Fanfiction Earth's Protectors II

After a very close call, it seemed Machop was still able to stand up to Sneasel. But with the cat having been such a pain and the girl covered in blood, could she take full advantage of this new opportunity or was she only delaying the inevitable? Whatever the case, she could not give up. She was the last line of defence preventing Tokyo from being taken over.

Seeing just how serious Machop looked about all of this made Meloetta once again wonder if this really was all an act. All of her emotions during this match combined with her and Torchic paying tribute to their fallen allies with their entrances seemed far too convincing.

“The next time I knock you down, you will stay down, got it!?” Sneasel snapped as she rushed at Machop, sending her claws out rapidly and shouting, “FELINE FRENZY!”

But just as Machop was about to succumb to another barrage of slashes, she lifted her arms up, pointed her elbows toward the mat and sent them inward. This managed to trap Sneasel's arms in place as she gasped, trying her best to pry them out.

However, Machop would not allow her to escape as she fell backward, pulling the cat up while doing so. She then planted her feet hard into her gut and sent her flying high into the air. With that, the girl leapt up to her level and latched her hands onto her ankles, spreading her legs out and latching her ankles onto her neck.

Sneasel's eyes were wide with terror as Machop spat, “METEOR WARHEAD!” sending her skull hard into the canvas as she coughed up blood, the crowd going wild as Yuki exclaimed, “And after taking in all that punishment, Machop makes up for all of it with the same devastating finisher that defeated Lilligant! Let's see if this is enough to take Sneasel down!”

Tentacruel narrowed her eyelids and thought, 'Oh well. Even if she loses, that just means I can finally have my match with Machop.'

All went silent as Isamu grinned and thought, 'Yes, that has to be it. No opponent has ever gotten up from one of those techniques,' Eiko and Garchomp beaming bright.

But just as it truly seemed like the match was over, the crowd gasped as Sneasel's body twitched. Machop's eyes widened as she trembled and uttered, “No, it can't be,” the cat planting her claws against the mat and slowly pushing herself up.

Her arms were trembling all over as she breathed heavily, growling, “No, I want to be the second villain to defeat you! I want my name in the history books!” Meloetta uttering, “Villain?”

“She's just referring to the label given to her by the public,” Tentacruel replied with a nervous laugh only for Sneasel to add, “Your family has been nothing but a burden to us ever since your grandpa, Machamp entered the scene! Imagine how many of us could have taken over Tokyo if it hadn't been for him! And Machoke was even worse, defeating every single villain he ever fought! At least Machamp actually lost every now and then! And even whenever that happened, his stupid friends would come and ruin everything!”

'So this has been going on for a long time?' Meloetta thought with her eyes wide open, Sneasel grunting, “As if that's not enough, they've always had this annoying tendency to turn our allies against us! Seriously, how many villains did Machoke and his friends bring to the side of good!? It was at least ten, I'm sure! Hell, Machamp convinced Bouffalant, one of the greatest villains of all time, to join his side! It makes me sick just talking about it!”

Isamu blinked and uttered, “Wow, Machop's family is even more incredible than I first thought,” Garchomp nodding and saying, “That's part of why they have such a stellar reputation.”

“And to think Torchic actually got Vigoroth to join your side, but I heard you played a part in that!” Sneasel added, “And I even heard that Gyarados joined Hero School just so she could fight alongside you!”

“Really?” Machop uttered, “When she said she had something she needed to do, I didn't think it was something like that.”

“Hero School?” Meloetta uttered, “But I thought you were all being controlled by the government!” the people all staring as she added, “You have chips inside your brains that are set to electrocute you if you turn against them, right!? They bought you so they could force you to fight to protect them from us, creatures just looking for acceptance!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Machop retorted as the others talked amongst themselves as well, Tentacruel growling and thinking, 'Shit. It's too late now. Sneasel, you said way too much! Why couldn't you keep your trap shut, you moron!?'

“You are oppressed by most humans, right?” Meloetta whimpered, staring into Machop's eyes, “That's what happened to me. Hundreds of years ago, I tried to make friends with them. Because I wasn't human, they chased me out of town and had a wizard seal me in stone. They trapped me in Nippara Limestone Cave all because I was born different.”

“I was just about to ask you about that, but holy shit, you really have been living under a rock for a long time,” Machop uttered as Venipede and Rinko stared in shock at the screen.

Torchic had regained enough consciousness to hear this as she thought, 'I knew it. I knew she had a different reason for serving Tentacruel. I could tell before my match that she wasn't really evil.'

“Times have changed,” Machop stated with a warm smile, “The truth is, our kind has been accepted by humans for at least two-hundred years. It all started way back when the first hero, Pikachu defeated the evil Horsea.”

Meloetta was truly shocked as Machop added, “Not only are we accepted by humans, but as of one-hundred-and-fifty-three years ago, we can even mate with them. Heck, my grandma is a human. One of Rinko's mamas is an insect. Torchic's daddy is a human.”

“My mom was a human too,” Garchomp said with a grin as Isamu was truly amazed by all of this.

“This is the reality I was trying to achieve,” Meloetta uttered, “Only much better,” a big open-mouth smile forming on her face.

With that, she turned to Tentacruel and squealed, “Did you hear that!? We don't have to do this anymore!” Machop and her friends face-palming as Sneasel groaned, “Did you forget everything I just revealed?” Tentacruel glaring at her as she gulped nervously.

“That brings me to the reason we fight beings like Tentacruel!” Machop stated, “See, she and her friends fight for the side of evil! They want nothing but control over all of mankind! My friends and I, we trained in a school for heroes on Hero Planet to ready ourselves for this! We fight to make sure the citizens of Earth don't have to cave into the demands of evil!”

Meloetta was truly shocked as she uttered, “Is that true?” staring at Tentacruel with fear as the jellyfish shrugged her shoulders and sighed, “Guess there's no use hiding it. Yes, everything you just heard is the truth.”

The green-haired girl gasped and backed away from her, breathing heavily as Machop grinned and said, “Don't worry about it. I fully intend to take her down once I'm finished with Sneasel. They'll be behind bars soon enough.”

Sneasel gritted her teeth in irritation and retorted, “THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK!” as her dark aura formed again. She then charged at Machop and exclaimed, “KITTY SHADOW!” sending a slash powered by darkness into the girl's side.

Machop's eyes and mouth were wide open as blood trickled down from that spot. And yet despite all of the damage she had taken in up to this point, she continued to stand as she bit her lower lip and placed her hand against her side.

“Machop, you don't have to do this,” Meloetta uttered, “I can finish what you started,” Sneasel glaring at her and retorting, “You want a piece of me too!?”

“Don't worry about it,” Machop replied with a grin, ignoring all pain dealt to her, “As long as I can still fight and my opponent is still evil, I won't give in!”

“SHUT UP!” Sneasel retorted before going down on all fours, her ear feather glowing once more as she charged toward Machop, shouting, “FEATHER SWORD!”

But just as she was about to land another hit, Machop leapt up a bit earlier than she had the last couple of times. And sure enough, this seemed like the perfect moment as she landed just in time to plant her feet into the cat's back. Thus Sneasel had been stopped in her tracks as she coughed up blood, her legs and arms spread out as she fell hard on her belly.

The crowd cheered wildly as Garchomp clapped, saying, “I wish Lairon could have been here to see that,” Isamu nodding and exclaiming, “Yeah! Finish her off, Machop!”

“You don't need to tell me twice!” Machop replied with a smirk before taking hold of Sneasel's wrists and ankles, propelling herself high above the ring while spinning and flipping herself one-hundred-and-eighty degrees.

The crowd was even more excited as Nori exclaimed, “And it would seem Machop has set up Sneasel for that infamous family technique!” Machop applying extra pressure to Sneasel's back as she cried out in pain.

With that, the cat was unable to respond as her head soon made contact with the canvas, Machop shouting, “MUSCLE TORNADO!”

Sneasel's eyes rolled to the back of her head as Machop released her hold, leaping away from her and landing on her feet. She then turned as the cat's body collapsed, all going silent as Meloetta cupped her hands together, hoping this was truly the end of the match now. She wanted this all to end as soon as possible so at least one more villain would be out of commission and sent to prison.

And after ten seconds, Yuki nodded and rang the bell, exclaiming, “After a very close match, our winner is Machop!” the crowd cheering wildly as the girl lifted her arms in the air, forming peace signs with a big grin on her face.

Tentacruel frowned as Meloetta breathed a sigh of relief. She then distanced herself from the jellyfish, not wanting anything to do with her anymore.

However, Machop's celebration ended as quickly as it started as she winced and knelt down, groaning, “Dammit, that Sneasel was persistent.”

Seeing this, Isamu and Eiko immediately raced toward the ring as Garchomp got up and pulled out her cellphone, calling up Lairon. Luckily, he was on break right now as she gave him the good news. Needless to say, he was very happy to hear that Machop had won without any advice.

Isamu took hold of Machop's right arm and asked, “You okay?” Machop nodding and replying, “I'll be fine, especially now that we got us a new ally, right?”

Meloetta stared wide-eyed and uttered, “You'd actually let me be your friend after everything I've done?” Machop nodding and explaining, “Something Daddy has always believed in is giving people second chances, and I respect him for that.”

“I should still probably serve time for all that I did,” Meloetta uttered, “Or at the very least, apologize to Vigoroth and Torchic,” Machop nodding and saying, “You'll have plenty of time to make up with them. Trust me, I'm sure the world will accept you.”

The green-haired girl's eyes sparkled as Tentacruel growled, “You were supposed to be my key to world conquest! After Tokyo, we would go across the entire planet and spread chaos wherever we went! I should have known it wouldn't last!”

Meloetta frowned as the jellyfish was just about set up a time and location for her match with Machop. But before she could do so, the green-haired girl said, “I'll fight you right here, right now.”

“What?” Tentacruel remarked as Meloetta nodded and said, “You heard me. I may not like fighting, but as long as it's for the innocent, I will. Besides, defeating you will be my first step in paying back all of Tokyo for helping you defeat four of their heroes.”

The crowd's interest increased as Nori stated, “Just as we thought today's matches had come to a close, Meloetta has challenged her former boss to a fight. But will she accept?”

Tentacruel smirked and said, “I was trying to avoid this, but alright, if you insist.”

With that, the jellyfish charged at Meloetta, the green-haired girl squeaking, “Aren't you going to-” only to be cut off when Tentacruel's tentacles bound her in place.

“Now that you know I'm evil, I have no reason to play fair,” Tentacruel said with a smirk before leaping high into the air and leaning backward, planting the green-haired girl's skull against the mat.

Machop's eyes and mouth were wide open as Isamu and Eiko immediately helped her exit the ring. They would have come back to Sneasel if Tentacruel had not released her hold on Meloetta and lifted the cat up.

“You were a good ally, Sneasel, but you're getting in my way,” the jellyfish said before hurling her out of the ring.

Eiko gasped and released her hold on Machop, running over with her arms out and catching the cat mid-fall. She then breathed a sigh of relief and scowled, Tentacruel laughing at the sight of this.

“Why would you help her like that?” she asked, “Are you stupid or something? She tried to kill your friend there,” as Eiko scowled and said, “If Machop's gonna give her opponents a second chance, I will too.”

“God, it's like something out of a Saturday Morning cartoon,” Tentacruel groaned as Meloetta scowled and whipped her hair out, binding it around the jellyfish and saying, “I have no idea what that is, but I don't care. I'm going to make you pay for leading me on like that.”

With that, she swung her hair around and sent the jellyfish flying into the turnbuckle, the crowd cheering as Yuki stated, “And Meloetta takes full advantage of Tentacruel's lack of attention.”

The jellyfish scowled and said, “I thought you were too good to take advantage of me like that. Guess I can't risk letting my guard down after all.”

Right now, Meloetta was too angry at the jellyfish to care about fairness as she let out a soothing melody. Everyone was confused until small lines travelled toward Tentacruel, her eyes sagging before closing as she snored.

“Surprised she didn't try that on Vigoroth,” Machop uttered as Meloetta raced toward Tentacruel with both arms back and spat, “WAKE-UP SLAP!” ramming her palms into her face.

Just as the name implied, this was more than enough to wake the jellyfish up while also dealing an incredible amount of damage in the process. Needless to say, Tentacruel was shocked to see a bit of blood coming from her face. It seemed that somehow, using this move after putting her to sleep with a lullaby doubled its power.

Even so, there was no way Tentacruel would allow herself to lose as when Meloetta sent her hair out again, the jellyfish lashed her tentacles out. The green-haired girl's eyes widened as they managed to bind to her hair, Tentacruel leaning backward and lifting her up. Machop and the others winced as her skull was slammed against the canvas.

However, Meloetta scowled and ignored the pain, propelling herself back up. Tentacruel had to admit that she was impressed as she thought, 'I see, now that I've managed to anger her, she's become much more aggressive and stronger. However, she seems to lack variety when it comes to her abilities. I can take advantage of that.'

With that in mind, she waited for the green-haired girl to attack again as she once again whipped her hair out. Tentacruel smirked and leapt over it, saying, “Is this really the best you can do? You are so predictable.”

'Predictable?' Meloetta thought as that very word seemed to distract her. This left her wide open as Tentacruel unleashed an onslaught of rapid kicks into her skull, shouting, “JELLYFISH BOMBARDMENT!”

Meloetta tried her best not to let this get to her when suddenly, all the pain Torchic dealt to her head earlier returned. And it made perfect sense. She only had a little bit more than thirty minutes to rest up from that match. That was hardly enough time to recover, even if the fight itself was short.

Tentacruel could see this right away as she thought, 'Hook, line and sinker,' before wrapping all of her tentacles around the green-haired girl.

Now Meloetta felt light-headed as Machop spat, “HEY, FIGHT BACK!” as Isamu gulped and uttered, “I don't think she can. Something tells me Tentacruel had the exact same plan for her that she had for Torchic.”

“Oh no, she's doomed, isn't she?” Eiko whimpered as Isamu sighed, “Sadly, yes.”

Hearing this, Garchomp gritted her teeth as Tentacruel leapt high above the ring with Meloetta still in her clutches. She then tucked her lower body in and shifted the green-haired girl underneath her so her belly was facing the mat. Then to top it all off, she proceeded to plant her beak-like formations into her back as she winced.

“If you had decided to face me tomorrow, you might have stood a chance,” Tentacruel said before descending toward the mat and shouting, “TUSK BUSTER!”

Everyone stared in horror as Meloetta uttered, “I'm sorry, Machop. I guess you'll still have to fight her,” but just as she was about to make contact with the canvas, the crowd gasped when Garchomp flew into the ring and positioned herself below her, the green-haired girl's belly running into her back right above the dorsal fin as she winced from the pain.

Yuki stared wide-eyed as Nori stated, “Just as it seemed Meloetta was going to succumb to a very powerful finisher, Garchomp has selflessly risked her own well-being to save her.”

The dragon remembered a time many years ago during the twenty-second Hero Olympics, specifically the semi-finals. After Lucario defeated her, since he was not quite himself at the time, he lifted her up and hurled her out of the ring, which at the time had been risen two stories off the ground.

Just as she was about to land and have her injuries increased, Machoke's trainer, Aipom, selflessly dashed toward her and caught her. She wound up breaking her legs in the process, but she had also saved Garchomp from possibly being crippled.

The dragon was glad to have done the same for Meloetta until she felt some kind of liquid land on her head. And sure enough, this was blood that the green-haired girl had just coughed up, her eyes having rolled to the back of her head.

Tentacruel released her hold on the girl and said, “So much for being Meloetta's saviour. You got yourself hurt for nothing.”

This did seem to be the case as Meloetta fell sideways off of the dragon's back. As if that was not enough, she could no longer move as Nori rang the bell, saying, “And despite Garchomp's best efforts, the winner of this match is Tentacruel.”

However, Garchomp did not look as distraught as she should have been when she noticed Meloetta was still breathing. As such, she grinned and slowly pushed herself back up, uttering, “At least she's not dead.”

Tentacruel folded her tentacles and growled. She had wanted to break as many spirits today as possible, but it hardly mattered. At least with Meloetta and Sneasel taken care of, she would finally have her match with Machop, but unlike with Torchic, she wanted to fight her at her fullest, prove that she could defeat her when she was not suffering massive injuries.

With that in mind, the jellyfish smiled and said, “Machop, we will have our final match in three days. But to make it interesting, not only will we fight in the local arena, but we will have our match at ten PM as opposed to AM.”

“So you'd rather face me at night,” Machop said with a smirk, “Bring it. I'm ready for that,” Isamu nodding and saying, “Yeah, I'm sure you can do it.”

“Well, you heard it yourself,” Nori stated, “The big event will take place in the evening just three days from now. Be there.”

And with all said and done, Garchomp lifted up Meloetta and smiled warmly, saying, “Don't feel too bad. You did the best you could. I'm sure Machop can finish what you started.”

With that, she carried Meloetta toward the exit to the park, planning to take her to the hospital like she had done for Vigoroth. But just as the group was about to head off, Eiko lifted up Sneasel, who she had resting on a nearby bench and said, “We should get her medical treatment too.”

Isamu nodded and replied, “Yeah, good thinking, sis,” as the group carried her off. And unbeknownst to them, Sneasel had enough consciousness to hear everything they had said. As such, she was really starting to wonder if she had chosen the right path.

Either way, despite all the hardships, today had mostly been successful. Machop had won her match and Meloetta learned the truth, thus the group had likely gained themselves a new ally. All Machop would have to do was defeat Tentacruel three days from now and everything would be okay in Tokyo once more.

 

Currently, Machop was in the hospital where Venipede and Rinko still could not leave their beds. But while the two wished they could get up and leave the hospital, their condition was nowhere near as bad as Torchic's.

Machop had gotten a bit of treatment herself. Because Sneasel had cut her in multiple places, the girl was currently covered in bandages to stop the bleeding. If anything, it was a miracle that she was still in good enough condition to fight in three days.

“Seriously, Machop, you did a great job,” Rinko said with a grin as Venipede nudged her, the brunette nodding and remembering that currently, he was the only one she had talked to about her secret identity.

“So you're not mad about me lying to you guys?” she asked as Machop shrugged her shoulders and said, “Look, you probably have your own personal reasons for this. The idea of humans fighting creatures like us, it's not exactly considered normal. The important thing is you're still our friend.”

Eiko and Isamu watched this from the entrance as the boy had a light smile on his face, saying, “You know, with all this drama going on, it's nice to have a tender moment like this every once in a while.”

After Machop talked some more with Venipede and Rinko, she and the others headed off to see Torchic. Luckily, she had not strained herself too much, so the time she would need to stay away from the ring had not been increased by a whole lot. But even so, she had been scolded by the doctor for not following his instructions.

“Honestly, I'm just glad you're all still alive,” Machop said with a grin, “But man, Torchic, you're either the most badass chicken in the world or the craziest fighter who ever lived.”

The chicken let out a sigh and replied, “I figured as long as I could still fight, I may as well try. But, still, it's nice that Meloetta's come around. I was worried she might end up being your last opponent.”

Machop nodded and said, “Same here,” before putting on a more serious look and adding, “I'm gonna make Tentacruel pay for leading her on like that. There's no way I'm gonna lose. I'll work my ass off if I have to.”

“I bet you will,” Torchic replied with a grin as she lifted up her leg lightly, forming a fist with her talon. And with that, both pounded their fists together as the chicken felt lucky that her legs had not taken in any damage during the fight.

Finally, it was time to check on Vigoroth who had only just regained the ability to move, the sloth grinning when she saw Machop enter. The girl returned the gesture and asked, “So, how you holding up, your majesty?”

“Please don't call me that,” Vigoroth remarked, “Dad said I can only fight evil if I pretend not to be a member of the sloth kingdom,” Machop uttering, “Well, it's not like there are any cameras here,” before shrugging her shoulders.

“Wait, she's a member of royalty?” Isamu whispered as Eiko nodded and said, “She admitted to that when she fought Torchic. She's the princess of the sloth kingdom,” the boy's eyes wide with shock.

“Anyway,” Vigoroth replied, “I should be able to move within the hour. It'll take more than powerful shock waves to take me down,” flexing her muscles.

“Um, by the way, if you see Meloetta again-” Machop uttered as Vigoroth sighed, “It's fine. I was awake to see today's matches. I know why Meloetta did what she did and I'm just glad she learned the truth before it was too late.”

Machop breathed a sigh of relief and replied, “Thank god. I was worried there might be bad blood between the two of you,” Vigoroth sighing, “Well, I am pissed off, but more so at Tentacruel. The way she just took advantage of her like that, it's sickening.”

“By the way,” Machop asked with a grin, “are you gonna stay in Tokyo?” Vigoroth shrugging her shoulders and replying, “Not sure yet. I'd love to fight alongside you guys, but at the same time, there are other places in the world that need more heroes. I'll really need to think about it.”

“Well, if you ever decide to stay here, you're more than welcome,” Isamu said with a grin as he walked over and added, “Hi, I'm Isamu,” the boy holding out his hand as the sloth shook it, Machop explaining, “He and Eiko here are our new friends.”

Vigoroth nodded and shook Eiko's hand before saying, “It's a pleasure,” Eiko tensing up at the very idea of shaking hands with a princess while Isamu chose to honour the sloth's request and not treat her like more than just a new friend.

But before the group could take off, Machop stopped by Meloetta's room to check up on her one more time. Luckily, she would be able to recover in time to support Machop as Garchomp had prevented the finishing blow from dealing too much damage. But as for now, the multiple head injuries she had dealt with today would keep her out of commission for a while.

With all said and done, Machop, Isamu and Eiko were ready to head off as Garchomp waited for them in the van. And as they entered, the girl asked, “I know I've asked this, like, three times now, but are you sure your back's okay?” the dragon grinning and replying, “I told you, even at my age, I can still handle pain.”

And so the group took off. Once again, Garchomp and Machop had offered to let Isamu and Eiko stay for a while, the humans agreeing as the boy called up their parents to let them know. After everything that had happened today, they knew Machop could use some down time, and the last thing they would want was for her to be bored.

Since the other two matches had not been particularly long, it was only a little bit past one. As such, Lairon was still not home yet thus giving the girls and boy plenty of time to enjoy themselves. Machop would surely spend the rest of her free time training, but for now, the others figured she may as well relax. After all, it was not as if Tentacruel was planning to harm anyone until the match started.

Once four rolled around, Lairon returned from work as he gave Isamu and Eiko a friendly hello. However, the one he really wanted to see was Machop as he grinned and said, “I heard you did a really good job today.”

“Well, I'm not sure about really good,” Machop replied with a sigh, “As you can see, I took in a lot of pain before I won,” Lairon shrugging and saying, “I'm impressed that you still managed to win after taking in as many slashes as I heard you did.”

Machop blinked as Lairon grinned and said, “The important thing is that you beat that powerful enemy without any advice. No matter how you look at it, that's still pretty impressive. Most would have fallen to the level of pain Garchomp described to me.”

“Really?” Machop uttered as the dinosaur nodded and replied, “Trust me, your dad has had far more close calls in his lifetime than you have. I think you have what it takes to carry on the family legacy.”

Machop's eyes sparkled as the dinosaur added, “By the way, I already know about your plan to rest for today, and I agree. We'll start training again tomorrow,” the girl nodding and feeling grateful to have such an understanding trainer.

And soon enough, night came around as Isamu and Eiko had headed home a few hours ago. Machop lay in bed with a serious look in her eyes, thinking, 'I won't let all of our efforts be in vain. Mark my words, Tentacruel, you're going down.'

The following day was thankfully a day off for Lairon, so he and Machop got to work shortly after breakfast. And like always, Garchomp and Eri decided to check up on them every now and then to see if they needed help. After a while, Lairon called her out to help with something similar to when Machop prepared for her match with Gyarados.

“So, what's going on?” Machop uttered as the dragon grinned and replied, “I'm gonna prepare you for that Tusk Buster of Tentacruel's.”

The girl blinked as Lairon nodded and said, “With her arms, she should be able to emulate it to a certain degree, right, honey?” Garchomp nodding and replying, “Yes. I don't have anything to bind your entire body with, but I'm sure I can help you prepare for the possibility of Tentacruel using this move on you.”

Machop nodded and said, “Well, it would be nice to know how to escape from that. It looks really brutal,” the girl remembering just how much damage it dealt to Meloetta. Even with Garchomp softening the blow, it still drew blood and knocked her unconscious.

With that, Garchomp lifted Machop high above the ground before planting her claws into her back. Machop winced in pain, trying to find a way to escape from this only to wind up being driven into the surface below. Lairon let out a sigh as Garchomp removed her claws, asking, “You okay?”

“Yeah, I'll be fine,” Machop grunted as she rubbed the area below her neck, “If I can't get out of that, there's no way I could stand up to the real thing. She uses tentacles to make it harder to escape. How can I compete with that?”

Garchomp let out a sigh and folded her arms, saying, “I hate to say it, but she has a point. I can get the stab to the back down pat, but I don't have anything to bind her in place with.”

Lairon tapped his chin and nodded, saying, “I think I know what we can use.”

Minutes later, Machop was bound in ropes as she uttered, “I dunno about this,” Garchomp remarking, “Hey, you wanted accuracy. This is the best we can do.”

But just as the dragon was about to take to the sky again, Venipede and Rinko were walking by when they peered over the fence. Seeing their friend tied up, the centipede blinked and uttered, “What are you doing?”

“Oh, hey guys,” Machop said with a grin, “Good to see you finally up and about.”

And soon enough, the two were in the back yard as all had been explained to them. Venipede nodded and sighed, “Yeah, I can see why you'd wanna do this. Take it from someone who's been on the receiving end. This move is deadly.”

Rinko blinked and asked, “Worse than Sneasel's slashes? I doubt it,” the centipede shrugging and replying, “Well, yeah, your injuries did look worse.”

“I dunno,” Machop replied, “While it's true her moves don't look quite as deadly on the surface, I get the feeling she might be a tougher opponent than Sneasel. Something about the way she fought Meloetta was really alarming.”

“I'll admit, she definitely seemed more aggressive than when she fought me,” Venipede replied as Machop gasped, “That's right! You fought her first! You probably know all about her other abilities!”

“Well, she didn't use a whole lot on me either,” Venipede replied with a sigh, “In fact, what she used on Meloetta yesterday wasn't that much different from when I fought her.”

Machop groaned as Rinko patted her on the shoulder, saying, “Hey, we'll help you train for your match too. Even if you never figure out how to get out of her signature moves, I'm sure you can still beat her.”

Machop blinked as Venipede stated, “I think so too. I mean, you did take multiple scratches and come out okay.”

“Even so, we can't rule out the possibility of failure,” Lairon replied, “Machop's shown incredible improvement since her loss to Voltorb, but that doesn't mean we can just allow her to take in as many attacks as Tentacruel can dish out.”

“Exactly,” Machop replied with a sigh, “If I can figure out how to at least deal with her strongest moves, it'll increase my chances by a lot, right?” Lairon nodding and saying, “Exactly.”

And with that in mind, Garchomp once again tied Machop up and set her up for her own version of the Tusk Buster. But despite all of their best efforts, the girl could not find a way out of it. The only method she could think of was expanding her muscles, but since that took so much energy to pull off, it was recommended that she try to avoid using that tactic unless it was really necessary.

After a while, Lairon decided to give it a rest so she could focus on other things, such as basic fighting techniques and defensive manoeuvres. With the jellyfish's multiple tentacles, Machop would need as much practice against this as possible. Needless to say, Venipede's presence was a blessing as he had enough arms to at least help with that.

After a few more hours, Lairon took a deep breath and said, “Well, I think that's enough training for today,” Machop staring as he added, “If you over-exert yourself, you're not gonna have enough strength for your match. If anything, you should spend at least half of each day resting.”

“But how can I think of rest and relaxation when I'm about to fight evil?” the girl retorted as Garchomp sighed, “If you worry too much about it, it could throw you off. A little rest could do you some good.”

Rinko was starting to wonder about that herself. While she understood the point of rest and free time, she was often only okay with such things when there was no evil to worry about at the present time. Seeing as there was still one villain left to worry about, taking a break seemed weird to her.

Venipede, on the other hand, seemed to realize exactly where Lairon was coming from as he nodded and said, “He's right. You need to save up quite a bit of energy for your match otherwise you'll end up too tired to concentrate. Believe you me, that happened to me once before.”

Venipede remembered far back to the age of ten when he got in his first fight. What appeared to be a cross between an angler fish and a tadpole named Chinchou was bullying a young boy in his class. As the centipede was not as much of a wimp back then, he saw this as his first opportunity to prove himself worthy of his family name. He would be a hero just like his mother.

Wanting to look even more tough, the angler agreed to his terms and set up the fight for the next day after school. As such, Venipede spent the rest of the day training for the fight, knowing that he was not going up against a human but a being with powers.

Unfortunately, because he spent so much time training, he had lost a lot of sleep. Not only did this make it hard for him to stay awake in class but by the time the fight came around, he was so drowsy that his vision was disoriented. He was unable to focus on the fight at hand and was unable to deal to a single blow.

And sure enough, he soon fell victim to an attack Chinchou called Electro Flail, in which he spun the growths on his head like a propeller and struck the centipede multiple times with it while the ends were covered in electricity. Under normal circumstances, this would not have been enough to defeat Venipede, but since he was so tired, this one move was enough to knock him unconscious as he had to be rushed to the nurse's office.

Not only had he lost because of all the training he had done, but this was the moment where he developed a fear of fighting. Just remembering this moment reminded him of why he had joined Hero School in the first place. It was to help him get over the paranoia he had gained that day.

After he told the girls about this, Machop nodded and said, “I never realized it could be that serious. I figured just a good night's sleep would be good enough, but damn.”

Rinko nodded and added, “Well, I guess we may as well let you enjoy some downtime,” Venipede implying a smile and saying, “I'm sure you'll be awesome as always, Machop.”

Machop gave him a light smile as Lairon grinned and said, “You got yourself some good friends there,” the girl nodding and replying, “Yeah, they're awesome.”

With all said and done, Machop spent the remainder of the day resting up. With Lairon at work the following day, Garchomp agreed to help her prepare for the Tusk Buster until he got back, but only for a couple of hours. After all, she would need energy for the afternoon when the dinosaur was there to train her.

While on break, she decided to check back to the hospital to see how those who had not yet left were. Torchic was finally able to move again, only just like before, she would need to go a week without straining her upper body. Since she had lost, she no longer had a reason to fight, so this was fine with her.

Vigoroth had left long ago and spent quite some time looking around Tokyo to see what it was like. After all, she had not exactly refused Machop's invitation for her to join the team.

But most importantly, Meloetta had started to recover as she smiled upon seeing Machop and her friends pay her a visit. Venipede and Rinko had chosen to hold off on their plans for the day for this as they wanted to get to know the green-haired girl themselves, especially now that she was no longer serving evil.

“So, how's your training been going?” Meloetta asked, “I could tell just from her fights with me and Venipede that she's really strong,” Machop giving her a warm smile and replying, “Don't you worry about a thing. I got this.”

Meloetta nodded and turned to Torchic, a look of shame on her face as she whimpered, “Sorry for hurting you so badly. I thought-” only for the chicken to cut in and reply, “It's alright. You thought you were doing the right thing. As you can see, I'm okay now, so no major harm done.”

Venipede implied a big smile with his eyes and said, “Don't worry about your past. What matters is that you're cool now,” Rinko nodding and adding, “As long as you don't turn on us, you're always welcome in our group.”

“So does that mean you'd consider me a friend after everything I've done?” Meloetta asked as the group nodded, light tears welling up in the green-haired girl's eyes as she sniffed, “Thank you so much. I've never had real friends before,” wiping her eyes.

Machop grinned and said, “When all of this is over, we're gonna take you somewhere special. You'll love it,” Meloetta nodding after she managed to dry her eyes, Torchic saying, “That's only if you can defeat Tentacruel.”

The girl nodded and said, “Right. I'm gonna train my ass off once Lairon gets home, but I'll also stick to his advice and get enough rest so I'll be ready for tomorrow. Don't you worry, Meloetta. I'll make sure Tentacruel doesn't succeed.”

And soon enough, four o'clock came around shortly after Machop returned home. After Lairon had a bit of a rest from his day at work, the two spent the next three hours training. This time, it was only the dinosaur and Garchomp helping out, though.

However, despite all of Machop's hard work, she had not yet found a way around the Tusk Buster. But even with that in mind, she felt ready for just about everything else the jellyfish had in her arsenal, so perhaps she could pull this off.

And with all said and done, it was time for bed as Machop crawled under the covers and rested her hands behind her head. She then looked out the window, took a deep breath and thought, 'Don't worry, Tokyo. I'll make sure you're safe and sound.'

 

The day of the match had finally come. Since Machop had until the evening to prepare herself, she decided to use the first few hours leading up to noon for training purposes. Though like Lairon suggested, she would take it easy until the match came along in order to be fully prepared.

All the while, Meloetta was finally out of the hospital, but in order to feel safe, she decided to walk through the streets with Vigoroth by her side. All the while, she turned to the sloth and asked, “So you're really okay?”

Vigoroth rolled her eyes and sighed, “Look, it's water under the bridge,” Meloetta raising an eyebrow as she sighed, “It means everything's okay.”

The green-haired girl nodded and said, “Sorry, I'm still getting used to everything,” as Vigoroth patted her on the shoulder and said, “Honestly, considering how long you've been stuck in that cave, I'm impressed you've gained an understanding of most of our terminology.”

However, while talking, Meloetta found herself looking back and forth every so often, Vigoroth asking, “Afraid Tentacruel's gonna jump out of an alleyway and attack you?” Meloetta nodding and whimpering, “I know she beat me in a fight already, but I'm worried she might kill me for turning against her.”

“Don't you worry about a thing,” Vigoroth replied with a grin, “If she comes along, I'll deal with her myself,” Meloetta smiling bright and saying, “Thank you so much.”

The sloth chuckled and said, “You know, if I hadn't fought you before, I wouldn't believe someone like you could be so strong,” as Meloetta bit her lower lip and replied, “Well, I only resort to violence when I feel I have to.”

Vigoroth nodded when suddenly, the green-haired girl added, “Though I wouldn't mind getting some lessons,” Vigoroth turning as she added, “See, Tentacruel was able to see through my attacks after the first little while. She told me I lacked variety, but I didn't think that mattered. What if I have to face another villain in the future and he finds me too predictable as well?”

Vigoroth nodded and said, “Well, a little variety can definitely help. Tell you what, if Machop manages to win her match tonight, I'll help you develop some new techniques.”

“Really?” Meloetta asked with her eyes sparkling, Vigoroth nodding and replying, “Yeah. We're friends now and friends help each other out.”

While they were unsure whether or not they would ever get a chance to use their skills again, Venipede and Rinko were using this time to get some sparring in, the brunette now wearing sports outfits now that she no longer had to pose as a mantis. After having lost their matches, they wanted to improve their skills even more.

After three hours, the two were breathing heavily as Rinko held her knees, saying, “You're getting a lot better,” Venipede nodding and adding, “You too. I actually think getting rid of that costume has improved your speed.”

“You know, I do feel lighter in these clothes,” she said with a grin, “And a lot less sweaty.”

Venipede nodded and replied, “I also think I like you better this way,” Rinko blushing lightly and asking, “Really?” the centipede nodding and saying, “Yeah, it's much better to be yourself.”

For some strange reason, the brunette felt a touch disappointed to hear him say that. But what did she want him to say? Whatever it was would be a mystery for the time being as she smiled and nodded, saying, “Yeah, it really is.”

Once nine in the evening came around, many were gathered in the same arena where the first three villains had been defeated. Needless to say, many were excited to see if Tentacruel would finally meet her match or if Machop would last as long as her friends against her.

Luckily, since the match was held so late, Lairon could give her advice despite it having been a work day. And of course, Machop was very happy about this. As much as her confidence had risen lately, she still felt like she could use the dinosaur's tips.

Of course she had been driven there so she could prepare herself, Lairon resting a hand on her shoulder and saying, “Come on, Machop, let's go set up another amazing entrance, eh?” Machop retorting, “I swear to god, if this one ends up embarrassing me like the last three, I'm coming up with my own.”

Garchomp chuckled as the others saw her off, Isamu saying, “So you're telling me her dad used to come up with entrances like that all the time,” the dragon nodding as Eiko stated, “I don't see what the big deal is. I think they're kinda cool.”

“Then how come you never applaud them?” Isamu asked as the pink-haired girl laughed nervously, Torchic slowly making her way to the entrance along with the others.

Eiko waved excitedly, Meloetta looking rather nervous as Vigoroth gave her a right claw up seeing as she had no actual thumb. The green-haired girl nodded with a light smile and approached the humans, saying, “Hello, um...”

“Isamu,” the boy replied as his sister added, “And I'm Eiko. I don't believe we've been properly introduced yet.”

Meloetta nodded and shook both their hands, asking, “So you're okay with me being part of your group?” Isamu nodded as the green-haired girl gave them a sweet smile.

“Good, now let's get going,” Rinko said with a grin, “I wanna get front-row seats,” Eiko replying, “Don't worry about that. Mom and Dad are saving those for us.”

All the while, Machoke and Gardevoir were both tuning in to see how their daughter would perform. They were already proud of her for having defeated two of Tentacruel's allies, but the fate of Tokyo still hung in the balance.

Tentacruel, meanwhile, was testing her skills on a practice dummy, sending a variety of punches into it and grinning wickedly, exclaiming, “When I'm through with you, Machop, I'll be the true queen of evil! Everyone will remember me as the one who took over Tokyo! Voltorb may have beaten you, but his victory was quickly forgotten when he lost to a human in disguise! No one will forget me!”

She then wrapped her tentacles around the dummy and held extra tight until the material tore open, all of the stuffing flying out and hitting the wall. She then laughed and exclaimed, “I love being myself! It pained me to put up such a gentle front around those morons I once called allies!”

The hour soon passed as the seats were filled, Nori exclaiming, “Alright, everyone, it's finally time for the main event to decide Tokyo's fate! Will we be free from tyranny once more or is this finally it!?” Yuki trembling and uttering, “It's hard staying positive under such circumstances.”

However, when her mother gave her an odd look, she cleared her throat and stated, “In the red corner, the final villain standing! She has beaten both Venipede and Meloetta with her amazing fighting skills! With a mix of ferocity and gentleness, Tentacruel!”

The crowd booed and hissed as Tentacruel walked toward the ring, smirking and saying, “Boo me all you like. You'll be kissing my feet soon enough.”

Once she had entered the ring, Yuki added, “And in the blue corner, the last hero standing in Tentacruel's way. She has saved us from the likes of Gyarados and even defeated two of Tentacruel's allies. With amazing strength and skill, Machop!”

The crowd went wild before noticing the girl marching toward the ring with a fishing pole strapped to her back. Lairon grinned as Machop pulled it out and cast the line onto the turnbuckle, using it to pull herself toward it. But once she was close enough, she gained too much momentum and thus her face ran straight into the pole, the girl groaning as the crowd broke out into hysterics.

“Oh, I just got it,” Isamu uttered, “She's facing a sea creature, so she used a fishing rod to pull herself toward the ring. You know, I think I preferred the psychotic gardener approach. At least she looked intimidating.”

Garchomp chuckled and said, “Well, at least they're creative,” Machop throwing the rod away and climbing into the ring.

Tentacruel smirked and said, “You know, your last entrance may have been stupid, but at least it had a good concept. That was just embarrassing,” as Machop retorted, “Shut up! Lairon worked extra hard to prepare that and I thought it was a great idea!”

'I don't know whether to laugh or cry,' Lairon thought with a grin, 'After all her talk about embarrassment, it seems like this hasn't discouraged her in the slightest.'

All the while, Machoke grinned and said, “That was actually a good concept,” Gardevoir nodding and adding, “I didn't think Lairon could think of something like that.”

“I still don't understand,” Meloetta uttered, “These fights are supposed to be serious yet they care so much about their entrances.”

“In a way, there is more to an entrance than just putting on a show for the crowd,” Torchic replied with a grin, “They also relieve stress and build up the fighter's confidence before the match. In other words, it helps keep us on our toes.”

Meloetta was now wondering if she should try that if she ever had to fight again while Rinko said, “Whatever. I just want the match to begin so I can see Machop wipe the floor with Tentacruel's smug face,” Venipede nodding in agreement.

With that out of the way, Machop and Tentacruel stood on separate sides of the ring as Yuki stated, “Well, folks, the combatants are set! Let the match begin!” ringing the bell.

Machop held up a defensive stance as Tentacruel smirked and raced toward her with her tentacles at the ready. Her form seemed surprisingly sloppy as she left her midsection wide open. However, Lairon could tell right off the bat that this was intentional.

As such, he exclaimed, “Machop, swerve to the right!” the girl confused by this but refusing to question him after what happened the last time she did so.

With that, she dodged to the right as Tentacruel thought, 'Perfect,' moving in that direction herself and latching the tentacles on that side to Machop's arm. Her eyes widened as the jellyfish swung her around, sending her flying into the turnbuckle.

The crowd gasped as Nori stated, “Machop tries to dodge but is caught mid-way!” Lairon blinking and thinking, 'What just happened?'

However, he had to get his head back in the game when Tentacruel leapt toward Machop with her leg tentacles pointed outward, Machop ready to counter when the dinosaur barked, “Dodge her again, but move faster!”

The girl nodded and did just as instructed. However, it seemed Tentacruel was once again prepared as she bound her tentacles to the turnbuckle, flinging herself toward Machop and ramming her skull into her side. The crowd winced as she fell hard against the mat, Tentacruel wrapping her tentacles around her and holding on tight.

“Oh no!” Venipede groaned, “She's already been caught! Even I couldn't get out of those!” Rinko biting her lower lip as Isamu gritted his teeth, growling, “Come on, it can't be over yet.”

“And once again, Machop tries to dodge only to fall victim to another countermeasure!” Nori stated, “While Lairon's advice was really effective when Machop faced Gyarados, it doesn't seem to be helping at all right now!”

The crowd then started to boo the dinosaur, throwing cans and wrappers at him and shouting, “WHAT THE HELL, MAN!? ARE YOU EVEN TRYING!?” another barking, “IF SHE HAD COUNTERED THOSE OTHER MOVES, SHE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE AVOIDED DAMAGE AND DEALT SOME HERSELF!”

Lairon's eyes were wide with terror as Garchomp spat, “HEY, STOP PELTING MY HUSBAND!” as Eiko sighed, “I agree with them, but that's just harsh.”

“No, I get the feeling there's more to this,” Isamu growled, “Those were good ideas. I get the feeling Tentacruel's even more crafty than she first seemed, and she already seemed crafty to begin with.”

