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Katsumoto watched as Fernidas emerged from the far gate, his elegant form gliding across the field with practiced grace, head held high and eyes alert. The Serperior’s movement was silent, deliberate — each motion measured like the stroke of a brush upon parchment.

As he approached the center, Fernidas’s gaze swept briefly over the battlefield, noting the scorched patches in the sand where lightning had carved through during Koa’s final strike against Caulin. His expression betrayed no emotion, only quiet calculation, before he turned his eyes to Katsumoto.

From his place, Fernidas offered a courteous incline of the head. “I have heard much about you, Katsumoto,” he said smoothly. “Your renown with Team Valiant precedes you. I had the honour of witnessing your clash with that Aggron in the previous round. A truly exhilarating display.”

“Well met, Captain Fernidas,” Katsumoto returned the greeting with a respectful dip of his head. “Your own advancement speaks volumes. To have come this far is no small feat—a testament to your strength, and to your resolve.”

Fernidas allowed a faint smile to curl at the edges of his mouth. “More a matter of fighting smarter than harder, I would say,” he replied. “After my defeat at the hands of Team Kama in the last tournament, I came to realize that brute force alone was insufficient. Strategy, finesse—these are what endure.”

The more Katsumoto listened, the more he noted the Serperior’s eloquence—unexpected from one of his kind. There was no hiss, no drawn-out sibilance in his speech, only refined enunciation and a certain composed charm. “So it would seem,” Katsumoto replied. “I take it you’ve found ways to compensate for your prior shortcomings.”

“Perhaps,” Fernidas said, a gleam in his eye. “But it would be rather unwise of me to share such secrets with a potential adversary, would it not?”

A smirk played on Katsumoto’s face. “I suppose not,” he conceded, rising to full height and rolling his shoulders with a quiet readiness.

Fernidas coiled his tail neatly beneath him, noting his opponent’s stance.

“I trust you understand—I have come far in this tournament. If defeat is to find me here, it shall not come quietly.”

With that, a sharp hiss escaped him—not one of menace, but of purpose—as a vibrant green shimmer lit the tip of his tail, forming a sharpened Leaf Blade.

Katsumoto drew one of his seamitars in a single, fluid motion. “That is well,” he said calmly. “I would expect nothing less.”

Seeing the two fighters were ready, they noticed Revane appear on the edge of the field, materializing into being with his arms initially crossed. Parting them, the Dusknoir raised his hands high, looking between each of the fighters before bringing them down again with a shout of “BEGIN!” and retreating to the wall as he vanished.

Fernidas made the first move, but rather than rush at Katsu, he snapped forward and spat something at him; a purple wad that splashed against his chest. Initially, Katsu thought it was Toxic, bracing himself for the sickness of the condition to come over him. To his surprise though, he did not feel anything, and wondered if the attack had failed. With that, he immediately made his move, charging at Fernidas with a Razor Shell coating one of his blades.

Fernidas was quick though, as expected of a snake, swerving his body around and meeting the Razor Shell with his Leaf Blade, the two weapons clashing. As Katsumoto rushed him with Aqua Jet, he dropped low, laying as flat as possible to send the Samurott racing over him, nearly causing him to trip over the snake and missing him with his Mega Horn, before the Serperior was up again and swung his tail, hurling a Magical Leaf at the Samurott that whirled toward him like a discus.

Katsu glared at the attack, quickly drawing his second blade and slicing through the Magical Leaf as it got closer to him. He then puffed his cheeks and exhaled, discharging a quick but potent Hydro Pump back at Fernidas. Properly gauging the path of the attack, Fernidas pushed himself up on his head and tail to form an arch over the Hydro Pump, letting it splash into the ground behind him, successfully leaving a short trench in the sand.

As expected, Fernidas was nimble, and quick on the strike – not to mention hard to read. Every attack he made, he moved his entire body; there was no pattern or telegraph to his attack pattern. He nearly caught Katsu off guard as he lunged, swinging his whole body to strike at him with the Leaf Blade on the tip of his tail once again.

But not only that, as a long vine stretched out from his collar, and snapped at Katsu like a whip as an immediate follow-up to the blade, the whip aiming for his leg. Katsu, thankfully, noticed the vine, and managed to lift his foreleg before it could snap or snare him – whatever the intention, and he stepped on, it preventing Fernidas from pulling it back, and leaving him unable to pull away as Katsu threw himself at him and attacked repeatedly with Fury Cutter, causing their blades to meet repeatedly as Fernidas defended himself, until he was able to shed the vine and retreat.

Again the two flew into motion, Katsu struggling to read the Serperior’s movements as he pursued him with Fury Cutter. In the midst of his attack, Fernidas – seeing an opening, pulled his Leaf Blade aside and went under Katsu’s swing to Slam him with the full weight of his tail, sending Katsu stumbling backward, slightly winded by the impact; the two took a moment to catch their breath, Katsu absently rubbing his chest.

“A fine hit.” He commented. “That will leave a mark later…”

“As will yours,” admitted Fernidas, looking at the marks on his tail where Katsu had managed to pass his defenses and core multiple hits. “I see your reputation as ‘mighty’ is well-earned… Had I not protected myself, I’m fairly certain that would have ensured my defeat.

Katsu chuckled before raising his blades again. “Let us continue. We are both still standing, and only one of us shall proceed further.”

“Indeed,” the Serperior agreed, bringing his tail around to brandish the Leaf Blade once more. “After you, my mighty opponent.”

Katsu puffed out his cheeks again, only this time he discharged multiple Water Pulses instead of a singular Hydro Pump, firing them in a large swath to make dodging them harder. This time, instead of dodging, Fernidas swung his tail repeatedly to strike them out of midair with his Leaf Blade, slashing the condensed water spheres apart with incredible precision.

Then, seeing an opening as Katsu moved to attack again, Fernidas dismissed his Blade and cast something else from the end of his tail, launched as though from a slingshot, to strike Katsu’s chest; it was small, and barely hurt, but the instant it made contact, it suddenly popped, and long roots spread over his chest, wrapping around his neck and body before he felt a jolt coursing through him, like a shock.

The second he felt the jolt, he felt his strength slowly waning away, and knew what it was – a Leech Seed! Thinking fast, he tried cutting away at the roots that were sapping away his energy, but they just kept growing in their place. Eventually he let go of one of his swords to grasp at the seed stuck to his chest and yanked as hard as he could. The seed came away rather easily, along with the roots, and he cast it aside before it could ensnare his forelimb.

“Got you!” he heard, realizing that in his haste to pull off the seed, Fernidas had closed in.

