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Kaen proceeded to hide out in Volcan's room, keeping well out of sight of the rest of his team as Luke and Volcan returned to the battlefield; the next round was announced to start soon, with Team Valiant vs. Team Sickle, meaning their Grovyle friend had won his battle with Team Venom. Volcan chuckled suddenly as the two walked back. "Yanno, I think I might sit this one out; give one of the others a shot," he said. "But I'm looking forward to seeing this one nonetheless." "Fair enough." Luke returned. "I think Hank and Katsumoto will be joining me this time; unless you'd like to go in my place Kage." Kage shook his head. "I'm not interested..." Volcan looked off to the side, spotting Sickle and his comrades talking amongst themselves. "Hey, Serena, Katsu; you guys watched their battle. Did you see anything about them we ought to know?" He asked. "Well, when Sickle fought that Seviper I noticed he moved quite quickly, and seemed to enjoy using a strafing tactic," explained Serena. "He was attacking that snake with seeds from his mouth, frustrating him before going in and finishing him off." "A Bullet Seed attack...nifty." Luke returned. "Anything else?" "Well we didn't see much about Howler," said Serena. "He was fast, and I mean almost blindingly so; he was too hard to follow, and defeated the Nidorino he was fighting in almost no time at all. As for Blaster, he was a living wall; his opponent kept attacking him again and again, but he never even flinched, and knocked them down with just two attacks; the first was a punch, the other, a blast from his cannons." "An all-rounder, a speed-demon and a tank," said Volcan, rubbing his chin. "Sickle has a good setup on his team; Grass, Water and Fire are fairly universal in effectiveness if used together, and throw in their varying skillset these guys are ready for anything." "Sickle has massed quite a three man cell...I'm very impressed." Luke admitted. "It will be a good battle..." Katsu added. Volcan looked at Luke. "So who will you pick for those odds?" "Myself, Hank and Katsumoto." Luke quickly answered. "And who against who?" Volcan asked. "Well if Blaster has a high defense, then Katsumoto has the physical strength to break through that defense...Hank will probably fight Howler, and I will fight Sickle." Volcan nodded, satisfied with the setup. "Hank would be best to take on a speedster; even if he can't keep up with him, his illusions can trip him up, leave him vulnerable." "Damn fuckin straight." Hank added, seeming appearing out of nowhere beside Volcan. "BOO!" "FWAH!!!" Volcan jumped away in fright. "You little shit!" Hank burst out laughing and slapped his knee. "HAH!! That look on yer face men! PRICELESS!!" Volcan grumbled under his breath, and even Serena allowed herself a small snicker at how jumpy Volcan was. "If Hank ever meets Pavan and Korban, I can see them getting along quite well." "If they're anything like me, then yea we'll get along JUUUUST fine...provided they don't mind a few jumpscares every so often." Hank said with a devious grin Volcan glanced up at the fighting platform again, his expression softening once more. "Look; Blaster's coming up," he said. "Looks like they're literally opening with their big gun." "So it would seem..." Luke returned, then he looked to Katsumoto. "You're up." Katsu nodded softly and glanced ahead at his opponent, slowly stepping out toward the ring. Upon standing before Blaster, he shot him that trademark glare all Samurott possessed, one that could quell an entire squabble with just a glance. Blaster stepped back slightly, standing defensively as if expecting Katsu to attack, but then grinned. "Ha... made me flinch," he admitted. "You've got quite a pair of eyes there." Katsu slowly reared up on his hind legs, then in a flash he quickly drew his Seamitars on his forearms and held them at the ready. "I've been told you have a sturdy defense..." "Well, why don't you find out?" Blaster asked, producing his cannons. "But don't think that means I lack offense too." Leon, who was hosting the battle in the absence of Kaen, stood with his flippers crossed at the end. "Today, we see a true contest of offense versus defense; Team Sickle's 'Blaster' versus Team Valiant's Katsumoto; which one will come out the winner?" Leon held up a flipper. "Now, this battle is elimination-style; best of three is the victor. Now..." He brought down his flipper. "BEGIN!" Katsu then shot forward quickly with Aqua Jet, taking one slice at Blaster's armoured front with Razor Shell, then he lowered hsi head and went to spear him with his Shellmet with a Megahorn. Neither attack broke Blaster's shell, however; they barely even scratched it, and Blaster only grinned at Katsu. "Not good enough," he said, before he aimed his cannons at Katsu and hit him with a Water Pulse, knocking him back with its concussive force. He grunted and skidded as he was knocked back, then he roared and knocked the attack away with just his forearm and flexed his body a bit before rearing his blades back and attacking with his own Water Pulse, this one aimed right at Blaster's face. Blaster withdrew into his shell, letting the hard surface take the Water Pulse, which bounced off harmlessly. Rather than emerge from his shell, though, Blaster began spinning rapidly, whirling faster and faster in place before he suddenly shot forward with a powerful, moving Rapid Spin. Katsu charged forward as well, rearing his blades back and slamming them into Blaster's spinning shell with X-Scissor. Katsu's blades sparked when they made contact with Blaster's shell, yet he managed to hold his footing, not once skidding back despite the force he was exposed to. Suddenly, Blaster stopped spinning, with the hole for his arm aimed directly at Katsu's face. Out came his fist, like the popping of a Jack in the Box, and struck Katsu square between the eyes. "Peekaboo!" Blaster called from inside his shell. He grunted and staggered back from the blow, shaking his head a little and regaining his form, holding his blades once more at the ready. Blaster spun away a little, and then emerged from his shell. "I admit, you hit pretty hard," he said. "But so do I!" He aimed his cannons again. "Hydro Pump!" And fired two massive bullets of water from his cannons. Katsu smirked, tilting to the side to let the first bullet pass him by, then he faced the second and swung his right blade at it. He skidded back a bit as he took the attack head on, then he let out a furious roar and slowly began powering through the blast, ultimately cleaving it in half and charging through it. He then jumped up and kicked at Blaster's face before coming down with another X-Scissor against his chest, this time applying more strength in his swings. Blaster was knocked onto his back; not a good position for a turtle to be in, as his limbs weren't long enough to reach around to get him back up. He flailed helplessly as he lay there, but then retracted into his shell again, firing his cannons and sending himself sliding towards Katsu. Katsu quickly leapt up and over Blaster, then upon landing quickly turned and reared his blades back, then swung them forward adn discharged his own Hydro Pump at Blaster while he was still sliding forward. The attack had an unexpected effect. As it hit Blaster's shell, it sent him sliding off course, nearly bringing him to the edge before he spun around and popped his head out, opening his mouth and firing an ice beam, which he used to form a ramp at the edge that, as he slid into it, sent him airborne at an angle that he was back upright again as he landed, and grinned at Katsu. "Not bad at all," the Blastoise complimented. "Same to you;you're very resourceful." He returned, actually putting on a wide grin. "My blood is absolutely boiling right now..." Blaster chuckled. "Then let's kick this up a notch!" He declared as he lowered his cannons and fired at the ground, creating a tsunami that rushed towards Katsu, the Surf wide enough to cover most of the battlefield. "THAT'S more like it!!" He roared, then he shot toward it with another Aqua Jet, slamming into the wave and pushing hard to power through the tidal wave and toward his target. But the instant he emerged from the wave, he found Blaster already waiting for him, his head lowered. "I knew you'd try that," he said before he used his arms and legs to propel himself forward, attempting to Skull Bash Katsu. Katsu bashed into Blaster's Skull Bash, though rather than recoil from the attack, he stayed his ground, pushing back through his own Shellmet and gritting his teeth as he fought through the pain he just endured. Their eyes met as the battle became a contest of strength; the fellow team members of both fighters watched in keen anticipation as they waited to see who would win the contest. "Wait... what if Blaster just shoots him again while they're clashing?" Serena asked. "I don't think he can," said Volcan. "Look at the way the cannons jut out of his shell; with that placement, he can't angle them close enough to hit something that's between them at point-blank range." Katsu then surprised everyone by discarding his swords, rearign both his arms back and slamming them against Blaster's shoulders. The applied force he sent out was enough to allow the hulking Samurott to start pushing Blaster back slowly. Blaster grit his teeth as he dug his hands and feet into the arena, trying to resist Katsu's pushing, but the incredible strength of the Samurott was somehow pushing him back! Sickle and Howler both looked awestruck as they saw their strongest fighter being out muscled by a Pokémon smaller than himself. "Come on, Katsu!" Volcan cheered. "You can win!" Serena called out as well, excited by Katsu's feat of strength and