Earth's Protectors

With the first week of training having come to a close, it was time for the big moment. Machoke was going to figure out how he pulled off the Muscle Tornado. Or at least he hoped he would.

Aipom had made him a test dummy out of solid metal so it would not break easily and said, "Alright, Machoke, take it away," Talonflame folding his arms and saying, "Yeah, let's see the move that outdid that Sunset Slam you used on me."

"Alright, I'm sure I can do it," Machoke said with a sigh before wrapping his arms around the dummy from behind and leaping into the air with it in his grasp. He then grabbed hold of its wrist as his mind drew a blank.

He then ended up landing along with the dummy as Talonflame gave a slow clap and sarcastically said, "That was awesome," Lucario sighing, "I seriously doubt that was the whole move."

"Don't you remember how I described it?" Gardevoir asked, "After you grabbed the wrists, you wrapped your legs around Missingno's and spun vertically while leaning your body backwards."

Machoke blinked and smirked, saying, "Right. I used my own version of those spinning finishers he used on you guys," the boy leaping high into the air and once again latching onto the wrists.

He then wrapped his legs around the dummy's and started to spin vertically along with the dummy. But just as he was about to lean back, his eyes started to swirl as he wound up releasing his hold and falling on his back.

Aipom face-palmed and sighed, "You can't be serious. I thought you could handle dizziness," Machoke groaning, "I did too."

Talonflame nodded and said, "Yeah, come on, I saw you recover from Lopunny's Dizzy Punch like it was nothing. Seriously, you're starting to disappoint me, man."

"I hate to say it, but I agree," Lucario remarked, "It's not like you to have this much trouble pulling off a new technique, especially one that you've already performed successfully once."

"That's just it," Machoke replied with a sigh, "I don't think that move was complete. I honestly feel like there's some step that was missing from it the first time."

"Even so, it was effective," Aipom remarked, "So just rely on what you have now," Machoke nodding as he once again took hold of the dummy, Blaziken sighing, "He'd better get it right this time. I wanna see something at least."

Machoke attempted the move again as he said, "Right, I can do this," and yet strangely enough, he still found himself unable to figure it out, Aipom saying, "Wait, I think I know what we can do about this."

Suddenly, the boy found himself face-to-face with Talonflame, the falcon cracking his knuckles and saying, "I've been waiting for a rematch with you," Machoke turning to Aipom and groaning, "Remind me again why I'm doing this!"

"If I'm not mistaken, you tend to pull of miracles under the worst of circumstances," Aipom replied, "So it only stands to reason that you should let Talonflame beat the crap out of you before attempting your finishing move."

"Look, just cause we're friends now doesn't mean I'm gonna hold back," Talonflame said with a maniacal smirk as Machoke panicked.

Unfortunately, the sparring match proved ineffective as Machoke had no reason to beat up Talonflame like he did during the Next Gen Tournament. Sure, he did manage to land his Sunset Slam and deal some considerable damage in the end, but this was not the move he was trying to use.

Machoke let out a sigh as Lucario said, "Wait, maybe he should try it on me. Unlike Talonflame, I know how to counter all of his other finishing moves, so he'll have no choice but to try his Muscle Tornado to defeat me."

All went silent as Machoke said, "That might actually work," Aipom scratching her head with her tail hand and adding, "It's worth a shot."

The practice match went on for a while until Machoke saw a perfect opportunity. Sure, he had finally gotten over his loss to Lucario, but it still felt satisfying to have him open to a finishing move. And with that, Machoke grabbed hold of his shoulders and leapt high above the practice ring, locking Lucario's wrists in place while wrapping his legs around those of the dog.

'Nothing too complex,' the dog thought, 'I could counter this easily if it wasn't for the spinning portion,' and it seemed so as Machoke started to spin while a huge gust of wind surrounded the two. With that, the others watched in pure amazement as the boy flipped himself and Lucario one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, shouting, "MUSCLE TORNADO!" ramming Lucario's head hard into the surface.

The others clapped as Blaziken said, "That was pretty cool," Gardevoir squealing, "Way to go!"

Machoke looked down at Lucario and spat, "Are you okay!?" only for the dog to rise to his feet and sigh, "If you'd used that on me in the Olympic finals, that would have actually knocked me out. But I must say, it is a fairly impressive move. Not the most original out there, but still effective."

"I still feel like it's missing something, though," the boy sighed as Aipom gave him a sweet smile and replied, "That doesn't matter. As long as it's good enough to catch Giratina off-guard, you'll be fine."

Machoke was still unsure. He had only seen one of the dragon's abilities and like everyone else, he knew of Giratina's reputation. There was no way he could get cocky, not when facing an opponent like this. After his match with Lucario, he knew just how dangerous over-confidence could be.

After a short break, Machoke tried using the technique again on the practice dummy just to test whether or not he could use it at all times. Thankfully, it seemed after getting it down once, he was finally able to use it under any circumstance no matter what. This was perfect, but this did not change the fact that he would still need to practice everything else for the rest of the week. After all, it was not like he could rely on this one finishing move alone to defeat Giratina.

During this time, Lucario had returned to London so he could spend time with Amanda. After all, if Giratina won, they might not get another chance to have fun together. Even Gardevoir and Gallade decided to spend a couple of days in Paris just so they could have some bonding time with their parents.

And just before the day of the match, Aipom had Machoke go to bed early. After all of his hard work, he would need to be fully rested for this fight. If the dragon was truly as bad as the stories said, Machoke would require all the energy he could muster.

And soon enough, the day had finally arrived. Giratina was already in the Tokyo Dome, having spent the last two weeks flying around the planet just to see how much things had changed over the years and what he would be willing to spare. In other words, he had already made plans for how he would rule Earth.

At around noon, Machoke was standing outside of the Tokyo Dome as many people had arrived, the seats now filled. As scared as the people were, they had also looked forward to this match and were excited to finally see it, an epic clash between the former champion's son and Giratina. Both fighters had near-flawless track records with only one official loss each, so naturally the tensions were high.

As Machoke continued to stare at the entrance, he heard footsteps behind him. The boy turned and saw, of all people, his father, Machamp, and his mother, Kala, standing right there. He was about to say something when Machamp held up a hand with a serious look in his eyes.

"Your match is about to start," the man said, "I'm very proud of you, son. Getting over your first loss was one thing, but challenging history's strongest villain..."

Tears then welled up in his eyes as he cried, "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! EVEN I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THE GUTS TO DO THAT!" Kala rolling her eyes and sighing, "Son, I'm sorry I forced you to go to Hero School, but it seems to have shaped you into a true hero. Now go and make me proud, alright?"

"Yeah," Machoke replied with a grin as he gave them both a hug.

After that, he turned around and made his way into the area. Normally, the boy would have planned a big spectacle for his entrance, but this match was the most serious for him, even more serious than when he faced Lucario in the Hero Olympics finals.

There were only a few minutes until the match was scheduled to start as Nori was in her old seat, exclaiming, "Folks, we are here at the Tokyo Dome where the biggest match in recent years is about to take place! The great Machoke, the son of Machamp who got second place in the hero Olympics is going up against Giratina!" the audience cheering heavily.

Beedrill was also there as he stated, "Yeah, it's a rather intense time, but even so, we could not be more excited right now. This match could determine the fate of Earth as we know it."

After he said this, though, the wasp thought to himself, 'Please win, Machoke. We did our best to try and stop him. Don't let our efforts be in vain.'

Of course, Machoke's friends had front-row seats and were thinking the same thing. Even his friends in other areas were tuned in for this. They did not wish to miss a second.

Lopunny and Heracross had come to Scyther's house to watch the match with her, all of them beyond excited for this. Meanwhile, Tyrogue and his siblings were also anticipating this, Hitmonchan relieved that Gallade was not facing this monster. After all, she would rather live as a slave than have her future husband killed by the most powerful dragon in existence.

Gothitelle, Octillery and their new ally, Mawile were also anticipating this as were Scrafty and Bisharp. Of course Lucario and Amanda were watching from home with, of all beings, Talonflame as their guest.

Even Clauncher, who was currently helping the daycare owner take care of the kids, could not help but turn the TV to the correct station, the kids equally invested in this. Needless to say, they were all thinking the same thing Beedrill had, especially since Lucario and Talonflame were the ones who had helped Machoke more-or-less master his Muscle Tornado.

Nori pointed at Giratina and exclaimed, "As you can see, Giratina has already arrived and is waiting in the red corner! As you all know, the only hero who was ever able to stop him was Arceus, but perhaps Machoke will change that!"

The audience members simply folded their arms as Reika sighed, "I really hope he can do this. I know he has a knack for this sort of thing, but I'm afraid this might even be beyond his abilities."

"Don't count him out just yet," Blaziken replied, "If I know Machoke, he'll find a way to save us all."

With all going quiet among the crowd, Nori pointed at the opposite side of the area and exclaimed, "And in the blue corner, the son of Machamp himself, one who has saved us from many villains and almost defeated Lucario in the Hero Olympics! Weighing seventy-and-a-half kilograms, Machoke!"

The crowd waited anxiously as the boy's friends thought, 'He's gonna do something stupid, isn't he?' and yet they were shocked when the boy entered the area dressed in the same clothes he had worn to his finals match. Sure, it was not much of an addition. Along with his usual speedo, he sported a headband and a pair of wristbands, each with a picture of a flame on it.

To the untrained eye, this did not seem like a big deal, but these were the same clothes Machamp had worn when he fought Groudon and saved Tokyo from disaster. These clothes symbolized the Mach family's fighting spirit and just having them on built up Machoke's confidence.

As if that was not enough, the boy did not have any dumb gimmicks for his entrance. It was a straight-forward walk toward the ring. There were no expensive floats, no stupid costumes, no acrobatic routines, just a simple entrance.

Of course, Aipom joined him as she was still his trainer no matter what. And as Machoke climbed into the ring, she stayed right next to it so she could give advice when seen fit.

Giratina folded his arms and eyed Machoke as he said, "Good to see you're taking this as seriously as you should. Those bands of yours are pretty neat," the lizard boy not sure whether to accept the compliment or not as the dragon added, "During these last two weeks, I've heard a lot of amazing things about you, such as how you almost won the Hero Olympics and how most of the villains who threatened Tokyo were defeated by you. I look forward to seeing what you can do, so don't disappoint me."

"Don't worry, I have no intention of that," Machoke remarked as his friends cheered, Gardevoir squealing, "YOU LOOK SO COOL, MACHOKE!" Gallade and Blaziken adding, "Give him Hell!"

"Well, at least he looks professional," Reika sighed, "Let's just hope he can pull off more than that," Machamp and Kala seated in the back row.

After a few seconds, Nori rang the bell as the match had finally begun. However, neither fighter moved as Giratina smirked and said, "Since you had the guts to challenge me, Machoke, I'll let you have the first move."

All went silent as the boy frowned and remarked, "Big mistake!" before charging toward the dragon. However, it seemed Giratina had other plans as he sent a strike toward the boy's chest.

However, Machoke had a feeling he would try this as he dodged to the right and grabbed hold of the dragon's arm. Giratina's eyes widened as the boy proceeded to slam him chin-first into the mat, the audience going wild as Nori exclaimed, "Machoke has already gotten an early lead! Maybe he can win this match after all!"

However, just as the boy was about to set the dragon up for a submission hold, all went silent when Giratina's body sunk into the mat. No one knew what to make of this as Aipom whimpered, "Oh no, I forgot. Giratina's not just a dragon type."

"Well, what other type is he?" Machoke remarked when the dragon rose up behind him, Gallade and Blaziken barking, "BEHIND YOU!"

With that, the dragon not only wrapped his arms around Machoke but also his wings, which he had separated into three sections like before. Less than half-a-minute into the match and Giratina had already set up Machoke for one of his signature moves as he leapt high into the air.

"He's also a ghost type," Aipom whimpered as Giratina leaned backward, flipping himself and Machoke over one-hundred-and-eighty degrees and shouting, "SHADOW SNEAK SUPLEX!" slamming the boy's head hard into the mat.

The crowd gasped as Nori spat, "And already, Giratina has landed a fierce blow on Machoke! Thankfully, he's not bleeding, but that still looked painful!"

And it certainly was as Giratina released his hold on the boy and grinned wickedly, saying, "As you can see, I'm not messing around. I was already certain I would win, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna hold back. What you just experienced was one of many powerful techniques at my disposal."

Machoke was now frightened as he turned toward Aipom and uttered, "Okay, I've never faced a ghost type before. Is it normal for them to sink into the mat like that?" the monkey groaning, "Yes. But ghost types are worse than that. Because they're part-ghost, they can also make their bodies vanish into thin air."

"Oh, so they're like actual ghosts," Machoke groaned as Aipom said, "Yeah, but I'm confused. How did his rings and mask sink into the mat with him?"

"So that's not normal?" Reika asked as Cici trembled and whimpered, "Oh god, that's frightening."

"She's right," Blaziken said while stroking her chin, "That really shouldn't be possible. Sure, the fighter himself can sink into the ground and vanish, but clothing shouldn't. Because of this, ghost types usually don't wear clothes during a match."

"Well, I still can't do the disappearing act without having my jewelry shown," Giratina replied, "but I did have my mask and rings washed in the pool of shadows thus making them capable of passing through objects like me. So while I can't use one evasive manoeuvre associated with my type, I can use the other."

Machoke blinked and said, "Well, at least that removes one advantage of yours," but despite him sounding confident, the fact that Giratina could still pass through the floor was already bad enough. He would certainly need to be careful.

Not only that, but he would need to think fast as the dragon charged at him. With this in mind, Machoke swerved to the right and sent his elbow into the back of Giratina's neck, the dragon roaring in pain while the crowd cheered again.

Unfortunately, like last time, the dragon sunk into the mat as Machoke trembled, looking around. However, his fear only heightened when Giratina's hands rose up from the mat and grabbed hold of his ankles, the boy in absolute panic as the dragon's entire body emerged. He then proceeded to ram Machoke's belly into the mat while the crowd winced.

The boy slowly pushed himself up as he took a deep breath. Once again, despite taking in a powerful attack earlier, Machoke had not bled yet. But even so, he would certainly need to be more careful. But just as he was about to attack, Giratina once again sunk into the mat.

Aipom bit her lower lip as Machoke groaned, "Any ideas?" the monkey replying, "Listen for when he rises behind you. Something I noticed is that whenever he comes back up, he makes a ghostly sound."

Tsuya shivered and groaned, "I noticed that too," Gallade smirking and replying, "Yeah, he could use that."

"Alright," Machoke replied as he closed his eyes. And sure enough, he could hear that very sound when the dragon rose up behind him, the boy turning around and sending a karate chop into the dragon's neck.

The crowd cheered as Giratina's eyes and mouth were wide open. The dragon then backed up but tried his best not to look intimidated. After all, he had an image to uphold.

However, one thing he had trouble hiding was that shockingly, this dealt more damage than any karate chop he had ever taken in from any hero. Was Machoke more powerful than the dragon had given him credit for?

Whatever the case, it seemed his ghost trick had been defeated, and much sooner than expected as he smirked and said, "Well, you saw through my tactics. Unfortunately for you, that's not good enough!"

Machoke gulped and tried his best to remain focused, Blaziken saying, "Don't let your guard down for a second. Lord knows what else he has in his arsenal."

"Your friend is right," Giratina stated, "You have only seen a small sample of my power," and on that note, the dragon once again sunk into the mat as Machoke smirked and remarked, "You're actually trying this again? Come on, I know how to get around this."

With that in mind, Machoke once again closed his eyes to listen for the dragon. But when Giratina emerged from the surface behind the boy, he went back under when Machoke turned to strike him with a sweep kick. The boy's eyes widened as the dragon wasted no time appearing next to him.

What happened next was a big shock as when Machoke turned toward him, the dragon's eyes shot wide open as he exclaimed, "HEX!"

Machoke went blank when he looked deep into Giratina's piercing gaze. Suddenly, he found himself unable to move. No matter how hard he tried he could not budge while the audience stared in confusion.

"Hey, Machoke, what are you doing?" Reika asked as Gallade exclaimed, "Yeah, this is no time to be scared! He's not doing anything!"

"I don't think he has a choice," Gardevoir uttered as the others stared at her, Beedrill nodding and saying, "Yeah, I'm getting that vibe too."

"You're right," Giratina said with a smirk, "You know, Machoke, you should feel honoured. Up until now, Arceus was the only opponent I felt was worthy of this technique. It's a simple move, but an effective one. The only downside is that I can only use it once a day, but when I use it, it leaves my opponent immobile for two-and-a-half minutes."

This was certainly bad news for Machoke. Sure, that did not sound like a long time, but in a match, especially against one so powerful, it certainly was and Giratina planned to use this time to his full potential. Sure, his explanation had wasted the first thirty seconds, thus leaving him with two minutes, but that was all the time he needed.

With that in mind, he started off by pointing his wing claws at Machoke along with his fists and shouting, "LET'S START WITH A CLASSIC! I CALL IT THOUSAND FISTS!"

With that in mind, the dragon sent an onslaught of punches from his wings and fists onto various parts of Machoke's body. While the fists certainly dealt a lot of damage, the worst pain naturally came from the wings as the spikes attached to the tips covered Machoke in holes, blood dripping down his flesh as the only expression he could give was the same look he had when Hex had been used.

Once the first minute was up, Machoke had taken in a grand total of one thousand punches, the dragon saying, "Most opponents would have gone down after taking in this move, but just to be on the safe side-"

The dragon then took hold of Machoke with his arms and said, "I think this'll suffice," as his wings reverted to their normal state. Giratina then took to the sky until he was as high as twenty seconds could get him.

He then proceeded to tilt Machoke's body so his head was facing the mat and pointed his head up toward the sky shouting, "DRAGON BREATH DRIVER!"

With that, Giratina opened his mouth wide and unleashed a blast of flames into the sky that sent him toward the canvas at the speed of a rocket. And sure enough, the move ended with Machoke's head being slammed hard into the mat, blood escaping from his mouth.

Everyone stared in shock as the two-and-a-half minutes were up, Giratina releasing his hold on Machoke and allowing him to collapse. No one could believe what they had just seen. The match had not even been a particularly long one and yet it looked like their last hope had already been defeated.

 

Was this really the end? Was Machoke really done for? He had just taken in two of Giratina's most powerful attacks. There was no way he could get up from that, or at least that was what the crowd figured.

And it seemed their suspicions might be true as the boy lay there with blood having escaped from his mouth, his eyes rolled to the back of his head. None of his friends wanted to believe this, especially since this was the same hero who had taken in Missingno's punishment and still risen after all of that.

"COME ON!" Aipom screeched while slapping her tail hand against the side of the ring, "MACHOKE, GET UP! I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT! THIS IS A MINOR SETBACK!"

The rest of the crowd started shouting at him to get up as well while Blaziken snapped, "Come on, man, you've taken in worse than this before!" Gardevoir whimpering, "Please get up."

Even those watching at home refused to accept this as Scyther snapped, "Come on, mein freund! You've dealt with worse than this!" Lopunny hopping back and forth with one leg at a time, shouting, "YEAH, GET UP AND KICK HIS BUTT!"

"Aye, it's painful to see you like this, lad," Heracross added with a grimace.

"There's no way he's gonna let that beat him," Scrafty said with a serious look in his eyes, Bisharp nodding and replying, "Indeed. This is but a minor setback."

Mawile, on the other hand, was not so confident as she squeaked, "And just think, I helped make this happen!" Gothitelle sighing, "Don't worry. I can feel it. Machoke's not done for just yet," Octillery nodding and patting both on the shoulder, saying, "Yeah, we're talking about the one who made second place in the Hero Olympics. Anyone good enough for that won't be taken down so easily."

Of course, Tyrogue and Dodrio were both cheering while the Hitmon siblings rose their fists in the air and chanted his name repeatedly. Even Lucario, Amanda, Talonflame and Clauncher were doing this as they refused to see him lose so quickly.

Machamp and Kala both had serious looks in their eyes as they spat, "COME ON, SON, GET UP!"

However, Giratina folded his arms and said, "Stop wasting your breath," before looking down at Machoke and adding, "You know, I will give you some credit. It takes a lot of spirit to take that much punishment from me. Most others would have gone down much more quickly, but you put up a reasonable fight. As such, I will make your death as quick and painless as possible."

Nori's eyes and mouth were wide open as she turned to Beedrill and snapped, "HEY, START THE TEN COUNT BEFORE THAT HAPPENS!" the wasp nodding only for the dragon to hold out his hand and remark, "Save it."

Giratina then proceeded to split his wings into three segments each again as he aimed one of the spikes toward Machoke's heart. At that moment, Reika bit her lip before raising her fist in the air and chanting, "Machoke! Machoke!"

Cici and Tsuya nodded before joining their friend. Needless to say, it was not long before Gallade, Gardevoir and Blaziken joined in, Machamp and Kala doing the same. And sure enough, the entire area erupted in cheers for Japan's hero, the dragon smirking and saying, "Sorry to disappoint you, but he won't be getting up any time soon."

He then rose the section of his wings that he planned to use to end it all and exclaimed, "SHADOW CLAW!" but just as the spike was seconds away from piercing Machoke's flesh, the boy's eyes widened as he quickly grabbed hold of the wing portion, all going silent as Giratina's eye twitched.

'No, it can't be,' he thought, 'I can feel it. This boy is nowhere near as powerful as Arceus was. How can he show this much resistance?'

Machoke had a serious look in his eyes as he said, "I can tell by your expression that you've never faced a member of my family before," the boy then shifting his arm sideways and slamming the back of Giratina's head into the turnbuckle.

The crowd went wild as the boy got up, breathing heavily before groaning, "I'm getting rather tired of these close calls."

Giratina could not believe what had just happened. No one had ever gotten up from an onslaught like that. In fact, a big part of the reason Arceus won was because he did not fall victim to Hex's power. But Machoke had. This made no sense.

However, it was best Giratina not let this get to him too much as he shook the pain off of the back of his head and righted himself up, saying, "I have to admit, you have managed to surprise me a couple of times, but don't get a swelled head. This is a minor setback."

With that, the dragon charged at Machoke with his head aimed at the boy's chest. However, Machoke once again managed to dodge as he wrapped his arms around Giratina, leaning backward and planting the side of the dragon's head into the mat, the crowd going wild.

"WAY TO GO, MACHOKE!" Gallade exclaimed, Machamp hugging Kala and shouting, "THAT'S OUR BOY DOWN THERE!" the woman rolling her eyes and sighing, "Yes, he certainly is."

And it did not end there as Machoke sent a drop kick into the dragon's neck. He would have attempted a submission hold, but he knew that Giratina would likely sink into the mat again if he tried that.

Aipom let down a light tear as Nori exclaimed, "And just as it seemed all was lost, Machoke has recovered from Giratina's onslaught and is now on the offensive! He's known for turning bad situations in his favour and it seems he's still got it!"

Beedrill rose his arms in the air and exclaimed, "Yeah, you rule, Machoke!" the announcer asking, "Aren't you supposed to be neutral?" the wasp retorting, "This isn't a match between heroes, so I couldn't care less about that rule."

But just as Machoke was ready to do more, his eyes widened when Giratina wrapped two his wing fragments around his ankles. While he had been overconfident before, the dragon was feeling beyond peeved now as he pulled on the boy's feet thus causing Machoke to fall on his back. Giratina then rose to his own feet with his teeth gritted.

"You're annoyingly persistent," Giratina growled as he combined the lower two fragments of his wings together.

He then proceeded to leap high above the mat while adding, "No matter. You're still nowhere near Arceus' level of power, so I'm sure this will be enough to finish you off."

Aipom's eyes widened as she spat, "MACHOKE, GET OUT OF HIS GRIP!" the boy smirking and saying, "Don't worry, I can get out of this."

What happened next not only shocked Giratina but also the crowd as Machoke did not escape but rather ignored the grip on his ankles. Instead, he flipped his body upward while the wing fragments were still bound to him and took hold of the dragon.

All went silent as he flipped Giratina over, the dragon's eyes wide with shock as the boy wrapped his arms and legs around him. Giratina would have attempted to escape, but he was too shocked by this strategy to think straight, his head soon driven into the mat as Machoke spat, "ULTIMATE DRIVER!"

The crowd stared in amazement as Machoke allowed Giratina's body to collapse, but after a few seconds, they could not help but burst into heavy cheers. Kala and Machamp were both shocked and impressed while Machoke's friends cheered the loudest of everyone else.

"How did you know that would work?" Aipom asked as Machoke took a deep breath and replied, "I got to thinking and realized a couple of things. The first thing that came to mind is that Giratina has never seen me in action before. He wasn't around when Lucario found a way to exploit each and every one of my finishing moves, so I had a feeling he wouldn't know how to counter the Ultimate Driver."

"That's a good point," Blaziken said as Reika nodded and replied, "That's true. Giratina's never even seen his finishing moves, though a part of me thought he would have at least tried studying Machoke's previous fights to prepare himself."

In London, Talonflame turned to Lucario and asked, "Hey, did you figure that would be the case?" the dog replying, "I wasn't certain, but considering how arrogant Giratina seems, I figured there was a possibility he wouldn't make a lot of preparations for this match. I just didn't know he was truly that foolish, though."

"So what was the second thing you noticed?" Aipom asked as suddenly, the crowd gasped.

Sure, this should have been expected, but after Machoke had successfully pulled off one of his finishing moves, it was distressing to see Giratina rise up after taking in such a hard blow to the head. Sure, Talonflame had gotten up after sustaining Machoke's Muscle Tombstone, but it was still uncommon for such a thing to happen.

The dragon took deep breath and growled, asking, "Yes, what is the second thing you noticed about me? I'm pretty sure you're bluffing seeing as I don't have any weaknesses."

"Actually, you do," Machoke remarked, shockingly nowhere near as frightened as the crowd was to see the dragon standing, "and it took me a while, but I eventually noticed this with all of your other moves up to this point. I've heard how strong you are, how a single move from you was enough to take down the mighty Dragonite back in the day."

"Oh yeah, I heard of that, too," whispered one audience member, another adding, "Dragonite was one of the most powerful fighters back in the day."

"Yeah, I remember her," Giratina replied, "Honestly, she didn't live up to the hype," Machoke remarking, "Well, if that's the case, then how was I able to stand up to your most powerful moves? Going by your track record, I shouldn't have been able to get up after taking in that onslaught of punches earlier."

All went silent as the dragon narrowed his eyelids, saying, "Yes, you really shouldn't have," Gallade asking, "So does that mean he's not as strong as the stories say?"

"I think what Machoke means is that he's not that strong anymore," Blaziken added as Machoke nodded, Giratina's eyes widening as the boy added, "Think about it. You may have been a powerhouse back in the day, but if I'm not mistaken, you and the heroes who opposed you were all in your forties at the time, right?"

"Yes, that's true," Giratina replied as Cici uttered, "I get it now. It's not that Giratina's gotten weaker with age. It's that Machoke has youth giving him the upper hand."

"Are you saying age makes me weaker?" Giratina retorted as Machoke shook his head and remarked, "No, but a lack of training certainly does! You're stronger than most from your generation, that's for sure, but since you've gone more than one hundred years without training, you've screwed yourself!"

The crowd was spellbound in response to this. A part of them had trouble believing it, especially since Giratina was still able to pack a punch, but there was no doubt he was not showing the results from his moves that anyone would have expected. Sure, Machoke had a knack for getting out of situations like these, but not even he should have been doing this well against the legendary dragon.

