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The air above Gladiator City practically shimmered with excitement as spectators streamed into the colosseum that morning, eagerly awaiting the long-anticipated Finals of the Torolf Memorial Tournament. The bustling streets echoed with animated chatter, everyone debating who among the final four would emerge victorious.

While a few spectators had trickled away over the course of the tournament, the drop was barely noticeable. The electric energy of the matches had kept most people glued to the event, hungry to see how it all ended. Many were placing their bets on Romulus—the oldest and most seasoned of the fighters—but just as many had thrown their support behind Sol, especially those who’d cheered for him in his gripping match the day before.

That wasn’t to say Luke and Koa lacked fans. Their upcoming match had the crowd deeply divided. Half backed Luke, citing his fame and years of experience. But the other half was rooting for Koa—the rising rookie. Talented, strong, and driven, Koa had made an impression, and plenty were eager to see how far he could go.

Lashanne listened to the conversations around her, relaying bits of overheard chatter to her family. “For the spectators, it’s anyone’s game right now,” she said.

“My vote’s on Koa, hands down,” Caulin chimed in proudly. “He’s already come this far. Not saying Uncle Luke’s a pushover, but Koa’s speed gives him a serious edge. Everyone who’s fought him has struggled to keep up.”

“Perhaps,” Minato said with a thoughtful nod. “But Luke’s got far more experience—and he adapts quickly. It’s going to be a very close match.”

“And you two totally aren’t biased,” Lashanne teased with a smirk.

“What makes you say that?” Minato asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, Luke’s matched you more than once—and even Volcan, who just beat you, still struggles against him when they spar. Or when they play chess,” she added with a grin. “And as for Koa…” She gave Caulin a playful nudge with her elbow. “He’s your boyfriend. Of course you’re rooting for him.”

~~~~~

After breakfast, Romulus and Ignus headed to the arena for some practice, leaving Luke and Volcan to make their way to the colosseum alone. But as they approached, Ignus bounded out from the crowd to meet them, practically glowing with excitement. His tail wagged furiously, and he wore a grin so wide it looked like his face might split.

“Dad! Papa!” he called out. “Look what Grampa taught me!”

He crouched low, then leapt—and as he did, his jaws lit with flame, his teeth glowing red-hot. He snapped at the air, releasing a fiery burst mid-bite, then landed with a bounce, panting and beaming.

“Whoa—was that Fire Fang?” Volcan asked, eyes wide.

“And you mastered it this morning?” Luke added, stunned. “That’s… really impressive, son!”

Romulus approached the group, coming up behind Ignus. “I wanted to teach him something useful in case he ever faces a Grass-type. I think watching Fernidas fight Koa lit a spark in him.”

“Apparently,” Luke replied. “It took me days to get Blaze Kick right.”

“And longer for me to master Focus Blast,” said Volcan, kneeling to ruffle Ignus’ fur. “Way to go, champ. I’m proud of you.”

“We both are,” Luke added with a smile.

“Rightly so,” Romulus agreed. “He’s a gifted boy.”

Ignus flushed red under his fur, tail now wagging like a propeller from all the praise. “Aww…”

Then, Romulus had to clear his throat. “Well, Ignus, that’s all the training we have time for, for now,” he said. “When the tournament is over, let’s see if I can teach you anymore. For now, your papa and I have a tournament to participate in.”

“He’s right,” said Volcan. “Come on Ignus; I think I saw Caulin and his family heading in ahead of us so, let’s see if we can find them and get a good spot to watch Luke’s fight, shall we?”

“Right, yea,” Ignus answered, then looked at Luke. “You’re gonna win this, right, Papa?” he asked, eyes full of hope.

Luke hesitated, his gaze flicking briefly to Romulus. Then back at Ignus and gently patted his head a few times. “I can only promise to try, son. Koa’s a powerful opponent in his own right, and even if I beat him… There’s still your grandfather or Sol to contend with afterward.”

“Wish us both luck, Ignus,” Romulus bade, looking at Luke and cocking his head toward the colosseum before he turned and walked toward it.

Volcan looked at Luke. “Show ‘em what you’re made of, love,” he said.

“I plan to,” Luke said confidently.

With his husband and son now settled into the stands, Luke stepped out into the arena, joining the other finalists—Romulus, Koa, and Sol—beneath the roar of the crowd. Applause thundered across the colosseum, and Luke could hear his name being chanted by more than a few spectators, clearly marked as one of the crowd’s favorites.

Koa and Sol received similar praise. Koa, for his part, looked unfazed—apathetic, even—as if unsure how to respond to the attention. Sol, on the other hand, visibly cringed. He turned his head sharply away, shoulders tensing under the weight of adoration he didn’t believe he deserved.

“Fucking… stop it,” he muttered under his breath. “Save yer cheers for someone actually worthy of ‘em…”

Romulus, standing beside him, glanced his way, catching the shift in demeanor. He leaned in slightly, speaking loud enough to be heard over the clamor.

“Something troubling you?”

“I don’t fuckin’ deserve this,” Sol shot back, eyes narrowed, voice edged with bitterness. “All this praise—this hero worship? It’s bullshit.”

Romulus tilted his head, studying the Typhlosion for a moment. Then he stepped a little closer, lowering his voice with a weight born of experience.

“Those who deserve praise,” he said, “rarely feel they do. Let the people have their heroes, Sol. It gives them hope—even if the heroes themselves are still finding their footing.”

Sol gave a sharp snort and looked away, scowling. “I ain’t no hero. I’m just some guy trying to be the strongest. That’s all.”

Romulus didn’t flinch. “It’s not for us to decide who they call a hero. That’s their choice. Just like, once upon a time… they chose me.”

Sol’s scowl faltered. His eyes flicked toward Romulus—just briefly.

“They chose wrong,” he muttered.

Romulus smiled faintly. “You’ll get your chance to prove them right or wrong in our battle, young one.”

Sol met his gaze at last, and a crooked, devil-may-care grin slowly crept across his face. His usual fire returned to his eyes. “I guess I will,” he growled.

~~~~~

Following the opening ceremony, as Luke and Koa were called to take their positions, Romulus ascended to the top tier of the colosseum. The private viewing box loomed ahead—reserved for royalty, judges, and tournament hosts.

He pushed open the door and paused.

Inside stood Calyrex, Talleon, Hizashi… and Wade.

Romulus blinked. The younger Samurott’s presence was unexpected.

Talleon’s ear twitched at the creak of the door. He turned. “Ah, Captain Romulus,” he said smoothly. “Nice of you to join us.”

“Good morning, gentlemen,” Romulus replied, regaining his composure.

“Good morning, Romulus,” Calyrex offered with a nod.

“And to you, Your Majesty,” Romulus returned, inclining his head.

Hizashi responded with a grunt and a faint nod. Wade, however, stood and bowed with formal respect. “It’s good to see you, Captain.”

“And you as well, Wade,” Romulus answered, though concern touched his voice. “But… what are you doing here? This booth is for the tournament’s hosts and judges.”

Wade gestured politely toward Hizashi. “Lord Hizashi invited me. Since I’m no longer competing, I didn’t think it would be an issue.”

Romulus’ brow twitched slightly. “I see.”

He turned toward the Shogun. “Pardon me, Lord Hizashi. Might I have a word in private, before the match begins?”

Hizashi rose with a sigh. “Very well,” he said gruffly.

Romulus led them to the rear corner of the box, far from the others. He seated himself cross-legged on the floor and looked up at the older warrior.

“I’d like to clarify something,” Romulus began. “And if I’m wrong, feel free to correct me. But I believe your attendance at this tournament isn’t purely ceremonial.”

Hizashi didn’t flinch. “What evidence do you have?”

That, Romulus noted, wasn’t a denial.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been following the progress of one competitor quite closely,” Romulus said. “Minato voiced concerns to me. Luke, too. And after the quarterfinals, I suspect I know who it is.”

He met Hizashi’s eyes directly. “So tell me, did you come here for reasons beyond honoring the fallen?”

A heavy silence settled between them.

Then, Hizashi rose to his full height, casting a long shadow over Romulus. His presence loomed, commanding and sharp.

Romulus didn’t so much as blink.

After a beat, the old Samurott exhaled and lowered himself again.

“…Yes,” he said.

Romulus waited. But when no further answer came, he tilted his head. “That’s it? No explanation?”

“What would be the point?” Hizashi replied. “You’ve already pieced it together. Denying it would only insult us both.”

Romulus gave a slow nod. “I appreciate your honesty. Still… why Wade?”

Hizashi followed his gaze to the younger Samurott, now quietly standing near Calyrex and Talleon.

“Because he is what Maelstrom Isle needs,” Hizashi said plainly. “I’m growing old, Romulus. The battle at the Nexus nearly cost me my life. I would’ve taken my own blade had that young Greninja not stopped me… and made me see the truth.”

He turned back to Romulus, his expression hardening.

“If I had died that day, there would’ve been no one to take my place. All that my forebears and I worked for—gone in days. My rule has mirrored that of my ancestors: rigid, traditional, deeply rooted in an old code. And because of that, I… stagnated. I stopped leading and started preserving—at the cost of progress.”

Romulus listened silently as Hizashi continued, his expression remaining impassive as he took in every word from the elder Samurott. “It was Wade’s outburst that shattered that delusion. His defiance. His perspective,” Hizashi continued. “I saw in him not just fire, but compassion. Purpose.”

His tone softened slightly. “Thirteen generations of rulers have led Maelstrom Isle. And yet, I no longer want Wade to be the fourteenth. I want him to be the first of something new. A leader who protects with his own strength, not just commands others to die for him. Someone who serves his people… not his pride.”

Romulus took that in for a long moment, watching Wade laugh softly at something Calyrex said, oblivious to the conversation behind him.

“I see,” Romulus murmured. “I had no wish for this tournament to become a stage for political manoeuvring—but your reason is… noble.”

He looked once more to Wade. “Still, I have to ask—how does he feel about this? Being named your successor?”

Hizashi’s expression grew guarded again. “He… has reservations,” he admitted. “He’ll give me his answer once the tournament concludes. I’ve given him time to consider it.”

Romulus nodded slowly. “Very well. Then I’ll leave you to enjoy the match, Lord Hizashi.” He rose and inclined his head politely.

Hizashi gave a single nod in return before turning and rejoining the others.

Earlier…

While Romulus went to speak with Lord Hizashi, Luke and Koa stood alone in the ring. Koa moved through the familiar steps of his pre-battle ritual—an age-old tradition from his island home.

He stomped the ground. Slapped his thighs. Pounded his chest. Each strike followed a rising rhythm, his voice rising with it.

“Aia ke ahi i loko! E ala! E k?! Ko?u ?uhane, he ??wili! E u?, e hakaka, e lanakila!”

Luke didn’t know the words, but he felt them. Each one rang with purpose—like thunder before a storm. Koa wasn’t just preparing his body; he was calling to his ancestors. Declaring his resolve. Promising Luke the fight of his life.

Only when Koa finished did Luke speak. “I’ll take that as a ritual of some kind?”

“War dance,” Koa replied. “We give honour to… to our forebears.” He hesitated on the word, unsure.

Luke nodded. “That fits.” He rolled his neck and shoulders. “I’ve got to say, Koa—you’ve surprised a lot of people. Some in the crowd are betting you’ll win today.”

Koa tilted his head. “Betting?”

Luke smiled. “You’re what we call an underdog. Someone no one expected to make it this far, but now they’re cheering you on.”

“Underdog?” Koa frowned. “But… I am not canid.”

Luke chuckled. “Just an expression. It means you’ve earned respect. Take pride in that.”

Koa gave a quiet, uncertain nod.

Luke rolled his arms and shifted into stance. “But now you’re up against me. Don’t think speed alone will win this.”

Koa’s posture tightened. Sparks danced up his arms as he leaned forward, locking eyes with Luke. “I expect no less.”

No more words. It was time. Revane gave the signal. The crowd roared.

The two vanished.

In a blink, they met mid-field, blurring faster than most could follow. Luke could match Koa’s speed thanks to Extreme Speed—but not his reflexes. Koa, a feline by design, responded faster. His body twisted, avoided, reacted with inhuman fluidity. Luke’s mind couldn’t keep pace.

A punch landed. Koa’s paw cracked across his cheek. Luke stumbled.

He barely caught his footing before Koa was on him again. The Zeraora’s attacks were wild, unrefined—but brutally fast. Even the most telegraphed swing came faster than most Pokémon could react.

Luke covered his vitals, gritting his teeth, letting his aura soak the punishment.

Then—finally—he caught an opening. He seized Koa’s arm mid-swing, taking a shallow cut to the cheek, but locking in. With a shout, he drove a Reversal into Koa’s chest, burning with pent-up energy—

But it didn’t land.

Koa twisted at the last second, letting the strike pass harmlessly by. Luke stumbled forward. He spun, flinging a point-blank Aura Sphere at Koa’s back. But Koa was already running. The Aura Sphere chased, but the Zeraora turned on a dime, skidding low, arm drawn back. With a sharp cry, he punched the sphere mid-air, dispersing it with a burst of sparks.

Then he rushed again.

His fists crackled with electricity. Thunder Punch, unleashed in a furious flurry as he closed in. Luke answered with a Bullet Punch barrage, their attacks clashing in rapid succession—blows canceling out, movement a blur—until they both broke apart.

Luke wasn’t done. He vanished with Extreme Speed, reappearing at Koa’s flank with a raised palm glowing with Force Palm—but Koa dodged again.

Frustration simmered. Neither fighter was landing anything decisive.

Koa backflipped away and unleashed Swift, peppering the field with golden stars. Luke rushed through it, his Steel typing dulling the pain. He summoned his Bone Rush, spinning the staff in his paw.

He slid to a halt in front of Koa and swung hard. Koa ducked low. The bone passed over his head, and in a blur of motion, his paws weaved quickly—too quickly.

Luke didn’t see it coming. An electrified net soared through the air—Electroweb.

“Shit—!” Luke snarled as the web crashed over him, wrapping around his limbs, crackling with energy. Pain shot through his body. His muscles locked up. He spasmed, teeth clenched, fighting for control…

Up in the stands, the group leaned forward in their seats, eyes wide as the Electroweb snapped over Luke.

“Electroweb?!” Volcan blurted, beak half-open. “I didn’t know he could do that—I thought only Galvantula learned that move!”

“He used it once before, when Keldeo was possessed by the Shadow Curse,” Caulin added, glancing his way. “Pinned him down long enough for me to cleanse him.”

“Dang,” Lashanne muttered. “Kid’s got tricks tucked in that duster after all.”

Neilla crossed her arms, watching intently. “Luke was already having trouble keeping up with him. I’ve only seen Volcan or me match his speed. Now he’s pinned? That’s bad… Koa might just have this one.”

“Papa’ll win,” Ignus said suddenly, voice like steel. His green eyes locked on the battlefield below. “He’s faced worse. You all know he can handle this.”

