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The next two days aboard the Kyogre's rest were quiet. As expected, the tournament was temporarily postponed, but Oceania -the Milotic who filled in for Leon while he was recovering from his clash with Sol, announced that the tournament would indeed continue once a new location for it to be held was determined, and that the roster for the single division would have to be altered due to there now being one less fighter for the next round.

Until then, everyone was encouraged to enjoy the facilities of the Kyogre's Rest, and to stay away from the colosseum for the time being; in its damaged state, they could not be certain of the structural integrity.

Torolf was not seen by anyone in that time, forced to spend the days recovering from his battle with Sol. Even the Captain of Team Warmachine, perhaps the strongest Swampert in the entire world, who battled the god of the continents to a standstill, had been pushed to his very limits against Sol. Only now had Luke been allowed to finally meet him when he went to Team Warmachine's manor, seeking the Swampert.

He met Kaen at the entrance to the mansion. The Charmeleon, after hearing Luke's explanation, agreed to take him to see Torolf after a short deliberation and led him into the manor. Inside, Luke found himself standing inside of a building that felt more like a luxury hotel than a home. As with the outside, the interior was also designed with symmetric style, with the left or right sides of the lobby appearing to be mirror images of each other, along with the corridors. A simple form of architecture, and yet with its ornate layout, still quite appealing to the eye, with its gold-painted walls, many windows -including skylights above, brass-railing for the stairwell, and a red, plus carpet beneath his feet.

"Stick close; don't wander," kaen said, as they made a right from the door and proceeded down the immediate corridor as they made their way to wherever Torolf waited. "So... you say that Typhlosion was from your neck of the woods, eh?"

Luke nodded. "Yes. Sol was... is Luna's younger brother. He grew up in Azure until he went rogue for, what I believe, was the most selfish, despicable reasons." Luke explained, his ears lowering slightly as he told the sad truth about Sol's past, but didn't go into too much detail; it wasn't that he didn't trust Kaen, he just felt that he did not need to divulge too much to him.

"A renegade, eh?" Kaen asked. "Yeah, been there; done that." He shook his head, sounding quite understanding to Luke. "But, he's got what was coming to him, now. He'll never get out of the Siphon Prison."

Luke gave a heavy sigh and lowered his head. "My biggest regret was not knowing such a place existed, otherwise my team would have sent him there without any hesitation." Luke replied. "We live in a very remote part of the world. I doubt it's even marked on any local map for how out of the way it is."

"If it were that remote, our couriers would never have dropped off any posters there -which, I'm guessing, is how you guys found out about the competition?" Kaen inquired as he led Luke down a hallway on the right.

Luke nodded in response. "That still doesn't change the fact we didn't know about the Siphon Prison before." Luke said, his tone sounding lower than usual, clearly still disappointed with himself. "My team and I literally threw everything we had and more against Sol when he went on a rampage through Azure. He was jailed time and time again, but nothing could hold him down. Not even his brother could talk sense into him, and ultimately, it was his father that cast him out."

"Well," Kaen began, lightly scratching the side of his head as he seemed to have a thought. "In your defense, I wouldn't be too disgruntled by not knowing about the prison. You see, it's actually fairly new; it was one of Team Warmachine's first sponsorships, shared by two other Gold-ranked teams. As more and more dangerous Pokémon started showing up, Torolf and the captains of those teams all agreed that a place that could contain them was absolutely necessary. But, I guess word is still getting around as the Prison is also in a remote area -a place where, in the event anyone got out, it'd be hard for them to get far away without getting lost."

"I just pray it will be enough to hold someone as powerful as Sol. His power is matched only by his tenaciousness and brutality." He gave another sigh. "...He really is Nido's child." Then he looked to Kaen. "On another note, is there anyway I could get my paws on some of that Siphoning Chain? It could be quite helpful to have in the future."

"That, I couldn't tell you," Kaen replied, shaking his head. "I don't even know how it's made, just what it does. Only one who might know more is Torolf, since he helped sponsor its invention."

"I'll have to ask Torolf then..." Luke returned.

"Couldn't hurt," replied Kaen with a shrug, before stopping at a door just before the very end of the corridor, where there was only a window to mark the far wall, staring out to the sea beyond. He turned to the door, and tapped on it with his fist, waiting for a response.

"Come in_,_" a voice called, and Kaen reached up to place his claw on the handle, pushing it down and then shouldering the door open.

"Hey, boss-man," Kaen greeted as he stepped inside. "Got a visitor here for you."

"Who is it?"

"Luke, from Team Valiant -their captain, actually."

"Kaen, Torolf is recovering," another voice stated. "Don't just bring..."

"It's okay, Gallia," Torolf's voice interjected the other. "It's not like my throat got slit or anything; I can still talk. Let him in."

Kaen stepped aside, holding the door open for Luke to allow him to enter. He stepped through to find himself in a rather plain-decorated bedroom, smelling of the salty seawaters around the island, with one wall lined with photographs over a record player that was playing soft music. Over at the far end was a sliding glass door leading out to a balcony overlooking the ocean, and to his left was a king-sized bed, almost filled completely by its current occupant, Torolf, as massive as the Swampert was.

He lay on his stomach, arms crossed under his chin, as the Gardevoir Luke had seen with the team a few times applied ointments and wrapped fresh gauze over Torolf's many injuries. Until now, Luke had not seen the damage the Swampert had endured in his battle against Sol; bruises and of course burns were all over his body, the devolution from his Mega Swampert form having only made them more distinctive, yet despite the pain he had to be in, the powerful Water/Ground Pokémon looked over at Luke without showing a hint of weakness; a testament to his remarkable constitution.

"What can I do for you?" He asked, his voice a little gruff but the question sounding polite enough; he did have a rather deep voice, and it sounded ever-so-slightly strained, betraying just how battered up he really was.

The Lucario stood before Torolf, looking at him square in his eyes for a moment as he thought quickly on just what he was going to say to him. Sucking in a deep breath, he began, starting with the first thing that came to mind. "I... just want to thank you for defeating Sol." He began. "He used to reside in my hometown, and well... let's just say the last time we went on a rampage like that, almost all of Azure was levelled, until his father came and stopped him." Luke explained. "I cannot tell you how stressing it has been, trying to find a way to stop him... eventually I think my whole team and I just gave up, and I feel very guilty about that, if I must be honest," he said, lowering his gaze a little.

"That said, because he used to be a resident of Azure, and the fact he's my best friend's son, I feel somewhat responsible that all this happened." He lifted his gaze back to Torolf's eyes. "...I want to make things right. I don't care what I have to do in order to do so, but Sol's been my responsibility ever since he went rogue. You stopped him when my team and even Sol's brother couldn't, for that I owe you a lot." He said. "Tell me what I can do to make up for Sol's transgressions, Torolf. Anything. I'll do it." His tone grew from self-disappointment to determination as he spoke, the furrowed look in his eyes telling how serious he was.

Both Torolf and Kaen stared at him for a long moment, the Swampert considering his request for a time while staring into his eyes as though trying to read his thoughts. Shortly, he laid his head down, shutting his eyes before answering in a low voice. "You don't owe me anything, kid," he stated, letting the Gardevoir have access to his neck to apply more medicine to the burns there.

"Fact of the matter is, regardless of where that Typhlosion came from, he was causing trouble here, on my island, which made him my problem, not just yours. Either way, he's been dealt with accordingly." He opened his eyes again, returning his gaze to Luke. "Besides, you tried to protect Leon from him, even knowing you might not stand a chance. Warmachine already owes you for defending one of our own, so we can call that even if it means that much to you."