However, Giratina refused to accept this as he spat, "SO WHAT!? I CAN STILL WIN THIS MATCH! SHADOW CLAW!" once again sending his spike toward Machoke's chest. Luckily, the boy managed to dodge in time to avoid a blow to the heart, but not quickly enough to avoid a strike to his shoulder.

Seeing this, Giratina got an idea as he sent another spike forward, piercing the other shoulder as he gripped onto the wing fragments with his hands. With that, he used the other fragments to pierce Machoke's sides and knees, all going silent as Aipom bit her lower lip with concern.

"It seems even with the disadvantage, Giratina has more than enough surprises to possibly win this," Nori said as the dragon leaned backward, pulling Machoke over his head and slamming him hard into the mat, shouting, "SHADOW CLAW SUPLEX!"

He then returned his spikes to his side with a smirk and said, "I just came up with that move. I may be old, but I can still develop new techniques," Blaziken groaning, "That's not how the expression goes."

Gardevoir, however, seemed calm as she said, "I'm sure Machoke will be fine," and this seemed so as the boy slowly rose to his feet.

Sure, Giratina had once again drawn blood, but there was no way the boy was going to lose. This was by far his most important match.

The dragon gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, so you can get up from my moves. Big deal. You're still no match for me."

With that, Giratina charged toward Machoke as Aipom exclaimed, "MACHOKE, FIGHT BACK!" the boy nodding and dodging to the right, sending another karate chop into the side of the dragon's head.

However, Giratina saw this coming as he exclaimed, "OMINOUS WIND!" a dark wind surrounding his arms and wing fragments while he spun in a circle, buffeting Machoke with them. After a certain number of hits, the boy was sent spinning horizontally into the turnbuckle, swallowing blood that just about escaped from his mouth.

The crowd was once again worried. Despite Giratina having lost a lot of strength, it seemed he was still a force to be reckoned with as he approached Machoke from behind and growled, "You may have put up a really good fight, but you're no Arceus."

The dragon proceeded to wrap his arms around Machoke once again, all going silent as the crowd knew he was setting up his Dragon Breath Driver again. If this worked, even with things going more in Machoke's favour, this could very well have been enough to end the match.

With that in mind, Giratina returned his wings to normal as he flew up high above the ring, turning the boy so his head was facing the mat. The dragon then pointed his face toward the sky before opening his mouth, a flame forming in it.

But just as he was about to unleash it, Machoke's eyes widened as he gritted teeth, the crowd gasping while Giratina stopped his attack, asking, "How are you still moving?"

"It's like I said," Machoke retorted as he latched his arms onto the dragon's ankles, "You've never faced a member of my family before!"

The boy's muscles then expanded in size as he applied all of his might, flipping himself and the dragon so now Giratina's head was facing the mat. However, Machoke had a feeling something along the lines of his Muscle Tombstone would not be enough and as such, he latched onto the Giratina's wrists while wrapping his own legs around those of the dragon.

Giratina's eyes widened as Machoke started to spin, the two headed toward the mat as Gallade, Reika and Blaziken exclaimed, "YEAH, YOU GO, MACHOKE!" Nori and Beedrill staring and saying in unison, "I've never seen that before."

"MUSCLE TORNADO!" Machoke exclaimed as he and Giratina headed toward the mat, but just as the dragon was about to make contact, it seemed even the spinning was not enough to stop him from countering this as he faced the mat and spat, "DRAGON BREATH!"

The crowd gasped as Giratina released just enough fire from his mouth to soften the blow, so when his face hit the mat, he barely felt a thing while Machoke released his hold on the dragon and leapt away from him. How could this be? Machoke had only had this move for a little while and yet someone who had never seen it before had found an effective counter for it.

The dragon rose to his feet with ease and smirked at Machoke, saying, "That's not a bad move. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. But even so, I'm not going to let myself fall victim to another move like that."

Aipom and Gardevoir both clasped their hands over their mouths as Cici whimpered, "What can he do, now? That was supposed to be his trump card."

"It ain't over yet," Blaziken remarked, "Don't forget, it's just like Machoke said, Giratina has never seen his other moves in action. That means even his Sunset Slam could possibly win him this match."

Aipom could hear this as she exclaimed, "Machoke, get him set up for your Sunset Slam!" Machoke blinking before smirking and saying, "That might actually work."

Giratina simply tilted his head to the right and asked, "What kind of name is Sunset Slam? That doesn't sound very threatening."

However, the dragon was not going to allow Machoke to pull it off as rushed at the boy. But just as he was about to land a blow, Machoke leaned backward and sent his feet hard into the dragon's chin, sending him high into the air. However, Giratina did not seem the least bit intimidated as he simply flapped his wings so he could gain control.

Due to the momentum, though, it took him a while to get full control of himself, and that was more than enough time as Machoke leapt onto the ropes and propelled himself off of them. He then tucked himself into a ball and spun vertically toward the dragon, hitting him hard in the back. The boy then turned himself around and reached his arms and legs back, snagging Giratina's wrists and ankles before spinning himself and the dragon like a wheel.

'This is the most complex move I've ever seen,' the dragon thought as he could not think of a way to counter this, Machoke headed toward the mat.

After a few seconds, Giratina's belly was slammed hard into the surface as he finally coughed up a bit of blood, Machoke taking hold of the back of his head and shouting, "SUNSET SLAM!" ramming the dragon's face into the canvas.

The crowd went wild as Giratina gritted his teeth. He could not believe what had just happened. Not only had he fallen victim to two finishing moves, but Machoke had actually managed to draw blood. Even Arceus had to deal a lot of damage to draw blood from the dragon. However, what was even more alarming was that when the dragon's face collided with the canvas, he noticed a small fragment of his mask had chipped off and fallen right in front of him.

All went silent as it seemed Machoke had done more than just ship Giratina's mask. He had put a small crack in it. Sure, this was a sign that the boy's efforts had been worth it up to this point, but at the same time, no one knew just how the dragon would take this.

And it seemed he was taking this rather poorly as his eyes narrowed to the point where they looked more like thin diamonds. He then gritted his teeth and growled, "Alright, I can see that you really are a threat. You were annoying before, but I can't let you live any longer."

Machoke trembled as he had a feeling this was not an empty threat, and Gardevoir could feel it too. Gallade and Blaziken, on the other hand, saw this as the dragon being a poor sport as Gallade exclaimed, "Don't let him get to you, Machoke! He's just trying to scare you!" Blaziken adding, "Yeah, it's like you said! He's not the same threat he used to be!"

"I don't think that's completely true," Reika uttered, Gardevoir nodding and saying, "Yeah, I can sense a powerful aura coming from him."

It seemed to be even more than that as Giratina started to change. A row of spikes jutted out of his back while his tail became more slender and longer. Even his mask changed shape as the sides were now pointed back and shaped more like blades. His wings also became slightly longer thus allowing him to form a forth pair of wing strands. And to top it all off, more spikes formed on him, only these ones were on the sides of his arms.

"I never thought anyone would bring this side out of me again," Giratina said while taking many deep breaths, "I see it now. You may not be on the level of Arceus, but as I am now, you might as well be. Not even he was able to surprise me like you have so far."

Machoke panicked and spat, "Oh my god, Aipom, I might not be able to win this after all!" Aipom sighing, "Machoke, you've dealt with opponents like this before. So what if he's stronger now? The world is depending on your victory!"

The boy let out a sigh and uttered, "Yeah, you're right," only for Giratina to fly at him and deliver a headbutt to his back.

It got worse when Giratina proceeded to wrap his arms around the boy, Machoke crying out in pain. After all, the dragon's spikes were digging into his flesh now as he smirked and said, "Time to reintroduce you to an old friend," before wrapping his wing strands around the boy and leaping high into the air, leaning backward and shouting, "DRAGON CLAW SUPLEX!"

The crowd gasped as Machoke's head hit the mat hard, the boy coughing up blood while Giratina removed his spikes and allowed him to collapse. Not only did Giratina have this new look, but he seemed to be stronger. Sure, it only stood to reason that this would deal more damage than before now that Machoke was weakened, but somehow, that was even more powerful than it should have been. Perhaps this new form increased the dragon's power.

"MACHOKE!" Gardevoir squeaked while Tsuya groaned, "Oh god, that looked horrible."

Nori blinked and said, "Well, things have taken a nasty turn for the worse. Can Machoke resist like he always has and make a comeback or is this really the end?"

Lucario gritted his teeth and grunted, "Come on, Machoke. I dealt far worse pain to you than he has so far and you still fought to the bitter end. I refuse to let this be it," Talonflame and Amanda both nodding in agreement.

The crowd also refused to believe this was it, but it seemed Machoke might be down for the count. His body was lying against the canvas while his eyes were rolled to the back of his head, Beedrill gulping, "I hate to say it, but this might be it."

"It should be," Giratina said as everyone stared at him in silence, the dragon adding, "When I get to this state, my power increases by an extra fifty percent. That move may not have dealt a whole lot earlier, but with my power boost, it should have dealt as much as it used to. And after all Machoke took in earlier, he shouldn't be able to stand after that."

Needless to say, this was a huge upset as no one knew what to do. If Machoke could not rise to his feet in time, Giratina would kill him. And if Machoke was dead, the world would be doomed for sure.

 

This was looking really bad. Machoke seemed down for the count after taking in just one blow from Giratina's new form. Was this really it? Was it truly over?

"Machoke put up a very good fight," Nori uttered, "but it looks like Giratina has won this match," the crowd staring in stunned silence.

Even Machamp and Kala were not sure how to feel about this. Sure, Machoke always seemed to get up after taking in blows like that, but not even he was incapable of losing. And considering Giratina had finally regained the power he used to end so many matches in seconds, one could only assume that the boy would never get up again.

"I can't believe it," Reika uttered, "Come on, Machoke," Blaziken gritting her teeth and growling, "Dammit, I wish I could just go into that ring right now and clean Giratina's clock. But this was the agreement. If Machoke loses this match, Giratina's free to do whatever he wants and we can't do anything to stop him."

The dragon looked upon the crowd with a smirk and spread out his arms, shouting, "Don't look so surprised, people of Tokyo, Japan! Admit it, deep down inside, you all knew this was inevitable! I'll admit, that boy put up an impressive struggle, but he was doomed to fail from the start! Just be glad you were spared for as long as you were for once I pierce this warrior's heart, you all belong to me!"

"Dammit!" Talonflame cursed as he fumed at the screen, "This is bullshit! He landed two of his finishing moves! It was hard enough for me to get up from one of those!" Lucario sighing, "Relax. I have a feeling this might not be over yet."

"That's right," Amanda replied with a smile, "Don't forget, he took in every single one of my brother's finishing moves and still managed to keep fighting. Sure, he lost, but he took in more punishment than any of Lucario's opponents have ever taken in, right, Lucario?"

The dog nodded and replied, "Yes. There is no doubt in my mind that Machoke still has a chance."

And all the while, Machoke's friends in other countries were watching this and thinking the same thing. Sure, Mawile had her doubts as she had never seen the boy in combat, but Gothitelle and Octillery assured her that the boy had been in this predicament more times than they could count.

Even Weedle had invited Elebuzz to his place to watch this match live. And in a Hero Planet school, Ambipom and her students had taken the time to watch this. The caterpillar and bee were both praying that Machoke would rise while Ambipom just knew that this was not the end, especially since Machamp had just as much trouble defeating Groudon back in the day and still won.

With this in mind, Gardevoir stood up from her seat and squeaked, "Come on, Machoke! I know that wasn't enough to beat you! You taught me to stay strong in these sorts of situations, so I know you can do this! So get up and win this match!"

"Yeah, she's right!" Gallade spat, "It's not over yet!" Giratina rolling his eyes and sighing, "You hero types are all the same. You just can't accept when it's over."

"That's cause it ain't!" Blaziken snapped, "You might not know it, but Machoke has a knack for getting out of these situations! You'll see! He'll make a full recovery when it counts!" Cici nodding and adding, "Yeah, he always manages to pull through at the right time."

"Yes, and this has been a trend with his family for generations," Keiko stated, "I know. His father was exactly the same," Machamp nodding and barking, "Come on, son, get up!"

The crowd and even Giratina were shocked to see him there, but the silence ended when Kala exclaimed, "COME ON, SON, KICK HIS SORRY ASS ALL THE WAY TO NEXT WEEK!"

"That's right!" Reika shouted, "Show us that fighting spirit of yours!" many other members of the audience giving their support while Giratina gritted his teeth and pointed all eight of his wing spikes toward the boy, shouting, "YOU WON'T BE SO CONFIDENT WHEN I'M THROUGH WITH HIM!"

"Machoke," came a surprising voice, everyone turning to see it was Beedrill giving this chant as he repeated, "Machoke. Machoke."

Nori nodded and rose her fist in the air, chanting, "Machoke! Machoke!" Reika, Cici and Tsuya all shouting, "Machoke! Machoke!"

It was not long until Gardevoir, Gallade and Blaziken joined in followed by Machamp and Kala. Aipom also joined the chant, waving all three of her hands in the air. Throh and Sawk gave their support as well and soon enough, the entire dome was flooded with people chanting Machoke's name. And during all of this, Giratina only continued to get more annoyed by the second.

With that in mind, he shouted, "ULTIMATE SHADOW CLAW!" sending his claws toward Machoke's chest only for the boy to suddenly wrap his arms around himself. Everyone stared in shock as they could not believe it. Sure, his arms had been pierced, but Machoke had just saved himself with the Mach Cover.

All went silent as the boy slowly opened his eyes while gritting his teeth. Giratina's eyes widened as he pries his spikes out and aimed them toward the boy's forehead instead. However, there was no way Machoke would allow this.

As such, he threw his arms upward and grabbed hold of all eight wing strands, the dragon growling before shouting, "STOP BEING SO PERSISTENT! CAN'T YOU SEE IT'S HOPELESS!?"

The crowd was unsure of whether to cheer or not when Giratina lifted him up, flinging the boy high into the air. He then vanished briefly before appearing right above Machoke with his forehead aimed at the boy's back, shouting, "SHADOW FORCE!" and ramming himself hard into that very spot.

"MACHOKE!" everyone spat with panic in their eyes as the boy was once again slammed hard into the canvas, Aipom letting down light tears and shaking her head.

"As you can see, this was inevitable," Giratina said with a sigh, "He barely recovered from that last hit. There's no way he's getting up from that."

However, it seemed like Machoke had incredible fortune as just when the dragon was ready to finish him off for good, the boy once again recovered. Not only that, he had managed to rise to his feet and act as if all the damage dealt earlier meant nothing, the boy taking a few deep breaths before sporting a serious look.

"No," Giratina uttered, shaking his head, "How? How do you keep getting back up?"

Everyone else was silent as the dragon snapped, "Please answer my question! How do you keep getting up!? No one should be able to recover from that and yet somehow, you always seem to rise to your feet! How do you pull it off!?"

"It's like I said earlier," Machoke remarked, "You've never dealt with the likes of my family before. I'm pretty sure if my grandfather had fought you back in the day, he would have been even more of a challenge than Arceus."

Reika let down light tears and sniffed, "You know, I'm used to him being badass under the worst of circumstances, but not this badass," Gardevoir nodding and replying, "I know. He's so cool."

"Stop it!" Giratina retorted, "All you people are supporting is the inability to know when to quit! I'm willing to bet that he really has been beaten but his body refuses to admit it!" Machoke remarking, "If that's true, then how am I able to speak to you? My brain would have to function for that to work, right?"

The dragon had nothing to say to that. Machoke was right. Somehow he had survived two finishing moves while Giratina was in his strongest state, but that hardly mattered. All the dragon would have to do is hit him with one more move like that and it would be over.

With that in mind, he sped toward Machoke with his wings and arms at the ready only for the boy two send a two-handed karate chop into his chest. The crowd went wild as Aipom squealed, "ALRIGHT, MACHOKE, DON'T STOP!"

"I don't plan to!" the boy remarked as he grabbed hold of the Giratina's arm, flipping the dragon over his head as the back of his neck hit the canvas.

The crowd was even more ecstatic as Machoke thought, 'Alright, I need to think about my next move. My biggest mistake when facing Lucario was using my best move too early. I'm not doing that again.'

However, before he could think further, Giratina quickly rose to his feet and growled, saying, "You are seriously pissing me off. I'm going to end this right now."

Machoke once again was on the defensive but the dragon refused to allow himself to fall for another evasive action. As such, he sank into the mat while all went silent, Machoke closing his eyes and listening for the sound. Unfortunately, it seemed Giratina had other plans as his wings came up behind Machoke, the boy turning only to notice the dragon's whole body had not risen. It seemed the wings were a distraction while the dragon's arms came up from under Machoke, taking hold of his ankles.

"MACHOKE, GET OUT OF THAT!" Aipom screeched as the boy laughed nervously, uttering, "I don't think I can."

And just like the last time Giratina had done this, he rose up from the mat and held Machoke high above his head. However, it seemed he had other plans as he said, "No, you could probably escape from this."

With that in mind, the dragon held Machoke close while wrapping his wing strands around him and leapt high above the ring, five stories to be exact. He then put on a serious look and said, "You are by the far the most annoying hero I have ever met, but it's finally over."

With this in mind, the dragon lifted Machoke up so his head was just slightly higher up. Giratina then proceeded to spin while a dark wind blew around him, leaning backward and shouting, "NOW TO USE MY OWN VERSION OF A MOVE YOU TRIED ON ME, THOUGH THE NAME IS A LOT MORE THREATENING! OMINOUS WIND SUPLEX!"

The audience stared in stunned silence. There was no way Machoke could get out of this. Even Machamp was uncertain of what to do.

"Honey?" Kala uttered, "Is there something he can do?" the man sighing, "Well, there is something, but it took me over twenty years to figure this out. I'm not sure if he can pull it off."

However, it seemed Gardevoir could not just accept this as she squeaked, "COME ON, MACHOKE, FIGHT IT!" the boy's eyes widening as he gritted his teeth and said, "You made a mistake jumping so high up, because now you've given me the time to do this!"

With this in mind, the boy let out a loud battle cry as his muscles expanded to an immense size. Machamp's eyes widened as this proved more than enough to force Giratina's wing fragments off of him, the boy's muscles returning to normal size as he slipped out of the hold.

'That's right, this was the move that helped Dad defeat Groudon,' Machoke thought with a grin, Giratina too shocked by all of this to even respond.

As it just so happened, on the night before the match, Machoke had watched recorded footage of Machamp's match with Groudon. The red dinosaur had come very close to defeating him, setting him up for a very powerful move that he called 'Eruption Driver'. With this, he had Machamp's head aimed at the mat while fire formed around them.

But just as the attack was about to land, Machamp managed to multiply the size of his muscles by ten, allowing him to expand his body to a size more than big enough to overpower the dinosaur's grip. Sure, it was a technique so hard to pull off that it only lasted half-a-second, but that was more than enough to end it all.

Machamp let down a light teardrop with a smile on his face and thought, 'That's my boy,' Kala's eyes sparkling as she said, "I'd completely forgotten about that."

The others cheered heavily as Gardevoir pointed her finger at Machoke like a shot-gun and exclaimed, "FINISH HIM!"

Machoke nodded with a grin before grabbing hold of Giratina and spinning his body around so his back was facing the boy. He then took hold of the dragon's wrists and wrapped his legs around his ankles, the audience grinning with anticipation. However, just as he was about to finish the move, he suddenly remembered what he had forgotten to do every other time.

With that in mind, Machoke pulled even harder thus forcing Giratina's arms and legs back further and bending his back so now the dragon was in too much pain to save himself. And while watching this, Lucario smirked and said, "Such a simple addition yet more than enough to perfect the move. I'd expect no less from Machoke."

Talonflame nodded and said, "Yep, that's the creative mind that kicked my ass," Amanda exclaiming, "YOU RULE, MACHOKE!"

"Yeah, you show him who's boss!" Gallade exclaimed, Blaziken adding, "You got him on the ropes now, buddy!"

With that, Machoke spun his and Giratina's bodies around while a light twister formed, the boy shouting, "MUSCLE TORNADO!" crashing hard into the canvas as smoke rose up.

All went silent in the crowd as everyone could hear the sound of metal shattering. And sure enough, when the smoke cleared, it seemed Machoke had shattered Giratina's mask with his attack, the dragon twitching all over with shock in his expression. And after a few seconds, Machoke released his hold as the dragon fell hard onto his belly, the boy taking many deep breaths as Beedrill and Nori turned to each-other, the two nodding their heads.

With that, Nori rang the bell and exclaimed, "AND AFTER A LONG AND INTENSE MATCH, THE WINNER IS MACHOKE!" the crowd going wild as Reika gave Cici and Tsuya a big hug.

Gardevoir squealed with excitement as Gallade patted her on the shoulder with a big smile of his own. Blaziken gave Machoke thumbs up while Machamp and Kala could not have been happier.

However, everyone gasped when they heard Giratina let out a low moan. However, their fear was unneeded as the dragon was unable to move, Machoke turning to face him as he took a deep breath.

"I hate to admit it, but in the end, you were the better fighter," Giratina uttered, "Go ahead. Kill me. You're all better off without me anyway, right?"

However, while no one else knew how to respond to this, Machoke shook his head and sighed, "Something else you need to know about my family is that we don't believe in killing anyone. No matter how horrible you are, we aim to save people from you without resorting to murder."

Gardevoir gave the boy a sweet smile as Machoke grinned and added, "You really were a tough opponent in the end. I'll be honest, I thought I was gonna die," the dragon staring in disbelief and retorting, "How can you act so calm about that!? You know what would have happened if I won this match!"

"Yes, but it's all over now," Machoke replied as Giratina remarked, "What makes you so sure I'll keep my promise after I regain my strength? For all you know, I'll likely challenge you again and use what I've learned from our match to defeat you!"

"Because even the darkest of souls have a little bit of light," Machoke replied with a light smile, everyone applauding him as Blaziken sighed, "He may not be the smartest guy in the world, but he does have a way with words."

"You're insane," the dragon remarked, "but even so, even us villains are bound to the code. Not even we would break an agreement, so by your demands, once I can move again, I'll leave Earth forever."

"Actually, I changed my mind," Machoke replied as everyone stared silently. Not once had a hero or villain ever changed the terms of a match no matter what. Could the boy even do that?

"I see hope for you," Machoke said with a grin, "I don't know what mankind did to make you hate it so much, but honestly, things have changed. You can always change for the better. So instead of having you banished from Earth, I'm thinking community service might be better."

The dragon's eyes widened as he remembered how due to his appearance, no one ever wanted anything to do with him. Back then, the council was much more judgemental and assumed someone who looked like Giratina could do no good. But if what Machoke said was right, there might have been a chance for him.

As such, the dragon took a deep breath and asked, "Do you honestly believe people could accept me?" Machoke folding his arms and replying, "I don't know. Do you think you could accept him, people?"

A few people in the crowd hesitated until Gardevoir smiled softly and replied, "I could," Gallade shrugging and adding, "I'd be willing to give him a shot."

"Yeah, a guy like him would make a good ally," Blaziken stated while Beedrill and Nori both grinned.

And soon enough, the crowd seemed to be won over for the most part. Some people were a bit sceptical, but the majority of the crowd was surprisingly willing to give the dragon a second chance despite every horrible thing he had done.

The dragon then let out a sigh and said, "You've given me a lot to think about, but don't think for a minute that this officially means anything. For all you know, I might just try to take over again when my community service is done, so watch yourself," Machoke smirking and remarking, "If that happens, I'll be ready for you."

With that, Giratina allowed his wings and hands to be cuffed as he was loaded onto a stretcher and taken out of the Tokyo Dome. However, it seemed all the damage dealt to Machoke earlier had finally taken its toll as he coughed up blood and fell forward on his stomach, panic filling the area as Beedrill spat, "SOMEONE TEND TO HIM AS WELL!"

His friends and parents ran toward the ring, all of them beyond concerned right now. After putting up such an amazing fight, who was to say Machoke would be able to recover? Sure, he had a knack for getting out of tight spots, but even he had never sustained this much damage and been the last one standing afterwards.

In fact, the aftermath was so serious that Machoke had spent an entire week in a coma. Needless to say, his friends were beyond happy when he finally woke up in his hospital bed, groaning, "How did I wind up here?"

"MACHOKE!" Aipom squealed as she leapt onto his face and smothered him, the boy groaning, "Why do you always have to do that?" Gardevoir breathing a sigh of relief and saying, "Well, you were out for a week."

"A week?" the boy groaned, "Aw man, I could have used that time for something else," Gallade and Blaziken rolling their eyes as the chicken said, "Well, now we can make up for that. The doctor says you can move again. It's a good thing we heroes recover faster than humans, eh?"

Needless to say, this was certainly a happy day. Not only was Machoke all better but the world was safe from Giratina and it was all thanks to him.

And with all said and done, peace had finally returned. In fact, things had become so quiet since Giratina's defeat that many heroes decided to take a few vacations granted one hero in each town or city stayed behind to keep things safe.

Missingno's old allies had turned around for the better, especially after hearing about everything that had happened. Like Mawile, the remaining six realized that they had been doing the wrong thing all along and became heroes, each one claiming a different area. Of course, they did end up having to spend a few months in prison first.

Even Tyranitar deeply regretted everything he had done and before becoming a hero on Earth himself after he was released, he paid his respects to Psyla. After all, the wolf had used up all of her strength and died just to put him out of commission so he could no longer hurt anyone. How could the dinosaur not feel guilty about that?

After a year had passed since Machoke and his friends had been assigned to protect Earth, the boy arranged a get-together in which he and all the others would meet up in Shinjuku Gyoen and just hang out for a whole day. He would have suggested a week, but there was always the possibility of something going wrong within that time frame. And sure enough, every one of his friends arrived.

Scrafty and Bisharp had shown up with big smiles on their faces, the lizard giving Gardevoir a hug. Scyther, Lopunny and Heracross were more than happy to be there and even Talonflame had decided to go with them. As a matter of fact, they had forgiven him for his deception and accepted him in their group again.

Lucario was also there and because this meeting was during the weekend, Amanda decided to come with him. Clauncher also arrived, though she had agreed to travel with Octillery, Gothitelle and Mawile since the octopus had her own submarine to make travelling much faster.

Tyrogue and his siblings were also there along with Dodrio. Golduck, Barbaracle and Ninetales had also agreed to join the party. After all, Machoke had taught all three of them what being a hero was truly about, so they definitely considered him a friend.

Of course, heroes were not the only ones there. Reika, Cici and Tsuya were more than happy to be there, Tsuya now fawning over Talonflame as the falcon groaned, "Seriously, does this chick have a problem or something?" the girl sighing, "Oh, Talonflame, I know deep down inside, you're really just a big sweetheart," the falcon exclaiming, "Seriously, get this girl away from me!"

Reika and Cici both giggled as Reika asked, "Say, Cici, how's your training coming along?" the other girl pulling down her right sleeve and flexing, her muscles actually bigger than Reika's now as the girl whistled and said, "Okay, maybe you should be the one going into pro wrestling when you grow up instead of me."

Cici blushed brightly as it seemed Machoke had even invited Enkai Mizu, the deformed aquarium owner who had helped him win the three-legged race during the Hero Olympics. And of course, the man had brought his wife, who everyone besides Machoke thought was far too attractive to be married to someone like him.

