Fanfiction Earth's Protectors II

With Venipede's race out of the way, the dummy he had pierced was replaced with a new one holding a different person as quite a few contestants went up. After a while, Vigoroth was called up as a big grin formed on her face, the sloth racing toward the starting line and saying, “Alright, show me who I'm gonna save today.”

The next 'damsel' was a middle-aged man in a business suit who gulped nervously and uttered, “This thing's not alive, is it?”

“Don't worry, Vigoroth will save you for sure!” Meloetta squealed as Isamu chuckled lightly and said, “You do remember that's not a real demon, right?”
However, Vigoroth's confidence only grew when she noticed who her opponent was. The hero in question was a plump white dog who resembled a cake. He had a collar made of strawberry syrup, pink fluffy hair made of frosting and a big cherry on top. His arms were also incredibly short and stubby, no one able to take his appearance seriously.

“Introducing Vigoroth's opponent, Slurpuff!” Beedrill exclaimed as Machop tried her hardest not to laugh, uttering, “Oh my god, I can't take that seriously!”

Rinko blinked and nodded, saying, “Vigoroth's got this in the bag,” as Meloetta uttered, “I hope that Slurpuff guy does his best.”

'How did this guy make it to the Olympics?' Vigoroth thought with a look of confusion, 'Maybe his opponents all laughed themselves into comas.'

Either way, she felt more than ready for this as Slurpuff looked up at her with a big smile and said in the cutest voice, “It's nice to meet you, Miss Vigoroth. Here's to a good race,” holding out his arm as many girls in the crowd stared at him with hearts in their eyes.

“OH MY GOD, HE'S ADORABLE!” one of them squealed as another added, “I just wanna run in there and pet him!” one girl sighing, “I hope he wins this race. He deserves it.”

When Slurpuff stuck his tongue out of the side of his mouth, the crowd was even more into it as some of the men could not help but be entranced. Even Machop's eye was twitching as she was having so much trouble ignoring this, Jackalu folding his arms and sighing, “He's not that cute. Come on, he's supposed to be in his teens yet he sounds like he's six.”

Clawitzer blinked and asked, “Are you jealous?” the dog retorting, “Me!? Jealous!? For what reason!?” before folding his arms and looking at Machop with fear in his eyes.

Clawitzer could see it but figured it might not be a good idea to bring it up. As such, she decided to watch the events unfold. If Vigoroth won this race, Slurpuff would not be a problem anymore.

Vigoroth shook his hand and smiled, saying, “Here's to a good race,” Meloetta nodding and saying, “At least they're both being good sports about this.”

However, Isamu was surprised to see that Eiko of all people was not entranced by Slurpuff's cuteness like everyone else. Instead, she folded her arms and said, “Big deal. Kelani's cuter,” the doberman's eyes sparkling as he asked, “You mean it, Mommy?”

“Alright, on your marks, get set, go!” Beedrill exclaimed as the two were off. And just as predicted, Slurpuff was running at an incredibly slow speed while Vigoroth could easily make it to the finish line in less than ten seconds.

But just as she was mere moments away from freeing the business man, her eyes widened when she stopped moving. Even the crowd was amazed as Slurpuff had stretched out his hair like taffy. He then pulled back and exclaimed, “FROSTING LASSO!”

Meloetta squeaked in panic as Slurpuff swung Vigoroth around over his head. The sloth tried her best to cut herself free, but all this did was get her claws stuck as she could not believe this. Until now, she thought Slurpuff's hair merely looked like frosting. She did not think for a minute that it really was made of that substance.

And soon enough, she found herself flung backwards, flying past the starting line and skidding across the ground. Her friends stared down at her then back at Slurpuff as he rammed his cherry into the dummy's forehead, causing it to release its hold on the business man. And thus the cake dog ultimately won the race as the crowd went wild.

Vigoroth rubbed her head and slowly pushed herself up, grunting, “What happened?” as Rinko uttered, “Hate to break it to you, but you just got your ass handed to you on a silver platter by that guy.”

“You probably could have worded that better,” Torchic replied as she brunette laughed nervously, Vigoroth staring in shock at Slurpuff as he shook the business man's hand with the cutest smile anyone had ever seen.

Garchomp stared and uttered, “Wow, that kid's surprisingly tough,” Lairon nodding and saying, “Yeah, the others had better look out for him. He's not to be taken lightly.”

With all said and done, Vigoroth let out a sigh and dusted herself off, saying, “Oh well. I lost. Honestly, I'm just happy I got a chance at this,” before slugging Torchic on the shoulder and saying, “Now, don't you lose as well, eh?”

“Of course,” the chicken replied with a grin, “I have no intention of losing.”

Coincidentally, right after she said this, she was the next one called up. Her opponent was a white spherical monkey with messy fur and a pig snout named Mankey.

Both stood by the starting line as Beedrill stated, “Torchic is quite motivated to win this! After all, her mother, Blaziken, failed in this round after sacrificing her victory to save a life! Needless to say, Torchic wants that shot at the championship that her mother never got!”

“Wow, I never knew this was so personal to her,” Meloetta uttered as Lairon nodded and said, “I'll tell you all about that when all the events are done. It's actually an incredible story.”

With that, the race began as Torchic sprinted forward, the damsel this time around being an elderly woman. However, the chicken was shocked when Mankey leapt toward her and planted his feet into the back of her head, shouting, “EAT DIRT!” planting her face into the ground.

There was no way Torchic would let him win as she growled and used her beak to lift herself up. She then propelled herself toward Mankey's back with her talons on fire and shouted, “BLAZE KICK!” sending them hard into that very spot.

Mankey's eyes widened as he fell forward, his face hitting the ground hard. Thus the chicken sent a burning roundhouse into the dummy's skull, saving the elderly woman's life as the crowd cheered, her victory official.

The elderly woman breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Thank you so very much, Miss Torchic. That thing was very uncomfortable.”

After a few more races, Jackalu was up. He shot Machop a grin and a wink as the girl blinked and gave him a thumb up, Clawitzer folding her arms and thinking, 'I knew it.'

His opponent was a pale purple scorpion with two pincers on his tail as opposed to a stinger. With two claws on his round hands, his name was Skorupi.

Before the race could begin, Jackalu rose his arms in the air and exclaimed, “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS, OLD PEOPLE AND, um, EVEN OLDER PEOPLE!”

“Oh no!” Clawitzer groaned as she slapped her forehead, Machop blinking as the dog continued, “Watch and be amazed as I, the mighty Jackalu, son of Lucario, expertly win this race against such a worthy opponent!” Skorupi staring at him and uttering, “What?”

“It is with these mighty feet that I will race my way into first and save this fair damsel in distress!” Jackalu continued until he noticed his 'damsel' was a man with a pretty big belly, tattered clothes and flies buzzing around him due to a big cloud of stench coming from him.

Jackalu's eye twitched as Beedrill asked, “Something wrong?” the dog shaking his head and clearing his throat, but just as he was about to continue his speech, one audience member spat, “JUST START THE RACE ALREADY!”

“Eager to see me win, eh!?” Jackalu replied with a slight look of irritation in his eyes, Clawitzer slapping her claws against her face and shaking her head.

“Is this normal?” Machop asked as the shrimp sighed, “Unfortunately,” the others not sure whether to be as surprised as Machop or not. On one hand, he did display some impressive skills when they met him, but on the other hand, he did not seem nearly as serious or intimidating as Lucario.

Eiko stared in confusion and uttered, “That's the son of Lucario?” Isamu shrugging and replying, “Going by the photos I've seen, he does look like him.”

“Well, yeah, but Lucario was always threatening and cool,” Eiko replied, “This guy just seems like an idiot,” Kelani staring at her as she gasped and squeaked, “Never, ever call anyone that!”

With that, Jackalu was finally ready to begin as Skorupi smirked and said, “I'm gonna enjoy making you eat your words,” the dog frowning while thinking, 'No, I have to win this, not just for my family's pride but, goddammit, I'm going to impress Machop!'

With that, Beedrill signalled the start of the race as Jackalu raced forward, sprinting far ahead of Skorupi. However, he found himself distracted when he took a good look at his 'damsel' again, thinking, 'I can smell him from here! Damn my strong nose!'

Seeing the dog slow down, Skorupi saw a perfect opportunity as he leapt toward his back and exclaimed, “CROSS POISON!” his claws glowing violet as he was about to slash that very spot.

But just as he was seconds away from landing the attack, Clawitzer snapped, “HEY, JACKALU, BEHIND YOU!” the dog gasping and dodging to the side just in time as Skorupi threw his arms downward in an X formation.

The scorpion's eyes widened as Jackalu's paw had a transparent orb around it. With that, he exclaimed, “FORCE PALM!” sending it hard into Skorupi's cheek, sending him flying out of bounds as Beedrill exclaimed, “And Jackalu no longer has any competition!”

Once the dog was close enough to the dummy, he leapt gracefully toward it, setting up a flying kick. However, the odour coming from the hostage was too much to bear as he held onto his nose, his body shifting backwards until he was upside-down, the back of his head ramming into the dummy's face.

Luckily, since this still counted as hitting the dummy, this was enough to get it to release its hold as the crowd cheered for the dog. Lucario blinked and rose to his feet as the smelly man smiled and said, “Thanks, man. That was painful as hell,” before walking off and picking a splinter out of his shoulder.

Hearing the people's cheers, Jackalu suddenly forgot all about the horrible smell as he smiled wide and exclaimed, “AS YOU CAN SEE, I HAVE TRIUMPHED!” striking a cool pose as Machop shrugged and said, “Well, he did it.”

But just as the audience was starting to gain respect for the dog, he proceeded to pull out his dog biscuits as Clawitzer groaned, “Oh, come on! Don't do it!”

Unfortunately, she could not stop him in time as he started to dance while twirling the biscuits, singing, “When I wake up in the morning, I feel so sad! I get this impression that my day will be bad! But then I try a Biscrok, the greatest thing, a bone that you can crunch, makes me wanna sing!”

“What the hell is he doing?” Torchic uttered as Rinko asked, “What am I watching?”

“If you're feeling down and need to lose that frown,” Jackalu continued, “try a Biscrok, it's biscuit-licious!”

Everyone stared in stunned silence including Beedrill as he uttered, “That's great. Can you get off the runway so I can announce the next two contestants?”

“Oh, of course,” Jackalu replied with a light bow, “Pardon me, good sir,” making his way back to the others as Meloetta smiled and said, “I thought it was catchy,” the others face-palming.

Kelani, meanwhile, blinked and asked, “Can I have a Biscrok?” as Eiko giggled and replied, “Sure.”

“You may have to ask Jackalu for some,” Isamu replied, “I don't think they sell that brand here.”

Soon enough, Gyarados was up as her opponent was a blue otter with a red nose named Dewott. He smirked at the serpent and said, “You may be tougher than me, but you're probably nowhere near as fast,” before noticing her head start to expand slightly.

The otter rubbed his eyes and thought, 'I must have imagined that,' before turning toward the damsel, who was a small child acting as if being in the arms of a 'demon' was the coolest thing ever.

Beedrill then signalled the start of the race as Dewott sprinted off. However, everyone gasped when Gyarados did not even move, Machop uttering, “Hey, Gyarados, what are you doing?”

All became clear as she spewed out a blast of water, forming a flat slide as she leapt onto it. It then pulled her toward the finish line much faster than Dewott was moving as she held her arm out, shouting, “WATER SLIDE HOOK!”

The otter's eyes and mouth were wide open as he took the arm to the back of his neck, falling flat on his face. And once Gyarados was close enough, she leapt off the water and planted her tail into the dummy's forehead, causing it to let go of the child.

His eyes sparkled as he had a wide smile on his face, squealing, “Oh my gosh, I was rescued from the clutches of evil! That's so cool!” Gyarados sighing, “Just don't let any real demons kidnap you, okay?”

Next up were Gallador and Marshal, the tan boy asking, “Hey, you're Machop's cousin, right?”

“Yeah,” the white boy replied as Marshal bowed his head and said, “Machop's pretty amazing. She helped me see the light. I hope I get to face her.”

“Well, we'll see about that,” Gallador replied with a smirk as Beedrill signalled the start of the race, both heroes taking off.

Gallador was much faster than the tan fighter and thus he easily made it to the finish line first, shouting, “PSYCHO CUT!” and swinging his right arm sideways, chopping off the dummy's head thus winning himself the race.

Marshal let out a sigh as he reached the finish line shortly after, holding up his hand and saying, “I have to say, I definitely can't match speed like that,” Gallador nodding and shaking his hand. Needless to say, Meloetta was pleased to see at least two heroes not resort to violence in order to win.

Unfortunately, the same happened to Gigalith, who was easily outrun by Delphox. Once she reached the finish line, she lit her hand on fire and sent a light jab into the dummy's forehead, putting a slit there thus causing it to release the person it was holding.

The golem slowly walked away from the area with his head down as Sneasel gave him a thumb up, saying, “Hey, you did your best, man! Don't worry, I'll win this for the both of us!”

Ironically, Sneasel just happened to be the next one as her opponent was Pachirisu. The squirrel smirked at her and said, “Today, the rodent defeats the cat.”

“You know dogs are the ones who generally oppose squirrels, right?” Sneasel remarked as Beedrill signalled the start of the race, Pachirisu sprinting forward and shouting, “SWIFT LIGHTNING!”

As a result, electricity surrounded his body as he picked up the pace. However, Sneasel was not about to let him win as she went down on all fours, her ear feather glowing as she spat, “FEATHER SWORD!”

Pachirisu figured this was but an empty threat as he knew the cat would have to catch up with him for this to finish him off. His eyes widened when not only did Sneasel managed to do just that, she also slashed him on the side but did not put too much forced into it. After all, she was a hero now and thus she did not wish to injure another member of that profession so horribly.

Even so, with blood trickling from his side, Pachirisu could not help but end his run as he gritted his teeth, growling, “Damn you!” the cat leaping at the dummy and putting multiple scratches into its head thus freeing a teenaged girl.

Next up was Clawitzer going up against Aron. Lairon and Garchomp both cheered for him as even Machop wanted to see what he could do.

Aron glanced up at Clawitzer and held up his arm, saying, “Here's to a good race,” the shrimp nodding and shaking it, adding, “Likewise.”

With that, the race started up as Jackalu exclaimed, “COME ON, CLAWITZER, SHOW THAT DINKY DINO WHO'S BOSS!”

“Hey, that's my teacher's son!” Machop snapped as the dog blinked and shouted, “NEVER MIND!”

Despite his best efforts, Aron was unable to keep up with Clawitzer. Thus the shrimp won with ease, shouting, “CRABHAMMER!” and ramming her big claw hard into the dummy's head.

Soon enough, Rinko was up as her opponent was Drilbur. The mole smirked at her and said, “So you're the famous human with the might of a hero. I gotta say, it's quite the honour.”

Rinko bowed her head and replied, “Danke,” only for the mole to smirk and add, “An honour to beat you. It may not be in the ring, but a win's a win.”

The brunette frowned as Venipede spat, “Don't let him get to you! You're awesome!” as she thought, 'Yeah, I know I can beat this guy,' a light smile on her face as the race began.

Rinko sprinted forward only for Drilbur to dig into the ground, rising up with his head sticking up. The reason he chose to go this route instead of staying underground was soon revealed as he exclaimed, “MUD SLAP!” swinging his claws hard enough to send the dirt toward Rinko's face.

Seeing this, Rinko folded her arms and exclaimed, “ARM SCHWERT!” using said parts to knock the dirt away from her. She may not have been unable to cut it in half like Scyther would have, but her arms were more than strong enough to repel this.

With that in mind, she performed a somersault toward Drilbur and propelled herself into the air when she felt she was close enough. She then planted her foot hard into his skull with an axe kick as he gritted his teeth, his eyes spinning as a big lump formed on that very spot.

With the mole no longer able to move, Rinko made her way to the finish line as she sent a roundhouse into the dummy's side. Thus her damsel, a homeless man who had snuck into the Tokyo Dome, was free as he looked back and forth awkwardly and fled from the area.

Rinko held her arm in the air as the crowd cheered wildly, Meloetta clapping and squealing, “YEAH, YOU TAUGHT THAT MOLE A LESSON!”

Everyone stared in shock as she whimpered, “Well, he was shooting dirt clods at her. He deserved it,” Kelani smiling until Eiko said, “If a bully ever picks on you, don't fight back. That's what they want.”

And soon enough, Machop was up as Jackalu gave her a round of applause, shouting, “Yeah, you rule, Machop! Win this!” as he pulled out his biscuits one more only for Clawitzer to conk him over the head, grumbling, “We already endured it once this chapter!”

Of course, the others joined in as Torchic exclaimed, “You're the last one up, Machop! Make this an event for the ages!” the girl nodding with a smile.

'Yes, show me more of your miracles,' Isamu thought as Eiko, Noboru and Hana gave her all the encouragement they could muster.

Her opponent was Manectric, the wolf glaring at her and saying, “I don't care if you're the daughter of Machoke. I'm still going to win this,” as Machop blinked and uttered, “Geez, you act like this is life or death or something.”

“Alright, folks, this is the final race!” Beedrill exclaimed, “Once this is over, we can move onto the final event of the day! With that, let us begin!”

With that, the two sprinted toward the finish line where a girl was bound and looking beyond uncomfortable. Seeing Machop surprisingly keeping pace, Manectric knelt down on all fours as electricity formed on his forehead, the wolf picking up the pace and shouting, “WILD CHARGE!”

The crowd gasped as Machop's eyes widened, the girl thinking, 'How can I possibly-?' only to lose her footing as she tripped and flew forward.

All went silent as she wound up flying over Manectric, landing on his back as his run came to a halt. His eyes and mouth were wide open as he found himself crushed under the girl's weight, despite her not weighing nearly as much as Machoke and Machamp did in their prime.

The girl sat there and blinked, uttering, “What just happened?” until Torchic snapped, “HEY, MACHOP, FINISH THE RACE!”

“Oh, right,” the girl said with a nod before rising up and sprinting toward the dummy. However, Manectric rose to his feet as he growled, “I don't think so!” leaping toward her and latching onto her back.

The crowd gasped as he shouted, “THUNDER FANG!” electricity coursing through his fangs as he pierced her shoulder with them.

The girl cried out in intense pain as the damsel blinked and uttered, “Um, you do know this isn't a match, right?”

However, Manectric ignored the words, fully intending to knock Machop out as Beedrill uttered, “I'm sure he'll remember to finish this race eventually.”

“HEY, ARE YOU GONNA TAKE THAT!?” Gallador spat as Rinko barked, “Yeah, come on! Fight it!”

“That's right!” Jackalu exclaimed, “He's clearly forgotten the point of this event! Use that to your advantage!”

With that in mind, Machop nodded with a fierce look in her eyes. She then lifted her hands and took hold of the sides of Manectric's head. His eyes widened as she managed to lift him up with his fangs still in her shoulder. She then leaned backwards and planted his chin into the ground thus causing him to release his hold.

The girl breathed heavily as she slowly made her way toward the dummy, sending a light karate chop into its shoulder. This was just enough to get it to release its hold as Machop weakly rose her arm into the air, the crowd going wild.

“And there you have it, folks!” Beedrill exclaimed, “The remaining participants for the final event have been chosen!”

“WAY TO GO, MACHOP!” Eiko squealed as Kelani applauded her, Isamu folding his arms and sighing, “Even when she's in a foot race, it's still a close call.”

Noboru took a deep breath and said, “Well, if you ask me, that Manectric was a poor sport,” Meloetta nodding and adding, “I agree. He had that coming.”

“If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were okay with the idea of fighting to get better results,” Isamu replied as the green-haired girl's cheeks flushed pink from embarrassment.

Either way, Machop was glad to advance as she slowly hobbled her way back to her friends. All of them gave her a group hug as Jackalu grinned and gave her a thumb up. He really hoped that she would be among the top sixteen to advance to the fighting tournament as he wanted to face her more than anyone else.

 

With all said and done, it was finally time for the last event. While not all of Machop's friends had made it, most of them had and all of them hoped to make it to the fighting tournament.

“Well, folks, this is it!” Beedrill exclaimed, “Those first two events were leading up to this, the final event, the one that will decide our finalists! There's still well over a hundred of you right now, but only sixteen of you will make it to the main event, the fighting tournament!”

Needless to say, the heroes were pumped and ready for this as the wasp added, “Before we begin this, a change of location is in order. Thus various buses will be set up outside to transport all of you there.”

The crowd was rather confused by this but figured they may as well go with it, Lairon saying, “They did the same thing for us. I wonder if it's gonna be a race through a forest again,” Garchomp nodding and adding, “So far, this has been very similar to when we competed.”

“Really?” Eiko asked as Lairon nodded and replied, “Yep, we had to undergo these exact same events, though as the chairman said, a slight alteration was made to that last one.”

Torchic smirked and said, “I'm looking forward to this,” Venipede nodding and adding, “Yeah, I never thought I'd say this, but bring on the final event.”

Rinko grinned and patted him on the shoulder, saying, “I'm really proud of you, Venipede. It's hard to believe you used to be so scared of combat,” the centipede nodding and replying, “I have you to thank for that. You really helped me overcome my fears.”

Jackalu walked over to Machop and slugged her on the shoulder as she winced, clutching onto said spot as he gasped, “Sorry about that!” the girl sighing, “No, it's okay. I can tough it out,” Clawitzer slapping her forehead. She dared not mess with Jackalu's romantic life, but even so, watching him be this awkward was painful.

“Anyway, you were amazing back there,” the dog said with a grin, “Seriously, that Manectric was such a poor sport. You clearly had him beaten and he just couldn't accept it. The way you managed to overpower his electricity was a thing of beauty.”

“Well, in all honesty, you kinda helped with that,” Machop replied with a grin, “Believe you me, I wasn't much of a fighter before I started getting help. The only reason I got as far as I have is because of my trainer's advice.”

“Oh yeah, your pop and his pop had their own trainers, right?” Jackalu asked, “Who's yours?” Machop replying, “That guy, right over there,” pointing at Lairon who was currently headed toward the exit along with the others.

Jackalu nodded and said, “Well, best of luck in the final event,” Machop nodding and replying, “I don't need luck,” before wincing and uttering, “Though I definitely need the rest. That bus ride is a blessing.”

With all said and done, the heroes assembled outside where twenty big buses were lined up. Needless to say, Beedrill was more than prepared for this.

Vigoroth and Meloetta were headed to the same bus as the others while the sloth gave them her right claw up. She may have lost but that did not mean she would not support her friends during all of this.

Everyone was soon on a bus as Machop sat behind Gyarados, tapping her on the shoulder as the serpent turned to her with a grin and said, “Hey there. Good job winning that race,” the girl replying, “Thanks. You were awesome too.”

Jackalu was just about to take a seat next to Machop when Torchic sat in that spot instead, the dog's ears dropping as Clawitzer sighed, “Come on, you can sit with me right here,” pointing at the seat across from Machop's.

Jackalu grinned and said, “As long as I'm close to her,” both taking a seat as the dog waved at Machop.

The ride went by rather quickly as after a half-hour, everyone was assembled at the location of the final event. Though the group was unsure what to think when they noticed this spot was at a local beach.

“Wow!” Jackalu exclaimed with his eyes sparkling, “I hope it's a swimming race! We're both so good at it, eh, Clawitzer?” the shrimp nodding and replying, “Yeah, I'd be cool with that.”

However, Jackalu rose an eyebrow when Machop groaned, “Please don't be a swimming race. My family is horrible at swimming,” as the dog growled, “If that Beedrill chooses swimming, I'll knock his block off, I will!”

Clawitzer slapped her forehead and sighed, “You know, pretending to agree with her isn't going to win her over,” Jackalu remarking, “What do you know? You've never taken interest in dating.”

Even Torchic was not too keen on a swimming race as Beedrill said, “Something worth note is that the final event leading up the tournament is always a big race with the first sixteen to cross the finish line qualifying. As such, we will have a marathon spanning across a good chunk of this ocean all the way back here!”

All went silent as Machop groaned, “Oh, goddammit! There's no way I can win this!” only for her fear to leave her when Beedrill pressed a button as a big metal race track rose up from under the water with two ramps right next to each other, each linked to a different path.

“This will be the path that you will follow,” Beedrill explained, “You will begin the race on the right ramp. Once you're far enough across the ocean, you will find an area where the path turns around, thus the race will end when you return to the beach and run down the left ramp.”

“Oh, so the right one is the starting line and the left one is the finish line,” Jackalu said as Clawitzer nodded and replied, “That's pretty much what he just said.”

With all said and done, all of the heroes still participating lined up as Slurpuff looked around with a big smile, saying, “Wow, I have to admit, I'm a little nervous going up against all these amazing heroes,” the crowd once again entranced by how naive and innocent he seemed.

However, Jackalu did not buy it for a minute as he narrowed his eyelids and thought, 'Alright, I'm gonna make sure that little cream puff doesn't make it. There's just something alarming about that guy and I can't put my finger on it.'

Machop felt especially prepared, not realizing just how difficult things would get for her. As it so happened, two particular heroes were whispering about a plan to keep her from winning.

“That Mach family has been soaking up glory in these tournaments for far too long,” a white cat with a coin on his forehead and whiskers like that of a catfish named Meowth grumbled as a yellow flower bud with a stem for a body and leaves for arms named Bellsprout replied, “Yeah, but don't worry. We'll take her out, but not too early.”

“What do you mean?” the cat replied as Bellsprout explained, “You see, if we try our plan too soon, she could find a way to get out and make her way into first place. But if we initiate our tactic somewhere around the halfway point, she won't have enough time to get back into the top sixteen. Caphiche?”

Meowth tapped his chin and nodded, replying, “You're right. We'll make sure not to get ahead of her until that moment. We are geniuses!”

With that, the two gave each other a high five as Beedrill asked, “Is everyone in position?” the heroes all bending down on one knee each to ready themselves.

The wasp nodded at this and exclaimed, “On your marks, get set, go!” as all of the heroes sprinted forward and started the race. However, little did they know this was not going to be as simple as using their abilities to stop their opponents from winning.

This was made clear when the heroes all came to their first obstacle within the first couple of minutes. Before them was a steep slope that looked near impossible to climb with a sign next to it saying 'No flying. Anyone who tries will be disqualified.'

Most of the heroes stared in stunned silence at the sight of this as one asked, “How the hell are we supposed to get up there?” one with wings growling, “Dammit! If only there wasn't that stupid rule!”

However, Slurpuff smiled at the sight of this and said, “Hey, this looks like fun,” before launching his cherry off of his head, shouting, “CHERRY BOMB!”

Everyone stared as the fruit landed onto the path above the slope, its juices forming what looked like a rope. Slurpuff then took hold of it as it rose up like a grappling hook and carried him with it, the cake dog squealing, “WHEE!”

Seeing this on a big monitor, the girls in the audience had hearts in their eyes as one squealed, “Oh my god, I hope he places first!” another saying, “He totally deserves it after coming up with such a clever tactic.”

However, it seemed that the cake dog getting up as easily as he did motivated the other heroes to try harder as many tried their own tactics. Some were fast enough to run up the slope, including Torchic who lit her toes on fire in order to make it easier to latch her talons onto the surface.

Jackalu, meanwhile, was not about to let Slurpuff upstage him as he smirked, saying, “That little cupcake may think he's so clever, but his method was too slow. Feast your eyes on this, audience!” giving a camera with a propeller a peace sign and crouching down before leaping as high as he possibly could.

Many members of the crowd were impressed as he just barely managed to jump high enough to reach the top. But just as he was about to pose some more for the camera, he suddenly realized his heels were over the edge as he started to fall back, spreading out his arms and swinging them around. Luckily, he managed to regain his balance as he breathed a sigh of relief and took off.

Clawitzer was easily able to make it up thanks to her claws while even Machop made it using an approach similar to Jackalu's. But since she could not jump as high as him, she wound up having to jump twice to make it to the top. And Meowth and Bellsprout were not far behind as the cat used his claws to make small holes in the slope for leverage while the bud clung to his back.

Rinko had quite a bit of trouble, what with her being a human as she attempted to climb only to slide down. But just as she was about to give up, Venipede knelt down on his arms and legs and said, “Hop on my back and use me like a circus ball.”

“Wait, what!?” Rinko remarked as the centipede said, “Look, I don't want to see you lose this race. As such, I say we work together so we can both make it to the tournament.”

Light tears formed as a big smile formed, the brunette saying, “You're the best,” before doing just as instructed. Thus Venipede rolled up into a ball and exclaimed, “CENTIPEDE STEAMROLLER!” his shoulder blades forming as he used them to roll up the slope while Rinko ran along him just like a clown in a circus.

Once the duo reached the top, Rinko leapt off of Venipede as he retracted from his ball-like state. Thus the two gave each other a high five and advanced forward together.

“Would you look at that!?” Beedrill exclaimed while watching this on the monitor, “Even though they're competing, they're still willing to work together to make it through the race!” Meloetta smiling sweetly while even Eiko could not help but say, “That's so sweet.”

During this time, Slurpuff was still far ahead. However, because his running speed was incredibly slow, quite a few heroes had eventually managed to keep up with him. Two dinosaurs with rabbit ears, one blue and one purple ran next to him and nodded at one-another. These two were brother and sister and their names were Nidorino and Nidorina respectively. Nidorino had a horn atop his thin, pointy head while Nidorina did not have one on her more rounded head.

“You got lucky when you went up against Vigoroth, but we're not gonna be so easy, right, sis?” Nidorino asked as the blue dinosaur nodded and growled, “Come on, ram him!”

But just as they were about to send their elbows into Slurpuff's sides, he had a big smile on his face as he said, “That's not very nice.”

With that, the sides of his frosting hair stretched out with each one trapping a sibling in place. He then stood on the tips of his toes and started to twirl like a ballerina, squealing, “FROSTING MERRY-GO-ROUND!”

The dinosaurs found themselves unable to free themselves as Slurpuff sent them flying into two other heroes. Nidorino hit a green snake with leaf hands named Servine while Nidorina knocked down a yellow cat named Abra, all four heroes now unable to get up as their eyes swirled.

Since Slurpuff's expression had not changed in the slightest, most members of the crowd were happy to see him do this as Meloetta whimpered, “I hope those guys get medical attention,” Isamu nodding and saying, “Yeah, that looked surprisingly brutal for cake frosting.”

At that moment, Jackalu passed by when he noticed the four heroes in a heap, his eyes wide open as he thought, 'Did that little bugger actually do all that? My god, now I really can't allow him to make the top sixteen!'

But just as he was about to catch up with the cake dog, his eyes widened when a green boulder rammed into his back. Thus he coughed up a bit of blood and fell flat on his face when the owner detracted, revealing himself to be a tortoise while the boulder was actually his shell.

“Oh, you are gonna pay for that!” Jackalu growled as he slowly rose to his feet only for six other heroes to pass him, including Sneasel.

The cat was just about to close in on Slurpuff when he heard her coming. As such, he leapt into the air and performed a vertical flip. Sneasel blinked before noticing the cake dog inhale air thus slowing down his descent. However, it seemed there was more to it as he aimed his skull toward her and launched his cherry toward her, shouting, “CHERRY BOMB!”

When the cherry made contact with Sneasel's gut, her eyes widened as this caused her to cough up blood. She could not believe it. How could a cherry be this strong?

Either way, this not only sent her back but also careening over the edge of the path. As such, she was officially disqualified from continuing the race as a small rescue boat was sent to her location. Needless to say, Slurpuff could no longer be taken lightly.

Seeing this on the monitor, Isamu gulped and uttered, “Oh god, that guy actually kinda scares me now,” Eiko nodding and replying, “Me too. Everyone's so entranced by him and his cuteness, but he rubs me the wrong way.”

“Do I rub you the wrong way?” Kelani asked as the pink-haired girl gave him a hug and squealed, “Of course you don't!”

During this time, Machop had made her way into sixteenth as she smirked and thought, 'Good, if I can keep this up, winning will be easy,' Bellsprout and Meowth still hot on her trail as the cat grumbled, “This lingering in the back thing is starting to annoy me. We could be in the top sixteen right now.”

Bellsprout nodded and remarked, “True, but then we leave ourselves open for anyone to pass us. Right now, we are in the best spot, not in the top sixteen but still close enough that by the time we get to the second half, we can blast our way into first and no one will be able to stop us.”

All the while, Gallador was doing a good job as well until a humanoid trash heap with a green garbage bag for a head and pipes for fingers named Garbodor ran behind him. He had a look of fury in his eyes as he thought, 'I'll avenge you, Dad! I'll make this bastard pay for what his family did to you during the three-legged race!'

He looked back to a story his father, a small garbage bag named Trubbish, told him of a time when he was minding his own business, doing a relatively good job in the three-legged race. But just as things looked good for him, a certain green fighter used one of his arm blades to slash him open and knock him out cold.

Of course, the reality was that Trubbish attacked first, but there was no way he would tell his son that. If anything, he wanted to give the trash heap motivation to take down a member of Gallade's family if ever given the chance.

'You may have suffered injustice,' Garbodor thought, 'but I'm going to make sure Gallador pays for what his dad did!'

“GUNK SHOT!” he exclaimed as he pointed his fingers toward Gallador and fired three mounds of trash out of them.

The white boy detected this and quickly leapt over it, sending a roundhouse backward into the trash heap's face. This caused Garbodor to back up with a look of fury. But just as he was about to get his revenge, he noticed Gallador had already run ahead of him as he blinked and gasped, “Oh, right, the race!”

With that, he carried on as three other heroes ran his way only to step on the trash he had fired earlier and slip on it. One of them, Purrloin to be exact, wound up spraining her ankle and thus was unable to continue.

Rinko and Venipede, meanwhile, were doing a fairly good job keeping up with the competition. However, that would all change when another duo appeared behind them. One was an indigo turtle with wing-like ears and a long furry tail named Wartortle. The other was a cyborg with three perfectly round heads with one eye each and a magnet on each side named Magneton.

“So, what's the plan?” Wartortle asked as Magneton's heads closed their eyes and nodded before the right one replied, “Those two may be a good duo, but we can easily take them out of the race. Initiate tactic three-hundred-and-seventy-one, but make sure your part of the tactic is aimed at Venipede. He'll take an extra hit to defeat for sure.”

With that, Wartortle leapt onto their back as all three heads positioned their magnets backwards, shouting, “SONIC BOOM!” releasing magnetic shock waves thus launching themselves toward the duo with their arms out.

Wartortle leapt off of his head and flipped around, her tail glowing as she aimed it for the back of Venipede's head, shouting, “AQUA TAIL!”

However, Rinko detected this as she turned to Venipede, saying, “Follow my lead. We're being attacked.”

With that, Rinko leapt backward toward Magneton and sent a back kick into their midsection as their eyes widened. They could not believe it, but this one kick from a human was strong enough to halt their speed boost, something that usually took a great deal of muscle and force to pull off.

As if that was not enough, Venipede had also managed to counter Wartortle by pressing the tips of his antennae together and shouting, “VENOSHOCK!” sending them into her tail.

The turtle cried out in pain as said antennae had managed to pass right through it thus creating two small holes. But it did not end there as Venipede flung her into Magneton, both now unconscious thus leaving them unable to continue the race.

Rinko and Venipede gave each other a high five as the centipede said, “That did slow us down a bit. How long do you think you can stay balanced on me when I'm rolling?” Rinko grinning and replying, “Trust me, I could keep that up all day if I have to.”

With that in mind, Venipede rolled up into a ball as Rinko leapt onto his back, running along him as he rolled forward like a circus ball. Since he always moved considerably faster in this state, this would undoubtedly make things much easier.

Torchic was having a bit of trouble of her own as Politoed was keeping up with her, lashing out her tongue in an attempt to grab her. However, the chicken easily leapt over this and descended diagonally toward her, planting her feet into the side of her head thus knocking her down.

And soon enough, the heroes had finally gotten close to the halfway point. Thus Meowth smirked at Bellsprout who folded the tip of his arm to make it look like he was holding a thumb up. Whatever they had planned, Machop would need to be ready if she was to avoid falling victim to it.

 

Machop had gone from sixteenth all the way to tenth place as she reached the second half of the race. At this point, the path made a big U-turn so the heroes could return to shore.

Unfortunately, it seemed as if the girl might not have it so easy as Meowth and Bellsprout had managed to keep up with her. Thus they were more than ready to take away her advantage as the bud nodded at the cat, leaping atop his shoulders. Meowth then used his paws to bind him place before reeling him back and flinging him toward Machop.

The girl was completely unprepared as Bellsprout exclaimed, “RAZOR LEAF!” striking the back of her neck as she coughed up blood. With her distracted, Meowth leapt at her as his coin glowed, conjuring up multiple copies that danced around him in midair.

Before Machop could retaliate to the blow to her neck, Meowth was close enough for the coins to buffet her back as he shouted, “PAY DAY!” multiple bruises forming in that very spot.

However, to top it all off, Bellsprout proceeded to whip out two vines from his armpits as he bound the girl in place, shouting, “VINE PRISON!” pressing the edges of his arms up against the end of the vines and cutting them open.

With that, Meowth quickly tied the ends together into a knot as he grinned and said, “There we go. She ain't going anywhere,” he and Bellsprout sharing a high five before racing forward.

Seeing this on the screen, Isamu stood up and exclaimed, “MACHOP, GET OUT OF THAT!” as Noboru uttered, “Son, she can't hear you from all the way out there.”

Eiko bit her lower lip as quite a few heroes passed Machop, and this continued until she wound up in twenty-third. That number would only go up as Kelani asked, “Can she get out of that?”

During this time, Jackalu had finally caught up with Slurpuff only to notice the turtle who had run him over earlier, namely Golem, gaining on the cake dog. However, Slurpuff detected this easily as his hair scrunched together into a big ball before lowering behind him and forming what looked like a river of frosting.

And sure enough, the turtle rolled into it, retracting from his shell and grunting, “What is this!?” only for Slurpuff to smile and say, “Oh, sorry, I should really clean up my mess.”

With that in mind, he shifted his head forward as Golem was sent flying into the air. Slurpuff then proceeded to leap up to his level before he could tuck himself into his shell, using the sides of his hair as arms to bind his wrists in place. The cake dog then proceeded to form a rope with the top of his hair that stretched up to Golem's head, wrapping itself around his neck.

Jackalu stared in stunned silence as Slurpuff leaned backward and exclaimed, “FROSTING MALLET!” slamming the turtle's head hard against the surface as his eyes rolled back to the head, causing him to pass out.

'Alright, I don't care how tough that cream puff is,' Jackalu thought with a look of fury, 'I'm gonna take him down!'

However, he was rudely interrupted when a large creature made up of blue vines named Tangrowth wrapped his arms around him, saying, “I'll go down in history as the first one to prevent a member of the Adair family from making it to the tournament.”

“I don't think so, pal!” Jackalu retorted as he leaned his head forward before sending it back into the area just below Tangrowth's face.

This caused the creature to release his hold as Jackalu send a back kick into his midsection to distract him further. With that out of the way, he formed a sphere around each of his paws before shouting, “DOUBLE FORCE PALM!” sending both paws hard into Tangrowth's face.

With that, Tangrowth's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fell hard on his back, no longer able to continue. Jackalu then took a deep breath and said, “God, you are annoying,” Venipede and Rinko passed him thus causing him to realize he had just gone from second place to sixth.

However, just as he was about to advance further, Meowth and Bellsprout had caught up as the cat exclaimed, “This is great! There's no way Machop can win now!” the dog's eyes widening as he thought, 'What happened to Machop!?'

With that in mind, he turned when Clawitzer ran by and noticed him, asking, “What are you doing!?” only for Jackalu to retort, “Go on! I got something I need to take care of! Though make sure the bud and the cat don't make it to the finish line!”

The audience could not believe what they were seeing on the monitor right now as Beedrill enquired, “What is Jackalu doing? That's not the way to the finish line!”

Clawitzer found this odd, but chose to honour his request. While Jackalu was not exactly the most intelligent hero, his heart was often in the right place, so the shrimp figured he must have had a good reason for this.

With that in mind, she sprinted toward Bellsprout and Meowth as the two were too caught up in their own gloating to notice. And once close enough, Clawitzer opened her big claw and caught them both within its grip.

Their eyes widened as Meowth uttered, “Bellsprout, what's going on?” the bud sighing, “Come to think of it, I kind of forgot there were other heroes in this race.”

It was clear that the duo could not escape as Clawitzer lifted them up, flipping her claw along with them upside-down and shouting, “VICE GRIP SLAM!” ramming their skulls into the floor.

With Bellsprout and Meowth unconscious, Clawitzer looked back and thought, 'Please make it back to the top sixteen, Jackalu,' before returning to the race.

All the while, Jackalu sprinted past many others, all of them thinking him crazy but refusing to question this, let alone try to stop him. After all, if he was going to give up his spot in the tournament, that only meant one less fighter to worry about.

By the time the dog reached Machop, who was trying her hardest to break free, he was now all the way down to seventy-fifth place. But that hardly mattered as he thought, 'Dammit, why didn't anyone think to help her?' as if the answer to that question was not obvious.

With that in mind, the dog wasted no time using his wrist spikes to slash open the vines. Machop groaned and slowly rose to her feet, staring at him as he smiled and asked, “You okay?”

“Yeah, I'm fine,” Machop replied with a sigh, watching a few more heroes pass her and groaning, “Though it looks like I'm gonna lose for sure, and so are you. You really didn't have to do this for me.”

“Nonsense,” Jackalu replied with a bow, “I will not stand by and let you fail.”

He then took hold of the girl's hand and gazed into her eyes, saying, “Come on, it's not too late. If we try our absolute hardest, we can make it in the top sixteen. It's not over til it's over. Never forget that.”

Machop's eyes sparkled as something about Jackalu's words made her truly believe she could do this. As such, the two pounded their fists together before dashing along the path with every intention to make up for lost time. But could they really catch up? After having let a few more heroes pass them, they were currently in eighty-first and eighty-second respectively. While Meowth and Bellsprout may have been too weak to finish the race, it seemed as if their plan had still worked.

During this time, an orange sparrow with a light-grey belly and yellow wings with black edges was flying her way along. Her name was Fletchinder and currently, she was closing in on sixteenth. Seeing Ponyta and Hariyama right in front of her running neck-and-neck, she smirked and held her arms out before speeding up her flight, her body covered in flames.

“FLAME STEALTH BOMBER!” Fletchinder shouted as she rammed her arms into the back of her targets' necks, knocking them on their chins as they lay there unconscious.

'I really hope that Jackalu catches up,' she thought as she looked back at her opponents, 'Two opponents are hardly enough to help him out. What was he thinking? If he doesn't make the top sixteen, I'll be really pissed off.'

Just as most of the racers were moments away from the final quarter, Slurpuff came across a gap in the path with a rope being the only way across. The others following him stopped in their tracks and stared in shock, including Rinko and Venipede who were currently in third and forth.

“You think we can get across there?” Venipede asked as Rinko nodded and replied, “You bet,” before noticing Slurpuff slowly walking across with his arms spread out.

Seeing this, Venipede knelt down and said, “Get on my back,” as Rinko nodded and did as instructed. And once she was secure, the centipede walked on all eights toward the rope and started crawling across. Due to the way his arms and legs were designed, this was surprisingly easy.

Slowly but surely, many other heroes made their way across as Clawitzer looked back and thought, 'Well, this will stall us for a while, but this could also delay Jackalu. Come on, whatever it is you needed to do, don't let it rob you of a spot in the tournament.'

Luckily, though, Jackalu and Machop were doing an incredible job keeping up. While two minutes ago, they had been stuck in eighty-first, they were now in fifty-forth due to Jackalu's incredible speed combined with the fact that he had been helping Machop keep up with him by holding her hand.

