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Caulin and Qiang approached the ring, accompanied by Volcan who walked a few steps behind them. The announcer introduced the two of them to the crowds, drawing all attention to them as he called out their names via microphone. Qiang felt exposed, feeling himself growing more anxious the longer he felt eyes on him. He'd never been in front of so many people at a time before, his knees almost knocking together as he walked. Caulin, meanwhile, was relishing in the crowds, looking around and waving at everyone cheered for them. He especially looked for his mother and father in the crowds for a bit, then waved at them with both arms before giving them a fist pump and a confident grin.

"Qiang, you okay there?" Volcan asked, noticing the stiff-legged walk of the Kubfu.

"Of course!" Qiang returned, quickly, "I'm... I'm fine!"

"I know stage fright when I see it, Qiang," said Volcan, "just focus on the match ahead. Think of this as your training battles back home."

"There were a lot less people back home," Qiang returned in a strained voice.

"You'll get used to it," Caulin assured his partner with a grin, "Or you can be just like me and just soak it all in." He teased.

"Clearly I am not an extrovert like yourself," Qiang replied, swallowing hard and trying to steady himself as they reached the ring.

The announcer then called out their opponents, and from the opposite end, a Mienfoo and a Tyrogue descended toward the ring, accompanied by a Hitmonlee. The pair were introduced as Lu Jing and Longis. Both Volcan and the Hitmonlee eyed their opposition studiously, though neither one gave much away to the other.

"Okay... We ought to play this one safe," said Volcan,"Qiang, you should go first. You've got the better defense with Detect. Until we can gauge what these two are capable of, keep your guard up."

"O-Okay."

"And don't think of the crowds," said Volcan, "Concentrate only on your opponent. Your father taught you how to tone out distractions, right?"

"This is not like that!" Qiang protested.

"This is exactly like that," the Blaziken said, chiding, "this is what Master Zheng has been teaching you about tuning out distractions. Remember his words, use your training, and you'll be fine," he rested his hand on Qiang's shoulder as he continued, "And don't forget, you can tag out if you need to, but use your judgement on that. Don't step out just because you feel overwhelmed. You can't make Caulin do all the fighting."

Qiang, motivated by Volcan's encouraging words, turned to the ring again, using exercises taught to him by his father to calm himself. Deep breaths, hold, release, three times. By the end of which, he had managed to summon his courage, and approach the ring.

In the ring, the Mienfoo - Lu Jing, went first, hopping over the side and moving to the center while Qiang, encouraged by Volcan, entered the ring. Lu Jing watched Qiang approach and took note of his apparent nervousness, offering a small smile once they met at the center of the ring.

"First time competing out in public?" She asked the Kubfu, resting her hands on her hips.

Qiang sighed, "Is it that obvious?" He asked.

"Don't fret. Once you get started, everything else will just melt away and you can focus on what's important," she added before pointing right at Qiang, "Unless I knock you out; whichever comes first."

Qiang narrowed his eyes, feeling his determination resurface at the Mienfoo's challenge. He took a more steadying breaths before he eyed Lu Jing, determined. "You will find that much harder than you believe. The crowds may concern me, but the battle does not."

"That's better~" Lu Jing replied with a more confident grin, placing her paws together and bowing toward Qiang, "May the best warrior win,"she bade her opponent respectfully before she hopped back and assumed her fighting stance, her arms spread wide apart with her rear arm raised above her head, and her legs wide apart with her rear knee bent to help retain her balance.

"Likewise," Qiang returned as he backed away to a safe distance. The roar of the crowds filled his ears, but he kept his attention solely on the Mienfoo.

The signal went off for the match to begin, and Lu Jing made the first move. She came forward like the snap of a whip, nearly catching Qiang off guard with her first punch, but Qiang saw it coming and blocked it with his arm, redirecting the blow away from herself. He then struck back with a punch of his own, but she did the same, slapping his swinging paw down with her own before she lashed out with her leg, landing a punishing kick to Qiang's stomach.

Qiang left out a breath, drawing his muscles to absorb the kick, and struck back with a Counter, knocking Lu Jing back. She skidded across the floor, keeping her footing and managing to evade a follow up Dynamic Punch from Qiang by dashing to the side. She went for his back, having exposed himself, but he rounded on her before she could reach him, their arms colliding mid-strike, and she was forced to jump back again when he swung at her.

She gave a nod of approval. "Okay, you seem to know what you're doing," she said, "I'm relieved. I was afraid I'd score an easy win today."

"I am the son of a master of the Order of the Fist," returned Qiang. "I shall not shame him by losing so easily."

"Good to hear. Now, shall we continue, little boy?" She taunted with a smirk.

"Little? You are no older than-" he paused, and smirked, "Trying to distract me," he stated.

Then, he lunged, launching into an Aerial Ace in the form of an aerial roundhouse kick. She arched her head back to dodge the kick, before she sprang into the air with a Bounce attack, narrowly missing him as she came back down, and followed her botched attack with a whirling kick that nearly caught him across the face. Fortunately, he saw it coming, and pressed his attack, the two exchanging several blows as they fought for an opening.

On the side, Volcan eyed the ongoing fight with concern. "She's quick," he said. "Qiang needs to keep his guard up. Only way to beat speed is with a solid defense. Leave no openings. That last missed kick could've cost him the fight."

"Defense is one thing Qiang's good at," Caulin remarked, staring intently at the fight as it went on. "It took me a bit of time to get a good hit on him the first time we sparred. If I had a hard time breaching his guard, she's gonna be in for a really bad time." He went on to say, giving praise to his rival.

Qiang seemed to learn his lesson. As Lu Jing struck at him again, he landed a successful Counter that knocked her back, redirecting the force of her own attack back at her. She reeled and took a few steps back from the force of the attack, but she managed to regain her senses quickly enough to parry a follow up attack from Qiang, then used a Fake Out to try and make him flinch, but Qiang's Inner Focus protected him, and he retaliated with a Headbutt, lunging headfirst at the Mienfoo.

Lu Jing was caught off guard when he didn't flinch from her Fake Out, taking the headbutt full force and yelling in pain before she stumbled back, trying to shake the stars out of her vision. Qiang did not relent, seeing his opportunity before him; he attacked with an Aerial Ace, leaping into the air and delivering two consecutive kicks to the Mienfoo.

"Oh shoot!!" She exclaimed, flailing her arms to try and stop herself, but the momentum of her kick carried her over the edge of the ring where she tumbled along the ground, kicking up some dust as she tried to recover from her failed kick.

"Ring out!" The announcer called. "First match goes to Team Nineteen!"

"Yes!" Volcan exclaimed. "Excellent comeback!"

"Nice one, Qiang!!" Caulin hollered, raising his paw into the air in triumph.

Lu Jing groaned as she pushed herself up onto her feet, dusting herself off before looking over in Qiang's direction. She locked gazes with him for a moment before a smirk crossed her features.

"Not bad, little boy." She said as she walked over and hopped back up into the ring again, placing her open left paw into her closed right paw and bowed to the Kubfu respectfully. "You got skills and the patience to go with them. I look forward to seeing you and your partner progress through this competition... Assuming he can beat my partner~" She added with a small wink.

Qiang huffed, returning to his starting spot as Lu Jing returned to her side to tag out with the Tyrogue, Longis. Volcan called out to Qiang, "Take a break, Qiang. Let Caulin step in."

"I can keep going," Qiang said.

"You need to catch your breath. You took some big hits there," Volcan reasoned, "Let Caulin take over for now. If he needs to, he can still tag out with you."

Qiang huffed again but complied. He walked over to the stairs and touched paws with Caulin to tag out. As Caulin climbed the stairs, Volcan spoke up. "Okay, Caulin," he said, "Keep a close eye on that Tyrogue's opening move. Tyrogue usually learn moves depending on their parentage or which of the three evolved forms they want to take. Study him carefully and be ready for anything."

"Got it," Caulin answered before smirking confidently,"I'll have this guy's number in less than a minute. Just you watch," he added before stepping over to the center of the ring, waiting for his opponent to step in as well.

Longis stepped into the ring, rotating his shoulders as he took his starting position. At first, Caulin wondered if the Hitmonlee behind him was his parent, in which case most of his attacks would be kicks. That thought was dashed from his mind when the bell rang, and the Tyrogue opened not with a punch, but a projectile. He thrust his arm forward, firing a Vacuum Wave at Caulin.

The Riolu reacted by casting Quick Guard to protect him from the attack, waiting for the attack to hit his arms before he spread them apart and dispersed the Vacuum Wave. He grinned and reared his arm back before casting a Vacuum Wave of his own, followed by another with his other paw immediately after before he started strafing to the Tyrogue's right flank. The Tyrogue remained mobile, avoiding Caulin's attacks to the best of his ability and striking back when he saw an opening.