determination. Katsu then roared out furiously, quickly rearing his right arm back and socking Blaster clean in his jaw. With the Blastoise stunned, Katsu then wrapped his arms around Blaster's body and lifted him up over his head, then hurled him as hard as he could toward the edge of the ring. Blaster bellowed out in a mix of shock and fright as he was launched through the air, every spectator watching in disbelief as Blaster soared out of the ring -which nearly proved to be a mistake for a lone-standing Houndour, who barked out in terror before dashing out of Blaster's trajectory as the Blastoise hit the deck with a thunderous crash. Katsu then pounded his chest once and roared triumphantly before he calmed himself down and lowered back to all fours again. He walked over and retrieved his sword, swinging each once before sheathing them back in his forearms like a traditional samurai. "Yeah-HA!" Volcan barked, jumping high into the air with joy. "He won!" Serena cheered. "That was awesome!" Volcan added. Sickle and Howler both looked slightly disappointed, but... not in an unhappy way. Their expressions still bore some anticipation for their upcoming battles, and Sickle nodded to Howler, signalling the Arcanine to step into the arena now. Meanwhile, Blaster was getting back to his feet, rubbing his head a little. "Have to admit... was not expecting that," he stated, turning around and starting to make his way back to the other side of the arena where Sickle waited. Along the way, his gaze met Katsu's, and the Blastoise only smiled at him, mouthing the words 'Good fight' to him as they passed each other. Katsu nodded back in return, slowly walking back toward his side of the arena, a confident smirk present on his face as he rejoined his team. Serena practically squealed with delight as she strode over to Katsu and rubbed her head against his leg. "You did great, Katsu," she said. "I knew you'd win." Katsu gently brought an arm around Serena and nuzzled her head gently in return, smiling warmly down at her. Volcan glanced at Luke with a smile of his own plastered on his face, whispering to the Lucario, "Well those two sure grew close didn't they?" He asked. Luke smiled as he saw them so close already, glancing back to Volcan for a moment. "Seems so. Perhaps they spent a night getting to know more about one another..." "Well, I'm actually glad to see it," said Volcan. "They both deserve someone." Luke's ear twitched a little and his grin seemed to broaden. "...Are you suggesting they're dating?" "Come on man, look at them," stated Volcan, his smile growing wider. "Serena's not even that close to anyone on my team; she's always too shy, yet there she is nuzzling Katsu, and he's always struck me as the stoic warrior type, but look at him. He actually looks happy to be near her." Luke turned his gaze back to the two of them. "Well believe it or not, Katsumoto isn't as stoic as you might think; that's more Kage's shtick." He returned. "He's actually rather outgoing and gentle when he's not in battle." "But have you ever seen him actually get that close to someone?" Volcan asked. "Trust me Luke; those two aren't just dating, they're developing feelings for one another." His smile faded. "Which... actually worries me." Luke slowly sighed. "I know." He agreed. "...If they get too close, they might not want to leave each other." Volcan nodded. "Yeah... one of us may lose a team member." He frowned. "But... I just don't have the heart to come between them; ever since my friends and I saved Serena from the I.T.O.U.E, she always seemed so distant; even though she wanted to see the surface world she was always so intimidated by it, shying away from everyone. For the first time since I met her, she's actually opening up to someone." Luke nodded. "And far be it from me to intervene in something as precious as love." He returned. "For now, it would probably be best to let them stay together...only time will tell if they view each other the way you and I see them..." Volcan nodded, and turned his attention back to the arena, watching as Hank made his way up to face Howler. "Let's see how THIS goes, then" he stated. "Indeed." Luke returned, crossing his arms as Howler and Hank faced one another at the arena Howler faced Hank with a deadpan expression, saying nothing as the two watched each other, waiting for Leon to announce the start of the fight. The Empoleon stepped out to introduce the fighters. "Here we have a battle of opposites, ladies and gentlemen; the Trickster of Team Valiant, Hank, vs. the stoic and silent Howler of Team Sickle; whatever the reason for his name, we'll see who's 'howling' at the end of this match, won't we?" He stepped back, raising his flipper. "Ready...?" He asked. Howler only nodded, once more not speaking... Volcan eyed the Arcanine curiously as he stood there, waiting for the call to begin. "Odd... the guy doesn't say a darn thing; he's even more quiet than Kage," said the Blaziken, though quickly looked over at the Greninja. "No offense," he assured. "None taken." Kage returned. Hank hopped back a little and raised his claws in preparation, grinning deviously as he winked at Leon to signal he was ready. "Begin!" And just like that, Howler was gone, and Hank felt something hit him in the back, launching him halfway across the ring -ironically landing right where Howler had been less than a second before. "What the??!" Volcan demanded. "I-I-I... I didn't even see him twitch!" Even Luke's eyes widened when he saw what just happened. "That speed... he's even faster than Eagle Eye.!" Hank quicky skidded to a halt and grunted, cracking his back a bit and lifting his claws again, now watching his opponent more closely. Howler stood very plainly, as if he wasn't anticipating any danger from Hank, and simply watched him, again wordlessly. However, now that Howler was closer to their side of the field, Volcan got a closer look at the Arcanine, and something seemed to catch his attention. "Luke... look at Howler's neck," he directed. Luke glanced to Volcna for a moment, then back at Howler and narrowed his eyes to get a clearer look at what Volcan had seen. And there, hidden just barely beneath Howler's fur, was a long slit, cut horizonally across his neck, no fur growing from it and, although faded -clearly several years old at least, it was still visible to those with a keen eye. Luke narrowed his eyes a little further upon seeing that slit along his neck. "....So that's how it is then..." Volcan nodded. "It looks like someone tried to slit his throat," he said. "This just makes him even more deadly... because now Hank has absolutely no way of hearing him when he moves." "Indeed...I have faith in him, but I don't think Hank will win this fight." Luke admitted "Oh boy..." muttered Volcan. Howler then opened his mouth and exhaled a Flamethrower attack at Hank. The Zoroark retaliated by thrusting his claws out and discharged a Shadow Ball, the attack struck the stream of flames before exploding in a large plume of smoke and debris. There was silence, and then Howler seemed to spontaneously appear in front of Hank, so suddenly it was as though he had teleported, and then lunged forward with a Fire Fang. Hank received the nasty chomp, crying out as he was bit with the Fire Fang. Then he smirked and grinned at Howler. "Psyche." He said as he then faded out of existance. Howler closed his mouth, flicking up his ears and sniffing as he tried to locate Hank, standing patiently as he waited for the Zoroark to reveal himself... Hank then quickly appeared at his side and slashed at Howler with a Night Slash with his claws, then quickly faded into nothingness again. He repeated the same attack again on his other side and slashed one more time, then he appeared over Howler, waiting for him to look up before unleashing a punishing Night Daze from above, shrouding Howler in a blast of dark energy, also serving to lower his accuracy slightly. Howler shook his head, trying to clear it after suffering the onslaught, but as soon as he located Hank, his body ignited and he rushed at him with Flame Charge. Hank once again took the hit and yelped as he was sent back. He landed on his back, then quickly hopped back to his feet and countered with a Dark Pulse from his mouth, only for Howler to vanish again, once more appearing in front of Hank, opening his mouth and unleashing a blast of violet energy that burst forth with tremendous force. "FUCK!!" Hank roared, unable to conjure another Illusion in time and taking the blast full force, skidding onto his back again with a grunt. He got back to his feet once more, though slower this time and panting a bit from the damage he sustained. "The fuck's this guy on, Ice skates or something??" Howler breathed in again, this time attacking with yet another Flamethrower. Hank grinned. "Not this time!" He roared, quickly darting in and landing a Sucker Punch on his jaw before Howler could discharge the flame attack, then he kicked Howler in the air and quickly darted after him, nailing him with a quick Fury Swipes, each time he clawed at him he vanished and appeared at another spot around the Arcanine. But Howler wasn't going for it this time; gritting his teeth through the pain of Hank's onslaught, the Arcanine flipped around to where he could smell Hank, and let loose another Dragon Pulse at the Zoroark. "Oh COME ON!!" He roared before he was hit again, falling back toward the ground with a hard crash. He coughed and slowly rolled onto his front, trying to push himself back up on his feet. But Howler, now back down on the ground, rushed in and placed his paw harshly on Hank's back, pinning him down, one leg raised ready to strike him if he tried to get up. Hank grunted and grit his teeth, glaring defiantly back up at