And naturally, Keiko and Aipom were there talking to one-another as Keiko asked, "So, any idea why Scizor couldn't make it?" the monkey replying, "According to Scyther, she invited her to come along but Scizor felt like it would be better if Scyther started doing everything by herself now."

"I know she's decided Scyther is ready for independence, but seriously?" Keiko asked as Aipom shrugged, Machoke exclaiming, "Hey, Aipom, me and the others are gonna play Volleyball! Wanna join us?"

The monkey's eyes sparkled as Keiko nodded and said, "Go for it," the monkey squealing with excitement and sprinting toward the area.

The human woman could not help but chuckle. After all, Aipom had spent so long trying to keep up a 'too mature to be ten' image and yet deep down, not even she could completely give up the child inside of her.

Lucario and Machoke were both on opposing teams as the dog served a spike toward the boy. However, Machoke seemed ready as he leapt high into the air, striking the ball hard with his fist and sending it over Lucario's head, the boy exclaiming, "YES, I FINALLY BEAT YOU!" the dog chuckling and replying, "Yes, it seems you did."

Gallade and Hitmonchan felt no need to join as the two of them were more interested in catching up. After all, they were a couple and yet due to their roles, they barely had the time to see each-other. Even so, they were happy to have a moment to just spend time with one-another.

Even Reika had found a chance to be alone with Scyther. She was still unsure of why she wanted to talk to the bug more than anyone else, but she would find out today what it was about.

"So, Scyther," the girl uttered while biting her lower lip, "just out of curiosity, what are you looking for in a mate?" Scyther replying, "I haven't thought about that until recently. I actually dated a guy for a while in New York."

Reika's eyes widened until the bug added, "Unfortunately, he was just a two-timer who only wanted me for my fame. To be honest, I think I might like girls better anyway," a big smile forming on Reika's face. But as much as she wanted to, the girl chose not to go further than that one question, at least not yet.

Machoke watched this from a distance as Gardevoir approached him and asked, "Are you upset?" the boy shaking his head and replying, "Nah. Honestly, I'm glad Reika's found herself. Besides, I think she and Scyther might make a cute couple."

Gardevoir gave a warm smile as the boy added, "Besides, there's already someone else I like a lot better, and I think a relationship between the two of us would actually work."

Gallade and Hitmonchan overheard this and looked up, Lucario, Amanda and Blaziken also showing much interest, Machoke not realizing he could be heard as he laughed nervously, his cheeks flushed pink. Gardevoir, however, did not seem to realize where he was going with this as she asked, "So, who's the lucky girl?"

"Well, let me answer your question with another one," Machoke replied before taking a deep breath and asking, "Gardevoir, will you go out with me sometime?"

Gardevoir gasped, her eyes wide open as Gallade grinned and whispered, "I knew it," Blaziken sighing, "You're a good brother. Anyone else would have been opposed to this."

"Well, you know, you don't have to answer right away," Machoke added with nervousness in his expression only for Gardevoir to lean forward and plant a small kiss on his lips.

The boy's eyes were wide open as she squealed, "Yes! Of course I will!"

Machoke then wrapped his arms around the girl and planted a big kiss of his own. Now he had truly gotten the attention of everyone as they all cheered and applauded him, Aipom being the only one who seemed legitimately surprised by this.

Keiko noticed her expression and asked, "Did you seriously not see the signs?" Aipom sighing, "Well, I know Machoke was the one who shaped her into a good fighter, but I never thought they saw each-other that way."

The monkey then groaned, "Now I'm jealous!" Keiko laughing and saying, "Don't worry, you'll find someone. I'm sure of it."

And with all said and done, the future looked brighter from here. But could all of this peace last? After all, no one could possibly be more of a threat to mankind than Giratina, right?

Speaking of the dragon, no one really knew what happened to him. Once his community service was over, he took off. Many believed he wanted to find himself while others felt that he had not learned his lesson and was in search of a new planet to take over. Whatever the case, Machoke never doubted for a second that the dragon had changed for the better. He believed that Giratina had gone elsewhere to train so he could become a hero on Earth some day.

 

It had been a year since the defeat of Giratina. It was still a mystery where he had gone and what he was doing, but either way, the world had been more peaceful since then. Sure, heroes would still have to face villains here and there, but none of them had even come close to being as threatening as the ghost dragon himself.

It was a fine day in Tokyo as Machoke and his friends decided to spend time at a local club downtown, that being their favourite place to hang out. The lizard-like boy was currently dressed in a black shirt and blue shorts while Gardevoir sported her favourite outfit, the red jersey and spiked collar Machoke had given her to help boost her confidence in battle. She rarely ever wore anything else and it strangely suited her, so everyone was fine with that.

Blaziken was dressed in a sleeveless top and pants while Gallade only wore pants, the boy still finding it unnecessary to get extra dressed up since heroes could actually get away with being naked. And joining the heroes were their three female human friends, Reika, Cici and Tsuya.

While the group sat inside the club on the sofa, Reika had a big smile on her face and sighed, "Scyther sent me another email today. Apparently, she's planning to come up and visit. The others have agreed to stay behind and look after LA for her."

Machoke grinned and replied, "That's great. We haven't seen her in a while," Gallade all the while looking down and sighing, "I wish Hitmonchan would visit more."

Gardevoir, who was seated between Gallade and Machoke, smiled nervously and patted her brother on the shoulder, saying, "There, there, at least she always thinks about you," the green boy nodding and pulling out his cellphone, opening up the Internet and saying, "That's true. She has sent me five emails today already."

He then let out a sigh and added, "Though I envy you, sis. You get to see your boyfriend all the time," Machoke grinning and replying, "Hey, look on the bright side. In two years, you'll be my brother-in-law," resting an arm on Gardevoir's shoulder.

Gallade gave him an odd stare before the two shared a laugh, Gardevoir joining them. Blaziken rolled her eyes at this and turned to Tsuya, asking, "So, any luck with 'Muscle Beak'?" the white-haired girl remarking, "I wish you'd stop calling him that. Deep down inside, Talonflame is a sensitive soul that just needs a little love and care, that's all."

She then let out a sigh and uttered, "Though he hasn't responded to any of my Facebook messages," Machoke raising an eyebrow and asking, "He has an FB account? Seriously?"

Reika then turned to Cici and asked, "So, how's your training been going?" Cici giving her a sweet smile and replying, "It's been going well," flexing her right muscle as Reika stared in envy.

Sure, she had seen these results before, but it still amazed her. After all, the black-haired girl had trained all her life to be a pro wrestler and yet from only a little over a year, her originally wimpy best friend had shown better results than her.

Even so, Reika was never the type to be jealous of friends as she grinned and said, "I am so proud of you. Maybe one day, we can be partners in the wrestling world," Cici blushing and uttering, "I'm not so sure about that. I'm mostly just doing this for self-defence."

At that moment, a round of drinks was brought to the group as the owner grinned and said, "A round for my favourite people in the world on the house," the others giving their thanks. As usual, everyone had some sort of alcoholic beverage save for Machoke and Gardevoir who still hated the taste of alcohol.

But while they drank, Blaziken noticed something on the TV, which was currently set to the news network. Specifically, it was a report from Hero Planet with Beedrill sitting at his desk with his arm stingers folded against it.

"Hello, everyone," the wasp stated as Machoke grinned and said, "Hey, it's Beedrill," the group hoping this would be good news. Normally when the chairman of Hero Planet gave an announcement, it was usually because of a crisis or something equally terrifying.

"I just have to say I am very pleased with how things are on Earth right now," Beedrill stated, "Crime is at an all-time low. Areas that were originally wrought with villainy have been peaceful thanks to the hard work of our capable Hero Planet graduates along with a few others who have decided to join the fight despite having not trained here."

"Well, what do you know?" Gallade asked with a grin, "It's good news for a change," Machoke sighing, "Thank god. Last thing we need is another villain coming back from the dead."

"With things going so well," Beedrill continued, "I have started set-up on something incredible. As you all know, last year marked the return of the Hero Olympics, something that used to be held once every two to three years but had not been seen in twenty. And now I have decided to hold something else that has rarely ever been seen, The Ultimate World Team Tournament!"

Interest had certainly risen now as even the other guests were fixated on the screen, Machoke picking his ear hole and asking, "The what now?" Blaziken staring awkwardly at him as if to imply that he of all people should have known this.

"It's been about the same number of years since this event was held," Beedrill stated, "Though as most people know, Machamp and Combusken won this tournament together."

Machoke nodded and said, "Now that rings a bell," the wasp adding, "Though unlike the Hero Olympics, this one is more difficult to get into. Many will sign up but only sixteen teams of two will be accepted. Originally it was eight teams, but I figured I'd give more heroes a chance at glory."

Machoke blinked as Blaziken smirked, saying, "Well, this sounds exciting," Beedrill adding, "In honour of the Hero Olympics taking place in Tokyo, we've decided to have this take place in the same location. Any hero willing to join must come to Tokyo to sign up, but to truly qualify, you must pass a serious test of teamwork to prove yourself worthy of the tournament."

"Of course," Machoke sighed as Reika smiled and said, "You should totally enter, Machoke. Lucario might join. This could be your chance to finally upstage him," the boy laughing nervously, not sure if he really wanted to face the dog in combat again.

The one time those two had fought in an official match, Machoke had wound up hospitalized with a broken spine. Sure, he had gotten over it, but it was still a painful memory. As if that was not enough, Lucario and Talonflame, another opponent Machoke would rather not face again, were friends now and would most likely team up for this.

But even so, the boy shrugged and said, "Well, I guess it could be fun," the others staring at him in shock.

Sure, Machoke had performed in the Hero Olympics despite being hesitant to join at first. But even so, it was not like him to just up and agree to partake in a series of tough battles when lives were not on the line.

"Well, I know who I'm teaming up with for this," Gallade said with a grin as he looked at his phone, biting his lower lip before noticing an email.

When he read its contents, a big grin formed as he exclaimed, "Yes! Hitmonchan agreed!" Gardevoir giggling in response to this as Machoke smirked, saying, "Funny, I thought for sure you'd want to team up with your sister."

The two green heroes chuckled as Gallade replied, "Well, long ago I might have, but Gardevoir doesn't need me, right, sis?" the girl nodding and replying, "Besides, I already have someone in mind."

Machoke blinked before nodding and grinning, saying, "Of course. Why wouldn't I agree to that?" Gardevoir biting her lower lip and uttering, "Sorry, sweetie, but I wasn't referring to you."

The boy gave her a look of disappointment as she whimpered, "I'm really sorry, but I was thinking of teaming up with Blaziken," the red and white chicken raising an eyebrow and asking, "Wait, me? Really?" Machoke nodding and reiterating, "Really?" the others equally confused.

"Of course," Gardevoir replied while smiling at Blaziken, "Remember in the Reverse World when we fought Blitzle and Aegislash?" Blaziken nodding and replying, "You're right. We actually made for a really good team," a grin on her face as Machoke uttered, "Oh yeah, I wasn't around to see that, was I?"

"Wait, those two fought together?" Tsuya remarked, "I didn't even think that combination could work!" Reika uttering, "Me neither," as Gardevoir and Blaziken laughed.

Gardevoir then gave Machoke a look of concern as the others bit their lower lips, not sure what to say. However, it seemed they had little reason to worry as the boy shrugged and gave his girlfriend a warm smile, saying, "Hey, if you two really make for such a good team, I look forward to seeing it," a grin forming on Blaziken's face.

Gardevoir breathed a sigh of relief and gave Machoke a hug, squealing, "Thank you so much! You're the best!" kissing him on the cheek.

However, that did leave Machoke with one major problem, and this was made clear when Reika asked, "So, who are you going to team up with?" the boy's eyes widening.

However, he soon replaced his look of shock with a forced grin and replied, "Hey, we have friends in other areas. I'm sure I could get one of them to team up with me," Blaziken nodding and replying, "That's the spirit."

And soon enough, the group disbanded to head home. Needless to say, those partaking would need to prepare while Machoke looked for a team mate for the tournament. But while he had his doubts before, that was soon lifted when he remembered just how many friends he had made in his time spent on Earth.

As he returned home and entered, Aipom was in the middle of cleaning when she noticed him and smiled, saying, "Hey, Machoke. Say, in all this time, there is one type of match I've never seen you partake in," the boy sighing, "Save it. I'm joining the tournament."

The monkey's eyes widened. Not only was she shocked that he actually knew what she was hinting at but the fact that he was actually willing to join a tournament without hesitation was astounding. He had matured so much since his loss to Lucario, it was hard to believe this was the same boy who would get frightened every time a major conflict revealed itself.

"So, you teaming up with Gardevoir?" the monkey asked with a grin as Machoke sighed, "No, she's already partnered up with Blaziken," Aipom groaning, "Wait, so does that mean you're gonna be with Gallade?"

"What? No," Machoke remarked, "He and Hitmonchan have already agreed to team up. I'm just gonna call up one of my other friends," Aipom nodding and replying, "Oh, okay," glad that her student did not need her to remind him of that.

On that note, the boy headed to his room and whipped out his cellphone, looking over his contacts. He then let out a sigh and thought, 'Alright, let's see who we got here.'

The first name to stand out to him was Bisharp, though he figured the knight would most likely team up with Scrafty since the two had become quite formidable together since they became heroes. However, he then remembered someone he was certain would likely be happy to team up with him.

With that, he dialled up the number and held the phone to the side of his head, waiting in anticipation before getting a response, grinning and saying, "Hi, Lopunny."

The Indian rabbit grinned and exclaimed, "Hi, Machoke! What's up?" the boy replying, "Hey, just wanted to let you know there's a tournament coming up here," the rabbit saying, "Yeah, we all saw the report. We might get to face each-other again."

The boy blinked and uttered, "Actually-" only for the rabbit to cut in, adding, "I warn you, though, Heracross has been preparing for a rematch with you, so he's not gonna go easy."

Machoke stood silently for a few seconds before realizing where she was going with this. With that, he asked, "So does that mean Scyther doesn't have a partner?" Lopunny replying, "Not yet, but she has someone in mind," the boy nodding and replying, "Well, that's cool. I look forward to seeing you guys again," ending the call and sighing.

With that, he looked through the numbers again. He figured Tyrogue and the rest of the Hitmon family would likely have found partners already, so he did not bother with them. Though now this left him with fewer options than he figured he had.

He scrolled through more names and found one he could definitely trust, thinking, 'There's no way she has a partner,' dialling up the number and getting a response, a deep female voice exclaiming, "Machoke! It's been a while! How have you been?"

As it just so happened, the boy had called up Octillery, an octopus who had not only helped him with his entrance in the Hero Olympics opening ceremony but had also helped train him in his time of need. And after a bit of smalltalk, Machoke soon got to the point, asking her if she would be his partner.

The octopus gasped, "Oh, I am so sorry, Machoke! It's flattering that you'd want little old me on your side, but I already have a partner for the tournament," Machoke asking, "Wait, you mean Gothitelle's actually going to compete? I thought she hated this sort of thing."

"Well, it's funny," Octillery replied, "She actually saw this as a great opportunity to help Mawile build her self-esteem, so she's gonna fight alongside her," Machoke then asking, "Oh, then who are you with?" the octopus replying, "Kecleon."

Machoke went silent for a few seconds before uttering, "You mean the villain you defeated in the Reverse World?" Octillery nodding and replying, "Come on, you know we've made amends now. He and Mawile have been such a big help lately."

Machoke nodded and after talking a bit more, he said, "Yeah, I understand. It's all good," the boy giving a quick goodbye and hanging up, groaning, "This isn't good at all!"

He then called up Golduck. Perhaps she would be happy to team up with him. After all, she was currently his biggest fangirl, even more so than Gardevoir. But unfortunately, it seemed she already had a partner too, a friend of hers from Ireland.

With that, the boy took a deep breath. After all, it was not as if this was a life-or-death situation. Sure, his father may have partaken in every tournament, but that did not mean he had to do it, right?

However, that thought came to an end when Machoke imagined Machamp folding his arms and shaking his head. Sure, he did not seem like the type to do that, but the mental image was scary on its own, the boy groaning and bonking himself on the head, whining, "Come on, think!"

It was then he realized someone he could likely count on, quite possibly the best ally he could have. But as he scrolled down to his name, he bit his lower lip, thinking, 'Come on, it's all in the past. Just swallow your pride and do this.'

With that, he took a deep breath and pressed the icon for the contact, holding his phone up to the side of his head and waiting in anticipation. And soon enough, he got a response as a female voice said, "Oh, hey, Machoke. I haven't heard from you in a while."

"Hi, Amanda," the boy replied, "Is Lucario there?" the girl replying, "Oh no, he and Clauncher have gone out to book a flight to Tokyo."

"Is this for the tournament?" Machoke asked as Amanda nodded and said, "I'd go too, but I have stuff I need to do back home," Machoke nodding and replying, "Does he have a partner already?"

"Well, yes, Clauncher," Amanda replied as Machoke's eyes widened.

After having seen the dog and Talonflame in action, he figured if Lucario did have a partner, it would have been the falcon. But as Talonflame had taken no interest in the Hero Olympics, Machoke figured he might not be interested in a team tournament either. Even so, he really should have known better seeing as Clauncher was the dog's first real friend since he quit villainy.

Unfortunately, this truly left the boy with no more options. He scrolled through his contacts just to see if he had missed anyone and sure enough, he had not. He really had no one to turn to right now.

With that, he let out a sigh and headed out of his room, Aipom turning and asking, "So, did you find someone?" Machoke not even dignifying that with a response as he headed out the front door. He needed to clear his head right now, so he did not wish to be distracted.

As he walked along, he could not help but find this all so unfair. He had been lucky to even get a spot in the Hero Olympics, but that was only because he had waited until it was quite literally too late to sign up. If the other contestants in the elimination tournament had not suffered horrible inconveniences preventing them from competing, he would not have had so much as a shot.

However, this time he chose not to wait until the last minute. Unlike the Olympics, he was actually eager to join this. After having come close to winning one tournament, he really wanted to take a crack at it again. Even if he did not win, it would have been nice to compete with his friends a second time.

"Why did it have to be a team tournament?" the boy groaned while seated on a bench with his chin against his hands, "Why couldn't it be a singles tournament like the Hero Olympics?"

As if that was not enough, would Machoke have even been ready for this? It was like Aipom said. He had never fought alongside someone else in a match before. He had always faced his opponents alone. Perhaps he would not have been ready.

However, his thoughts of doubt left him when he heard a familiar Spanish voice say, "Hey there, Senior Machoke. It's been a long time. How have you been?"

The boy looked up as his eyes widened. He could not believe it. Standing before him was a parrot he had not seen since the Hero Olympics ended, namely Hawlucha, the hero he had defeated in order to qualify for the competition. But why was he here?

Machoke was about to find out as he asked, "Did you decide to take a vacation?" Hawlucha shaking his head and replying, "No. I've decided to move here," the boy staring in stunned silence as he asked, "Are you sure that's okay? I mean, you still have an area to protect, right?"

"Oh no," Hawlucha replied, "I'm not a Hero Planet graduate like you. My family wasn't well-known enough for that. So I'm not really assigned to any areas," Machoke nodding and smiling, asking, "Still, what made you want to move here?"

"Well, remember how I became a big celebrity after almost cleaning your clock?" the parrot asked with a grin as Machoke uttered, "Uh, yeah?" before thinking, 'Did he have to put it that way?'

Hawlucha then shrugged and replied, "Well, as you know, my sponsor, Yoshigai, lives here in Tokyo. I figured after a year of getting long-distance orders, I may as well move here so he doesn't have to pay every time he calls me up. I told him all about it and he figures me working in the same location as the Hero Olympics would be muy bueno for business. The family's just settling in right now. As for me, I'm just looking around to get used to the place again."

Machoke grinned and replied, "Well, that's great. Now we can actually hang out," Hawlucha sporting a grin of his own and slapping Machoke on the shoulder, replying, "Si. It'll be so nice to spend time with you again, mi amigo."

At this moment, it hit Machoke like a brick. This must have been a sign. After all, Hawlucha was a very strong fighter. Like the parrot said, he had come very close to defeating Machoke in the elimination tournament. Perhaps this could work.

But then the boy realized this might not have been a good idea. After all, Hawlucha and his family had just moved to Tokyo. The last thing Hawlucha would have on his mind is partaking in a team tournament.

However, it seemed Machoke's thoughts might have been wrong as Hawlucha said, "By the way, Senior Machoke, I hate to ask this of you, but could you help me with something?" the boy nodding and grinning, replying, "Sure, anything for a friend," all the while feeling relieved. If anything, doing something useful could take his mind off of the tournament.

"You see, there was this news report earlier today about a team tournament," Hawlucha stated, Machoke's eyes widening as the parrot continued, "You see, Yoshigai wants me to compete and represent the company. But there's, well, a little problem with that."

Machoke blinked and asked, "Do you not have a partner?" Hawlucha hanging his head and sighing, "Si. I was hoping maybe you knew someone who could join me," Machoke's eyes sparkling as he had a big open-mouth smile that got bigger every second, the parrot adding, "I'd ask you to join me, but I assume someone of your stature would already have-"

"I'll do it!" the boy exclaimed with a big grin as he took Hawlucha's hand and shook it without warning, "I will be your partner in The Ultimate World Team Tournament!"

Hawlucha's eyes sparkled as he smiled wide, giving his friend a tight embrace as Machoke's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, the parrot exclaiming, "MUCHOS GRACIAS, SENIOR! YOU ARE THE BEST AMIGO A PARROT COULD EVER ASK FOR!"

With that, Machoke smiled and replied, "Hey, it's like I said. Anything for a friend," Hawlucha taking a deep breath and sighing, "Though I do feel sorry for whoever you were already teamed up with," Machoke shrugging and replying, "I'm sure he'll be fine with it. He didn't even want to be in the tournament anyway," the boy refusing to bring up the fact that everyone had declined his invite.

Either way, the boy could not believe how excited he was for this. A year ago, he would have passed this off as a waste of time, but now that he was used to this sort of thing, he felt more ready than ever before.

 

It seemed every hero planning on partaking in the Ultimate World Team Tournament was ready. Now that Machoke had an ally, no one needed one. Or so it appeared.

In Paris, a certain beagle with a paintbrush for a tail named Smeargle had just finished watching a performance from his ally and friend, Florges. Once it was over, he applauded her along with the rest of the audience, exclaiming, "Bravo! You are tres magnifique as always, Mademoiselle Florges!" blowing kisses to the flower girl.

Once her shift was over, Florges approached her friend and said, "Merci, Monsieur Smeargle," before holding up a handbag and asking, "Would you like to go for a walk?"

And soon enough, the two were off on a pleasant stroll through the area as Smeargle sighed, "I swear, sometimes I wish I wasn't so incapable of fighting the villains who attack these streets. Then you could focus on your beautiful singing and dancing all the time," Florges chuckling and replying, "You know by now that I enjoy fighting villains. After all, I get a bigger audience from it."

Smeargle nodded, remembering that matches were always shown on TV before groaning, "That means the whole world has seen all of my disgraceful failures!" holding onto the sides of his head and howling in agony as Florges laughed and remarked, "Don't be so hard on yourself, s'il vous plait."

Smeargle let out a sigh as Florges patted him on the shoulder, adding, "Actually, I have an idea. You have heard of the upcoming team tournament in Tokyo, non?" the beagle nodding and replying, "Oui. Everyone knows about that. So far, it's an even bigger deal than the Hero Olympics."

Florges nodded and replied, "Well, I'm certain Gardevoir and Gallade have already signed up, but what about you?" Smeargle's eyes widening as he bit his lower lip. A chance to not only see Gardevoir but also compete with her was tempting, but there was one thing keeping him from agreeing to such a thing.

Thus he sighed, "Look, I gave it a shot at the elimination tournament for the Olympics and failed miserably. I don't think this will be worth it," Florges sighing, "Is this all because you suddenly realized all of your fights have been televised?"

"Non," Smeargle replied, "In all honesty, I don't think fighting is for me. I may have gotten lucky and actually graduated from hero school, but let's face it, this isn't pour moi. Fighting, it suits you. You are just as talented at that as you are at performing."

Florges blinked and asked, "What are you saying?" the beagle sighing, "What I'm saying is that as of now, I have decided to retire from hero work. I'm much better at painting anyway, so I'll just make a living off of that."

Florges' eyes widened as she remarked, "But you can't just do that, can you!?" Smeargle retorting, "Oui, as a matter of fact, I can!"

He then growled briefly before taking a deep breath and sighing, "Pardon for snapping at you. I know you're trying to help, but it's really not helping. I'll call up Monsieur Beedrill and let him know about this. That way, they'll no longer send that monthly allowance to someone as helpless as moi. Maybe they'll find a suitable replacement who can serve as a real partner pour vous."

The flower girl was just about to retort to that, but it was too late as Smeargle bolted from the area. Tears ran down his cheeks as he could not help but feel bad about this. A part of him wanted to stop running and apologize for such a rash decision, but at the same time, he felt like he had wasted more than a year of his life doing something that was not meant for him.

However, as he turned a corner, he ran face-first into someone, both falling on their backs. The beagle slowly pushed himself up, rubbing the back of his head and groaning, "Pardon. I did not see you there," opening his eyes as he gasped.

He could not believe it. The one he had just run into was not human. Instead, this being was a bee with a honey-comb shaped abdomen, said part also resembling a dress. Her upper body was perfectly round and her arms were long, thin and black with two orange claws on the end of each one. She had lovely red eyes like rubies and a gem in the middle of her forehead.

Either way, Smeargle's gentleman nature kicked in as he approached the bee and held his arm out, helping her up as she said, "Thank you. You're too kind."

The beagle breathed a sigh of relief before gasping, "Where are my manners!?" before bowing his head and saying, "I am Monsieur Smeargle," before taking the bee's hand and kissing it.

The bug simply chuckled and replied, "No need to be so formal," Smeargle blinking and saying, "You must not be from around here. This is how we greet one-another in France," the bee nodding and replying, "So polite and charming. I could get used to that."

The bee then cleared her throat and said, "My name is Vespiquen. It is a pleasure to meet you," Smeargle sighing, "Well, it would be more of a pleasure if we met under better circumstances," the beagle turning away from her and hanging his head.

Vespiquen blinked and asked, "May I ask what's wrong?" the beagle just about to flee from the area before letting out a sigh.

In truth, a part of him just wanted to tell someone else what was bothering him. While Vespiquen may have been a complete stranger, something about her just seemed so inviting, like Smeargle could just trust her.

And with that in mind, the two took a seat on a bench as the beagle explained everything. He told her about the tournament, how Florges had suggested joining and how he just could not bring himself to fight anymore.

"But why?" Vespiquen asked as Smeargle sighed, "Because I am not worthy of being a hero on Earth. The fight I won to graduate was the only time I ever won, and even then, it was a fluke. No one seemed to notice, but I didn't actually earn that victory."

The beagle remembered it plain as day, like it happened yesterday. There he was in the ring with the oldest of the legends, a tan man who resembled an ogre with a red nose and protruding pink veins on his body named Conkeldurr.

Smeargle had been beaten constantly throughout the fight, and it made sense. This fighter had trained himself to be amazingly strong by carrying around a pair of rocks like walking sticks for years.

However, after taking in a fierce punch to the face, Smeargle wiped blood off his mouth and thought, 'Non, I have to win this. I promised myself I'd graduate so I could be a hero like Mademoiselle Gardevoir!'

With that in mind, he slowly got up and ignored the pain, charging at Conkeldurr and shouting, "TAIL BRUSH PUNCH!" sending the tip of paintbrush-like tail into the man's face.

