleared, Mimikyu disappeared again only to reappear behind another, striking from the opposite direction.
Her rhythm was chaotic, unpredictable, pure trickster precision. Every time she emerged, her cloth shimmered, her shadow swirling around her like smoke.
Niyah laughed, shielding her face from the spray. "That's my girl! No mercy for those seagulls!"
Roty's display flashed data streams. "Attack intervals reaching critical synchronization. Shadow velocity approaching teleport-level speeds."
That last phrase made Niyah blink. "Wait, teleport-level?"
But before she could comment further, Mimikyu's next strike came down in a massive shockwave, her shadow hammer hitting the water with such intensity that the sea parted briefly around her.
The world went silent for a moment then water crashed back in a roar.
When the foam cleared, Mimikyu floated proudly above the waves, her disguise only slightly tattered, her body glowing faintly with ghostly light.
Niyah's grin softened. "You're incredible, you know that?"
Mimikyu squeaked bashfully and floated to her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek.
"Yeah," Niyah murmured. "You're ready."
—
The sun was dipping low again by the time they trudged back through Hulbury's narrow streets, clothes damp and smelling faintly of sea salt.
When they reached the apartment, the smell of spiced curry filled the air.
Nessa didn't even look up from the pot as she said, "Did you accomplish what you set out to do today?"
Niyah grinned sheepishly. "...Yeah?"
"Uh-huh."
She motioned to the table. "Sit. Eat. Then you can collapse."
Mimi floated up to the counter, peeking curiously at the food. Nessa smiled faintly, setting aside a small dish for her.
Dinner passed in relative quiet just the clink of spoons, the murmur of the ocean outside, and the occasional giggle from Niyah as Mimi tried to use her ragged cloth to hold chopsticks.
When Nessa finally asked, "So what did you get up to today?"
Niyah just smirked and said, "You'll find out soon enough."
Nessa sighed. "You're going to give me gray hairs before the tournament even starts."
Niyah laughed, pushing back from the table. "That's what I'm here for."
—
Later, as she settled into bed, the sound of the sea filled her mind again, steady, rhythmic, alive.
In her dreams, faint echoes of Mimi's hammer struck like heartbeats beneath the waves.
The rhythm was perfect. The storm was coming.