FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Eagle Eye and the Hitmonchan, introduced by the simple name of 'Boxer', clashed as Leon bade the battle begin, and the Fighting-type began by instantly lunging forward with a Mach Punch, hoping to catch Eagle Eye before he could take flight. But the ever-swift Talonflame took off with blinding velocity, avoiding the powerful right hook, crowing out with a loud "NOPE!" to taunt the Hitmonchan for missing him.

With that, the Talonflame wheeled about in midair, turning and raced towards Boxer with Aerial Ace, scoring a direct hit and bowling him over. Recovering quickly from the attack, Boxer jumped back to his feet, seeing Eagle Eye coming in again, but he successfully jumped to the side to avoid a second Aerial Ace attack, swinging his arm around in a wide rotary motion before he punched in Eagle Eye's direction, sending a Vaccuum Wave attack at him, indicated by the distorting air that trailed from the boxing glove of the Fighting-type.

Eagle Eye whooped noisily as he rolled out of the way of the distortion, feeling the air around him becoming shaky as he glided on. When it passed, he pulled back, performing a half-loop turn and heading back in Boxer's direction, soaring over him and beating his wings to shower the Hitmonchan with Embers. Using Detect, Boxer managed to dodge most of the falling Embers, but Eagle Eye continued to fly over, diving down in another half-loop turn to slam into him from behind, with another Aerial Ace, sending him face-first into the dirt.

Boxer pushed himself up quickly even as Eagle Eye moved in. However, his keen eyes caught the Thunderpunch the Hitmonchan was charging up, forcing him to veer away as Boxer shot to his feet and swung at him, narrowly missing him. The Talonflame flew up higher, turning about and seeing Boxer running his way, this time with a Sky Uppercut ready; he was going straight for him this time.

Boxer's reckless charge would prove to be his last mistake though, for the instant he jumped, Eagle Eye unleashed a mighty Fire Blast, sending a five-pointed shape directly at the ascending Hitmonchan, who was helpless to avoid it and was thus blasted back to the ground in a ball of fire that extinguished upon his collision with the dirt. Unlike the previous hits he had taken, he did not get up again...

When Boxer remained still, Leon called it. "Winner; Eagle Eye of Team Valiant," he announced to the audience.

The Hitmonlee and Hitmontop charged out onto the field to collect their comrade, helping him to his feet and supporting him as they led him off. "Sorry, bros," Boxer said, apologetically. "I couldn't catch him... he was just so fast."

"It's alright, little brother," the Hitmonlee stated. "To be honest I don't know if any of us could have won against that speed. But fear not." He left Boxer with the Hitmontop, before he turned and began to march out onto the field. "I'll make them answer for it."

Eagle Eye, returning to his teammates, received a gentle slap on the back by Volcan. "Nice work!" He praised.

"Hah! Like I keep telling you all! No one's faster in the air than me!" He squawked. "Poor bastard didn't have a prayer against me!"

"That was some impressive maneuvering up there, my friend," agreed Katsu. "Well done."

"It was at that," Volcan replied, before turning his gaze back to the field, letting out a hum as he saw the Hitmonlee. "Looks like it's my turn," he said, sizing up his opponent from afar. Long, the Hitmonlee, looked to be quite the fighter -he displayed his strength simply by how he walked, and the look in those eyes of his on his almost tombstone-like body. Volcan could sense he was in for a fight against this one.

Luke stepped up to Volcan from the side, and patted him on the back with one paw. "Your first solo battle at the tournament," he said. "You can do it."

Volcan turned to look at the Lucario, nodding to him before taking in a deep breath as he marched out onto the battlefield and approached the Hitmonlee, meeting him at the middle while the rest of Team Valiant watched him. "I can do this," he whispered to himself. "I won't let down the team that has taken me in... I owe it to them to win."

He and the Hitmonlee stopped at their assigned positions as Leon called the match. "Second battle!" He rang. "Team Martial's Captain, Long, vs. the Team Valiant newcomer, Volcan! May the best warrior win!" He raised his flipper. "Get ready..." He urged, both Volcan and Long shifting to their combat stances.

Long stood with more weight shifted to his back leg and both hands held at chest height, one with the palm down, the other palm up, and slightly lower. He twisted and bounced his weight from one foot to the other, while Volcan stood almost completely still, one arm at stomach level the other up by his head, held in a position reminiscent of a snake about to strike. Like Long he kept most of his weight to his back leg, but didn't weave about like the other fighter, both of them staring into one another's eyes as they waited for Leon to give the signal to start.

"BEGIN!" Leon bellowed, lowering his flipper.

Volcan and Long lunged at each other at almost the exact same time, Volcan opening with a Flame Charge while Long came at him with a front-flipping jump kick, eliciting a wild battlecry as he arced through the air. Volcan put up his arms to defend, blocking Long's kick, while their combined momentum cancelled them out, forcing them to back away from each other. Long lashed out with a kick, using Hitmonlee's unique ability to actually stretch their legs to double their length, allowing him to roundhouse Volcan from over ten feet away.

Volcan ducked to avoid the kick, feeling it whoosh over his head and catch his crest slightly as he dove. With the speed boost he had gained from Flame Charge, he rushed Long as the Hitmonlee regained his balance, and scored a solid punch square into his face right below his eyes that sent Long staggering.

"Aw yeah! Nice hit, rookie!" Hank cheered.

Long recovered quickly from the punch, and ducked just in time to avoid a roundhouse kick from the Blaziken. Long fell to his hands, somersaulting away from the Blaziken, but Volcan was intent on keeping the pressure and unleashed another Flame Charge as he pursued Long. As the two clashed once more, their differences in technique became clear; Long only used his hands to defend, never strike, and his feet to attack, while maintaining constant motion, weaving and jumping about to make his attacks harder to read. Volcan, however, was larger and evidently able to take more punishment than Long, as he blocked and withstood several of his kicks.

"Come on, Volcan..." Luke whispered, anxious to see his comrade prevail.

Their attacks became more intense as the fight carried on. Volcan attempted a Blaze Kick Roundhouse that Long ducked under before lunging at him with a Mega Kick, which Volcan backflipped away from and attacked with another Flame Charge, and Long was starting to jump out of the way when Volcan cancelled the move early, landing on the ground in front of Long and performing a Low Sweep right for his legs; he had faked him out!

"Yes!" Luke cheered softly.

But his heart sank at what happened next. Long, even though he was unable to avoid the attack, was not as caught off guard by it as expected. At the last second he put his feet together, and was sent into a spiralling flip, swinging his legs over him until he was upside down, when he then kicked down with one of them, landing on Volcan's shoulder, and a sickly, popping crack echoed through the arena, reaching Luke's ears.

Volcan howled in pain, stumbling backward and grabbing his shoulder with his other arm as Long caught himself on his hands and flipped back onto his feet while the Blaziken struggled with his now dislocated shoulder, losing the use of his right arm. Long rushed in while Volcan was vulnerable, crying out to announce his approach. Volcan used his good arm to try and deliver a Thunderpunch but Long, as if repeating the move Volcan had done earlier, dropped under the punch. However, instead of a Low Sweep, he lashed out with a headhunter kick, stretching out his leg and smacking Volcan square across the face from his right, where he couldn't use his other arm to block.

The Blaziken spun a full three-sixty from the kick to his face, arms falling limply to his sides as he stood, eyes wide open in a trance-like manner, completely still. And then, he fell, dropping almost lifelessly to the dirt and landing with a small plume of dust, and didn't move again.

Leon was about to speak, but Long put up his hand, asking he wait as he walked over to the Blaziken, kneeling down next to him and staring at his face. "Good fight, warrior," he whispered to him before standing up and nodding to Leon, allowing the Empoleon to finally call the match.