Volcan’s hand crept to his beak, teeth gently biting his knuckle. His eyes didn’t leave the fight. “…Come on, Luke,” he whispered.

Luke growled, his muscles twitching as he fought to regain control of his body. Glaring at Koa, he forced himself to calm… and then unleashed a resounding roar. His Aura surged outward in a fiery wave, blasting apart the Electroweb and igniting the air around him in brilliant blue flames. With a deep breath, he let his aura settle—calmer, focused.

“...Well played,” he said, eyes locking with Koa’s. “But that won’t work again.”

Koa smirked. “Does not need to.”

He darted sideways in a blur, circling behind Luke and striking with another Thunderpunch. Luke turned—but his body felt sluggish. Slower. He saw the strike coming, but couldn’t stop it in time. The Zeraora’s fist cracked against his cheek, staggering him.

‘Not good…’ Luke winced, paw to his face. ‘He’s robbed me of my speed—and I can’t adapt fast enough to keep up.’

His gaze fell to his scarf, jaw tightening. ‘At this rate… I may have to resort to that again.’

Koa was already charging again—this time, no electricity. A raw Mega Punch slammed into Luke’s gut, making him grunt. But he noticed the difference. No Thunderpunch?

He caught the arm mid-strike, parried, and launched a Blaze Kick. Koa narrowly ducked under it, forcing Luke to shift tactics. He spread his arms and fired off several Aura Spheres in an arc, each one homing in on Koa.

Koa retaliated with Swift, tiny stars fanning out to intercept the spheres—just like he had with Fernidas’ Magical Leaf. But the Aura Spheres were stronger. They tore through the barrage. One struck Koa square in the chest, hurling him off his feet.

Luke didn’t hesitate. He sprinted in, summoned his Bone Rush, and skidded to a stop with the weapon pressed firmly to Koa’s throat.

“Yield,” he commanded.

Koa’s eyes lit up with defiance. He grabbed the Bone Rush and twisted sharply, nearly pulling Luke off his feet before slamming a kick into the Lucario’s temple.

Luke dropped, but twisted mid-fall, bringing a leg crashing down on Koa’s ribs. He rolled and sprang back to his feet, already forming a Focus Blast. As the sphere crackled in his paw, he hurled it downward—just as Koa rolled away. The Focus Blast detonated in a burst, the shockwave tossing both fighters in opposite directions and throwing up a cloud of dust and sand from where it struck.

Koa landed hard, but rolled upright. His breathing was heavier now, movements slower. Luke watched, steadying his stance. Koa was strong, skilled—but not built for a war of attrition. Lashanne’s words echoed in his mind: Koa's not used to long fights…

‘His stamina’s lagging behind his power,’ Luke thought. ‘If I hold out just a little longer…’ He exhaled, smirking slightly. ‘Or, maybe I don’t need it after all.’

He shifted stances. His frame squared up, one arm tucked in close, the other extending forward. His heel slammed into the ground behind him, his posture indicative of the Single Strike style.

Neilla leaned forward in her seat, the corner of her mouth curling into a sly grin. “Aha… he’s figured it out.”

Volcan caught on too, the tension in his shoulders easing. “Koa’s running on fumes. He doesn’t have the stamina for a drawn-out fight.”

“We all know how tough Luke is,” said Sickle. “Now that they’re moving at about the same speed, it’s endurance versus firepower.”

“Not exactly,” Neilla said, still watching intently. “He doesn’t have to out-tough Koa—just hold out long enough.”

“Huh?” Volcan blinked, glancing her way. Sickle looked confused too.

But Caulin was already frowning, catching on to Neilla’s meaning and dreading it. “He’s running out of juice,” he muttered. “Zeraora can’t make their own electricity like most Electric-types. They have to absorb it from an external source, and it drains overtime while he fights.”

“That explains why my brother kept recharging him,” Volcan said, remembering when he saw Lighris and Koa together once, the Zapdos sharing some of his electrical power with the Zeraora. “Lighris was topping him up.”

“He hasn’t used any electric moves since that Electroweb,” Minato added. “He’s conserving what little energy he’s got left.”

Sickle stared down at the arena. “So… You’re saying he’s been running on the same battery since round one?”

“And now it’s just about empty,” Neilla said, her tone cool and certain.

Koa changed tactics as he came at Luke again, using Agility to boost his speed. He darted just within striking range, trying to bait a reaction. But Luke held his stance, only shifting his weight slightly and clenching his paw, waiting, and not allowing himself to be goaded.

When there was no response, Koa rushed around to his side, aiming a Mega Punch at his flank.

The moment came, and Luke was ready. He smirked, sensing the Zeraora behind him. Without looking, he raised his tucked-in paw to block the punch, then pivoted sharply and struck— A single, precise blow.

He shouted as he drove a Wicked Blow—in the form of a One-Inch Punch—into Koa’s chest. The air left Koa’s lungs. He staggered, then flew backward, tumbling across the arena until he skidded to a halt in a small spray of sand.

Three seconds passed. He didn’t move.

Revane’s voice rang out. “Winner! Luke of Team Valiant has prevailed!”

Luke exhaled, the aura flaring around him fading as he powered down. He took a moment to soak in the applause—then walked to Koa’s side. The Zeraora began to stir as Luke approached, his ears flattening as he heard the crowd cheering, Luke’s name carried in their shouts, and he knew he had lost.

Gently, Luke eased him into a sitting position, brushing from sand from his shoulder as he spoke. “You had me worried there,” he said with a small smile. “You did good, Koa.”

Koa sighed, ears remaining flat. “No power left,” he muttered. “Could not use more electricity…”

“I figured,” Luke replied, helping him to his feet. “When you stopped using electric attacks, I got suspicious. You can’t generate your own electricity, can you?”

Koa nodded faintly. “Can’t… Volcan’s brother tops me off. But… no one here to ask. Tried to con… conser-” He struggled with the word.

“Conserve?” Luke offered.

Koa nodded again. “Yes.”

Luke gave his shoulder a pat. “Let’s get you patched up first. Then we’ll worry about recharging your battery. I think I know a certain spider who may be able to help you.”

He draped an arm around Koa, helping him from the ring to the infirmary, the crowd still cheering behind them to follow them out after putting on an amazing performance for the crowd.

With Luke’s match concluded, only one semi-final remained.

When Sol stepped into the arena, the crowd erupted with cheers once again. He tried to block them out—but he still heard the same titles echoing through the stands:

“Vanquisher of the Black Titan!” “Hero of Gladiator City!”

He groaned under his breath, eyes on the dirt as he walked forward, lazily waving to the crowd in half-hearted acknowledgment. From the opposite gate, another figure emerged—greeted with just as much fanfare, if not more.

“Romulus!” His name rolled through the crowd like thunder, spoken with reverence and awe as they chanted it, repeatedly. A living legend. The true champion of Gladiator City.

Sol snorted, smoke puffing from his vents as he raised his head and faced the Houndoom approaching from across the ring. “Bringing you down’s gonna be a treat…” he muttered, fire rekindling in his chest.

Romulus met his gaze, steady and unblinking as they stopped at the center of the ring. “So certain of that, are you?” he asked, calm but firm.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Sol replied, matching the stare. “I’m not underestimating you. You were the big man’s rival for a reason, after all.” He exhaled sharply. “And I still had a score to settle with him... But since he’s gone, you’re the closest thing I’ve got to that rematch.”

Romulus smirked, a flicker of respect glinting in his eyes. “There are others who might’ve given you a worthy fight… but of all of them, only I held the title of rival to mighty Torolf.” He shut his eyes briefly. “May he rest in peace.”

When he opened them again, the intensity returned like a wildfire. “But know this, young Sol,” he said, his voice deepening, stance widening. “In a world as wild and deadly as this one… few live to see the number of years I have.”

His muscles coiled like a spring, and the Mega Stone at his chest began to glow. “I became his rival. And I have survived to reach this age… His voice dropped to a growl. “…For a very good reason.”

Then he threw his head back and howled. Sunlight intensified overhead. A sphere of raw energy engulfed him, surging with light—until Romulus emerged from it reborn in the monstrous shape of Mega Houndoom. Smoke curled from his jaws. Steam rose from his frame as Solar Power surged through his body, superheating the air around him.

Sol grinned wide, heart pounding with excitement as Romulus tapped into his full power right out of the gate. “Going all out from the start, huh?” he asked, neck flames erupting. “I like the way you think, old timer!”

His own flames burst outward, engulfing him in a vortex of heat that turned blue, then white-hot as he ascended into his Blessed State. The sand beneath his feet glassed over from the sheer heat. Wings spread, claws gleaming like molten steel, Sol let out a thunderous roar—fire bursting around him like a volcanic shockwave.

Revane hadn’t even finished calling the match start before the battle was already underway. Romulus charged forward, Dark Pulse flying from his maw. Sol met him halfway, swatting the blast aside with brute force. In the same motion, he conjured a Focus Blast, hurling it toward the Houndoom.

Romulus skidded, veering just in time. He lunged in close, dark energy cloaking his paw as he unleashed Foul Play, striking Sol with his own strength turned against him. Sol’s head jerked back from the hit—but instead of falling, he grinned, grabbing one of Romulus’ horns.

“Gotcha.”

With a snarl, Sol slammed his forehead into Romulus’ skull, staggering the Mega Houndoom. He dropped him to the ground and drove a glowing paw into the floor, detonating a point-blank Earthquake.

Romulus didn’t flinch; before the Earthquake could be unleashed, he launched upward, springboarding off Sol’s back to clear the shockwave. Mid-air, he twisted and fired another Dark Pulse, this one searing into Sol’s back with amplified power from Solar Power and Mega Evolution. The Typhlosion staggered—then laughed; laughed hard, straight from his core, like he had just heard the funniest joke he’d ever been told.

His shoulders shook, smoke fuming from his vents before he threw his head back in wild delight again. “Now THIS is a fight!!” he roared, as he turned, curling up and igniting his body before charging in with a spinning Flame Wheel, fire wreathing his entire form.

But mid-spin, he shifted—Rollout now, molten rock swirling around him as he transformed into a blazing cannonball of heat and mass. Romulus didn’t dodge. His jaws glowed emerald, and a Solarbeam erupted forth—point-blank.

The beam slammed into the rolling Typhlosion, halting his momentum cold and sending him sliding backward across scorched glass. Sol snarled, unfurling from his spin and veering off to the side, wings flaring wide. With a beat of those burning wings, he shot toward Romulus at breakneck speed, arm outstretched for a clothesline. But again, Romulus slipped away—leaping clean over him with fluid grace.

“Dang, Romulus is holding his own,” Volcan commented, leaning forward in his seat. “I didn’t think anyone could match Sol in raw power.”

“Romulus was Torolf’s greatest rival, don’t forget,” Luke pointed out, leaning forward in his seat as well. “Remember back in the Warmachine tournament? How livid he was when we threatened to outshine him as Torolf’s newest rivals?”

“I’m starting to wonder if our win was just luck, though…” Volcan muttered, and earned a disapproving glare from Luke. “Just saying.”

After ducking another of Sol’s assaults, Romulus struck true with another Foul Play , his darkened paws slamming into Sol’s chest with the weight of the Typhlosion’s own strength.

Sol grunted, growling as he rubbed the spot, brushing soot from his fur like it was nothing. “That all you’ve got?” he snapped. “I can take hits like that all day, old man. And sooner or later… you’re gonna slip up. And when you do?” He sneered, fire licking from his vents. “Yer ass is grass.”

Romulus barely flinched. “Everything breaks, my boy.” A dark mist curled from the corners of his mouth. “It’s just a matter of when.” He exhaled a dense cloud of Smog, drowning the arena in a toxic haze. Sol choked and staggered, fanning his flaming wings as he shot into the sky to escape the fumes.

From above, he inhaled deep—blue fire flickering in his throat—then unleashed a massive Blue Flare straight down.

The blast ignited the Smog, resulting in an earth-shaking BOOM.

An inferno roared across the battlefield, swallowing everything in flame. The shockwave rocked Sol midair, forcing him to flap wildly just to stay upright before he finally dropped back to the scorched earth. Blue fire still crackled across the field. Smoke and embers veiled the ground.

No sign of Romulus. The crowd was dead silent. Revane didn’t move. No call. No confirmation. Only the distant hiss of fire…

And then—a silhouette. Sol squinted—just in time to see Romulus burst from the flames, charging like a demon reborn. The Mega – no, regular Houndoom slammed into him horn-first, driving all the air from Sol’s lungs in one brutal tackle—the same attack that shattered stone in round three and won Romulus the match against Doug.

“He’s… unharmed?” Volcan blurted, eyes wide.

“That was a full-power Blue Flare!” Luke barked, stunned. “That’s Reshiram’s move – the power of a god! That’s like… taking an exploding star to the face!”

Neilla squinted at the field. “Wait. Why’s he in his base form now?” she asked slowly.

Volcan blinked, realization dawning. “Maybe… Solar Power was draining him too fast? Or…” His eyes widened. “No way. That son of a bitch.”

Lashanne leaned forward. “It’s Flash Fire,” she said flatly. “Base form Houndooms have it; it’s rare, but he must be one of the ones who has it. He deliberately switched out of Mega so he could absorb the Blue Flare, and power himself up in the process.”

Volcan smacked his forehead. “He used Sol’s strongest attack to juice himself like a power core,” he said, incredulous.

Minato’s voice was tight. “Which means... he’s stronger now in base form than he was as a Mega Houndoom,” he shook his head in disbelief. “That clever bastard. He planned this. He wanted Sol to cut loose.”

As Sol recovered from the potent gut-check he had just taken from Romulus, he could see the energy radiating from the Houndoom. His body was emitting so much heat, it was causing waves over his form, and his eyes were barely visible behind a pallid, blue glow that had filled them, now filled with the power of Reshiram’s almighty Blue Flare…

Sol’s attack - which would have toppled nearly any other opponent, had just made Romulus more powerful than ever before - even more so than his Mega Evolution under the harsh sun he had summoned.

“Now, this battle ends,” Romulus said, his tone a stark contrast to the heat radiating from him.

Sol coughed a bit and spat on the ground as he wiped his face on his arm, looking back at Romulus and the amount of power he was exuding. “...So, you got Flash Fire too, eh?” he asked, though rather than looking nervous or defeated, Sol was grinning wider, maddeningly so. “This battle ain’t ending yet, old man…! It’s just getting exciting!!”

With that, he once again unleashed an Earthquake attack by punching the ground as hard as he could, causing the ground under the Houndoom’s feet to shake violently.

At the same moment, Romulus unleashed a Solarbeam. Silence fell—then a thundercrack of sunlight burst from his jaws, cutting clean through Sol’s Earthquake and slamming into him mid-attack. The beam drove into his chest and carried him off his feet, hurling him backward like a comet into the arena wall, still burning as he hit.

Sol peeled himself off the wall, clutching his ribs—but still grinning. He laughed, wild and unshaken, then hurled a volley of scattered Focus Blasts, firing at every angle where Romulus might dodge. But the Houndoom didn’t move. Each blast struck dirt around him, until one neared—and he calmly incinerated it with a Flamethrower, eyes never leaving Sol.

