Contest Part 2
After Sol was removed from the ship, the matches were
postponed for the rest of the day, to perform maintenance on the fighting
arenas and see to it that nothing distracted the medics from treating those in
the Infirmary. The following morning the battles resumed; the next team battle
wasn't happening for a while, giving the members of Team Valiant a chance to
spectate on a Single match that Wade was battling in. Eagle Eye had been
released from the Infirmary that morning, and was heading with them for the
spectacle. Though as expected, he wasn't pleased about his loss the previous
day...
He had a frown on his face as he leaned on the railing to get
a better view of the upcoming fight, grumbling under his breath and whatnot...
Serena looked up at him as she heard him grumble, eyeing him
sympathetically. "Are you okay?" She asked.
"Yea, fuckin peachy..." He grumbled.
"Hey, you can't win 'em all, Eagle Eye," Volcan
stated. "If it's any consolation, there's a guy on my team back home; we
spar all the time, and he always beats me. I view it as more of a challenge to
overcome than a real defeat."
"Psh whatever. I'll get over it." He replied
dismissively.
"Hey, look; I think it's Wade down there," Serena
remarked, pointing with her paw down at the arena.
"Indeed it is..." Kage returned, keeping his arms
crossed. "This battle will not take long though..."
"And... what the heck is that?" Volcan asked,
pointing at Wade's opponent as they hopped onto the stage. A Farfetch'd, to be
exact, twirling its leek about in its wing merrily as it stepped up.
"That's a Farfetch'd." Katsu answered. "Hmm...This
might turn out interesting; I don't think young Wade has faced a flying type
before."
Torolf was not overseeing the contest today; this time, it
was Oceana who was heading it, and she slithered onto the stage to introduce
the fighters. "Today, for our first matchup, we have Wade, the talented
young warrior trained by members of Team Valiant, versus the merry malard of
Westport, Pirawan! Without further ado, let's get this battle underway!"
And with that, she slithered off the arena, letting the two fighters size each
other up as they waited for her to announce the start of the fight.
Pirawan danced on the spot for a moment before pointing his
leek at Wade. "This ought to be a blast!" He said, happily.
Wade put his paws together and bowed in respect toward his
opponent. "May the best man win..." He returned as he straightened
up.
"And... begin!" Oceana called.
At that moment, Pirawan's stance changed; he held his leek
out like it were a sword, and once more performed what appeared to be a dance
of some kind, before resuming his previous stance, holding the leek over his
shoulder as he watched Wade, waiting. Wade slowly reached behind him and
grasped the hilt of his sword, still keeping his eyes on the Farfetch'd as he
slowly pulled his weapon out of its sheath. He then twirled it in his paw
expertly and held it in a reverse grip behind his back, with one paw held in
front of him and lowering into a wide stance. He too waited, knowing he had
much more patience than his opponent...
"Ho ho! En garde!" Pirawan barked, turning his leek
about like a duelling blade and lunging forward, jabbing at Wade in a feint and
pulling back before he could parry.
"...I still can't get over the fact that guy is fighting
with a vegetable," remarked Volcan.
"A master painter can make art with any brush..."
Katsu cited as he watched teh fight commence.
Wade didn't blink or flinch from the feint, instead he waited
for the bird to back up before he darted forward and swing his sword in a wide
arc, following through with his attack with a second swing angled more
downward.
Pirawan parried both strikes, immediately using the dropped
guard that followed the downward strike to stab his leek into Wade's rib with a
painful, yet not overly powerful jab. "Poke!" He quacked.
Wade was prepared for a counterattack though, and since his
opponent wasn't using a sword of any kind, he parried the attack with his
offhand. Wade then spun hsi sword into a forehand grip and swiped at Pirawan's
head, then quickly backed up and weaved a quick seal with his paw and
discharged a volley of small Water Pulses at the Farfetch'd.
Pirawan stepped back to avoid the blade strikes, but as the
Water Pulse came, he simply said monotonously "Oopsie," before he was
knocked back, somewhat dazed by the hit, but managing to stay on his feet.
"Whoo..."
Wade then charged forward with Aqua Jet, moving at surpring
speeds as he closed the gap between himself and his opponent. He then stopped
short and held the point of his sword at Pirawan's beak.
"Ooh, quick one, eh?" He asked, before knocking
away Wade's sword with his leek, which he then held in a forehand motion as the
tip glowed, sprouting shapes that closesly resembled...! "Leaf Blade!"
He called before striking out at Wade with a well-times horizontal swing.
Wade backed up in instinct, though the leek did leave a
shallow cut along his chest, making him grimace as he jumped back. He landed in
a crouch, then used Aqua Jet to leap high into the air, weaving another sign
and discharging a searing hot Scald attack from his mouth.
"Oops!" Pirawan said, before he spin-jumped out of
the way of the Scald attack, landing gracefully out of its trajectory.
"Nice try!" He taunted.
Right as he landed, Wade then hurled a multitude of shuriken
from his pouch, then darted back down to the ground and charged at the
Farfetch'd right as the shuriken were about to hit the ground.
"Blow away!" He called before he swiped at the air
and sent an Air Slash towards Wade, knocking aside the Shuriken as the sharp
gust soared at him.
Wade grunted as the blast of wing hit him, then he seemed to
explode in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a small poketoy in his place.
"Oh, a Subsitute, huh?" Pirawan asked, impressed.
"Love that little trick."
He then felt Wade land atop of his head gingerly, balancing
on one foot and looking down at him. "...You do talk a lot..."
"Huh?!" He looked up. "Hey! Get off; I'm not a
kiddie park ride!" He thrashed about, trying to throw the Dewott off of
his head.
Wade then quickly hopped off and landed quickly in front of
him, slamming the pommel of his blade into the Farfetch'd's forehead. "And
I'm no child..."
"I didn't say you were, man; was just a joke," he
said, before suddenly exploding in a puff of smoke.