While this went on, the girl found her heart beating quicker than usual, her cheeks flushed pink as she thought, 'Oh my god, what's coming over me? Is this what they call a crush or is it more than that? Oh god, I'm not ready for romance yet!'

Her train of thought came to a halt when a red crab named Krabby and a plump tree with three heads named Exeggutor raced toward her and Jackalu with the intention of knocking them out of the race. However, the dog refused to allow this as he smirked and said, “Don't worry, we can use this to our advantage. Now follow my lead.”

Just as the two opposing heroes were close, Machop and Jackalu leapt high into the air before planting their feet hard into their faces. They then added to the force and propelled themselves off of them, flying into forty-seventh as the crowd cheered upon seeing this on the monitor.

“YEAH, GO MACHOP!” Eiko squealed as Kelani's eyes sparkled, the doberman saying, “Wow, they work so well together.”

“Yeah,” Isamu replied with a slight look of disappointment, but where had this come from? After all, Jackalu was helping Machop make up for lost time. If anything, the boy should have been happy right now.

Whatever the case, it seemed as if things could only get better as both heroes managed to bypass many other heroes, quickly making their way into twenty-ninth. It was as if they had not been slowed down at all, though they would soon find it even easier as it seemed the whole reason the heroes had slowed down was due to many in front of them trying to cross the rope.

At this time, only twenty had managed to cross, meaning if Machop and Jackalu could get across right now, they would be in twenty-first. However, that would be impossible as they would likely have to wait for those in front like everyone else.

“Dammit!” Machop cursed, “We were so close!” only for Jackalu to smirk and reply, “Don't fret. I got this.”

Before the girl could even ask what the dog meant, she found herself lifted up by her hind legs as he swung her around and hurled her over the gap. Machop landed flat on her chin and was about to curse Jackalu for this before realizing that his plan had actually worked, her eyes and mouth wide with shock as a smile formed.

Soon enough, the dog leapt across the gap and landed next to her, those still waiting for access to the rope staring in shock. Some even attempted this themselves only to fail miserably, landing on a safety net.

Machop still could not believe this until Jackalu rested a paw on her shoulder, saying, “Come on, let's do this,” the girl nodding with a big grin as the duo raced forward. Now there was no doubt in Machop's mind that she and Jackalu could make it into the top sixteen.

Meanwhile, the crowd was watching the finish line as Beedrill said, “If what we've seen on the monitor is any indicator, we should get our first batch of finalists soon.”

And sure enough, the crowd's excitement rose as Slurpuff was happily hopping toward the finish line, Meloetta blinking and saying, “Wow, I didn't think he'd actually make it that far.”

Most of the crowd went wild when he passed the line, Beedrill exclaiming, “And we got us our first participant in the tournament! Let's see who else will qualify for this!”

Sure enough, thanks to their combined efforts, Venipede and Rinko both made it at the same time. But since there could only be sixteen in the tournament, Beedrill counted them as both second and third as Rinko leapt off of the centipede, waving to the cheering crowd.

She then gave Venipede a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, squealing, “Danke schoen!” as he blushed bright and patted her on the back.

Torchic made it in forth with a big grin on her face, soon followed by Fletchinder who folded her arms and thought, 'Fifth? Well, it could have been worse, I guess.'

Gallador was close behind with Garbodor close in seventh. He took many deep breaths and glared at the white boy, thinking, 'Oh well. Now I have a chance to face him in the tournament and get my revenge there.'

Gyarados managed eighth place with a big grin on her face, turning to her friends and giving them a thumb up. Needless to say, the others were happy to see her make it into the tournament as Delphox took ninth.

Seeing this, Torchic was starting to worry as she groaned, “Oh no, don't tell me...” Clawitzer crossing the finish line and breathing heavily, thinking, 'Come on, Jackalu. Please tell me you can make it.'

Unfortunately, it was looking less likely as a hairy armadillo named Chesnaught took eleventh place, a big grin on his face as he exclaimed, “OH YEAH! I ROCK!” flexing his muscles for the crowd.

“Um, where's Machop?” Eiko uttered as Isamu gulped, “We still got five spots left. I'm sure she'll make it.”

“Yeah, this is Machop,” Hana added with a nod of her head, “If I know her, she can do it,” Noboru folding his arms and sighing, “At least if she doesn't, it's not the end of the world, right?”

Lairon frowned and thought, 'Maybe so, but I want to see her make it at least this far. I wonder if Jackalu turning around has anything to do with this,' Garchomp wondering the same thing.

“Come on,” Vigoroth retorted, “This is Machop we're talking about here. She's not gonna let anything get her down no matter what.”

It continued to look less likely, though, as a yellow turtle with a long neck, legs and arms like noodles and a perfectly round shell named Shuckle made it in twelfth. And sure enough, a brown and purple sea dragon named Dragalge wound up in thirteenth. Close behind was a collection of keys attached to a single ring in the middle named Klefki.

Now Vigoroth could not help but panic as she uttered, “Oh no, Machop's doomed,” as Meloetta uttered, “This may not be a good versus evil struggle, but I really want to see her make the top sixteen.”

However, it seemed that might not be the case as a yellow duck named Psyduck and a light-blue and green kappa with a lily pad atop his head named Lombre were closing in, Beedrill exclaiming, “Well, folks, it seems we might very well have our fifteenth and sixteenth spots, thus this race is almost over!”

Clawitzer looked down and groaned, “I knew it!” as the others could not have been more disappointed by the fact that Machop had not made it.

Or it at least seemed so as suddenly, everyone gasped when Jackalu and Machop raced toward the two, Jackalu shouting, “HEY, DON'T COUNT US OUT JUST YET!”

“Mierda!” Lombre cursed as Psyduck nodded and said, “Don't worry, we can take care of these two. My mom may be friends with Machoke, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna give up my spot to these two.”

With that in mind, the duck performed a back flip and latched his feet onto Machop's neck, leaning backward and grabbing hold of her ankles. He then leapt high into the air and flipped himself upside-down, shouting, “ICE ROCK DRIVER!” planting Machop's skull into the floor.

The crowd gasped as Lombre turned around and took hold of Jackalu's wrist. The dog gasped as the kappa proceeded to shout, “HURRICANE LOMBRE!” spinning the lily pad around while placing Jackalu onto it.

Just as it looked like the dog would be knocked down as well, he easily found a way around this as he bent his knees in, planting his foot spikes into the pad. This ultimately caused it to stop spinning as small drops of blood flew out, Lombre crying out in pain.

With that, Jackalu leapt off of his head and pierced the back of Lombre's hand with his wrist spike, lifting him high above his head and shouting, “SPIKE SUPLEX!”

Psyduck's eyes widened as Lombre fell on top of him, crushing him underneath as his eyes spun around. The dog then knelt down and helped Machop up with a warm smile and signalled her to join him at the finish line. The girl grinned wide and nodded, the two sprinting toward that very spot.

Their timing could not have been better as quite a few heroes managed to catch up with them, Isamu shouting, “COME ON, KEEP GOING! YOU'RE ALMOST THERE!”

And just as it looked like Machop and Jackalu would lose their place, they just barely managed to cross the finish line as Beedrill exclaimed, “And that's that! Machop and Jackalu both take fifteenth and sixteenth, therefor our finalists have been decided!”

The crowd went wild as Noboru breathed a sigh of relief, Eiko hugging Kelani as Meloetta clapped for her friends. It was just great knowing most of them made it as Vigoroth stood up and gave a standing ovation.

Torchic grinned at Machop as Rinko and Venipede gave her a hug, Rinko sighing, “Even in a race, it's always one close call after the next with you,” the girl sighing, “How did Daddy deal with this on a regular basis?”

Jackalu nodded with a grin as Clawitzer patted him on the shoulder, sighing, “You just about gave me a heart attack,” as the dog laughed nervously and replied, “Sorry about that. I had something really important to do.”

Clawitzer was just about to ask what that was until Machop bowed her head and said, “Thanks so much, Jackalu. If you hadn't come by when you did, I wouldn't have had a chance at this,” the dog nodding as the shrimp sighed, “Of course.”

Fletchinder, all the while, glanced at the dog and folded her arms, thinking, 'He cut that way too close. Is this really the son of Lucario? He'd better not disappoint me.'

Gyarados grinned at Machop and said, “Hey, I hope we get to face each other again. I might just clean your clock,” the girl smirking and retorting, “I'd like to see you try,” as the two shared a laugh.

Gallador, meanwhile, folded his arms and thought, 'I'm proud of you, Machop. But if we end up facing each other, I'm not holding back.'

With the first three rounds out of the way, it was time to see what the finalists were truly capable of. Needless to say, this was beyond exciting and the crowd could not wait.

 

It had been a full day since the sixteen finalists had been chosen as many were gathered in the Tokyo Dome. This was not for the first round of the tournament but to find out the order in which the heroes would face each other. Not only did the people want to know who was facing who, but much like everything else in the Olympics, the selection was always a big spectacle.

Isamu and the others sat in the front row as Lairon grinned and said, “I wonder how they're gonna decide the order this time,” Garchomp nodding and replying, “I think it has something to do with that.”

She then directed her husband's attention to a big structure covered by a cloth. Needless to say, they were not the only ones curious as to what was under there.

Beedrill flew in front of a podium and exclaimed, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time to decide the order in which this tournament's matches will take place! I bet you're all dying to know who will face who, so without further ado, let's get this started!”

Kelani's eyes sparkled as the cloth was removed to reveal an enormous pachinko machine. Everyone stared as Isamu uttered, “Is that the sort of thing they often use for this?”

Eiko nodded and replied, “Last time, they used a pinball machine,” Noboru nodding and adding, “And in the twenty-sixth Olympics, they used a slingshot and a target board.”

Vigoroth blinked and asked, “So, how exactly does that work? Do they just use balls with the heroes' faces painted on them or something?” Meloetta nodding and replying, “I'm sure that's how it works. After all, it would be ridiculous if they dropped actual heroes in a machine like that.”

“Actually, you're only half-right,” Hana replied as the heroes and Kelani blinked in confusion.

“This machine right here is what we'll use to determine the order!” Beedrill explained as he directed everyone's attention to sixteen slots placed next to one-another in a line, “As you can see, there are a total of sixteen slots. This will be the ultimate deciding factor. Basically, whoever lands in the left-most slot and the one next to it will face each other in the first match. Whoever lands in the right-most one and the one next to that will face off in the final match. I'm sure you can figure out the rest from there.”

The crowd nodded as Isamu said, “Now I can see why people make such a big deal out of this. I thought they were just gonna draw names from a hat.”

“Silly Isamu,” Eiko replied with a light chuckle, “Everything in the Hero Olympics is meant to be exciting. Drawing from a hat is just boring.”

Isamu's interest heightened when suddenly, sixteen clear plastic balls were rolled out, each with a hero inside of it. Others experiencing this for the first time were just as invested as Beedrill explained, “As you can see, each hero has been placed inside of one of our pachinko balls. When you see the heroes fall into specific slots, you'll know who they'll face and when.”

Jackalu was posing inside of his ball while Clawitzer sighed, “Can't you take this more seriously?”

With that, all of the balls were risen up onto a slide leading into the opening of the pachinko machine. And one-by-one, they were dropped and scattered about. Thanks to the plastic, none of the heroes inside took in any pain from this, though Venipede was slightly afraid of what might happen if his came open.

After roughly a minute, one ball finally landed in a slot. This was Chesnaught's as he had wound up in the second slot to the left, meaning he would partake in the forth match.

Gallador followed in the sixth slot to the left followed by Dragalge in the first slot to the right. Delphox was in the second-last slot in that direction while Torchic landed to the left of her, specifically the sixth slot to the right.

When Venipede landed in the seventh slot to the left, he simply folded his arms and thought, 'Well, look at that. I'm in the first match. The old me would have been scared, but not anymore!'

However, his tune soon changed when Rinko landed right next to him, both their eyes widening as they stared at one-another. They knew there was a possibility that they might very well face each other in the tournament, but they did not think it would be in the first round.

Gyarados fell in the fifth slot to the left, meaning she would face Gallador. Clawitzer landed in the slot next to Dragalge while Fletchinder wound up in the forth slot to the right.

Torchic tensed up slightly when Slurpuff landed next to her, giving a big friendly smile and waving at her. The chicken narrowed her eyelids and thought, 'I see through that friendly act of yours. Don't think for a minute I'll take you lightly.'

Shuckle ended up next to Delphox while Machop landed in the forth slot to the left. However, her eyes widened when Garbodor landed next to her, gazing upon Gallador's ball and frowning. After all, he wanted to face him, though a chance to defeat the daughter of Machoke was nothing to scoff at.

Klefki wound up next to Chesnaught as Jackalu landed beside Fletchinder. And with that, all of the heroes were taken care of as Beedrill exclaimed, “And there you have it, folks! The order has been decided!”

Kelani blinked and uttered, “That was so cool,” as Eiko nodded and said, “Well, they are nice to look at, but don't ever play one of those machines. They eat your money,” the doberman trembling in fear, taking her words literally.

“As you can see, Rinko and Venipede will face off in the first match,” Beedrill explained, “Gallador and Gyarados will fight in the second match followed by Machop and Garbodor.”

Machop groaned at the thought of facing sentient garbage as the wasp continued, “Chesnaught and Klefki will face off in the forth match with Dragalge and Clawitzer in the fifth. Next up will be Jackalu and Fletchinder followed by Slurpuff and Torchic. And finally, Delphox and Shuckle will partake in the final match. Remember, the first round begins three days from now! I hope to see you all there because you don't wanna miss this!”

The crowd went wild as their excitement only continued to build, Meloetta whimpering, “I feel sorry for Venipede and Rinko. They're going to have to fight.”

“True, but remember, it's all friendly competition,” Lairon replied as Isamu sighed, “Define friendly,” though he had to admit the dinosaur had a point. He seriously doubted this match would ruin their relationship.

With all said and done, everyone was ready to leave as Meloetta uttered, “You mean all these people came just to sit for ten minutes?” as Noboru replied, “Yeah, it does sound like a waste of time, but everything in the Hero Olympics is a huge deal. Even just finding out the match-ups is a big spectacle that people would give up all of their plans for the day to see.”

But before any preparation for the tournament could be done, the teens and Kelani all decided to head to the club and celebrate Machop, Venipede, Rinko and Torchic making it to the tournament. As disappointed as Vigoroth was to fail, she was still determined to support her friends no matter what.

“A toast to our awesome friends!” Eiko squealed as all nine clinked their glasses together, Kelani saying, “I hope you all win.”

Eiko chuckled and ruffled the hair atop his head, Machop sighing, “It would be great if we could all win, but there is only one winner. I mean, two others will get second and third place trophies, but you get the point.”

“Still, I have to admit, I was kinda scared for you,” Torchic said with a light smile, “Even though this is a sporting event, I would have been disappointed if you of all heroes didn't make it.”

Machop laughed nervously and replied, “Yeah. But you know, I wouldn't have made it if Jackalu hadn't come and helped me,” letting out a light sigh and resting her hands against her chin. When Isamu saw the dreamy look in her eyes, he could just tell what she was thinking about, and for some reason, it made him feel as if he should not have been here having this conversation, but why?

At that moment, Jackalu and Clawitzer were heading to their hotel when they passed by the club. The dog blinked and turned toward the window, smiling and tapping his finger against it.

“Jackalu, what are you-?” Clawitzer asked before peering through the window and noticing Machop and her friends. And luckily, all of them heard the sound of Jackalu's finger as Machop gave him a big wave and smile before signalling him and the shrimp to come in.

Jackalu was just about to ask Clawitzer as she shrugged and said, “Eh, why not? We've been through a lot. We could use a breather.”

“You are just the best!” Jackalu squealed as he headed toward the door and opened it, bowing and adding, “After you, my lady.”

“Well, at least your chivalry will never leave you,” Clawitzer chuckled as she entered, the dog joining her close behind as the owner greeted them and led them to the lounge area.

“Wow, I've never been in such a place before,” Jackalu said as he looked around, Clawitzer nodding and adding, “It's strange. The atmosphere here is so simple and yet so inviting. I guess less really is more.”

Eiko nodded and said, “Yeah, it's our favourite hangout spot,” before squealing, “Oh my god, I'm having a conversation with Lucario's son!” Isamu sighing, “I would have thought you'd get too used to this to freak out by now.”

“Still, it's nice that we can just talk like this and not think about the tournament,” Torchic replied with a sigh, “In three days, we're all gonna be competing for number one. Though I am kinda hoping that this year is the one where the Torch family finally wins it.”

Jackalu grinned before putting on a more serious face and replying, “Well, best of luck to you, but let me tell you something. You can't take that Slurpuff lightly. He may look all creamy and cute, but I can just tell he's gonna be a challenge.”

“I'll say,” Vigoroth groaned as Meloetta patted her on the shoulder and laughed nervously, Torchic nodding and grinning, saying, “Don't worry about me. I'm not so easy to take down. That Slurpuff can dish out all he wants, but there's no way I'm gonna lose.”

“I believe that,” Vigoroth replied with a grin, “After the way you bested me, you better at least make it past the first round.”

“Not to mention she got up after being crushed by Gigalith,” Venipede added, “I didn't witness it, but I heard about it. I don't know if I could possibly get up from something like that,” only for Rinko to pat him on the shoulders, saying, “I bet you can.”

Clawitzer then rose an eyebrow and enquired, “I'm guess you two are a couple, right?” the centipede and brunette nodding as she added, “I was just wondering, does the fact that you're facing each-other in the first round bother you in any way?”

Venipede's cheeks flushed pink as Rinko replied, “Nein. We knew it was a possibility. Besides, we've been sparring with each other for quite a while, so we've already fought.”

“Keep in mind that was for practice,” Venipede said, “but yeah, I have no problem facing my girlfriend in the ring,” though his cheeks were still pink, his eyes looking uncertain.

Luckily, no one seemed to notice as Meloetta said, “I just hope that none of these matches end bitterly. I'd hate for you to hate anyone for beating you,” as Machop sighed, “Don't worry about it. If I lose, I'd rather it be to a hero than a villain.”

“Right on!” Jackalu exclaimed with a grin as Isamu stared at him, Eiko nudging him and whispering, “Hey, you're not saying anything.”

The boy blinked and uttered, “Well, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing you in the ring, Machop,” the girl nodding before groaning, “I just wish I could have ended up with a less repelling opponent.”

“I'm sure you'll beat him anyway,” Jackalu replied with a grin as Isamu nodded and added, “Yeah, you'll definitely kick his ass. Heck, after the way you defeated Marshal and Kingdra, I'm pretty sure you can beat anyone, even Jackalu here.”

Eiko stared wide-eyed, Clawitzer more concerned about how the dog would react only for him to laugh and reply, “Well, she might actually pull it off. Heck, she is the reason Trevenant and Gourgeist didn't kill me.”

The shrimp breathed a sigh of relief as the rest of the conversation went well. However, Isamu still did not feel comfortable around Jackalu. Kelani could sense it but said nothing. After all, he may have been really young, but by now, he knew better than to spoil everyone's good mood with something negative.

Soon enough, the group was ready to retire for the day as Machop waved goodbye to everyone. But just as she was about to head home, Jackalu was tempted to ask if he could walk with her. Unfortunately, he had fully intended on heading back to his hotel room with Clawitzer as soon as possible and thus he decided not to.

Another part of the reason was that he was unaware of the fact that Machop had developed feelings for him after the way he saved her. Deep down, she would have loved to have walked home with him by her side.

Even so, she had to think about the tournament for the time being. It may not have been a life-or-death situation, but it was still a big deal. She wanted to live up to the legacy of her family and she would stop at nothing to make it happen.

She and Meloetta were happily greeted by Eri upon returning home as Garchomp grinned and said, “Welcome back, you two. I got a special dinner planned for our little champion.”

Machop laughed awkwardly and replied, “You know, I haven't actually won the tournament yet,” as the dragon shrugged and replied, “Still, you made it this far. That in itself is pretty impressive.”

Meloetta nodded with a big smile and said, “It certainly looked hard. I can't imagine doing something like this myself,” as Machop shrugged and replied, “You have a point there.”

Even so, Machop decided to rest up until Lairon got home. Sure, she had not done any hard work today, but she was still recovering from the race the previous day, not to mention the pain Manectric had dealt to her prior to said event.

Once Lairon returned, he and Garchomp immediately started on dinner. While not as big as the previous celebration dinner, they still intended on making it special, even bringing out their bun steamer, which they rarely ever did. Needless to say, Machop and Meloetta had a lot to look forward to.

During dinner, Lairon grinned and said, “Hey, Machop, the company's closing for the tournament. Even my boss cares more about this than work. So I'll be able to give you instructions for all of your matches.”

Machop blinked as Meloetta beamed and squealed, “That's great! Now you might not find yourself in as many tight spots as usual!”

However, the girl looked uncertain as Garchomp stared in confusion, Lairon asking, “What's wrong? I thought you'd be thrilled.”

“Well, I'm actually really glad you have all that time off,” Machop replied with a smile, “But to be perfectly honest, I kind of want to fight these battles on my own. I feel like I've gotten so much better because of your teachings and I want to see if I can make it as far as the finals without you standing by the ring and giving me advice.”

Lairon blinked as the girl sighed, “Don't think I don't appreciate all you've done. I really do, and if I was facing villains-”

“Say no more,” the dinosaur replied with a grin, “And don't worry. I'm not upset in the slightest.”

“You're not?” all three female heroes remarked as Lairon nodded and said, “Honestly, Machop, I'm proud of you. Hearing you sound this confident because of my teachings makes me proud. Besides, it's a well-known fact that Scyther took forever to learn to fight on her own due to Scizor always being there to give her advice. When she spread her wings and became independent, she became a much better fighter. I truly believe you can do the same.”

Machop's eyes sparkled as she nodded and said, “Thank you so much,” a few light tears falling from her eyes as Meloetta gave her a sweet smile. Even though the girl and dinosaur were not related, their connection still felt like that of a father and his child.

The rest of the heroes' time off seemed to fly by as it was finally time for the tournament to begin. Everyone was assembled at a location revealed by Beedrill on the morning news for the event at nine, even though the first match would take place at ten.

As it so happened, the location in question was a shopping mall as Isamu, Eiko and Kelani were headed toward a specific area. The doberman's eyes sparkled as he looked around at all the stores. He had been here before, but he always loved coming here just to look at the stores and various other attractions, including a fountain that shot water up rhythmically every so often.

“You know, I heard it on TV, I know where we're headed, and I still can't believe this is where the first match takes place,” Isamu sighed as Eiko nodded and replied, “Yeah, I'm not really sure where you can even hold a match here.”

Kelani blinked and said, “Maybe it's right there,” pointing over a ledge toward an area down below. In this particular area was a big fountain and not only had bleachers been set up around it, but a fighting ring had been placed right in the middle with two ramps leading to it.

Beedrill was seated along with Nori and Yuki as the older woman grinned and said, “Here we are, folks, for the first match of the Hero Olympics tournament! I tell you, this is really exciting as our first match is between two heroes who once teamed up to defeat a pair of villains here.”

“Not only that, but it's a known fact that they're also a couple,” Yuki replied, “Needless to say, this is going to be a very interesting match,” as Beedrill nodded and added, “Though they still have a little less than an hour to prepare themselves. Lucky for them there are staff areas where they can do just that.”

Eiko noticed the others were already seated near the front and raced toward them, Isamu grinning and joining her and Kelani. He then took a seat next to Machop and said, “Hey there.”

Machop grinned and replied, “Sweet, now we're all together to show our support,” Vigoroth sighing, “I was kind of hoping I could have someone to cheer for. Honestly, I don't know who I wanna see win. If Rinko won, it would make an incredible statement for humans, but if Venipede wins, it'll further show just how far he's come.”

“Well, I just keep reminding myself it's all friendly competition,” Meloetta replied with a light smile, “All I want is for their relationship not to end because of this.”

“Pretty sure that won't happen,” Machop replied with a light chuckle before turning to Torchic and uttering, “It won't, right?” as the chicken shrugged her shoulders and replied, “I seriously doubt it. Their connection is strong.”

Kelani, however, was not completely invested in their conversation as he looked at the two sets of bleachers next to them, asking, “Why are the seats separated by bar thingies?”

“They're called handle bar,” Isamu replied, “And, well, one side has the German fans who came here to see this match while the other side is for the Hungarian fans. The bleachers we're sitting in are for everyone else.”

“But why separate them?” Kelani asked as the boy sighed, “Unfortunately, if both fanbases were to sit together, they'd likely start fighting with one-another over which country has the better representative.”

Kelani had nothing to say to that. Even to him, who had only been alive for almost three months, that sounded petty and childish.

All the while, Venipede was preparing in one of the staff rooms, taking a deep breath and thinking, 'Alright, I can do this. I finally have a chance to make a name for myself. I'm going to take it.'

Rinko was training as well, using a few air punches while thinking, 'Alright, Venipede, even though I love you, I'm not going to hold back. You'd better do the same.'

Once the rest of the hours were up, Beedrill nodded as Nori exclaimed, “Well, folks, this is it! It's finally time for the first match to begin!” the crowd cheering as Yuki exclaimed, “In the red corner, hailing from Germany is someone who's already reached legendary status, at least in this announcer's book! Not only is she a fierce fighter in the ring, but she is also the first human to ever participate in the Hero Olympics! With the speed and spirit of the great Scyther herself, Rinko!”

The crowd went wild as the brunette performed a somersault toward the ring, leaping high into the air and spinning vertically toward the rope. Once close enough, she placed her hands firmly against the material and performed a handstand, pushing herself off of them and landing firmly on her feet.

The brunette had the biggest smile as she thought, 'I can't believe it. I'm actually standing here right now. It's a dream come true.'

“And in the blue corner,” Nori stated, “representing Hungary is a tough centipede. He started off as kind of a wimp, but he's overcome his fears and now comes to us today to fight for his country! Introducing Venipede!” the Hungarian fans cheering especially loud when the centipede rolled toward the ring like a wheel.

Once he was close enough, he used his antennae to push himself into the air, leaping over the ropes. He then retracted from his ball-like state and landed on all eights, rising to his feet and folding his arms. The cheers only got louder as a result of this as he started to look more confident.

However, deep down, a part of him still wished he could have gotten a different opponent. He told Rinko that he was fine with this arrangement, that there was nothing wrong with it and yet right now, he just wanted to flee. But at the very least, he did his absolute best not to show it in his eyes, so Rinko did not notice as she gave him a supportive grin, letting him know that she would try her absolute best.

Hopefully, Venipede would be able to get over his anxiety soon. After all, how would Rinko feel if she won only because he held back?

 

Venipede and Rinko said nothing as they stood on separate sides of the ring. They just wanted Nori or Yuki to signal the start of the match so they could get this over with.

“Well, folks, the combatants are set,” Yuki stated with a smile, “Without further ado, let's get this started!” ringing the bell.

Rinko wasted no time sprinting toward Venipede. He stared silently for a few seconds before shaking his head and attempting to fight back. Unfortunately, he had taken too long and thus Rinko was able to take full advantage of this, sending a roundhouse into his side before striking his chin with a high kick.

The crowd cheered as Rinko dashed behind him and wrapping her arms around him. Venipede wanted to struggle, but just feeling her embrace made him feel nervous as she lifted him up, leaning backward and planting his head hard against the canvas.

The German fans went wild as the Hungarian fans watched in horror, Nori saying, “I guess one can only expect this knowing how long Rinko and Venipede have sparred with one-another. She would know more than anyone just how pointless it is to grapple him from the front.”

“Well, at least they're not letting their personal feelings get in the way of the match,” Eiko said as Isamu shook his head and sighed, “Well, Rinko's not. I'm not so sure about Venipede.”

“Yeah, I'm surprise you didn't notice that,” Machop added, “He totally hesitated back there. When Rinko charged at him, she left herself open for a counterattack but he just stood there.”

Meloetta nodded but said nothing. A part of her wanted to suggest that maybe Venipede should just give up, but she knew how important this was to him. He could not just forfeit otherwise he could very well end up disgracing his family.

Currently, they were watching from the crowd as Attila exclaimed, “Hey, Venipede, this is a minor setback! Hit her back!” only for Scolipede to sigh, “Honey, I'm not sure he's completely into it. Look.”

The man then saw the look of uncertainly in Venipede's eyes as Rinko rushed at him again, this time folding her arms. But just as she was about to hit him again, he let out a deep breath and thought, 'Dad's right. Besides, Rinko wouldn't like it if I held back!'

With that in mind, he waited for her to come close enough before taking hold of her wrists and leaning backward, lifting her up and planting the back of her neck into the mat. The Hungarian fans went wild as Venipede's eyes widened. Thus he released his hold and allowed her to collapse, breathing heavily and resisting the urge to ask if she was okay.

Of course, it would take a lot more than this to defeat Rinko as she easily recovered, pushing herself up with her forearms and sending her feet backward into Venipede's gut. His eyes widened as she propelled herself up, latching her legs onto his head. The German fans cheered wildly as she planted her hands against the mat and lifted Venipede over her head, slamming his skull into the mat while the fountain activated, shooting water into the air.

Kelani stared with a big smile and clapped at the sight of this while Machop sighed, “I should be glad that Rinko's doing so well, but I'm really worried now. Venipede held back again,” Isamu nodding and replying, “I could see that, too. He easily could have avoided that.”

“Rinko's on fire today!” Nori exclaimed, “First she sets Venipede up for a suplex then she distracts him with another kick before hitting him with a frankensteiner! It's not looking good for the Hungarian centipede, folks!”

Now Rinko was starting to wonder as Venipede slowly rose back to his feet, breathing heavily. But while he had risen, a big part of him just wanted to pretend her frankensteiner had been enough to finish the job. But would it have been a good idea to give her a free victory?

He took one last breath and held up a defensive stance, saying, “Good job, honey, but I still got plenty of fight left in mind,” the brunette's doubt leaving her as she smirked and replied, “Good. I'd be disappointed if I took you down that easily.”

'That's right,' Venipede thought with a serious look in his eyes, 'I can't let myself lose so easily. She'd hate that.'

With that in mind, the centipede waited for Rinko to charge at him again before sending a palm punch into her forehead. The Hungarian fans cheered as sent the rest of his palms forward. However, he suddenly realized his middle arms would likely run into her chest, thus he only used the other three, striking her face and midsection.

Due to the distraction earlier, though, he ended his assault too soon as Rinko saw an opportunity. With that, she took hold of his lower wrists and sent her head into the area just below his neck. With the centipede distracted, she proceeded to lift him up, placing him atop her shoulder while the German fans went wild.

“Oh no, his head still isn't in this match, is it?” Attila groaned as Scolipede sighed, “It's a shame, too. Rinko seems perfectly okay with him doing his best and yet he can't seem to accept it. I really hope he doesn't keep this up.”

Machop noticed them this time and asked, “Hey, is that Venipede's mom?” pointing at Scolipede as Lairon nodded and replied, “Yeah. He couldn't have picked a worse time to get cold feet. They're actually here to see it.”

It seemed the others thought the same as Torchic sighed, “I want to tell Venipede to suck it up and try harder, but then it would seem like I'm taking sides,” Vigoroth nodding and adding, “Yeah, it's hard to cheer either one on.”

“FLYING HAMMER!” Rinko exclaimed as she leapt into the air and leaned backward, planting Venipede's skull into the mat.

“Wow, she's really strong!” Kelani squeaked, “Venipede must be really heavy and yet she can lift him so easily!” Eiko nodding and replying, “It's true. She's been training her whole life and now she's as strong as one of you guys.”

Needless to say, the German fans were ecstatic as the Hungarian fans started to boo Venipede, one shouting, “THIS IS THE LOSER REPRESENTING US!?” another barking, “WHY DID THIS GUY HAVE TO MAKE IT TO THE TOURNAMENT AND NOT WYNAUT!?”

The blue blobbish creature just happened to be seated amongst the crowd as he shrugged and uttered, “I don't see why not,” the Hungarian audience staring at him.

Even so, Rinko was the one most irritated by their words right now as she gritted her teeth, barking, “ACH TUNG!” the crowd gasping in shock as she sighed, “Venipede, I know for a fact that you are much better than these people think you are. But right now, even I'm having trouble believing it.”

“What do you mean?” Venipede uttered as he slowly rose to his feet, the brunette giving him a stern look and retorting, “I can tell you're not trying your best. I've seen you against villains and you always do the best you can. Even when you lost in the past, I could tell you were trying your absolute hardest, that each villain who defeated you had to work toward that victory. Besides, you're able to go toe-to-toe with me during our sparring matches.”

“But those aren't official-” Venipede mumbled only for Rinko to cut in and ask, “Where is that spirited centipede I love so much? Because I must be looking at his cowardly twin brother.”

Venipede's eyes widened as he pleaded, “But it is me!” as the brunette smiled and replied, “Well, good. Care to prove it to all these people who came to see you represent them?”

Most of the crowd could not believe what they were listening to right now. While Yuki had pointed out the fact that Rinko and Venipede were dating, it still shocked the crowd to hear the centipede's opponent sticking up for him. But even so, the Hungarian fans had calmed down as a result, feeling a tad relieved to know that Venipede had more up his sleeve and had simply not revealed it yet.

Meloetta had a big smile on her face as she said, “Rinko's such a good sport,” Eiko nodding and stating, “Listen well, Kelani. You can learn all about good sportsmanship from this.”

Venipede still looked unsure until Rinko sighed, “Venipede, I know what you're thinking, and trust me. I won't hate you if you win this match. In fact, if you can beat me while I'm fighting you at my fullest, I'll feel proud of you. And if you still lose, well, I'd feel good knowing you at least tried your best and didn't just hand the victory over to me. But if you hold back, if I don't earn that victory, I don't think I'll be able to look at you the same way again, especially knowing that our relationship motivated you to hold back.”

Scolipede's eyes sparkled as she sighed, “Wow, our little Venipede's got himself a keeper,” Attila nodding and replying, “I'm already picturing the wedding.”

With all of Rinko's words in mind, Venipede took a deep breath and nodded, saying, “Thank you, Rinko. I just about lost sight of why I joined the Olympics. If I'm gonna go down, I'll go down trying my hardest.”

Rinko nodded with a grin as she held up a fighting stance and said, “Danke,” before racing toward the centipede and sending a roundhouse toward his midsection.

However, Venipede was ready this time as he took hold of her leg. The brunette gasped as he pulled up and caused her to fall on her back. He then kept a firm grip on her leg while wrapping his remaining arms around it, the Hungarian fans going wild as he started to twist her ankle.

“And after taking in such a fierce beating, Venipede fights back with a devastating hold!” Nori exclaimed, Beedrill nodding and adding, “I have to say, that looks even more painful than anything I've witnessed from the Torch family, and they're masters at submission.”

“Well, it does help that he has significantly more arms than any of the Torches ever had,” Yuki replied.

Venipede saw a look of intense agony on Rinko's face, but just as he was about to loosen his hold, she smirked and grunted, “That's more like it! Keep it up! I could use the challenge!”

The centipede nodded and thought, 'I hope this doesn't cause too much damage, but you asked for it,' as he increased the power of his twist.

However, it seemed this might not last as Rinko lifted her free leg up, sending the foot into Venipede's shin. His eyes widened as he released his hold, thus allowing her to push herself up with her arms, aiming a two-legged kick toward his chin.

However, Venipede was ready this time as he blocked the incoming feet. Rinko was spellbound as he proceeded to kneel down over her, wrapping his arms and legs around her while shouting, “CENTIPEDE BACKBREAKER!”

Excitement grew among the Hungarian crowd as he started to bend Rinko's back, the brunette crying out in pain. However, as much as he hated to hear her suffer like this, he knew that her inner pain would be far worse if he let her go.

“Wow, that escalated quickly,” Machop uttered as Meloetta nodded and replied, “It just goes to show what a good pep talk can do.”

“Yeah, Venipede's lucky he has someone like Rinko in his life,” Torchic stated, “He used to be the most sensitive and easily-scared member of the group. It's hard to believe this is the same guy who had so much self-doubt even after graduation.”

While this comeback was certainly impressive, it would not be so easy for Venipede to make Rinko submit as she smirked and said, “I'm proud of you, Venipede. You're really going all-out now, but unfortunately for you, I know how to get out of this.”

“Oh god, I should have known you'd have a method,” Venipede groaned as Rinko gritted her teeth and used all her might to spin her body. This ultimately caused the centipede's hold to loosen as the brunette freed herself, the German fans cheering.

Rinko then smirked and swung her arm hard into Venipede side, shouting, “ARM SCHWERT!” as he coughed up a bit of green blood and held onto that very spot.

“It still amazes me just how strong her version of the Arm Schwert is,” Nori said, “Scyther's involved her forming blades on her arms, so of course it was really tough. Rinko doesn't have that power and yet she can still pack a real punch with it.”

With Venipede distracted, Rinko proceeded to send a high kick into the side of his head, knocking him on his left shoulders. Many of the heroes from other countries could not believe what they were seeing. As if a human making it this far was unbelievable enough, to see one putting up this good of a fight was truly a sight to behold. Many of those participating hoped they might get a chance to face her in a later round.

But just as Rinko leapt toward Venipede with her elbow pointed toward him, he recovered just in time to roll to the side. Thus said part hit the mat hard as she winced in pain, the centipede lying on her back and once again wrapping his arms and legs around her. And like before, his top arms were bound to her chin with her lower arms wrapped around her waist and her legs latched to her ankles.

However, there was one major difference. His middle arms were bound to her arms, forcing them upward as Yuki said, “It seems Venipede might be making a modification to his Centipede Backbreaker, but will this make the move any stronger or will he get the same results as before?”

“I get the feeling Venipede's trying something different entirely,” Lairon said with a grin, “And if he can pull this off, it might win him the match.”

With that, Rinko smirked and said, “I can break free from this too,” only for Venipede to imply a smile, saying, “Actually, I just came up with something new. Sorry to use it on you, but you asked for my best.”

The brunette blinked before smiling lightly and saying, “Well, if this finishes me off, I'm glad I lost to you.”

With that, Venipede propelled himself and Rinko off the mat as he performed vertical flips. Once high enough, he stopped moving as Rinko's belly was facing the mat, the two descending as the centipede exclaimed, “CENTIPEDE MOONSAULT!”

The brunette found herself unable to break free as her belly in the mat hard. She coughed up a bit of blood as everyone stared in shock, Venipede releasing his hold and allowing her to collapse, breathing heavily and looking down at her.

“Did you see that?” Attila asked as Scolipede nodded with an implied smile and said, “He makes this old woman proud. It's one thing to master my techniques, but figuring out one of his own on the fly. That takes an incredible amount of skill.”

Rinko lay there as Venipede trembled. He knew Rinko was okay with this, but he was mostly worried that he might have applied enough pressure to put her in the hospital. He wanted to win, but he did not wish to go that far.

Soon enough, Nori counted to ten as Yuki rang the bell, exclaiming, “And after quite a number of close calls brought about by his own anxiety, Venipede has still won the match and makes his way to the second round!” the Hungarian fans going wild as the German fans bowed their heads in respect to Rinko. After all, seeing a human come that close was amazing in itself.

“Damn,” Vigoroth uttered, “Guess he had it in him after all,” Meloetta nodding and squeaking, “I'm just glad it's over. I couldn't stand to watch them beat each other up any longer.”

With his victory now official, Venipede knelt down and rubbed Rinko's cheek, asking, “You okay?”

The brunette slowly opened her eyes and gave him a sweet smile, saying, “Congratulations, big boy,” before lifting her arms up and holding him a tight embrace, the crowd staring briefly before letting out a collective 'Aw'.

“It's so beautiful!” Nori squealed, “Even after fighting each other, their love will never die!” as Yuki let out a sigh and said, “And there you go, ruining the moment with an over-dramatic speech.”

Even so, it seemed the tournament was already off to a good start as Venipede helped Rinko up and walked her toward the bleachers, Beedrill saying, “As always, the second match will take place in five minutes. Thus I'd recommend our next two contestants get ready.”

Gallador nodded and rose to his feet, thinking, 'So those are the kinds of allies Machop has. Not bad,' before heading toward a staff room to ready himself.

Gyarados did the same with a serious look on her face. While she did know of Gallador's connection to Machop, she still fully intended to do the absolute best she could. After all, she wanted to face the girl in a rematch.

Venipede and Rinko soon joined the others in the crowd as Meloetta smiled and said, “I'm glad that's over,” Kelani asking, “Are you two still in love?”

“Oh, don't you worry about a thing,” Rinko replied with a grin, “Our love will never die,” the two sharing a kiss as the doberman stuck out his tongue and shielded his eyes.

“Say, Gallador's your cousin, right?” Torchic asked Machop as she nodded and replied, “I know what you're thinking. I'm not really sure who to root for this time either. On one hand, Gyarados is a friend, but Gallador's family. Besides, I kinda want to face him at some point.”

“Really?” Vigoroth asked as Machop nodded and sighed, “We used to have sparring matches during the summer before I turned ten. I always beat him, but only because he'd hold back. See, I'm two years younger, so he always felt obligated to letting me win, but I didn't realize it until I was older and really took the time to think about it.”

“I see,” Lairon replied with a grin, “You wanna beat him legitimately,” Machop nodding as Meloetta was finally starting to understand this competition. While these fights were not good versus evil struggles, they were a way of showing the world that they were in good hands. They wanted to show people just how amazing their abilities were.

Isamu smiled and said, “Well, if you do face him, I just know you can beat him,” Machop nodding and replying, “Thanks. It's been so long, though. I wonder just how good he's gotten.”

Once the five minutes were up, Beedrill exclaimed, “Alright, folks, it's time for the second match to get underway! Nori, would you do the honours?”

“You bet,” the woman replied with a grin, “In the red corner, one of two fighters representing France, he possesses amazing speed and skill! His father's track record wasn't exactly impressive, but he was still a force to be reckoned with, so I would certainly expect something similar from him! Give a warm welcome to Gallador!”

The French fans and most of the crowd cheered wildly as the boy sprinted toward the ring. Once close enough, he leapt high into the air and twirled like a propeller, landing gracefully on the ring. He then spread his arms out dramatically and bent down on one knee, the cheers getting louder.

“What an entrance!” Yuki exclaimed as Machop waved, Gallador looking up with a light smile and waving back. He wanted her to see just how good he could be when fighting seriously and not handing his opponent a victory.

Garbodor, all the while, narrowed his eyelids and thought, 'You'd better win this match. I want you as my opponent in the semi-finals! No one else!'

“And in the blue corner,” Yuki stated, “She is a powerful serpent who defeated both Rinko and Venipede at the same time! Once a villain but now fighting for the side of good and representing Iceland, it is my pleasure to bring you Gyarados!”

The serpent received more cheers as she approached the ring. After all, the citizens of Tokyo had actually seen her in action, so they knew what she was capable of. Needless to say, they wanted to see her win this match.

As she entered the ring, she turned to face Machop with a grin and waved, Gallador blinking and asking, “You know her?”

“Oh yes,” Gyarados replied, “She was the one who helped me see the light,” Gallador smiling and saying, “Well, here's to a good match,” the crowd even more hyped up when the two shook hands before approaching separate sides of the ring.

But while the audience was loving this, Garbodor was barely paying attention as he stared at Machop and thought, 'She has some sort of connection to him. Perhaps defeating her will be satisfying, but I won't feel truly happy unless I beat him.'

Would Gallador win this match and give Garbodor the chance he wanted or would Gyarados have a rematch with Venipede and possibly Machop? No one knew what would happen, but it was certainly exciting.