Howler. "Fuck you..." The Arcanine glared, and then swept his paws under Hank before throwing him into the air, swinging around and hitting the Zoroark with a well-placed Double-Kick as he came back down. Hank coughed when he was hit by the Double Kick, flying through the air and skidding along the ground until he came close to the arena's edge. He panted more laboriously as he propped himself up on his elbows. Of course, Howler was too smart to try running at Hank now, with him so close to the edge; it was too risky, especially when dealing with a Zoroark. So instead, he discharged another Flamethrower, hoping to end the battle while still safely in the middle of the ring. "Shit..." he grumbled as the Flames nailed him, setting him ablaze and throwing him out of the ring. With that, Howler relaxed, and turned to Leon, who raised up his hand and called the match. "Out of bounds! The winner is Team Sickle's speedster, Howler!" Luke grimaced for a moment. "Damn...it's one-all now..." Luke muttered. "And I don't think Sickle's going down easily either way," said Volcan as he walked over to help Hank. "You okay man?" He asked. "Just a wounded ego..." He said as he flashed Volcan a small grin. "We've got some tough competition here, after all," he said, offering Hank a hand. "Can't win 'em all. You gave it a good try though, for what it's worth." "Eh, I guess..." He returned Howler stepped off of the arena, turning to Sickle as the Grovyle began to step into the arena as well, raising his paw to tap t against Sickle's clenched hand as he stepped aside, allowing the Grovyle to ascend the stairs, looking very determined. Serena looked at Luke. "It's all up to you now," she said. Luke nodded. "There's no way I'll lose here..." He returned as he too approached the ring, standing before Sickle. The Grovyle met Luke's gaze, and for a moment, it was like there was a surge of energy between the two as they stared each other down, neither one saying anything for a long, uncomfortable moment. Then, Sickle finally broke the silence. "Seems we did end up facing each other after all," he stated. "So it would seem..." Luke returned, then he clenched his paws tight. "Nothing personal Sickle....but I simply cannot afford to lose here today..." "That makes two of us," said Sickle. "I've come this far... and though if there's anyone I'd be honored to lose against, that'd be you, I'm not going to let that happen." He smiled. "Whatever happens though, you have my respect, always." "As you have mine." Luke returned with a smile of his own, then he slowly adopted his fighting stance and took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Sickle adopted one as well, sliding his feet apart and positioning his arms in a half closed position, both of them held forward at an angle, the leaves on his arms swaying as a gust of wind raced around them, as if the very air itself was eager to see the outcome of this fight. Volcan and Serena watched as the battle was about to begin, their eyes fixed on the two fighters. Serena glanced over at Katsu and Kage who were standing beside her, trying to determine their thoughts by studying their facial expressions. Both of them were looking straight ahead at the arena, with Kage having his arms crossed and having a more collected composure, while Katsu did show some signs of concern, but otherwise remained steadfast, putting his faith into his team leader claiming their victory today. Sickle then made the first move as Leon declared the battle to begin; he began to strafe -the same way Serena had warned Luke about during Sickle's battle with Team Venom, and as she said, he fired Bullet Seed from his mouth as he ran to the side, showering Luke with dozens of projectiles per second. Luke countered with a new attack. He quickly brought his arms in front of him, then quickly spread them apart. In his paws was now what looked like a long bone composed of his own aura, which he triwled expertly and used it to deflect the bullet seeds coming at him, sometimes even back at Sickle But the Grovyle easily dodged the bullets knocked back at him by jumping, holding his arms at his sides and his legs tightly together as he spiralled through the air, the seeds passing around him harmlessly, before he front-flipped and landed back on his feet. "Dayum, that guy is agile," said Volcan. Luke quickly thrust one paw forward and fired a few Aura Spheres from his paw, then he charged forward, twirling his bone in his paw as he charged toward Sickle after his projectiles Once more, Sickle dodged and weaved around the Aura Spheres, reading their trajectories fluently, before he triggered leaf blade and lunged at Luke, his forearm meeting Luke's bone-staff.

"You're quick, but not precise," he remarked, smiling confidently. "Who said I had to be...?" He returned with a smirk, then he glanced behind him and saw his spheres circle around and head for Sickle's backside. Luke quickly shoved the Grovyle away from him and into the oncoming projectiles. Sickle, having not noticed the spheres yet, slid back, and eyed Luke suspiciously. It didn't take long for the Grovyle to notice that Luke wasn't looking -at- him, he was looking PAST him! He looked over his shoulder, and saw the spheres coming back. Reacting fast, Sickle once more sprang into the air, twisting himself about so that the Spheres missed him -albeit one that glanced across his flank, making him wince. He turned to face Luke, eyeing him quizzically. "Gotta admit, didn't see that one coming," he said. "First Lucario I ever met that could actually direct their Aura Sphere's." "A little trick I picked up from my son..." Luke returned, twirling his bone staff. "The difference being is I don't have to make any sort of motion to telegraph that I'm redirecting them." Sickle smiled. "Your son must be quite a genius to develop something like that," he said, before returning to his fighting stance. "But it'll take more than that to beat me, my friend." "Actually, he's a construction worker." Luke replied plainly, holding his weapon behind him with his offhand paw held outward. "Still, it's impressive," returned Sickle, before he suddenly crouched down, standing as if about to break into a run... and then shot forward, his body a blur as he moved; he wasn't as fast a Howler, but he still moved with impressive speed as he zig-zagged across the arena towards Luke, appearing on the left, right, left, left, right, before stopping just out of reach of him, only to bank off to the side and fire another Bullet Seed at his legs. Luke was fast on his feet as well, quickly hopping back from where the seeds would have hit, then he darted to Sickle's blindside with his Extreme Speed, taking a swing at him with his bone staff This time not even Sickle could react quickly enough, taking the hit directly in his side, making him stumble, but he managed to correct himself. "Dang; didn't think you'd be that fast," he said. "Still not quite as quick as Howler but you'd give him quite a race." Luke appeared behind him after he finished his statement. "You're pretty fast on your feet as well. Not many Grovyle can move as quickly as you..." He returned. Sickle spun around and swiped at Luke with another Leaf Blade. Luke this time raised his arm and blocked Sickle's wrist, still staring at him calmly. "Good reaction time too." "Well, I train with Howler all the time," stated Sickle. "Helped me speed up and develop my reflexes, and training with Blaster gave me excellent stamina; I can do this all day!" And at that, he suddenly jumped back from Luke, only to dash forward again, dashing under his guard and Headbutting him in the stomach. Luke grunted and skidded back, then he darted back toward Sickle and returned the strike with a Force Palm to his chest. "So can I..." Sickle stumbled back from the hit once again, and looked back at Luke. But, rather than having a competitive or frustrated glare... it looked like Sickle was actually enjoying the fight... like he had found himself a rival he stood on even ground with, as someone to really test his mettle against. "Well... clearly I'm not going to beat you fighting you head-on, and with that metal skin fighting you from a distance won't work too well either..." He narrowed his eyes. "So... I'm going to have to bring everything I learned to this fight and come up with a new strategy." Luke nodded, standing tall with his bone staff still in paw. "I was wondering when this fight would start getting serious...I think we've had more than enough time for a warm up." "So confident... but let's see how long that lasts!" He dashed forward again with a Quick Attack, following it up with another Leaf Blade that clashed with Luke's staff, but then he changed direction of his attack, using a False Swipe to throw Luke off, and immediately following it up with a Low Sweep. Luke stumbled from the False Swipe, then grunted as his feet were swept and he fell on his back. He twirled his staff defensively over him as he got back up in order to keep Sickle at bay, then he fired a set of Aura Spheres at Sickle, then darted to his rear and fired a few more before he vanished again. Sickle wasn't falling for it this time. Instead of trying to dodge around the Spheres, he sprang up, soaring over them, and then fired another Bullet Seed at Luke, attempting to break his focus to keep him from redirecting the Aura Spheres at him. Luke appeared and twirled his bone to deflect the seeds coming at him, then the aura spheres collided into one another, leaving behind a large cloud of smoke that obscured the Lucario from view. Sickle landed back down on the ground, and shut his eyes. "With that Aura Sense of his, this dust won't hide me," Sickle muttered to himself, and so shut his eyes, listening carefully and concentrating