Katsu saw the Serperior coming too late, as Fernidas hurled himself at the off-balance Katsu with another Slam of his tail, causing Katsu’s remaining weapon to clatter along the ground. He growled and went to try and spear him with another Megahorn attack while he was at point-blank range.

What happened next though, happened so quickly his mind struggled to process it until he felt the compression of the coils around him; in what seemed no quicker than the blink of an eye, Fernidas dodged the Megahorn, and from Katsu’s right, struck, biting onto the back of his neck and spinning the two in midair, throwing his body around the Samurott before the two struck the ground. By some miracle, one of Katsu’s forelegs was not caught in the coils, but the other was pinned to his abdomen by the coils.

Two loops of the Serperior’s tail compressed against his chest, squeezing tightly as he held on to Katsu’s neck with his jaws, a sound like stretching leather heard as the snake’s powerful muscles constricted. Katsu groaned as he felt the compression around his chest, gritting his teeth and trying to jerk his head away from Fernidas, but the snake had a tight grip on his neck, and his free paw didn’t have enough leverage to try and yank him away.

“Y-You… Think this will… hold me?” He growled, then tried focusing his power into his muscles, trying to forcefully activate his Torrent ability to increase his strength and muscle mass. However, he opened his eyes in shock when he realized that he couldn’t activate his Torrent ability. For whatever reason, it felt… locked away from him. “W-what is… this?! Why can’t I-?” his words came out in a gag as Fernidas’ coils cinched around him.

In answer, Fernidas lifted his mouth away enough to speak as his tail tightened. “That attack I hit you with when the battle began was Gastro Acid,” he explained. “I saw your ability to tap into Torrent at will when you fought that Aggron, and knew that if I allowed that to happen, I’d be outmatched.”

The coils cinched tighter; Katsu felt it becoming harder to breathe, his diaphragm compressed by the Serperior. His breathing became ragged and laboured the tighter the Serperior squeezed him, yet he stubbornly held on, lifting his free arm to grasp at Fernidas’ neck to try and push him away.

“I…will… not… yield…!!” He growled, glaring at his opponent defiantly.

Fernidas angled his head away, putting himself out of Katsu’s reach. The Samurott pulled his arm back to try and peel the Serperior off of him, but with only one arm, he could not generate the leverage he needed to free himself. Thinking fast, he tried to stand; his legs slid along the ground until he was able to find his footing, slowly standing up and giving Fernidas one last defiant glare before he swung his whole body, falling to the ground in a way that Fernidas would slam his head against it with Katsu’s momentum.

For an instant, Fernidas’ coils loosened, allowing Katsu to suck in a breath just before they tightened again, but not long enough to get his other limb free. Slowly, he got back up to his feet again and swung himself again, trying to swing harder with each attempt. He felt his vision starting to become blurry from lack of oxygen, and his legs were beginning to tingle as the blood flow was hindered, but he refused to give up; not after he had come so far.

The sandy ground of the arena, though, was not letting him get the impact he wanted; Fernidas was too tough to let the weakened slamming deter him. He needed to hit him with something harder, like a rock, or-

The idea hit him; out of the corner of his darkening vision, he saw it; the arena wall, brought closer during their struggle. If he could just reach it! Slowly he got back up to his feet again and began trudging toward the arena wall, trying to conserve his breathing as he took slow, heavy steps toward his target. He could feel his opponent pulling him back, but he kept going regardless, stumbling a few times as he nearly lost his footing.

Fernidas seemed to catch on to what he was doing; he tried to squeeze him tighter, trying to make him lose feeling in his legs. He had nearly managed it, before Katsu - with the last of his strength, made a charge for the wall, turning himself over to make sure Fernidas would land between him and the wall. Fernidas panicked, and released his hold on Katsu, unwound, and threw himself off the Samurott to escape the impact just as Katsu hit the wall with his back.

He gasped heavily as he finally was free of Fernidas’ grasp, stumbling to one knee and holding his chest as he sucked in deep breaths before he returned to a steady pattern. He stood up again, rolling his head along his shoulders and rubbing his arms to try and relieve them from any numbing from the pressure of being constricted.

Meanwhile, Fernidas, having collected himself, attempted to take advantage of Katsu’s momentary recovery and present disarmament by conjuring another Magical Leaf, hurling it at the Samurott. Katsu grunted as he took the hit, his head hitting the wall next to him and even knocking off his shellmet from the force of both the attack and the impact with the wall. He glared at Fernidas, then shot forward with Aqua Jet with one of his arms reared back, roaring as he went to strike at the Serperior with all his might.

Fernidas moved as if to make another Magical Leaf, but this time, as he swung his tail around himself, a flurry of leaves erupted instead, and he unleashed a Leaf Storm at the charging Samurott, who bulled directly into the attack. He felt the leaves cutting into him as he bulled through them, his progress slowed as the torrent of leaves slammed into him. He roared as he pressed on though, the attack quickly sapping away at his endurance, yet he persisted.

Despite the surprise at Katsu pushing through his Leaf Storm, Fernidas didn’t relent; he let the Aqua Jet hit him, the relatively weak and ineffective attack barely harming him, and then wrapped himself around Katsu again, this time managing to trap both his forelimbs. Then, before Katsu even had time to fall over, Fernidas’ eyes glowed and the Samurott felt his strength leaving him once again - much as with Leech Seed, but even stronger than before.

He grunted, and his eyes widened as he felt his strength leaving him again, only much stronger this time. He barely had a chance to collect himself before he attempted to struggle, but he had lost too much strength and his stamina was running out. He slowly fell to his side, panting heavily as he weakly squirmed in Ferdinas’ coils.

Eventually, his struggles ceased. The last of his strength drained from him, leaving nothing but stillness. All he could do was lie there, the roar of the crowd muted as if heard through water. A voice called out—distant, unintelligible. Then he felt Fernidas’ coils begin to loosen, the draining pressure of Giga Drain finally ebbing as the Serperior unwrapped himself and moved away.

As Katsu tried to gather what little composure he had left, he heard something drop lightly onto the ground in front of him. He turned his eyes—heavy, reluctant—and saw his Shelmet and Seamitars laid within reach.

“Well fought, honored warrior,” came Fernidas’ final words, spoken with calm dignity before he turned and glided silently from the arena, leaving Katsumoto behind as medics rushed in.

Katsu watched him go, then let his gaze fall to his equipment. With a slow, weary sigh, he reached out with trembling limbs, first retrieving his Shelmet and placing it carefully back upon his head, then taking hold of his weapons. Only then did he allow himself to be guided from the field, the echoes of battle still lingering in his bones.