 

Gallador and Gyarados were more than ready for their match as Yuki stated, “Well, folks, the fighters look more than ready to go! Thus I think it's time for this match to begin!” ringing the bell and signalling the start.

Gyarados wasted no time leaping toward Gallador with her tail directed toward his skull. The white boy saw this coming as he lifted up his arms only for the serpent to lower her tail, driving it into his midsection. Thus his eyes and mouth widened briefly as the Icelandic fans cheered wildly.

Gyarados did not end her assault there as she wrapped her tail around Gallador's waist, trapping him in place as she sent a barrage of punches into his face. Machop watched this in silence, uttering, “Damn, Gyarados has gotten a bit better, and she was already intimidating before.”

“I'll say,” Torchic groaned, “Her tactics when facing you were pretty smart, but not this smart. By trapping Gallador in place, she's made it really difficult for him to counter.”

“And after hitting Gallador hard with her tail, Gyarados sends an onslaught of punches into his face,” Nori stated, “Not only that, but Gallador seems completely unable to fight back,” the Icelandic crowd cheering even louder as the French fans stared in horror.

As if that was not enough, the fifteenth punch was enough to draw blood. As if Gallador being a sitting duck was not enough, his opponent had already managed to make him bleed. Considering how early in the match it was, this was no small feat.

Even so, the white boy refused to let himself lose this easily, especially with Machop watching. As such, he slowly lifted up his arms and held them in front of his face in an X formation. To make things better for him, the blade sides were pointed forward, so when Gyarados' sixteenth punch made contact, her fist came open as she winced in pain.

Gallador smirked as he saw this as the perfect opportunity. But just as he was about to take full advantage of this, Gyarados quickly realized her current strategy would no longer work. Thus she leaned backward with her tail still bound to the boy and planted her hands against the mat, lifting him up and slamming the back of his head into the canvas.

The crowd continued to cheer for the serpent as Yuki exclaimed, “Gyarados was already a threat before, but she's on fire today! It seems that loss to Machop over two months ago has motivated her to think even more logically, and lord knows a mix of strength and intelligence is a deadly one!”

Machop watched in silence and sighed, “I should be happy for Gyarados, but I really hope Gallador can turn this around. I thought for sure he'd be better than this,” Torchic sighing, “Well, don't count him out just yet. Try to remember how common matches like these are. Just when you think one hero's gonna lose, the other makes an amazing comeback.”

Eiko nodded and added, “That happens to you a lot, Machop,” the girl blinking and replying, “You know, you have a point there.”

It seemed the same might not happen to Gallador as he slowly struggled to get up only for Gyarados to wrap her arms around him, planting her teeth into his shoulder. The white boy cried out in agony as she said through gritted teeth, “I hate to end this so quickly, but I intend to win.”

She then leapt into the air and dove toward the turnbuckle, shouting, “DRAGON DIVE!” thus planting Gallador's forehead into the pole while the Icelandic fans were even more thrilled.

As Gyarados released her hold and allowed the white boy to collapse, Machop stared in stunned silence while Kelani said, “Wow, that Gyarados is really strong. Gallador didn't stand a chance.”

Eiko was about to object to him saying that around Machop, but right now, she had trouble arguing with this. While it was common for Machop and her friends to sustain large amounts of damage and continue fighting, none of them had seen Gallador in combat. For all they knew, this might have very well been the best he could do.

The French fans were beyond worried. Unlike Venipede, Gallador was well-known in France, and this was because unlike his father, Gallade, he actually had a good track record. So to see him perform this horribly was disheartening to say the least.

Currently, though, Garbodor was the only one truly infuriated by this as he gritted his teeth and thought, 'Don't you dare lose, you son of a bitch! You're doing this on purpose just to spite me, aren't you!? I swear to god, if you lose this match, I'll walk into that ring and make your injuries worse!'

However, shortly after Nori started the ten count, she stopped when Gallador groaned and rose to his feet, rubbing his head. There was no way he would allow the serpent to win as he breathed heavily, saying, “Not bad. I can tell Machop must have had quite a tough time facing you, but it'll take a lot more than that to take me down. I'm not just a member of the Beaulieu family but also the Hitmon family. In other words, I have my mom's strength and resilience while also possessing my dad's speed.”

With that in mind, the white boy charged at Gyarados as the serpent was ready to counter him with her tail. But when she did so, he easily leapt over it and sent his feet into her forehead. He used them to propel himself behind her before wrapping his arms around her shoulders and lifting her up, leaning backward and planting the back of her head into the canvas.

The French fans went wild as Yuki stated, “And after taking in quite a beating early on, it seems Gallador was not kidding as he makes quite an impressive comeback.”

Garbodor took a deep breath and thought, 'Okay, so he is taking this seriously,' Machop applauding him but saying nothing. After all, she could not just cheer him on knowing he was facing one of her friends.

Even so, there was no way Gyarados would let this be enough as she used this chance to wrap her tail around Gallador's neck. His eyes widened as she used all her might to force the back of his head into the mat before he could release his hold on her. And it did not end there as the serpent once again placed her hands against the mat and lifted him up, setting him up for a frankensteiner.

Unfortunately for her, Gallador was prepared this time as he threw his arms upward. Thus when he was close enough, his hands made contact with the mat as opposed to his head.

The crowd went wild as Gallador smirked and sent his feet downward into Gyarados' chest. This caused just enough damage to get her to let go as the white boy propelled himself upright, the serpent slowly rising and breathing heavily with a look of shock in her eyes.

“I can tell you're related to Machop, alright,” she said with a smirk, “You have her spirit, not to mention her knack for getting out of tight spots,” Gallador blinking and uttering, “So she's capable of that too? Now I really wanna fight her for real.”

“I hate to burst your bubble, but I'm gonna face her in a rematch soon,” Gyarados remarked as she leapt at Gallador with her arm out, ramming it into his neck. However, he was shocked when despite its incredible force, he still managed to stay up.

“How did that not knock him down?” Eiko asked as Isamu shrugged and replied, “No clue.”

“I think I know,” Machop stated, “Uncle Gallade has this amazing ability to avoid being forced back by spreading his legs out,” as Garchomp uttered, “Yeah, but Gallador's not doing that. Look.”

All of them were shocked to see this was true, save for Venipede and Rinko as the brunette said, “I know exactly what's going on. Gyarados used the same move to knock me out when we fought her.”

Before Gallador could even attempt to take advantage of the fact that he was still standing, Gyarados tightened her grip on his neck before leaping into the air. She then spun around, forming a twister around the two and flipping one-hundred-and-eighty degrees. Before the white boy could even respond, she drove his head hard into the mat while shouting, “HURRICANE HOOK!”

The Icelandic crowd went wild as Nori stated, “It would seem that clothesline was merely setup for Gyarados' Hurricane Hook. I have to say, that certainly threw me off-guard,” as Beedrill nodded and replied, “For a second there, I thought maybe Gyarados was holding back.”

However, her eyes widened when a member of the French crowd pointed and exclaimed, “Hey, guys, look!” the crowd gasping as the spike atop Gallador's head had hit the mat, thus cushioning the blow.

Gyarados panicked as she released her hold on the white boy, leaping away from him and breathing heavily. Machop may have been a tough adversary for her, but she had been nowhere near this intimidating, at least not until the last few minutes of their match. But as bad as Gallador's start had been, he was already proving to be a major challenge.

“As you can see,” he said with a light grin, “I adapt to my opponents pretty well. You have some impressive moves, I'll admit, but now that I've taken in enough of them, it's gonna be hard to hit me again.”

With that in mind, the serpent took a deep breath and grunted, “Alright. I didn't want to use this, but you've given me no choice,” many staring in silence as her tail expanded on the bottom. That extra bit of fat moved up to her head like a pump as that very part continued to get bigger each second.

“What's up with your head?” Gallador uttered, not sure whether to be scared or laugh as Yuki stated, “Gyarados did a similar thing when she fought Machop. But is she preparing what we think she is?”

The viewers from Tokyo certainly had a feeling of what would happen next as the Icelandic fans nodded. However, much like Gallador, the French fans were confused. If anything, seeing Gyarados' head inflating like this made them wonder if they should be worried or not. How did they know her head would not explode if this kept up?

Machop wanted so badly to warn Gallador about what was coming, but Gyarados was still her friend. As such, she kept her mouth shut, though deep down, she really hoped her cousin would be able to work around this. After all, this same tactic had given her a lot of trouble when she faced the serpent.

And sure enough, once Gyarados' head was big enough, she opened her mouth and unleashed a stream of water. However, this did not show the results everyone expected. Rather than creating a big cube of water, it went under Gallador's feet and formed a spiral reaching toward the sky.

At first, this confused the white boy until he noticed a current rising up. With that, he found himself unable to fight it as he cried out in horror, his feet being forced toward the top of the spiral.

“I actually didn't see that coming at all,” Nori uttered as Beedrill asked, “What did you expect to happen there?”

Before either woman could answer, Gyarados leapt at the spiral and allowed it to carry her up toward Gallador with her fists pointed upward, shouting, “WHIRLPOOL UPPERCUT!”

Gallador was unable to respond as he took both fists to his chin, coughing up a bit of blood. However, things soon got worse for him as the water collapsed, forming a cube of the substance on top of the ring as Nori stated, “That's what I was expecting.”

“It's funny, before, I could only form my signature water ring with that ability,” Gyarados stated as she took hold of Gallador and flipped his back toward the mat, descending toward it with her tail pointed upward, “However, ever since I started training in Hero School, I've picked up a few new tricks I can use with my water, and this is one of them.”

Gallador was in too much panic to even care about her words as he soon found himself submerged, his back hitting the mat hard as he coughed up a bit of blood. The Icelandic fans cheered wildly as Machop winced, uttering, “Thank god she never used that against me.”

“Yeah,” Lairon replied, “Even I couldn't have found a way around that,” Garbodor's eye twitching as he clenched his fists.

“That Gallador's doomed now!” one Icelandic fan exclaimed as another nodded and replied, “Yeah, once Gyarados activates her water ring, she's practically unstoppable.”

But while it had been a challenge for Machop to fight with this ring in effect, Gallador was not the same. Due to him having Gallade and Hitmonchan's genetics, he was an excellent swimmer and thus this was just a minor setback to him as he held his breath and sent his feet into Gyarados' gut.

She gritted her teeth and thought, 'No! Your cousin may be my friend, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna yield to you!' and thus she wrapped her arms around him and bit into his shoulder just like she had done earlier.

“Here it comes, folks!” Yuki shouted, “The infamous Dragon Dive! Let's see if it actually finishes him this time!”

But just as Gyarados was about to take to the air, Gallador ignored the pain to his shoulder and smirked. The crowd gasped as he latched his legs onto her tail and used all his might to pry himself downward, thus causing him to slip out of her embrace.

The serpent's eyes and mouth were wide with shock as he proceeded to spread his arms out, sending them downward in an X formation. Had the serpent been completely focused, she could have easily avoided this, but since his escape had left her spellbound, she was unable to respond as she took two big slashes to her midsection.

Everyone stared in shock, Kelani shielding his eyes as the water started to vibrate. And sure enough, the ring collapsed as most of the water fell out of the ring. Gyarados, all the while, had her arms spread out as her body twitched, her eyes and mouth still wide open.

Nori started the ten count as everyone stared, the Icelandic fans cheering for Gyarados to rise. However, the French fans and Machop felt that this truly was it as soon enough, the announcer reached the number in question.

Yuki then rang the bell and exclaimed, “And after a rather intense match, Gallador wins and moves onto the second round!” the French fans going wild as Vigoroth whistled and said, “Damn, Machop, Gallador's pretty awesome.”

“Yeah,” Machop replied with a light nod, “I just hope he didn't hurt Gyarados too much.”

It seemed this was the case as the serpent slowly pushed herself upright, saying, “Funny, I thought for sure I'd be in more pain after that.”

“Hey, I'm not gonna put one of Machop's friends in the hospital,” the white boy replied with a shrug, “Though I have to admit, you were a great first opponent,” as he held out his hand and helped her rise up completely.

The crowd applauded both of them as they shook hands, Venipede breathing a sigh of relief and saying, “Thank god. I don't want him putting me in the hospital,” as Machop nodded and replied, “Oh yeah, you're facing him next.”

She then grinned, glad to see neither were bitter about the results as Gallador turned to her and thought, 'Well, I won my match. Make sure you win yours, Machop, because I wanna see if you can beat me for real.'

With all said and done, the two heroes exited the ring as Beedrill stated, “These first couple of matches have certainly been exciting, but now it's time to change locations as our next pair of matches take place in an hour. Thus we will be switching to the Nissan Stadium,” bringing up a map and pointing to the location.

The audience very quickly rose to head there while Lairon grinned and said, “We best hurry, eh, Machop? Your match is next,” the girl nodding and replying, “Oh yeah, that's a good point.”

“It's actually kind of ironic, isn't it?” Garchomp asked with a grin, “Your father also fought in the third match when he joined the Hero Olympics,” Kelani squealing, “Maybe it's fate!”

Jackalu and Clawitzer were about to take off when the dog grinned and said, “Hey, wait up,” Clawitzer shrugging and replying, “Alright, but don't spend too long talking to her, okay?”

Slurpuff, meanwhile, got up and said, “Wow, those two matches were so awesome. I hope the next ones are even awesomer,” many teenaged girls joining him with hearts in their eyes, the cake dog continuing to ooze cuteness with the most sincere smile on his face.

While Eiko had tried to teach Kelani not to feel envious of anyone, seeing a dog older than him soak up all this attention while the pink-haired girl was the only one who paid any mind to him made it hard not to. Besides, Slurpuff looked more like a dessert than an actual creature. What did he have that made him stand out so much?

Whatever the case, his train of thought came to a halt when Jackalu approached Machop with a grin and said, “Hey, big match coming up, eh?” Machop nodding and replying, “Yeah. You'll be watching, right?” laughing nervously as her cheeks flushed pink.

Isamu narrowed his eyelids but said nothing as Eiko's eyes sparkled, the pink-haired girl nudging him and whispering, “Oh my god, do you see what I see?”

Torchic and the others could see it as well, though this still came as a shock to them. Up until now, Machop seemed to have no interest in romance, and if she only knew that Jackalu shared her feelings, she would have no problem admitting them right now.

After a small conversation, Machop said, “Well, anyway, I gotta wipe the floor with my first opponent. Who knows? Maybe we'll face off in the finals just like our folks did, eh?”

Jackalu grinned and replied, “Yeah, I'd like that. Let's do our best to make sure that happens, eh?” the girl nodding as Meloetta blinked in confusion. Though this had been more-or-less explained to her before, she still could not help but wonder why people in this age had so much trouble confessing their feelings.

“Be sure to pay attention during my match later,” Jackalu said, “You only saw me when I went up against two opponents at once, but trust me, in a one-on-one match, I'm deadly.”

He then flexed his muscles, or lack thereof as Machop beamed and replied, “I definitely believe that. I'm looking forward to seeing you in action again. I barely saw anything from you before.”

With that, the two walked off to join their respective friends, Clawitzer watching Machop and thinking, 'Wow, she really does share his feelings. Maybe I should tell him,' before realizing that might not be a good idea right now.

If they admitted their feelings before their matches, it could very well distract them and cause at least one of them to lose. At the very least, Clawitzer did not wish to see Jackalu lose the first round. If anything, she felt lucky that it would be possible for her to face him in the second round.

Soon enough, everyone had arrived at the stadium. Needless to say, many were excited, though a few who had seen the Olympics before were surprised to see the next match taking place in an actual sports stadium. Normally, this sort of location was saved for the semi-finals.

With a half-hour to go, Machop was preparing her entrance while thinking, 'Okay, I'm only doing this because Lairon would want me to,' before putting on a garbage man outfit and picking up a broom.

The others once again found front-row seats as Vigoroth said, “It's good to finally have a match where only one of our friends is fighting.”

“You said it,” Torchic replied, “Seriously, not knowing who to cheer for was kind of distressing,” as Meloetta smiled and said, “I just hope Machop does her best.”

And soon enough, the wait was over as Beedrill calmed everyone down. With the match underway, the crowd's excitement once again rose. Would Machop win or would she suffer her second defeat on Earth?

 

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Beedrill exclaimed, “We've waited long enough! It's finally time for the third match of the Hero Olympics tournament!” the crowd going wild as the wasp nodded at Yuki.

“In the red corner,” the young woman stated, “the other hero representing France is a true wonder in the ring! She has saved us time and time again from a variety of villains! The daughter of Machoke and sure to dazzle us some more, Machop!”

The crowd was about to cheer before noticing the girl approach the ring with a stone cold look while sporting a garbage man outfit. All the while, some weird, upbeat song about garbage men played in the background as Machop twirled her broom over her head, Lairon grinning and saying, “I was actually going to suggest an entrance like that. I didn't think she'd actually do it, though. Makes an old dinosaur proud.”

But while the majority of the crowd was confused, once Machop entered the ring, Jackalu clapped and exclaimed, “Wow! That was awesome!” Clawitzer remarking, “What!?”

Machop blushed lightly as the dog added, “Think about it. She just declared war on all garbage, and her opponent is made of garbage. How do you not see the genius in that?”

Those listening to him had to admit he had a point as they smiled and applauded the girl, her eyes sparkling as she thought, 'He actually got them to like one of these stupid entrances. Oh my god, he's so perfect!' hearts forming in her eyes until she remembered the match and cleared her throat, removing the outfit.

Gallador, all the while, folded his arms and smiled, thinking, 'Good to know she's really serious about this. For a second there, I thought for sure she might end up being too freaked out to fight this guy. After all, being near garbage always freaked her out so much back in the day.'

He remembered back to one summer when he came by to visit, the first time Machop tried to take out the trash. She made the mistake to dragging the bag along the pavement and thus a section of it opened up as all the contents spilled out. Machop tried desperately to put the garbage back in, but while doing so, she wound up getting her hands covered in waste. And because she was only eight at the time, it made her cry as even after putting all the stuff back in the bag, it all fell back out as the hole got bigger.

She remembered that as well. And unbeknownst to Gallador, she never attempted to take out the trash again. She knew full-well what she did wrong yet she still refused to so much as try.

Needless to say, seeing her so confident about facing an adversary made entirely out of the stuff she had hated so much was truly astounding. But whether that was enough to win her the match was a whole other thing.

“In the blue corner,” Nori stated, “representing Sweden is... um,” the older woman letting out a sigh and uttering, “I have no idea how to build this guy up without insulting him.”

“Hold on, I got this,” Yuki said as she took hold of her own microphone only to tense up, a look of fear in her eyes as Beedrill uttered, “Wait, I got it.”

He then cleared his throat and stated, “Though he may look disgusting on the outside, he's a good, clean fighter on the inside, working hard to protect the innocent from that which is more threatening than his-” only to stop himself and let out a nervous gulp.

Everyone stared at him in stunned silence as the wasp held out his arm and exclaimed, “Garbodor, everyone!”

The Swedish fans decided they may as well ignore the lacklustre introduction as they cheered. The garbage heap walked toward the ring with a lead pipe in his hands as everyone watched with curiosity. Once he entered the ring, he had a wicked smirk on his face as Machop started to tense up, nervous sweat pouring down her face.

'Now that I think about it, I never really got a good look at this guy until now,' she thought as she could not help but fixate on the fact that his head was a ripped garbage bag with a hole on the bottom significantly bigger than the one she had created.

As if that was not enough, his face in general was terrifying with his perfectly round eyes and his razor sharp teeth. The only thing about him that looked remotely attractive was a wide assortment of blue and pink rocks that were caked into various parts of his body.

Once Garbodor entered the ring, he smirked and said, “Everyone, pay attention!” holding the pipe over his head, “I'm about to show you what I'm gonna do to Machop today!”

The crowd watched with much interest as he proceeded to bend the pipe down the middle, threateningly shouting, “By the time I'm done, this is gonna be your spine!” the girl trembling in terror as Gallador's eyes widened, the white boy thinking, 'Oh no! She hasn't gotten over her fear at all!'

“Geez, I hope he's not serious about that,” Jackalu groaned, “This is a fight between heroes. He wouldn't go so far as to put a hero out of commission, right?” Clawitzer sighing, “I'm pretty sure he's just trying to sound intimidating.”

Isamu and Lairon were just as concerned as Gallador right now. Machop was not the kind to show this much fear of an opponent. All they could hope for was that this would not last. After all, she had faced many a powerful adversary before.

“Well, folks, the combatants are set,” Yuki stated, “Without further ado, let's begin!” before ringing the bell.

Garbodor wasted no time rushing toward Machop with his arms at the ready. Lairon noticed this and smirked, saying, “What a moron. He's left himself wide open with that sloppy setup.”

Unfortunately, it seemed this hardly mattered as just as Machop was about to counter, she tensed up and trembled. Her heart wanted her to move, but her head was preventing her from doing so as she took a hard punch to the face. The crowd gasped as she backed up toward the ropes, resting her arms against them with her eyes and mouth wide open.

She then grimaced and rubbed the side of her face, wiping a bit of waste off as she tried her hardest not to freak out. After all, doing so in front of all these people, let alone the French fans, would have been embarrassing.

“Machop was unable to protect herself from that punch,” Nori stated, “It's not like her to just let herself get hit like that,” as Garbodor smirked and said, “Guess I'm just too intimidating.”

Gallador bit his lower lip and thought, 'No, it can't be. Maybe Garbodor was just moving too quickly. That has to be it,' while the others started to worry about her as well.

The girl took a deep breath and frowned, grunting, “That was a lucky shot!” before rushing toward Garbodor. However, just as it looked like she was about to go in for the attack, she once again tensed up and slowed down her movement, giving the heap more than enough time to take hold of her face.

Needless to say, having garbage shoved into her face was more than Machop could bear as Garbodor flung her into the turnbuckle, a big grin on his face as the Swedish fans went wild. But while they were happy, everyone else was still concerned.

Now there was no doubt in Gallador's mind. Machop had not gotten over her fear of touching garbage, making Garbodor the worst opponent she could have gotten.

To make matters worse, the heap was not even close to finished as he pointed his fingers at her, shouting, “GUNK SHOT!” letting loose three piles of trash toward her.

The girl could no longer hide her fear as she let out a loud shriek, leaping over them. Once she landed on the mat, she turned toward the big mound that had formed as a result and breathed heavily, sweat pouring down her face as it seemed Garbodor was right. He was too intimidating for her.

“Oh my god, this is just too precious!” the heap exclaimed with a maniacal laugh, “The daughter of Machoke is scared of garbage! Well, I'm going to enjoy this!” before pointing at Gallador and adding, “And you'd better watch closely, because I know you care about her for whatever reason!”

The white boy tensed up as the others stared in shock, Lairon uttering, “Is this true? Oh god, why didn't she tell me!? I could have helped her get over that!” Torchic sighing, “Maybe she didn't want you to put off training for something so trivial. But you're right, she really should have said something. I could have helped her easily.”

“How?” Meloetta asked as the chicken shrugged and replied, “I would have shown her just how easy it is to burn it,” the others staring as Rinko sighed, “You know burning garbage is against the law, right?”

Torchic's eyes widened as she uttered, “It is? Oh, shit,” as Vigoroth sighed, “We'll discuss that later. Machop needs help right now.”

This was certainly the case as Garbodor smirked and unleashed a large burp, shouting, “BELCH!” while doing so. A large cloud of gas flew toward Machop and covered her as she started gagging, the heap saying, “Sorry, but I prefer to reuse my food even after it's been digested.”

“Why did he just feel the need to tell us that?” Eiko asked as Isamu sighed, “I think I know why, but it's too stupid to say,” Kelani blinking as Eiko told him never to use that word himself.

“Now, audience, watch as I reduce Machop in size!” Garbodor stated as Machop tried to flee for her life only for him to lift her up by the head and use his both his hands to roll her up into a ball.

“Oh, I know!” Kelani squealed, “He's gonna recycle her now, right!?” Isamu sighing, “See? Even a child can figure out where that was going.”

Garbodor ignored these words as he proceeded to lift Machop high above his head before shouting, “RECYCLE BOMB!” sending her hard into the mat as she retracted from her ball-like state and groaned.

While the move had certainly hurt, Machop was more concerned about the fact that she was now covered head to toe in waste. As such, she immediately rolled around on the mat in a desperate attempt to wipe it all off, Garbodor pointing and laughing while shouting, “WHAT A WIMP!”

Even the crowd was unsure how to feel about this. On one hand, some members of the crowd could sympathize with Machop. They, too, knew how disgusting it was just to look at garbage, let alone smell it. But on the other hand, Garbodor was a living being who surprisingly did not even leave waste behind whenever he moved. To treat him like a common everyday pile of trash was disrespectful to say the least.

However, Gallador knew something he could say as he barked, “Hey, Machop!” the girl turning to him as he stated, “During the race, that guy attacked me but I managed to fight him off without getting any of that garbage juice on me! Do you know how I pulled it off!?”

Machop shook her head as Garbodor gritted his teeth, growling, “I remember that! I was just seconds away from stopping him from finishing the race when he kicked me in the face!” all going silent as Lairon nodded and said, “Wonder why that never crossed my mind.”

Machop then fixated on the bag that made up his head, and while it was painful to see a hole in the bottom of it, it was the only part of him was that not made entirely out of garbage. With that in mind, the girl grinned and shook some waste off of her arms, saying, “Now I know how to hurt you.”

Garbodor stood silently and growled, “GODDAMMIT, NOW I HAVE ANOTHER REASON HATE YOU, GALLADOR!” before racing toward Machop, the crowd gasping as Meloetta uttered, “So all of this is because of a grudge he has against Machop's cousin?”

“Is he really that butthurt over getting kicked in the face?” Eiko asked as Isamu shook his head and replied, “No, I get the feeling he's had this grudge since before that happened.”

Whatever the case, Machop was more than ready now as she waited for Garbodor to get close enough. Since he was using the same sloppy form he had before, he was wide open as the girl sent a hard punch into his face. The French fans went wild as the girl leapt into the air, planting her feet into his skull thus knocking him on his back.

“And now that Machop has found a spot not covered in trash, she's finally able to fight back,” Yuki said as Nori sighed, “Even so, I'm kinda disappointed we had to wait this long.”

With the heap down, Machop proceeded to leap toward his face with her elbow at the ready. However, she started to panic when he smirked and folded his forearms in front of his face for protection. As such, she broke form as her body landed hard against Garbodor's, her teeth gritted as her mouth and eyes twitched.

Gallador's eyes widened as Garbodor rose to his feet with his arms now wrapped around Machop, grunting, “You know, I did a bit of research about you when I noticed you had some sort of connection to Gallador. I never would have guessed you and him came from the same family tree. My whole aim when I discovered he had qualified for the Olympics was to defeat him, but now that I know you're related to him, I'm going to enjoy wiping the canvas with you almost as much!”

With that, he proceeded to ram the girl's face hard into the turnbuckle as the Swedish crowd went wild, Torchic groaning, “Oh no! And she finally stood a chance, too!”

Machop was now bleeding as Garbodor lifted her up for a powerbomb, slamming her forehead into the turnbuckle. To top it all off, he proceeded to fling her over his head before turning around with his fingers pointed outward, shouting, “Since you hate being covered in my juices so much, I figure this is the best way to end this match!”

With that, he proceeded to let loose large clumps of garbage like before while shouting, “GUNK SHOT!” sending them hard into the girl as she fell on her back, now covered in the stuff.

All went silent as Nori uttered, “That looked painful. I don't think Machop can get up from that,” as Yuki started the ten count.

Clawitzer winced at the sight of this before turning to Jackalu and gasping. The dog was not even watching the match anymore. Instead, he had his cellphone out and was currently looking up something on the Internet. The shrimp was just about to strike him before leaning over and seeing the page he was on.

Garbodor smirked and folded his arms, saying, “Good. Now I'll just blast through the next round and get my revenge on your cousin. After what your uncle did to me, it'll be so satisfying to make your entire family pay.”

“Wait, what!?” came a familiar voice as the crowd gasped, Machop rising up from under the trash just as Yuki reached six.

The French fans were unsure whether to cheer or not as Machop seemed to ignore the fact that she was once again drenched in waste. Kelani, however, winced and groaned, “Ew, she has a bunch of garbage juice on her.”

The girl suddenly noticed this as she squeaked, “OH MY GOD!” running around while waving her arms up and down to get all the liquid off of her while Garbodor gritted his teeth and growled, “You should have stayed down!”

Machop panicked once more as Garbodor closed in on her only for Jackalu to put his phone away and exclaim, “HEY, MACHOP, WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?”

The girl gasped and dodged to the right just in time to avoid the heap as the dog barked, “Where's that awesome warrior princess who saved me from Gourgeist and Trevenant!? You took on two scary-looking creatures of the night, yet a broken garbage bag scares you!?”

Machop blinked as Garbodor groaned, “Did he have to put it like that?” as Jackalu added, “Look, I don't like garbage either. Hell, I'm a canine. I can smell it from anywhere. But even so, it's just stuff that you put on a bag for the garbage men to pick up. You looked so prepared for this when you entered the ring and yet now you look like you were never prepared for this match to begin with.”

The girl was about to retort only for Jackalu to sigh, “Besides, Garbodor's not as scary as you think. In fact, there's a reason the Swedes and those in the area he protects like him so much. It's because he actually cleans up more litter in his free time than anyone else.”

All went silent as Rinko blinked and uttered, “Wow. I never would have expected that,” as the others nodded, Isamu saying, “Well, you know what they say. You can't judge by appearances.”

“Is that true?” Machop uttered as Garbodor shrugged and replied, “Well, it kinda benefits me, too. You see, since I'm living garbage, I can literally eat anything and it always tastes good to me and never ruins my health. Not only that, but every now and then, I'll drink some of that toxic waste people dump in rivers and lakes and one time when an ally of mine was poisoned, I sucked it right out of the cut.”

“Wow, he's a good guy,” Gallador said with a sweet smile as Machop grinned, saying, “You know, I don't feel so scared of you anymore.”

Garbodor blinked and uttered, “Oh shit,” as the girl advanced toward him, Garchomp breathing a sigh of relief and saying, “Not gonna lie. I was actually kinda worried she'd lose this one.”

With Machop no longer afraid, Garbodor had lost his confidence as she leapt up toward him and latched her ankles around his neck. She then pulled upward thus propelling herself and the heap above the ring, flipping him upside-down. Though what truly amazed the crowd was when she placed a firm grip on his feet.

“METEOR WARHEAD!” she exclaimed as Garbodor gritted his teeth, knowing his body could no longer repel the girl as his head made contact with the canvas.

The French fans went wild as Gallador grinned and applauded his cousin, thinking, 'She's mastered Aunt Gardevoir's best solo finisher. Not bad, Machop. Not bad at all,' as Nori started the ten count.

Lairon grinned and said, “Good job,” as Jackalu clapped and exclaimed, “THAT'S THE MACHOP I KNOW!”

Clawitzer shrugged and replied, “Well, that certainly looked effective,” Meloetta breathing a sigh of relief and saying, “I have to admit, I was actually worried for a second.”

Soon enough, Nori reached ten as Yuki rang the bell, exclaiming, “And despite coming very close to failure, Machop shows that Mach family spirit and wins the match!” the French crowd even more ecstatic as the others showed their support as well.

All went silent, though, when Garbodor slowly rose to his feet, breathing heavily and growling, “NO! I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE MY REVENGE!” only for Machop to sigh, “Look, Garbodor, you seem reasonable, so I'm willing to bet you probably had a good reason to hate my family. What did Uncle Gallade do to you that was so horrible?”

The heap blinked and uttered, “You mean you don't know?” Gallador shrugging and replying, “In all fairness, I don't know either. This is the first I've heard of this.”

“Well, then, I'll tell you,” Garbodor grunted before folding his arms and explaining, “It was during the three-legged race in the twenty-second Hero Olympics. My father was running for his dream, hope in his eyes, a song in his heart when suddenly, a blade-wielding psychopath ran over to him and slashed him open. He said it was a miracle that he lived through that horrible experience, but he was never able to make it to the tournament because of that moment.”

The crowd stared in shock as Yuki whispered, “Hey, Mom, do you know who his dad is?” Beedrill overhearing this and replying, “That's right, Garbodor, your father's name is Trubbish, right?”

“Yes,” the heap replied as Torchic uttered, “Seriously? They named him rubbish with a T?”

“As it just so happens, we have replay footage of that event,” the wasp stated as he had a staff member show it on a big-screen TV, everyone watching the events unfold.

Machop grinned and said, “Sweet, I get to see Uncle Gallade in his prime,” as Garbodor scowled and grunted, “Shut up and watch!”

However, he was shocked to see Trubbish fly toward Gallade first with his arms ready to strike. Seeing this, the green and white boy turned toward him and sent his arm blade into his midsection, giving it a light cut as he cried out in pain and passed out.

“Wait, so not only did Dad attack first, but he only took in a light cut?” Garbodor uttered as Machop folded her arms and replied, “Sounds about right.”

With that in mind, Garbodor took a deep breath and grinned, saying, “Well, I have to admit, in the end, you were the better fighter,” before extending his hand.

Machop hesitated briefly, but after having felt him enough throughout the match, she no longer had a reason to fear his waste as she shook his hand. The crowd went wild as Yuki said, “No matter how many times I see it, it always touches my heart to see a bitter match end in friendship.”

“Yep, those Machs have a knack for that sort of thing,” Nori replied with a grin as Machop headed back toward the crowd only for Kelani to gasp, “You should wash up first!”

“Good boy,” Eiko said with a grin as Machop sighed, “Well, I wouldn't want to make the seat dirty,” before heading off to find an area to wash up.

“With that out of the way, the next match will be in five minutes,” Beedrill stated as Chesnaught and Klefki had already left their seats, the wasp adding, “Looks like our next two fighters are already preparing themselves while all we can do is wait.”

Most of the audience had no idea what to expect. So far, this was the first match not to feature anyone the Tokyo fans were familiar with. But even so, the matches so far had been very exciting and everyone expected the same from this one.

 

The crowd was restless as the next match was just around the corner. Machop returned to the bleachers to join her friends after washing all of Garbodor's waste off.

“I have to admit, Machop, you never cease to amaze me,” Isamu said with a light grin, Lairon nodding and adding, “Yeah. If your father saw that amazing comeback, he would have been proud.”

Vigoroth nodded before folding her hands behind her head, saying, “Seems like we can relax for good now,” Rinko nodding and replying, “That's true. We have no one to cheer for this time.”

“Still, I wouldn't get too comfortable just yet,” Garchomp replied with a grin, “Don't forget, whoever wins this match is Machop's next opponent,” Machop nodding and replying, “That's right. I wanna know exactly what these two are capable of.”

Once the five minutes were up, Beedrill gave the signal as Nori exclaimed, “Alright, folks, it's finally time for the forth match! So far, this tournament has been really exciting, and I'm sure it'll be even more exciting from here on out!”

Yuki nodded and stated, “In the red corner is a true powerhouse representing Spain! With a shell so strong, it'll take a miracle to penetrate it, we bring to you an armadillo with a great deal of spirit, Chesnaught!”

The Spanish fans went wild as the armadillo in question approached the ring. Though he certainly did not look that much like one. His shell was more like a pale beige armour in the shape of a dome with two spikes coming out of the back and two more coming out of the shoulder areas. The majority of his body was also the same colour save for his arms, which were green on top and white on the bottom. Each hand had three claws as his feet contained the same number. On his belly was fluffy white fur, which also covered his face. He had a small pink nose with brown fur going up his snout along with a beige helmet atop his head.

As he entered the ring, he lifted his fists in the air and let out a loud battle cry, the Spanish fans cheering even louder. Needless to say, his opponent would need a lot of skill to beat him.

“And in the blue corner is an odd hero hailing from the Ukraine,” Yuki stated, “Though he may not look like much, he must pack quite a punch to have made it this far. Introducing Klefki!”

The Ukrainian fans went wild as Klefki approached the ring. He was an odd specimen as his entire body was made up of nothing but keys with his midsection being a big key ring. However, the one key that stood out was his head, the only one with pitch black eyes and a keyhole representing his nose and mouth. On his forehead was a small pink oval as his shank was pointed upward.

The key collection smiled and waved to the crowd before leaping high into the air and spinning his body like a top. He then landed on the tops of his feet as the crowd cheered wildly, Chesnaught folding his arms and thinking, 'This'll be easy.'

Just before the match could begin, though, Klefki's smile had not yet left his face as he approached the armadillo and said, “Wow, I can't believe I'm actually facing you in the first round! I've caught all your matches on TV! I'm such a huge fan!”

Chesnaught blinked as he held out his arm, the armadillo smiling and saying, “Well, it's always nice to meet a fan, but don't think for a minute that I'll go easy on you.”

Klefki's cute smile turned to a more sinister one as he sent the end of his right hand upward into Chesnaught's chin. Seeing this, Nori rang the bell and exclaimed, “And it would seem Klefki intends to start this match early by lowering his opponent's guard and taking full advantage of him!”

Chesnaught gritted his teeth as he received another punch to the same spot. Thus he backed up and rubbed it, thinking, 'Dammit! I didn't think that would hurt so much!'

“Dude, what the hell!?” Machop spat, “Is that legal!?” as Garchomp sighed, “Unfortunately, yes. See, human wrestlers do this sort of thing all the time, so striking your opponent before the match begins is allowed. It's rarely ever seen from heroes or even villains for that matter as we tend to have too much pride for that, but there are those who don't consider themselves above such tactics. The legendary Bouffalant is a great example of this.”

Klefki laughed and exclaimed, “Wow, you are so gullible! Come on, I've never seen any of your matches before! You're nothing more than a stepping stone on my way to the top!” Chesnaught glaring at him.

“The next time you try something like that, hit the opponent harder, because I barely felt a thing!” the armadillo growled as he charged at Klefki. However, the key saw this coming as he dodged to the side and sent both hands into Chesnaught's skull.

However, this time the armadillo truly felt no pain as he smirked, saying, “By the way, this armoured exterior isn't just for show,” as he swung his arm sideways and sent his fist hard into Klefki's side.

The key's eyes widened as he backed away from Chesnaught, the Spanish fans cheering as he thought, 'Damn, he's really tough. That one hit really hurt. I was hoping to save this for later, but I guess I'll need my best moves for this.'

With that in mind, he lifted up his right arm as Chesnaught grunted, “What are you doing now!?” only for Klefki to place the right hand key into his mouth, turning it while saying, “Secret power unlocked. Key Twister!”

With that, his keys all separated from one-another as all of them circled around the key ring, forming a tornado around him as Chesnaught's eyes widened. Before he knew it, Klefki closed in on him as he found himself pelted by the keys, some striking his face and leaving behind bruises.

“And Klefki hits Chesnaught with a barrage of strikes using, well, his keys,” Yuki stated, “Though why he needed to place one in his mouth, I don't completely understand.”

“I have a theory,” Beedrill replied, “My guess is that this ability was locked away inside of him and that he needed his key in order to unlock it.”

“Yes, the chairman is right,” Klefki stated with a wicked smile, “Each one of my keys unlocks a different power,” the attack coming to a halt as his body became whole once more.

“As you can see,” he explained, “my body contains a total of twenty-five keys that only fit into my lock, not including my head, of course. That means I have twenty-five signature moves at my disposal and you've only seen one of them.”

“Now I can see how someone so thin made it this far,” Torchic uttered, “I can tell from looking at him that his body's not very strong, but if he has this many attacks at his disposal, Chesnaught might not stand a chance.”

The armadillo refused to accept this as he growled, “Whatever! That move was nothing!” but just as he was ready to go in for an attack of his own, Klefki proceeded to place the left hand key into his mouth, turning it and saying, “Secret power unlocked. Keyzooka!”

“Que?” Chesnaught uttered as suddenly, all of the keys shifted to form what looked like a cannon with Klefki's head pointed directly at the armadillo. And before he could even respond, the head was launched from the other keys and flew hard into his forehead.

The Ukrainian fans went wild as that very spot was bleeding. Machop stared in stunned silence and uttered, “Okay, I'm not sure if I wanna face that Klefki guy. He's kinda scary.”

'No, this isn't right!' Chesnaught thought as the head returned to its body, Klefki returning to normal, 'This guy was supposed to be easy pickings! His attacks aren't considerably strong, but with such strange abilities, he's hard to figure out!'

However, seeing Klefki back to his original form, there was no way the armadillo would allow him to try anything else. With that in mind, he proceeded to race toward him only for the key to leap over his head.

Chesnaught was prepared this time as he lifted his arms up, taking hold of Klefki's ankles as he gulped. And soon enough, his back was slammed hard against the canvas as Chesnaught growled, “Your fancy tricks mean nothing to me!”

He then proceeded to flip Klefki onto his belly before ramming his knee into the area just above his key ring. But just as he was about to do more, the key proceeded to place his right shoulder key into his mouth, turning it around and saying, “Secret power unlocked. Key String!”

“What's so scary about a string?” Chesnaught remarked as suddenly, all of the keys shifted to form a straight line.

After that, Klefki proceeded to wrap his entire body around Chesnaught, binding his arms in place as the Ukrainian fans were once again ecstatic. And it only got worse when the key flew toward the turnbuckle, pulling the armadillo with him and ramming his face into that very object.

Blood now dripped from Chesnaught's nostrils as Klefki released his hold and reverted back to normal. He then folded his arms and said, “You brag about your tough exterior, but you seem to have overlooked one simple fact. Your face is not protected. As long as I keep whaling on that spot, you'll go down in no time.”

“Shut up!” Chesnaught retorted as he raced toward Klefki with his fist at the ready.

But as he swung his fist toward Klefki, he easily dodged to the right and inserted the key in the middle of his right arm into his mouth, turning it and saying, “Secret power unlocked. Key Hammer!”

“A hammer?” Chesnaught uttered as all of the keys shifted around to form the very shape described. And before he knew it, Klefki swung himself around thus slamming the flat end into the armadillo's face.

Chesnaught's eyes and mouth were wide open as he coughed up blood, falling on his back. But just as Klefki was about to strike him again, he frowned and said, “You know, I just realized there is a way around this.”

The crowd stared as he tucked the lower portion of his head under his shell. Thus only his helmet was showing as Klefki hit that spot instead. It dealt some slight pain, but not nearly as much as the hit earlier.

The Spanish fans cheered as Klefki reverted to normal, Chesnaught seeing this as the perfect opportunity as he took hold of his wrists. The key's eyes widened as the armadillo planted his feet into his thighs, sending him flying into the air before rising to his feet and holding his arms up.

“ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT!” Chesnaught barked as Klefki descended, landing on his hands as he started to spin in a circle while growling, “You have been a huge pain in the ass, but there's no way you can get up from this!”

Machop stared in shock and uttered, “Damn, I was starting to think he couldn't protect himself like that,” Lairon nodding and replying, “Yeah, I was wondering about that too.”

“After taking in nothing but torment, Chesnaught is ready for revenge!” Yuki stated, “And it looks like he might just get it as he has Klefki caught in an airplane spin!”

After a few seconds, Klefki's eyes became swirls as he inserted his left shoulder key into his mouth. However, there was no way Chesnaught would allow him to use it as he prepared himself to hurl the key into the turnbuckle.

However, his eyes widened as it was too late. With the key already in Klefki's mouth, it turned as he uttered, “Secret power unlocked. Key Shackles.”

And sure enough, the keys rearranged themselves to form four shackles, Chesnaught tucking his head into his shell again. However, this quickly proved to be pointless when the shackles bound themselves to his wrists and ankles, pulling on them thus causing his back to bend.

The armadillo poked his head out of his shell and let out a loud cry of agony, the Spanish fans even more concerned than before while the Ukrainian fans gave Klefki a round of applause. The key had a big smile on his face as he said, “If I can't hurt you externally, I may as well harm you internally, eh?”