Leon held up his flipper, and made the call. "Knockout! The victory goes to Long of Team Martial!" He declared. "We will take a short break, to allow both teams to finish tending to their injured!" Leon called. "Final round starts in ten minutes!"

With the match concluded, Luke, Katsu and Mikhail ran out to Volcan, gathering around him as Mikhail leaned down to check him, letting out a sigh. "That kick hit just the right spot and knocked him right out cold," he said, before going to work on checking Volcan's injuries, especially his shoulder. "...Dislocated, thankfully no fractures. I can put it back in place but he might jump from the sudden jolt of pain." He explained.

"I'll hold him down." Luke said, placing his paws on Volcan's chest and other working shoulder, while Katsu, seeing the need to do so, went to Volcan's legs, knowing that if he woke up, he'd certainly kick out at something when the pain set in, both of them watching as Mikhail held Volcan's arm with both of his, tucking it under his right for leverage while his left positioned at his shoulder to apply pressure.

Mikhail then counted down from three, then he quickly popped Volcan's shoulder back into its socket with a crack that made Luke almost want to retch as the bone was set back into place. But much to Mikhail's surprise, Volcan didn't even react reflexively to it. He checked the Blaziken again, once more confirming he was alive, just unconscious. "By Arceus, he didn't even flinch... he's completely comatose."

Luke pulled one paw back, keeping the other on Volcan's chest as Mikhail and Katsu released Volcan's limbs, whispering softly to the Blaziken. "You fought well, my friend." With that, Luke pulled his paw back, which clenched tightly into a fist. "...Take him to the infirmary." Luke told his brother as he rose to his feet.

"Will you be ok?" Mikhail asked. "I don't think I need to remind you about staying focused on the fight."

"Don't worry about me... just get him to the med ward, please." He said as he stepped back out toward the arena.

Mik watched him with mild concern, and then looked to Volcan before he tried to pick him up, finding Volcan too heavy for him though, and so Katsu once more stepped in to help, letting Mikhail sling the Blaziken over his back for support before leading them out. "I guess you two share a very close bond for him to be so worried about you," He whispered to the unconscious Blaziken, trotting off to the infirmary to get Volcan some more professional medical attention.

The ten minutes were cut short as Luke stepped into the fighting ring, with the Hitmontop marching out to meet him as well, both of them taking their positions and waited as Leon announced them. "And now the final round to decide the winner! Team Martial's middle brother, Whirl, vs. Team Valiant's Captain, Luke!"

As Leon announced them, the Hitmontop spoke. "My kid brother loses to your flying friend," he said. "And my elder brother beat the Blaziken. Now there's just me and you." His brow furrowed with determination. "Whoever wins now, advances in the tournament."

Luke nodded softly, keeping a calm composure as he looked down at Whirl. His eyes though had a look of a different determination in them, as if he wanted to end this match as quickly as possible. "Let's enjoy this then...whatever the result, no hard feelings, right?" He asked, but his tone was a little deeper than usual.

"One warrior to another," Whirl replied, nodding his head before he jumped, flipping over and landing on the spike on top of his skull, twirling in place before facing Luke again. "But I will hold nothing back; for my brothers, I will win!"

Luke assumed his stance as well after hopping back a bit, holding his leading Palm out in front of him. "Then I'll go all out too..." Luke replied. To emphasize his point, Luke then brought forth his aura surge; the blue flame burning gently around his body, empowering his muscles with his own aura energy.

"BEGIN!" Leon called, having finished his announcement and seeing the fighters were ready.

At the call of the Empoleon, Whirl began to spin in place, throwing out his arms and legs as he spun at rapid speed as Hitmontop was made to do, teetering side-to-side but making no move immediately, waiting for Luke to attack first. But surely he would never; everyone knew he was never the aggressor in a fight...

However, to his team's surprise, Luke did make the first move, firing off some Aura Spheres at the spinning Hitmontop, then he materialized his bone rush and began charging forward, spinning the weapon in his paw before taking a lunging thrust at his opponent.

"...Odd." Kage muttered. "Luke never makes the first move; he's more reserved than that."

"Seems he's takin' the Rookie's loss pretty harshly," Hank offered. "Probably wants to end this quick."

"Hmph... letting personal feelings get in the way of one's sense of reason is a surefire way of losing this fight," Kage replied coldly as he continued to watch the fight unfold.

"Does it look like he's losing?" Eagle Eye asked, matter-of-factly.

Surely enough, Luke was far from being at a disadvantage. Although Whirl had spun so fast he had actually kicked away Luke's Aura Sphere and forced him on the defensive with a Triple Kick, Luke had already turned the fight back in his favour by pushing the Hitmontop off balance, forcing him to resort to going back onto his feet to continue fighting. Luke rushed him then with his Bone, swinging at him furiously as Whirl forced to rely on dodging or blocking where he could.

Whirl kept up his defense for a while, until he leapt away from Luke to get some distance, before racing at him with a Mach Punch reminiscent of that which Boxer had used against Eagle Eye before, showing he had done some cross-training with his brothers and utilizing some of their own techniques to use in battle.

Luke took the punch, recoiling from the impact and dropping his Bone in the process, causing it to dissipate, but following through and countering with Reversal, channeling the force from the hit he received and lashing out with it with even greater force, combining the force of the Mach Punch with his own aura. Having not expected such a retaliation the Hitmontop was blown backward by the strike, but he turned it back to his own favour by landing on his spike again and entering a rapid spin, dashing to and fro as he closed the distance with Luke and tried to Triple Kick him again.

Rather than try to move out of the way, Luke materialized his Bone Rush and extended it as far as his reach would allow, aiming to nail the incoming Hitmontop before he could even reach him. Whirl rushed straight at him, and with one swing, Luke smacked the Hitmontop off balance, sending him spinning out of control until he fell out of the spin and landed on his front.

When he started to stand up, he turned to glare at Luke. "Well, you're certainly pretty tough; I'd expect nothing less from a Team Captain," he said as he managed to get back on his feet. "But my brothers are counting on me to win this fight, and I will win for them."

Luke turned to face Whirl, stamping his bone on the ground firmly at his side. "You fight well, Whirl, but I'm afraid you won't be tasting victory today." He returned firmly. "I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have...Surrender quietly." He stated.

"Would you so easily give up with others expecting you to win?" Whirl asked as he resumed his stance. "I'll never dishonor Boxer and Long like that; one way or another, this fight will be finished!"

With that, Whirl attacked with another Mach Punch, but he had made it too obvious he was going to when he dug one of his feet into the ground behind him, giving way to his imminent dash. Luke was able to duck out of the way of it easily, but then Whirl followed up the failed attack with another of his brother's attacks -a Rolling Kick, hopping up on one foot and swinging his leg at the Lucario's face, but in his battered state from Luke's earlier attacks, Whirl had slowed, and Luke was able to catch his leg in his paw, using his own momentum against him and hurling the Hitmontop away from him again, then quickly fired and Aura Sphere after he was done.

The impact from the Sphere would finish the battle, as it sent Whirl spiralling across the battlefield for several meters until he face-planted into the sand again, tumbling several times before he finally stopped after landing outside of the ring area.

Once he had passed that white line, Leon held up his flipper. "Ring out! The winner is Team Valiant, who will advance to the quarterfinal round!"

"Aw, no way," Luke heard Boxer protest. "That was totally a cheap shot!"

"It was a fair move, little brother," Long replied to the Hitmonchan, as the two of them left their position and went to see to their middle sibling, crossing the field to retrieve him.

Luke watched them walk around to retrieve their comrade, his eyes specifically on Long, before he started stepping toward the three of them as they hoisted their brother to his feet, who leaned on Boxer for support. "...I just have one question for you." He stated as he got closer to Team Martial.