Wade narrowed his eyes, seeing his opponent use Substitute as
well. He kept his senses keen, glancing to his left and right, even looking up
a few times.
"BRRRRRAVE BIRD!" A voice suddenly barked, coming
from right behind the smoke as it cleared; a stick was knocked aside as Pirawan
came flying out of the cloud and SLAMMED into Wade full-tilt, although the
Farfetch'd winced as he felt the recoil of the hit. Wade cried out and skidded
along teh ground, even dropping his sword as he skidded to a halt. Wade was
down for a few moments before he quickly popped up, rubbing his chest where he
was struck.
"Oh that smarts," grunted Pirawan before he shook
his head to clear it, taking in a deep breath -which briefly caused him to comically
puff out his feathers, before exhaling. "Okay; I'm ready!"
Wade sighed a little, now lowering his paws and drawing his
Scallchops on his waist fur. He concentrated for a moment before a faint sheen
was present all over his body before fading again, slowly opening his eyes and
beckoning his opponent to attack.
"Alright; I think it's time we bring this to a
close," said Pirawan. "Ya ready, me bucko?"
"I am...your move..." Wade returned.
"Here we go!" And he dashed forward, zig-zagging as
he approached Wade, his body a blur with every movement as he neared, and then
struck out with a backhanded swing. "Fury Cutter!"
This time, Wade only blocked with his forearm, letting the
leek his his bare arm. However, when the leek made contact, there came the
sound of a 'ching,' like metal hitting metal almost.
"What the?" Pirawan asked in confusion.
Wade then sliced at Pirawan's leek with his other Scalchop,
the small weapon easily slicing the hard vegetable clean in two.
"Hey!" The Farfetch'd looked at his destroyed
weapon in shock. "Come on! I spent months growing that!" And then
realized his predicament. "Uh oh..."
Wade lowered his weapons and looked at his opponent dead in
the eye. "Are you afraid...?" He asked calmly.
"I think I'm screwed," he remarked.
"Then I acknowledge you as my equal..." He
returned, then he slammed his elbow right into the Farfetch'd's chest, then
leaped over and kicked him on his back, sending him flat on the ground. Wade
stood on his back for a moment before he hopped off and sheathed his scalchops.
"Anyone who does not fear their own strength or the strength of their
adversary...is no man at all." Wade cited. "To wield a sword without
any fear of it is to be unworthy of the blade. That is what my sensei taught
me..."
"And the winner is Wade!" Oceana called. "Well
done, warrior of Valiant!"
Pirawan rubbed his head nervously. "Well, you certainly
did a number on me. Ya could've spared my leek though; now I have to grow a new
one."
Wade offered him his paw. "My apologies..." He
returned, putting on a calmer, more friendly smile on his face.
Pirawan accepted the paw, letting Wade help him to his feet,
and nodded to him before he reached over and lifted Wade's arm in triumph,
letting the audience cheer him on.
Volcan chuckled. "Gotta hand it to him, he's good,"
he said.
Katsu nodded in agreement. "He was found by Luna as a
young orphaned Oshawott, and trained in basic martial arts and swordplay at an
early age. Then Kage trained him more advance swordplay and ninjitsu, and
ultimately made him into what you see now. He is as battle hardened as any
warrior, but like Luna, he has a kind and gentle soul."
Volcan nodded. "I can see him becoming quite a warrior
someday... more than he is now, I mean, and everyone for a thousand kilometers
will know his name."
"He doesn't really want the fame..." Luke returned.
"He's always had a singular goal in the forefront of his mind, and that is
to be the greatest swordsman in the world..."
"Well, many heroes across history didn't want
fame," said Volcan. "Including my time's own greatest swordsman, yet
his name is known world-wide as being the greatest warrior who ever
lived."
"What was his name?" Luke asked
"Miyamoto Musashi, a Samurai from Japan," replied
Volcan. "Legendary with a blade; supposedly undefeated in battle."
"I see." Luke returned, looking down at Wade as he
left the arena. "I suppose he's well on his way to becoming legendary
himself."
Volcan nodded. "He's already off to a good start,"
he remarked, and then glanced up at the sun. "Hmm... if I'm reading that
right, the Team matches will be starting again in a half hour. Let's give Wade
our regards and then get goin'." He grimaced. "I think we're fighting
Rigel and Trish this time."
"You sound nervous." Luke pointed out as they began
to make their way to the team matches.
"Well, I saw those two in action," said Volcan.
"Your brother is tough, and his girlfriend is no less. This isn't going to
be easy."
"There's no challenge if it's easy..." Kage coldly
replied.
"It's an expression, man," Volcan said in
exasperation, slapping himself in the forehead.
"Don't let him get to you, he's always like
that..." Luke said to him.
"I'm SO glad Korban is not here; he'd make a GAME out of
trying to get a rise out of Kage," said Volcan.
"I can tell you right now he'd fail..." Katsu
returned.
"Doesn't mean he won't try," said Volcan. "And
he'd keep pushing until Kage kicked him in the face."
Luke stared at Volcan in surprise. "Does he think
EVERYTHING is a game...?"
"Everything," replied Volcan. "You can have a
dozen soldiers shooting at him like madmen, and he'll be firing back while
performing crazy dance moves and all manner of showing off."
"...He makes Hank sound like a third rate comic..."
Luke muttered.
"EY!" Hank shouted at him.
The group arrived at the arena at the other end of the ship,
seeing the spectators had already gathered. Along the way, they bumped into
Sickle and his team, who were discussing a strategy for their opponents when
they noticed the members of Team Valiant approaching, and he waved to them.
"Hey guys!" The Grovyle called.
"Good day." Luke returned as they approached his
team. "Getting ready for the next rounds eh?"
"Yeah. We're up against these guys called Team Venom; a
Gligar, Seviper, Nidorino and a Beedrill make up this group, so we're trying to
decide how best to combat them, since we don't have a Psychic type with
us."