on trying to sense where Luke was... He then felt something smack him in the face, then again at his back, then once more at his chest, all in rapid succession. Then the smoke cleared upon the sound of a large gathering of energy being formed. When the smoke did clear, Luke was holding a large Aura Sphere in both paws over his head, letting out a short roar as he hurled the large sphere at Sickle. Not even Sickle had time to dodge this attack, though he tried to do so, getting out of the way of the sphere to avoid a direct hit, but the following explosion launched him through the air, too dazed by the blast to focus, he landed dangerously close to the edge, sliding the rest of the way and falling from the platform of the ring, landing on his back as he fell over the edge, and let out a long groan, dazed from the shockwave that had launched him. Luke let out a sigh as he straightened up, then he strode over toward Sickle and looked down at him, checking to see if he was ok. The Grovyle rolled onto his back, slowly sitting up with the help of his teammates as they came over to him. He looked up at Luke, giving him a weak smile. "Didn't even get to use my trump card... not that it would've mattered; that Aura Sphere could've knocked out Dialga," He winked at Luke, giving him a thumbs up. "I concede; nice job, Luke." Luke smiled and lowered his paw down to him to help him back to his feet. "Thanks...you performed splendidly as well...I look forward to our next encounter..." Sickle reached up and grasped Luke's paw, letting the Lucario help him to his feet and stand at eye level with him, and Sickle nodded to him. "So do I," he said. "Congratulations, Luke; you guys move on to take on Team Warmachine." He looked towards Torolf, who was watching from the platform above with an intent expression. "Just be careful man... I have every confidence in you, but that guy is relentless. Don't give him an inch, or he'll flatten you." "Trust me." He said with a bit of a growl, leering up at Torolf. "I plan to return the favour 100 fold..." Torolf only glared back at Luke, and turned to Leon, who had already called the match; the two looked at one another for a moment, exchanging whispers, before Torolf turned away. Leon turned back to the crowds, holding up his arms as he spoke. "I am proud to announce, that Team Valiant is the winner of our contest, and have won the rare honour of battling Team Warmachine at our Island!" Wait, island?" Even Sickle looked surprised. "An island? I never heard about that," he said. "We are twenty four hours out from our home, where a far bigger arena awaits the final showdown," Leon went on. "Team Valiant, I speak on behalf of Team Warmachine when I say, prepare yourselves well, for we shall battle with no holds barred! And to all contestants who wish to spectate, I say, place your bets, make your peace, and look forward to the greatest Pokémon Battles in history, because Team Warmachine is bringing its mightiest warriors to face Team Valiant, for they deserve no less!" The entire ship exploded with applause and roars of anticipation; the cries of the other Pokemon aboard were so loud it was as though they were standing in a sound-proofed room with the speakers of a stereo on full blast, which made Howler wince somewhat, having rather sensitive hearing. Luke flattened his ears and sneered a little before turning away to rejoin his team. ~~~~~ Six hours later... Volcan requested Luke call a meeting of his team, so that they could discuss tomorrow's battle ahead of time. They met in a secluded area of the ship after everyone should've been asleep -in the lower decks, near the engine room but far enough away from it the working machinery wouldn't drown out their voices, and concealed behind a stack of crates in a store room. "Okay, should be safe for us to talk here," stated Volcan. "You sure nobody knows where we are?" Serena asked. "Only Kaen; he told us to wait for him here while he went to get something," replied Volcan. "He did say we were going to need an edge." Luke added as he crossed his arms. "Wonder what he has in mind." "Preferably not something that could risk disqualification..." Katsu returned. "Nah I don't think he's THAT stupid." Hank added in. "The guy seems honest enough, and if Luke here likes him, then that's enough reason fer me to give him a chance." "I trust him too," agreed Volcan. "And, after what Timber nearly did to him, he has every reason to want to leave his team. And we're going to help him..." He punched a clenched fist into the open palm of his other hand. "By pummeling those bastards so deep into the ground  they'll think they're fossils..." He frowned. "Great; now I sound like Tristan," he mumbled. "Well regardless, let's hope he doesn't take too long." Luke returned as he peeked around a corner. "Even though others are asleep, there's a chance someone might walk in on us and accuse us of cheating." "It's just a strategy meeting; we're not doing anything against the rules," said Volcan. "Anyway, let's get to it; we need to decide who's going up against who tomorrow, because I have a feeling if we're not specific about it, we just might lose." "So far we know of Torolf, The Gardevoir and Gallade team, Leon, Oceana, and Timber." Luke explained.   "I shall take Leon." Kage stated first. "We haven't seen his abilities yet, but I can deduce them much faster than any of you." "SOMEONE'S confident." Hank muttered. "Actually, we have seen some of them," Volcan corrected. "When he helped Torolf and Timber take on Sol, we got a slight look at his abilities. The guy doesn't fight like his team mates; he takes his time, analyzes and adapts to his opponent, and he's clearly pretty sturdy; he let Sol strike him, before turning his own power right back at him, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say, 'Counter-Specialist', for Leon." "With that information, I will still take Leon." Kage reinstated. Suddenly, the door opened, and Volcan promptly shushed everyone, and leaned back against the crates. Being the tallest of the seven, he peered over top of them to see who it was. Someone let out a whistle, and Volcan returned it, relaxing as Kaen appeared around the corner. "Good spot, guys," the Charmeleon complimented. "How's the meeting going?" "Just started. But with you here, we might get some insight," said Volcan. "You will, actually; I was eavesdropping on a meeting between Torolf and Leon before I came down. They're planning who to bring to the fight tomorrow to take you guys on." He frowned. "Just as I feared, he's bringing in Shamshir, the team's best fighter next to Torolf." "What can you tell us about Shamshir?" Serena asked. "He was the third member of Team Warmachine, joining up with Torolf and Maggie when they were still a low-ranking team," explained Kaen. "He was still a Scyther back then, but aside from evolving he's largely the same; he's strong, quick, and a little scary if I can be honest. Plus, aside from Torolf, he's the only guy on the team with a Mega Stone. He actually got his first, so he's had a lot more time to train with his mega evolution than Torolf has." "That poses a problem." Katsu stated. "All of us have some way to compensate for a mega evolution, but with that being said, only Luke can mega evolve..." Eagle Eye sighed. "Quite a disadvantage. A Mega Evo makes all the difference in a fight." "Not for long," said Kaen, holding up his paw. "Because I happen to have something that can help." He opened his paw, and revealed in it, a shiny round stone with a red, twisting shape in the center. "Nabbed this from my room before one of the guys could go rooting around for it; it's a Blazikenite." Luke's eyes widened at the sight, then a smile slowly formed on his face. "Well this evens things out..." Luke said, then turned to Volcan. "It's your lucky day..." "Wait... so you mean if I use that stone, I can mega evolve like you can?" Volcan asked. "You sure I could even use it?" "You can." Luke returned. "All you have to really do is believe in yourself and it will answer your call." Volcan looked at the stone as Kaen held it out to him, accepting it from him and looking at it skeptically. But then, he seemed to have a thought; he looked at Kaen. "Wait... won't we be disqualified if Torolf thinks we stole one of the contest prizes?" Kaen shook his head. "He can't. We never specified what kinds of stones were being offered as prizes," he replied. "Even if we had, that stone belongs to me; I'm the one who found it, but since I can't use it, I might as well give it to someone who can." "Hey I ain't gonna look a gift Rapidash in the mouth." Hank returned. "If it'll help us beat these fucks down, then I say we take it." "Agreed." Kage concurred. "Against this opposition we will need every advantage we cna get." "In that case," said Volcan, having a thought, looking at Kaen. "What else can you tell us about Shamshir; his species, I mean? I'm not familiar with... what was it?" "He's a Scizor," replied Kaen. "A bug/steel type." Volcan nodded. "Then I'm ideal for taking him on," he said. Kaen's jaw dropped. "YOU?! Beat Shamshir? No offense pal but that guy's a master of combat; you sure you're ready to fight him?" "I'm the only one who can," stated Volcan. "Eagle Eye might be fast enough to keep up with him, but from the sounds of things we're going to need more than speed to beat him. I might be able to make up the difference." "Hey don't sell me short, rookie. I can hit hard if I want to." Eagle Eye stated defensively. "It ain't worth the risk bird boy." Hank retorted. "Yeah," stated Kaen. "I saw your fight with Whirl from the Hitmon-Champs; if you couldn't even beat him, you'd get crushed by Shamshir." Eagle Eye grumbled and turned his head away. "Yea sure just kill me ego even