Then, as they drew close, the Tyrogue struck out with a Mach Punch, dashing across the ring with impressive speed to throw a right hook at Caulin. This time, Caulin didn't have time to bring up a Quick Guard to save him from the attack, and he took the hit dead on. His head jerked to the side from the attack, making him spin once from the recoil, but quickly followed through and retaliated with a heavy roundhouse kick of his own back to the Tyrogue before he could retreat to safety.

The kick caught Longis in the leg, causing him to stumble and fall to one knee, which gave Caulin the opening he needed for his next attack. He kept spinning for a second time, this time lashing his foot out to back kick his opponent square in the face during his stunning display of dexterity. Longis hit the floor hard, skidding a few feet before throwing up his legs and somersaulting back onto his feet again, wiping his mouth where a split had formed in his lip.

"You're good," he complimented.

"Hehe, so are you!" Caulin returned as he hopped on the spot a little. "Though I pretty much got your number now man. Sorry, but you are not gonna beat me with speedy moves alone." He added.

"You've only seen two attacks," he pointed out, before he shifted his posture, flexing his arms and channelling his energy. He then shifted posture and charged, shoulder leading, at Caulin. An ordinary, conventional Tackle powered by whatever he had just done to himself.

Caulin shifted his stance as well as Longis charged forward, holding one paw out in front of him with the other reared back for a counterattack. He waited until the last possible moment before he reacted, throwing his withdrawn arm forward as the Tyrogue closed in on him. The Tyrogue slammed into him, and was then hurled back at Caulin executed his counter attack. Once again, he flipped over to land on his feet and throw a pair of vacuum waves at Caulin before he stumbled and fell on his rear, dangerously close to the edge.

Li Jung was hurriedly circling the ring, running toward him. She was going to tag him out and steal Caulin's advantage!

"Oh no you don't!" Caulin hollered as he charged after him as fast as he could, readying a Force Palm as he rushed the Tyrogue in an attempt to stop him from tagging out.

He had just been reaching for Li when Caulin made contact, launching Longis over the edge and onto the floor outside the ring. The announcer called another ring out, and the disappointed pair looked up in defeat at the triumphant Riolu as the announcer went on to declare the match over, with Team Nineteen as the winners.

"We lost..." the Tryogue said unhappily, looking at Li Jung, "Sorry, sis... I should have tried harder."

"It's all right, bro," Lu Jing answered as she helped the Tyrogue back up onto his feet, "We'll get them next time. For now, let's learn from this experience so we can improve ourselves further," she said with a nod.

The Tyrogue nodded slowly, and once again looked up at Caulin as the Mienfoo helped him stand. Longis gave Caulin a respectful bow. "Good fight," he said, not letting his disappointment affect his sportsmanship. "I hope you'll have a rematch with us someday."

"Just name the time and place, and I'll take you on whenever you want., Caulin answered as he dropped down to their level and offered them a fist bump, smiling cheerfully at the two.

The Tyrogue accepted the fist bump, and walked with his sister to join the Hitmonlee who had escorted them in. They exited the ring while Caulin re-joined Qiang and Volcan.

"Well done, Caulin," said Volcan, nodding in approval.

"Most impressive," admitted Qiang.

"Hehe~ That was fun. I enjoyed fighting that guy," Caulin remarked while rubbing his nose with his paw, "I mean, he's not quite as skilled as you, Qiang, but he's got a lotta potential in him. I can't wait to fight him again next time."

"Let's hope that losing in the first round doesn't kill their spirit," said Volcan, "this sort of thing can happen to anybody, and a lot of fighters don't take it well. They feel like they're useless for losing in round one, and then don't try again."

"I made sure to give 'em the push to keep getting better," Caulin said with a nod and a grin.

"I'll take your word for it," said Volcan, "come on. Let's go find you two some water. The second round will go a lot quicker now once we've gone from thirty-two to sixteen competing teams."

"Perfect! Less time waiting and more time fighting! Just how I like it~" Caulin answered with a giggle.

Qiang huffed, though he was smirking, "Does nothing sour your mood whatsoever?" He asked.

"Nope!" Caulin answered the Kubfu, "Sure I'll feel upset about some things, but ya can't keep being all depressed about them. Take it with a grain of salt and move on, is what I say."

"I believe the term for that is 'sunny disposition'," Volcan offered.

"Yes I... Believe I understand," offered Qiang as Volcan led them out.

When the remaining six fighter teams - twenty-one through thirty-two, completed their matches, the next round was underway and going by quickly. The first two teams were already up, and Caulin and Qiang would be called up for the fourth match, leaving them just enough time to visit the concession where Volcan bought them bottles of water and light, energy-rich snacks to give them a boost for the round ahead without overfilling them. As they enjoyed their snack, they heard the familiar yipping of Ignus and looked up to see him running up to them, with Luke, Minato and Lashanne following behind.

"Hey guys," said Volcan, waving to them as Ignus ran in circles around his feet,"Enjoy the show?" He added as he bent down to pick up the Rockruff.

"You kidding? Their fight was the best by far," Minato remarked as he knelt down and gave his son a fist bump, "quick and precise. Well done, kiddo."

"I learned from the best!" Caulin answered back as his fist connected with his father's.

"Damn straight you did," he concurred, then turned his attention to Qiang. "You performed admirably as well. Your father would be proud if he were here right now."

"I did not win as quickly as Caulin," said Qiang.

"'There is only one decisive victory. The last'," remarked Lashanne. "I read that once."

"Wise words to live by," Minato concurred,"Point is, you secured the first win, then Caulin swept up the match after you. That's teamwork at its most basic form," he explained as he placed his paw atop Qiang's head. "I'm confident you two are gonna go far together in this thing."

"Soon as we can get past the next pair," he said, "I think they're team eighteen. We met them in the corridor outside our waiting room. I don't really know the species myself, but you guys probably saw them too."

"The octopus and crab-like fellows?" Lashanne asked.

"Yeah, them," Volcan confirmed, "Neoco and Malaco were their names, I think. Neoco's father is their coach, and he was a piece of work when we bumped into him. On top of that, he's a veteran wrestler - he was wearing a pro circuit belt when we met them."

"Ah, one of those types," Minato remarked with a roll of his eyes, "if he gives you trouble again, allow me to set him straight." He added.

"No trouble, at least nothing we couldn't handle," said Volcan, waving one hand dismissively while the other petted Ignus along the back, "Honestly, I feel worse for Neoco. His father's hardcore competitive. Like, Neoco bumped into Caulin as we were stepping out, and his dad - Coleo, got on his case for apologizing for it."

"He scolded his own son because he was being polite?" Lashanne asked, incredulous, "What the heck kind of sense does that make?"

"It doesn't," Luke put in, frowning with clear disgust, "I haven't even met him and he's reminding me of a certain boar, and that's slowly getting under my skin..."

"Don't worry, Uncle Luke. If he comes after us when we win, I'll set him straight," Caulin stated firmly.

"Ah, ah," Volcan chimed in, pointing at Caulin, "If it comes down to that you'll let me deal with it, and the arena security for that matter." He stated firmly.

"Aw c'mon, Uncle Volcan. I wasn't thinkin' of hitting him or anything!" He whined.

"All the same, best leave that kind of stuff to the adults, son," Minato remarked, backing Volcan's statement.

"So yeah. Either way we can expect his son to be pretty well-versed in grappling," Volcan went on, "We saw for ourselves that Neoco is pretty good in that regard - he made short work of his opponent in that first round."

"But we have a plan to take him down, so no worries there," Caulin added confidently, "They won't know what hit em once we start fightin~"

"We have a plan?" Qiang asked, looking at Caulin quizzically.

"Well, yea. Weren't you paying attention when Uncle Volcan pointed out how they fought?" Caulin remarked.

"That gives us some ground to work from, but we've hardly come up with a proper battle plan," said Qiang, "We may have some idea how they both fight. But what is your contingency plan for coping with Malaco's outboxing if my patience proves insufficient? Or worse, if Neoco manages to get ahold of either of us, how do we escape him?"

"Well, that's the thing, you likely won't be able to," said Volcan, "Grapplers are strong, and breaking out of their holds is next to impossible,"he rubbed his chin,"I'm trying to remember what Tristan said about fighting them... There's a trick to it, but I've never put it into practice. I haven't faced many grapplers."

"Need me to give you a bop on the head, help you jog your memory?" Minato joked.

"If it were that easy Minato, amnesia wouldn't have been an issue," Volcan retorted while he snickered.

The second round went faster than anticipated. Caulin and Qiang were called to the ring within a half hour of the first round's conclusion. Luke and the others returned to the spectators stands to watch while Volcan led the boys to the ring, letting the announcer introduce them as they descended. But this time, there was a special message included.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it seems we have not just one, but two legendary figures present in the ring today!" The announcer called, which silenced most of the crowd. "As you all know, we have wrestling legend Coleo the Unbreakable in our ring, as the coach and supervisor for Team Eighteen! But did you know that Team Nineteen is also led by a famous man?"

Volcan paused mid-step. "Wait... Are they talking about me?"