Meloetta trembled and uttered, “Oh no, she's going to lose, isn't she?” Vigoroth patting her on the shoulder as Torchic replied, “I doubt a few good moves are enough to finish Machop.”

Machop groaned as Tentacruel laughed and said, “I hate to say it, but the crowd is right. Your master's strategies may have been fine against someone as rash and reckless as Gyarados, but against a genius like me, his strategies are predictable. Just look at how well you did when facing Sneasel and Lilligant. You defeated both of them without his advice.”

Hearing this, Lairon stared in shock and thought, 'Is she doing what I think she is?' before looking down as his mind added, 'Though she might actually be right.'

“Hey, can it!” Machop snapped as she gritted her teeth, using all her might to lift herself up, Tentacruel smirking and saying, “As if I'd let you turn my submission hold against me.”

With that, she leapt backward and planted the back of Machop's head into the turnbuckle, the girl coughing up a bit of blood as the jellyfish released her. Thus she collapsed as her body twitched, Yuki saying, “Not even three minutes into the match and Machop already looks weak.”

Meloetta trembled as even Vigoroth and Torchic was unsure of whether or not their friend really could win. But just as all hope seemed lost, Machop gritted her teeth and pushed herself upright, taking many deep breaths.

Tentacruel did not look the least bit intimidated as Machop snapped, “I don't care what you say! Lairon is the greatest trainer a girl like me could ask for!” the dinosaur's eyes widening as she added, “You may not realize it, but when I lost to Voltorb, it was because I only relied on my physical strength! Lairon taught me how to use my brain in battle! When I fought Lilligant, I wasn't able to do a thing until he gave Garchomp a call and told her to relay some really good advice to me! Once I knew what to do, the match became much less difficult!”

Tentacruel blinked and thought, 'I didn't know that,' as Machop continued, “And you might think my victory over Sneasel was all my own, but if it hadn't been for all the lessons Lairon taught me prior to that match, I wouldn't have been able to come up with half the counters I managed to pull off, maybe even more! You've just been lucky so far, that's all!”

The crowd was truly amazed, some members feeling ashamed of themselves for the way they treated Lairon. The dinosaur had a light tear in his eye as he thought, 'Thank you, Machop. I needed that. I can't believe I just about lost faith in myself.'

Meloetta had a light smile on her face as Torchic said, “For a second there, I thought Machop was gonna turn against him like when she fought Gyarados.”

However, Tentacruel rolled her eyes and sighed, “You may think that was pure luck, but it wasn't. I saw those strategies coming a mile away, but whatever. Keep taking his advice and see what happens.”

“I think I will,” Machop retorted as the jellyfish charged at her again with her tentacles spread out just like before. But just as Machop was ready to take Lairon's advice, she was shocked when he seemed to come up with nothing.

Garchomp could see this as she thought of something, shouting, “Hey, Machop, jump over her!” Machop blinking and nodding before leaping high into the air.

Tentacruel blinked as the girl planted her feet into her skull, performing a vertical flip and landing behind the jellyfish. She then reached around and took hold of her tentacles, pulling them back and lifting her up, planting her skull hard against the canvas.

The crowd went wild as Yuki exclaimed, “And with a bit of advice from Garchomp, Machop has managed to finally land not one but two hits on Tentacruel!” Machop releasing her hold and allowing the jellyfish to collapse.

But rather than looking happy with these results, Lairon looked ashamed, as if he should have been the one to come up with that. How had such an obvious tactic not crossed his mind? It made perfect sense. That was the one countermeasure Tentacruel was not prepared for.

Machop looked at the dinosaur with concern until Tentacruel rose to her feet, saying, “That certainly caught me off-guard, but I doubt you can do that again!” the jellyfish sending an onslaught of punches toward her.

Just as Machop was about to take in damage, Lairon was going to suggest dodging instead of a counterattack. However, after what had happened earlier, he was uncertain whether or not that would work as Machop asked, “A little help?”

Isamu saw something she could try and exclaimed, “Try a roundhouse!” Machop nodding and swinging her leg toward Tentacruel's side. With the jellyfish distracted by her own attack, she was unable to respond as she took the kick, wincing in pain as Machop sent a hard punch into her face, causing her to back up as the crowd went wild.

Once again, someone else had given Machop useful advice while Lairon was unable to come up with anything that could help. What good was he as a trainer if he was not the one giving pointers?

Tentacruel noticed this and smirked, thinking, 'I didn't count on this, but I can use it to my advantage.'

“I have to admit, I'm impressed,” the jellyfish said with a grin, Machop scowling as she added, “Your trainer has certainly taught you well, or, I would mean that if those counters were a result of his teachings.”

The crowd was confused as Isamu groaned, “Oh, shit, I think I know where he's going with this,” as Tentacruel added, “It's funny, isn't the trainer supposed to be the one giving advice?”

“I hate to break it to you, but taking tips from audience members isn't against the rules,” Nori said as Tentacruel remarked, “That's not the point. Lairon is the one Machop trusted to give her advice, and so far, he hasn't given a single useful instruction.”

Lairon's eyes and mouth were wide open as the jellyfish added, “Those pointers Machop got were from the crowd. When you think about it, that makes him rather useless. If anything, he should be up there in the bleachers, don't you think?”

“HEY, SHUT UP!” Machop retorted only for Lairon to sigh, “She's right. I'm supposed to be your adviser and so far, I've been no help to you. I was more than ready to help you out against a reckless opponent, but, well, Tentacruel is smart and skilled.”

“Look, you only messed up a couple of times,” Machop uttered only for the dinosaur to sigh, “Thanks for trying to cheer me up, but let's face it, I was never good enough to be your trainer. Think about it. I'm constantly busy, so I'm rarely available when you have a match. But also, I've only ever beaten opponents who weren't using their heads all the time. The first time I fought a real strategist after becoming one myself, I lost.”

Machop shook her head as Garchomp uttered, “Honey-” only for the dinosaur to shake his head, sighing, “Darling, admit it, you're much more suited for being Machop's trainer than I am.”

With that, Lairon turned his back to the ring and sat down, hugging his knees as the crowd stared. Some members felt sorry for him as Rinko groaned, “Oh no, this isn't good at all!” Isamu uttering, “Should we have kept our mouths shut?”

Machop bit her lower lip before putting on a more serious look and stating, “Look, Lairon, I don't think you should give up just because you made a couple of mistakes, but it looks like you need to clear your head! Until then, I'll do my best to fight Tentacruel without advice from anyone!”

Her friends stared, not sure whether or not they could agree with such a decision. It was one thing not to take advice from Lairon for a while, but to take no advice from anyone else after Garchomp and Isamu had both saved her from an easy loss felt extreme.

Even so, Rinko folded her arms and said, “This might not be such a bad idea,” the others turning as Meloetta asked, “What do you mean?”

“Mother was in a similar spot once,” the brunette explained, “It happened in the second round for the Next Gen Battle and again in the Hero Olympics. Most of the time, she would take advice from Grandma Scizor. However, when she fought Talonflame, she was tricked into no longer following her advice and as a result, she lost.”

She remembered exactly how Scyther described it, how an orange falcon by the name of Talonflame convinced her that Scizor had always seen her as a tool. This created a rift between the two and thus Scyther could no longer trust her mother to give her advice. And by the time she learned the truth, it was too late as she wound up falling victim to a move called Flare Blitz in which Talonflame lit himself on fire and performed a U-turn, slamming her skull hard against the canvas and dislocating an arm and a leg in the process.

The second time was in the Hero Olympics when the green insect faced Ninetales. All was going well until the kitsune convinced her that taking advice from Scizor was hindering her, making her weak. But while she lost, Scizor was the first to realize that Ninetales was right.

“You see, if Mother had become independent, she would have learned how to avoid Ninetales' tactics on her own without the need for Grandma Scizor's advice,” Rinko explained, “And you saw Machop's match against Sneasel. She had no choice but to think for herself and as a result, she came up with countermeasures, really good ones all on her own. If anything, the fact that she's counting on others to give her advice right now is preventing her from thinking for herself.”

Garchomp nodded and said, “You may have a point,” as Isamu gulped and uttered, “I hope you're right.”

But just as the conversation came to a close, Machop's back was still turned to Tentacruel as the jellyfish raced toward her, binding her in place with her tentacles and saying, “Here's a tip from me. Never turn your back to a villain,” before leaping high above the ring and tucking her body in.

The crowd stared in horror, knowing exactly what was coming as Machop was positioned below Tentacruel, her belly facing the mat. Isamu and Eiko both stared in horror as Vigoroth gritted her teeth, Venipede shouting, “HEY, YOU PRACTICED THIS! TRY TO REMEMBER!”

However, Machop had chosen not to follow anyone's advice, and thus she did not hear his words as Tentacruel planted her beak-like protrusions into her back. With that, the two fell toward the mat as the jellyfish exclaimed, “TUSK BUSTER!”

She slammed Machop hard against the mat as she coughed up blood, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as said part fell forward, her face hitting the canvas. All went silent as Yuki said, “And Machop falls victim to the same move that defeated Venipede and Meloetta. Can she recover from this or is this the shortest match we've had all week?”

Lairon's eyes widened, but before he could get up and turn around, Machop coughed up blood and slowly pushed herself back to her feet, breathing heavily and turning to face Tentacruel. The jellyfish narrowed her eyelids and readied herself for more. Could Machop really get the drop on her again without taking advice?

 

While Machop had taken in Tentacruel's most powerful move, at least she had used it early in the match. As such, the girl was still able to stand as the jellyfish looked ready for more.

“Machop may have recovered, but now that she's no longer taking advice, can this even make a difference?” Nori asked as Eiko exclaimed, “Damn right it will! Tentacruel just took advantage of her, that's all!”

“Exactly,” Machop remarked, “I just dropped my guard. That was my bad, but I won't let it happen again!” Tentacruel smirking and saying, “You seem confident. Show me what you can do by yourself.”

Machop nodded and once again got on the defensive. Tentacruel grinned and advanced toward her with her tentacles out, Eiko asking, “Is she stupid or something? Machop already knows how to get around that.”

And just as the girl leapt into the air like last time, the jellyfish joined her and asked, “Did you honestly think I was stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice?”

Machop's eyes widened as the jellyfish wrapped her tentacles around her, flipping her upside-down and driving her skull into the canvas. It did not end there as after Machop collapsed, the jellyfish leapt above her and sent rapid kicks into her back, shouting, “JELLYFISH BOMBARDMENT!”

The girl cried out in pain as the crowd stared in horror, Nori saying, “And Machop takes in a serious beating as she is unable to respond to Tentacruel's mighty kicks,” Yuki adding, “Even if she was taking advice, I don't think anyone could come up with a way around this.”

However, Garchomp and Isamu both knew something she could do, but just as they were about to suggest it, Eiko gasped and said, “Hold on, Machop doesn't want advice, remember?”

But while Garchomp seemed to reluctantly accept this, Isamu could not as he gritted his teeth and snapped, “HEY, MACHOP, USE THE SAME METHOD YOU USED WHEN SNEASEL HAD YOU IN THIS SAME SPOT!”

The girl's eyes widened as she gritted her teeth, focusing hard as the muscles in her back expanded. And this seemed to work as when the next tentacle hit that spot, Tentacruel lost her balance and fell on her rear end. And it only got better when Machop rose to her feet and leapt toward her, sending her elbow into her chest.

The crowd went wild as Yuki exclaimed, “And just as all seemed lost, Machop used that famous Mach family defensive manoeuvre to catch Tentacruel off-guard!”

But just as the girl was about to dish out more, Tentacruel snickered and rose to her feet, saying, “There you go again, taking advice from the audience instead of coming up with your own methods. What happened? When you fought Sneasel, you were able to figure this out for yourself.”

Machop's eyes widened as she clutched onto the sides of her head, groaning, “Dammit! I don't know!” while thinking, 'She's right. When I fought Sneasel, I was able to come up with all kinds of tactics on my own, and yet with everyone else giving me advice, it's like I can't come up with anything!'

Seeing as Machop was once again distracted, Tentacruel took full advantage of this and dashed behind her, wrapping four of her tentacles around her neck. She then latched four of her leg tentacles onto the girl's legs and leaned backward, forcing her into an arch.

She used her remaining eight tentacles to hold herself upright and shouted, “JELLYFISH BRIDGE!” the crowd wincing as they could hear the girl's back start to break.

Isamu's eyes widened with shock as he uttered, “Oh god, this is terrible. I want to give her advice, but if we keep doing it, she'll lose her self-esteem!” Garchomp gritting her teeth and growling, “Damn that Tentacruel! I wish that was me in the ring! I'd make her pay for this!”

Machop slowly turned to her friends and then Lairon as he turned his gaze toward this. His eyes widened but soon became neutral as he turned away from the ring again. However, Garchomp had noticed just from the look in his eyes that he knew exactly how Machop could escape from this hold.

With that in mind, she rose to her feet spat, “HEY, LAIRON!” the dinosaur staring as she added, “You're Machop's trainer! Give her advice! I know you have some!”

“But what's the point!?” Lairon retorted, “It's probably wrong, anyway!” as the dragon snapped, “None of us have any ideas, and even if we did, Machop doesn't want to listen to us! You're the only one who can help her right now!”

Lairon turned and noticed a look of desperation in Machop's eyes. There was no doubt about it. She needed help more and ever right now and the dinosaur was going to give it whether she liked it or not.

“Machop, there is an easy way out of this hold!” he grunted with a serious look in his eyes, “Wiggle your legs and pull back!”

Machop realized she had no other options and thus she did as told. And after ten seconds, she managed to pry her legs out of Tentacruel's hold as her eyes went wide, the girl sending her feet hard into her gut. This caused the jellyfish to release her hold on her neck thus allowing Machop to leap away from her, breathing heavily while the crowd went wild.

Tentacruel slowly rose to her feet and smirked, saying, “Well, now you finally get some decent advice from him, but come on, surely you could have figured that out on your own.”

“Admittedly, I probably could have,” Machop replied, “but if he hadn't spoken up, it would have taken longer, so much so that it might have even been too late.”

The others stared in confusion as she sighed, “I admit that at least against you, I do need some advice. Sneasel and Lilligant may have been tough, but when push came to shove, they let their emotions get the better of them. You, on the other hand, seem more in control of what you're doing plus you have multiple arms and legs, so it's difficult to come up with an ideal strategy to bypass your abilities. Someday, I may be good enough to stand up to villains like you on my own, but as I am now, I still have a long way to go.”

The girl then grinned at Lairon who smiled and gave her a thumb up. The rest of the crowd was truly amazed as Venipede turned to Rinko and said, “From what you've told me, it was a long time before Scyther needed to start thinking for herself.”

“Yeah, you're right,” the brunette replied with a light smile, “I guess it was wrong to think that Machop could just rush development like that.”

However, Tentacruel could not believe what she had just heard as she scoffed, “So you admit that you were never prepared to face me!” Machop nodding and replying, “Yeah, maybe I wasn't. So what? I'm not exactly a veteran yet. I still have a long way to go.”

Many people in the crowd who led successful lives remembered starting small themselves. They, too, often needed help from others to get anywhere. Even Rinko and Venipede, while not relying on advice from others, worked together to overcome their weaknesses when outside of the ring.

Isamu had a light smile as he breathed a sigh of relief, saying, “At least it didn't take her too long to realize that,” Eiko saying, “I guess even the greatest heroes need help sometimes.”

“But wait, he didn't even help you the first two times!” Tentacruel retorted as Lairon sighed, “Well, it's true that I was unprepared for those first two moves you used, but you know what? I guess even someone like me needs outside help every now and then.”

Meloetta had a big smile on her face, her eyes sparkling as she squealed, “So this is true friendship. Even when you have arguments, you're able to resolve them in the end.”

Tentacruel gritted her teeth and retorted, “THAT'S STUPID!” before launching herself toward Machop with her head out. Since no one had time to react to this, the girl took the blow to her face and fell on her back.

Tentacruel then proceeded to leap at her, sending rapid kicks into her gut and barking, “JELLYFISH BOMBARDMENT!” Machop coughing up blood as some kicks were directed at her face.

Lairon gritted his teeth and tried to think of a way around this as Venipede gasped, “Machop, she's not using as much speed as usual! Take advantage of that!”

The girl nodded and lifted up her arms, taking hold of two of the jellyfish's tentacles. She then ignored the pain added by the other kicks and threw her arms back, sending Tentacruel flying head-first into the turnbuckle.

The crowd cheered wildly as Machop gave Venipede a warm smile and said, “Thanks buddy,” holding a thumb up while Tentacruel shook the pain off of her head and fumed, charging toward her.

“YOU CAN'T COME UP WITH ANYTHING ON YOUR OWN!” the jellyfish growled only for Machop to dodge to the right. But just as Tentacruel was about to move in that direction and catch the girl off-guard, she saw this coming and wrapped her arms around the four tentacles on that side.

“Well, I didn't think of this right away, but I did learn from your earlier attempts,” Machop replied with a smirk as Tentacruel's eyes widened, Machop swinging her so she wound up hitting the turnbuckle a second time.

The crowd went wild as Yuki exclaimed, “Things were looking bad, but Machop makes an impressive comeback with two counters!” Tentacruel gritting her teeth, just about to fight back only for the girl to reach around and grab hold of two tentacles again. And like the last time she did this, she proceeded to lift the jellyfish up and lean backward, planting her skull into the canvas.

The crowd cheered even louder as Isamu nodded and said, “There's that miracle I expect from you,” Garchomp shouting, “Way to go!”

Lairon folded his arms and nodded in approval, thinking, 'That's right, she learned from her mistakes before. She realized that Tentacruel had already figured out a way around her first counter, so she came up with a new one.'

Machop would have taken full advantage of Tentacruel's current state, but she could tell it was still too soon. The jellyfish had not taken in enough damage and she had multiple tentacles to fight her off. Thus the girl kept her distance and allowed the jellyfish to rise to her feet.

She was now truly furious as she gritted her teeth, thinking, 'Dammit, my plan completely failed! Lairon's strategies were good, but I saw through them right away and used that to my advantage! I thought if I destroyed his self-esteem, Machop couldn't possibly stand up to me, but now their connection is even stronger!'

With that in mind, the jellyfish leapt toward Machop with her foot tentacles out only for the girl to dodge to the right. However, Tentacruel had flown into a turnbuckle as she used it to fling herself toward Machop. Luckily, the girl saw this coming as she leaned sideways, the jellyfish flying over her as she lifted her leg up just in time to send a kick into her side.

The crowd continued to cheer as Machop used this opportunity to take hold of two tentacles, throwing her arms sideways thus slamming the side of Tentacruel's head into the mat. Yuki grinned and exclaiming, “Machop is on fire as she continues to dish out one impressive counter after another!”

“Excellent work,” Lairon said as he gave Machop a thumb up, Tentacruel once again pushing herself up and breathing heavily, a look of fury in her eyes.

“You've had your little moment in the spotlight, but I'm still the superior fighter!” Tentacruel growled as she raced toward Machop.

Just as the girl was about to fight back, the jellyfish leapt over her head and flipped herself upside-down, wrapping her tentacles around her. Before Machop could respond, Tentacruel flipped her one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, planting her skull into the mat. But rather than allowing the girl to collapse, the jellyfish took full advantage of this, keeping her grip on her and leaping high into the air.

The crowd stared as Vigoroth growled, “I think I know what's coming,” Meloetta trembling and whimpering, “No, she was so close.”

And just as predicted, Tentacruel tucked in her upper body and bound Machop in place with all fourteen tentacles. She then planted her beak-like appendages into her back, shouting, “Let's see you counter this when you can't even move!”

Lairon stared in shock as he still had no clue how to get out of this. Even the others were uncertain. Machop had worked hard and taken in all sorts of punishment to prepare herself for this and yet she was still not ready.

“Come on, there's gotta be something she can do!” Isamu spat, “Hey, Lairon, you know how to get out of this, right?” Garchomp sighing, “Of all the moves in Tentacruel's arsenal, this one is just too perfect. There exist moves that can't be avoided no matter what, and this might very well be one of them.”

However, Machop suddenly realized something she could do. It was a stretch and she had even used it earlier for a different purpose, but right now, she saw no other options.

With that in mind, the girl gritted her teeth as Tentacruel descended toward the canvas, shouting, “TUSK BUSTER!”

Machop concentrated the hardest she ever had when suddenly, her muscles expanded, Tentacruel's eyes widening as her tentacles loosened. And with that, Machop finally had her chance as she shifted her body sideways, prying her back out of the appendages. While this did leave two holes on her back, it was a small price to pay as she used two of Tentacruel's tentacles to pull herself behind her.

Machoke and Gardevoir both embraced one-another upon seeing this as the man exclaimed, “My daughter's mastered muscle expansion! I'm so proud!”

“NO!” Tentacruel cried as Machop flipped her upside-down. She then held onto the jellyfish's head while her own legs drifted behind her, rising slightly above her own head.

The crowd went wild as Garchomp thought, 'She's using that ability?' Machop slamming Tentacruel's skull hard against the canvas and shouting, “METEOR BOMB!”

Gardevoir gasped upon seeing this as she squealed, “She finally figured out how to use it!” Machoke nodding and saying, “Yeah, and it's just as amazing as when you used to use it.”

Tentacruel's lower body was no longer tucked in as she coughed up blood, Machop releasing her hold and allowing her to collapse. All went silent as it seemed Tentacruel was no longer moving, her body twitching as Lairon grinned, thinking, 'That's the benefit of having two heroes as parents. You can learn both of their greatest abilities.'

“And Machop has just used another old family technique, though this one comes from Gardevoir's side!” Nori exclaimed, “Meteor Bomb was the very first slam technique that she ever used and it still seems to pack a serious punch!”

Everyone stared for half a minute, Meloetta cupping her hands together and praying for this to be it. The others wished for the same thing, Eiko squealing, “That was so cool!” Isamu nodding and saying, “She's just full of surprises, that Machop.”

And sure enough, Tentacruel was not getting up any time soon as Yuki rang the bell and exclaimed, “And after a long and very intense match, we finally have a winner! Give it up for Machop!” the crowd going wild as her friends gave her a standing ovation.

Machop's eyes sparkled as she let down light tears, thinking, 'I did it,' before turning to Lairon as her mind added, 'Thank you for not giving up,' the dinosaur giving her a thumb up.

“Finally, that bitch is put in her place!” Vigoroth exclaimed with a grin as Meloetta sighed, “I'm just glad it's finally over.”

“That's what I'm talking about!” Rinko shouted as Venipede nodded with his eyes implying a big smile.

Eiko and Isamu gave each other a hug while Garchomp folded her arms and breathed a sigh of relief, Torchic clapping her feet and shouting, “You the woman, Machop!”

Meloetta uttered, “You meant to say 'you're', right?” Vigoroth rolling her eyes and sighing, “First thing I'll teach you is modern slang.”

But just as soon as the celebration started up, it ended when Machop winced, her eyes closing as she uttered, “This is great and all, but right now, I could use a nap,” before falling on her back, Lairon immediately climbing into the ring.

“It would seem that after all that work, Machop needs medical attention, stat!” Yuki exclaimed as medics raced in, loading the girl up onto a stretcher.

A few authorities came in as well, latching multiple handcuffs onto Tentacruel's tentacles and dragging her toward a ship that would take her to Hero Planet's prison. Despite Machop having used up all of her energy, it seemed that things had ultimately turned out for the best.

The following day, Machop awoke to see all but Lairon standing before her as the dinosaur was at work right now. Torchic breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Thank god. She's okay.”

Meloetta had a big, cute smile on her face as Machop groaned, slowly sitting up and uttering, “What happened?” as Isamu sighed, “You fell asleep after your match,” Eiko nodding and adding, “You must have been really tired after all that fighting.”

“I guess I was,” Machop replied with a light chuckle, “Though it's weird. I definitely bled a lot more during my match with Sneasel and yet Tentacruel took so much out of me.”

“That's because of the ability you used,” Garchomp explained as the others turned to face her, “See, that muscle expansion of yours is a great defensive manoeuvre that's done your family a lot of good in the past, but using it to its fullest takes a great deal of energy. If that move you used hadn't been enough to finish Tentacruel, you probably would have lost.”

“So that was a pretty big risk she was taking,” Rinko uttered as Venipede trembled at the thought of Machop defeating herself.

“Well, the important thing is I won,” Machop sighed with a big smile, “I have to admit, Voltorb may have beaten me, but I don't think he was anywhere near as tough as the three villains I faced this week.”

The girl then grinned at Meloetta and said, “And on another bright note, we got us a new friend,” the green-haired girl's cheeks turning pink as the others gave her a sweet smile. Light tears rolled down her cheeks as she sniffed, “I know I said this already, but thank you all so much for giving me another chance.”

Vigoroth nodded and rested a hand on her shoulder, saying, “Don't you worry. We've already seen proof that you're worth having around.”

At that moment, Torchic took a good look at the sloth who shrugged and said, “And to answer your question, yeah, I've decided to stay and help you guys out. Besides, Meloetta needs to learn a few things, and I'm the one who's gonna teach her.”

The green-haired girl's eyes sparkled as it seemed things had truly turned out for the best. But one could only guess what the future would bring. Was this the worst Tokyo would deal with or were Tentacruel and her allies a small threat compared to what the heroes would face in the future?

 

With Tentacruel and her allies finally taken care of, the heroes of Tokyo were glad to have another break from fighting evil. As satisfying as saving Tokyo was, they still hoped that they would get more time to enjoy themselves before another villain decided to attack.

Currently, everyone was out for a day on the town to show Meloetta just how much things had changed. Sure, Tentacruel had shown her quite a number of new inventions, but she had also given the green-haired girl false information regarding how a lot of them worked and why they were made. She was especially happy to discover the real reason why headphones were made, glad that people did not use them as weapons like she did hers.

After a bit more sight-seeing, Meloetta was brought to the one place Machop and her friends wanted her to check out most of all, the club. Needless to say, the owner was more than happy to see them, especially Machop who he was surprised to see up and about as soon as she was.

The group sat on the couch as Vigoroth looked around and asked, “So this is the place you guys hang out at during your free time?” Meloetta smiling and saying, “I think it looks nice.”

Isamu nodded as the sloth shrugged her shoulders, saying, “Honestly, I expected more than just a few pool tables and a bar,” Rinko shrugging and replying, “Well, there's also a karaoke machine,” pointing at it.

Meloetta blinked and asked, “You mean it makes carrots?” Vigoroth sighing, “Karaoke, not carrot. It's a machine that plays music from already existing songs and you have to sing along with the words.”

Meloetta's eyes sparkled as she asked, “Can I try it?” Machop shrugging and replying, “Of course. As long as no one else is using it, you can pretty much go up there and give it a whirl anytime,” Meloetta about to question that when Vigoroth sighed, “She means you can use it.”

“Right, she's been in a cave for hundreds of years,” Torchic said, “For some reason, I keep forgetting that,” Venipede suggesting, “Maybe it's the headpiece. If she wasn't born with it, I'd swear she bought that in recent years.”

Meloetta got up on stage and looked over the songs, noticing one titled 'I Look Up As I Walk'. The title sounded pleasant to her, so she decided to give that a go as a lovely melody played, the girl singing along with the lyrics that appeared on the screen in front of her.

All of the guests stopped what they were doing and turned to look at her. Hers was one of the most beautiful singing voices anyone had ever heard. The tone and pitch were perfect as Machop grinned, saying, “I should totally introduce her to Mama. They'd probably sing the nicest duet ever.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot you're mom's a famous singer in France,” Venipede replied as soon enough, Meloetta finished the song as everyone applauded her.

The green-haired girl blushed bright as Vigoroth grinned and said, “Well, your voice is actually really pretty when it's not used as a weapon.”

“Really?” Meloetta asked as the owner nodded and said, “I can honestly say you're the best singer we've ever had here.”

Eiko clapped and squealed, “I wish I could sing like that!” Isamu sighing, “Me too,” patting her on the shoulder as she folded her arms and retorted, “What's that supposed to mean!?”

At that moment, the owner brought the group their beverages, saying, “Drinks on the house for my new favourite regulars,” handing them out as Machop said, “Thank you,” taking her fruit punch as Meloetta asked, “We're not sitting on top of a house.”

“When you get something in an establishment like this on the house, it means you don't have to pay for it,” Vigoroth replied, “In other words, it's free, and I'm pretty sure that had the same definition I'm referring to back in your time.”

“Yeah, I know all the meanings of 'free',” Meloetta replied as Rinko and Vigoroth were the only ones with an alcoholic drink, Rinko with her usual beer and Vigoroth having a cocktail.

Meloetta blinked and asked, “Can I try a bit of that?” Vigoroth nodding and saying, “Careful. Alcohol can be pretty strong.”

Meloetta took a light sip and smiled, saying, “Actually, that's pretty good,” taking a sip of her own drink and saying, “I'm not sure which one I like better.”

“Huh, Meloetta likes alcohol,” Isamu said with a shrug, “I never would have imagined someone that innocent liking the taste,” Machop sticking out her tongue and groaning, “I can't stand it. I can see why Mama and Daddy never got into it.”

Rinko shrugged and replied, “Your loss,” chugging hers down as Venipede chuckled and said, “I'm not allowed to have alcohol, myself. If my mom ever caught me drinking it, I'd never hear the end of it.”

Rinko smirked and nudged him, holding her bottle in front of him and saying, “You know, she's not here to see you do it,” the centipede retorting, “I can't betray her trust! I mean, well-” the brunette adding, “Come on, just one sip. Beer's not as strong as most alcoholic drinks.”

“Well, okay,” Venipede replied, “But only a tiny bit,” Rinko nodding and pouring a little bit into the lid, Venipede gulping it down as he shrugged and said, “Not bad. It's kinda like ginger ale but without the sugar.”

Machop rose an eyebrow and said, “So it's like sparkling water? I don't really care for that either,” Venipede replying, “It's not quite like that either. It's hard to describe, but I kinda wanna try more.”

Rinko smirked and said, “I had a feeling you'd like it,” Meloetta giggling and saying, “You two make for a really cute couple.”

Both stared as their cheeks turned bright pink, Rinko laughing nervously and uttering, “Um, we're not...” Venipede cutting in and saying, “We're just really close friends.”

Machop, Isamu and Eiko lowered their eyelids and looked at one-another. Even Vigoroth was trying her best not to respond to this.

Meloetta, on the other hand, seemed to believe their words as she nodded and said, “Oh, okay,” as the next couple of hours went by smoothly. Even Vigoroth had started to warm up to the club and felt that coming to it had, indeed, been worth it.

And with that, the group was ready to head their separate ways as Meloetta smiled and said, “See you tomorrow,” Torchic asking, “Hey, if you don't mind me asking, where are you headed?”

The green-haired girl blinked as Isamu said, “That's a good question. You don't have money, right? So I'm kinda wondering where you're living if you can't afford a house.”

“Well, when I was working with Tentacruel, I shared a cave with her and her friends,” Meloetta replied, “It's not much, but it's somewhere I can stay until I get a job or something, which is actually possible now,” a sweet smile forming.

“Oh no,” Machop remarked with a stern look, “Meloetta, you will not subject yourself to living in a cave,” Meloetta asking, “Then where will I live?”

Torchic grinned and said, “I think I know what you have in mind,” Machop nodding and saying, “You've spent hundreds of years waiting for this, so you're gonna have a nice place to live. Come with me. I'll show you your new home.”

The green-haired girl had the biggest smile on her face as she walked next to Machop, Eiko saying, “Wow, she's so generous,” Isamu nodding and adding, “I was about to make a similar offer.”

Vigoroth nodded as Torchic turned to her and asked, “Say, where are you staying?” the sloth replying, “Oh, I found this nice little shack that's free of charge. It has a pretty weird paint job on it, but it's got an interior that suits me,” the others knowing exactly which shack she was referring to.

And soon enough, Machop led Meloetta to Lairon's place as she blinked and said, “This looks like a really nice house,” Machop nodding and saying, “Come inside.”

With that, both girls entered as Garchomp grinned and said, “Welcome home, Machop,” before bowing her head to Meloetta and adding, “And hello to you, too.”

“Why are you here, Miss Garchomp?” Meloetta asked as the dragon replied, “Well, this is my home,” Eri running into the room and panting happily, her tail wagging as Machop smiled and knelt down, petting her while saying, “It's nice to see you too.”

Meloetta's eyes sparkled as she squealed, “I love doggies,” before joining in and asking, “Wait, I thought you were going to show me my new home. Why are we at Garchomp's?”

“Well, this is where I'm staying,” Machop replied before turning to the dragon in question and asking, “Say, can Meloetta live here too? She doesn't have anywhere nice to go.”

The green-haired girl's eyes widened as she squeaked, “What!?” Garchomp nodding and saying, “Absolutely. I just know Lairon would be perfectly fine with this.”

Meloetta stared silently as Machop grinned and said, “Surprise,” the green-haired girl looking down and uttering, “Wow, that's a really nice gesture. I'm actually really happy you thought of this, but I don't know. I don't want to impose.”

Garchomp chuckled and replied, “Trust me, you are more than welcome here. If anything, I'd be more upset if you didn't have somewhere to stay,” Machop nodding and saying, “Same here.”

Meloetta let down light tears as a big smile formed on her face, the green-haired girl giving Machop a hug and squealing, “Thank you so much!” as Machop smiled warmly and patted her on the back.

During this time, Venipede and Rinko were in the middle of training in the brunette's house, the two trading blows. However, just as Venipede was about to send a punch into Rinko's chest, his eyes widened as he stopped his attack, taking a hard punch to the cheek.

“Oh, sorry!” Rinko groaned as the centipede rubbed his cheek, saying, “Hey, we're training, right? We're supposed to hit each other,” before laughing nervously, not wanting to bring up his actual reason for holding back. But why? It was not as if he meant anything perverse by aiming there.

Either way, Rinko shrugged and said, “Alright, as long as you're okay to continue,” the two resuming sparring, though right now, the brunette was feeling a tad distracted too.

Vigoroth, meanwhile, entered her new home, and just as the others suspected, she had chosen the old Mach Family shack. She held her hands against her side and said, “Well, it's not much, but this is just fine by me.”

She then opened up a treasure chest with a set of weights in it, saying, “I don't know who left these here, but I'm glad they did,” the sloth immediately lifting them while thinking, 'Look at this, I'm actually independent and not living in my dad's bungalow. Never thought I'd see the day.'

During this time, Machop showed Meloetta to her room and said, “Since this is the only guest room, Garchomp and Lairon have decided we may as well share it,” before patting the bed and adding, “As you can see, there's enough room for both of us.”

Meloetta nodded with a light smile and replied, “That's great. It'll be like having a sister. I always wanted one of those,” Machop grinning and thinking, 'Yeah, it is like I have a second family, isn't it?'

Lairon had returned home not too long ago as he had heard everything that had happened, the dinosaur nodding and saying, “Well, I wish you'd called me first, but you're right. I'm more than happy with her living here.”

Garchomp nodded and said, “You know, maybe we should check up on Aron, see how he's doing,” Lairon remarking, “But you know what he's like. He hates it when he worry and pester him. If anything, he's probably glad we haven't called him yet.”

“Well, at the very least, I'm gonna send him an email,” Garchomp replied as the dinosaur shrugged and replied, “That I'm sure he'll like,” the dragon pulling out a laptop computer and turning it on.

After another hour, Garchomp had prepared a nice dinner. Lairon entered the kitchen once she was done and said, “Smells good in here, honey,” as the dragon nodded and said, “I want Meloetta's first day here to be truly memorable.”

With that, Garchomp walked toward the staircase and called out, “Machop, Meloetta, dinner's ready!”

Machop grinned and squealed, “Sweet! Come on, Meloetta! You're gonna love this!” the green-haired girl nodding and following Machop out of the room and down the stairs.

When she saw what was being served, her eyes sparkled in amazement. She had never seen anything like this. Garchomp had prepared a seaweed salad, Japanese meatballs and soba noodles with grilled tofu.

Lairon grinned and said, “If you think this is great, wait'll you actually try it. Your taste buds will explode,” Meloetta blinking and uttering, “Is that an expression?” Machop nodding.

Garchomp proceeded to serve them up, placing a plate in front of Meloetta and saying, “Enjoy,” the green-haired girl's eyes widening.

She remembered a time when she still had a mother, a beautiful woman who looked almost exactly like her with a few key differences. Not only was her hair orange as opposed to green, but it was wrapped up like a turban with her headpiece attached to its tip. Her eyes, jewel and belt formation were also orange and the bottom of her dress-like torso was spread out like a tutu.

Meloetta remembered how she used to make her dinner everyday, using what few resources she had to make it good. And every time, she had the warmest smile on her face as she set a plate in front of the green-haired girl, saying, “Enjoy.”

Tears welled up in Meloetta's eyes as she sniffed, Garchomp and Lairon staring with concern as the dragon asked, “Is something wrong?”

“No,” Meloetta replied with a big smile, “I'm just so happy!” as Machop chuckled and said, “Somehow I knew that would be the case.”

When Meloetta tried some of the seaweed salad, her eyes lit up as she said, “This is the best thing I've ever tasted,” Machop saying, “Try the rest.”

The green-haired girl did just that as she said, “I stand corrected. The noodle dish is better,” a big smile on her face as Garchomp chuckled, saying, “Well, I'm glad you like it because you're gonna eat like this for a long time.”

Meloetta tried her best not to tear up again as she continued to enjoy her meal. And afterwards, she figured the least she could do was help clean up. Garchomp insisted that she could handle it on her own but the green-haired girl felt as if she owed the dragon for taking her in without question.

Shortly after dinner, Machop decided that Meloetta should have a shower. After all, she had not truly cleaned herself in years due to her being unable to and thus she showed her to the bathroom.

Meloetta stared at the shower as Machop said, “This is what we use to clean ourselves quickly. It's called a shower,” the green-haired girl nodding and asking, “How does it work?”

Machop turned the knob as water came out, Meloetta gasping and squealing, “It's just like a waterfall! That's what I always used to clean myself!” Machop nodding and saying, “It's similar, but with a shower, you can actually choose the temperature.”

She then led the green-haired girl through the various different settings, explaining how the colour blue meant cold and how red meant hot. When Meloetta got a good understanding of that, Machop added, “And before you enter, it's a good idea to feel the water with your hand to see if it's at the temperature you want, though wait a few seconds before passing judgement. It doesn't heat up right away.”

Meloetta nodded as Machop exited the bathroom and said, “I'll leave you to your shower. In this day and age, it's recommended that we shower in privacy, even though our kind has little to hide.”

“I see,” Meloetta replied as Machop exited the bathroom, the green-haired girl working the shower with ease. Among all of the modern creations she had come across, this was one of the easier ones to figure out.

Just as she had gotten the temperature she wanted, Machop asked, “Hey, are you alright in there?” the green-haired girl replying, “Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for asking.”

Even something as simple as having someone ask her a question like that made Meloetta feel so happy. While having friends was new to her, having a family was something she had missed dearly.

In fact, all of this great treatment reminded her of arguably the saddest day of her life, the day she had been sealed. She and her mother lived in a small cottage located away from Tokyo as the orange-haired woman did not wish to endanger her daughter by entering it.

Recently, she had caught a deadly disease but had hidden this fact from Meloetta as she did not wish to worry her. However, today the disease had reached a critical stage and if the woman did not receive treatment soon, she would surely die. Thus, despite her mother's warnings, Meloetta raced into Tokyo to ask for help.

But when she arrived, it was just as bad as what she had told Tentacruel. She was immediately pegged as a monster and driven out of town. And to make matters worse, the people chased her into the depths Nippara Limestone Cave where a wizard cast a sealing spell on her, trapping her within the stone.

All Meloetta could assume in present time was that her mother never got the treatment she needed and died from her disease. The only upside to all of this was that at least she did not have to see her daughter have the spell cast on her.

Looking back to that day brought tears to Meloetta's eyes, and needless to say, these were not tears of joy like the others that had formed earlier. But after two minutes, she wiped her eyes and sniffed, looking up and thinking, 'Well, Mom, I finally have the good life you always wanted for me. I just know you're probably smiling up there and want me to do the same.'

With all said and done, night time soon rolled around as Meloetta crawled under the covers next to Machop, smiling and saying, “Wow, I've never slept in an actual bed before.”

Machop grinned and replied, “Get used to it. This is your life from now on,” Meloetta nodding and saying, “Again, thank you so much.”

With that, Machop turned off the light as both girls wished each other a goodnight. And soon enough, they were sound asleep, Meloetta feeling not just comfortable but happy. Now she was actually glad to have been sealed for all those years, otherwise she never would have been able to experience a world where her kind was accepted by society.

 

A little less than two weeks had passed since the defeat of Tentacruel and her allies. This meant it had been a whole month since the heroes were sent to Earth. And while, Beedrill was certainly happy that no villain had succeeded in taking over any of these areas, he still felt the need to implement a rule his father, Weedle, had made long ago.

Each month, he would call up Hero Planet graduates to come to that very planet and enter the school's training facility to show how much they had grown as fighters. In order to do so, one student would face another at random and Beedrill would watch them fight and evaluate their efforts. Though to make sure the area would not be filled to the brim, he only had sixteen students come at a time, taking an hour-long break between each session.

Currently, Torchic was facing a light-blue elephant named Phanpy. He was tucked into a ball and rolling toward her like a boulder, shouting, “ROLLOUT!”

The chicken dodged to the right when he got close as Machop, who was seated on the sidelines along with the others, exclaimed, “Yeah, show him who's boss!”

The only two from Tokyo who were not present in the area were Meloetta and Vigoroth as neither had graduated from Hero Planet. Thus they did not need to undergo this procedure.

After dodging a few hits, Torchic cried out in pain as the elephant rammed into the back of her legs, causing her to fly into the air briefly before falling on her back. Phanpy then retracted back to a normal state and leapt onto the turnbuckle, spreading his arms out and leaping off of it, descending toward Torchic.

However, the chicken regained consciousness and smirked, raising her legs up and planting her talons into Phanpy's gut. The elephant coughed up a bit of blood and flew into the air as Torchic leapt up to his level, latching her legs around him and flipping him so his head was facing the mat. She then covered her body in flame to speed up the descent, shouting, “ASTEROID FRANKENSTEINER!”

This was more than enough to knock Phanpy unconscious as Torchic smirked and thought, 'Mother used a similar move on Onix, though she told me to only save it for when it's necessary as slam moves put a big strain on members of our family. Well, that seemed like an ideal moment.'

Beedrill rang the bell and exclaimed, “Excellent work, Torchic! If only Blaziken could have seen that,” before turning to Machop and saying, “You're up.”