The three looked over at him, Boxer's expression immediately turning to one of disgust when they saw who it was. "Get lost, blue boy; you already won. Don't need to hear your gloating too."

Luke shot Boxer a firm glance, before he turned his gaze back to Long. "...Was it necessary for you to hit my friend as hard as you did?" He asked Long. "You could have held back a little."

"My attack came from above," Long stated, "and even for me it is difficult to control the exerted force from that angle. That is why I aimed for his shoulder, and not his head."

As Long said that, Luke suddenly flashed back to the day he had found Volcan, and the significant head trauma the Blaziken had suffered, leading to the loss of his memories, and suddenly felt a wash of relief that Long had indeed avoiding hitting Volcan in the skull.

He closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief, then reopened them and gave the Hitmonlee a small nod. "I see." He returned. "Fair enough then...Your team fought well against us, Long. I look forward to our next encounter."

"As do I," Long replied. "It appears our training is not yet complete; when we return, we will be stronger." He crossed his arm over his chest, but his hand remained vertical, and he bowed to Luke respectfully. "Fare thee well in your battle with Team Kama." Were his last words before turning away from Luke, and his team departed, leaving the Lucario to walk back to rejoin his friends.

However, once he made it back to his side, Kage had a scornful look in his eyes. "Letting your personal feelings get in the way of your sense of reason...you're better than that and you know it." He said harshly at Luke.

"Hey ease off Froggie! We all took a pretty big hit when the rookie went down." Hank spoke, defending their team captain. "Besides, I'd want ta bust open someone's skull fer hurting a damn close buddy of mine too."

"Then we're lucky you're not our leader..." The Greninja replied without even looking at Hank, his scorn deepening as he glared at Luke. "The next time you let that happen, I won't be so discreet..." He warned.