“Damn blast it!”

The seats shook with the force of Tristan’s outburst, his heavy foot stomping against the floor with enough weight to make nearby spectators flinch. “He lost? Come on!”

Volcan, anticipating a meltdown, shot to his feet and quickly made his way to the Aggron, concern etched across his face. “Hey, hey—Tristan!” he called out, raising his voice to be heard over the rising murmurs. “Cool it, would you? You’re shaking the whole damn section!”

“He was supposed to keep going!” Tristan barked back, voice still booming. “He was supposed to make it! How could he lose like that?!”

“Tristan,” Volcan snapped, sharper this time—more command than concern. He lowered his voice as he stepped closer. “Get a grip. You told us why you threw your match… You want to blow that now? Especially with him just steps away from hearing it?”

Tristan froze. His jaw clenched audibly before he forced it shut, a long, frustrated growl rumbling in his throat. “...Dammit…”

“He gave it everything he had,” Minato said quietly, stepping in beside Volcan. “He was up against a tough matchup, and still made Fernidas fight for every inch. That’s something to be proud of.”

Tristan shook his head. “I was at a disadvantage too—every time I’ve fought him, I was. And most of those, he still beat me.” He gestured toward Minato. “Typing’s only half the fight. You’ve beaten Volcan more times than I can count,” then pointed at Volcan, “and I’ve seen you take on plenty of Water-types without flinching.”

“No argument there,” Volcan replied, holding up a hand. “But it wasn’t just about types this time. Against Water-types, I’ve got Thunderpunch. Against me, Minato’s got Bone Rush. Katsu had his own counters—Megahorn, Fury Cutter—but Fernidas? He came in prepared. He fought smart.”

“Prepared how?” Tristan challenged.

“You saw how the match started,” Volcan said. “That move Fernidas used—the one he spat on Katsu?”

“Yeah, I saw it. Didn’t even look like it hurt.”

“Maybe not,” Minato chimed in, “but did you notice Katsu didn’t use Torrent to break free the first time Fernidas had him wrapped up?”

Tristan blinked. “I… I figured he didn’t need it. He saved it for me, or for Sol, or even Luke. Fernidas doesn’t hit as hard as them.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Volcan agreed. “But that’s the thing—he knew that. So he took away Katsu’s strength advantage early on. Made sure he couldn’t rely on raw power. And with Fernidas being faster and more tactical, that was enough to tilt the whole match.”

Tristan looked away, grinding his teeth as the words settled into place. He was silent for a moment… then let out another low groan, the weight of disappointment—and not for himself—etched into his stony features.

“I just wanted him to come back a hero,” he muttered, voice quieter now. “For those new pups of his…”

Minato placed a hand on Tristan’s shoulder. “He still can,” he said, firm but gentle. “He might not have won the whole thing, but he gave everything he had. You think those kids won’t see that?”

Tristan followed Minato’s gaze, eyes drifting back to the arena, where Katsu was now being led into the corridor by the medics—head lowered, his shell and blades held tightly in his grasp.

“I suppose,” Tristan admitted at last, his voice subdued. “Top sixteen’s not a bad run…”

“There you go,” Minato nodded. “That’s the spirit.”

“So?” Volcan asked, arms crossed, but a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “What do you say we go congratulate him on one hell of a fight?”

But Tristan shook his head. “No… Not yet.” His voice was quieter now, almost distant. Then he fell silent, his gaze lowering to the stone floor, brows furrowed as if wrestling with something he hadn’t yet voiced.

Volcan and Minato both noticed the shift, sensing there was more behind the silence.

“Tristan?” Volcan asked gently. “This isn’t just about Katsu’s loss, is it?”

Tristan raised his head again, jaw tight. “Look, guys… We’ve had a good run, haven’t we? Seen some crazy things. Fought some insane battles…”

Volcan felt a pang in his chest. He already didn’t like where this was going. Minato’s expression darkened too, eyes narrowing as he turned to fully face their friend.

“You’re talking like this is your last day alive,” Minato said flatly. “What’s going on? What aren’t you telling us?”

Tristan didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked toward the overseer's box, where Calyrex, Hizashi, and Talleon were still seated above the arena, deep in discussion. But it wasn’t them he was focused on—it was the now-bare section of the wall where, days ago, the banner of Romulus’ railroad project had hung before it was taken down to prevent damage during the matches.

“Romulus has big plans,” Tristan said at last. “I was born in this city. Spent half my life in this colosseum, fighting in this pit—back when it was just blood, violence, and gambling. I never thought it’d be anything more than that. But Romulus? He’s made it mean something. And he’s not done yet.”

He turned back to his friends. “So yeah… I’ve been thinking. And if either of you jokers make a crack about that—” he pointed at them both with a claw, “I swear I’ll knock your heads together so hard, Caulin and Ignus’ll be calling both of you ‘Dad’ for the rest of their lives.”

The deadly seriousness in his tone snuffed out any snark before it had a chance to leave their mouths.

Lowering his hand, he continued. “I want to help him. I want to help build that railroad. Use my strength to create something, for once. Not just bust skulls. Something that’ll last. Something that matters.”

A heavy silence followed as the weight of Tristan’s words sank in.

Minato looked down, rubbing the back of his head. He sighed. “…So that’s it, huh? This is how Team Phalanx starts to fall apart?”

“Not hardly,” Tristan said with a rough laugh. “You’ve got Sol. Muscle’s covered. You’re not losing much.”

“But we’re losing our shield,” Volcan said, his voice softer, almost pleading. “A phalanx can’t stand without its shield.”

“You’ll find another way,” Tristan replied with a shrug. “You’re the genius tactician here.”

“Hardly a ‘genius,’” Volcan muttered.

“Either way,” Tristan went on, “this feels like the right call. I’ve spent my life breaking things. Maybe it’s time I started building.”

“…Damn, Tristan. That’s pretty deep,” Minato murmured, eyes flicking up to meet the Aggron’s.

“You know Katsu’s going to miss you,” he added after a beat. “You were his strongest sparring partner.”

“He’s got bigger things to worry about,” Tristan replied, arching an eye ridge at Minato. “You should know; you only raised one kid. He’s got four.”

Before they could continue, Calyrex’s voice boomed from above.

“Next matchup! From the same team, numbers Nine and Ten—Minato and Captain Volcan of Team Phalanx!”

The tension evaporated instantly, replaced by a wave of shock as the three stared at one another.

Minato broke the silence first with a slow, growing smirk. “Well, well… Looks like it’s finally time we kicked each other’s asses.”

Volcan chuckled weakly. “And here I was hoping I’d get to avoid that a little longer.”