"Yes, folks, we just found this information recently ourselves!" The announcer called as a spotlight shone down on Volcan, "We have with us, a winner from Team Warmachine's battle tournament last year, and a veteran from the Battle of Hadleigh last winter! Let's hear it for Volcan of Team Phalanx!"

The audience roared with applause, making Volcan even more self-conscious of the eyes on him. He looked up to the crowds - specifically to Luke who was at the front row just behind them. The Lucario shrugged back at him in response, shaking his head to say he didn't know how this happened, but then motioned for him to just roll with it.

"Ya hear that, Uncle? You're famous~" Caulin remarked with a small laugh.

"I was just a fill in at the tournament," Volcan protested, but still waved to the crowds. "Hadleigh, yeah, I was at the front but I'm hardly worthy of this much praise."

"Humility is a fine mindset for a leader," Qiang stated, "That's what my father says."

"Well, still..."

Volcan caught a look from Coleo on the other side of the ring. He had a sense now that the wrestling champ wanted a go at Volcan himself, but the rules of the tournament wouldn't allow it. He leaned down to whisper something to his son. Then, the Grapploct climbed into the ring first.

"I'm going first!" Caulin stated, punching one paw into the other, "I want to have a go at Neoco."

"Okay Caulin," began Volcan, kneeling beside the Riolu, "the only advice I can offer here is to stay mobile. Do whatever you can to keep him from getting a hold of you and keep close to the edge of the ring where you might be able to tag Qiang."

"Got it," Caulin returned, punching his paws together before he stepped up to the ring himself, meeting his opponent in the middle and throwing his arm out to his opponent. "Let's have a fun match, k?" he asked with a grin.

"I'll try to keep it interesting," promised Neoco, widening his stance and spreading his tentacle arms in preparation, the boneless limbs waving loosely as he readied himself.

"Knock 'em senseless, sonny boy!" Coleo called from the edge of the ring, throwing his tentacles into the air excitedly, "make your old man proud!"

Neoco frowned, slightly, but regained his composure as he faced Caulin. "Okay... No holding back, alright? You'll get no quarter from me either."

"That's just the way I like it," Caulin answered, his grin widening as he hopped back and got into his stance. "Bring it on, Neoco!"

The bell rang, and Neoco lunged, going immediately for a grab on Caulin. He was surprisingly fast despite his anatomy, but Caulin wasn't slow either. He followed Volcan's advice and began running along the edge of the ring, keeping his eyes solely on his opponent as he strafed around him, stopping on occasion to fire off a Vacuum Wave at Neoco when he felt he had an opening.

Neoco stood his ground until the Vacuum Waves started, and then he began to duck and dodge them, as though he knew they were coming even before Caulin threw them. He knew Detect, most likely, reading and interpreting Caulin's moves. What the Riolu didn't expect however, came next. Neoco's mouth opened and he lurched forward, a wade of ink firing from his mouth on a direct intercept toward Caulin.

"Uh oh!" Caulin exclaimed, trying to skid to a stop before he fell into the path of the ink, but his efforts were in vain. The ink - an Octazooka, splashed into his torso and across his face, knocking him onto his back. He sat up, turning over to push himself up on his paws grunting as he tried to get back to his feet quickly and wipe the gunk off of his face so he could see again. He heard Qiang shout a warning toward him, but it was too late.

He felt Neoco seize him from behind, his tentacles wrapping Caulin from in a tight bearhug, trapping his arms against his body. His grip was powerful, nearly forcing all the air from Caulin's lungs as he squeezed. He exhaled sharply with the pressure, instinctively struggling against Neoco's grasp and trying his best to retain what little air he had left in his lungs. He thrashed about as hard as he could, but the grip on his body was too strong, and he could feel his opponent squeezing him tighter and tighter with each passing second.

"Caulin!" Qiang shouted to him. He sounded close, though Caulin couldn't see where he was. "Reach out with your leg! Right in front of you!"

But of course, Neoco wasn't going to allow that. Before Caulin could even attempt it, Neoco turned and threw himself back, landing on his back with Caulin on top of him. He adjusted his tentacles then. Two of his 'leg' tentacles wound around Caulin's feet, holding them strongly, while two from around his torso moved to wind around his neck and over the top of his head. Neoco had him in a perfect sleeper hold and was already compressing the completely helpless Riolu's windpipe to induce it.

"D-Damnit, no..!" Caulin wheezed, his struggles quickly fading as he felt himself losing consciousness in Neoco's grasp. Soon, his struggles eventually ceased as he started to go limp, letting out a weak sigh as the sleeper hold sent him into blackness.

Just before he completely lost consciousness, Neoco loosened, allowing him to take in a breath. He heard the bell ringing, though it sounded like it was coming through water. Neoco released him fully as Caulin managed to take a few breaths, and gently sat up to ease him to an upright position as the Riolu regained his senses.

"Guh!!" He finally managed to shout out as air refilled his lungs again, rubbing his neck instinctively and trying to clean the ink off of his face with his paws once Neoco loosened his grip. "Darn it! Shoulda saw something like that coming..." He berated himself.

Neoco said nothing, but he helped Caulin stand and guided him back toward the edge of the ring where Volcan waited with a rag. He wiped off Caulin's eyes while Qiang stepped forward. The Kubfu patted Caulin's shoulder as he climbed the stairs.

"I won't fail," he promised as he and the Crabrawler, Malaco, entered the ring.

They moved to the center of the ring, facing off with each other. Qiang widened his stance, wasting no time in preparing himself even before the bell rang. Malaco offered no words either to the Kubfu, taking up his own stance and holding his claws in front of his face, skittering back and forth a little as he waited for the signal to go off. The bell rang, and Qiang jerked forward, but he didn't strike, opting to feint out his opponent.

Malaco closed his guard instinctively when Qiang rushed forward, though when he felt no impact from the Kubfu, he parted his arms and shot out a Bubble attack at Qiang in retaliation. Qiang banked to the side to avoid the stream of bubbles and struck out with a Rock Smash-powered punch to the Crabrawler's flank. He in turn quickly skittered out of the way and countered with a reverse hook from his dominant claw, striking for Qiang's solar plexus with that strike and already readying his other claw for a jabbing combo whether his initial strike hit its mark.

Qiang had already braced himself following the miss of his Rock Smash, and successfully executed a Counter, catching the punch with his paw before snapping around and delivering a powerful snap-punch to his opponent's face right below his eyes, directly into the mouth. Malaco recoiled from the punch, shaking his head from the attack and retreating from Qiang as he shook the pain away. He quickly brought his arms back near his face again, sighing a little to help keep himself calm as he watched Qiang closely for his next move.

Qiang remained patient and steadfast. He'd gained an early advantage and intended to keep it and remembered Volcan's advice about Malaco's out-boxing style. He couldn't afford to make a single error, and so he stood his ground, waiting for Malaco to make the next move. The two stared each other down for what seemed like several moments in their combined anticipation.

Then, Malaco shot Qiang a nasty Leer, and immediately rushed in with his arms held close as he approached. At the last moment of his approach though, he shot a Bubble directly into Qiang's face to further stun him, then he proceeded to perform a one-two Power-Up Punch combination before weaving out of the Kubfu's line of sight whenever he turned to face him, then used another Power-Up Punch combination with much more strength behind his punches thanks to his attack's secondary effect.

Qiang took the blows, but he was saved from the third by Detect, predicting Malaco's incoming assault and rushing seemingly to meet him before he made a leap over the Crabrawler, arching over his head as the crab over-extended his punch. He was vulnerable now, and Qiang took full advantage of it when he delivered a kick to his back, powered by Aerial Ace. Then, as he landed, he spun and launched himself at the Crabrawler and landed a second kick that sent him sprawling forward - a direction which his anatomy did not easily allow him to travel.

The Crabrawler stumbled as he struggled to hold his footing, but his left legs got all tangled up in each other and he fell forward onto his face, scrambling to try and right himself before Qiang could move to finish him off.

"N-no! Not like this!" He protested as he struggled to get back onto his spindly legs, using his claws to pull himself back upright again, then turned and faced Qiang again with a more determined glare on his face.

"I refuse to be defeated," stated Qiang, reverting to his stance. He saw his enemy was getting frustrated, and waited for his chance to take advantage...

The Crabrawler had indeed lost his patience, pounding his claws together and skittering from side to side as he closed in, unleashing a flurry of lightning-fast punches with Close Combat. Qiang braced, catching the punches for every swing. Then, with fists glowing with the energy he'd absorbed from the Crabrawler's assault, he delivered a mighty Counter that sent Malaco flying through the air. He screamed out as he was sent flying, his limbs scrambling frantically as he reached the peak of his ascent, then fell back down to the outside of the ring and landed with a heavy grunt on the dirt.

"Ring out!" The announcer called, declaring Qiang the winner.

Malaco grunted as he managed to roll back to his feet again, looking up at Qiang as he stood over him. He slammed his claw into the dirt in frustration for a moment, then sucked in a deep breath and calmed down before nodding to the Kubfu.