Luke shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't accept that," he stated firmly. "There has to be at least _something_I can do, even if it's something small to make up for the damages to do so." He explained. "I'll even help rebuild the colosseum if I have to."

Torolf continued to stare at him, once more deliberating on Luke's offer. He sighed, shrugging his shoulders as much as he could while prone "I suppose we could use some extra hands for that, if you truly want to help out. But save it for after the competition. We're not going to be using the Colosseum for the remainder of it, but we'll have to fix it eventually."

Luke nodded. "Alright." He said, satisfied with that answer. "Thank you for seeing me, and agreeing to let me help. I hope you recover well, Torolf; after a battle with Sol, I'm surprised you're still relatively well."

"He was a strong one," Torolf admitted, nodding his large head. "Probably the toughest opponent I've fought since Groudon's rampage; I've never seen anyone like him before and I've faced many Pokémon, including Typhlosions, but he was nothing like any of them."

So it was true, thought Luke. Torolf really had fought the god of the continents before; up until now Luke had thought it might've only been a rumour, but hearing it from the source itself made him a little more convinced. "Sol never used to be like that...the only reason he's as powerful as he is now was because of that stone in his chest." Luke returned. "It contains Reshiram's Godly Blessing, to which it was forced upon him." He explained.

"I knew something about that rock seemed unusual," Torolf commented. "But I never imagined it was actually carrying some of Reshiram's power."

"Sol received it from my best friend's deranged brother, Razor," Luke went on to explain. "Sol used to hunger for power, and he turned to him for it. It's how Sol became so brutal in the first place." He added. "To top that off, Razor was also capturing legendaries to fuel his own devious goals, and as such, he forced Reshiram's Godly Blessing onto Sol in the form of that stone embedded in his chest, so he could call upon it at will."

Torolf rubbed his chin in thought. "I think I've heard the name 'Razor' before," he said, and then winced at the Gardevoir injected him with something. "Ow," he grunted. "A little warning please?" He asked.

"Just something for the pain, boss," she replied, before letting him continue.

"Anyway," Torolf continued. "As for what happened to Sol, I can't say I feel much sympathy for him, after the damage he caused." He laid his head back down. "Either way, he got what's coming to him. I know the warden of the prison; he'll keep an eye on him."

"Good." Luke said with a sigh of relief. "Since we're on the topic I have to ask, is there any way I could get my paws on some of that Siphoning Chain the prison has?" He asked. "I wasn't aware of its existence until last night, and well... Frankly my team could use something like that for when we have to take down threats like Sol in the future."

"It's custom made at the prison itself," Torolf replied. "They've shipped it out to others in order to make sure they can deal with similar threats." He looked over at Luke again. "Tell you what, once the competition is over, I'll put in an order for you and have the chains sent to Azure's jail, and then you'll have it when you need it."

"That would be wonderful," Luke said with a nod and pleased smile, feeling a little relieved after talking to Torolf. "Well... I'll let you rest off the rest of your injuries then. I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that."

"Don't be worried about me, kiddo," Torolf bade, giving Luke a reassuring smile. "This old soldier will be back on his feet in no time." He shut his eyes again. "Anyway, be ready to move out again soon; we'll be transferring to the new location tomorrow night."

"Alright. Thank you again; goodbye for now," Luke bade him, then turned around and exited the room to head back to the ship, with Kaen following to see him out. 'That's one thing out of the way... now...' He thought to himself, once more that determined look present in his gaze as he walked through the halls of the mansion. There was one more thing he needed to clear up with a certain Grovyle.

Kaen escorted him all the way to the front door, leaving him once they were outside in the front yard of the manor. "You enjoy the day now, alright? Everything will be up and running again soon as we get to Valvatna."

"Valvatna?" Luke repeated.

"Rustic old hamlet on the south tip of the Northern Continent," Kaen replied. "Cold as heck in the winter; hate it then, but there's another Colosseum there we'll be using for the competition."

The Lucario nodded in understanding. "Thank you Kaen." Luke returned. "You enjoy your day as well." He bade him, then gave a short wave to the Charmeleon before he headed back to the Kyogre's Rest, accelerating to a brisk jog as he followed the path back to the docks where the ship was moored.

Once Luke was back on board, it was as if he were on the warpath, searching high and low for Sickle -the one that he needed to get a few things straight with. He didn't know if Sickle would be willing to listen to him, but he had to at least try... he did not want the relationship his team had formed with Team Kama and its Captain to be soured because of Sol.

While searching the ship, he encountered Blaster at the swimming pool, just climbing out when the Lucario arrived, shaking the water off of himself. Luke looked to the Blastoise surfacing, turning and running up to him. "Hey Blaster; I need to talk to Sickle, have you seen him around recently?" He asked rather hastily.

The Blastoise turned to him. "Oh, hello Luke," he returned. "You're looking for Sickle?" He waited for the nod from Luke, and began to look about the deck with a low hum from his throat. "Well if he's not sunbathing down here, he's probably still up in the crow's nest," the Blastoise replied, elevating his gaze and an arm to point with towards the highest point of the ship. "That's where he usually hangs out when we're not training."

Luke nodded. "Thank you..." He said in a somewhat nervous tone, though just to confirm Blaster's words, he tuned to his Aura Sense to see whether or not he really was up in the crow's nest. He couldn't be sure if it was Sickle's, but there was a life sign up there, standing in a statuesque fashion.

Deciding to take his chances, Luke began making his way toward the Crow's Nest, finding the way up to the uppermost deck first before weaving back around the outer railing until he found the ladder leading to it, taking his time climbing it so he didn't slip, or else it would have been a long fall back down. As he climbed, he thought about what he would say to Sickle, and hoped it would earn even a little respect back from the Grovyle.

Surely enough, as he reached the top of the ladder and climbed over the ledge, he saw the Sickle standing over at the rail, staring out to the sea. Hearing the sound of someone climbing the latter, he had turned and watched until Luke emerged, looking at him with only one eye. That eye narrowed with slight displeasure, before he turned away to stare back out at the sea. "What brings you up here?" He asked, at least acknowledging the Lucario's presence.

"I need to clear up a few things with you." Luke said as he clambered over the top of the ladder and stood, but kept a fair distance away from Sickle at first. "There's something you need to understand about my dealings with Sol. I urge that you at least hear me out."

He fully expected Sickle to give him the cold shoulder, or to just outright tell him to leave. But to his benefit, the Grovyle replied differently. "Well, not even I could climb down faster than your voice could carry," he said in a half-hearted jest. "So, go ahead. I've got nothing else to do." He didn't turn to look at Luke, but it seemed he at least had his ear.

Luke nodded, taking in a deep breath before he went on. "You were right," he began. "About my team and I giving up on Sol; after facing so many of his rampages all this time we had just capitulated and believed we were not strong enough to stop him. We jailed him, restrained him, tried numerous times to make him see reason -nothing we did worked. It took Nido -his father, finally coming in and stopping him himself that we gained some reprieve from him, when Nido literally kicked him out of the town and warned him to never come back.

"Unfortunately, we would face him again several times, when other areas started calling for our aid because he was wreaking havoc all over the countryside near Azure, and every time, we failed... many times we barely got away with our lives." Luke then sighed. "By then, we just did not know what else to do; we wanted to stop him -we so desperately wanted to protect people from him but he was just too powerful, even for all six of us at once."