The moment the flames cleared, Sol struck, bursting through the smoke with a brutal headbutt that rocked Romulus back. Before the Houndoom could recover, Sol locked his arms around him in a crushing bear hug.

“Got you, bitch!” He growled, then took off into the air and soared above the arena walls and into the open skies, then turned and angled himself facing downward and dropping like a meteor with Romulus held slightly ahead of him, aiming to slam him into the ground with as much force as he could manage. Romulus once again jumped to the right, narrowly avoiding Sol’s attack.

Then, with a snarl, he attacked, lunging at Sol and leaping onto his back, where he clamped his jaws on the Typhlosion’s shoulder with a powerful Crunch attack, shifting his weight and pulling Sol off his feet. As if suddenly having turned into a wild beast, Romulus continued to pull Sol around, thrashing and snarling, never giving him the chance to push himself up to find any leverage.

“Get OFF me!!” Sol growled, letting himself get pulled and falling on top of Romulus, letting his own weight crush him before he rolled back to his feet. When the Houndoom scrambled to rise again, Sol was already lashing out with a Double Kick to send him stumbling again, then spun and hurled another Focus Blast while he was stumbling.

This time, Romulus didn’t have the chance to get out of the way; the Focus Blast struck his flank and sent him skidding across the arena on his side. His vision swam, but still he rose, forcing himself back onto his feet and facing the Typhlosion again, though he could feel he was reaching his limit against him. He had to finish this, soon…

Sol stumbled a bit himself, blinking a few times as he felt his limit being reached as well. “Alright… NOW is where we finish it.” He said, then he tensed and summoned forth everything he had left with a mighty roar, sending a pillar of white-hot fire upward into the sky. He then held out his arms and growled as he began channelling a Focus Blast in one paw, and a Solarbeam in the other, before crashing the two attacks together and melding them into one focused orb of energy.

“Let’s see if ya got the balls to try and deflect this!” He growled, grinning and once more began to laugh that crazed laugh again. As he laughed, Romulus caught signs of sparks of what appeared to be… black flames flickering off of Sol’s already white hot flames.

Seeing Sol about to unleash his great finale, Romulus touched his Mega Stone again; he hadn’t used its full charge before, and with another howl to call forth another Sunny Day, he returned to his Mega Houndoom form again… But something had changed.

Steam hissed from Romulus’ body as the very air around him wavered with heat, distorting his form. Even Luke and Minato had to switch to Aura Sense just to track him… and instantly regretted it.

Luke recoiled. Romulus’ aura blazed like a solar flare — overwhelming, impossible to process. It was no longer just Romulus. With the energy he’d stolen from Sol’s Blue Flare, stacked atop his Mega Evolution and Solar Power’s sun-fed boost, his strength had skyrocketed beyond recognition.

Beyond even Giratina. Maybe even beyond Necrozma.

“How did he…?” Luke whispered, forced to shut off his Aura Sense before it blinded him. “His aura… It’s like a Blessed, but even brighter.”

“I can’t see aura,” Volcan muttered, wide-eyed, “but I can feel that power. I think he just outclassed every Blessed we’ve ever seen — and he’s not even one of them!”

“He absorbed Reshiram’s Blue Flare,” Lashanne said, fingers on her temple, trying to do the mental math. “Then re-Mega Evolved under another Sunny Day, and Solar Power just added another half again on top of that… I—I can’t even quantify it. He’s stronger than most Legendaries.”

Volcan stared in disbelief. “The strain… That kind of power has to be tearing him apart.”

Luke’s thoughts flashed to his own Hyper Surge — and the pain, the danger of pushing too far. Romulus was walking the same knife’s edge Luke had during his battle with Mewtwo.

“He better let that power out soon,” Luke said, jaw tight. “Or it’s going to tear him up from the inside.”

Sol, seeing Romulus power up to the extreme, could only laugh hysterically as he held his attack ready.

“About damn time you brought out the big guns, old man!!” He exclaimed, then his gaze hardened. “Too bad ya brought it out this late in the game… Now you ain’t gonna get a chance to use it…!” He said, then he powered up his Blast Burn and spat it onto the glowing orb, further empowering it, but also making it more unstable as a result.

“Eat this!!” Sol hollered. “SUPERNOVA!!!”

Sol’s arms recoiled as the blast shot forward, a deafening shockwave ensued as he let it loose, the blast carving into the arena floor as it rocketted toward Romulus.

Looking briefly behind him, and then back at Sol, Romulus had a decision to make. First, he did something unexpected, running toward the oncoming attack - catching every spectator in the arena off guard, wondering what he could be thinking, until he let loose another Solarbeam… But not at Sol.

He jumped, and fired the attack at the ground beneath him, colliding with Sol’s blast at the same time that it launched the Houndoom skyward, legs folded into his body as he was launched higher, and stopping only when he flew above Sol.

The Typhlosion, realizing his target was no longer below him, looked up as Romulus fell toward him. His forepaws ignited with Foul Play again, landing one paw-strike to Sol’s shoulder as they met, bending him back, and slamming the other against his chest. Then, his third attack… Another Dark Pulse, but as it erupted from his mouth, it was more akin to a Dark Meteor, bursting forth from his maw with all the force of a God Pokémon’s signature attack, confined into one blow that struck Sol like a boulder falling from space.

As powerful as he was, not even Sol could endure the damage Romulus had just put out. With a gag, he was sent crashing into the ground with bone crushing force, almost crashing through the ground from the force of the impact. There he laid in that crater, motionless. His Blessed form expiring and his flames extinguishing until only smoke was exuding from his neck vents…

“Winner!” came Revane’s voice. “Romulus takes the victory!”

The audience throughout the arena was hesitant to respond for a few seconds, as though in denial that the clash they had born witness to was finally over… But as Romulus stood in the middle of the ring, devolving back to the form of a regular Houndoom again, they finally exploded into applause. All except for Team Vanguard and their friends, unable to fathom what they had just seen.

“I… Have no words…” Volcan mumbled, almost robotic. “Nothing… Can describe… What we just saw here.”

“Romulus…” Luke muttered, a look of concern and disapproval present on his face as he looked at the Houndoom. “You played a very dangerous game…”

Almost as if on cue… Romulus suddenly collapsed, falling onto his side and causing the arena to fall silent as gasps of shock and shouts of concern began to echo from the stands. Revane rushed over to Romulus, the Dusknoir hastily picking him up with his large hands while the others stared in disbelief.

“What happened?” Lashanne asked.

“The strain must’ve overwhelmed him,” said Volcan. “Now that he’s let out all that power and the battle’s over…”

“The backlash is catching up to him… just like it did with me.” Luke added, shaking his head. “Damnit… that’s two Pokémon that seem to have taken inspiration from what I did against Mewtwo!”

Romulus was rushed out of the arena by Revane, while the medics ran out to assist Sol, loading him onto a stretcher and carrying him away. Luke’s eyes lingered on Romulus until he was out of sight, feeling an unseen tether pulling him toward the Houndoom…

Before he knew it, he broke into a run, and started heading for the infirmary…

By the time Luke arrived, he found Gallia standing over Romulus - along with, to his surprise, King Calyrex, the two of them placing glowing limbs upon the Houndoom, administering a combined Heal Pulse to the Houndoom, who seemed to only be sleeping.

“How is he??” Luke practically demanded, bursting into the room frantically.

“Extremely weak and comatose,” said Gallia. “But, alive, and no lasting damage to his body. He’ll recover… But it will take time.”

“How much time?” Luke asked, afraid to hear the answer.

“Difficult to say yet,” replied Calyrex, shaking his head. “As strong as Romulus is, he took more power into his body in that fight than I think most Pokémon would be capable of handling all at once.”

Before Luke could voice another question, he heard the door opening again, seeing Luminara rushing into the infirmary, with Marilla held in her arms. “Romulus!” She cried out, practically barging past Luke and kneeling next to him, with Marilla jumping out of her arms and standing on the bed next to him, licking his cheek to get him to wake up.

Luminara looked at Gallia and Calyrex with a desperate look in her eyes. “Please, do whatever you can to help him. I don’t care what it takes, just make sure he recovers!”

“We will do everything we can,” promised Calyrex. “For now, I must ask that you please let us work.”

She nodded softly, gently scooping up Marilla in her arms and stepping back next to Luke, glancing at her son apologetically. “Sorry…”

Luke waved her off. “It’s fine. I was just as frantic as you.” He assured her softly, reaching over to give Marilla reassuring scritches atop her head.

Suddenly, Gallia started, looking at Romulus’ face. “Wait… He's waking up,” she said to the two Lucario.

Sure enough, Romulus’ eyes were slowly opening, his breathing laboured as he struggled with the effort of just opening his eyes. Luminara quickly walked back to Romulus and knelt next to him, gently touching his face with her paw.

“Romulus? Can you hear me..?” She asked softly, yet with a desperate tone in her voice.

He could only manage a grunt in reply, but she felt him tilting his head in what might have been an attempt at nodding. She breathed a sigh of relief, once again letting Marilla down in front of him where she began to nuzzle him ceaselessly. Romulus mustered what strength he could to lift his head, trying to lean into Marilla’s nuzzling, rumbling an unformed word from his throat.

“He is exhausted,” said Calyrex, “but, he awoke, which is good. I can sense no other lasting damage to his body, either.”

“Thank Arceus…” Luke breathed, placing a paw over his chest to calm his rapidly beating heart.

“This does pose one other problem, at least where the tournament is concerned,” said Calyrex, looking at Luke. “After that climactic battle with Sol, he will not be fit for further combat for some time, now…”

Luke heard Volcan’s voice chime in behind him, looking briefly to see the Blaziken, along with Ignus, Lashanne and Minato, entering the infirmary. “Wait, does that mean… Romulus is out of the tournament?” he asked.

“That, or he must elect someone to take his place, according to the tournament rules,” said Calyrex. “If a fighter cannot continue participation, they can select a stand-in fighter to take their place. Otherwise, their failure to participate must be considered a disqualification.” He looked at Romulus. “And, in his present state, Romulus will not be able to continue competing for several days, at least. Even once he can walk again, this fatigue will not have passed; he has at least a week, maybe longer at his age, of recovery time before he is combat-ready again.”

“So, he has to pick someone to stand in for him,” said Lashanne. “But, what’s the catch?”

“It cannot be a fighter who has already been eliminated from the tournament roster,” replied Calyrex. “And, with this being the championship round…”

“Every registered fighter, including us, has already been taken out,” Volcan finished for the king. “There’s no one left.”

“Which means…” Minato turned to Luke slowly. “You’d be the champion by a technicality.”

Luke firmly shook his head. “I won’t accept that.” He said in a firm tone. “I’d rather be disqualified than accept a win based on the opponent’s inability to fight.”

Volcan looked at Calyrex. “Isn’t there some other way?” he asked. “It’s the Championship round; there must be some loophole or exception in the event this happens.”

“Well, yes,” replied Calyrex. “Romulus can still select a fighter from outside the roster. But it must be mutually agreed upon by him, the fighter in question, and Romulus’ opponent - namely, Luke, if he is unwilling to accept the default.”

An unsettling silence fell upon the room at that point that seemed to last for ages. No one had any suggestions for what to do, as those that could potentially stand in for Romulus had already been defeated… Luminara however, had a hesitant look in her eyes as the silence continued, then she hardened her gaze and looked at Calyrex.

“…I will do it.”

Volcan sputtered, looking at Luminara as though she had grown a second head. “Say what now?!” he finally managed to get out.

“I will represent Romulus in the Championship match.” She repeated, looking firmly at Volcan. “If anyone has any objections, feel free to claim them now.”

“But… If you take his place, then you have to fight-” he looked at Luke, trailing off.

“Her own son,” Lashanne added. “And not just in a sparring match; this would be an all-out battle!”

“It would be no different than when Luna fought Sol,” Luminara pointed out. “And even then, Luke would be fighting a parent anyway, be it myself or Romulus.”

“It’s entirely different!” Minato exclaimed. “He’s only related to Romulus by marriage law. You are his birth mother!”

At that, Luminara fixed her firm gaze squarely on him. “I know you well enough to suggest that if you were to fight your son in this tournament, you would show him no leniency.” She stated. “He’s a grown man now, just like my son is. You would treat him as such, or at the very least, he would demand that you do.”

“You…!” Minato grit his teeth, wanting to dispute her claim, but the words died in his throat. “…Damn you for actually making sense!”

“Luminara… Are you sure?” Lashanne asked. “There’s a reason you stayed out of this tournament, isn’t there?” She looked at Marilla. “Even if it was mostly for the new little one, still…”

“I did. But now, Romulus is down—and I see capable babysitters all around me,” she said, glancing at Volcan, Lashanne, and Minato. “Besides, if Luke can beat me, it’ll be as good as beating Romulus. After all, ever since we got together, we’ve found to be equals in battle.”

Lashanne grimaced. “I mean… I suppose,” she said.

“I…” Volcan rubbed the back of his head. “Well, if it’s within the rules.”

“It is, but again, only with certain parameters met,” Calyrex stated. “Romulus must agree to allow Luminara to take his place, and, Luke must also agree to take her as an opponent. If either of them disagrees, then we are back to square one.”

The king turned his gaze on Luke. “What say you, Captain Luke?”

Luke looked squarely at his mother, reading her expression and her readiness to take over where Romulus left off. Then he let out a sigh as he closed his eyes, then reopened them with enough intensity to match Luminara’s.

“I accept these terms.” He said firmly.

With that, Calyrex turned to Romulus, who now - thanks to the healing administered by Calyrex and Gallia, had strength enough to raise his head. His eyes lingered on Luminara, meeting her gaze for a time - as though a silent conversation were being held between the pair. After a moment, he looked at Calyrex.

“Accepted…” he barely managed to say.

“Very well,” said Calyrex. “As of now, Romulus, Luminara shall take your place as championship combatant. She and Luke shall do battle this evening at sundown.”

Romulus nodded his head slowly. Then looked at Volcan as the Blaziken came over. “I’ll look after Marilla,” he promised. “After all, she’s my little sister too, right?”

Romulus half-smiled and nodded to Volcan. With his approval, Volcan turned his attention to the little Houndour, still nestled against her father’s chest, and offered her his hand. She slowly walked over and sniffed Volcan’s hand a few times, then perked up as she recognized her mother’s scent on him, then began butting her head gently against his head before giving it a few licks.

With that, Volcan gently picked Marilla up and cradled her, letting her rub her head against his feathery chest. “She’ll be in good hands,” he promised.

“You’ll miss the match,” Lashanne pointed out. “She can’t come into the colosseum herself.”

“I’ll watch on the outside monitors. That way it won’t upset her.”

“Smart,” Minato said, nodding before gesturing for the others to leave.

Calyrex gave one final glance between Romulus, Luminara, and Luke. “Get some rest, Captain Luke. Of the two of you, only you fought today. You’ll need all of your strength.”