"Good fight," he said in a soft tone.

Qiang put his paws together and bowed to Malaco, displaying both acknowledgment and respect, before he moved back to the center ring. The next round was ready to begin, and Neoco once again moved to the center ring, facing off with the Kubfu who made no move to leave the ring.

"Looks like Qiang intends to start this one," said Volcan, "Hope he has a plan..."

"Yea, me too..." Caulin concurred, watching the arena intently once more, never once blinking as he waited for the match to begin. "Be careful Qiang... Don't let him touch you."

Qiang and Neoco faced off as the bell rang, the two of them circling each other. Qiang feinted a step forward, and Neoco made a grab for him, but the Kubfu jumped back before he could successfully seize him. This time, Qiang's posture was less akin to his usual and like his Uncle Chen's, keeping one arm raised in front of his face and his eyes locked on Neoco.

"...He has something in mind," Volcan thought aloud, narrowing his eyes,"Look at how he's adjusted his stance."

"Yea, I saw. He's copying Master Chen's Single Strike Style," Caulin replied, narrowing his eyes as well as he studied what Qiang was doing. He couldn't quite understand why, but... Caulin was starting to grasp what Qiang was going for right before he made a move. It was as if he were imagining what the Kubfu was going to do right before he did it.

Qiang lunged and landed a Rock Smash on Neoco's gut. The Grapploct winced, but he didn't pause. He threw himself forward; to the shock of Volcan and Caulin, Qiang didn't try to avoid the Grapploct, the tentacles wrapping him in a powerful bearhug as it had Caulin minutes before. Qiang's raised arm stood in the way of Neoco's tentacle as it tried to close against his throat.

Somehow, Caulin knew - just before it happened, that that was Qiang's plan. Neoco now couldn't reach his neck to put him in a sleeper hold even as he seized the Kubfu in another grapple. Qiang kept his left arm out, away from his body, but did not resist as Neoco pulled him to the floor in the same hold as he had used on Caulin.

Caulin could scarcely believe what he saw. Qiang had stopped resisting the moment that Neoco had seized him. He didn't try to wrest his arm free, or keep his feet planted. He didn't even move as Neoco squeezed him in a Bind. Why wasn't he fighting back?

Then, Caulin heard Volcan slap his forehead. "I remember!" He exclaimed. "I remember what Tristan told me, but Qiang's figured it out on his own!"

Caulin tore his gaze away from the match toward Volcan. "What? What's he doing that's helping him win this thing?" He asked quickly.

"The trick to beating a grappler is not to resist," explained Volcan, "Once they have you in a hold, you can't break out through strength alone - you'll only exhaust yourself. The trick is biding your time and waiting for an opportunity to break out - that's what Qiang's doing now. He's letting Neoco spend his energy while conserving his own."

Caulin turned his gaze back to the fight, watching as Neoco tried to put more effort into constricting Qiang and force him to submit. Slowly a smile started to cross the Riolu's features before he lifted his paw and clenched it tightly in front of him. "Nice, Qiang... Shoulda expected as much from my rival!" He stated.

Qiang kept waiting, biding his time as Neoco squeezed him relentlessly, trying to twist his arms and legs in ways that might spur a reaction, but Qiang remained steadfast. Then, without warning, he exploded into motion. He snapped his head back and slammed Neoco with a Headbutt, disrupting the Grapploct's focus. At first Neoco held on, but a second Headbutt forced him to release Qiang, bringing up his tentacles to protect his face, and then the Kubfu ripped free of his grip, tumbling away from the Grapploct. Qiang then rounded on him and landed a second Rock Smash, knocking Neoco back before he could fully stand up.

Qiang was visibly panting as he made a dash toward Caulin, paw raised to tag out. Without even thinking, Caulin reached out and tagged Qiang's paw, immediately leaping into the air and concentrating his power into making four clones of himself with Double Team before he fell. All of the doubles mirrored the original as they fell, angling themselves facing toward the Grapploct and readying a Force Palm as they fell.

Neoco looked around in dismay as he saw the clones, bracing himself as they attacked. He lashed out with one of his tentacles at the first one that closed in, swinging it out like a whip. The first two vanished upon impact, while the other two pushed the real body forward to close the gap between them at a faster pace.

When Neoco brought his tentacle back for another swing, time seemed to slow down for Caulin as he seemed to predict exactly where the tentacle would be moments before it happened. He twisted his body and dodged around the tentacle at the last second, the limb barely grazing his tail as he dodged the attack, then he thrust his Force Palm straight into his opponent's face with a furious cry.

Neoco's eyes crossed at the impact. He teetered for a moment, and then... He fell, hitting the floor hard. When he didn't move, the bell rang and Caulin was declared the winner by knockout. The audience erupted once more into applause.

From the stands, Minato was staring at his son in astonishment. In all the time he had spent training Caulin and watching him train on his own, he never once saw him pull off a maneuver that advanced before. He had to blink a few times to snap back into reality before he managed to speak up. "How... When did he learn how to do that?"

"Do what, that flip?" Lashanne asked.

"Well, that too, but..." He paused for a moment, "I can't explain it, but... It's almost as if he knew when to dodge at the precise moment."

"Maybe he's just got a good sense of timing?" Lashanne offered.

Minato hummed in thought. "...Maybe," he relented, shrugging as he decided not to pursue the matter, instead opting to celebrate his son's victory.

"Well done, Caulin," Volcan complimented as the Riolu came down from the ring, "That was one hell of a move at the end there too."

"T-Thanks, Uncle," Caulin stammered as he felt the adrenaline start to die down, wiping his forehead with his arm.

"What's wrong?" Qiang asked, looking at Caulin. "Did that fight take too much out of you?"

"Mh? Oh no no, I'm fine." Caulin assured Qiang, smiling that gleeful smile of his. "Just coming down from an adrenaline rush. I'll be alright."

"...Uh oh, heads up," said Volcan, pointing across the ring.

The two turned, seeing Coleo scolding his son for losing the fight. Then, he lifted his head and looked in their direction before he began walking around the ring toward them, his intent clear.

"Stay behind me you two," said Volcan, stepping forward to intercept the Grapploct as he got closer.

"That little runt scored a lucky hit, nothing more!" Coleo declared, pointing an accusing tentacle at Caulin, "My son's too soft for his own good! Don't think for a moment this makes you anyone special, you little cretin!"

Volcan pushed Coleo's tentacle away, glaring down at him, "Caulin won that battle fair and square, and you know it. You just can't handle that fact," he stated.

"Oh really? And I suppose you're going to tell me it's because you're the better coach, is that it?" He demanded.

"I'm a man of action rather than words. I believe what I saw happen," replied Volcan,"your son put up a good fight - you should be proud of him."

"There ain't no prize or fame for coming in anywhere but the top, featherhead!" Coleo retorted, "So don't give me that bull-"

"Dad, enough!"

Volcan and Coleo turned to see the younger Grapploct standing in the ring again, having crossed it to approach and confront his father. He no longer looked embarrassed by his father, like he had in the hall where they had first met him. Now, he looked angry and disgusted.

"Son, this has nothing to do with you," Coleo stated, trying to turn his attention back to Volcan.

"It has everything to do with me!" Neoco protested. "Are you going to do this every time I lose a match? Do you realize that you're making a big scene in front of all these people!" He gestured to the spectator stands, where the audience had grown quiet.

Coleo tore his gaze away from Volcan and Neoco, taking a look around the stands as if seeing them for the first time. "But... But they... He..."

"But nothing, dad," returned Neoco, "Caulin beat me fair and square. It's not even your loss, so you don't have any reason to be sore about it. I'm also not the one hurting his reputation by being such a sore loser to begin with!"

Those words seemed to cause Coleo to rock back on his heels - metaphorically speaking as he did not actually have feet. He looked at the crowds again in startled realization, sputtering as he tried to find words to explain himself. But nothing coherent left his mouth.

Volcan grasped Coleo's shoulder and turned the Grapploct to face him. "When your own son shows more maturity and sportsmanship than you," he stated, "it may be time for a bit of self-reflection, 'pro'." He said before he turned away and stormed up the stairs, motioning for Caulin and Qiang to follow him.

Then, he paused, and looked back to Neoco and Malaco, the latter having come to stand by his friend, "Hey, Neoco, Malaco," he called. "Want to come join us for some drinks?"

The two looked at each other, considering the offer. Then, they nodded, and began to follow. Coleo moved as if to stop him, but Neoco pushed him away, glowering at him before continuing on. Coleo stood staring in disbelief after his son as the announcer called for Security to escort Coleo from the ring. No one else said a word until the Grapploct was gone...

"I can't believe my dad would make such a scene," said Neoco, disgusted. He shook his head as he sipped his juice, his small mouth parting to take in the liquid before setting it down again. "It's one thing to complain behind closed doors but all those people were watching..."

"If he was really a professional, he'd know better," added Qiang.

"Yeah, my thoughts exactly," the young Grapploct agreed.