He exhaled, then straightened. “Guess we’d better not keep them waiting.”

“Make sure I get a good show,” Tristan added with a grin. “Been a while since I saw you two throw down for real.”

“No doubt,” Minato agreed, clapping Volcan on the shoulder. “See you down there, bud. Try and make this fun for me, will ya?”

“You too,” Volcan replied, returning the gesture before the two turned and headed in opposite directions.

Volcan’s path led him past his family. Luke and Ignus were watching intently as he approached. Luke gave him a confident nod, while Ignus was already on his feet.

“Do your best, Dad! We’re rooting for you!” the Lycanroc howled.

Volcan smiled, rubbing the top of Ignus’ head. “See you in a bit, son.”

He stepped behind Luke and pulled him into a hug. “Wish me luck,” he whispered.

“You don’t need luck,” Luke replied, leaning into the embrace. “You’ve got this. Go show him how powerful you really are.”

Volcan gave him one last squeeze before releasing him, heading toward the stairs.

Lashanne and Caulin slid into the row beside Ignus, taking Volcan’s vacated seat. Caulin was practically bouncing in place, tail twitching.

“Ohohooo man, this is gonna be a fun fight!” he cackled. “Dad’s gonna put Uncle Volcan through the wringer!”

Ignus shot him a look, ears flicking. “No way! My Dad’s gonna run circles around yours!”

“Oh yeah? Wanna bet?” Caulin challenged, holding out a paw. “Loser does the winner’s homework for a week.”

Ignus grinned and slapped his paw into Caulin’s. “Deal.”

Both of them yelped an instant later as sharp pinches caught their ears, pulled upward by Lashanne sitting between them.

“Oh no, you don’t,” she said with a stern glare. “Neither of you are getting out of your responsibilities—no matter who wins. And if I hear one word of bickering afterward, I’ll make sure both of you are doing each other’s homework for a month.”

The boys winced under her withering gaze. Caulin opened his mouth to protest—then quickly shut it again when he saw Ignus shaking his head frantically in warning.

Below, Volcan and Minato strode onto the battlefield one after the other, the dust of previous matches still hanging faintly in the air. As they emerged, Calyrex's voice rose above the crowd, regal and commanding, bringing the arena to life once more.

“Captain Volcan of Team Phalanx!” the king declared. “Veteran of countless battles throughout the war, one of the world’s foremost pioneers of tactical warfare, and a master of martial arts!”

The crowd erupted with applause, a roar of admiration washing over the Blaziken as he gave a humble wave.

“And his opponent—Minato of Team Phalanx! Elite sword, honourary knight of Calygrad, as decreed by Ser Zacian, Royal Knight of the Intrepid Sword!”

A smaller cheer broke from the audience—many not expecting that title drop—but it gained volume quickly, especially as Minato gave a modest nod. From the royal box, he could’ve sworn he saw Talleon shift uncomfortably beside Calyrex at the mention.

“These two warriors stood on the front lines against the Dark Crusade,” Calyrex went on, voice soaring over the crowd, “from the Siege of Hadleigh, to the Battle of Azure, and the turning point at the Final Nexus!”

The arena exploded with renewed energy, cheers echoing off the ancient stone.

Minato chuckled under his breath, raising a brow toward the king’s box. “He really does have a flair for the dramatic, doesn’t he?”

Volcan shrugged with a small grin. “He’s not wrong. Maybe overhyping me a little with implying I’m some kind of master tactician, though.”

“You’re smarter than the rest of us—aside from Lashanne,” Minato replied. “Hell, you’re probably better at strategy than your own husband by now.”

“Doubtful. He still beats me at chess,” Volcan chuckled.

“You’ll get him one day,” Minato said—then his tone shifted, growing more focused. “But today, you've got me to contend with. And I’m not going easy on you just because we’re best friends.”

Volcan’s smile faded. He nodded, his eyes sharpening. “Yeah. I know. This is a test—for both of us. As fighters, and as teammates.”

“Call it whatever you want,” Minato said with a smirk. “A fight’s a fight. The only question is… you want to go all-out from the start, or take it slow?”

“We both know a warm-up won’t cut it,” Volcan replied. “In our base forms, we’d just dance around each other. You’ve got the power advantage; I’ve got the speed when I go Mega. Neither of us wins holding back.”

He grimaced slightly. “You’ll be the third Blessed I’ve ever fought seriously.”

“Then let’s just say your winning streak ends here.” Minato cracked his knuckles and rolled his neck. “Ready?”

Volcan answered with action—stretching his legs, shifting into a steady stance. He rolled his shoulders, raising his fists into the signature guard of the Art of the Eight Limbs. “As I’ll ever be. Let’s do this.”

Minato mirrored him, slapping his cheeks a couple times before lowering into his stance—one arm held low, the other high, his form grounded and coiled like a spring.

“Let’s.”

From the sidelines, Revane raised his hand—and dropped it in a sweeping motion.

“Begin!”

Volcan moved first, his hand flashing over his harness as he activated his Blazikenite. A crystalline sphere engulfed him in brilliant, fiery energy, his form surging with power as he underwent Mega Evolution—for the first time in the entire tournament.

Across from him, Minato didn’t wait. He summoned the divine light of his patron, Zacian, and became enveloped in a golden glow as the power of the Blessed surged through him. When the light faded, his sleek pauldrons and greaves gleamed in the sun, the Crown Sword sheathed on his back—unwielded, to remain within tournament rules. It wasn’t dulled for safety, and Minato had no intention of dishonoring the match by drawing it.

The crystalline sphere around Volcan shattered like glass, revealing him in full Mega form—leaner, sharper, and blazing with raw speed. Ribbons of flame streamed from his wrists as he threw his arms wide, locking eyes with his opponent.

Minato adjusted his footing, narrowing his stance, the tension between them coiling tighter by the second.

Two teammates. Two warriors. Two friends.

Only one would leave the field victorious.

Up in the stands, Ignus felt a chill race down his spine—like a jolt of lightning straight to his core. He'd seen Mega Evolutions before: Luke’s dazzling transformation during his fight with Neilla, and even Neilla herself going through the process. But this… this was different.

This was his dad.

His eyes widened as he took in the form of a Mega Blaziken for the first time—the fierce X-shaped crests on his head, the black streaks now marking his legs, and the glowing ribbons of flame trailing from his wrists like living whips. Volcan’s body looked leaner, faster—but no less powerful. If anything, he looked like he'd traded mass for momentum, and it left no doubt in Ignus’ mind that this was Volcan at his peak.