The girl grinned and squealed, “Sweet!” as her opponent was a humanoid creature that resembled a sumo wrestler named Hariyama.

At first, Machop had quite a bit of trouble against him as his big hands were able to block all of her direct moves. Whenever she would try to grapple him, his hands would prevent her from reaching her arms far enough. She even tried grabbing his wrist with one hand while sending a punch toward his face with the other, but his reflexes were too good.

Currently, the girl was taking in an onslaught of palm punches as Hariyama exclaimed, “ARM THRUST!” Machop's face starting to swell up as Venipede spat, “Hey, come on, Machop! You've taken far worse than this!”

And after taking in twenty hits, Machop saw something she could do as she sent her foot forward, kicking Hariyama in the shin. His eyes widened as this caused just enough of a distraction to end his assault, Machop leaping forward with her arm out and hooking his neck. This caused the sumo to fall on his back as the girl shouted, “MOON HOOK!”

Hariyama was down for exactly ten seconds as Beedrill rang the bell and exclaimed, “Excellent!” a big implied smile on his face as he said, “You've done the Mach family proud, Machop,” the girl smiling and replying, “Thanks.”

After two more matches, Rinko was pit up against a light-brown hippo named Hippopotas. The fight actually went for quite a while with the brunette putting up a fairly good fight, though due to her opponent's size, her attacks did not deal as much damage as she would have liked.

Currently, she was on the receiving end of a series of palm punches as the hippo had created a rope with sand that he shot from his nostrils and hardened with tears. After enough hits, he lifted her up and planted her head against the canvas, releasing her from the sand and snickering.

“You know, my dad lost to your mom in the Hero Olympics,” Hippopotas said with a grin, “I never thought I'd get to have revenge on her family, at least not this soon!”

However, just as it looked like he had won, Rinko slowly rose to her feet and breathed heavily, smirking and retorting, “Hate to burst your bubble, but you won't be getting that,” as she charged at him with her arm at the ready and exclaimed, “ARM SCHWERT!” sending a hard karate chop into his gut.

Unfortunately, the hand bounced off as Hippopotas had barely taken in any pain from that, snickering and saying, “You know, I don't think a human can really pull that move off.”

As much as it pained Rinko, the hippo had a point, and Beedrill saw it too. He remembered way back in the first round of the twenty-second Hero Olympics when after escaping from a sandy prison known as Sand Tomb, Scyther leapt at Hippopotas' father, a much bigger hippo named Hippowdon, and finished him off. She did so by forming blades on her arms and delivering an X-shaped slash to his chest. This was the infamous finisher her family was most well-known for, Arm Schwert, schwert being German for sword.

Since Rinko was human and not even related to Scyther by blood, she was unable to use the technique to its fullest. But even with that in mind, she refused to let Hippopotas win as she wrapped her arms around him, gritting her teeth and growling, “I won't lose!”

With that, she lifted him up and placed her on her shoulder, but she almost immediately regretted this decision. Hippopotas was the heaviest opponent she had faced so far and thus she really should not have attempted such a rash move.

Because of this, she was unable to jump as her body fell backward, Hippopotas' skull hitting the mat hard as he and Rinko both coughed up blood, passing out. Beedrill blinked and stared for the next twenty seconds, Machop and the others wondering how this would turn out.

With that, Beedrill rang the bell and exclaimed, “And it's a double knock-out, meaning this match is a tie!” Rinko's friends at least hoping she would recover.

And sure enough, both heroes managed to get up. After all, since these were fights among heroes, none of the fighters in the area wanted to hospitalize their opponents.

Even so, Rinko looked slightly disappointed as Venipede patted her on the shoulder and said, “Hey, you did a great job,” the brunette smiling lightly and saying, “Danke.”

Last up was Venipede who was up against a green dragon with blades on the side of her mouth named Fraxure. The match went on for a while with both fighters doing a relatively good job. But luckily, it seemed that Venipede might win as he took hold of Fraxure's wrist and hurled her toward the rope.

He then performed a vertical flip backward toward the ropes closest to him and bounced off, heading toward the dragon and shouting, “CENTIPEDE STEAMROLLER!” but as he landed the attack, Fraxure smirked and asked, “That's it?”

She then latched her arms around him as he retracted back to a normal state. The dragon then flipped him upside-down and planted his head hard against the mat for a tombstone piledriver. And unfortunately, this was just enough to knock him out for ten seconds as Beedrill rang the bell.

“And that concludes this set of matches,” Beedrill stated, “You can all spend the rest of the day however you want. The next group will be here shortly.”

Once Venipede was ready, the group headed toward the dock where a spaceship was ready to take them home. The centipede let out a sigh as Rinko said, “Hey, you came really close.”

At that moment, Machop spotted a certain blue serpent having just finished an outdoor training exercise and beamed, walked over and tapping her on the back. The serpent turned as Machop said, “Hey there, Gyarados. I heard you joined Hero School, but I didn't fully believe it.”

Gyarados chuckled and replied, “Well, you did have a positive influence on me. Beedrill says that because I have combat experience, I'm gonna take my final exam today as opposed to five more months from now, and that suits me just fine. I just wanna be assigned to an area so I can protect people and make up for my past.”

“I just know you're gonna graduate for sure!” Machop exclaimed with a smirk, Torchic walking over and joining into the conversation.

While this went on, Venipede breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Good, they seem preoccupied,” Rinko staring in confusion as he whispered, “Let's go somewhere more private.”

Her cheeks turned bright pink as she followed him, but what exactly did she think he wanted to talk to her about? And why did it make her feel flustered?

However, it seemed the centipede had something else in mind as he sighed, “Be honest, am I really that good of a fighter?” Rinko blinking and remarking, “Why would you say that?”

“Come on, you've seen my performance,” Venipede replied, “I haven't won a single match since graduation,” Rinko sighing, “Hey, it'll happen someday. You've improved a lot. You're not scared when you enter the ring anymore.”

“But what good is that if I can't use my greatest abilities to their fullest?” Venipede remarked, “Think about it. Centipede Steamroller is the best move I have and it failed. You saw that. Fraxure took in practically no pain from it. I mean, whenever my mom used the ability, energy buzz saws appeared on her shoulders. I don't get those. Not to mention her Venoshock involved her turning her antennae into acid, and I can't do that either.”

Rinko bit her lower lip and sighed, “I know the feeling,” Venipede blinking as she sighed, “You heard Hippopotas. Because I'm human, I can't use Mother's Arm Schwert the way she used it. Hers involved her sprouting blades from her arms. As you can see, I can't do that.”

Venipede let out a sigh and said, “Yeah, but at least you have a reason. I have no excuse. I'm a member of the Szazlabu family. They've always been able to use these abilities to their fullest. I'm the only one who's never been able to pull it off, and, well, according to Mom, I should be able to.”

Rinko nodded and smiled, asking, “What say when we get home, we get to work on our incomplete special moves?” the centipede blinking as she added, “I may never get so much as one blade to appear, but I'm sure if I practice the Arm Schwert enough, I can make it strong enough not to need one. And I'm sure if you try your absolute hardest, you can get those buzz saws and acid to appear. I just know it.”

Venipede implied a light smile with his eyes and nodded, saying, “You know, you may be right. Thanks,” Rinko replying, “Come on, we're partners. Partners look out for each other.”

With that, Machop and Torchic had finished their conversation with Gyarados just in time for Venipede and Rinko to rejoin them. And thus all four were ready to head back to Earth.

During this time, Vigoroth and Meloetta had just finished watching a movie together as Meloetta's eyes sparkled, the green-haired girl squealing, “It's so amazing that people can do things like that! So, you're sure those explosions weren't real, right?”

“Positive,” Vigoroth replied with a light chuckle before asking, “By the way, you said you were more than willing to fight evil if it ever showed up, right?”

Meloetta nodded and replied, “Yeah, I'll never fight my friends, but if anyone threatens Tokyo and its citizens again, I'll make an exception.”

The sloth nodded and said, “That's a good mindset to have, but how exactly have you been preparing yourself for such an event?” the green-haired girl giving her a look of confusion as she sighed, “Well, remember when you fought Tentacruel? You were doing fine until she was able to see through your pattern.”

“Oh yeah,” Meloetta uttered as Vigoroth nodded and said, “Well, I think you may need to learn some new techniques. While your moves are impressive, they seem to be rather limited, like, once an opponent sees each one once, you become kind of predictable.”

Meloetta's eyes widened as she squeaked, “I never thought of that!” as Vigoroth nodded and folded her arms, saying, “It's settled. I'm gonna teach you some new fighting techniques. That hair of yours can only get you so far.”

Meloetta gave her a sweet smile and replied, “If you think it'll help,” the two heading toward Vigoroth's shack.

During this time, Machop and the others were dropped off at their homes. Because of the matches taking place today, Lairon had decided to give the girl a break from training. Seeing as it also gave him some quality time with Garchomp, he was more than happy to have come up with this.

As such, Machop immediately called up Isamu. The boy was currently having lunch at school as he said, “Oh, hey, Machop. How'd your sparring match go?” the girl replying, “I kicked ass.”

“Somehow, I knew you would,” the boy replied with a grin, “Anyway, Eiko and I were thinking of going to see that movie that just came out, Legend of the Crystal Dragon. I was wondering if you'd like to come with,” Machop's eyes sparkling as she squealed, “You'd better believe I'm in!”

“Great, I'll see you there,” the boy replied as he said a quick goodbye and hung up. But while he ate his food, he failed to notice eight figures dressed in cloaks watching him from the window.

“So, that's the boy who Machop hangs out with?” one asked as another nodded and replied, “Yes. I think we found us a way to bring her and her friends out into the open.”

Meanwhile, Meloetta was currently practising a variety of punches on a dummy. While she felt fairly confident in her abilities, Vigoroth shook her head and folded her arms, the green-haired girl giving her an odd look.

“Did I do it wrong?” she asked as the sloth replied, “No, in fact, you actually have very good form. But not only can I tell that punching that quickly is exhausting your energy really easily, but your punches are barely doing a thing.”

“They are?” Meloetta squeaked as Vigoroth nodded and said, “Observe,” sending a punch similar to the ones Meloetta had used on the dummy as a small indent formed where it hit.

The green-haired girl stared as Vigoroth pointed at a pair of ten pound weights, saying, “Try lifting those for a while. I get the feeling that if these new techniques are gonna work, you'll need some extra muscle.”

“Oh, okay,” Meloetta replied with a light smile as she walked over to the weights and knelt down, taking hold of them. However, when she tried to lift them, she barely managed to do so before breathing heavily and dropping them, Vigoroth rubbing her chin.

“Do you have anything lighter?” she asked as the sloth replied, “Unfortunately, I don't. But even for a weakling, ten pounds should be easy to lift, especially for someone like us,” Meloetta looking down as the sloth sighed, “Don't lose faith, okay? Maybe we're going about this the wrong way.”

“How so?” Meloetta asked as the sloth grinned and said, “I think I might know what's going on here. Something I've heard is that not all heroes are able to use every type of ability in the world. For example, some families, such as the famous Pig Monkeys, are only able to fight by punching and kicking. And it's a very similar case to the Torch family.”

“Torch family?” Meloetta asked as Vigoroth said, “Yeah, Torch is Torchic's last name. I know. Creative, right?” the green-haired girl chuckling in response to this.

“Anyway, it's gone on record that members of her family have rarely ever used slam moves,” Vigoroth explained, “It's because despite how tough they are, they were never meant to use such abilities. Combusken used a brainbuster once, and she ended up losing because of all the energy it took out of her. Meanwhile, Blaziken used a slam move of her own against the mighty Onix and while it did not cause her failure, it made victory a lot more difficult to achieve due to it taking a great deal of energy for her to pull off. She even attempted to lift up the snake a second time and, well, let's just say the results were not favourable.”

“So no matter how strong she got, she was never able to use abilities like that without straining herself?” Meloetta asked as Vigoroth nodded and said, “I'm willing to bet it's probably the same for you. I get the feeling your arms were never meant to be strong, so I doubt that lifting weights will actually help you improve by much.”

“So I can't learn to fight like you?” Meloetta whimpered as the sloth sighed, “Well, no, but that doesn't mean you should give up on trying to learn new techniques. It just means we need to find another fighting style that suits you.”

The two tapped their chins as Meloetta asked, “Any ideas?” as Vigoroth shrugged and replied, “Nothing yet, but I'm sure we'll think of something later. Or heck, maybe Lairon will have something for you. You are living with him now, right?”

Meloetta nodded with a light smile and said, “Well, he has helped Machop out a lot. Maybe he can help me,” a big smile on her face as Vigoroth grinned and replied, “Yeah. And if he doesn't have any answers, we'll just keep trying until we can find a way to make you less predictable.”

All the while, Machop had called up the others to invite them to the movie. Venipede and Rinko had decided to spend the day practising their special moves, so they ultimately refused. And as it so happened, the film she was going to watch was the same one Vigoroth and Meloetta saw earlier that day, and the sloth knew that if she went again, she would have to pay a second time.

The only other hero who ultimately agreed was Torchic, and Machop was at least happy to have someone else join her and her human friends. And once seven o'clock rolled around, all four met up near the theatre as Isamu grinned and said, “Glad you could all make it.”

“Ain't no way I'm missing this,” Torchic replied, “I can't remember the last time I watched a movie.”

Eiko beamed and said, “You're gonna love this one. It's gotten nothing but great reviews,” Isamu sighing, “I've told you time and time again, sis, hype isn't everything.”

But just as the group was about to enter, a figure dressed in a cloak leapt into the area and took hold of Isamu, another grabbing his sister. Machop and Torchic's eyes widened as the figures leapt away from them, the chicken growling, “Hey, what the hell!?”

“If you know what's good for you, you'll drop our friends right now!” Machop exclaimed as six more figures showed themselves, one exposing a sharp metal finger and saying, “If you want your friends to live, you'll accept a little challenge we've thought up for you.”

“Wait, what?” Machop remarked as another explained, “You see, much like Tentacruel, we've set up four rings in various different locations around Tokyo. We want you and your friends to accept a challenge from us. If you can beat us, we'll let your human friends go, but if you fail, we'll either keep them or we'll kill them. We haven't decided on that yet.”

Eiko was about to retort when the metal finger was positioned under her chin, Isamu growling, “Hey, leave my sister out of this!” as the one holding him retorted, “You're in no condition to threaten us.”

“Oh, yes I am,” Isamu retorted as he kicked his captor in the shin, forcing him to release his hold. But just as he was about to help Eiko, he took in a blow to the back of the head, fell forward and passed out.

Machop gritted her teeth with fury. She wanted to rush in there and help right now, but with Eiko's life on the line, Torchic could tell that she and the girl had little choice in the matter.

“We accept your challenge,” Torchic stated as Machop bit her lower lip and nodded her head, sighing, “Yeah, what she said.”

Eiko trembled and let down light tears as she and Isamu were carried off, one figure saying, “Come to Shinjuku Gyoen at eleven tomorrow for the first match, and bring all of your allies here in Tokyo. We wish to face them as well,” Machop gritting her teeth as they fled from the area.

“Alright, we'll be there,” the girl grunted as Torchic patted her on the shoulder with a talon, sighing, “Yeah, we'll show them what we're made of.”

Deep down, both knew exactly what these villains wanted. They wanted control over Tokyo like all the others, and just like Tentacruel and her allies, they were using hostages as a way to bring the heroes out into the open.

Either way, Machop called up the others to tell them about this. And since this was a big deal, the local news team found out about it as well as an hour later, there were reports about the various matches about to take place. Needless to say, this was going to be tough, especially with the heroes of Tokyo once again outnumbered.

 

With Eiko and Isamu's freedom and possibly lives at stake, naturally Noboru and Hana had to take a day off from work to make sure they would be okay. Unfortunately, Lairon was not so lucky, but Machop assured him that she would be fine. Though taking care of eight matches in one day was certainly asking a lot, especially when there were only six heroes to take care of this threat.

As Machop and Meloetta got ready for bed, the green-haired girl whimpered, “I don't know if I'll be able to sleep. I was gonna have Lairon help me come up with some new abilities, and yet I already have to fight someone.”

Machop let out a sigh and patted her on the shoulder, saying, “Yeah, they pretty much came out of nowhere, but don't you worry. We'll be there to support you every step of the way.”

Meloetta gave her a sweet smile and nodded, saying, “Goodnight,” Machop turning off the light as the green-haired girl drifted off to sleep. But while she was surprisingly content after what she had been told, Machop was the one now having trouble sleeping. Just the fact that she would have to wait more than ten hours for a chance to save her human friends was unsettling to say the least. At least with every other match, no particular individual's life was at stake.

Though the two losing the most sleep were, of course, Noboru and Hana. After all, their kids were the ones being used as hostages. No parent could possibly rest in a situation like this.

However, Noboru knew he and his wife would not want their kids to worry about them as the man sighed, “Well, I guess we may as well look on the bright side. They're in good hands,” Hana nodding and replying, “Yeah, I'm sure Machop and her friends can save them.”

“But still, to think they would specifically use our children for this purpose,” the man growled, “It makes me sick! All of this just to take over Tokyo! What're they gonna do if they take control!?” Hana nodding and sighing, “Yeah, I just hope they're not being tortured right now.”

“Me too,” Noboru replied as the two shared a small kiss before finally drifting off to sleep. They had to have faith in the heroes of Tokyo. They were the only ones with the ability to save their kids.

Once eleven o'clock rolled around the following day, many were seated around a ring located in Shinjuku Gyoen. Noboru and Hana had front-row seats as the heroes stood before the ring, wondering just who would go first and what kind of opponent each would face.

Meloetta was still feeling nervous as Vigoroth patted her on the shoulder, saying, “Don't worry, it'll be okay,” giving her a claw up as she nodded with a light smile.

Soon enough, the cloaked figures arrived as one particular one revealed tan arms under his cloak and folding them, saying, “Thank you all for coming! Today's the day the heroes of Tokyo finally meet their match!” the crowd booing them as Nori and Yuki took their seats, waiting to see what these villains had planned.

“As you probably heard on the news,” the cloaked figure added, “we got us two lives on the line for these matches. We were thinking of just keeping them as slaves, but we figure it'll be more fun if we kill them,” Noboru and Hana embracing one-another as the figure pointed upward.

Everyone looked in that direction and gasped at the sight of two cages hanging from a helicopter, one holding Eiko and the other holding Isamu as the boy gritted his teeth, growling, “I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO TO ME, BUT LEAVE MY SISTER OUT OF THIS!”

“How noble,” another figure said with a smirk as a taller one added, “He's been quite feisty since he woke up. He actually challenged us to let him out of his cage so he could face us. If we weren't so amused, we might have actually done it.”

The villains all shared a quick laugh as Machop gritted her teeth, growling, “Can we just start the first match already!?”

“Ah-ah-ah,” one figure remarked, revealing a blue hand and waving his finger, “We haven't laid down the ground rules yet. Care to fill them in, boss?” the one with the tan arms nodding and saying, “Gladly.”

He then grinned and said, “Instead of the traditional one-on-one bouts, we have decided to hold a series of tag team matches today,” the audience now much more interested as Torchic asked, “So there's four matches instead of eight?”

“Yes, we figure that might make things faster, granted you all make it far enough,” the tan figure, who seemed to be the leader, explained, “Each of us has already chosen a team, and we will decide who we wish to face. For all you know, you could be paired up with someone who wouldn't work well with you at all, but it hardly matters. After all, we are fully aware of the fact that none of you have ever fought in a team match before.”

Venipede gulped as he uttered, “He's right,” Rinko nodding and saying, “Well, our folks did at one point. I'm sure we can handle it.”

Vigoroth nodded and said, “I'm fine with this. Reveal your first team and I'll wipe the floor with them.”

“You heard the traitor,” one cloaked figure said with a smirk, “She wants to go first,” as the leader sighed, “Well, I did have someone else in mind, but alright, you already claimed her and she's eager. You may as well reveal yourself.”

With that, the cloaked figure who had spoken up leapt into the ring and removed his cloak. His partner followed close behind as standing before the heroes were two dinosaurs.

The first was a grey pachycephalosaurus with a blue skull and back. Four spikes lined the back of his head and his hands and feet each had three claws.

The second to reveal himself was a yellow dinosaur with a single white toe on each foot and small white fingers on his hands. His face was also shaped like a small shield with a slit between his eyes.

“I've been looking forward to this!” the grey dinosaur exclaimed, “The name's Cranidos and I'm your worst nightmare!” the yellow dinosaur bowing his head and saying, “A pleasure to meet you. I am Shieldon.”

Vigoroth smirked and cracked her knuckles, saying, “I don't care who you are. I'm gonna wipe the floor with you, me and-” the sloth blinking as she asked, “Who is my partner, anyway?”

“Oh, we got just the one in mind,” Cranidos replied with a smirk as he pointed at Meloetta, the green-haired girl gasping as he added, “I figure if we're gonna fight one traitor, we may as well take down another.”

Meloetta shook her head and pursed her lips, Vigoroth retorting, “You know, technically speaking, she never really devoted herself to the side of evil, so you can't really call her a traitor!” Cranidos shaking his head and remarking, “Be that as it may, she still turned against us after serving us for a while. That makes her a traitor in our eyes.”

Everyone was concerned now as Meloetta did not look the least bit ready, and to the best of her knowledge, this was true. She had not yet sought out help from Lairon let alone thought up any new moves to throw her opponents off-guard.

However, Vigoroth was not going to let her lose her spirits as she smiled and patted her on the shoulder, saying, “Don't worry about a thing, Meloetta. You're not fighting this battle alone. You got me to help you out. I can take both of them if I have to,” the green-haired girl giving her a light smile and nodding.

“Are you gonna stand around talking or are you gonna enter the ring so we can kick your asses!?” Cranidos retorted as Meloetta blinked and uttered, “Hold on, we haven't had a proper entrance yet.”

Vigoroth stared in confusion as Cranidos nodded and said, “You know what? She's right. We can't open up a match without a cool, prehistoric entrance,” Shieldon nodding and replying, “Indeed. We even had a big one planned and yet we came so close to forgetting it. I am so delighted that you brought that up, Meloetta.”

“Is this an excuse to stay out of the ring?” Vigoroth whispered as Meloetta shook her head and replied, “No. Torchic told me once that entrances help to relieve stress, and right now, I'm feeling a lot of stress. I figure if I put on a big show, it'll help me forget that I'm fighting a pair of strong villains.”

The sloth shrugged and replied, “Well, if it helps, then I'm all for it,” patting her on the shoulder as the duo exited the area to get ready.

“Poor Meloetta,” Machop groaned as Torchic sighed, “Don't worry about it. You've seen her in battle. She's strong.”

All the while, Isamu was really hoping they would win. Seeing his sister behind bars made him beyond worried, and it certainly did not help that he could do nothing about it.

While Vigoroth and Meloetta prepared themselves, the others headed to the audience so they could watch the match with the rest of the crowd. The other people in the audience could not help but feel excited for this. After Meloetta defeated Vigoroth in her first match, many wondered just how well she and the sloth would work together.

Ten minutes passed as the leader sighed, “Dammit, Cranidos, making us wait,” one of his allies asking, “You really want this match over with quickly, don't you?”

“Of course I do,” the tan figure retorted, “I want the world to see just how much of a threat I am.”

And with all said and done, Nori tapped her mic and exclaimed, “Alright, folks, it's finally time for the match to begin! In the red corner, two ferocious creatures that prove that maybe the dinosaurs weren't completely wiped out all those years ago! Introducing Cranidos and Shieldon!” the crowd booing as the two approached the ring atop a float made entirely out of bones.

Shieldon was beating two drumsticks against his face, making a descent melody with it while Cranidos danced along with it. And once the two reached the ring, they leapt off of the float and landed firmly against it, Cranidos giving the audience a wicked grin. Many people trembled at the sight of this while Shieldon bowed like a gentleman.

“Say, before we introduce the next team, I gotta ask something,” Yuki said as Cranidos blinked and shrugged his shoulders, saying, “Ask away.”

“Yeah, I've been studying some old fight footage from way back when, and I discovered a match that took place in the first ever Ultimate World Team Tournament,” Yuki stated, “The matches that come to mind are the ones involving two particular fighters who cheated their way into the tournament, Rampardos and Bastiodon. Are you, by chance, related to them?”

The crowd was rather interested in this as Shieldon nodded and replied, “Excellent deduction. Yes, we are actually brothers. Rampardos and Bastiodon are our grandma and grandpa respectively,” Nori blinking and saying, “I didn't know those two were married.”

“Hey, can you two get back on track, please!?” came a familiar deep feminine voice from seemingly nowhere as Nori cleared her throat and said, “Right,” before exclaiming, “And in the blue corner, one is a former villain who was taught the error of her ways by Torchic! The other is a musical angel who was once manipulated by the forces of evil but has since seen the light! An odd combination, but hopefully an effective one, Vigoroth and Meloetta!”

The crowd went wild as Meloetta approached the ring performing a tribal dance while Vigoroth came out with a pair of bongo drums, beating on them rhythmically. Cranidos rolled his eyes, viewing this as nothing more than their entrance with a lower budget, but his tune soon changed when Meloetta started to spin toward the ring, propelling herself high into the air before landing delicately against the mat, giving the crowd a curtsy.

The cheers got even louder as Vigoroth placed the drums on the ground, performing a vertical flip into the ring and holding her claws up like peace signs. And just as Torchic had predicted, this made Meloetta feel significantly less nervous as she had a big smile on her face, enjoying the applause from the crowd. Now she understood why the others liked it so much.

Cranidos shrugged and said, “That wasn't anything special,” as Vigoroth frowned, Nori saying, “Once each team picks a member to go first, we can begin.”

With that in mind, Vigoroth nodded at Meloetta who gave her a light smile and headed to her side of the ring, climbing over the ropes and standing by. Shieldon bowed to Cranidos and did the same, the grey dinosaur giving his brother a thumb up.

Vigoroth gritted her teeth as Cranidos smirked and said, “Oh, I've been waiting for this,” Nori ringing the bell as the dinosaur wasted no time heading toward the sloth with his skull pointed forward.

Vigoroth saw this coming as she easily dodged to the side, wrapping the nearest arm around Cranidos' neck. However, the grey dinosaur knew she would try this as he continued running, Vigoroth's eyes widening as he seemed to overpower her. And soon enough, she found her back slammed hard into the turnbuckle, releasing her hold as Meloetta winced.

“Are you okay?” she uttered as the sloth was about to respond only for Cranidos to stand up on his tail and send both feet into her chest.

Machop's eyes widened as she groaned, “Oh, come on!” Torchic sighing, “Take it from someone who's fought her before. Something like that is not enough to finish her off. She'll be fine, I'm sure of it.”

Unfortunately, it seemed as if Cranidos had more planned as he took hold of Vigoroth's shoulders, reeling his head back before before sending it forward, ramming his forehead hard into her face. Despite the match having lasted less than a minute, the dinosaur had already drawn blood as it trickled down Vigoroth's nostrils.

“You know what?” Cranidos asked with a smirk, “I'm glad you decided to switch sides. We don't need weaklings like you on our team,” Vigoroth gritting her teeth and retorting, “TAKE THAT BACK!”

With that, the sloth completely ignored all the pain dealt earlier and sent her fists hard into the grey dinosaur's shoulders. Unfortunately, this was not nearly enough to get him to let go as he continued to ram his forehead into her face. Vigoroth once again ignored the pain as she started to send a variety of rapid punches into the same spots.

“It seems the two fighters are at a standstill as each one whales on the other,” Yuki stated, “Cranidos delivers a variety of headbutts while Vigoroth responds with an onslaught of rapid punches. Which of these two can overpower the other?”

After a while, Vigoroth lost patience and thus, the next time Cranidos sent his forehead toward her, she held up her hands as that very spot ran into them. The crowd cheered as this actually proved enough to prevent her from taking in another hit, the grey dinosaur's eyes widening as he thought, 'How!? Her arms are so skinny! How can she be this strong!?'

Whatever the case, Vigoroth's aim was to do most of the work and keep Meloetta as far from danger as possible. Thus she took full advantage of this and increased her grip on Cranidos' head, lifting her legs up and sending her feet into his gut.

The cheers got louder as the grey dinosaur backed up, a look of irritation in his eyes as Shieldon said, “Don't worry about it. You've done an excellent job, but I think it's high time we switch places, don't you?”

Cranidos let out a sigh and groaned, “I want to make her pay for that, but alright. Grandpa always did say we should share the glory, right?” Shieldon nodding as Cranidos headed toward him.

However, Vigoroth would not let the grey dinosaur go without taking in one last hit. Thus she lifted herself up onto the turnbuckle before flinging herself forward, her feet hitting the back of his neck as he stumbled forward, the crowd once again cheering.

Even Meloetta could not help but applaud her friend as she squealed, “Great job, Vigoroth!” Nori exclaiming, “And after a very rough start, Vigoroth has made up for all the damage dealt earlier with her incredible skills and the flexibility of a primate!”

“I thought sloths were supposed to be slow and lazy,” Cranidos growled as he tagged in Shieldon, the yellow dinosaur taking his place and replying, “Don't worry. She may have some skills, but she's lacking in brain power. I can easily overcome that.”

However, Vigoroth remembered full-well that it was her aggressive nature that cost her the match against Torchic. Thus she gritted her teeth and thought, 'Don't think you can take advantage of me. The old me would have never thought up counters like the ones I just used.'

Torchic grinned and sighed, “I knew there was no way Vigoroth would fall so easily,” Machop nodding and shouting, “YOU GO, VIGOROTH!”

Isamu, meanwhile, really hoped this would last as Eiko joined in with the cheering. After all, no one had seen Shieldon in action yet, so no one knew just what he had up his sleeve.

Meloetta seemed to think the same thing as she asked, “Do you want me to take over?” Vigoroth shaking her head and replying, “Thanks for the offer, but I can keep going. It's all good.”

Seeing this, one cloaked figure smirked and said, “She's getting in over her head. Cranidos may be tough, but Shieldon is the real brain of this team. She's in serious trouble now.”

Vigoroth did not notice this for a second as she rushed toward the yellow dinosaur, saying, “By the way, I already know your weakness,” Shieldon's eyes widening as the sloth leap over his head and sent a kick toward the back of his neck.

But just as the kick was about to land, Shieldon leaned back in an arch, his face taking in the full blunt of the foot. As a result, he took in no damage as Vigoroth's eyes widened, the yellow dinosaur taking hold of her ankle and twisting it thus causing her to fall on her side.

The crowd gasped as Yuki stated, “And with a rather odd strategy, Shieldon has gotten the edge over Vigoroth. But why wouldn't a kick to his face work?”

“Because his face is an actual shield,” Nori explained as the crowd gasped, “That appearance isn't just for decoration, and it was the same deal with his grandpa, Bastiodon. When Bouffalant fought him back in the day, he was under the impression that his face only looked like a shield but was quickly proven wrong when he stupidly made that his first target. It would seem Shieldon's face is exactly like that.”

Vigoroth gritted her teeth as Shieldon proceeded to climb onto her back, taking hold of her chin and pulling on it while saying, “I applaud you for picking up on that so quickly. I heard that you were reckless and incapable of real strategy. But even if you are smarter than the stories say, I'm also more intelligent than I look.”

Meloetta's eyes widened as she whimpered, “I gotta go in there!” remembering how Cranidos tagged in Shieldon by giving him a high five. Unfortunately, she could not reach her arm that far as she squeaked, “Oh no, I can't take her place!”

Vigoroth gritted her teeth and tried her hardest to fight the hold as Shieldon sighed, “You're only wasting your time, Vigoroth. By struggling, you only add to the pain you're feeling.”

“Well, then, I'll just have to try something simpler,” Vigoroth remarked with a smirk as she rose her arms up, Cranidos shouting, “HEY, BRO, LOOK OUT!”

But it was too late as the yellow dinosaur took the sloth's claws to his sides, wincing in pain as he released his hold. The crowd went wild as Vigoroth rose to her feet, taking hold of Shieldon's shoulders and growling, “Let's see your brain power save you from this! SLOTH SUPLEX!”

Meloetta breathed a sigh of relief, the others cheering wildly as Vigoroth leaned backward, lifting up Shieldon with the back of his neck facing the mat. But just as he was about to make contact, he tilted his head back as his face hit the canvas instead.

The crowd looked disappointed as Yuki said, “Just as it seemed Vigoroth had gotten her advantage back, Shieldon's face once again prevents him from taking in damage.”

Things got even worse when Shieldon latched his ankles around the sloth's neck, pulling down thus causing the back of her neck to hit the mat. Meloetta once again panicked as Shieldon backed away from Vigoroth, allowing her to rise to her feet as he nodded at Cranidos.

The crowd gasped as the grey dinosaur smirked and climbed over the ropes, lowering his head as Machop spat, “HEY, WHAT THE HELL!? HE'S CHEATING!” Torchic sighing, “He's a villain. Villains do that.”

“That's not a good excuse,” Venipede growled as Rinko spat, “COME ON, VIGOROTH, FIGHT BACK!”

However, she was still recovering slightly from the blow to the back of her head as Cranidos charged at her with his skull glowing, Shieldon lowering his head and saying, “Let's give her a taste of our grandparents' most powerful move.”

Vigoroth took in the headbutt as her back was forced up against Shieldon's face, the dinosaurs shouting, “ZEN IRON!” the sloth coughing up blood as her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

The crowd gasped and stared in silence as Cranidos backed up, allowing Vigoroth to fall forward, her chin hitting the mat hard. Needless to say, everyone was terrified now as Nori stated, “And with the infamous team move that defeated Scizor and Graveler in one hit, it seems as if Vigoroth is down for the count, leaving Meloetta all by herself. But if she doesn't enter the ring soon, this team will lose either way.”

Hana gasped as Noboru let down nervous sweat, trembling and uttering, “No. Please don't let us lose Eiko and Isamu,” Machop exclaiming, “COME ON, VIGOROTH, GET UP!”

Unfortunately, it really seemed as if the sloth had taken in too much damage as Meloetta narrowed her eyelids and climbed over the rope, growling, “If you're going to break the rules, so will I!”

The crowd stared in shock as Yuki stated, “Just as all seemed lost, Meloetta has bravely entered the ring to help her friend! But can she make a difference or is she just delaying the inevitable?”

 

After what Cranidos and Shieldon had done to Vigoroth, Meloetta could no longer stand on the sidelines. She had to help her friend, even if it meant breaking the rules of a tag team match. It may have been dishonest, but at the same time, she was going up against a pair of villains and could not afford to let them win. Right now, this seemed to be her only option.

Cranidos chuckled and said, “Well, what do you know? The kitten has claws after all,” Shieldon bowing his head and saying, “I admire your bravery, but even with your legendary talents, you stand no chance against both of us.”

Deep down, the green-haired girl knew they were right, but at this point, she did not care. At the very least, she would help Vigoroth until she recovered.

With that in mind, she proceeded to swing her hair toward Shieldon as it grew long enough to run into his side. However, it did not end there as she used all her might to force him into Cranidos, the grey dinosaur's eyes wide open as Shieldon's body running into him was enough to send him flying into the turnbuckle.

It did not end there as Meloetta stood up on one foot, spinning with the yellow dinosaur still in her grasp and shouting, “PIROUETTE SWING!” releasing her hold and sending him flying toward his brother.

Shieldon was just about to lean his body back so he could use his face to protect himself, but before he could do so, Cranidos' eyes widened a she spat, “HEY, DON'T USE YOUR HEAD!”

Shieldon gasped as he immediately realized what the grey dinosaur meant. If his skull were to ram into his brother, it would have caused him significantly more pain. Thus he kept his body upright as his back ran into Cranidos' upper body, both wincing from the pain while the crowd went wild.

“And despite being by herself, Meloetta seems to be able to stand up to these two after all,” Nori stated, “Using the same move she used to defeat Torchic, the musical warrior has sent these two prehistoric nightmares into the turnbuckle.”

“YEAH, YOU ROCK, MELOETTA!” Machop squealed as Torchic nodded and gave her a toe up.

But while Meloetta was glad she was able to pull that off, she looked at the unconscious Vigoroth with concern. She could only keep this up for so long.

And unfortunately, it seemed her move had not even come close to finishing off the dinosaurs as Shieldon walked forward to give Cranidos room to move. And with that, the grey dinosaur took a deep breath and glared at Meloetta, saying, “That was a lucky shot.”

Meloetta was now a tad scared. Unfortunately, using her hair, voice and headpiece were the only ways she knew how to attack, and if she used Hyper Voice, there was a big chance she would end up using all of her energy. While the dinosaurs may have taken in damage so far, the green-haired girl could not take that risk.

With that in mind, she whipped out her hair again only for Cranidos to open his mouth wide, biting down on it when it came close. Meloetta whimpered as he swung his head to the right, sending her sideways into the turnbuckle.

“These are those legendary skills we've heard so much about?” Cranidos scoffed, “And to think, we were actually hoping for a challenge,” Shieldon sighing, “Let's just end this.”

With that in mind, Cranidos knelt down and charged toward Meloetta, the crowd gasping as Rinko spat, “COME ON, MELOETTA, FIGHT BACK!” but it was too late as the grey dinosaur's skull glowed while he shouted, “ZEN HEADBUTT!” ramming said part into the green-haired girl's gut.

Meloetta already felt intense pain from this one move alone as Cranidos lifted her up with a wicked smirk, hurling her backwards as Shieldon race toward her. He then proceeded to ram his face into hers while shouting, “IRON HEAD!”

The crowd gasped as Meloetta coughed up blood, flying backwards a bit before falling on her back. Yuki trembled as Nori stated, “And with another display of teamwork, Cranidos and Shieldon have struck Meloetta with their family's infamous finishing moves. It's truly amazing how powerful the head can be.”

While Meloetta was still conscious, she found herself already having trouble rising to her feet as Noboru groaned, “Oh no! This is terrible!” Hana trembling and holding onto her husband's arm.

Isamu stared at this in panic as he thought, 'No, it can't be! I've seen them lose before, but this time, they can't afford even so much as one failure! Please get up! I don't want my sister to die!' Eiko looking certain that Meloetta and Vigoroth could rise and make a comeback.

“Don't waste your breath,” Cranidos said with a maniacal laugh, “These two are finished and you all know it.”

With that, he nodded at Shieldon as he returned the gesture and performed a handstand. The crowd was unsure what was going on until Cranidos took hold of his ankles and leapt high above the ring, aiming the yellow dinosaur's face toward Meloetta's back.

“IRON CUDGEL!” the dinosaurs exclaimed only for Vigoroth to finally recover just in time to race over to Meloetta, pulling her out of the way while Shieldon's face hit the canvas.

The crowd went wild as Cranidos blinked and uttered, “You okay, bro?” before releasing Shieldon and allowing him to rise to her feet as he dusted himself off, replying, “Of course I am. Remember, I have the indestructible face. Besides, my well-being is the least of our concerns right now.”

With that, both dinosaurs turned toward Vigoroth with anger on their faces as the sloth helped Meloetta upright, asking, “You okay, buddy?” the green-haired girl taking a deep breath and squealing, “Thanks to you! But I don't know if I can continue to help. I can't risk using my Hyper Voice yet and-”

“It's fine,” the sloth replied with a grin, “Now that I've had some time to rest, I'm sure I can take things from here.”

“As if we'd allow that!” Cranidos exclaimed as he and Shieldon charged toward the two heroes, Vigoroth gritting her teeth and spinning around, sending a hard kick into Cranidos' gut.

However, Meloetta panicked when Shieldon closed in on her, thus she threw her foot back and sent it into his gut. The crowd cheered as this seemed to work, Meloetta turning to see that her kick had caused the yellow dinosaur to fly a good distance from where she stood.

Her eyes sparkled as Vigoroth gasped, “Of course! Why didn't I see it sooner!?” the green-haired girl giving her a look of confusion as she added, “From what I've heard, Lilligant was able to fight by dancing. Since your best moves are based around music, maybe you can do the same.”

“Well, I can do ballet,” Meloetta replied as Vigoroth nodded and replied, “That's perfect. Use that to your advantage.”

“HEY, ARE YOU DONE TALKING!?” Cranidos growled as he charged toward the two, “You should never drop your guard during a match!” only for Meloetta to stand on one foot before twirling, Cranidos unable to stop himself from taking in a variety of kicks to his gut.

Shieldon tried to help out only for Vigoroth to leap toward him with her arm at the ready, the yellow dinosaur lowering his head just in time to take her clothesline there as opposed to his neck. But luckily, this provided the distraction Meloetta needed as she finished her onslaught by leaning backward and lifting her foot up, sending it hard into Cranidos' chin.

The crowd went wild as the grey dinosaur backed up, rubbing that very spot and growling as Yuki said, “And using some impressive ballet, Meloetta has managed to fight off Cranidos with an onslaught of kicks,” Vigoroth lifting up Shieldon and slamming his back into the canvas.

“Wait, did she not know she could do that until now?” Machop uttered as Torchic shrugged her shoulders and replied, “Who cares? She's on a roll.”

“Yeah, you're awesome, Meloetta!” Rinko exclaimed as Venipede added, “Keep it up! You got them on the ropes!” Noboru and Hana nodding with big smiles on their faces.

All the while, Garchomp was watching this from home with a big grin on her face, asking, “Did you see that, Eri?” the dog panting while wagging her tail happily.

Noboru breathed a sigh of relief and said, “It's been rough, but they might just win this after all,” Hana nodding as Cranidos growled and spat, “YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT!”

Vigoroth still had Shieldon on his back while she sent various punches into his chest. But just as it seemed like she might win, the yellow dinosaur frowned and threw his arms forward, taking hold of her fists. The sloth's eyes widened as he took full advantage of this, tucking in his body and sending his feet into her gut.

Vigoroth flew off of him as she fell on her back, Shieldon rising to his feet and leaping into the air. He then pointed his face toward her and descended, shouting, “HEAVY SLAM!”

Vigoroth was unable to respond as she took the face to her gut, coughing up blood as the crowd winced. He then noticed Cranidos trying to ram his skull into Meloetta only for the green-haired girl to lean forward and twirl once more, swinging her leg into his cheek.

Shieldon would not stand for this any longer as he raced toward her. At that moment, Torchic exclaimed, “MELOETTA, WATCH OUT!” the green-haired girl instinctively sending her foot toward the yellow dinosaur only to strike his face.

While Vigoroth could at least handle hitting solid iron, Meloetta was not as physically strong. As such, her leg bent back slightly after making contact as she winced in pain. And it only got worse when Shieldon took full advantage of this, grabbing hold of her ankle and twisting it. This caused the green-haired girl to spin briefly until he let go, allowing her to fall on her face.