"Keep talking like that, and I'll see to it you don't fight for the remainder of the competition." Luke retorted. "You forget, not ALL of us are as brutally cold and calculating as you...Some of us actually care for our comrades." He added sharply, then went on his way to check on Volcan in the infirmary, while Kage stared after him, an expressionless look in his eyes.

~~~~~

Volcan awoke with a mild start as he was roused from his sleep by his nightmares once again, eyes shooting open to stare up at an unfamiliar ceiling as he awoke. He managed to suppress his urge to panic, taking a moment to get his bearings, he looked around, trying to get an idea as to where he was; the bed was unfamiliar, but the room smelled of a hospital or clinic -that sickly, sterilized smell that permeated interior, a smell he found he was not particularly fond of.

He was in an infirmary... and suddenly it all came back to him; he had been fighting Long, the Hitmonlee from Team Martial. By the fact that it was him waking up in a hospital bed, he gathered that he had lost the battle. His shoulder felt so incredibly sore it was burning as though a Charizard was breathing on it. He shifted somewhat beneath the covers, looking down from where he lay and tried to look around.

Seated next to his bed was a Lucario, resting comfortably in a small chair and reading a book clutched between his paws. At first Volcan thought it was Luke, until he noticed the spectacles resting upon their snout, and that served to help him identify who it was. "Mikhail?" He asked in a low voice, in case anyone else was resting in the room so that he wouldn't disturb them.

The Lucario's ear twitched from the sound of Volcan's voice and he turned over to his direction. "Ah, you're awake." He said with a smile, placing a bookmark into the book he was reading and setting it down before he scooted his chair closer to the resting Blaziken. "How do you feel?"

"Well, my shoulder's extremely sore," Volcan began, and let out a groan as he tried to smile, only to bring up his hand and rub the side of his face, groaning. "And my face really freaking hurts," he added.

"You took quite a few heavy hits from that Hitmonlee." Mikhail stated. "That last kick he landed on you knocked out cold, after he dislocated your shoulder." He pointed out.

"Yeah, I remember that part," Volcan returned, reaching over with his other hand to rub his shoulder. "I really thought I had him when I got him with that Low Sweep."

Mikhail shrugged. "We all did. Long was just able to compensate and use the momentum to his advantage." He stated. "In any case, you should be back on your feet soon enough. The injuries weren't very severe."

"Except my shoulder needs to be reloc-wait a second," Volcan said in a puzzled manner, looking at his arm and testing it. "Oh, you popped it back in already?"

The Lucario nodded. "Almost immediately after the fight." Mikhail explained, tilting his glasses on his nose a bit. "Luke and Katsumoto had to hold you down just in case you spasmed from the sudden pain."

"A smart precaution," Volcan complimented, sliding back against the headboard of the bed and sighing. "If I didn't wake up from the pain he must've really knocked me out," he commented before looking at Mikhail again. "So what happened after; did we win?"

"We did. It was practically no contest when my brother stepped into the arena." Mikhail stated confidently. "Although...there was something rather off about the battle."

Volcan tilted his head. "Off? Off how?"

"Well, more specifically, it was more to do with Luke." He stated. "After my brother came by to visit you, Kage arrived just after he left, and mentioned it when I asked how the fight went; Luke didn't seem to want to talk about it. He told me that Luke was fighting much more aggressively than usual." His gaze lowered slightly. "He's usually a lot more calm and reserved when he fights, but against his opponent, he just..." He trailed off for a moment. 'It was as if he took your defeat rather personally."

"Personally?" Volcan echoed. "But why? We all knew that the possibility of landing straight wins was pretty slim."

"I think he knew that as well." Mikhail said. "I don't really know much about the details. It was all hearsay really."

Volcan hummed in thought. "I'll have to ask him about that," he said.

"Would you like me to go get him for you?" He asked. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you're alright."

Volcan shook his head. "Nah, I can just go talk to him," he replied. "I think I'm good to walk at least; Long didn't break my legs." He perked up with realization, looking at Mikhail again. "Hey wait... how long have I been out? I didn't miss the SIngle Division's round did I?"

"I don't think so. There were two more matches for the team division before the Singles started so you should still have time" Mikhail returned, then stood up from his seat. "Well, if you insist on getting up, I won't stop you, but I advise you take it easy for a bit. You might still a bit shaky from the hits you took."

Volcan shrugged. "I don't feel dizzy or anything," he replied, slowly sliding his legs over to the side of the bed and hanging them down over the floor, taking in a deep breath and slowly standing up.

Mikhail watched him closely as the Blaziken stood up, ready to lunge forward to catch him if he were to start falling. Although Volcan did feel some_mild_ dizziness, it didn't hinder him too badly, and he rose from bed at a slow pace, rising to his full height and waiting a moment in case it intensified, but after a while it faded, and he felt better, letting Mikhail relax.

"Alright; I'm good," he said, looking at Mikhail. "No problem-o."

Mikhail nodded and adjusted his glasses. "Alright then. In that case I'll leave you be for now, but if anything happens, be sure to come back here, and like I said, please don't push yourself."

"Don't worry; I'll have plenty of time to rest come the next round," Volcan returned. "I'm not fighting in our match against Sickle's Team; leaving that one to Hank instead."

Mikhail nodded to him in acknowledgement. "Take care of yourself, Volcan."

"I will," he promised. "Now, uh... do you know where Luke would be right now?"

Mikhail rubbed his chin a little. "Hmmm...He might be back aboard the ship or maybe sitting on his own in the stands." He replied.

Volcan nodded to him. "Okay. Thanks Mik," he bade the Lucario.

"Anytime," Mikhail returned as he retrieved his book, tucking it under his arm and began to leave the room.

The Blaziken was close behind, but he headed off in a different direction after leaving the infirmary, bidding goodbye to Mikhail as they parted ways. Once outside, Volcan quickly noticed that the walls around him were stone; he was still in the arena, apparently, in its own on-site infirmary. A smart idea, he felt; with the possibility of injury so high it was imperative to have adequate medical facilities as close as possible.

'And I'm one the first fighters to be sent to it in the tournament,' he mused, grimacing in annoyance with that thought.

Shaking it off, he walked down the corridor, following the signs on the walls until they brought him to the stairway leading up to the stands, finding it empty as crews were working to smooth out the damage to the fighting ring from the last two battles of the team division, enacting a short intermission before the singles started. Most of the spectators had left in the meantime, likely for refreshments. Volcan searched around the arena for any sign of Luke, but the members of Team Valiant were all absent.

"Must've gone for a drink," muttered Volcan before he headed back down the stairs, resuming his search for Luke. "Maybe back to the ship."

Once more letting the signs be his guide, he found his way out of the arena, and made a left at the next fork that led directly back to the docking area where the ship was located; it was the only other place Volcan could think of where he might find Luke, as none of them new Valvatna all that well so it seemed unlikely that he'd be anywhere else -unless he went exploring, but to go wandering through the town would probably only result in Volcan getting lost, so he hoped he was right.

Eventually reaching the ship, he took a shortcut, jumping up over the side closest to the dining hall instead of heading the other way to the gangplank, and then began looking for his friends, peering through the window of the hall to see if anyone was inside. He didn't see anyone he knew inside -the hall was practically empty, and so that left only one more place that he could think of; the outdoor dining area near the front of the ship. With that in mind, he walked along the window before rounding the corner that led out front, finding the various dining tables -most of them unoccupied.

All except one, in fact. Luke was indeed sitting at one of the tables there, a glass of water resting in his paws. His gaze was out toward the sun in the distance which was just beginning the process of setting as the evening drew closer. He sat there quietly, occasionally taking small sips from his glass.

"There you are," Volcan muttered before stepping out from around the corner, approaching Luke slowly and announcing his arrival with a "Hi" to get his attention.

Luke quickly turned his head toward the direction of Volcan's voice, and his expression changed from solemn to pleased when he saw the Blaziken standing before him. "Volcan!" He said with a somewhat excited tone. "You're alright. Thank goodness..." He added as he stood up and approached the Blaziken. "How are you feeling?"

"Just fine," Volcan replied. "A bit sore in a couple of places, but otherwise I'm good." He let out a chuckle. "That Long fella packs a wallop."

"So I saw," Luke returned. "You're sure you're alright? No dizziness or sudden fatigue?" asked.

"None; I'm fine, really," Volcan assured him.

Luke let out a sigh of relief and took a sip of his water before setting the glass down on a nearby table. "I'm relieved to hear that," He returned. "I was afraid Long might have crippled you to the point where you couldn't compete anymore. Long assured me otherwise, but even so..." He trailed off.

Volcan smiled, reaching over and clapping Luke on the shoulder. "He knew what he was doing," he stated. "I may have a few aches, but it won't stop me; they'll be gone after I sleep tonight." His expression softened. "From what I heard though, when I went down, you were pretty upset about it, like you took it personally. Care to explain that?"

Luke flinched a bit when he mentioned that, looking up to Volcan with alarm at first, then his expression softened as well and he sighed. "I take it Kage told you about that?" He asked.

"Mikhail, actually, although he said he heard it from Kage," Volcan replied.

Luke sighed. "Of course Kage would spread the word..." Luke said with mild irritation. "Well...like I said, I was concerned that Long may have rendered you unable to compete anymore." He averted his gaze. "I may have been a bit salty because of that..."

"Luke, every competitor here faces that risk, including Long himself," Volcan reminded him.

Luke rubbed his face a bit with his paw. "I know that. It's just... the way you went down like that..." He reached behind his head and rubbed the back of his head a bit. "I was... scared you'd lose your memories again, after taking a hit like that to your head..." He admitted.

"Oh," Volcan replied, staring down at Luke and absently raising his arm to scratch behind his crests. "I... suppose that's a good point. In that case, I understand why you were upset."

Luke nodded back slowly, flattening his ears as he looked back toward Volcan. "I admit, it was out of character for me to just... lash out like that, but I was afraid that you might have been robbed of the missions we've done together so far and... the friendship we've forged together."

Volcan nodded to him, giving the Lucario a weak smile. "Yeah... I certainly don't want to lose that either," he said. "Our time together, however short, has really been something. I wouldn't want to forget any of it." He let out a sigh. "Lapses in my memory aside, what memories I do have now, I treasure, and I have you to thank for all of them."

The Lucario managed a weak smile of his own. "I keep telling you. I was more than happy to help you." Luke said with a bit of a chuckle, his usual demeanour starting to return.

"Doesn't make me any less grateful for it," Volcan stated. "Because frankly, without you..." He grimaced. "I'd literally have nothing."

Luke stepped forward and lifted his paw to touch Volcan's shoulder firmly. "Well as long as I'm still around, I'll make sure you'll always have something." He stated, firmly nodding after he spoke.

Volcan smiled again, nodding to Luke once more before pulling him into a hug. "Thank you Luke," he said, gratefully. "But from now on, try not to worry about me too much, okay?"

Luke chuckled a little, wrapping his arms back around the Blaziken and hugging him tightly. "I'll try." He assured him, rubbing up and down his back gently for a moment.

Shortly after, they pulled apart. "Alright; suppose we ought to head back to the colosseum; tournament's probably getting back underway by now."

Luke nodded back in reply. "I imagine the Singles Division will start back up soon, provided the Team Division is finished for the day."

"Should be by now; there were only two more matches after ours," Volcan replied, and suddenly grinned. "To think... next round we're fighting Sickle's team."

"I know right?" Luke asked, feeling himself tense up a little. "I'm actually getting excited just thinking about that."

"I'm sure Sickle's feeling the same way," Volcan added as they walked together, heading back to the gangplank so that they could return to the ship. "He's been giving you a few passing glances though, I've noticed." He flashed a grin at the Lucario.

Luke started to blush at that, averting his gaze away from the Blaziken at the mention of that. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about..." He stated.

"Oh come on, Luke; you think I haven't seen the way he keeps checking you out when you two are around one another?" Volcan asked, poking Luke's shoulder. "I think he likes you."

Luke blushed even harder and flattened his ears, lifting his paw to rub along his shoulder. "W-well...I haven't really noticed. I've been so caught up with the tournament that it never crossed my mind," He admitted, then sighed. "Besides...I'm not sure I'm even lover material anymore."

"Anymore?" Volcan echoed. "You've had past loves before?"

Luke gave a sad nod. "Yes...three in total..." He returned. "And they all went up in smoke..."

"Oh..." Volcan said, averting his gaze somewhat. "Sorry..."

Luke sighed sadly. "You had no way of knowing..." He returned, his ears flattening. "I've had a total of three lovers in my life, and each one was a total bust." He explained. "I began to wonder if I just wasn't good enough for anyone, since they either died or cheated on me."

"Hey," Volcan said sharply, giving Luke a chiding stare as he spoke to him "Don't ever think about yourself like that, Luke. If there's one thing I know for sure, it is that you are an amazing Pokémon. Whatever happened in your past, it's not on you. Don't ever believe it is." He turned to face him. "I may not know anything about the lovers you had, but I do know you, and someone like you deserves all the happiness he can have, but the only way to find that is to move forward."

Luke sighed again. "Volcan, I've tried." He returned. "I've tried to move forward, but after my last breakup, I just... I lost faith in my ability to hold a relationship." He admitted. "You've no idea how I long for the warmth of someone else's embrace, but I'm scared to try again, because I just know that somehow, it's all going to blow up in my face."

Volcan grimaced at that. "I can't really say that I have any experience on the subject... but I do see why you're afraid to try." He knelt down in front of Luke, grasping his shoulder gently. "But the past doesn't have to stop you from having a future. I'm not saying pursue anything yet, but just try to keep an open mind is all I'm asking. Someone like you doesn't deserve to be alone."

Luke shut his eyes for a moment, then gave him a small nod in response. "...I'll try." He returned, opening his eyes again to look into Volcan's. "Heh, guess it was your turn to console me this time, huh?" He asked in mild jest, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

The Blaziken chuckled light-heartedly. "We seem to keep doing that, don't we?" He asked.

"Guess it just shows how far our friendship's come in such a short time." Luke said with a shrug.

"Nothing wrong with that," Volcan returned with a nod. "Now, let's get moving, or we're going to miss Wade's battle."

Luke nodded. "Yeah. The sooner the better. C'mon!" He stated, feeling in brighter spirits now as he darted ahead of the Blaziken, who followed closely behind as they headed back to the colosseum, ready to watch more exciting action.