Then his gaze flicked to Minato—equally awe-inspiring in his own way. The transformation was less dramatic, but no less breathtaking. The Blessed Form didn’t alter Minato’s body, but adorned him instead—with shining pauldrons, greaves, and the unmistakable glint of the Crown Sword on his back. The golden and blue tones of his armor shimmered in the sunlight, the wing-shaped accents evoking the divine majesty of Ser Zacian herself.

If Volcan looked like a warrior born of fire itself, Minato looked like a legend brought to life.

“Whoooaaaa…” Ignus breathed, eyes wide. “He looks… so badass.”

“Yeah, he does,” Caulin admitted with a smirk. “Like he could kick your butt six ways from Sunday.”

“But my dad looks like an actual knight,” he added, nodding toward Minato. “Those shoulder and knee guards? That sword? He’s got this in the bag.”

“We’ll see soon enough,” Lashanne chimed in, arms crossed as she watched the battlefield closely. “Here they go.”

Volcan dropped to one knee, bracing himself before taking off in a sprint toward Minato. While his Speed Boost ability had not yet been triggered, his speed was still impressive, closing the distance between himself and Minato in a heartbeat and opening with a one-two Fire Punch, one high and one low.

The Lucario quickly shrouded his paws in ice when he saw the Fire Punch combo coming, blocking high with one and weaving left to dodge the other. He threw a couple of Ice Punch jabs in retaliation, then swung with a roundhouse kick once immediately after, following through into a spinning back kick. Volcan took the roundhouse kick to his side, before catching Minato’s foot between his hands on the second kick, eye twitching in pain from the first one.

“Don’t forget who taught you that kick!” Volcan growled before yanking Minato toward him, bear-hugging and suplexing the Lucario hard into the sandy ground.

Minato cried out as he was suplexed, dazed for a moment before growling and rolling out of Volcan’s grasp, then spun a couple of times along the ground before pushing himself upward with his paws before bringing his leg down in an axe kick in retaliation, narrowly missing the Mega Blaziken as he scrambled away

“I haven’t forgotten… I just made it better!” He stated as he pushed himself off the ground and shot back to his feet.

Volcan rose again, onto one knee as before, before racing at Minato, his body aflame as he lunged at him with Flame Charge, enhancing his already growing speed even further and turning him into a soaring fireball. Again, he coated his paws in Ice Punch and waited for the right moment. Once Volcan was close enough, he side-stepped and caught Volcan’s arm as he whizzed past him, planting one foot into the ground and using Volcan’s momentum to swing him a few times before he released him, discharging an Aura Sphere afterward.

Minato’s throw sent Volcan hurtling toward the arena wall. Volcan aligned himself to land legs first, and rebounded, barely missing the Aura Sphere as he shot past and flew back at Minato like a missile - leaving a noticeable crack in the stone from where he had jumped. Minato had just enough time to dive aside, feeling the draft left in Volcan’s wake as he struck the ground where Minato had been, and left a cloud of dust where he landed.

As the dust settled, Minato looked at where Volcan had hit, only to see he wasn’t there. Quickly, he scrambled to his feet and watched the spot where Volcan had struck, then he heard movement behind him and turned to see the Mega Blaziken sprinting along the outside of the arena and immediately knew what he was trying to do.

“Nice try…” He muttered, then he waited for a moment until he was about to pass in front of him again, then his eyes widened as he held his paw out, reaching out to grasp at him with Psychic.

Volcan was seized by the Psychic and forced to halt in his tracks. Furthermore, to add to his dismay, the Aura Sphere he had previously evaded had rounded its path and was coming at him again. Desperately, he spat a Flamethrower in its direction to intercept it, successfully doing so but leaving him wide open to Minato’s follow-up.

The Lucario slammed Volcan once into the wall, then once into the ground before he pulled him back to the Lucario, where he had a Force Palm at the ready once he was close enough. With a roar, he thrust his paw forward as hard as he could, unleashing all of the built up aura energy at point-blank range. Volcan hurriedly crossed his arms over himself and braced as he was struck by the Force Palm, throwing him again into the wall and knocking the wind out of him.

“Gah!” Volcan groaned, falling onto his hands and knees. “Balls that hurt…!” he rasped.

“That is the idea, man,” Minato called out to him, smirking and crossing his arms in front of his chest. “C’mon, get up. I know you’re not done yet, bud!”

Volcan stood shakily and shook his head to clear it. “You better believe I’m not,” he said before lunging at Minato again.

The two of them fell into motion, trading blows as they moved about. As befitting his style, Volcan made the best use of the reach of his legs when Minato was distant, switching to fists or elbows when he was close. Minato’s style, while not as proficient at long range, did exceptionally well at close range. He took advantage of Volcan’s reliance on his legs whenever he was at the right distance, either blocking or weaving out of the way to get in close and rob him of his advantage. Granted he had taken a few hits while going through with this tactic, but if it meant scoring more damage to his opponent, then it was worth the risk to him.

Volcan though, knew this; he knew Minato was willing to take a beatdown to get the advantage. The gears were turning in his mind as he and Minato traded blows, analyzing his friend’s fighting style and looking for openings, deliberately missing several, and staying on the defensive. ‘Almost…’ he thought. ‘Just need the right second…’

At one point, Minato lunged forward with a flying jab that missed, resulting in him taking a hit, but he still pressed on, fighting through the hit and continuing his assault with a hook, another jab, an uppercut, a straight punch, then went for a double strike aimed at Volcan’s head and sternum respectively.

Volcan saw his chance, narrowly avoiding the strike to his head, and as Minato swung for the sternum, he struck back, sliding his leg back and twisting himself to avoid it, before he seized Minato’s arm, twisted and threw him at the ground. The Lucario yelped as he was suddenly thrown to the ground, landing on his front and eating a faceful of sand as he skidded to a halt, lifting his head up and spitting out sand from his mouth.

Having bought himself a precious second to act, Volcan tensed his body and channeled energy to his limbs, his muscles visibly swelling as he strengthened himself with Bulk-Up, grunting as the effects took hold and reverting to his combat stance once again.

Minato quickly rolled forward and shot back to his feet, taking up his stance again and watching Volcan intently, taking note of his bulked up appearance and frowning slightly. ‘Great… Not only is he getting faster, he can now hit harder and take more damage. Damn man, when did you get so good…?’ He thought inwardly.

When Minato didn’t immediately attack, Volcan began to shift his posture, repositioning his arms to put his main hand at his abdomen and his non-dominant arm in front of him, in a style closely mirroring that of Master Chen’s Single Strike style. At the same time, Volcan took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly, and a faint glow filled his limbs as he did, the flaming ribbons on his arms sparking briefly before a glow like a fire filled his eyes.