Chesnaught was once again spellbound. No matter what he tried, it seemed Klefki had a response. However, the armadillo could not let his country down, at least not in the first round.

With that in mind, he gritted his teeth and used all his might to force his feet forward. This ultimately added to the pain being applied to his back as the crowd stared in stunned silence, but after roughly half-a-minute, he managed to place them firmly against the mat.

He then took a deep breath and let out a loud battle cry, falling backwards thus slamming Klefki's ring into the canvas. Ultimately, this was more than enough to cause him to release the armadillo as his body reverted to normal.

“Alright, that's it!” Chesnaught snapped, “There is no way in Hell I'm letting you use all twenty-five abilities!” before kneeling down and sending a hard punch into Klefki's face.

The Spanish fans went wild as Nori exclaimed, “And in a desperate attempt, Chesnaught risked more pain to his back to break himself free from that backbreaker! What really amazes me is how much that worked!”

“No kidding,” Lairon said with his arms folded, “I can only imagine how much pain he added to his back with that tactic.”

But just as Chesnaught was about to add to the pain even further, Klefki's eyes widened as he quickly rolled backwards, thus evading a second punch. However, he now had a look of fear on his face as he breathed heavily, Chesnaught smirking and asking, “You just suddenly realized how pointless it is to continue this match, didn't you?”

“NO!” the key retorted before lifting his right leg as high as it could go, “YOU HAVEN'T WON YET! I was hoping I wouldn't have to use this, but you give me no choice! You're gonna have to fall to the strongest move in my arsenal!”

With that, Klefki inserted the ankle key into his mouth. This caused it to turn as he exclaimed, “SECRET POWER UNLOCKED! KEY DRILL!”

The Ukrainian fans went wild as Klefki leapt backwards toward the ropes and leapt off them toward Chesnaught. While doing so, every key except for his head separated from his ring and spun around him like a twister. The momentum was enough to caused the rest of him to spin just like a drill, Chesnaught smirking and saying, “I don't even need to lower my head for this.”

With that in mind, the armadillo pounded his fists together in front of Klefki's path, shouting, “SPIKY SHIELD!” as suddenly, the backs of both hands expanded and combined to form a perfectly round shield with spikes coming out of it.

Klefki's head soon made contact with it as he wound up taking in quite a bit of pain from touching up against the spikes. But even so, there was no way he would let this defeat him as he continued to spin.

It was not long until the crowd realized Klefki's efforts were pointless as Chesnaught did not even budge. It seemed not even the power of a drill was enough to plough through his shield and thus the spinning soon came to a halt as Klefki backed up with a look of terror on his face, his body twitching all over.

“I'll admit, you were a far tougher opponent than I expected,” Chesnaught grunted with a smirk on his face, “But it's the end for you! Now I'll show you a real flying move!”

Klefki would have attempted to dodge, but at this point, he had lost all hope. After all, Chesnaught had now found a way to bypass each and every move at his disposal as he ran toward the ropes and leapt toward it, sending a two-legged kick into it.

He then bounced off of them as a bright light surrounded his body, the Spanish fans beyond excited now as the armadillo tucked his head into his body and folded his arms, shouting, “GIGA IMPACT!”

Klefki took Chesnaught's helmet to the gut as he coughed up a mix of oil and blood, both heading toward the ropes on the opposite side. And once he made contact with the material, the crowd gasped as his keys all separated from his ring and scattered about. With that out of the way, Chesnaught rose his head up out of his shell and righted himself back up before smacking the ring with his tail as it collapsed as well.

Machop stared wide-eyed as even her friends could not help but feel a touch scared knowing someone this strong was going to be her next opponent. Machop may have faced a lot of tough opponents, but after seeing how strong his armoured skin was combined with his spike shield, they were unsure of how a fighter like her would stand a chance. After all, the armadillo seemed to have a countermeasure for everything.

Yuki stared at this in horror and uttered, “How do I rule this?” Beedrill noticing Klefki was still breathing as he nodded and replied, “Don't worry, Klefki's still alive. He just needs to be put back together.”

With that in mind, Nori realized there was no need for a ten count as she rang the bell and exclaimed, “And after a very intense match, Chesnaught is our winner as he advances to the next round!” the Spanish fans all cheering louder than ever before while the Ukrainian fans patted their chests to show their respect for Klefki. While he may have lost, he had come very close, and there was no way they would ignore that.

Chesnaught grinned and exclaimed, “YEAH, I'M NUMERO UNO!” before pointing at Machop and adding, “I'll be seeing you in the ring soon enough!”

Machop tensed up as while it certainly was normal for fighters to try and scare their opponents during tournaments, she could sense a hint of malice in his eyes. But why? Did he have some sort of vendetta against her like Garbodor?

Whatever the case, everyone knew they would have to leave the stadium as Beedrill said, “What an exciting pair of matches, but now it's time to change locations for the next one. And for this match, we'll be heading to the Kabuki theatre,” pointing to it on a big map as everyone was ready to head off.

Jackalu, all the while, grinned and gave Clawitzer a supportive grin, saying, “I just know you're gonna kick so much ass,” the shrimp nodding and replying, “Yeah, and you'd better do the same. I wanna face you in the next round.”

Machop, however, was breathing heavily as Garchomp rested a hand on her shoulder and said, “Calm down. You won't have to worry about him until tomorrow. For now, let's just enjoy the rest of round one, okay?”

“Right,” Machop replied as Kelani blinked and asked, “Are you scared of that Chesnaught guy?”

“No, of course not,” the girl replied with a forced grin, “Don't worry. You saw my match earlier. I can handle anything.”

While these words certainly worked on Kelani, the others could tell she was lying, and they could not blame her. While the girl had faced many powerful adversaries before, Chesnaught looked more threatening than even Marshal and Kingdra. Machop rarely ever showed fear and yet right now, she would certainly need their support to even so much as muster up the courage to enter the ring.

 

With the first half of round one out of the way, everyone was more than pumped for the second half. If anything, Machop and her friends were looking forward to seeing Clawitzer in action. While none of them knew her personally, the fact that she was Jackalu's partner was more than enough for them to support her.

When the group arrived at the Kabuki theatre, Machop blinked and asked, “So, how do you suppose this is gonna work? I mean, isn't a Kabuki stage a little small to support a wrestling ring?”

“What if the match is taking place on the stage?” Kelani asked as Isamu sighed, “Then the audience will be too close to the fight area, so if a hero flies off the stage, she'll likely land on someone.”

Eiko blinked and replied, “Now that you mention it, that's a really good point.”

Vigoroth was about to join into the conversation when she noticed Meloetta had been awfully quiet since the match between Chesnaught and Klefki. The sloth waved her hand in front of her face and asked, “Hey, you alright?”

“Oh, sorry,” Meloetta uttered with a light chuckle, “I'm just a little shaken up after that last match.”

“Really?” Rinko asked with her eyebrow raised, “You've seen plenty of brutal matches so far. What makes this one any different?”

“Well, until I heard Klefki breathing, I thought Chesnaught actually killed him,” the green-haired girl whimpered, “How did he know Klefki would still be alive after being taken apart? I don't want any of you to die in this tournament, and to think, Machop's going to face him next.”

Machop let out a sigh and patted her on the shoulder, replying, “Don't worry about it, alright? During a tournament, it's illegal for a fighter to kill his or her opponent. I'm sure Chesnaught knew full-well that Klefki could be repaired. That's what it's usually like for cyborgs.”

“She's right,” Lairon replied, “Something similar happened to Metang when he fought Lucario in the twenty-second Hero Olympics. Nearing the end of the match, Lucario blew up his hands, but he left the fragments big enough so they could be repaired. As a result, Metang was not only fixed up, but he even enhanced his hands to make them more useful in combat.”

“Wow,” Torchic replied, “so having them blown up led to a good result,” the dinosaur nodding as Meloetta smiled lightly and replied, “Okay. That's good to hear.”

With that said, the group entered as they approached the seats, all of them sitting down. They were shocked to see that a ring had, indeed, been set up on the stage. But the major difference was that this ring had been modified to look more rectangular and thinner, thus making it the perfect size.

Beedrill, Nori and Yuki had a desk set up next to the crowd while Beedrill stated, “Well, folks, the fifth match of round one is underway, and I'm certain this one's gonna be great. It was difficult, but we found a way to make a match in a Kabuki theatre work.”

Jackalu was walking down the aisle when he noticed a free seat next to Machop's left side with Isamu seated on the right. As such, the dog wasted no time walking toward that spot and sitting next to her, saying, “Hey there, Machop.”

The girl's cheeks flushed pink as she grinned and replied, “Hello to you, too,” Eiko nudging Isamu with Kelani on her lap, her brother rolling his eyes.

“I hope you're all excited because in ten minutes, we're gonna start up the big event,” Yuki said, “So if any of you need to use the bathroom now, this is your chance.”

All the while, Clawitzer was getting herself ready as she thought, 'I can't believe I got Dragalge as my first opponent,' a light smile forming, 'We got along so well in school. I wonder how she's been or if she'd gotten any better.'

The shrimp looked back to the day she met Dragalge. It was during weight-lifting as Clawitzer impressed the class with her incredible physical strength. The one most impressed was the sea dragon herself.

She was an odd specimen to say the least as her body was curved to resemble the number three. The sides of her torso and slender legs were a dull shade of purple with vertical lines along them. She had a straightened snout and a red leaf-like crest atop her head with two brownish-green antennae attached to it.

One day, she walked up to Clawitzer and asked to spend time with her, and sure enough, the two became fast friends. As if having Jackalu, her childhood friend around was not enough, the shrimp was happy to have someone else to talk to.

Though something she and Dragalge did a lot was spar, working hard to improve their abilities. And while Dragalge would always lose, she was a very good sport about it.

Needless to say, Clawitzer was more than happy to have such a good friend as her first opponent. But even with her connection to the sea dragon, she still intended to win and face Jackalu in the second round. After all, a part of her had always wanted to face him in an official match.

Meanwhile, Dragalge herself had a big implied smile of her own while preparing, thinking, 'Oh, Clawitzer, it's great to finally face you in a real match. I've been waiting for this chance.'

Soon enough, the ten minutes were up as Yuki exclaimed, “Alright, everyone, it's finally time for the second half of round one to begin with what's sure to be an exciting match!”

Jackalu clapped and exclaimed, “Yeah! Go, Clawitzer!” everyone staring at him as he laughed nervously, Machop chuckling briefly. She had to admit that she found his enthusiasm strangely cute.

“In the red corner,” Nori stated, “hailing from Australia is a sea dragon who makes up for her lack of muscle with her speed and skills! It is my pleasure to present Dragalge!”

The Australian fans cheered wildly as the sea dragon approached the ring in a Kabuki uniform only without the mask. Everyone stared as she struck a fighting pose and shifted her head in a circular motion, staring at the crowd as the cheers got even louder.

“Well, it seems Dragalge is treating this like an actual theatre debut,” Beedrill stated, “I have to admit, I wasn't expecting anyone to actually do that, but it's certainly nice to see.”

“That was pretty cool, actually,” Machop said with a shrug as Lairon folded his arms and nodded, saying, “I'm just amazed that outfit fits her as well as it does.”

Dragalge then removed the outfit and tossed it toward a woman on the Australian side as she squealed with delight. And with her entrance officially done, the sea dragon entered the ring and bowed to the audience.

“Well, she's certainly in good spirits,” Jackalu said with a grin as Machop replied, “You sound like you know her.”

“That's cause I do,” Jackalu replied, “She and Clawitzer were really good friends in Hero School. She's really nice. I'd love to catch up with her when this is all over.”

“And in the blue corner,” Yuki stated, “coming to us from Switzerland is the daughter of Clauncher, that shockingly powerful crustacean who was actually a really good match for Lucario in the Ultimate World Team Tournament! With her mighty claw that's almost the size of her body, Clawitzer!”

The Swiss fans along with Jackalu were ecstatic as Clawitzer approached the ring. Rather than a Kabuki uniform, she was dressed like a swordsman with her arm over her shoulder and her big claw hanging behind her back, much like a big sword inside of its sheath.

Once she entered the ring, she flipped her claw over her shoulder much like a swordsman unsheathing his blade. She then pulled off the outfit and tossed it toward Jackalu who caught it and exclaimed, “Good job, Clawitzer! You're awesome sauce!”

Dragalge narrowed her eyelids at him briefly before turning toward Clawitzer with her eyes implying a smile, saying, “It's so nice to see you again, Clawitzer. Once this match is over, maybe we can catch up, eh?”

“Hell yeah,” the shrimp replied as Vigoroth said, “Okay, the most I've seen of Clawitzer was when she joined us in the club, but is she normally this happy?”

“Around me, yes,” Jackalu replied with a grin, “She just doesn't show it very often. Around most people, she tries to keep up a tough girl image, which is funny considering how laid-back her mum is.”

With all said and done, the two sea creatures stood on their own sides of the ring as Yuki said, “Well, the combatants are set. Let us begin,” before ringing the bell.

Dragalge wasted no time leaping toward Clawitzer with her right arm ready to strike her. However, the shrimp was more than ready for this as she held her big claw in front of her face.

But just as it seemed like her tactic would work, Dragalge swung her left arm sideways and sent a hard chop into the side of the shrimp's head. Her eyes widened as she dropped her guard, the sea dragon sending a back-handed slap to her face.

The Australian fans went wild as Clawitzer swung her claw at Dragalge only for the sea dragon to leap over it. The tip of her tail then glowed purple as she shouted, “VENOMOUS DRAGON TAIL!” swinging it hard into the shrimp's face.

“Oh my god,” Jackalu said with his eyes wide open, Machop turning to him as he added, “She was never this good back on Hero Planet. Whenever she and Clawitzer sparred, she'd always lose rather easily. I have no doubt she's probably amazing against other opponents, but never against her.”

“Maybe she learned how to counter her techniques overtime,” Meloetta replied with a light smile as Jackalu nodded and replied, “That's a possibility, though I'm surprised it took her this long. Throughout those six month, they fought at least two-hundred times.”

Whatever the case, it seemed Meloetta's theory may have been true as Clawitzer tried to strike back again only to receive a karate chop to the cheek. When Dragalge set up another one, the shrimp held up her big claw to protect herself only to receive a jab to the forehead.

The Australian fans continued to cheer as Dragalge sent a kick into Clawitzer's midsection, knocking her on her back as she groaned in pain. All the while, Nori stated, “Clawitzer just can't seem to get a break as she takes in a barrage of hits! Will she ever land a single hit during this match!?”

“Well, it's possible,” Yuki replied, “Don't forget how one-sided Machop's match with Garbodor seemed for the first little while.”

“Not to mention the twenty-second Olympics when Lucario fought Primape,” Beedrill added, “Don't forget how much of a beating he took, and yet despite all the damage, he managed to defeat his opponent in two hits.”

While Nori seemed to agree, something she and the others failed to mention was how Machop's disadvantage was brought about by her phobia of garbage. Lucario, meanwhile, had been weakened after having exhausted himself by doing one-handed pushups in a sauna prior to his match. To this day, no one knew exactly what had caused him to regain his strength other than the fact that it was some kind of special power he was able to tap into under the worst of circumstances.

Clawitzer, on the other hand, had no such drawbacks. She was in perfect health and was not the least bit afraid of her opponent. Whether or not she could make a comeback was anyone's guess.

Dragalge leapt up onto the turnbuckle and spread her arms out, saying, “You know, Clawitzer, you never really stood a chance. All those times we sparred have taught me all I needed to know to defeat you. In the end, my plan worked perfectly.”

Jackalu's eyes widened at the sound of this as he barked, “COME ON, CLAWITZER, IT'S PAINFUL SEEING YOU THIS HELPLESS! YOU CAN DO THIS!” only for the shrimp to barely move as Dragalge leapt toward her, spinning like a hand propeller and shouting, “DRAGON CYCLONE!”

But just as it looked like Clawitzer would take in another blow, her eyes widened as she crossed her arms. It seemed she had done this just in time as Dragalge's fins rammed into her big claw, thus causing her quite a bit of pain as the collision sent her backwards into the air.

Seeing a perfect opportunity, Clawitzer took hold of her wrist with her big claw and lifted her up, flipping her upside-down. She then drove the sea dragon's head into the canvas and spat, “VICE GRIP SLAM!”

The Swiss fans went wild as Yuki exclaimed, “Wow! After taking in such a fierce beating, Clawitzer finally responds with a powerful move of her own!” as Nori smiled and said, “Well, you were right. It wasn't over for her.”

Jackalu cheered and whistled for Clawitzer as Machop nodded and said, “For a second there, I was really starting to wonder if she would stand a chance. It's not like Olympic matches have never been one-sided before.”

“Oh yeah,” Torchic replied, “Just about everyone knows about that infamous match in the twenty-first Olympics when Graveler fought Venonat and beat him in five seconds,” Meloetta's eyes and mouth wide with shock. She could not believe a tournament match could be so short, especially after all she had seen today.

Dragalge groaned in pain only for Clawitzer to raise her big claw into the air, shouting, “CRAB HAMMER!” sending it hard into the sea dragon's gut, causing blood to escape from her tiny mouth.

The cheers only got louder as Dragalge flipped herself backward, landing on her feet and breathing heavily with a look of both shock and irritation in her eyes. Clawitzer, meanwhile, was both angry and confused as she asked, “Before we continue, I need to know what you're talking about. What plan are you referring to?”

Dragalge narrowed her eyelids and retorted, “I guess it was only a matter of time. You thought I considered you a friend all these years, but you were dead wrong.”

Clawitzer's eyes widened as Jackalu barked, “Not cool, Dragalge! I thought you were our friend, too!”

“Well, I would have loved to be your friend if you weren't already childhood friends with her!” Dragalge snapped as Vigoroth scratched the side of her head and enquired, “Wait, I'm confused. Is it really that weird that the kids of two former tag team partners are friends?”

“That's what pisses me off!” Dragalge retorted, “Clawitzer, everyone knows your mom because of her connection to Lucario! But did my mom ever receive such attention!? No! Hell, barely anyone even remembers her!”

Nori blinked as Beedrill asked, “Hey, Dragalge, is your mom, by any chance, Skrelp?” the sea dragon nodding as all went silent. Just as Dragalge had said, no one recognized that name in the slightest.

“There, you see that reaction?” Dragalge grunted, “Only the chairman actually knows my mother's name! Meanwhile, everyone knows who Clauncher is,” many in the area nodding and talking amongst themselves only for the sea dragon to silence them by barking, “QUIET!”

“Wait, so you hate me because of my bloodline?” Clawitzer remarked as Dragalge snapped, “That is exactly what I'm saying! I've always hated you! The fact that your mom was the famous one, the one who fought alongside the world champion while my mother never even got a chance at the spotlight! Yeah, she was sent to protect an area that villains weren't even interested in!”

“But how is that my fault!?” Clawitzer retorted only for the sea dragon to ignore her and continue, “And the way you just kept flaunting your strength, constantly reminding me of how awesome you were! It sickened me! So I pretended to be your friend so I could learn all of your tricks, knowing that one day you would join the Hero Olympics where I would finally have my chance to upstage you!”

“Does anyone else detect serious bullshit from her plan?” Machop uttered as Torchic nodded and replied, “Sounds to me like she just made it up on the spot. I mean, really, she just knew Clawitzer would make it to the tournament along with her?”

“Maybe she really thinks highly of her after all,” Meloetta replied with a shrug as Dragalge's eye twitched upon hearing that.

She knew the green-haired girl was merely guessing and yet just hearing that after everything she had explained got under her skin. With that in mind, she frowned and spat, “ALRIGHT, SO YOU KNOW MY SECRET! BIG DEAL! IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP ME FROM WINNING THIS MATCH!”

Dragalge proceeded to leap toward Clawitzer only for the shrimp to see right through her strategy. After having taken in more than enough hits, she already knew that the sea dragon was prepared for any of her usual countermeasures.

Thus when Dragalge was ready to strike, Clawitzer shifted to the right before leaping toward her with her big claw out. The sea dragon's eyes widened as the shrimp shouted, “CRABHAMMER HANDLE!”

Dragalge grunted in pain as the claw made contact with her neck, causing more blood to come from her mouth as she fell on her back. The Swiss fans went wild as her head went sideways, Nori starting the ten count while Yuki stated, “And using her ginormous claw, Clawitzer has managed to use a stronger clothesline than anyone else could have possibly pulled off.”

Dragalge's body twitched as she tried desperately to rise to her feet, but after having taken in three moves from the giant claw, let alone such a fierce blow to her neck, she could barely move. All the while, her eyes shifted around as she thought, 'No! Come on! Get up, you stupid body!'

Jackalu bit his lower lip, hoping this would be it as Nori reached ten, Yuki ringing the bell and exclaiming, “And on that note, Clawitzer is our winner and advances to round two!” the Swiss crowd cheering even louder while the Australian fans were unsure how to feel. On one hand, they would have loved to have seen Dragalge win, but on the other hand, even they found her motives petty beyond compare.

“Serves her right!” Machop grumbled while folding her arms, “All this just because her mama wasn't your daddy's ally?” Jackalu nodding and replying, “I know, right? Talk about childish,” before pulling out a dog biscuit and nibbling on it while saying, “Look, I'm a chipmunk.”

But while the others seemed more than happy with these results, Meloetta let out a sigh and said, “There's still something that needs to be taken care of,” Isamu nodding and adding, “Yeah, and I think Clawitzer knows exactly what that is.”

The shrimp certainly did as she approached Dragalge and asked, “Hey, you okay?” the sea dragon spitting in her face and retorting, “I don't want your pity! You have no reason to give a shit about the likes of me!”

Clawitzer let out a sigh and said, “Look, I'm sorry that my mom was the one who teamed up with Lucario instead of yours. I think it's terrible that your mom never had a chance to prove her skills. Assigning her to an area that needed no protection? Why would Hero Planet's government do such a thing?”

Nori and Yuki stared awkwardly at Beedrill as he uttered, “Hey, don't look at me. That was way back when my dad was still in charge.”

The shrimp then smiled and added, “I'm sorry if my achievements made you feel weak. I just wanted the teachers to know that I was good enough to protect Earth. That's it. I didn't know it made me seem like a showoff.”

“Oh, stop it!” Dragalge sniffed with light tears in her eyes, “Don't apologize! I should be the one apologizing to you! I used you for my own selfish benefit! I don't deserve friends!” only for Clawitzer to shake her head and reply, “Well, I rather liked it when we did get along with each other. I'll be more than happy to give real friendship a chance.”

Dragalge stared in stunned silence as she could not believe anyone would give her a second chance after that. Thus her eyes implied a big smile as she sniffed, “I never realized how awesome you were,” as medics came in, loading her up onto a stretcher.

Needless to say, it seemed things had ultimately turned out for the best as Jackalu let down tears of his own, sobbing, “OH MY GOD, IT'S JUST SO BEAUTIFUL!” Isamu staring and thinking, 'Now I see it. That's why she likes him so much.'

“And that concludes our fifth match of the day,” Beedrill stated, “Now if Clawitzer would exit the ring, we can get started on preparations for the next match.”

“Oh, of course,” the shrimp replied as she exited, her more calm demeanour returning as she joined Jackalu in the audience.

“Good job,” the dog said with a grin as Clawitzer nodded her head and asked, “Shouldn't you be getting ready right now?”

His eyes widened as he spat, “Oh, right! I'm next!” before rising from his seat and sprinting toward an area to prepare himself.

While Fletchinder headed off to do the same, she looked a lot more focused on the match than he was, and not for the obvious reasons. For whatever reason, the fact that she was up against Jackalu in the first round made her really happy, as if she had a personal issue with him just like Garbodor and Dragalge did with their opponents. Whatever the case, Jackalu would certainly need to do his best if he was to win this match.

 

While Jackalu prepared for his match, Fletchinder was getting ready herself in a rehearsal room when suddenly, the door opened. The robin turned, her eyes wide with shock as standing before her was a falcon with orange, white and black feathers. Next to him was a middle-aged woman with long white hair.

“You came,” she uttered with a big smile as the falcon, Talonflame, nodded and replied, “Well, of course we did. You know me. Ain't no way I'm gonna miss one of your performances, honey.”

The woman, Tsuya, nodded and replied, “Your father and I are just so proud of you for making it to the tournament. As I've told you many times, this stick in the mud right here considered the Olympics beneath his mad skills. Isn't that right, darling?”

Talonflame rolled his eyes and sighed, “For god's sake, Tsuya, that was back before I became a hero,” the woman chuckling before pinching his cheek.

“Well, I'm glad you could come,” Fletchinder replied, Talonflame nodding and saying, “Yeah, yeah, but try to be less emotional, alright? No member of the Kokinos family is allowed to be this emotional in public.”

Tsuya chuckled and remarked, “You mean like how you expressed how much Lucario's friendship with you meant before your match with Hoopa?” as the falcon's cheeks turned bright pink.

“Speaking of which, you know who my first opponent is, right?” Fletchinder asked as Talonflame nodded and replied, “Yeah, you'll wanna try your hardest against this guy. If he's anything like his father, he'll at least be on your level.”

“Also, don't think that we'll think any less of you if you lose,” Tsuya added as Talonflame nodded and said, “No shit. If she lost to Lucario's son, I could forgive her for that. Anyone else...”

The human woman laughed and playfully pushed on his shoulder as Fletchinder smiled and said, “Don't worry. I'll do my absolute best,” before putting on a more serious expression and thinking, 'I'm not going to let our family's connection to his distract me from this match. I'll do my best to show which of us is superior.'

With the five minutes up, it was finally time for the match to begin as Nori exclaimed, “Alright, folks, it's finally time for quite possibly the most highly anticipated match of the day!”

“Really?” Machop uttered as Lairon nodded and replied, “I can see why. A lot of people were excited to see you fight, but keep in mind, Lucario was the Olympic champion back in the day. Seeing his son fight is certainly nothing to scoff at.”

“In the red corner,” Yuki stated, “representing England is the son of Lucario himself! Having pulled off quite the miracle during the big race, we can only expect even more amazing things from him in this match and hopefully others to come! With amazing speed and strength, Jackalu!”

The English fans were just about to cheer but were spellbound when the dog approached the ring wearing a blue women's yukata. Seeing this, Clawitzer face-palmed and groaned, “Oh, goddammit! He got the style wrong! The ones with flowers are for girls! Idiot!”

Jackalu's ear twitched as he blinked, his cheeks flushed pink. However, not wanting to go back and fix his entrance, he figured he may as well play along as he gave the audience a sweet smile, batting his eyelashes. They all continued to stare silently as he twirled his way toward the ring, Clawitzer slapping her claws against her face and shaking her head while even Machop was unsure what to think.

Isamu, on the other hand, grinned and thought, 'This is too perfect,' as Kelani uttered, “Jackalu's a boy, right?”

Once the dog entered the ring, he gave the crowd a wide, girlish smile while waving a single paw and giggling, “Oh, you all came to see little old me? I'm so flattered!”

After a few seconds, the area broke out into hysterics as one Japanese audience member exclaimed, “And I thought Machop's entrances were ridiculous! This is just priceless!” as Jackalu continued to act like this meant nothing.

“I gotta hand it to him,” Torchic said, “He's taking this really well,” as Machop nodded and added, “I actually kinda respect that. He knows he screwed up but he's not the least bit bothered by it.”

Isamu's eyes widened as Eiko chuckled, “Yeah. I never would have thought a member of Lucario's family could be so cute,” as Clawitzer's embarrassment was slowly starting to fade. She had to admit that the others had a point.

Once Jackalu removed the yukata and tossed it out of the ring, Yuki was still spellbound as Nori nodded and said, “And in the blue corner, representing Greece is a fiery bird and is actually the daughter of the mighty Talonflame.”

The crowd gasped as the falcon smirked while sitting in the back row with Tsuya, the announcer adding, “Her father was a real force to be reckoned with and was the first villain to come really close to defeating Machoke, so it's a good thing he switched over to our side. We can only expect his daughter to be just as good, if not better. Presenting Fletchinder!”

The Greek fans went wild as a burst of fire flew toward the ring. Soon, the flames died down to reveal the robin performing a figure-eight in the air. She then slowly descended toward the ring with her arms folded, landing perfectly on her feet as the cheers were even louder.

However, when she faced Jackalu, she was surprised when the dog grinned and shook her hand, saying, “I have to say, it's a mighty pleasure to finally meet you. You know, your pop and mine were really good friends back in the day. Even teamed up to defeat the evil Absol, they did.”

“Yes, thank you, I know all about that,” the robin replied as she stared at his paw, not sure whether to appreciate the gesture or not. However, looking at the crowd and seeing that her father did not seem to disapprove of her shaking hands with a member of Lucario's family, she figured it was fine to act civil before the start of the match.

Afterwards, the two headed to separate sides of the ring as Yuki said, “Alright, looks like they're more than ready for this. Let's begin,” ringing the bell.”

Fletchinder wasted no time soaring toward Jackalu as the dog's eyes widened. He attempted to dodge only to receive a clothesline to his neck.

The Greek fans cheered as Fletchinder took full advantage of this, sending a kick into Jackalu's midsection. And it did not end there as she lit her talon on fire, shouting, “ROUNDHOUSE INFERNO!” sending a roundhouse into his cheek.

“And Fletchinder's off to an excellent start as Jackalu is unable to retaliate,” Yuki stated as Nori added, “Though she shouldn't get too cocky. After all, Lucario and Riolu were both known for pulling off incredible comebacks under the worst of circumstances, much like the Mach family.”

This seemed to be the case as the robin flew above Jackalu, aiming both of her talons toward his skull. But when she was close enough, the dog immediately threw his arms up with his wrists pointed toward her, the spikes piercing that very spot.

Fletchinder winced as Jackalu lifted her up before swinging his arms downward, sending her back into the canvas. However, as the daughter of Talonflame, she had been taught to treat pain like a minor inconvenience and thus she folded her wings inward and used them to push herself up.

Jackalu was too confused by this to do anything as Clawitzer spat, “HEY, YOUR MOVE WORKED! REMOVE THE SPIKES!” but Fletchinder refused to allow that as she placed her hands firmly against the mat and pushed herself up higher, lifting the dog up with her.

The Greek fans went wild as she flew high above the ring, Jackalu unable to pry his legs free. She then flipped her entire body one-hundred-and-eighty degrees before descending toward the mat, planting Jackalu's skull into the canvas.

Machop stared and uttered, “Damn, she treated his spikes like nothing,” as Talonflame exclaimed, “YEAH, THAT'S MY BABY GIRL! NO PUNY SPIKES ARE ENOUGH TO TAKE YOU DOWN!”

“Honey, please, be a good sport,” Tsuya remarked as the falcon groaned, “Yes, darling,” while the woman patted him on the shoulder with a sweet smile.

Fletchinder pried her talons out of the spikes and smirked, folding her arms and saying, “Something you need to realize is that we Kokinos have a high tolerance to pain. My dad back in the day took crap from no one. He was the kind of opponent who could only fall to a really powerful move, and I've been building up my strength over the years to live up to that legacy.”

“Is that so?” Jackalu asked with a grin as he slowly rose to his feet, “Well, then, I guess I'll really have to kick things up a notch if I'm going to win this match.”

Meloetta smiled and said, “It's nice to see a match with no bad blood between the two fighters,” as Vigoroth blinked and uttered, “You have a point there. So far, aside from Rinko and Venipede, these two seem to be the only heroes in this tournament with no bitterness between them.”

Despite this fact, Jackalu and Fletchinder had only displayed a small sample of what they were capable of. As such, the robin flew toward the dog with her beak out as he quickly formed an aura around his paw, shouting, “FORCE PALM!” and sending it forward.

However, Fletchinder saw this coming just in time to fly to the side and send a hard kick into Jackalu's ribcage. He winced in pain, his eyes wide open and his teeth clenched as the robin sent her talons into his back, causing him to fall on his belly while the Greek crowd went wild.

“Jackalu's spiked powerbomb was impressive,” Yuki said, “but so far, Fletchinder is really dominating this match, not just with her superior strength but also with pure skill and, like she pointed out, an impressive tolerance to pain. The world has seen Riolu and Lucario lose before, but never this easily or this early in the Olympics.”

“I have to admit, the woman over there has a point,” Fletchinder grunted with her arms folded, “So far, I'm a touch disappointed. I was expecting much more of a challenge.”

“Oh, it's a challenge you want, is it?” Jackalu remarked with a smirk before using his paws to lift himself up, sending his feet backwards toward Fletchinder's face.

The robin easily backed away from this, but the dog saw this coming as he propelled himself off the mat. He then latched his ankles around her neck and spun his body along with hers thus planting the side of her head against the canvas.

The English fans went wild as Jackalu kept his grip on Fletchinder's neck and leapt high above the ring. Excitement rose among the crowd as once he was high enough, her wrapped his arms around her, his chest spike pressed slightly into her.

“It looks like he's setting up for that infamous family favourite!” Nori exclaimed as the dog exclaimed, “CANINE HUG SLAM!” descending toward the mat and as the robin's skull soon made contact.

The English crowd was even more excited now as Eiko squealed, “That was so cool!” Kelani applauding him as Clawitzer breathed a sigh of relief.

While Nori started the ten count, Talonflame was not the least bit worried as he smirked and said, “That won't be necessary,” Tsuya nodding and adding, “Yeah, our little girl's way too strong to fall to that.”

And it certainly seemed so as the second Nori reached three, the robin leapt back to her feet and smirked, saying, “Not bad,” rubbing her cranium, “I have to admit, that actually kinda hurt.”

But while most of the crowd had seen this coming, Jackalu was genuinely surprised as he uttered, “Wow, that didn't finish you off,” before shaking his head and forcing a smirk, quipping, “Hah! I knew someone as worthy as you would rise from that!”

Fletchinder rolled her eyes and decided not to let his reaction get to her as she took to the sky and flew toward him with her beak pointed outward. Her body was then engulfed in flames as she yelled, “FLAME MISSILE!”

Jackalu tensed up as he quickly dodged to the side just in time. However, it seemed Fletchinder had expected this as she immediately halted her flight and sent a fiery roundhouse into his cheek like she had earlier. With the dog distracted, she saw this as a perfect opportunity as she backed up slightly and lit her arm on fire, flying toward him with that very part stretched outward.

“FLAME STEALTH BOMBER!” she exclaimed as her arm hit his neck hard thus causing him to cough up blood and fall on his back, the Greek fans going wild.

Jackalu was now on his back as Fletchinder wasted no time flying high above him with her talons cupped together. She then spread her arms out and started to spin like a top, her body once again covered in flames as Machop and Clawitzer spat, “HEY, JACKALU, GET UP!” before staring at one-another briefly.

“SPINNING TOP INFERNO!” Fletchinder shouted as she descended toward the dog. But just as it looked like he would take in a big hit, his eyes widened as he rolled to the side, Talonflame barking, “HEY, HONEY, STOP THE ATTACK!”

But it was too late as Fletchinder wound up hitting the canvas, her claws now stuck in the material as she blinked and groaned, “Oh no,” Talonflame face-palming and sighing, “Dammit, I made that exact same mistake against Machoke,” Tsuya patting him on the back.

Jackalu stared in shock as he breathed heavily only for Clawitzer to bark, “Hey, Jackalu, take advantage of this!” the dog nodding and replying, “Right!”

With that, he leapt toward the robin with his wrist outward and shouted, “ROYAL JAVELIN!” piercing her shoulders as she winced in pain, Talonflame blinking and uttering, “Funny, I had to help Lucario out for him to pull that off.”

It did not end there as the dog proceeded to unleash an onslaught of palm punches with the aura surrounding his paws, Nori exclaiming, “And with Fletchinder unable to move, Jackalu is taking full advantage of this with a barrage of Force Palms! I've never seen an opponent take in so many of those at once!”

However, Fletchinder would not allow this to continue as she ignored the bleeding coming from her beak and held up her hands, blocking the incoming strikes. Jackalu's eyes widened as she closed her hands inward and bent his wrists back, saying, “That was foolish on my part, but it'll take more than this to defeat a Kokinos.”

She then managed to pry her talons out of the mat as she sent a hard two-legged kick into Jackalu's gut. And it did not end there as she wrapped her arms around him, flying high into the air as the Greek fans went wild, Nori exclaiming, “Oh my god! I think she's about to use that infamous family finisher, the mighty Flare Blitz!”

“Oh my god!” Eiko squeaked, “I've seen this in action on the Internet! This is the move that almost crippled your mom!” turning to Rinko as she nodded and sighed, “Yeah, and from what I've heard, the only reason Machoke didn't fall victim to this is because Talonflame's afraid of the sun.”

“He is?” Clawitzer remarked, “But why would a fire type be afraid of the sun?” Rinko shrugging and replying, “Mother refuses to tell me the reason. Apparently, that's the one detail Talonflame would rather keep secret.”

“And yet he's perfectly fine with the world knowing he's afraid of the sun,” Machop uttered as Venipede shrugged and said, “I got nothing.”

“Well, I doubt Fletchinder has the same fear,” Meloetta stated, “It looks like she might win. I just hope she doesn't hurt Jackalu too much.”

And sure enough, Nori's prediction was correct as Fletchinder performed a U-turn in midair with her body covered in flames, shouting, “FLARE BLITZ!” the Greek fans once again going wild as Jackalu's eyes and mouth were wide with terror.

“HELLS YEAH!” Talonflame shouted with a big grin on his face, “SHOW HIM THE MIGHT OF THE KOKINOS FAMILY!” while Jackalu started to struggle.

And just as he was mere seconds from hitting the mat, he managed to pry his arms out of Fletchinder's hold, her eyes and beak wide with shock as this allowed his wrist spikes to scrape up against her flesh. The English fans stared in amazement as this ultimately caused her to release her hold, Jackalu turning around and piercing her shoulders with his foot spikes. As if that was not enough, he also used his wrist spikes to trap her ankles in place.

“OH MY GOD!” Machop squealed with a big grin, “THAT IS SO COOL!” Kelani clapping and squeaking, “Wow! Jackalu's awesome sauce!” as Eiko nodded with a big smile.

Needless to say, the crowd was ecstatic as Jackalu used all his might to flip Fletchinder so her back was facing the mat and exclaimed, “SPIKED LONDON STAMPEDE!” Clawitzer slapping her forehead and groaning, “Did he have to make it sound like the original move was invented in England?”

And sure enough, Fletchinder's back made contact with the canvas as she coughed up blood, Talonflame and Tsuya both staring in shock as Yuki exclaimed, “And in an amazing last-ditch effort to save himself, not only did Jackalu get free but even managed to pull off his own version of the Oklahoma Stampede! Though naming it after London does seem a bit pretentious,” as Clawitzer sighed, “At least someone agrees.”

Whatever the case, the robin seemed unable to get up as Nori started the ten count, the crowd in stunned silence as Talonflame smirked and said, “That was alright, but he didn't have much height when he used it. Just watch. In a couple of seconds, our little Fletchinder's gonna rise up and kick his sorry ass.”

However, by the time Nori reached seven, Fletchinder was still not moving. It was not until the announcer hit eight seconds that she started to twitch, but that was all she could do as soon enough, the ten count was finished and the bell was rung.

With that, the English fans broke out into heavy cheers and applause as Nori exclaimed, “It was a close call, but ultimately, it would seem that Jackalu has, indeed, inherited his father's amazing spirit and skills thus earning him a spot in round two!”

Clawitzer breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Well, stupid attack name aside, at least he made it,” a big smile on her face as Machop uttered, “You know you're fighting him in the next round, right?”

“Well, yeah, we both wanted to face each other at some point during this whole thing,” the shrimp replied as Meloetta beamed and squeaked, “So that's a good thing! It'll be nice to watch another friendly match between friends.”

Vigoroth was not even going to bring up how brutal this match had been despite it being between two heroes who had nothing against one-another. But either way, seeing a member of Lucario's family defeat one from Talonflame's was certainly a big deal as the cheers kept coming.

However, it seemed they would not last much longer as Jackalu started blowing kisses while barking, “YOU LOVE ME! YOU REALLY LOVE ME! OH, THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY!”

And sure enough, the cheers came to a complete halt when he pulled out his dog biscuits and twirled them like batons while singing, “When you're feeling down and need to lose that frown, try a Biscrok, it's biscuit-licious!”

“Does he always celebrate victories like that?” Isamu groaned as Clawitzer nodded and sighed, “Unfortunately.”

Both were shocked to see Machop chuckle as she said, “I don't know about you, but I find it kind of adorable. I thought it was weird at first, but it's kinda grown on me.”

“Yeah, I think it's cool!” Kelani squealed with a grin as Isamu sighed, “You're a child. You think just about anything is cool,” Eiko smacking him lightly on the shoulder.

However, Jackalu suddenly remembered something as he looked down at Fletchinder with a light smile, saying, “Hey, you put up an amazing fight,” the robin slowly opening her eyes and grinning as she replied, “Yeah, you were really awesome too. I never could have seen such an amazing counter coming. I have to admit, if your dad was as awesome as you, I can see why mine considered him such a great ally.”

However, Jackalu had dealt a little too much damage as medics came in, loading Fletchinder up on a stretcher. Seeing this, Talonflame and Tsuya rose up to join their daughter on her trip to the hospital, but not before smiling at Jackalu and giving him a thumb up.

The dog blinked, feeling very flattered before Talonflame snapped, “LISTEN UP, YOU LITTLE PUNK, NO ONE WHO BEATS MY BABY GIRL IS ALLOWED TO LOSE! YOU'D BETTER MAKE IT THROUGH THE REST OF THIS TOURNAMENT, YOU HEAR!?” as the dog twitched and groaned, “Yeah, no pressure.”

Even the others could not help but stare in fear until Tsuya placed a firm grip on his beak and started dragging him, sighing, “For god's sake, you're being over-dramatic again.”

“Well, folks, that concludes the Kabuki theatre matches,” Beedrill stated, “In honour of the last two matches of the twenty-second Hero Olympics, we have decided to hold these last two at the same location, specifically the back yard of a local spa,” pointing it out on his big map.

And sure enough, Slurpuff wasted no time rising from his seat and heading toward the exit as Torchic smirked and said, “Wish me the best, guys. I'm gonna teach that deceitful mutt what it's like to get your ass kicked.”

Venipede nodded and replied, “Yeah, if anyone can beat him, you can,” Rinko giving the chicken a supportive smile and adding, “That's right. Remind the fans who their real heroes are.”

But would Torchic really be able to win this? After all, just from his performance during the race, many had concluded that he was much stronger than he looked. Hopefully now that many knew how tough he could really be, Torchic would be the first to defeat him.

 

With the first round almost over, it was time for everyone to head to a local spa where the last two matches were to take place. Upon arriving, though, Jackalu could not help but stare as he thought, 'Funny how they didn't decide to have me fight here. After all, this was where my pop defeated Primeape in the first round.'

The match in question was one of legends, mostly well-known for just how quickly Lucario had won, not to mention how he had taken a pretty horrible beating yet still ended up defeating his opponent with only two moves. It was considered by many to be one of the most impressive come-from-behind victories in Olympic history.

The others, meanwhile, decided to take advantage of the fact that they still had a little over forty minutes before the match began. After all, they were in a spa and Torchic was the only one in the group who had not yet fought. As such, while the chicken trained for her upcoming match, the others were currently getting massages while lying on their tummies.

“Wow, this is amazing,” Machop sighed with a heavenly look on her face, “I can't believe I never tried this before,” as Rinko nodded and replied, “Yeah. Mother brought me to one of these once. Apparently, the first time she ever had fun in her life was when Mom convinced her to join her in this very spa.”