"You know," Blaster stated. "If we win this
round, it means we'll be facing you guys in the Finals, and whoever wins gets
to take on Team Warmachine for the prize."
"Well then best of luck to you all then. I do hope to
meet you in the arena." Luke returned.
"Indeed...I think we all look forward to testing each
other's mettle against you..." Katsu added.
Sickle chuckled. "That makes two of us," he said.
Blaster and the -ironically- quiet 'Howler' nodded in
agreement.
With that, the two groups parted. Team Valiant headed down to
the ring as they were up first, and found Kaen already waiting in the ring,
with Rigel and Trish approaching from the other side.
Volcan turned to Luke. "So, who's going this time?"
He asked.
"I will fight this time..." Kage stated, stepping
forward.
"Alright... who else?" Volcan asked.
"Why don't you fight, Volcan?" Serena asked.
"Well I fought last time; thought we might give the
crowd more variety," replied the phoenix. "Besides, you really think
I could take on Rigel OR Trish? Those two are way out of my league the way I am
now."
Serena looked over her shoulder at Luke, Katsu, Eagle Eye and
Hank. "Well I don't think Eagle Eye is ready to fight yet, and Luke also
fought last time," she said, and then looked at Hank. "What about
you?"
"I saw give the rookie another chance." He returned
with a sly wink.
"Or are you just concerned because you're a Dark type
and they're both Fighting-Types?" Volcan asked.
"Buddy do I LOOK concerned to you?" He asked with
an even more cockier grin.
"Well," said Serena, looking at Volcan. "This
would be a good way to see how well you've mastered your new body. If you can
beat Rigel or Trish, then you can safely say you've learned it."
Volcan rolled his eyes in thought. "I guess that's a
good point," he said, and looked at Luke. "What do you think?"
Luke nodded. "Serena does pose a good point...And
against Rigel I'd say you have a bit of an edge...with that being said, keep
your guard up. Rigel's cocky, but he has the skills to back it up..."
Volcan sighed shakily, and peered into the ring briefly.
"Well, what the heck; never going to improve without trying," he
remarked. "Alright, I'll do it." And glanced at Kage "You know
this might actually work out; I'm a fire type so I -do- have an edge against
Rigel, while Kage here has one against Trish."
"Yes and no." Katsu returned. "Kage is also a
Dark type, so the type advantages cancel each other out..."
"...Way to make my confidence go 'POOF'," Volcan
muttered.
"My ability compensates for that weakness..." Kage
returned.
"Whatever; let's just do this," said Volcan,
looking up to the ring to check to see who had entered first .Sure enough,
Rigel was waiting. His arms crossed and tapping his foot impatiently, his tail
also swaying from left to right.
"Okay... here goes," said Volcan, before he stepped
into the ring as well, approaching the center.
"Bout damn time." Rigel called to Volcan as he
entered the arena. "You getting cold feet or something?"
"It's called 'strategizing'; ever heard of it?"
Volcan asked, crossing his arms.
"Meh, wasn't really my style." He returned,
smirking ab it.
"My buddy Vinge would whoop you all over the
place," remarked Volcan, grinning smugly, hoping that remark would get a
rise out of the elder brother of Luke.
His ear twitch, then he uncrossed his arms and cracked his
neck. "Maybe... but he ain't here now is he...?"
"Lucky for you," returned the Blaziken. "Guess
I'll just have to do it in his place."
Kaen grinned at Volcan's confidence. "This is going to
be awesome; wish I had time to go grab my camera," he said.
Rigel then hopped on the spot and threw a couple mock jabs
before getting into his stance. "Well enough jabbering buddy." He
said, beckoning his opponent. "I'm ready for ya, so bring it on!"
Volcan adopted the fighting stance he had taken when he had
fought Boxer, but this time changed the position of his hands, keeping his left
hand open and further forward than his right, which was held up to eye level in
clenched fist.
"Let's start with something easy..." He muttered,
then in a quick motion he cupped his paws at his side and hurled them forward,
discharging a blast at Volcan. "Hadouken!!"
Volcan side-stepped out of the path of the attack, and then
lunged forward, thrusting a burning fist at Rigel. "Fire Punch!"
Rigel grinned and met Volcan's Fire Punch with his own, both
the attacks cancelling each other out. Rigel then hopped forward and launched a
fast combo of punches and kicks on Volcan, leaving him no room to counterattack
Volcan tightened his guard, letting his arms take the blows
from Rigel's attacks, before he finally made an opening by spitting a stream of
fire at him as he moved to attack once again, surprising the impulsive Lucario
with the sneaky attack.
Rigel quickly ducked back, falling on his paws and
backspringing away. He then rose to hsi feet and began to block and parry
Volcan's attacks before they caught each other's fists in a stalemate. "Not
bad...little rough around the edges though..."
Volcan suddenly had a thought as his eyes met Rigel's, and he
grinned. "Time for a little change in tactics," he whispered.
"Did your bro ever mention that I was from another world?"
"Bunch of bullshit if you ask me." He returned
quickly.
"Yeah? Well let me erase some doubts with a few tricks I
learned there!" He said, before he suddenly stopped resisting Rigel's
attempts to push towards him, and lunged forward, bludgeoning the Lucario
between the eyes with his forehead. "Boom!"
"WHOOF!" Rigel grunted as Volcan's headstruck his,
reeling back and gripping his head a bit from the impact.
Volcan immediately seized that opportunity to rush forward
and attack again, leaping at Rigel with a soaring knee-strike that launched him
back several meters, sending him tumbling across the arena before Volcan
touched back down and returned to his stance. "How did you like those
apples?"
Rigel quickly sprung back to his feet and rubbed his jaw a
bit, then cracked his neck again and hopped on the spot. "Buddy yer just
starting to get my blood pumping man..."
Volcan turned his hand and beckoned Rigel over to him with
his fingers. "Got more where that came from, pal."