"Well, you showed him a thing or two, Neoco," Caulin remarked encouragingly, pumping his fist and smiling at him, "way to stand up for yourself, man. That guy had it coming lotsa times over, and if you weren't gonna speak up, I sure as heck was!" He added with a firm nod.

"I was worried he might have assaulted your coach here if I hadn't stepped in," remarked Neoco, looking at Volcan.

"That mistake would have been all his own," Volcan replied, nonchalant.

"Yea, Uncle Volcan could take him_easy_," Caulin assured the Grapploct, reaching over and patting his back a few times. "You're amazing, buddy. I can't wait to fight you again next time, only it'll be on our own terms," he said with a smile, "You and Malaco against me and Qiang. No ring outs. Just a fight until one of use faints."

"As I recall you were the first one to faint," Neoco said, looking at Caulin with what could only have been a smug expression.

Qiang inhaled, "Ooooh.".

"Hey, I can take a loss." Caulin answered, never once losing his smile, "I'll just know not to be as reckless next time! Point is, I had fun, and that's how it should be."

"So did I," he agreed, reaching over a tentacle to pat Caulin's back. "And for what it's worth, if I had a jaw, it'd have been hitting the floor with that last move you pulled at the end. You timed that leap perfectly."

"I'm still trying to figure out how I did that, really." Caulin answered honestly, looking up as if he were trying to figure it out for himself.

Volcan eyed the Riolu with consideration, curious as to how even Caulin could not explain how he had timed that evasion so perfectly. It had come so clearly to him from what Volcan saw, like it was second nature. Still, he offered an explanation. "I'd chalk it up to good instinct," he said, with a shrug.

"Well, either way, That's another round down. On to the next one~" Caulin announced happily, raising his own juice box. "But first! Let's hear it for Neoco for standing up to his old man and speaking his mind!"

"I agree. Nicely spoken, partner." Malaco concurred, nodding to the Grapploct in approval.

"Thanks guys. I think my old man was overdue for a slice of humble pie," said Neoco, then he looked at Volcan. "That's the right turn of phrase, right?"

Volcan nodded. "Close enough," he said.

Caulin gave another cheer for his new friend before he took a huge swig of his apple juice, giving off a small belch afterward and quietly excusing himself before he started laughing again in celebration.

Later on, Neoco had reunited with his father and left with him, his humbled parent silent as they left the arena. An end to the day was called by the administration as it was near to closing time, and so the second round concluded with the tournament scheduled to resume the next morning. The family departed from the stadium, talking about the events of the tournament. The seven of them headed immediately to a nearby restaurant and sat down for a well-earned dinner.

"I was wracking my brain trying to remember what Tristan taught me about dealing with grapplers," said Volcan, resuming their conversation from when they left the stadium. "I could not remember, but somehow, Qiang figured it out on his own."

"Well, one of you had to," Minato remarked with a smirk.

"Well of course Qiang would figure it out!" Caulin said in praise of his fellow student,"he's got a better head on his shoulders than I do after all; what with us being complete opposites in how we handle our fights."

Qiang gave a shrug. "It just sort of occurred to me," he said, "it can't be so different than when dealing with a snake. You can't escape through sheer strength alone, so resistance is just a waste of energy."

Volcan nodded. "Exactly," he replied. "All you can do is relax and wait for a chance to get away."

"Well, I'm gonna have to remember that for next time," Caulin admitted, "I won't get beat by the same guy twice, that's for sure. I'll learn from this experience and get even stronger than ever!"

"Hehe, that's my boy." Minato remarked with a nod of approval.

"Learn from every loss and as you grow, victory shall be yours," recited Qiang.

"No wiser words could have been said," Minato agreed, "just a few more rounds and you'll have this, guys."

"Yeah. The tournament is only four rounds. Now that the second is over there are only eight competing teams left," added Volcan. Then, he added words of caution," just remember, these guys have made it through two rounds as well," he began, "they're bound to be tougher than the ones you've faced so far. Not to say Neoco and Malaco weren't tough but when it comes to competitions like this it's a safe bet your next opponent will always be stronger than the last."

"The tougher they are, the sweeter the victory," Caulin answered as he pumped his fist in front of him.

"Take Volcan's advice seriously, Caulin," Luke piped up sternly,"things are only going to get tougher from here. You can't afford to be careless anymore. Take it from the two of us; when we entered in Torolf's tournament way back when, we encountered a couple scenarios where we thought we had the edge, but had the table completely flip on us due to our hubris."

"Yeah. Once we fought Team Phobia, it was completely different than anyone before them," added Volcan, "Romulus did not make that battle easy for us. In fact, we nearly lost. I managed to knock Romulus out of the ring with Brave Bird but that same attack also clobbered me too."

Lashanne looked at Volcan. "You fought Romulus yourself?"

"Alongside Hank, yeah. And it's only because Hank got back on his feet that we won the round. Otherwise, it would have been a draw."

"Wow... That Romulus guy sounds really strong," Caulin remarked softly, "Do you think you could beat him if you two faced each other in the ring once again?" He asked Volcan.

"To be brutally honest? No," replied Volcan flatly, "he fought Luke first, so it's safe to assume he was weakened when I faced him. He also didn't have any moves that were effective against me - Fire, Dark and one Grass-type move, all of which I can resist. Yet, even then, he pushed me to my limits. If we fought again and he was fresh, I'm pretty sure he'd beat me."

"Love, don't sell yourself short. You're stronger than you were back then, and you've grown as a Pokémon as well," Luke offered.

"That may be true, but Romulus has changed too," he replied,"and by now he's probably been getting stronger too. Romulus is no ordinary Pokémon."

"What is it that makes him so special?" Qiang asked curiously.

At that, it was Lashanne's turn to speak, knowing the history better than anyone else at the table. "Romulus is a former gladiator and the current de facto head of Gladiator City, who overthrew the big five that ran the city twenty years ago," she explained, "there are a lot of grim rumors surrounding what became of the big five. Locals to the city say Romulus banished them, but gossip mongers think he executed them since no one has seen them since. Although if he sent them out into the desert that's easy to explain." She added grimly.

She continued. "Since then, he's gained a reputation; to his people, he's a benevolent leader, and he keeps them safe from the dangers of the west. But to the criminal element and bandits who are commonplace in the West, he's become known as the Hound of Terror, utilizing fear tactics and a hard justice system to punish criminals, not to mention actively taking part in Rescue Team operations, where said criminals often encounter him directly, and he is not gentle with them. He's even been known to kill; only the really bad ones usually, but he's not afraid to take their lives if they push him too far."

Caulin gulped nervously, fidgeting in his seat uncomfortably, "I'm not sure I'd like this guy... he sounds like a real piece of work..."

"You've no idea. Caulin," Luke remarked with a sigh and a roll of his eyes.

"But, at least we can say he's on our side," said Volcan, "after all, we only survived the trap at the isles because he intervened, and he was with us at the fortress and with you," he looked at Luke, "when Eberon attacked Hadleigh. I may not call Romulus a hero, not by my standards. But so long as he opposes the Dark Crusade, he is an ally."

"Agreed," Luke concurred, "like with Sol, better to have an unstoppable force on our side than running around freely, or worse, as an enemy."

"Bingo," agreed Volcan.

Caulin looked between both his uncles curiously at that statement. "But... Sol's not a bad guy," He remarked objectively,"I mean, after you guys got back from the rescue mission, we've been hanging out from time to time. He's pretty cool if you ask me."

Minato almost spat out his drink after his son made that proclamation, looking at him incredulously - a look shared by the others - except Qiang, who didn't know what they were so bothered by.

"You've been hanging out with Sol and he hasn't tried to torch you?!" Minato asked, nearly blurting out the question.

"...Yeeeaaa?" Caulin answered more cautiously, "I mean, we all train in the same field. He gives me advice, and even helped me practice some of my moves."

"...Well dang," said Lashanne, "Sol has a soft spot for kids. Even I didn't see that coming."

Volcan chuckled. "Ya think you know a guy," he commented.

After a restful sleep, Qiang and Caulin returned to the junior tournament with Volcan shortly after it was scheduled to resume. They arrived in time to see the end of the second match, with a rather formidable looking pair taking the win to move onto the semi-finals. When the pair left, though, it was Caulin and Qiang's turn to report to the ring, and this time they found themselves facing off with an equally formidable pair as the ones they had witnessed. The first of them was a Monferno, wearing two fingerless gloves on the end of his fists.

His partner was a much clearer problem, however. It was a Drowzee, a Psychic-type, which had Volcan narrowing his eyes with concern as he took in the pair. Their coach was an Infernape - likely a relative of the Monferno, who wore a confident smile and posture shared by the two pupils.

"This could be trouble," he said, speaking lowly to Caulin and Qiang, "That Drowzee has an edge against both of you."

"Yea no kidding," Caulin whispered back softly,"Any ideas Uncle? I'm thinking fer the Drowzee we should keep our distance from him."