Strangely enough, not only did the fighter not even attempt to defend himself, but shockingly, this weak-looking attack actually seemed to work as his eyes and mouth widened, the man falling hard on his back while the spectators stared in absolute bewilderment. That was the only attack that had actually landed throughout the entire match and yet it was enough to knock down one of the strongest fighters from the previous generation.

However, Smeargle did not initially look as happy as he should have to have won the match. In fact, he actually looked concerned as he had heard something while sprinting toward his opponent, the sound of something breaking. But he quickly replaced his concern with a wide smile as he cupped his hands together over his head, waving them in a celebratory fashion while everyone else applauded him.

Back in present time, the beagle took a deep breath and groaned, "You see, my move did not actually defeat him. I don't think it did much more than leave a light graze on his face. I had my suspicions, but the more I think about it, the more I can't help but think the only reason I won that match was because his back gave out. After all, while the other heroes are currently in their forties, Conkeldurr is in his sixties. He's not as physically fit as the others, and even they have lost strength over the years."

Vespiquen tapped her chin and replied, "That does sound pretty bad, but there's one thing that confuses me," the beagle giving her an odd look as she added, "I don't see why you would have needed a lucky break to have won that match."

"What do you mean?" Smeargle uttered as the bee replied, "I can actually feel a great deal of power coming from you. You see, I can gauge the strength of a hero by looking at him, and you are just flowing with potential."

"Non," the beagle replied with a light chuckle and shaking his head, "That's cute, but I know you're just being nice," Vespiquen shaking her head and remarking, "On the contrary, you don't realize just how great you can be. Trust me on this one, you are flowing with power that's just waiting to be released."

Smeargle stared in silence. A part of him wanted to believe this, but at the same time, it just made no sense to him. This bee was talking nonsense, so why did he not just get up and leave? Was his desire to believe her words stronger than his common sense?

"Do you truly believe that I have what it takes?" Smeargle asked, "Am I really as strong as you say? Because I don't feel it at all," Vespiquen nodding and replying, "Trust me on this one. Your problem is that you lack confidence. I'm certain you can do this, maybe even win the Ultimate World Team Tournament."

The beagle's eyes sparkled. Though he still doubted himself to some degree, something about Vespiquen seemed to convince him that her words just might be true.

As such, he got up with fire in his eyes and exclaimed, "At the very least, it won't hurt to try!" turning back to the bee and saying, "Merci beaucoup, mon amis. I will go and ask Florges to be my partner in the Ultimate World Team Tournament!"

However, just as he was about to leave, Vespiquen said, "That's not quite what I had in mind," the beagle's eyes widening as he turned to her, the bee adding, "Though it sounds ideal to work alongside a friend, it would be best if you team up with me. Florges may know you well, but she does not see the power inside of you like I do. I can help you unlock your hidden potential more than anyone else, so team up with me and I guarantee that first place will be yours."

Smeargle was just about to decline such an offer. After all, he and Florges had been good friends ever since the beagle graduated. And yet strangely enough, the minute he looked into the bee's eyes, he once again felt like he could trust her, like her words were all that mattered right now.

With that in mind, the beagle knelt down on one knee, kissing Vespiquen's hand again before saying, "If you can truly help me master my abilities, I will be more than happy to fight alongside you," the bee nodding and replying, "You won't regret this, but don't breathe a word of this to your friend just yet."

"Why not?" Smeargle asked with a look of confusion, the bee stating, "It will be so much better if you surprise her. Make her think you've lost your fighting spirit and then catch her off-guard by showing up at the very event you swore you wouldn't so much as approach."

"I hate to be dishonest, but it would be a very pleasant surprise for her," Smeargle replied with a nod, "Oui, I shall do that. Again, merci. You have given me hope," the beagle sprinting toward his house to get ready.

Vespiquen implied a smirk as she thought, 'Hook, line and sinker,' before flapping her wings and hovering along the sidewalk.

And so for the next week, heroes from around the globe prepared themselves for the tournament. Of course, many were also worried about what this big test of teamwork was, but they were sure they could pass it. After all, it could not have been nearly as difficult as the three-legged race in the Hero Olympics.

Machoke and Hawlucha seemed to to work very well during training. Both pulled out all the stops when sparring with each-other and despite Machoke having beaten Hawlucha when the two faced each-other, now they seemed evenly matched.

Currently, the two had their hands together, each one trying to push the other back. When neither succeeded after a few seconds, they let go and took many deep breaths, Machoke asking, "You up for a break?" the parrot nodding and replying, "Si. It's been a hard workout," the two taking a seat.

Aipom, meanwhile, peered out the window to watch them and smiled. She felt so proud of Machoke right now. It usually took a lot just to motivate him to train, and yet he had taken this very seriously. Perhaps the boy did stand a chance, especially with him and Hawlucha seeming to have rather good chemistry.

And of course, it was not just the two of them. Gallade and Hitmonchan had worked hard to make sure they both fought well together while Gardevoir and Blaziken practised the combination moves they had used on Blitzle and Aegislash, trying to develop ways to improve them. Needless to say, they were ready for this.

And soon enough, the big day came as many heroes came from their respective areas to compete in the Ultimate World Team Tournament. Naturally, Beedrill had come all the way to Earth to open up the event with Nori, Tokyo's main announcer, by his side.

Everyone was to gather in a building made specifically for the event, many people lined up outside as Reika took a deep breath, standing with her friends. While Tsuya and Cici were beyond excited to see the teams participating, they soon noticed their black-haired friend looking nervous beyond compare.

"Hey, Reika, you okay?" Tsuya asked as the girl replied, "Yeah, I just hope I look good enough right now," the girl wearing a nice sweater with her hair in a ponytail for a change, Tsuya rolling her eyes.

"I'm sure Scyther won't care too much," Cici said with a smile as she placed a hand on Reika's shoulder, "She likes you just the way you are," Reika sighing, "Yeah, I know. I just haven't seen her in a while."

Aipom stood next to her and sighed, "Honestly, I hope Machoke will be okay," Reika looking down at the monkey and asking, "What do you mean?"

"Well, they said since this tournament is team-based, trainers aren't allowed to assist their students," Aipom replied as Cici uttered, "Really?" Reika sighing, "You know, Aipom, Machoke has matured quite a bit. I'm sure he and Hawlucha will work fine together."

The monkey gritted her teeth and rubbed her temple, groaning, "I know, but I can't help it! I've been his trainer for so long! It's weird not being on the sidelines to give him advice!"

"Hey, look, the heroes are here!" one member of the crowd exclaimed as soon, the girls looked toward a designated entrance where the teams were headed. Machoke turned toward the girls and smiled wide, giving them a wave as Hawlucha patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Hey, you can walk over and say hello. The door doesn't open for ten minutes."

"Ten minutes?" Machoke remarked as one nearby hero sighed, "We had to come super early and we still have to wait?"

Sure, this made little sense, but either way, Machoke was glad he could get at least some time to talk to his friends. But just as he was about to approach them, a certain green insect beat him to it.

"Hello, Reika," the insect said with a smile as Reika blushed lightly and replied, "Hey, long time no see," Machoke shocked to see Talonflame of all people approach her and sigh, "Dammit, Scyther, even when working on a team, you always gotta be first," the falcon folding his arms.

Cici blinked as Tsuya's eyes sparkled, the girl exclaiming, "Hey there, Talonflame! Did you get all my Facebook messages?" the falcon shifting his eyes back and forth and uttering, "Uh, no?" only for Machoke to walk over, saying, "Hey, guys. What's up?"

"Oh, thank god, a distraction," Talonflame sighed as Scyther turned and smirked, saying, "Hey, Machoke. We might actually get to face off this time," the boy grinning and replying, "I look forward to that."

And soon enough, Gallade, Gardevoir, Blaziken and Hitmonchan joined the group as well, all of them giving a nice hello. Lopunny and Heracross soon approached the group to have some small-talk as well, Cici eventually bringing up the one subject everyone was too distracted to point out.

"What are you doing here, anyway, Talonflame?" the blue-haired girl asked as Talonflame blinked, Aipom saying, "That's a good point. I didn't think you cared about this sort of thing."

The falcon shrugged with a grin and said, "Well, first of all, I've been out of the spotlight for too long, but also, Scyther figured we'd make for a good team, and now that she's no longer taking advice from Mommy, she needs all the help she can get."

Scyther gave him a cold look as the falcon laughed and exclaimed, "Come on, get a sense of humour!" patting her on the shoulder as the others groaned, "I didn't find that funny either," Machoke then blinking and asking, "So the ally I heard you were trying to get a hold of was Talonflame, then."

Scyther nodded and replied, "Ja. He may be a bit extreme, but he is a good ally," the falcon sighing, "I hate to admit it, but this working with others thing actually does feel pretty good. Just don't let me down like a certain British-"

However, he was cut off when a familiar voice came from behind him, asking, "A certain British what?" everyone turning to face a familiar blue dog with a white circle on his chest where a spike used to be.

Lucario let out a light chuckle and said, "You never change, Talonflame," Machoke grinning and asking, "Hey, how have you been? We haven't seen you in a long time either."

"Don't forget me," came the voice of a familiar blue lobster, namely Clauncher as everyone looked down, Machoke saying, "Oh yeah, I almost forgot you're Lucario's partner."

"Hey, yeah, why didn't you even think about asking me to team up with you?" Talonflame asked as Lucario sighed, "My first team match was with Clauncher. Besides, I already had a feeling you'd want to fight alongside Scyther," the falcon blinking at Clauncher smirked and said, "Watch out. Lucario and I may take on you two in the tournament."

She then winked at Machoke and added, "And don't think we'll go easy on you. Imagine if we ended up facing off in the finals, just like you and Lucario in the Olympics," Machoke laughing nervously.

However, while the group continued to talk, Machoke soon noticed something and exclaimed, "Hey, Hawlucha! You can join us, you know!" the parrot, who had stayed behind with the other heroes, blinking in confusion as the others signalled him to come over.

As he approached the group, Reika grinned and said, "I have to say, when I heard you and Machoke were teaming up, I was a little surprised," Hawlucha laughing nervously as Talonflame and Lucario rose their eyebrows, both asking, "Who's this guy again?"

Gardevoir smiled sweetly and said, "I'm glad you found yourself a teammate," before biting her lower lip and uttering, "And you are okay with me and Blaziken fighting together, right?" Machoke sighing, "We've been through this, honey. I'm perfectly okay with it."

At this moment, Florges watched Gallade and Gardevoir converse with their friends. Next to her was her partner, a white butterfly with a red face and wings that resembled angry eyes named Masquerain. As it just so happened, she was a personal acquaintance of the flower girl, thus she seemed like a suitable answer to Smeargle not wanting to join her in the tournament.

'I'm so proud of you, Gardevoir,' Florges thought with a delicate smile, 'I hope to face you at some point,' Masquerain nudging her side and whispering, "Is that your friend with the amazing chops?" Florges nodding and replying, "Oui."

However, the flower girl was caught off-guard when she noticed a certain beagle enter the area. She gasped as Masquerain said, "Oh, look, it's Smeargle," Florges replying, "Hold on a second."

With that, the flower girl approached the beagle as her butterfly friend nodded in understanding. Once close enough, Florges tapped Smeargle on the shoulder as he turned and said, "Oh, bonjour, Mademoiselle Florges."

"I must say, I'm surprised to see you here, mon amis," the flower girl stated, "Does that mean you decided not to retire?" Smeargle nodding and replying, "Oui. You may very well have been right. All this time, I've been so hard on myself, but apparently, I have a great deal of potential within me," a big smile on his face as Florges replied, "I'm glad you figured that out, but how, may I ask, did you come to that realization?"

At that moment, Vespiquen approached the beagle and rested a hand on his shoulder, asking, "Who's this?" Smeargle turning to her and saying, "Welcome back. This is my ami, Florges," the flower girl giving a curtsey as Smeargle added, "This here is my partner, Mademoiselle Vespiquen."

The bee gave a curtsey back and said, "A pleasure to meet the great Florges herself. I've heard your skills are quite legendary in Paris, and not just your fighting abilities," the flower girl smiling and saying, "You seem like a very nice person, Vespiquen. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," the two shaking hands.

However, unbeknownst to either Smeargle or Florges, Vespiquen was studying the flower girl. Right now, all she could think about was how to prevent her from qualifying for the tournament. But why? What exactly did the bee have against someone she had never even met?

With that in mind, she bowed her head and said, "Wait here, Smeargle. I need to attend to some business right now," Smeargle nodding and replying, "Be back soon. The door opens in four minutes," the bee nodding and hovering off toward another area.

At that moment, the other heroes decided to return to the line for the same reason as Gardevoir noticed her two friends from Paris, a big grin on her face as she squealed, "FLORGES, SMEARGLE!" the two turning to her as big smiles formed on their faces, the two giving her a tight embrace and a kiss on the cheek.

Gallade looked down until the two did the same for him, the boy sighing, "Good to see I'm not being ignored," Hitmonchan folding her arms while glaring at Florges, Gallade sighing, "We've been through this. It's a French custom."

This was the moment Masquerain decided to join the conversation and introduce herself to the others. But while all five heroes talked amongst one-another, Vespiquen had hovered over to two other heroes.

One was a short light-purple being who resembled a genie. He had a pink V shape on his chest and bands of the same colour around his wrists. He also had two black horns sticking out the sides of his head, a golden ring around the left one. His hands also floated as he seemed to have no arms, a golden ring also attached to his lower body like a life preserver. Finally, the being had green eyes, a gem on his forehead of the same colour and a pink ponytail.

The other was a rather short sylph with grey skin and a lovely white dress. Her eyes were red with pink pupils and instead of hair, atop her head was a big pink crystal, four pointy ones sticking out the side as if to resemble locks of hair. She also had a beautiful golden necklace with a small pink diamond attached to the middle.

"Good, you're here," Vespiquen said with a smile, the genie asking, "So, did you find yourself the perfect partner?"

The bee nodded and replied, "Mark my words, Hoopa, I've never found a more perfect specimen. He'll make a great tool in our success, but I fear his friend might make things difficult for us."

"And what friend is that?" the genie remarked, folding his hands as Vespiquen replied, "One by the name of Florges," the sylph nodding and saying, "I know who that is. She's quite famous."

As Vespiquen had not seen Gardevoir and Gallade talking to Smeargle, she did not know of them or their connection to him and as such, it seemed her and her allies had only one target. But what exactly did they plan to do?

Whatever the case, it was not good as the genie, Hoopa, grinned wickedly and said, "Don't worry about a thing, Vespiquen. Diancie and I will take care of her. Though I hope this ally of yours really is as good as you say. You may be strong, but a weak ally in a team match can put even the best of fighters at a major disadvantage."

No one seemed to know who these two were, but one thing was for certain. They were bad news. Hopefully, Florges would not fall to whatever they had planned.

 

Soon enough, the doors were open as everyone was allowed access to the building. Machoke gave a quick wave to his friends as he headed toward the hero entrance along with Hawlucha and all the other participants. Needless to say, there was a lot of competition as more than fifty teams had come to compete. Whatever Beedrill had planned to reduce that number to sixteen must have been a real deal-breaker.

And sure enough, the bleachers were filled as Reika looked around, sighing, "We came early and still couldn't get front-row seats," Aipom shrugging and replying, "I feel lucky we're as close to the front as we are," the girls all in the third row.

"Ladies and gentlemen," came a familiar male voice as the people all directed their attention to a desk located high above the ground behind a window, Beedrill and Nori behind it as the wasp added, "Welcome, one and all, to the Ultimate World Team Tournament!" the people all cheering.

"This is sure to be a very exciting event!" Nori exclaimed with a grin, "We have many contestants from all over the world, but remember, only thirty-two of them will make it to the tournament! So without further ado, let's meet the teams participating in the elimination round!"

The crowd went wild as all of the heroes participating entered the area. Many waved to the crowd while others tried to maintain a serious look, but all-in-all, every one of them was determined to make it past the first test.

Despite having already seen them earlier, Reika and her friends still cheered heavily when they saw Machoke and the others. The boy waved to the crowd as he thought, 'It's been a while,' Hawlucha saying, "Not gonna lie, Machoke, I've missed the applause."

Hoopa and Diancie seemed fixated on the two right now as the genie nudged his partner, whispering, "You know who that is, right?" the sylph nodding and replying, "Yeah, he's the one who defeated Giratina. Do you want me to keep him out of the tournament?"

"Actually, no," Hoopa replied with a smirk, "I want him of all fighters to make it. I want to be the one to defeat him," his partner blinking as he sighed, "With your help, of course."

"Right, I knew that," Diancie replied with a light smile, but while her face did not completely show it, she was really happy to hear Hoopa say that he wanted her help. But why did that excite her so much?

There were also a few other familiar faces among the crowd. Golduck waved to Machoke with a grin on her face, the boy waving back. Her ally was a large white creature named Abomasnow.

"Is that the guy you keep fangirling over?" her asked as Golduck nodded, sporting her 'Machoke Rocks' T-shirt with a big grin, all the while saying, "I hope I get to face him. I want to show him how much better I've gotten now that I no longer rely on water all the time."

The cyborg, Metang was also amongst the crowd with his partner, Starmie. It seemed ever since the two fought in the Olympics, they had formed a good friendship, Metang actually helping Starmie improve her fighting abilities.

However, right now the cyborg was focused on Lucario. He looked rather malicious until the dog turned to him with a nod, an apologetic look on his face. He remembered full well the horrible things he had done during their match, the way he had used his Force Palm to destroy both of Metang's forearms. Though luckily, they had been repaired, so it was not as if the hero had been crippled as a result of the fight.

However, there were a few others Machoke was surprised to see there. Barbaracle, his first opponent in the Olympics, was teamed up with an orange pig named Pignite. The barnacle noticed Machoke and gave him a quick wave, his eyes implying a smile as the boy waved back.

"You make a lot of amigos, don't you?" Hawlucha said with a grin as the boy nodded and noticed the kitsune, Ninetales among the participants. Ever since her change to the side of good, she had made quite a few friends including her partner, an anteater named Heatmor.

Of course Hitmonchan's siblings, Hitmonlee, Hitmontop and Tyrogue were there as well. Hitmonlee and Hitmontop were partnered up while Tyrogue was paired up with his ally, Dodrio. Gallade and Hitmonchan both gave them a quick wave to which they of course returned the action with their own waves.

Just as Machoke suspected, Bisharp and Scrafty were among the crowd, both of them on a team. There was no way either of them would accept anyone else as his ally.

However, two particular teams no one was surprised to see there was the combination of Magnemite and Squirtle along with the twin brothers, Throh and Sawk. One thing these duos shared in common was that they rarely ever fought by themselves, so naturally a team tournament was right up their alley.

But just as the crowd was ready to settle down, Beedrill gave everyone a rather devious look as he stated, "Before I reveal the big test, I have a little surprise for all of you," everyone even more interested now as the wasp pointed his stinger up toward the sky.

The crowd and the heroes all looked up to see the silhouette of a butterfly fluttering in front of the sun. She then proceeded to dive-bomb toward the ground before coming to a halt, Beedrill opening up the window and flying outside to join her.

"This here is Butterfree, my partner!" Beedrill exclaimed with excitement in his eyes, the butterfly giving a small wave and exclaiming, "Hello, people of Tokyo!"

The crowd was rather confused by this as the two landed gently against the ground, Beedrill explaining, "That's right, folks! I'm going to participate in this tournament!" everyone truly astounded by this, Blaziken and Aipom especially taken aback by this.

Both knew full-well that something like this had never happened. For years, Hero Planet's chairman had always been forbidden from putting himself in danger, and that included fighting in tournaments. However, it seemed ever since Beedrill put his life on the line to help the others defeat Giratina's allies, he had been making quite a number of adjustments to the rules, which until now had never been tampered with.

During this time, his father, Weedle and his friend and former love interest, Elebuzz were watching this on the sports network, Elebuzz turning to the caterpillar and saying, "You don't look as upset about this as I thought you'd be."

"No point in complaining," Weedle replied with a shrug of his tail, "He's a better chairman than I could ever hope to be. Honestly, I'm interested to see how he does, though I'm not sure I approve of him teaming up with a former villain."

"But isn't our son also a former villain?" Elebuzz asked in response as Weedle blinked and replied, "You know, I'd almost forgotten about that."

Needless to say, the crowd was still trying to wrap its head around this, but soon enough, they realized just how exciting this was and figured it would be interesting. After all, only Machoke and the other students who had graduated with him actually saw Beedrill in action. Most people did not even know about his fight against Butterfree as that had taken place in the Reverse World.

With that, the butterfly smirked at the wasp and jokingly said, "I'll try not to take all the glory," Beedrill snickering and remarking, "You upstage me? Are you sure it isn't the other way around?"

"Look, can you end the banter and get to the point already?" Talonflame asked, Lucario rolling his eyes and sighing, "Impatient as always."

However, Beedrill had to admit the falcon had a point as he cleared his throat and said, "Yes, the test," pointing at Nori and exclaiming, "Take it away!"

Nori nodded and explained, "We have set up a very special race to really test your teamwork," Machoke groaning, "Oh, come on, not another three-legged race!"

Some of the others looked disappointed as well. Unlike Machoke, it was not so much the idea of having to run a long distance again but rather the fact that Weedle had already done this in the Hero Olympics. It felt desperate in that sense.

"Actually, this is a different kind of race," Beedrill replied as Butterfree rose an eyebrow, asking, "It is?" Gallade uttering, "You mean he didn't tell his partner about this in advance?"

With that, he pointed to a mountain that served as the stadium's western wall, stating, "I would like to bring your attention to this mountain right here! See, the test to see who will make it to the tournament is a race up this mountain! You will use teamwork and cunning to make your way to the top, and the first sixteen to make it will be our qualifiers! Any questions?"

Everyone stared in shock as Machoke groaned, "On second thought, I think I'd rather go with the foot race," Dodrio's middle head exclaiming, "Oy, this is unfair! We don't have arms!" Tyrogue now a tad worried as the head's sisters had to agree with their brother on this one.

"That's why you'll need to work together and find other means," Beedrill stated as many heroes were still unsure of this.

However, Talonflame shrugged and remarked, "You're all acting like a bunch of babies. A true hero would be able to scale this mountain without any problems," Lucario nodding and adding, "I'm sure we can climb it easily, can't we?" Clauncher exclaiming, "Damn straight, buddy!"

Scyther nodded as one other hero retorted, "Easy for you to say, Talonflame! You have wings!" Beedrill replying, "About that, as someone with wings myself, I think it would be unfair to use them to get to the top," many shocked to hear this as he and Butterfree had their wings shackled together by a staff member, the butterfly actually aware of this as the wasp added, "As such, any winged hero has been forbidden from flying. You will make it to the top using your own natural abilities."

And sure enough, every other winged creature had his or her wings shackled as Hawlucha expected the same for him. However, since he could not actually fly with his feathered arms, Beedrill felt it unnecessary to give him the same handicap.

The same went for Hoopa seeing as his flight was caused by hovering. And it was not long until one hero noticed this, pointing at him and asking, "What about him," the genie blinking as Beedrill replied, "As long as he stays by the mountain's side and uses his hands to climb up, he's fine," the genie breathing a sigh of relief as Diancie patted him on the shoulder with a light smile.

However, when Gardevoir finally noticed the two, she and Cici had a look of doubt on their faces. It seemed something about these two gave them bad vibes, but they could not put their fingers on it.

Scyther turned to Talonflame and asked, "Will you be okay with this?" Talonflame smirking and remarking, "Hey, I may not have spent my life never using my wings for combat like you, but I can still function without them."

"Something else worth note that you won't be bound to your partner like in the three-legged race," Beedrill explained, "That means if your partner falls, it's up to you to make sure he or she doesn't hit the ground below. And I don't think I need to tell you this, but if such a thing happens, you and your teammate will get an automatic loss."

Now a few other heroes were worried about this, but most of them felt like they could manage this. Unfortunately, this did seem to lower Smeargle's confidence as he trembled and uttered, "Okay, that is actually kind of scary," Vespiquen sighing, "Worry not. I have full confidence that you can handle this. And if you fall, I will catch you," the beagle nodding and taking a deep breath.

Butterfree then nudged the wasp as he chuckled nervously and said, "There is some good news, though. I want to avoid as much injury and possible death as I can, so trampolines will be set up in front of the mountain shortly after we start climbing," Machoke breathing a sigh of relief and saying, "Already I like this guy more than Weedle."

But just as the heroes were ready, Beedrill said, "Oh, one more thing-" all of the others falling on their faces before getting up and glaring, the wasp sighing, "Sorry, but this is important," Butterfree asking, "Can I tell them this? I want to say something," the wasp nodding.

With that, the butterfly cleared her throat and stated, "Unlike the races in the Hero Olympics, heroes are not allowed to attack others in order to get the advantage. This is a test of teamwork, not fighting skills and thus anyone seen directing an attack at another team deliberately will be disqualified."

Some of the heroes were distraught by this but eventually accepted the terms. However, Vespiquen was really worried. After all, Hoopa had sworn to make sure Florges would not make it to the tournament, and this meant using their powers.

But when she turned to look at Hoopa and Diancie, neither looked all that nervous about this. If anything, Hoopa looked pleased, almost as if this rule actually helped him, but how?

"With all of that out of the way, I guess it's time to begin," Beedrill stated as the crowd cheered, Machoke sighing, "We can do this, right?" Hawlucha nodding and giving the boy thumbs up, saying, "Worry not, mountain climbing is one of my many specialities."

However, Aipom bit her lip, uttering, "I really hope he can do this. Mountain climbing isn't exactly something I can see Machoke doing," Reika sighing, "True, but he has a knack for these things. Don't forget how close he came to losing the three-legged race."

Gardevoir, on the other hand, actually looked scared. Though she had become much braver since her match with Scrafty, the idea of being so high up off the ground was terrifying. Luckily, though, her fears were put to rest when Blaziken rested a hand on her shoulder and held her thumb up.

With that in mind, each team came to the side of the mountain, claiming a different spot as Nori exclaimed, "Alright, everyone, on your marks, get set, go!" the woman ringing a bell as all of the heroes started to climb.

For most heroes, this was not too difficult, though others used different means to make it easier. Lucario, for instance, used his wrist spikes like pick-axes, Clauncher doing the same with her claws. Metang did something similar with his fists, only because they were so strong, he was able to create holes in the mountain to use as leverage.

Dodrio did have a bit of trouble at first but ultimately decided to use their Drill Peck ability to create small holes of their own, using their beaks like Lucario used his wrists. Needless to say, Tyrogue was glad they had actually come up with something.

Octillery, meanwhile, used the suction cups on her legs to help carry her up with Kecleon using his tongue to grab onto any ledges and protruding rocks he could find. And of course, many others found their own methods of which to go about it.

And as per the rules, Hoopa and Diancie only used their hands to climb up the side of the mountain, the sylph turning to her partner and asking, "So, how are we going to take care of Florges if we can't attack her?" Hoopa remarking, "Who says we can't?" directing his eyes toward his horn ring with a wicked smirk.

Vespiquen, meanwhile, was feeling rather annoyed as Smeargle had to cling to her to prevent himself from falling. A look of terror came over him as the bee sighed, thinking, 'I know this will be worth it in the end. I just have to endure this."