~~~~~

"The first match of the Single's Division will now begin!" Leon called. "Due to the rearrangement of the roster, the order of the battles has also changed! But the tournament will carry on as planned, and we will now begin with the new #1 and #2 fighters on our roster!" He pointed towards one of the entrances with his flipper, calling it. "The first, Wade from Port Azure!"

The Dewott stepped out from his entrance and strode his way over to the arena, hopping up onto the battlefield and taking his place there to wait for his opponent.

"And from the city of Trinity Ponds, we have the merry mallard warrior, Pirawan!" Leon called, and at the call a Farfetch'd charged out of the other entrance, leaping into the air and tossing his leek into his mouth as he glided out to the center of the field, where dropped, grasped the leek in his wing again and landed with astounding grace, brandishing the vegetable weapon like a rapier as he faced Wade.

"Whoever wins this battle shall advance to the Quarterfinals, so the stakes are high!" Leon called. "Now I want a clean fight from both of you!"

Wade glanced to Leon for a moment. "That's all you will get from me; I do not fight dirty." He replied, looking to Pirawan after his claim.

"I am a gentleman, and a gentleman fights with honour," the duck-like Pokémon returned, waving his leek and tucking a wing behind has back as he waited.

"Very well then," Leon returned, raising his flipper. "Combatants, prepare!"

Wade took a step back, and then in a flash he reached behind him and drew his blade, flipping it into a reverse grip and holding his weapon in front of him defensively as he crouched low. Pirawan adopted a sideways stance reminiscent of a fencer, brandishing his leek and keeping his eyes on Wade as he readied himself for battle, their eyes meeting as Leon stood, flipper high for effect, letting the audience's excitement sink in before starting the match.

"BEGIN!" Leon called, bringing his flipper down.

Wade quickly darted right for the Farfetch'd, bringing his blade around for a slash to the duck Pokémon's chest as his opening move. But Pirawan was quick, and perceptive; he saw Wade's attack coming easily and parried it aside, dancing away from him and waving his weapon tauntingly at him as he hopped from one foot to the other, brimming with energy for this battle.

Wade then quickly discharged a Scald attack after Pirawan dodged back from his initial attack, then followed up with several small Water Pulses in a wide swath, watching keenly as to what the Farfetch'd would do in order to avoid damage. He focused mainly on dodging, avoiding the Scald attack with a jump to the side, flipping over the Water Pulses to land behind them after they flew below, except for one that would have hit him, if not for him using a Cut attack to literally slice the condense sphere in half and sending it splashing over himself, but doing no damage.

Finally, Pirawan made his own move, dashing forward with a Quick Attack and jabbing at Wade with the tip of his leek. Thankfully though, Wade's reflexes were quick enough to block the attack with the flat of his blade, staring intently into the Duck Pokémon's eyes while he parried a second thrust from Pirawan.

Following this, the Farfetched' backed away, regaining a safe distance out of reach of Wade's sword, waiting to see his counter-attack. However, Wade then prepared an Aqua Jet attack, but rather than charging forward, he swung his blade again, channeling the water at his feet to his blade and discharged it in the form of a lightning fast blade shaped water wave.

"Whoa!" Pirawan hurriedly jumped out of the way, resisting the urge to watch the water wave as it passed. "Never seen that before... looked like a fusion of Surf and Razor Shell."

Wade then used Aqua Jet to quickly circle around and appear behind Pirawan, pointing his blade at the back of his neck. "I can be full of surprise," Wade returned calmly. "Now, yield."

"Ah, but we're just getting started my boy," the Farfetch'd returned, looking back at Wade with a smile on his beak.

Suddenly, water exploded beneath his feet and launched him away from Wade; Wade recognized the attack as his own Aqua Jet. The Farfetch'd had just used Mirror Move to imitate what he had just used, once more gaining some distance. With that, he spun around and slashed at the air, attacking with Air Cutter and sending a distortion of air in the shape of a blade towards the Dewott. Wade planted his feet firmly into the ground, rearing back his blade and waiting... when the attack was close enough he swung, cleaving the air cutter in half and letting it pass by him harmlessly.

Wade then straightened up and sighed. "Looks like a straight up duel will get us nowhere," He said to his opponent. "Admittedly, it's not quite my strong point yet. I'm still learning after all."

Pirawan continued to dance on the spot, staying loose even as he returned Wade's comment. "You must adjust to your opponent; find how your teachings can lead you to victory," he stated, twirling his leek. "For some, like me, it's not about strength, it's about precision and timing. Find your specialty, and find where you can use it."

With that, Wade then took off the scabbard hanging around his back and held it in his left paw. He then swung his blade once before sheathing it back into the scabbard, then he stood there, almost casually. "You're right there..." Wade returned. "Your move."

From the stands, Katsu watched Wade intently, judging the way he was holding his now sheathed blade. "...Using Iaijitsu already, are we...?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Alright, then," replied the duck Pokémon, snickering. "Try this!" He slashed at the air three times consecutively, each one sending an Air Cutter attack towards Wade.

Wade still stood there even as the air cutters came his way, and then struck back right at the last second. Wade swung his sheathed blade twice, deflecting the first two air cutters, ad then on the third, he performed a draw cut, not only slicing through the third air cutter, but discharging a water blade wave of his own right back at Pirawan! Pirawan unleashed another Air Cutter to counter the water wave, causing them to disperse at the middle point between the two. With that, he placed his leak into his bill, jumped up and beat his wings fiercely as he used Tailwind, assailing Wade with a powerful gale that rushed all around him, kicking up dust from the colosseum floor.

Wade quickly sheathed his blade once more and braced for the Tailwind, bringing his right arm up to shield himself from the dust brought forth from the Tailwind. He also knew Pirawan would gain an increase in speed, to which he already begun preparing for. He made a deal with his paw, then a quick sheen glinted all along Wade's body for a split second before Wade lowered his arm, adjusting to the tailwind.

"Br-r-r-r-RAVE Bird!" Pirawan called as he exploded out of the stirred dust, body glowing blue, and struck Wade with the most powerful Flying-type physical attack of all time, putting all of his power into it.

Wade let out a cry as he took it full force, the attack sending him careening along the arena until he tumbled and skidded along the ground. Once he came to a complete stop, he was motionless for a bit, seemingly unconscious... until he stirred and slowly rose back to his feet.

Pirawan's eyes widened as he saw the Dewott rising again. "Impressive," he said. "You show great fortitude, my friend."