"No, just the opposite," said Volcan, "Drowzee have a high tolerance to non-physical attacks, and since Psychic-types resist Fighting-type, your Vacuum Wave won't do much against him," he rubbed his chin in thought. "They're much less capable up close; they aren't helpless, but they aren't built for close combat like you are."

He looked at Caulin. "Okay, here's my idea. Use your Double Team to close in on him and do what you can to keep him pressured and keep him from focusing. That should prevent him to using Hypnosis."

"Roger that." Caulin answered, then grinned to Qiang, "Which means you get the Monferno, and judging from what he's got on his hands, he looks like another boxer." He said before slapping his back heartily. "You got this!"

"I suppose we'll know soon enough," Qiang said, taking a few deep breaths to steady himself before he climbed into the ring.

The Monferno stepped up, tightening his gloves along his hands as he approached the center of the ring to meet his opponent. He then lifted his gloves up for Qiang to bump fists with as a sign of good sportsmanship as he spoke up. "You better give me a good fight, little cub."

Qiang bumped his fist against the primate's, to which the announcer praised the show of sportsmanship. "I will not disappoint," he promised, shifting to his defensive stance.

"Good to hear." The Monferno answered before he hopped back as well. Then he took his stance, but... something about it was off. His legs were wider apart than any typical boxer, and while his hands were up they were limp at the wrist, and was swaying back and forth in a hypnotic manner, almost as if he was suddenly out of his mind or inebriated.

Qiang blanked at the sight, blinking in confusion. "What the?"

Up in the stands, Lashanne saw the Monferno's shift in posture and arched an eyebrow. "Uh... Aren't the competitors of this tournament supposed to be below drinking age?" She asked, "He suddenly looks like he just chugged a whole litre of rum."

Minato narrowed his eyes slightly at the Monferno, rubbing his chin with his paw slightly. "...I believe that's the idea," He remarked, earning him a few looks from Luke and Lashanne. "I might be reaching a bit, but it looks like he's a practitioner of what my master referred to as the 'Potion Punch.'"

"...Potion Punch?" Luke queried. "Wait, you mean like Drunken Boxing?"

"More or less the same principle," Minato answered, leaning back in his seat. "This ought to be interesting..."

Down below, Volcan also had begun to realize what style the Monferno was using. He frowned, a deep hopeless frown "...Crap," said Volcan. "This just got complicated."

"Don't worry! Qiang's got this!" Caulin exclaimed with confidence, raising his paw over to the Kubfu. "Hear that Qiang? Kick his butt to kingdom come!" He hollered to his rival.

Qiang glanced Caulin's way briefly before facing the Monferno again, meeting his gaze as the bell rang. The Monferno slowly started to stumble his way toward Qiang, wobbling from side to side as he approached him to really sell the deception that he was indeed very drunk. He approached until he was within arm's reach of Qiang, where he just stood there wobbling back and forth in his stance.

Qiang, wanting to test how this style worked, feined a lunge punch at the Monfernom pulling back at the last second and watching his response. The Monferno snapped his head back in response from the feigned punch, almost as if he had indeed been hit by it, but soon he returned to his loopy demeanour for a short moment before he made his next move.

He stepped forward harmlessly, but with that step he had managed to hook his leg around Qiang's, and in the briefest of moments, the Monferno launched three consecutive punches to Qiang's face, causing him to stumble backward and almost trip from the Monferno's leg locking him in place before he struck. Qiang took each hit, unable to pull away before he wrenched himself free of the Monferno's leg and hand-sprinted away, landing on his feet and facing him again.

"Stay mobile, Qiang, stay mobile," Volcan whispered, but unable to advise the Kubfu as per the rules.

Qiang's opponent was on him like a Combee to a flower though, already closing the distance just as the Kubfu recovered and began another consecutive assault on him. When Qiang eventually did go for a counterattack, the Monferno fluidly maneuvered out of harm's way thanks to the random nature his style of combat offered, maneuvering in unorthodox ways and striking back at Qiang with wild and unpredictable, yet surprisingly polished attacks.

Qiang's frustration with his opponent was clear, despite his best efforts to hold his temper in check. He tried every attack he knew, executing them in every way he could think of. But other than occasionally landing a successful Counter, he was being overwhelmed, and he was running out of stamina.

"C'mon Qiang," Caulin muttered under his breath, impatiently tapping his foot on the ground as he watched his partner become overwhelmed.

The Monferno managed to land yet another clean strike on the Kubfu's cheek with a drunken Fire Punch, spinning with the momentum of his attack before lazily getting back to his stance again, wobbling back and forth as he kept eye contact with his opponent. "You're looking a little tired there, friend." He openly taunted, allowing himself a small smirk. "I won't hold it against you if you tag out. I can tell you're not enjoying yourself right now."

Qiang looked like he was considering doing just that, briefly looking over his shoulder toward Caulin, and then back to the Monferno again, weighing his options. But, with a scowl, he resumed the attack, launching into another Aerial Ace to strike. The Monferno sighed, rolling his eyes as he waited for the strike to close in, then with a snap of his wrist, he parried the Aerial Ace and sent Qiang completely off course, letting him pass harmlessly beside him before turning and shooting an Ember attack from his mouth right into the Kubfu's back.

Qiang felt the searing sparks strike him and let out a pained cry before falling back onto the ring again, close to the edge. Caulin was running over to tag him out, but Qiang had stopped moving, and the bell rang before Caulin could reach him. Only then did the Kubfu lift his head, spurred by the bell.

"No! I could have won!" Qiang said, striking the floor with his fist, "There had to be a way!"

"Qiang, relax!" Caulin tried to calm his partner down. "It's only the first round, man. If we win the second one we can still bounce back from this."

Qiang took a few steadying breaths, eventually nodding, "You're right... I'm sorry," he said, "I should not have allowed myself to become so frustrated."

"Hey, it happens to the best of us," Caulin assured the Kubfu as he stepped out of the ring. "Sit back and take a few moments to recover. I'll handle things for now." He added with a wink and a confident smirk before he hopped up into the ring to begin the second round.

"Be careful," Qiang cautioned as he returned to stand by Volcan.

The Monferno saw the change of opponents, and turned to his partner. They tagged out and the Drowzee took to the ring, rubbing his hands together as he faced off with Caulin, watching the Riolu as they stood at the center of the ring.

"For what it's worth, I wish you luck," the Drowzee said, raising his hands,"But I don't intend to lose here."

"Likewise, pal. Nuthin against you, but I'm not letting my partner's loss be for nuthin." He said as he took his stance again. "I plan to even the score by knocking you out in return."

"You may find that more difficult than you think," he said.

The bell rang, and then the Drowzee struck. His eyes glowed as he thrust his hands forward, and Caulin felt a pulse of Psychic energy strike him, as well as a fog falling over his mind - the Drowzee was using Confusion.

"Oh no, I'm not fallin' for that!" Caulin hollered as he quickly broke eye contact with the Drowzee, then began to strafe in a wide circle around the Psychic type as fast as he could run.

As he did, he used Double Team to conjure four more bodies of himself, each of the copies running off in different directions so as to confuse the Drowzee and make him lose track of the real body. The Drowzee braced himself, his eyes shifting in every direction to try to watch all of the Riolu clones carefully. He then breathed in, extending his trunk before blowing out a sickly coloured fog that spread over half the ring, catching most of the clones in its choking mist.

Caulin didn't realize the danger until it was too late; the mist was a Poison Gas attack, and he doubled over, coughing, while his copies remained unaffected. The Drowzee turned immediately to the coughing Riolu, grinning.

"Got you now," said the Drowzee before he waved his hands in a circular fashion, his eyes glowing brighter as his hands continued to move in a well-coordinated manner.

Caulin felt a wave of exhaustion was over him, feeling the effects of the Hypnosis washing over him. Caulin thought quickly at how he could get out of this, remembering what Volcan had told him; 'avoid looking directly' at him. Caulin turned his gaze to his feet, focusing on the floor, and then had an idea...

He began to sink to his knees, seeming to succumb to the Hypnosis, and then his gaze shot up to the Drowzee as the hypnotic Pokemon began to lower his guard. Caulin thrust his paw at the Drowzee and shot a Vacuum Wave at him. The Drowzee could do nothing to defend himself before the Vacuum Wave struck him; it didn't hurt him too much, but the surprise attack caused him to stumble, leaving him wide open.

Caulin sprang to his feet, and charged, closing the distance between himself and the Drowzee before he sprang into motion. He feinted high, dropped, swept with his leg and once again caught the Drowzee by surprise. One of his feet went out from under him, and he staggered; Caulin shot back to his feet and kicked the Drowzee hard in his exposed belly, launching him backward where he fell over the edge of the ring and hit the floor below.

"Ring out!" The announcer called.

"YES!!" Caulin hollered triumphantly, raising his paws high into the air and jumping with joy. Now, they needed only to win one more round.