Luke nodded. As the others left, he turned to his mother. “I guess… I’ll see you out there.”

She reached out, brushing his face with her paw. “You’ll do fine, son. Just don’t hold back. In that ring, we’re not mother and son—we’re warriors.”

Luke gave a small smile. “Wish me luck.”

Ignus raised a paw with confidence. “You got this, Papa. We believe in you.”

He met Ignus’ eyes and smiled, then looked to Luminara one last time.

“Win or lose… I’ll make you proud, mother.”

She smiled at him. “I know you will,” she replied.

The world would soon watch a son challenge the one who gave him life… and only one would walk away as Champion.

The rest of the day was tense for Luke, making it hard for him to rest and relax, knowing who he would be facing that evening. Even with a healthy lunch, some healing from Calyrex and Gallia, and everything possible to make sure he was physically prepared to face his mother… His mental state regarding the idea was another question.

He sat on a bench looking down at his own paws, his legs bouncing nervously as he kept clenching and relaxing his paws, trying to calm himself down, but to no avail. He came into this tournament fully prepared to fight Romulus. Sure, he had now become his father-in-law and they had made amends, but he at least was looking forward to knocking him off of his pedestal…

But his mother, his birth mother, was another story entirely. There had never been any bad blood between them, and he never in a million years expected to have to trade blows with her… yet here he was faced with the concept of fighting the woman that brought him into this world…and it unnerved him to no end.

He sat in the lounge of Romulus’ house; a quiet place where he’d hoped to get some rest, when Volcan entered the room, accompanied by Ignus and Marilla - the latter held comfortably in Volcan’s arms, fast asleep. “Really loves to nap, this one,” he commented, before he noticed Luke. “...Love? You okay?” he asked, seeing something in his husband’s face.

“Honestly? No, I’m not.” Luke admitted with a heavy sigh. “I’m a nervous wreck.”

“Because you have to fight your mother?” Volcan asked, knowingly.

He nodded softly. “I came to this tournament fully expecting to fight Romulus. I know we’re on much better terms now, but I was really looking forward to knocking him down a peg since the last time we fought…” He said, then looked up at Volcan. “But my mother? I’ve never had a single drop of bad blood with her, and the most we’ve ever fought was just typical sparring. I’m not sure I can fight at my fullest because of those factors…”

“You didn’t seem bothered by it initially,” said Volcan, “But, I guess, now that the reality of it has had time to sink in…?”

“Yea… Now that it’s fully registered, I’m nervous as hell,” Luke answered. “I mean… how do you compete with not only your birth parent, but Arceus’ Blessed?”

Volcan shrugged helplessly. “I couldn’t tell you… I could compare it to when we had to fight my father, but…” he sighed. “Honestly, once I knew what kind of man he was I'd probably welcome the chance to fight him. So, bad comparison.”

Luke shrugged softly, gently reaching over to touch Volcan’s thigh with his paw. “I still appreciate the thought. I just… don’t know if I’m ready for this.”

Volcan sat down beside Luke to his left, while Ignus took the seat to the right, putting the whole family on the couch. “I… Don’t know what I can say to reassure you,” said the Blaziken. “But, one thing’s certain, your mother won’t forgive you if you don’t give it your all… The alternative would’ve been to take the default victory, but surely you didn’t want that either. I’d say she thought you deserved better too; why else would she volunteer?”

Luke nodded. “True. She would know I’d rather earn the title of champion instead of accepting a token victory.” He answered, then he leaned on Volcan for some added comfort and support. “Alright… but I have one request from the both of you.” He said, glancing at Ignus for a moment with a small smile. “...I better hear you both screaming when you’re cheering me on.”

“I’ll be outside - you won’t be able to hear me,” Volcan remarked, chuckling as he looked at Marilla. “Can’t take this one into the arena. But, I can promise I’ll still be cheering for you while I watch you onscreen.”

“I’ll make sure you hear me,” Ignus barked, smiling. “Count on it.”

Luke smiled and ruffled Ignus’ head. “Thanks… both of you,” he muttered.

“Now, any way we can help you relax so you can nap a bit?” Volcan asked. “It’s only three hours before your match, and that fight with Koa had to have tuckered you out, even if he was running out of juice.”

Luke hummed a little, though he never took his eyes off Volcan as he thought. “Well, if you weren’t stuck on babysitting duty right now, I could think of one way you could help..”

Volcan chuckled. “That’ll have to wait,” he said. “Besides, it’s not just your baby sister that’s here yanno,” he reminded the Lucario, cocking his head toward Ignus.

“I know, I know,” Luke said, gently slapping Volcan’s arm. “I guess I’ll just have to settle with this then.” He said while letting himself lean on Volcan and closing his eyes.

Turning himself slightly so that Marilla wouldn’t get squished between them, Volcan rested his head atop Luke letting the Lucario get comfortable lying against him. Ignus crawled over and gently placed his head on Luke’s lap, figuring his presence would help his father give him more comfort as Luke sighed and relaxed completely with his family.

All too soon, the hour came, when Luke had to travel to the arena and take his place. Ignus joined their friends in the stands, sitting with Minato’s family, while Volcan - as he’d said he’d do, remained outside to babysit Marilla and watched the fight from the screen.

Luke stood behind the gate on his side of the ring. Opposite him, behind another barred gate, he knew his mother waited - too far away for him to see clearly, but, he knew she was there just the same.

‘Hoo boy… this is it,’ he thought inwardly, gently slapping his cheeks so he could focus. ‘You can do this… Ignore the fact she’s my mother. I can’t falter here, not after how far I’ve come.’

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we welcome you now to the Championship finals!” Calyrex’s voice boomed through the arena. “In a last minute change to the lineup, Captain Romulus, regrettably, has been deemed unfit to continue in the tournament!”

Almost immediately, a cacophony of disapproving voices, booing and curses arose from the spectator’s stands. Calyrex waited for the voices to calm before he continued. “Not to worry, generous spectators, for there will still be a match for you. One that is both heart-pounding, and dramatic, beyond anything you could expect! But first, let’s meet our fighters!”

The gate on Luke’s side dropped first, allowing him to step out. “First, we have our winner from the semi-final rounds, Captain Luke of Team Valiant!” Calyrex announced.

Luke stepped out of the passage and onto the arena, where he was already greeted with numerous cheers and applause from the audience. He heard his teammates and his friends cheering him on well, with his son being the loudest of the bunch with his excited howls.

“And now, for his opponent,” began Calyrex, “Standing in for Captain Romulus in this final match is none other than his dear wife, Miss Luminara!”

The other gate came down, and the other Lucario stepped out. A few cheers rose from the audience - confined mainly to those who likely knew - or knew of Luminara. Others, however, did not know how to respond, either because they did not know her or know what to expect as she made her way across the field to stand before her son.

She appeared from her corner of the arena, stepping out with the confidence of a seasoned warrior despite her deceptively youthful appearance. Each step she took was calculated, her posture loose, yet held together even as she came to a stop before her son, staring at him with a firm expression on her face.

“And, as this will likely become clear very soon, I should mention this now,” Calyrex went on. “Miss Luminara is none other than the mother of Captain Luke himself!”

At first, the arena fell silent… Then, came something Luke hadn’t anticipated. Protests, from across the ring; multiple spectators calling foul. Luke even managed to catch some of the words being thrown.

“That’s ridiculous!” “She’s not going to fight her own son!” “She’s going to let him win; this match can’t possibly count!”

Most derisive though was one he suspected his mother would not enjoy either. “How can some housewife take the place of Captain Romulus?!”

In the stands, Lashanne’s ears stood up, hearing that particular comment. “Oooh no he did not,” she said, slowly.

Down at the arena, Luke began to frown at the protests, his anger slowly starting to bubble to the surface as his paws tightened into fists at his sides. Luminara however, remained stoic and firm, not taking anything the audience was saying to heart. As if sensing her son’s anger building, she called out to him in a controlled tone.

“They don’t know what happened that day,” she reminded him, causing Luke to look at her with mild shock. “Let them believe what they want to believe… We will shortly show them how wrong they are, won’t we?” she asked, smiling softly.

Luke didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. She was right; the audience had no clue what happened the day of the battle at the Final Nexus, nor of the power she had control over… Then another thought crept into his mind that made him bite his bottom lip anxiously… Would she use that power against him?

Up in the stands, Lashanne caught a derisive comment from one of the spectators behind her. “This is ridiculous… They’ve pit Luke against his own mom for the final round? Why not just give him the victory by default - she’s just a housewife! She’s not going to beat him!”

Lashanne turned and glared at the other Pokémon - a Hitmontop, who leaned away when he saw the scathing glare. “That ‘housewife’ you speak of,” she said, “fought alongside us at the final nexus. Don’t act like you know anything about her, unless you want to get thrown down there and see for yourself just how dangerous she really is.”

The Hitmontop, mustering his courage, met Lashanne’s glare. “Look, I mean no disrespect but we saw Luke take on some steep competition throughout this tournament; he beat a Charizard, that scrappy Lopunny, a Mega Sceptile and that Koa kid; who can top that besides Captain Romulus?”

“‘That scrappy Lopunny’ you speak of,” Neilla joined in, “is sitting right here, and for your information, Luminara down there also trained Luke; she taught him how to fight. Right?” She looked at Lashanne for confirmation.

But it was Ignus who answered, motivated by the need to defend his grandmother’s honour. “I’ve seen her fight.” He barked, leering at the Hitmontop scathingly. “Both of my dads swear by her prowess. She’s strong… and she’s gonna show us all just how strong she really is.”

Unaware of the back-and-forth in the stands being held on their behalf, Luke remained contemplative about the match ahead. He stood with his paws clenched at his sides as he fought with himself, trying to push the idea that he was actually fighting his mother out of his head. Luminara could sense his inner turmoil, sighing and calling out to him in a stern tone.

“Snap out of it!” she snapped, making Luke flinch and look back at her. “This is no time to be spacing out, son. You’ve come too far now to get cold feet.”

Luke blinked a few times as her words registered, but still he seemed hesitant, flattening his ears and looking off to the side. This seemed to annoy Luminara further, so she decided to give him something else to worry about. She slowly took a deep breath and lifted her paws up to her chest, then her eyes shot open and she thrust her paws to the ground, creating a massive shockwave that forced the sand around her to get blasted away in every direction with just her power alone.

The display also caused the commotion in the audience to stop, making them all look down in silence, not a single word uttered by the audience. Luminara then slowly got into her fighting stance and glared dangerously at Luke.

“Let me make this clear to you,” she began in a firm tone. “From this point onward until the end of this battle, push the idea of us being mother and son out of your mind,” she stated firmly. “We are warriors locked in a battle for a championship to honour a fallen hero. If he saw you cowering like this, he would be shaking his head in disappointment, because the Luke I know isn’t a coward… He is a fighter; a survivor; a hero.”

“A man who has endured more in his life than he ever should have for someone so young…” Then, she raised her arm to point at the statue of Torolf that overlooked the arena. “Are you really going to sully Torolf’s memory and sacrifice by failing after fighting so hard to get to this point?”

That seemed to grab Luke’s attention, his ears pricking upright as Luminara’s words sunk in. She was right. Whether she was his mother, grandmother, sister or any family relation, it didn’t matter now. They were warriors now, and he had come too far to allow sentimentality to cost him this fight.

With steeled determination and resolve, Luke’s Aura Surge suddenly exploded around him, burning gently as he took up his fighting stance, staring intently at his mother without a single word. Luminara smirked, seeing her son’s resolve return, holding her stance as they waited for the signal to begin.

Revane - from wherever it was he watched these fights, made his appearance, emerging from nothingness as he sensed the two were ready. But Calyrex gave some additional words before he gave the clear to begin.

“The Championship match of the Torolf Memorial tournament,” Calyrex boomed, “will now commence! Fight well, combatants!”

Revane, seeing his cue, raised his hands and shouted, “BEGIN!” before retreating into the colosseum wall, clearing the field for the two fighters.

The second Revane gave the call, Luke and Luminara were already in motion. Within a second, they clashed, both pushing against one another for a brief moment before they pushed away from one another and exploded into action. Luke was already on the offensive, utilizing the Rapid Strike Style to keep his mother on the back foot with his swift and precise strikes.

However, while she was on the defensive, Luminara’s defenses were on point. Despite her appearance, she was a seasoned warrior with years of combat experience. Every time Luke attacked, she had a counter for it, and before long she was starting to push back by parrying Luke’s onslaught and making him go on the defensive. When he felt her pushing back, he switched quickly to the Single Strike Style, firmly rooting himself down so he wasn’t pushed back and using strong, heavy blocks to prevent her from scoring a hit on him.

Eventually, Luminara managed to break through his guard and land a solid hit to his chest, making him wheeze from the impact. While he was stunned, she grabbed his arm and turned, throwing him over her shoulder in a swift motion. Luke however, expected her to make that move.

He had seen her perform it so many times that he knew exactly how to counter it. The second she threw him over her shoulder and spun to kick him in the same motion, he caught himself on his paws and turned, swinging his leg and kicking her across the face before her follow up attack could land.

The force of the attack, coupled with her not expecting Luke to counter her signature grapple, sent her stumbling away for a bit until she caught herself and took up her fighting stance again, a small trickle of blood running down her lip as she watched Luke jump back to his feet and stance up as well. For a while there was silence before the two of them started to grin at one another, feeling their blood pumping and their hearts racing. From that point on, the warm-up was over, and they were ready to fight seriously now.

“This is getting pretty hot from the word go,” said Lashanne.

“They’re just getting started,” stated Neilla. “I know Luke; he’s still testing the waters. And if his mother trained him, she’s far from giving it her all yet, either.”

“The question now is… how far is she willing to risk pushing him?” Minato remarked, resting his chin in his paws as he watched the two of them start fighting again, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Caulin glanced at his father for a moment. “Wait, wait… She wouldn’t… really use that power on him, would she?”

Minato glanced back at his son for a moment. “I won’t lie… she might.” He said honestly. “If you and I were down there, and I felt you had fought hard enough to earn the right to fight me in my Blessed state, I would do so…”

Caulin gulped audibly at that, deciding not to push the subject and turning to watch the fight down below. “...Well in that case, my bet’s on Uncle Luke.” He said firmly. “Because if anyone can defy the impossible… It’s him.”

Back down in the arena, both Luminara and Luke were darting all over the place, kicking up clouds of sand and dust as they clashed with one another. By now, Luke had tapped into his Aura Surge to increase his speed and power, which gave him a slight edge over Luminara. That said, her combat experience managed to all but counter Luke’s high-speed onslaught. Every time they clashed, she either managed to stop Luke from landing a solid hit or redirect his attack just enough that he only grazed her. Either way, he wasn’t making any headway.

Eventually they stopped, both panting softly as they recovered from their high speed clashes. Luke was gritting his teeth in annoyance, feeling a bit flustered that nothing he tried seemed to break through her guard, or at least not enough that he could score significant damage on her.