more why dontcha..." He grumbled. "There's someone else on the team you might be ideal against, though," said Kaen. "I heard Torolf say he's bringing in two others along with Shamshir. He's called in Razor, our flier; he's a Skarmory, fast and sturdy but he's a tad overconfident." Eagle Eye perked up some when he heard that, then grinned. "Heh, well we'll see who's the fastest once I'M finished with him!" "That got his confidence back." Katsu muttered. "The other is another guy who's been on the team a while," Kaen continued. "The team regularly just calls him Redfang; he's a Mightyena, and a damn tough one. He knows Ice Fang, somehow; whenever the guys went up against a Dragon-Type he was our go-to for it." "Well then I guess I'll take im." Hank piped up. "I'ma need SOMETHING ta redeem myself with." "So," Volcan began, looking at the group. "Kage against Leon, Hank against Redfang, me against Shamshir, Luke against Torolf and Eagle Eye against Razor... that just leaves Katsu to take on Timber then." Katsu nodded silently in response. Luke glanced to Kaen. "Seems we have our set up...any other advice you have for us?" Kaen crossed his arms, thinking. "Well, let's see," he began, tapping his claws against his bicep. "Razor is headstrong, like I said, but he's quick; loves to do fly-by strikes, especially Steel Wing and Sky Attack. He's got a tough hide but that's what makes him overconfident; thinks he's an unstoppable force." "Well I got tons of Fire on my side, and NO one is faster than me!" Eagle Eye stated confidently. "I'll be flying circles around that bastard" "See, that kind of headstrong is what Razor is too," Kaen stated. "You wanna beat him you have to outsmart him, otherwise you two will be at a stalemate." "I'll just wait for him to slip up. Can't be TOO hard." He returned "We'll see about that," said Kaen, before he went on. "As for Redfang, well, he's quicker than most Mightyena, though still nothing compared to Razor. His strength however is in his jaws; that guy bites like a steel trap, and if he gets a hold of you you're going to have a helluva time shaking him off. He's also mean; when he's in a fight he's just plain nasty and not someone you want to get on the bad side of. However, he's pretty weak against distance fighters as long as they can keep out of range; his only distance attack is Shadow Ball but he's not very good at it." "Why's that?" Serena asked. "He's missing one eye; can't aim worth a damn," replied Kaen, pointing at his left eye. "Pfft. A flaw like that makes him easy pickings fer my Flamethrower and Night Daze...not ta mention my Illusions." Hank added in with a confident grin. "Careful," said Kaen. "You might be able to fool his one eye but you can't fool his nose; he's quite a tracker." "How come we didn't see him, Razor or Shamshir on the ship?" Volcan asked. "Razor doesn't like hanging out on boats; he prefers to always be on the go. Pretty restless guy, really," Kaen explained. "As for Redfang, he hates crowds; doesn't like being at these contests. Plus, as Maggie put it, he tends to be a little volatile; you even bump him and he's snapping at you like an angry Sharpedo." "Yikes... quite an attitude," said Volcan. "And as for Shamshir, he doesn't like the contests," stated Kaen. "He prefers to spend his time training on the island; he practices his skills day in and day out." "Then he and I share some common interest." Katsu admitted. "Tis a shame he is in league with these attention seekeres." Kaen gave Katsu a dirty look, reminding the Samurott that, up until that morning, he had been one of those 'attention seekers' as well. "My apologies..." Katsu returned, lowering his head. Kaen waved it off. "Eh, I'll get over it," he said. "Anyway... there's not much more about Shamshir I can tell you. The guy keeps to himself; even though he's been on the team longer, he has a private training ground on the island, where he spends most of his time, so I don't even know how he fights. And anytime I went with him on a job, he took his opponents down so fast I barely got to see him in action." He shook his head. "That's about all I know... but now, Leon. You saw part of his roster against that nasty Typhlosion. Well, unlike some of the others, he's not a head-on attacker; the guy relies on stamina and a sturdy defense, along with turning the attacks of his opponents right back at them -as you saw when he used Bide, but he also knows Mirror Coat, and he's balanced as both an in-close and long-distance attacker. His only flaw, he's slow; short legs will do that, but he -does- know Aqua Jet so he can still come at you or bail out if he wants." "I have the shadows as my ally..." Kage returned. "Leon being a half steel typing also means I can swing my blade full force without risk of death or dismemberment..." "Just remember man, he's waiting for you to attack," Kaen pointed out. "Doesn't matter how fast or sneaky you are, this guy is persceptive; he's always going to be ready to counter you as soon as you come at him." "Alright... and what about Timber?" Volcan asked. "Timber, as you saw, has a nasty streak to him too; not as bad as Redfang but this guy is still meaner than a hive of Beedrill," explained Kaen. "But he's not reckless, just brutal; he'll be aiming to knock you out fast, and he's tough, REALLY tough; can take a ton of damage before you even see him starting to wear out." Katsu smirked lightly. "Clearly he hasn't challenged anyone like me." He returned, pounding his chest a bit. "Oh trust me, he has," stated Kaen. "Just remember; his specialty is Dual Chop, but he's not without some distance fighting too, and he's quicker than he looks. But aside from high attack strength, he's also got a thick hide, like Razor." He rubbed his chin. "Thinking of it, I'd say Timber's probably the most well-balanced of the team; a perfect scaling of Attack, Defense and Speed." "I have yet to encounter a hide my blades can't cut through." Katsu returned. "Make no mistake, I will not underestimate him...but I will emerge victorious against Timber...that is a promise." Volcan nudged Katsu. "Blaster," he reminded, regarding Katsu's comment about 'a hide his blades couldn't cut through'. "Blaster wears a shell. That hardly counts..." He returned. "Well, Timber's armor isn't as tough as Blaster's shell, that I'm sure of," said Kaen. "But don't underestimate it; this guy took a Flamethrower attack from Groudon and stepped out of it with only a few minor burns, so that hide is thick." "Well a dragon type IS resistant to fire..." Luke stated. "So that doesn't really surprise me that much." "It was still Groudon, pal," said Kaen. "Hard to take a hit from the God of the Continents... anyway that's about all I can tell you. You want to know about Torolf, look no further than the rumors; that one about him dragging a Wailord out of the ocean? True. He's got ridiculous strength and stamina, able to power through pretty much any opponent." "I trained with the most powerful Nidoking all my life." Luke returned. "It will be a tough battle no doubt, but I swear I will make him understand what it means to be a Rescue Team even if it kills me." "Whoa, don't need to go THAT far man," said Kaen. "But I'd say Torolf is long overdue for some humbling, that's for sure." He scowled. "One thing else is for sure. I'm done with Warmachine; I don't know where I'll go next but it's gotta be better than here." "That part is your choice to make Kaen..." Luke returned. "It's your life. You choose what you want to do with it...I only wish you the best of luck in finding your purpose." Kaen nodded. "I appreciate it... I just can't believe I bought into this crap for so long..." "What was it really, that made you change your mind?" Volcan asked. Kaen looked over at Kage. "Him." Kage glanced over to Kaen silently. "Whoa heh, ya got an admirer Forggie." Hank jested, nudging his side a little. "Interesting..." Katsu muttered. "How did Kage inspire you, if I may ask?" "Well, really, it was the way he fought," said Kaen. "All throughout the competition, I saw so much bluster, everyone ramming into each other recklessly; it was all a good show, but overtime everything just started to look the same. I see Boxer from the Hitmon-Champs pummel Volcan; he gets back up and utterly pulverizes Boxer -nice comeback, but not something I haven't seen before. I saw Katsu take on Blaster, successfully outmuscling a Pokemon much larger than him and almost twice as heavy; impressive, but pretty much just another wrestling match. But Kage... he actually fought with something other than muscles or flashy moves; he actually outmaneuvered his opponents, knowing their over-reliance on their own strength was their flaw, and used it to his advantage, taking down Rigel and Trish without even taking a hit. THAT, to me, was awesome. "But..." he went on. "Despite how amazing a performance I found it, when I heard the crowds booing him, it finally dawned on me what these contests were. Just one big fiasco for everyone to show how tough they are, and the guys of Warmachine are the worst of it. Torolf has never lost a battle, and he knows that brings attention to him because people who want to fight him think that, if they beat him, suddenly they get the fame, but every damn time they end up being shipped off to the ER, and he always makes quite a spectacle of it. The others, they're no different; I don't think it matters to Shamshir or Leon but everyone else is just in it for the glory; ALL of these fighters that came here, except you guys, were just here to prove how tough they were... and that's when I finally understood." "So you're saying you liked how Kage fought, because he fought using the mind -both his and his opponent's, to his advantage?" Volcan analyzed. Kaen nodded. "That'd be