Luke then took a small step closer. "But then, the night after his attack, I found out from Volcan that Team Warmachine has this prison that deals especially with dangerous Pokémon like Sol. Had I known about it long before, then I swear to you, I would have sent Sol there personally -I'd have risked my life to make sure he did, had only I _known_there was a place where we could finally contain him. But up until that night, I never knew of its existence. What I'm trying to say is, you're right; we had given up, but as Volcan said, we never should have, because there is always a solution. There just needs to be someone determined enough to find it."

Sickle turned his head enough to look back at Luke with one eye again, studying him. The look of displeasure had left his eyes during the Lucario's long-winded appeal to the Grovyle. There was a short silence, both of them perfectly still, until Sickle spoke at last "...The Siphon Prison?" He asked, and when Luke nodded, Sickle turned his gaze back out to sea again. "I confess, I didn't know about that place either," he began. "Not until I ran into Volcan earlier today and he told me about it; I wasn't listening to most of what he said as I thought he was just trying to defend you guys -which, honestly, that's probably exactly what he was doing, but I caught that much, at least."

He let out a sigh, lifting himself up from the rail before he turned to Luke, leaning his back against the rail. "I owe you an apology," he stated, but before Luke could say anything, he carried on. "I... misjudged you guys -not by that cold remark I made, but I misjudged the odds that you faced. You guys don't strike me as the types who actually would just let someone like Sol run wild, without at least trying to stop him, and..." He looked over his shoulder in the direction of the smoldering ruins of Team Warmachine's colosseum. "After seeing what he did... I think I let my own fear drive me to accuse you guys of letting him roam free; I called you cowards. But now, I know I was wrong."

Stepping away from the rail, he moved closer to Luke and met his gaze before he held out his clawed hand to him. "So... truce?" He asked, his face without expression as he waited.

Luke felt a smile form on his lips, and he lifted his paw and firmly grasped Sickle's claw in it, never breaking their eye contact. "I'd say this is more than a truce Sickle." He returned with a small nod. "I also spoke with Torolf. When this competition's over, I'll be helping to repair the colosseum. It's the least I could do for Sol's transgressions." He stated. "Sol may be a renegade now, but he was once a resident of Azure... So I'll be taking responsibility for his actions."

Sickle chuckled. "Kind of you as that is," he began as he pulled his claw back. "You shouldn't take responsibility for the actions of someone else just because they're from your hometown. I mean if it was one of your brothers, I could see, but you have no correlation with Sol or anything he did." He reached out and patted Luke's shoulder. "He made his choices -or as my dad would always say, he made his bed, now he can sleep in it." He gave a wink, before carrying on. "Anyway, if you take responsibility for everyone who goes bad in your town, you're going to find yourself overburdened with a lot more than you can handle."

Luke looked to Sickle's claw on his shoulder for a moment. "...Perhaps." He admitted, looking back to Sickle square in his eyes. "Still, I feel it's always been a part of my job ever since I started Team Valiant; going out of my way to go the extra mile for others." Luke explained. "Just because I have this status as Team Captain doesn't put me above everyone else. I'm just another Pokémon in the world looking to make the lives of others easier and safer."

Sickle gave him a warm smile. "I can certainly admire that kind of dedication," he said. "Just don't take on more than you can handle, okay?"

Luke smiled warmly back at Sickle, lifting his paw to rest on his shoulder as well. "I'll try; no promises though." He returned, sending a wink back his way after he spoke.

The two shared a short laugh together. "You're alright, Luke," he said. "I'm sorry again for misjudging you, or your team." At that moment, he seemed to have an idea. "Hey uh, have you eaten yet?"

He shook his head. "No actually. I came looking for you right after I spoke to Torolf." He said, and then his stomach made a small growl, causing Luke to blush. "Uhm... though, I am kind of peckish I suppose." He said, averting his gaze somewhat.

"Sounds like a good time to go have some lunch then," he said, walking around Luke and heading over to the ladder, lowering himself onto it. "Shall we?" He asked before he slid down the ladder with another impressive display of his agility.

Luke peered down the ladder to make sure Sickle was at the bottom and stepped out of the way, before following suite and sliding down himself, landing just beside Sickle after he let go and stood tall again, following the Grovyle to the ship's cafeteria, feeling pleased that he and Sickle had patched up the divide between them. He quite liked the Grovyle; friendly, cheerful, humorous and of a just heart. What wasn't to like? Even if Sickle was technically his rival in this tournament, Luke wanted to be friends with him, even if they would soon have to fight each other.

"So what kind of food do you like?" Sickle asked arms tucked behind his head as they walked.

"I'm open to a lot of foods." Luke answered. "I'm a self-taught cook back home, so I've sampled a lot of things whenever I'm not working." He said. "I'll eat just about anything."

Sickle nodded. "Nice," he said. "I'm rather partial to anything topped with honey myself; absolutely love the stuff, especially on pancakes."

Luke nodded. "It's a very tasty item," He returned. "Best thing about it is that you can keep it in your pantry and it will never spoil."

"Yeah. And you can get the best honey on the Eastern Continent at Bluegrove; lots of Combee farms out there," he said. "They make the stuff in such vast quantities it's become the town's main economic trade." He rubbed his stomach. "Just thinking about it makes me miss that delicious stuff."

"Really?" Luke asked, intrigued by that bit of knowledge. "I guess it's the same for Azure, except our trade is seafood, being a port town and all."

"We'll have to visit there sometime; Howler loves fish. I'll bring you a bottle of some Bluegrove Honey too if I come for a visit," promised Sickle.

Luke beamed at that idea. "I'd happily show you around. It's a small town, but it does have a lot to offer... at least I believe it does." He said with some enthusiasm.

"Sounds good to me," said Sickle. "And, if you ever come to Bluegrove, as long as I'm not away on a job, look for me at the local Orphanage. I do volunteering there for the Marowak that runs the place."

Luke chuckled. "And here I thought I was the only one that went out of my way to go the extra mile." Luke commented. "It's nice to see there are others out there like that."

"Well, there's a few reasons for it," Sickle began as they arrived at the cafeteria. "You see. I know I mentioned my dad before. Well, he wasn't _actually_my dad."

"Oh?" Luke asked, and then his ears twitched as what Sickle was implying dawned on him. "...Oh... You were adopted then. I assume from that same orphanage?"

Sickle nodded. "You hit the nail on the head," he replied. "Yeah; that place was my home until I was about seven years old. Kima, the proprietor, raised me until I was taken in by a Heliolisk named Serani. He's the one who taught me how to use Razor Wind -turns out my biological father was also a Heliolisk, but this wasn't him. Anyway, yeah. Having lived there is the first reason. The second is simply because my dad was such a supporter of it, I wanted to do my part for it when he..." the Grovyle paused, averting his gaze somewhat. "Left."

Luke felt a twinge in his heart, understanding what Sickle was trying to say. "Did he...?" He asked.

Sickle nodded, sadly. "Yeah," he said. "Ten years after he took me in, he got sick one winter; Kima tried to nurse him back to health but, there was nothing she could do for him. But when he passed on, he told me that he was proud of me, and that being called my father was the greatest joy of his life." The Grovyle paused, and rubbed the back of his head, flushing slightly. "Sorry... maybe I went a little too deep there, huh?" He said, looking at Luke apologetically. "I didn't mean to hit you with my woes."

Luke placed a paw on his shoulder. "No it's fine. I'm very sorry for your loss." Luke said sympathetically. "Losing a loved one is rather hard. Trust me... I know what's that like all too well."

Sickle nodded. "I have a feeling you do," he agreed. "Anyway, by then I was already out on my own; trying my shot at being a Solo Rescue guy with my dad's memory driving me on. Won a few fights, lost a lot more, 'till Blaster and Howler jumped in on one. Saved my neck then." He chuckled. "After that, we formed a team; all of us evolved at almost the same time on the same mission, and when we did, they voted me team leader. I had no idea why -maybe I still don't, but I've done my best."