“Damn…” He growled softly, then managed a smirk. “All these years of being a housewife haven’t dulled your edge, Mother…”

“You think I’ve been spending all my free time sitting on my paws doing nothing whenever I wasn’t cleaning or maintaining my home?” She countered, crossing her arms. “I may be advanced in my years, but my physical body is still well within its prime. I’m far from over the hill, son.”

She then closed her eyes and lowered her head a little. “...With that said.” She began, a small gust of wind blowing around her as she slowly opened her eyes, a familiar glint present in her gaze as she stared back at her son. “I believe it’s about time we raised the stakes… wouldn’t you agree…?”

Luke’s eyes widened slightly as he understood what she meant. “...Wait, you’re not…” He began, looking around the arena. “In this crowded space?? I thought you were supposed to keep that a secret!”

Luminara started to glow as she began to ascend slowly into the air. “I exposed my secret the day Calhoun tried to turn me into his puppet… I think it’s about time everyone was let in on the secret…” She responded, then she spread her arms out and closed her eyes. ‘O Holy Creator of the heavens above, I beseech thee… Grant me the strength to vanquish this foe before me…’

She then opened her eyes, her white sclera becoming orange and her eyes a deep green as the bright light around her suddenly grew even brighter, blinding everyone in the stands as she shone as bright as a star.

When the light faded, her transformation was complete. Her fur was now a piercing white, with the twin semi halos Arceus had around his body hovering behind her, acting like celestial wings as she lowered her arms and remained hovering in the air, looking down at her son expectantly.

Following a collective gasp was absolute silence as the arena took in the sight of Luminara in her Blessed form. Among them, no one had a more vocal reaction than Talleon, nearly stumbling in shock and mouth falling wide open as he leaned over the railing.

“Those colours… that ring… It can’t be!” he exclaimed, and then turned on Wade who stood where Romulus would normally be. “She is like you - another God’s Blessed? And… Of the Creator himself?!”

“She is,” Wade answered, his expression calm. “And it was with her help that we were able to quell the Dark Crusade.” He said, casting a glance at the Delphox.

“I…” Talleon was at a loss for words, turning to stare down into the arena again in incredulity as the battle between mother and son continued… A mother who carried the essence of one who created all life in the known universe.

By all accounts… A Demigoddess…

Luke could only stare up at his mother after she completed her transformation, shielding his face at first so that he wasn’t blinded by her ascendance. “You gotta be kidding me… You expect me to compete with that?” He asked out loud, his confidence shaken slightly.

“You’ve dealt with worse.” Luminara answered, slowly touching down on the ground again, the glow around her fading a little. “After all, it was your plan that defeated the Fallen God.”

“That was a united front. This…” Luke began, the words dying in his throat.

Luminara’s expression softened slightly. “I wouldn’t have gone to these lengths if I didn’t think you could handle it, son,” she stated, then smiled slightly. “After all… you have all the power you need to contend with this form.”

Luke’s ears pricked upward after she said that, immediately catching the hint and looking at her incredulously. “Mother, the last time I pushed myself that far, I nearly lost the ability to wield my power entirely,” he shot back. “I’m not risking that again, especially not in a tournament where there’s nothing to gain from pushing myself too hard.”

Luminara shook her head. “Luke, what do you take me for…? Pushing yourself has always been your way of life. It’s how you became as strong as you are now.” She countered, then gestured for him to continue. “Besides… Surely you must have felt something had changed after I restored your ability to wield Aura.”

Luke then narrowed his eyes slightly at first, then he looked down a little as he recalled the events after he had recovered. Indeed, he did notice that something was different… It was as if his mastery of his aura had improved significantly, generating Aura Spheres faster than he used to, and performing Force Palms with twice the output and barely any effort. He glanced down at his paw and clenched it a few times, the gears in his head turning before he made his decision.

He reached up and grabbed his scarf, pulling it off, grabbing the Lucarionite within, and tossing it aside. He then clenched his paw around his mega stone and began the process of evolving into his Mega Lucario state, the crystalline sphere shattering around him once the transformation was complete. He wasn’t finished yet though. He immediately got into a power up stance and brought forth his enhanced Aura Surge, then began to roar as he started pushing past his limits, a second blue aura slowly manifesting around the already blazing red aura burning around him.

He finally roared after a long while, his power exploding around him as he fully entered his Hyper Surge state. Luke slowly let out a breath as he began to relax, then twitched as he noticed something immediately after opening his eyes and looking at himself.

He didn’t feel as much stress on his body as when he first performed the ability. No veins bulging from his body, no constant tension. The stress was still present, but he felt more relaxed even in this heightened state.

“...So that’s what you did,” he finally muttered, looking at Luminara after piecing together the puzzle.

She nodded softly, smiling that motherly smile of hers. “You will be able to use that power more efficiently now…” she stated. “With that said, keep your wits about you while using it… You can still hurt yourself if you abuse that ability.”

“Trust me, I learned that the hard way…” Luke began, nodding before getting into stance. “Shall we continue?”

Luminara nodded, her smile fading into a firm glare as they locked gazes with one another, ready to start the next round of their battle.

Outside of the arena, Volcan - watching the ensuing battle on the screen with Marilla still cradled in his arms, felt a chill running up his back. He saw what Luke was doing, recognizing it from the last time he’d used it - the time he had fought the corrupted Mewtwo. A battle which had left Luke in critical condition and comatose for several days, and in a weakened state for several weeks after the fact…

“Luke, what’re you doing?!” he exclaimed, almost willing himself to jump at the screen in horror. “You can’t…!”

They held their stances for a small while, then when the slightest fleck of sand billowed between them, they launched at one another, meeting in the middle with a clash that sent a shockwave so powerful it nearly blew the audience out of their seats. From then on, it became a rapid fire slugfest between Luke and his mother, the two of them moving at such ridiculous speeds it was hard to keep track. One moment they were exchanging fists in one part of the arena, another moment they were in another area exchanging blasts, occasionally meeting in the middle with another clash, struggling to overpower one another before they entered another brawl of fists, feet and blasts.

Luke couldn’t help but smile as he fought with his mother. It all made sense now; how his aura control suddenly became more precise after she helped him recover from nearly destroying himself during his fight with Mewtwo. At first he just chalked it up to a result of her healing skills, but now he understood completely that this wasn’t the case.

She hadn’t just healed his ability to use Aura, she made it even better. She actively had a hand in making sure a scenario like his battle against Mewtwo never happened again. It was quite possibly the best gift a mother could ever bestow upon her child.

‘Thank you, Mother…’ He thought internally as they backed apart from one another, holding their stances once again. ‘I won’t squander this gift… I’ll give it everything I’ve got, no matter what!’

For her part, Luminara was smiling as well, almost beaming. She was seeing firsthand what her handiwork was doing, and seeing her son smile and wielding his limit breaking power more proficiently filled her with pride; pride that she not only did her part in helping her son break through his limits, but also at how her youngest son became the man he was today. A survivor, a warrior, a protector, but most of all, a devoted husband and a doting father.

‘Your father would be so proud of you were he still with us…’ She thought to herself, a small tear running down her cheek as she lifted her gaze slightly to the sky. ‘I hope you’re watching this, Mathias… I hope you can see the kind of man our baby has become…’

Her attention shifted back to the battle as she saw an Aura Sphere rocketing toward her, making her tilt her head away as it passed by. She saw her son smirking as he held his paw up, then her ear twitched as she turned and deflected the same sphere as it rounded on her, sending it over the colosseum walls, over the outer walls of Gladiator City, where it impacted into the desert harmlessly.

Luminara smirked back, then they rushed at one another once more, roaring as they entered another clash. From there, they entered yet another brawl, but this time it started slow and progressively got faster and faster, their blows becoming stronger and impacting with each other harder the more the fight went on. Ultimately, they were nothing more but streaks of white, red and blue darting all over the arena, causing shockwaves each time they met.

Finally, they bounced away from one another, then charged in once more with their paws drawn back, throwing them when they were in range. The resulting clash left behind another shockwave as they both nailed each other in the face, sending each other flying back until they hit opposite ends of the arena walls with bone-jarring force before they fell into a crouch, slowly staggering back to their feet.

By now, they looked battered and heavily bruised, so much that they both dropped out of their enhanced states. Luminara’s heavenly glow vanished as she returned to normal, while Luke’s Hyper Surge fizzled away as he powered down back to his normal form, both left panting heavily as they stared at one another before they got into their stances again, ready to go again despite their apparent fatigue.

From the stands, everyone was watching with bated breath, unable to even cheer out of pure shock at what they were witnessing. It was almost inconceivable to believe that a regular Lucario had broken through his own limits and was rivalling a Pokémon literally imbued with the power of God himself. This was truly a battle for the ages.

A shrill howl suddenly broke the silence, causing those in the stands to look over at the source. They saw Ignus reared up on his hind legs as he howled into the air for an extended period of time, then snapped his gaze forward and suddenly began cheering from where he sat.

“C’mon, Papa!! Don’t give up now!!” He barked encouragingly. “You can win!! I know you can!!”

Caulin started to smirk when he saw Ignus break the silence and start cheering for his father, following his example and standing up from his seat. “Kick her ass, Uncle Luke!!” He added, throwing his paw in the air. “You got this!! Show her who’s boss!!”

From another part of the stands, Sol, having been seated with Luna and his family, shot up and threw his own fist in the air. “It was through your man I became the guy I am now!! Don’t fuckin’ insult his honour by losing here to your Ma!!” He hollered, cheering for Luke in his own aggressive way. “Beat her down!! You’ve proven to everyone that you’re the best there is! Now, make good on that claim or I’ll roast you into ash!!!”

One by one, all of Luke’s friends and family started adding their own cheers to the mix. His comrades in Team Valiant all spoke up next.

“Yer the reason we got as far as we have!! Both as a team and individually!!” Hank added.

“You are an inspiration!! Both to all of us, and to the future generation!!” Katsumoto shouted.

“When others faltered, you stood your ground!! When everyone cowered, you showed them they didn’t have to be afraid!!” Doug chanted.

Even Kage, ever the silent and stoic individual, added in his own praise. “You were the beacon of light in the looming darkness!”

Soon, even Team Phalanx and Plainsrunner were joining in.

“Come on, Luke; you have to win this!” Lashanne called. “You’ve come too far now to get trounced by your own mom - just because she brought you into the world doesn’t mean you haven’t surpassed her!”

Minato rolled his eyes slightly, chuckling. “What the hell…” He relented, standing up himself. “This ain’t all you’ve got!! I’ve seen you face much worse and you’ve always come out on top!! This should be a cakewalk to you!!” He shouted.

Tristan’s voice boomed above the others. “Bring it home, you little squirt! Anyone who can face down Cobalion, Lugia and freaking Giratina’s got no right to lose!”

“If you lose this fight, Luke, I’ll come down there and clobber you myself!” Neilla called, pumping her arm in the air. “Go, go, go!” Azrael and Sarth soon echoed her chanting.

From the sponsor’s booth, Wade suddenly shot to his feet, surprising both Talleon and Hizashi as he leaned forward and gave his own cheer. “You showed the world that not even gods are perfect, infallible beings! That we decide the fate of our lives, not those from a higher plane, or those that seek to usurp power from them!!”

The collective cheers from his friends, soon joined by the praise of the audience, fell over Luke like a wave. He couldn’t make out any words clearly as the cheering rose in crescendo to become a deafening roar, yet he could feel the energy of the entire audience urging him on, pushing him to win…

Luke felt the cheers and the energy that came with them surging into him, boosting his willpower and his desire to win even further. He shut his eyes for a moment, then they shot open as he charged in once again.

Luminara kept to a defensive posture this time, catching Luke’s paw and sidestepping out of the way. She went to counter with a chop to the back of his head, but that chop turned into a block as Luke threw his leg back to kick her in retaliation, then he turned and followed through with a Bullet Punch that made Luminara freeze for a second when it hit her in the stomach.

Luke kept the pressure up, quickly adopting the Rapid Style stance and assailing her with Surging Strikes before she could recover. However, rather than ending the assault there, midway through the Surging Strikes, Luke changed tactics and adopted the Single Strike stance, hitting Luminara with hard, heavy strikes before ending with a Wicked Blow to her face that actually sent her flying into the wall again, kicking up dust upon impact.

The dust began to settle after a moment of silence, revealing Luminara was still standing, but heavily battered now. Still, she only smirked as she lifted her gaze to meet her son’s, wiping a bit of blood from her lip as she straightened up.

“I’d say it’s time for your final test…” She remarked, then her heavenly glow appeared again as she called upon what was left of her divine power; not enough to fully transform, but enough to allow her to soar up into the air and hold her paw up and create a large spear of divine light. “Let’s see if you have what it takes to defy God’s Judgment!”

Luke in turn reactivated his Aura Surge and cupped his paws at his side, pumping everything he had left into them. “I’ve taken worse… Hit me with everything you have!” Luke shouted back as the aura in his paw shone blindingly bright.

“Gladly!” Luminara bellowed, then with a roar she threw her arm forward and launched the divine spear down at her son.

Luke threw his arms forward and roared, discharging his final attack, Aura Storm, and meeting the Judgment head on. The two attacks clashed and were met in a stalemate, though not before Luke let out another roar and pumped even more of his power into his attack and slowly started to overpower the Judgment attack.

Despite that, Luminara grinned, fizzling the attack and holding her paws high over her head. She created the largest Aura Sphere she could muster and hurled it at Luke’s attack just as it was about to slam into her. The massive Aura Sphere pushed Luke’s Aura Storm back just enough that they met in the middle again, but the backlash was causing Luke to skid slightly, threatening to knock him off his feet if he didn’t steady himself.

They both then roared as loud as they could, breaking through their limits and putting even more power into their attacks, which caused them to explode under the stress. Both Luke and Luminara were caught in the explosion as it expanded, smiling at one another despite that, and when it faded, they were both on the ground, lying still for what seemed like an eternity.

Just as the fight was about to be declared a draw though, Luke’s paw twitched, and then slowly started to move, followed by the other. With trembling arms, the younger Lucario slowly pushed himself up, stumbling a few times as he rose, but eventually he managed to make it to his knees. Then he slowly managed to stand up, staggering a bit until he managed to find his footing, then raise his arm in the air once he was steady.

The applause was enough to make him instinctively flatten his ears, as the audience cheered their approval for his hard-fought victory.

Back up in the stands, Neilla elbowed the leg of the doubting Hitmontop from before. “Ow!” he grunted, lifting his leg. “What was that for?”

“Still think she let him win?” she asked.

The Hitmontop did not reply, nor meet her eyes when she looked back at him.

“I didn’t think so,” she said, crossing her arms. “If that had been you facing her, she’d have blasted you into next week faster than you could have cried for your mother.”

“YEEAA!!!” Ignus howled, jumping excitedly where he stood, flipping every so often. “That’s my Papa!! Way to go!!”

“HELL yea!! You showed her, Uncle!!” Caulin added, pumping his fists triumphantly as he celebrated Luke’s victory.