“What say we end this once and for all, brother?” Shieldon asked as Cranidos nodded and said, “Yeah, these two have been a bigger pain than I thought they'd be.”

Panic spread through the crowd as Isamu shouted, “COME ON, GET UP, YOU TWO!” only for Cranidos to leap high above the ring, flipping himself over so his skull was pointed toward Meloetta's back.

His skull started to glow once more as he descended toward the green-haired girl, Shieldon leaping up to his level and planting his feet against his brother's. With that, both had a blue aura around them as they exclaimed, “PREHISTORIC METEORITE!”

But just as Meloetta was seconds away from taking in the hit, Vigoroth recovered just in time as she threw her arms back. Then using all her might, she propelled herself forward with her legs stretched out, Cranidos' eyes widening as she reached him just in time to latch onto his neck. Then using her momentum, she managed to force him toward toward the turnbuckle, his cheek hitting it hard as Shieldon's eyes widened.

With that, both dinosaurs lost their concentration as Shieldon fell off of his brother and onto his back, the grey dinosaur's skull hitting the mat as the rest of his body soon followed. The crowd went wild as Vigoroth took a deep breath, Torchic grinning and saying, “I knew there was no way that would be enough.”

“It looked really close, folks!” Yuki exclaimed, “But Vigoroth has managed to save her partner with a very unexpected counter! This just goes to show that sometimes when you think your opponent's down for the count, she might not be!”

“COME ON, FINISH THEM OFF!” Rinko exclaimed, Noboru and Hana both nodding as Vigoroth raced over to Meloetta and helped her up.

Once the green-haired girl was back on her feet, Vigoroth grinned and said, “Come on, I got something that I know will finish them off. Just follow my lead,” Meloetta giving her a light smile and nodding, saying, “Okay.”

The dinosaurs were just about to retaliate until they noticed Meloetta take hold of Vigoroth's hand with her hair. She then proceeded to swing her around while performing a pirouette before releasing her hold, Vigoroth's arms spread out as the two shouted, “PIROUETTE HOOK!”

Shieldon did not look too concerned, but Cranidos' eyes widened as one arm rammed hard into his neck, causing him to cough up blood. Shieldon soon had a look of shock of his own as Vigoroth's momentum proved just enough to force him to fall on his back along with his brother, the yellow dinosaur releasing blood from his mouth as well.

The crowd cheered wildly as Nori exclaimed, “And with a powerful flying clothesline, Cranidos is down for the count! But can the same be said for Shieldon?”

It seemed this might not be the case as the yellow dinosaur started to rise only for Vigoroth to leap away from him, saying, “I think he's ready now,” Meloetta nodding before shouting, “HYPER VOICE!”

All went silent among the crowd as the green-haired girl unleashed the loud melodic sound from her mouth that defeated her partner. Sound waves flew into Shieldon as various cuts formed on him, the dinosaur gritting his teeth and growling, “No! I can't let my brother's loss be in vain!”

Unfortunately, not even he could take this kind of pressure as the rim around his face started to chip. And after a few more seconds, he found himself flying backwards into the rope, the material splitting open as he fell backwards out of the ring, his back hitting the ground.

With that, Meloetta ended her song as she took many deep breaths, sweat pouring down her face as she gave Vigoroth a light smile. The sloth grinned and held her right claw up like a thumb, Nori ringing the bell and exclaiming, “While the dinosaur duo proved very dangerous, our winners are the unexpected team of Vigoroth and Meloetta!” the crowd going wild as the sloth threw her arm into the air, Meloetta smiling and waving at the cheering people.

“THAT WAS AWESOME!” Machop squealed with a big grin, “GOOD JOB, YOU TWO!” Torchic giving them both toes up as Venipede sighed, “That was too close.”

Eiko blinked when she noticed her cage start to move slightly, Isamu staring as it soon stopped, the leader saying, “Well, good job. You managed to defeat two of our allies, but this is far from over. If by some chance you actually manage to win the next match, we'll let the girl go.”

Isamu breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed, “Alright, whoever's fighting next, you better do your absolute best, got it!?” as Noboru thought, 'I'm sure they will, but I hope they win too, son.'

Either way, now was a time to celebrate as Meloetta gave Vigoroth a big hug, squealing, “Thank you so much for believing in me! I don't think I ever would have discovered those new talents if you hadn't said something!” the sloth smiling and patting her on the back, Torchic sighing, “Hard to believe how malicious she used to be.”

“Enough!” the leader exclaimed with a look of annoyance, “We will have our next match within the hour! Meet us at this location before then,” the blue-handed figure directing everyone's attention to a map, specifically to the location of a cliff by the sea.

“Wait, they had a big map this whole time and didn't use it until now,” Machop uttered, “Wouldn't that have been easier than telling us to come to a famous park and not tell us specifically where in the park it was?” Torchic saying, “We still found it pretty easily.”

With that, the helicopter holding Eiko and Isamu took off toward that direction as Machop said, “Well, you heard them. Let's get going.”

Meloetta and Vigoroth nodded as they headed off with their friends, Venipede and Rinko getting up as well. But before the heroes could take off, Noboru said, “Hey, we can help you get there faster.”

The heroes turned as Hana gave them a sweet smile and said, “Since you're doing all of this for our kids, we figure we may as well help you out. If you want a ride, we have just enough seats in our van.”

All six heroes' eyes sparkled as Machop replied, “You're too kind.”

Naturally, Vigoroth and Meloetta were the happiest with this arrangement. After all, they had just finished a very tough match and thus they needed as much rest as they could get. For all they knew, they may very well have to face the last team what with there only being two other options.

But before the group could leave for good, the green-haired girl looked at Cranidos and Shieldon, uttering, “Are we just going to leave them here?” as the leader leapt into the ring and said, “Thank you for reminding me. Unlike Tentacruel, I will not allow Hero Planet's government to take them to prison as long as I have the strength to stand up to them.”

With that, the tan-skinned figure lifted them up and humped them over his shoulders, carrying them off with his allies following close behind. Meloetta smiled lightly as Machop said, “Wow, I guess there are some villains out there who care about their allies.”

“While their actions may be deplorable, they are still people,” Torchic replied, “Heck, if they weren't they wouldn't be capable of turning good,” Machop nodding and saying, “Good point.”

Even so, Meloetta had a different impression of the leader than the others had. It was not so much that she did not believe a villain could feel compassion toward his allies but rather that she could see his eyes under his hood, and he had a certain look that told her he might not have been as bad as he let on. But whether or not this was true was anyone's guess.

With all said and done, the group was ready to head off now as they entered Noboru and Hana's van. And just like the father said, there were just enough seats for all six heroes, though it was a tad cramped as a result.

However, currently, none of the heroes were in the least bit concerned with that. All that mattered to them was winning the next three matches and saving their human friends. Though if the first match was any indicator, this would not be easy.

 

After roughly twenty minutes, the heroes arrived at the cliff side where the cloaked figures were waiting. Even with one victory, things were still intense. After all, if the next team lost this match, Eiko would be killed.

“Good, you're early,” the leader said as the blue-armed figure added, “That just means we can start this sooner,” directing their attention to a ring that had been set up on a rock formation that rose one story above the sea.

Bleachers had been set up around the ring, though they had been raised so nothing bad could happen to the audience and the same went for Nori and Yuki. After all, the leader did not wish to kill the humans. He wanted them to witness the fall of their heroes.

“And here we are one foot above ocean level!” Nori stated, “We are just about to witness yet another match between the heroes and the villains! Hopefully this next team can defeat theirs as young Eiko's life hangs in the balance!”

The pink-haired girl trembled as Isamu sighed, “Don't worry, Eiko. I'm sure they can do this,” Eiko nodding and uttering, “Yeah, of course they can.”

Vigoroth stared at the ring and enquired, “How is anyone supposed to enter that?” the leader replying, “By jumping, of course,” the heroes, Noboru and Hana confused until two cloaked figures took to the sky and descended toward the ring, landing firmly against it.

Venipede trembled and uttered, “I hope I'm not the one entering that!” as Rinko nudged him on the side and remarked, “I thought you weren't afraid anymore!”

“Yeah, of combat!” the centipede retorted as even the brunette had to admit that the idea of having to jump into the ring scared her. After all, she still could not jump as high as her friends, not to mention landing against a surface from that height would likely hurt her feet.

Unfortunately, it seemed their fears had come true as the leader asked, “Now, who was it you two wished to face again?” one of the cloaked figures grinning and pointing at the centipede and brunette while saying, “Those two.”

“WHAT!?” the duo spat, Venipede turning toward Rinko who cleared her throat and said, “It just came as a shock, is all.”

Machop gave the duo a grin and nodded her head, saying, “Come on, show them what you're made of,” as Venipede laughed nervously and replied, “Of course.”

Meloetta could tell both were scared of jumping from this height as she asked, “Does anyone have a boat they could use or something?” only for Venipede to put on a more serious look, saying, “Get on my back, Rinko.”

The brunette stared awkwardly at him as he said, “Yeah, I know you can't jump as high as someone like me, so I'll do the work for both of us.”

Rinko continued to stare for thirty seconds. A part of her wanted to accept his offer right here and now, and yet for some reason, the very idea of climbing onto his back felt awkward to her.

“Hey, can you two hurry up!?” one of the cloaked figures spat, “We're not getting any younger!”

The leader nodded and folded his arms, asking, “You do want to save your friend, right?” as Noboru and Hana looked up as their kids with concern, hoping Rinko would just accept Venipede's offer.

“Right,” the brunette said before taking a deep breath. She then wrapped her arms and legs around Venipede as a light blush formed on his face. Though right now, he had to relinquish any other thoughts he had. After all, this was so he and Rinko could enter the ring, nothing more.

With that, Venipede knelt down before propelling himself high into the air, descending toward the ring while Rinko did her best to hang on. After a few seconds, she tightened her hold on him just to be on the safe side as his blush brightened. As a result, the centipede wound up losing focus as his feet hit up against the ropes, causing him to trip and fall forward on his chin while Rinko blinked and uttered, “You okay, man?”

One of the cloaked figures laughed and pointed, revealing a leaf for a hand as she said, “You are too funny,” the centipede blinking as the other nodded and added, “Yes, you are quite amusing. If I could laugh, I would be in hysterics right now.”

Rinko rose up off of Venipede's back and growled, barking, “Hey, you take that back!” the figure with the leaf hands holding onto her sides and laughing insanely, shouting, “Oh my god, I was just threatened by Rinko! This is great!”

“What the hell are they going on about?” Torchic growled, “I didn't think that was so funny.”

However, the other cloaked figures, save for the leader, joined in with their ally's laughter as one said, “Okay, that's enough. You guys may as well reveal yourselves now.”

The figure with the leaf hands took many deep breaths, holding onto her chest before saying, “Alright, I'm good,” before removing her cloak along with her partner.

Along with the leaves for arms, this being also had a head just like that of a Venus flytrap. Her stem was round and yellow and she had an assortment of red and green vines that resembled tentacles for legs. Needless to say, the crowd was rather intimidated by this.

Her partner was a grey mummy with a single red eye and stubby legs. His chin was made of three tooth-like projections and he had two long light-grey wispy growths coming from his shoulders and big hands with the same colour.

Venipede's fear of fighting was starting to return just from looking at these two. They were the scariest-looking villains he had ever seen, just like something out of a horror film. Even Gyarados and Tentacruel did not look nearly this threatening.

Rinko could see this as she patted him on the shoulder, whispering, “Come on, don't freak out. You've come such a long way. I know you can do this.”

“Would you look at that, Dusclops?” the flytrap asked, “We're so ugly that even a bug is scared of us. This is exactly why we turned to a life of evil,” the mummy folding his arms and sighing, “Don't feel too offended, Carnivine. This one scares easy. He just tries to hide it.”

“What!?” Venipede retorted as Rinko was about to ask the same thing only for the flytrap, Carnivine, to fold her arms and say, “Yes, we saw your match with Tentacruel, and I have to say, the way you were trying so damn hard to hide how obviously scared you were was just hilarious.”

“But I relinquished my fear in that match!” Venipede retorted as Dusclops sighed, “Who are you trying to kid, us or yourself? Admit it, the very idea of facing someone with more arms and limbs than you was terrifying.”

Rinko gritted her teeth and barked, “That's not true!” before uttering, “Is it?”

The others stared as Torchic asked, “He was fully confident when he faced Tentacruel, right? He seemed fully prepared for that match,” the others nodding.

However, it seemed they would soon be proven wrong as Venipede sighed, “I have to admit, Rinko, they're right. I tried so hard to convince myself that I wasn't afraid, but I was. Facing someone with eight arms and six legs was just frightening. But I was still able to fight to my fullest because, well, I remembered all my training with you and didn't want it to go to waste.”

Rinko gave him a warm smile until Carnivine laughed and stated, “This is exactly why we chose you as our opponent, Venipede,” the centipede staring at her as she added, “It's because out of all the heroes fighting for Tokyo, you are, by far, the funniest.”

Venipede stared with confusion as Rinko gritted her teeth, the flytrap adding, “Think about it. You try to act so tough in the face of danger yet deep down, you're nothing more than a coward who should have never tried to become a hero. Not only that, but you haven't won a single match since you came to Earth!”

All went silent as no one knew how to respond to this. Venipede looked down and clutched onto the sides of his head, groaning, “They're right,” Rinko staring at him with concern before scowling at Carnivine.

“Alright, you bitch,” she growled, “I'll take you first!” as Dusclops shrugged his shoulders, replying, “I'm fine with that.”

Carnivine smirked and said, “Good. This will be fun,” as Venipede made his way over to the other side of the ring, climbing over the ropes and standing on the other side.

Rinko gave the centipede a look of concern and sighed, “Venipede, don't listen to her, okay? I'm sure she's just saying this stuff to psyche you out. Even if you haven't won a match, that doesn't mean it can't happen.”

The centipede's eyes sparkled until Carnivine laughed and remarked, “Oh my god, you're almost as funny as he is!” the brunette glaring at her and retorting, “What was that!?”

Dusclops let out a sigh and said, “I'll admit, even I wish I could laugh at the stuff I've seen from you. Posing as an insect and pretending to be as strong as the mighty Scyther. You're no better than Venipede.”

Rinko stared at the mummy as Carnivine added, “He's right. A mere human such as yourself shouldn't even be in the ring,” as Machop gritted her teeth and snapped, “COME ON, ARE YOU GONNA JUST STAND THERE AND LET THEM TALK SHIT ABOUT YOU!?”

“No, I'm not!” Rinko retorted as Nori nodded and exclaimed, “Well, you heard the girl, folks! I think it's finally time we begin this match!” before ringing the bell as Rinko charged toward Carnivine.

Before the flytrap could even try to respond, the brunette dodged to the right and sent a roundhouse into her side. Carnivine ignored the pain and took hold of her ankle, pulling up on it and causing her to fall on her side. The crowd stared in horror as Carnivine swung Rinko around, eventually releasing her hold and allowing her to fly head-first into the turnbuckle.

“And after receiving a fierce roundhouse, Carnivine acts like she took in no damage and hurls Rinko into the turnbuckle!” Nori stated as Carnivine laughed and exclaimed, “This is exactly what I'm talking about! If anyone else had kicked me, it probably would have hurt, but you're just a weak human! You're not meant to take on creatures like us! It's a miracle you haven't been killed yet!”

Meloetta trembled and whimpered, “But that's not true. She's not weak. She took in all kinds of torture from Sneasel and still put up a good fight,” Torchic nodding and saying, “Oh yeah, you actually saw that match. But I'm pretty sure Carnivine is just trying to psyche her out. I have no doubt in my mind that roundhouse did more pain that she's letting on.”

Rinko seemed to realize this as she rubbed her head, grunting, “You're just full of shit! Admit it, my kick did, in fact, hurt you, didn't it!?” Dusclops asking, “Well, Carnivine, is she correct?”

“Well, it might have hurt a tiny bit,” Carnivine replied with a shrug, “But I still barely felt a thing.”

Rinko's eyes were wide open as the flytrap added, “I'll give you credit. Unlike your partner over there, you have managed to earn yourself one victory on Earth. Or have you?”

The audience members started talking amongst themselves as Vigoroth sighed, “Dammit. That's actually a good point,” Meloetta uttering, “What do you mean?” Noboru and Hana gulping nervously.

“Admit it, you never truly defeated Voltorb, did you?” Carnivine asked with a smug look on her face, “In fact, you would have lost if he hadn't stupidly resorted to that Explosion of his, a move that covers so little space that anyone could avoid it.”

“Don't listen to her!” Venipede retorted with concern only for Rinko to sighed, “No, she's right. I've thought about that match ever since it ended. She's not lying. I didn't beat Voltorb. He beat himself.”

Everyone stared with concern as even Rinko's friends could not argue against this. She was right. The only reason Voltorb lost was because he activated a feature on himself that caused him to self-destruct. However, there was one thing Rinko did do as Venipede narrowed his eyelids.

“You may not think you earned that victory, but I truly believe you did!” the centipede stated, “He had you locked tight in his grip with only a few seconds left before he exploded, but did you cave in and let him do it!? No! You overpowered him and escaped from his grip! You technically dealt the final blow to him!”

Carnivine wrapped her arms around her sides and laughed insanely, shouting, “Technically dealt the final blow! So you admit it wasn't legit!” as Rinko sighed, “Thanks for trying to help, Venipede, but it's okay. I know I didn't earn my victory against Voltorb. That's why I've been training all this time, to make sure that when I finally win again, it will feel earned!”

“And how do you plan to do that?” Carnivine asked as she leapt into the air, holding her arms out and spinning toward the girl.

The crowd winced as the flytrap exclaimed, “POWER WHIP!” sending an onslaught of slaps into Rinko's cheek at the speed of a helicopter propeller. Venipede watched in horror as the brunette was sent flying into the turnbuckle once more after taking in thirty hits.

“That looked brutal!” Yuki exclaimed, “Rinko is a sitting duck as she continues to endure torment from Carnivine!” the flytrap then leaping toward the brunette as Venipede frowned and snapped, “Sorry, Rinko, but I need to do this!”

With that, he quickly shifted over to her and slapped his hand against hers. The brunette's eyes widened as the centipede leapt toward Carnivine and tucked himself into a ball, shouting, “CENTIPEDE STEAMROLLER!”

The flytrap's eyes and mouth widened as she took the blow to her gut, flying backward a bit. However, she still managed to land on her feet as Venipede retracted out of his ball-like state, taking a deep breath and asking, “You okay, Rinko?”

The crowd cheered as Yuki said, “And after a close call, Venipede has come to save his partner,” Rinko rising to her feet and grinning, saying, “Danke schoen, Venipede.”

However, Carnivine's look of shock turned to a maniacal grin as she thought, 'This is perfect. I know exactly how to break him,' before saying, “You were very quick to get over your fear of me. I'd be impressed if it wasn't for the obvious reason you did what you just did.”

Noboru blinked and asked, “Obvious reason?” Machop groaning, “I think I know where she's going with this. I really hope Venipede doesn't let this get to him.”

“Well, I care about my friend,” Venipede said with a serious look in his eyes, “So what?” as Carnivine laughed and slapped her knee, retorting, “Come on, there's so much more to it than that!”

“Yes, it really is quite easy to see,” Dusclops replied with his arms folded, “The reason Rinko inspires sudden bursts of courage from you is because you have a crush on her.”

All went silent through the area as Vigoroth sighed, “Knew it,” Meloetta replying, “But they told me they were just friends,” as the sloth rested a hand on her shoulder and sighed, “You have a lot to learn about modern love.”

“Wait, is that true?” Rinko asked, Venipede's cheeks bright pink as he uttered, “Um, well, uh...”

However, he was unable to answer when Carnivine leapt over his head and wrapped her left arm around his waist, the other around his head and pulled each in the opposite direction, shouting, “WRING OUT!”

This caused the centipede intense pain as he cried out in agony, Yuki saying, “And Carnivine catches Venipede off-guard and has him in a hold that looks kinda like a dragon sleeper.”

The crowd gasped as Rinko bit her lower lip, her heart racing as she thought, 'What am I thinking about at a time like this?' before barking, “VENIPEDE, FIGHT IT!”

Carnivine chuckled and tauntingly said, “Yes, let the power of love guide you. It's obvious the only time you ever do a good job in a fight is when you rely on it.”

“Oh god, how I wish she'd put a sock in it!” Machop growled, “All she's done so far is use words to throw them off-guard! Can't she fight them without having to resort to that!?”

“Like it or not, that's how lots of villains fight,” Torchic replied, “Heck, Gyarados and Tentacruel used similar tactics against you,” the girl nodding and saying, “Good point.”

Venipede wanted to fight back. After all, he knew this was to save Eiko's life, but right now, he could no longer concentrate. All the while, Dusclops narrowed his eyelid and said, “Hey, save me some of the action, will you? I haven't gotten a chance to fight yet.”

“Don't worry, I'm just gonna torment him a little bit longer,” Carnivine said as Rinko gritted her teeth and spat, “ALRIGHT, SCREW THE RULES!” the girl propelling herself over the ropes and a sending a two-legged kick into the back of the flytrap's head.

The crowd cheered as Carnivine released her hold, Yuki saying, “And just as it seemed like Venipede would lose for sure, Rinko comes in and returns the favour from earlier,” the girl raising her arm and shouting, “ARM SCHWERT!” sending a karate chop into Carnivine's skull.

With that, the flytrap finally released her hold on Venipede as he took full advantage of this. He grabbed hold of her wrists and threw her over his head, slamming her hard on her back as the cheers got even louder.

Dusclops' eye widened as he was just about to climb into the ring only for Carnivine to rise to her feet. She then rubbed her head and snickered, saying, “Wow, you two love each other so much, you'll violate the rules of a tag team match for each other.”

“She's got a point there,” Yuki stated, “This isn't the first time we've seen this today, but to think the heroes would do it first in this match,” Nori nodding and saying, “Still, if this was a fight between heroes, I'd have to give them a warning. As this is a match between heroes and villains, they're allowed to get away with this, though it does make me wonder why they don't just turn these into tornado tag matches instead.”

'That's actually a good idea,' the leader thought as Rinko took a deep breath, saying, “Whether it's allowed or not, Yuki's right,” the brunette returning to her side as Venipede implied a smile and said, “Thanks for the save, anyway.”

“Hey, partners look out for one-another,” Rinko said with a light smile, her cheeks turning pink as she asked, “But, is that true what they're saying? Do you really have a thing for me?”

Venipede trembled nervously for a few seconds as Carnivine tagged in Dusclops, saying, “I've had enough fun with these two for now. You can take advantage of the wimp now,” the mummy replying, “Thank you.”

Venipede's eyes widened as he realize he could no longer think about his answer, but it was too late as Dusclops clenched his right hand into a fist, a dark aura surrounding it as he sent it toward the centipede. At first this seemed like a waste of effort as he was standing a good distance away from him, but the crowd gasped when the bandages started to unravel, allowing his fist to go further until it made contact with Venipede's face.

The centipede coughed up a bit of green blood as Dusclops exclaimed, “SHADOW PUNCH!” Venipede falling on his back as the mummy proceeded to latch onto his face, lifting him high over his head and swinging him around.

The crowd gasped as Yuki said, “And Dusclops has already proven himself a force to be reckoned with as just from that one punch, he has left Venipede unable to defend himself.”

And after a few seconds, the mummy hurled him forward as Rinko could tell just from how high the centipede had been thrown that he would surely fly over the ropes. As such, once he got close to her, she leapt up toward him with her arms up.

Unfortunately, Rinko could not defy gravity like her friends. As such, she was unable to reach the centipede's height as he soared right past her, their friends staring in absolute horror as his flight ended. Thus he wound up falling into the water below the ring, Rinko's eyes wide with terror as he spat, “VENIPEDE!”

“Well, at least he didn't hit the cliff side,” Eiko uttered as Isamu groaned, “Do you not see how bad this is? If Venipede is anything like a normal centipede, he probably can't swim!”

And this seemed so as the centipede struggled to stay afloat only for his arms to weaken in no time. Thus he ended up sinking as Meloetta squeaked, “OH NO! SOMEONE HAS TO SAVE HIM!”

“What a dirty tactic!” Yuki exclaimed with a look of terror, “As if using their emotions against them wasn't bad enough, Dusclops has sent Venipede careening out of the ring!”

Rinko trembled with terror in her expression. If she went down there to save him, they would be disqualified and Eiko would die. But at the same time, she did not want her best friend to drown. What could she possibly do?

 

After Venipede had been thrown into the water and started to sink, Rinko could no longer focus on the match. She had a look of terror in her eyes as she trembled, wondering if she should dive in after him or not. After all, if both heroes were out of the ring for twenty seconds, they would be disqualified.

“Rinko is the only member of her team still in the ring,” Nori stated, “and to make matters worse, it would seem Venipede cannot swim, meaning if someone doesn't come to his rescue soon, he could possibly die!”

Rinko gritted her teeth as Torchic exclaimed, “RINKO, FOCUS ON THE MATCH!” the girl looking up at them as the chicken added, “Don't forget, you have us! One of us can go down and save him!” the leader of the villains raising an eyebrow.

The brunette took a deep breath and nodded, saying, “Thanks, guys,” before climbing over the rope as Carnivine shrugged and said, “Whatever. I would have felt bad if I won by default,” Dusclops sighing, “Well, it wouldn't exactly be the most desirable result, I'll give you that.”

All the while, Machop asked, “So, which of us is gonna go and save him? As much as I'd like to, we Machs are terrible swimmers.”

“My family was always better at it than most fire types,” Torchic replied, “but since I don't have arms, I've always had trouble.”

Noboru frowned and said, “Don't stress yourselves out over this,” the man taking off his shirt and adding, “I'll go in there.”

Hana stared at him as her cheeks turned pink, Vigoroth asking, “You sure?”

The man nodded with a serious look in his eyes and replied, “Of course. We're talking about my daughter's life here. Rinko needs to stay focused on this match, but what's more is that even with her skills, I don't think she can take both villains at once. I can't take that risk.”

Before anyone could protest against this, Noboru ran toward the edge of the cliff and leapt off of it, flipping upside-down and diving gracefully into the water. While this happened, Rinko seemed at ease now as she charged toward Dusclops, ramming her elbow into his chest.

The mummy's eye widened as the girl wasted no time sending a barrage of punches into his face, Yuki exclaiming, “Now that Rinko's fighting both villains by herself, she's not holding back as he unleashes an onslaught onto Dusclops!”

But just as it seemed like she had the upper hand, Carnivine smiled wickedly and said, “As long as Venipede's out of the ring, we may as well have a little fun, eh?”

The brunette was unable to respond in time as Carnivine leapt high above the ring, wrapping her feet around one-another until they formed a spike. She then proceeded to spin while shouting, “LEAF DRILL!”

Rinko's eyes widened as she took the blow to her skull, a small amount of blood flying out of that spot as she fell on her back. Dusclops nodded at his partner and said, “Thank you. I'd have rather not resorted to that, but I guess it was necessary in the end.”

“And just as quickly as Rinko got the advantage back for her team, she loses it as Carnivine and Dusclops are now fighting at the same time,” Yuki said as the crowd panicked, Machop groaning, “This is painful! Come on, Isamu and Eiko's dad! Hurry up!”

However, it seemed Carnivine had something else in mind entirely as she smiled wickedly and said, “Dusclops, you keep her busy. I have something I need to take care of,” the crowd and the announcers gasping when the flytrap leapt onto the ropes, bouncing off of them and diving into the water below.

“She's not doing what I think she is,” Machop uttered, “Is she?” Vigoroth gritting her teeth and growling, “ALRIGHT, I'M GOING IN THERE!”

Before anyone else could question this, the sloth dove into the water below, Meloetta whimpering, “Be careful,” as Machop groaned, “I hope she'll be okay. You two just finished a match.”

Rinko slowly started to rise only for Dusclops to leap on top of her gut. He then started punching her in the face, saying, “Your punches were pretty tough, but nothing special.”

But just as he sent another one toward her, she threw her hands up and took hold of his fist. A serious look formed in her eyes as she growled, “Until Venipede returns to the ring, I'm gonna do my absolute damndest to make sure we stand a chance! Today's the day we earn our first real victory and no cheap tactics are going to stop that!”

With that in mind, Rinko tucked her legs in before sending her feet hard into Dusclops' gut. The mummy's eyes widened as he flew into the air, Rinko leaping up and grabbing hold of him. The crowd went wild as she placed him on her shoulder, leaning backward and shouting, “FLYING HAMMER!”

She then drove the back of his head into the mat as Yuki exclaimed, “And just as all seemed lost, Rinko retaliates to Dusclops' attacks with her infamous Flying Hammer!”

The brunette took a deep breath with a light smile and thought, 'Yeah, I'll defeat Dusclops for sure. You guys just focus on saving Venipede.'

All the while, Venipede looked like he was on the verge of drowning as his eyes were closed. Luckily, Noboru had gotten close, but just as he was seconds away from saving the centipede, Carnivine caught up with him and opened her mouth wide. But just as it looked like she was seconds away from eating him, her eyes widened when her movement suddenly came to a halt.

Noboru wrapped a single arm around Venipede and turned back upward when he noticed this, Vigoroth digging her claws into Carnivine's legs with a supportive grin. But just as it seemed like the flytrap had been taken care of for good, she frowned and spun her body around. Vigoroth's eyes widened as Carnivine forced her backwards, shifting her body sideways and sending the sloth's back into the cliff side.

Vigoroth coughed up blood as it seemed the damage she took in during her match against the dinosaurs had taken a toll on her. Thus she started to drift toward the surface as Noboru swam toward her, hoping to save both heroes.

Unfortunately, there was no way Carnivine would allow this as she once again pursued him. At the very least, Vigoroth's buoyancy would allow her to be saved, but now Noboru and Venipede needed help again.

Rinko was currently dodging punches from Dusclops when her friends noticed bubbles start to rise up from the water next to the cliff. When they saw Vigoroth's head rise up, they were just about ready to cheer before noticing that she was unconscious and drifting there.

“VIGOROTH!” Meloetta squeaked in terror as Rinko turned, taking a punch to her cheek as Dusclops said, “You shouldn't ignore your opponent during a match.”

However, Rinko ignored the hit and gritted her teeth, shouting, “Hey, Nori, how long can a fighter stay out of the ring before a ring out is declared!?”

“Twenty seconds,” the older woman replied as the brunette nodded and said, “That's just long enough,” before running toward the ropes.

“As if I'd allow you to do that,” Dusclops said as he sent his hand toward her. However, the girl saw this coming as she turned around, taking hold of the body part and using it to swing the mummy into the turnbuckle.

With that, Rinko smirked and said, “I'll be seeing you again soon,” before climbing up onto the rope and diving off of it into the water below.

Everyone gasped as Yuki exclaimed, “And in a last-ditch effort to save her partner, Rinko has left the ring!” Nori nodding and starting the twenty count while everyone else panicked.

All the while, Hana bit her lower lip, letting down tears and thinking, 'Please save him, Rinko. I don't want to lose anyone today.'

Eiko trembled in fear as Isamu really hoped she could do this. But even if she could save Venipede, how would she be able to return to the ring? Even with a great deal of momentum, a human could not jump that high.

Noboru was currently caught in Carnivine's grip. But just as it seemed like the flytrap was going to eat him and Venipede, Rinko managed to reach them as she sent a karate chop into her side. The water softened the blow to a certain degree, but it was still enough to cause the flytrap to release her hold.

With that, Noboru nodded at Rinko and started to swim toward the surface once more, the brunette really hoping Venipede was still alive. But before she could resume her trip, Carnivine managed to recover as she swam toward her, wrapping her arms around her and swimming toward the surface. For whatever reason, she had now chosen to ignore Venipede as Noboru stared in confusion but refused to stop swimming.

On the surface, everyone stared as Nori reached fifteen seconds, Meloetta cupping her hands together and saying, “Please let them be okay.”

And soon enough, bubbles rose up as everyone was shocked to see Carnivine rise with Rinko in her grip. She then leapt high into the air toward the ring, flipping the brunette upside-down and exclaiming, “FORGET WINNING BY RING OUT! I WANT THE SATISFACTION OF KNOCKING YOU OUT!”

Dusclops nodded and sent his hands upward, Yuki exclaiming, “And Carnivine rises up with Rinko set up for a piledriver!” the mummy's hands grabbing onto Rinko's head and pulling her toward the canvas, speeding up her descent.

The crowd gasped as the villains exclaimed, “SARCOPHAGUS PILEDRIVER!” the girl's head hitting the mat hard as she coughed up blood.

Nori ended the count, but it hardly seemed to matter as Carnivine released her hold, allowing Rinko to pass out. It was at this moment that Noboru rose up with Venipede in his grasp, applying a strong enough grip to get him to cough up all the water he had swallowed.

The others stared as Nori said, “It would seem Venipede is back and alive, but will he be able to defeat these two villains without Rinko's help?”

Upon hearing those very words, Venipede's eyes widened as he spat, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN!?” before asking, “Mister Noboru, sir, can you give me a boost?”

Noboru nodded and said, “I might be able to do that,” as he continued to kick his legs, lifting the centipede up on his shoulders as Machop uttered, “What's he doing?”

“I get it,” Torchic said with a nod of her head, “Because he can't swim, he can't jump out of the water. Thus he needs something to stand on in order to return to the ring.”

“How are you holding up?” Venipede asked as Noboru grinned and replied, “I'm fine. Just go in there and save my daughter.”

The centipede nodded and propelled himself off of the man's shoulders, rolling up into a ball and spinning vertically toward the ring. The crowd cheered as Hana breathed a sigh of relief, saying, “Thank god. I was really worried.”

And sure enough, Venipede managed to reach the height as Carnivine frowned and said, “Now to end this match for good,” leaping toward him.

But just as she was about to get close, the area within the circles on Venipede's shoulders started to glow. And sure enough, that glow expanded into a pair of transparent magenta buzz saws made of pure energy as he barked, “CENTIPEDE STEAMROLLER!”

Carnivine's eyes widened as the blades rammed into her arms, drawing blood as she cried out in pain. With that, the flytrap was slammed hard against the mat as she coughed up more of the substance, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as she no longer seemed able to move.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, “Not only has Venipede mastered his family's infamous Centipede Steamroller, but he has also managed to defeat Carnivine! That just leaves Dusclops!”

The mummy's eye widened before narrowing as he said, “I'll admit, that's impressive, but don't think for a minute I'm gonna let my partner down.”

But just as he was about to fight back, his eyes widened when he felt something hold him back. He then slowly turned his head around and lowered his eye to see that Rinko had regained consciousness, a smirk on her face as her hand was placed firmly against his leg.

“No!” Dusclops uttered, shaking his head as Venipede implied a big smile with his eyes, saying, “Let's finish him together.”

The crowd cheered even louder as Meloetta breathed a sigh of relief, the others having lowered a rope for Noboru to grab onto while using his other hand to hold Vigoroth. After he took hold of it, the heroes along with Hana combined their efforts to carry him up.

Once he reached the surface, his wife gave him a big hug and kissed his cheek, exclaiming, “I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO DIE!” the man patting her on the back and saying, “It's a good thing our kids have some great friends.”

All the while, Rinko managed to rise to her feet, once again setting Dusclops up for her Flying Hammer. But when she leapt into the air and leaned backward, Venipede jumped forward and wrapped his arms around the mummy. With the added weight of the centipede, Rinko's attack was given more force as Dusclops' skull was slammed hard into the mat, the two shouting, “FLYING WARHAMMER!”

Dusclops' eye widened briefly before slowly closing, Venipede and Rinko releasing their hold on him and allowing him to collapse. All went silent as Nori and Yuki watched closely just to make sure Dusclops could no longer move and that Carnivine did not make a surprise recovery.

And once enough time had passed, Yuki rang the bell and exclaimed, “And with their combined efforts, Rinko and Venipede have managed to win the match and save Eiko's life!” the crowd going wild as Noboru and Hana gave each other a tight embrace, shouting, “I KNEW THEY COULD DO IT!”

Machop grinned and gave the duo a big thumb up while Torchic sat down to applaud them with her talons. Meloetta squealed with excitement and clapped wildly as well, Vigoroth too weak to join in.

With that, the leader of the villains pressed a button as Eiko's cage vibrated. The bottom opened up as the girl screamed while descending toward the mat. Isamu's eyes widened as he spat, “HEY, YOU SAID YOU WEREN'T GONNA KILL HER!”

“No, I said we would free her,” the leader grunted as Rinko exclaimed, “Don't worry!” holding her arms out and catching Eiko just as she was less than a second away from hitting the canvas.

It took a lot for her to hold another human up, but thanks to all the strength she had built up, she managed to pull it off as she breathed a sigh of relief, the crowd cheering once more. Tears welled up in Eiko's eyes as she wrapped her arms around the brunette, sniffing, “Thank you so much!”

“Any time,” Rinko said with a warm smile, patting her on the back before setting her down.

Isamu breathed a sigh of relief and thought, 'Thank god. At least she's finally safe,' as he then looked down at Machop who gave him a big grin and a thumb up. There was no way she would let him die.

All the while, the blue-armed figure turned to his leader and said, “This is looking bad. They've already managed to defeat half of us,” looking at Cranidos and Shieldon who were currently resting up against a tree.

The leader nodded and replied, “Don't worry. My plan for these last two matches will guarantee our success. Then the world will know my name.”

With all said and done, the leader pressed another button as various bridges jutted out of the ring and bleachers so those above the sea could exit the area and step onto dry land. After all, while the leader wanted to take over Tokyo, he did not wish to leave his possible future subjects in the middle of the ocean.

Eiko wasted no time running along the bridge attached to the ring before reaching her parents, jumping into Noboru's arms with a big smile. Hana soon joined in as all three shared a group hug, Rinko letting down light tears.

Venipede took a deep breath and said, “Well, we finally did it. We finally got our first real victory on Earth,” Rinko nodding before turning to face the centipede and adding, “So, about my question earlier.”

The centipede's cheeks flushed pink as he cleared his throat, uttering, “Well, I can't say that Carnivine's words were completely true,” the brunette looking disappointed until he added, “The truth is, I don't have a crush on you. It's more than that. Honestly, I love you.”

“Really!?” Rinko spat, her eyes wide open as she was taken aback, Venipede nodding and saying, “Yeah, you may not think it yourself, but I think you're amazing. The way you've overcome your weaknesses to be able to fight on our level, the way you helped me overcome my fear of fighting, pretty much everything about you I love.”

Rinko gave the centipede a big smile as more tears poured down her cheeks, the brunette sniffing, “The truth is, I love you too,” the two then embracing one-another and sharing a kiss.

The audience let out a loud 'Aw' in response to this as Yuki blinked and uttered, “Is that normal?” Nori nodding and replying, “Yep, humans and heroes have formed romances ever since Machamp's time. Heck, Rinko's mothers are a human and an insect,” the younger woman nodding and replying, “So it's kinda like fate.”

At that moment, the leader entered the ring and lifted up his fallen comrades, sighing, “If you two are done, I'd like to reveal the location of the next match,” Rinko frowning as Venipede sighed, “He's right. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can save Isamu.”

The brunette nodded with a light smile as the two headed back toward their friends while holding hands. At least for the time being, things seemed to be going well.

The leader revealed that the next match would take place in the mountains. Torchic smirked and said, “Well, I already had one match there. I'm fine with this.”

And just like before, they were to assemble there within the hour, Noboru and Hana gladly offering them a ride. As for Vigoroth, she was to be taken to the hospital, thus an ambulance had been called to pick her up later. After all, she no longer had the strength to watch the remaining matches.

Either way, Machop and Torchic had a feeling that they were next and thus the two grinned at one-another. The girl pounded her fist against the chicken's clenched talon as all five heroes and their human friends were ready to head off. There was no way they would allow Isamu to die, not after coming so far.

 

With the first two matches taken care of and Eiko finally having been saved, the heroes were now on their way to the mountains for the third match. Machop had a feeling she and Torchic would be going next and there was no way she would allow herself to lose.

Once the group arrived, Noboru and Hana looked up at Isamu as Eiko called out, “Don't worry, bro! You'll be free soon enough!” the boy nodding and giving his sister a warm smile, thinking, 'Yeah, I have faith in Machop and Torchic.'

Once again, bleachers had been set up and were filled with people. Yuri and Nori were also there behind a new desk, both looking forward to this match. After all, they had been looking forward to seeing Machop fight and had no doubt in their minds that the leader could not have anyone else in mind for the third match.

The four villains who had been defeated were still unconscious and resting up against a wall. Meloetta was truly amazed by just how much the leader cared about his partners. He was certainly a lot less selfish than Tentacruel had been.

“Now that you're here, I guess we may as well get this underway,” the tan-skinned figure stated, “Machop, Torchic, you probably already guessed this, but you'll be facing the next team.”

“Knew it,” Machop said with a grin as Torchic nodded and added, “Bring it on. We're ready.”

With that in mind, the leader nodded at the only figures whose features had not been revealed. Thus they leapt into the ring and removed their cloaks, revealing their true appearances.

The first was an odd cyborg with an upper body made up of four interlocking gears. There was a big one at the back with a smaller one attached to the front with a green sphere lodged into the middle. Attached to the lower portion of that one was a gear with a red sphere pointed outward. The fourth gear was the smallest and was also clearly the cyborg's head as this one had a round green nose, a mouth and two eyes, one of which was a white X. Surrounding his body was a ring with two mechanical arms attached to the sides, slender hands with sharp red claws attached to the ends. Though for whatever reason, this cyborg was able to stay in the air despite having no legs.

His partner was a grey butterfly with perfectly round hands and thin oval-shaped arms and legs. Her wings were twice the size of her torso and were bright pink with black edges. Her eyes were black with what appeared to be white pixels in the middle of each.

Many stared in confusion as Machop uttered, “Wow, this is a weird combination,” Torchic asking, “How did the butterfly hide her wings under the cloak so well?”

“It is a pleasure to meet the mighty Machop and Torchic,” the cyborg said with a bow, “I am Klinklang,” the butterfly adding, “And you may call me Vivillon,” flapping in front of the sun as the light caused her wings to sparkle.

“Odd combination or not, we can't take these two lightly,” Torchic stated as Machop smirked and said, “Yeah. As long as we use our heads, we'll wipe the floor with them.”

“Alright, folks, we are just about ready to begin the match,” Nori stated as the crowd was pumped up, Machop's friends taking a seat in the crowd as they were more than ready to support their friends.

“This is gonna be so awesome!” Eiko squealed, “I just know they're gonna win!” Hana and Noboru nodding as after having seen Machop in action, they had no doubt she could do this.