"They made the right choice. You've proven you're a capable leader and a remarkable fighter, Sickle." Luke assured him with a nod. "Just from when I saw you battle that Seviper, you think quickly on your feet and despite facing rather difficult obstacles, you power on through. Very respectable and admirable qualities."

"And you've shown to be a highly altruistic person, an amazing fighter, courageous and," he let out a whistle. "Sure know how to pick your teammates! A Blaziken, lifting a Tyrantrum off of himself, a Greninja who got behind a Dragonite flying in midair, and a Samurott who could match blades with a pissed off Garchomp?" He chuckled again. "It's quite the party."

"Each of my team specializes in a specific talent in my team, and despite that, we work incredibly well together." He said. "Funny thing is, we only came together during an invasion a long while ago against Azure. We all just... banded together, held off the invading forces and well, it was then we decided it was best to stick together, and that's how Team Valiant was formed, in a nutshell at least."

"Volcan's just temporary, from what I gathered the other day," Sickle remarked as they entered the cafeteria and approached the counter. "I suppose he kind of serves as your backup muscle, right?"

"Yes, for now." Luke returned. "Until we can get him back to his hometown, Volcan's our honourary member." He explained, looking at the food that was available. "Hmm... interesting choices."

"Honey garlic ginger beef; sounds tasty," Sickle commented, going right for the first thing that had his favorite food choice in its name. "Speaking of Volcan, when I saw him earlier he was being followed around by that same Aggron, King wasn't it? The one who fought Bore just before Sol showed up; why're they hanging out

Luke confirmed there was no one standing behind him before he leaned in close to Sickle and spoke low to him. "His real name is Tristan, and he's part of Volcan's team, Team Phalanx." Luke explained. "He's been filled in on the details as to what's happened with Volcan, and honestly I hope he has some answers for Volcan as to who he really is."

"Wait, so King... the Aggron... that really was Volcan's team member," Sickle whispered back. "What're the odds of that?" He asked, chuckling and tapping the side of his head with the heel of his claw. "...But I wonder what the guy's doing all the way out here; where's the rest of Volcan's team?"

"That's what Volcan's hoping to find out." Luke returned. "We were quite fortunate you told us about him before; however unlikely it was to be the same Pokémon, it seems the cruel fate that befell Volcan and Tristan alike dealt them a hand of mercy as well."

Sickle nodded, getting a serving of the ginger beef and some Oran berries, heading over to the drink cooler and picking out a bottle of milk. "I'm glad for them both," he said honestly, waiting as Luke dished out some food for himself -including some of the ginger beef as well, to give it a try himself. "I truly hope he finds the rest of his team too."

Luke nodded in agreement as he retrieved his food and a bottle of water for himself, joining Sickle as they headed for a table together. "He'll find them... and I'll be right there by his side searching for them until he's finally reunited with them."

~~~~~

"So... that's what happened," Volcan said as Tristan finished the story of the attack on their home, and how the Aggron had been separated from the rest and wound up there, at the tournament. "And you had the same idea I did; after you landed on the mainland and found out about this contest, you came here hoping to find us, knowing I couldn't pass up a challenge." He chuckled. "I guess that much about me didn't change even when I lost my memory. And, you actually had a pretty good idea."

"It appears even I have my moments," replied Tristan with a laugh of his own. "Though if it wasn't for that Whailord that helped me, I'd probably be a stone on the bottom of the sea by now."

"It appears we both had a lucky break," Volcan agreed. "Arceus knows, we earned it after all that's happened. But... you really don't know what happened to Serena, or Minato? Or even the town?"

Tristan shook his head, sadly. "No; when I ran down from my house, I didn't even make it to the frickin' street before that big Metagross jumped in out of nowhere. I didn't even get a chance to nail him before he picked me up and sent me flying out into the middle of the ocean with that damn Psychic-attack.

"I thought I was finished, and I was pissed off knowing that was how I was going to die -a sinking hunk of rock and metal in the sea, but I lucked out, and now I can get another shot at those guys." His gaze lowered. "But, I don't know where Serena was during the attack, and from what you tell me, Minato stayed to fight. Just like him, that stubborn jackal."

Volcan let out a long sigh. "Well... at least I can picture our home again. Now we just need to find it again, so that we know once and for all what became of it."

There was a short silence between them, clearly neither one having high hopes on that topic. Deciding to change it to something else, the Blaziken spoke once more. "So," Volcan began. "What can you tell me about... my family?"

Unknown to the two, Luke and Sickle, wandering the ship and doing some more chatting after their lunch in the cafeteria, had stumbled onto their conversation just in time to hear Volcan asking the Aggron about his family. Luke stopped midstep when he heard Volcan and Tristan talking amongst themselves, having to hold his paw in front of Sickle to stop him from stepping out into plain sight of the Blaziken and the Aggron. Despite not being a fan of eavesdropping, Luke could not hold back his curiousity in finding out if Volcan had any family of his own that were worried sick about his safety...

"Well, there's your brother," began Tristan. "Guy brings a whole new meaning to the term 'thunderhead', and it's not just because he's a Zapdos."

At that, Volcan's crests actually twitched and he looked at Tristan. "Wait, what?" He asked. "Did you say Zapdos?"

"You really did lose your memory, huh?" Tristan asked, rhetorically. "Yeah; your dad and bro are both Zapdos'."

Sickle couldn't hold back his gawk at hearing that. "Wha...?!" And then he threw his hands over his mouth, but it was too late; Volcan and Tristan spun around, catching the two in the act of listening in. "Busted." Sickle remarked, putting on a weak smile as his hands fell away from his face.

"How long have you two been there?" Tristan asked, narrowing his eyes dangerously.

"We erm...just got here." Luke returned honestly. "I'm sorry, we didn't mean to eavesdrop, but admittedly I'm curious as well." He added. "Of course, if you'd rather we leave, then we can go."

"No, no, it's fine," Volcan assured. "I can't blame you for being curious. I certainly wasn't expecting to find out that..." He looked at Tristan. "That I'm related to a Zapdos."

"I wasn't even aware that was possible." Luke replied. "I mean... I wasn't aware legendary Pokémon could reproduce the same way regular Pokémon could. That they were born through their natural elements."

"If that were the case, you really think they'd still be around?" Tristan asked. "They have the same needs you and I do, buddy; they eat, they sleep, they hook up and they make babies. They ain't just thrown together from random stuff; they're flesh and blood."

"And Volcan's dad is Zapdos," Sickle stated, still bewildered finding out that bit of information. "And so is his brother... Now I see why the heck you're so powerful. You have the blood of a Legendary Pokémon in you!"

"Yeah..." Volcan turned to stare out to sea. "What about my dad; what's he like?"

"I..." Tristan paused, seeming hesitant to answer. "Well, I hate to tell you this Volc, but your dad left when you were younger," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ditched his life at the island and just... flew away, just like that."

"Why?" Volcan asked.

"You never told me; dunno if you knew yourself," replied Tristan. "All I know is that you were real pissed at your father; hated his guts and became the last subject you ever wanted to talk about. Same with your mom."

Volcan lowered his gaze, rubbing the underside of his beak absently. "...And my mother?"

Tristan's already jagged grin seemed to smooth out as he smiled, recounting the information that eluded Volcan about the one who brought him into the world. "Practically a mother to the whole island, she is," Tristan replied. "She was sort of like a second mother to just about every friend of both you and your brother. The island's best damn cook, and well-liked by everybody.

"Everyone started giving her the nickname 'Mama Hen' for how she practically nurtured half of the island's children -especially Minato's kid, Caulin, and how she feeds everyone with her amazing meals; she's one of a kind. She raised you and your brother all by herself, you know. From what I've heard, Lighris was a handful and you were easier, but she persevered for all those years; strongest woman I've ever met."

Volcan smiled broadly as Tristan told him about his mother, raising his gaze again and looking out to the sea. "I can't wait to meet her..." He said in a low voice.

"She certainly sounds one of a kind." Luke said to Tristan with a smile. "And as a fellow cook myself, I'd be interested in trying some of her dishes for myself."

"When you try her tomato spice cake, you will be unable to form coherent words about how amazing it is," Tristan stated.

Volcan chuckled. "Now you're making me hungry."

"Well Sickle and I just came back from the cafeteria not too long ago." Luke offered. "It's just that way." He stated, pointing behind him and the Grovyle next to him.

"Just might head that way soon, then," Volcan replied, nodding, before he turned to look back at the two of them. "So you two finally met with each other again?"

"Yeah," Sickle replied. "I admit, maybe I was too hard on Luke and his team," he confessed, rubbing the back of his head again. "But, we've talked it out."

Volcan nodded. "I'm glad," he said, smiling. "We should save all hostilities for the tournament." He said with mild jest before he looked at Luke. "I saw you heading over to the manor a while back too; what's the word on this anyway? Are they really still going to continue even with the Colosseum destroyed?"

Luke nodded up to Volcan. "They are yes, but we're going to another location to finish the competition -a colosseum in a town called Valvatna." Luke answered. "After that's done, I volunteered to help with the reconstruction effort."

"You did? Why?" Tristan asked.

"He's just that selfless, Tristan," Volcan returned, chuckling.

The Aggron shrugged his massive shoulders. "Eh, I might pitch in too, just for something to do when this whole thing's over. Could use a bit of work until we get our team back together and figure out what we're going to do next."

"I think after the tournament, the _first_thing we should work on getting you two back to your hometown." Luke suggested. "By the time we get back, your ship should be fully repaired and ready to sail."

"That's a good idea," stated Volcan. "We shouldn't put this off... we have to find our home, and our people."

Tristan laughed heartily. "It'll be good to be jetting around on _our_boat again."

Luke then looked to Sickle. "What about you? Still want to keep strolling about the ship or do you have other matters to tend to?" He asked.

"Other matters? Not really," he replied. "But, I think we've swapped all the stories we've got, so I think I'm going to go find my teammates and go do some training. We've got some time before we head out, I think, so might as well use it."

Luke nodded. "I might do the same then." Luke looked to Volcan. "You game for another sparring match?"

Volcan pumped his arms. "You bet."

"Mind an extra?" Tristan asked. "I could use some exercise."

"I don't see why not. I think Katsumoto would enjoy sparring with someone like you." Luke returned to Tristan.

"Katsumoto, huh? Is he strong?"

Luke actually laughed. "You weren't watching his and Kage's fight earlier I take it."

"Not really; I slept through most of them waiting for my name to be called since I wasn't until the later matches," he replied, shrugging.

"Then you'll be in for quite a surprise." Luke said with a wide grin, his tone full of confidence for his teammate.

"Alright; I'll leave you guys to it," Sickle bade them. "I'll see you all later." He glanced at Luke. "Especially you," he remarked in a sultry tone to the Lucario, winking at him as he headed off, jogging along the deck as he went to find his team.

Luke blushed a bit after that remark. "Erm, yea. See you later Sickle." He returned, waving back at the Grovyle as he headed off to rejoin his team. He looked to Volcan and Tristan. "Well then, shall we?"

But Tristan and Volcan didn't move, staring after Sickle and then looking at Luke. "Dude, did he just make a pass at you?" Volcan asked, having heard Sickle's remark.

"I-I'm not sure...did he?" Luke asked.

Tristan chuckled gingerly. "Someone's got an admirer," he commented in a sing-song voice, smirking at Luke.

Luke blushed even more, looking back to Tristan. "S-Surely you jest! We... I mean..." He stuttered, feeling more and more flustered with each passing moment.

Volcan and Tristan both burst out laughing, the latter walking around Luke while the first ushered him on along the deck before he could start babbling incoherently as they went to look for the rest of Team Valiant, avoiding poking anymore fun at Luke... mostly.