To add to Pirawan's surprise, when Wade stood back up on his feet, there weren't any signs of scrapes or blood on his fur, just bruises here and there and many flecks of dust in his fur. Wade smirked a little. "If I hadn't used this, then perhaps you would have defeated me...but as I am now, you stand no chance...not anymore at least." Wade stated. "On top of that, you're limping as well, Brave Bird puts some of the pain onto you as well, and since you're not quite as muscular as say... a Blaziken, I'd wager you'd rather not risk knocking yourself out with another Brave Bird." He deduced, almost in a taunting manner...as if he wanted Pirawan to try again.

Pirawan smirked at him. "Well, that would be true, if I couldn't do this!" He held up his leek, striking a pose, and feathers of light appear around him, his whole body bathed in their light, as any injuries caused to him by Brave Bird suddenly washed away under the effects of Roost. "I am always prepared."

Wade smirked more. "I expected that one way or another..." He replied. "You are prepared, I'll give you that," but then his brow furrowed and his gaze grew stern. "...But are you afraid?" He asked.

"Of what?" Pirawan asked with a shrug. "Life is jolly and full of thrills for me; what would I be scared of?"

Wade closed his eyes. "I see..." He then flashed them open. "...then you will never be my equal." He stated.

At that, he rushed forward with Aqua Jet once more, placing his paw on the hilt of his blade and prepared for a dashing draw cut. Pirawan jumped over the cut, landing just behind where he had been before, and made a thrust at Wade with his leek. To his surprise, his leek seemed to clang with an invisible force surrounding Wade, leaving no mark on the Dewott.

"What the...?!" He demanded. "You're not wearing any armour!"

Wade then quickly turned and slashed at the leek, cleaving it right in two. He then kicked the Duck Pokémon back and then held his blade right at Pirawan's throat, the Dewott's gaze almost piercing through the Farfetch'd's.

"H-How?" He asked in disbelief. "What stopped my attack?"

Wade kept his piercing gaze as he spoke. "...Shell Armour..." He replied. "If you had paid attention, you would have noticed me call upon it...but the dust from your tailwind allowed me to don it before your Brave Bird hit me..."

Pirawan actually smiled at that. "Turned my strength into your advantage," he said, lowering his wings and folding them at his sides before he looked at Leon. "I forfeit; the match is his."

"Then it is decided!" Leon called, holding up his flipper. "The winner is Wade of Port Azure!"

Wade closed his eyes and pulled his blade away from Pirawan's throat and began slowly sheathing it back into it scabbard. "To be fearless of the sword you wield is to be deemed unworthy of the blade," Wade said to Pirawan as his blade clicked back into its sheathe. "That is what I was taught, and is why I asked if you were afraid...it was directed more toward fearing your own weapo." He said, opening his eyes, a much calmer, warmer gaze in his eyes this time. "If you fear your own strength and your own weapon, then I acknowledge you as my equal."

"My own strength," Pirawan stated. "Is my ability block out distractions, and not let my fears get in my way. Life has been good to me, and I want to try and give others such joy; that is what I strive for. Although..." He looked down at his ruined leek. "I wish you could have spared my weapon; it takes a long time to grow one of those, yanno."

Wade averted his gaze a little. "Sorry... I'll help you grow another if it's alright with you."

Pirawan shook his head. "It's fine," he said. "Besides, this kind of leek only grows near my home; that's a long trip to make just to do a bit of gardening." He gave Wade a wink. "I'm sure I can find another one. Besides," He opened one wing and patted Wade's shoulder with his feathers. "You've got a tournament to think about."

With that, he stepped back, opening both wings and taking to the air. "Adios, my friend; best of luck to you!" He called before he flew off out of the colosseum, leaving the battlefield and the tournament behind.

Wade watched him leave, a smile slowly forming on his lips, and then he turned and walked away from the arena toward the rest area, feeling content that he might have possibly made a new comrade in Pirawan.

"The next match will now begin!" Leon called, and the next two fighters marched out into the arena.

The next contestants were a Simisear and a Nidorino, among several contestants who had battled after Sol's rampage and whose battles had been missed before. This contest was short, though, as not only was the Nidorino strong, but he was fairly quick and solid -an amazing balance of power, and practically trampled the poor Simisear with his might, moving the next battle onto the second half of the roster, pitting Rigel against the Raichu some of the others had seen before.

They were called to the field, the Raichu arriving first, looking pumped and ready to fight. Rigel casually strolled out onto the arena and stood before the Raichu, crossing his arms and nodding a bit, "Alright, alright. You got skills, and I like em." He said with a smirk. "Try to make this fun fer the both of us kay?"

"Right back at you," the Raichu returned, his yellow cheeks sparking wildly with electricity as he faced Rigel.

Rigel stepped back, limbering up his shoulders and tightening the sports tape around his paws before assuming his stance, hopping a bit on the spot. "Bring it on, sparky!"

The Raichu chuckled. "Ironic; you almost got my name right; I'm called Sparker!" And with that, as Leon gave the signal to begin, he leapt into the air, an Electro Ball forming at the end of his tail, which he hurled at Rigel.

"Please!" Rigel hollered, leaping over the attack nimbly before he cupped his paws at his side and discharged an Aura Sphere in retaliation. "I'm faster than any Electro Ball you dish out!"

Using a Thunderbolt to intercept the Aura Sphere, dispersing it prematurely, the Raichu gave Rigel a toothy grin. "Oh you want fast?" He asked, before he went off with a Quick Attack, leaving after-images of himself behind as he moved. "You don't know fast!" Sparker taunted him as he literally ran circles around the Lucario, down on all fours, until he actually slammed into him from behind, taking off again before Rigel could retaliate.

Rigel stumbled forward from the hit, then grinned as he straightened up. "Two can play at that game!" He returned, then he he began spinning on the spot with his leg out, growing faster and faster by the second. "Try this on fer size!" He hollered, using his aura sense to more accurately track the Raichu before launching himself at Sparker, aiming to intercept him as he ran in circles around him.

His timing was ever-so-slightly off, however, as he jumped too early, resulting instead in Sparker slamming into him from the side, both of them falling to the ground and tumbling away from each other. The Raichu sprang back up, shaking his head and facing Rigel, firing another Thunderbolt at him as he started to stand up. Rigel groaned, then started spasming about when he was hit by the Thunderbolt. "AAAYAYAYAAAA!!!" He hollered as he was zapped.

"You're too slow!" Sparker taunted him, laughing before he was off in another dash, running laps around the battlefield and taunting Rigel whenever he passed, sometimes even striking him with a Tail Whip when he raced by him.

Rigel stayed knelt even as he was struck, still getting over getting shocked from the previous Thunderbolt attack. It looked like he was paralyzed, unable to rise up from his kneeling position. Mikhail was actually concerned as he watched from the bleachers. "Uh oh... I think Rigel might be in trouble. He looks paralyzed!"

"What can he do?" Volcan asked. "That Raichu's as fast as Howler; how's he going to get him?"

"...It's a ruze," Kage stated. "He's faking it..."

"What do you mean?" Volcan asked.

"If he were paralyzed by electricity, there would be sparks around his body..." He explained. "Use your eyes..." He added rather coldly.

Volcan turned, squinting as he peered out at Rigel. "Hey... you're right! But why's he just standing there while Sparker keeps lowering his defenses like that?"

Mikhail then clapped his paws together. "Of course! He's biding his time! Waiting for Sparker to deal the finishing blow!" Mikhail stated. "I have to give Rigel more credit ;he's very crafty when he needs to be."

"Alright...!" Sparker called, stopping on almost the opposite side of the arena from Rigel. "Now I'm going to finish this..." He began to charge at him, his whole body becoming engulfed in a surge of electricity.

"I hope it works; Sparker's using Volt Tackle!" Volcan exclaimed. "If Rigel gets hit with that, he's history!"