'Well, maybe they'll win, maybe they won't,' the leader thought, 'It won't matter in the end because if they do win, they'll have to face us in the final match with only an hour to rest up. This plan is perfect.'

But just as Machop and Torchic were about to enter the ring, the crowd gasped when a green streak flew into the ring, striking both villains in the chest. The crowd stared in confusion as Nori stated, “And before the heroes of Tokyo could even advance forward, someone or something has just attacked their opponents.”

“What!?” the leader spat, his eyes wide with shock as Klinklang winced, asking, “Who did that? I'm pretty sure this goes against our agreement,” Vivillon noticing a small cut on her midsection as she uttered, “Whoever it is, they'll pay.”

Soon enough, the streak came to a halt to reveal a certain weasel-like cat, the crowd gasping as Yuki exclaimed, “And in a shocking turn of events, the being who attacked Klinklang and Vivillon was Sneasel! But what's she doing here and how does she expect to face these two by herself!?”

“Oh, I'm not alone,” Sneasel replied as the crowd gasped upon seeing the golem, Gigalith enter the area, slowly approaching the ring with a serious look in his eyes.

Torchic stared in stunned silence as she uttered, “What the hell is going on here?” the golem leaping into the air and landing firmly against the ring, causing the area to vibrate as no one could believe this.

“That's a good question!” the blue-armed figure snapped, “This is a match between our allies and the heroes of Tokyo! What the hell are you two doing here attacking our team!?” Klinklang and Vivillon shooting the duo a glare, wanting an answer as well.

Sneasel turned to Machop and grinned, saying, “I have no doubt after the way you beat me that you can probably win this match, but I can just tell that guy over there is planning to have you and Torchic fight in the final match when this is over,” pointing at the leader as his eyes widened, everyone staring.

“Wait, seriously?” Machop uttered as the tan-skinned figure sighed, “Yeah, that was definitely my plan, but that doesn't explain a thing! Are you telling me you and Gigalith here intend to take their place!?”

Gigalith folded his arms and nodded, turning to Torchic and giving her a thumb up. The chicken's eyes sparkled as she said, “So you decided to take my advice after all.”

“So you've chosen to turn to the side of good too,” Vivillon growled as Klinklang folded his arms and nodded, turning toward the leader and saying, “Sir, I know you wanted us to fight Machop and Torchic, but seeing as these two have already launched the first attack against us, I'd feel much more satisfied teaching them a lesson.”

The blue-armed figure turned to his leader, not sure if he would approve of this. However, as much as it pained him to go against his original plan, he had to admit that Klinklang had a point. After all, these two were clearly a threat that could not be ignored. Thus he took a deep breath and nodded his head, saying, “Agreed.”

The crowd was unsure how to feel about this as Yuki exclaimed, “And you heard it yourself, folks! It would seem that former villains, Sneasel and Gigalith will be fighting for the sake of Tokyo instead of the originally planned Machop and Torchic! Will this prove to be a much better arrangement or would we have been better off with the original match-up? We'll just have to wait and see!”

After a few seconds, the crowd's shock and confusion became excitement as they cheered for Sneasel and Gigalith, the cat's eyes sparkling as she said, “Wow, they're actually cheering for us,” Gigalith nodding. If he had a mouth, he would have been smiling right now.

'Whatever,' the leader thought with a frown, 'Even if they win, I know I can defeat Machop. I wanna prove to the world that my family is worth something, do what my father and uncle were never able to accomplish!'

Machop folded her arms and grinned, saying, “I have no doubt things will work out. After all, they both brought us closer to failure than any other opponent so far,” Torchic nodding and replying, “Yeah. I'm sure they can do it.”

“Hey, Gigalith, do you wanna go first?” Sneasel asked as Klinklang and Vivillon had already decided to let the cyborg start things off.

Seeing this, the golem nodded as he entered the ring. This was not just because this opponent could possibly resist more damage from a fighter like Sneasel but also because he wanted to prove to both Torchic and himself that he was ready to fight evil.

With that in mind, Sneasel leapt over the rope and stood by her own side while giving Gigalith a right claw up. Vivillon was already on her own side as Klinklang stood before the golem and narrowed his good eye.

Yuki nodded and said, “The combatants are set! With that in mind, let the match begin!” before ringing the bell.

Klinklang immediately started the match by charging toward Gigalith. However, the golem was ready as he threw his arms out, placing them firmly against the cyborg's ring and holding him back. Unfortunately, it seemed Klinklang was prepared for this as he sent a hard punch into Gigalith's face, his arm more than long enough for this to work.

But just as the crowd was about to panic, Gigalith narrowed his eyes and swung his arms to the side, sending the cyborg careening into the ropes. And as he bounced off, the golem held out his arm as the cyborg's midsection ran into it, his eye widening.

“Yeah, keep it up!” Torchic exclaimed as the crowd cheered, Eiko clapping and squealing, “That was awesome!”

Unfortunately, Klinklang seemed to ignore the pain as he took hold of Gigalith's shoulders, the crowd staring as the golem soon found his head pulled forward. Klinklang then lowered it so it went under his floatation ring and wedged it between two of the teeth on his lower gear. And since the golem's head was big enough, it was stuck there as Sneasel gritted her teeth and hissed, “COME ON, FIGHT IT!”

Unfortunately, Gigalith could not do so as Klinklang's gears started to rotate, the golem now spinning around as the cyborg exclaimed, “GEAR CATAPULT!” the crowd gasping as after a few seconds, Gigalith's head loosened as he flew back-first into the turnbuckle.

“Gigalith seemed to have caught Klinklang off-guard, but instead he only managed to set himself up for the cyborg's equivalent of a giant swing!” Nori stated as the crowd stared in shock, Torchic groaning, “No, this can't be right. He's so much better than this. I took in all sorts of punishment. That clothesline should have had more of an effect.”

“Yeah, but don't forget, Klinklang's made of metal,” Rinko growled as she folded her arms, “If he was going up against Vivillon, he'd probably stand much more of a chance, but since Klinklang is just as hard as he is, if not more, he's much more of a challenge.”

Gigalith scowled at Klinklang as Sneasel asked, “You alright, buddy?” the golem nodding and giving her a thumb up. He then pushed himself upright as Vivillon smirked and said, “Good job, Klinklang. Keep this up, and we'll beat them in no time.”

The cyborg nodded as he held his arms out, the crowd watching with interest as his floatation ring started to spin. Gigalith's eyes widened as Klinklang formed fists with his hands, floating toward the golem and shouting, “GEAR FLAIL!”

Gigalith instinctively held up his arms as the fists ran into his forearms. However, Klinklang easily got around this as his ring floated higher, thus raising his arms as he moved closer. As a result, his fists ended up hitting the top of Gigalith's head thus causing him to fall on his side.

The crowd gasped as Klinklang stopped his ring from spinning. He then cupped his hands together to form one big fist as he rose them high above his head, sending them crashing down upon the golem's waist as he groaned in pain.

“GIGALITH!” Sneasel exclaimed as everyone else stared in horror, Meloetta whimpering, “Oh no! Klinklang's too strong for him!”

Torchic gritted her teeth and growled, “Dammit! I know Gigalith should be able to handle this!” only for Venipede to utter, “Don't forget, your feet and beak were both able to deal pain to him. If you could pull that off, then being hit by steel is probably even worse for him.”

Sneasel stared with concern and held her arm out, shouting, “Come on, Gigalith, tag me!” the golem turning toward her with a sigh and slowly pushing himself up so he could approach her.

Unfortunately, Klinklang had much more planned as he lifted the golem up by his arms, saying, “Here, let me help you,” spinning his ring around thus allowing him to swing the golem, sending him face-first into the turnbuckle closest to his feline companion.

The crowd panicked as Vivillon folded her arms, smirking and saying, “You're even more awesome than I thought, Klinklang. That living boulder doesn't stand a chance.”

Klinklang nodded and folded his arms, saying, “He may be strong, but one thing he does not have on his side is speed, which I have plenty of. He never should have opposed me.”

Sneasel gritted her teeth as Gigalith looked down, hopelessness in his eyes. However, the cat refused to allow this as she patted him on the shoulder, saying, “Don't let this get to you, okay? You're the strongest fighter I know. That Klinklang is just pompous because he managed to get in a few lucky hits, that's all. But right now, you need some rest. Signal me to tag you in when you feel ready.”

The golem nodded and gave Sneasel a high five thus taking her place, Nori saying, “After taking in such a horrible beating, Gigalith has switched places with Sneasel. But was this a smart choice or would he have been better off staying in the ring?”

Klinklang grinned and cracked his metallic knuckles, saying, “This just got easier,” the cat retorting, “WHAT WAS THAT!?”

“You know exactly where he's coming from,” Vivillon stated with a smug grin, “Think about it. You may be strong, but there's no way you could harm steel!” the crowd unsure whether or not they could argue against this. Even the announcers, Machop and her friends were thinking the same thing.

However, Sneasel refused to let this get to her as she said, “Whatever. If you're so confident, Klinklang, then fight me instead of just talking about how superior you are!”

“Very well,” Klinklang retorted as he flew toward Sneasel with his arms pointed outward and his ring spinning. But just as he was about to strike the cat, she leapt up into the air with her arm stretched out, her claws scraping up against the side of his head gear.

The crowd stared in shock as this actually got a reaction from the cyborg, his eyes and mouth wide open. And it did not end there as Sneasel flipped her body one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, her feet now facing the ropes. Once she made contact with them, the cat propelled herself back toward Klinklang and cupped her claws together, spinning like a drill.

The crowd went wild as the cyborg was unable to respond, taking the strike to his back as Sneasel exclaimed, “FELINE POWER DRILL!” Machop's eyes sparkling as she squealed, “YEAH! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! YOU'RE AWESOME, SNEASEL!”

Gigalith breathed a low sigh of relief at the sight of this as Sneasel's spinning came to a halt. Thus she leapt away from the cyborg with a grin on her face while he and Vivillon stared at her with horror.

“While Klinklang's body is strong, Sneasel has still managed to harm him with her razor sharp claws,” Yuki stated as Nori nodded and added, “It would seem this feline warrior is even stronger than we first thought, and considering how close she came to beating Machop, that's saying something.”

Vivillon had no comments as Klinklang gritted his teeth, growling, “How is that even possible!? That actually hurt!” as Sneasel sighed, “As a fellow non-human, you should know by now that someone like me is much tougher than a normal feline. But also, I knew that my claws would hurt you after I struck you prior to the match.”

Klinklang's good eye went wide as she added, “Remember? I slashed you and your partner before this match could even begin, and I remember your reaction. You may not have bled like your partner over there, but you still showed signs of pain. I may not be as physically strong as Gigalith, but I can hurt you and I'm much faster. If anything, that makes me just as dangerous if not more.”

A smirk formed on her face as the leader clenched his fists, the blue-armed figure replying, “Don't worry. I'm sure this won't last.”

“Yeah, take it from someone's who's faced her before!” Rinko exclaimed, “Sneasel is a lot tougher than she looks!” Venipede nodding and saying, “Oh yeah, you were in a worse state than Tentacruel left me in, weren't you?”

Klinklang took a deep breath and said, “Alright, Vivillon, you're up,” the butterfly grinning as she said, “Good. Now I can get my revenge.”

“That's what you think!” Sneasel exclaimed as she leapt at Klinklang only for the cyborg to barely dodge her, tagging in Vivillon as the two traded places.

Everyone watched in anticipation as Yuki said, “And now Vivillon has taken her partner's place. But was this really such a good idea or is this only going to make things more difficult for the villains?”

Many figured it would as Vivillon still had that small cut dealt by Sneasel earlier. But despite that, she had a smug look on her face as she folded her arms, saying, “Klinklang is certainly a scary opponent for you to face, but let me tell you something, you've never fought the likes of me before.”

Sneasel blinked and uttered, “Are you actually trying to psyche me out with that lack of muscle?” Gigalith detecting more strength than the butterfly's appearance showed. He would have warned Sneasel to be careful, but since he was a mute, this was difficult to say the least.

The others seemed to pick up on this, though, as Machop growled, “That Vivillon looks weak, but I'm sure there's a reason that cloaked guy accepted her into his team,” Venipede nodding and uttering, “Something about her rubs me the wrong way. I usually feel at least intimidated by villains, but this one just gives off some really bad vibes.”

Sneasel readied herself as Vivillon flew up high enough for the sun to once again reflect off of her wings, the light hitting the cat's eyes. She hissed in response to this as the butterfly flew toward her, ramming her skull hard into her chest.

The crowd watched in horror as Vivillon proceeded to shout, “DRAINING KISS!” planting her lips against Sneasel as all went silent, Yuki uttering, “First she hits Sneasel, then she kisses her?” Rinko shrugging and asking, “What's the big deal? I have two moms.”

“Yeah, but aren't they enemies?” Torchic remarked as Vivillon rested her arms under Sneasel's armpits and took to the sky, spinning her body around and building up a huge gust of wind.

Sneasel's eyes started to spin as Gigalith stared with concern, wanting to go in and help. Unfortunately, it was too late as Vivillon flipped one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, flying toward the mat and shouting, “HURRICANE DRIVER!”

Sneasel's skull hit the mat hard as her eyes and mouth widened, blood flying out of her. Vivillon then released her hold and distanced herself with a big grin on her face, Yuki saying, “And it would seem that kiss was a distraction so Vivillon could deliver a powerful slam to her opponent!”

“She's definitely got a lot of guts to try a tactic like that,” Machop uttered as Noboru frowned and pointed, shouting, “That wasn't her plan at all! Look!”

Soon everyone noticed it. The wound that Sneasel had inflicted to Vivillon earlier had vanished. After a few seconds, many people started to realize exactly what the butterfly had done to cause this as Sneasel looked slightly weaker than she should have.

“Oh my god, Vivillon's even worse than Klinklang!” Venipede cried out in terror as Rinko nodded and said, “You were right. I'm starting to wonder who the real powerhouse of this team is.”

“Well, good, it seems you all realize my actual reason for kissing another girl,” Vivillon stated with a slight look of irritation in her eyes, “Sneasel is quite attractive for a feline, but I'm not into girls. No, I simply needed some of her life inside of me.”

Machop lowered her eyelids and uttered, “That didn't sound suggestive at all,” as Nori explained, “You heard it yourself. That kiss earlier allowed Vivillon to absorb some of Sneasel's vitality, thus healing her chest and rendering the damage dealt earlier useless.”

Needless to say, those who initially underestimated Vivillon were now more terrified of her than they had been of Klinklang. As strong and scary as he was, she was already showing more results from only three attacks. The fight had already started off tough and now it had gotten even more difficult.

 

While everyone had been excited to see Sneasel and Gigalith fight for the side of good, things could not have looked worse for them. Despite these two having come so close to defeating Torchic and Machop respectively, they had barely dealt any damage to Klinklang while Vivillon was still in perfect health. And to make matters even worse, Sneasel had been knocked out and no one knew if she would be able to recover from that or not.

Eiko bit her lower lip and whimpered, “They can make a comeback, right?” as Isamu was now scared. As happy as he was to see his sister okay, he could not imagine her growing up in a world without him, at least not yet.

Machop would no longer stand for this as she rose to her feet and snapped, “COME ON, SNEASEL! YOU'RE ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING OPPONENTS I HAVE EVER FACED!” Rinko nodding and barking, “After the way you defeated me, you're not allowed to lose!”

The audience cheered as well while Gigalith refused to accept this as well. He knew Sneasel enough to know that one powerful hit was not going to be enough to take her down for good. Thus he started to beat his fists against the side of the ring in a rhythmic fashion while the crowd started chanting the cat's name.

Vivillon laughed and exclaimed, “Gotta love their devotion to these weaklings! Even when all is lost, they continue to cheer in the hopes that it'll actually help.”

Klinklang blinked and pointed at Sneasel, uttering, “Don't look now, but I think it's actually helping,” the butterfly's eyes widening as Sneasel planted her claws firmly against the mat, slowly pushing herself up as she breathed heavily, hissing, “Okay, so I underestimated you. Don't think for a minute that I'll do that again.”

The crowd cheered as Yuki said, “And after all the pain dealt earlier, Sneasel continues to stand,” as Vivillon shrugged and sighed, “Big deal. You may be tough against slower and less intelligent opponents, but against the likes of me, your speed and ferocity mean nothing.”

“Wait, what was that about less intelligent?” Klinklang uttered as Vivillon sighed, “Oh no, you're smart. You're just not as fast,” the cyborg nodding and replying, “Oh, okay. I can't argue with that.”

Sneasel hissed angrily and snapped, “You may have caught me off-guard once, but it's not happening again!” as Vivillon flew in front of the sunlight with her wings spread out.

Unlike before, though, the cat saw this coming as she swerved to the right, leaping atop the ropes and propelling herself toward the butterfly. But just as she was about to strike her, Vivillon moved forward just enough to avoid an incoming scratch.

Sneasel's eyes and mouth widened as Vivillon used this opportunity to deliver a roundhouse to her back, the cat flying forward. However, she still had enough focus to prevent herself from taking damage from the mat.

But just as she was about to do so, the crowd gasped as Klinklang pried the gears with spheres in them away from his main one and exclaimed, “GEAR GRIND!” hurling them toward the cat like boomerangs.

Before Sneasel could even find out what was going on, they flew close enough to press up against her back and tummy respectively. They then remained in that exact spot and continued to spin, scraping the parts they were pressed up against as blood flew out, the cat crying out in pain.

“And just as Sneasel was about to make a safe landing, Klinklang catches her off-guard with a move that truly defies the laws of gravity!” Nori exclaimed as Klinklang explained, “Actually, my ring emits a magnetic force that allows me to control my gears.”

“WHAT THE HELL!?” Machop spat as Yuki said, “Well, it seems pointless to bring up the rules since, well, they've been broken quite a few times today anyway, but technically speaking, this is actually legal due to the fact that Klinklang has not entered the ring,” the cyborg chuckling.

“As if that even matters at this point,” Rinko groaned as Noboru and Hana watched with even more fear than before. Could Sneasel even get the advantage back?

Gigalith narrowed his eyelids as he could no longer sit back and watch this. He knew full-well that the damage Klinklang had dealt to him earlier was more than just luck, despite Sneasel saying otherwise, but right now, he could not allow that to eat away at him. If the cyborg was going to help his ally, the golem would do the same.

Luckily, it seemed that Vivillon and Klinklang did not notice as they were too focused on Sneasel. Soon enough, the gears moved away from her and returned to their owner as he grinned and said, “Alright, I've softened her up. Care to finish the job, my lady?”

Vivillon bowed her head and replied, “Gladly,” before taking to the sky and aiming her legs toward the cat. But just as she started her descent, her eyes widened when a certain forearm made of stone rammed itself into her face, her forehead opening up as a small trickle of blood flew out.

Klinklang stared in shock as the butterfly flew back-first into the turnbuckle, the crowd going wild as Yuki exclaimed, “And just as all seems lost for Sneasel, Gigalith enters the ring and saves her!” the golem leaning down and holding out his hand.

The cat coughed up a bit of blood before regaining focus, a big grin on her face as she said, “Thanks. You're a lifesaver,” the golem nodding and helping her up.

Klinklang hovered over the ropes and toward his ally, asking, “Are you alright?” Vivillon gritting her teeth and fuming as the retorted, “NO! I'M STEAMING MAD! HOW DARE THAT ABOMINATION OF NATURE RUIN MY BIG FINISH!?”

Klinklang took a deep breath and said, “Calm down. It was just one hit. Besides, we were already awesome fighting them by ourselves. Now that we're together, we can beat them even more easily.”

Vivillon nodded with a wicked grin and replied, “Yeah, that's a good point,” as Gigalith and Sneasel were ready to continue fighting, Machop breathing a sigh of relief and saying, “What I wouldn't give to have one match without a bunch of close calls.”

Just as Klinklang and Vivillon were about to get the upper hand back, Gigalith and Sneasel had a plan of their own as the golem lifted the cat up like a football. She then placed her claws together as he threw her toward Klinklang, the cat spinning like a drill once more and shouting, “FELINE FOOTBALL DRILL!” her claws scraping up against his torso as he groaned in pain.

Before Vivillon could help her ally out, Gigalith ran over and took hold of her antennae, lifting her up before slamming her against the mat. The crowd cheered once more as the golem proceeded to leap into the air with his legs spread out, falling toward the down butterfly.

However, Klinklang would not allow this to work. Thus he ignored the pain dealt to him and took hold of Sneasel's legs with his right hand. The cat's eyes widened as he managed to force her away from him, flinging her head-first into the turnbuckle. Then just as Gigalith was about to land on Vivillon, the cyborg threw his arms out over her and caught the golem, using all his might to hold him up.

Seeing this, Vivillon sprang to her feet and moved out of the way as Gigalith swung his fist into Klinklang's face. But just like before, the cyborg ignored the pain and smirked, saying, “You may be strong enough to keep someone like Vivillon at bay, but as you can see, my body can handle whatever you dish out.”

With that in mind, Klinklang shifted his hands so they were grabbing onto Gigalith's feet, pulling back thus causing the golem to fall as the back of his head hit the canvas. The crowd was once again worried as Klinklang proceeded to send a hard punch into his face, following it up with another.

Unfortunately, Sneasel was unable to help her partner out as Vivillon once again reflected the sun's rays off of her wings, blinding the cat temporarily. She then used the opportunity to ram her skull into her chest, Sneasel coughing up blood.

“Just as it looked like Gigalith and Sneasel finally had the upper hand, Klinklang and Vivillon respond with their own tactics,” Yuki stated as Torchic groaned, “Dammit! They were on a roll!”

“They can still win!” Eiko squeaked, “You saw how they got out of that tight spot earlier! I'm sure this is just a minor setback, nothing more!”

“I really hope so,” Rinko groaned, “They've been taking in far more damage throughout the match.”

Unfortunately, it seemed as if Vivillon and Klinklang were the superior team as the cyborg once again forced Gigalith's head between the teeth of his lower gear. He then asked, “Hey, Vivillon, you ready for the ultimate finishing move?”

“Am I ever!?” the butterfly replied with a grin as she once again lifted Sneasel up by the shoulders, the cat too weak to fight back.

With that, Klinklang started spinning Gigalith around, setting him up for his Gear Catapult while Vivillon flew toward him while spinning, forming a big twister. The crowd was even more terrified than ever before as Klinklang released his hold. Vivillon followed suit as Sneasel flew toward the golem, still spinning as the villains shouted, “HURRICANE CATAPULT CRASH!”

But just as the two heroes were seconds away from colliding, Sneasel and Gigalith sported more serious looks, tired of all the torment they had received since the match began. With that in mind, both threw their arms back and liked them together, preventing their heads from making contact.

Vivillon stared in stunned silence, uttering, “What?” as Klinklang asked, “How?”

The crowd went wild as despite the massive difference in physical strength, Gigalith and Sneasel managed to stay airborne while spinning. And after a few seconds, they released their hold on one-another as each flew toward a different opponent.

Gigalith's feet soon collided with Klinklang's big gear while Sneasel's ran into Vivillon. The crowd cheered wildly as each felt incredible pain from this, and it would only get better as the two ex-villains wrapped their arms around their opponents' shoulders. They then leaned backward, lifting them up and sending their heads into the canvas.

“YEAH, THAT'S THE SNEASEL I KNOW!” Machop exclaimed with a big grin as Torchic breathed a sigh of relief, saying, “I knew there was no way Gigalith would fall that easily.”

“While Klinklang had speed on his side against Gigalith while Vivillon had cunning and stealth over Sneasel, not even they were prepared for the combined efforts of these new heroes!” Yuki exclaimed as one audience member shouted, “GAGALITH AND SNEASEL ROCK!” another adding, “FINISH THEM OFF!”

Isamu nodded with a light smile as Eiko squealed, “OH MY GOD, THEY'RE SO COOL! I HOPE THEY DECIDE TO JOIN OUR GROUP!” the others nodding in agreement as Torchic said, “It might be awkward for Gigalith to join us in the club, but I'll gladly welcome him with open arms.”

Klinklang and Vivillon tried to rise to their feet but were unable to as Sneasel leapt away from the butterfly, her ear feather glowing as she went down on all fours and raced toward her. Gigalith backed up from his cyborg opponent as well as the gem atop his head glowed and stretched forward, becoming a blade.

Vivillon saw Sneasel coming and took to the sky only for the cat to leap up toward her, shouting, “FEATHER SWORD!” her ear feather cutting the butterfly's side open as she cried out in pain, blood squirting out of that very spot.

Klinklang, on the other hand, had something else in mind as he threw his arms put, forcing his hands against Gigalith's shoulders. However, the golem refused to let this get him down as he used all of his might to advance forward. Klinklang's good eye widened as he could no longer hold him back, the cyborg taking the gem to his face.

At that moment, he coughed up a mix of oil and blood while his good eye became an X. He then fell hard on his back as all went silent, the crowd really hoping this was it.

The leader of the villains folded his arms as the blue-armed one said, “Just for the record, I am not carrying Klinklang out of the ring.”

And sure enough, neither villain could move now as Yuki rang the bell, exclaiming, “And after a very, very close match, our new heroes, Sneasel and Gigalith, have won!” the crowd breaking out into heavy cheers and applause.

Machop breathed a sigh of relief, saying, “I knew they could do it,” Torchic nodding with a grin as Eiko wiped sweat off of her forehead.

Isamu's cage vibrated briefly, but he knew the villains would not release him yet. There was still one match to go, but at the very least, the leader's plan to weaken Machop and Torchic beforehand had failed. Thus the two could fight him and his blue-armed partner at full strength.

Sneasel rose her arms in the air along with Gigalith and said, “You know, being loved actually feels good. I guess we don't have to take over the world to earn its support.”

The golem nodded, giving her a thumb up while Machop and Torchic raced toward the ring to congratulate the two. They also intended to invite them to stay in Tokyo and help them fight evil. After all, it was pretty clear that the two had been released from prison, even if it was really early for such a thing to happen.

However, after they made the offer, Sneasel let out a sigh and replied, “That does sound great, but we can't accept your offer.”

“Why not?” Torchic asked, Machop uttering, “You didn't break out of prison, did you?”

“Oh no, Beedrill changed our sentence to community service,” Sneasel explained as Gigalith nodded, holding up a sign that said 'We have surveillance cameras watching our every move.'

“So you have no reason to go back to prison,” Machop replied as Sneasel nodded and explained, “The truth is, well, we feel that Tokyo is in really good hands with you. After all, you put us in our place. As such, we figured we'd look around until we found a place that really needs our help, you know, somewhere with less heroes.”

Meloetta could hear this as she smiled bright and said, “I can tell they have a bright future ahead of themselves,” Rinko nodding and folding her arms, saying, “I feel at ease knowing someone like Sneasel is now fighting for the side of good.”

“Surely you can at least stick around for the final match, eh?” Machop asked as Sneasel sighed, “Actually, we'd rather start our search as soon as possible. Besides, we both know you and Torchic are gonna kick ass anyway.”

“You'd better believe that!” Torchic replied with a grin as she pounded her clenched talon up against Gigalith's fist.

With all said and done, the cat and golem exited the ring and headed off to find a city that needed their protection. And while they did so, everyone waved at them, Noboru calling out, “Thanks for all your help!” Hana adding, “Stop by for a visit if you can!”

Once Sneasel and Gigalith were far from the area, the leader leapt into the ring and helped Klinklang out of it while the blue-armed figure carried Vivillon. But while the leader was upset to see all six of his allies fall, this also meant that he now had a reason to fight Machop. He did not care too much about Torchic. The former world champion's daughter seemed much more worthy of his time.

“I congratulate you for making it this far,” the tan-skinned figure said, “I don't think I need to reveal who my partner and I will be facing in this next match.”

Torchic nodded and said, “Yeah, wherever you decide to hold it, we'll be there within the hour.”

“Good,” the leader replied with a nod, “I figure since this is the final match, we may as well hold it here,” pointing to the location of the Tokyo Dome as Torchic nodded and said, “Yeah, that seems fitting enough.”

The remaining cloaked figures then proceeded to exit the area. And with six unconscious allies to look after, he could not have been more grateful for the helicopter. Now all he could hope was that he would win and they would not have to be sent to prison.

With all said and done, the heroes and their human friends headed to Noboru's truck, Eiko grinning and squealing, “Alright, Machop and Torchic are gonna save my big brother!” her mother and father feeling the same. If anything, these two seemed like the best heroes for this.

After roughly twenty minutes of driving, the group arrived at the Tokyo dome. Machop took a deep breath and bit her lower lip, Torchic giving her a toe up with a grin as she nodded. There was no way she would lose, not when Isamu's life was still on the line.

The group advanced forward, Machop looking at a big clock and noticing it was almost four o'clock but not quite. There was still a possibility that Lairon would not be there to give her advice, but this hardly mattered to her. She was fighting alongside Torchic and could still remember his teachings well enough. That was all the girl really needed.

All eight walked down a long hallway before reaching the field where a ring was set up. And much like before, the villains had arrived prior to them, the leader grinning under his cloak as he said, “Glad you could make it.”

And much like before, many had already assembled as the bleachers were filled, only due to the Tokyo Dome having significantly more seats, the crowd was much bigger. Naturally, Yuki and Nori were there as well, more than ready to start announcing the final match of the day.

Machop frowned as the tan-skinned leader said, “You know what? While my initial plan may have failed, I'm actually kind of glad you managed to make it this far. Now, not only do I get to face the heir to the Mach family, but I get to face her at full strength. That'll make victory so much more satisfying.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Machop retorted with a sigh, “Before we start this thing, I wanna know exactly what you look like under those cloaks. That way when I prepare for the match, I'll be able to think about wiping the floor with your faces.”

The leader shrugged and replied, “Why not? I think we've left the people in suspense long enough.”

His blue-armed partner nodded and added, “Yeah, let's show the world that our families are not to be taken lightly anymore,” the duo pulling off their cloaks and tossing them to the side.

No one could believe what they just saw. While no one in Tokyo knew exactly who these two were, they could tell just from their appearances who they were related to.

The leader's skin was rocky as he sported a karate gi. He had a fairly muscular build and a uni-brow shaped like a W.

His ally was a light-blue seahorse with a yellow belly. He had two spines atop his head that resembled pieces of coral and white fins under his cheeks. He also had a bigger fin on his back with edges that resembled coral as well. To top it off, he also had a nice set of beefy arms and legs, flexing his muscles with a smile on his hose-like mouth.

“I can't believe what I'm seeing, folks!” Nori exclaimed, “If my assumption is correct, standing before us in this very ring could very well be members of the Arte and Oceanhorse families!”

“You are correct,” the leader said with his arms folded, “I am Marshal, son of Sawk!” the crowd truly astounded as the seahorse added, “And I am Kingdra, the great, great, great, great grandson of Horsea!”

This was truly amazing. Horsea was infamous for being the first villain to ever fall to the might of a hero while Sawk along with his brother, Throh, were well known as the powerful twin brothers who would always team up to fight any evil that threatened Osaka. If anything, Marshal being on the side of evil made no sense to anyone.

After a few seconds, Eiko's eyes sparkled as she squealed, “I just got it! Marshal's last name is Arte, as in Marshal Arte!” all going silent as Machop sighed, “That name makes him seem slightly less threatening.”

“That is but a minor annoyance to me,” Marshal replied, “All that matters is that we have a match to begin. However, since I want this, the final match, to be a bigger spectacle than the others, I will allow you two twenty minutes to prepare yourselves.”

Torchic nodded and replied, “Thank you,” before signalling Machop to follow her, Marshal watching them head to the back while thinking, 'I hope you're watching this on TV, Father. With this one tag team match, I'm going to do something more impressive than you ever pulled off in your entire career.'

 

This was it. In twenty minutes, Machop and Torchic would face the villainous team of Marshal and Kingdra. There was no way they could afford to lose. Not only was Tokyo at stake, but if they failed, Isamu would die. No one wanted that.

Currently, the two were setting up for an entrance as Torchic grinned, saying, “I'm surprised you actually wanna go through with this. You know neither Lairon nor Garchomp are here to make you do it, right?”

“Yeah, I know,” Machop replied, “But these entrances do help to relieve stress. If anything, it just makes sense to do it, you know?”

She then grinned and said, “But we're gonna kick so much ass. I heard Grandpa and your grandma worked together to win the first Ultimate World Team Tournament.”

“Yeah,” Torchic replied, “And our folks were set to team up for the final match of the second team tournament. If Mother hadn't been injured prior to the match, it would have happened.”

Machop nodded and said, “Yeah, we'll be this generation's Raging Bulls. The New Raging Bulls. At least that's the team name Daddy wanted,” Torchic nodding and saying, “Works for me.”

All the while, the others waited amongst the crowd as Eiko uttered, “You know, I just want this to start already,” Hana nodding and sighing, “I can't stand to see my son in that cage any longer. I really hope Machop and Torchic can do this.”

“Hey, if there's a duo I know is capable of this, it's them,” Rinko replied with a grin, “They have the best track record of all of us, each with only one loss on her record,” Venipede nodding and adding, “And don't forget, Torchic was under heavy injury when she suffered her first.”

Meloetta bit her lower lip upon hearing that as the lovers turned to her and laughed nervously. After all, she was the one who contributed to that very loss.

“Alright, folks, this is it!” Nori exclaimed, “It's finally time for the final match to decide Tokyo's fate! Our heroes have done a good job so far, but can they end this once and for all or will these last two villains prove too much!?”

The crowd was even more excited as Yuki exclaimed, “In the red corner, one is the son of Osaka's former protectors and the other is a descendant of the first villain to ever fall to the hands of a hero! Presenting Marshal and Kingdra!” the crowd booing the two as they approached the ring with their arms folded. Both wished to be taken completely seriously and thus they refused to go with an elaborate entrance.

Once they entered the ring, Nori stated, “And in the blue corner, the two heroes with the greatest track record here in Tokyo! One is the daughter of the former world champion and the other is the new Texas Phoenix! Many years ago, their grandparents teamed up in a tag team tournament, so seeing them together is like a dream come true! Everyone, give a warm welcome to Machop and Torchic!”

The crowd stared in confusion as the two approached the ring with Machop standing atop Torchic's shoulders with her arms spread out. The strange thing was that each hero had tribal markings on her face and a neutral look. It soon became clear that for whatever reason, the two were posing as a totem pole.

When they got close to the ring, they leapt high into the air and started spinning like a twister. Unfortunately, since Torchic had no arms to hold onto Machop with, the girl wound up separating from her as she spun sideways into the mat.

The crowd broke out into hysterics as Torchic landed perfectly on her feet, looking down at her partner and asking, “Uh, you okay?” Machop gritting her teeth and growling, “Dammit, I thought for sure that would work.”

Meloetta chuckled and said, “It was a good idea,” Rinko sighing, “The spinning part was cool, I guess.”

Marshal frowned and folded his arms, thinking, 'So you don't take me seriously. I'm going to enjoy covering the canvas in your blood,' before noticing Kingdra holding his sides and laughing, shouting, “Oh my god! I've heard members of the Mach family are funny, but I didn't believe it until now!”

“Focus,” Marshal retorted as the seahorse let out a sigh and groaned, “Get a sense of humour.”

The tan boy gritted his teeth and thought, 'A sense of humour. My father had a sense of humour and so did my uncle. I never want to be like them.'

“Well, folks, this is it,” Yuki stated, “Once each team picks a member to go first, we can begin.”

“Hold it,” Marshal replied as the younger announcer blinked, the tan boy adding, “First, I'm gonna change the rules a bit for this match,” Machop blinking as Torchic remarked, “Let me guess. You're gonna forbid certain moves and then use them yourself, right?”

“What? No!” Marshal retorted, “If I did that, my victory wouldn't feel earned. No, I got to thinking, and you brought up a very good point, Machop.”

“I did?” the girl asked as Marshal nodded and replied, “Yes. It does seem weird to have these be a series of tag team matches when in all three, the 'one fighter in the ring at a time' rule was broken at least once. As such, I will make the rules more similar to that of the Ultimate World Team Tournament.”

“Oh, can I fill them in on this?” Nori asked, “I announced that event!” Kingdra staring awkwardly at her as Marshal tapped his chin, nodded and replied, “Okay, why not?”

“See, during that very tournament, the first five minutes involved the fighters following the traditional tag team rules,” Nori explained, “But once those minutes were up, it would become a tornado tag match, meaning all four fighters could be in the ring at once. But if one teammate were to lose before that time was up, that would count as a victory for the other team.”

“Okay, I can get behind that,” Machop said with a nod as the rest of the crowd understood, Venipede saying, “So that way, by the time everyone enters the ring at once, it'll be legal.”

Torchic then grinned and asked, “For now, would you like to go first?” as Machop nodded with a more serious look and replied, “Yeah. I don't know why, but I really want a crack at this Marshal,” the girl cracking her knuckles.

While she took her job of protecting the innocent seriously before, something about Isamu's life being on the line really got under her skin. It made her want to fight even harder than ever before, and when the boy saw the passion in her eyes from up high, a light smile formed as he gave her a thumb up.

'Come on, Machop,' he thought, 'Show me those miracles that made me a fan of these matches.'

With that, Torchic ducked under the ropes and stood next to the ring as Kingdra turned to Marshal and asked, “Would you like to go first, sir?”

The tan boy nodded and replied, “Of course,” clenching his fists and thinking, 'I'm gonna show you how a real fighting type does it, Machop. Just you wait. Voltorb's victory over you was a fluke. Mine will be remembered forever.'

Once Kingdra climbed over the rope, Machop and Marshal distanced themselves from one-another as Nori exclaimed, “Enough stalling! Let's get this match started!” ringing the bell as the two fighters struck defensive stances, staring each other down.

After a few seconds, Marshal rushed at Machop as the girl was ready to counter. But before she could do so, the tan boy took hold of her wrists and crossed them, grunting, “Don't think for a minute that you can catch me off-guard! I've seen enough of your matches to know that you always try to start them by lulling your opponent into a false sense of security! That's not gonna work on me!”

“This is certainly surprising!” Nori exclaimed as Yuki asked, “Why, Mom?” the older woman explaining, “You see, Sawk was well-known for his more direct combat approach. He always relied on punches, karate chops and kicks, but he was never really able to handle using more advanced techniques. I figured his son would likely be taught his way of fighting.”

'That's because I'm not like my father,' Marshal thought as he applied enough force to flip Machop over, her eyes wide open as he released his hold on her wrists and grabbed onto her ankles, slamming her head into the mat.

The crowd gasped as Nori exclaimed, “NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVE I EVER SEEN A SLAM MOVE LIKE THAT!” Marshal allowing Machop to collapse before walking next to her. He then held his elbow out and allowed himself to fall sideways, planting it into the girl's gut.

It did not end there as he lifted Machop up and wrapped one arm around her neck, using his free hand to shift her head sideways, Yuki saying, “And just like that, Marshal has already set Machop up for a sleeper hold.”

Everyone stared as Eiko groaned, “Oh no! Come on, Machop, you're so much better than this!”

“Well, it's still early in the match,” Rinko replied with a shrug, “If I know Machop, she'll be able to get out of this,” Noboru nodding and saying, “Yeah, I've seen her get out of worse than this. She can do it,” nervous sweat running down his face.

Torchic stared with concern, wishing she could just jump in the ring and help her friend right now as Nori said, “Now I'm even more confused. First he uses a move that Throh would use and then he uses something more similar to Sawk. As for this, well, those two never used submission holds.”

“That's why my father and uncle were overrated hacks!” Marshal snapped as everyone gasped, the boy growling, “You wanna know why I don't follow the path of good like them!? It's because it's embarrassing to be associated with those two! I keep hearing that they were the top of the class in their semester on Hero Planet, outdoing the likes of Machoke and Blaziken, showing the most promise of any of their graduates! But honestly, I can't help but think whoever gave them that title didn't have his head on straight!”

“What's he talking about?” Venipede asked as Eiko groaned, “I think I know exactly what he means. The thing is, I've watched old recordings of their matches out of curiosity, and they didn't seem that special.”

Kingdra folded his arms and nodded, saying, “It seems that human girl has some common sense in her head after all,” Marshal nodding and growling, “The only opponents my father and Uncle Throh ever defeated on Earth were weaklings! Meanwhile, whenever they went up against real opponents, they wouldn't just lose! They would lose easily!”

Yuki turned to face Nori as the older woman sighed, “I hate to say it, but they have a point. When Throh and Sawk went up against Onix and Bisharp, things started in their favour, but the minute Sawk took in a hit from Onix, they were practically sitting ducks. Then they went up against Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan on a train and, while this was never recorded, it was said that they weren't much of a challenge for the siblings. There's also been stories of how they lost to Aegislash and Blitzle without even landing a single hit on them, and when they fought Kecleon and Octillery in the Ultimate World Team Tournament, they put up a decent fight but also lasted the shortest of any of the teams in the first round.”

The young members of the crowd were surprised to hear this as Marshal said, “That's right, they were losers, and the reason for that was because they each only stuck to one fighting style, making them extremely predictable! That's why I took it upon myself to learn every type of move out there! I'm gonna make sure the whole world remembers the name, Arte!”

Just as it looked like Machop was about to suffocate, it seemed Marshal had more planned as he leapt high into the air, leaning sideways and shouting, “SLEEPER HOLD SUPLEX!” planting the side of Machop's head against the canvas and releasing his hold on her, allowing her to collapse.

The crowd stared in horror as Yuki exclaimed, “And Marshal does the unthinkable by combining a sleeper hold with a side suplex! He certainly wasn't blowing smoke when he boasted about his superior skills! We're only a little over a minute into the match and he's already dominating!”

Machop's body twitched as she slowly pushed herself back up, Isamu watching with concern and uttering, “Come on, Machop, please tell me you're okay,” the girl taking many deep breaths and trying her hardest not to let the pain get to her. And yet while she had not taken in a lot of hits yet, that suplex really hurt. Having her head slammed against the mat was one thing, but the added pressure applied to her neck at the same time made the pain much worse.

Torchic stared with concern and uttered, “Do you want to tag out?” Machop shaking her head and growling, “No, someone needs to put this guy in his place. Seriously, if all you wanna do is upstage your daddy, why don't you do it by defeating more villains than he did!?”

Marshal let out a sigh and groaned, “I knew you wouldn't understand,” before leaping toward her with his legs pointed outward.

Machop waited until he was close enough before grabbing onto his legs. But just as she was about to counter, Marshal latched his ankles onto her neck and pulled back, slamming her chin against the canvas. He then used his feet to flip her onto her back, binding the remaining portions of his legs around her neck for a figure-four headlock.