However, one hero who surprisingly seemed to be struggling was Machoke. He had a look of pain on his face as he slowly reached for a ledge only for it to come off immediately after he touched it. The boy's eyes widened as he looked down below only to find he had only climbed a couple of feet.

"Oh, come on!" he groaned as Hawlucha used a free hand to pat him on the shoulder, a smile on his face as he said, "Come on, mi amigo. You can do this," the boy taking a deep breath and gritting his teeth, grunting, "Right."

As such, he started to climb a bit faster. However, his confidence started to leave him when he noticed Hawlucha propel himself off of a ledge while using his feathers to help him reach higher heights. And if he was representing himself, this would have been fine, but there was a big problem with this.

"Hey, you know we both have to cross together, right!?" Machoke exclaimed as the parrot hung from a ledge and looked down, blinking before laughing nervously and uttering, "Apenado, Machoke. Sometimes I forget it's not as easy for others."

With that, the parrot allowed himself to descend to the boy's level. But while he looked perfectly calm, those watching looked disappointed, or in the case of Reika and Aipom, annoyed.

"Oh god, there's no way he can do this!" Reika groaned, "The others are already a fifth of the way up!" Tsuya sighing, "I hate to say it, but yeah, it's not looking good."

Aipom bit her lip and whimpered, "Why didn't I ever teach him this? It could have helped," Reika patting her on the head and sighing, "Hey, you didn't know he'd ever have to climb a mountain. That's not your fault."

Machoke seemed to think the same thing as Hawlucha smiled and took his hand, saying, "Come on, Senior Machoke. It is not too late to make up for lost time. Where there's a will, there is always a way."

The boy let out a sigh and uttered, "I hope you're right," as Hawlucha started to guide his hands and feet to the right spots. Sure, they were moving gradually, but at the very least, Machoke had started to gain a bit of confidence as a result.

Diancie peered down and noticed this, saying, "I hate to break it to you, Hoopa, but your dream opponent is currently dead last. I don't think you're gonna get that match you wanted," Hoopa smirking and remarking, "That's what you think. It's finally time to initiate operation ETC, eliminate the competition."

Though of course, the first opponent he would need to take care of was Florges and thus he studied her movements. Currently, she and Masquerain were in tenth, giving them a very good chance of making it to the tournament. Surprisingly, Florges had little trouble scaling a mountain as she used a similar technique to that of Lucario and Dodrio, only she had formed vines around her arms in the shape of lances to put her own holes in the mountain, Masquerain clinging to her for support.

"Oh, clever girl," Hoopa said with a smirk as the flower girl in question smiled and said, "Look, Masquerain, we're already doing an amazing job, non?" the butterfly nodding and replying, "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

Hoopa looked around and asked, "Anyone watching us?" Diancie shaking her head and replying, "No," the genie smirking and saying, "Good," before shouting, "DEMONIC RING!" swinging his head sideways before releasing his horn ring, said item turning sideways as spikes sprouted from it.

The ring moved at a surprisingly fast speed, so fast in fact that no one saw it fly straight through Florges' vines, cutting the tips off as her eyes widened, the flower girl starting to descent as Masquerain tried to flap her wings before suddenly remembering they had been shackled together.

Luckily, though, trampolines had been positioned in front of the mountain shortly after the heroes started their ascent and thus, the two managed to land on one. Florges breathed a sigh of relief as Nori exclaimed, "And with that, Florges and Masquerain are no longer allowed to continue!"

Masquerain groaned in disappointment as her shackles were removed, Florges sighing, "Pardon, Masquerain. I thought for sure my vines would be stronger," Masquerain's look shifting to anger as she growled, "No, that wasn't your fault. There was fowl play involved, and when discover how it was done, I'm gonna find whoever did it and report them."

Needless to say, though, Masquerain was not the only one concerned about this. Both Gallade and Gardevoir looked down at their friend, feeling sorry for her as Blaziken sighed, "There's nothing we can do. Come on, let's avenge her failure, partner."

Gardevoir nodded with a light smile and replied, "Right," the girl actually having to be guided through the climbing process similar to Machoke only she had gotten help right away and thus was performing much better.

Smeargle, having been oblivious to Vespiquen's plan let alone her connection to Hoopa and Diancie, was equally concerned as he exclaimed, "MADEMOISELLE FLORGES!" only for the bee to sigh, "What's done is done. She'll be even more disappointed if you don't make it to the tournament," the beagle nodding and replying, "Oui."

With that in mind, his concern was replaced by a shocking amount of confidence as he suddenly took hold of a rock formation, saying, "Merci for carrying me, but I can climb this mountain on my own," Vespiquen's eyes widening as she could not believe what had just happened. Rather than lowering his spirits, Florges' failure had actually given him more of a drive to succeed. He was one step closer to reaching his full potential, but there were still many more steps to cross before that could happen.

However, even with one team out of the way, Hoopa did not feel this was good enough as Machoke had not gotten enough of a grasp on climbing to pick up the pace yet. And while Hawlucha seemed perfectly patient with him, the genie was not as he said, "It's risky, but we may have to deal with a few others."

Diancie bit her lower lip and replied, "Alright, but try not to get caught," a look of concern on her face as the genie nodded and replied, "But of course. Think about who you're talking to."

It seemed Hoopa really was crazy enough to go through with this, but would his plan truly succeed or would he be found out? Either way, Masquerain fully intended on discovering the truth and if she did, he would be in serious trouble.

 

While Machoke had started to improve thanks to Hawlucha's help, he would really need to pick up the pace if he was to even get a spot in the tournament. After all, most of the teams were half-way to the top already while the boy and parrot were only a third of the way.

Machoke looked up and groaned, "There's gotta be a faster way to do this," Hawlucha replying, "If you're comfortable climbing faster, then that will be the key to our success," the boy sighing, "You make it sound so easy."

The parrot then thought hard about this while the two continued to climb. After a few seconds, he blinked and said, "Hold on. I have something that could help us," Machoke blinking and asking, "What?"

During this time, Gardevoir and Blaziken continued their ascent when Gardevoir's hand slipped off of one of the rock formations, her eyes widening as she started to fall. Luckily for her, though, Blaziken was right next to her as she held her hand out, taking a hold of the girl's wrist and saying, "Hey, come on, girl, I can't save you all the time," a grin on her face.

Gardevoir breathed a sigh of relief and gave the chicken a light smile, squeaking, "Thanks, Blaziken!" the two resuming their climb.

One team that seemed to be struggling was Gallade and Hitmonchan. Gallade was doing fine, but due to the fact that his girlfriend always wore boxing gloves, this was a major challenge for her. Seeing her struggling, Gallade let out a sigh and gave her a warm smile, asking, "You wanna ride on my back?"

The girl turned to him and blushed, uttering, "But won't that make it harder?" Gallade sighing, "Nonsense. I can handle it."

However, he very quickly regretted it almost as soon as suggested it when Hitmonchan wound up heavier than he thought she would be, the boy gritting his teeth as sweat poured down his face. Hitmonchan could feel his body trembling as she blinked and uttered, "You okay, Sweetie?" the green boy gulping and fibbing, "Yeah, I'm perfectly fine!"

Meanwhile, Hitmontop and Hitmonlee were doing an incredible job with the younger sister hanging to her brother's legs while he did most of the climbing. And unlike Gallade, he was perfectly fine with this as the two had actually planned this from the get-go, Hitmontop having never been particularly good at rock climbing.

"You managing down there, sis?" Hitmonlee asked as the girl nodded and replied, "Yep. I'm all good, bro."

'Not for long,' Hoopa thought with a smirk as they just happened to be a few feet from him, Diancie looking around and saying, "Now."

With that, the genie proceeded to fling his horn ring again while exclaiming, "DEMONIC RING!" only this time, the ring encased itself in stone as it ran into Hitmonlee's hands at an incredible speed.

The boy's eyes widened as he winced in pain. But just as he was about to fall, Hitmontop jammed her tail spike into the side of the mountain, using it to hold herself in place while preventing Hitmonlee from falling, both hanging upside-down now.

Hitmontop let out a sigh of relief as she asked, "You okay?" Hitmonlee groaning, "Aside from the blood rushing to my head, I'm fine. Thanks, sis."

However, his tune would change soon enough. Naturally, Hoopa's ring had a boomerang effect and as such, it had to return to its owner. With that in mind, the ring flew back and struck Hitmontop's tail, the girl crying out in pain as her spike was removed from the rocky material, both siblings falling onto a trampoline thus losing the race.

Reika stared at this with her eyes wide open as Aipom uttered, "I really hope Machoke's being extra careful right now," only for one of the cameras to focus primarily on him and Hawlucha as Nori exclaimed, "Oh my god, what are those two doing up there!?"

And this was certainly a good question as Hawlucha was currently balancing on two rock formations while doing the splits, Machoke standing atop his shoulders and clinging to the side of the mountain, shouting, "OH MY GOD, ARE YOU INSANE!?"

Aipom and the others were thinking the same thing right now as Aipom squealed, "OH MY GOD, MACHOKE, WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T LET GO!" the others too shocked to point out the fact that the boy could not hear what she had said from all the way up there.

However, Hawlucha had a different plan as he sighed, "Machoke, if you want to make up for lost time, you will have to trust me," the parrot taking hold of his ankles and adding, "I will propel you up a long distance and you will throw you arms up when I tell you to."

Machoke still looked frightened as he retorted, "I should have known this couldn't really work," only for Hawlucha to sigh, "Look, I know I am not Aipom or one of your other good amigos, but I know what I'm doing. Let go of the side."

Something about the tone in the parrot's voice seemed to sooth Machoke's nerves, but only by a little bit. Luckily, though, this was enough to convince him to let go as Hawlucha threw his arms up, shouting, "SKY-HIGH TOSS!" Machoke beyond terrified as he was flung twenty feet into the air.

Luckily, Hawlucha managed to leap up to his level just as quickly as one would expect as he exclaimed, "NOW, MACHOKE!"

With that, the boy lifted his arms up, grabbing onto two rock formations thus preventing himself from falling back down, the parrot standing atop two other rock formations right above the boy with his arms folded, nodding his head in approval. Seeing all of this on-screen, the crowd could not help but be impressed as they cheered wildly, Machoke smiling wide and taking hold of Hawlucha's hand when he stretched it out, the two resuming a more steady climb.

Even the other heroes stopped what they were doing to stare at this in total awe. What the two had just done was incredibly dangerous and yet it had worked out so swimmingly. Then again, only Machoke could possibly pull off a miracle like that.

Reika wiped sweat off of her forehead and sighed, "Who else but Machoke?" Aipom uttering, "Wow, Hawlucha's a genius."

Hoopa seemed rather pleased by this, but was alarmed when the other heroes started to climb faster in response. It was then that the genie noticed one team climbing at an alarming rate, specifically Sandslash and her partner, a dinosaur-like being with a head like a horseshoe crab named Kabutops.

Since Sandslash had claws and Kabutops had sickles for hands, not to mention each one's incredible speed, both had the potential to make the number one spot. And while Hoopa knew full well that Machoke and Hawlucha would only need to take number sixteen at least to make it into the tournament, these two just happened to be close enough to be considered worthy of elimination.

With that in mind, Hoopa turned to Diancie and said, "I don't think I can hit those two with my ring. You'll need to intervene."

Diancie bit her lower lip and said, "We already eliminated the team we set out to take care of. Isn't that good enough?" Hoopa sighing, "Diancie, we've been through this before. I'm the leader, so I know what I'm doing."

The sylph nodded and replied, "Oh, of course. Sorry, sir," her cheeks turning light pink as she held tightly onto a rock formation and quietly said, "Gem growth."

With that, four small gems formed in the holes that each hero had just formed with their respective sharp body parts. As such, both sets were forced away from the wall as the two started to fall. However, they would not let this keep them down as Sandslash was just about to plant her claws back into the side of the mountain with Kabutops planning the same thing.

But just as they were about to do so, Hoopa saw this as a perfect opportunity now that they were no longer moving too quickly for him and sent his ring into each one's arms, only this time small flames were shooting out of small holes that formed around it. As such, both cried out in pain before falling hard into a trampoline below, both letting out sighs of disappointment.

While Kabutops was beating himself up over this, Sandslash asked, "Hey, did you feel something hit your hand?" the crab dinosaur replying, "Now that you mention it, yeah, but I didn't see anything."

Masquerain frowned upon hearing this as she thought, 'I knew it. There is fowl play,' Florges sighing, "Three teams in a row. I'm amazed no one else has fallen yet."

As it so happened, a few teams soon followed, but not due to Hoopa's actions. Some heroes got tired after a while and others were simply not cut out for mountain climbing. Some teams did not work as well as one would have expected, and their constant bickering and inability to work together cost them a spot in the tournament. One flying type had even tried to remove his shackles and was soon disqualified when a staff member spotted him doing it.

But despite all of this, there were still forty teams left, so it was anyone's game. And as it so happened, one team doing exceedingly well was the combination of Beedrill and Butterfree. In truth, neither had expected to perform so well, but Beedrill had used his arm stingers to great effect while Butterfree's stubby arms actually proved more useful than she should have imagined.

"You hanging in there okay?" Beedrill asked as Butterfree smirked and remarked, "I'd ask you the same thing," both carrying on.

One team that had made an impressive comeback since their insane tactic used earlier was Machoke and Hawlucha. Both had managed to make their way to fourteenth as Machoke beamed and exclaimed, "Hey, look! We're doing great!" Hawlucha nodding and replying, "Si! We're gonna make it!"

Shockingly enough, even Smeargle and Vespiquen were doing an amazing job. It seemed ever since the beagle's confidence rose and he started climbing without the bee's help, both had really picked up the pace, a big smile on Smeargle's face.

"Wow!" the beagle exclaimed, "You might just be right about me, Vespiquen! I'm doing better than I could have ever imagined!" the bee nodding and implying a smile with her eyes, saying, "I can't argue with you there. You're doing an amazing job."

Gardevoir and Blaziken had also improved immensely. After a while, Gardevoir had started to gain a bit more confidence in herself and thus was moving at a much faster pace. It also helped that Blaziken seemed made for this sort of thing and thus was able to move on ahead as well.

But just as it seemed like smooth sailing, one other team had the same plan as Hoopa. These specifically were two snakes, Serperior and Arbok.

Serperior had a rather lovely look to her with dark-green skin along her back and a lighter shade of green down her front. However, the skin was peeled open around the neck area to reveal a light shade of green on her head and white on her front side. She had narrow red eyes and two pointed yellow extensions on the back of her head that resembled ears. And on the end of her tail were three leaves.

Arbok, on the other hand, was a purple cobra with what looked like a face with a coal-black mouth and big red eyes on his hood. Either way, both were eyeing Machoke with sinister looks as Arbok asked, "So, is this the one who ruined your chance at making it to the Olympic finals?"

Serperior nodded and replied, "The same," as Arbok said, "Well, we can't attack them otherwise we'll be disqualified, so let's aim for something else."

With that in mind, both winked at one-another and leaped up to a rather big rock formation, slamming their tails into it like they were kicking it. However, to the untrained eye, it looked like they had used it for leverage and thus it appeared to be a complete accident when the formation started to crack along the area holding it in place.

Machoke was the first to notice this as he started to panic, Hawlucha exclaimed, "DODGE TO THE RIGHT!" but it was too late. As the parrot did just as he had suggested, Machoke was too late as the rock hit him hard in the skull, causing him to let go as he started to fall.

The audience could see this from the distance as many panicked, Aipom shouting, "NO!" Nori exclaiming, "And due to what appears to be an unfortunate circumstance, Machoke is falling! Will he save himself from disqualification?"

Hawlucha would surely help him with that as he leapt down to Machoke's level, digging his claws into the side of the mountain so he would not fall and taking hold of the boy's hand. Machoke slowly opened his eyes as he looked down with panic. However, that fear left him when he looked up and gave a light smile to his saviour, Hawlucha breathing a sigh of relief and saying, "Come on, let's show them that we won't be pushed around, eh?"

"Are you sure we can do that?" Machoke remarked, and his question was sound.

Even with the miraculous save, both had lost their advantage. Not only had they been bumped down to twenty-fifth, but almost every team was dangerously close to the top, so much so that the two would need a miracle just to place twentieth.

Though as was already established earlier, Hawlucha seemed to be that miracle as he smirked and said, "Well, you ready to try our tactic again?" Machoke biting his lower lip.

However, after coming so close, he could not throw this chance away and thus, he took a deep breath and nodded, saying, "Yeah, let's do it."

All the while, Hoopa glared down at this, growling, "Dammit, I'm gonna make sure those two pay for ruining my plans," Diancie gasping, "Come on, you've already eliminated enough teams! Please, just leave well enough-" only for the genie to glare at her, the sylph nodding and sighing, "Right, sorry."

And with that, Hoopa once again sent his ring, this time having it change into stone again. However, just as it was about to hit the snakes, Arbok slipped when a rock formation broke open under his tail, Serperior catching him. As a result, the ring, which had been aimed at where they were heading, passed right over their heads and returned to Hoopa, the genie growling, "Dammit. I guess we have no choice," he and Diancie resuming their climb up the mountain.

The rock collapsing did seem to at least distract the snake duo long enough for them to lose fourteenth place to fifteenth, but even so, that still meant they had a chance, which Hoopa wanted them to lose. Not so much that he honestly believed it would help Machoke and Hawlucha's chances but that he wanted vengeance on the snakes for ruining his plan.

Meanwhile, unlike before when Gardevoir was the one most concerned about Machoke, Blaziken was the one wincing this time as she uttered, "Let's just keep climbing. I can't look at this," Gardevoir actually smiling as she replied, "Actually, I think they'll be okay. Look."

Blaziken slowly turned her head and gazed upon where the girl was pointing and sure enough, Machoke was once again standing atop Hawlucha's shoulders while the parrot performed the splits on two rock formations. Seeing the two attempting this again with Machoke more competent made it seem like the two might just stand a chance after all, and thus Blaziken could not help but smile.

The same went for Machoke's other friends. Though they did not let themselves get distracted from their climb up the mountain, they still wanted more than ever for their friend to make it to the tournament, so right now, they prayed that this method would work a second time.

And much like before, Hawlucha hurled Machoke high into the air, the boy now confident as Scyther and Talonflame turned to see this, both smirking. Talonflame wanted a rematch with Machoke ever since the two fought over a year ago while Scyther had always wanted a chance to face him, what with him being the former champion's son.

Lopunny and Heracross, meanwhile, gave him a quick cheer while Scrafty grinned, exclaiming, "Attaboy, Machoke!"

However, just as he and Hawlucha were about to make their way into tenth place, their eyes widened when they noticed no rock formations to hold onto. The parrot gulped and uttered, "Non, I miscalculated," Machoke turning to him and barking, "WHAT!?"

However, just as it seemed helpless, four gems suddenly stuck out of the side of the mountain as both heroes immediately took advantage of this, taking hold of the protrusions. They dared not question where these came from as this was a true miracle to take advantage of.

And seeing this once again given a lot of focus from the cameras, the crowd could not help but applaud this as Reika sighed, "It's just one close call after the other with him, isn't it?" Aipom nodding and saying, "I could have sworn I didn't see those formations there before, but who cares? This is awesome!" her black-haired friend ruffling the hair atop her head and replying, "Now you get it. Not everything has to be questioned."

"Thanks," Hoopa said to Diancie with a grin as the sylph sighed and replied, "I knew you wanted them to make it."

Machoke and Hawlucha were both handing in stunned silence until it suddenly dawned on them that the other heroes were picking up the pace now, one team passing them as they nodded and resumed their climb. Though Arbok and Serperior also did so, the green snake glaring at Machoke.

"Calm down," Arbok said with a smirk, "We can get our revenge in the tournament," Serperior blinking and nodding, saying, "You're right," a grin forming on her face.

And soon enough, the teams finally started to reach the top starting with Hoopa and Diancie. Despite all of their meddling, they had managed to avoid slowing down and thus managed to place first.

"And we have our first qualifiers!" Nori exclaimed as the crowd went wild, Lucario and Clauncher almost immediately following them, the two grinning at one-another while the lobster leapt up to the dog's height so the two could share a high five.

Following close behind in third were Scyther and Talonflame, the two smirking as their wing shackles were removed. And Bisharp and Scrafty were not far behind, Scrafty blinking and uttering, "I can't believe we actually managed forth," his knight friend nodding and replying, "Yes, I would have been happy with tenth, but this is something else."

Gallade and Hitmonchan, despite their disadvantage earlier, had actually managed fifth place as it seemed carrying his girlfriend long enough had improved Gallade's strength quite a bit. Needless to say, he actually felt more prepared for the tournament now as he smiled lightly and said, "Wow, honey, we did it."

Hitmonchan nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek while Lopunny and Heracross came in sixth. Naturally, Lopunny was extremely excited about this as she bounced up and down with her arms in the air, Heracross raising his arms and making peace signs with his tiny claws.

Octillery and Kecleon, having been one of the few teams not to struggle too much throughout, had managed seventh with the chameleon smiling and thinking, 'I hope you're watching, family. I want you all to see that I've finally mastered the camouflage technique.'

Throh and Sawk quickly followed the two in eighth, both giving each-other a high five as now Gallade was a tad worried. He could not help but wonder if his sister would make it as Hitmonchan patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Come on, have a little faith."

Gothitelle and Mawile, despite both seeming unfit for this sort of thing, had actually made it. Mawile's hair, or rather her mother had helped her a lot, what with her ability to tolerate the feel of stone against her powerful jaws while Gothitelle had used her powers of darkness to help strengthen her grip on the material. Needless to say, Mawile was happy to have a spot in the tournament while Gothitelle was just glad she could have her chance. She had still barely gotten used to being out in the sun without an umbrella to cover herself.

Metang and Starmie had come in tenth, the cyborg looking down at his ally and saying, "Good job," Starmie nodding and replying, "We're gonna kick some ass, right?"

And just as Gallade was starting to worry more, his mind was put at ease when Blaziken and Gardevoir finally reached the top, taking eleventh place. The chicken grinned at her partner and said, "Good job, Gardevoir. You were more ready for this than you thought," the girl taking a deep breath and replying, "Well, you did help me a lot."

However, she was cut off when Gallade ran over to her and gave her a tight embrace, exclaiming, "SIS, YOU MADE IT!" Gardevoir smiling sweetly as the group then peered over the edge, hoping Machoke and Hawlucha could still make it.

At that moment, Vespiquen and Smeargle had emerged in twelfth as the bee breathed a sigh of relief, turning to her partner and saying, "Good job, Smeargle. You really impressed me," the beagle nodding and replying, "Oui. I never thought I was capable of such a thing."

Following close behind were Beedrill and Butterfree, the wasp noticing this as he exclaimed, "Sweet! We're actually gonna compete!" his butterfly partner sighing, "You act like thirteenth is a major accomplishment."

Magnemite and Squirtle were in fourteenth as the turtle grinned at her partner. With that, both pounded their fists together, both of them surprisingly the least exhausted of all the heroes. This was mostly due to Magnemite having come up with a tactic to get them into the tournament without them having to move too quickly or strain themselves.

Serperior and Arbok had come in fifteenth while Machoke and Hawlucha were close behind in sixteenth, the snake glaring at the lizard-like boy. However, before Machoke could notice, Gardevoir immediately gave him a big hug, planting a kiss on his lips as his cheeks flushed pink, the boy wrapping his arms around her.

"Whoa, Senior Machoke, you are quite the player," Hawlucha said with a grin as Blaziken rolled her eyes and jokingly said, "Get a room, you two," patting Machoke on the shoulder and adding, "But seriously, good job, man. I was hoping I'd get to compete with you."

And seeing this on-screen, Aipom and the girls cheered heavily, Aipom sighing, "Of course he made it. He always pulls off miracles like this," Reika nodding and adding, "But seriously, Hawlucha's a much better ally than I would have expected."

Hoopa, meanwhile, grinned at the sight of this. He cared not about who else had made it, just that he had a chance to face Machoke. And of course, Diancie was just glad to see him happy, and the fact that she had helped with that made her feel better.

Soon enough, the other teams made it to the top as well, all of them disappointed not to have placed within the top sixteen after all of their hard work. But either way, it was finally time to figure out the order of which the matches would take place.

With that in mind, Beedrill nodded as the cameras were now focused on him, the wasp standing before the other teams and stating, "Everyone, you've all put up a great struggle, but we have now determined who will face off in the tournament. As you all probably remember, the order in which the teams fought in the Olympics was chosen at random."

"Yeah, I remember that," Machoke groaned, reminiscing of the time he had been launched into a slot that would decide his place thanks to an arrow with a plastic ball attached to the end. His was the only one that broke and thus he was the only one to take in pain from it.

"Well, that's not the case this time," Beedrill added as everyone was much more interested now, the wasp explaining, "The fights will take place in descending order based off of what place everyone was in. This means Machoke and Hawlucha will face Serperior and Arbok in the first round, Squirtle and Magnemite will take us on in the second round," nodding at Butterfree before adding, "and so on and so forth."

He then brought up a chart with the orders as Lucario turned to Hoopa and Diancie, Clauncher grinning and saying, "We can take these two, right?" the dog nodding and replying, "Of course."

Scrafty and Bisharp grinned at their opponents, Scyther and Talonflame both smirking at them with their arms folded. Sure, they had no ill will toward one-another, but they were still serious about their upcoming match.

Meanwhile, Hitmonchan eyed Lopunny and Heracross and nudged Gallade, the boy nodding. After all, he had lost to Scyther in the next gen tournament and he figured a chance to take on her allies would be a good way to gauge whether or not he was worthy of a rematch with the insect.

Octillery waved at Throh and Sawk as both smiled nervously, waving back as Sawk sighed, "This brings back painful memories," Throh chuckling and replying, "Come on, you looked amazing," the blue boy remembering when Machoke had him and the octopus dress in female dancer outfits just so he could make a grand entrance at the Olympics opening ceremony.

Metang seemed rather disappointed that he could not get his rematch with Lucario, but he still intended to defeat Gothitelle and Mawile, Starmie beyond excited just to have a chance at the spotlight again, especially now that her skills had improved. And of course, Gardevoir gave Smeargle a sweet smile, bowing her head to him.

The beagle grinned nervously and gave her a light wave. Unbeknownst to Vespiquen, him facing Gardevoir would be much more detrimental than if he had faced Florges in the tournament. Florges may have been a great friend and ally to him, but Gardevoir was his best friend. The two had known each-other since childhood, so to face her, and in the first round no less left him beyond nervous.

Beedrill and Butterfree eyed their opponents, Beedrill saying, "Careful with these two. Magnemite is known for his great strategies," Butterfree sighing, "I saw them take on Absol and Blitzle. They both lost in a matter of minutes. Trust me, I'm not the least bit scared of them."

And while Serperior gave Machoke a menacing look, making a neck-slitting motion with her finger, Machoke stared in confusion. It was just like when he faced Barbaracle and Golduck in the Olympics. Both had it out for him for personal reasons, but what was Serperior's?

Either way, the matches would take place in the Tokyo Dome in three days, so all heroes were to head home and prepare themselves. Needless to say, this was exciting and the audience could not wait for the first round.

 

With only three days before the tournament officially began, Machoke and Hawlucha intended to work on their skills. But before that, they decided to celebrate with their friends at the usual club. After all, unlike the Hero Olympics, everyone protecting Tokyo had made it to the fighting tournament this time.

Machoke rose a glass of fruit punch and exclaimed, "HERE'S TO US!" him and the others clinging their glasses together as Blaziken smirked, saying, "This is great! Just think, we might end up facing off against each-other."