about the best way to shorten it. He did some flashy moves too, but all of them had substance; tricking his opponent into leaving themselves open, or making them tire themselves while he keeps going without needing a second wind. It's brilliant, really." "As I told Trish, power is meaningless if you don't use it correctly..." He stated. "I believe a sharp mind defeats brute strength." "My friend Vinge says -and have proved, the same thing," said Volcan. "Our first fight with each other was undecided, but after that I've never beaten him once, because he reads my every move like I'm a book." Kaen nodded. "For that, I think Kage was treated unfairly... and that finally did it for me. If these guys can't see an excellent fighter when he's standing right in front of them -if all they want to see is a glorified scrap, then I don't belong here. I'm a Charmeleon after all; we're a warrior species, and I admire all forms of combat. It's actually a goal of mine to learn every method of fighting in the world; to become an expert on the subject, and pass it on to others. I thought I'd find that with Warmachine but, I guess not." "Then you leaving was a wise decision on your part..." Kage stated. Eagle Eye and Hank glanced at Kage in shock, then back at Kaen. "Duuuuude... Kage just fuckin complimented you man; that's a fuckin rarity." Hank stated. Volcan smiled at Kaen. "You're on the right track now," he stated. "I'm feeling that too," said Kaen. "And that's why I'm helping you guys beat Team Warmachine; it's about time someone knocked them off their high perch, just this once." Volcan smiled and held up a clenched fist. "And I guarantee you, that beatdown is coming soon." "A-Fuckin-Men." Hank chimed in. "Agreed..." Katsu also stated. Kaen smiled. "I'm going to enjoy it," he said, and let out a yawn. "Alright, it's getting late, so, I think I'm going to turn in. I suggest you guys do the same; you'll need all your strength tomorrow." His brow furrowed. "Warmachine may be blusterous and lost what it means to be a Rescue Team, but make no mistake; they've stood undefeated for this long for a good reason. You guys have come far; I'd hate to see that brought to a sudden stop." "It won't be," promised Volcan. Kaen nodded. "Oh, by the way; before I came down, I heard from Oceana about the Single Fights; it appears your pal Wade beat the other finalists; he's the last man standing now, and tomorrow he'll be fighting too, against Kurtia." "Who's Kurtia?" Volcan asked. "Our team's resident Ninetales; she's the trickiest member of Team Warmachine," said Kaen. "Don't be fooled by the fact she's a Fire Type; she's got a lot more than fire on her side." "Wade is an adaptable fighter; he will not lose." Kage stated, keeping his arms crossed and his gaze ahead. "For his sake, I hope not," said Kaen. "But if he's not ready for her mind games, he'll go down hard." "As I said....he will not lose....." "At least we'll get to see him fight first before we take on Team Warmachine," said Volcan. "Indeed; it should be a spectacle to watch." Katsu returned, then he yawned. "Mff...I think it's time to retire for the night." Volcan nodded. "Alright; anybody else have anything to add?" He inquired, looking at everyone once more. They all shook their heads. "I think we've said all we have to say." Luke spoke. "All that remains is for us to prepare for tomorrow." "Then let's go rest up," said Volcan. "As Kaen said, we're going to need everything to take on Team Warmachine." And with that, the meeting ended. The group walked together as they passed through the corridors, making their way back up to the upper decks until they reached their cabins. The sun had long since set, leaving the ship alight only by lamp placements and the moonlight above; it was eerily quiet, barring the sound of the waves as the boat sailed on. Volcan and Luke were the last to their rooms, but just as Luke was about to head into his cabin, Volcan called out to him, catching his attention. "Luke... do you really think we can win?" He asked. "I mean, from what Kaen said, these guys are not all bluster; they're tough. They've beaten everyone who has ever challenged them; how can be sure we won't just be another notch in the blade -so to speak?" Luke let out a long sigh. "To be honest, Volcan, I'm wondering the same thing myself, but that doesn't mean I'm about to turn tail, not after what we've seen." He said as he turned to face Volcan. "I swore to Kaen I'd show those bastards they don't deserve to even be called a Rescue Team... No matter what the odds, my team and I will NEVER give up." He stated firmly. Volcan saw the determination in Luke's eyes, and was briefly reminded of himself, back in his true body, when he showed such similar determination in the face of odds as great -if not greater, than this... With a deep breath, he nodded to Luke. "Then I'll see it through," he said. "Whether or not I can beat Shamshir, I won't back down now." Luke nodded. "Good; now get some rest Volcan." He said as he turned back toward his room. As Luke's door closed behind him, Volcan raised his hand to look once more at the Blazikenite given to him by Kaen. If he could harness its power, it'd give him an edge against many members of Team Warmachine... but whether or not it'd be enough, he knew it depended on him. Clenching his hand around the stone, his brow furrowed with greater determination than ever. "I won't let them down." He said, firmly, and stepped into his room, seating himself at the table and getting to work creating a fastening for the stone, so that he could keep it on him at all times. ~~~~~ The following day... The ship was starting to slow down, spurring all passengers into action. Many eagerly peered over the side of the ship to look upon the island getaway of Team Warmachine, and they saw a wonder of nature... The island, or islands if you counted a second, lower-down islet with what appeared to be an old-fashioned colisseum built upon it. But on the main portion of the island, a vast expanse greeted them; a great mansion, which almost looked like a castle, stood at the back of the island, while at the fore, there was the dock where the ship was approaching, a small plantation, and even a large statue near the mansion that was soon identified as being a sculpture of Team War Machine's original 3 members; Maggie, Torolf, and Shamshir. Volcan scowled as he looked upon the island. "I'll give them this much; they sure know how to build an island paradise," he stated. "But that statue; talk about a king-sized ego!" "Ain't that the damn truth." Hank added. "Permission to smash it to pieces?" "I wish," agreed Volcan. "We'll just have to settle for the real thing." "Agreed." Katsu stated. "Crumbling a statue would only be a hollow victory; for now we must restrain ourselves until we face out adversaries in the ring." "Something tells me we won't have to wait long," said Serena, a worried expression on her face. Volcan peered off towards the mansion, and narrowed his eyes as something caught his attention on the roof of the building. The rest of Team Valiant also glanced toward the roof of the building, some having to narrow their eyes to get a better glimpse of the roof. And atop the building stood a long figure, whose body seemed to reflect the sunlight beaming from above. None of them except Eagle Eye could get a clear look from the distance they were, but whoever it was had a rather insectoid figure to them; with Eagle Eye's great eyesight, he saw the figure was a Scizor, standing absolutely motionless and watching the ship as it approached. "Hey, that looks like that scizor fuck Kaen warned us about." He stated. "Guy's just standing there. Hell I'd probably say he's even more focused that Kage right no-OW!!" He winced when Kage slapped him upside the head with his tongue. "You talk too much..." He said in a low tone. "So, that's Shamshir," stated Volcan. "I can barely see the guy and he's already sending a chill up my back." "I know the feeling." Luke admitted. "Just seeing him there is making me anxious as well." Volcan touched the shoulder-strap he wore across his chest, which he had fashioned the previous night as a mount for his mega stone, which now lay hidden under another piece of leather across his chest, before turning his gaze back to the building again, although started as he felt the ship finally come to a halt, peering over towards the dock, where some crewhands had tossed a rope down to a pair of Machamp. The gangplank was raised, and Team Warmachine themselves were the first to disembark, except for Kaen, who was nowhere to be found. "Well... this is it guys." Luke said as he backed up from the railing. "We've come too far to back down now." "Time to force feed these guys a humbling ass-kicking," stated Volcan, before he led the way over to the gang-plank, being the first of the team to begin his descent. During the trek, they heard Oceana's voice -amplified by a speaker from the ship, calling out. "Everyone, welcome to Team Warmachine's private island; I would like to take this opportunity now to inform anyone who wants to see our little slice of paradise, a complimentary tour will be made available to all when the tournament's last round ends. Please follow Leon to the Colisseum where this contest will be decided." The Empoleon waved to the crowds to get their attention, and started walking across the massive dock to a cobblestone footpath that led along the shore of the island towards the Colisseum. "They even have tours. my Arceus these guys must think they're fuckin royalty." Eagle Eye muttered as they disembarked the ship and followed the path to the colisseum. "Least they don't charge for them," remarked Volcan. "Besides, if they didn't offer tours it'd tempt people to go wandering around