The crowd watched in horror as Yuki stated, “And Machop continues to take in punishment as she just seems unable to fight back against this martial arts master. It's just as he said. Unlike his father and uncle, Marshal has mastered every type of ability there is, making him a very tough contender to say the least.”

Machop gritted her teeth as she knew she could at least get out of this. Thus she shifted her head sideways, soon spinning her entire body and prying her head out of the hold. For the first time, Marshal was shocked as the girl took hold of his legs, lifting him up briefly before releasing her hold and allowing him to fall toward her. Once he was close enough, she placed a firm grip against his thighs and drove his back into the mat with a powerbomb.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, “And after taking in one punishing move after the next, Machop finally manages to escape from one of them and counters with a powerbomb!” Isamu breathing a sigh of relief and thinking, 'I knew that couldn't possibly be enough to stop her.'

“That's the Machop I know!” Eiko squealed with a big grin, Noboru and Hana applauding her, hoping she could keep this up.

Meloetta also breathed a sigh of relief, saying, “I had a feeling Machop wouldn't fall so easily, not after the way she defeated Tentacruel,” Rinko and Venipede nodding with big smiles on their faces.

Unfortunately, this was far from enough as Marshal planted his hands against the mat, flipping himself back to his feet with ease. He then held up his hands defensively and said, “I have to admit, I'm actually kind of impressed. It's not easy to get out of a hold like that, but don't think for a minute that's gonna be enough to stop me.”

“Hey, man, you're doing an awesome job, but can you not hog all the action for yourself?” Kingdra asked, “As fun as it is watching you beat the shit out of her, I kinda want in on some of the action. After all, I need to restore glory to my family as well!”

Marshal took a deep breath and replied, “Alright. Give her Hell, but let me have the finishing blow if you get that far.”

With that, the martial artist ran over to his side of the ring and tagged in Kingdra, the seahorse leaping over the ropes while Yuki said, “And Kingdra has now taken Marshal's place. Let's see just what kind of abilities he has in store.”

Torchic grinned and asked, “Can you keep going?” Machop nodding and replying, “Yeah. I'm feeling much more confident now.”

Kingdra folded his arms and thought, 'You won't be feeling so confident when you see what I can dish out,' before uncurling his tail and standing on top of it.

Everyone stared as Machop uttered, “What are you doing?” as the seahorse leaned his tail backward before launching himself toward her with his arm out.

Machop easily saw this coming as she leaned backward, Kingdra flying over her as his eyes widened. The girl then lifted up her arms just in time to latch onto his ankles, leaning back even further and planting his skull into the mat.

The crowd went wild as Yuki exclaimed, “And Machop is on fire now! After a bad start, it seems that escaping from that headlock has given her the upper hand! Let's see if she can keep it up, folks!”

'She won't,' Kingdra thought as he placed his hands firmly against the mat, pushing himself up before shouting, “SEA DRAGON HOSE!” releasing a burst of water from his mouth.

Machop's eyes widened as she took the water to her forehead. However, the crowd was shocked when not only did this knock her on her back, it also put a small hole on her forehead, blood flying out. To make matters worse, Kingdra had even more planned as he turned himself around, shouting, “SEA DRAGON HOOK!”

With that, he sent more water into the air thus rocketing himself toward the girl with his arm out. And before Machop could even respond, she took the arm to her neck, coughing up more blood as the crowd stared in horror.

“And just as it seemed the heroes finally had the advantage, Kingdra pulls off two incredible feats using his hose-like mouth like a water gun,” Yuki stated before asking, “Though how exactly did water cause Machop to bleed?”

“I can answer that,” Kingdra explained with his arms folded, “You see, when water shoots out of my mouth, it comes up in a really thin stream that contains so much water, it can dent metal. And considering that it can do that much to something as hard as, well, metal, one can only imagine what it can do to flesh.”

Machop struggled to rise back to her feet, fear in her eyes as Torchic held out her talon, exclaiming, “Alright, Machop, you've done enough! I think it's high time I take over!”

Machop felt as if she should have at least been able to do more before tagging out, but right now, she was unprepared to continue this match. And with a little more than two minutes to go before the tornado tag portion, she would need to get some good rest in. As such, she figured this was the best course of action as she sprinted toward the chicken.

“I don't think so!” Kingdra exclaimed as he leapt toward her. However, the girl refused to let herself take in another hit as she sent a roundhouse into his gut, his eyes widening as he flew back a bit, landing on his feet and rubbing the spot.

With the seahorse distracted, Machop tagged in Torchic and said, “Kick his ass,” the chicken grinning and replying, “You'd better believe I will,” before leaping over the ropes and into the ring, the crowd cheering as Yuki said, “And Torchic takes to the ring! Let's see if she can bring the advantage back!”

Isamu took a deep breath and thought, 'It's okay. I'm sure once the two start working together, they can do much better. I just hope Torchic can keep Kingdra at bay long enough.'

“YEAH, SHOW HIM THE POWER OF THE TORCH FAMILY!” Eiko squealed as Rinko said, “Yeah, I just know you're gonna kick so much ass.”

Torchic grinned and gave her friend a toe up as Kingdra folded his arms, sighing, “I was hoping I'd get to face Machop some more, but I guess you'll do. Your family does have a stellar reputation, after all.”

But just as he was about to ready an attack, Torchic was already on the offensive as she sprinted toward Kingdra. Seeing her moving so quickly, he unleashed a string of water from his mouth as he exclaimed, “SEA DRAGON HOSE!”

Torchic had seen this coming as she leapt over it, lighting her talons on fire and sending them hard into the seahorse's face, shouting, “BLAZE KICK!”

The crowd cheered as Kingdra fell on his back, Torchic using this chance to wrap her legs around his right one. She then started to twist it while biting into the tip of his foot, the seahorse crying out in pain while the cheering got louder.

“And there's that famous family submission hold!” Nori exclaimed, “It seems Torchic is fully intent on keeping Kingdra at bay as she's not holding back in the slightest!”

Seeing this, Machop grinned and squealed, “YEAH! YOU ROCK, TORCHIC!” the others applauding and giving her their own words of encouragement. Even Isamu could not help but smile, feeling confident that the New Raging Bulls could win this.

However, Marshal refused to accept this as he grunted, “Are you really going to take that, Kingdra? I thought you were better than this!” the seahorse's eyes widening as he added, “You started off so well, but now you're letting a fire type whale on you. You're a creature of the sea and she uses an element that can be doused by that! Are you really going to let her win so easily!?”

“No,” Kingdra replied with a wicked smile, “No I won't.”

With that, he tilted his head forward, pointing his mouth at Torchic's forehead as Machop snapped, “TORCHIC, LET GO OF HIM!” the chicken seeing exactly what she meant as she released her hold and leapt into the air.

Unfortunately, Kingdra was ready for this as he lifted himself up for a handstand, propelling himself to Torchic's level. He then latched his legs onto her waist and flipped her upside-down, placing a firm grip on her ankles and driving her skull into the canvas.

The crowd gasped as Yuki said, “And just as it looked like Torchic had this in the bag, Kingdra lulls her into a false sense of security with a fake-out, setting her up for a piledriver.”

The crowd along with Torchic's friends stared in horror as Kingdra walked over to Marshal, asking, “You want a shot at her?” the tan boy nodding and saying, “Gladly,” giving his partner a high five and taking his place.

Needless to say, panic spread throughout the area now. Could Torchic get the advantage back and at least keep Marshal busy until the tornado tag portion started or was she doomed to succumb to the same torment Machop had suffered at first?

 

It was strange that Kingdra would switch with Marshal after having gained the advantage back for the team, but either way, Torchic was still in trouble. The piledriver dealt earlier seemed to take quite a toll on her as she had trouble getting back up. Thus Marshal wasted no time climbing onto the turnbuckle and leaping off of it, tucking himself into a ball and spinning vertically toward the chicken.

“HEY, TORCHIC, LOOK OUT!” Machop squeaked, but it was too late as Marshal exclaimed, “FALLING ROCK!” retracting from his ball-like state and landing on Torchic's gut as she coughed up a bit of blood.

“Despite the simple setup, that looked a lot more effective than it should have been!” Yuki exclaimed as Nori nodded and explained, “It's because Marshal built up momentum when he spun toward her. That allowed him to descend more quickly, adding to the pressure.”

Now the chicken was having even more trouble getting back up as Marshal continued to sit on her, cupping his hands together and raising them above his head. And before anyone could even respond, he sent them crashing down on Torchic's face, shouting, “BRICK BREAK!”

This ended up putting a light cut in Torchic's forehead as her eyes and beak were wide open, Nori exclaiming, “And Marshal has just unleashed Sawk's strongest technique, only that looked even more powerful than when the blue fighter used it back in the day!”

“That's because I'm much stronger than my father ever was!” Marshal retorted with fire in his eyes, “I've been working my fullest to surpass him and I just know I've achieved that!”

With that in mind, he proceeded to cup his hands together once more, adding, “And this last hit will end this match for good! As much as I would have loved to defeat Machop, taking down a member of the Torch family will be satisfying enough!”

“NO, TORCHIC!” Machop cried as the others started to cheer her on, hoping this would help as Marshal sent his hands toward her once more, shouting, “BRICK BREAK!”

But just as the hands were less than a second away from hitting their mark, Torchic put on a more serious look as her beak caught flame. Thus she shifted her head as far forward as she could, ramming that very spot into Marshal's hands.

All went silent as even Kingdra and Marshal were in shock. This last-ditch effort was just enough to stop Torchic from taking in the attack as the tan boy's hands started to burn. Thus he winced in pain and reeled them back, trying to shake off the pain before blowing on them.

“If you can't handle fire, you shouldn't pick fights with someone like me,” Torchic said with a smirk before swinging her right leg up and sending it her toes into Marshal's back.

This distracted the tan boy just long enough for Torchic to throw her head forward, her beak once again engulfed in flame as she spat, “FIRE PECK!” sending it into his midsection.

The crowd cheered as Marshal rose to his feet and backed up, clutching onto the very spot and wincing in pain. Kingdra stared at this and asked, “Are you okay? I thought you could handle anything,” Marshal sighing, “You're right. This is nothing to me.”

With that in mind, he took a deep breath and added, “Though just to be on the safe side, I could use a little rain,” the others staring in confusion as Rinko looked up and uttered, “Hate to disappoint you, but there are no clouds in the sky right now.”

However, Kingdra seemed to know what he meant as he tilted his head up, unleashing a blast of water from his mouth, only this one was more spread out than the ones used earlier. As a result, it separated into smaller droplets that rained down upon Marshal, the tan boy folding his legs and sporting a meditative state, his burns starting to heal.

Torchic would have taken full advantage of this, but this just came off as too weird as all she could do was watch. Even Machop found this strange as she uttered, “What am I watching?”

Even the crowd was unsure of this as Venipede said, “Okay, he's not bathing under a waterfall. Is this really necessary?” as Meloetta uttered, “Well, it is recommended that burns be treated immediately after you get one.”

Hana nodded and replied, “Can't argue with that,” as Noboru said, “I guess even villains care about health every now and then.”

Suddenly, Torchic realized she really should have taken advantage of this already. As such, she leapt toward the tan boy with her feet aimed at his chest. Unfortunately, since she had spent so long watching him, he felt more than ready as Kingdra ended his shower. Thus when Torchic was close enough, Marshal threw his arms out and took hold of her ankles.

The chicken's eyes widened as he tucked her talons under his armpits, jumping into the air before spreading his legs forward. While he fell, he swung Torchic downward, planting the back of her head into the canvas as the crowd winced.

“And just as quickly as Torchic's advantage came, it leaves as Marshal counters her flying kick with a powerbomb,” Yuki said as the chicken still had enough strength to roll backwards away from him.

Luckily, it seemed like things could very well change as Yuki rang the bell, exclaiming, “And five minutes are up, folks! That means the tornado tag portion has finally begun!” the crowd cheering as Machop climbed over the ropes, asking, “You okay, Torchic?”

“Yeah, I'll be fine,” the chicken replied with a smirk, “You know I can handle that,” Kingdra joining Marshal and saying, “You know, there's no shame in being sensitive to burns. It's a common thing.”

“I know, but if I'm gonna outdo Father, I need to be able to resist anything,” Marshal replied with a sigh, “That was just a minor setback, but at least now we can finally fight as one. Those two think that this switch to a tornado tag match will increase their chances, but they're dead wrong.”

“This is gonna be so awesome!” Eiko squealed with a big grin, “We're gonna see Machop and Torchic combine their powers! I can't wait to see what they have in store!”

“Me neither,” Venipede replied, “Their grandparents were once in a team match and from what I can gather, they came up with all kinds of team moves. I wonder if they can pull those off, too.”

Before either hero could try anything, it seemed Marshal and Kingdra would not give them the chance. As such, the seahorse turned his back to the tan boy and locked his arms around his shoulders, unleashing a burst of water thus propelling the two forward.

Before Machop and Torchic could respond, Marshal spread his arms out as he and Kingdra exclaimed, “ROCKET HOOK!” the tan boy's arms hitting the heroes hard in the neck. The crowd gasped as both girls coughed up blood, Marshal wrapping his arms around the same spots he had hit before they could fall on their backs.

The crowd was in even more panic when Kingdra pointed his mouth toward the mat, unleashing another burst of water as he and Marshal flew above the ring. Once high enough, Kingdra pointed his mouth forward and used more water to flip the tan boy and his victims one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, their heads now facing the mat.

Kingdra then proceeded to point his mouth toward the sky as he and Marshal shouted, “DOUBLE SEA DRAGON ROCKET!” the seahorse letting loose one last burst of water as he and his partner descended toward the mat at a rapid pace.

Machop and Torchic's eyes and mouth were wide open as their skulls hit the canvas hard, the duo coughing up blood as Marshal released his hold, allowing them to pass out. Nori stared in stunned silence as Yuki uttered, “And by combining Marshal Arte's, well, martial arts with Kingdra's jet-like water streams, the two have managed to knock Machop and Torchic out with a rather complicated yet very effective finisher. This might be it, folks.”

The crowd was more terrified than they had been during any of the matches up to this point. What if Yuki was right? What if this was more than enough to end the match once and for all?

“I'll admit, I'm actually a tad disappointed,” Marshal said with a sigh, Kingdra nodding and replying, “Yeah. I was expecting a lot more of a challenge, yet they really didn't put up that much of a fight. If anything, Torchic was the one doing most of the work, and none of her moves are really that special.”

“NO!” Eiko cried out at the top of her lungs, “YOU CAN'T LOSE! COME ON! YOU'VE BOTH TAKEN IN FAR WORSE THAN THIS AND WERE STILL ABLE TO GET UP! ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO LET A SIMPLE SLAM KNOCK YOU DOWN!?”

Noboru nodded and barked, “Come on, Machop! Your friends managed to save my daughter! I know you can do this for my son as well, so don't you dare let that be enough!” tears welling up in Hana's eyes as she sniffed, “I know it's a lot to ask, but we need you!”

The others joined in until one member of the crowd pumped his fist into the air, chanting, “MACHOP! TORCHIC!” many others joining in and repeating their names in the loudest voices they could muster.

Soon enough, Machop and Torchic's friends joined in, the entire Tokyo Dome filled with people shouting, “MACHOP! TORCHIC!” repeatedly. Marshal took a deep breath and folded his arms, Kingdra groaning, “God, this is just irritating. Shut up!”

“It's fine,” Marshal remarked, “Let them cheer all they want. It's not going to make a difference.”

However, his and Kingdra's eyes widened when they noticed their downed opponents twitching. But before the villains could respond to this, both heroes regained just enough consciousness as Machop threw her arms out, latching onto Marshal's ankles. And before Kingdra knew it, Torchic had done the same to him, only she used her talons as she had no arms to do what Machop had.

Before the villains could even attempt a counter, both heroes pulled back thus forcing them to fall on their backs. But it did not end there as Torchic applied extra force to Kingdra's ankles, folding them together for a figure-four leg lock.

Since Machop's legs were not close enough for her to pull that off, she rose to her feet and lifted up Marshal before he could respond. The crowd went wild as she leaned backward, planting the tan boy's face hard against the canvas.

“It truly seemed like it was the end, but Machop and Torchic have made a shocking recovery!” Yuki exclaimed as Nori added, “Right now, Torchic has Kingdra locked in a figure-four leg lock while Machop has just hit Marshal with a move I've never seen before.”

Kingdra used all his might to flip himself over, but Torchic refused to let his squirming allow him to escape from her hold. Thus she turned her body with him, both fighters soon on their bellies.

Unfortunately, it seemed Kingdra had more in mind than trying to escape from the figure-four leg lock as he pointed his mouth toward the mat. Luckily, Torchic saw this coming as she released her hold on his ankles.

The seahorse failed to notice this as he used his water to propel himself high above the ring, turning his head around only for his eyes to widen when he noticed the chicken was no longer attached to him. And of course, Torchic would not let such a great opportunity go as she leapt atop the ropes, propelling herself up to his level.

All the while, Marshal tried his best to recover only for Machop to fly toward him with her arm out, shouting, “MOON HOOK!” hitting the tan boy hard in the neck as he coughed up a bit of blood, falling on his back.

Once Torchic was high enough, her talons caught flame as she exclaimed, “BLAZE KICK ANVIL!” Kingdra's eyes wide with terror as she planted said parts into his back, sending him crashing down into the canvas.

A bit of blood escaped from the seahorse's hose-like mouth as the crowd cheered wildly, Eiko clapping and squealing, “I KNEW THEY COULD DO IT!” Isamu taking a deep breath and sighing, “Sometimes I wish they'd stop cutting it so close.”

The cheering suddenly came to a halt when Marshal and Kingdra slowly rose to their feet, breathing heavily and glaring at their opponents. The tan boy shifted his head back and forth, growling, “Don't think for a minute that you've won! This is a minor setback, nothing else!”

However, Machop and Torchic were not the least bit intimidated. Both had expected this and were ready as the girl took hold of the chicken's shoulders, lifting her up and swinging her around. The crowd watched as Torchic's talons caught flame, Kingdra shouting, “I DON'T THINK SO!”

Machop released her hold on Torchic, allowing her to fly toward the seahorse as he shot a burst of water from his mouth, steam rising up from the chicken's feet. However, this was shockingly not enough to put out the flames as she and Machop exclaimed, “ROARING PHOENIX!” the flames forming a phoenix head.

Before Kingdra could even figure out what was going on, he took the blow to his chest and coughed up a bit more blood as Marshal growled and latched his arms around Torchic's neck. But just as he was about to do more, Machop leapt at him and sent a flying kick into his back, causing him to release his hold.

The crowd went wild as Machop grinned, saying, “Mama taught me all about that Roaring Phoenix move,” as she wrapped her arms around Marshal, lifting him up and leaning backward.

Seconds before his head could make contact with the mat, Torchic leapt high above Machop and planted her talons into his chin. This sped up his descent as his skull hit the canvas hard, the tan boy coughing up blood of his own.

The crowd went wild as Machop grinned, saying, “Unfortunately, most of the team moves our grandparents used back in the day involved both teammates having arms. But since Torchic doesn't have those, we thought up some other team moves that could work around her handicap.”

“Wow, that was awesome!” Eiko squealed as Rinko nodded and said, “Leave it to those two to bounce right back with something even more impressive.”

Marshal and Kingdra rose to their feet, breathing heavily with looks of anger and irritation on their faces. Even with all of these skills, these two heroes still managed to get the upper hand back. They had taken in far more torment up to this point yet with how well they were fighting, it was as if all the damage dealt to them earlier meant nothing.

“Alright, Kingdra, I think this has gone on long enough,” Marshal growled with his fists clenched, “Let's end this,” the seahorse nodding and saying, “Yes, honour will be restored to my family and yours will finally have the reputation it deserves. It's perfect.”

With that in mind, Marshal spread his arms out, signalling Kingdra to bind himself to his back once more. And thus the seahorse did just that as Machop and Torchic readied themselves, Nori exclaiming, “And once again, it seems as if Marshal plans to use Kingdra like a jet pack! Let's see if Tokyo's heroes fall victim to this tactic again!”

Like before, Kingdra unleashed a burst of water from his mouth thus allowing Marshal to fly toward Torchic and Machop. But just as they were expecting him to try his double clothesline again, it seemed the tan boy had something else in mind as he lifted his lower body up, spreading out his legs in a splits formation.

Seeing this, Machop threw her arms out as one leg ran into them hard. Unfortunately, Torchic had no way to block this as she took the full blunt of the other leg to her gut, Marshal exclaiming, “ROCKET SPLITS!”

Thanks to the added speed, courtesy of Kingdra, Machop found herself unable to keep Marshal away from her as he ultimately overpowered her grip, forcing her hands into her as both she and Torchic were sent back-first into the ropes. The material stretched back as the crowd watched in horror, the rubber material coming open as now only wires could be seen on that section.

This not only added to the pain but also put small cuts on each hero's back, both crying out in pain as Yuki exclaimed, “And with such a simple tactic, Marshal has rendered Machop and Torchic helpless!”

Machop and Torchic's friends watched with helplessness, wishing they could come up with something. But right now, the one most concerned was Isamu. Even he was starting to wonder if Machop could get out of this situation.

Since the girl had not taken in as much pain as Torchic, though, she gritted her teeth and tried her best to ignore it. Thus she slowly latched her arms onto Marshal's leg in an attempt to end his assault, but this proved pointless as the ropes snapped open, all four fighters flying out of the ring as the girl and the chicken were sent back-first into the wall.

Both coughed up a great deal of blood as the crowd gasped, Yuki exclaiming, “And with that powerful splits kick, Marshal and Kingdra have sent the heroes far away from the ring!” Nori nodding and starting a twenty count.

Noboru and Hana stared with their eyes wide with terror. Rinko and Venipede hugged one-another and trembled, wondering if this really was the end. Meloetta bit her lower lip nervously as even Eiko and Isamu were having trouble staying positive.

With that, Marshal ended his assault, noticing that both Torchic and Machop had their eyes rolled to the backs of their heads as he grinned for the first time during the match. With that, Kingdra released his hold on his shoulders as the two backed up, the tan boy saying, “Well, it doesn't look like they'll be getting up any time soon. I guess all that's left is to head back to the ring. After all, if we stay out for twenty seconds, we'll lose by ring-out too.”

“Right,” Kingdra replied as he and Marshal turned around and headed back toward the ring. But just as they were about to enter and Nori reached eight, Machop and Torchic's bodies twitched as their eyes returned to their original spots, the two growling as the crowd cheered wildly.

Nori continued the count as Yuki exclaimed, “And just as all seemed lost, Machop and Torchic have made yet another shocking recovery!” Noboru and Hana smiling wide and embracing one-another, Eiko squealing with excitement.

“WHAT!?” Marshal grunted, his teeth gritted as his eye twitched. Even Kingdra was feeling beyond annoyed at this point as Machop grunted, “Something worth note is that you've never faced a member of either of our families before!”

With that in mind, both leapt up and placed their feet firmly against the wall before propelling themselves toward their opponents. Torchic's beak caught flame as she spat, “FIRE PECK!” ramming it hard into Marshal's back while Machop hit Kingdra with a fierce headbutt.

As a result, both villains flew into the side of the ring as Machop and Torchic leapt above them, landing against the canvas while the crowd went wild. Machop rose her fists in the air as Nori had reached fifteen seconds for the villains.

“YES!” Isamu exclaimed with a big smile, “I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!” Eiko applauding them with a big smile as Noboru and Hana breathed simultaneous sighs of relief.

“Wow, they're so good at pulling off miracles,” Meloetta said with her eyes sparkling, Rinko nodding and replying, “Yeah, Machop and Torchic really are something else.”

However, just as Nori was about to count to nineteen, she stopped when Kingdra and Marshal recovered, placing their hands against the sides of the mat. The crowd stared in horror as both climbed back into the ring, taking many deep breaths and shooting daggers at the heroes.

“Just as it looked like the heroes of Tokyo had finally won, Marshal and Kingdra return to the ring for more!” Yuki exclaimed as Marshal took a deep breath, saying, “Now I can see why your families have such stellar reputations. No matter what happens, you just don't give up. But that doesn't matter, because we're still going to win this match.”

Machop and Torchic readied themselves once more, though after the attack used on them earlier, they would need to be a lot more careful. After all, one more powerful hit could end it for them.

 

This was not looking good at all. Despite all of Torchic and Machop's best efforts, Marshal and Kingdra were still standing. And while the tan boy did have a burn on his back courtesy of Torchic, he was doing his absolute best to ignore it.

“Goddammit!” Rinko cursed, “They were so close!” Meloetta taking a deep breath and uttering, “They can still beat them. They'll just pull off another miracle, right?”

Venipede nodded and replied, “That would be ideal, and I can definitely see it happening, but you can never be too sure. It's not as if Machop can't lose. She has once before.”

“True, but I doubt it'll happen again,” Eiko said with confidence, “I know she and Torchic can win this. There's no doubt in my mind.”

Marshal would make sure that would not happen. After having come so close to finishing them off, he would not allow them to win. With that in mind, he nodded at Kingdra and said, “It would seem our splits kick didn't quite finish the job, so let's set them up for an old friend, shall we?”

“Yeah,” Kingdra replied with a light smile, “They may have survived this once, but there's no way they'll get up from it again.”

With that, Kingdra once again turned around and wrapped his arms around Marshal's shoulders. The girls knew what was coming as Machop grunted, “Alright, we're ready this time,” Torchic nodding.

Despite their words, the villains still felt confident as Kingdra unleashed a blast of water from his mouth, propelling Marshal toward the heroes while he spread his arms out. Machop and Torchic were just about to duck under the incoming arms only for the tan boy to see this coming, lowering them and shouting, “ROCKET HOOK!”

Just like last time, he managed to strike each hero on the neck with his arms, Machop and Torchic coughing up blood. The crowd gasped as it did not end there, Marshal placing a firm grip on the spots he had hit while Kingdra pointed his mouth toward the mat, using his water to propel him and his partner high into the air.

“It's looking bad, folks!” Yuki exclaimed, “Just as it seemed Machop and Torchic could finally end this, Marshal and Kingdra set them up for the Double Sea Dragon Rocket that dealt considerable pain to them earlier!”

But just as Marshal was about to flip himself and the three others attached to him upside-down, Machop gritted her teeth and grunted, “Alright, Torchic, follow my lead!” the chicken replying, “Right.”

With that, both heroes started to twist their heads around as Marshal tightened his grip, grunting, “Don't think for a minute that you're going to escape from another one of these! You may have gotten out of my headlock earlier, but I won't let that happen again!”

He then flipped himself one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, Kingdra firing water into the air. But just as it looked like Machop and Torchic would fall victim to their team move, both managed to spin their bodies quick enough for Marshal to release his hold on them, his eyes widening as he continued to plummet, shouting, “KINGDRA, STOP THE WATER!”

Unfortunately for him, it was too late as his skull made contact with the mat, Kingdra releasing his hold and shouting, “SORRY!” only for Machop and Torchic to descend toward him sideways, ramming their shoulders into his thus knocking him on his back.

“The problem with a move like that is that if anyone were to escape, you'd be on the receiving end,” Machop said with a grin as the crowd cheered wildly, Yuki exclaiming, “And using the same tactic she used to escape from a figure-four headlock, Machop and Torchic have avoided damage and caused Marshal to fall victim to his own attack!”

Isamu had a big smile on his face as he thought, 'Yes! I knew she could figure out a way out of that,' as the others applauded Machop and Torchic.

However, the match was still not over as Marshal started to rise. Machop would not allow that again as she wrapped her arms around him, saying, “Alright, Torchic, it's a long shot, but I'm sure we can pull this off.”

The chicken nodded and replied, “Yeah. If my grandma could pull this off without breaking a sweat, even without arms, I can still pull this off.”

With that in mind, she proceeded to place a firm grip on Kingdra's tail with her right talon, hurling him high into the air. The crowd gasped as the chicken then leapt up to the seahorse's level, wrapping her legs around his head and flipping him over.

The crowd stared in shock as Machop leapt high into the air, flipping Marshal over before binding him in place with her arms and legs. Yuki stared in wonder as Nori exclaimed, “Oh my god, people, if what I'm seeing is to be believed, Machop and Torchic are setting up for that amazing team move that won Machamp and Combusken the championship in the very first Ultimate World Team Tournament!”

Kingdra was too shocked to even try to fight back as Marshal pursed his lips, closing his eyes and thinking, 'Dammit, even with all of my best efforts, I wasn't good enough.'

Torchic managed to speed up her descent enough to plant Kingdra's head up against Marshal's feet as she and Machop shouted, “MUSCLE COFFIN!” the tan fighter's head hitting the canvas hard as he and Kingdra both coughed up blood, their eyes rolling to the backs of their heads.

After a few seconds, Torchic and Machop released their holds and allowed the two villains to collapse, Nori explaining, “It was just as I predicted. Torchic and Machop managed to combine the first two Mach family signature moves, the Muscle Tombstone and the Ultimate Driver. Alone, these moves are already insanely powerful, but when put together, they're even more impressive.”

“OH MY GOD, THAT WAS AMAZING!” Eiko squealed as the others nodded, Venipede saying, “I've never seen anything like that before.”

“But how did Kingdra take in so much damage?” Meloetta asked as Rinko replied, “It's because his skull was pressed up against Marshal's feet. Because of that, it was like he received a really hard kick to the head upon landing.”

Noboru and Hana let out a collective sigh of relief, looking up at Isamu and really hoping this was it. And after a few seconds, Yuki rang the bell and exclaimed, “And after the longest, most intense match of the day, Machop and Torchic have finally come out on top!”

The crowd cheered wildly as Machop rose her arms in the air, Torchic grinning with pride. It seemed this team-up really was a match made in heaven.

At that moment, Isamu's cage vibrated as everyone gasped, the bottom coming open as he fell toward the floor right outside the ring. But just as Noboru and Hana were about to get up, Machop leapt out of the ring just in time to grab him, breathing a sigh of relief and smiling warmly.

“Thanks,” the boy said with a grin as Machop set him down, “I knew you could do it,” the girl nodding and shaking his hand.

At that moment, Eiko, Noboru and Hana got up and ran toward Isamu, his eyes widening as they held him in a tight embrace. After a few seconds, a warm smile formed on his face as he patted their backs, saying, “Don't worry. I'm fine.”

Torchic breathed a sigh of relief as Hana turned to face her and Machop, tears in her eyes as she sniffed, “Thank you so much for everything.”

Noboru nodded and said, “I have to say, our kids have a very good set of friends,” the man giving Machop a light nudge on the shoulder as she grinned and replied, “Don't you worry about a thing. As long as we're around, no one in Tokyo is going to die.”

However, the moment came to a halt when the crowd gasped, Marshal's body twitching as he placed a firm grip against the mat. He then slowly pushed himself up, breathing heavily with anger in his eyes. Nori let down nervous sweat and uttered, “I would like to remind Marshal that this match is over. If he makes another move, his sentence in prison is likely to be extended.”

But just as it looked like Marshal was about to attack Machop, he felt a great pain coursing through his head as he let out a loud cry. He then clutched onto that very spot and fell to his knees, grunting, “No, it's not fair! Even with all of my superior skills, I couldn't outdo my father and uncle! Why!?”

“He's still obsessing over that?” Rinko groaned, “Seriously, man, let it go.”

At that moment, a group of Hero Planet authorities raced into the area and bound his wrists with handcuffs, one of them saying, “You're gonna be in prison for a long time,” the tan boy breathing heavily and glaring at Machop.

The girl took a deep breath and sighed, “You know, if you really wanted the world to recognize your family, you didn't have to do this. I can tell just from how close you came that you definitely have a lot of potential. But it's not like we're the only opponents worthy of testing that. There are plenty of strong villains out there, strong villains who could easily be put in their place if you helped out.”

Marshal stared at the girl for a few seconds before sighing, “Maybe you're right, maybe you're not. I'll need to think about it. But mark my words. If we ever fight again, it'll be a singles match and I'll be the victor.”

With that, the tan boy was dragged out of the Tokyo Dome and loaded up into a spaceship to be flown to Hero Planet's prison along with the rest of his allies. While his parting words may have been alarming, Machop had hope for him as a light smile formed on her face.

With all said and done, it was time for the heroes and their humans friends to return to their homes. Though on the way back, Meloetta wished to be dropped off at the hospital to check up on Vigoroth, which everyone was more than fine with.

But just as Eiko was about to join them, she stubbed her toe against something hard and fell forward, landing on her chin. She then frowned and spat, “HEY, WHAT THE-!?” before turning toward the cause and noticing it was not a rock like she thought it would be but rather an egg, a rather big one at that. Most of it was black with green dots and white lines surrounding it while the bottom fifth was black. Needless to say, this was no ordinary egg.

To make matters worse, it was not in a nest and there were no signs of a possible mother nearby. This led Eiko to believe that this egg had been abandoned, meaning there was no one to hatch it. There was no way she could leave it here and thus she carefully picked it up with a sweet smile and said, “Don't worry, Mommy's gonna give you a new home,” cradling it.

“Hey, Eiko, you coming!?” Isamu called out as the pink-haired girl nodded and replied, “Coming!”

At first, the family was not so sure about Eiko taking the egg home with her. As such, they decided to inspect the area for any signs of a mother and ultimately came to the same conclusion she did. Whoever laid the egg was either dead or had abandoned it, but whatever the case, the baby inside no longer had a mother.

With that in mind, the group was finally headed away from the area as Eiko hugged the egg, Machop staring and asking, “So, what do you think is inside it?” Venipede nodding and replying, “Yeah, I've never seen anything like this. It's like it's an alien egg or something.”

“So it's not, like, one of your kind or something like that?” Eiko asked as Venipede shook his head and replied, “Oh no. When a centipede like me lays an egg, it's green and magenta. Though it is definitely similar in size, I'll give you that.”

“So bugs like you really do come from eggs,” Rinko replied as Venipede nodded and explained, “Yes, but unlike normal bugs, our kind can only lay one or two eggs at a time. It's actually not that much different from human reproduction.”

“Same with my kind,” Torchic replied with a grin, “Though it's different if the mother's a human,” Isamu imagining a human woman pushing out a chicken, shuddering and groaning, “Your kind is weird.”

Rinko tapped her chin and said, “So, if Venipede and I had a child-” only for Isamu to bark, “CAN WE PLEASE DROP THIS SUBJECT!?” everyone laughing.

All the while, Meloetta smiled sweetly and said, “Well, I don't see a problem with that at all,” before looking at the egg and adding, “I think what you're doing is great. I'm sure you'll make a great mommy.”

“You really think so?” Eiko asked with a big smile as Isamu sighed, “Look, sis, it's not that I don't trust you, but once that egg hatches, I'm helping you raise that kid.”

“No way,” Eiko retorted before sticking her tongue out, “Your ugly face would scare him,” the boy frowning as their parents laughed, Noboru saying, “Come on, kids, don't fight. You've been through a lot today.”

With all said and done, Meloetta was dropped off at the hospital so she could make sure Vigoroth was alright. The others decided to stay for a little bit as well seeing as the sloth was their friend too.

Luckily, since she had taken in the blow to her head underwater, she had not suffered too much damage and thus she had already made a full recovery. Needless to say, Meloetta was very happy to see her wide awake and only felt more positive when the doctor revealed that Vigoroth only needed one more hour to make a full recovery.

With that in mind, the green-haired girl asked, “Do you want me to stay?” the sloth shaking her head and replying, “No. I can get home by myself. You go home and rest. You totally earned it today.”

Meloetta had the biggest smile on her face as she hugged her friend, Machop saying, “Don't sell yourself too short, Vigoroth. You were awesome too.”

“Yeah, thank you for saving me from Carnivine,” Noboru said as Venipede nodded, adding, “Yeah, we would have been plant food if you hadn't shown up.”

“Hey, anything for a friend,” Vigoroth replied with a grin as soon enough, the group was ready to head home. They did not feel like stopping by the club to celebrate or anything like that. All that mattered to them right now was resting up from all of today's matches.

And soon enough, all of those not living with Isamu and Eiko were dropped off. Once Machop and Meloetta were in front of Lairon and Garchomp's house, Machop grinned and waved, saying, “Thanks for the ride.”

“It's the least we can do after everything you've done for us,” Noboru replied with a light smile, Hana waving and exclaiming, “Come on by anytime!”

“No, seriously, I'd love to have you guys over sometime,” Isamu said as Meloetta gave them a sweet smile, squealing, “That sounds wonderful.”

With all said and done, the humans were finally ready to return home as they took off, Machop entering the house. It was oddly quiet until she heard Eri barking, a deep feminine voice saying, “Quiet, they'll hear you.”

With that, Machop rolled her eyes and sighed, “Alright, what's going on here?” before entering the dining room to see a big dinner had been prepared, Lairon grinning and saying, “Here's for our heroes.”

While dinner was often the smallest meal of the day in Japan, Garchomp and Lairon had prepared a wide assortment of food. This included miso soup with mussels, tofu covered in a crab sauce, thirty rolls of various types of sushi and black cod.

Machop's eyes sparkled as Meloetta squeaked, “Is that all for us!?” Machop trying not to drool as Lairon chuckled and said, “Hey, you totally earned this today. Garchomp told me all about how impressive you were, Meloetta, and as for you, Machop, well, I was here to watch it on TV. I have to say, you've really come a long way.”

The girl grinned and replied, “I just wanted to get an early bed, but screw that. This is much better,” Meloetta biting her lower lip. To think that if she had not been sealed in stone for all those years, she never would have had a life like this.

With that in mind, she looked out the window and thought, 'I wish you could be here to enjoy this with me, Mommy. This is the kind of life we always dreamed of and more.'

All four cupped their hands together and said, “Thank you for the food,” before digging in. Needless to say, this was the best meal Meloetta had ever tasted.

All the while, Isamu and Eiko had a more traditional Japanese meal. After all, their parents did not have more than an hour to prepare it, not to mention neither teen felt like having anything big. They just wanted to enjoy dinner and go to bed as soon as possible.

But as Eiko readied herself for bed, she tucked her new egg under the covers next to her and kissed it on the side, saying, “Sweet dreams, cutie.”

She then turned off the light next to her and went to sleep, cradling the egg in her arms. She just wanted it to hatch as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Isamu lay under his own covers, stared up at the ceiling and thought about everything that had happened today. However, the moment that stuck out the most to him was when Machop caught him. For some strange reason, being held in her grip like that made his heart race even faster than it had under the most intense circumstances, but why?

Whatever the case, he could not figure it out at the moment and thus he shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes, a light smile on his face. All he could hope now was that his family would never be held hostage again, but even if that did happen, he knew Machop and her friends would be there to save them.

 

Note: The movie Isamu has the others watch with him is an actual horror comedy called 'The Happiness of the Katakuris'.

It had been two weeks since the defeat of Marshal and his allies, and things had been fairly peaceful in Tokyo. As such, the group used their free time to enjoy themselves as usual with the only major difference being Eiko's egg. Ever since she found it, she had made it her duty to bring it with her everywhere she went no matter what.

Currently, she and her friends were at the club as Vigoroth and Meloetta were in the midst of a game of billiards, the green-haired girl surprisingly dominating. She had just sunk the eight ball as Vigoroth stared in horror, asking, “Is this really your first time?”

“Sorry, was I supposed to lose?” Meloetta asked as Vigoroth clutched the sides of her head, Isamu turning toward them while sitting on the couch with the others and laughing, “She's just being a poor sport! You've done an impressive job!”

“Guys, quiet!” Eiko squeaked as the others turned to face her. She was currently cradling the egg in a blanket as she murmured, “You'll wake him.”

“Sis, if you're so worried about that, why did you bring the egg to a club of all places?” Isamu asked as Rinko added, “He's got a point. This isn't exactly the most quiet place in Tokyo.”

“I'm sorry,” Eiko sighed, “I know I'm being a bit of a killjoy. It's just that I can't bare the thought of not being there when he finally hatches.”

“Oh yeah, that's why you can't just leave the egg with your mom,” Machop replied as Eiko beamed bright and added, “That's right. I'm taking little Kelani with me everywhere.”

“You've already decided on a name?” Machop asked as she rose an eyebrow, Isamu nodding and sighing, “I keep telling her it's too early. I mean, how do you know the baby's even going to be a boy?”

“I just have a feeling is all,” Eiko replied with a big smile, “Maybe it's mother's intuition,” Torchic laughing nervously and uttering, “Yeah, sure, why not?”

Isamu rolled his eyes and turned to Machop, asking, “By the way, you said you had the day off from training, right?” the girl nodding and saying, “Yeah, Lairon says I've earned it. I'm just hoping this doesn't turn out like my last day off.”

The others nodded as Venipede sighed, “As satisfying as it was finally mastering my family's best move, I don't want a repeat of that,” Rinko nodding and patting him on the shoulder.

“Yeah, I really hope we have a peaceful night,” Isamu replied, “Mom and Dad have agreed that you guys can come over for dinner if you'd like,” Torchic's eyes widening as Meloetta and Vigoroth turned to face him.

“Yeah, they figured with you being such great friends, it would be awesome to have you over,” Eiko replied before kissing her egg and adding, “You hear that, Kelani? We're gonna have friends over.”

“Oh yeah, she has a special seat for the egg,” Isamu sighed as Eiko pouted and remarked, “Why wouldn't I? Kelani is a member of the family, and that means he sits with us for din-din.”

The others stared awkwardly as Meloetta giggled and said, “That so sweet. Maybe I should get married. Then I could have a baby,” the others laughing nervously as Rinko uttered, “You know you have to be at least eighteen to get married in this day and age, right?”

“Actually, in Japan, the male has to be eighteen and the female has to be at least sixteen,” Isamu replied as even Machop was shocked to hear this. None of the heroes could believe that after more than a month of living in Japan, they did not know this until just now.

Vigoroth then grinned and said, “It's also best to date someone for a few years before even considering marriage. If you ever decide to seek out the perfect man, I'll help you out. It may be hard to believe, but I've been in a couple of relationships myself.”

“A couple?” Machop asked as Vigoroth sighed, “Yeah, they were both in the same year and ended after a week. Apparently, I'm too badass for other sloths to handle.”

Torchic snickered and said, “Bet you're glad you left your kingdom now, eh?” Vigoroth blinking and replying, “You make a good point. I may actually be able to find someone here.”

At that moment, the conversation came to a close when one of the boys at the club said, “Hey, Meloetta, we haven't heard you sing all day,” the green-haired girl's eyes widening as she squeaked, “Oh yeah! I almost forgot!”

With that, she excitedly skipped over to the karaoke machine and turned to Eiko who nodded and gave her a thumb up. Meloetta breathed a sigh of relief and started playing music, singing along with it as everyone was about to cheer only for Eiko to scowl at them. As such, they all gave the green-haired girl a low clap, laughing nervously.