“I wonder if that's what sparked their feelings, eh?” Eiko squeaked before blinking and adding, “A little lower,” as the man giving the massage nodded and did just as instructed.

“Well, Mother tells me she hadn't quite discovered her feelings at the time,” Rinko explained, “but she figures this must have at least had an influence,” as Meloetta smiled and replied, “That's so sweet.”

She then blinked and said, “Times sure have changed. I never knew there were people out there attracted to the same sex,” as Eiko nodded and replied, “Yeah. Though in some parts of the world, it's still controversial.”

After a few more seconds, Rinko asked, “Hey, where's Vigoroth?” Meloetta replying, “She said she's not interested in spas. I have no idea what she's talking about. This is the most relaxed I've ever felt,” a big smile on her face as she added, “You're doing an amazing job, Akihiro.”

“Oh, um, thank you,” the man giving her a massage replied with his cheeks light pink, the one massaging Machop laughing and saying, “Don't give him too much credit. He gets embarrassed easily.”

“It's a shame Clawitzer couldn't join us, though,” Machop sighed, “Apparently, she figures since none of these opponents will face her any time soon, if ever, that she'll spend some time in the hospital with Dragalge. Now that the two have officially become friends, she wants to have a genuinely positive chat with her.”

“I'm kind of surprised,” Eiko said, “I couldn't imagine forgiving someone that quickly if she pretended to be my friend just to take advantage of me. I'd give them at least a couple of days.”

All the while, Kelani and the other males, save for Jackalu, were getting massages as well. Venipede implied a big smile and said, “I may have had plenty of time to rest up from my match, but this really helps.”

Isamu nodded and sighed, “I just hope Machop is feeling relaxed after her match earlier,” as Venipede turned toward him and said, “Alright, that's enough of this. Rinko detected this a while ago, and I can see it too. You have a thing for Machop, don't you?”

The women giving them their massages gasped as Kelani blinked and uttered, “Is it over already?” only for the woman massaging him to give him a sweet smile and reply, “Oh, no. Sorry about that.”

Isamu took a deep breath and replied, “I guess I may as well tell someone. I don't know what it is, but yes, I really like Machop. In her own right, she's pretty cute and, well, she's amazing. Those miracles she pulls off in the ring, well, so far, I haven't seen a lot of other heroes who do it quite like she does. Jackalu came pretty close during his match, but...”

He then stopped himself and sighed, “Actually, no, Jackalu really did pull off the same kind of miracle she usually does, didn't he?”

Venipede stared in stunned silence for ten seconds before slowly nodding his head and replying, “Oh, I get it. You can sense it too.”

“Sense what?” Kelani asked as Isamu blinked and uttered, “We'll tell you later,” the doberman not sure what exactly they were talking about.

While he may have grown and learned to speak human in a very short period of time, he was still only a little over two months old and thus did not know what it meant to 'have a thing' for someone. All that came to his mind was that Isamu was hiding a birthday present for Machop. Though what any of the other stuff they were talking about had to do with such a thing was beyond his comprehension.

“What should I do?” Isamu asked, “I mean, you're actually in a relationship. Should I just sit back and let her make her own decision or should I let her know how I feel before it's too late?”

Venipede let out a sigh and replied, “You'd think I'd be an expert on this, but honestly, I don't know. I didn't have competition.”

The woman giving Isamu a massage, however, suggested, “I think you should tell her before either one confesses to the other. That way, if she rejects you, you'll at least know it wasn't meant to be.”

“So that won't make our friendship awkward?” the boy remarked as the woman replied, “Well, it might for a little while, but not for too long.”

Isamu took a deep breath, nodded with a light smile and said, “Thanks for the tip.”

All the while, Torchic felt more than ready as she practised kicking a stone in the back yard. She figured that as long as her feet were strong enough, Slurpuff would go down with ease.

The cake dog, on the other hand, was not in this area at all. He was currently taking a mud bath with a group of teenaged girls joining him, a big smile on his face as they all told him little things about themselves.

“Wow, that's really interesting,” Slurpuff said after listening to one, “You know, I'm really glad you could all join me. It's always nice to make new friends,” all of them gasping with hearts in their eyes, more than thrilled to hear him refer to them as friends.

Though it seemed one of the girls had some common sense as she asked, “Wait, Torchic is really strong. Shouldn't you prepare yourself for your match? You only have a little more than a half-hour.”

Slurpuff gave her the biggest, most adorable smile he could muster and squealed, “It means so much that you care!” the girl's eyes turning into big beating hearts as she sighed, “What was I thinking? Training would make you look dirty, and we wouldn't want that.”

But why did the cake dog not at least think about training? Was he too good for it or was he too clueless to realize just how helpful it could be? For all anyone knew, he might very well have been full of himself.

Whatever the case, the next half-hour went by quickly as the bleachers were filled, the heroes and their human friends finished with their relaxation. Lairon and Garchomp had come earlier to save the group front-row seats as Eiko stretched and squeaked, “I feel so refreshed!”

Kelani nodded and squealed, “Yeah! That lady was so nice!” as the pink-haired girl ruffled the fur atop his head, asking, “But not as nice as me, right?”

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Rinko asked Venipede as he replied, “Oh yeah, it was very nice. What about you?” the brunette nodding with a light smile.

Isamu, meanwhile, just wanted to make full use of this time and confess his feelings to Machop. He did not even care that he was in a place full of people. He just wanted to use the advice given to him by his masseuse right now.

But just as he was about to say something, Jackalu entered the seat behind Machop and said, “Thank god, I still managed to get a good seat,” Venipede turning and asking, “Where have you been this whole time?”

“Doing pushups in the sauna,” Jackalu replied with a grin, “My pop did that same thing before his match,” Rinko remarking, “And from what I heard, it almost cost him the match. What if you overexerted yourself like he did?”

Vigoroth blinked and asked, “Wait, you're telling me the great Lucario did something that stupid? I always heard he was so dignified and serious about everything,” Jackalu laughing nervously with a light sweat drop forming, saying, “You should see him during Christmas.”

“Alright, folks, we're finally ready for the seventh match to begin!” Nori exclaimed, “You've all been waiting for this, so let's get things started!”

She then pointed toward one side and stated, “In the red corner, representing Turkey is an adorable little cream puff with a hard center! Already proving himself to be tougher and more worthy of being in this tournament than he looks, Slurpuff!”

The Turkish fans along with the vast majority of the crowd went wild when xylophone music played in the background. All the while, Slurpuff skipped happily toward the ring before attempting to leap into it. However, he wound up tripping on the edge and landed on his face, a smile on his face as he squeaked, “I fell down!”

The girls and even some boys cheered wildly in response to this, Eiko looking around and uttering, “What was so great about that? That's hardly fitting of a fight entrance, and besides, he messed it up. How is that any different from you doing it, Machop?”

Machop and Jackalu could not help but wonder the same thing along with many other heroes in the crowd. Even those who were not associated with Machop and her friends, such as Chesnaught and Delphox, folded their arms while looking extremely disappointed in the audience. How was it that they found something that might as well have been sentient dessert adorable as opposed to disturbing?

“And in the blue corner,” Yuki stated, “representing America is a big Tokyo fan favourite, yet to lose a single match while in good health!”

Meloetta looked down in response to this as Vigoroth patted her on the shoulder, the announcer adding, “With the fierce, fiery passion that her family is well known for, I bring you Torchic!”

The crowd went wild, especially the American fans as Torchic sprinted toward the ring with a cowgirl hat on. She then leapt up and landed firmly against the canvas, using her right foot to pick up her hat and toss it out of the ring.

“Alright!” Machop squealed, “Kick some serious ass, Torchic!” Venipede and Rinko giving their own support as Kelani said, “Torchic's cool.”

Seeing this, Isamu forgot about how annoyed he was by Jackalu's strange need to sit near Machop. Besides, Torchic would need his support as well and thus he decided to add to the cheers.

The chicken flashed her friends a smile before sporting a more serious look and thinking, 'Alright, ring that bell already so I can wipe that overly-cutesy look off his face,' Slurpuff looking like he did not even care, his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth.

“Alright, the combatants are set,” Yuki stated, “Thus we shall begin the match!”

And with the bell rung, Torchic wasted no time racing toward Slurpuff as he knelt down and held his stubby arms out in a vain attempt to block her. However, since his arms were so tiny, it was easy for the chicken to leap at him and plant her feet into his face, sending him flying backwards into the ropes with a look of pain on his face.

But while Machop, her friends and the American fans were cheering, the rest of the crowd did not as Rinko stopped and uttered, “Why isn't anyone else cheering?”

This seemed to continue after Slurpuff bounced off the ropes, flying toward Torchic while looking helpless as could be. And to make things worse for him, the chicken waited for him to get close enough to send a roundhouse into his gut, knocking him on his back.

Torchic looked rather pleased with herself as she smirked, saying, “Not so nice when you're the one taking in pain, eh?” only to freeze when she felt something strike the back of her head.

She slowly turned and looked down, noticing the object in question was a tin can. And it was not long until she received another one to the forehead, barking, “WHO THE HELL THREW THAT!?”

“You have no right to snap at us!” one teenaged girl spat as another added, “Yeah! How dare you abuse Slurpuff like that, you fiend!? Do you even have a soul!?”

Torchic started to breathe heavily, looking around at the jeering crowd as Kelani blinked and whimpered, “I don't get it. She just did what everyone else has been doing so far. How was that any worse than what Chesnaught did to Klefki?”

A few audience members nearby glared at him as he trembled, Eiko holding him close and barking, “You're the ones who should be ashamed, scaring a small child like that, you monsters!” only for a can to be thrown at the back of her head.

“HEY, WHO ATTACKED MY SISTER!?” Isamu growled with a look of fury while Meloetta uttered, “I don't get it. Kelani's right. Did Torchic break a rule or something?”

Torchic was devastated to see even the American fans booing and jeering her, especially after they had been so supportive when she entered the ring. However, that thought soon came to a halt when suddenly, she felt something sticky pressed up against her sides, soon covering her entire midsection. And sure enough, when she looked down, she saw Slurpuff's hair wrapped around her as he smiled and said, “Don't worry, boys and girls. I'm perfectly fine.”

The crowd, especially the Turkish crowd went wild as Slurpuff reeled the chicken in. And once he felt she was close enough, he leaned backward and planting her skull hard against the canvas.

“Things started off well for Torchic,” Yuki stated, “but it would seem a very, very biased and unfairly judgemental crowd has caused her to lose her concentration.”

Suddenly, the young woman felt a can hit the side of her head as she snapped, “HEY, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!? YOU KNOW I'M RIGHT!” only for Nori to laugh nervously and utter, “In their defence, we are supposed to be neutral.”

However, Beedrill had his arms folded as, much like Eiko, Isamu and Jackalu, he was starting to get bad vibes from Slurpuff. Though currently, he had nothing to confirm his suspicions not to mention he had witnessed tactics like this from heroes before. But even so, something about Slurpuff and how calm and collective he looked after taking in two fierce kicks rubbed the wasp the wrong way.

Even so, it hardly looked like things would get better for Torchic any time soon as Slurpuff shifted his hair down to her legs, binding them in place. He then lifted her up and swung her around while shouting, “FROSTING LASSO!”

Torchic tried lighting her talons on fire, but all this did was thicken the frosting. As such, she was unable to escape as she found herself flung face-first into the turnbuckle.

The crowd continued to cheer as Vigoroth growled, “Dammit, that's what he used to defeat me.”

“That hardly matters right now,” Machop remarked, “Miss Yuki's right. If the crowd would just remember what this is all about, she wouldn't have taken in those hits.”

Lairon nodded and sighed, “I can't fight this funny feeling that Slurpuff knew this would be the case. You heard him speak up against his fanbase's actions earlier, but he still took full advantage of the distraction. I wonder if he's fully aware that his cuteness influenced that outburst.”

Whatever the case, Torchic would need to ignore the crowd and fight back soon as Slurpuff continued to bind her legs in place, flinging her high above the ring. He then stretched his hair up to his level and separated it into three segments, spreading the chicken's legs out before stretching up the middle of his hair and wrapping it around her neck.

Her eyes widened as the crowd continued to cheer, Jackalu barking, “COME ON, TORCHIC! TRY AND FIGHT IT!”

The chicken gritted her teeth and attempted to struggle free only to find herself unable to do so as Slurpuff leapt up to her level, saying, “Sorry, Miss Chicken Lady, but my hair is really sticky.”

Once he was high enough for his hair to no longer look stretchy, he proceeded to lean backward as Torchic's skull was aimed toward the canvas. The two then descended toward that very spot as Slurpuff exclaimed, “FROSTING MALLET!” Torchic soon making contact.

The cheers got even louder as hearts formed in every teenaged girl's eyes, all of them chanting, “Slurpuff, Slurpuff, he's our boy! His victory's one we'll enjoy! Slurpuff, Slurpuff, he's so cool! Torchic, on the other hand, is a fool!”

Machop gritted her teeth and snapped, “FOR GOD'S SAKE, TORCHIC, IGNORE THEM!” the chicken blinking as Garchomp added, “She's right! We don't know why the crowd has just suddenly decided to turn on you, but it doesn't matter! Focus on winning the match!”

“You're right!” the chicken grunted as she slowly lifted herself so she was sitting upright. She then bent her knees, rising to her feet and breathing heavily as Slurpuff gave her a sweet smile and squeaked, “Yay! You're still up!”

“You won't be cheering much longer!” Torchic retorted as she lit her beak on fire and charged at him, shouting, “FIRE PECK!”

However, Slurpuff easily dodged this. But just as it looked like he would strike the chicken again, she smirked and said, “Psyche,” before lighting her talon in fire and sending a sideways high kick into the cake dog, shouting, “BLAZE KICK JUNIOR!”

Slurpuff's eyes widened as he fell on his back, the crowd once again booing and jeering Torchic. However, the chicken refused to let this get to her a second time as she leapt high into the air, her talons still ablaze.

Once she was over Slurpuff, she barked, “BLAZE KICK ANVIL!” sending her heels hard into his gut as he coughed up what looked like strawberry jam.

Seeing this, one American fan blinked and uttered, “What the hell came over me?” another nodding and replying, “I don't know. We were all ready to see Torchic support us and then we just turned on her.”

“Yeah, we should be giving her our full support!” a teenaged girl replied as she pumped her fist up and down, chanting, “Torchic! Torchic!”

Soon enough, all of the American fans joined in as the chicken turned to face them, a light smile forming on her face. A small tear rolled down her cheek as she sniffed, “They do support me,” as Slurpuff slowly rose to his feet and for the first time, he had a neutral look on his face. He did not look particularly angry, but he did not look happy either.

“Well, this is truly amazing,” Yuki stated, “Not only has Torchic made an amazing comeback, but it would seem her fans have finally remembered that they are, in fact, her fans.”

However, that quickly changed as Slurpuff smiled cutely and squealed, “Wow, that was really good, Torchic! You're really strong!” hearts once again forming in the crowd's eyes as they all exclaimed, “HE'S SUCH A GOOD SPORT!”

As if that was not enough, the Americans were back on his side as she tensed up, Machop shouting, “Keep it up, Torchic!” the chicken nodding and thinking, 'At least now I know it's possible to get them back on my side.'

With that in mind, she proceeded to leap at Slurpuff with her talons pointed forward only for the cake dog to leap over her, planting his feet into her gut and knocking her on her back. The crowd went wild as the cake dog proceeded to form balls on the sides of his hair, saying, “You really need more than just pecks and kicks.”

“Wait, what!?” Torchic remarked as Slurpuff kept his sweet smile and whispered, “What I'm saying is that you're super predictable, just like the rest of your loser family.”

The reason he had whispered this was so the crowd could not hear him. After all, these very words made him come off as a poor sport, and there was no way he would dare tarnish his image. The reason he had said this to Torchic, on the other hand, was made clear when she started to tense up, unsure of how to respond to this. This may not have been the first time an opponent made fun of her for how she was born, but to bring her entire family into the mix was going too far.

And to make matters worse, she could not help but wonder if Slurpuff was correct. After all, while her mother, Blaziken, was known for her great strength and skills, her track record was a mixed bag with her having lost to more villains than she defeated.

Seeing as she had clearly taken this into consideration, Slurpuff's smile widened as he shouted, “FROSTING BALL GUN!” sending a barrage of punches with his hair into Torchic's face, blood coming from her beak.

The crowd cheered wildly as Nori exclaimed, “And Torchic is just taking in a world of punishment! As was said earlier, Slurpuff may look weak and pudgy, but he's a real force to be reckoned with!”

Even with all her best efforts, it seemed that Torchic could no longer fight back as a wicked look formed on Slurpuff's face briefly. However, he only kept it up for less than a second, thus no one noticed as Machop spat, “COME ON, TORCHIC, GET UP!”

“YEAH, YOU'VE TAKEN IN FAR WORSE THAN THIS BEFORE!” Vigoroth growled, “YOU TOOK IN MY BEST MOVES AND STILL WON!”

“And don't forget how you were able to rise after Gigalith crushed you,” Meloetta added, Eiko shouting, “YEAH, YOU RULE, TORCHIC!”

Soon enough, all of the chicken's friends started to chant her name, Jackalu included. Hearing this, the American fans gasped before doing the same.

It seemed the sound of their cheers was working as Torchic gritted her teeth and growled, “You're wrong, Slurpuff. I may have simple fighting techniques, but I know how to make use of them,” her beak catching flame as she threw her head toward the cake dog's gut, shouting, “FIRE PECK!”

But just as she was a millisecond away from striking him, Slurpuff folded his hair in front of his face. When Torchic's beak made contact with it, it seemed to douse the flames as the chicken was unable to move her body forward.

“This has been fun, but I'm getting tired,” Slurpuff squeaked with a cute smile as the crowd was once again back on his side, save for the American fans. They were beyond concerned now as it truly seemed that Torchic could no longer do a thing.

“Fight it!” Rinko spat as Lairon sighed, “I hate to say it, but I don't think there's anything Torchic can do at this point.”

Even Garchomp could not help but stare awkwardly at her husband as he sighed, “That Slurpuff is a lot more threatening than he looks. Not only is he tough, but he had her in the palm of his hand the minute he turned her fans against her. I get the feeling he planned all of that from the beginning.”

With Torchic unable to fight back, Slurpuff proceeded to fling her high into the air before launching his cherry into her back, shouting, “CHERRY BOMB!”

This caused her to cough up more blood as the cake dog leapt high above her and wrapped his hair around himself, forming a ball made entirely out of the frosting. Upon seeing this, Yuki stated, “It seems Slurpuff intends to finish Torchic off in the form of cake pop. Speaking of which, I could really go for one of those,” Beedrill and Nori giving her awkward stares.

“Wow, you just gave me a great idea for a name!” Slurpuff squealed before descending and planting himself into Torchic's belly, shouting, “CAKE POP CRUSHER!” the chicken's back making contact with the canvas as more blood escaped from her beak.

Slurpuff's fanbase cheered the loudest they had so far as the cake dog reverted to normal, a proud smile on his face as Yuki started the countdown. Seeing this, Jackalu and Machop's jaws were dropped as Meloetta whimpered. While this was not a fight with a villain, at least to the best of her knowledge, she still wanted to see Torchic advance to the second round.

Unfortunately, it seemed that would not be the case as Yuki reached ten, ringing the bell and exclaiming, “And Slurpuff has won and will advance to round two!” the majority of the crowd cheering, though unlike before, the American fans were not so happy about this.

Kelani growled until Eiko patted him on the head and said, “I'm not happy with this, either, but it's not like she lost to a villain. We just need to be good sports about this, alright?”

However, none of the others were thinking this as they watched Torchic being loaded up onto a stretcher. All the while, Slurpuff bounced up and down with a big, cheerful smile on his face as the crowd continued to marvel at him with hearts in their eyes. He had already proven before that he was more threatening than he looked and yet now, he looked like an even more dangerous opponent. Would anyone be able to beat him or would he ultimately win the tournament?

 

This was it. The final match would take place five minutes from now, but at this moment, Machop was tempted to leave the area so she could join Torchic on her trip to the hospital. As if that was not enough, now the very idea of facing Slurpuff terrified her.

Jackalu could see this as he rested a hand on her shoulder, smiling and saying, “Don't worry, alright? If the winner of this next match doesn't deal with that overrated cupcake, Clawitzer or I will do it. He may have some nice tricks up his sleeve, but it's nothing we can't handle.”

“Right, of course,” Machop replied with a light smile, “If anyone can defeat that guy, it's you,” her cheeks light pink as Isamu thought, 'Alright, once we're out of this area and headed home, I'll ask her out. If she says no, I'll just accept it and move on. That's it.'

Once five minutes were up, Beedrill stated, “Alright, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the final match of the day! We've had a very exciting first round, but let's see if this match will be just as exciting if not more!”

Nori nodded and said, “In the red corner, our second hero representing Germany is a fennec fox descended from a long line of pyro mages. With a strong spirit and a heart for combat, it is my pleasure to introduce Delphox!”

The German crowd went wild as the fox made her way toward the ring with a fireball circling her courtesy of the magic that had been brought up, and she was quite a lovely sight to behold. Her fur resembled a robe that was primarily dark-red with reddish-orange markings that resembled flames on her knees. She had a tuft of white fur on her torso flanked by yellow fur draping down her shoulders and also covering her head and tail. Protruding from each ear were three tufts of reddish-orange fur as that on her arms was red and resembled sleeves. Her hands and feet were dark-grey with three clawed fingers on each.

As she approached the ring, she proceeded to leap up into the air, shooting fire from her heels thus allowing her to fly higher into the air. She then performed a vertical flip before landing perfectly on her feet, the crowd cheering even louder.

“Wow, she's beautiful,” Meloetta uttered with her eyes wide open as Vigoroth shrugged and replied, “Well, she is a fox. That kind of comes with the territory.”

“And in the blue corner,” Yuki stated, “coming to us from Nicaragua is one who may look weak and skinny but can actually pack quite a punch, mostly with the help of her moon rock-like shell! As such, it is my pleasure to introduce Shuckle!”

The Nicaraguan fans cheered wildly as the noodle-like turtle made her way over to the ring. However, with the way she was moving, one would swear she came out of a cartoon from the thirties as it looked like she was struggling just to stay up, her body leaning in various different directions at random. The only thing that remained consistent was how her legs were moving.

Machop stared in stunned silence and uttered, “Really? She qualified for the tournament? She's harder to take seriously than Slurpuff,” as Lairon replied, “Exactly. We all thought Slurpuff was going to be weak, but he proved us wrong. We can't make the same mistake about this one either.”

Soon enough, the turtle made her way over to the ring and attempted to climb into it. However, some members of the crowd resisted the urge to laugh as found herself struggling to get up, her legs waving around like actual noodles dangling in the breeze. Seeing as her arms were not helping things, she ultimately lifted her head up and lightly bit the bottom rope, using that to pull herself up.

“Oh my god,” Rinko snickered, “You have a point, Mister Lairon, sir, but come on, this is hard to take seriously,” as Venipede was resisting the urge to laugh.

“Come on, guys, stop that,” Meloetta whimpered, “She can't help the way she was born,” as Vigoroth sighed, “I hate to say it, but she's right. Besides, for all we know, she's probably really hardcore.”

With all said and done, Shuckle sauntered over to Delphox and held out her arm, saying, “Hey there. It's nice to meetcha,” the fox giving her a light smile and shaking her hand, replying, “Likewise. Here's to a good match.”

The crowd cheered in response to this as Yuki said, “You know, with all these bitter, brutal matches, it's kind of refreshing to see good sportsmanship. After all, one would expect heroes to be like this more often,” Nori nodding and sighing, “True, but let's face it, all sporting events are super competitive.”

Once the handshake ended, both fighters walked to their own sides of the ring as Yuki said, “Well, folks, the combatants are set. Thus we can begin the match.”

Once the bell was rung, Delphox lit her hands on fire only for Shuckle to tuck her legs into her shell. Most of the crowd was confused by this until she retracted her feet, launching herself toward her opponent. The fox sent her palm forward only for the turtle to tuck her head and legs into her shell, only leaving her arms out and spinning while shouting, “SHELLED KUNAI!”

Delphox's eyes widened as she took multiple strikes to her cheek, the Nicaraguan crowd cheering wildly as Shuckle emerged from her shell, sending her head hard into the fox's chin. And it did not end there was she sent a barrage of rapid punches and kicks into her midsection, Machop and her friends staring in stunned silence.

“You know, I really should have seen that coming,” the girl uttered as Garchomp nodded and replied, “Yeah, that stretchy exterior of hers makes it really easy for her to pull off moves like that. It already looks like she could very well win this match.”

Delphox narrowed her eyelids before lighting her hands on fire and sending two karate chops toward Shuckle's arms. However, the turtle was more than ready for this as she tucked them into her shell, Delphox missing as her eyes widened. And while she was distracted, the turtle's arms emerged and bound her wrists in place.

Shuckle then proceeded to tuck her legs into her shell before swinging it back, shouting, “SHELL SLINGSHOT!” reeling it inward thus ramming it into Delphox's gut.

“Delphox's magic may be tough, but against an opponent like Shuckle, it's practically useless,” Yuki stated, “Not only does Shuckle's slender, stretchy build make her very fast and flexible, but that hard shell of hers makes it easy for her to protect her body from harm.”

Delphox backed up and took a few breaths before saying, “Alright, you've proven yourself a challenge, but now it's my turn,” before conjuring up a fireball with her fingertip and sending it toward the turtle.

Seeing this, Shuckle tucked her entire body into her shell as the flame ran into it. And sure enough, it had no effect as the turtle allowed one arm to emerge from a hole, placing it against the mat and using it to lift herself up. She then tilted her shell sideways and leaned her arm back, flinging herself toward Delphox while allowing her shell to spin.

The Nicaraguan fans continued to cheer as Delphox took another blow to her gut, this time coughing up blood as Vigoroth groaned, “My god, this is just painful. I hate to say it, but I think Delphox would be better off giving up.”

It seemed this could very well have been the better option as Shuckle emerged and stood atop a single leg while balancing the rest of her body like a spinning plate, saying, “I have to admit, when I saw that you were my first opponent, I was beyond happy, and this is the reason. See, the ability to use magic is rare among our kind. You're one of the few heroes out there with the ability to use long-ranged attacks, and while that sort of thing may be impressive against your common villain or, well, just about any other hero, it's useless against someone like me.”

“What!?” Delphox retorted as the turtle snickered and replied, “Think about it. Your puny little flames can't penetrate my shell, and it's not like you can possibly hit my body as I'm far too flexible. But it's okay if you wanna forfeit. I won't judge.”

Hearing these very words caused the often calm and collected fox to feel a great deal of rage, her eyes narrowed as her tail burst into flame. The German fans stared in stunned silence as Shuckle smirked and thought, 'Perfect. This just got easier.'

With that, the fox leapt into the air and pointed her feet backwards, crossing her arms as flames surrounded them. She then shot fire from her heels like she had earlier and exclaimed, “FOX FIRE ROCKET!” blasting toward Shuckle as she once against started to tuck herself into her shell.

However, it seemed Delphox was moving even more quickly than the turtle had expected as she was unable to hide her head in time to avoid a strike to her neck. The crowd went wild as she coughed up blood, flying backwards into the ropes and bouncing off. And it did not end there as Delphox sent a palm punch into her face, causing her to fall on her back.

“After taking in quite the assault, Delphox finally manages to work around Shuckle's ironclad defence,” Nori stated, “When moving at her normal speed, she was unable to strike the turtle, but now that she's moving faster, she's managed to land two very impressive hits.”

“Not only that, but I think Shuckle may have taken in more pain from those two hits than Delphox has from all of her attacks,” Beedrill added, “While Delphox may be closer and, well, lacking a shell of her own, she's also bigger and is thus able to take in more pain. Meanwhile, Shuckle's shell is nothing short of a blessing due to her body being so thin, meaning even a light karate chop would feel like a two-handed punch.”

“YEAH, THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!” Rinko exclaimed as the others stared at her, the brunette shrugging and uttering, “Hey, she's the only representative of my country left. May as well give her some support, right?”

And it truly seemed that these two hits had been enough to end this match as Nori had already started the ten count, currently up to three. Needless to say, Delphox was not to be taken lightly.

“Look at you,” Delphox scoffed with her arms folded, “You act all tough when in reality, you're nothing more than a coward who needs the protection of her precious shell to keep her safe. It was only a matter of time until someone found a way around your flexibility and defence. I'm just amazed that I had to be the first.”

However, once Nori counted up to nine, Shuckle quickly recovered and propelled herself back to her feet, breathing heavily as the Nicaraguan fans cheered wildly. The turtle wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead, smirking and saying, “I have to say, I'm actually impressed. But even so, you should have hit me harder because there's no way in Hell I'm letting you land another hit.”

With that, the turtle leaned her legs back before propelling her shell forward and tucking her entire body into it. Delphox knew trying to counter would be pointless and thus attempted to dodge. Unfortunately, it seemed she was too slow as she took a hit to her side.

Shuckle then whipped out the arm and leg closest to Delphox and latched onto her arm, pulling hard enough to force her downward as her chin hit the canvas. And to add insult to injury, Shuckle proceeded to leap high above her before once again tucking herself into her shell, falling toward the fox and shouting, “SHELL METEOR!”

And sure enough, Delphox was unable to react in time as she took the blow to her back, coughing up blood with her eyes and mouth wide with shock and agony. The Nicaraguan fans cheered even louder as Yuki stated, “Well, Shuckle is certainly putting her money where her mouth is. Now that she's taken in damage, she's doing everything to make sure Delphox can't hit her again.”

Shuckle leapt away from Delphox and poked her head out of her shell, noticing the fox slowly pushing herself up as she smiled wickedly and said, “I'm impressed that you're still able to move, but this next one will finish you off for good.”

With that, the turtle pushed herself into the air and toward the ropes, pressing up against them. And after a few seconds, she bounced off of the springy material toward the fox while shouting, “SHELLAPULT!”

Unfortunately for the turtle, Delphox was not going to allow this one to hit her. As such, she took a deep breath as fire surrounded her hands once more. Then then proceeded to wave them in a circular pattern, forming a ring of fire and shouting, “MYSTICAL FIRE!”

Each side of the ring separated thus forming two streams. The fire then flew toward Shuckle as it soon formed into five small streams, each one entering one of the turtle's holes. And sure enough, this managed to halt her attack just as she was a mere millisecond away from hitting Delphox, her arms, legs and head emerging as she cried out in agonizing pain.

The German fans went wild as Delphox took full advantage of this, spreading out her arms next to Shuckle's neck and sending both hands into it, shouting, “DOUBLE FIRE CHOP!”

This was more than enough as Shuckle coughed up blood, her eyes and mouth wide open as she collapsed. All five exposed parts were spread out as Nori started the countdown yet again, Yuki exclaiming, “And just as it seemed like Shuckle still had this match in the bag, Delphox takes full advantage of the openings on her shell, setting her up for further pain to her sensitive neck!”

The German fans went wild as Jackalu folded his arms behind his head, saying, “You know, I'm kinda surprised she didn't think to do that sooner,” Lairon nodding and replying, “Yeah, it's weird when they don't think of the most obvious method from the get-go, isn't it?”

Whatever the case, Shuckle had barely gotten up in time to avoid the ten count before, so there was no doubt in anyone's mind that she would not rise from this. And just as expected, Nori reached ten and rang the bell, exclaiming, “And the victory goes to Delphox, therefor she will be the last fighter to advance to round two!”

The cheers from the German side and even a few Tokyo viewers grew as the Nicaraguan fans bowed their heads in respect. After all, Shuckle had done the best she could and that was all they could ask.

Once she had been taken out of the ring on a stretcher, Delphox turned toward Slurpuff in the crowd who had a dopey smile on his face while bobbing his body up and down. Seeing this, she had a cross look on her face as she thought, 'Yeah, keep up that stupid act of yours. Keep getting the crowd on your side. You're not going to get the better of me. You'll soon realize what it feels like to lose in a fair fight.'

“That concludes round one,” Beedrill stated, “Round two will be in three days, thus I would recommend that those of you still competing use that time to prepare yourselves. After all, the matches can only get harder from here, right?”

With all said and done, the audience members got up to leave as Eiko asked, “So, Kelani, did you have fun?” the doberman nodding and saying, “Well, some of the stuff was upsetting, but I liked it. I can't wait to see Machop and Venipede win their next matches!”

“And me?” Jackalu asked with a grin as Kelani replied, “Of course!” the dog's eyes sparkling as he squealed, “I like this kid!”

And soon enough, everyone was ready to head home as Lairon said, “Well, this has been a long day. I'm gonna make you a nice, big dinner, Machop,” the girl grinning with excitement as Meloetta said, “I'll help.”

But just as the girl was about to join the others in Garchomp's van, Isamu tapped her on the shoulder and said, “Hey, Eiko and I are gonna head home in a bit too, but I want to talk to you about something first. Something private,” his cheeks flushed pink.

Machop shrugged and nodded before calling, “Hey, can you guys wait up for us!?” Garchomp nodding and replying, “Take your time. We're in no rush, right?” as Lairon bit his lower lip and uttered, “Okay,” really wanting to start on dinner sooner than later.

With that, the two walked a small distance from the others until they could no longer see them. As such, Isamu took a deep breath and said, “Alright, Machop, I have something I need to confess. It's not easy for someone like me to say this, but I figure if I hold this off any longer-”

“Alright, no need to beat around the bush,” Machop remarked with a grin, “Just let it all out, okay?”

“Alright,” Isamu replied before calming himself down, adding, “Machop, as you already know, I didn't trust you when we first met,” the girl sighing, “I try not to think about it, but go on.”

The boy felt awkward bringing this up before adding, “Anyway, ever since you saved me from Crawdaunt, I've found you absolutely amazing. You're fun, you're actually pretty cute for a lizard-like thing and, well, whenever you fight, it's like watching magic. You just pull off all these amazing miracles that not even your friends have ever truly pulled off.”

Machop's eyes widened as she bit her lower lip. Deep down, she had a feeling of where this was headed and she was not sure how to feel, but even so, she knew how important this was and thus allowed Isamu to continue.

“Anyway, I really, really like you,” Isamu said, “So I was wondering if you'd like to go out sometime, you know, on a date.”

While the boy looked embarrassed after having said all of this, he also felt strangely content like he had just removed a heavy burden from his life. Machop, on the other hand, still had no clue what to think of this.

However, she had to be honest and thus she gave him a light smile and replied, “Look, Isamu, I like you, too, but not in that way. In fact, to be perfectly honest, I actually have feelings for Jackalu. It's strange, but ever since that time he almost sacrificed a spot in the Olympics to help me, well, he makes my heart race.”

Even though Isamu knew this, it still came off as devastating, especially after he had spent so long mustering up the courage to say this. He had even mentally prepared himself for failure and yet he still had trouble taking this all in.

However, his hope lifted when Machop uttered, “In all honesty, I'm not even really sure if I love Jackalu or if a relationship between the two of us could even work. But even so, I see you as more of a big brother than, well, a soul mate.”

Isamu took a deep breath and replied, “Okay. I understand,” Machop groaning, “I'm so sorry,” before holding her arm and biting her lower lip.

The two remained standing awkwardly for a while before turning and walking off toward their families. Needless to say, the whole day had been mostly positive with the results of the matches, but this one moment had made it the most awkward day of Isamu and Machop's lives. To make matters worse, Isamu was now conflicted about whether he really should have confessed or not.

Either way, Machop had lots of training ahead of her and would have been much better off focusing on that. Whoever the girl had a crush on would have to wait as Chesnaught would certainly be a tough adversary.

 

The day-and-a-half following the end of round one went by quickly. During this time, Venipede had been training with Rinko for the upcoming match with Gallador. After all, just because the brunette was no longer competing did not mean she would stop helping her boyfriend ready himself. If anything, this gave her more of a reason to do so.

Torchic, meanwhile, was still in the hospital as Slurpuff had dealt a lot more damage to her than expected. And every now and then, Vigoroth and Meloetta would stop by for a visit, but since the chicken was out cold, they could not have a conversation with her.

With less than a day to go before the next round, Machop was hard at work preparing herself. She had done all the standard training exercises and was currently working on ways to counter Chesnaught's Giga Impact as that was so far the only finisher he had shown off.

Garchomp flew toward Machop with her body covered in a bright orange flame, shouting, “DRAGON RAGE!” Machop was just about to dodge when suddenly, she tensed up and gasped, attempting to block the move with her hands.

Unfortunately, Garchomp's attack was far too strong and thus she wound up forced backwards into the fence. Lairon rose an eyebrow and sighed, “Machop, this is the tenth time you've messed this up. Seriously, compared to those other finishing moves you've prepared yourself for, this is probably the easiest to avoid.”

“I know,” Machop uttered with a sigh, “And in all honesty, I know exactly how to avoid this one.”

“Really,” Lairon replied with his arms folded, “Alright, how do you do it?” the girl explaining, “I wait for him to get close enough and then jump to the side, thus causing him to make contact with whatever's behind me instead.”

Garchomp shrugged her shoulders as Lairon grinned and replied, “Guess you do know after all. Sorry for doubting you. It just seemed to me like you weren't really prepared for this.”

Machop took a deep breath and replied, “Well, I'm not really sure if I am. It's complicated,” as the dinosaur blinked and asked, “Do you wanna talk about it?”

The girl bit her lower lip as Garchomp gave her a look of concern. As much as she would have rather kept this private, she could not hide such a thing from the two who helped shape her into the hero she was now.

“Well, remember how after the final match the other day, Isamu and I had a conversation before heading home?” Machop asked as Lairon nodded and replied, “Oh, yes. I didn't bother asking because I thought it didn't matter, but what did he talk to you about?”

“He told me that he really likes me,” Machop uttered as Garchomp gasped, a big grin forming on her face as she nudged her husband. However, her positive attitude left when Machop sighed, “As flattering as it is, I'm just not sure if I share his feelings or not. In fact, I actually kinda have a thing for Jackalu.”

Garchomp and Lairon stared in stunned silence as the dinosaur shrugged and replied, “Huh. I didn't think someone like that would be your type.”

Garchomp had no clue what to say to this. After all, she and Lairon had never had more than one person fall for them, so they could not fully grasp the situation.

“Did you tell Isamu about your feelings for Jackalu?” Garchomp enquired as the girl nodded and replied, “Yeah, and he said he understood, but I don't know. He hasn't tried to make contact with me since then, so I'm not sure if he's really okay with it.”

Lairon folded his arms and sighed, “Well, I can see how this would be a problem. If you continue to reject him, you'll feel like you're breaking his heart, but if you decide to go out with him, it could potentially shoot any chance you have with Jackalu, right?”

Machop nodded with a sigh as the dinosaur suggested, “Look, try going for a walk and clearing your head. If you spend too much time dwelling on this, it'll definitely throw you off during your match with Chesnaught and we can't have that.”

The girl ultimately decided he was right as she took a deep breath and headed out of the back yard. And once inside the house, she walked toward the exit only to stop when she noticed Eri looking up at her with her eyes wide and her tail swishing back and forth.

Machop gave the collie a sweet smile and a gentle pat on the head, saying, “You guard the place while I'm gone, alright?” before heading out the door.

During this time, Isamu was in his room, watching Machop's matches on his computer and sighing. At that moment, Hana knocked on his already-open door as he looked up and asked, “Yeah?”

“Hey, son, I was just wondering how you're feeling right now,” the woman explained with a light smile as he replied, “I'm fine, I guess,” before staring at the screen again only for the woman to tense up, wondering what to do.

“Don't stress yourself, honey,” Noboru said as he entered the area, “I'll deal with this.”

Hana breathed a sigh of relief and headed off to do her own thing as the man walked over to Isamu, patting him on the shoulder and asking, “Hey, son, wanna go for a walk?”

Meanwhile, Machop was walking along when she noticed Gallador having a stroll of his own. Suddenly, all of her troubles seemed to vanish from her mind as she gave him a wide smile and waved, squealing, “Hi, Gallador!”

The white boy turned with a grin and approached her, saying, “Hey there, Machop. Feeling ready for your match tomorrow?”

“Come on, think about who you're talking to,” she remarked with a smirk before letting out a sigh and uttering, “Actually, I'm not really sure if I'm ready.”

Gallador was about to ask why she was not training if that was the case, but he soon realized the match was not the issue. As such, he shifted his head toward a nearby bench as Machop nodded and walked over to it, taking a seat. And it was not long until the white boy joined her.

“So, what's on your mind?” he asked as Machop sighed, “Well, you know that human I hang out with, Isamu?” Gallador blinking as she added, “He's the guy with the scar on his cheek.”

“Oh yeah,” Gallador replied with a nod of his head, “What about him?”

“Well, he told me recently that he has feelings for me,” Machop uttered as Gallador stared in stunned silence. Back in the day, Machop had never been interested in romance, so if anything, he figured that might have been the issue.

“Look, Machop, if you really like him, maybe it's high time you finally decide to give the dating scene a chance,” the white boy suggested as Machop sighed, “That's not it. The problem is that, well, I really do like Isamu, but I have actual feelings for Jackalu.”

“Wait, what?” Gallador remarked as he gave her a blank stare, the girl adding, “But even then, I'm confused about whether I love him or it's just infatuation. I've never felt this way before, so-”

“Stop right there,” Gallador said before taking a deep breath, “You're telling me that weirdo who breaks out into song when he wins is your type?” as Machop sighed, “I know it's weird, but, well, he's so sweet. He almost sacrificed his spot in the tournament for me.”

Gallador let out a sigh and said, “Well, I'm not really sure about this. On one hand, you've known this Isamu guy a lot longer. Do you enjoy being around him?” Machop nodding as the white boy added, “But still, the odds of Jackalu sticking around long enough for you to confess your feelings for him are pretty slim.”

Machop nodded again as Gallador sighed, “Look, I'm gonna give you the most obvious advice you could get, because this is the correct advice. Do what your heart tells you, what you think is right.”

Machop took a deep breath and rose from the bench, saying, “You may be right. Thanks for the advice,” the two giving each other a quick goodbye and heading off their own ways. Even so, Machop still did not completely feel at ease as she was not completely sure what her heart wanted.

Meanwhile, Isamu had explained everything to Noboru. The man nodded and said, “Well, son, the fact that you mustered up the courage to admit your feelings now before it was too late is definitely a good thing. But, well, I'm almost certain this is going to mess Machop up tomorrow if you don't deal with it quickly.”

“But what can I do?” Isamu asked, “If anything, it seems like I told her this stuff too early, like I should have waited until the end of the tournament.”

Noboru nodded and replied, “Just respect her choice,” the boy blinking as he continued, “From what you've told me, all you said was that you understood. Machop is a very good friend and if you were to get upset over her choosing Jackalu over you, that would be immature, don't you think?”

“Yeah, you're right,” Isamu said with a deep breath, “I feel like I should have a word with Machop right now,” Noboru nodding and giving his son a thumb up.

With that in mind, the boy went off on his own before pulling out his cellphone. But just as he was about to dial up Machop, his eyes widened when he noticed her passing by. Both teens stopped in their tracks and slowly turned to face one-another, their bodies tensing up. As ready for this as Isamu felt before, he was still afraid of what might happen if he gave Machop reassurance. And all the while, Machop was scared of hurting Isamu's feelings.

Even so, Isamu had to make sure the girl could focus on her upcoming match with Chesnaught and thus approached her with a light smile, saying, “Hey, Machop. How's it going? Training going well?”

Machop nodded and replied, “Yeah, everything's awesome,” biting her lower lip as her cheeks were flushed pink.