~~~~~

Both Katsu and Tristan had their paws/claws locked together in a struggle, glaring into each other's eyes as they struggled to overpower one another. While the Aggron was incredibly strong, even to the Samurott, Katsu was able to hold his ground against Tristan with his own sheer strength, but he had a harder time moving Tristan due to the Aggron's greater mass.

He could feel his blood absolutely bubbling from the heat of the sparring match, a smile creeping along his face, which was shared by Tristan as they continued to wrestle for control, until they stopped, metal-coated and helmeted heads touching together audibly as both fighters made eye contact.

"You're pretty good, pal," Tristan said, continuing to grapple with Katsu. "Not often I meet someone who can take me in a wrestling match!" As he said this, he doubled his efforts, starting to cause Katsu to skid back a bit across the wooden deck.

Katsu grit his teeth, still wearing that smile on his face even as he was pushed back. "You're incredibly powerful yourself..." He growled, and then he planted his feet firmly down into the ground to stop himself from being pushed back. "However...while you have power...." He then released his grip on the Aggron, letting him stumble forward, then Katsu ducked and wrapped his huge arms around the Aggron's waist from behind. "I have more dexterity!" He roared, then he began lifting him up in his arms, then he leaned back and suplexed the Aggron onto his head on the deck.

When Tristan fell onto the deck, Katsu hurriedly jumped on him, pulling his arm back and trying to pin him down. Tristan struggled to pull his arm free, but Katsu had him at a disadvantage. "Ergh! Impressive!" Tristan called, but was still grinning as he looked back at Katsu. "But ya forgot something."

"Enlighten me." Katsu returned.

At that, the Aggron's tail whipped forward, wrapping around Katsu's chest. "I have a third arm!" He replied, metaphorically speaking of course, before he yanked hard with his tail, throwing Katsu over him and sending him flying a few feet before he hit the deck with a bump that was felt by everyone standing nearby. With that, the Aggron stood back up, turning to face him.

"I'm surprised you didn't throw out your back lifting me; I easily weigh a helluva lot more than you do."

Katsu got back up to his feet and cracked his neck a little, chuckling at that remark. "Ah, my friend...you should see my early morning training regime. Everyday before I eat, I chop down the largest trees around my area and lift them for as long as my body can hold out." He explained. "Sometimes I might even stack those trees for an even more intense workout."

Tristan chuckled. "We got something in common, then, only I use boulders, normally," he replied. "Push them up the mountain on our isle every damn day, and then I break 'em. Bare handed, shatter every one of 'em!" He pounded his fists together. "Great stress reliever too; nothing is more satisfying than making a boulder go 'boom'!"

Katsu gave a hearty laugh as he approached Tristan, standing face to face with him. "I feel we shall get along quite well then." He stated, firmly clasping his paw over Tristan's forearm.

Tristan returned the gesture. "Always good to meet a new sparring partner," he stated.

Meanwhile, off to the side, Luke and Volcan who had already finished their sparring match, were quenching their thirst with some drinks they had picked up from the cafeteria during Katsu and Tristan's contest of strength. "I'd almost forgotten how powerful Tristan was," admitted Volcan, leaned back against the railing in a relaxed fashion. "Seeing him in the ring yesterday and then going toe to toe with Katsu, he's one tough rockhead."