Once that was over, the group was headed to Isamu and Eiko's house, and as excited as the boy was to have all of his hero friends there, for whatever reason, he was most excited to have Machop there. But even he did not know why her thoughts on his house mattered more than those of the others.

Soon enough, the group arrived, but since it was only two in the afternoon, Noboru and Hana had not even started on dinner. But this hardly mattered to the group as Eiko opened the door, saying, “Welcome to our humble home.”

While not too fancy, the interior of the house was nice. Hana had just finished vacuuming the floor when she noticed her kids and their friends arrive, smiling and saying, “Hello. I just finished cleaning up, so make yourselves at home.”

Meloetta bowed her head as Machop replied, “Thanks. We shall do just that,” a big grin on her face as Isamu said, “Come on. I'll give you a quick little tour of the house. We may be spending most of it in the basement.”

For the first little while, the boy showed the heroes to his and Eiko's rooms. Isamu's was exactly like everyone figured it would be. It was neat and tidy with most of his things in drawers.

While Eiko's room was not too much different, the paint job on her walls was practically unnoticeable as she had a wide assortment of posters. Of course, every one of them was related to the heroes of Earth, Machop rather surprised by all the merchandise of her. Along with the posters was a big collection of plush toys, figures and DVDs, one of which was the box set of an entire animated series starring Lucario.

Venipede stared at the disc and uttered, “Did you know this existed?” Rinko shaking her head as she said, “I know he's famous, but damn.”

Eiko had the proudest look on her face as Machop said, “This is actually pretty awesome,” noticing action figures of her, Machoke and Machamp as the pink-haired girl stated, “These are my personal favourites.”

“It's funny,” Isamu said with a sigh, “Before we started working part-time, she only had a few things in here. Those action figures she got for her tenth birthday and a couple of those posters were bought by our aunt and uncle when they took us to the mall a couple of years ago.”

“Yeah, but now I don't need anyone to buy this stuff for me!” Eiko squealed with delight, “Now that I have money, I can buy my own stuff!”

Isamu rolled his eyes and sighed, “You know, Mom and Dad may be okay with this for now, but one of these days, you're gonna be in desperate need of money and you won't have any because you blew it on all of this.”

“Don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself?” Rinko asked, “Eiko's still got four years before she graduates, right?” the pink-haired girl nodding and replying, “Exactly. Once I get a full-time job, I can buy all the stuff I want and still have plenty leftover for college and all that stuff.”

Isamu shrugged his shoulders and replied, “If you say so,” as Machop patted him on the shoulder and said, “Still, it might be best not to let the baby near some of this stuff. They're known to destroy things. According to Mama, I was pretty destructive at that age. I used to pretend household items were villains.”

Isamu blinked and imagined a baby Machop running around the house and piledriving a vase into the floor. As scary an image as that was, it was also strangely adorable as he found himself resisting the urge to laugh.

“Wow, I never thought of that,” Eiko replied as Vigoroth said, “You may also wanna consider getting a crib. If that egg contains a creature like us, you're not exactly going to get a pet out of it.”

Once the group was finished checking out Eiko's room, they were led to the basement where a big-screen TV was set up. There was also a good number of movies lined up on a shelf as Isamu said, “Dinner's at least three hours away. You guys wanna watch something?”

Before agreeing to this, Machop noticed a gaming console hooked up and asked, “Hey, what sorts of games do you guys have?” Eiko squealing and replying, “I know just the one!”

“Now who's talking too loud?” Torchic asked as the others snickered, Eiko not realizing this as she pulled out a box, saying, “We should totally play this.”

She then held up a fighting game featuring heroes both old and new, Machop's eyes sparkling as she squealed, “Oh my god! We're all in a video game!” Meloetta blinking and saying, “Wow, I might finally learn how to play one of these.”

Venipede looked at the cover and said, “Hey, there's a little anime me on it,” Rinko nodding and saying, “Wow, I'm available in my Mantima outfit,” Torchic grinning and saying, “Pop that baby in. I want a go at this.”

Isamu blinked, feeling a tad disappointed but soon found himself wanting to join in as a light smile formed on his face. The movie could wait. After all, neither hero had a gaming system, so this could very well be their only chance in a while to play this.

Meloetta was rather surprised to see herself in the game as she asked, “When was this made?” Eiko replying, “Well, development finished last month, but when the world saw your dancing abilities, they added you as a DLC.”

“DLC?” the green-haired girl asked as Machop explained, “It means downloadable content,” Meloetta's eyes sparkling as she said, “I still have so much to learn.”

The heroes played for about an hour until Isamu heard the door open. He then nodded and said, “Dad's home,” Eiko pausing the game and saying, “Guess we may as well say hi before continuing.”

The next three hours were certainly a lot of fun. After another hour of playing, the group decided to watch a musical comedy about a family running a cursed hotel. Various parts left Rinko and Venipede confused while others came off as surprisingly grim for a comedy. Meloetta would have had trouble sitting through it had she not been exposed to quite a few action and horror films since she joined the group. All she needed to know was that none of it was real.

The movie just happened to end right when Hana and Noboru finished making dinner. Thus everyone was ready as they headed upstairs, Eiko making sure not to drop the egg.

Once the group was seated, Machop, Torchic and Vigoroth stared awkwardly at a baby chair set up next to Eiko. Along with having the egg wrapped in a blanket, it was also seated on top of another one in the shape of a nest. Isamu was not kidding. She really did have a chair for the egg.

“I told you,” the boy whispered to Machop as she nodded and replied, “Seriously, she treats it like it's already hatched.”

Noboru grinned and said, “I would like to propose a toast for our honoured guests, the heroes of Tokyo who have not only saved us all from evil multiple times but also saved our kids from the hands of death two weeks ago on this very day. It is a true honour for them to join us for dinner tonight.”

Meloetta's cheeks were bright pink as Rinko laughed nervously, saying, “Wow, he says that like we're royalty or something,” Venipede replying, “Well, we have pretty much reached celebrity status.”

With that in mind, all ten people rose their cups of tea and clinked them together, taking simultaneous sips. But just as they were about to try the food, Eiko's eyes widened when she noticed the egg start to twitch.

“Oh my god, it's about to hatch!” she squeaked as the others gasped and gazed upon it.

“We're about to witness something magical,” Noboru said as Hana quickly took out her phone, entering the camera screen and pressing 'record'.

Isamu grinned and said, “Now we'll see whether or not this baby really is a boy,” Eiko biting her lower lip in anticipation as the entire egg cracked open. Everyone stared wide-eyed at the creature that sat there before them.

He was a small, gelatinous being with a leafy-green body. He had a large round head and torso along with a small hook-shaped tail to stand on. He only had one big eye with a small white oval in the middle of his face. On the bottom of his head was a beak-like formation and in the middle of his body was a hexagon with a red front side and a blue back side.

All went silent as Vigoroth asked, “What the hell kind of creature is that?” as Eiko beamed bright and squealed, “I don't care! All that matters is that my little Kelani is adorable!”

The baby looked up at her with his eye sparkling before leaping into her arms, the pink-haired girl saying, “Welcome to the world, Kelani.”

Isamu nodded with a sweet smile and said, “Yeah, it's good to have you here, little guy,” holding out his hand only for the green creature to tremble, Eiko reassuringly saying, “It's okay. That's just Uncle Isamu. I know he has a pretty scary face, but he's nice.”

“Scary face?” the boy remarked as Machop snickered, Noboru and Hana not sure how to respond to that.

After a few seconds, tears welled up in the baby's eye as he started crying, Eiko holding him close and rubbing his back, saying, “There, there, Mommy's got you,” Noboru and Hana about to help before noticing the child almost instantly calm down when in Eiko's care. Despite not really being the creature's mother and having no parenting experience herself, it was as if she was meant to care for Kelani and no one else.

Even so, Eiko was fully aware of the fact that she could not bring the baby to school and as such, she figured her mom could take care of him during the day. With that in mind, she knew the child would at least have to learn to trust Hana, but right now, he just wanted to be in the pink-haired girl'ss gentle embrace and no one else's.

Soon enough, dinner was over and it was time for the heroes to head home. As such, they bowed their heads to Noboru and Hana, thanking them for a wonderful time and exited, Machop resting her hands behind her head, saying, “Man, that sure was an eventful evening. I just really hope Eiko's ready for this.”

“I'm not too worried,” Torchic replied with a shrug of her shoulders, “Don't forget, she's got Isamu and her parents to help her out. And besides, folks like us are more like humans, so taking care of Kelani won't be that much different from taking care of a human baby.”

“Really?” Rinko asked as Venipede nodded and said, “Yep, I grew up with the same treatment as any human. I drank milk, got nap times, slept in a crib, all the stuff you'd expect from a baby. We may not be human, but we are more evolved than your typical animal.”

Vigoroth took a deep breath and said, “Well, to be honest, she doesn't even seem completely prepared for that. It's a damn good thing her family knows a lot about it,” Meloetta nodding and adding, “But just think, their parenting skills could rub off on her. Then she won't need their help.”

Either way, it was probably for the best that someone take care of Kelani, let alone someone good. If they had left that egg alone, there was a chance a villain could have picked it up or the baby could have grown up all by itself.

After a few more hours, it was time for bed as Eiko tucked Kelani in next to her, a big smile on her face as she said, “The others said you'd need a crib, but I have a feeling I can trust you in a more grown-up bed.”

The baby seemed more than comfortable under the covers as he implied a smile with his eye, Eiko returning the gesture and saying, “Come on, let's get some shut-eye.”

She then turned off the light next to her bed and said, “Goodnight, cutie,” Kelani letting out a light squeak before closing his eye, Eiko kissing his forehead. Despite only having just been born, he was surprisingly well behaved. Perhaps taking care of this child would not be so difficult after all.

While the two slept, two figures loomed outside the window. One reached out a pair of peach-coloured hands and shattered the window, Eiko screaming in terror as Kelani woke up, his eye wide with fear as the owner of the hands approached him, saying, “There, there, child, you're in good hands. I'm just going to bring you to your rightful owners.”

“That's right,” her ally replied, “Now come with us peacefully and no one gets hurt,” as Eiko spread her arm out in front of the baby, exclaiming, “Hey, if you want Kelani, you'll have to get through me!”

As it just so happened, the peach-coloured arms were actually the long hair of their owner, who had no normal arms. Her body was a black pumpkin with two stubby feet and a menacing face carved into it. Her head was more like the top of a broomstick only she had two thin, oval-shaped eyes and a small mouth. Along with her long pink hair was a black cowlick shaped like a crescent moon.

Her ally was a slender brown tree who stood atop six roots like spider legs. His mouth and belt area were more like if bark had been ripped off to reveal his inner body, which was made of black shadows. Each side of his head had a long, horn-like gnarl with a small one on each forearm. He also had hair and bracelets made from tufts of leaves and a single red eye.

“You heard the girl, Trevenant,” the broom pumpkin said as the tree cracked his knuckles and added, “She's either very brave for a human or ungodly stupid, wouldn't you say, Gourgeist?”

But just as they were about to attack her, Isamu burst into the room, shouting, “WHAT'S GOING ON!?” Kelani curled up into a ball and trembling as the boy noticed the demonic creatures before him and growled, “You stay away from my sister!”

The boy then leapt at the two only for Trevenant to swing the back of his hand into his cheek, sending him crashing into the wall. He then closed his eyes and slid down it as Gourgeist moved her arms menacingly toward Eiko.

But just as the pink-haired girl closed her eyes, bracing herself for what was to come, she was shocked not to have been hurt. As it so happened, the broom pumpkin reached over her arm and picked up Kelani, the baby doing his best to escape but to no avail.

“Well, we got what we wanted,” Gourgeist said as Trevenant nodded and replied, “We may as well take our leave. Thanks for the kid, but we would have liked it more if you'd just handed him over.”

With all said and done, the two leapt out of the window as Noboru and Hana entered, Noboru noticing Isamu slowly rising to his feet and rubbing his cheek. Hana ran to his side as the man asked, “Eiko, what happened?” as the pink-haired girl had tears in her eyes, sniffing, “Two creeps came in and stole Kelani!”

 

Note: In case you're wondering, yes, Jackalu is, in fact, Mega Lucario.

Just as the day had gone so well, everything had been ruined by Gourgeist and Trevenant. Currently, both were fleeing from Eiko and Isamu's house with Kelani trying his hardest to break free from Gourgeist's grip, the broom pumpkin frowning and grunting, “God, this kid's annoying!”

“I'll hold him if you'd like,” Trevenant suggested as the broom pumpkin shook her head and replied, “It's fine. I can manage.”

With that, she increased her grip as the baby cried out in pain, Trevenant asking, “But seriously, what kind of name if Kelani? I don't expect a human to know his real name, but come on! That's just so stupid!”

“Well, from what I can gather, it means heaven,” Gourgeist replied as the tree blinked and said, “Okay, that's slightly less lame, but unfitting nonetheless.”

During this time, Isamu called up Machop only for Garchomp to answer the phone, asking, “Oh, hello, Isamu. What's up?”

It was not long until Machop and Meloetta were wide awake and searching for where the two demonic creatures had run off to. Though in order to make sure they could get there more quickly, Garchomp was driving them. And of course, Machop had decided to call up the others just to be on the safe side.

Naturally, they were more than happy to help as well with Torchic sprinting toward Isamu and Eiko's house. After all, the villains had only escaped a few minutes ago, meaning there could very well be some way of knowing where they had gone.

Venipede and Rinko were also on their way as the brunette yawned and grumbled, “Dammit, usually when villains show up late at night, they give us time to rest up,” Venipede replying, “You have to remember, though, every other villain fully intended on facing us for control of Tokyo. I get the feeling these two don't even care about that.”

Soon enough, the group arrived as Isamu met them outside, breathing a sigh of relief and saying, “Thank god. I knew I could count on you,” Machop nodding with a grin as Vigoroth turned to Eiko, who had tears in her eyes, and asked, “Did you see where they went?”

“All I saw was them jump out my window,” the pink-haired girl whimpered, pointing toward the back yard as Torchic immediately noticed two things coming from that area. One was a line of holes leading to the left and the other was a trail of leaves.

“Guys, I think I know how we're gonna find these two, but we're gonna have to move quickly,” the chicken stated as the others nodded, the heroes entering Garchomp's van while Noboru and Hana decided to drive Isamu and Eiko in their car. While they may not have been able to fight these two like the others, they still wanted to make sure Kelani was okay.

All the while, Gourgeist and Trevenant had run pretty far from the house. But just as it looked like no one could oppose them, both were stopped in their tracks by a red and blue blur that hooked them both in the neck.

This caused them to fall on their backs as Gourgeist released her hold on Kelani, the baby flying as their assailant quickly dashed to where he was headed. He then took hold of the baby and smiled, saying, “Don't worry. You're safe now.”

Gourgeist and Trevenant slowly rose to their feet, turning toward the source as their eyes widened. The one who had struck them was a dog with a look similar to that of Lucario with quite a few differences.

His thighs were slimmer and the cream-coloured fur around his torso covered more of him. His paws and feet were crimson and each had two spikes on top of it. Along with a spike on his chest, he also had two in front of his shoulders, which resembled braces as opposed to actual skin and fur. Like Lucario, he had four ear-like appendages on the sides of his head, only these were longer and had crimson tips. Finally, he had black markings along his arms and legs and his tail was long, cream-coloured and bushy.

“I can't believe it!” Trevenant uttered, “It's the legendary Lucario!” Gourgeist shaking her head and retorting, “No, that's not quite him, but he bears a striking resemblance.”

“Well, good to know my father still has a reputation even today,” the dog replied with a grin, “I am his son, Jackalu.”

“Look, I don't care who your father is!” Trevenant snapped, “That child needs to meet his real owners, the ones originally entrusted with his egg!” Gourgeist adding, “Yeah, they'll be really angry if we don't return with him!”

“Sounds like a butthurt reaction to me,” Jackalu remarked with a smirk, “If anything, they should have thought about all of this before dropping their precious egg. I'm gonna make sure this baby grows up in a good environment. That way, he'll never fulfil his so-called destiny.”

“Wait, what?” Gourgeist uttered as Trevenant asked, “Do you actually know who that is?” Jackalu nodding and replying, “Most people don't, but I do. I may not know all the details, but I managed to get the truth out of one of your allies, someone by the name of Mismagius.”

Both stared wide-eyed as the dog explained, “I caught her snooping around Osaka. The minute she saw me, she attacked me, so I knew she couldn't possibly be on the side of good.”

Since this had only happened two weeks ago, the dog remembered it perfectly, his meeting with the villains' associate. Mismagius was a tall purple ghost with a round head and elaborate tufts that resembled a witch's hat. Her body was also a lot like a cloak, though her arms and legs were more like sleeves.

At first, it seemed like she would be able to defeat Jackalu with ease as she leapt high above the ground, binding his arms and legs in place. However, the dog easily managed to escape by wriggling his wrists and ankles free.

He then took full advantage of Mismagius by flipping himself upright, taking hold of her and turning her so her belly was pointed upward. He then rested her back against his shoulder, leaning backward and slamming the back of her neck against the ground, exclaiming, “HALF-MOON PRESS!”

Back in present time, Jackalu had a proud grin on his face as he explained, “In exchange for not calling the authorities, I had her tell me everything I needed to know. She told me how she was looking for the egg carrying this baby that I'm holding right now, saying her masters dropped it somewhere while taking a flight through Japan. Apparently, he's very powerful, the future heir who's going to one day reign supreme over all mankind, correct?”

Gourgeist nodded and growled, “But if all she told you was that the egg was somewhere in Japan, how did you know to look here?” Jackalu replying, “I didn't at first. In fact, I've been travelling throughout Japan looking for this egg, and this just happened to be the most recent spot. I asked around and some people, mostly teens, spoke of an associate of theirs having a green and black egg in her possession. That's when I knew the baby was here.”

He then remembered earlier in the day when he came to Isamu and Eiko's house during dinner, peering through the window. He had fully intended on swiping the egg from her so he could protect it, but when he noticed that the baby hatched and also seemed comfortable around the human girl, he figured that she and her family would be perfect. There was no doubt such nice people could raise this child to be a good citizen and not the evil heir he was initially intended to be.

Back in present time, Jackalu took a deep breath and said, “I was just about to head back to Osaka when you came along. Too bad, really. If you'd waited just a little bit longer, I wouldn't be here to stop you.”

Gourgeist frowned and retorted, “Whatever! Your family may be tough, but it's two against one! We can take you!” Trevenant nodding and striking a fighting stance, adding, “Exactly. Now hand over the kid and no one gets hurt.”

“As if I'd allow your masters to raise this child,” Jackalu grunted as Kelani trembled, the dog stroking him atop the head and cooing, “It's okay, baby. I'll keep you safe.”

“Alright, even if you are good enough to take us, how are you going to hold onto the baby and fight us at the same time?” Gourgeist enquired as the dog was about to retort only to stop himself as if he was frozen in place, his eyes wide open while his mouth was forced into a smile.

Gourgeist smirked and cracked her hair knuckles, saying, “I'm going to enjoy this,” before charging toward the dog as he gulped and spat, “TACTICAL RETREAT!” turning around and fleeing as both villains pursued him.

“Dammit, he's fast!” Gourgeist grumbled only for Jackalu to trip and fall forward, still holding onto Kelani. Unfortunately, this did not last when Gourgeist picked the child up, placing him in the hole of a nearby tree and saying, “Stay.”

Kelani trembled as Jackalu blinked and said, “You know, that was actually a pretty good-” only to be cut off when Gourgeist placed a firm grip on his ears and lifted him up.

With her hands still pulling on his ears, she propelled herself off the ground and planted her rear end into his back, shouting, “PUMPKIN STOMP!” Thus she applied all of her weight and sent his chin into the surface.

However, now that Jackalu no longer had to worry about Kelani, he could finally fight back as he growled, “You've dealt your last blow!” before pushing his lower body up and sending a two-legged kick into the broom pumpkin's face.

Trevenant gasped and ran toward the area as Jackalu pushed his body up, sending another kick into Gourgeist's face. This one managed to knock her on her back as the dog leapt off of said part, flying toward Trevenant with his wrists pointed toward him.

The tree attempted to fight back, but Jackalu was flying too quickly and thus managed to pierce his arms, shouting, “ROYAL JAVELIN!”

While Trevenant did feel pain from this, Jackalu's eyes widened when he suddenly realized he had just pierced wood. As a result, his spikes were stuck as Trevenant laughed wickedly, saying, “You know, I thought that human girl was stupid to oppose us, but now I know who the real idiot is. A shame seeing as your dad was known as a tactical genius.”

Jackalu laughed nervously as the tree pried the spikes out of his arms. He then flipped the dog upside-down and held him in place, a dark aura surrounding him as his roots started to grow. And before Jackalu knew it, he was ten feet off the ground as Trevenant started to shrink his roots, quickly descending toward the ground.

“INGRAIN PILEDRIVER!” the tree shouted as he sent the dog's skull hard into the ground, Kelani squeaking in panic.

The tree released his hold on the dog and allowed him to collapse before raising his hands and clenching them, forming an actual hammer shape and sending both into Jackalu's back, exclaiming, “WOOD HAMMER!”

The dog coughed up a small amount of blood as Gourgeist charged toward him, saying, “Hey, save some of the fun for me,” leaping onto his back thus adding to the pain.

Kelani watched in horror as the broom pumpkin climbed off of him, nodding at Trevenant as each villain grabbed onto one of Lucario's appendages. They then proceeded to drag him along the ground, shouting, “TRICK-OR-TREAT!” skipping merrily while pulling the dog skull-first into a nearby tree.

“Hey, why'd you stop?” Gourgeist asked tauntingly, “I thought we were having fun,” Kelani breaking out into tears and letting out a loud cry.

Luckily, Machop and the others had just exited their vehicles and were looking around this area when they heard the sound. Eiko's eyes widened as she squeaked, “KELANI!” sprinting toward the crying as the others nodded and followed close behind.

At this point, Jackalu had no chance of winning as Trevenant had his shoulders locked in place while Gourgeist unleashed an onslaught of punches into his face. With each hit, Jackalu coughed up more blood as he felt so useless. Despite his skills and his heritage, not even he could stand up to two adversaries at once.

After delivering a total of forty punches, Gourgeist was ready to end this for good as she leapt backwards, performing a handstand and pushed herself back. She then tilted her lower body so it was facing Lucario as she leaned her arms back, launching herself toward the dog and shouting, “PHANTOM BOMB!”

But just as she was seconds away from hitting him, her eyes widened and Trevenant's jaw dropped when Machop suddenly flew toward the broom pumpkin. And before Gourgeist knew it, she was on the receiving end of an elbow drop, Machop using all her might to force her back against the ground.

Eiko ran over to the tree as Kelani squeaked happily, leaping into her arms. The pink-haired girl held him in a tight embrace as she kissed his forehead, squealing, “I thought I'd lost you forever!”

Noboru and Hana breathed a collective sigh of relief as Isamu grinned and said, “I knew we'd get them back,” as Machop leapt at Trevenant and kicked him in the skull, forcing him to release his hold on Jackalu. She then turned to the dog with a smile and said, “Hey, thanks for keeping them busy.”

The dog's eyes sparkled as he gazed into Machop's, asking, “Are you an angel?”

Machop gave him a strange look until Gourgeist rose to her feet, she and Trevenant glaring at her as she smirked, saying, “You know, two against one is pretty cowardly and hardly fair. I just thought I'd even the playing field.”

Jackalu sported a more serious look and nodded, barking, “Yeah, now you can't gang up on me!” as Trevenant blinked and asked, “Hey, Gourgeist, you know who that is?”

“Yeah,” the broom pumpkin replied with a nod, “That's the daughter of the mighty Machop. I heard she was protecting Tokyo, and I guess the stories were true.”

“Damn right they were,” Machop replied with a smirk, “Now come on and fight me,” the others standing back as Garchomp grinned and said, “That guy over there is lucky to have such an amazing ally.”

“He sure is,” Isamu replied with a sigh as Venipede and Rinko held up fighting stances, the brunette saying, “And hey, if push comes to shove, we'll take them down.”

“Before we continue this, how in the hell did you find us?” Gourgeist asked as Machop pointed at Trevenant's footprints and the trail of leaves he left behind during his escape. The tree's eye widened as he let out a nervous laugh, the broom pumpkin slapping her forehead.

“Whatever!” Gourgeist groaned, “Come on, let's end this already!” as both villains raced toward the heroes.

However, now that Jackalu had help, he felt more than ready for this as his paws formed a transparent crimson orb around them. And just as Gourgeist was close enough, he sent one forward and spat, “FORCE PALM!” sending it hard into her face.

Before Trevenant could help his ally, Machop charged at him and rammed her arm into his neck. She then dashed behind him and wrapped both arms around him, lifting him up and leaning backwards, planting his head into the ground.

The others cheered as Kelani stared in wonder, Vigoroth shouting, “Never mess with Machop!”

Garchomp nodded and tapped her chin, saying, “Now that I think about that, that dog looks very familiar,” the others nodding as Venipede replied, “Yeah, he kinda looks like Lucario.”

With Gourgeist distracted, Jackalu saw a perfect opportunity to end this fight once and for all as he took hold of her wrists, leaping high into the air and flipping her so her head was facing the ground. He then wrapped his arms and legs around her, planting his chest spike into into her torso thus putting a hole between the pumpkin's eyes. With that, he descended toward the ground and shouted, “CANINE HUG SLAM!” sending her skull hard into the surface as she coughed up blood.

The dog released his hold and allowed her to collapse as Machop took hold of Trevenant's wrists from behind. She then pulled his arms back and leapt high into the air, wrapping her ankles around his roots while bending his back.

The others cheered as she spun like a twister, flipping herself over one-hundred-and-eighty degrees. Trevenant had a look of terror in his eye as she exclaimed, “MUSCLE TORNADO!” slamming his face hard against the ground.

Like Gourgeist, the tree passed out as Jackalu stared in amazement, saying, “Wow, I've never seen a move quite like that,” his eyes replaced by beating hearts.

That came to a halt when Isamu ran over with a grin and held out his fist, saying, “Awesome work as always,” Machop nodding and pounding her own fist against his. However, Jackalu shook his head, figuring this was nothing to worry about as he approached the girl.

“Hey, thanks for the save back there,” the dog said as he held out his paw, Machop grinning and replying, “Any time,” before shaking it.

“You weren't so bad yourself,” Torchic said with a grin as Eiko's eyes sparkled, the pink-haired girl squealing, “Thank you so much for saving my little Kelani!” the baby squeaking happily.

Jackalu stared briefly, wondering if he should reveal the actual identity of the child. However, he figured it would be better if they did not know the truth and thus he smiled and bowed his head, saying, “Hey, I just happened to be in the area and, well, I couldn't let the forces of evil kidnap a baby.”

He then chuckled lightly as Garchomp asked, “Hey, kid, you wouldn't happen to be related to Lucario, would you?” the dog nodding and replying, “Yeah. He's my pop. The name's Jackalu.”

Since it was quite obvious from first glance, most of the group was not the least bit surprised to hear this. However, Eiko could not contain her excitement as Hana smiled and said, “I'll hold him if you'd like.”

“Thanks, Mommy,” the pink-haired girl replied as she handed Kelani over to the woman and sprinted over to Jackalu and squealed, “OH MY GOD, YOUR DADDY'S THE COOLEST, AND YOU'RE PRETTY COOL TOO!” the dog laughing nervously and replying, “Why, thank you, kind citizen.”

“Okay, give the celebrity his space,” Isamu sighed as he took hold of his sister's collar, “Sorry about that. She's the biggest hero fan in our family.”

“Oh, nonsense,” Jackalu replied with a shrug, “I'm used to this kind of treatment. In my assigned area, Osaka, the people love me.”

“I can imagine that!” Eiko squealed as Machop blinked and uttered, “Wait, you're assigned to an area? I could swear I never once saw you in our class, and I do at least remember the faces of my classmates, even if there were more than a hundred of us.”

“Come to think of it, I never noticed either,” Venipede replied as Rinko nodded and said, “Same here.”

Jackalu stared at the brunette, Machop sighing, “Yeah, she's also a Hero Planet graduate.”

The dog nodded and explained, “Well, that's only natural. After all, I graduated last month. See, I'm a second semester student, but apparently, I was so good that I graduated early,” a proud grin on his face as Machop nodded and replied, “Just like Gyarados.”

Jackalu blinked and tapped his chin, saying, “Gyarados. Gyarados. Nope, doesn't ring a bell,” Machop replying, “She's a former villain. She was actually the first opponent I ever defeated on Earth,” a proud grin on the girl's face.

“Wow,” Lucario replied with a sigh, “Well, I never did interact that much with my classmates. I was always too focused on being the best, you know?”

Torchic lowered her eyelids and whispered, “Anyone else think the way he's talking is really suspect?” as Rinko nodded and replied, “It sounds like he never actually went to Hero School.”

However, that suspicion was dropped when Machop asked the dog who he defeated to be allowed on Earth. Jackalu nodded and said, “That's right, I faced my pop,” the others staring in shock.

Jackalu reminisced about his victory over his father, how he had locked his arms and ankles in place and pressed his back up against his chest spike, shouting, “LONDON BRIDGE!”

Back in present time, the dog rubbed his chin with a grin and said, “That was the proudest moment of my life,” before shaking Machop's hand again and adding, “Well, it was a mighty pleasure meeting all of you, but I need to head back to Osaka. After all, those dear citizens can't protect themselves.”

The group nodded in understanding as Venipede shrugged and replied, “Well, I can't see any other reason he'd face his father if not for a final exam. Guess he is telling the truth.”

Torchic nodded and exclaimed, “Best of luck in the future!” as the dog nodded while Garchomp had just finished reporting the unconscious villains to Beedrill. After all, the heroes could not just forget that they were still there.

And with all said and done, things had turned out well. Everyone retreated home for the night while Eiko showering Kelani in affection. And needless to say, the baby was happy to be back with her safe and sound.

Though while Jackalu headed to the subway to catch a bullet train back to Osaka, he took a deep breath and said, “I really hope no one else decides to kidnap him. God, that was too close.”

But just who was this leader that Gourgeist and Trevenant worked for? How did they even have his egg to begin with? Only time would tell.

 

It had been two months since Kelani had been saved from Gourgeist and Trevenant and needless to say, Eiko and her family had done their absolute best to raise him. Luckily, no villains had appeared in Tokyo lately, which was surprising. If everything Jackalu said was correct, one would have expected more villains to try and kidnap the child, yet for some reason, no one had taken action, almost as if the leaders Gourgeist and Trevenant spoke of did not even know about this.

Whatever the case, Eiko was more than happy that Kelani was safe as she woke up one fine morning with a yawn. But as she turned sideways to look at the baby, her eyes widened when she saw a black doberman with pupil-less eyes, a green muzzle, neck and arm resting next to her. Her eyes widened as she let out a light squeak of panic.

The doberman awoke and turned to face her as she rolled out of her bed, falling on her back. However, she ignored the light pain this caused and sprang upright, pointing at him and shouting, “You're not Kelani! What have you done to him!?”

“What are you talking about, Mommy?” the doberman enquired, “I am K-” his eyes widening as he gasped, “Oh my god, I'm talking!” before feeling his snout and looking at his paws, not really understanding this himself.

Eiko stared for a few seconds before approaching the doberman and asking, “Are you really Kelani?” the doberman nodding and replying, “Yes, I am. I swear. I don't know why I look different, but-”

He stopped talking when he noticed Eiko looking deep into his eyes then at his colours as he sat upright, revealing green hexagons on his chest. After a while, the pink-haired girl breathed a sigh of relief and gave the doberman a hug, squealing, “You may look different, but I can tell it's you!”

Needless to say, Kelani was beyond happy as he wagged his new tail, saying, “Hey, this is kind of fun. I can see why dogs like doing it so much.”

Soon enough, he and Eiko were seated for breakfast along with the rest of the family as Isamu said, “So, let me get this straight. Not only has he learned human speak in two months but he's now a dog,” Eiko nodded and replying, “Yeah, now he's even cuter,” before patting the doberman on the shoulder.

'He is easier to look at, that's for sure,' Isamu thought as Noboru laughed and said, “Well, I guess his kind just develops faster than we do,” as Kelani's eyes sparkled, the doberman exclaiming, “Hey, yeah! Maybe I'll be a super genius next month!”

Isamu chuckled and replied, “Genius doesn't always come naturally. You have to go to school for that,” as Noboru nodded and replied, “Yeah, I guess he will have to go to school now.”

Eiko stared and beamed, squealing, “That's right! You can get an education and make friends!” only for Kelani to tremble and utter, “But won't that mean none of you will be with me?”

Isamu nodded and replied, “Yeah, but I'm sure you can manage, though Summer vacation starts soon, so we'll think about it once that's over.”

The doberman blinked as Eiko nodded and said, “Yeah, we take a month off from school in the middle of the year. It'll give you plenty of time to do whatever you want.”

With that in mind, Kelani smiled with glee and exclaimed, “Yay! That means I'll get to hang out with you guys!” as Hana nodded and said, “Yes, but if you go to the club, don't let him have any alcohol.”

“Don't worry, I know he's not old enough for that yet,” Eiko replied, “Besides, alcohol's gross and causes people to do bad things,” Isamu patting her on the shoulder and replying, “And to think I was once worried about you trying it.”

The family then shared a laugh, though they failed to notice Kelani's hexagons glowing briefly. Though why it happened would not be made clear anytime soon as nothing seemed to happen as a result of it.

Later that day, the heroes were on their way to the club as Torchic asked, “So Eiko and Isamu are already there?” Machop nodding and saying, “Yeah, they said something about a new member joining the group. Probably a friend from school.”

“Well, the more the merrier,” Rinko replied with a shrug as Meloetta smiled bright. After all, the very idea of making new friends made her happy.

As the group entered and approached the couch, Kelani had a big smile as he wagged his tail, waving and exclaiming, “Hey, guys! How are you doing today!?” the group staring as Vigoroth said, “Wow, another hero. Surprised I haven't heard of this guy.”

“Well, he might be new,” Machop replied with a shrug, “For all we know, he probably just graduated,” Torchic nodding and replying, “Yeah, let's give him a warm welcome.”

With that in mind, the heroes took a seat as Machop held out her hand, saying, “Hi there. I'm Machop,” the doberman taking her hand with both paws and shaking it, replying, “Oh, you don't need to introduce yourself to me! I already know who you all are!”

He then pointed at each respective hero, stating, “Torchic, Venipede, Rinko, Vigoroth and Meloetta!” a proud grin on his face as Isamu sighed, “You'll never guess how he knows all of that.”

Vigoroth blinked and asked, “You mean you didn't just give him a description of each of us?” the boy shaking his head as Meloetta squeaked, “Is he psychic!?”

“What's everyone talking about?” the doberman enquired with a shrug, “I've known you all for two months,” Eiko nodding as Isamu sighed, “Honestly, I'm kinda surprised you actually remember who they are considering most people don't remember anything from their infancy.”

“Wait, are you telling me that's-?” Machop uttered, staring wide-eyed as the doberman nodded and squealed, “I still remember the time you saved me from those horrible kidnappers, you and that Jack guy!” Eiko replying, “Jackalu. His name is Jackalu.”

“Oh my god!” Torchic retorted, pointing a toe at him, “You really are Kelani!” as Eiko squeaked, “Stop pointing! You're being a bad influence!”

All of the heroes stared in stunned silence as Isamu sighed, “I have to ask you guys something. Is it normal for your kind to start off looking like a different species?” Machop shaking her head and replying, “Nope. I looked pretty much the same as a baby as I do now, only much shorter.”

“Well, my exoskeleton wasn't quite as bulky, but yeah, same here,” Venipede replied as Vigoroth added, “Aside from my eyes being bigger, I wasn't that much different either. I can show you the baby pictures as proof if you want.”

“I was more pudgy, but yeah, I was pretty much the same as a baby too,” Torchic added as Isamu blinked, Eiko squealing, “I knew it! You're special, Kelani!” hugging the doberman as Isamu sighed, “And I take it none of you learned to speak in only two months.”

“Are you kidding?” Machop remarked, “We had to learn it just like your kind,” Meloetta nodding and adding, “I didn't know how to talk until I was four. Apparently, I was a late bloomer.”

“Wow, so I really do grow faster!” Kelani exclaimed with a big smile, Vigoroth shrugging and replying, “Well, guess that's that,” not even bothering to bring up the possibility that this could very well give him a shorter lifespan.

At that moment, the owner brought out beverages for everyone, handing Kelani a cup of juice and saying, “Fresh apple juice for a special special kid,” the doberman wagging his tail with a big smile.

“I guess he is still technically a minor, isn't he?” Torchic whispered as Machop replied, “No clue. His voice makes him sound he's at least thirteen.”

The dog took a small sip and squealed, “Wow! It's so tasty!” as the others nodded, coming to the conclusion that he was at least a minor on the inside.

While the group enjoyed their time, Eiko noticed Beedrill appear on the big-screen TV, saying, “Hey, it's that guy who beat Magnemite and Squirtle in that team tournament.”

“That I didn't know,” Machop uttered as Venipede turned to Eiko and explained, “He's also the chairman of Hero Planet.”

Eiko and Kelani's eyes sparkled in response to this until the doberman asked, “What's a chairman?” as Isamu looked much more interested.

“Attention, citizens,” the wasp said, “First off, I would like to thank all of the heroes on Earth who have done their absolute best to keep the citizens safe. There has not been a single villain sighting in a long time, therefor we feel now is a good time to begin a major event, a time-honoured tradition that is only held by the government of Hero Planet.”

Machop's eyes widened as she grinned and squealed, “Oh my god, I think I know where he's going with this!” the others equally interested with Eiko and Kelani slightly confused.

“That's right, folks, after all this time, we are holding the twenty-eighth Hero Olympics!” Beedrill exclaimed as the people in the club were truly excited, the owner saying, “Awesome. I wonder where they'll hold it this time.”

“As many of you probably remember, this event was held in Tokyo, the location of the first Olympics, way back in twenty thirteen,” Beedrill explained, “Since it's been quite a long time since then, we figured we may as well hold it there again.”

Excitement grew in the club as Machop uttered, “Convenient,” Beedrill adding, “We will hold three qualification tournaments in each country, thus it only stands to reason that three heroes will represent each one. In order to sign up, each hero must take a plane to his or her home country and sign up in one of the cities listed on our official website.”

The link appeared on the screen right below the wasp as he said, “Don't worry about rushing to write that down. That link's gonna stay there for the rest of the announcement. I'm pointing that out because, well, how many other networks actually do that, right?”

He then cleared his throat and continued, “Anyway, all heroes will only have two weeks to sign up, but be quick. Only eight can sign up for a single tournament, meaning twenty-four from each country have a chance to compete in the Olympics. Sign-up locations are also available online, so don't worry too much about that.”

With all said and done, the announcement came to a close as Meloetta blinked, asking, “So what exactly is the point of that?” Vigoroth replying, “See, it's to decide who the world champion is. Heroes compete not just for honour but also to represent their countries.”

“Yeah, but it's all for sport,” Venipede explained, “It's not for the sake of fighting evil, so you might not be interested,” the green-haired girl nodding and replying, “Yeah, I hope you guys do a good job, but you can count me out.”

“Aw, but I'd love to see you compete!” Eiko whimpered as Isamu sighed, “It's her choice, not yours,” Kelani asking, “So it's like a series of games?”

The others laughed nervously as Eiko sighed, “You're not ready for that sort of thing yet. See, this is a big sporting event where the first few rounds consist of things like dangerous races and the like, but then the top sixteen to qualify for the final event face each other in a fighting tournament. I wouldn't want you to get hurt yet.”

Kelani nodded with a smile and replied, “Okay, Mommy, I won't do it, then,” as Isamu sighed, “Could you call her big sis or something? Seriously, she's not old enough to be a mother yet.”

Eiko stuck her tongue out and remarked, “He can call me whatever he wants,” Kelani repeating her gesture and reiterating, “Yeah, I can call Mommy whatever I want,” Isamu groaning.

“Hey, it's not like it's hurting anyone,” Torchic replied with a shrug before rising to her feet and saying, “Anyway, I best head off as soon as possible. Mother never made it to the fighting portion. I intend to do just that.”

“Count me in as well!” Vigoroth exclaimed with a grin, “I'm not only gonna qualify, but I'm gonna win it for Algeria!”

Venipede took a deep breath and said, “Well, I do want to show my improvements. I'm in as well,” Rinko adding, “It wouldn't be right for a member of the Adler family to back down from this.”

Machop took a deep breath and got up, knowing she would join this. She had been waiting for this opportunity ever since she had heard of the Hero Olympics at a very young age. She heard of how Machoke made it to the finals only to lose to Lucario. If anything, Machop wanted to get the family's championship title back, or at least try.

Kelani smiled and clapped as Eiko said, “We'll definitely be there rooting for you guys,” Isamu nodding and grinning at Machop, adding, “I just know you're gonna win that qualification tournament.”

“You'd better believe it,” Machop replied with a big smile as the two pounded their fists together.

Soon enough, the heroes were all assembled at the airport where various planes were set up to head to different countries. Since Machop grew up in Paris, her flight was headed there. Torchic had scheduled a flight to America while Venipede was headed to Hungary. And Rinko was going to Germany with Vigoroth taking a flight to Algeria.

Of course, Meloetta, Eiko, Isamu and Kelani were there to see them off. Machop gave Eiko a hug as she said, “Do an awesome job,” Isamu nodding and adding, “Yeah, knock them dead.”

“I hope you'll be able to watch my matches,” Machop replied, “I'm not sure if they'll actually record the French tournament here.”

“Someone will likely upload them online, anyway,” Isamu replied with a shrug as Kelani blinked and asked, “What line?”

Eiko chuckled and said, “I'll teach you all about that later,” as Isamu sighed, “Tell him which sites are safe. He may actually be able to defend himself, but we don't want him running into suspicious people on the Internet.”

Meloetta gave every one of her hero friends a hug before seeing them off. Needless to say, she would certainly miss them during the time they would be gone, though she felt grateful that the Olympics would be held in Tokyo. This way, if all of them qualified, they would still return here.

And just as the heroes boarded their respective planes, Isamu asked, “So you're sure you don't wanna sign up? You were actually born in Japan. You don't have to leave the country.”

“I know, but I only fight to protect people,” Meloetta replied with a sweet smile, “The others may be okay with fighting each other, but I'd rather not do that.”