Then, he shot forward, moving like the crack of a whip, racing at Minato and striking with a powerful Fire Punch - far stronger than the move was normally capable of. As Minato narrowly dodged it, the energy coming from it was more akin to a Focus Punch! But the flames were telling…

Quickly, Volcan snapped the other way, twisting his upper body to strike with his other fist, but Minato was quick to block it this time, ignoring the heat of the flames and countering with an elbow to Volcan’s beak, a kick to his sternum, then a rising uppercut to his jaw. The impact of the punch sent flashes dancing across Volcan’s vision and he staggered back, seemingly about to fall…

But then, he shifted one of his legs back to catch himself, blinked the stars away, and threw his head forward, throwing all his weight back toward Minato as he bounded off his back leg and drove his knee into Minato’s abdomen with such force that the Lucario left the ground, stunned by the sudden impact. The corners of his vision blackened, and for just a heartbeat, it seemed like he was about to pass out…

‘No… not this time!’ Volcan thought; he wasn’t done.

Volcan blinked his eyes, and shifted one of his legs behind him, catching himself before he could fall. Snapping forward, Volcan raced toward him again, delivered an uppercut of his own to Minato’s chin, and sent him hurtling skyward. All happened so quickly that even Minato struggled to process what had just happened.

As gravity began to take Minato once again he could see Volcan - down below, braced his legs and created another Fire Punch before launching himself into the air as a ball of fire and delivered another uppercut, letting out a furious cry as he jumped and rose toward Minato for one final attack.

The Blessed Lucario felt his vision black out once the final hit nailed him, the searing heat of Volcan’s flames, coupled with the force of Volcan’s flying uppercut, was enough to send him spinning in the air like a top before plummeting to the ground. He hit the ground hard, bouncing once before laying still with the odd twitch here and there. Volcan touched the ground again shortly after Minato, panting heavily as the flames coating his fists died down.

He had thrown everything into that final strike.

Volcan watched, heart pounding, as Minato stirred, groaning as he tried to push himself up with trembling paws. For a moment, it looked like he might rise—but his strength gave out, and with a quiet grunt, he collapsed back onto the ground. A soft glow enveloped him as his Blessed form faded, returning him to normal.

Revane’s voice rang out like a gong across the arena.

“Winner! The Captain of Team Phalanx has prevailed!”

Volcan’s arms dropped to his sides as he finally lowered his stance, disbelief and relief washing over him as the roar of the crowd erupted around him. He took a moment to collect himself, a shaky breath escaping his lungs, before allowing his own form to return to normal. Then, without hesitation, he sprinted across the field toward Minato and dropped to his knees at his friend’s side.

“Are you okay?” he asked, voice laced with concern.

Minato cracked an eye open and smirked. “…Owww… Where’d you learn that one?”

Volcan gave a sheepish shrug. “Just kind of… came to me,” he said. “I figured, if I could channel my energy into a Fire Punch like I do with Focus Punch and keep the flames stable… it might just hit harder. The rest? Instinct.”

“Well… it worked,” Minato groaned, chuckling despite the soreness. “Hate to say it, but I think you’ve pulled ahead of me. Just a smidge.”

Volcan smiled, offering him a hand. “I had to come up with something new. If I’d gone for my usual sweep-into-back-kick, you'd have countered it in a heartbeat. You and Caulin train with it all the time.”

Minato grunted as he took the offered hand and was pulled to his feet, wobbling slightly and rubbing his jaw. “Just hope I didn’t lose a tooth or three from that…”

“Please don’t. Lashanne will murder me if I give you a dental bill,” Volcan quipped.

From the sidelines, two Pangoro medics approached with a stretcher. “Minato. Do you require assistance?” one asked, noting his unsteady posture.

“I’m good,” Minato said, waving them off. “Just a little rattled. Volcan’s got me.”

The medics nodded and stepped aside, allowing the Blaziken to half-carry his friend toward the exit. The crowd erupted once more, this time not just for the battle, but the sportsmanship on display. Volcan lifted one arm to wave to the audience, humbled and grateful.

From the stands, Luke watched it all with a glowing sense of pride—not just for Volcan’s victory, but for the display of character that followed. Seeing his husband and Minato walking side by side, their bond unshaken, was a triumph in and of itself.

And just beside him—

“WHOOOOOO!! YOU GO, DAD!!” Ignus howled, jumping up and down in his seat like a spring-loaded toy.

Caulin slapped his knee with a groan. “Aw, come on! I really thought Dad had that!”

Lashanne shot him a glance. “Remember what I said.”

“Yeah yeah, I know,” Caulin muttered, slumping back. “Just figured he’d win. He always beats Uncle Volcan.”

“Volcan’s worked hard to close that gap,” Lashanne said evenly. “Not that Minato didn’t—but Volcan dedicated himself to mastering Mega Evolution, tactics, two forms of martial arts… The scales were bound to tip eventually.”

Neilla, sitting a row back, leaned forward. “Man, now I really wish I’d gotten to fight Volcan,” she said. “Going up against a Blessed—and a teammate who trains with him constantly? That’d be a real test.”

“He knew Minato just as well as Minato knew him,” Luke added, nodding. “In the end, it came down to how well they adapted—to when they used their powers.”

“And Volcan’s a tactician through and through,” Lashanne said. “He played it smart, used what he had to its fullest.”

Luke’s eyes sparkled with pride as he added, “And because of that, he came out on top… And I couldn’t be any more proud of him if I tried.”

As Minato and Volcan left the field, Calyrex’s voice once again filled the arena, thanking the audience for their patience before he announced the next battle. “Our next match once more features two fighters from Port Azure!” the king declared. “Number eleven, Luna, and number twelve, Sol!”

“Oh shit!” Lashanne exclaimed, her ears standing straight up.

“Wait what??” Luke exclaimed looking over to where Sol was sitting.

The Typhlosion slowly stood up, turning and looking at where his brother was sitting. The Zangoose was on his feet as well where his family was spectating, looking back at his little brother with a calm expression. The two of them locked eyes for what felt like an eternity, before Luna started to smile confidently, while Sol’s face contorted into a devilish grin.

“...Uhm… Is it just me, or did the air suddenly get hotter?” Doug asked, gulping audibly as Sol shuffled past him and began making his way down to the arena.

“No, I don’t think it’s just you,” Sickle remarked from his seat. “I think Sol’s really fired up.”