"It would seem though that they've earned each other's respect through their little contest." Luke returned, watching them shake each other's arms firmly and sharing a few hearty laughs together. "I can't remember the last time I saw Katsu so... happy. It's like he's reunited with a long lost brother of his."

"I have a hunch Tristan didn't get many challenges back home," Volcan remarked. "Given how strong he is, most were probably too afraid to grapple with him." He chuckled. "Seems our intertwining fates aren't so frilled after all; it's like we're cut from the same cloth and just getting knitted back together, doesn't it?"

Luke turned his gaze back to Volcan, smiling warmly up at the Blaziken. "Somehow... I feel the same way as well." He returned, taking a sip of his water. "Regardless if our meeting was either by chance or by fate, our encounter was one I'd like to cherish for a long time." He said. "...I'm grateful to have been given the chance to work with you."

Volcan smiled back, nodding his head to Luke. "The feeling is mutual, my friend," he said.

As they enjoyed their drinks a little more, an announcement was suddenly made over the ship's loudspeaker, echoing through the air and alerting the team. "Attention all contestants," the voice of what sounded like Kaen spoke through the speaker. "A decision has been reached regarding the competition; we're going to relocate the contest grounds to the city of Valvatna where a stadium that'll suit our needs is located. We will be departing within the next two hours. I repeat; we are sailing to Valvatna to continue the competition, and we will be resuming first thing tomorrow afternoon. All teams prepare for the second round. That is all."

"Sounds like we're about to get underway," Volcan stated.

Luke nodded. "Seems so; it looks like we'll be arriving in another unfamiliar city." Luke said with a bit of a chuckle. "I swear, I've seen more of this world these past few days than I ever thought I would."

"What, you never left Azure?" Volcan asked.

"Not since I first settled there, no." Luke returned. "Before I did, Nido and I were part of a rather nomadic group until we finally found Port Azure and figured we'd settle there."

"Well then, this whole thing is turning into quite the adventure for us both, it seems," Volcan stated, giving a light laugh as he stood up from the deck, brushing the dust and grit from his backside. "Well, I suppose if our training's done, we all ought to go rest up. We've got a big day tomorrow; if I remember correctly we're fighting that trio of Hitmons next; all Fighting-types."

Luke nodded. "Another chance for you to shine." Luke said with a smirk. "Eagle Eye will be partaking in that fight too. We'll need his speed to confound those combatants."

"The best tool to beat raw power is indeed speed," Volcan said in agreement. "With me and you there I think we're set."

"Then I get my fight in the Single Division the day after," Tristan stated. "I'm up against a Rhydon, I think."

"Then the best of luck to you in your match." Katsu bade to Tristan with a firm nod.

Tristan shrugged. "I don't need luck," he said, flexing his arms. "I got all the power. I'm more looking forward to the later battles, because that always means tougher opponents."

"A word of advice then." Katsu said. "Be wary of young Wade should you end up fighting him in the later rounds."

"Whozzat?"

"The young Dewott that fought against the Glalie named Tundra." He stated. "He may be small, but he was trained by Kage. He will most certainly make you work for your victory against him."

"Ya don't say? Well I hope he's worth all that praise, because if I meet him in the semifinals, I'm not holdin' a damn thing back," he stated.

"Expect the same from him." Katsu returned, firmly patting his shoulder.

"I guess that's it then," said Volcan. "G'night everyone; see you tomorrow."