Rigel smirked and quickly ran forward, spinning as he got
close and raising his leg for a spin kick at Volcan's head. "Try THIS on
fer size!!" He roared as he kept kicking, never once touching the ground
as he spun like a top in middair, his leg striking out at Volcan.
Volcan just quirked an eyebrow as Rigel came spinning towards
him, and ducked under the kick, letting the Lucario soar over his head befoe
turning back to him. "Theatrics won't get you anywhere against me, Rigel;
you may think I'm a rookie, but if you don't get practical this fight'll just
drag on."
Rigel landed and charged back at Volcan, smacking his beak as
he was speaking with a backfist, then a one two combo before rearing his paw
back and immolating it. He then nailed Volcan once with a heavy uppercut, then
the second was a Sky Uppercut, his paw still covered in fire.
Volcan leaned back to avoid the second uppercut, letting
Rigel soar up past him. "Okay, nevermind! Some theatrics works!"
Rigel landed, still spinning and launching a straight punch
at Volcan's chest.
This time, Volcan grinned, and caught Rigel's arm with his
left hand. "Aikido..." and then pulled him towards him, smashing him
in the forehead with the elbow of his right arm, clotheslining the Lucario
painfully. "Reversal!" Rigel cried out as he was spun back from the elbow,
slamming down on his back with a grunt.
"And now," Volcan said before he grabbed Rigel by
the shoulders, pulling him up before letting go and grabbing him around the
waist in a tight bearhug. "German SUPLEX!" He barked as he bent his
body backwards, angling himself so far it was like he had no spine, and SLAMMED
Rigel's head into the arena floor. Rigel's mouth opened, but no sound came out
as his head was slammed into the ground, his whole body tensing up and spasming
from the impact.
Volcan released him, letting himself drop onto his back
before he rolled over and pushed himself up on his hands, watching as Rigel
slowly toppled over and returning to his feet. "Got him," he said.
Kaen stepped onto the field, looking at Rigel and watching
him for movement, slowly counting down from ten as he did.
Rigel then twitched and he slowly say up, grabbing his head
with his paw and shaking it from side to side. "Fucking HELL that
smarts!!!"
"You're lucky to still be conscious after that,"
said Volcan, returning to his stance. "Now I know who the hard-headed one
is," he remarked in jest.
Rigel quickly got back up on his feet and spat on the ground
next to him. "Ok, not gonna lie...pretty good." He returned, then
smirked arrogantly. "But you ain't the only one who can think outside the
box..."
"Try me," the Blaziken said, confidently.
"I've got plenty of tricks left."
"So do I buddy..." He said with a grin, then he
quickly fired off another hadoken, only this one was aimed right at Volcan's
feet, exploding and creating a large plume of dust and dirt right in the
Blaziken's face.
"Gah!" Volcan barked, throwing an arm over his
eyes, but too late to protect them from the grit. "Mother F...! Cheap
shot!"
Rigel then burst through the cloud and socked Volcan right in
the jaw. "Three things I've learned when Ma trained me!" He said as
he kept on beating him down. "First of all. Fight to win!" He said as
he kicked Volcan in the solar plexus. "Second!" He said as he used
his same leg to nail his side, then kick him along his side, cheek and shoulder
before spinning the opposite direction and nailing his gut again. "Use
everything to your advantage!" He said as he began spinning and rising in
the air, taking Volcan with him via a series of kicks to teh same spot on
Volcan's gut. "SHIPPU....JINRAIKYAKU!!"
At the end of the series of attacks, Volcan was sent soaring,
too stunned by the onslaught to correct himself as he went flying out of the
ring; spectators scattered to avoid him as he dropped towards them, hitting the
deck with a grunt and tumbling into the side-rail, where he finally stopped and
rolled onto his back.
"Okay... that... fucking... hurt..." He groaned.
Rigel landed next to him and crossed his arms, flashing a
smug grin down at Volcan. "And third...." He said as he then
uncrossed hsi arms and offered his paw to him. "REAL strength is earned....not
given..."
Volcan coughed and looked up at Rigel. "Depends on who
you're asking," he said. "But, point taken..." And he accepted
the paw, grunting again as Rigel hoisted him back to his feet.
"That was a heck of a fight!" Kaen called.
"Now, since this is a Last-Man-Standing type battle, Kage will now take
Volcan's place and fight Rigel, and should Rigel lose, the next fighter will be
Trish; last Pokemon standing will win! Can Kage defeat two mighty fighters all
on his own?" Kaen stepped back. "Let's find out! Rigel, return to
your position when you are ready, and let the battle continue."
Volcan walked back over to the group, glancing at Kage as the
Greninja started into the ring. "Sorry Kage; good luck in there," he
said as Serena ran over to him, leaning up against him to try and support him.
"I don't need luck..." He returned as he strode
past Volcan, standing before Rigel and crossing his arms.
Volcan scowled. "I'm starting to hate that guy," he
muttered under his breath.
Kage stepped into the arena, keeping his arms crossed and
maintaining that stoic, cold stare in his eyes as he eyed Rigel from head to
toe, not uttering a single word.
Rigel rolled his shoulder as he waited for Kage to enter, and
grinned as he saw who he was fighting. "Oh yeah; this is going to be
fun," he said.
"...You cannot defeat me..." He finally returned,
still keeping his arms crossed.
"You know how many times I hear that, Kage?" He
asked, and then beckoned to the Greninja. "Come on man; take this
seriously!"
"Give me a reason to..." He returned.
Rigel frowned. "Okay; if that's how you're going to
play, then I'm just going to have to hurt you," he said, and cupped his
paws together, hurling an Aura Sphere at Kage. The Greninja quickly drew his
ninjato and deflected it with a Night Slash, sending it into the air above. He
then darted close and feinted Rigel with a fake swing of his blade, then lashed
out with his tongue with a Lick, jabbing him sharply right in the face before
backing away, sheathing his blade on his back again.