The two stood silently for half-a-minute until Isamu said, “Machop, I need to tell you something,” the girl tensing up and uttering, “Okay. What is it?”

“Look, I'm sorry to drop such a big bombshell on you like that,” Isamu stated, “The truth is, I sort of knew about your feelings for Jackalu and I was afraid that if I didn't speak up, I wouldn't get a chance to tell you.”

Machop's eyes widened as she retorted, “Wait, what!? You already knew!?” a slight hint of anger in her tone as the boy blinked, terror filling his eyes. Was it wrong for him to admit to this?

But just as Machop was about ready to snap at him, she took a deep breath and sighed, “No, no, I shouldn't get mad. You wouldn't do something like this to hurt me, right?” Isamu breathing a sigh of relief and replying, “Of course not. If anything, I kind of regret telling you before the tournament ended. It must be eating away at you.”

Machop nodded and gave him a light smile, saying, “Thank you for saying that. I was afraid you weren't even aware of it,” as the boy chuckled, the two soon sharing a big laugh.

After a while, Isamu took a deep breath and said, “Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that if you decide that Jackalu is right for you, I'll support you all the way,” before resting a hand on her shoulder as she let out a light gasp, her cheeks once again flushed pink, “Whoever you spend your life with is your decision to make.”

Machop's heart raced as a big smile formed on her face. She then held Isamu in a tight embrace, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as she squealed, “THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I WANTED TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT!”

Isamu chuckled nervously and patted the girl on the back as she released her hold on him and said, “Well, that takes a major load off my back. Now I really can focus completely on tomorrow's match. Again, thank you so much for understanding.”

“Of course,” Isamu replied before holding out his right fist, “What are friends for?”

And thus Machop pounded her fist against his as the two decided to walk toward Lairon's house. After all, the girl still needed to get some extra training in whereas Isamu had plenty of time to spend outside of the house.

During this time, Rinko and Venipede felt that they had done enough training for the day and decided to go out for dinner. After all, who was to say after his match, Venipede would still be in good enough condition to go on a date with the brunette?

Along the way, they passed by an area where Delphox was practising her magic. She had bags full of cake batter set up and was using her pyrokinesis to burn them. But while destroying the bags themselves was easy, she found that all her fire did was cook the batter slightly.

'Damn,' she thought, 'Slurpuff showed a lot of resistance to Torchic's flames. The only reason he took in pain was because of her feet and nothing else. But my body's not as strong.'

“Hey, you know Slurpuff's not an actual cake, right?” Venipede asked as the fox gasped and turned to them with her hands on fire. But upon seeing who they were, she breathed of a sigh of relief as the fire vanished.

“Hey, you're the two who fought in the first round, right?” the fox asked as Venipede nodded and replied, “Yeah. I have to say, you were pretty awesome against Shuckle. The way you turned that huge advantage of hers against her was brilliant.”

“Danke,” the fox replied with a sigh, “but I can't accept your praise. I feel like I should have caught onto that sooner, but at least I've seen my new opponent in action. The only problem is I'm not really sure if I can get around his weird tactics.”

Rinko shrugged and asked, “What makes you say that? It's not like he has a shell to protect him from your magic,” as the fox sighed, “True, but you saw how much trouble Torchic had. Even after she decided to ignore the crowd, she still had trouble fighting him. Her kicks dealt pain, but I don't think her fire added to the damage.”

The brunette gave her a supportive smile and said, “Look, if it helps, we could help you train,” Venipede nodding and replying, “Yeah. We are planning on having dinner, but it's only five right now. We have plenty of time to spare.”

Delphox was about to refuse but soon realized moving targets could make for better practise than lifeless dummies. Not only that, but she had never been offered help before. And to top it all off, she could tell by looking at the duo that she could trust them.

With that, all three trained for roughly an hour, Delphox performing especially well while Venipede felt like he had improved quite a bit. Needless to say, this was beneficial to all of them.

Shortly after training ended, the trio had a conversation, though Delphox did feel rather nervous during the whole thing. While she often kept up a calm and collective demeanour, one thing she had never done was make friends. Needless to say, this was a big deal for her.

“So you both confessed your love after your first victory on Earth,” Delphox said with a light smile, “That sounds so romantic. I never had much interest in love before, but it sounds so intriguing now.”

“Yeah, meeting Rinko was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Venipede stated as he rested an arm on her shoulder, the brunette kissing him on the cheek and adding, “Same here. If it hadn't been for him, I probably would have never found my true potential.”

She then looked at her watch and said, “Well, I think we've trained enough. What say we finally have that dinner, eh?” Venipede nodding and replying, “Oh yeah, we left the house for a reason.”

“Oh nein,” Delphox uttered, “Did I interrupt your date?” as Rinko chuckled and replied, “Don't worry about it. If we didn't want to help you, we wouldn't have volunteered in the first place.”

Delphox still could not believe it. After all this time, she had others who actually cared about her and wanted her to succeed. As if that was not surprising enough, even she could not believe how open she was to it after having gone so long without relying on anyone but herself. But either way, she was looking forward to having their support when she fought Slurpuff in the second round.

The rest of the night went by well. Now that things had been cleared up between Machop and Isamu, the girl was sure to rest a lot more easily. She also felt so much more confident about facing Chesnaught and was certain she would win.

And sure enough, the night was nice and peaceful as everyone slept soundly. However, something strange happened at Isamu and Eiko's residence.

While Kelani slept, the hexagons on his chest glowed briefly. But just like the last time, nothing seemed to happen as a result. But why did it happen in the first place, let alone twice? Was this something to worry about?

It seemed that this was not the case and thus the rest of the night went by perfectly. And soon enough, everyone was ready for the second round of the tournament with the first match scheduled to take place in the middle of a forest. No one was sure why Beedrill would pick such a location, but this was far from the strangest place to hold a match during the Hero Olympics.

In order to make sure he was extra prepared for the event, Gallador raced toward the area while leaping from tree to tree, using his arm blades to lob off a few branches. All the while, he had a big grin on his face while thinking, 'Sorry, Machop. I know I'm fighting another friend of yours, but there's no way I'm gonna lose.'

Venipede, meanwhile, had already arrived an hour in advance while Rinko sparred with him just a little bit in preparation. The centipede felt more than ready for this as he implied a smile with his eyes, saying, “Thanks for all the help. I just know I can win this.”

Rinko nodded and replied, “Still, try to be careful. Don't forget, you're fighting Machop's cousin.”

The centipede nodded and gave the brunette a hug, saying, “I know. Even if I lose, I'm just really glad I made it this far. The old me certainly wouldn't have pulled this off.”

The two then shared a brief kiss as it was finally time for the match to begin, the people all seated as Beedrill exclaimed, “Alright, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it's finally time for the second round to begin!”

The crowd cheered wildly as Jackalu sat in the middle row. He looked at Machop with big, sad eyes and his ears drooped as Clawitzer rolled her eyes and sighed, “I told you we should have come sooner.”

Machop was currently seated next to Isamu, but thanks to what he had told her yesterday, it did not feel as awkward as it should have. She felt perfectly calm as she turned to face Jackalu briefly and gave him a light wave. The dog's eyes sparkled as he waved back, his shrimp partner sighing and shaking her head.

“Round one was certainly exciting, but it can only get better from here,” Nori stated, “So without further ado, let's introduce our first contestants.”

Yuki nodded and exclaimed, “In the red corner, a powerful centipede representing Hungary! He started off as the laughing stock of his team here in Tokyo but has risen his way up and become a real winner! With amazing strength made more impressive by his multiple arms, Venipede!”

The crowd, especially the Hungarian fans went wild as the centipede rolled toward the ring like a wheel. He then leapt into the air and bounced off the ground like a ball high into the air. And once close enough, he retracted from his ball-like state and performed a handstand on the canvas, his friends giving him a round of applause.

His parents, especially, were pleased to see this as Attila said, “He's so cool, isn't he, honey?” Scolipede nodding and replying, “I'm so proud of him.”

“And in the blue corner,” Nori stated, “the first contestant representing France is certainly a fierce fighter. While his father may have had a questionable reputation, he is certainly no slouch as he has certainly proven himself a force to be reckoned with against the mighty Gyarados. With amazing speed and mighty blades, Gallador!”

The French fans cheered wildly as Gallador performed a somersault toward the ring. He then leapt high into the air and spun with his arms folded like a hand propeller. He then landed perfectly on the tips of his feet, spreading his arms out and shouting, “HELLO, TOKYO!”

Venipede took a deep breath when the white boy gave him a light smile and said, “Sweet. I get to face another friend of Machop's. Here's to a good match,” giving him a thumb up as Venipede nodded and bowed his head.

The crowd clapped some more as Yuki said, “It's always nice to see opponents show good sportsmanship, eh?” Nori nodding as Venipede and Gallador walked to separate sides of the ring.

Would Venipede earn himself another victory and impress the world even more or would Gallador get his chance to face Machop in the semi-finals? Only time would tell.

 

This was it. After three days of waiting, everyone was ready for the match between Venipede and Gallador to begin. And needless to say, Machop's friends wanted to see the centipede come out on top, though Machop was less certain. After all, while Venipede was a great friend, Gallador was family.

“Alright, the combatants are set!” Yuki exclaimed, “So without further ado, let us begin!”

Once the bell was rung, Venipede stood his ground while Gallador raced toward him. Once he was close enough, he leapt toward the centipede with his arms spread out.

Venipede saw this coming as he tucked himself into a ball and rolled behind Gallador. After that, he retracted to a more normal state while pushing himself up with his top arms. Gallador's eyes widened as the centipede pointed the feelers on his rear end toward him and jabbed them into his back.

The Hungarian crowd went wild as Rinko squealed, “YEAH! YOU RULE, VENIPEDE!” as Vigoroth blinked and uttered, “Wow. This is the first time I've ever seen him use those for combat. I was starting to think he couldn't.”

Gallador, however, tried his best to ignore the pain only for Venipede to use his arms to leap off of the mat and latch his legs around his neck, forcing his head forward. The white boy's eyes widened as the centipede latched onto his ankles and used all his might to propel himself high into the air. He then flipped himself one-hundred-and-eighty degrees while the Hungarian and Tokyo fans cheered even louder.

But just as it looked like the back of Gallador's neck would hit the canvas, he started to force his head backwards. It caused him a great deal of strain, but he ultimately pulled it off as the spike atop his skull hit the mat instead, the area going silent.

“Not bad,” Gallador said before taking hold of Venipede's wrists, “But it'll take a lot more than that to take me down.”

The French fans cheered wildly as the white boy pulled hard enough to force Venipede to release his hold on him. Thus he wound up falling on his belly as Gallador wasted no time climbing onto his back and latching onto his neck with his arms while using his ankles to trap one of his legs in place.

“Venipede had a good start, but Gallador is showing that great strategic thinking that helped him defeat Gyarados!” Yuki stated as Nori added, “Yes. While Venipede has shown great strides, Gallador's pretty amazing too.”

Rinko frowned and snapped, “Come on, Venipede! You can resist this! Try using your other arms!” the others turning to her as Kelani asked, “How's he gonna do that?”

However, it seemed the centipede had something in mind as he took a deep breath and grunted, “Right,” before using his middle and lower arms to push himself up. Gallador's eyes widened as Venipede managed to propel himself upright, falling backwards and slamming the white boy's back against the canvas.

The Hungarian fans went wild as Gallador released his hold, soon taking in an elbow to the face and another two to his midsection. And of course, Venipede took full advantage of this opportunity and flipped him onto his belly, shouting, “CENTIPEDE BACKBREAKER!” pulling on his chin with his top arms while binding his torso with the rest of them and his legs.

More cheers could be heard as Vigoroth said, “Impressive. Having so many arms is certainly helpful,” Meloetta nodding and replying, “Yeah, I'd love to have an extra set of arms. It would really help out when I'm doing chores.”

Rinko, on the other hand, seemed to have something else in mind as Eiko noticed her staring off into space and asked, “What's up?” the brunette's cheeks bright pink as she uttered, “Nothing.”

Machop, meanwhile, smiled lightly but did not go beyond that. After all, considering who was fighting right now, she would have much rather not taken sides, much like the first two matches of the first round. It was like deciding which friend was her favourite, and most people could not honestly do that.

Gallador groaned from the pain he was feeling as Nori said, “Using his other arms, Venipede has managed to get the advantage back, now trapping Gallador in a submission hold of his own. Let's see what Gallador can do about this.”

It seemed the boy had something in mind as Venipede had made a fatal error. Currently, his upper and middle arms were pressed up against the white boy's arms, and it would soon be made clear why this was a bad idea when he started to shift those very parts, the blades starting to turn.

Seeing this, Lairon and Garchomp both gasped as Rinko snapped, “HEY, VENIPEDE, LET GO OF HIM!” the centipede not even stopping to question this as he released his hold on Gallador and leapt off of him.

“Your girlfriend's smart,” Gallador said with a grin as he propelled himself up onto his feet, the crowd's excitement rising as Venipede took many deep breaths, thinking, 'Right. I need to be more careful with this guy. I don't wanna suffer the same fate as Gyarados, even if she was okay at the end of it all.'

Scolipede, meanwhile, breathed a sigh of relief as she said, “I have to admit, I like that Rinko girl more and more. Even I didn't see that coming,” Attila sighing, “I feel like I should have.”

Before Venipede could think of something else to try, Gallador charged at him with his arms folded in front of his face. However, the centipede was ready for this as he knew exactly how to stop the blades from hitting him. Thus he rolled up into a ball and leapt toward the white boy, shouting, “CENTIPEDE STEAMROLLER!” energy buzz saws forming on his shoulders.

Scolipede's eyes sparkled as she exclaimed, “Wow! He really did master it!” Gallador's eyes wide with terror as he kept his arms forward, doing his best to keep Venipede's blades from hitting him.

'Dammit, I thought I'd be ready for him after seeing him in action!' the white boy thought, 'I didn't think he'd have a power like this!' as Rinko exclaimed, “Yeah! Let him have it, honey!”

Machop, Eiko, Isamu and Kelani gave her the most awkward look, the brunette sighing, “Hey, it's not like I want him to kill your cousin or something. Sheesh.”

Even so, this certainly seemed to work as after a few seconds, Venipede's blades managed to overpower Gallador and force his back into the ropes. The Hungarian fans were cheering wildly as the French fans stared in horror, the material starting to give way.

'Wait, I can use this,' Gallador thought as he leaned backward, allowing the centipede to fly over him and cut open the ropes. Rinko gasped and snapped, “VENIPEDE, STOP THE ATTACK!” but it was too late as the centipede cut open the ropes and flew out of the ring, retracting just in time for his back to make contact with the ground, Yuki immediately starting the twenty count.

As if things could not get any worse for him, Gallador took full advantage of this and climbed up onto the nearest turnbuckle, smirking and saying, “Not a bad move, but you need more control over it.”

With that, he proceeded to leap high into the air with his arms spread out, flipping around before planting his belly into Venipede's. The centipede's eyes widened as he coughed up a bit of green blood, Yuki having now reached five as Nori exclaimed, “It would seem Gallador plans to win this match with a ring-out, but if both fighters remain outside of the ring for twenty seconds, this one's gonna end in a draw and whoever wins the next match will skip the semi-finals.”

Machop blinked and uttered, “Oh shit, I don't want that to happen,” before barking, “COME ON, GUYS, FINISH THIS IN THE RING!”

Lairon grinned and nodded his head in approval. The fact that his pupil would have much rather earned each and every victory in this tournament was certainly commendable.

Venipede did not wish to lose, at least not this early and thus he ignored the pain to his gut and kicked Gallador off of him. Thus the white boy flew toward the ring as the centipede swung his arms back and used them to propel himself up to his level. And before Gallador knew it, Venipede had his lower and upper arms wrapped around him while using his middle arms to lock the white boy's arms in place.

With Gallador helpless, his back soon made contact with the mat as the Hungarian fans went wild, Nori saying, “And just as things got really close, Venipede has managed to not only get back into the ring but even managed to crush his opponent with what I can only assume is his own version of a flying press.”

Rinko and the others cheered as even Machop could not help but breathe a sigh of relief, saying, “It's like I kept telling him on Hero Planet. He's much more badass than he gives himself credit for.”

And of course, Venipede would not let this end here as he rose up just a bit, aiming his elbows toward Gallador's shoulders and sides. Once he felt ready, he allowed his upper body to descend thus planting them into those very sports, Gallador groaning from the pain as the centipede leapt off of him and took a deep breath, his eyes implying a big smile while the Hungarian fans cheered wildly.

“Venipede's on fire now!” Yuki squealed, “This isn't the most impressive comeback we've seen from him, but it's certainly effective as Gallador wasn't quite as prepared for this match as he first figured.”

“It only makes sense,” Nori replied, “While it is true he saw a couple of Venipede's best moves when he fought Rinko, that was only a small handful of what this bug is truly capable of. If this was the old Venipede, Gallador would have had a much better chance, but not anymore.”

'I have to admit, your friends keep surprising me more and more,' Gallador thought with a grin as he turned his gaze over to Machop, 'It's good to know you have such amazing allies. But mark my words, we will have our match and I'll stop at nothing to make it happen.'

He then turned his focus back to Venipede and raced toward him. The centipede took a deep breath and waited for him to get close before his antennae glowed green. But just as he was about to send them forward, Gallador stopped his trip and sent a hard punch into his forehead.

Venipede's eyes widened as the white boy smirked and said, “Oh yeah, something worth note is that my mom's a boxer,” before sending a barrage of punches forward.

However, Venipede easily ignored the pain after taking in ten punches before using his arms to block the others. Unfortunately for him, though, Gallador had expected him to do this as he sent his knee into his midsection. And with the centipede once again distracted, the white boy leapt at him and wrapped his arm around his neck, using all his might to knock him on his back.

“And not only does Gallador land a series of punches,” Yuki stated, “but he also strikes him with a knee kick and a flying clothesline.”

With Venipede distracted long enough by the pain, Gallador proceeded to leap into the air and land an axe kick onto his face, the French fans cheering louder than before. But just as the boy was about to rise back up, Venipede ignored the pain and sported a more serious look, wrapping his arms around the spot that had hit him. All went silent as Venipede rose to his feet thus causing Gallador to fall on his back while he forced his leg forward, causing it excruciating pain as the owner cried out in pain.

The Hungarian fans cheered wildly as Yuki exclaimed, “This match just keeps going back and forth! Every time you think one of these two is gonna win, the other makes an amazing comeback!” Nori nodding and replying, “Yep, that is the beauty of wrestling. You never know what's gonna happen.”

Venipede applied even more force as Gallador cried even louder, the centipede looking concerned as he said, “Hey, look, if you wanna forfeit, I won't think any less of you. Seriously, I don't wanna end up crippling you just to win this match.”

The white boy forced a grin and uttered, “I appreciate the sentiment. You're clearly a good person, but I refuse to forfeit. If I'm gonna lose this match, I'll lose the honourable way.”

Venipede let out a sigh and replied, “Well, if you insist,” before flinging him high into the air, causing him to flip vertically and leaping up to his level.

Rinko had the biggest grin on her face as she shouted, “YEAH, SHOW HIM WHAT ALL THAT TRAINING WAS FOR!” as the centipede reached Gallador before latching on his ankles with his legs. He then wrapped his upper and lower arms around the white boy's torso while using his middle arms to bend Gallador's back.

The Hungarian crowd went wild as Venipede flipped his body over, shouting, “CENTIPEDE MOONSAULT!” descending toward the canvas, Gallador's belly making contact as he coughed up blood.

“And even when not used on a human, that move Venipede recently created still packs an incredible punch!” Yuki exclaimed as Scolipede clapped and shouted, “Yeah! That's the family spirit! Keep it up!”

Venipede rose to his feet with an implied smile in his eyes, Gallador's face now up against the mat as Yuki started the ten count. Needless to say, the Hungarian fans were more than happy with this as Rinko rose her arm in the air, shouting, “That was awesome, honey!”

Machop blinked and uttered, “Wow. I know Venipede's really good, but damn, it looks like he might have actually won already.”

Isamu gave her an odd look and asked, “Are you disappointed?” the girl shaking her head and replying, “Look, whoever wins this match, there's a possibility that I'll still end up fighting a friend, and I'd much rather face a friend than another enemy.”

Meloetta nodded and replied, “Yeah. There's less bitterness that way.”

However, once Yuki reached seven, Gallador's eyes widened as he pushed himself back to his feet, taking many deep breaths as the French fans gasped. Venipede gulped nervously and turned to face him, uttering, “Seriously? He's still standing!?”

“Sorry to disappoint,” Gallador said with a grin, “but I fully intend to face my cousin in the semi-finals. As such, I have no intention of letting you walk all over me. I hope you understand.”

Venipede nodded and replied, “Of course. Part of the reason I've trained so hard was to prepare myself for moments like these, so I'll keep doing the best I can too.”

“That's what I love to hear,” Gallador replied as he raced toward the centipede. However, he was ready as he dodged to the side, sending his arms into the white boy's side.

But just as it looked like he once again had the upper hand, Gallador refused to let himself take in another hit and thus lowered his arm, latching onto Venipede's. Since the boy's arm was long enough, this was certainly possible as the French fans cheered, Gallador grinning before falling backwards, pulling Venipede with him and forcing the back of his head into the canvas.

The centipede rocked back and forth while holding onto the spot that hit the mat as Gallador leapt at him with his arms out, saying, “Don't worry. I'll put as little pressure into this as I can afford so you won't end up in the hospital.”

Even with the reassurance, Rinko and the others wanted Venipede to at least roll to the side, anything that would allow him to avoid the incoming attack. But unfortunately, that blow to the head was more effective than it looked and thus Venipede was unable to respond as Gallador exclaimed, “SWORDS DANCE PINWHEEL!”

He then pounded his fists together and started spinning with his arm blades sticking outward. And sure enough, Venipede wound up taking in multiple slashes as if an actual fan blade was beating against his chest, green blood flying out as he cried out in pain.

And after taking in enough pain, he closed his eyes and tilted his head sideways. Seeing this, Gallador ended his assault and leapt back, a grin on his face as he folded his arms, Nori exclaiming, “And it looks like Gallador has just finished off Venipede with a move never seen from his family until now!” Yuki having started the ten count.

Everyone stared, Scolipede and Attila both concerned as the young woman soon reached ten and rang the bell, stating, “And after a very exciting and intense match, and despite Venipede's best efforts, Gallador has won this match and will advance to the semi-finals!”

The French fans went wild as Machop took a deep breath, smiled lightly and applauded her cousin. However, the others were concerned about how Rinko would take this until she let out a sigh and said, “Well, he did the best he could. Honestly, I just think it's awesome that he made it this far, all things considered.”

After a few more seconds, Venipede's eyes started to open as he soon realized what just happened and groaned, “Oh no, I lost, didn't I?”

Gallador gave him a warm smile and held out his hand, saying, “Hey, don't let it get you down. You did the best you could. Seriously, this is the hardest I've ever had to work toward a victory.”

“You mean it?” Venipede asked, his eyes sparkling as the white boy nodded and replied, “Absolutely.”

With that, the centipede took his hand as he rose to his feet, the crowd cheering wildly as Nori sighed, “No matter how many times I see this happen, it never gets old,” as Yuki nodded and replied, “I can't believe I spent so long avoiding this profession. I love this stuff.”

Beedrill nodded as Rinko sprinted toward the ring and smiled at Gallador, saying, “Thanks for helping him up. I'll take it from here,” the white boy nodding and saying, “You got yourself an awesome boyfriend there. I hope you get married and have lots of kids,” giving them a thumb up as Meloetta smiled wide, Vigoroth grinning and saying, “Your cousin is awesome, you know that?”

Machop nodded and sighed, “I know, right?” Isamu all the while thinking, 'And just think, I could have technically been related to him.'

“Well, that concludes the first match of the semi-finals,” Beedrill stated, “With that in mind, it's time to change locations as our next match starts in two hours. We will hold it here.”

He then brought up his big map and pointed to a beach known as Onjuku. Once again, certainly a strange location, but not the weirdest place to hold an Olympic match.

“Well, as long as he doesn't put the ring in the middle of the water, I'm fine with this,” Machop said with a grin as she got up, the others joining her.

But just as they were about to head off, the girl noticed Chesnaught shooting daggers at her. It was as if he was thinking about more than just winning the match. Now she could not help but wonder if he had some sort of grudge against her.

Whatever the case, she had no intention of losing this round, especially since she and Gallador had wanted to face each other from the start. But would she pull it off?

 

With the first match out of the way, everyone had gathered at the location where the next match would take place. However, since this one was taking place at a beach, many audience members had decided to wear the appropriate attire, whether they were planning to go in the water or not. After all, it was a rather hot day, so at the very least, this decision made sense.

But for the most part, people ultimately decided to use this chance to have some fun on the beach. The match was still an hour and a half away and this gave them plenty of time to enjoy themselves, save for Machop who was off with Lairon and Garchomp to prepare herself for the upcoming match.

Currently, Eiko was building a sand castle with Kelani while dressed in a sky-blue bikini, the doberman smiling wide when he managed to build one that was two feet tall. Isamu, who wore black trunks, smiled at this, glad to see them both having fun.

Rinko and Venipede, all the while, were sunbathing as Rinko said, “It's kind of a shame we can only do this for about an hour,” the centipede nodding as the brunette asked, “By the way, how's your wound? That looked pretty brutal.”

Venipede shrugged his shoulders and replied, “Luckily, Gallador didn't put too much pressure into it, so I'm alright. Besides, I refuse to miss Machop's match,” Rinko nodding and saying, “Yeah. I just know she's gonna kick so much ass today.”

Clawitzer and Jackalu were walking around as the dog panted heavily, groaning, “Oh god, why did it have to be so hot today?” Clawitzer rolling her eyes. Of course, being cold blooded and lacking fur, she had no idea what this felt like to her companion.

Their train of thought came to an end when they noticed bleachers and a ring being set up in the deep end of the ocean while still staying within the safe limits. After all, the last thing they wanted to do was risk a potential shark attack. But even so, that was the least of Jackalu's concerns.

“Wait, they're holding the match in the water?” he asked with an eyebrow raised, “Isn't that a little extreme?” Clawitzer shrugging and replying, “Well, it's been said that matches three and four in the twenty-second Hero Olympics were held in a big pool. But yeah, how exactly are the people gonna get to the bleachers without getting wet?”

All was revealed soon enough when a metal walkway was set up leading to the ring and bleachers. Even though the location was still weird, the duo shrugged and figured this was better than having people swim to the location just so they could watch the match up close.

All the while, Vigoroth was flexing her muscles for a few teenaged boys while Meloetta simply watched under an umbrella while seated on a beach blanket. However, that soon came to an end when a young boy walked over and said, “Hey there, pretty lady. You come here often?” her cheeks turning bright pink. While the modern age was still generally new to her, she was familiar with quite a few pick-up lines and could tell that was one of them.

And during this time, Machop was currently training in an abandoned shack as Lairon asked, “So, when he tries his Giga Impact on you, what do you do?” the girl replying, “Wait for the right moment and leap to the side.”

“Wonderful,” Garchomp replied with a grin, “You're more than ready for this,” the girl giving the two a cute grin.

She really hoped this was true, though. After all, Chesnaught had taken in a lot of pain from Klefki and still won regardless, so there was no doubt he was at least as tough as he looked.

Meanwhile, Isamu was lying on a beach blanket with his arms folded behind his head when Jackalu and Clawitzer walked by. The dog blinked and turned to the human boy, saying, “Hey there, old chap. How ya doing?”

“I'm doing alright,” Isamu replied, “Bet you two can't wait to face each other, eh?”

“Well, I'm certainly looking forward to it,” Clawitzer replied with a light smile as Jackalu grinned and added, “Me too. We're finally gonna find out which of us is better. You know, I've always wondered just how well Clawitzer would fair against evil if I wasn't there to help her.”

“You know, even if I do end up being better, that doesn't necessarily mean I'd be good enough by myself,” the shrimp remarked as the dog laughed nervously before turning back to Isamu and asking, “I take it Machop's somewhere training, right?”

“Yeah,” Isamu replied with a nod of his head, wondering if he should continue this conversation. After all, while Jackalu did not know about Machop's feelings for him, the human still saw him as a rival.

However, Jackalu broke the tension by asking, “Mind if we hang out with you for a while? It's gonna be a bit before we pick out seats, eh?” Clawitzer shrugging and saying, “Yeah, a little more company wouldn't hurt.”

Eiko and Kelani had just put the finishing touches on their third sand castle when the pink-haired girl noticed her brother having a polite conversation with Jackalu. While Isamu had not yet told the other heroes about his feelings for Machop, he had told Eiko and thus she could not help but wonder why he would converse with who he considered his rival.

As such, she decided to head over, saying, “Look, Kelani. Jackalu's with Uncle Isamu,” the doberman squealing, “Yay! I can finally talk to him!”

And when the two approached the area, Isamu laughed and asked, “So he actually wore a dress?” Clawitzer sighing, “Yeah. He takes bets very, very seriously.”

Jackalu shrugged and replied, “Hey, when I make a deal, I stick with it. Besides, you can't deny, Clawitzer, I looked pretty damn hot in that dress,” before striking a sexy pose while Isamu and Clawitzer laughed hysterically.

Eiko beamed bright and said, “Hey, guys. Whatcha talking about?” Isamu replying, “Just stuff to pass the time, really.”

Kelani stared at Jackalu as he rose an eyebrow and grinned, saying, “Hey there, Kelani. What have you been up to today?” the doberman replying, “I've been building sandy castles!” wagging his tail as Jackalu gave him the biggest open-mouth smile.

“Sand castles!?” he exclaimed with a childish grin, Clawitzer slapping her forehead as he added, “I love sand castles! Come on, let's go build one right now!”

“YAY!” Kelani cheered as the two canines started building one, Eiko giggling as Isamu sighed, “My god, he must be a riot at parties.”

“You have no idea,” Clawitzer replied with a light smile, “I often act embarrassed by him, but I have to admit, his childish tendencies are adorable. I often tell him to grow up, but a part of me would be disappointed if he actually took that advice.”

“Yeah, I can see why Machop likes him so much,” Isamu added as his eyes went wide only for Clawitzer to chuckle and say, “Don't worry, I can see it whenever she looks at him. But, um, don't tell her, but just between us, Jackalu shares her feelings. In fact, he fell for her first.”

“Huh,” Isamu replied, “I had my suspicions, but I didn't think I was actually right,” as Eiko stared in shock, uttering, “Oh my god. I hope one of them finds the courage to say something. I know how hard it is for most people.”

Isamu shrugged as Eiko stared at him, the boy saying, “Yeah, I hope one of them confesses at some point. The Olympics will only last another two weeks or somewhere along those lines, right?”

The pink-haired girl breathed a sigh of relief, glad to see that her brother really was okay with Machop's feelings for Jackalu. After all, Isamu had never been in love before, so one could only imagine how clingy someone like him could be when finally discovering such feelings.

At that moment, Beedrill flew through the area, blowing into a whistle before pulling out a megaphone. Once he had everyone's attention, he exclaimed, “Just so you all know, the next match will be starting soon! I repeat, the next match will be starting soon! If you want some good seats, now's the time to claim them! Just walk along this ramp right here!”

He then pointed to the metal walkway and added, “The match will, in fact, take place in the deep end of the ocean, but don't worry. We're keeping it within the limits set by the buoys so that way, no potentially dangerous sea creatures can get anyone.”

With that in mind, many headed toward the walkway to head to the bleachers as Eiko asked, “Should we go?”

Jackalu had just placed a tiny flag on top of his and Kelani's castle as he groaned, “Aw, we have to find our seats already?” as Kelani beamed and replied, “It's okay. I wanna see Machop beat up that mean old Chesnaught anyway,” the blue dog squealing, “Me too!”

As such, the group headed off as Lairon poked his head outside of the shack, saying, “Oh yeah, I know exactly how you're gonna enter,” Machop letting out a sigh and groaning, “What else is new? But remember, you're not giving me advice during the match. I'm gonna prove that I'm ready for this.”

“Of course,” Garchomp replied with a grin, “We remembered. During this tournament, we are merely spectators and not your trainers.”

The girl gave them a sweet smile as the trio shared a group hug. Machop would never forget how Lairon turned her from a headstrong wannabe to a real hero who knew how to strategize.

After more time had passed, the people were all seated and ready to watch the match. Isamu felt rather uncomfortable when he noticed three teenaged boys had specifically chosen to sit behind Eiko just so they could peer down at her cleavage and thus he cast them a glare, all three whistling innocently and looking away.

“You know, just because we're still at the beach doesn't mean you have to keep your bikini on,” the boy groaned as Eiko shrugged and replied, “Hey, you haven't changed out of your trunks yet,” the boy staring silently and lifting his finger before realizing he had nothing to say to that.

Kelani, being the innocent naive child he was, had no clue what they were referring to as Jackalu grinning and said, “I can't wait to see Machop in action again! She's so cool!” as Clawitzer sighed, “I will admit, the way she turned a huge disadvantage around just like that was pretty impressive. I can only expect much better now that her opponent's not made of garbage.”

Meloetta, meanwhile, looked around before spotting the boy who had flirted with her waving from the other side of the bleachers. The green-haired girl shot him a smile back and gave him a light wave, Vigoroth blinking and asking, “Wait, is this what I think it is?”

“Well, yeah,” Meloetta replied with a sweet smile, “He asked me out on a date. I've never been on one, and, well, now it's possible, so how could I say no?”

“Oh god,” the sloth sighed before shaking her head, “We'll talk about this later.”

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Beedrill exclaimed, “It's finally time for the second match of round two to begin! We had a really good first match, but hopefully this one will be even more intense! Take it away, ladies!” pointing to the announcers who nodded in response.

“In the red corner,” Yuki stated, “the daughter of Machoke has made her way past the first round, conquering her fears and defeating the mighty Garbodor! But now she comes to us raring for more! With great speed, strength and skill, Machop!”

The crowd stared in stunned silence as rather than walking toward the ring from the walkway, Machop stood next to the water with a water jet pack strapped to her back. She could not help but tremble as Lairon grinned and nodded his head, reassuring her that it would not run out of the water that gave it its flight.

With that in mind, the girl took a deep breath and turned it on, water shooting from the jets as she took to the sky. She let out a cry of terror and performed a series of spins before dive-bombing into the ring, her face hitting the canvas hard.

“I have to admit, if that had worked, that could have been her best entrance yet,” Rinko said as Venipede nodded and turned to Lairon, asking, “Did you at least try to teach her how to use that first?”

“I would have, but we were only able to rent it for about an hour,” Lairon sighed as Garchomp nodded and added, “We should probably return it now.”

Machop grumbled curses and pushed herself up, taking the jet pack off of her back and tossing it into the water, Lairon and Garchomp gasping in horror only to remember it was connected to a long pump located on the shore. As such, they could not help but feel relieved to know it would not be lost at sea.

“In the blue corner,” Nori stated, “Hailing from Spain is a powerful armadillo who, despite all odds, managed to overcome Klefki and his unpredictable fighting style! With amazing strength and a strong suit of armour, Chesnaught!”

The Spanish fans went wild as the armadillo headed toward the ring with a maniacal smirk on his face. Machop tensed up upon seeing this as it really did seem like he, too, had something against her. Hopefully she was wrong about this as the last thing she needed was another participant who wanted to see her specifically in a body cast.

Once Chesnaught was in the ring, he cracked his knuckles and said, “You know, when I found out you were in this tournament, I was beyond happy,” Machop and everyone else confused by this as he added, “You may not know who my father is, but I know full-well who yours is.”

“Well, no shit,” Rinko scoffed, “What's the big deal? Everyone knows who Machoke is,” Venipede shaking his head and replying, “I get the feeling he means something different.”

“Right you are, Venipede,” Chesnaught said with a snicker, “That's right, Machop. While that compost heap who calls himself a hero may have had it out for you simply because of your connection to Gallador, my hatred toward you stems from your entire family.”

Machop then let out a sigh and groaned, “Okay, enough beating around the bush. What did my daddy do to yours,” as the armadillo explained, “Well, it was the second event, the damsel in distress race. My father, Quilladin, was his opponent. He had a huge advantage, almost won only for Machop to trip and fly past him.”

“So he won in a similar fashion to how Machop beat Manectric,” Jackalu said with a shrug only for Chesnaught to growl, “Mark my words. You've had it good for a long time, but now that I've gotten my chance, my family will be the one advancing to the semi-finals, not yours!”

With all said and done, Machop gulped but refused to let this intimidate her. After all, she had made it this far and refused to go down, at least not before facing her cousin.

The two heroes stood on separate sides of the ring as Yuki stated, “Alright, with introductions out of the way, let's begin,” before ringing the bell.

Chesnaught wasted no time racing toward Machop as she panicked, dodging to the right just in time to avoid an incoming scratch. Despite all of his armour, it seemed Chesnaught was quite fast, and there was no way he would give Machop a chance to retaliate as he swung his arm into her cheek.

“Hey, are you gonna take that!?” Jackalu spat as Machop frowned and grunted, “No, I'm not!”

Chesnaught blinked as she clasped onto his wrist, pulling hard on his arm as she sent a kick into his midsection. However, this hardly got a reaction from the armadillo as he smirked and said, “Not bad, but not good enough.”

With that, he held up his free fist as spikes formed on it, shouting, “MINI SPIKY SHIELD!” and pulling Machop inward.

The girl's eyes and mouth were wide open as her forehead was rammed into the spikes, blood flying out of that spot as the crowd gasped. As a result, Machop released her hold on Chesnaught before taking in a hard punch to her cheek. Thus she fell on her side and rolled into the turnbuckle, her back hitting it hard as she winced in pain.

The Spanish fans went wild as Yuki said, “And things are starting off horribly for Machop. While Chesnaught had quite a bit of trouble against Klefki, he's having no problem against Tokyo's hero as he turns her own tactic against her.”

Machop groaned and rubbed her forehead with one hand, trying her best not to let the small holes get to her. With her other hand, she rubbed her back as she slowly rose to her feet, breathing heavily with terror in her expression. The match had only lasted more than a minute and she already felt like she was going to lose.

Isamu gritted his teeth and spat, “Hey, Machop! Don't let it get to you! You've dealt with worse!” the girl nodding and thinking, 'He's right.'

Chesnaught laughed and retorted, “Do you honestly believe that?” Machop staring as he added, “I've watched your matches online, and while you have defeated a number of impressive villains, none of them could compare to me, not even Marshal and Kingdra. You may have a really good track record, but you are still nothing compared to me.”

Machop was about to retort when the armadillo said, “And you know something else? Your father wasn't that impressive,” everyone gasping as he added, “Think about it. Every time he won, it was a close call. The extreme thrashing and torment he had to endure before winning a single match was astounding. In fact, a lot of the time, his victories were brought about by dumb luck.”

“Hey, he can't talk about the world champion like that!” Eiko squeaked as Garchomp sighed, “Well, he is being disrespectful, but I can kind of see where he's coming from,” everyone else giving her an awkward stare.

“Think about it,” Chesnaught said with a smirk, “If it hadn't been for the fact that he was fighting in a pool with sea life to help him out, he wouldn't have come close to defeating Barbaracle. And when he fought Golduck, the only reason he won was because she was too careless to come up with abilities that didn't require her power to control water. And then when he fought Ninetales, he only won because of Scyther, a fact that was unknown for many years. The only time he didn't get any help in the ring was when he fought Lucario, and I think you know how that ended.”

Machop shook her head, but knew all of this to be true. Machoke had told her about these events. Scyther's spirit helping him out against Ninetales was hard to believe, but he had assured the girl that it had definitely happened.

“Is all of that true?” Isamu asked as Lairon sighed, “I hate to say it, but he's not making that up.”

“In fact, your match against Garbodor pretty much told me all I needed to know,” Chesnaught scoffed, “You would have failed if you didn't have Mister Fancy Pants Brit to ease your mind. It seems you need luck just as much as your daddy did.”

Machop gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as the others stared in horror, Lairon barking, “NO, MACHOP! DON'T LET HIM GET TO YOU!”

But it was too late as the girl charged toward Chesnaught and snapped, “YOU TAKE THAT BACK!” sending a hard punch toward his face.

The armadillo smirked and sent a punch forward only for the girl to leap to the right and send a roundhouse into his cheek. His eyes widened as he then took a hard punch to the same spot, the crowd going wild as Kelani clapped, Eiko saying, “I guess there was no need to worry, eh, Lairon?”

“No, the same thing happened when Machoke fought Lucario,” Lairon groaned as Chesnaught smirked and said, “Klefki's hits were stronger.”

Machop's eyes widened as Chesnaught proceeded to ram his shoulder into hers, and since it had a big spike, this naturally put a big hole in the girl's flesh as she cried out in pain. And things would only get worse from her as the armadillo swung his arm sideways and rammed it into Machop's neck, knocking her on her back as the Spanish crowd cheered wildly.

Machop's friends stared in horror as Chesnaught proceeded to take hold of her wrist, lifting up her arm and applying a hard grip to it. He then leaned down on her back to make sure she could not get up, Yuki exclaiming, “And it would seem Chesnaught was not blowing smoke! Machop's just a sitting duck while he continues to whale on her! Could it be!? Has Machop truly met her match!?”

 

With the match already off to a bad start, things had taken a turn for worse as Machop was caught in a horrible arm lock. As if that was not enough, Chesnaught was also lying on her back to make it more difficult for her to get up.

“Just give up already,” he said with a smirk, “Not even you can get out of this, not without some miracle saving you from the hands of defeat.”

The crowd watched in horror as Eiko squeaked, “Is there some way she can get out of that!?” Kelani asking, “She can escape from that hold, right?”

Lairon nodded and snapped, “HEY, MACHOP, THERE'S A WAY OUT OF THAT HOLD! JUST REMEMBER YOUR TRAINING!”

The girl's eyes went wide as she remembered a few weeks ago when Lairon had her in a similar position. When he did it, he was lying next to her, but despite this, the hold was still a hard one to escape from. But even so, after two minutes, Machop had managed to come up with a way out of it.

With that in mind, the girl took a deep breath and gritted her teeth, Chesnaught's eyes widening as she managed to shift her arm back and forth. This put a tad more strain on said part but also weakened the armadillo's hold on it. This gave her the perfect opportunity to slip her arm out of his grip before planting her hands against the mat and pushing upward.

The armadillo attempted to grab her arm again, but it was too late as Machop used all her might to force him off of her back. As a result, he wound up falling on his side as the French fans went wild, the girl slowly but surely rising to her feet.

Chesnaught stared in shock as Machop groaned in pain and rubbed her aching arm. However, her look of discomfort soon became a smirk as she felt more than ready to continue.

But just as quickly as her confidence returned, it was replaced by shock when Chesnaught chuckled. And after a few seconds, he broke out into hysterics as he exclaimed, “You think what you just did was impressive!? You think that advice your trainer just gave you is something to be proud of!?”

Everyone stared as Isamu uttered, “What is he talking about? It worked, didn't it?” Vigoroth sighing, “True, but it also caused her arm more pain than if she'd just allowed him to keep pulling. Not to mention getting him to fall off looked like it took a great deal of effort too, more so than usual.”

Chesnaught smirked and said, “Your friend is right. You could have gotten out of that hold without hurting yourself, but instead, you went with the advice of an old geezer,” Lairon retorting, “HEY, I'M IN MY FOURTIES, YOU ASS!”

Garchomp patted him on the shoulder and coaxed, “There, there, he's just trying to sound tough,” only for Chesnaught to sigh, “Look, tactics like those were effective back in the day, but nowadays, there are better methods. If you were truly the hero you make yourself out to be, Machop, you would have come up with a more effective method of your own instead of relying on the teachings of a relic.”