on their own and they could get into trouble for that." Hank then had a devious grin on his face, though Luke glanced over and frowned at him, shaking his head sternly. Hank shrugged his shoulders. "Whut? Not like I was gonna do it." "You were thinking it though..." Luke returned. Serena looked at Katsu, a worried expression on her face. "All I can do is wish you guys luck... but please, be careful." Katsu glanced down to Serena, then gently leaned down and nuzzled her gently. "We will try, Serena; there's no guarentee we will walk away with minor injuries. We are prepared to fight until the end." Before long, the crowd was led to the arena. Spectators were sent in one direction, while Luke's team was led in another by Leon, who stopped at a door down a short corridor. He opened the door, and courteously held it for them. "You may wait in here until the preparations are finished; there are showers, a stocked fridge and the like if you so require them. We will call you on an intercom when the battles begin." Luke nodded toward him, then he and his team entered the room and took a gander around the place. Hank hopped onto a couch and let out a sigh as he relaxed. "Credit where it's due...these guys know how to live in the lap of luxury..." "Dude shut up..." Eagle Eye retorted as he flew around the room for a bit before landing and heading for the fridge for a bite to eat. Volcan found himself a spot on another couch, glancing around the room; as Leon had stated, there was a fridge, a shower room, and even a hot tub over by one wall, while a trio of neatly arranged sofa's and a coffee table were over by the other, with an open space occupied only by a punching bag hanging by several dense chains from the ceiling. "Heh... kinda reminds me of Louise's house; expensive stuff and everything." "Who?" Luke asked as he himself took a seat on the adjacent couch. "Oh, my friend Tsume's dad; rich guy, dealing in real estate," said Volcan. "His house has stuff like this too -except the punching bag." "I see." Luke nodded, then looked ahead and flattened his ears as his mind drifted off. Serena noticed Luke's ears flatten, and tilted her head in curiosity as she regarded him. "Are you okay?" She asked. "Just letting my mind wander I suppose..." He returned. "It helps me to focus for later..." At that moment, the door opened; everyone, thinking it may have been one of Warmachine's members coming to tell them the fight was starting -only to remember shortly after they'd be called by intercom- only to find two familiar faces walking in; one of them was Kaen, and the other was Sickle, who was still bandaged up from his fight with Luke, but he seemed alright. "Ah, good; you guys are here," said Kaen. "Glad my old team hasn't stooped so low as to pull dirty tricks to win." "They're probably still confident they'll win without such tactics," said Volcan. "But I agree; I'm glad they aren't playing dirty." Katsu narrowed his eyes at Kaen. "So they have resorted to using low tactics to win before then, have they?" "No; they've never gone that far, but honestly, I think you guys have made them a little nervous," replied Kaen. "You guys soared through that contest with flying colors, with only a few losses of any note. And your buddy Wade has left a similar impression; his battle will be coming up first against Kurtia; you'll be able to watch it on those." He pointed at a trio of televisions hanging above the sofas. "He dominated the single division, and I think between him and all of you guys, they're actually afraid they might lose." He actually grinned at that. "And I'm lovin' seeing them sweat, I won't lie." "Feeling's mutual man!" Hank called over as he looked over toward teh televisions. "10 bucks says the little man dominates his final match." Sickle stepped forward. "I'll take that bet; I've seen Kurtia in action before and I know what she can do." "Yea? Care to enlighten us?" Hank said, leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees. "Well I'm sure Kaen told you about her," began Sickle. "But I saw her on a job once. She's quick-footed and very sneaky; damn good with Hex, Hypnosis and Dream Eater, especially for a Fire Type. But to top it off she's also got quite the fire attacks too; the ones I've seen her use most frequently are Will-o-Wisp and Fire Spin." "Whoa...fuck she sounds tricky." Hank returned. "Might give the kid a hard time actually..." "Agreed," said Sickle. "She took down quite a few Pokémon when I saw her in action; none of them even got the chance to fight back." "Wade will not give her the chance..." Kage returned sternly. "For his sake, I hope not," said Kaen. "Most people who walk away from a fight with her take days, even weeks to recover." "Wade is quick footed and adaptable; I personally oversaw his training..." "And Kurtia oversaw mine," Kaen pointed out. "That speed I demonstrated when I tested Katsu, that was thanks to her, and she's three times quicker than even me." Kage was silent for a moment, then turned back to the Tv's again. "...He will win..." "How long until his match starts?" Volcan asked. "Should be any moment," said Kaen, walking over to the TV's and reaching up with a claw to switch on one, which somehow switched on all 3 as well, and gave a view of the arena from three separate angles. "Talk about a bird's eye view." Hank muttered. "Like YOU'D know!" Eagle Eye squawked back at him, then turned back toward the screens "Any advantage Wade might have over Kurtia besides type?" Volcan asked. "Well if he can somehow close the distance he might manage a quick finish," admitted Kaen. "Kurtia's not very good at fighting up close; she's honed her skills entirely for distance fighting. That's still a big if; like I said, she's fast." "Well Wade's Aqua Jet does allow him to move faster than any other Dewott." Luke stated. "And the Scalchops he has are anchored to his arms, which allow him to fight up close or at a distance, as well as help close a gap quickly..." "He'll have to make full use of those, then," said Kaen. "Don't get me wrong; I admit, the guy's tough. But I'm just saying, don't get your hopes too high." "Have faith, Kaen." Katsu returned. "One way or another, he will triumph...I'm sure of it." Finally, the match was announced to begin soon... In the arena... Wade was called out to the field, to face his final opponent from Team Warmachine's cast. When he arrived, he found a female Ninetales waiting for him, flicking her tails idly as she watched him enter the arena, her eyes showing no emotion whatsoever; nothing to give him any means to determine her thoughts. Wade stood before her and took a short breath to calm himself down, then gently put his paws together in front of him and bowed to his opponent before looking back up at her, not uttering a single word... The Ninetales stood up on all fours, dusting the ground behind her with her tails before she smiled. "Let's try to keep this interesting," she said as the announcement began. "And now, we move onto the finals for the Single Division; many great fighters fought one-on-one in this tournament, but none have stood out more than the prodigetic Wade of Team Valiant -ironic that both he and his team made it to the final rounds. Could this be a testament to their great skill, Pokémon of all shapes and sizes? Well, on this day, we will find out, when Wade fights the team Trickster, Kurtia! Type advantage or not, this will, without a doubt, be a battle of the decade! Combatants, face each other!" Kurtia poised herself in a wide-legged stance, her fur bristling and gaze hardening as she faced Wade, her eyes seeming to glow as she stared him down. Even if Wade was a Water Type, and she a Fire Type, the Dewott knew he was in for quite a battle against her. Wade quickly hopped back and drew his Scalchops within a blink of an eye, crouching low and leering at Kurtia intently, standing completely still as he waited for the signal to begin. And then, it came, and immediately, Kurtia attacked, casting Hypnosis at Wade right off the bat, trying to put him to sleep. The second she moved though, Wade quickly darted to her flank with Aqua Jet, skidding to a halt and quickly firing off a Scald at her side. He then twirled his weapons and darted forward, weaving from side to side quickly to make him a harder target to hit as he approached. But just as he fired the Scald, she jumped away, and as he charged at her again, her eyes gleamed once more. In that moment, she suddenly seemed to split into two, and then again and again and again, continuing to separate until there were suddenly 9 of her, surrounding Wade and leaving him confused to the identity of the real one. Wade skidded to a halt and glanced around him, immediately recognizing the move as Double Team. He stayed still for a moment, then quickly shot into the air and discharged several small Water Pulses down at the many Ninetails below him, all of them reaching their targets simultaneously. Much to his dismay, however... none of them were the real Kurtia; all nine illusions vanished, without the real one being revealed. "Where are you looking?" He heard behind him, and suddenly felt something very hot touch his back. "Will-o-Wisp..." The Ninetales whispered, maliciously, as the Dewott's flesh was burnt by her surprise attack. Wade cringed and quickly shot back down to the ground, ignoring the pain as best he could. He then was surounded in a faint gleam, then he started twirling his scalchops by the gauze attached to them. "You're too late," Kurtia called coldly as she cast a Hex at Wade, immediately assailing him with ghostly power, which also caused his burn to flare up violently, causing him incredible pain. Wade cried out and doubled over in pain as the Hex caused him immeasureable pain. Slowly he fell to