Rigel crossed his eyes at the spot where the lick had landed,
but fortunately he had not been paralyzed by the strike, and simply grimaced.
"Defense will only get you so far against me. You gotta be more
aggressive!" And then launched himself at Kage with a jump kick. "Try
this on for size!"
Kage stood completely still as Rigel attacked. To the
lucario's surprise, he actually went THROUGH Kage, almost like he was a ghost.
"What the...?!" Rigel demanded, before he finally
landed back on the ground, skidding to a halt. "Hey wait a minute; how'd
you do that?"
Back with the rest of the team, Volcan blinked in surprise.
"Yeah, how DID Kage do that?" He asked Katsu.
"Kage possesses a very rare hidden ability known only to
his species." Katsu explained. "It's called Protean...Whenever he
uses an attack, he takes on that attack's typing...Since Lick is a Ghost move,
Kage is now a Ghost type instead of a Water/Dark typing, making Rigel's
fighting attacks ineffective against him..."
"Whoa..." Volcan uttered, clearly surprised.
"Okay... I'll give him this much; the guy is slippery."
Rigel didn't wait for a response, however; this time he tried
a Blaze Kick, aimed straight for Kage's chest. This time, Kage sidestepped out
of the way, quickly weaving a sign and firing a Scald at Rigel's back as he
travelled passed him, turning back into a Water Type in the process.
Rigel tucked in and rolled out of the way of the Scald
attack, grinning cockily at Kage as he faced him again. "Too slow,
spooky!"
Kage stood tall and crossed his arms again, flicking his
tongue scarf idly behind him as he stared Rigel down.
"Come on! You're boring me!" Rigel barked. "A
slow fight is no way to please the crowd! You gotta get 'em worked up!"
"I'm not interested in working anyone up..." He
returned. "I have at least 10 ways to defeat you right now and
counting..."
"Well those are going to get a lot lower really
fast," stated Rigel. "And, speaking of fast, let's see you dodge this
one!" And with that, he threw another Aura Sphere he'd been hiding behind
his back; immediately after throwing it, he charged forward, and whatever the
result of the Aura Sphere, he followed it up with a Force Palm.
Kage quickly weaved another sign and took both hits,
recoiling from each attack. However, much like Wade, he disappered in a puff of
smoke, leaving behind a pokedoll in his place.
"Oh you gotta be kidding me!" Rigel barked.
"He ran away?!" But then, he noticed he was in close proximity to the
edge of the ring. "Oh crap..."
"Exactly..." Kages' voice echoed from behind, He
then ducked low and swept at Rigel with a Low Kick, makign him stumble and
turning into a fighting type as well. Kage then started beating down on Rigel
with a barrage of Power-up Punches, each attack getting stronger with each hit,
never once hitting him on the same spot twice.
By the time the punches were finished, Rigel fell over the
edge, dropping onto his face as he tumbled forward following the onslaught,
dazed and groaning from the pummeling he had taken.
"Lost track of your surroundings," Volcan remarked
from the crowd. "If I had thought he would've been that easy to mislead
I'd have done that too; instead I tried to overpower him." The Blaziken
chuckled. "Well, this is why Vinge is the strategist and not me."
"You're not one to fight like that anyway," said
Serena, smiling at Volcan. "You always did prefer just to battle on level
ground, rather than try to win by a technicality."
"Yeah, that's true."
Kage looked down over at Rigel as he lay there, the medics
quickly running over and carrying Rigel away. He then turned back toward the
arena. "One down..."
Trish made her way to the arena and stood before Kage, a look
of anger present in her eyes. "Alright froggie..." She growled.
"I'm not gonna take it easy on you like my boyfriend did..." She then
reached up toward her left eye and smirked, tapping it once. Her eye then
emitted a bright glow before her body began to glow as well, then she was
enveloped in a crystal like sphere for a moment before it burst outward. Her
physical appearance changed dramatically after her body stopped glowing,
revealing her Mega Evolution to her opponent; a cocky grin present on her face.
Volcan's jaw dropped. "WHAT?!" He demanded.
"So... Blaziken like me can mega evolve too?!"
Luke glanced to Volcan. "I'm...pretty sure I informed
you of that after you saw my mega evolution..."
"Oh... right... now that you mention it... I think you
did," said Volcan. "Okay but then... why is her stone in her left eye
socket?"
"That's a mystery even to me..." Luke admitted.
"I don't even know why she went through with it..."
"Well... Kage's in for a storm now," said Volcan.
"Don't count him out..." Luke returned.
"Kage's still more than a match for her..."
"Even though she just powered up?" Volcan asked.
Luke nodded. "Kage doesn't rely on power alone..."
He added. "He's a tactical fighter through and through...he never enters a
battle without a plan..."
"I hope he's got one then," said Volcan.
Kage uncrossed his arms and studied Trish's Mega Evolution,
then he took a step back and grasped the hilt of his ninjato in preparation.
Sure enough, Trish opened up with a Blaze Kick projectile from her foot, the
attack travelling much faster than in her normal state. Kage however possesed
uncanny reflexes and quickly draw-cut the attack in two before it reached him.
He then noticed Trish charging at him with a Blaze Kick, to which he weaved a
sign quickly and....seemingly sunk into the ground below. This confused Trish
as she skidded to a halt, looking around for any sign of her opponent.
"...Okay, is he still a Ghost Type or something?"
Volcan asked.
"He used Shadow Sneak, which is a Ghost Type move, yes."
Katsu returned
"Oh."
Kage then appeared at Trish's blindspot, weaving another sign
and expelling a thick Smokescreen, shrouding Trish in a thick black smoke. She
growled and looked around her surroundings, but she was constantly nailed by
Kage using strike and retreat tactics while staying hidden in the smoke.
"....A power boost only grants you power....nothing more..." Kage
whispered into her ear, makign her flinch and lash out with a Blaze Kick, only
for her to hit air. She suffered another hit from Kage that sent her stumbling
back, then she seemingly lost her balance adn shrieked as she fell on her rear.