“I agree,” Kelani replied with a nod of his head, “Friends shouldn't fight,” as Isamu sighed, “It's not like these are bitter fights to the death.”

Of course, in Osaka, Jackalu was getting ready to take off to England. Meanwhile, his ally was ready to board a plane to Switzerland.

She was a tall and slender cyan shrimp with a single black stripe on each of her body segments and another one covering the middle of her face, two small yellow eyes on the sides. She had very skinny legs and three spikes on top of her head. She had two dark-blue claws with her right one being fairly normal in size and similar to lance. Her left claw was five times bigger, so big that it looked more like a costume prop than an actual hand. Coming from its sides were long yellow antennae.

“Well, Clawitzer, guess we won't be seeing each other for a while,” Jackalu said with a grin as the shrimp nodded and held out her small claw, saying, “Good luck in London. You'll need it.”

“What do you mean I'll need it?” Jackalu retorted with a smirk, “You know I'll win,” as the shrimp rolled her eyes and sighed, “Just don't get cocky, okay? I wanna see you make it.”

The dog nodded and shook her small claw, saying, “See you in the Olympics,” before heading to catch his plane, the shrimp waving and boarding hers.

Meanwhile, in Madrid, Gyarados was about to board a plane of her own. She said a quick goodbye to her allies and grinned, thinking, 'Just wait, Machop. We're gonna see each other again, I just know it.'

As it just so happened, Marshal had been pardoned from prison after promising to only use his powers for good. He had also made up with his parents and was currently headed to Japan to try out for the Tokyo tournament. Much like Gyarados, he wanted to see Machop again, mostly to thank her for helping him see the light.

And naturally, both Sneasel and Gigalith were going to try out as well. Sneasel was headed to Denmark while Gigalith was on a flight to Canada. Needless to say, they were beyond excited to have another shot at the spotlight.

And of course, there were a lot more heroes getting ready for this event, all of them headed back to their home countries to try out for the qualification tournaments. While the Hero Olympics was never meant as a good versus evil struggle, it was still a big deal for many and thus humans from all over the world were just as excited for this as the heroes themselves.

But just who would win the championship belt this year? Would Jackalu keep the championship title for his family or would Machop return it to hers? Perhaps the Torch family would finally win it. Maybe Rinko would be the one to ultimately rise to the top and be the very first human to win the Hero Olympics. Only time would tell.

 

Note: If you're wondering about Smeargle's appearance here, that's explained in the first one.

The week seemed to fly by as twenty-four heroes in each country had applied for the qualification tournaments to decide who would compete in the Olympics. During this time, many of them got in some intense training while also using this as an opportunity to visit their families.

Machop had gone to her old house to spend some quality time with Machoke and Gardevoir. However, she also did this to get in some sparring matches with them, possibly learn a few new techniques for the Paris tournament.

Of course, the fact that the tournament she had signed up for was taking place in her hometown was certainly convenient. It meant that her parents could be there to watch her compete.

Currently, the family was seated for dinner as Machoke said, “I still can't believe that of all people, you're living with Lairon,” Gardevoir nodding while pouring some tea and adding, “It's nice to know he and Garchomp are happy.”

“Now that you mention it, we're probably gonna have to make a special appearance,” Machoke stated, “You know how these events are. They always gotta bring in old Olympic contenders to make an appearance for the crowd.”

“Yeah, I think I'll wear the blue jersey for this,” Gardevoir replied as Machop smiled sweetly and said, “Yeah, you look really good in that one, Mama,” as Machoke uttered, “So you're not gonna wear the red one?”

Gardevoir gasped and nodded, squeaking, “You're right! That one means so much more to me!”

“If you don't mind me asking, why's it such a big deal?” Machop asked as Machoke nodded and said, “It's a bit of a long story, but alright, we'll tell you.”

Machoke still remembered way back to the time when Gardevoir had her first match on Earth. She was going up against a lizard named Scrafty and was terrified out of her mind. However, her fear started to leave her when Machoke had her perform an entrance that was supposed to be intimidating but ended up being more comical due to how over-the-top it was.

Part of the entrance involved her dressing up in a black jersey and spiked collar while her hair was spiked up. The hair almost instantly reverted to normal after the entrance, but she kept the jersey and the spiked collar, said collar having never been taken off since, meaning she was still wearing it even to this day.

Unfortunately, the jersey was torn up in the first round of the Hero Olympics fighting tournament. Gardevoir was up against a humanoid rose aptly named Roserade, a pompous hero who found her fashion sense appalling.

There was a point during the match when the rose girl covered her entire body in thorns, thus making it hard for Gardevoir to strike her. However, she got a slight advantage when she used her jersey to cover up Roserade, using that as a perfect opportunity to strike her. Unfortunately, this also resulted in the article of clothing being torn to shreds.

Once the match was over and Gardevoir won, Machoke bought her a red jersey to replace the black one. Needless to say, she absolutely loved it, not only because red went better with her green skin but the fact that he had gone to the trouble meant so much to her.

Back in present time, Machop stared in wonder as Gardevoir stated, “See, the jersey and collar are both a reminder of how much your father helped me get over my fear of fighting and become a real hero. It's special.”

Machop nodded with a big smile on her face. As strange as it was to think that her mother, a woman who had won the Ultimate World Team Tournament alongside Machoke, would need clothing to help her get over her fears, the fact that Machoke had even gone to all the trouble to help her was sweet.

Meanwhile, in Texas, Torchic was seated with her family for a big steak dinner in a nice farm on the countryside. Needless to say, it was nice to have the whole family together again, even if it would not last.

Her mother, Blaziken, was also a chicken, but looked a lot more like a phoenix. The majority of her body was covered in red feathers with yellow ones covering her ankles and the area right below her chest. Covering the chest and making up her long hair were white feathers.

Her father was a human by the name of Jerry. His life as a farmer had given him a muscular build. He also had a thin beard and brown hair that went to his shoulders. Currently, he and Blaziken were dressed in traditional Texan attire. Even Torchic had been suited up now that she was back home, though due to her lack of arms, she had some assistance from her parents.

“Sounds to me like you've done an incredible job,” Jerry said with a grin, “It's one thing to beat a few villains here and there, but a golem?” Blaziken shrugging and replying, “Hey, it runs in the family. My first victory on Earth was against a big snake made entirely out of rocks.”

Torchic and Jerry then sighed, “Yeah, we've all heard the story,” as Blaziken grinned and added, “But still, Torchic, I'm mighty proud of you. It's also great that you're fighting alongside Machop.”

“Yeah, she's awesome,” Torchic said with a grin, “Did I mention we teamed up for a big match?”

“No, you didn't mention that,” Blaziken replied with a grin, “Looks like the Raging Bulls live on, eh?” Jerry nodding and replying, “I have no doubt you two kicked some massive tail.”

“Still, do your best in the Olympics, but try to remember that winning ain't everything,” Blaziken stated, “At first, my entire goal was to outdo the Mach family that I felt robbed my mother of so many first place trophies. But, well, let's just say that mentality was pretty stupid. If I'd kept it up my whole life, I never would have made such awesome friends.”

Torchic smiled and nodded as she could not have asked for a better set of friends herself. Though while she definitely took her mother's words to heart, she would still do her absolute best to at least make it to the fighting tournament.

Meanwhile, Venipede was back home in Baja seated on the couch and having small-talk with his parents. They had already finished dinner fairly early, so all they really wanted to do was catch up.

“Well, son, I'm proud of you,” his mother, a tall dark-magenta centipede named Scolipede said with an implied smile, “Not only have you mastered my strongest technique, but you've found love. That makes me so happy.”

“Yeah, I hope you get to meet Rinko someday,” Venipede replied as his father, a young slightly pudgy man named Attila, said, “Actually, I think we will get that chance. Your mother and I decided to take some time off work when the Olympics officially start. In other words, we'll be there to see you compete.”

“Wow, really!?” Venipede exclaimed as his eyes implied a big smile, “That's great! With you guys there, I might just do an even better job!”

With that, all three shared a group hug and a quick laugh. But while this went on, Venipede would not forget that he still had to win the qualification tournament to be accepted into the Olympics. Though currently, he would have much rather not thought about that.

Rinko had returned to Berlin to spend some time with her mothers. Currently, she and a green reptilian mantis, namely Scyther, were sparring in the back yard while Reika watched. They figured this would be the best way to burn off all the calories from dinner.

Rinko had just struck Scyther in the midsection with her arm, shouting, “ARM SCHWERT!” as the insect flew into the fence, the section breaking after she made contact. Reika and Rinko both gasped as they ran over, the brunette asking, “You alright, Mother?”

“Ja, I'll be fine,” Scyther replied with a grin, “Though I have to admit, I'm impressed. Even without the blade, your Arm Schwert is quite effective.”

“Danke,” Rinko replied with a sigh, “Though I know I probably shouldn't rely on it too much. I faced Hippowdon's son during the evaluation match on Hero Planet,” Reika nodding and saying, “Oh yeah, he was a tough one. Was his son any worse?”

“I don't know,” Rinko replied, “but yeah, he was a challenge. I tried the Arm Schwert on him and it barely did a thing. I tried using Flying Hammer, but I only ended up knocking myself out. I'm afraid of what might happen if I face an opponent that heavy again.”

Scyther nodded and replied, “Don't let it get to you. One thing worth note when facing an opponent that big is not to use slam moves. But also, when using the Arm Schwert, aim somewhere weaker on the opponent, like the chin or the arm. I may have won by striking Hippowdon's belly, but, well, as you can see...”

She then lashed out a pair of blades from the bottoms of her arms before retracting them, Reika nodding as she said, “Instead of worrying about your weaknesses, try to work around them. Seriously, you're the only human alive with the strength to stand up to a fellow hero. At the very least, I'm sure you can make it far.”

Rinko nodded with a big smile as Scyther decided to call it a day and relax. They had already gotten in a lot of training, so the insect saw no need to continue for the time being.

Vigoroth was the only member of the group not spending time with her family. As much as she would have loved to see her father, the deal was that if she was to continue fighting, she had to deny all ties with the kingdom. Though she was fine with it, so it did not eat away at her.

Currently, she was staying at a hotel in Oran where the qualification tournament she had signed up for was set to take place. During her time, she had made friends with one of the other participants.

He was a young boy with a long pointy nose and a perfectly round head with a leaf on top. Covering his eyes and nose was a white mask shaped like a butterfly. His thighs were big and bulky and wrapped in white bandages. His name was Nuzleaf.

Currently the two were out for a walk through town as Vigoroth asked, “Just to be certain, you know we'll probably have to face each other in the tournament, right?” the boy nodding and replying, “Yeah, I know. Don't think I'm gonna hold back just because you're a member of royalty, let alone my friend. When we fight, I'm gonna clean your clock.”

“That's what you think,” Vigoroth replied with a smirk as she wrapped one arm around his neck and gave him a noogie with the other. Needless to say, they would not hold back despite their new friendship.

The next week passed by, and it felt even quicker than the first. All the heroes could think about right now was who they would face in the qualification tournaments and just how good they would do. Would they be able to win all three matches? Would they qualify for the Olympics? And if they did, how would they become a part of the top sixteen to partake in the final event? The tension was killing them, but it also motivated them to train much harder than ever before.

And soon enough, the big day came. With both weeks finally up, it was time for the qualification tournaments to begin. And needless to say, the heroes all felt ready for this. And with all three matches happening in the course of a day, the tournaments would be over with quickly. After all, this was only a warmup for the Olympics themselves.

The first two rounds went by quickly for everyone, thus leaving the final matches. And while Machop and her friends had made it this far, these fights would ultimately decide whether or not they would all get to compete in the Olympics.

In Paris, Machop was currently up against a slender flower girl with a white upper body and a green tail with its tip shaped like a spade named Floette. She also had long green eyebrows that resembled pedals and long white floppy ears with yellow rings holding them in place like braids. She also had a big flower strapped to her back, and while this would have normally been illegal to have on her during a match, it was a known fact that she was born with the flower, so it was considered a part of her.

Currently, Machop had Floette's wrist in her grasp as she hurled her into the turnbuckle. The crowd went wild as a woman in the announcer's booth exclaimed, “And Machop sends Floette into the post! Let's see how she gets out of this!”

“COME ON, HONEY!” exclaimed a beagle with three tails with pen tips on the ends of them from the crowd, a tall flower woman adding, “You know how to make up for this!”

The beagle in question was Smeargle while his wife was Florges. Both were good friends of Gardevoir and Machoke, but despite that, they wanted Floette to win. After all, she was their daughter.

Upon hearing their words of encouragement, Floette exclaimed, “Oui!” as she crouched down before propelling herself high into the air.

Machop was unable to respond as Floette landed behind her and ducked down, delivering a sweep kick with her tail. This did not exactly trip Machop, but it did distract her as Floette pulled out her flower and started whipping the back of her head with it. For what was normally a delicate plant, it was surprisingly powerful.

After taking in a few hits, Machop turned around only for Floette to lower the flower and twirl it around, shouting, “PEDAL BLIZZARD!” shooting multiple pedals out and covering Machop in cuts.

The crowd cheered for her only for Machop to ignore the pain, swinging her arm sideways and knocking the flower out of Floette's hand. The flower girl gasped as Machop took full advantage of this, flying toward her with her arm out and shouting, “MOON HOOK!”

Floette took in the blow and coughed up blood as she fell on her back, all going silent among the crowd as Machop landed behind her, breathing heavily. And after ten seconds, the announcer rang the bell and exclaimed, “AND THE ONE REPRESENTING FRANCE IN LE OLYMPICS IS MACHOP!”

The crowd went wild as Machop rose her arms in the air, a proud grin on her face. All the while, Floette's parents took a deep breath as Smeargle said, “At least she lost to Machoke's daughter,” Florges nodding and replying, “Oui. I'll never forget the day he brought us together.”

Machop knelt down and helped Floette up, asking, “You okay?” Floette nodding and replying, “Oui. You were incroyable. I hope you win the Olympics,” both shaking hands as the crowd cheered even louder.

“It's also tres magnifique when opponents in the ring become amis,” the announcer sniffed while letting down light tears, “I love this job.”

Meanwhile, in Texas, Torchic was up against a pink cow with a white belly. She had a long thin tail with a black sphere on the end and hood-like markings around her head of the same colour. Her name was Miltank.

Currently, Torchic was sending an onslaught of rapid kicks into her face while using them to keep herself in the air. The crowd was cheering wildly as a man behind the announcer's booth exclaimed, “Torchic is just whaling on that calf! Can she possibly get out of this!?”

After taking in a few more kicks, Miltank threw her arms up and took hold of the chicken's ankles with fury in her expression, shouting, “I don't think so!” before leaping into the air and lifting her up. She then threw her arms downward during her descent, slamming Torchic's back into the canvas.

The chicken coughed up a bit of blood as the crowd cheered, the announcer shouting, “And just as it seemed that Torchic had this in the bag, Miltank counters with a powerbomb!”

With that, the cow leapt high into the air and smirked, saying, “Ain't nothing personal. I just wanna win,” before descending toward Torchic.

However, the chicken easily recovered and rolled backwards as Miltank's rear end hit the mat hard. The crowd gasped as Torchic exclaimed, “BLAZE KICK!” leaping at the cow with her talons on fire and kicking her hard in the back of the head, knocking her on her chin.

The crowd cheered wildly as Blaziken got up from the crowd and exclaimed, “YEAH, SHOW HER WHO'S BOSS!” only to notice Miltank still moving.

Torchic saw this as well as she wasted no time wrapping her legs around one of hers, using her beak to pull on the foot while twisting that very spot. After thirty seconds, Miltank tapped her hoof against the mat and grunted, “I give up.”

The crowd went wild as Torchic released her hold, the announcer shouting, “And with that infamous Torch Family Special, Torchic makes her way to the Olympics!” Blaziken and Jerry giving her a standing ovation.

In Budapest, Venipede was up against a yellow sheep with a white belly and no wool named Ampharos. She had conical ears with black stripes and a red orb on her forehead. Her arms resembled flippers and each of her feet had a single nail. She had a long tail with three black stripes and a red orb on the tip.

Venipede was currently sending a barrage of punches into the sheep as she was covered in wounds from the match. All the while, the centipede was covered in burns. It was clear that this match had gone for quite a while.

After enough hits, Venipede proceeded to send a hard one into Ampharos' forehead as she cried out in pain and fell on her back. The crowd went wild as a man exclaimed, “And Venipede takes Ampharos down with a furious onslaught! Can she get up from this, folks!?”

Just as Venipede was about to finish her off, the sheep opened her eyes and used her arms to propel herself off the mat. She then flew toward the ropes and pressed up against them while her body was covered in electricity. And once she bounced off the ropes, her skull was pointed at Venipede's belly as she exclaimed, “ZAP CANNON!” making contact with the centipede.

Electricity coursed through Venipede's veins as he thought about how much he would end up wasting his mom and dad's vacation time if he lost. Thus he ignored the pain and latched his middle arms onto Ampharos'. He then leaned forward as her electricity faded, the sheep soon forced under his weight.

The crowd went wild as he proceeded to wrap all six arms and his legs around her, using his top arms to pull on her chin while shouting, “CENTIPEDE BACKBREAKER!”

After a minute of squirming, using electricity every few seconds in an attempt to shake Venipede off, Ampharos realized she was wasting her time and effort. Thus she let out a sigh and tapped her right arm against the mat, groaning, “I give up.”

The bell was rung as Venipede's victory was official, the centipede releasing the sheep as he rose his top arms in the air. The crowd went wild as the announcer exclaimed, “I heard stories about how much of a loser this guy used to be, but look at him now! He's representing Hungary in the Hero Olympics!”

'Exactly,' Venipede thought as a light tear rolled down his cheek, 'No more will I be the punching bag of the Tokyo team.'

In Berlin, Rinko had ended up with the kind of opponent she did not wish to have. He was a large brownish-grey rhino with two horns shaped like drills, a big one on his snout and a small one on his forehead. His tail was like a club and orange rocky plates covered his midsection like a belt with formations similar to shoulder straps on the sides. He had blade-like protrusions on his elbows and a small hole on each of his palms. His name was Rhyperior.

Rinko had just taken in his right elbow to the face as she backed up, coughing up blood as the crowd stared with concern. It seemed that the brunette had taken in a bad beating up to this point as she was covered in bruises and it looked as if her shoulders had been pierced.

Rhyperior, all the while, gritted his teeth and growled, “You know, your mother defeated my father in the qualification tournament. I was hoping my revenge would be more satisfying than this.”

Rinko gritted her teeth before noticing Reika and Scyther cheering her on from the crowd, Scyther exclaiming, “REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU!”

Before she could do so, she noticed Rhyperior pointing his palms at her while shouting, “DRILL CANNON!” shooting a spinning horn out of each.

There was no way she would allow this to hit as she leaned backward, allowing the horns to fly over her as they cut open the top rope behind her instead. Rhyperior frowned as he charged at her with his regular horns spinning and shouting, “DRILL HORN!”

But just as he was about to strike Rinko, she waited for just the right moment, readying her hand. And just as the rhino was close enough, she sent it upward into his chin, shouting, “ARM SCHWERT!”

The crowd went wild as this ended up dealing considerable damage, Rhyperior's eyes and mouth wide with shock. He then fell on his back and lay there for ten seconds as a woman rang the bell, stating, “It was close for Rinko, but it would seem that after a fierce struggle, she is our winner and the one representing Germany in the Hero Olympics! Never before has a human entered this event! This is truly an exciting moment folks!”

The crowd went wild as Rinko rose her arms in the air, a big open-mouth smile on her face as her mothers applauded her. Scyther was especially happy to have seen her use her advice to defeat a big and heavy opponent.

In Oran, it turned out Vigoroth's final opponent was Nuzleaf. Currently, the two were sending rapid punches toward one-another, their fists clashing with each attempt.

“And these two just continue to go at it!” a young woman exclaimed, “Their spirit, drive and speed have gotten them this far, but will either of those traits be enough to win either one the match!?”

After a few more punches, the heroes leapt away from each other and breathed heavily, Nuzleaf grinning and saying, “You're the greatest opponent I've ever had,” Vigoroth replying, “You're pretty awesome too. Thanks for not holding back.”

“Hey, what are friends for?” Nuzleaf asked as he lifted up his arm, batting his hand up against his leaf and spinning it around. He then rose into the air and shouted, “LEAF PROPELLER!”

With that, he headed toward the sloth with his leaf pointed toward her. However, she was ready for this as she stretched her arms out, piercing her shoulders with her claws. Her arms did take in small cuts from the leaf, but she ignored this as she leaned backwards, lifting Nuzleaf over her head.

“SLOTH SUPLEX!” she exclaimed as she rammed the back of his head hard against the canvas, Nuzleaf's eyes and mouth wide with shock as he coughed up blood.

Once Vigoroth released her hold, she took many deep breaths as Nuzleaf was down for exactly ten seconds. Thus the announcer rang the bell and exclaimed, “And Princess Vigoroth moves on to represent Algeria in the Hero Olympics!” the crowd going wild.

Vigoroth rose her right hand in the air before looking down at Nuzleaf. Luckily, she had not dealt too much damage as the boy slowly rose to his feet, rubbing the back of his head and shooting the sloth a grin. He then gave her a thumb up as she nodded and returned the gesture.

In London, Jackalu was currently up against a slender sky blue serpent dragon with white down her front named Dragonair. She had a very long body and delicate arms. She had two wings on the sides of her head and a small horn in the middle. Finally, she had a blue orb attached to her neck and two more around the tip of her tail.

Currently, the dog was having trouble as the serpent quickly shifted around the area. Once his guard was dropped, she exclaimed, “DRAGON TAIL!” the orbs glowing as she slapped them hard against his cheek.

This caused him to cough up a bit of blood as the crowd cheered for Dragonair, a female announcer saying, “And it doesn't look good for Jackalu. If he loses this match, he'll be the first member of the Adair family not to qualify for the Olympics.”

“As if that's gonna happen!” Jackalu spat with a smirk as he noticed the tail coming for him again. Thus he held up his paw with the wrist pointed toward the incoming tail, his spikes piercing the orbs as Dragonair's eyes widened.

Not only were his spikes now lodged into the tail, but they had also put small cracks in them. And it would only get worse as Jackalu lifted up his other paw and added to the pressure with this spikes.

“I'll admit, you are quite lovely, but I intend to win,” Jackalu said with a smirk as he lifted her over his head and shouted, “SPIKE SUPLEX!” planting her chin hard against the canvas as she grunted in pain, her eyes spinning.

After ten seconds, the announcer exclaimed, “And with a move never before seen by his family, Lucario wins the match and represents England in the Hero Olympics!”

The crowd went wild as Jackalu's eyes sparkled, the dog blowing them all kisses and shouting, “OH, THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH! YOU LIKE ME! YOU REALLY, REALLY LIKE ME!” as some members of the crowd, specifically those who knew him back when he went to a normal school, groaned and slapped their foreheads.

However, it got even worse as he pulled out two dog biscuits and started to twirl them like batons while singing, “If you're feeling down and need to lose that frown, try a Biscrok, it's biscuit-licious!”

At that moment, even those supporting him were annoyed by his showboating as some hurled cans at him. Despite that, though, the dog was more than happy to represent his country. Perhaps he could move on to win the championship just like his father had.

Currently, Gyarados was competing in Hofn. Her opponent was a brown deer with a cream-coloured belly named Sawsbuck. Atop his antlers were green leaves, though it was said the plants growing on said spots changed with each season.

Currently, he was down on all fours as he charged at Gyarados, shouting, “HORN LEECH!” a green light forming on the tips of his antlers.

But just as he was about to make contact, the serpent took hold of those very spots and pulled him upright. She then bit into his shoulder as he cried out in pain. She then leapt toward the turnbuckle and shouted, “DRAGON DIVE!” ramming the back of his neck into the top of that very object.

The deer coughed up blood as Gyarados allowed him to collapse, a male announcer starting a ten count. And soon enough, he reached said number and rang the bell, shouting, “And Gyarados represents Iceland in the Hero Olympics!” the crowd cheering wildly.

In Edmonton, Gigalith was up against a blue lynx with a black mane and lower body named Luxio. She had a yellow star on her tail and matching stripes on her arms.

Currently, she was whaling on the golem with her tail only for Gigalith to grab hold of it. Her eyes widened as he lifted her up and released the tail. Once she was low enough, he took hold of her legs and slammed her belly hard against the mat for a powerbomb, the bell ringing as his victory was official.

In Odense, Sneasel was facing a big blue whale with with four fins for hands, small beady eyes and a white belly named Wailord. He had currently placed the cat on his blowhole as she hissed furiously, trying to get off only to be blasted into the air as the whale shouted, “WATER SPOUT PILEDRIVER!”

But just as he managed to reach her height, the cat smirked and flipped backwards. The whale gasped as she managed to shift herself behind him, planting the claws on her hands into the sides of his head and the ones on her legs into his waist.

She then flipped backwards like a wheel and shouted, “YARN BALL!” planting his face hard against the mat as her victory was official. The cat rose her arms in the air as the crowd cheered wildly.

In Bern, Clawitzer was up against a brown rat with big buck teeth named Raticate. Currently, he was leaping from rope to rope, striking the shrimp with his teeth each time and shouting, “HYPER FANG!”

After the fifth strike, Clawitzer could take no more as she shouted, “CRABHAMMER!” swinging her big claw into the side of his head and sending him flying into the turnbuckle.

This was more than enough to finish him off as the bell rang, a woman shouting, “And with that, Clawitzer moves on to represent Switzerland in the Hero Olympics!” the shrimp holding up her big claw with pride and thinking, 'I did it. I just hope Jackalu did the same.'

In Tokyo, Marshal was fighting a blue frog with a white scarf made of bubbles named Frogadier. Currently she had his neck trapped in place thanks to her tongue as she shouted, “TONGUE NOOSE!”

The crowd cheered as a male announcer shouted, “Frogadier is definitely the granddaughter of the mighty Greninja, alright! With her stealth and mad skills, Marshal might just lose this!”

“Says you!” the tan boy retorted as he took hold of the tongue and used all his might to lift the frog up, planting her skull into the mat. As she rose to her feet, he took full advantage of her current state as he wrapped his hands around her head for a sleeper hold. He then leapt high into the air and leaned sideways, planting the frog's head into the mat while shouting, “SLEEPER HOLD SUPLEX!”

And with that, Marshal had won the right to represent China as the crowd cheered for him. Throh and Sawk were also among the crowd giving him a standing ovation as he waved to them with a light smile and thought, 'Being good's not so bad after all.'

More and more heroes from around the globe had won their respective qualification matches as well and soon enough, hundreds were ready for the Olympics. But who would win it all? Only time would tell.

 

It had been a week since the qualification tournaments came to a close. Thus came the day when the Olympics would finally begin. All of the heroes had prepared themselves for this and there was no way they would back down.

Of course, in order for those from other countries to compete, they all had to take planes to Tokyo while those close by took the bullet train. Needless to say, there were a lot booking hotel rooms for this event, especially since some heroes had their folks taking time off work to watch the event in person. In other words, Venipede's parents were not the only ones.

Currently, everyone was assembled at the Tokyo Dome for the opening ceremony, Beedrill seated with Yuki and Nori and exclaiming, “We are at the Tokyo Dome and things could not be more exciting! Everyone has come here to see these heroes compete, and it's finally about to begin!”

“I've certainly been looking forward to this,” Nori stated, “I can't wait to see who's qualified,” Yuki nodding and adding, “Though I have no doubt in my mind that Machop is among them.”

At this time, Machop was in the back with the other heroes, getting ready while Lairon smiled and said, “I'm so proud of you, Machop. I had a feeling you'd make it this far,” the girl grinning and replying, “Yeah, and I'm gonna go even farther! Just you wait!”

She then narrowed her eyelids and asked, “You're not planning any big entrances for me, are you?” Lairon shaking his head and replying, “Oh no. This isn't a match. Just look natural and wave to the crowd, though wear this. It'll make you stand out.”

With that, he pulled out a pair of wrist bands along with a headband, all three having pictures of flames on them. The dinosaur grinned and explained, “These are the clothes your father and grandfather wore to their biggest matches.”

Machop's eyes sparkled as she placed them on, saying, “Wow, this is so cool. Thank you,” before hugging the dinosaur and adding, “Seriously, if it hadn't been for you, I probably wouldn't be here right now.”

Lairon chuckled and patted her back, replying, “Don't mention it, kid.”

With that, the dinosaur wished her the best of luck before exiting the area. After all, since he was not a participant, he had to watch from the bleachers just like everyone else.

At that moment, Machop felt a tap on her shoulder as she turned and saw a boy standing before her, saying, “Hey there, Machop. It's nice to see you after all this time,” the girl's eyes sparkling.

Standing before her was her cousin, specifically the son of Gardevoir's brother, Gallade. This boy had a green skull that resembled a gladiator helmet with a blue spike on top. The rest of him was white as he had two cape-like protrusions hanging down his back. His hips were round and his forearms were like blades with red plates attached to the edges.

“It's nice to see you too, Gallador,” Machop said with a grin as the boy nodded and added, “Glad to see we're both representing France in this tournament, but don't think for a minute I'm gonna let you walk all over me. You Machs have been enjoying victory for a while, but now it's time for a member of the Beaulieu clan to take the prize!”

“Technically, I am also a Beaulieu, but I see your point,” Machop replied as Gallador nodded and sighed, “Yeah, Dad never made it past the first event, but I intend to do just that.”

“Hey there, Machop!” came another familiar voice, this one British as the girl turned and saw Jackalu approach her along with Clawitzer, the shrimp blinking and saying, “Oh my god, you really did meet a member of the Mach family.”

“Hey there,” Machop said with a grin, “Good to see you made it too. Maybe we'll get to face off in the finals just like our daddies, eh?”

“Yeah, and I'm gonna clean your clock just like Dad cleaned your pop's,” Jackalu replied with a smirk as Gallador retorted, “Not if I claim that honour, first!”

The dog blinked as Machop chuckled and said, “This is my cousin, Gallador,” Jackalu nodding and replying, “Well, it's a pleasure to meet you,” before holding out his paw as Gallador shook it with a grin.

Clawitzer tapped her right foot and folded her arms as Jackalu nodded and said, “This here's my ally in Osaka, Clawitzer,” the shrimp nodding and saying, “Yeah, if I wasn't around, Jackalu wouldn't be nearly as good as he is now.”

“Hey, what are you saying!?” Jackalu retorted, “I'm awesome sauce!” as Clawitzer rolled her eyes and held out her smaller claw, saying, “Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you, Machop. I've always looked up to your father, and I hear you're at least as good as he was.”

Machop shook her claw and said, “I just realized something. You're Clauncher's daughter, aren't you?” the shrimp blinking and uttering, “Honestly, I'm kinda surprised you're the first one to notice that right away. For some reason, my big claw gives people a different impression.”

“Guess Torchic's got some good competition for the American side, eh?” Machop asked as Jackalu replied, “No, she's from Switzerland,” Clawitzer nodding and sighing, “I could have told her that myself.”

“Wait, you're Swiss?” Machop asked as the shrimp nodded and explained, “Yeah, while it's true that my mom was born and raised in Florida, she moved to Switzerland after marrying Dad. So I'm officially Swiss,” Jackalu adding, “I know that because my pop's her mom's best friend.”

Gallador grinned and said, “Well, it's awesome meeting all of you. I hope I get a chance to face at least one of you in the tournament,” the others nodding in agreement as Machop grinned, “Granted I don't beat him first.”

During this time, Garchomp was seated along with Machop's other friends who were not competing. Kelani looked around with his eyes sparkling and his mouth wide open, squealing, “Wow, this is so cool! I've never been in such a big place with so many people!”

Eiko nodded and giggled, replying, “Yeah, get used to it. You'll be coming here a lot,” Isamu shaking his head and replying, “I thought you of all people would know that might not be the case. Remember, ever since the twenty-first Hero Olympics, they've had it so every match takes place in a different location for the first couple of rounds. The Tokyo Dome is usually saved for the final match.”

“Oh yeah,” Eiko replied before sticking out her tongue, “Silly me,” Noboru chuckling and saying, “I just can't wait to see Machop. She was so happy about this.”

Isamu nodded and said, “I wouldn't be surprised if she wins the whole thing,” Eiko replying, “Yep, her grandpa was the world champion twice in a row. If anyone can pull this off, she can.”

“I don't care who wins,” Meloetta replied with a smile, “I'm just glad they're having fun with this,” Garchomp nodding and replying, “Just wait. The fighting tournament itself can get pretty dramatic depending on who's fighting.”

At that moment, Lairon joined them as the dragon grinned and said, “Welcome back, honey,” kissing him on the cheek.

“Alright, this is it, folks!” Beedrill exclaimed, “The heroes are ready, so it's finally time for the Hero Olympics opening ceremony! One-by-one, representatives of these countries will walk down the runway with the country this year's event is taking place in going last. And much like the twenty-second Hero Olympics, we will begin with France!”

“Wow, Machop's first?” Isamu asked as the crowd cheered, Machop entering the ring with a big grin on her face as she waved to the crowd.

“Wow, Machop's wearing the famous Mach family bands for this event!” Nori exclaimed, “That's certainly nothing to scoff at!” Beedrill nodding and adding, “She also looks very dignified. I don't think I need to remind you of Machoke's embarrassing entrance when he fought in the Olympics.”

Both announcers looked back to that ceremony and remembered how Machoke had forgotten his special costume that he had made for the event. As a result, he ended up borrowing the outfits from a group of female dancers who had come to perform at the event. While he did not feel so embarrassed by all the people laughing, his trainer, Aipom and Sawk, who was a Japanese representative at the time, were both humiliated beyond belief.

“OH MY GOD, YOU LOOK SO COOL!” Eiko squealed as Kelani clapped, Isamu smiling and giving the girl a thumb up.

Of course Gallador was next to her and waving to the crowd while joining them was the third French representative, a green frog named Politoed. Needless to say, the crowd was certainly excited to see what these three could do.

Next up was Ireland followed by the African countries, including Algeria. Vigoroth waved to the cheering crowd as her friends whistled for her. Along with her was a flower girl named Vileplume and a purple cat named Purrloin.

Many more came by as soon enough, the German representatives entered. Rinko had the biggest smile on her face as she happily walked down the runway along with a yellow and red fox named Delphox and a white squirrel named Pachirisu. Though one thing that really stood out was that it seemed the brunette had grown her hair out a bit as it was fairly long and in a ponytail. It seemed ever since she stopped wearing her Mantis mask, she could now risk letting her hair grow.

England soon came around as Jackalu entered and waved to the crowd along with Fraxure and a mole named Drilbur. And not too far behind was Iceland, Gyarados joined by plesiosaur named Lapras and a red and white penguin named Delibird.

Next up was America with Torchic smiling at the crowd. She was joined by a white horse with a burning mane named Ponyta and a white seagull named Wingull. And following close behind was Canada with Gigalith walking along with a blue wolf named Manectric and a blue phoenix-like bird named Altaria.

Hungary was up next with Venipede waving to the crowd, his parents giving him the same gesture. Joining him was a blue blob-like creature with a black beaver tail that had eyes named Wynaut and a purple balloon named Drifblim.

Some people were snapping photos as one exclaimed, “Hey, Wynaut, look this way!” the creature shrugging and replying, “Eh, why not?” before posing for the camera.

Next up were the Danish heroes. Walking down the runway with Sneasel was a white sea lion with a horn named Dewgong along with a green dinosaur named Larvitar.

Many others came along as well until finally, it was time for the Japanese representatives to show themselves. Marshal held a fist high into the air with a serious look on his face, Throh and Sawk applauding him along with their wives.

Joining the tan boy was Hariyama and a small steel dinosaur with big blue eyes and a helmet that resembled a skull named Aron. Lairon and Garchomp could not resist the urge to cheer for him, the small dinosaur turning to them and waving lightly.

“Is that your son?” Eiko asked as Lairon nodded and replied, “Yep. As much as I'd love to see Machop win the Olympics, I can't but support my boy.”

Garchomp nodded as Meloetta smiled and said, “That's sweet. I'm sure he greatly appreciates it.”

Soon enough, all of the heroes stopped walking around as Beedrill stated, “And there you have it, folks, all of our contestants for the Hero Olympics! With all said and done, it's time for the first event!”

Since the Hero Olympics had become more frequent as of late, people were used to the events starting after the opening ceremony, but only those who were familiar with this. Newcomers like Meloetta, Kelani and Isamu, on the other hand, did not understand this at all.

“Isn't it a little early for this?” the boy asked as Eiko shook her head and replied, “I thought so the first time I watched this, but no, this is normal. They get all the sporting events out of the way as soon as possible to narrow the number of fighters down to sixteen.”

“That must be a lot of events,” Isamu uttered as Garchomp shook her head and replied, “No, it's only three events. The final event is pretty much the ultimate test. The first two are to make sure that event doesn't get too chaotic. Trust me, I was once a part of this. That third event is brutal.”

Meloetta and Kelani were concerned now as Beedrill stated, “And as is tradition, we begin the Hero Olympics with the ultimate test of luck, Rock, Paper, Scissors!” an image of a golem named Graveler, a pile of sludge named Muk and Scyther appearing a screen, each veteran hero representing the specific item.

“Wait, they start every one of these with this?” Machop uttered as Vigoroth groaned, “This is a waste of my talents!”

Jackalu simply smirked and said, “Whatever. I'm the Rock, Paper, Scissors king,” as Clawitzer slapped her forehead and shook her head.

At that moment, the shrimp was handed three signs along with a few other heroes as Beedrill explained, “As we all know, some heroes are incapable or more than just one or two of these items due to how their hands are designed, thus we will provide them with signs representing said items. So if you pick rock, just hold up the sign with the picture of the rock. It's that simple.”

Meloetta beamed and said, “How thoughtful,” Lairon nodding and sighing, “Back in my day, we didn't have such a luxury. Anyone without at least three fingers was out of luck. I'm glad they've added this feature.”

With that, all of the heroes were instructed to turn to the ones standing next to them as only half could advance to the next event. And sure enough, Machop and her friends all managed to win as they were more than happy to advance.

Gallador was especially thrilled as he thought, 'This is the event that got Dad. I hope you're watching, cause I'm gonna breeze through the next two events.'

With half the participants eliminated, Eiko breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Well, they all did it,” Isamu sighing, “You know, I have to admit, I was disappointed at first, but that was kind of intense.”

“With that out of the way, it's time to move onto the second event!” Beedrill exclaimed as he brought up a sign that said 'Save the Damsel in Distress'.

Everyone stared as Lairon uttered, “What's he doing bringing this back? I thought he didn't like this concept,” as Garchomp said, “Wait, look.”

Everyone else soon looked and noticed a wooden dummy that resembled a demon rise up with its arms wrapped around a young woman. However, the woman looked calm as Beedrill explained, “This was an event my father put together for the twenty-second Olympics, though quite frankly, I didn't like his version that much. His involved actual people dangling high above the ground and being dropped with a safety mat being the only thing preventing them from actually being hurt. I've decided not to go to such extremes.”

The people breathed a sigh of relief as Garchomp folded her arms and said, “Machoke was right. This guy's a much better chairman than Weedle,” as Eiko uttered, “He actually tried something like that.”

The woman blinked and whimpered, “Mister chairman, sir, I don't mean to complain, but this is really uncomfortable,” Beedrill nodding and saying, “Alright, now for those unaware, I may as well explain how this works. Two heroes will race toward the dummy. Whoever makes it first and frees the damsel from his or her captivity wins.”

“Oh, so there are men too?” one of the heroes asked as Beedrill nodded and replied, “Of course. Sure, the word damsel does refer to women, but we prefer to diversify. That means some of the people you'll have to save include children, the elderly and obese people. In short, most villains tend not to discriminate when it comes to hostages, so there you go. Heck, Machoke's damsel back in the day was the guy who owns the local aquarium.”

Many people were surprised to hear this, though this certainly sounded intriguing and, most of all, fair. Eiko blinked and uttered, “I met that guy once. He kinda scares me,” Isamu shrugging and replying, “He's a really nice guy when you actually get to know him.”

With all said and done, the first match-up was chosen as Venipede was up against Vileplume. The flower girl grinned menacingly at him as Beedrill stated, “Heroes are allowed to rely on any tactics in order to win, and that includes attacking their opponents to slow them down.”

“Oh boy, I thought this was in the bag before, but not so much,” Machop uttered as Rinko shrugged and replied, “I know he can do it. Have a little faith.”

Meloetta blinked and uttered, “Why is that allowed? Isn't everyone here a hero?” as Garchomp nodded and replied, “It's to test their skills. The idea is that if they were to face a villain in these events, they would resort to the same thing. This is to make sure the heroes are actually ready for that sort of thing.”

With all said and done, Beedrill signalled the start of the race as Venipede was ready to begin. But just as he was about to take off, Vileplume unleashed a powder from her flower and exclaimed, “BLINDING SPORES!”

Venipede cried out in pain as some of it got in his eyes, thus he was unable to concentrate on the race as Vileplume raced ahead. The crowd gasped as Rinko spat, “HEY, WHAT THE HELL!? COME ON, VENIPEDE, ARE YOU GONNA LET HER GET AWAY WITH THAT!?”

“No, no I'm not!” the centipede grunted as he rolled up into a ball and raced along the ground like a wheel, shouting, “CENTIPEDE STEAMROLLER!” his shoulder blades forming and scraping against the ground thus allowing him to move even faster.

And soon enough, he managed to pass Vileplume as her eyes widened, the centipede retracting from his ball-like state once he was close enough to the statue. The woman was afraid he might accidentally hit her, but her fears were put to rest when he spread out his antennae just far enough and shouted, “VENOSHOCK!”

With that, both parts glowed green on the tips as he planted them into the dummy's shoulders. This put a hole in each of them as a mechanism activated thus forcing it to release its hold, Beedrill saying, “And with that, Venipede has won the race.”

The crowd went wild as the centipede wiped his eyes, blinking and saying, “I can see again,” Vileplume gritting her teeth and stomping her right foot against the ground before storming off.

Scolipede, however, stared in shock and uttered, “He finally mastered the Venoshock,” Attila nodding and saying, “Well, he didn't turn the whole antennae green, but yeah, he got it.”

Even so, Venipede was beyond happy as the woman bowed her head, saying, “Thank you,” the centipede bowing back before returning to the others. Rinko held him in a tight embrace and gave him a peck on the cheek, saying, “Great job out there, big boy.”

Venipede's cheeks flushed pink as Scolipede nodded and said, “I have to admit, she's actually quite pretty.”

However, this first race was only the beginning. There were still many contestants left and there was no way any of them would hold back.