Gardevoir nodded and bit her lower lip as Machoke laughed nervously and said, "Don't hold back if we do, alright, honey? I want you to treat me like any other opponent," the girl nodding with a sweet smile and replying, "Of course."

Gallade, all the while, smirked and said, "Oh, and Machoke, don't feel too bad if we end up beating Lucario before you do," the lizard-like boy giving him an awkward stare and asking, "Aren't you getting ahead of yourself?"

Gallade then let out a sigh and groaned, "Yeah, you're right. Even if we did make it that far, I probably wouldn't stand a chance," Gardevoir patting her brother on the shoulder and replying, "There, there, that's not what he meant."

Machoke turned to Blaziken with his eyelids lowered and whispered, "That's totally what I meant," the chicken snickering in response to this.

Reika simply beamed and said, "I still can't believe it. You came so close to failure," Tsuya then looking around and asking, "Where's Hawlucha anyway?"

Machoke blinked and replied, "Not sure. I told him where and when to meet up with us," only for the door to open when a certain parrot stood there, only he was dressed in a fancy suit and tie, straightening said article of clothing and looking as proper as could be.

However, it was not long until he noticed everyone else was dressed casually, all of them staring awkwardly at him as he blushed lightly, grinning nervous and rubbing the back of his head. And with that, he walked over to the couch Machoke was seated at and sat next to him, still looking beyond embarrassed.

"I told you this wasn't that kind of club," Machoke groaned as Hawlucha sighed, "Apenado, I've never been to a city club before. I always assumed they were fancy and high-class, you know, that sort of thing."

The others chuckled in response as Machoke patted his shoulder, saying, "It's alright. Now you're the classiest one here," Hawlucha laughing and exclaiming, "That's true, isn't it!?"

At that moment, another set of familiar faces entered, namely Scyther and Lopunny. Unlike the parrot these two had actually been to the club before as Reika waved and exclaimed, "Hey there, Scyther!"

The bug waved and took a seat next to her, saying, "This is nice. We finally have a chance to hang out," Lopunny squealing, "I've been looking forward to this all day!"

Machoke let out a sigh and said, "Yeah, once this is over, Aipom's gonna have us train non-stop. I can just tell she's been wanting to do that since Hawlucha and I started working together."

"Guess you can't take the trainer out of an eleven-year-old, eh?" Hawlucha asked with a shrug as Machoke sighed, "Yeah, sometimes I wish she went to school like normal kids."

"So, how have you been?" Reika asked as Scyther replied, "You know, at first I actually missed taking advice from my mother, but ever since I became independent, I feel like my life has actually improved. I still feel like I've gotten stronger from training, but at the same time, it's nice to have fun every now and then."

At that moment, Scyther and Lopunny were given drinks as Gallade nodded and held up his own glass, saying, "Hey, let's toast to a fair match three days from now, eh?" the rabbit nodding and replying, "Of course," the two clinging their glasses together

"Now that you mention it, where's your partner?" Lopunny asked as Machoke replied, "I could ask you and Scyther the same thing."

Gallade took a deep breath and replied, "Hitmonchan and I have agreed to a date later and she's gone to make plans on where to go," Blaziken raising an eyebrow but refusing to question the fact that the girlfriend was the one making plans, especially since Gallade knew the city a lot more than she did.

"Heracross decided to stay at home and rest," Lopunny stated, "After that long climb, he feels really tired," Machoke replying, "I can't really blame him."

"So, what about Talonflame?" Tsuya asked with a big grin, "Is he just late? Is he coming here?" Scyther replying, "Nein," the human girl pouting and looking down as the bug added, "He's decided to look around Tokyo a bit before training. He figures this might be his last chance for a while."

That seemed rather odd due to the fact that Talonflame had spent nearly a week in Tokyo during the Next Gen Battle, but even so, no one questioned it. But after everyone had brought up the subject of heroes who had not shown up, Gardevoir had just thought of something as she bit her lower lip.

"What's wrong?" Machoke asked as the girl sighed, "Now that you mention it, I invited Smeargle to join us after the race. He agreed to come but then sent me a text saying he couldn't. I asked him why but he hasn't responded."

"Wow, that's not like him at all," Gallade replied with confusion, "He's usually so eager to spend time with you," Machoke shrugging and replying, "He's your best friend from Paris, right?"

Gardevoir nodded as the boy grinned and added, "Well, maybe he's just really nervous about fighting you. He probably thinks that seeing you before the match will distract him from training or even make him regret joining the tournament in the first place."

"You know, that would make sense," Blaziken replied with a shrug, "You did say he's never been fully confident in himself when it comes to fighting, right?" Gardevoir nodding with a light smile and saying, "You might be right. Maybe the reason he didn't tell me is because he didn't want me to feel at fault."

"Well, there you go," Gallade said with a shrug, "Perfectly logical explanation," only to notice Gardevoir still a little nervous, the boy asking, "You're not getting cold feet yourself, are you?"

"Well, no," Gardevoir replied with a cute smile, "It's just amazing that Smeargle finally gets his wish of facing me in an official match. He really wanted to when we both joined the Grenoble tournament. But unfortunately, he lost the first round to my finals opponent. He tried to cover it up, but I could tell he was really upset about that."

She remembered it plain as day, that event over a year ago when she and Smeargle had joined the elimination tournament where the winner would qualify for the Hero Olympics. The very first match was between Smeargle and a perfectly round blue mouse named Marill.

The match between the two had only gone for two minutes, and yet not only that Smeargle not landed a single hit, he was also lying on his back, covered in bruises. Marill stood atop the turnbuckle and folded her arms, laughing at this, using the sphere on her tail to hold herself up.

"What were you thinking joining a tournament?" she asked with a smug grin before bouncing up and down with the help of her tail, "You're so weak that victory's already in my grasp. You are nothing more than a small stepping stone to help me on my way to the top."

Smeargle tried to get up but found himself barely breathing at this point as Gardevoir got up and squeaked, "COME ON, SMEARGLE, YOU CAN DO IT!" only for Marill to bounce high into the air, exclaiming, "BOUNCING AQUA TAIL!" a blue aura surrounding the spherical tip as she spun vertically toward her downed opponent.

"Pardon, mon amis," Smeargle uttered weakly, "I guess we won't get our fight after all," Marill's tail ramming itself hard into his gut as he coughed up blood and passed out, his head tilted sideways while his tongue was sticking out.

And thus, the bell was rung as the announcer exclaimed, "And the winner of the first match is Marill!" the crowd going wild as the mouse waved happily to the crowd, seeing her opponent as nothing more than a loser who was not even worth taunting.

After defeating her own opponent, a blue giant salamander named Quagsire with a powerful Moon Hook, Gardevoir went to check up on Smeargle. Shockingly enough, he had been the only hero hospitalized after his match despite this normally being a common thing in any tournament. Gardevoir could only imagine that this must have lowered his spirits even more than a single loss would.

And when she went to check up on him in the hospital, Smeargle looked up with shock, like the fact that she had come to visit him was a genuine surprise for him. However, that quickly died down as he replaced his shock with a smile and said, "Bonjour, Gardevoir. Did you win your match?"

"Yes," Gardevoir replied as she asked, "Are you okay?" the beagle staring at her for a few seconds before placing his hand against the back of his head with a grin, replying, "I am perfectly fine. I'm used to failure at this point, you know?" the beagle laughing, "I knew I was gonna lose the first round anyway. I'm just disappointed I didn't get to face you, that's all."

Back in present time, Machoke stared at Gardevoir and said, "Wow, I actually feel sorry for him," as the girl nodded and replied, "Yeah, I could tell that smile was all an act. Deep down, he was hurting, as if he wanted this to be his first victory on Earth more so than any other match he had fought. When I went to Paris and reunited with him, I could tell he was actually comfortable letting Florges do all the protection work for him, but I get the feeling that moment, the moment where he lost in front of a huge number of French fans had crushed his spirits."

But just before things could get even more depressing, the door opened up. Gardevoir was shocked to see Florges of all people there, the flower girl sighing, "Dieu merci, I finally found it."

At that moment, a few people in the club looked up as one nudged her friend, saying, "There's that awesome singer I told you about, the one I went and saw when I went to Paris," the other girl's eyes sparkling as she said, "She's pretty."

The flower girl approached Gardevoir with a smile and said, "Bonjour, mon amis," the green girl getting up from her seat and squealing, "Florges! I didn't know you'd be here today!"

With that, both gave each-other a big hug while kissing one-another on the cheek, Machoke blinking and saying, "Oh yeah, that's how French people greet each-other, right?" Gallade nodding and adding, "Sometimes we shake hands, but yeah."

"I heard you and your friends would be here today," Florges replied, "It seems the people here know your hangout spots really well," Gardevoir grinning cutely and replying, "That's great. Hey, wanna try out the karaoke machine?"

The flower girl turned toward it, her eyes sparkling as her mouth hung open. After all, it had been a while since she last performed and she had started to miss it.

However, she immediately shook her head and replied, "Maybe later. There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

Machoke's eyes widened as he asked, "Is this a private thing? Because we can give you space," Florges chuckling and replying, "It's perfectly alright, Monsieur Machoke, but merci beaucoup. I can see why Gardevoir likes you so much."

With that, the flower girl took a deep breath and placed her hands against Gardevoir's shoulders, saying, "It's regarding your match with Smeargle," Gardevoir nodding and sighing, "Yeah, I've been thinking about that, actually."

"Bien," Florges replied with a sigh, "Anyway, I don't want you taking Smeargle lightly when you face him. You and I both know he's not exactly the best fighter among us," Machoke whispering, "That sounds like an understatement," as Gallade shushed him, Florges continuing, "I'm actually kind of worried about him. I asked him to join me in the tournament and he refused."

"He did!?" Gardevoir squeaked, her eyes wide with shock as the others were just as surprised to hear this as she was.

Florges nodded in response and added, "He told me he was going to retire from hero work and make a living as a painter, and yet for whatever reason, this Vespiquen girl has convinced him to keep fighting. I'm grateful that she's given him courage, but at the same time, I can't help thinking that might not be enough. I fear that if you hold back, he may actually reconsider retirement and I don't want him to just up and quit when I know he has the potential to be great someday."

"You sure about that?" Machoke remarked as Reika and Scyther both smacked him on the back of the head, Florges looking deep into Gardevoir's eyes and saying, "Promise me you'll treat him like any other opponent. He wouldn't want you to insult him by holding back."

Gardevoir gave her friend a sweet smile and replied, "Of course. I wasn't going to, anyway," the flower girl blinking and replying, "Well, bien. I just wanted to make sure."

Hawlucha blinked and said, "You and your amigos sure are interesting," Machoke nodding and replying, "You have no idea."

With that, Florges was just about to take her leave when Gardevoir said, "Hey, you can hang with us if you'd like," shifting her head and eyes toward the karaoke machine as the flower girl bit her lower lip, soon caving in.

And it was not long until everyone in the club was an instant fan of her singing, all of them applauding her when she finished a song. Needless to say, even when fighting was the biggest focus, one could not take the performer out of her.

And soon enough, the friends were ready to head home. All of them gave their cheerful goodbyes, prepared for two days of intense training. Needless to say, it had been a fun little break for them, Hawlucha really glad to be an official part of the group now.

When the parrot arrived home, his siblings and mother were there to greet him, all of them beyond happy. And it made sense. He had successfully qualified for the tournament and his folks were ready to see him fight up-close after more than a year.

The strange thing about his family, though, was that Hawlucha was the only non-human in the family. This was due to the fact that he had been adopted, unlike Lucario where while his mother and sister were human, his father was a dog like him.

Hawlucha's older sister, Isabel, gave him a quick hug and said, "Congratulations, hermano. I'm glad we'll get to see you compete," the parrot laughing and exclaiming, "Don't forget my awesome companero!"

Isabel was not so sure how to react to that until the mother bowed her head and replied, "Si, you and Machoke will make for a very good team. I'm just happy there's no bad blood between you two."

Hawlucha's younger sister, an eight-year-old named Lea jumped up and down, squealing, "Hermano's gonna crush those snakes!" Hawlucha grinning and flexing his muscles, replying, "You'd better believe it, Lea."

Isabel then took a deep breath and said, "I'm very happy for you, but are you sure Machoke would make a good teammate? You two did fight each-other in the Tokyo tournament, remember?" Hawlucha shrugging and replying, "Si. That's why I know he's a good ally for me. I pulled out all the stops and he still defeated me. Can you imagine anyone better?"

Isabel bit her lower lip as her mother sighed, "Isabel, try to follow your hermano's example and be a good sport. After all, Machoke is a fellow hero. It's not like he lost to a villain, right?"

"Exactamente," Hawlucha replied with a grin as an alarm went off, the mother smiling and stating, "Well, cena is ready. Let's celebrate Hawlucha's victory today," Lea squealing with excitement as Hawlucha took a nice whiff and said, "Oh-ho, you made cactus salad and hake today. Estupendo," the parrot running toward the dining room.

And with all said and done, the rest of the day went by quickly, as did the next couple of days. Naturally, those competing in the tournament were training hard, all except for Hoopa and Diancie. Instead, they were using this time to have fun and look around Tokyo, but why? Was it over-confidence, laziness or were they so good that they did not need training?

Whatever the case, things would not be easy for them, especially since their first opponent was the Hero Olympics champion. Not to mention Clauncher was a lot tougher than she looked, so this would be interesting for sure.

And once the three days were up, it was finally time for the first round to begin. Unlike the Hero Olympics where the location of the matches kept changing, Beedrill decided to make things simpler by having all of the matches take place in the Tokyo Dome.

And needless to say, many had arrived to witness the event. Of course Reika and her friends were there, only this time Keiko, Reika's mother, had arrived as well. There was no way she was going to miss Machoke's first team match.

And while they had failed to make it to the tournament themselves, Golduck and Barbaracle refused to miss this. Sure, some Olympic contestants such as Garchomp and Ninetales had not arrived, but this was mainly due to the fact that they had chosen to stay in their respective areas in case something happened during the tournament.

However, unlike during the Olympics when these two had not shown up until the second round, both Ralts and Kirlia, Gallade and Gardevoir's parents had arrived to watch their kids fight. After all, they were not sure if they would get another chance, and if this meant using up a week of their vacation time, it was worth it.

The two had gotten front-row seats as Kirlia sighed, "I can't wait to see our little girl in action again," Ralts nodding and replying, "Yeah, we might get to see her win up-close this time."

The two remembered full-well when their daughter went up against Garchomp in the quarter-finals. Despite doing her absolute best, she performed the worst out of all the heroes in that round, barely standing a chance. But thanks to her training with her aunt, Psyla, she had become immensely stronger than one could have ever imagined and as such, her parents were certain she could stand up to anyone now. Kirlia, especially, wanted to see just how strong she had gotten.

A middle-aged woman in a cloak had also arrived, though this was no ordinary woman. As she got close to the stadium, she removed her hood briefly to reveal herself to be the red bug, Scizor, Scyther's mother. She had a serious look in her eyes as she thought, 'I won't give you advice, Scyther, but I will watch your matches. I simply can't miss this.'

However, she put her cloak back on mostly because she did not wish to be seen by Scyther. After all, the day her daughter lost to Ninetales in the Olympics was the day Scizor swore she would no longer look after the bug and would let her think for herself. After all, while Ninetales had been a villain at the time, one thing she said that was certainly true was that Scyther could have been a much better fighter if Scizor had allowed her to be independent long enough for her to come up with her own strategies.

If Scyther saw the red bug watching her, she could very well get the wrong idea. After all, while calm and collected a lot of the time, Scyther had a temper that out-weighed that of Blaziken.

And of course, Florges was there with Masquerain, the butterfly sighing, "We really should be competing. I swear, when I find out who robbed us of our chance-" the flower girl sighing, "We'll think about that later. Today, I just want to be here to support Gardevoir, oui?"

Masquerain nodded and sighed, "You're right. I've seen her matches on TV. She's actually pretty cool," a smile on the butterfly's face now as Florges nodded, saying, "I'm just glad I get to see one of her matches for once. I'm always working whenever she gets in a fight, so this is really exciting."

Golduck was of course beyond excited to see Machoke as she still wore her T-shirt that she had made herself, Abomasnow saying, "I look forward to seeing your biggest idol in action," the duck smirking and replying, "You're in for a treat, I can tell you that much."

And soon enough, the seats were filled as Nori sat behind a desk and exclaimed, "Welcome, one and all, to the first round of the Ultimate World Team Tournament!" the crowd cheering wildly as the woman added, "The fighters have all come up with their own team names and submitted them, making it a lot easier to decide what to call them when I announce them."

Hawlucha's family sat in the front row much like Reika, Aipom and the others and wondered just what kind of name the parrot had come up with. Isabel, especially, hoped Machoke had little involvement as he was known for coming up with weird ways to introduce himself to a crowd.

Aipom, all the while, watched intently and said, "The tension is killing me. I just want the match to start already! I'm so used to being the one joining him by the ring!" Keiko chuckling and rubbing the hair atop her head, saying, "I'm looking forward to this too, Aipom."

Of course, those not competing in the match were also in the crowd with Blaziken folding her arms and sighing, "Well, it's been a while. Let's see what he came up with for an entrance this time," Gallade shrugging and replying, "Maybe Hawlucha steered him away from doing something stupid."

Gardevoir uttered, "I hope not. I really like his entrances," Lopunny nodding with a grin and replying, "Oh yeah, his are the most creative and unexpected I've ever seen," the others groaning, "You say that like it's a good thing."

With that, Nori pointed toward the Eastern entrance and exclaimed, "In the red corner, two incredible fighters with amazing spirit! One placed second in the Hero Olympics and has saved Tokyo countless times from various villains, including the legendary Giratina! The other is a powerhouse who came close to defeating his very teammate with his unbelievable skills! Presenting the Flying Muscles!"

The crowd started to cheer as Isabel breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "That actually sounds dignified.

However, the cheers slowly died down when both Machoke and Hawlucha entered dressed in sombreros and ponchos, the two riding atop a Spanish-themed float. They also had maracas and were dancing to a beat coming from a speaker in said float as Hawlucha laughed, exclaiming, "Not gonna lie, Senior Machoke, this was a muy magnifico idea!"

Aipom face-palmed and groaned, "I knew it," Reika uttering, "To be fair, this is one of his better ones."

Though surprisingly, one group that was not in the least bit upset about this was Hawlucha's family. All three human females gave the display a standing ovation, even Isabel who exclaimed, "I misjudged him! This is amazing!"

Soon enough, the two leapt off of the float as Hawlucha landed gracefully against the ring. Unfortunately, Machoke was not so lucky as he lost his balance and fell flat on his face, Hawlucha laughing as Isabel slapped her forehead, groaning, "Of course."

The others let out a sigh as Hawlucha helped up his comrade, grinning and saying, "Hey, don't look so down. You almost got it," Machoke sighing, "Yeah. It's just been so long. I really wanted that to work."

Nori, meanwhile, smiled and thought, 'I have to admit, I actually missed those odd-ball entrances of his. Only he would ever set something like this up.'

With that, the woman cleared her throat, pointed at the Western entrance and exclaimed, "And in the blue corner, these two are not to be messed with. Both are tough contenders with amazing stealth and strength! Introducing the Venomous Titans!" the crowd cheering heavily as Arbok slithered toward the ring with Serperior riding atop his head.

She then leapt up as Arbok took hold of her tail with his hands, both forming a wheel shape as the green snake latched onto her partner's tail. Both then spun in the air before separating and landing perfectly against the canvas, the crowd cheering even louder.

"Show-offs," Machoke grunted, rolling his eyes and folding his arms as Hawlucha chuckled, not even noticing the hypocrisy of this reaction.

Either way, Serperior was giving Machoke dagger eyes as the boy trembled, Hawlucha asking, "Do you know her?" Machoke shaking his head.

Serperior's eyes twitched as she remarked, "What do you mean you don't know me!? You humiliated me during the three-legged race!" the crowd gasping as Reika uttered, "He did?" Machoke tilting his head to the side and asking the same thing.

"I was this close to eliminating you when you did the unspeakable and used me as a slingshot to make your way into sixteenth!" the green snake snapped as Machoke gasped, "Oh my god, you're the one who tried to cut my link in half!" the crowd now much more interested.

Needless to say, tensions had risen now. Sure, Machoke barely knew this adversary, but whenever an opponent of his had a personal vendetta against him, he knew things were not going to be easy for him.

 

Machoke certainly had a reason to worry as Serperior clearly had a grudge against him after the way he had used her to land himself a spot in the Hero Olympics finals. And the opponents with a desire to face him above all other heroes often proved the most dangerous.

However, Hawlucha rested a hand on his shoulder and smiled, saying, "Relax, Machoke. She may seem scary, but I've seen that you can be even scarier when you put your mind to it. Just treat her like any other opponent."

The boy blinked and took a deep breath, replying, "Whatever, she didn't seem all that tough when she attacked me anyway," the green snake beyond furious now as Arbok patted her on the shoulder, saying, "Calm down. I swear, I'll help you get your revenge on him. Just wait for the bell."

The green snake took a deep breath and replied, "Right," as Machoke asked, "So, is he your boyfriend or something?" Serperior retorting, "Ew, no! He's my cousin!"

"Wait, are you insinuating that I'm not dating material?" Arbok retorted as Nori exclaimed, "Calm down! Save it for the match!" Aipom sighing, "Good, someone with common sense."

"Anyway, before we begin, I need to bring up a certain rule for this tournament that Beedrill instructed me to save for the first match," the announcer stated, "See, for the first five minutes, these will be normal tag team matches, but if both team mates of each side are still standing after that time, all four fighters may enter the ring at once in which it will become a tornado tag match. That means all fighters are vulnerable and susceptible to damage."

Machoke blinked and said, "Well, that's certainly good to know," Hawlucha grinning and saying, "Well, in five minutes, we'll be able to show off our new abilities, granted you don't win before that point."

'Oh, so you think he might actually be able to pull that off, do you?' Serperior thought with a frown, 'We'll see about that. He's only seen a small fraction of my power. He has no idea what he's in for.'

With that, both teams headed to their own separate sides of the ring as Hawlucha smiled and nodded at Machoke, saying, "You may go first," Isabel gritting her teeth.

Sure, she knew this was unsportsmanlike, but at the same time, she was unsure of whether or not Machoke was the best choice to go first. He may have defeated Hawlucha, but he also did not seem all that intelligent.

However, she soon calmed down when she noticed Lea and her mother seemed happy with this decision, Serperior naturally volunteering to go first. Arbok smirked and folded his arms, saying, "Give him Hell," the green snake turning to her cousin with a smile and replying, "You know I will."

And with that, the teams were ready as Nori rang the bell, signalling the start of the match. Before Machoke could even do anything, Serperior leapt at him and latched her tail around his neck. The crowd gasped as even Aipom could not believe what she had just seen.

Serperior smirked and said, "You often seem to get the first hit in. I'm not going to let that happen," the snake then leaning forward in an arch formation and taking hold of the boy's ankles.

Some members of the crowd cheered for Serperior when she rolled one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, planting Machoke's skull into the mat. But her move did not end there as she released his ankles, allowing him to collapse as she tightened her grip on his neck, Machoke's head becoming a dark shade of blue.

Hawlucha blinked and asked, "You okay, amigo?" Arbok smirking and saying, "Nice one, Serperior," giving her a thumb up.

"The match has not even lasted a minute and it already looks like Machoke's gonna lose this one," Nori stated as Isabel gritted her teeth, thinking, 'No! This can't be over already! Come on, you idiot, get out of this!'

Aipom, meanwhile, was in full panic as she squeaked, "HE NEEDS MY ADVICE!" only for Reika to pat her on the shoulder, remarking, "He's been in spots like this countless times over the past. He got out of a Boston Crab once. I'm sure he can overcome this."

Machoke seemed to have something in mind as he took hold of Serperior's tail in an attempt to pry it off, though this would have likely resulted in her grip tightening. However, when he touched it, he noticed an odd smile on her face, the snake biting her lower lip and shaking.

The boy's eyes widened as he smirked, ignoring the pain to his neck before rubbing his fingers against the tail's tip. And just as he predicted, the green snake was unable to contain herself as she broke out into hysterics, releasing her hold on the boy and slithering away from him. Once far enough, she stared at the boy and breathed heavily, a look of fear in her eyes.

The crowd stared at this in stunned silence, an orchestra of crickets hopping into the area and making noises. However, it was not long until Machoke's fans broke out into heavy cheering, glad to see the boy escape from yet another tight spot, especially after having gone so many years without seeing it.

Even Weedle, who was currently watching at home, breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank god. If that moron went down that easily, I'd be truly disappointed."

"Hey, man, that was not cool!" Arbok spat before noticing that Serperior still looked frightened now, and Hawlucha could see it too as he exclaimed, "Now, Machoke!" the boy nodding and charging toward the green snake.

But as Serperior attempted to dodge, she was too distracted by his actions earlier and thus was unable to avoid a hook to her neck, falling hard on her back. Machoke then proceeded to lift her up by the tip of her tail, once again rubbing his fingers to stop her from fighting back as he swung her around, the snake laughing while he did so. And after a few seconds, he released his hold on her and sent her face-first into the turnbuckle, the crowd going wild.

"Now there's the Machoke we all know and love!" Nori exclaimed with a grin, not even caring about how unprofessional that statement may have been, "Just as it looks like he'll forfeit early, he finds a bizarre yet still creative way to get out of his predicament!"

"That's our Machoke," Reika said with a grin, "Somehow, I knew something like that would happen," Aipom breathing a sigh of relief, adding, "Leave it to him to spot a weakness no one else can see."

Serperior now looked furious as she shook the pain off of her head, clenching her fists and growling, "How dare you!? What gives you the right to use my ticklish side against me!?" Arbok sighing, "In all due respect, this isn't exactly against the rules. He's kind of allowed to do that."

The green snake shot him a glare, but the cobra was unfazed by this as he sighed, "You know, before this match, you told me you had gotten over this. It's not his fault that you still have little to no resistance when people touch the tip of your tail."

Serperior bit her lower lip and started to breath heavily, her hand against her chest as the audience stared at this, Reika uttering, "Ever notice Machoke usually gets the weirdest opponents?" the others nodding in response to this.

Machoke stared at this, unsure of what to do when Isabel sighed, thinking, 'Well, he did get out of that, but Hawlucha wouldn't have taken nearly as long.'

With the green snake having calmed down a bit, she smirked and said, "Just try and get me with that again," Arbok sighing, "You could just tag me in-" only for the green snake to glare at him.

However, after a few seconds, that was replaced by a delicate smile as she replied, "Thank you for trying to help, but I can turn this around."

With that in mind, Serperior proceeded to slink toward Machoke, thinking, 'I'll just keep the tip of my tail away from him until the right moment,' Machoke on the defensive now. After enough matches, he was certain his opponent would not be dumb enough to try the same failed tactic twice.

However, it seemed attacking with her tail was not the only thing the snake could do as just when it seemed she was going to attack from the front, she lowered her body and shifted it to the right. Before Machoke could even respond, she sent her elbow into his side as his eyes widened, the boy kneeling down and holding onto that very spot.

Serperior's fans cheered as Aipom blinked, uttering, "That should not have hurt that much," and Machoke seemed to think the same as he had a look of shock on his face.