Machop stared in stunned silence as Meloetta whimpered, “I hope she doesn't listen to him,” Lairon sighing, “I doubt she will. Gyarados tried the exact same thing on her, and she remembers what happened when she stopped taking my advice.”

However, it seemed his assumption was wrong as Machop sighed, “You're right,” the dinosaur's eyes and mouth wide with horror as she added, “Lairon's teachings are very good and they've helped me out of a lot of tough scrapes, but that was back when I wasn't fully confident in myself and didn't know a whole lot. But now that I've gotten tougher, I don't need to rely on those old manoeuvres anymore.”

Chesnaught let out a sigh and said, “There's talking about it and then there's proving it. Now to see if you can back up those words of yours.”

He then proceeded to race toward the girl with his elbow out. However, Machop saw this coming as she dodged to the right, sending a karate chop into Chesnaught's cheek. But much like the hits dealt earlier, he ignored the pain and redirected his elbow sideways, ramming it into the girl's ribcage.

The Spanish fans continued to cheer as Machop gritted her teeth, holding onto the spot that had just been hit as the armadillo sighed, “It's like I said. You and your family are pathetic. You boast this ultimate strength, yet you can't even overcome pain when it's dealt to you.”

“SHUT UP!” Machop retorted, doing her best to ignore the pain now as she sent a flying kick toward the armadillo. However, the pain to her ribs overwhelmed her for the time being as she gasped, Chesnaught taking full advantage of this as he cupped his hands together and lifted them above his head. And once Machop was close enough, he sent them downward and rammed them into midsection, causing her to cough up blood as she fell on her back.

“MACHOP!” Jackalu and Isamu gasped as Eiko covered Kelani's eyes, squeaking, “I can't watch this!”

Machop's body twitched as Yuki started the ten count, the French side going silent as Clawitzer sighed, “Dammit, she let her pride get the better of her,” as Rinko groaned, “Come on! Why would she fall for this again!?”

However, once Yuki reached five, Machop gritted her teeth and slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position. She then took many deep breaths before rising to her feet and grunting, “Don't think for the minute that you've won! You've only seen a sample of what I'm capable of!”

“Who are you trying to kid!?” Chesnaught retorted, “Come on, think about it! One thing your father and grandfather had over you was muscle, and it still felt like a miracle whenever they won! Truth be told, those Olympics matches weren't the only cases where Machoke got lucky.”

“Tell me, then!” Machop retorted, “When else did he get lucky!?” Chesnaught sighing, “Well, there was the time he entered the qualification tournament. You know how he got in? Every single participant except for one was unable to attend for some reason or another. And even then, the participant he did face would have actually won if Beedrill hadn't delayed the ten count and let him rise to his feet!”

“He has a point there,” Beedrill gulped as the armadillo continued, “And that's not the first time that happened. Heck, when he fought Heracross, he only won because Weedle dropped his mallet. And then there were all those other times they let him recover during a tournament just because his opponent was a villain who snuck in, meaning the rules suddenly didn't matter anymore.”

Machop frowned and retorted, “Well, I don't need luck to win my matches! I win mine fair and square, only using the occasional instructions!” as Chesnaught sighed, “That's nothing to be proud of.”

The girl was about to retort when he added, “If there is one thing I will give your father and grandfather credit for, it's that both of them actually did come up with at least a few finishing moves of their own. With Machamp, he was the one who invented the Ultimate Driver and the Muscle Tombstone, not to mention the move he defeated Groudon with, the Mach Sparkle.”

The crowd gasped as Nori said, “There's a name even I'd almost forgotten,” as Chesnaught continued, “Meanwhile, Machoke invented the Sunset Slam and the Muscle Tornado. You, on the other hand, have not come up with a single move of your own. So far, the team weakling is the only one who's managed to pull that off.”

Venipede's eyes widened as Rinko snapped, “YOU TAKE THAT BACK! VENIPEDE'S AWESOME!”

Machop took many deep breaths as she gritted her teeth and retorted, “JUST SHUT UP!” before racing toward Chesnaught only to be caught in his arms. And it was not long until he lifted her up and lowered his hands, taking hold of her thighs and slamming her back into the mat.

“And Chesnaught connects a powerbomb, stopping Machop's attack,” Yuki said as Chesnaught proceeded to plant his foot into the girl's face, shifting it back and forth as if he was squishing a bug.

“You know, I'm actually kind of disappointed,” Chesnaught said with a smug grin, “I was hoping my revenge on your family would be satisfying, but so far, you're nowhere near as good as I was hoping you'd be. At the very least, Klefki was a major challenge and he was unpredictable. You, on the other hand, are so easy to figure out.”

“God, do you ever stop bragging!?” Machop retorted as she slowly lifted her arms, taking hold of the armadillo's ankle and attempting to force it off of her. However, it did not seem to work as each time she lifted it, Chesnaught would apply just enough force to send his foot back into her face.

Lairon bit his lower lip as Garchomp sighed, “It's fine. I'm sure she'll find a way out of that,” as Jackalu barked, “COME ON, MACHOP! YOU CAN DO IT! HE'S WRONG!”

“Damn straight!” the girl grunted as she let out a loud battle cry, expanding the size of her arm muscles just long enough to shove Chesnaught's foot off of her, his eyes widening as he wound up falling on his back.

The French fans went wild as Machop rose to her feet, leaping into the air and planting her feet into the armadillo's gut. She then proceeded to mount herself on that very spot before sending a barrage of punches into his face, the crowd cheering even louder as Lairon nodded and said, “This is good, but I hope she knows better than to get carried away.”

It seemed so as Machop smirked and said, “I think that's enough of that,” but just as she was about to leap off, Chesnaught smirked and asked, “What? Are you afraid of what will happen if I try to block your punches? I thought you were tougher than that.”

Machop's friends all shook their heads, but she ignored them and spat, “Hell yeah I am!” before sending more punches into his face, only these ones were faster. Chesnaught attempted to block them with his hands, but each time, Machop saw it coming and redirected her fists.

“Wow, Machop's on fire now!” Yuki exclaimed, “After taking in one beating after the next, she's not gonna give Chesnaught another chance to fight back!”

But after a while, the girl started to breathe heavily as her punches slowed down. Chesnaught saw this and smirked, thinking, 'Perfect,' holding up his hand just in time to grab the next punch.

Machop's eyes widened as she attempted to pry her fist away only for the armadillo to place his free hand against her arm. Her eyes widened as he threw his arms back, causing her to fly upside-down toward the turnbuckle behind him, the back of her head making contact with it as she coughed up blood.

The Spanish fans went wild as Chesnaught watched her slide down it, Lairon groaning, “Of course! By using her muscle expansion earlier, she used up a great deal of energy! That's why she wasn't able to keep up that speed!”

“You know, I'll give you some credit for actually knocking me down,” Chesnaught said with a smirk as he backed up toward the ropes, “However, the minute you used that special Mach family technique of yours, I knew you pretty much sealed your own fate. I know all about that move and how your kind can't risk using it much because doing so puts a great deal of strain on you.”

However, Machop refused to let this bring her down as she slowly recovered, using the turnbuckle to help right herself up. However, it was too late as Chesnaught leapt backward, planting his feet against the ropes as they stretched back. He then launched himself forward, a bright light surrounding his body as he tucked his head into his shell and folded his arms.

“Good, Machop's actually ready for this,” Lairon said with a grin as Chesnaught exclaimed, “GIGA IMPACT!”

However, rather than trying to dodge the move, it seemed she had something else in mind as she leapt toward Chesnaught with her head pointed outward. Everyone stared in horror as Garchomp groaned, “Oh no! Why would she think that would work!?”

And sure enough, once Machop's head collided with Chesnaught's helmet, the holes on her forehead grew bigger as she wound up spinning sideways and falling on her back. All went silent as it seemed the girl was no longer able to move, her eyes rolled to the back of her head while Yuki wasted no time starting the ten count.

Machop's friends could not help but panic as Chesnaught folded his arms and with a smirk and grunted, “Pitiful, truly pitiful. But don't think you've let your family down. After all, your father made stupid mistakes like this too.”

When Yuki reached four seconds, Jackalu snapped, “COME ON, MACHOP! GET UP!” the others joining in. However, their words seemed to mean nothing as the announcer reached seven, Nori saying, “This might be it, folks. This could very well be Machop's second loss.”

“NO!” Isamu spat as Yuki ended the count and turned to him, the boy barking, “Come on, Machop! I've seen you pull off miracles the likes of which I've never seen from anyone else! I know you can recover from this!”

Machop's body started to twitch as the boy added, “But if you do manage to get up, don't let Chesnaught's words get the better of you! So what if you're not a perfect fighter!? No one is!”

“Besides, part of being a hero is based on luck,” Lairon explained with his arms folded, “That's the whole point of the Rock, Paper, Scissors event. It's to test how lucky you are under dire circumstances. Besides, something your dad learned when he fought Bisharp was that everyone needs guidance to succeed. He eventually stopped needing Aipom's advice and, trust me, it'll happen to you someday as well. But for the time being, never forget that we're here to help you.”

Yuki had light tears as she listened to this, Chesnaught turning to her and barking, “HEY, YOU WERE ABOUT TO COUNT TO OCHO!” the young woman blinking and uttering, “Right.”

But right when she counted to that number, Machop seemed to make a full recovery as her eyes returned to view and she sprang to her feet. She took a deep breath and gave her friends a light smile while the French fans went wild, Isamu breathing a sigh of relief as Eiko patted him on the shoulder.

“You're awesome, you know that?” she asked as Isamu blinked, Jackalu nodding and saying, “She's right. You were the first one to know just what to say there. Lairon filled in the rest, but you started it, pal.”

Isamu's eyes widened as a big smile formed on his face, Lairon nodding his head and saying, “You're a smart kid, Isamu.”

Chesnaught gritted his teeth and barked, “NO! I CANNOT ACCEPT THIS! RING THAT BELL RIGHT NOW! SHE WAS DOWN FOR ALMOST A MINUTE!”

“Sorry, but unless I actually count to ten, it doesn't count,” Yuki replied with a nervous grin as the Spanish fans had no idea how to react to that.

“Oh well,” the armadillo sighed with a shrug and a smirk, “All this does is further prove how pathetic you are. The fact that you needed the ten count delayed to recover tells me that you never had what it took to win this match.”

“No, that was true when I took your insults to heart,” Machop grunted, “I'm not going to deny that you have a point. Yes, my daddy relied a lot on luck to win his matches, and heck, I've had a bit of good fortune on my side too. I would have lost the big race if Jackalu hadn't come and given me the help I needed, but you know what? I still feel like I deserve to be here right now, and while you may be physically stronger than me, that doesn't mean I can't defeat you!”

“Alright, then prove it!” Chesnaught retorted as he raced toward her. However, Machop was no longer going to try and overpower him and thus when he got close, she leapt to the side. She knew he would try to counter and thus she wrapped her arm around his neck, his eyes wide open as she used her free arm to push on his back, falling backwards and slamming his face into the canvas.

“And Machop catches Chesnaught off-guard with a powerful blow to the face!” Yuki exclaimed as Isamu grinned and gave Machop a thumb up.

And it did not end there as the girl sent her elbow into the back of Chesnaught's neck. Afterwards, she backed up a bit as he slowly started to recover before leaping at him with her arm out, shouting, “MOON HOOK!” and ramming it hard into the back of his neck.

Chesnaught coughed up blood and once again fell face-first into the mat while the French fans went wild. Needless to say, Machop's friends were equally happy to see this as they applauded her wildly, Isamu flashing a light smile. Even if the girl did not choose him, he would always find her amazing.

Machop knew this was not over yet as Chesnaught slowly rose to his feet, breathing heavily and saying, “Alright, so you're thinking straight now. Big deal. After all the damage I dealt to you earlier, you stand no chance.”

He then proceeded to leap backwards, once again kicking the ropes before bouncing off with his skull pointed toward Machop. A light surrounded his body as he exclaimed, “GIGA IMPACT!” only for Machop to be ready as she waited for just the right moment.

When that time came, she leapt to the side as Chesnaught's helmet made contact with the turnbuckle behind her. The French fans cheered once more as the girl took full advantage of this, taking hold of Chesnaught's ankles and smirking, saying, “You've been a real challenge, I'll admit, but you made the fatal mistake of underestimating a Mach!”

The armadillo's eyes widened as she leapt high into the air with his ankles still in her grasp, and he could not believe it. Despite him being much stronger and heavier, especially due to his armour, she was still able to lift him high above the mat.

She then proceeded to wrap her arms around his torso while latching her legs onto the area below his shoulders. The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, “And Machop sets up for a move we haven't seen in ages, the second original move Machamp ever thought up!”

“NO!” Chesnaught spat as Machop shouted, “ULTIMATE DRIVER!” planting his helmet hard against the canvas.

All went silent as cracks formed on it. And soon enough, the material burst open as small fragments fell to the ground, revealing messy chestnut-brown hair underneath. And with more blood escaping from Chesnaught's mouth, his eyes rolled to the back of his head as Machop released her hold on him, allowing him to collapse.

The area went silent save for Yuki who started the ten count. Was this really it? Even with the shattered helmet, Chesnaught's head had still been protected when he hit the canvas, not to mention Machop had taken in far more damage than he did up to this point.

But despite this, Yuki still reached ten seconds and rang the bell, Chesnaught's eyes widening as he quickly sprang to his feet, shouting, “IT'S OKAY! I'M UP!”

However, he soon had a look of terror when Nori stated, “Regardless, you were down for ten seconds, therefor Machop wins the match and advances to the semi-finals.”

The French fans along with Machop's friends went wild as Chesnaught's eye twitched. He then clutched onto his head and spat, “NO! I CAN'T ACCEPT THIS! I WON'T ACCEPT IT! SHE LOST! SHE WAS DOWN FOR FAR LONGER THAN TEN SECONDS, YET YOU STILL LET HER CONTINUE!”

Machop let out a sigh and said, “Look, Chesnaught, I'm sorry for what happened to your daddy, but you know, look on the bright side. You did an unbelievable job. Unlike him, you made it to the second round, and what's more, you came really close to defeating me, closer than even the mightiest villains that I've faced so far.”

It seemed Chesnaught would not accept this as he gritted his teeth. However, his look of fury turned to one of shock when a Spanish fan said, “Hey, you're always a winner to me.”

Chesnaught turned as another added, “Si. So you lost this match. Big deal. You're still awesome,” another adding, “We're proud to have someone as strong as you representing us.”

Chesnaught's eyes sparkled as a big smile formed on his face, the Spanish crowd cheering for him as Eiko let down light tears, sniffing, “God, Machop's matches always have to be so emotional, don't they?” as Isamu nodded and sighed, “Yeah, she's amazing.”

With all said and done, the armadillo smirked and turned to Machop, saying, “Well, I still think I deserved this victory, but at least I have an equally awesome opponent taking my place in this tournament. Put her there.”

He then held out his hand as Machop nodded and shook it, the area bursting with even louder cheers and applause. Needless to say, things had ultimately turned out for the best.

“Well, that concludes the first half of round two,” Beedrill stated, “Since I've taken a shining to this place lately, I've decided to hold the next match in the mountains,” pointing to the location on his big map, “So everyone head over there for the long-awaited match between Jackalu and Clawitzer.”

The crowd clapped before getting up, Eiko grinning and saying, “Well, come on, Kelani. I think it's time to change into regular clothes again.”

“Yes, please do,” Isamu replied before noticing one of the three guys sitting behind Eiko looking creepily at his cell phone. The boy glared at him and growled, “You delete that photo or I'll hunt you down.”

“Do it,” one of the three whispered, “There's a rumour that guy might be Machop's boyfriend,” the one with the phone nodding and immediately deleting a snapshot of Eiko.

“That's better,” Isamu grunted as he folded his arms, trying his hardest to ignore what they said about him being Machop's boyfriend. After all, as long as they believed it, he could rest easy knowing a provocative photo of his sister would not be featured online.

But just as the group was about to leave the area for good, Machop signalled Isamu to come over as he nodded and said, “You guys go on ahead. Machop and I will catch up with you,” Lairon nodding and replying, “Alright.”

Jackalu rose an eyebrow as Clawitzer rolled her eyes and sighed, “I'll wait for you by the shoreline,” and headed off as the dog gave her two thumbs up with a big grin.

Isamu walked over and said, “That was some match, eh? It really looked like you were gonna lose back there,” as Machop sighed, “Yeah, and I totally would have if you hadn't spoken up. I just wanted to thank you for that.”

Her cheeks were bright pink as Isamu shrugged and replied, “Hey, seeing you of all heroes take in punishment like that was painful. Granted, Sneasel drew much more blood when you fought her, but still.”

Machop chuckled before saying, “You know, Isamu, I've been thinking quite a bit about our conversation three days ago and the followup yesterday,” Jackalu raising an eyebrow as Isamu blinked and asked, “Really? Because I told you it's okay. I know how much you like Jackalu.”

'She returns my feelings?' the dog thought as his eyes sparkled, but just as he was about to rush in there and confess everything, Machop sighed, “Well, I do like him, but, well, I've known you longer. You seemed like such a stick in the mud at first, but you're a lot of fun and surprisingly sweet. And you know what? I can't blame you for how you treated us at first. You were just looking out for your sister, and that's awesome.”

Isamu's heart raced as Jackalu bit his lower lip and shrugged his shoulders, sighing, “It was a long shot anyway.” But rather than heading back, he decided to stick around longer just to make sure this really was going where he thought it was.

“One last thing, you look really hot without a shirt one,” Machop added with a grin as Isamu chuckled, replying, “Oh yeah, I'm still in my trunks, aren't I?”

Machop snickered and said, “Yeah, but for the time being, I don't mind it,” before giving him a peck on the cheek and whispering, “By the way, it's a little late, but my answer is yes.”

Jackalu sported a big smile and said, “Aw, what the heck? Those two are adorable,” before turning around and heading back to Clawitzer. After all, he needed to focus on his own match right now.

 

Note: The song Clawitzer sings is inspired by the Karubi Don Ondo from Kinnikuman Nisei.

Everyone was gathered in the mountains, and since it was close to two o'clock, many decided to have picnic lunches as long as they were waiting. And during this time, Vigoroth was having a long talk with Meloetta about her decision to agree to a date with a guy she knew nothing about.

“I really hate to ruin your buzz, but you can't just agree to date anyone who asks you out,” Vigoroth replied, “At the very least, learn his name first. You never know when these people might be trying to take advantage of you.”

“Oh no!” the green-haired girl squeaked, “Should I find him and cancel?” only for Vigoroth to sigh, “That's why you should have gotten his number first, but don't worry about it. I'll watch you during your date, but I'll keep my distance so he doesn't know. And if he tries anything suspect, I'll see to it that he never tries it again,” planting her fist against her palm.

“Thank you so much!” Meloetta squealed as she gave the sloth a hug, the others chuckling at this before Rinko held up a sandwich and snapped it in half, handing one side over to Venipede.

“Thanks, but you really don't need to do this,” the centipede uttered as Rinko smirked and remarked, “I know you got a whole sandwich of your own. I was just thinking maybe we could each try a bit of the other's, eh?”

Venipede laughed nervously and replied, “That sounds ideal, but mine contains fried worms,” as Rinko shrugged and said, “As long as they're cooked, I'm game.”

Kelani was enjoying a liverwurst sandwich of his own while Eiko said, “Now remember, enjoy every bite,” as the doberman nodded and replied, “Okay, Mommy,” before scarfing it down, the pink-haired girl staring, not even sure if she should tell him what it meant to actually enjoy food.

Meanwhile, Machop and Isamu were having their own lunch as Eiko smiled at them. Naturally, neither wanted to keep their new relationship a secret, so they had told everyone during the ride to the mountains. Needless to say, the group was very happy for them, especially with Eiko possibly having her favourite hero as a sister-in-law. Though no one was sure whether or not to reveal the fact that Jackalu had obviously shared her initial feelings for him.

Speaking of which, the dog was currently training in a secluded area, ramming his palms into a variety of rocks and leaping around, saying, “Alright, Clawitzer, it's finally time to show you that I am, in fact, the superior member of our team.”

Clawitzer, meanwhile, was doing the same with her big claw as after striking a few rocks, she blinked and looked at her smaller claw, saying, “Maybe I should try to strengthen this one too. I've never really counted on it that much.”

After another hour, the wait was over as the seats were filled, Beedrill stating, “Well, folks, it's finally time for the match everyone has been looking extremely forward to. Now, much like the first match in round one, this one's between two allies. Needless to say, the tensions are high.”

Meloetta bit her lower lip and said, “I just hope that whatever happens, they still remain good friends,” as Machop nodded and replied, “Well, most of the matches so far have ended without any bitterness. I'm sure they'll be fine.”

“In the red corner,” Yuki exclaimed, “is a strong pistol shrimp whose mother impressed the world with her shockingly high strength! Representing Switzerland and having made her way past Dragalge, it is my pleasure to re-introduce Clawitzer!”

The Swiss crowd went wild as the shrimp approached the ring with a serious look in her eyes. After all, she had been looking forward to facing Jackalu ever since she found out it would happen. There was no way she would hold back even if the dog was her friend.

As she entered the ring, she held up both arms and waved to her adoring fans. Considering how strong Jackalu was, this may very well have been her last chance to do this.

“And in the blue corner,” Nori stated, “England's representative has certainly proven himself worthy of the Adair name. Despite the odds stacked against him, he still managed to dominate Fletchinder and comes to kick more tail. With speed and skills unmatched by many, Jackalu!”

The English fans cheered only to quiet down when Jackalu was actually flying toward the ring. The crowd would have been impressed, but they had no clue how he was doing this, especially with the bright sun showing only his silhouette.

“Oh my god!” Yuki exclaimed, “And for the first time in history, a member of the Adair family has the ability to fly!” as Clawitzer sighed, “No, he's using a prop.”

This was soon made clear when Jackalu flapped away from the sun's gaze and everyone could see wooden wings harnessed to his arms while a string attached to a fork lift far above the area held him in place. Even so, the entrance certainly seemed graceful enough until the string snapped, Jackalu howling in panic before falling face-first into the canvas.

Machop let out a sigh and groaned, “Well, at least I'm not the only one making stupid, overblown entrances in this tournament,” as Lairon chuckled and said, “Yeah, it's amazing how much Jackalu reminds me of your father.”

The dog slowly rose to his feet as Clawitzer rolled her eyes and asked, “You okay, buddy?” as he nodded and replied, “Naturally. Besides, you should be more worried about yourself.”

“Of course, I almost forgot who I was dealing with,” the shrimp sighed before shaking her head, the two heroes making distance between themselves.

“Well, folks, this is it,” Nori stated, “As such, it's time to begin the match!” before ringing the bell.

Jackalu wasted no time rushing toward Clawitzer. The shrimp narrowed her eyelids and readied herself, and once the dog was close enough, she swung her big claw toward his head. However, she was shocked when he leaned backward, avoiding damage and performing a handstand.

Clawitzer was unable to respond as she took a two-legged kick to her midsection. And it did not end there as Jackalu lifted up his feet, latching his ankles around her neck. Before the shrimp knew it, she soon found herself lifted high into the air as Jackalu planted her skull into the mat with a frankensteiner, the English fans cheering wildly.

“And Jackalu's off to an incredible start!” Yuki exclaimed, “Clawitzer seemed ready for him, but he knew exactly what she was planning and has taken full advantage of it!” Nori nodding and adding, “Jackalu has seen Clawitzer in action many times, so it only makes sense that he would know how to counter her tactics.”

Once Jackalu released his hold, Clawitzer used her arms to propel herself back to her feet, saying, “Not bad, but don't think for a minute that's gonna be enough to take me down.”

She then proceeded to sent her claw forward again only for Jackalu to back up. However, it seemed Clawitzer had expected this as she lowered her claw and sent her arm farther forward, tucking it under his shoulder. She then proceeded to reel him in, ramming her forehead into his as he backed up, the Swiss crowd going wild.

“And just as it seemed Jackalu was ready for another move, Clawitzer counters with a fierce headbutt,” Yuki said as the shrimp used this chance to aim another strike from her claw toward Jackalu's face.

However, it seemed her headbutt had not done quite as much damage as she had hoped as Jackalu leapt up into the air, latching onto Clawitzer's arm with his legs. Her eyes widened as he placed a firm grip on the end of her claw, saying, “I have to admit, Clawitzer, I thought you were much better than this.”

He then shifted his legs to the side thus forcing the shrimp to fall forward, her chin hitting the canvas. He then proceeded to pull up on her claw, adding to the pain as she winced, thinking, 'He's right. I'm so much better than this. He may know how I fight, but I also know how he fights. There's no way I'm going down this easily.'

With that in mind, she took a deep breath and lifted up her arm. The crowd gasped as they could hear her joints cracking slightly. But she ignored this as she sent said part downward, ramming Jackalu's back hard against the canvas.

This did unfortunately cause her to hit his chest spike, but she ignored the small hole this left as she noticed he was still holding onto her but was too dazed to take advantage of it. As such, she wasted no time flinging him high into the air as the Swiss fans cheered, Clawitzer leaping high into the air and thinking, 'There is one move in my mom's arsenal that I've never used. I know it would be better to save this for a villain, but there's no way I'm going to disappoint you by being predictable.'

Once she reached Jackalu's level, she wrapped her arms around his waist from the side and leaned backward, the Swiss fans ecstatic as Yuki exclaimed, “And in a shocking turn of events, Clawitzer has set up Jackalu for a backdrop from way up in the air!” Nori nodding and adding, “Yeah. That was the only grappling move her mother ever used, and it's part of the reason she's so well known, the fact that she could lift up opponents ten times her own weight with that.”

And just as Clawitzer expected, seeing her use this move for the first time came as a shock to Jackalu. As such, he was unable to react as the back of his neck made contact with the canvas, his eyes and mouth wide open.

The Swiss fans gave Clawitzer a round of applause as she released her hold on Jackalu and allowed him to collapse. She then breathed heavily and turned to him, thinking, 'I know that wasn't enough to finish you off, but I hope that was enough for you to see me as a worthy opponent.'

Kelani blinked and said, “Wow, that Clawitzer is strong,” as Eiko nodded and replied, “Everyone in this tournament is strong.”

“Still, I have to admit, I'm kind of amazed by how into this they are,” Machop stated, “They're not holding back or anything,” Venipede laughing nervously as Rinko patted him on the shoulder and said, “That's true. Despite being partners, they're really trying their best.”

Just as the shrimp suspected, Jackalu slowly but surely rose back to his feet and breathed heavily, a grin on his face as he said, “I have to admit, that really threw me off guard. That's the Clawitzer I expected to face today.”

The shrimp nodded as she felt a lot more confident, striking a fighting pose as the two circled one-another. After a few seconds, Clawitzer leapt toward Jackalu with her claw at the ready. The dog was more than prepared for this as he held up his paws with his wrists pointed toward the part.

But just as it looked like Clawitzer would be pierced, it seemed she saw this coming as she lifted her arm up, allowing her torso to fly into the spikes instead. The crowd gasped as Jackalu smirked only for his tune to change when the shrimp ignored the pain dealt by this and shouted, “CRABHAMMER!” ramming her claw hard into his skull.

The Swiss fans went wild as Jackalu coughed up a bit of blood. But even so, he refused to let this get to him as he smirked and said, “That's the second time you let yourself get hurt so you could deal more pain to me. But as impressive as that is, it's nothing an awesome guy like me can't endure.”

Clawitzer would have rolled her eyes at this had Lucario not leapt backwards with his spikes still planted into her. He then leaned back and shouted, “SPIKE HAMMERLOCK!” the English fans going wild as Clawitzer's back made contact with the canvas, her eyes wide open as a small bit of blood escaped from her mouth.

“Damn,” Vigoroth uttered, “Just when you think one of them could win, it immediately turns in the other's favour,” as Meloetta nodded and said, “I have to admit, I think I'm starting to see why people find this so entertaining now. You never know what's gonna happen, and since these matches are between heroes, no lives are at stake, so people can just have fun and not feel like they're being threatened.”

“Yeah, that's definitely a big part of it,” Garchomp replied with a grin as Lairon folded his arms and said, “Still, wouldn't it be amazing if Jackalu lost? While his family isn't exactly unfamiliar with failure, his grandpa and father always at least made it to the finals whenever they fought in the Olympics.”

Clawitzer tried her hardest to get up only for Jackalu to flip her over and latch onto her wrists before binding her ankles in place with his, saying, “Sorry, but I'm not letting you recover that easily.”

He then proceeded to pull hard before forming what looked like a wheel and rolling backward thus switching their positions so his back was against the canvas with Clawitzer's belly facing the sky. He then proceeded to bend his body forward thus switching to a bridge formation, bringing the shrimp close to his chest spike and shouting, “LONDON BRIDGE!”

The English fans were ecstatic as Nori exclaimed, “There's a move we haven't seen in ages! This used to be the main move that Lucario would always use to finish his opponents off!” Yuki asking, “So why did he stop?”

“I can fill you in on that,” Beedrill replied with an implied smile, “When he fought in the twenty-second Olympic finals, the move was defeated when Machoke found a way out of it. From that moment on, it went on record that he never used it again. Even allowed his chest spike to be chopped off because he didn't need it anymore.”

'That's right!' Clawitzer thought as her eyes widened, 'Machoke found a way out of this hold, and I remember it! Yes, I can do this!'

With that in mind, she started to wriggle her legs as everyone stared in wonder. And soon enough, she managed to pry them out before planting them into Jackalu's gut, his eyes wide open as she propelled herself off of him and rose her claw in the air, shouting, “CRABHAMMER!”

But just as she was about to ram her claw into the dog for the second time, he immediately rolled out of the way thus causing her to hit the canvas instead. She gasped in shock as Jackalu formed an aura around his paw, shouting, “FORCE PALM!” and sending it hard into her cheek.

The English fans went wild as Yuki stated, “And even after escaping from Jackalu's ultimate submission technique, Clawitzer still has the disadvantage as she takes in the mighty Force Palm.”

And it did not end there as Jackalu wrapped his arms around the shrimp, saying, “You've been a great opponent so far, but I have no intention of letting you win. I hope you understand,” before leaping high into the air and resting her atop his shoulder.

Once high enough, he leaned backward and aimed the back of her neck toward the canvas, shouting, “FULL MOON PRESS!” but just as he descended, Clawitzer refused to let herself take in another family signature move.

As such, she proceeded to throw her arms over her head before allowing them to fall backwards. Thus her claws wound up hitting the mat as opposed to her head, the crowd gasping as Yuki exclaimed, “And it would seem another family favourite has been defeated!”

Rinko blinked and asked, “That's the legendary Full Moon Press? That looked pretty easy to counter, if you ask me,” as Lairon shook his head and said, “Actually, many have thought of using that method for years. The problem is that whenever someone used it, they descended too quickly for the opponent to think straight. Clawitzer seems to be the only one to keep her nerves in check long enough to put the countermeasure into motion.”

Jackalu blinked, his eyes wide with shock as Clawitzer proceeded to lean her big claw back, taking hold of the dog's ankle. She then pulled back hard enough to cause him to not only release his hold on her but also fall forward, his chin hitting the canvas while the Swiss crowd went wild.

It did not end there as Clawitzer wrapped her legs around Jackalu's torso, pulling on his leg as the cheers grew louder, Yuki exclaiming, “And after her impressive manoeuvre, Clawitzer has caught Jackalu in a leglock! Not only that, but by applying extra pressure to his torso, she's dealing pain to more than just his leg!”

Jackalu was truly astounded. As if her using a backdrop earlier was not surprising enough, seeing her use a submission hold was another thing in itself. Not only had she never used such a technique before, but even her mother never relied on these as she considered herself too short to effectively pull them off.

“My god, you really are taking this match seriously,” Jackalu uttered as Clawitzer asked, “Were you doubting me before?”

“Well, not entirely,” the dog replied, “I knew you were trying your best, but to think you'd actually try using moves that I've never seen from you before. It just means so much that you consider me worth it.”

No one else knew how to respond to such strange words, but this seemed to mean a lot to Clawitzer as she smiled and said, “Hey, I might make fun of you a lot, but honestly, I've always seen you as an amazing fighter. You may get headstrong sometimes and, heck, you're the only graduate I know who didn't actually have to go to classes before taking your final exam.”

Rinko and Venipede turned to one-another and sighed, “Knew it,” as the shrimp continued, “You're even full of yourself sometimes and you don't always take things seriously, but not only does that make you fun but you always pull through in the end. I have never once seen you lose a match. I often joke about your skills, but honestly, I sometimes wonder if I'm worthy of fighting alongside you. When I saw that I had a chance to face you, I saw that as an opportunity to prove just that.”

Jackalu's eyes sparkled as she tightened her hold. Remembering the match was still going on, he smirked and said, “Well, I've always believed that you were worthy of fighting by my side, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna submit, at least not yet.”

With that, he placed his paws firmly against the mat and pushed himself up, Clawitzer's eyes wide as she knew this was likely causing him more pain. But even so, it was against Jackalu's nature to give up and thus he used this opportunity to lower his body, this time slamming the shrimp's back into the canvas.

This was enough to get her to let go as he rose to his feet, the English fans going wild as Machop uttered, “Wow, this match just keeps going back and forth,” as Isamu uttered, “So wait, he was lying when he told us he took the same classes as Gyarados?”

With Clawitzer distracted, Jackalu used this chance as he took hold of her shoulders, leaping high above mat. Nori's eyes sparkled as Yuki asked, “Hey, Mom, what's he doing?” as Beedrill shared the older woman's look.

Once high enough, Jackalu flipped Clawitzer so she was right under him with her head facing the canvas. He then planted his knees against her feet and said, “If anything, I feel that using my grandfather's best technique is the best way to end this. You did a great job, Clawitzer.”

He then started to descend toward the mat, shouting, “COLLAPSING TOWER!” the English fans going wild as even the Swiss fans were strangely excited to see this, the very move that ended Machoke's winning streak.

However, Clawitzer was not the least bit scared as she asked, “Haven't you heard? Your father created a way to counter this technique when a villain by the name of Absol used it on him. And what's more is that he shared that method with both of us when telling us that story.”

All went silent among the crowd and even the announcers. This was the first they had ever heard of this, and their interest grew when Clawitzer flipped her body upward so she was facing the dog. She then proceeded to hold up her left arm, shouting, “CRUSTACEAN LANCE!” before planting her claw into his gut, causing him to cough up a bit of blood.

The Swiss fans went wild as now Jackalu had no idea what to do. It was like Clawitzer had told herself before the match. Due to her big claw being so much stronger, she had always relied on that one for her attacks, never even thinking to use her smaller one. As such, the fact that she had used it was more than enough to catch the dog off guard.

With that, she used her big claw to latch onto Jackalu's arm, the dog crying out in pain as she said, “Well, if you're not holding back, there's no way in Hell I'm going to.”

She then proceeded to lean backwards until both their heads were facing the canvas, Jackalu's slightly lower as Clawitzer's smaller claw was still pressed up against him. Excitement rose among the crowd as the shrimp shouted, “VICE LANCE SUPLEX!” ramming the dog's skull hard into the canvas.

The crowd stared in shock and amazement as Clawitzer released her hold, allowing the dog to collapse. Yuki started the ten count as no one could believe this. Could it be? Had Jackalu lost before making it to the finals?

Clawitzer breathed heavily and stared, thinking, 'Alright, if this isn't good enough, I don't know what else I can do. This will decide which of us truly is the better fighter.'

Shockingly, Yuki managed to make it to ten seconds as she rang the bell, exclaiming, “And after a very brutal and intense match, Clawitzer is our winner and has advanced to the semi-finals!” the Swiss fans going wild as even the English fans could not help but give her a round of applause. After all, they could not bring themselves to feel bitter toward Jackalu's ally.

The dog slowly opened his eyes and grinned as Clawitzer gasped, “Are you okay?”

The dog nodded and replied, “Of course I am. But there is something that'll help me feel better.”

“What is it?” the shrimp asked, “Tell me and I'll do it,” Jackalu coughing a bit before uttering, “Do a victory dance.”

“Wait, what?” Clawitzer remarked as Jackalu weakly explained, “You just bested me, so you should do a victory dance. Just think of something you really like and make up a jingle about it or something.”

“What do you think they're talking about?” Vigoroth asked as Meloetta smiled sweetly and said, “I bet they're just talking about how they'll always be friends even after all of this,” Machop nodding and adding, “Hey, it happens to me all the time.”

Of course, they could not have been more off the mark as Clawitzer uttered, “Look, that works for you, but-” Jackalu chuckling, “Come on. I know deep down, you've always wanted to do it. Today's the day you forget how embarrassing it'll look and just go for it.”

With that in mind, Clawitzer let out a sigh and said in a louder tone, “Alright, Jackalu, I will do this for your sake,” everyone interested until she pulled out a packet of seaweed and held it up to her mouth like a microphone.

She then performed a dance number and sang, “When I feel hungry, seaweed is the best! It's dry and salty, truly better than the rest! When I eat some seaweed, it makes me feel strong! Ah-aaaah-ah-ah-oh-aaah! Seaweed!”

Everyone stared in stunned silence until Isamu uttered, “A thousand yen says they end up together by the end of the story,” Eiko replying, “I don't think anyone's gonna bet against you.”

“That was wonderful,” Jackalu said with a big grin before coughing a bit and sighing, “Anyway, I need to take a quick nap,” his eyes closing as he started to snore, his tongue sticking out the side of his head.

Clawitzer's eyes widened as she gasped, “Dammit! I applied too much force, didn't I!?” as medics rushed in to take the dog to the hospital.

The shrimp would have joined if not for the fact that unlike during round one, she felt obligated to see Slurpuff's next match. After all, she would have to fight the winner and if she did not know how either of these two fought, she would likely have a lot of trouble. It also did not help that Jackalu was the one who had wanted so badly to put Slurpuff in his place, so at the very least, Clawitzer had to honour his desire by defeating the cake dog in his stead.

“Well, folks, it's almost time for this round to come to an end,” Beedrill stated, “Our final match for the day will take place in the Tokyo National Museum. Luckily, they've allowed us to use the golden ring exhibit for this one, though it was hard finding enough space for bleachers, but we pulled it off without breaking anything.”

The crowd shrugged and rose up, ready to head off to the next area as Rinko turned to Delphox, who had been seated far in the back and waved to her. The fox turned to the brunette to see her giving a thumb up, a light smile forming on her face as she returned the gesture. There was no way she would fall to Slurpuff.

 

By the time everyone arrived at the museum, the final match of the day was still an hour-and-a-half away. As such, everyone decided to explore as Kelani looked at all of the exhibits with his eyes sparkling, a big open-mouth smile on his face.

“Wow, this is so cool,” he said as Eiko giggled and replied, “Well, I'm glad you're having fun.”

Isamu, meanwhile, walked alongside Machop in a separate area and sighed, “I really wish this wasn't the only thing to do here. At least the other areas gave us something fun to do before the matches started,” as the girl nodded and groaned, “Tell me about it. Of all the places they could have picked.”

The boy shot her a smile and replied, “Well, look on the bright side. At least we can suffer the boredom together,” as Machop nodded and rested her head on his shoulder, cooing, “So this is what using a shoulder like a pillow feels like. That's nice. I think I'll spend the next-” only to fall asleep as Isamu rolled his eyes and plopped down on the floor against a wall with her.

Venipede and Rinko, on the other hand, were actually enjoying themselves. As it so happened, they liked museums, so this was the perfect place for them to go on a short date. And as they looked around, they noticed a room labelled 'The Hall of Heroes'.

Venipede's eyes sparkled as he said, “Oh my god, this is where all of the heroes of old are represented,” as Rinko grinned and squealed, “I wanna see just how awesome Mother's statue looks!”

And sure enough, inside the museum were all sorts of things, and not just statues of the heroes of past generations. Some of these heroes had donated old possessions of theirs, and one such item included Lucario's chest spike, which had been sliced off by Absol when the two fought in the Reverse World.

There were a few other things, such as Lairon's old helmet, which resembled a skull. Of course, the helmet was not complete as Garchomp had cracked it in half with her dorsal fin many years ago. The owners had asked Lairon if he wanted them to put it back together, but he decided keeping it split apart would help reserve the memory of that wonderful time when the dragon turned his life around.

Though one thing Venipede was shocked to see was a golden mask, specifically the one worn by a powerful dragon named Giratina. He trembled and uttered, “What's this doing here? I thought this wasn't allowed to be shown to the public anymore.”

“Oh no,” Rinko replied, “See, that was back when the mask had the power to revive its owner. Now that Giratina's been brought back, it's no longer a bad thing if someone tries to steal it.”

Venipede breathed a sigh of relief as an elderly man entered the area, saying, “Even if it could bring back Giratina, it doesn't work without his neck rings, and, well, Giratina brought those with him when he left Earth,” the centipede's eyes wide with shock as Rinko stared awkwardly, the man sighing, “Don't mind me. I'm just the janitor.”

“Wait, tell us more!” Venipede pleaded, his eyes sparkling as Rinko chuckled and said, “Oh my god, you are adorable.”

Even so, she had to admit that she was also quite curious as the man shrugged and replied, “Sure, why not? I think it's time for my fifteen-minute anyway.”

Meanwhile, Meloetta was looking around at all the exhibits as she sighed, “Guess Mommy never got anything dedicated to her, did she?” as Vigoroth patted her on the shoulder and replied, “That's the thing. These sorts of places only pay tribute to those who were very well known. Just think, had she been the one to successfully bridge the gap between us and the humans, she would have a statue in her honour for sure.”

The green-haired girl nodded before noticing the boy she had agreed to go out with earlier looking at the statue of a naked woman. She then gasped as Vigoroth nodded and pointed at him.

With that in mind, Meloetta approached him and tapped him on the shoulder, the boy turning and saying, “Oh, hey there, sweet thing. You excited for our date tomorrow?”

The green-haired girl wasted no time asking for all the information Vigoroth had told her to get, such as his interests, where to meet up with him and most importantly, his name. And needless to say, the sloth was glad to see her having taken her words to heart, but even so, there was still the matter of her making sure the date went smoothly.

Clawitzer, meanwhile, felt strange walking around without Jackalu. Not that she had never had days like this, but ever since the Olympics started up, they had always done everything as a pair. It felt weird having him in the hospital and as much as she wanted to check up on him to make sure she had not hurt him too much, she knew she had to watch the next match to see what kind of opponent she would be up against.

While walking, though, she noticed Slurpuff looking at a painting of a soup can and saying, “They should make a painting of a strawberry shortcake. Soup is boring.”

The shrimp narrowed her eyelids as he turned and spotted her, smiling wide and squealing, “Hello!”

“Cut the crap,” Clawitzer retorted, “I just want to let you know that if you win today's match, I'm gonna wipe that overly-cutesy look off your face in the semi-finals.”

“Aw, you don't need to be so mean,” Slurpuff replied, “Let's be friends,” before holding out his pudgy arm. Clawitzer could not help but feel intimidated by this as she slowly backed away from him, a sinister look forming on the cake dog's face.

But just as his hair started to move, a group of teenaged girls entered the area before spying him. Hearts formed in their eyes as they ran over, squealing, “OH MY GOD, IT'S SLURPUFF!” all of them gathering around him and asking for his autograph and for him to take selfies with them.

Clawitzer wanted so badly to tell the girls what she had just witnessed, but she knew that if she did, they would not believe her and treat her like they had treated Torchic during her match. If things turned out like she imagined they would, she would save all quarrels for the ring. After all, it was against the rules for participants to attack each other outside of an official tournament match.