“FUCK YEA!!! That’s how it’s done!!!” Sol added, even shooting a gout of fire into the air as he spoke.

Team Valiant all cheered and embraced one another once Luke was back on his feet, chanting his name over and over in celebration of their Captain’s victory.

Outside of the arena, Volcan beamed as he looked up at the screen, barely acknowledging the roar of applause of the others in the stands. Marilla shifted in his arms, bothered by the noise and looking curiously at Volcan, who pointed at the screen proudly.

“That, little sis,” he said. “That’s your big brother, and he just became champion of the world.”

Marilla turned to look at the screen, seeing the close-up view of Luke on the colourless monitor. She might not have fully understood yet what Volcan meant by champion… But she certainly sensed the joy and excitement conveyed by the crowds around them, and she managed a smile.

“Big bro,” she said suddenly.

“Oh ho, first words already?” Volcan asked, petting her head. “Mama will be proud.”

Despite the cheers, Luke felt himself stagger again as fatigue started to take its hold on him, falling onto his back once more with a grunt and a sigh. His eyes lidded open and shut as he fought to stay conscious, though at one point when he opened his eyes again, he could have sworn he saw familiar faces looking down at him from the sky above… Including the faded silhouette of one in particular – the one who was being commemorated at this event, smiling down at him.

Luke started smiling back as his eyes began to slowly close again, the last of his consciousness fading as he addressed the smiles he thought he saw. “...You can rest easy now…” He whispered softly. “...The world… is in good hands… I promise…”

As Luke felt himself returning to the world again, the first thing he became aware of was the softness and warmth encompassing his body. The familiar heartbeat he could hear in his ear, knowing who it belonged to. When he finally managed to open his eyes, he recognized the ceiling of the room as belonging to the bedroom he shared with Volcan at Romulus’ house.

Sure enough, when he rolled his eyes to look at who was holding him, it was none other than his husband. But he also became aware of a warmth in front of him, noticing a mass of orange fur lying against him, their side gently rising and falling with their breath.

‘My family…’ he thought, feeling a warmth in his heart that seemed to chase away all of the aches across his body.

Luke’s smile only broadened, slowly lifting one of his arms up and reaching to lightly graze Volcan’s cheek and press back slightly into him, shifting a little in Volcan’s arms so he could move without straining his arm as he caressed his husband lightly.

He heard Volcan whisper in his ear. “You awake, love?” he asked.

“No, I’m rubbing your cheek while in a deep sleep.” Luke answered, then nudged Volcan softly. “Of course I’m awake, you Lazybones. Hard not to wake up when you’re smothering me with love~”

“Just trying to keep you comfortable… Champion~,” he remarked, nuzzling the top of Luke’s head.

Luke’s ears splayed after hearing that, blushing slightly. “...That’s right.” He muttered softly. “I won, didn’t I…?” Then his eyes opened wide, and he nearly jerked upright. “Wait! Is Mother alright??”

“She’s fine,” Volcan replied, turning over and sitting up. “She’s just lying with Romulus in the next room. Marilla was eager to get back to them when we got home, too.”

Luke heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s good… I was afraid she might have been seriously hurt after that last clash…”

“Eh, she’s your mom, love. If anyone could take a hit, it’d be her,” Volcan remarked. “Speaking of which… Neilla told me a lot of nay-sayers were acting like you were going to win because she wouldn’t be a real challenge. A lot of them were eatin’ Murkrow after that, I’d say, once they saw her ascend to her Blessed Form.”

He snickered. “Wade mentioned that jerk Talleon nearly flipped his lid when he saw it,” he added.

At that, Luke chuckled. “Serves him right for being such a pompous prick.” He added, sitting up and stretching his arms slightly. The movement stirred Ignus, making him yawn and lift his head sleepily before opening his eyes and looking at his parents.

“...Oh, hey guys.” He said, yawning again, tail flicking a little. “Sleep ok?”

“Quite well, son,” Volcan replied. “Well, looks like we’re all awake now. Shall we grab ourselves a bite?”

“That sounds like a good idea.” Luke stated, rubbing his stomach a little. “After that intense fight, I think I could use a good hearty meal.”

“You’ve definitely earned it,” agreed Volcan.

The three of them all slowly headed downstairs to grab some food. However, when they appeared in the dining room, they were greeted by a shout of “SURPRISE!” with a cacophony of cheers and whistles from Luke’s friends and teammates, all of them shouting their congratulations to Luke, who could only stare in stunned silence at what he was seeing.

Volcan, equally taken aback, stood ramrod straight as he took in the gathering before them, even seeing Luminara and Romulus among the gathering. He looked at Luke, still blank.

“I swear I had no idea,” he said.

“Romulus let us slip in through the side door in the kitchen,” Lashanne piped up. “That way, you’d never hear us, and we had plenty of time to set up.”

“C’mon man! Grab some seat!” Hank shouted, gesturing to an empty chair. “Chef’s already workin’ on a grand feast fer all us, and is cookin’ somethin’ special for you, Champ!”

“...You guys.” Luke muttered, smiling and feeling touched by the gesture, moving over to the empty seat and sitting down, looking at everyone present for this celebration.

“Alright everyone, now that the guest of honour has arrived, it is time we end the Torolf Memorial Tournament in the best way possible,” said Romulus. “Let the celebration commence!”

“Hell yea!!” Hank hollered again.

“A toast!” Katsu added, raising a glass in his paw. “To our fearless leader, and dearest friend! A true hero and champion of the people!!”

“Seconded!” Doug added happily.

“The little sap is also the world’s biggest badass!” Lashanne chimed in, picking up a glass of her own.

Luke was blushing hard, not so much out of embarrassment, but more out of genuine gratitude for the support. He cast a glance at his mother, who nodded back, smiling proudly at her son for the man he had turned out to be.

“Guys… thank you.” He said softly, looking at everyone around him. “I couldn’t have made it this far without any of you supporting me.”

“Nonsense; we were your competition,” came Neilla’s voice, the Lopunny having moved behind him, putting an arm around his shoulders. “Especially Sickle and I. Those are matches we’re never going to forget. Right?” She directed the question to the Sceptile.

“Certainly not,” agreed Sickle. “That was the rematch I waited almost two years for, for certain.”

“Point being, we may have all come here together,” Neilla went on, “but, only one of us was coming out of this as ‘Champ’. Sure, I can wish it was me, but,” she gave Luke a playful poke in the stomach. “It’s you, blue boy.”

“I was more referring to how far we’ve all come ever since we met each other.” Luke stated, still smiling at everyone present. “Still, I see your point. Regardless, I owe everything I am now to all of you, and how you’ve shaped my life for the better…”

“Hey, you helped us out just as much as we helped you.” Doug stated, his three heads nodding in succession. “A lot of us wouldn’t be here were it not for you, man.”

“Especially me,” Volcan agreed.

“And me!” Ignus added, wagging his tail quickly. “I wouldn’t even be alive if you two didn’t adopt me.”

“And I’d do it all over again.” Luke answered, wrapping his arms around Volcan and Ignus tightly.

“Well, as touching as this all is, I’d say we’ve waited long enough.” Hank stated, glancing over toward the kitchen. “Yo, chef! How’s that grub comin along?”

“Almost ready!” the chef called back. “Just waiting on this last roast to finish! In the meantime, bringing out the appetizers!”

Out of the kitchen came three other bipedal Pokémon, carrying platters in their hands and bringing them to the table, filled with various edible items, and a fourth one carrying two large pitchers, one filled with water, the other with a sweet-smelling alcoholic beverage that they placed on the table, and the platters soon followed.

The food items were a mix of small party foods, ranging from low-end to upper-class, and with plenty of variety, to appeal to all manner of palettes.

“Wow, that all looks really good,” said Volcan.

“This all looks great!” Ignus barked, already starting to drool slightly from the sight of all the food before them. “I call dibs on the ribs!!”

“Not if I get ‘em first!” Caulin challenged, grinning.

“Settle down, you two. There’s plenty for everyone,” Minato cautioned, ruffling his son’s head firmly.

“And don’t forget your table manners,” added Volcan, before he chuckled. “Great, I sound like Serena. Too bad she couldn’t be here for this.”

“We’ll make it up to her when we get home,” said Lashanne.”Maybe I can ask the chef for some of these recipes.”

“You’ve been getting more into cooking?” Volcan asked.

Tristan barked out a laugh. “Anything’s better than those pancakes she did before,” he remarked, chuckling.

Lashanne cast him a withering glare. “Laugh it up, metalhead. Even I can follow a recipe, especially since I took a few pointers from Degra.”

“I for one look forward to seeing what you’ll cook up.” Minato offered, wrapping a supportive arm around her. “Who knows? You might even give Luke some competition.”

Luke chuckled. “She can try.” He jokingly challenged. “I’m self-taught. Gonna be hard to compete with that.”

“Yeah; let’s be real, Minato - I’m a quick study but I’ve got a long road before I catch up to Luke - even with Degra’s tutelage,” Lashanne stated, picking up a pair of pigs-in-a-blanket and offering one to Minato and popping the other into her mouth.

He took it and chomped it down, shrugging and swallowing the morsel before speaking. “Eh, you’ll get there eventually.” He assured her, rubbing noses before grabbing a wing to munch on that next.

As everyone began to dig in to the meal, Volcan - after taking a bite out of a crumpet, looked down at Romulus, swallowing before speaking. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you something, Romulus,” he began.

The Houndoom turned his head to look up at him. “Yes, Volcan?”

“At the opening ceremony, you announced this Unity Rail project of yours,” he began. “Any more word on that?”

To the surprise of those listening, Romulus actually smiled. “I’m glad you asked. I’ve been approached by several parties interested in contributing to the project,” he said.

Luke glanced over at Romulus with a hopeful look. “Wait, so… the tournament also helped to bring those other sponsors too?”

“It did indeed, just as I hoped it would,” said Romulus. “Many of the spectators were representatives from other towns, including businesses in Princeport. A construction company is offering a contract, and from a mining town in the north, they wish to discuss a trade deal, shipping raw materials to us by sea to make the rails and anchors.”

“That’s great news!” Luke exclaimed happily. “Looks like your dream will become a reality after all!”

“It is a first step, for sure. While Leon has already offered his team’s financial support, even mine and Team Warmachine’s wealth will hardly be enough for this project,” said Romulus.

“What about Calyrex or Hizashi; have they offered anything?” Lashanne asked.

“Calyrex has offered some financial and material support as well, though the logistics of it will be an obstacle; Calygrad is far from here, and transporting the material and treasure such a distance will not be easy,” replied Romulus. “As for Lord Hizashi, he’s not said anything on the matter. My expectations are low; I do not imagine he has any interest in contributing.”

“Well, given that we know what he was really here for, that doesn’t surprise me.” Luke responded. “Speaking of, I wonder how that’s going…”

“Actually, I do know,” Romulus piped up. “I confronted Lord Hizashi about it during your and Koa's match, and asked him why he’s here. He said it’s because he seeks a successor… And he has chosen Wade as that one.”

“So, he really wants Wade to be the new Shogun?” Volcan asked; even though they had guessed as much, it still surprised him to hear it.

“The question now is… does Wade want to undertake such a role?” Luke asked, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, in the end it’s up to him,” agreed Volcan, nodding. “Hizashi can’t force him to do anything… Or, does he think he can?”

“If Hizashi attempts to assert his authority here, I will make him regret it,” Romulus stated firmly. “Hizashi is an honoured guest, but that does not mean he is above the laws in my city. We do not enforce diplomatic immunity here.”

Luke then placed his paw atop of Romulus’ shoulder. “If Lord Hizashi is smart, he won’t push that boundary.” He assured the Houndoom. “Let’s not think about that right now though. This is a time of celebration, so I say we celebrate until the sun comes back up.”

Romulus sighed and smiled weakly. “Of course, you’re right,” he said. “A topic for another time.”

Luke nodded, then tipped his cup to Romulus. “To your railway project, and a unified Western Continent.” He toasted.

Romulus slid his digits around the neck of a cup to lift it with his paw, raising it. “And to the successful conclusion of the Torolf Memorial Tournament. May our friends, present and past, be remembered forevermore, from this day forward.”

Volcan saluted with his glass. “Cheers to that,” he agreed.

“Amen to that!” Hank hollered, raising his glass and grinning from ear to ear.

“Kanpai!” Katsu joined in, raising his cup in a celebratory manner.

The closing ceremony of the Torolf Memorial Tournament was not as busy as the rest of the tournament proper had been. The stands perhaps three-quarters filled, and when Luke and company had entered the colosseum, they hadn’t seen very many people outside at all, ignoring the viewscreen to take advantage of now vacant seats inside the colosseum, having been abandoned by patrons who had not interest in attending what was simply a formality.

The top seven competitors were invited into the arena, including Luke, Romulus, Koa, Sol, Sickle, Volcan and Fernidas, with the eighth spot filled by Luminara, walking at Romulus’ side as she had been his stand-in for the finale. A spot that would have otherwise been left vacant, as Romulus had not had an opponent for the quarter-finals, unlike the others.

So it fell to Calyrex to give the closing speech, extending congratulations to the finalists who had made it through. Volunteers from Team Warmachine and Team Plainsrunner handed out the awards. To Luke’s surprise, and joy, Neilla was the one to bring him his trophy, passing it to him with a smile and a wink, as if to say ‘you earned it’, while Gallia brought Romulus his.

The two took turns handing out the other awards; Koa held his trophy with curiosity, not understanding what it was for, while Sol raised his nonchalantly over his head, keeping his eyes closed but smirking confidently at how far he made it in the competition. Volcan, Sickle and Fernidas each received commemorative medals, slid over their necks one after the other.

With a final round of applause, the ceremony was finished, and the Torolf Memorial Tournament was officially over. Luke took in the applause with a bright smile on his face, glancing around at the others who had come far in the competition, then looked up to the sky absently, nodding a bit as he continued to look upward.

‘We’re going to be alright, big guy,’ he thought inwardly to himself, imagining his words would reach Torolf, as he had at the end of his match with Luminara. ‘You can rest now knowing the world is in good hands… and that we stand more united than ever.’

The following day, the Kyogre’s Rest was ready to set out, carrying with it Teams Warmachine, the soon-to-be new Team Vanguard, and the many other contestants who had attended the Memorial Tournament. The docks of Gladiator City were abuzz with activity, as citizens gathered to bid goodbye to the brave fighters they had hosted for the days of the competition.

Among those gathered were Romulus, Luminara - with Marilla cradled in her arms as usual, and Tristan. As they waited for their turn to board, Volcan shook hands with the Aggron, the two regarding the pair like brothers.

“It’s been a good run, Volcan,” said Tristan. “Never going to forget it.”

“You will be missed, big guy,” said Volcan, a slight tremor in his voice. “Team Phalanx never would’ve continued without our shield.”

Tristan chuckled. “Suppose that’s not a problem anymore, is it?” he said.