The Monferno stepped back into the ring as the Drowzee got up to leave, nursing his bruised belly. Caulin looked briefly to Qiang, wondering if he might be able to take part for this battle but saw the Kubfu was still worn out from the battle before, while the Monferno was still fairly fresh as he had not struggled against Qiang. Caulin sucked in a breath, looking at the Monferno defiantly; it was up to him now.

But the battle with the Drowzee had taken more out of him than he cared to admit. Resisting the Poison Gas and the Hypnosis alike had been taxing, not to mention the Confusion he took before.

The Monferno took note of how tired Caulin was, grimacing a little as he didn't like having to face an opponent that was half defeated. He looked to Qiang off at the sidelines before he spoke up. "...You can switch out if you want," The Monferno stated, wanting to give his opponents a fair chance.

Caulin shook his head firmly. "Not yet." The Riolu stated firmly before looking back to his partner and nodding to him before turning his gaze back to meet the Monferno's, shifting into his fighting stance and waiting for the bell to go off to signal the start of the final round.

The Monferno shrugged softly, shifting to his drunken boxer stance and swaying from side to side. The bell went off soon after and Caulin opened up with a Vacuum Wave attack now that the Drowzee's disable had withered away. In response, the Monferno quickly weaved to the side to avoid the attack and countered with an Ember shower of his own. Caulin ducked and weaved around each fireball that came his way, using a Force Palm to blast the last one away before he rushed in and engaged in a skirmish with his opponent, keeping the pressure on and throwing punch after punch at the Monferno to keep him on his toes.

His opponent effortlessly dodged and parried each of Caulin's attacks, just like he did with Qiang. However, what was different this time around was that because Caulin's attacks were faster and more relentless than Qiang's more focused and precise strikes, the Monferno couldn't counterattack without risking getting struck himself. This was Caulin's strategy, trying to keep the pressure on his opponent, to keep him from him getting his bearings and overwhelm him.

Up in the stands, Caulin's family watched with bated breath at the ensuing clash, seeing Caulin fighting harder than he ever had before. Lashanne's paws clutched the fur of her legs as she watched. Minato watched the fight intently, studying up on Caulin's strategy and narrowing his eyes once he understood what his son was planning.

"...I see what he's doing," He remarked, "He's turning this fight from a display of skill and prowess into a test of endurance. Caulin's wild movements are working to his advantage, making his opponent second guess whether or not he should attack, or risk getting clobbered by one of Caulin's attacks." He deduced.

"But he can't keep it up forever," said Lashanne, "He's going to tire himself out or that Monferno is going to discern a pattern and exploit it."

"That's the risk he's taking..." Minato answered. "My guess is he's planning to exhaust the Monferno enough, then tag out with Qiang so he can finish the job. Of course, that's if Caulin doesn't slip up or if the Monferno doesn't figure out a way to-"

*SLAM*

He was cut off when he saw Caulin take a rather brutal counter punch right to his chest, making the Riolu freeze in place and gag heavily before he slowly fell to his knees and clutching his chest with his paw. The Monferno had found his opening...

He coughed and wheezed heavily as he tried to fight through the pain of his injury. The Monferno took a step back and lowered his guard as he watched Caulin struggle to rise to his feet, only to fall back to his knees again.

"...I take no pride in this victory." The Monferno stated with a heavy sigh. "I gave you the option to switch out and you stubbornly refused. You're good, but I'm afraid this is as far as you go," he said as he took a step forward and wound his arm back, his fist immolating as he conjured a Fire Punch to finish the fight. "I hope we face each other again on more even terms next time," he said before he threw his punch.

Caulin looked up at the last second, seeing the Fire Punch coming right for his face. He saw where it was going to land in his mind's eye again, and in a last-ditch effort, he lifted his opposing paw and threw a punch right back at the Monferno, resulting in the two punching each other clean in the face with resounding force.

Unfortunately, Caulin's strike was much weaker due to how exhausted and injured he was, and he was sent flying away from the force of the Fire Punch, skidding along the arena until he fell off the edge, landing on his side with a weak groan.

"Caulin!" Qiang cried out in shock as the bell rang, he and Volcan running to the Riolu's side to check on him.

The Riolu groaned as he rolled onto his back, still grasping his chest as he fluttered his eyes open slightly to look at Qiang and Volcan. "...I screwed up," he said, giving a weak smile before he coughed again.

Volcan shook his head. "Nonsense," he said as he slipped his hands under Caulin and helped him sit up, "You were brilliant. I'm proud of you, kiddo." He emphasized his consolation with a light pat on Caulin's head and a warm smile.

Up in the stands, Minato's eyes were narrowed still, though not out of disappointment. He was more curious than anything as to how Caulin managed to throw a strike at just the right moment before impact just by looking at his opponent. It was bothering him to no end, making him fidget uncomfortably in his seat as he couldn't make heads or tails of it... Something about what his son was doing felt so strangely familiar to him, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what.

"Well, they managed to get pretty far in their first competition," Luke offered with a shrug, looking to Caulin's parents. "They may not be the champs, but I have a feeling this will encourage them to continue to improve and become much stronger as a result."

"Agreed," said Lashanne. "Caulin and Qiang did great. Their first tournament and they made it to the third round. Out of all the fighters competing here that's an achievement."

"Indeed," Minato answered absently, his paw rubbing under his chin as he continued to stay in deep thought.

They reunited in the lobby. Volcan had Caulin and Qiang in tow when Minato and the others came out to join them. Ignus practically zeroed in on Caulin's slightly somber mood and was already running up to him to console the Riolu when his father let him go. Caulin started giggling when Ignus started attacking him with licks, holding the Rockruff in his paws and turning his head away instinctively as Ignus kept up his licking attack.

"You did very well, you two," Luke offered with a warm smile to both Caulin and Qiang, "Your first tournament and you made it to the quarter finals. That's a very impressive achievement to be proud of, and I'm sure Masters Chen and Zheng will be just as proud as we are of you."

Qiang lowered his head at the mention of his father and uncle, as though he doubted Luke's claim. Volcan looked at the Kubfu, and said, "Wasn't it your uncle who said that there is no shame in defeat so long as you can pick yourself up and keep going?" He asked.

Qiang looked up at Volcan, shocked. "You... You know about that?" He asked.

"He quoted it to me the first time we met," stated Volcan. "Especially after I told him about my own failings and defeats in the past. They're wise words to live by."

"I agree," Luke said with a nod, looking over to Minato afterward,"Words that we all should live by, that way we can continue to improve and become better than we already are."

The elder Lucario glanced at Luke absently, giving him a slight nod and a small smile in response to his claim.

"Come on," said Volcan, "We may as well watch the last of the tournament, and then we'll go for dinner, stay the rest of the night and head home first thing tomorrow morning."

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Lashanne, "We've stayed this long - we might as well see who wins."

"Sure, I'd be down for that." Caulin added, seemingly more chipper now that he had just endured a lick attack from Ignus, whom he was still holding in his arms gently.

They returned to the spectator's stands to watch the remaining battles. The last round of the quarterfinals ended, moving on immediately to the semi-finals after a half hour intermission to give the fighters a chance to rest. On the left side of the graph, Team Six - consisting of an Elekid and Buizel - and Team fourteen, consisting of a Magmar and a Magby - the only brother team to make it to the finale. On the right, the Monferno and Drowzee of Team Twenty-Four, and their opponents, a Mawile and a Leavanny for Team Thirty-Two, both female.

The semi-final round began. For Teams Six and Fourteen, the Elekid was soundly crushed by the bigger brother Magmar, but the Buizel was able to overcome both him and the Magby with his speed and type advantage. One the other side, the Monferno and Drowzee had a much closer match. The Leavanny was an easy win against the Drowzee once she was able to close the distance, but both of them suffered significantly against the Monferno's unpredictable fighting style and fire-typing.

The last battle was heated, with both teams now in line to win the entire competition. They fought harder than ever, giving it their all. The entire audience watched with bated breath, not even cheering as they eagerly waited to see who would win...

The Buizel once again proved a challenge, too quick for the Drowzee to get a lock on but, he was mainly a distance fighter, and when Drowzee caught onto his strategy - using Aqua Jet to speed around the ring, a well-timed Disable sent him toppling over the side. The Elekid stepped up, and despite a brutal battle between him and the Monferno, he miraculously managed to score a win, slowing his opponent with Thunder Wave just before the Monferno landed a solid hit that knocked him out. The Buizel took the ring, but the Monferno's paralysis cost him the win, as his drunken boxing style was disrupted constantly when his muscles seized. The Buizel managed to finish him off with a Water Gun to the face. Team Six was declared the winner, with Team Twenty Four as the Runner-ups.

"Awww shoot... I was hoping that Monferno guy would win," Caulin remarked with a bit of a pout as he watched the fight come to an end,"That Drunken Fist style he used was really something to fight against. I was sure they'd have as hard a time as we did in taking him on last round..."

"If not for that Thunder Wave he took earlier, it likely would have been his victory," said Volcan, "He was undoubtedly stronger than his opponent here, might have even been fast enough to keep up with him, but that Buizel's partner was thorough. Even when he lost, he made sure his teammate would have a significant advantage."