But at the same time, she really hoped Delphox could win. Slurpuff had already given off bad vibes before, but now there was no doubt he was nowhere near as innocent as he let on. For all she knew, this could have very well been a similar case to every tournament Machoke partook in.

Meanwhile, the janitor was still telling Venipede and Rinko about Giratina's revival and Machoke's fight with him. However, as fascinating as it was, there was one detail in the story that confused them.

“So wait, if the mask was shattered, why doesn't it look cracked?” the centipede asked as the man replied, “Well, we wanted the mask to be presented as it originally was, so the owners had someone meld the pieces back together. They did a really good job. You can't even tell it was once broken.”

“But wait, what if Giratina returns?” Rinko asked, “Won't he at least want his mask back?” as the man shook his head and replied, “Oh no. As it so happens, Giratina's not on the side of evil anymore. In fact, he's currently the king of Mars.”

“Wait, so he enslaved a different planet?” Venipede remarked with his eyes wide open as the man shook his head and remarked, “Oh no. Turns out their queen really took a shining to him, and I guess it makes sense. Every resident of Mars is a dragon.”

The centipede and brunette turned to one-another with confusion before shrugging their shoulders. After all, this was at least good news as Giratina did have a reputation as one of the biggest threats to mankind in history, even with his age having weakened him.

“So, does he know his mask is here?” Rinko asked as the man replied, “Oh yeah. When astronauts found him, they asked him if he wanted it back to which he said he didn't need it anymore. In short, we got nothing to worry about.”

Venipede blinked and uttered, “I guess it wouldn't be so scary to meet him for real, then,” as Rinko shrugged and replied, “Honestly, I'm just surprised to hear that he's still alive.”

With all said and done, the two turned to a clock to notice they only had a half-hour before the match started. Thus they decided to resume their walk, waving to the janitor who grinned and waved back, saying, “By the way, Venipede, my granddaughter is a huge fan of yours.”

The centipede's cheeks turned bright pink as Rinko smirked and nudged his side, saying, “Well, look at Mister Popular.”

Once they arrived, everyone else was already there and had saved them seats. Machop, all the while, grinned and asked, “So, what kept you? Did you sneak off for a little fun?” steam shooting from Venipede as Rinko sighed, “Please, we're not that kind of couple.”

Kelani, meanwhile, grinned and squealed, “This has been the best day ever! First I went to the beach then I had a picnic lunch and now I've been to the museum!” as Isamu whispered, “Good job toughing it out, Eiko. I know you hate coming here as much as we do.”

The pink-haired girl nodded and sighed, “I know, but I gotta fake it for the kid, you know,” the boy nodding as Machop said, “Just think, if she actually has a child of her own, she'd probably make for a really good mother.”

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, it's finally time for the match to decide the lineup for the semi-finals!” Beedrill exclaimed, “This has been a very exciting second round so far, but for all we know, this could very well be the most exciting match!”

“In the red corner,” Yuki stated, “is our adorable Turkish representative who has proven himself much stronger than he looks. Able to take in as much pain as he can dish out, Slurpuff!”

The Turkish and Japanese fans went wild as Slurpuff road in on a tiny pink float with roses made of frosting on the sides. One member of the crowd cooed, “Oh my god, that's so cute,” as another sighed, “I should hire him for my daughter's birthday party.”

Yuki laughed nervously and whispered, “You're sure they won't throw another can at me?” as Nori sighed, “You know how fickle fight fans can be. You get used to this sort of thing after a while.”

The younger woman let out a sigh as Slurpuff activated a spring that launched him into the air. However, he seemed to purposely lose his balance as he fell on his back, squealing, “Oopsie! I fell down again!” the area filling up with cheers and applause.

“Oh god, this is already getting old,” Machop groaned as Isamu sighed, “I know. Seriously, he's not even that cute.”

Meloetta folded her arms and grumbled, “I just don't like the way he used that as a weapon against Torchic. He should have fought more fairly against her instead of using his appearance to turn people against her.”

“Wow, you actually picked up on that,” Vigoroth uttered as Kelani nodded and growled, “I don't like him, not one bit.”

The crowd soon calmed down as Yuki stated, “In the blue corner, representing Germany is one of the few heroes to master the art of magic. Having defeated Shuckle, even with the odds stacked heavily against her, Delphox!”

The German fans went wild as the fox walked toward the ring with a small fireball circling her. She then spread out her arms as it floated behind her back and spun around, creating a big ring.

Seeing this, Rinko clapped and exclaimed, “YEAH, SHOW HIM WHO'S BOSS!” Venipede joining in as the fox turned to face them with a light smile. It still felt weird having made actual friends, but she liked their support all the same.

Once Delphox entered the ring, Slurpuff gave her the cutest smile and waved, saying, “Hi, Miss Fox Lady. You're really pretty.”

The fox scowled at him and thought, 'Don't think for a minute that cute act will work on me. I know exactly what you're doing. You act like an innocent child so the crowd will favour you. You turn my own supporters against me in the hopes that it'll throw me off. But mark my words, I am not like Torchic. I can handle a lack of support. What I can't stand is someone who can't earn his own victories with his skills alone. You don't deserve to partake in round two and I'm going to prove it.'

She already noticed a few members of the German crowd whispering amongst themselves. She did not even have to hear them to know that this was a response to the face she made. After all, Slurpuff's words sounded like nothing more than an innocent compliment.

Even so, she refused to let this get to her as Yuki said, “Alright, the combatants are set. Let's do this,” ringing the bell thus signalling the start of the match.

Delphox wasted no time forming a circle of flames in front of herself while shouting, “MYSTICAL FIRE!”

She then threw her arms forward as the flames flew toward Slurpuff in a spiral formation. Seeing this coming, the cake dog prepared his hair to counter only for Delphox to add to the fire's speed. And it was not long until he found himself engulfed in flames, now sporting a look of discontent while flailing his arms around while the crowd gasped.

“And Delphox wastes no time hitting Slurpuff with her pyrokinesis!” Yuki exclaimed as the audience looked horrified. Even the German fans found this to be too cruel despite having no problem watching Shuckle succumb to this same move.

Luckily, the fox had expected this and thus chose to ignore it as she thought, 'He's not fighting back. I knew it. He took that hit on purpose, thinking I would let up after seeing the crowd's reaction. Too bad for you, little Slurpuff, but I'm not so easy to crack.'

With that in mind, she allowed her magic to hit him for a bit longer, figuring he must have been in too much pain to react to another attack. As such, she ended her assault and shot fire from her feet, flying toward him with her arms crossed and shouting, “FOX FIRE ROCKET!”

However, it seemed her plan had failed as no sooner had she stopped her attack did the flames vanish. As if that was not enough, there was not so much as one burn mark on Slurpuff as he wasted no time sending his hair toward her, wrapping it around her and using enough force to stop her flight.

Delphox was mortified now as Slurpuff smiled and said, “That was really cool, Miss Fox Lady, but fire doesn't effect me for very long. I've been burned countless times when trying to cook, but I always end up okie-dokie, see?”

Hearing these words, the crowd went wild as Delphox thought, 'Oh no! That means I can't rely on long-range attacks!'

Unfortunately, further thoughts on the matter would have to wait as Slurpuff threw his head backwards, lifting Delphox high into the air before stretching up the top of his hair and wrapping it around her neck. He then leapt up to her level before leaning backwards as Rinko spat, “HEY, DELPHOX, HE USED THIS ON TORCHIC! SURELY YOU FOUND A WAY OUT OF IT!”

Delphox unfortunately only had one method in mind as she conjured up a fireball with her finger. She then sent it sideways into Slurpuff's side, but just like her stream of fire earlier, all this did was hurt him a little bit, not even leaving so much as a small burn on his flesh.

As such, Delphox soon found her skull planted hard into the canvas as Slurpuff squealed, “FROSTING MALLET!” the Turkish crowd going wild. And just like when he fought Torchic, it was not long until everyone else, including the German fans, joined in.

“Damn,” Lairon grunted, “That Slurpuff is even tougher than I thought. Delphox made the right choice by ignoring the crowd's reaction, but she's barely done a thing to him so far.”

Rinko gritted her teeth and asked, “Well, is there anything she can do?” as Garchomp nodded and replied, “Yes. She'll have to rely on close-range attacks, but that's easier said than done. As we've seen so far, including this very match, Slurpuff has a ton of abilities that make it difficult to come close to him, and it's all thanks to his hair.”

Even so, Delphox was not going to let this get her down as she shifted her hands downward, shooting flames from them in order to lift her head up from the material. She then took a deep breath and exclaimed, “FOX FIRE ROCKET LANDING!”

Slurpuff was unable to respond this time as her feet flew into his back, causing him to fall on his face as the crowd started booing her. And just like before, the fox ignored these words, realizing she could not allow the cake dog to recover. Thus she wasted no time propelling herself into the air by shooting fire from her heels. And once she was high enough, she proceeded to descend toward Slurpuff, planting her feet into his gut as he cried out in pain, his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth.

“Screw the audience,” Rinko grunted, “THAT'S RIGHT, DELPHOX! LET HIM HAVE IT!” as the others joined in with their own cheers. They did not even care about the cold looks they received as a result. All that mattered to them was that Delphox had finally managed to hurt Slurpuff.

Just as Delphox charged at him with her arm set for a karate chop, Slurpuff sent his hair forward while panting heavily, having it come together to form what looked like a wall of frosting. As such, the fox's hand wound up stuck as her eyes widened in horror. After all, she could not forget what happened to Torchic when she was in this same predicament.

To make matters worse, she could not think of any method that could help her escape as Slurpuff lifted her high above his head. He then proceeded to leap into the air and swing his head downward, shouting, “FROSTING WHACK-A-MOLE!” ramming the fox hard into the canvas.

However, it seemed he was not done as he lifted her up against, slamming her into the mat a second time. Delphox grunted in pain and gritted her teeth as Slurpuff released his hold, squealing, “I just came up with that!” bouncing up and down as the audience gave him a round of applause, a girl in the audience shouting, “He's so creative! If I was a teacher, I'd give him a gold star!”

“I am a teacher and I'm tempted to give him one,” a man stated with a big smile as Isamu growled, “Are you kidding me? That's not even creative by kindergarten standards!”

“I'm just glad Delphox can still fight,” Meloetta whimpered as the fox slowly pushed herself back up, breathing heavily with a look of fury in her eyes. As if taking in all this pain was not bad enough, to take in a thrashing from something people normally put on dessert was just humiliating.

Despite this, though, she refused to let this get her down as she struck a fighting pose, gazing into Slurpuff's eyes. By the end of this match, she just knew that she would have found a way around his tactics, despite how unpredictable and childish his fighting style was.

 

Delphox was not only hurting, but she was irritated. Slurpuff had been dominating this match for the most part and acted like none of it really mattered. There was no way she would fall to someone like this. As such, she shot flames from her heels and hovered in place with a look of anger on her face, growling, “You've had your fun, but this ends now.”

She then flew toward Slurpuff with her arms crossed and exclaimed, “FOX FIRE ROCKET!” only for Slurpuff to giggle and shoot his hair forward, squealing, “I already know how to avoid this!”

But just as it seemed like he would stop her flight for the second time in this match, she saw this coming as she pointed her hands toward the mat, shooting flames from her palms. This allowed her to fly over the hair before lowering herself just in time to deliver a hard strike to the cake dog's forehead.

Once again, the crowd booed her as Slurpuff fell on his back. However, Machop and the others were more than supportive of this as Kelani squealed, “YAY! SHE DID IT!” Eiko nodding and squealing, “Yes, she did, didn't she!?”

Of course, everyone knew this was far from over as Delphox performed a U-turn and pressed her hands together like a spearhead. She then dove toward Slurpuff while shouting, “FOX FIRE MISSILE!”

But just as she was seconds away from dealing another hit, Slurpuff recovered just in time to point his skull toward her, squealing, “CHERRY BOMB!”

He then launched his cherry upward and into her forehead as her eyes widened, her mouth slightly open. As such, she broke her concentration as her fire stopped and her arms were now spread out.

The reason she had not yet landed on Slurpuff, though, was because after launching his cherry, he had used his hair to bind her wrists in place. And it did not end there as he lifted her higher up before turning his hair around in an arch, shifting it in a way that guaranteed Delphox's head would still be facing downward. And all the while, she was too distracted to respond as her head hit the canvas hard.

The crowd went wild as Yuki said, “And just as it seemed like Delphox had him, Slurpuff responds with his Cherry Bomb before using what I can only describe as a really complex suplex. Can she get up again, folks?”

Seeing this, the others could not help but feel concern as Clawitzer narrowed her eyelids, thinking, 'Yes, just keep revealing more abilities. Once our match comes, I'll wipe that silly look off your face.'

Slurpuff bounced happily and squealed, “This is so much fun! I just wish it didn't have to end so soon!” as Delphox growled, “Wish granted!”

The crowd gasped as she placed her hands against the mat, pushing herself up. But she did not leave it there as she flung herself toward the cake dog with her feet out. Slurpuff blinked and was just about to counter only for Delphox to once again speed up her flight by shooting fire from her palms, kicking him hard in the face, this time causing him to cough up a bit of his jam-like blood, leaping away from him and breathing heavily.

At that moment, one German fan blinked and uttered, “Oh mein Gott, was I cheering for Slurpuff this whole time?” another groaning, “Ja. I did too.”

Delphox noticed this and thought, 'It's just like when Torchic fought him in round one. The minute she started to really dominate, her fans came back to her side. That must be the secret. Once blood is drawn, he looks less cute and thus the crowd isn't as likely to fall for his charms.'

With that in mind, she performed a sideways somersault toward the cake dog, propelling herself high into the air before planting her paws into his gut. This caused him to cough up a bit more blood as he squeaked in panic, rolling backward and righting himself up.

The German fans went wild as one spat, “Sorry for not cheering you on earlier, Delphox!” another adding, “Kick his ass!” all of them chanting her name now as she let down light tears, thinking, 'So that's what it's like. Now I can see why it was such a big deal to Torchic. Being loved by others is actually quite nice.'

Slurpuff noticed this and beamed, squealing, “Wow, Miss Fox Lady, you're really, really strong!” as Delphox narrowed her eyelids, the Tokyo and Turkish fans letting out a collective heavenly sigh with hearts in their eyes.

“Well, at least she has some support from the others now,” Machop uttered as Garchomp sighed, “That hardly matters, though. What's important is that she's finally gotten the upper hand in this match. Slurpuff can only keep up a positive attitude for so long.”

Delphox realized this as well and thus refused to give the cake dog a chance to get the advantage back. As such, she wasted no time racing toward him as he sent his hair forward. And at this point, the fox saw it coming as she leapt over it, spinning toward him with her arms up and landing a powerful karate chop to his cheek.

The German fans cheered even more as Delphox proceeded to strike Slurpuff with an onslaught of palm punches. However, she ended her attack when she noticed him attempt to grab her with his hair once more. Thus she leapt back just in time to avoid it, the cake dog growling briefly before remembering he had to keep up an image for the crowd. Therefor he lowered the volume of his growl before making his angry face appear more like he was forcing it with a big smile and narrowed eyes, his arms held out and downward to imply lashing out claws.

“Even when trying to be threatening, he's adorable!” came one girl in the crowd as another squealed, “I just wanna go in there and cuddle him and squeeze him and love him and maybe even call him Goro!”

The girl received a few awkward stares, but it was not long until those around her agreed with what she had said. After all, they could not ignore Slurpuff for long.

“At least make it look like you're taking this seriously!” Delphox growled as she dashed toward Slurpuff. But just as he was about to counter, she swerved to the right, preparing to strike him on the side. However, her attack came to a halt when unlike before, the cake dog saw this coming and thus he stretched out his hair just far enough to stop her in her tracks.

And sure enough, the fox was now trapped in his hair as he wrapped it around her, giggling and squealing, “This is fun!” before lifting her up and flipping her upside-down.

He then proceeded to squeak, “FROSTING WHACK-A-MOLE!” before slamming her skull repeatedly into the canvas. And after taking in seven blows, Delphox coughed up blood with her eyes and mouth wide open.

The Turkish and Japanese fans all cheered wildly as Rinko gritted her teeth, growling, “Dammit! She was doing such a good job!” as Vigoroth sighed, “Hey, you guys have gotten out of all kinds of situations. I'm sure she can handle this.”

However, it was looking less likely by the second as Delphox continued to take in one head-blow after the next. But just as she took in the eighteenth, she gritted her teeth and thought, 'No! I can't let this deceitful pastry win! There's one thing I can try, but I've never gotten it to work.'

She remembered back when she was eight. Her mother, a more slender yellow fox named Braixen, had taught her all about her magical powers while standing in a clear field. Needless to say, she was impressed by how much her daughter had mastered in such a short amount of time as she had already mastered the Mystical Fire.

“Sehr gut,” the older fox said with a grin, “You are more than ready to face evil when it returns, but there is one last technique that you must learn.”

Delphox nodded with a serious look and replied, “I am ready,” as Braixen smiled lightly and added, “Just to let you know, this is the most difficult move for our family. I wasn't able to learn it until I was thirteen, but then again, I mastered the rest of our family's magic at the age of twelve. I have no doubt that you are ready for this.”

With that in mind, the fox breathed deep before saying in a calm tone, “Mystical Fox Flamethrower,” releasing a brilliant flame from her mouth. Delphox's eyes sparkled briefly as Braixen smiled and said, “You try. Just breathe in and concentrate.”

The younger fox nodded and took a deep breath before closing her mouth. Her cheeks then puffed up slightly as she said, “Mystical Fox Flamethrower,” but as she blew, all that came out was the same air she had inhaled.

She looked beyond disappointed until Braixen smiled and stated, “Don't let it get you down. As I said, it took me a long time to get it as well. Just keep practising and you'll get it someday, I know it.”

Back in present time, Delphox had taken in the twenty-ninth blow to her head as she thought, 'I've tried so hard since that day and gotten no results, but this time, I can't afford to fail!'

With that in mind, she took in a deep breath as Slurpuff squeaked, “This next one should be good enough,” Nori groaning, “And Delphox is just a sitting duck. This next hit might very well end it.”

“COME ON!” Rinko snapped, “YOU CAN DO IT!” only for Venipede to tap her on the shoulder, saying, “I think she might have something planned. Look.”

It was not long until all of his friends noticed Delphox pointing her mouth toward the canvas with her cheeks puffed up. She then proceeded to shout through gritted teeth, “MYSTICAL FOX FLAMETHROWER!” as she opened her mouth wide, unleashing a big blast of fire, Slurpuff unable to lower her further now as he used all his might to try and overcome this.

But not only had Delphox's fire stopped her from hitting the mat, it had given her enough of a boost to free herself from Slurpuff's grip. She then lifted up her leg and lit it on fire, spinning sideways toward the cake dog and shouting, “FALLING WHEEL!” planting her foot into his skull.

The German fans went wild as Yuki exclaimed, “And just as it seemed like this was the end, Delphox has used her pyrokinesis to break free from Slurpuff's frosting! Up until now, I thought for sure that was impossible!”

However, Delphox found herself coughing slightly before thinking, 'Well, I finally got it down, Mom, but I might not rely on it too much,' sending her other foot into the same spot she had just kicked thus knocking Slurpuff on his back.

“Yay, Delphox!” Kelani squealed as Eiko and Isamu joined her, Machop sighing with relief as Lairon said, “You know, I was starting to wonder if she knew that technique. That's a great power that's been passed down in her family for generations.”

“Come to think of it, I was wondering why she hadn't used it yet,” Garchomp replied as Meloetta squealed, “I don't care! She's winning!”

The others gave the green-haired girl an awkward stare but chose to ignore this. After all, now was certainly a time to cheer as Slurpuff had been outdone once more.

Delphox refused to let him recover again and thus proceeded to send an onslaught of palm punches into his chest. While she did so, many members of the Turkish crowd booed as one shouted, “You should be ashamed!”

“Die klappe halten!” a German audience member snapped, “This is a match, not a game!” as another added, “What is wrong with you people!? You act like she's breaking the rules or something!”

“Thank you!” Yuki exclaimed as Nori sighed, patting her on the shoulder and saying, “Let it go, Yuki. It only happened once.”

Regardless, Delphox was just happy to have some support from the crowd as she cupped her hands together for what looked like a strengthened karate chop. She then lifted them up and lit them on fire, thinking, 'I know the fire doesn't add much, but it just feels right to finish you like this.'

With that, she sent her hands toward Slurpuff only for him to recover just in time to whip his hair forward, combining both sides thus forming a shield in front of his face. And sure enough, when Delphox's hands made contact, they were stuck in the frosting as she gasped, her eyes and mouth wide with terror.

A wicked smile briefly formed on Slurpuff's face, but he quickly dropped it as he squeaked, “Wow, you're awesome sauce, Miss Fox Lady! But I've had enough fun, so I think it's time to end this!”

Delphox did her best to break free, but she found herself unable to do so as Slurpuff rose her high into the air. He then spread his hair out further, wrapping it around her entire torso as if he had bound her in a sheet of taffy.

'Nein,' the fox thought with fear in her eyes. She had spent so long trying not to panic during combat and yet right now, she could no longer think about such things.

She tried shooting fire from her feet, but Slurpuff's grip on her was too strong. She could have tried conjuring up more fire with her hands, but they were current covered in frosting, thus she could not even move them. And after a few seconds, she stopped trying and breathed heavily, the German fans, Rinko and Venipede watching with concern.

With the fox no longer able to do a thing, Slurpuff leapt up to her level and placed his stubby arms against her waist. He then proceeded to lean backward, shouting, “PIG IN A BLANKET BACKDROP!”

Delphox braced herself as her skull hit the mat hard, a bit of blood escaping through her clenched teeth. Thus her eyes rolled to the back of her head as Slurpuff released her and allowed her to collapse, Yuki immediately starting the ten count.

“COME ON, GET UP!” Rinko snapped as the German fans joined in. However, the Japanese and Turkish fans all had big smiles on their faces with hearts in their eyes, really hoping this was it.

And soon enough, Yuki reached ten seconds and rang the bell, exclaiming, “Despite Delphox pulling out all the stops, Slurpuff is our winner and has advanced to the semi-finals!” the majority of the crowd going wild, their hearts having never left their eyes.

Rinko bit her lower lip as Venipede groaned, “Dammit. She was doing such a good job, too,” Machop trembling. It was not often that an opponent frightened her, no matter how power he or she was, and yet Slurpuff really rubbed her the wrong way.

Clawitzer frowned and got up from her seat, thinking, 'Now I know just how threatening you really are. There's no way you'll make it to the finals.'

Medics came in to load Delphox up onto a stretcher as many German fans gave her a bow of respect. After all, she had done her best despite spending a great deal of the match with little support.

Rinko bit her lower lip as Venipede nodded, both ultimately deciding to visit their new friend in the hospital. With no more matches for the day, they had nothing else to focus on right now.

“Well, this concludes round two,” Beedrill stated, “Join us three days from now at the Saitama Super Arena for both semi-finals matches. I can guarantee, you won't wanna miss these.”

Machop took a deep breath before noticing Gallador seated across from her, giving her a thumb up. Seeing this, she finally calmed down. After all, her semi-finals match would be first and thus she needed to focus on that. She did not wish to let her cousin down, after all.

Lairon patted the girl on the shoulder and said, “Come on, let's head home,” as she sighed, “Can we stop to check up on our friends first?”

Garchomp nodded and replied, “Yeah, that sounds ideal,” the dinosaur shrugging his shoulders and saying, “I got no arguments there.”

Meloetta, meanwhile, bit her lower lip and whimpered, “I hope Delphox is okay,” as Vigoroth patted her on the shoulder and replied, “It's okay. Remember, no one's allowed to die in these tournaments. She just needs some rest, that's all.”

With all said and done, the group was ready to head off as Isamu rested a hand on Machop's shoulder, saying, “Don't worry. You'll do a great job. And if you end up facing Slurpuff in the finals, well, I can't imagine anyone else ending his winning streak.”

“Thanks,” Machop replied with a sigh before kissing him on the cheek, Eiko beaming and squealing, “That's just adorable!” Kelani sticking out his tongue in disgust.

After a ride in Garchomp's van, everyone was back at their respective homes. After everything that had happened today, Venipede was more than ready for a nice long rest. Sure, it had been quite some time since his match ended, but it had been very intense.

Clawitzer, meanwhile, was hard at work, figuring she may as well get in some training before bed. Though it was certainly weird not having Jackalu in the hotel suite with her. But at the same time, this only helped motivate her to work harder. There was no way she would lose to Slurpuff.

Gallador, meanwhile, was just about to reach his hotel when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He then turned as his eyes widened with shock.

Standing before him was a boy who looked exactly like him from head to toe. And Gallador's shock only heightened when the being smirked and said, “Hey there. Name's Gallador. What's yours?”

It was not long until the real Gallador realized what was going on. As such, he immediately swung his arm blade toward the stranger only to be blocked, the other boy gasping, “My word, is this how you react to everyone you've just met!? Geez, I'd hate to see how you greet the mailman!”

“Can it!” Gallador retorted as he sent a hard knee kick into the imposter's gut. This lowered his guard just long enough for the white boy to strike him across the cheek with his other arm, shouting, “MINI PSYCHO CUT!”

The imposter gasped and rubbed his cheek, saying, “That wasn't very nice,” and thus he proceeded to transform into what Scyther used to look like back when she was in her teens, smirking and saying, “You know, the owner of this form defeated your dad more quickly than any other opponent.”

“Yeah, but I'm not like my father,” Gallador retorted as he leapt into the air, planting his feet hard into the bug's face.

He then propelled himself high into the air before holding his arm blades out and spinning, shouting, “SWORDS DANCE PINWHEEL!”

But just as he was about to land the attack, the fake Scyther proceeded to form a pair of blades on her arms before spreading out her wings. She then used them to fly above Gallador as his eyes widened. And sure enough, the imposter landed right behind him and raced forward, shouting, “ARM SCHWERT!” slashing him across the back.

Blood flew from that very spot as Gallador's eyes and mouth were wide open. Thus he could no longer carry on as he fell forward, landing hard against the pavement as the imposter pulled out a bag, saying, “Well, you at least put up a better fight than Beedrill did back in the day. Too bad not even you were good enough to stop me.”

She then formed back into Gallador and said, “I'm gonna enjoy playing with your cousin three days from now. Unfortunately, you won't be around to see it happen.”

 

With only a couple of days to prepare herself, Machop was hard at work after breakfast. After all, she knew just how much of a challenge Gallador would be. If only she knew that she might not face him when the day came.

Either way, Garchomp was rather impressed as she used her fins to replicate the white boy's various blade-based attacks and Machop managed to evade all of them. If anything, it seemed as if the girl was already prepared for the match and might not need any training.

“Good job,” Lairon said with a grin, “You must really know a lot about him,” Machop shrugging and replying, “Well, we did spar a lot when we were younger. He doesn't seem to have developed a whole lot of new techniques since then.”

She then let out a sigh and said, “Still, I really hope I don't let him down. Whenever we fought back then, he always let me win. He's not gonna do that this time, so I really need to be in top form.”

“Just treat him like any other opponent, then,” Garchomp replied with a grin, “I'm sure that's what he'll want you to do,” as the girl sighed, “Easier said than done.”

At that moment, Meloetta entered the area with four glasses containing a green liquid, squealing, “Hey, I made some limeade!” as the others smiled wide, Machop immediately forgetting about her lack of confidence. Needless to say, having all of these friends who cared so much about her was nice.

All the while, Clawitzer was in the mountains using rocks like practise dummies. After using her Crabhammer technique to crack quite a few, she started ramming her smaller claw into a few others. After all, using that one was part of what allowed her to defeat Jackalu and she was certain relying on it more would help her against Slurpuff.

'Don't you worry about a thing, Jackalu,' she thought, 'You may not have your chance to defeat Slurpuff, but I do, and I'm not going to waste it.'

With that in mind, she noticed another stone and lifted it up with her claw. She then applied a great deal of pressure to it as multiple cracks formed, ultimately causing it to shatter. A look of satisfaction formed on her face as now she was certain she could pull this off.

Slurpuff, meanwhile, was doing nothing to prepare himself for his match with Clawitzer. As a matter of fact, he had spent the whole day walking around Tokyo with an army of fangirls by his side, all of which treated him to lunch, a movie and a variety of other things.

Somewhere in the middle of it all, a news reporter walked by and spotted him, exclaiming, “Oh my god, it's Tokyo's sweetheart, Slurpuff!” before clearing her throat and adding, “Let us walk over for an interview,” her cameraman saying, “Nice save,” in the most sarcastic tone he could muster.

Both then walked over as the fangirls glared at her only for Slurpuff to smile and say, “Hi, Miss Lady Person. What's up?” hearts forming in the reporter's eyes as she cooed, “You're so cute, I just wanna pinch your-”

She then turned toward the camera and laughed nervously, saying, “I'd like to interview you for a bit, if you don't mind,” the cake dog bouncing up and down and squealing, “Yay! I've never been interviewed before!”

This was more than enough for the fangirls to back down as the woman breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “So, how does it feel to be in the semi-finals?” the cake dog replying, “It's awesome sauce! I beat the chicken and fox lady so easily with a wham and a pow! I'm gonna win the tournament!”

“Oh, I'm sure you are,” the reporter replied with a sweet smile, “But word has it that Clawitzer is training extra hard so she can defeat you. Don't you think it might be a good idea to try that yourself?” only for Slurpuff to shake his head and reply, “Nope, but thank you so very, very much for caring.”

He then gave her the sweetest smile he could muster as she bit her lower lip, wanting so much to reach out and pet him. As such, she turned to the camera and said, “Well, there you have it. Slurpuff doesn't even need to train. He is just that incredible.”

The woman then gave an army salute and added, “God bless you, Slurpuff! You are a true hero!” as the fangirls all cheered and applauded, Slurpuff bouncing up and down with glee.

Since it had been quite some time, Torchic was awake with Vigoroth, Eiko and Kelani currently visiting her in the hospital. All four had watched this report on TV as the chicken narrowed her eyelids and growled, “I really hope Clawitzer wipes the floor with him.”

“I have no doubt she can do it,” Vigoroth replied, “After all, Delphox actually came pretty close. Clawitzer is not only skilled but also much stronger, making her much more likely to end his winning streak.”

“Yeah, Clawitzer's cool,” Kelani replied with a big grin, Eiko nodding and replying, “That she is.”

“I'm just glad I'll be able to watch,” Torchic sighed, “I still wish I hadn't missed Machop's victory over Chesnaught. And even now, all I can do is watch on TV. I wanna be there in person!”

“Yeah, Slurpuff really pulled a number on you, didn't he?” Vigoroth groaned, “I didn't know cake frosting could be so tough,” as Kelani trembled only for Eiko to pat him on the shoulder, saying, “Don't worry. Real cake won't hurt you.”

“Still, at least her next opponent isn't out for blood,” Torchic said with a light smile, “So even if she loses, at least it'll be to someone she'll be happy to see in the finals. If anything, it's Clawitzer I'm worried about. After all, without Jackalu there, she'll have a lot less support.”

The others nodded as Eiko squealed, “Well, like Vigoroth, I'm sure she can do it! I mean, she beat Lucario's son! She can beat anybody! She might even be able to beat Machop in the finals-” before stopping herself and laughing nervously.

“Hey, it's not like any of us would be bitter about that,” Torchic said with a grin as Eiko nodded, her cheeks turning light pink. Kelani was a tad confused by this reaction but chose not to question it.

And soon enough, all three days had passed as it was finally time for the semi-finals to begin. Many were headed toward the Saitama Super Arena for the event, and needless to say, the excitement was high. After all, while the semi-final matches were not always the best, they often came very close to what the finals had to offer.

Though unlike the previous rounds, these two matches took place in only one location with an hour-long break between each one. As such, everyone had gathered at noon as opposed to ten, which of course gave them a lot more time to get ready.

Unlike the other days, Noboru and Hana had time off from work and thus had decided to drive their kids, the man saying, “You know, I gotta say, watching the matches online just isn't as thrilling as watching them up close.”

Hana nodded and replied, “I know. Every time I watch your friends fight, it's so exhilarating, and I don't usually like violence. Maybe it's because it's not scripted,” as all went silent, Kelani looking around at everyone.

“Oh, by the way, Isamu,” Noboru said with a grin, “If Machop wins this match, we were thinking of reserving a celebratory dinner for just the two of you,” as Isamu laughed nervously and replied, “That's really thoughtful, but are you sure about that?”

Eiko blinked and asked, “What's wrong with that? At least they're not going to join you inside the restaurant,” as Isamu sighed, “Yeah, but I don't want you guys spending your money on us just because we're together now.”

“Good old Isamu,” Noboru laughed, “Always thinking about us, but don't you worry, son. We're not setting this up just because we feel obligated to.”

“Well, if you're sure about that,” the boy replied with a shrug, “Still, the break between matches today is a lot shorter. She may not have the strength for a date when it's all over,” Hana nodding and replying, “That's why we haven't made the reservation yet.”

With that, the humans arrived and exited as their friends greeted them by the exit. Of course, the only ones not there were Machop, Lairon and Garchomp as they were headed off to a training facility to ready themselves for the match. And as much as Isamu would have liked to have seen her beforehand, he figured that his presence could throw off her concentration, and he did not wish for that to happen.

Just as Machop, Lairon and Garchomp neared the training facility, the girl noticed 'Gallador' standing nearby and looking at himself in a hand mirror. Though this was a strange sight, she was happy that she could have a quick chat with him before the match. Thus she turned to Lairon who nodded in approval.

“Not gonna lie, he's actually pretty handsome,” the imposter said with a grin, “I would love to spend my life with this form. It's just too bad I'm-”

He was soon cut off when Machop squealed, “Hey, Gallador!” the imposter turning and grinning nervously, asking, “Oh, hello, Machop. How's my favourite cousin today? Not getting cold feet, are ya?”

Machop blinked and uttered, “Favourite cousin. Never heard that one before,” before shrugging her shoulders and saying, “Don't you worry about a thing. I'm taking this fight completely seriously, so there's no way in Hell I'm holding back.”

“Excellent,” 'Gallador' replied with a smirk while thinking, 'Yes, now my victory will be even more satisfying. I don't care if I make it to the finals or not. Once I kill you, my life will truly feel complete.'

“Anyway, I guess I'd better prepare myself,” Machop said with a light wave, “Don't you dare go easy on me, got it?” 'Gallador' nodding and remarking, “As if I'd ever do such a thing.”

With all said and done, Machop headed back to Lairon and Garchomp to begin preparations for the match. All the while, the imposter folded his arms and thought, 'She's even more sickening than her father.'

All the while, the others were already in their seats as Kelani squealed, “Yay! We're in the front row again!” Isamu nodding and replying, “That is why we always come early.”

Meloetta nodded as she said, “I can't wait for this match. It'll be nice for Machop to have a fair opponent for a change,” Vigoroth nodding and sighing, “Yeah. I swear to god, she can't fight anyone without stirring up some sort of drama.”

“Hey, look on the bright side,” Rinko added, “At least all of them stopped hating her after their matches,” as Venipede nodded and replied, “Yeah, she has a knack for that, doesn't she?”

“Hey, son,” Noboru whispered to Isamu, “You want me to help you give Machop a big, special cheer when she enters?” as the boy sighed, “Dad, I don't wanna go overboard, okay?”

“But she'll like it,” Hana replied with a big smile as Eiko grinned and added, “Yeah! We can make it a family effort!” the boy biting his lower lip, his eye twitching.

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, it's finally time for the semi-finals to begin!” Beedrill exclaimed as everyone gave him their undivided attention, “Now, something you'll notice is that, well, both of today's contestants represent the same country, specifically France. We were going to separate the audiences based on which hero they support, but we found out from plenty of interviews that the vast majority of French fans will be fine with either one winning, so we've decided not to put them in separate bleachers.”

Meloetta beamed at the sound of this and squealed, “Yay, everyone's gonna get along today!” as Kelani also seemed more than happy with this, especially after having been given cold looks when he supported Torchic during her match with Slurpuff.

Meanwhile, in a cottage far from the arena, the real Gallador was sound asleep on a bed with the gash left three days ago still in his back. As it so happened, his attacker had stuffed him into a bag and sent him down a stream. He could have wound up dead had the owner of the cottage, a fisherman, not caught the bag with his hook.

It was at this moment that the white boy finally yawned and opened his eyes. He then bolted upright and breathed heavily, gasping, “Oh my god, where am I!?” before looking at a clock and groaning, “Shit! I'm late for the match!”

At that moment, a middle-aged woman entered the room and gasped, “Hey, Yo, our guest is awake!” the fisherman entering and saying, “That's great. I knew we didn't need to take him to the hospital,” Gallador looking back and forth between them.

Back in the arena, Nori pointed to the Western entrance and exclaimed, “In the red corner is one who has truly amazed us with his talent! He's defeated the likes of Gyarados and Venipede and now he faces the last hero of Tokyo to still be in the tournament! Presenting Gallador!”

The crowd went wild as the imposter entered the ring with a grin, waving to the crowd and receiving many cheers. Meloetta smiled and said, “He's so calm about all of this. If I had to fight a family member, I'd be really nervous,” as Vigoroth replied, “I'm pretty sure he was nervous before. Heck, he probably spent a great deal of time mentally preparing himself for this.”

'Gallador' overheard this and smirked, thinking, 'Oh, this is too perfect. Yes, I'll play by their rules for a little bit, and once Machop's weak enough, I'll use these blades to lob her head off. It's perfect.'

Once he entered the ring, Yuki pointed at the Eastern entrance and stated, “In the blue corner, the one who has saved us many times and has beaten both Garbodor and Chesnaught! Despite being much skinnier than her predecessors, she still possesses that infamous Mach family spirit! With a knack for surprising the crowd, Machop!”

The girl entered the area with a fake head taped to her shoulder next to her real one and cardboard blades strapped to her arms. The crowd stared in stunned silence and confusion as she groaned, thinking, 'At least the other entrances were creative. This is just creepy.'

However, it seemed as if the imposter realized what she was getting across as she thought, 'Oh, I see, this is her way of showing respect to her cousin. Alright, I'll play along.'

With that in mind, he cleared his throat and smiled, saying, “Wow, you are so awesome, Machop! To put something so elaborate together just to let me know how much you respect me! Well, don't you worry! I am not gonna hold back!”

Machop's eyes sparkled, a big open-mouth smile forming as Eiko asked, “Oh, that's what she was doing?” as Rinko stroked her chin and uttered, “I had a feeling that was the case.”

Upon hearing this, the crowd was slightly more supportive as Machop grinned, mouthing the words 'Thank you'. She then entered the ring and removed her props, holding out her fist and saying, “Here's to a good match.”

“Of course,” 'Gallador' replied as he pounded his fist against hers, a smirk forming as he headed toward his own side of the ring, thinking, 'Passing off as this guy is easier than I first thought.'

During this time, the real Gallador had explained everything that was going on to the fisherman and his wife. Both nodded in understanding as Yo said, “Well, I can get you to the arena, but I will warn you, my car's not as fast as it used to be.”

“Look, I don't care,” Gallador retorted, “Someone's posing as me and is likely planning to murder my cousin. I need to be there,” as Yo's wife nodded and said, “That is certainly an emergency.”

And with that in mind, the man headed outside, leading the white boy to his car. All the while, Gallador really hoped he could make it before things got out of hand.

Once Machop stood by her own side of the ring, Yuki nodded and said, “Well, folks, the combatants are set! Let us begin!” ringing the bell.

'Gallador' wasted no time leaping toward Machop with his arms spread out and spinning like a hand propeller. The crowd was shocked by this as Nori stated, “And Gallador wastes no time using his Swords Dance Pinwheel, though it does seem a tad early to use a move like that.”

And it appeared so as while Machop was surprised at first, she already knew how to avoid this. As such, she waited for the white boy to get close enough before crouching down, sending a jab into his midsection. The crowd went wild as he gasped but ultimately ignored the pain and continued to spin. Only since Machop was too low for the blade, he simply reached out his leg thus delivering a roundhouse to her cheek.

The girl backed up and rubbed that very spot, thinking, 'Well, guess he must have figured I'd have found a way around that. No biggie,' as 'Gallador' gritted his teeth. Sure, he managed to hit her and even deal more damage, but he had hoped to cut her open early so the match would be easier.

“Wow, they're definitely not holding back,” Vigoroth uttered as Venipede nodded and replied, “You'd think there would be a little struggle, you know, like when I fought you,” turning to Rinko.

The brunette nodded and said, “I definitely expected an underwhelming start. Good to know I was wrong. They've only dealt one hit each, but I could feel their passion.”

'Gallador' proceeded to race toward Machop, this time crossing his arms and thinking, 'Alright, let's see you avoid this!'

However, Machop knew exactly what was coming as she leapt over him at the last second. His eyes widened when she planted her feet into the back of his head, causing him to fall on his chin while the crowd cheered even louder. And it only got better when she climbed onto the white boy's back, wrapping her arms around his chin and pulling on it.

“Machop is on fire!” Yuki exclaimed, “After taking in that roundhouse, she is truly on high alert as she evades Gallador's strongest moves and sets him up for a camel clutch! I guess all those years actually knowing her opponent have made him easier to figure out!”

'Of course,' 'Gallador' thought with his teeth gritted, 'She's known him for years! I need to use some kind of tactic that's unexpected from him! But what!? I have to remember his previous matches.'

With that in mind, he remembered something he could do as he lifted up his arms, pointing the blades at Machop's sides. Her friends wanted to speak up and warn her, but they had to remember that she was facing her cousin, not a bitter rival or a villain.

Strangely enough, the girl did not see this coming as 'Gallador' sent the blades into her sides just far enough to leave a pair of deep cuts but also making sure not to kill her yet. As a result, she cried out in pain, releasing her hold as the white boy used his legs to latch onto hers, throwing her backwards as her head hit the turnbuckle.

The Japanese crowd gasped as Yuki exclaimed, “They're really pulling no punches! In order to shake Machop off, Gallador has put two pretty big cuts on her sides! I thought for sure they would hold back in this match, but clearly they've proven me wrong!”

Machop grunted and held onto her sides, Meloetta whimpering, “Is she going to be okay? I know she told him not to hold back, but that's going too far,” as Vigoroth sighed, “Don't forget, they've been preparing to treat each other like any other opponent. If Gallador had fought anyone else in this tournament, he would have done the same thing. This just shows how serious he is.”

“Besides,” Noboru replied, “Machop's used to this sort of thing. After her fight with Sneasel, I'm pretty sure she can handle this.”

Upon rising to his feet and seeing Machop's condition, 'Gallador' let out a fake gasp and asked, “Are you alright, my beloved cousin?” as the girl's look of pain turned to confusion, the imposter gulping and thinking, 'You moron! That was about as convincing as an elementary school play!'

He then cleared his throat and uttered, “I mean, are you okay, Machop?” the girl smirking and replying, “I didn't know you cared that much about my health, but trust me. I'll be okay. Honestly, I'm glad you're taking me this seriously because I'd feel insulted if you didn't go all-out.”

'Perfect,' 'Gallador' thought as he struck a fighting pose, clearly ready for more.

During this time, the real Gallador was headed to the arena in Yo's car as he groaned, “You were right. This thing is slow,” as it seemed the fastest it was able to go was forty miles an hour.

“Yeah, this is why I don't drive often these days,” Yo replied with a sigh, “At least until I finally replace her. All this baby's really good for is obstructing traffic. It's a good thing not many people are out at this time.”

Gallador nodded and took a deep breath, hoping he could make it in time to expose the imposter. After all, he did not wish for his cousin to die, and as long as he revealed the truth in time, this stranger could at the very least be disqualified and placed under arrest.