one knee and panted hard as he endured the pain as best he could, ecen gripping his scalchops so tight his claws dug into them. "Now... I conclude this fight," Kurtia called, before inhaling deeply, holding it, and exhaling a Flamethrower of red-hot flames towards Wade, flames so intense the ground almost seared from the heat as the flames soared towards him. In that instant, Wade quickly flashed open his eyes and stood on his feet, ignoring the pain completely as a surge of adrenaline coursed through him. He quickly weaved a few signs and took a deep breath, then he discharged a large Hydro Pump from his mouth, colliding with and even pushing the Flamethrower back toward Kurtia. Kurtia's eyes widened in clear surprise. Closing her mouth, she dodged to the side to evade the Hydro Pump, but kept her eyes on Wade. "Impressive fortitude," she complimented. "But how long can you fight your way through that searing agony?" Wade then panted a little, then he weaved one more sign and created two doubles of him. A Double Team. He then knelt on his knees and closed his eyes as his body doubles charged in quickly, swinging their scalchops at Kurtia with superb speed and skill. While they were keeping Kurtia busy, Wade seemed to have entered a deep, meditative state, taking slow deep breaths Kurtia ducked away from the doubles with an uninterested look on her face, spitting an Ember at one and striking it square in the forehead, as it took only one blow to vanish a body double. The one that was struck vanished as soon as it was hit. The other then zoomed in from behind and landed a nasty cut on her back with a Razor Shell attack. It then weaved a sign and added to the pain with a Scald attack to where she was cut. She growled as she took the attack, and turned on the other one, hitting it with another Ember, making it vanish once again, and turned her attention back to wade. "You don't want to make me angry," she growled. Wade was still in what looked like a meditative state, his eyes still closed and his breathing still steady. With his guard down, she cast another hypnosis at him. Wade then shot his eyes open with a twitch of his ear. He then quickly leapt up and over Kurtia with his Aqua Jet, hurling his Scalchops down at her flanks. He tugged on the gauze and yanked himself back down, stomping HARD on her wound, then quickly retracted his Scalchops from the ground and turned to slice her tails a little before blasting away with another Aqua Jet, skidding to a halt and stancing himself. There was no longer a pained expression on his face. Once more he had a collected, calm composure, no longer affected by the Will-o-Wisp's burn. The initial stomp caught her completely off guard, but she successfully evaded the slice to her tails -particularly desperate to do so at that, and watched as he gained some more distance from her. She sneered at him, and her eyes glowed once more as she reared back her head, a faint glow forming around her, before she relaxed and resumed staring back at him with a calmed mind. Wade was being cautious now. He knew he had to get in close, but with that glow around his opponent, he had a gut feeling he wouldn't be able to attack relentlessly anymore...He also knew she was more of a distance combatant than he was, which put him at more of a disadvantage. And then, she opened her mouth, lobbing a Fireball through the air, which struck the ground halfway towards Wade. Upon impact, however, it exploded, and sent countless smaller fireballs all over the arena; a Flame Burst! On instinct, Wade darted all around the place to prevent being hit by the attacks. He retaliated by shooting a Water Pulse at one of the fireballs, crashing into the attack and creating a plume of steam that slowly fell over them, obscuring each other from sight. Kurtia backed away, keeping clear of the steam cloud, knowing she could get ambushed inside it of it, and watched carefully in case Wade came dashing out to attack her. Sure enough he did, charging at her full tilt from the steam, his scalchops ready to strike the second he got close. She retaliated by casting a Confuse Ray at him; he grimaced and felt dazed, his step wobbling a little and he swung his weapons prematurely. With his attack left clumsy, she easily stepped out of his path, and gave him a kick in the back that sent him stumbling forward, laughing at his Confusion. He grunted from both attacks, however, the second the Confusion hit, he disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a Poké Doll in his place. "What the...?!" She demanded, not expecting a Substitution. "I have you now..." Wade said from behind her. When she turned, he slammed his elbow clean into her chest, then kicked her high up in the air. He then charged after her and held his scalchops out at his sides. "Fall into a deep slumber....RAGNAROK!!" He roared, then in a flash he was gone. Kurtia was then bombarded by nigh instant slashes all along her body, all of them omnidirectional before Wade appeared over her again and kicked her back to the ground. Wade then darted back to the ground as well, landing in a crouch and quickly turning to face his opponent once again, keeping his weapons at the ready. She was down... completely caught off guard by the attack, it had left her stunned and immobile. "The trickster... tricked..." she said. "Oh the shame of it all..." And then chuckled, looking at Wade. "You... are really something else, young one -and do not be offended... I have lived long, so all are 'young ones' to me..." She let her eyes close, resting for a moment. "One day... you will be a fantastic warrior." "The..." Leon paused as he made the announcement, and reluctantly put up his flipper. "The match is over; the winner is Wade... congratulations!" The audience sat in stunned silence until the word 'Congratulations' was said, and then roared with applause, stamping forepaws and clapping hands as they cheered for Wade. As he stood, taking in the praise, something landed by his leg, and he looked over to see a Full Restore had been dropped at his side. Wade sheathed his weapons on his hips and glanced at the Full Restore at his feet, then up to Kurtia laying still. He then closed his eyes and sighed, slowly kneeling down and taking the full restore in his paws, then walking over to Kurtia and applying the medicine to her wounds. The audience was equally not expecting such an act of kindness and only cheered him on further. Looking up towards the stands, he saw Blaster, the Blastoise from Team Sickle, nodding in approval to him, and there was just enough of the full restore left for Wade to use on himself when he needed it. Kurtia stood up shakily, getting back up onto all four of her paws and taking a deep breath, turning to Wade with an expression of disbelief that soon turned to one of gratitude. She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the forehead, which sent a pleasant, yet tingly feeling over him. She turned to the audience, and called out with her voiced raised for all to hear. "Let it be remembered that I, Kurtia of Team Warmachine, met my match against this amazing prodigy!" She called. "Let it be known that he is not only a great warrior, but a generous soul! And now, on behalf of Team Warmachine, I wish to personally present him with his prize!" A short moment later, in a flash of light, Sage appeared on the field, carrying in her grasp a small, glass-covered box. And within that box were ten Mega Stones, each one of a varying type, there was a Pidgeotite, a Sceptilite, a Houndoomite, a Swampertite, a Charizardite X, an Alakazite, a Salamencite, an Absolite, a Galladite and a Gengarite. "You may now choose one of these ten Mega Stones," Kurtia stated, leading Sage over to Wade to let him see the stones. "I know your species does not possess a Mega Evolution... but perhaps you have a friend somewhere who would make use of one of these. Whatever you decide, you have earned this prize." Wade looked at each stone for a considerable amount of time. "Then he slowly reached up to take one, but instead touched the glass cover of the box and closed it. "I'm not interested in taking any prize." He said rather humbly. "The main reason I came to this tournament was to test my limits and push myself beyond them; through my time here, I have met many opponents that have challenged me in various ways, and have helped me improve as a warrior. With each battle, I grow closer to my goal." He then took a step back from Sage and Kurtia. "You have my respect and my gratitude." Kurtia smiled, and nodded to Sage, telling her she could depart. "Well, far be it from me to let you leave without at least some manner of prize," she said. "So, even if you will not accept one of the stones, let me at least offer you this; when you leave this island with your team mates, regardless of how the final match ends, I give ownership of my personal mini-yacht over to your team captain. I have no doubt that he will find use of a boat in some way, be it travelling to new rescue mission, or simply just something for him and his family to enjoy. I have little use of the yacht, as I found I am not so fond of ocean travel, really, so rather than let it collect barnacles, I may as well give it to one of you." Wade nodded and put his paws together, bowing once more to Kurtia before turning back and heading for the exit of the arena. She bowed her head to him as well prior to his departure. Sage, who had stayed, looked at Kurtia. "Are you so sure he has earned it?" She asked. "Those Mega Stones are worth far more than that yacht," stated Kurtia. "As far as I'm concerned, I am hardly giving him a worthy prize for his success in defeating me. But, I accept this loss... and you know, I look forward to seeing what else his team can do."