When the smoke cleared, she was sitting outside of the ring with Kage staring
down at her. "Power is meaningless if you do not use it correctly..."
"Holy
shit; he did it again," Volcan said, chuckling.
But the audience wasn't happy... they were booing Kage, one
of them even throwing a half-eaten sandwich at him. Kage stepped out of the way
of the sandwich that was thrown at him, hopping off the arena and heading back
to his team, his eyes closed and drowning out the boos he was receiving.
"You call that a fight?! That was boring!"
"All theatrics and no action; you suck!"
Volcan grimaced. "Apparently nobody likes ninjas in this
world," he said, scratching his head.
"I think most of these people came here expecing fights
that they found exciting, but Kage barely did anything except outmaneuver Rigel
and Trish," said Serena.
Kaen stepped out to the ring. "Well, regardless of the
thoughts of the audience... rules are rules, and Team Valiant advances to the
next round," the Charmeleon said, with mixed emotions in his voice;
something about the way he spoke caught Luke's ear -he wasn't speaking out of
disappointment in the fight... but more towards the audience itself. It seemed
he had actually liked how Kage had performed.
Volcan looked at Luke. "Well... that sure didn't go how
I pictured it," he remarked. "I thought Kage would be one of those
speed-demon types but, all he did was trick them; props to him for outsmarting
them but clearly these guys aren't happy about it."
"Kage is plenty fast." Luke returned. "He just
doesn't rely solely on one trait. He's fast, strong, and easily the smartest in
our team." Luke went on. "He's not much on the outside...but he is
still a valued member of our team. He's never let us down or betrayed
us..."
"I don't doubt that," said Volcan. "Vinge is
the same way; he's not in it for anything more than what he needs to be, and
he's been able to outwit almost anyone he's ever fought." Volcan looked at
the ring. "But is it just me or did Kaen actually seem unhappy with how
everyone is reacting?"
Luke glanced over to the Charmeleon for a moment. "Now
that you mention it, yes I did catch on his tone..." Luke returned.
"It sounded like he LIKED how Kage performed."
Volcan rubbed his chin in thought. "Maybe it's time we
meet with our diminutive friend, eh?"
"Perhaps..." Luke returned.
~~~~~
The next round started; Sickle's team was put up against Team
Venom with Howler taking the opening round against the Nidorino. During the
fight, Kaen excused himself, asking Leon to take over for him, and walked
sullenly away from the ring. He walked around the crowds, trying not to listen
to them as they cheered with battle-lust at the ensuing fight... and snorted in
annoyance.
"Narrow-minded," he muttered as he stormed away,
turning a corner and vanishing from sight of the arena, where he walked along
the railing, his eyes staring ahead but not really focused on where he was
going until he decided to stop, and lean against it.
"I don't get it..." He muttered, shaking his head.
"Don't get what?" A voice asked; he looked over his
shoulder, and saw Timber standing behind him.
"Geez, man; for someone so big, you move pretty
quietly," remarked Kaen.
"Why'd you wander off?" Timber asked. "The
fights were just getting interesting."
Kaen scoffed. "Yeah, 'interesting'," he said.
"Yanno, that last battle showed me there's a lot more to battling than
flashy moves and big finishers; Volcan's fight with Rigel was cool, but the way
Kage fought... that was different, and it was impressive!"
"Impressive?" Timber asked, scoffing. "You
call what that frog did -no, wait, DIDN'T do, impressive? He didn't even fight;
all he did was play a game of chase and then push that Lucario and Blaziken out
of the ring; there was no fight, it was just a bad show."
"But that's just it," said Kaen. "Because WE
hosted this event, everyone comes here expecting a violent spectacle; I thought
for a second when I saw how Kage fought they'd be impressed by seeing someone
with a different method, but instead they boo him out of the ring like a
musician off of a stage after a bad performance; what's up with that? He still
won, didn't he?"
"Look, Kaen; the more action-packed these fights are,
the more effect it'll have when we beat those chumps," stated Timber.
"Valiant has some tough members; even their rookie has some good moves,
and when we beat 'em in the finals -assuming they can beat whichever team wins
next, then we'll have contracts coming in by the dozens; tons more money, more
fame, more of what we want; you should be glad about all this, not to mention
getting ready to clobber them."
"But this isn't what I joined for!" Kaen protested.
"I like the attention and all but I'm getting really tired of all this
flash and nonsense we're encouraging; we're so caught up in it we've forgotten
we're a RESCUE Team, not a celebrity bandwagon!" He shook his head.
"I've had enough of this; I'm out. Soon as we next make port, I'm outta
here."
Soon as he tried to walk past Timber, though, the Haxorus
pushed him back into the railing, catching him off guard as the dragon-type
glared into his eyes. "Maybe there's wax in my ears," growled Timber.
"Did you just say you're planning on walking out on us?"
"Damn right I did!" Kaen barked defiantly.
"Maybe you've forgotten, NOBODY walks out on Team
Warmachine; getting into this group is an honor, but staying in it isn't a
choice; we're not letting you ruin our reps by walking out on us," stated
Timber.
"Your reps?!" Kaen repeated. "How would my
leaving ruin your reps?"
"Nobody has ever left Warmachine; just knowing that
makes people want to join, because they feel something is here that makes it
worth staying," explained Timber. "But if you walk out, that thought
goes up in smoke."
"So I'm just another way to inflate your egos; is that
it?!" Kaen shot back. "You can take that load of nonsense and shove
it under your tail, Timber; I've made my choice! I'm out of here!"
"Only way you're leaving, Kaen, is by an unfortunate
accident," growled Timber. "And correct me if I'm wrong, but don't
Charmeleons 'die' if their tails get wet?" He grinned menacingly, looking
at the ocean stretching out behind Kaen.