And it only seemed to get worse as Serperior used this distraction to bind his ankle with her tail, pulling back and causing him to fall on his face. She then proceeded to leap into the air, forming a green blade on the end of her tail before spinning vertically toward the boy's back, shouting, "TAIL BLADE!" ramming it hard into that very spot as he coughed up blood, a cut forming there.

Isabel gritted her teeth at the sight of this as Hawlucha asked, "You okay, amigo?" Serperior keeping her distance once again as she smirked and said, "The solution to my problem was really simple. All I have to do is make sure you can't touch my tail again and I'll be fine. In other words, I'm going to wait for just the right moment to strike, the exact opposite of what you did during your match with Lucario."

Lucario let out a sigh and said, "I can't deny that she certainly has the right idea," Clauncher uttering, "Aren't you worried the mention of that might lower Machoke's spirits?" the dog replying, "No, he got over that long ago."

Machoke ignored the pain in his back and slowly rose to his feet, a smirk on his face as he said, "I'll admit, I'm impressed, though you really should have thought of that earlier," the crowd cheering as Serperior hissed, Nori saying, "And as usual, it'll take a lot more than a few good hits to take down Machoke."

Hawlucha grinned and held his thumb up, Abomasnow turning to Golduck and saying, "I can see why you admire him so much. He's got spirit, I'll give him that."

However, Serperior refused to give him a chance to take the advantage back and thus, she picked up her speed when slithering toward him. But as she shifted to the side, Machoke saw this coming and threw his leg sideways, kicking the side of her head.

The crowd cheered as the snake hissed again, once again grabbing hold of his ankle with her tail. However, it seemed she may have used this too soon as Hawlucha grinned and exclaimed, "NOW, MACHOKE!" the boy nodding and immediately taking hold of the tip, rubbing his fingers against it as Serperior tried to ignore it only to fall on her chin, breaking out into hysterics while slamming her fists repeatedly against the canvas.

The crowd cheered for Machoke as Isabel thought, 'He is a lot better than I gave him credit for, I will admit. Maybe he did truly deserve his victory over mi hermano,' Lea cheering while her mother grinned, saying, "Look, Hawlucha's comrade is doing magnifico."

Once Serperior released her hold on his ankle, Machoke proceeded to lift her up by the tail and lean backward, slamming the back of her head hard against the mat. The crowd started to cheer even louder as Aipom squealed, "I'M SO PROUD OF YOU, MACHOKE!" Keiko sighing, "Was there ever any doubt?"

However, Machoke did not release his hold on the snake as he started to tickle her again just in case she tried to turn this around. Arbok, all the while, stared at this in horror as he stretched out his tail under the rope, exclaiming, "TAG ME, SERPERIOR!"

"No!" the green snake retorted through laughter, "I-I need t-t-to do this! I w-want revenge! HAHAHA!"

"Look, we can get your revenge," Arbok retorted, "Trust me, I'll make sure of that, but we'll need to work together. All we have to do is tough it out for two more minutes."

Serperior bit her lower lip, tears running down her eyes as she tried to contain her laughter. As such, she held out her hand and slapped it against her partner's tail as the bell was rung, Nori exclaiming, "And Serperior has tagged in Arbok! Therefor Machoke must release his hold on her."

The boy nodded and let go of the tail, Serperior slithering back to her side of the ring and switching places with Arbok. Once again, Isabel was impressed. Machoke had actually managed to bring Serperior to the point where she had no choice but to take a breather.

Needless to say, the green snake was not happy about this in the slightest as she folded her arms, saying, "Make sure you don't finish him off too quickly. I want to be the one to deal the final blow," the cobra smirking and replying, "If I manage to get him to that point, I'll tag you in and let you do just that."

Despite their arguing before and during the match, the two snakes did seem to get along rather well, and needless to say, this was alarming to Machoke's friends. After all, this was still Machoke's first time in a team match.

However, it would seem their worry was for nought as Hawlucha held out his hand, saying, "Tag me in, mi amigo. You took in quite a bit of punishment from Serperior earlier."

Having not been used to team matches, Machoke had almost forgotten that he could do that and as such, he nodded and headed toward his partner. However, Arbok refused to let that happen as he coiled his tail like a spring and launched himself toward the boy's back.

"SPRING MISSILE!" the cobra exclaimed as he rammed his skull hard into Machoke's back, the boy coughing up blood and falling forward.

Arbok then proceeded to wrap his tail around the boy, saying, "By the way, I'm not ticklish like my cousin," and this was especially bad due to his tail being quite a bit stronger than that of his ally.

However, just as it seemed hopeless, Machoke managed just enough strength to hold his arm up, Hawlucha wasting no time tagging him in as Nori once again rang the bell, stating, "And now Hawlucha has been tagged in, thus Arbok must release his hold on Machoke."

With that, the cobra smirked and did just that, saying, "I'm okay with this. At least I got an extra hit in," Reika groaning, "He's got a point there."

Serperior let out a sigh and thought, 'Yeah, he does. I hate to admit it, but that was a good idea.'

However, there was no way Hawlucha would let himself get hit that easily as Isabel exclaimed, "YOU GO, HAWLUCHA! KNOCK HIS BLOCK OFF!" her mother and Lea turning to face her as she laughed nervously, saying, "Just cheering him on."

"This is just rich," Arbok said with a smirk, "From what I've heard, you lost to Machoke. Do you honestly think you can intimidate me?" the parrot folding his arms and remarking, "I don't care if I intimidate you or not. Are you gonna fight me or should I just beat you senseless right now?"

A vein formed on the cobra's head as he remarked, "You asked for it!" lunging at the parrot.

But just as it looked like he was about to land another fierce headbutt, Hawlucha held his arm feathers in front of his body, blocking the incoming strike. Both Serperior and Arbok, having only heard of the match between the parrot and Machoke and never having seen it, were naturally shocked that mere feathers could be this strong.

And it did not end there as Hawlucha threw his arm out, forcing Arbok back and lowering his guard. With that, he proceeded to charge at the snake with his arm out, shouting, "MATADOR HOOK!" sending his feather into the cobra's face thus knocking him on his back.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "And with little effort, Hawlucha has brought the advantage back to the Flying Muscles!" Isabel breathing a sigh of relief, thinking, 'I knew it. Machoke may have skill, but mi hermano has an unmatched spirit.'

Reika blinked and uttered, "I almost forgot how tough that guy is," Serperior all the while asking, "Arbok, you alright?"

However, it seemed he might not get up any time soon as Hawlucha leapt up onto the turnbuckle, exclaiming, "OH, HOW I HAVE MISSED THIS!" the parrot then leaping off and soaring toward Arbok, exclaiming, "FLYING PRESS!"

Machoke grinned wide and exclaimed, "YOU RULE, HAWLUCHA!" and he had all the reason to be happy. After all, he had been on the receiving end of this move twice, so he knew just how powerful it was.

Unfortunately, Arbok had managed to recover just in time to roll to the side, Hawlucha's eyes widening as he fell hard against the canvas. Isabel gasped at the sight of this as did the rest of his family. After all, this was the first time his Flying Press had ever missed its target.

And it seemed to cause the parrot a bit of pain as Arbok wrapped his tail around his neck, saying, "I can tell that you are certainly stronger than Machoke, but if there's one thing he had on his side, it's that his way of fighting is creative. He's been known for his unpredictability, but that was just amateurish. Anyone could have seen that coming."

Machoke gritted his teeth and retorted, "You take that back! Hawlucha's an amazing fighter!" as Isabel blinked, thinking, 'He took the words right out of my mouth.'

And it seemed so as Hawlucha ignored the pain to his neck, pressing his arms up against the mat and using his feathers to lift himself up. Serperior and Arbok were both just as astounded as the crowd was as the cobra spat, "What are you doing!? Don't you know that only adds to the pain!?"

"Funny, I thought for sure you'd be happy with that," Hawlucha uttered before placing a firm grip against the tail. With that, he leapt forward and used as much force as he could to swing Arbok forward, sending his chin into the turnbuckle thus causing him to let go.

Lea and Isabel both cheered heavily while the rest of the crowd was equally impressed, Nori exclaiming, "And Hawlucha pulls off an incredible counter! I don't think I've ever seen anyone pull off a feat like that!"

"You rule, Hawlucha!" Machoke exclaimed as Serperior whimpered, "Are you okay, Arbok?"

Luckily, the snake's body was tougher than that of Serperior and thus he easily ignored the pain, shaking his head and giving her a thumb up and a smirk. There was no was he would let this get him down, not when he knew there were only a few seconds left before the cousins could fight together.

And after those few seconds, Nori rang the bell and exclaimed, "Alright, five minutes are up! You know what means!" the crowd even more excited now as Serperior wasted no time leaping high above the rope, spinning toward Hawlucha before he could respond.

However, Machoke saw this coming and climbed atop the ropes, leaping toward Serperior only for Arbok to reach up and grab his ankles. And with that, the boy was slammed on his back as Isabel exclaimed, "HERMANO, BEHIND YOU!" only for the green snake to once again form her green blade, shouting, "TAIL BLADE!" sending it hard into the back of the parrot's head.

Hawlucha's eyes widened as he coughed up blood, falling flat on his face as some members of the crowd cheered for the snakes. However, Machoke's friends and fans were naturally worried as was Hawlucha's family.

"And it seems that at the exact second the tag team portion ends, the Flying Muscles immediately lose their advantage," Nori stated, "Can they possibly get out of this?"

And it only got worse as Arbok bound his tail to Hawlucha's legs, Serperior doing the same to Machoke. The two then proceeded to latch their hands against one-another's arms before spinning like a pinwheel, lifting up their victims while floating thanks to a gust of wind created by their movement.

"FLYING SERPENT TWISTER!" the two exclaimed before Serperior released her hold on Machoke, sending him hard into the turnbuckle as Arbok proceeded to do the same to Hawlucha, the parrot flying into his partner to add to the damage. Clearly, the two were focused on dealing more pain to Machoke what with Serperior's grudge against him.

"I'll admit it," Serperior said with a grin, "You were right all along. Waiting until the tornado tag portion was a much better idea than continuing," Arbok nodding and replying, "Don't forget, there is a brain in this head."

Isabel was terrified now as Cici whimpered, "Those two are a really good team," Gardevoir nodding and replying, "It's okay. I'm sure they'll be able to get the upper hand back. They're working together now, too."

And sure enough, Hawlucha shook the pain off of him as he asked, "You okay, Machoke?" the boy nodding and replying, "Yeah, we were just caught off-guard. Let's show them our teamwork now," a grin forming as Serperior scowled at him. The last thing she wanted to see was a smile from him, especially after all the pain she and her cousin had just dealt.

But could Hawlucha and Machoke really turn this around? After all, the Venomous Titans had certainly proven themselves to be a major threat. But then again, the Flying Muscles were among the most physically strong heroes out there, so this was still anyone's game.

 

Things had gone back-and-forth during the match, but right now, it seemed that Machoke and Hawlucha would really have to kick things up a notch if they were to win. Luckily, they planned to do just that as the two had spent a whole week preparing for this tournament.

With that, Hawlucha nodded at Machoke who grinned as the two charged toward the snakes. However, there was no way they would allow the duo to get in any hits and as such, Serperior slithered to the right while Arbok sped to the left. And it only seemed to get worse when each snake got behind one fighter, Serperior wrapping her arms around Machoke's neck while Arbok did the to same to Hawlucha.

However, it seemed the Flying Muscles had seen this coming as they both nodded and took hold of each snake's wrists, using great force to flip them over their heads and onto their backs. And it did not end there as Hawlucha asked, "Ready?" Machoke giving him a thumb up.

The crowd was truly amazed by what happened next as Hawlucha leapt onto Machoke's shoulders, exclaiming, "Here's a move we spent a great deal of time perfecting!" Machoke nodding and adding, "If you all thought this was powerful before, watch what happens when we combine our strength!"

Isabel's eyes sparkled as both fighters leapt atop the turnbuckle. Machoke then proceeded to leap off of it as Hawlucha spread his arms out, both shouting, "TOTEM FLYING PRESS!"

With Arbok and Serperior both right next to each-other and too weak to respond, they were easy targets as both Hawlucha and Machoke slammed their bellies hard into theirs. Thus each one coughed up blood, Serperior's eyes about to pop out of their sockets while Arbok closed his tight.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "What an amazing comeback! After taking in an extremely powerful team move, the Flying Muscles counter with one of their own!"

Isabel stared in stunned silence while thinking, 'Machoke really is a good ally. He and Hawlucha make for a really good team,' Aipom clinging to Reika's face with a big smile, squealing, "I KNEW THEY COULD TURN IT AROUND!" Reika groaning, "Now I see why Machoke hates it so much when you do this."

Blaziken smirked and said, "Funny seeing him pull that off when this is the first time he's fought alongside someone else," Gallade nodding as he, Hitmonchan and Lopunny exclaimed, "You rule, Machoke!"

However, while the move had been very effective, even Machoke and Hawlucha knew this was not the end. And this was made clear when both snakes planted their hands firmly against the mat and pushed themselves up, breathing heavily, Serperior looking especially peeved right now.

However, just as she looked like she would blow a gasket, Arbok rested a hand on her shoulder and said, "We can still win this. Don't forget, we have much more to use against them," the green snake nodding and replying, "You're right."

With that in mind, the snakes readied themselves for an attack as Machoke and Hawlucha kept their distance. After that first team move they took in, they knew the Venomous Titans were tougher than they looked.

With that, Arbok leapt into the air, everyone expecting him to whip his tail at one of the two only for Serperior to grab hold of his tip. As Arbok was not ticklish, this was perfectly fine for him as she said, "By the way, Machoke, just because I'm not as strong as Arbok doesn't mean I can't lift someone like him," the green snake swinging Arbok in a circular motion while the cobra folded his arms, tucking his head in so his hood now resembled a boxing glove.

"Quick, I know what they're planning!" Hawlucha exclaimed as Machoke nodded, saying, "Yeah, this is pretty obvious," the two running in separate directions as Serperior smirked, shouting, "COBRA FLAIL!"

With that, she hurled Arbok toward Machoke who continued to run, hoping to avoid the move. But just as it looked like he would be able to do so, Serperior propelled herself off of the ropes, launching herself at the boy. Thanks to the ropes, she had managed to move faster than Arbok and thus was able to trap Machoke's legs in place with her tail, the boy taking in the cobra's skull to his face.

The crowd winced as Machoke coughed up blood, Serperior then tripping him thus causing him to fall on his back. But of course, Hawlucha would not let this go as he rushed toward Serperior only for Arbok to latch onto his ankle and knock him onto his back as well.

With that, he grinned at Serperior and said, "Come on, let's finish Machoke off for good," the green snake nodding and replying, "Of course," Arbok sending his tail into Hawlucha's face in order to make sure he stayed down long enough for their next course of action to work.

Many stared in silence at the sight of this as Nori said, "If Machoke doesn't get up soon, Hawlucha may be left without a partner. Let's hope one of them can recover in time."

"Don't get your hopes up," Arbok remarked as he lightly wrapped his tail around the area just below Serperior's neck. With that, both snakes took to the sky and performed a vertical flip, Serperior forming her blade as the two shouted, "DOUBLE TAIL BLADE!" heading toward the downed Machoke.

Isabel bit her lower lip when the boy took in the fierce blow to his gut, coughing up blood as he passed out, his eyes and mouth wide open. The crowd gasped in response to this as Nori gulped and uttered, "This isn't good for the Flying Muscles. If Machoke doesn't get up soon, it'll be over."

Hawlucha opened his eyes and grunted, "I won't let us lose," only for Arbok to latch onto his neck, saying, "I'm sorry, but I simply can't let you ruin our chances," Serperior binding his legs in place and adding, "You may have been able to take on one of us, but when we're together, we're practically unstoppable."

With that, both lifted the parrot up and bent him upward in an arch formation, shouting, "SNAKE BACKBREAKER!" Hawlucha crying out in pain as the crowd was concerned.

However, while Machoke's friends were beyond worried, Hawlucha's family was really upset about this. But the one hurting the most was Isabel. She did not wish to see her brother lose the first match, not this horribly.

With that in mind, she bit her lower lip and exclaimed, "COME ON, MACHOKE, GET UP!" everyone staring in shock as she added, "POR FAVOR, MI HERMANO NEEDS YOU! HE CAN'T WIN THIS MATCH WITHOUT YOU!"

Arbok turned to her with a smirk and said, "Your words mean nothing. He's not getting up after that," Serperior nodding and saying, "Still, it is kind of surprising. This is the same guy who took in an onslaught from Giratina and lived."

"Yeah, but keep in mind Giratina was much weaker during that match due to his age," the cobra replied as Hawlucha groaned in pain, trying his hardest not to submit right now.

However, Isabel refused to believe that this really was the end. Sure, she may not have been certain about Machoke at first, but after seeing his perseverance and the way he had turned a major disadvantage around three times already, let alone doubling the power of her brother's Flying Press, she could tell that he really was a good ally to have. Not only that, but not even Hawlucha could take on these two by himself.

As such, the Spanish girl rose to her feet and rose her fist into the air, shouting, "Machoke! Machoke!" pumping her fist up and down as Lea and her mother smiled and joined her, chanting the boy's name.

Soon enough, Reika, Cici and Tsuya did the same followed by Keiko and Aipom. And naturally, the others joined in as well. Even Abomasnow, despite not really knowing the boy, wanted to see him win, especially after seeing just how spirited he was.

Even Florges and Masquerain, who had been seated in the back row, stood up and exclaimed, "You can do it!"

Florges blinked as the butterfly shrugged and said, "Hey, he's your friend's boyfriend. May as well give him my full support," Talonflame frowning and adding, "Don't you dare lose, Machoke! You took my punishment and still managed to defeat me! I can't accept this!"

Besides, I would love to have a rematch with you sometime in this tournament!" Lucario added, "Are you going to let me down!?" Clauncher adding, "And I haven't even faced you yet!"

Just as it seemed Serperior really had dealt more damage than one would have guessed, the area went silent as Machoke's finger started to twitch. His eyes slowly came open before the boy quickly propelled himself back to his feet, turning toward the snakes who seemed too full of themselves right now to notice his recovery.

"You hear that silence?" Serperior asked with a smirk, Arbok nodding and replying, "Yeah, they've realized it's pointless," only for his eyes to widen as Machoke leapt up and rammed his elbow hard into his neck.

With that, the cobra released his hold on Hawlucha as Serperior's grip on his legs weakened. As such, the parrot managed to twist his body and escape, rising to his feet and doing his best to ignore the pain in his back while Machoke lifted both snakes up by their tails and swung them around, sending each one flying into a separate turnbuckle.

With that, the crowd broke out into heavy cheering as Machoke asked, "You okay, buddy?" Hawlucha nodding with a smirk and replying, "Claro," taking hold of Machoke's hand as the boy formed a grin of his own.

"Oh my god, Machoke never ceases to amaze me!" Nori exclaimed as his friends all had big smiles on their faces, the woman adding, "Just as it seemed the Flying Muscles had lost, Machoke made an awesome comeback!"

"Wow, he's amazing," Abomasnow uttered with his eyes wide open as Golduck nodded and said, "Toldja," a grin on her face while Reika sighed, "Even after a year, he's still able to pull off miracles."

Aipom let down light tears, biting her lower lip as Barbaracle said, "There's that spirit that bested me," Pignite releasing flames from his nostrils and grunting, "I'm so jealous! I wish I could have been the one to face him in the ring instead!"

While most of the crowd continued to cheer, Isabel was the happiest of them all as she leapt up and down, exclaiming, "MAGNIFICO, TRULY INCREIBLE! I never should have doubted you! Hawlucha couldn't have asked for a better comrade!"

Machoke gave a warm smile as Hawlucha nodded and said, "She's right. You're the best ally I could possibly have right now."

However, just as Nori was ready to start the ten count, Serperior and Arbok recovered, gritting their teeth as Arbok hissed, "Now I can see why you hate him so much. He is without a doubt the most annoying opponent I've ever dealt with."

Serperior nodded and replied, "Exactly. But they've taken in much more damage than us. There's no doubt that at this point, they're only delaying the inevitable."

With that in mind, both leapt high into the air, aiming their tails at the duo as they easily saw this coming. Hawlucha quickly threw his arms out, clutching Arbok's tail as Machoke did the same with Serperior's, both leaning backwards and slamming their opponents' chins into the mat while the crowd cheered once more. Even those who had originally been rooting for the Venomous Titans had now switched over to supporting the Flying Muscles.

However, it did not end there as Machoke grinned at Hawlucha, asking, "Ready to end this, compadre?" the parrot snickering and replying, "You mean companero. Compadre means godfather," the boy blinking and uttering, "Your language is weird."

With that, both shared a quick laugh before leaping high into the air, still holding onto each snake's tail. However, what they had planned was a move that took them longer to master than any other technique.

It was on day three of their training, Machoke and Hawlucha had noticed that footage from the tag team tournament from twenty years ago was playing on the sports network, and one such match was when Machamp and Combusken went up against a powerful duo, two cat-like beings named Mew and Mewtwo in the finals.

Both were villains who had snuck their way into the tournament, and needless to say, they were two of the most powerful fighters the world had ever seen. Machamp and Combusken had come close to failure, but ultimately, they won in the end with a technique that combined both of Machamp's signature finishing moves, the Muscle Tombstone and the Ultimate Driver. Despite the two literally coming up with it at that exact moment, they managed to pull it off and end the match for good.

After seeing this, Machoke and Hawlucha devoted a great deal of time to practising this very technique, and now it was finally time to use it. As such, once the two were high enough, Machoke wrapped his arms around Serperior's torso and latched his ankles onto her neck.

Everyone was beyond excited as Nori exclaimed, "AFTER SO LONG, WE'RE GOING TO SEE MACHOKE'S FAMOUS FAMILY FAVORITE, THE MUSCLE TOMBSTONE!" everyone beyond excited as Hawlucha exclaimed, "Actually, you're in for a much bigger treat!" as he proceeded to plant Arbok's head against Serperior's tail.

He then wrapped his legs around the cobra's torso while holding tightly onto his tail, Aipom's eyes widening as she uttered, "Oh my god, they're actually using that move," everyone watching in stunned silence as Machoke and Hawlucha exclaimed, "MUSCLE COFFIN!"

Serperior's head hit the mat hard as Arbok took in extreme pain from having his skull forced hard into her tail, both of their eyes and mouths wide open as they coughed up blood simultaneously. And after a few seconds, the Flying Muscles released their hold on them and allowed them to pass out, Nori immediately starting the ten count.

"I can't believe it," Aipom uttered as Blaziken blinked, saying, "Mother told me about this move, but she didn't make it sound nearly as impressive as it actually is."

Gardevoir nodded and added, "It's one thing to have them use both moves at once, but by having Arbok's head rammed into Serperior's tail, it's like he received a super powered kick to the skull rather than just hitting the canvas."

"Wow, I'm impressed you picked up on that," Gallade replied as Machoke and Hawlucha breathed heavily, staring at their opponents before Nori ended the ten count.

With that, the woman rang the bell and exclaimed, "AND THE FIRST VICTORY IN THE ULTIMATE WORLD TEAM TOURNAMENT GOES TO THE FLYING MUSCLES!" the crowd breaking out into heavy cheers and applause, many giving a standing ovation as Isabel let down light tears, thinking, 'Muchos gracias, Senior Machoke.'

With that, Machoke looked down at Serperior and sighed, "Not gonna lie, that was actually kinda scary," Hawlucha grinning and replying, "Si, but we made it through," the two sharing a quick laugh as both snakes slowly recovered, rubbing their heads.

"I can't believe it," Serperior groaned, "Even after all that, we still lost," Arbok sighing, "Forget that. I'm more confused by the fact that we're still able to stand."

Hawlucha laughed in response to this and replied, "Something you need to know about Machoke is that he never tries to hospitalize his opponents unless they're really dangerous," the boy nodding and adding, "Yeah, no sense dealing extreme damage to a fellow hero, right?"

Gardevoir nodded and said, "That's just one of the reasons I love him so much," Hitmonchan patting her on the shoulder and saying, "Aw, that's so cute," Gardevoir's cheeks flushed pink as Gallade chuckled.

Serperior let out a sigh and slowly got up, dusting herself off and bowing her head, saying, "Well, there's no denying that you have defeated us," her eyes narrowed slightly as Arbok gave her a quick glance, the green snake sighing, "And with that in mind, I guess there's no point seeking revenge on you anymore."

"Thank god," the cobra sighed, "I was worried this loss was gonna eat away at your forever," Serperior remarking, "It's like Machoke said. We got beaten by two heroes, not two villains. That's nothing to throw a fit over," Machoke, Hawlucha and Arbok all lowering their eyelids as if to call her a hypocrite.

Either way, with the match over, both teams were to exit the ring as Machoke grinned, saying, "I'd almost forgotten how good that felt," Hawlucha laughing and replying, "Si, with Tokyo being the most peaceful place on Earth now, I can only imagine how long it's been since your last match."

Nori proceeded to clear her throat before stating, "With that out of the way, it's time to prepare for the next match. Both teams will have a total of ten minutes to prepare themselves," Reika blinking and saying, "Oh yeah. The chairman's going up next. I wonder what kind of fighting techniques he has."

Blaziken shrugged and replied, "It's pretty obvious from looking at him how he fights," Gallade adding, "Yeah, from what we saw back on Hero Planet, he's not that complex of a fighter."

"He's still threatening, though," Gardevoir replied as Reika nodded and said, "Oh yeah, I forgot. He was Machoke's first opponent, wasn't he?"

Aipom let out a sigh and said, "I didn't see that fight either. Why did they fight again?" Gallade replying, "He used to be a villain, that's why," the others nodding in understanding. With how many times this had happened, it was hardly a shock anymore.

As it just so happened, Beedrill and Butterfree had started training right away, Butterfree saying, "You know, I'm not gonna lie, I can see why you lost to Machoke so easily. He really has a strange knack for coming out of tough situations, doesn't he?" the wasp nodding and replying, "Yeah, he's something alright."

"You know if we win this match, we'll have to face in the next round, right?" the butterfly asked, Beedrill nodding and saying, "Yeah, I'm actually looking forward to it. I want him to see that I'm not the same rash fighter I was when I first faced him."

All the while, Magnemite and Squirtle were getting ready as well, the cyborg turning to his turtle partner and asking, "So, you've memorized all the tactics?"

Squirtle smirked and remarked, "Come on, I've never forgotten a single one. I may not be a super genius like you, but I can remember things that matter to me."

"So when you forgot movie night, that's because it didn't matter to you?" Magnemite remarked, narrowing his eyelid as Squirtle laughed nervously, the cyborg shrugging his shoulders and sighing, "At least you can remember this much."

"Still," Squirtle uttered, biting her lower lip, "I am a little nervous about this. I mean, this isn't any ordinary opponent. We're going up against the chairman. That's kind of alarming."

Magnemite nodded and replied, "True. He's the first chairman in history to actually fight, and I remember his match against Machoke. He's certainly not to be taken lightly. Plus, I've heard that Butterfree was quite formidable when those two fought in the Reverse World."

"Yeah, but we can still win this, right?" the turtle asked with a big grin, her cyborg friend nodding and replying, "Yes. With our new tactics, we'll be more threatening than ever before."

All the while, Machoke took a seat with his friends while Hawlucha joined his family, the parrot giving the boy a thumb up. Machoke gave him a grin as Gardevoir kissed him on the cheek, saying, "Great job as usual, Machoke."