Before long, the brothers were finally down at the arena, entering from opposite ends respectively. The doors closed heavily behind them, leaving them to stare at one another as the crowds all cheered for them. Luna’s ear twitched when he heard Nami and their son, Tyde, calling down to him from the stands, while Sol cringed a bit when he heard Altair, the Typhlosion he faced against in the first round, cheering him on from where he stood.

Luna couldn’t help but giggle at Sol’s expense, seeing him cringe and look away in embarrassment from his former opponent’s cheers. “Sounds like you’ve earned yourself a fan~” He remarked.

“Stow it.” Sol shot back, huffing smoke from his nostrils. “You should be more focused on the moment, bro.” He added as his gaze turned toward Luna. “Truth be told, I was hoping we’d be settling things in the finals, but I guess I’ll take what I can get…”

Luna’s cheerful demeanour slowly turned into a confident, yet serious gaze, cracking his claws and rolling his head along his shoulders. “I for one am happy we’re getting to face each other now.” He replied. “It means there’s more at stake for the both of us, what with the quarterfinals being around the corner. I don’t know about you, but I’m planning to fight as hard as I can in order to win.”

Sol started to grin again. “There it is…” He growled, turning to fully face his brother. “There’s that fighting spirit I’ve been itching to see…” He added, cracking his neck and stomping on the ground to plant himself firmly. “Cap and his friend had the right idea of starting out at full power… What say you and I put their display to fuckin’ shame and show the people a real show?”

Luna chuckled softly. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Sol.” He replied, electricity crackling around him a few times. “I wanna face you at your best. That way we’ll have no regrets when this fight’s over.”

“Yer not beating me this time, bro.” Sol growled, his neck vents igniting as he started getting fired up. “You’ve always managed to beat me in the past, but today I’m gonna pound your ass into the dirt and stand on your head as I scream out in victory.”

“That’s assuming you can even catch me…” Luna countered.

“Damn,” Volcan said, seeing the two as they prepared. “I don’t think I’ve seen Sol this fired up in a while… And I sure don’t recall ever seeing Luna so much so either.”

“They’ve been looking forward to this,” said Lashanne, arms crossed and nodding.

“Sol has, at least,” Luke corrected. “Luna isn’t much of a combatant, but Sol’s always been looking to prove himself over his brother…”

Volcan grimaced at that, certainly seeing the truth to Luke’s words. Sol had often mentioned - in confidence to him, how he felt like he was second to Luna, and how much he wanted to surpass him. In the times they had trained together, Volcan certainly had seen just how strong Luna was… And knowing that he was even stronger than Sol - someone who Volcan still struggled to beat in their more serious sparring matches… He knew that this battle was going to be one for the ages.

At the sound of Revane’s voice telling them to begin, both Luna and Sol ascended to their Blessed states in a burst of flame and lightning alike, with Sol taking it up a notch and entering his berserker state. Sol then opened the fight by inhaling deeply and unleashing a potent Fire Blast, with Luna easily dodging to the side and rushing toward Sol at literal lightning speeds and appearing before him. Sol threw a heavy punch at the Zangoose, but Luna vanished right before impact, appearing below Sol and quickly punching his stomach rapidly before jumping up and uppercutting him in the jaw.

Sol grunted as he took the hits, but the uppercut didn’t have the desired effect Luna was aiming for. Sol’s weight kept him anchored to the ground, and he responded by throwing his head down and headbutting his brother square in the noggin, making Luna cry out and recoil from the attack. Sol wasn’t done though. He grabbed Luna by the arm and began spinning on the spot, hurling him against the wall as hard as he could.

Luna quickly managed to collect himself just before he impacted the wall, kicking off of it and vanishing in a bolt of lightning. Sol then found himself surrounded by a seemingly innumerable amount of his brother as the Zangoose attempted to speed blitz him, rushing in and dealing a blow to Sol before retreating all in less than a second, barely giving Sol any time to react.

“Tsh…! Sure you’re faster…” Sol growled before he roared and slammed his fist into the ground, unleashing a mighty Earthquake attack that caused the whole colosseum to rattle from the force of the impact. The attack also caused Luna to stop his blitz, allowing Sol the chance to follow up and rush at Luna with a Mega Punch. “...But I’m tougher!!” He roared as he socked Luna square in the face.

Luna cried out as he was hit, skidding along the ground for a bit before he quickly got to his feet and jumped up high, flapping his electrified wings to gain more height. Once he was high enough, his entire body became shrouded in electricity before he rocketted back toward Sol at breakneck speeds. Sol recognized the attack as Bolt Strike and immediately countered by shooting a Blue Flare attack from his mouth.

The two attacks met in a violent clash, the Blue Flare actually holding Luna back at bay for a time. Eventually though, Luna’s Bolt Strike won out, powering through the Blue Flare attack and slamming hard into Sol with an explosion of lightning followed by several thunderclaps. Luna backed up after the attack landed, stancing up and waiting for Sol’s next move.

Sol then shot forward out of the dust, cloaked in fire and rolling toward Luna in a Flame Wheel. Luna smirked and jumped preemptively to avoid it, but Sol quickly uncurled just as Luna leapt into the air, leading with his feet and landing a solid Double Kick on Luna’s chest, making him gag and stunning him enough for Sol to follow up with a powerful Focus Blast, again slammed into his brother’s chest and sending him careening up into the air.

Luna corrected himself after being sent flying from Sol’s Focus Blast, powering one of his own and shooting back down toward Sol. The Typhlosion brought his arms up to defend himself, but just as Luna was about to strike, he vanished and appeared in front of Sol, slamming the Focus Blast into the Typhlosion’s stomach and dealing a great deal of damage to him before sending him flying into the opposite wall.

Sol gagged both from the attack and being sent into the wall, falling to his paws and knees and catching his breath before forcing himself back up on his feet. Luna was also panting quite a bit as he stared at Sol, the two locking gazes once more and grinning at one another before launching at each other, meeting in the middle in a brilliant flash of lightning and fire with their heads butted together, struggling to overpower the other before exploding into action again.

Luna was quick, impossibly so thanks to his natural speed coupled with his affinity to lightning and his connection to Zekrom. Sol on the other hand was stronger and more durable, inheriting his father’s overwhelming strength coupled with his own monstrous power, boosted by both his rage and his connection to Reshiram. Luna was able to deal more attacks to his brother, but the Typhlosion easily shrugged off the ones that didn’t affect him all that much and swung back harder, a few times catching Luna as he speed blitzed him and sending him careening away, only to shoot back at him just as quickly and continue the speed blitz before the two were forced apart.