Kaen's eyes were wide with terror as he realized what Timber
was implying. But just as the Haxorus started to move towards him, a voice
hollered "HEY!" with such force, even the dragon froze, and the two
turned to see Luke and Volcan standing nearby, both of them looking VERY
displeased at what they were witnessing.
"So that's your little secret then..." Luke said in
a disgusted tone. "All you care about is your reputation....you're willing
to discard one of your own teammates just to uphold your reputation...?"
He then took a step forward, clenching his paws tightly. "You're a
disgrace...You, along with the rest of Team Warmachine, bring nothing but shame
and dishonour to the title..."
"This doesn't concern you punks," Timber growled in
warning. "Now get lost before I throw you two over the side too."
"Bullying and threatening your own team mate?"
Volcan asked, cracking his knuckles. "That's not just disgusting, that
really ticks me off; how about I trade places with him, and we'll see who goes
into the ocean?"
Timber laughed at the threat. "You? You guys came crying
to us to get rid of that out of control Typhlosion before; he's gone, yet now
suddenly you think you can take us on when you were too afraid to fight
him?"
"Sol was one thing." Luke returned. "All he
cared about was proving he was the strongest, regardless of his methods. He
still possessed SOME level of honour and pride in him." Luke retorted.
"You on the other hand...You don't care much for the safety of other Pokémon.
All you care about is frolicking about in your own fame and wealth...That is
NOT what being a Rescue Team is all about..."
"Easy for a 'nobody' like you to say," growled
Timber. "If all this became available to you, I wager half my off-shore
account balance you'll be swimmin' in the glory too; 'Rescue' Teams are just
pipe dreams; we're stars, heroes! The world wants heroes, and we're simply
givin' it to them; shouldn't we be rewarded for our time?"
Volcan glared at Timber, his fist clenching. "You want
heroes, look no further than here," he said, gesturing to Luke and Kaen.
"Humility, setting boundaries and fighting for the right reasons make a
hero, not money and merchandise. Back where I come from, I'm a musician; I'm
famous, I'm wealthy, but I don't let it go to my head; I protect people,
because I've got the power to do it and I ask for nothing in return!"
"Well then you're just ignoring a golden opportunity,"
Timber retorted.
Volcan's fist tightened so much that his hand actually bled
from his nails piercing his skin. "...Jaw," he growled.
"What?" Timber asked, before Volcan suddenly lunged
forward and swung, scoring an uppercut that slammed Timber's mouth shut
forcefully, snapping his head back and leaving his torso wide-open. Luke then
moved in with his lightning speed, slamming a heavy Force Palm into Timber's
solar plexus with enough force to send him back.
The Haxorus went down, hitting the deck with enough force to
crack the wooden boards of the deck, grunting in pain as he rolled onto his
side and coughed up some blood and a broken fang.
Luke straightened up and glared angrilly at the fallen
Haxorus, then he turned toward Kaen and his expression softened. "You
alright...?"
Kaen looked hesitant to answer at first, his gaze falling to
the deck, before he answered plainly. "...No..." He sighed angrily.
"All this time I've been feeding this team's ego with my wins, too stupid
to see what they were all about. Right now, I'm pissed off..."
Luke nodded. "I understand..." He returned.
"I'm just glad we intervened before that Haxorus did something
unthinkable...The world needs more Pokémon with a level head such as
yourself..."
Timber suddenly leapt to his feet, and glared angrily at
Luke. "Heads like that can be chopped off like any other!" He roared
before charging at Luke; Volcan leapt in to intercept only to get bashed aside
by Timber, nearly going over the railing, but managing to grab it just in time.
Kaen sprang into action first, even as Luke prepared to
intercept; his body burst into flame as he launched himself towards Timber with
a Flame Charge, slamming into his middle enough to stumble the Haxorus, and was
about to attack him again when the dragon-type suddenly disappeared, making his
oncoming Slash attack hit nothing but air.
"The heck?" He asked.
"That will be quite enough, Kaen," a female voice
stated firmly, catching the attention of Charmeleon and Lucario.
Turning towards it, they saw a Mismagius floating nearby,
with a rather unimpressed expression on her face as Timber floated helplessly
in the air beside her. "I won't tolerate such depravity on this ship,
especially not from the two of you," she stated.
"Maggie..." said Kaen.
Volcan pulled himself back up over the railing. "So, the
brain behind the bullshit finally shows up, eh?"
Luke glanced over to the Mismagius with that same angry
expression he had toward Timber. The air around his body seemed to shimmer a
little as a very faint aura flame burned gently around him. "I suppose
it's safe to assume you also feel that being a so-called 'hero' means you
trample over those that give you a bad image..." He stated.
"I have no interest in being a hero," she answered
honestly. "I gave that up when I found out I was a lousy battler; ensuring
that Warmachine's members are regarded as them has suited me just fine."
"You've got a twisted definition of a hero, lady!"
Volcan barked as he got his feet back on the deck. "And do you condone
Timber threatening one of his own team mates?! He actually threatened to kill
Kaen, and just now tried to!"
"Timber always has been impulsive," remarked
Maggie, looking back at the Haxorus, who only grumbled in response. "But
Kaen... spouting such nonsense as leaving the team; you had to have known he
would..."
"It isn't nonsense, Maggie," stated Kaen, silencing
her. "I'm not kidding about it; I've had enough of this fiasco, you
understand? When you guys invited me into the team I thought I was joining a
group who wanted to make our world safer, but I was wrong. So, since this is
not the team I wanted to join," he crossed his arms. "I feel no
reason to stay anymore."
Maggie regarded him with an expressionless face, glancing at
Volcan and Luke briefly. "Did either of you put him up to this?"
"The guy's got a brain, lady; he's usin' it,"
retorted Volcan. "He needed no guidance from us."
She shrugged. "Well then, Kaen, if that's what you want,
then truthfully I can't stop you," she stated. "But you're making a
mistake; you give up your place on Team Warmachine, you give up on ever being
in a rescue team again."