"Sleep well Volcan." Luke bade him as they all went their separate ways back to their dorms. Katsu gave Tristan one more firm handshake before he too went off to retire for the night, so that he'd be ready for the upcoming battles the following day.

~~~~~

Having seen it for the first time in their lives, Team Valiant was treated to a taste of old world architecture as the city of Valvatna revealed herself on the shores to the west. Luke was quickly reminded of when Kaen had described the town as being 'rustic', but even that was being generous. The town's buildings looked older than Port Azure itself, and was a sizeable comunity.

Although it was not as large as Westport -probably not even large enough to truly be called a 'city' rather than a town, the buildings were composed of log cabins and stone brick manors -three of them, all of which rested on a single hill that overlooked the rest of the town, each one a different size and design but clearly home to wealthy inhabitants. However, even their size paled in comparison to the structure beyond the town; another colosseum, as large as the one on Team Warmachine's island. Though it lacked the modernization and overall height of the last, it was wider and no doubt had a more spacious battlefield within its perimeter. It was here that the rest of the tournament would be held, in this giant stadium.

Most of Team Valiant were awestruck by the colosseum before them, except for the more steadfast members of the group. "Hooooly crap! We get to fight in that place?!" Eagle Eye hollered at the top of his lungs.

"Sign me the fuck up!" Hank added in, grinning in such glee at the sight of their new battleground.

"Team Warmachine has some big connections, don't they?" Mikhail asked, tipping his glasses. "Even a backup colosseum for if their own one gets damaged. Brings this rather remote town some business too, I imagine."

"I have to hand it to Team Warmachine, they know how to keep their bases covered." Luke commented. "Just makes me all the more anxious to meet them in the ring; Torolf especially. He strikes me as the kind who fights to win, yet also fights with a certain code of honour..."

"I agree," Volcan returned. "And he cares for his team, too, and definitely isn't afraid to face danger when it finds him." He chuckled. "In a way, he reminds me of you, Luke. Just like when that Gyrados attacked Azure; you didn't let your fear show, and you used all of your power to take the bastard down. At least enough so that Katsu, Kage and I could handle him alone."

Luke looked over to Volcan. "Against any threat, I'll lay down what I have to in order to preserve what matters most to me" He responded.

"Aye." Katsu seconded.

"And I think you and Torolf have that in common," Volcan stated, nodding.

"So who are we up against the next round again?" Eagle Eye asked. "I've been on the bench fer too long! I need some action!!"

"If I recall right," Volcan began, before throwing in a jest, "besides the fact my memory is unreliable," he chimed. "We're up against that trio of Hitmons; a Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan and Hitmontop. I didn't catch their names but I did see part of their battle; they're good."

"Oh PERFECT!!" Eagle Eye exclaimed. "I'm going first then!!"

"Which will leave myself, you, or Katsu to handle the other two..." Luke pondered. "I'd be at a disadvantage if I went... That said, Katsu isn't very good against fast fighters."

"Katsu's our heavyweight too," Volcan added. "We should save him for other heavy opponents, like Blaster, or even that Haxorus on Team Warmachine."

"Then looks like it's you and I once again." Luke said, smirking a bit at the Blaziken. "I swear, it's as if the lords above are twisting fate so that we always fight together."

"Perhaps they are," Volcan remarked with a chuckle. "I mean, when we took on Team Drake, we made a pretty good tag team."

Luke nodded. "That we did. I guess all those sparring matches helped us become familiar with each other's styles that much."

"And soon, we get to _really_put those to the test." He turned towards the Valvatna Colosseum. "I can't wait to get started."

"You and I both, Volcan..." Luke said with a confident grin on his face.

Almost as if on cue, another announcement sounded over the ship's loudspeaker, alerting them to the next upcoming matches. "Attention competitors," this time it was Leon's voice, sounding back to his old self. "The second round of the tournament will be delayed no longer than one more hour; I urge all teams to begin preparing, and get ready to disembark. First matchup will be in the Team Division; Team Rising Star vs. Team Kama. Second Matchup, Team Martial vs. Team Valiant. All teams, prepare yourselves for battle."'

"Well, there's your cue guys," Tristan said to the others. "Your fight's comin' up."

"Let's get everything ready and formulate a plan for those guys." Luke stated. "This time, we need to be prepared for any kind of match up."

"I don't care what plan you guys come up with, so long as I get to show off my stuff!" Eagle Eye remarked.

"We also have that Power of Choice given to us when we scored two wins against Team Drake," Volcan reminded. "We can use that to decide the type of battle it will be; Elimination, Tag-Team, Best of Three or All In."

"All in you say?" Eagle Eye chimed in. "I like the sound of that. Reminds me of a tactic the boys and I did back in the Red Talons."

"Do we really want to fight all three of them at the same time, though?" Volcan asked. "From what I saw when those guys took on that last team, they're pretty damn effective when working as a trio. They took them down in no time flat."

"Volcan's right." Luke agreed. "All in sounds too risky with fighters that skilled...we should play safe and go for elimination."

Volcan looked over at Luke, mildly surprised his opinion was valued so highly despite being the newest member of the team, and, as far as the others were concerned, a rookie. He said nothing about it though, listening as the others give their opinions regarding their strategy.

"Aaaawww but the idea of an all-out brawl sounds so epic!" Eagle Eye protested.

Luke shook his head. "Perhaps if you were still with your old squadron maybe, but your tactics can only be employed properly with others of your typing." Luke reasoned.

Eagle Eye sighed. "Ok fiiiiiine. We'll do one on one if we have to," He reluctantly agreed.

"So, a Hitmontop, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan; who will go against who?" Volcan inquired further. "Speaking from a general sense, Hitmonchan are usually focused on speed and rapid attacks; delivering multiple punches in a short span of time. A Hitmonlee is agile and powerful though less defensive than Hitmonchan and has way more reach, and Hitmontop is the balanced one, but harder to predict when they go spinning around."

"I'll take the Hitmontop." Luke answered. "Eagle Eye will take the Hitmonchan and you'll take the Hitmonlee." Luke explained further.

"One kicker against another, huh?" Tristan asked. "Seems legit."

Luke nodded. "If we're all in agreement, then let's head on down to the arena and get ready for our fight." Luke stated.

"And while we wait, we can watch Sickle's too," Volcan added, chuckling.

"Ah right. They're fighting before us." Luke remembered. "Should give us more insight on how they fight... and I've no doubt it would be an enjoyable fight as well."

"They're up against that Team Rising Star group, apparently," Volcan recalled. "That team of middle-stage evolved Pokémon who won the first round, against that team of Bug-types. That Braixen on their team is pretty strong; defeated two of them and wore down the last one enough for one of her allies to finish it off."

"Just goes to show you that you don't have to be fully evolved to be powerful..." Luke returned. "Sickle, that Braixen, and Wade are proof of that."

"Agreed," returned Volcan as they and the rest of the team, who were conversing amongst themselves, discussed the battles ahead.

"On a separate note. I'm curious as to who Wade and Rigel will be up against." Luke admitted.

"Well, they did mention they'll have to reorganize the roster after the incident with Sol," Volcan pointed out. "They've got one less fighter to assign so someone will have to take an extra battle."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Rigel would want to take an extra fight. Knowing him as well as I do, he'd let the next win get to his head and grow overconfident..."

"Then he better hope his next battle isn't against me," Tristan added in, eliciting a throaty laugh as he tapped his knuckles together.

Luke looked up at Tristan for a moment. "...I hope not either. Rigel's strong, but I don't think he'd be able to beat you."

"So little faith in your own brother?" Tristan asked. "Not saying I don't agree, but I'm surprised."

"It's not that. I know for a fact he'd put up a fight." Luke returned. "But like I said, he gets cocky and full of himself if he wins too many too quickly. Because of that, I feel if he fights you after his next fight, he'll lose...."

"I can vouch for that," Mikhail pitched in. "I've sparred with him enough times to understand that much about him."

"Then I'll try to go easy on his pride," Tristan stated. "Although sometimes it takes a crushing defeat to make you see fights in a different light."

"Maybe, but you see, this may be his last chance to compete in anything this serious..." Mikhail pointed out. "His girlfriend, Trish, is pregnant."

"...Oh," Tristan balked. "Well... much as I wish him the best, I'm still not going to hold back."

Luke nodded to him. "He wouldn't have it any other way. If possible, make his last fight a memorable one."

Tristan chuckled. "Trust me on one thing, friend," he said. "Being a fighter won't change whether he's a father or not. Sooner or later the call will find him again."

Volcan punched Tristan in the shoulder, although it seemed to hurt the Blaziken as much as the Aggron. "What'd you do that for?" Tristan asked.

"Wrong thing to say, Tristan," Volcan returned, rubbing the pain from his knuckles. "Geez, that's hard..."

"...What?" He asked, shrugging helplessly.

"He'd appreciate the sentiment, though." Luke said.

Through their conversation, they finally disembarked from the ship, descending the gangplank to the shore and following the other departing teams to the colosseum. Team Kama and Team Rising Star headed down different corridors than the others, the rest ascending the stairs to the stands from where they could watch the battle, including Luke's team, and their apparent competitors who were at the front of the row. The Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan and Hitmontop were the first up to the stands, and Luke could see just how they carried themselves that they were warriors to the core; the way they moved, the way they looked at each fighter around them, sizing them up as if they were due to fight them imminently, and the pure, fighter's physique showing on their bodies.

These three were masters of combat; he could see it, and they would prove to be challenging opponents next round. 'Looks like we'll be in for quite a fight against them...Good thing we're keeping things to one on one...' Luke thought to himself as he and his team found themselves some seats to watch the fight to be had down below.