Then, Tristan turned his gaze to Sol. “Hey, fireball,” he said. “You’re the muscle for two teams now, and the only one with Katsu leaving too. So, you better not slack off while you’re fillin’ mine and Katsu’s metaphorical boots too. Kapiche?”

Sol rolled his eyes. “Please. You really think I’d let myself get soft like certain others?” He asked derisively, crossing his arms across his chest. “I’m only gonna get stronger, lunkhead, and I won’t stop until I’m the strongest ever.”

“I’ll hold ya to that,” Tristan stated, then to Minato. “Keep that blade of yours sharp, eh?”

“Always man.” Minato answered. “So long as you don’t let yourself get all rusty.” He said with a wink.

Next, to Lashanne. “Take care of him, won’t ya?”

“Like a treasure dug up on one of my expeditions… only way less dusty,” she joked, smiling between Tristan and Minato.

“Word. And Caulin?” Tristan called, earning the young Lucario’s attention. “I expect to hear your upcomin’ team doin’ great things out there, you hear me?”

“Oh, you’ll be the first to know, big guy!” Caulin announced, holding his paw out to fist bump Tristan. “Just don’t be a stranger, man!”

“I’ll be sure to write,” said Tristan, bumping fists with Caulin.

Lastly, to Luke, he spoke. “You married my old captain… Now you’re cohorts,” he said. “I think of Volcan like a brother. I guess that makes you one too, eh?” he asked.

Luke nodded softly. “I guess so,” he said gently. “Don’t you worry. I’ll make sure he stays safe.”

“Take care of him, and that boy of yours,” he added, looking at Ignus standing between his parents. “‘Till next time.”

With that, he stepped aside to allow Luminara and Romulus to say their goodbyes. Romulus’ eyes were on Ignus first as he spoke. “Sorry we didn’t get more time to train together, Ignus,” he said. “But even in that short time, you were a fine student. Master that Fire Fang, and neither Grass or Steel-types will be any threat to you.”

“I plan to, Grampa.” Ignus said, then gently pressed up against Romulus as if he were hugging him. “I’ll be sure to write to you any chance I get.”

Romulus sat on his haunches to lift his forelegs, embracing Ignus with them. “We’ll make a warrior out of you yet, my boy,” he said, patting his back. “Good luck.”

Ignus nodded, smiling before stepping back, allowing Luke to step forward. “Guess this is goodbye for now,” Luke said as he knelt in front of Romulus. “Shame we never did get to see which of us is stronger.”

“Can always have a personal match if either of us manages to visit the other,” said Romulus, shrugging. “Though, if it’s any sort of indication,” he added discreetly, “of eight sparring matches with me, your mother has won four, but on one of those, she had only slept three hours the night before.”

Luke’s smile dropped as he turned to look at his mother. “...Really, Mom?”

She shrugged a little. “You’ve done the same thing, don’t deny it.” She countered.

Luke went to open his mouth, but then slowly shut it as he recalled the time he pushed himself as hard as he could while training for two weeks under the Shifu brothers’ guidance.

“Besides, given your performance during our fight, I’d say it’s safe to say you can give Romulus a good run for his money, right dear?” Luminara asked, rolling her eyes over to the Houndoom.

“Indeed, I strongly believe he could,” agreed Romulus, nodding.

“I guess we’ll find out the next chance we get.” Luke said, smiling again and gently leaning forward to embrace Romulus tenderly.

As he had with Ignus, Romulus raised his forepaw and placed it on Luke’s back, leaning into his embrace. “Take care of yourself, Luke,” he said. “I hope we can see each other again soon.”

“You will, that I promise.” Luke answered, smiling as he held the embrace with his father in law for some time before pulling away. “Just remember what I told you… or I’ll be coming for you sooner than you think.” He added with a wink before standing tall.

Romulus chuckled. “My promise remains,” he replied. “She shall have the best life I can offer her… Arceus knows,” he looked at her before he continued, “she’s given me that much. I would give her no less.”

“I know,” Luke said with a nod. “We’ll see you around… Dad,” he added softly as he turned away, purposefully pausing before uttering that last word, smiling as he looped his arm with Volcan’s.

Volcan walked with Luke toward the ship while the others followed. “I didn’t know if I’d ever hear you call him ‘dad’,” said Volcan. “I guess that makes it official… the hatchet has been buried.”

“I’ve long since forgiven him for what happened at the council,” Luke answered, still wearing that broad smile. “And it’s clear my mother is happy living with him, even going so far as to have a daughter with him. I can say with complete confidence I trust him with my life.”

Volcan nodded. “Glad to hear it,” he said. “I meant to ask… what about Mikhail and Rigel? The last time they saw him would’ve been at Torolf’s tournament; how’d they feel about him and Luminara hooking up?”

“Bigger question, how are they going to feel when they find out they have a baby sister all the way out here?” Lashanne chimed in.

At that, Luke only looked up toward the sky. “I picture they’ll behave… about the same as I did when I first found out they were together,” he said, then started chuckling. “If you thought I was dramatic, my brothers are on a whole different level.”

“You. Fainted,” Lashanne pointedly reminded him, arching an eyebrow at the Lucario.

“I know,” Luke countered through grit teeth. “Only I fainted silently… They won’t.”

Volcan snickered. “You know they’re never going to let you live that down, love,” he said.

“At this point, I’ve learned to live with it,” Luke remarked, then looked smugly at Lashanne. “At least I know not to cook pancakes with salt.” He added, which had Minato stifling a heavy laugh by covering his mouth.

“Hey! That was one time, you little-!” the Delphox growled indignantly.

Around them, the others started chuckling - even Minato. The Delphox’s eye twitched, and she cast a scathing glare at Luke. “Oh, I will get you back for that one, shorty. You can count on that,” she warned, pointing at him with her paw.