"Says who?" Kaen demanded.
"I know you're aware of my network of contacts,"
she stated. "Spreading word of you getting kicked out of the team would be
a simple manner; Warmachine has never lost any members, but one person
disgraceful enough to be thrown off the team, well... who would want to enlist
that?"
Kaen froze; he hadn't done anything like that, but it dawned
on him -and Luke and Volcan- that with the number of ears Maggie and the rest
of Warmachine had aimed their way could easily result in a pandemic of
falsehoods that could ruin Kaen's life...
Luke then stepped forward. "In that case, let's make a
wager..." He stated boldly.
"What could you possibly offer me?" Maggie asked.
"If my team makes it to the finals and defeats Team
Warmachine....then you are to disband your team and leave Kaen's record
unchanged, because unlike you lot, Kaen has an honest heart wanting to make a difference
in the world...Fame is merely an added bonus to him..."
"I see no reason I should make such a risky wager,"
she stated. "Even if I doubt you being able to defeat us, I didn't get
where I am by being stupid."
"And I didn't get to where I am now by wanting to be
famous at the expense of potentially putting lives at risk." Luke
retorted. "I formed my Team from scratch, worked our way up from the
bottom of the barrel, all for the sake of one thing; protecting those that
can't fight back." Luke went on. "Power, money, fame... they mean
nothing to us. All that matters is we keep the public safe from any threat, no
matter how big or small. We set our own personal desires aside for the sake of
Pokémon kind." He then clenched his paws tight, his glare becoming more
intense, and the aura flame burning around hsi body intensified to further
emphasize his rage. "THAT is what being a Rescue Team is all about!! You
scum have no RIGHT to bear that title!!"
She visibly backed away, threatened by how fierce Luke was
becoming. "We shall let the victor decide that," she stated.
"I'll tell you what; I have a counter-offer for you. I will not disband
Warmachine, but if you win, then I'll let Kaen leave Warmachine without putting
a single bad word out there about him, and of course you still get the prizes
of this contest; he'll be able to start fresh and do as he pleases. But if we
win..." She pointed at Luke. "You disband YOUR team, and you give me
that Lucarionite of yours; it's the one Mega Stone we don't have yet, and I see
an opportunity to rectify that." She gestured to Kaen. "He will still
be allowed to leave... but I can't promise there won't be nasty rumors about
him."
Luke scoffed. "Case in point..." He growled, then
closed his eyes for a moment to allow himself to calm down, then flashed his
eyes open again. "Very well...We have an accord." He said in a low
tone. "You better hope your team is ready for the fight of their
lives..."
"You better hope yours can still walk on their own by
the time we are finished with you," she stated, and glared menacingly at
Luke. "I'm going to LOVE watching Torolf turn you into a floor mat."
"Assuming he can even catch me..." Luke retorted,
narrowing his eyes at her.
She laughed. "See... that is where you and I
differ," she stated. "You think because of one defining trait, it
means you will win. It will take far more than being quick-footed to defeat
him, because unlike you, he's not afraid of fighting to win." And with
that, she disappeared in a blink of light along with Timber, leaving the three
alone.
"Are you guys crazy?!" Kaen demanded. "Do you
have any idea what she'll do if the others beat you? She's not just going to
make you disband your team; she'll use her connections to tarnish all of their
reputations to the point they can't even bag groceries for a living! You guys
will be ruined!"
"Then we just have to make sure we don't lose,"
said Volcan. "I for one kind of wish that Maggie bitch was fighting; I'd
love to rip that smirk right off her face."
Kaen slapped his forehead. "I should've just taken my
chances with the bad rep; I don't want to drag you guys down too!"
Luke slowly turned and looked back at Kaen. "You aren't;
we're doing this of our own accord." Luke said as he stepped toward him
and gently patted his shoulder. "You stood up for what you believe is
right Kaen; that's EXACTLY what it means to be part of a Rescue Team. "
His face then grew determined. "I promise you that we will prevail, now
that we have much to lose, that only means we'll fight 10 times as hard."
"You
guys saw what Torolf did to that Sol guy, who even you guys were too scared to
fight," said Kaen. "How the heck are you so confident you can take
down THE strongest Swampert in the entire world?!"
"Because I trained with THE strongest Nidoking in the
world...ever since I was seperated from my family as a child." Luke
returned. "Team Valiant is a group that has endured many hardships to get
to where we are now...It's that drive that propels us to perform to the best of
our abilities and then some..."
"I can speak for that," said Volcan. "I've
only been part of Valiant a short time, but I truly believe if anyone can take
down Warmachine, it's them... and me."
Kaen looked at Volcan, then at Luke, and Volcan again, before
he asked. "...How many of you can Mega Evolve?" He asked.
"Just Luke, as far as I know," replied Volcan,
looking at Luke in question.
"I am the only one who can Mega Evolve on my team."
Luke returned. "The rest of my partners all have other ways of
compensating for those that can Mega Evolve."
"Except me," said Volcan. "All I've got are my
strength and skills."
"Then, you guys are going to need an edge, because there
are two on Warmachine who can," stated Kaen. "One you know; Torolf,
and the other you haven't seen yet; a Scizor named Shamshir. If you want to
beat both of them, then you..." He looked at Volcan. "Need a mega
evolution too, because with that you'd be ideal for taking on Shamshir."
"But I don't have a mega stone," stated Volcan.
"You will soon," remarked Kaen, grinning.
"I'll meet up with you later. For now, I better go find somewhere to
bunker down. Timber might not let me off the hook just yet."
"If you want, I can have someone escort you for the time
being." Luke offered
Kaen nodded. "I hate to impose... but tough as I am, I
can't take on any of the others straight up so... yeah... I'd appreciate
it."
"Let's go then, before one of 'em shows up," said
Volcan.
With that, the three left the area, heading back to their
cabins to wait until their next battle.