The fight was a Best of Three round, which Sickle had decided using the Power of Choice he'd been granted after the battle against Team Orochi, and unfortunately for one team, was short. Blaster stepped up first, and his entrance was met by Rising Star's Bayleef, who although tried her best to fight well at a distance, was soon sent flying by the sheer power of Blaster's Hydro Pump, sending her spiralling out of bounds and leading to her defeat.

Next up the Kirlia stood against Howler, but she'd never had a chance, practically mowed down by the blindingly swift Arcanine; she had attempted to land a Moonblast attack as her opening move, but in the instant she unleashed it, the Arcanine suddenly appeared at her side and landed a Fire Blast that sent her consciousness to the abyss, leaving only their leader to face Sickle.

Sickle was actually pressed in the fight, facing a Fire-type and distance fighter which were clearly not his specialty in facing, although he had some distance attacks of his own. But eventually, after closing the distance with a Quick Attack, he stunned her when he slammed into her, he unleashed his secret weapon -Razor Wind, sending her skidding across the sandy ground until she was out of bounds.

"And ring out! Three straight wins for Team Kama!" Leon announced. "Once again they are granted Power of Choice for the next round!"

"Another perfect score," Volcan stated, tapping his fingers against his arm. "Between Blaster's power, Howler's speed and Sickle's agility and tactics, these guys could get all the way to the top."

"They've got a good team and the right skills to do so." Luke returned. "Still... they'll have to get past us if they want a shot at the finals." He said. "And with the lineup I have in mind for each of them, it'll be a hard battle for the both of us..."

Volcan snickered. "It's probably better I'm not the one fighting them," he said. "I don't think I could take on any one of them; maybe Sickle if the fight's up close as that's also where I'm strongest, but Blaster and Howler? They'd walk all over me."

"Katsu will handle Blaster." Luke assured him. "Sickle I'll be battling myself... It's Howler that will be the tricky one. Eagle Eye would match his speed, but most Arcanine have the Flash Fire Ability; Eagle Eye would only empower him." Luke rubbed his chin. "Hank could probably trick his senses with his illusions...Or Kage could use stealth and deceptive tactics..."

Volcan put a hand to his chin as he considered their options. "Who would be better suited to avoid Howler's attacks?" He asked. "With his speed, he'll always be able to strike first if he wants, so if that happens which of them is more likely to be able to dodge him?"

"Kage does have faster reflexes," Luke muttered, and then gave a nod. "Yea... Kage will take him. I also just remembered he has an interesting ability that should help him out during the fight."

Volcan considered that for a moment, but he did not appear entirely convinced. "Maybe..." He said. "But going by what I've seen Kage do, I'm not so sure. I know he's strong and quick, but Howler's already seen Kage fight when we fought Team Drake. He knows what Kage's capable of." He tapped the front of his beak. "And that substitution trick will never work on him; he'll smell the real Kage and be on him faster than lightning. Deception only works if your opponent can't sense throught it."

He continued to rub his chin. "Hank, on the other hand, _hasn't_fought yet; Howler doesn't know what he can do, beyond what everyone else knows -illusions. But Howler might not pick up on those as quickly as he will suspect Kage might be baiting him. Say if Hank projects an image of himself forward and hides behind it, even if Howler is chasing him by smell, it's hard to determine proximity except for the greatest of trackers; maybe if he attacks prematurely, Hank can catch him off guard."

"...That's... actually a good point." Luke admitted, rubbing his chin as well. "Hank's known as our trickster for a reason. Alright I'll put him in against Howler." He nodded, and then looked to Volcan. "You know, I've been told I have a sharp strategic intuition, but you're pretty good at strategy yourself."

Volcan perked up as it dawned on him that Luke was right. "...It... seems I am," he said, blinking. "Huh... go figure."

Luke even blushed a bit. "Guess we've got more in common that we thought. I'm getting the feeling you were the leader of your old team before...erm..." He trailed off, hesitant to say the next part of the sentence.

"He was," Tristan, who was sitting on an upper row of bleachers chimed in, which earned a stunned look from Volcan. "You didn't tell him?"

"I wouldn't know if I had been," Volcan returned, giving him a dirty look. "Remember?" He let the word carry to emphasize his point.

"Oh... right," Tristan returned. "You're so much like your old self I keep forgetting. Anyway, yeah; Volcan was our team leader, and right up there with Minato as our fighter, although honestly Minato was always a little stronger. Volcan could stand against him -maybe the only one besides me who could, but out of everyone on the island, he was considered the strongest."

"I see," Luke returned.

_"_The next match will now begin!" Leon called. "Team Valiant and Team Martial, please proceed to the arena!"

"Alright... it's time," Volcan stated, rising from his seat. "Let's do this."

Luke and his team arose as well. "Alright...just stick to the plan and things should proceed relatively smoothly." Luke returned, looking at Eagle Eye especially with a stern look in his eyes.

"Alright I got it! Jeez cool yer jets boss man..." He said as the team moved to the arena.

Descending back into the corridors of the colosseum, the team made their way to the battlefield through the dimly-lit passages. The layout of this building was different from the old colosseum, and were it not for the signs leading them on, they might have lost their way, but eventually they stepped out onto the field, hearing the cheering of the other teams as they entered. Cheering. They were actually quite excited to see this fight, and were calling out the names of both teams.

At that moment, most of the group noticed that stands had become more filled with people -citizens from Valvatna had come to see what all the commotion was about and had now gathered into the colosseum. Perhaps another part of Team Warmachine's plan, to make the tournament a public spectacle, but regardless there were now several hundreds of Pokémon of many different species, gathering to watch the fights.

"Hehe, seems even the residents here couldn't wait to see the fun either. Damn colosseum's jam packed with watchers." Eagle Eye said with a cocky smirk along his beak.

"Stay focused," Volcan urged as they stepped out,

"Round two, second match; Team Martial vs. Team Valiant!" Leon made the call, holding up his flippers and beckoning with them. "Captains, to the center!"

Luke stepped out toward the ring, followed shortly by the Hitmonlee from Team Martial -apparently the leader, and of all of them Luke could see his aura was the strongest. Suddenly he hoped he wasn't making a mistake sending Volcan against this Hitmonlee, feeling that the Blaziken might not be able to beat him... but it was too late to change the match now; Volcan and Eagle Eye's positions at the edge of the ring already gave away that they were chosen to fight.

With the three of them gathered at the center of the colosseum, Leon reached for the index cards, but paused as he placed his flipper on it. "Both teams scored perfect victories in their previous round, granting you both power of choice as to the type of battle you will have," he reminded. "Does either team wish to use it?"

"We would," the Hitmonlee stated.

Leon looked at Luke. "And you?" He asked.

If Team Martial were the ones to decide the match, they would pick exactly the one that would suit them best, and given their performance in the last battle, that was likely an All In battle.

"We'd like to use our power of choice as well." Luke answered, almost without any hesitation.

"Since you both have Power of Choice, this must be decided by chance," Leon stated, lifting his flipper from the table, reaching for another item; a large coin, gesturing to Volcan to come over since he was the nearest one with opposable thumbs. Volcan took the coin, and waited as Leon gestured for Luke and the Hitmonlee to step forward -evidently he was the team captain. "Call it," Leon commanded.

"...Heads..." Luke answered.

"Tails," the Hitmonlee returned, narrowing his eyes at Luke.

Volcan flipped the coin up, high into the air; watching as it rotated in midair before coming back down, landing in his talon where he turned it over and slapped it onto the top of his hand, slowly lifting it away to reveal it to Leon.

"The result is Heads," Leon replied. "Team Valiant, select your battle type," he requested as Volcan placed the coin back down and returned to Luke's side.

"We'd like to pick Best-of-Three Elimination," Like answered.

"Then it will be done," stated Leon. "The winner of two out of three rounds will be the victor. Since Team Valiant took the coin toss, they will choose their fighter first as well, and Team Martial will choose theirs after."

"This might throw a wrench into our plan," Volcan whispered to Eagle Eye.

Luke turned, looking back towards Volcan and Eagle Eye before his eyes fell upon the latter, and then motioned for him to go forward. Eagle Eye smiled widely. "Oh HELL yes!!" He said as he hopped forward.

The Hitmonlee narrowed his eyes again as he regarded Eagle Eye, studying him before, much to Luke's relief, he chose to send the Hitmonchan forward, no doubt going for Type-advantage counter-balancing -any Hitmonchan could learn Thunderpunch, and on a team consisting entirely of Fighting-types, they would need some means to counter Flying-types. Apparently the puncher was that choice.

Eagle Eye looked the Hitmonchan from head to toe, still grinning. "Ohooo... This is gonna be so fun!!"

"Fighters, take your positions!" Leon directed, watching as Eagle Eye and the Hitmonchan reached the center of the stadium and prepared for battle, the latter already dancing side-to-side and pounding his fists together as he dashed to his spot in the ring, taking a few jabs at the air.

"Good luck, Eagle Eye," Volcan called, nodding to the Talonflame.

Eagle Eye flapped his wings in preparation. "Ok pal... better prep that brain of yours, cause I'm about ta give you a lesson that'll leave you seeing stars."

The Hitmonchan frowned. "A way better trash-talk would be 'prep that brain of yours, 'cuz I'm about to blow your mind', pal. That just sucked."

Eagle Eye shrugged. "Meh. Less talkie more fightie!" He returned.

"Let the battle..." Leon began, raising his flipper high for effect and letting the audience simmer in anticipation as they waited for the match to begin, tensions running high as they watched with wide, awe-stricken eyes. Leon held that pose for a full minute before he swiped his flipper down. "BEGIN!"