“You call me out on my melodrama, I call you out on your first attempt at cooking. I’d say we’re even, Lashanne,” Luke responded, calmly, but with that grin on his face still.

~~~~~

The luxurious ride home on the Kyogre’s Rest went by faster than anyone had anticipated. From the moment they left Gladiator City, a news feed from the city itself came by way of the ship’s radio, updating the curious passengers on the status of the Unity Rail Project.

On the third week of the trip, as became habit for them, several members of Team Vanguard, along with Sickle and Neilla, gathered in the dining hall to listen to the radio. The announcer, chosen to head the broadcasts, was a chipper fellow and fortunately easy to listen to - although the news he brought was often a mixed bag.

“In a move that has multiple patrons of the Unity Rail wondering about the future of the ambitious project headed by Romulus of Gladiator City,” they said, “the city of Madrinoor has withdrawn their offer of support to the project.”

“Of course they would. Damn stuck-up snobs,” Lashanne grumbled as the announcement continued.

“Without the financial backing of Madrinoor, many people question if the project may be able to continue. Fortunately, a fellow on the construction crews was available for a comment.”

“As long as we got materials,” came the familiar voice, “and people willing to do the work, the project is a go. I for one don’t care about the money; I’m doin’ this. I left my old job for this gig - I’m seeing it done even if I have to do all the work myself!”

“Hey, was that Tristan?” Sickle asked as the announcer came back on and listed the status of other contributors to the project.

“Yeah, I think it was,” replied Lashanne.

“Sounds like he’s in it to the finish,” said Volcan, a faint sadness in his voice. “Hopefully his willingness to proceed inspires the others.”

“Seconded,” said Neilla. “It’s still a shame he decided to leave your team though.”

Volcan shrugged. “Sometimes, we hear our calling in other places,” he said. “He’ll be missed, no matter what.”

“Yea… gonna be weird not having a Lunkhead around to tease and joke about,” Hank added with a sigh.

“…I think you’re only upset because you don’t have someone to be the butt of your jokes,” Doug piped up from his tub.

Another voice joined the call, this one that had Lashanne seething the moment she heard it. “While the Unity Rail Project is ambitious and will be difficult, we of the Academy fully understand the benefits that all of this land stand to gain on its success. We are adding our voices in full support of this project, and hope that others will follow our example. This is the logical solution to unify the west.”

“Like you are going to do any of the work, Talleon, you pompous windbag,” Lashanne grumbled. “In your mind this kind of labour is meant for the uneducated…”

“Probably going to sit on some pretentious throne delegating tasks to the workers.” Minato added spitefully. “Guess my words didn’t reach him after all…”

“You can clean up a garbage pile, but sometimes it takes a while for the smell to go away,” Neilla commented. “I should’ve kicked him instead of tripping him.”

“I woulda helped,” Caulin added, rolling his eyes. “Least we don’t have to deal with him directly anymore… That guy was a complete ass.”

“Agreed,” said Neilla, chuckling.

“Still, it’s sounding like Romulus has all the support he needs to get it started,” said Volcan. “I’m sure once they see the benefits of it, more people will add their support too. I mean, what part of this is a bad idea? Most Pokémon can’t catch or stop a train in motion, so that’ll leave the bandits in the desert nothing to chase. Once crime becomes too hard to pursue, they’ll probably give up and start trying to integrate into society.”

“You really think it’s that simple, Volcan?” Lashanne asked.

“I have to believe it is,” said Volcan. “If you do something that makes you money, you’ll keep doing it, until it’s too hard or you just don’t want to anymore. Bandits like Redfang got by on ambushing caravans too slow to evade him; a train moves too fast and is too big and heavy for him to stop, so as fewer people cross the desert anymore, people like him won’t have any way to make their illicit gains anymore, and they’ll have to change.”

“Not to mention the sheer volume of items that can be carried by train too far exceeds anything that can be pulled by a wagon,” Neilla added. “Hadleigh doesn’t have a rail system, but Lindenburg does, and they trade all across the continent with that.”

“Sooner or later, every continent is going to want to have its own intercontinental railway system,” Luke commented. “And I for one support such an idea if it means faster and safer travel for goods and services.”

“Seconded,” said Volcan.

“You know, maybe we ought to pitch this to the mayors in Hadleigh and Westport,” Neilla suggested. “Put a bug in the ear of interested parties. Could get the ball rolling.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” said Volcan, nodding.

Minato smirked and glanced over at Luke. “You might be on to something. A railroad would make it easier for us to get to places the Trident can’t reach on her own.” He said, nodding in approval.

“Say, isn’t there a land path to the North Continent too, past Blackcoast?” Volcan asked, looking at Sickle.

“There is, but if you’re thinking about putting a rail line there, that’s not a good idea,” replied Sickle, shaking his head. “Several times of the year, that path is underwater and not traversable, by foot or by vehicle, so any rail line there would have to be well above sea level. Then there’s also the flash floods, which happen so randomly, it’s ridiculous; they could drown out any construction there before they have time to really get going. That would put a lot of workers at risk.”

“Whoops. Okay, scratch that then,” said Volcan, humbled.

“It was worth a shot. We know now,” Luke assured the Blaziken, smiling.

“So, what’re everybody’s plans when we get home?” Neilla asked, deciding to change the subject.

“For me personally, I’m going to take some time off of work to relax.” Luke answered. “We have enough food and savings to last us for a little while before having to return to work.”

“I’m thinkin’ it’s time Lizzie and I go on our honeymoon.” Hank added, wrapping an arm around Sickle and smiling broadly. “Just not sure where we’ll go, but we’ll figure it out, right babe?”

“Actually, I may have some ideas,” said Sickle, looking over at Neilla. “I never got to check out your neck of the woods in greater detail. Maybe it’s time I rectify that?”

“Sure; I’ll be happy to show you guys around,” said the Lopunny.

Sickle glanced at Hank. “As long as that’s okay with you too?” he asked for clarification.

“You kidding? That sounds like a great idea.” Hank answered, smiling at Sickle. “Never did get the chance to swing from tree to tree up in the forests there.”

Neilla looked at Hank oddly. “Uh… What forest? Hadleigh’s surrounded by open grasslands.”

Hank’s expression went blank for a moment before he laughed slightly. “I uh… I knew that. I was just testing ya,” he replied, trying to save face.

“Smooth,” Luke whispered, chuckling softly.

Volcan rolled his eyes. “And we called Tristan the lunkhead?” he said.

“Oh, bite me, Legs!” Hank hollered at the Blaziken. “You have your moments too!”

“Alright, none of that now,” Sickle said, almost like he was talking to a child at the orphanage, gently looping his arm around Hank’s neck playfully. “We still have a few more days on this boat yet. There’s got to be something we haven’t done yet.”

Hank seemed to catch the hint and smirked back at Sickle. “Alright alright. How bout you lead the way and I’ll follow.~” He offered with a wink.

“You got it,” he said, and waved to the others as he and Hank took their leave.

Volcan looked at Luke. “Suppose for that time off, we ought to take a holiday of our own somewhere?”

“I wouldn’t mind that.” Luke offered with a smile. “Anywhere in particular strike your fancy or should we just wing it?”

“Well, we went to Hadleigh for our honeymoon, but what about the other cities down there?” Volcan suggested. “We didn’t really get to tour Lindenburg or Gildhorn all that much. Or,” he held up his hand, one finger outstretched. “Go north… Valvatna and Calygrad. We could see those.”

“Mhh, Calygrad we didn’t get to visit properly because we were on a mission. I think that’d be a good place for a trip~” Luke agreed, nodding.

“Then that’s where we’re going. Calygrad it is,” said Volcan.

“Do you guys really need a vacation after all the time spent on this luxury liner?” Lashanne asked, shrugging.

“Maybe not. But, the world’s in a peaceful place right now,” said Volcan. “I say we take advantage of it while we can.” He gestured to Lashanne. “So should you and Minato, really.”

“Doing what?” she asked.

“Whatever the hell you two want.”

Minato hummed a little in thought, then he glanced at Lashanne and narrowed his eyes for a moment before speaking. “...Actually,” he began, earning her attention. “There is something I’ve been wanting to discuss with you in private…”

“We’ll leave you two the room then,” said Volcan. “Coming, Neilla?”

“Right behind you,” the Lopunny replied, following the Blaziken and Lucario as they departed. One by one the others left; Doug was carried out by Sickle and Hank, and Caulin was the last to leave, casting a curious look at his parents before he stepped \out.

Lashanne looked at Minato. “So… What’s up?” she asked.

Minato turned and gently took her paws in his. “I’ve been thinking about this for some time, but I wasn’t really sure when would be a good time to bring it up. Seeing as we’re probably going to be taking a long awaited break from work, I figured now’s as good a time as any.” He began, smiling softly. “So tell me, Lashanne… How would you feel about having a child of our own…?”

The question seemed to hit Lashanne like a slap, her eyes going wide as she looked at Minato. “Wh-What? Us? Me?” she then added softly. “A mother?”

Minato nodded. “You’ve already proven you are an exceptional mother to my son. He loves you as if you really were his mother, so… why not try and give him a baby sibling to complete this family?”

“I…” she trailed off, her gaze dropping to the floor as she considered it, imagining the scenario in her mind…

At first, she thought of Serena, and her triplets - the day she had delivered them. It had been a harrowing experience for the Vaporeon, carrying such a large egg inside of herself for so long, before finally releasing it, and hatching it into three baby Eevees…

Despite how exhausted Serena had been the day she had delivered the egg, she’d looked so happy when she saw her three younglings for the first time. Could Lashanne get to know that same happiness?

“I… I think I need… Some time to think about it,” she said. The answer came slowly, with hesitation not from reluctance, but truly wanting to understand the weight of what she was getting herself into.

Minato’s ears flattened slightly, but his smile didn’t waver, and he nodded lightly. “That’s fair,” he answered. “It’s not a decision to be made lightly, but know that I’ll be there for you every step of the way.” He assured her softly.

She smiled at him. “I know… Just… A big step, you know?” she shrugged. “Taking in Caulin was one thing… Bringing a new life into the world, myself? That’s something else.”

Minato nodded. “Well, you take as long as you need to come to a decision.” He said, leaning close and taking her into a kiss for a few long moments before pulling back. “While you do, why don’t we see what else this ship has to offer?”

“Fine with me,” she said, nodding. “Lead the way~.”

With that, Minato gently wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close to his side, turning and heading to another end of the ship to explore and see what other amenities the Kyogre’s Rest had in store for them.

Elsewhere, Caulin was leaning over the ship’s railing watching the ocean ahead as the ship sailed, particularly back toward where Gladiator City was before it vanished over the horizon. He reflected on the tournament and all the opponents he faced up until he was eliminated, how far he had come since he started living in Port Azure and began training in the ways of the Order of the Fist…

“Caulin?”

The voice of Koa caught the young Lucario’s attention, turning to see the Zeraora walking in his direction, accompanied by Ignus trotting at his side. “Not see you, breakfast,” Koa said.

“Oh, yea I wasn’t feeling very hungry.” He said, turning and greeting Koa with a warm hug and a deep kiss, then turned and rubbed Ignus’ head gently. “I was just reflecting on the tournament and how far I managed to make it before finally getting eliminated… That tournament was a blast.”

“You sure looked like you were having fun.” Ignus chimed in, sitting on his haunches. “I’ve only ever seen you smile that wide when you’re out with Koa.”

“Heh, well what can I say? I got my dad’s love for combat I guess.” Caulin said with a chuckle.

“What do now, when home?” Koa asked. “Back to… dojo?”

“Actually, I’ve been thinking.” Caulin answered. “While it would be good to return to the dojo and work on my training… I’ve been thinking it’s about time I started up my own team and enlist in the Guilds myself.” He explained, glancing at Koa and Ignus. “And I know just who I want working with me.”

Koa shared a look with Ignus, and then back to Caulin. “Us?” he asked.

Caulin nodded. “You, me, Ignus and Qiang too. I wanna form a team with you guys, taking on missions and making the world a safer place to live in, just like my Dad and my uncles,” he explained. “Plus, I overheard that since a lot of their members are retiring, they’re gonna merge together to stay in business, but that’ll mean one less team defending our home. I’m looking to rectify that.”

Ignus stood up again and smiled. “I’m in,” he said without any hesitation. “My parents saved the world from a global threat, and I wanna carry on that legacy by following in their footsteps. I wanna do my part in doing the right thing, just like they do.”

Koa nodded as well, adjusting his hat as it bobbed with the motion. “Where you two go, so do I,” he said, in his clearest formulated sentence yet.

“Glad to hear it, guys, cuz there’s no other group I’d rather work with.” Caulin returned, putting his paw to his chin. “Once we arrive home, we’ll head straight for the dojo and extend the offer to Qiang. I’ve no doubt he’ll want in though. He’s always been one to fight for the side of Justice.”

Koa nodded again. “Yes,” he agreed, and then looked down at himself, at the duster he wore. “Like… Sheriff?”

“Yea, pretty much,” Caulin answered with a smile and a nod.

“Except there will be four of us upholding the law instead of just one Mon.” Ignus added in, nodding quickly.

Koa seemed on board with the idea, taking a few minutes to consider it, and showing his approval - he couldn’t voice it too well, but he could certainly show it. All that was left then, was to bring Qiang in on the idea…

Almost a week later, the Kyogre’s Rest finally docked in Westport, and a final ceremony from the Captain - both of the ship and from Leon, was held to send off the teams as they disembarked, thanking them for their patronage. Once they were all off the ship, they all started heading their own way.

Neilla shared a farewell embrace with Volcan and Luke. “You two take care, and don’t be strangers, alright?” she said, smiling as she pulled back from them. “Hadleigh’s always open to the both of you and your new team.”

Volcan nodded. “We’ll be sure to keep in touch, Neilla,” he promised, and then added with a grin. “You fought my husband, but you and I still need to have a real match ourselves.”

“Didn’t I hold a lead of one from our sparring on the ship?” she teased him.

“Neither of us gave it our all there; we’d have wrecked the boat,” Volcan pointed out. “And for your information, we’re tied. Three for three.”

She snickered. “If you say so.”

“And I seem to recall we’re tied in terms of the speed department,” Luke piped up, smirking at Neilla. “Which means we still need to have another race to determine who’s faster.”

“Be sure to save a spot for me, too,” said Sickle.

“We will,” Neilla promised, and gave a two-fingered salute. “Until next time, boys.”

“Take care, Neilla,” Volcan bade as the Lopunny turned to depart, joined by Azrael and Sarth. “Never boring when we run into her, is it?” Volcan asked.

“An argument could be made that her life became more exciting when she met you guys,” Lashanne pointed out. “To my understanding, Hadleigh was generally a quiet place; that’s why artists like it there.”

“And then here we come our first time around and bring a whole war along with us.” Minato joked, smirking slightly. “So much for their quiet sanctuary.”

“Hey, that was hardly our fault,” Volcan countered, feigning indignation.

“Oh, I know. Still doesn’t change the fact it happened,” Minato continued, snickering a bit.

“For the better, I would say. Look at the friends we made afterward.” Luke pointed out. “The citizens even regard us as heroes now.”

“Speaking of which, thinking back to our reception after the battle of the final nexus, how do you think they’ll respond to the new world champion living in their town when we get back to Azure?” Volcan asked, lightly swatting Luke on the back.

“Think the mayor will use that for the town’s economy?” Lashanne asked, half-joking.

“I should hope not. We make enough as a port town without any further publicity,” Luke pointed out. “I don’t think we’ll get the same heroic kind of reception, but I imagine we’ll get a celebration nonetheless.”

On the road to Azure, Caulin went his separate way as they passed the dojo, informing his family that he, Koa and Ignus wanted to check in with Qiang. Their parents agreed and told the boys they’d see them at dinner, and let them head into the dojo. Caulin took the lead in leading Koa and Ignus to the dojo, practically shouldering the doors open and rushing inside to find his rival.

Qiang was in a sparring match with his father, the two mirroring the other’s techniques in a blur of motion that, for most, would leave it difficult to tell the two apart, if not for Zheng still being larger than his son, and Qiang dressed in a blue Gi. Chen watched from the side, hands interlocked behind his back, looking over his shoulder at the three as they came in.

“Caulin, Koa. Welcome back,” he said.

“Hey Master,” Caulin answered, bowing to him quickly before approaching his side.

“How was the tournament?”

“It was fun,” Caulin answered again, beaming a little. “I fought some pretty tough opponents before I ended up against Koa in the third round. He beat me, but it was a great fight~”

Chen looked at Koa, raising an eyebrow. “I didn’t even know you had competed, Koa,” he said. “And he made it to the third round?”

“To fourth. Fought Luke. Lost then,” Koa commented.

“Well done, both of you!” Chen praised.

“Yea, you should have seen it. Koa had Uncle Luke against the ropes for the first half of the fight. I actually thought he was gonna beat him.” Caulin said, wrapping an arm around the Zeraora. “Shame there won’t be another event like that again. I woulda loved to try again once we’re tougher.”

“Someday, there may be,” Chen offered. “In the meantime, you can follow Qiang’s example, to hone your technique.”

Almost as if on cue, Qiang attacked his father with Surging Strikes; though Zheng easily parried every strike, Qiang’s hands were a blur of motion, almost too fast for Caulin’s eyes to follow.

“Whoa…” Caulin breathed softly, blinking quickly.

“I can barely see him move,” Ignus commented, staring open mouthed, shocked. “He’s really improved, huh?”

“He has trained hard in your absence,” said Chen. “I think he wanted to be sure that you had not overshadowed him when you returned.”

At that, Caulin’s smile faded a little. “I think I am the one who should feel overshadowed,” he said, solemn. “He’s got faster striking speed than I do, and since he got bigger, he’s no doubt more durable than I am.”

“Shall I take that as you intend to resume your training as soon as possible, then?” Chen asked.

“Not yet,” Caulin answered. “We’re here to ask Qiang a favour.”

As Zheng and Qiang ended their sparring match, the younger Urshifu turned to see his friends, and with a nod of approval from his father, he stepped off the dojo fighting ring and approached them.

“Welcome back, my friends,” he said. “How was the tournament?”

“It was loads of fun man. You missed out,” Caulin remarked, fist bumping Qiang as he got closer. “There were a lotta strong fighters there to compete against.”

“I shall be sure to go to the next one,” Qiang stated, and also bumped fists with Koa. “How did you do, both of you?” he asked, looking between the pair.

“I got to the third round where I got paired up with Koa,” Caulin answered. “He beat me and made it to the semifinals, but damn it was a fun fight.”

Qiang looked at Koa. “Of the four of us, an argument could be made that he is the strongest - I’m not ashamed to admit that,” said the Urshifu. “How much further did you get?”

“Finals. Faced Luke,” Koa replied. “Ran out of electric power… Defeated.”

Qiang blinked. “Ran out of- oh, right,” he said. “You can’t generate your own electricity; you have to absorb it from other sources and store it. But, was there really no one who could top you up in that whole city - let alone in the middle of such a huge event?”

“No one I knew at time,” Koa replied. “Learned later, on Romulus’ team, a Galvantula. Could have asked him.”

“Hm. Hindsight,” Qiang said, shrugging. Then, he had another thought. “If you could have recharged… do you think you could have beaten Luke?”

At that, Koa shook his head. “Unsure…If did, would had to fight his mother,” he had to say the word slowly, not familiar with it as opposed to his native tongue.

“Wait, his mother?” Qiang asked. “What does his mother have to do with it? She was a finalist too?”

“Well… not initially.” Caulin began, but Ignus continued in his place.

“Grampa fought Sol in the semifinals, but during that fight he absorbed Sol’s god powers and ended up hospitalized for it. He won the fight, but he was unable to continue the tournament, so Grandma took his place in the finals against Papa.”

At the explanation, Qiang was visibly stunned. “Taking on the powers of Reshiram herself, into his own body, and then turning it back on her Blessed,” the Urshifu said, shaking his head slowly. “I never could have imagined even Captain Romulus, as legendary as he is, could do that… And to defeat Sol of all people…”

“Sol’s tough, but he’s not invincible.” Caulin remarked. “That Romulus guy’s got a lotta combat experience over Sol, so he had the edge there.”

“Indeed,” Qiang agreed.

Caulin then cleared his throat. “Anyway, enough about that.” He said, his face growing serious for a second. “As much as I’d like to chat and reminisce, I’ve actually got a serious question for ya, Qiang.”

Qiang arched an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“I’ve given it some thought, and I think it’s about time I started up my own team and joined the Guilds.” He stated, crossing his arms. “Ignus and Koa have already agreed to sign up with me, and I was wondering if you wanted in as well.”

“You want me on a team?” Qiang asked, intrigued. “Hm… It could be an interesting experience, certainly.”

“I mean, think about it. You’d technically be the strongest member on our team, and you have the most combat experience among us.” Caulin added, trying to sweeten the deal. “Plus, you’d get to travel all over the world if the mission called for it… Would be a great way to see new places and experience new challenges, eh?” He asked, wiggling his eyebrows at the Urshifu.

Qiang chuckled. “I think the role of ‘strongest’ likely belongs to Koa, if I am to be truthful,” Qiang admitted, gesturing to the Zeraora. “But experience-wise, perhaps so. Many of the greatest fighters in the Order of the Fist travelled the world and gained new experiences, and it made them better fighters.”

With another nod and a smile, he said, “Alright, I am in.”

“Alright!” Caulin exclaimed, pumping his arms. “We got our team~! Now all we need is a name… which is the other reason why I came to you.” He admitted.

“Have you had any ideas?”

“Honestly… not really. We’ve been kinda struggling with a name ever since I brought the idea up with Koa and Ignus, and we figured it’d be best to wait until we saw you again.” Caulin answered truthfully.

Qiang hummed as he thought, rubbing his chin and looking between each of them. “Well… Most teams name themselves by theme,” he said. “Team Phobia based theirs on common fears as well as weaknesses to Psychic-types… Team Storm utilizes weather phenomenon,” he paced as he recounted. “And Team Phalanx based their name on a battle forma-”

A gasp, and a snap of his fingers. “I have it!” he said, turning sharply to his friends. “Blitzkrieg!”

“Blitz… creek?” Koa repeated, not quite getting the second part of the word.

“What’s a Blitzkrieg?” Ignus asked, tilting his head curiously.

“It refers to a battle strategy, in which the attacking force utilizes speed and surprise, rapidly closing in on their opponents and striking them hard,” he explained. “We have two of the fastest Pokémon ever seen,” he gestured to Koa and Ignus, “and my use of the Rapid Strike-style, and Caulin’s psychic power and Single Strike practitioner as a wildcard.”

Caulin was frowning as he let the word sink in, then started to smile the more he said it to himself. “...Blitzkrieg… Yea… Yea, I like it~! It’s flashy, flows off the tongue, and it speaks to our strengths,” he said, nodding quickly. “Nice one, Qiang. I knew I could count on ya.”

Qiang nodded. “Team Blitzkrieg it is,” he said. “So… What do we do first?”

“Well… First thing we’ll need is a team emblem, then we’ll need training on how to work as a four-man squad,” Caulin answered. “And there’s no better teacher for that than Uncle Volcan.”

“It may take a few years before we’re truly ready,” Qiang said. “Volcan’s team did not become the well-oiled machine they are overnight.”

“Then we’ll put everything we’ve got into our training.” Caulin answered, placing his paws on his hips. “Once we’re fully registered, we’ll work our way to be the best Rescue Team the world has ever known. Just you wait and see.”

“Being better than even my dads?” Ignus asked, looking up a little and smiling. “They always did say they wanted me to be better than they are.”

“As any good father does,” said Qiang, looking over his shoulder at his father who was currently speaking with Chen. “So… Let’s be sure to make them proud, shall we?”

“Let’s do it!” Ignus barked, tail wagging quickly.

“Alright then,” Caulin said with a nod, holding his paw out in front of him, prompting the others to join in. “Let’s make the world a better place one job at a time.”

Qiang followed the motion, placing his paw atop Caulin’s. Koa and Ignus looked at each other before following their example. With that, the bond was sealed, and Team Blitzkrieg was born.

So ends the story of Team Valiant… So begins the story of Team Blitzkrieg.