"And in doing so, he succeeded in securing a swift victory for his team," Luke added with a nod, "They're a smart pair those two. Clearly, they've spent a long time developing tactics and working around their weaknesses together to become as in sync as possible."

"Could have just as easily happened for us too," added Qiang, looking at Caulin. "Your Force Palm can inflict paralysis, right? I'd say the only reason we lost was sheer bad luck."

"Nah, that was only a tiny part of it," Caulin remarked, shaking his head, "We were up against someone with a type advantage over us and a practitioner of a style we've never fought before. We were overwhelmed, despite our attempts to bounce back."

"I suppose that's true too," admitted Qiang.

"Even I've never fought anyone who uses the Potion Punch style," said Volcan, "All I knew about it and how to fight it was hearsay. That was one that confounded even me."

"Well then, you know what we gotta do the first chance we get," Caulin stated firmly, "We study up on the style and learn about its strengths and weaknesses so we can counter it better next time!" He added, pumping his fist in front of his face as he made his proclamation.

"That's the spirit," Volcan returned encouragingly.

"Well spoken, son," Minato concurred, patting the Riolu's head gently with his paw a few times, which earned him a cheerful grin from his son.

Caulin and Qiang met with Neoco and Malaco once more before they left Westport, the following morning after the end of the tournament. They said goodbye to their former tournament rivals, who said they looked forward to seeing the two in a future competition. With that, Minato and Lashanne prepared to take the boat back home to Azure. They offered Caulin a lift home, but he expressed that he wanted to head back to the dojo with Qiang first. Luke was given the same offer to take him and Ignus back to Azure while Volcan walked home with the boys.

Luke decided to stick with Volcan and the boys, as he was uncomfortable with bringing Ignus aboard the ship since he was a Rock Type, and he also couldn't swim yet. Minato nodded and understood and gave Luke and Volcan one final casual salute before bidding them farewell for now, adding a little jab about taking the slowpoke's route home rather than the more adventurous seafaring route, which elicited a response from Volcan that if he and Luke ran the whole way they could reach Azure sooner than even Minato.

With the group parting ways, they started their trek home, taking the main road north of Westport. It took them nearly twelve hours of walking but they soon came in sight of the dojo. They entered through the front doors and were immediately assailed with the smell of incense, finding the two masters at the center of the dojo in meditative postures, sitting cross-legged with their hands on their knees. They did not seem aware of their arrival.

"Whoops. Guess we came at a bad time," Volcan spoke in a whisper.

"Father and uncle always meditate at sundown, and again at dawn," said Qiang. "It's almost dark. They should finish in a few moments."

"What does meditation do for them if they can't use Aura like Uncle Luke or Dad can?" Caulin piped up.

"Meditation isn't just for developing control over your Aura, Caulin," Luke explained, "It can also be used as a means of attaining inner peace, or to find one's center of balance. It's also a great stress reliever if you do it right."

"And they only can't project aura the way Luke and Minato can," Volcan added, "They can still control it to enhance their own physique or even share with others." He remembered how Chen had used his own knowledge to save Luke from the shadow curse when they first met.

"...Could they learn how to if they trained hard enough?" Caulin asked inquisitively.

"Maybe. There are other aura masters these days. Lucario are the original, but a few others have learned the secret," replied Volcan, "Like Captain Meilin, right?" He looked at Luke for reference.

"Yes, exactly," Luke answered with a nod.

"She is a member of the Order of the Fist just as we are," remarked Qiang, bringing out the figurine of the Mienshao he'd won at the carnival. "One of the best of the order, after my father and Uncle Chen."

"Flattering, nephew," Chen spoke up suddenly, making the four of them jump as they turned to see the younger Urshifu's eyes were now open, wearing a light smirk.

"H-How long were you listening in??" Caulin exclaimed.

"Long enough," Zheng added, coming out of his trance as well and slowly rising to his feet with his brother, "It is relieving to hear that Master Meilin is still faring well during these dark times." He added with a nod.

"You guys didn't see her when you went south?" Volcan asked.

"We did not visit her temple," replied Chen, "We went to the home of Grandmaster Lei to tell of what happened."

"How many monasteries are there?"

"Two in the north including ours. Six here in the east, spread far apart," replied Chen. "But enough about that. How did the tournament go?"

"We uhm..." Caulin hesitated slightly before giving his answer, "We got pretty far, Master, but... We only made it to the quarter finals before we were knocked out." He answered while hanging his head slightly.

"We failed to win," Qiang added, "But... It was an enlightening and exhilarating experience."

"Y-Yea! We faced a lotta strong opponents and even made a couple new friends along the way!" Caulin added with a fervent nod.

"We look forward to hearing all about it," said Chen, "And Qiang. Don't feel like you dishonoured the dojo by losing."

"I do not, at least not now. Volcan already helped to set me straight when I did,"he looked up at the Blaziken, nodding gratefully to him.

"Hey, I used your uncle's words, not my own," the Blaziken reminded,"He deserves as much credit."

"No shame in defeat, so long as you can pick yourself up and carry on," said Chen. "So long as your spirit unconquered, victory shall be yours."

"...Okay I forgot that last part." Volcan remarked, "I only said the first half."

"Regardless, please come in. Tell us about your time at the competition," Zheng offered, gesturing for them to follow the brothers into the dojo so they could discuss the tournament over some refreshments.

Over a fresh pot of tea, the boys told the story of their battles in the tournament, starting from their first match with the brother and sister team, consisting of a Mienfoo and a Tyrogue, winning the match rather decisively though the pair put up a good fight. Next, they spoke of their new friends in Neoco and Malaco, and also of their overly competitive father who had chided his son just for being polite.

They detailed the match, from Caulin losing the first match against Neoco, having not been prepared for just how incredibly strong the Grapploct wrestler was, and also providing in great detail how Qiang had figured out how to beat Neoco even when Volcan - to his own embarrassment - couldn't remember how to fight a grappler.

"And after we beat em, Neoco's Dad tried to start up a scrap by stating we only got lucky and basically threw a tantrum on Uncle Volcan, but Neoco finally spoke up and basically told him he was being a giant baby," Caulin chimed in with a proud smirk, "Dumb octopus was left speechless after that."

"Some just cannot take defeat with pride, can they?" Chen asked.

"It appears not," Zheng answered with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose before he sipped on some tea, "For some, victory is everything. One loss and they feel it's the end of their world..."

"Which is why I like to look at fighting as fun! Like everyone else should!!" Caulin exclaimed, flailing his arms wildly at his sides, "It's supposed to be a test of skill! A sport! Heck, a game even! So long as you have fun, then that's all that matters! I can't even begin to explain how much fun I had fighting Qiang the first time! It was like a breath of fresh air!"

"I am not sure I share your perspective, but I am beginning to understand it," Qiang remarked.

"Trust me Qiang, when you start looking at fighting as more of a game than anything else, you'll start to really appreciate how fun it can really be," Caulin remarked with a grin.

"I am a monk, Caulin. Pursuit of the martial arts was to find balance within myself, through physical and mental perfection," Qiang countered with a huff. "Using it for competition is just... A perk."

"C'mon, even monks have to find some way to have fun, right?" He prodded the Kubfu.

"Of course. It's just not the end goal of our way of life."

"...I've said this once and I'll say it again," Caulin remarked as he slid an arm around Qiang's shoulders and patted them firmly,"You need to lighten up a little, man."

"I dunno, he's been doing pretty good in that regard lately," Volcan chimed in.

"I have to agree with Volcan. Qiang's been pretty mellow since the tournament," Luke added with a nod. "More so than the time he kicked you in the face." He added, looking to Volcan with a smirk.

Chen looked down at Qiang. "You kicked him?"

"It was back at King Calyrex's palace. I was trying to leave to find you and father. Volcan stopped me, and I lashed out."

"Little guy packs a wallop," said Volcan, rubbing the side of his face, remembering well the kick he'd taken from Qiang.

"Hehe, that's for sure~" Caulin remarked with a nod.

The brothers chuckled before Zheng addressed the boys again. "Well, regardless of your final standing in the competition, it seems this was quite an experience for the both of you," he said with a slow nod,"It will also hopefully be the start of a new generation of aspiring students willing to learn our style, now that these two have made it known to at least one city."

"Yeah. I imagine at least a few people will want to apply even if they didn't win," said Volcan, optimistic.

"Indeed. For now, though..." Zheng said as he lifted his cup into the air, "Let's all rejoice in our students' progress thus far."

"Seconded." Luke concurred, lifting his own cup to share in the toast.

"To Caulin and Qiang," said Volcan, raising his likewise. "Two upcoming heroes with a bright future ahead of them.

"Heck yea!!" Caulin exclaimed as he lifted his own cup to join in on the cheer. "To the Dojo!!"

"To the Order of the Fist," Chen added.

"And to our new friends and rivals," finished Qiang.

They tapped their glasses together in unison.