Rigel then grinned as Sparker approached him, then quickly rose to his feet, an Aura Sphere in his paws. He hurled the attack at the Raichu before sidestepping out of the way of the oncoming volt tackle. The Aura Sphere hit Sparker, thanks to him being unable to maneuver out of the way, and his trajectory was thrown off; he tripped, and went skidding through the dirt, leaving behind a dust trail as he slid out of of the battlefield before finally coming to a stop.

"Out of bounds!" Leon called. "The winner is Rigel!"

He pumped his paw into the air after his victory was announced, then he stepped over to the Raichu and crossed his arms. "Heh, that was fun. Good effort."

"I thought you were paralyzed," Sparker said crossly, glaring up at him. "You tricked me/"

"That's whatcha get fer not paying attention." Rigel returned matter of factly. He then hopped down and pulled the Raichu back up on his feet. "No hard feelings pal, I just can't afford to lose this thing is all."

"Yeah, well," He accepted Rigel's paw. "I came in here with the same thought. The possibility will always be there." And with that, he began to leave the arena. "Good luck to you though, I guess."

"Buddy if you knew what I was fighting for, you'd understand." He returned, then turned away and headed off back to his exit out of the arena.

Back up in the stands, the others were discussing the battle; Hank and Eagle Eye chimed on about how surprised they were that Rigel would be so crafty, while Volcan and Luke were a little more reserved about it. "I guess that means Tristan is up next," Volcan stated.

Luke nodded, crossing his arms. "Whoever goes up against him all be hard pressed to overcome an Aggron of his sturdiness."

"That's for sure," said Volcan, narrowing his eyes. "And if Tristan wins... he fights Rigel next."

Luke gave a sigh. "Knowing Rigel he won't give up so easily, but I know for a fact he won't win."

"I still wish him the best... for what it's worth," Volcan added, nodding.

Tristan began to step out onto the field as the team continued talking, his thunderous footsteps matched only by his opponent; a Rhydon, who stormed out at the other end of the arena with equally heavy steps; the battle looked like it was going to be one heavyweight against another. Tristan appeared slightly bigger than the Rhydon, but his Ground-type attacks would prove extremely effective against Tristan if he played his cards right... This actually looked like it was going to be a close battle.

"Now this is a battle I can get a kick out of watching!" Hank stated as he kicked back against his seat. "Place yer bets people."

"My vote will be for Tristan," Katsu stated. "I've sparred with him once before. He has the strength and fortitude to overcome any opponent, despite his lacking intellect."

Hank smirked. "Ok then I'll go fer the Rhydon just to spite ya." He said with a snicker.

"I'll take that bet; my money's on Tristan," Volcan chimed in. "I admit this Rhydon probably has the best chance of beating him out of everyone we've seen in this tournament, but Tristan will not go down easily. He may surprise us."

"Regardless, this should be a fun fight to watch." Luke added, nodding his head. "I'm not much of a gambling Pokémon, but I'd say this one goes to Tristan."

"Not a gambling Pokémon, says our team strategist." Hank snickered.

"So far Hank you're the only one betting on Rhydon," Volcan said, grinning at the Zoroark. "I hope you've got deep pockets."

"Eh, if I lose I lose." He said with a shrug.

"The fourth and last match for today!" Leon announced. "Everest of Team Grinder, vs. King of the West Islands! Let the battle..." He brought down his flipper. "Commence!"

The two charged at each other, both of them roaring loudly as they attacked, slamming into one another with their combined body weight; the sound caused by their collision sent a resounding clamour through the entire colosseum, not sharp enough to cause anyone some discomfort but heavy enough they practically felt the impact of the two. Tristan, being the heavier, sent the Rhydon skidding somewhat as they grappled, but surprisingly, Everest proved to be the physically stronger, when he began to actually push Tristan back; Tristan dug his heels into the ground, but Everest proved to be quite tenacious, putting all of his strength into the push, and even though Tristan was extensively heavier than him, he could not stop how he was being pressed back.

"Holy shit!" Volcan exclaimed, barely able to believe what he was seeing. "That Rhydon is actually _stronger_than him!"

"Well well, I guess luck's on my side after all." Hank said as he got more comfortable in his seat.

"The match has barely begun, Hank. I wouldn't start celebrating yet." Katsu warned the Zoroark.

Surely enough, Tristan managed to finally gain an upper claw when he used Iron Head, smashing his armoured skull against the Rhydon's to daze him, following it up by jumping back and then lunging at him with a powerful Take Down, throwing all of his mass into Everest and sending him to the ground, trying to pin him only to be hurled off when Everest threw back his legs and hurled Tristan off of him, the Aggron crashing to the ground behind him.

Rolling over, both fighters got back to their feet; Everest's horn started to spin rapidly, and he charged at Tristan, attempting to attack with a Horn Drill. Tristan caught the Rhydon by his shoulder's mid-charge, keeping that deadly horn away from himself before he turned sharply to throw the Rhydon away from him, blasting him with a white beam he fired from his mouth -a Flash Cannon.

Everest took the attack, but stood his ground, throwing himself back at Tristan until the two slammed into each other again, with such force this time the two of them were knocked back from each other, and that is when Everest turned and then stomped the ground to attack Tristan with an Earthquake, causing the entire arena to shake, but Tristan jumped just in time to avoid it, dropping at the Rhydon with a Heavy Slam, which Everest barely evaded. Tristan's collision with the ground caused a quake of its own, shaking the arena all the more.

Mikhail's glasses managed to fall off his snout from the rattling, making him blink a bit before he realized they were missing. "Oh no! My glasses!" He then got on his knees and began to scrounge around for them blindly, trying to squint his eyes to try and see a little better.

Volcan, seeing the Lucario's dilemma, left his seat and knelt down to help him search, looking carefully over the ground and even lighting up his fist with a Fire Punch -though didn't actually swing at anyone- to look for anything that might reflect the light it emitted. Out of the corner of his eye, below the seat in front, he spotted them, reaching down below the seat and carefully picking them up between his talons, dispersing the flames of his other hand as he placed them into his palm safely.

"Mik," he informed, scooting closer to the Lucario and offering him his glasses. "Found 'em."

Mik felt about Volcan's hand until he felt his glasses, taking them into his paw and quickly putting them back on. "Ah, much better... Thank you." Mikhail said to the Blaziken.

"No problem," Volcan returned. "Quite a quake Tristan caused there, huh?"

"Indeed yes. He's certainly very heavy." He returned, standing back up to take his seat again.

"Had that heavy slam ended, that might've been the end for that Rhydon," Volcan stated, finding his own seat again. "But Tristan's getting pretty pressured too..."

"I think Tristan might have his work cut out for him." Mikhail concurred. "But we'll find out soon enough."

The two massive Pokémon had resorted to trading different attacks; Tristan with Metal Claw, and Everest with Hammer arm, both attacks repeatedly colliding with either fighter as the battle raged on. Although Everest should have had the edge in using a Fighting-type move, Tristan's bodily armour was so strong that not even the quadruple effectiveness of said typing could stop him, while his metal claw against Everest's less-sturdy defense was quickly taking its toll. All in all, the two seemed evenly matched.

The clashing of claws continued until they grappled again, once more a contest of strength, fighting for control, until Tristan grinned. "You did good, pal," he said. "Had you been a Rhyperior, I think you could've beat me."

"I've got one trick left!" The Rhydon returned, pulling away from Tristan. "If I can't break through your armour, I'll bury you in it!" And with that, he jumped up high into the air, raising his legs even as he ascended until he started to fall again, ready to stomp.

"Hold onto your glasses, Mikhail; I think he's using Earthquake again!" Volcan warned, prompting the Lucario to pre-emptively place his paws against his snout to hold his glasses in place.