Sol immediately gathered copious amounts of fire in front of his mouth, creating a massive fireball before he condensed it into a much smaller orb before opening his mouth and ingesting it, containing it and rearing his head back. Luna gasped slightly as he recognized the process Sol went through in order to cast Blast Burn, immediately holding both his claws forward and creating another, larger Focus Blast, this time laced with huge amounts of electricity like when he used Bolt Strike.

Both brothers unleashed their attacks, Sol’s Blast Burn and Luna’s lightning infused Focus Blast meeting in the middle and creating a massive explosion of power that shot upward like a massive inferno, crackling with electricity before ending with a massive thunderclap from the heavens above.

The blast from the two brother’s colliding attacks sent the audience recoiling with a gasp, including their friends and teammates who still sat in the front rows, staring up in disbelief at the exchange of power between them.

“Gods above, this is getting crazy!” Neilla exclaimed, with as much anticipation as surprise. “It’s like we’re seeing a clash of two deities down there!”

“In a way, that’s exactly what’s happening,” Volcan reminded her. “Sol and Luna are both Blessed after all, and of gods who are often in conflict with each other!”

“You mean Reshiram and Zekrom, right?” Sarth asked.

“Right,” replied Volcan, “and as if the conflicting patrons wasn’t enough, these two have always been at odds - typical brother rivalry…”

“Ramped up to a hundred,” added Lashanne.

“To top it off, their father is, to this day, possibly the strongest Nidoking in the world.” Luke added. “I’ve seen that man lift up literal mountains with nothing but his raw strength alone, and Sol’s no doubt closing in on that threshold given his current level of power.”

“And Luna?” Neilla asked. “What does he take from their father?”

“Believe it or not, Luna is nothing like Nido.” Luke answered. “If I were to hazard a guess, the only thing Luna ever inherited from his father was his belief that family is everything. Luna is fiercely loyal to his current family and would bend heaven and earth for them.”

“And whichever one of them wins,” Volcan added, sounding almost fearful as he spoke, his clenched hand pressed to the tip of his beak, “I’m going to be fighting next round…”

“You’ve beaten Sol before, love, and you know how to deal with speedsters,” Luke said with confidence. “I have faith you’d pull through no matter who you were up against.”

“I beat Sol with help from Tristan and Serena,” Volcan reminded, “I did not take him down myself.”

Sol and Luna, both ragged from the beatings they left upon one another, exhausted from the number of big moves they had used, charged in with one final attack, both of their fists colliding as they entered another power struggle, both brothers gritting their teeth as they used what was left of their strength to push through and deal the final blow.

Luna was slowly making headway, pushing Sol’s arm back and making the Typhlosion skid back a little. “You… put up a hell of a fight as always, Sol…!” Luna said through grit teeth. “But I’m not going down today…!”

Sol growled angrily, pushing back as hard as he could and shooting daggers at Luna as he made his claim. “I’ve always been second to you… Always walking in your shadow… Always being compared to you…!” He growled, his anger fueling him, boiling over to the point that his fiery blue wings and arms suddenly exploded and turned white as he pushed himself past his limits just like he did against Eberon. “Not… today!! This time…You’re gonna be second to me!!!” He roared, pushing through Luna’s fist and landing a clean hit right across the Zangoose’s cheek, screaming his name as the force of his punch sent Luna flying into the opposite wall with bone bone-jarring force.

Luna gagged as he hit the wall, falling to his side once gravity took hold of him. Luna’s Blessed powers leaving him as he lost his focus and began to black out from all the damage he took…

When Luna failed to rise, Revane’s voice filled the arena again. “Winner! Sol!”

“After that climactic spectacle, give Sol a round of applause!” Calyrex chimed in, spurring the audience into action, chanting Sol’s name in praise as they applauded him.

Sol blinked a few times as the announcement rang in his ears, staring at his unconscious brother before looking down at his own paws. They were trembling, not out of fright or adrenaline… but out of an extreme feeling of joy that kept building up within him. A genuine smile crossed his features before he threw his arms up, shouting victoriously into the air and relishing in his win; a victory he had longed to achieve for years.

Volcan slumped back in his seat. “Sol did it,” he said, “He finally beat Luna… Now I have to fight him.” He chuckled nervously. “Well, this is leading up to a crazy semi-final round, isn’t it?” He looked at Luke. “Especially with you finally getting your rematch with Sickle.”

“I guess fate is working in my favour?” Luke asked with a shrug. “I said it before; first I get to fight Neilla, now Sickle. Next thing you know, I’ll be fighting you.” He commented.

Volcan shrugged. “I have to get past Sol first,” he said, “and you still have to get past not only Sickle, but possibly also Koa if he manages to beat Fernidas.”

“And don’t forget,” added Neilla, “Romulus is still coming up too; he’s in the same bracket as Volcan. Even if he beats Sol, he’s still got the Hound of Terror to deal with.”

“Not to mention Wade or Hageshi; they still have to go up too,” Lashanne added. “And, let’s not forget Doug either… Speaking of which,” she pointed up at the board as the Dugtrio’s image appeared and Calyrex announced his name. “Looks like he’s next.”

From his place, nestled in a tub held by Katsu, Doug shook a little as he prepared himself for his turn, then commanded the dirt in his tub to form into a smaller construct that he could use to get down to the arena.

“Well, my time has come, it seems.” He said as he scooted awkwardly down the row of seats until he was at the stairs. “There we go… Wish me luck, guys~!”

“Uh…” Volcan said, before pointing up at the board. “You… Just might need it.”

Doug followed where Volcan was pointing, and in all three of his heads felt their blood run cold when he saw the image of his opponent on the screen… The unmistakable stern face on a horned, canid visage; in his sudden, stricken mind, he felt like the picture itself was staring right at him as his mind processed who he was seeing…

“...Oh you gotta be KIDDING ME!!” Doug whined, all three sets of his heads having their eyes widened in pure fear. “I’m up against the big man himself??”

“Too late to back out now, Doug,” Luke commented. “Just do your best. You might surprise him with your skills.”

“Aye, and let’s not forget you have a type advantage to aid you.” Katsu offered with a nod. “That, and the terrain will work to your advantage as well.”

“Still… It’s the Hound of Terror!” Doug shot back, then groaned and began making his way to the arena with mild hesitation. “Man… why’d it have to be him of all people…?”

“To be fair… He was kinda screwed either way,” Lashanne muttered, “cuz if it wasn’t Romulus, it was going to be Wade or Hageshi…”

“Lashanne,” Volcan said, looking at the Delphox with disapproval.

“Just saying.”

Neilla blinked, looking over at the two and having images of her teammate, Breenelle, flashing across her mind. “Huh. So that’s what I sound like when I’m chiding Bree.”