Everest landed with earth-shattering force, the ground beneath him cracking and letting sand flow into it as he unleashed his Earthquake attack, sending a fissure ripping towards Tristan, who looked to be unable to get out of its way... in fact, he wasn't even trying. He simply held out his arms, a jolt of electricity coursing from his claws all over his body, and waited. The fissure reached him; the ground split open under him, but he didn't fall. He floated, right where he was, tail and feet hanging under him, but in complete defiance of all laws of physics, he didn't fall into the gaping hole under him, shocking the entire audience with his feat.

"...How?" Everest demanded, watching in complete disbelief of what he was seeing.

"Magnet Rise," the Aggron returned, swaying his body to push himself over to the side until he was over solid ground again. "A must-have for someone like me; makes me immune to Ground-type moves." He chuckled. "Sorry pal, but this is it."

He flexed his arms, his whole body glowing brightly for an instant. The magnet rise expired, and right as he landed back on solid ground, many of his armoured plates suddenly fell from his body, shedding from him like skin until only his helmet was left on. With that, he charged at Everest, with speed that should not have been possible for him, and delivered an all-mighty Head Smash to the Rhydon while he was still shocked by his failed Earthquake, and down went Everest, slipping out of consciousness before he hit the dirt with a thunderous crash.

"Match over!" Leon called. "The winner is King!"

"Magnet Rise..." Volcan echoed, blinking. "I completely forgot Tristan knew that move."

Much to the surprise of everyone, Mikhail was the one to explode with excitement at the results of the match. "That was... SPECTACULAR!!" Mikhail exclaimed. "I never knew Aggron could learn Magnet Rise!"

Luke and Volcan shared a brief glance, equally surprised by the sudden change in the medical Lucario's manner, but they let it be, and went back to assessing the results. "But how'd he suddenly go so fast like that?" Volcan asked. "It's like he made himself lighter or something."

"Honestly I'm not sure." Mikhail returned, just as puzzled as Volcan. "Even with Magnet Rise, most Aggron are very slow to move."

Volcan chuckled. "I was hoping that as a Steel-type you might know more... damn," he said. "Luke? Katsu? Any idea?"

"None." Katsu said, shaking his head. "The answer eludes me."

"As it does me." Luke returned, rubbing his chin, trying to think of an answer to the mystery as well.

"That was 'Autonomize'," a voice spoke from their left, diverting all of their attention to the ever timely appearance of Sickle and his team, who were standing by the rail. The speaker was Blaster, who was still looking down into the colosseum. "It's a move only Steel-types can learn, except for a Lucario or a Magnemite -probably some others I don't know of. But what it does is that it lets the user decrease their body mass by about two hundred and twenty pounds, and then increases their speed by almost double."

"As a result it'll make an attack like Heavy Slam weaker, but also reduce the effects of attacks like Grass Knot or Low Kick," Sickle added. "All without losing any defensive strength."

"Well colour me impressed." Eagle Eye said with a grin. "That's quite a handy move ta have."

"Indeed. It would explain why neither myself nor my brother would know about it." Mikhail added. "I'll have to read up on that attack to better understand it."

"What happens to the plates that fell off of Tristan though?" Volcan asked.

"They'll reform within hours; he can even re-attach them if he so chooses," Blaster replied. "Doing so will cause them to reform to his body, and give him back his regular body mass. Like he never lost them."

"...That is a very nifty move." Luke commented. "Shame my species can't learn it, or I'd be using that a lot in my battles."

"Oddly enough, Aegislash and KIingklang can learn it even though neither one even weighs that much," Sickle added. "Weird, huh?"

"Again, I'll have to look up the attack to better understand it." Mikhail reiterated. "Still, it was an exciting match to watch. Even I got pumped for it, and I normally don't like fighting."

"Anyway," Sickle began, stepping back from the rail and approaching Team Valiant. "I came up here to wish you guys luck, because tomorrow... you fight us."

Luke nodded, standing up from his seat and turning to fully face Sickle. "I'm aware of that." He returned with a nod and a smile. "It should be quite a battle. You've got some impressive teammates with you."

"You too," Sickle said, holding out his claw to Luke. "Whatever happens," he started. "There'll be no hard feelings, so let's both give it our all tomorrow. Agreed?"

Luke firmly took Sickle's claw in his paw and shook it once. "Agreed." Luke returned. "No regrets. No hard feelings." He added with a nod, smiling more at the Grovyle before him.

"But," Sickle began, squeezing Luke's paw a little tighter and grinning as he peered into Luke's eyes. "Though I'd love to see you guys move on to face Team Warmachine, my team and I came here to win... so I just want to remind you, I am holding nothing back, at all."

Luke's smile turned into a firm grin as he gripped Sickle's claw just as tightly. "I'd expect nothing less from you... as such, I too will hold nothing back. Right from the gate, I'm going all out against you. That's a promise."

When finally they released their grip on each other, Sickle slowly turned away from Luke, still smiling at him until finally they broke their locked gaze and Team Kama headed downstairs to the corridors, making their way back to the ship.

"One of two moments of truth, I'd say," Volcan commented. "Team Kama's going to be our toughest opponents yet."

"I say bring em on!" Hank hollered. "We'll show em just how tough these backwater boys can be!"

"Regardless of the outcome, I look forward to meeting them in the ring... I shall fight hard for our victory!" Katsu bellowed while pounding his chest proudly.

"And Luke," Volcan began, turning to the Lucario. "Ready to face your new rival?"

"Honestly I can't wait... I'd much rather face them now while the anticipation is still fresh."

"Unfortunately, we have to be patient," Volcan stated. "Let's use this time to go back to the ship and plan for tomorrow. And while we're at it, let's eat hearty and rest well."

Luke nodded. "A fine plan" Luke returned, looking back to his teammates before he led them away back to the ship to get their meals and plan their strategy before they rested for the night.

~~~~~

"Alright guys," Sickle began addressing his team as they sat in his room to discuss their plan. "Team Valiant's going to be our strongest opponents yet; right now they're all that stands between us and the semi-finals, so when we fight them tomorrow, we fight with everything we've got."

"You can count on me," said Blaster, with Howler nodding in agreement. "So who do we go for?"

"I have a feeling Luke already plans to fight me," Sickle stated. "And Katsu wants to fight you, Blaster. Howler, I don't know; they'll probably use that Greninja friend of theirs -to me he seems like their best option." He looked at Howler. "Think you can take him?"

Howler nodded in reply, snorting through his nostrils as he curled his paws, crossed before his chest to show his anticipation. "I think he knows he can," said Blaster. "But Sickle... sure you can beat Luke?"

"Straight up, not a chance," Sickle replied with genuine honesty. "Although I think I have him beat in agility and can at least rival him in speed, that Steel-typing of his renders most of my attacks useless; I can't fight him with Grass or Normal, and he already has seen me use Drain Punch -he's going to be watching for it, and he's fast enough to get out of the way when he sees it coming." He walked over to a trunk at the foot of his bed, kneeling down. "If I'm going to have a shot, I'll need a little extra help."

"Wait, you're going to use one of those?" Blaster asked. "But we don't have that many; we were saving them for the semi-finals and Warmachine's boys."

"Don't worry; I'm only using one," replied Sickle as he lifted out an object; a round, bracelet-like item, which he slid over his hand, closing it around his wrist before reaching back into the box and taking out a small, yellow gemstone, holding it up and staring at it with a smile.

"This is to even the playing field; if I'm going to beat Luke, it'll be in a contest of skill, and not decided by typing." He fit the stone into one of the slots of the bracelet, watching as it lit up, and he smiled wider as he turned his gaze towards the ceiling, peering through the skylight window above and at the rapidly darkening sky.

"Get ready, Luke," he whispered. "'Cuz now, I am."