Scyther nodded and added, "Ja, I really hope we get to face each-other at some point. I've actually gotten a lot stronger since I started fighting without my mother's advice."

Gallade nodded and replied, "You know, there's a high chance we could face each-other. I still owe you for this scar you gave me," the boy smirking and pointing at a long stitched up line across the front of his torso, adding, "Granted, it does make me look cooler, but still."

Hitmonchan blinked and said, "Oh, so that's how you got that," before scowling at Scyther and growling, "What did you do to my boyfriend?"

Scyther sighed and replied, "Look, I wasn't exactly thinking straight at the time," Gallade laughing nervously and saying, "Calm down, Hitmonchan. I'm over it."

Soon enough, the wait was over as Nori exclaimed, "Alright, everyone, it's time for the second match of the Ultimate World Team Tournament to begin!" the crowd going wild as she pointed to the Eastern side, adding, "In the red corner, one is a cyborg with the intelligence of a super computer, able to figured out top-notch strategies to defeat his enemies! The other is a powerful turtle, and while rather short, she still packs a punch! Introducing the Electric Shells!"

The crowd went wild as Magnemite entered, riding atop Squirtle like a surfboard as she was tucked into her shell and spinning around. With that, the cyborg leapt off of her and landed firmly against the ring, waving to the cheering crowd while Squirtle flipped vertically into the ring, emerging from her shell and performing a handstand with only one hand, the crowd cheering even louder.

"Wow, what an entrance!" Nori exclaimed as Machoke nodded and said, "Not gonna lie, that was actually pretty cool."

"And in the blue corner," Nori stated, "One is the chairman of Hero Planet, a wasp with great strength and skills. He faced Machoke on Hero Planet, and though he lost, he was still a major threat. He's also singlehandedly responsible for his partner turning to the side of good. Speaking of which, his partner is a fierce butterfly who's a lot stronger than she looks. Introducing the Flying Terrors!"

The crowd erupted into heavy cheering when both flew toward the ring, performing an aerial routine that involved them circling around each-other, forming a series of rings in the air. They then performed vertical flips before landing against the ring, Beedrill thinking, 'It's good to get cheers instead of booing for a change,' Butterfree all the while thinking, 'I have to admit, having people like me is actually nice.'

Both teams were certainly geared up and ready for this match to begin. Needless to say, everyone was looking forward to seeing just how this would play out.

 

Note: The song Gardevoir sings is heavily inspired by Terryman's theme from the original Kinnikuman, Texas Bronco.

This was it. After a long and intense match from the Flying Muscles, everyone was going to see an event they had been just as excited for, if not more, and that was seeing the chairman of Hero Planet fight in front of a crowd. Sure, he had fought twice prior to this and everyone had been informed of these fights, but no one had ever seen the second one and only those on Hero Planet had witnessed the first.

And of course, some of these people were fans of Squirtle and Magnemite and thus came to support them. But right now, Beedrill was the true man of the hour, so to speak.

Before the match could begin, though the wasp turned to Butterfree and said, "I'd like to go first, if that's alright with you," the butterfly tapping her chin. Considering she had always been obsessed with upstaging the wasp prior to her defeat, he was unsure of whether or not she could really accept this.

However, after a few seconds, Butterfree nodded and replied, "Alright, you'll make a good warmup before I dazzle the audience with my majestic skills," Beedrill implying an eye-roll as the butterfly giggled, adding, "Come on, I'm just kidding. You know I'm not like that anymore."

With that, the wasp entered the ring as Magnemite agreed to let Squirtle go first. The cyborg seemed to be whispering an opening strategy into the side of her head as she nodded and struck a fighting pose.

Seeing as both fighters were clearly ready, Nori exclaimed, "Without further ado, let's get this started!" the woman ringing the bell as Squirtle wasted no time tucking herself into her shell and spinning toward Beedrill.

The wasp blinked before taking to the sky, easily dodging the turtle's incoming strike as Magnemite exclaimed, "NOW, INITIATE TACTIC NINETY-EIGHT!" the turtle leaping toward the ropes while still in her shell and bouncing off, exclaiming, "SHELL PINBALL!"

Beedrill's eyes widened as the turtle flew into his back, causing him to descend toward the canvas, landing chin-first into it. Butterfree lowered her eyelids and sighed, "I could have easily dodged that," the wasp grunting as Squirtle proceeded to spin toward him again.

Now that the wasp was distracted, Squirtle easily managed to strike his legs as he fell on his face a second time, the crowd gasping as Nori exclaimed, "And with just her shell, Squirtle has already managed to get a big advantage over the chairman! Quite a few audience members look disappointed by this!" Machoke uttering, "Is this really the guy who gave me so much trouble on Hero Planet?"

However, it did not seem to end there as after knocking the wasp down, Squirtle leapt up, exclaiming, "SHELL METEORITE!" ramming herself hard into his back, causing him to wince as she then retracted from her shell and leapt toward Magnemite, tagging him in.

"Wow, and after dealing three powerful hits, Squirtle has tagged in her partner, but why?" Nori asked as all became clear, Magnemite latching himself to Beedrill's back and bending his back a bit before kicking that very spot, sending the wasp skidding across the mat.

Suddenly, a lot of the disappointment from the crowd was replaced by cheering as Reika uttered, "I have to admit, he's not as good as I figured he'd be," Blaziken sighing, "Well, he does have some good skills, but his form was pretty sloppy."

While the chicken had not said this in a particularly loud voice, Beedrill could hear this as he slowly opened one eye and flipped back up onto his feet, saying, "I'm impressed, but don't think you've won."

Butterfree breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "I knew you couldn't possibly fall to that so easily," as the wasp nodded and flew toward Magnemite, the cyborg thinking, 'Alright, just a little closer.'

However, just as it seemed like he was about to make a counter of his own, Beedrill shifted to the right and sent his left arm stinger into the cyborg's side. Magnemite winced in pain as a light gash formed, a mixture of oil and blood trickling down while the audience was starting to cheer for the wasp again.

And it did not end there as Beedrill locked Magnemite's arms in place, saying, "Just try to get out of this," taking to the sky once more before leaning backward and planting Magnemite's head into the canvas.

The crowd went wild as the wasp released his hold, flying over to Butterfree and asking, "Want a taste of the action now?" the butterfly nodding and replying, "You'd better believe it."

And with that, Beedrill held out his arm stinger as Butterfree slapped it with her stubby hand, taking his place as Nori said, "Wow, that was quite a comeback. Despite only landing two moves, he actually seems to have inflicted slightly more pain to Magnemite than both fighters dealt to him combined."

"That was a pretty smart tactic, actually," Machoke said as Aipom nodded and replied, "A simple approach, but effective."

And this made perfect sense. Not only was Beedrill quite strong, but Magnemite did have a rather weak body. Thus he often relied on his intellect to make up for that, and while it did help him a lot, it had not always worked, as had been seen when he faced two of the Hitmon siblings and the team of Absol and Blitzle more than a year ago.

With that in mind, Magnemite tapped his chin after rising to his feet and said, "This might be tough, Squirtle. We both saw Beedrill in action before, so we knew what to expect with him. However, we've never seen this one in battle," Squirtle nodding and asking, "Want me to take over?"

"Not yet," Magnemite replied, "I have a plan for this," as Butterfree wasted no time flying toward him with her skull pointed outward.

Seeing this, the cyborg waited for just the right moment, backing up toward the ropes a little bit. And once the butterfly was close enough, he dodged to the right and thus she found herself running head-first into the ropes.

Before she could bounce off, though, Magnemite took hold of her ankles and leaned backward, planting her back into the canvas as the audience was impressed someone so skinny could pull that off. And it did not end there as the cyborg proceeded to take hold of her wings, saying, "You should never underestimate the nerd."

With that, he pointed his magnets downward and exclaimed, "SONIC BOOM!" a shock wave sending him high above the ring as he then flipped the butterfly one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, shouting, "MAGNET BOMB!" pointing his magnets upward and sending another shock wave out, sending her head hard into the mat.

The crowd once again cheered for him as Nori exclaimed, "This is truly amazing! Despite looking so weak, Magnemite has proven himself a force to be reckoned with!" the cyborg then sprinting over to Squirtle and tagging her in, saying, "You know what to do."

The turtle nodded and leapt toward Butterfree just as she had gotten up, Beedrill shouting, "BEHIND YOU!" only for the bug to take in a fierce headbutt, Squirtle shouting, "SKULL BASH!"

All the while, the turtle's mother, Blastoise, rose her fist and exclaimed, "THAT'S MY GIRL!" many shocked to see a legendary fighter among the crowd like a common, everyday spectator.

Beedrill could not help but feel embarrassed. Here he was, the chairman of Hero Planet and the former villain who almost defeated him and both were performing horribly. Thus he started to lose that incredible patience he had built up since he discovered his heritage and thus, a vein formed on the side of his head.

"Come on, Butterfree!" he exclaimed, "Where's that graceful speed that pushed me to my limit!?" the butterfly nodding and remarking, "Don't worry, it's still here."

With that in mind, she noticed Squirtle come at her from behind, most likely to set her up for a submission hold. However, Butterfree saw this coming as she proceeded to send her legs upward, planting them hard into the turtle's chin, thus knocking her on her back.

Squirtle was now struggling to get up as the butterfly flew into the air, soaring toward her downed opponent and spinning while a gust of spiralling wind surrounded her, Magnemite shouting, "GET UP, SQUIRTLE! I'VE SEEN YOU DO IT BEFORE!"

However, it seemed too late as Butterfree rammed her skull hard into her carapace, exclaiming, "WHIRLWIND!" Squirtle coughing up blood as the crowd was shocked.

Despite hitting a rather hard material and Butterfree not possessing the same physical strength Beedrill did, that still showed incredible results as Nori stated just that. And Butterfree was not about to let it end there as she flipped the turtle over, grabbing hold of her shoulders before she could recover. The butterfly then flew into the air, leaning backward and flapping toward the turnbuckle, sending Squirtle's skull hard into it.

The crowd cheered heavily as Nori exclaimed, "And just as it seemed like the Electric Shells had this in the bag, the Flying Terrors have made an incredible comeback courtesy of Butterfree!"

As if that was not enough, it seemed the five minutes were up now as Nori rang the bell, Squirtle getting up just in time for Magnemite to join her. And of course, Beedrill wasted no time getting back in the ring as he nodded at his partner, saying, "Good job."

"Did you expect anything less?" she remarked with a smirk.

Squirtle turned to Magnemite and asked, "So, is it time for Tactic Thirty?" the cyborg shaking his head and replying, "I don't think that'll work on them. Let's try Tactic One-Hundred-And-Eight."

With that in mind, Magnemite pushed his magnets backward and positioned himself against the ropes, Squirtle leaping onto his back and holding tight as he exclaimed, "SONIC ROCKET!" launching himself toward Beedrill while Squirtle leapt off of his back and headed toward Butterfree with her tail at the ready.

However, both insects saw this coming as Beedrill sent his stingers forward, piercing Magnemite's shoulders as his eyes widened. Sure, his head still made contact with Beedrill's gut, but the wasp ignored the pain and used all his might to weaken the blow.

Butterfree also did something similar with Squirtle, using her hands to block her tail. Due to the speed the turtle was moving at, she still took in a strike to the face, but she had managed to weaken it enough as she lowered Squirtle enough so she could grasp onto her neck.

With that, both insects nodded at one-another as Beedrill leaned backward, seeming to set up Magnemite for his Twin Needle Suplex while Butterfree spun herself around with Squirtle's skull pointed at the cyborg's. And soon enough, the Electric Shells had made contact with one-another as Beedrill and Butterfree exclaimed, "BUG BOMBER!" Squirtle once again coughing up blood as Magnemite's eye went wider from the pain.

And soon enough, both closed their eyes as the Flying Terrors allowed them to fall on their backs. All went silent as Nori started a ten count, soon reaching said number as she exclaimed, "AND THE WINNERS OF THIS MATCH ARE THE FLYING TERRORS!"

The crowd went wild as Machoke exclaimed, "YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" Aipom sighing, "You know you're gonna have to fight them in the next round, right?" Hawlucha smirking and replying, "Si, but we can do it."

However, two particular audience members who looked beyond excited right now were Kirlia and Ralts, both grinning as the mother exclaimed, "Honey, our little girl's going up next!" Ralts nodding and replying, "Yeah, isn't this great?"

And it seemed Gardevoir was thinking just that as she rose to her feet, asking, "Ready to prepare for the match, Blaziken?" the chicken nodding and replying, "You bet."

But as the chicken sprinted toward the preparation area, Gardevoir briefly turned to face Smeargle. She gave him a light smile and bowed her head, the beagle bowing himself. He would have tipped his beret to her had it not been a part of his body.

Vespiquen broke up the little moment as she placed a hand on his shoulder, saying, "Remember, treat her like any other opponent and don't hold back," Smeargle nodding and replying, "Oui," before joining her.

Unfortunately, Hoopa and Diancie were not so confident in this as Hoopa groaned, "Did you see that? He's clearly friends with that green girl," Diancie biting her lower lip and whimpering, "Should we have taken her out too?"

But just as the genie was about to respond, Vespiquen turned to face them and gave them a reassuring nod. She was certain that this could work to their advantage, but how it could was anyone's guess.

Either way, Florges gave Gardevoir a wave as Masquerain was looking forward to this. She may not have seen a lot of Gardevoir's matches, but she did see her debut match, the one most infamous for how the girl had turned a huge disadvantage in her favour just like that. Needless to say, the butterfly was probably more excited to see how much better she had gotten through time than anyone else.

But just as the girl was about to join Blaziken for good, Machoke got up and asked, "Hey, want me to help you with your entrance?" Gardevoir nodding and replying, "Yeah, but only with the setup. Blaziken and I have already come up with the idea for the entrance. We just need the means of pulling it off."

Aipom wiped sweat off of her forehead and sighed, "Thank god. At least Machoke's not the one coming up with it," Gallade shrugging and replying, "Give him credit. At least his entrances actually work when Gardevoir does them."

And while this went on, Smeargle was breathing heavily, feeling beyond nervous. This was the largest crowd of people he had ever fought in front of, and most of all, he was fighting his best friend. This was something he had only dreamed of and yet now that it was finally happened, he had started to get cold feet.

Vespiquen immediately noticed this and sighed, "Smeargle, calm down," the beagle turning to her as she added, "Trust me, I know you can do this. Just believe," the beagle nodding.

For whatever reason, every time he looked into Vespiquen's eyes during a speech, he just had a feeling that he could take her words to heart. And besides, if he chickened out of this match, Gardevoir would feel responsible and that was the last thing he wanted.

Even so, he could not think about all the matches he had lost since he came to Earth. But it was difficult as these were some of the most humiliating losses in the history of losses.

He remembered full-well his first fight when he went up against a shark named Sharpedo. The fight did not even last five seconds before he found himself trapped in the shark's jaws, submitting after the first drop of blood was spilled.

A week later, he tried again against a cicada named Ninjask. He lasted a little bit longer if only because this villain did not have the same strength as Sharpedo, but in the end, he was still defeated due to her ninja-like speed and reflexes, soon falling victim to a slam known as Buzz Bomb.

The last time he faced anyone before the Grenoble tournament was when a cat named Glameow stole from the bank, Smeargle thinking for sure this might finally be his chance. But ultimately, despite lasting longer than he could have imagined, he still lost when she bound him with her spring-like tail and leapt high into the air, ramming his head repeatedly into the mat with a move known as Spring Driver.

And of course, every single time, Florges would have to come in and finish the job for him. Sharpedo fell to her mighty Pedal Dance. Ninjask was taken down by a powerful spinning slam move known as Twirling Sakura Storm. And Glameow was beaten by Hana Twist, in which Florges took one of her dance moves and turned it into an attack.

Smeargle could only wish he could be that good, and while he never tried to show it, it always ate away at him. He hated having to sit back and watch as Florges would finish what he started. It seemed wrong to have two heroes protecting an area when only one did all the work.

With all of this in mind, he gritted his teeth and rose to his feet, clenching his fists and saying, "Oui, I am ready for this," Vespiquen implying a sweet smile with her eyes as the beagle thought, 'Today will be the day I finally win, or at the very least, put up a good fight. I will not disappoint you, Gardevoir. You believed in me and I will make sure you don't regret it.'

With that, the crowd was anxious as the ten minutes were finally up, Nori exclaiming, "Alright, everyone, it's finally time for the third match of the Ultimate World Team Tournament!" the crowd cheering with anticipation as the woman stated, "We've had a couple of great matches so far, but let's see what the rest of the first round has to give us!"

With that, she pointed at the Eastern entrance and exclaimed, "In the red corner, one is a mysterious, elegant bee who has only just entered the hero scene! Because of this, little is known about her, but perhaps she'll be the third fighter to prove stronger than a certain someone partaking in this match! The other is a dog whose track record is lacking to say the least but still has a lot of spirit! I of course refer to the Elegant Warriors!"

The crowd was unsure of how to react when Elizabethan music played in the background, Smeargle and Vespiquen approaching the ring with proper looks on their face. The two also held hands as they reached the ring, Smeargle bowing to the bee and pointing his hand toward it, saying, "After you, madame."

Vespiquen bowed her head and fluttered into the ring, helping Smeargle up under the ropes and stating, "How very kind of you, sir," Smeargle kissing her hand as the audience still looked confused.

As Machoke returned to his seat, he blinked and asked, "What was that?" Aipom sighing, "I hate to admit it, but I'd rather watch one of your entrances. At least those are fitting for a match," Reika nodding and adding, "This looks more like the introduction to a play, a really boring play."

Nori stared for a few seconds before fidgeting with her microphone and laughing nervously, saying, "And in the red corner-" her spirits picking up as she exclaimed, "One of these fighters has shocked the world with her incredible skills! At first, she seemed like a weakling, but she has impressed us by beating one villain after the next and even defeating Roserade in the Hero Olympics! Her partner is the acclaimed Texas Phoenix and the daughter of Combusken, the hero who teamed up with Machamp in the previous tag team tournament! With a passion for fighting and amazing skills, she is sure to turn up the heat, quite literally!"

"I think that statement would apply more to me, thank you very much," Talonflame grunted as Scyther hushed him, Nori exclaiming, "Presenting the Fiery Beauties!"

Everyone was shocked as Machoke grinned, saying, "This is exciting," as once again, music played in the background. However, this was much more epic and worthy of an entrance to a fight while Blaziken sat atop a float in a cool pose.

However, the main attraction was Gardevoir, sporting her usual red jersey and spiked collar while standing atop a pedestal in the middle with a microphone, waving to the crowd as Florges' eyes sparkled, the flower girl asking, "Is she finally going to sing in public!?"

With that, Gardevoir cleared her throat and exclaimed, "She came to us all the way from afar!" the crowd going wild, all of them impressed by her singing voice as she added, "From Texas, this hero rises above all! With her simplistic and tactical mind, she will surely make all villains who dare to face her fall!"

Blaziken smirked as Gardevoir continued, "With fire burning deep inside of her soul, to continue the family legacy is her goal! You'd better watch out, or you're gonna pay, because she will never hold back on any day!"

"Wow, I didn't know she could sing," Gallade uttered, Hitmonchan's eyes sparkling as Gardevoir belted, "Phoenix from Texas, her spirit and power outweigh many a fighter! With her amazing might, she'll prove that she is the best!"

And with that, a final melody started to play as the two performed vertical flips into the ring, landing on their feet and raising their arms in the air. And needless to say, the entire stadium was full of cheers and applause. This had truly been the best entrance so far as even Talonflame could not hide how invested in it he was.

However, the two who were the happiest of all were Florges and Masquerain, both clapping wildly as Florges exclaimed, "MAGNIFIQUE, TRES MAGNIFIQUE!" Masquerain whispering, "You were right. She's better than you," before letting down nervous sweat and uttering, "No offence."

Even Smeargle could not help but applaud her until Vespiquen gave him a cold stare, the beagle sighing and thinking, 'She's right. I need to keep my head in the game."

Diancie's eyes sparkled as she asked, "How is that girl not a pop idol?" Hoopa sighing, "Pay attention to the match."

And sure enough, Gallade, Hitmonchan and Machoke cheered especially loud, Gallade exclaiming, "That was so cool!"

Blaziken snickered and said, "Don't look now, but I think we did too good a job," Gardevoir giggling before thinking, 'Do you see how serious I am, Smeargle? I want you to be just as serious about this as I am.'

"Well, that certainly was something!" Nori exclaimed with a big grin, "But we came for a match, so once the teams pick who goes first, we can get this underway!" the crowd once again cheering.

With that in mind, Gardevoir gave Blaziken a sweet smile and said, "I know how much you'd like to go first, so go ahead," the chicken smirking and replying, "You're too kind."

Smeargle was just about to volunteer to go first when Vespiquen rested a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. Before he could question this, the bee explained, "I know you're excited, but I want to gauge this opponent first before sending you in. Besides, it's like Nori said. I've never actually fought in an official match before."

The beagle nodded and replied, "Oui," though a part of him was secretly grateful for this. While his confidence had risen, he still did not feel completely ready, especially if the first opponent was Blaziken. He had seen her match with Onix on TV and knew she was no slouch.

And with that, Nori rang the bell as Blaziken immediately raced toward Vespiquen. The bee's eyes widened as she received a hard punch to her face. It did not end there as the chicken proceeded to reach her arms around her opponent's neck, applying all of her weight to send her chin into the mat.

The crowd went wild as Blaziken proceeded to latch her legs around Vespiquen's neck, shifting her arms up and pulling on the bee's arm. Blaziken's friends rose their arms in the air as Nori exclaimed, "And in no time flat, Blaziken has already gotten the advantage as she has Vespiquen in a triangle choke hold!

However, it seemed Vespiquen was not ready to give in just yet as she narrowed her eyelids, saying, "I have to admit, you are just as incredible as I had heard. Unfortunately for you, this isn't good enough," Blaziken rolling her eyes and remarking, "Yeah, yeah, I've heard that before."

However, it seemed as if the bee was not kidding, the crowd staring in confusion as a smaller bee emerged from each of the six holes in her abdomen. With that, Gardevoir squeaked, "BLAZIKEN, GET AWAY FROM HER!" but it was too late as one the bees flew into Blaziken's cheek, forcing the chicken to release her hold.

And it did not end there as Vespiquen rose up, hovering in place while all six bees circled the chicken. And soon enough, the crowd was both shocked and confused when Blaziken found herself unable to move her arms and legs, Vespiquen exclaiming, "ATTACK ORDER!"

With that, she flipped her body all the way around, lifting up Blaziken with what seemed to be an invisible force and planting her face hard into the mat, the bees returning to Vespiquen as she implied a smirk. Even Nori was unsure of what just happened as for once during a match, she was at a loss for words.

"I don't get it," Machoke uttered, "What just happened?" Smeargle nodding and asking, "Oui, Mademoiselle Vespiquen, what exactly did you do?"

"Wait, I get it," Reika said, Keiko and the others staring at her as she added, "Those bees had strings attached to them, didn't they?" the crowd gasping as Vespiquen nodded and replied, "You're a smart one, but yes, these bees are my puppets," Vespiquen bringing them out again, "And before you say anything, Nori, this is not illegal as I was actually born with them inside of my abdomen. I control them with my mind, making them my deadliest weapon."

Blaziken slowly rose to her feet, gritting her teeth. Needless to say, this fight would not be so easy.

 

The crowd was truly astounded. Just as it seemed Vespiquen would not be much of a threat to Blaziken, she revealed an ability that no one could believe they had just witnessed. Even Smeargle was in absolute shock as he had not seen the bee fight until now.

"Are you alright, Blaziken?" Gardevoir asked as the chicken nodded with a smirk and remarked, "Come on, Gardevoir, you know full well it'll take more than one hit to keep me down."

With that, the chicken raced toward Vespiquen again only for her to release her smaller bees again. However, Blaziken felt prepared as when they passed by her, she stood on the tip of one toe before lifting up her free leg. Her foot then proceeded to catch flame as she spun around, exclaiming, "BLAZE KICK TWISTER!"

However, much to her shock, this seemed to do absolutely nothing as the bees once again flew around her, their strings binding her in place. And now her leg had been forced upward, said spot was in excruciating pain.

The chicken's eyes and beak were wide open as Vespiquen lifted her up, exclaiming, "ATTACK ORDER!" planting Blaziken's skull into the canvas before retracting the bees.

"I don't get it," Machoke uttered, "How did that not work?" the others equally confused as Vespiquen nodded and said, "I know what you were thinking. You figured that fire would be enough to burn through my string. Unfortunately for you, it's not exactly normal. Since the string is a part of me, it's made from the same material as my exoskeleton, so you could graze it all you want, but it won't be snapped in half or burned to a crisp, at least not that easily anyway."

Gardevoir whimpered at the sight of this and uttered, "Blaziken, would you like to switch with me?" the chicken taking a deep breath and rising to her feet, replying, "Not yet. This girl may have some impressive moves, but she's nothing compared to Aegislash."

Vespiquen tried not to feel offended by this as the chicken once again dashed toward her. However, the bee knew better than to try her Attack Order a third time and thus she waited for Blaziken to get close.

However, it seemed the chicken would not allow herself to take in another hit any time soon and thus, before the bee could even come up with a counter, she leapt into the air and performed a vertical flip. Vespiquen's eyes widened as she took an axe kick to the skull, landing on her back as Blaziken sent a second kick into her abdomen. And afterwards, she quickly kept her distance as she knew another submission hold would result in her being struck by the bees again.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "And Blaziken makes up for earlier with a stellar comeback!" Vespiquen implying a smirk with her eyes and remarking, "This is what you call stellar? I wonder what you'd call this then."

With that, the bee rose up and once again started to hover in place, Blaziken smirking and asking, "So, you got anything besides those cheap bees of yours?" Vespiquen nodding and saying, "As a matter of fact, I do."

With that, the bee switched to the offensive as she flew toward Blaziken, setting up a hook. But just as the chicken was about to counter, Vespiquen swerved gracefully to the right, sending her claws into Blaziken's shoulder. The chicken's eyes widened as this ended up hurting a lot more than it should have. And thus she knelt down, clutching onto the wound as Vespiquen implied a wicked grin, sending a karate chop into the back of her neck thus causing her to fall flat on her face.

The crowd gasped as Machoke spat, "Hey, Blaziken, what the hell!? You've taken in far worse than this!" Smeargle's eyes sparkling as it seemed his ally was a lot tougher than he could have imagined.

"You have a point," Reika said with a frown, "None of those moves were anything special," Vespiquen smirking and saying, "That's because my claws have the ability to paralyse whoever they touch," the bee then rising into the air.

And at that moment, a big yellow stinger emerged from the middle of her abdomen's bottom, everyone staring as the bee descended toward Blaziken, shouting, "FELL STINGER!"

"BLAZIKEN!" Gardevoir squeaked with terror in her eyes, "GET UP!" but the chicken felt too weak as she took the stinger to her back, her eyes wide open as she coughed up blood.

Nori stared at this and said, "Blaziken had a good start, but Vespiquen is already proving herself a lot tougher than she looks. What she lacks in physical strength she makes up for with very unexpected yet also very effective techniques. And with Blaziken's style of fighting being very simple, this could be bad for her."

However, Talonflame refused to accept this as he rose to his feet, exclaiming, "COME ON, BLAZIKEN, GET UP! YOU TOOK EXTREME PUNISHMENT FROM ME AND STILL KEPT FIGHTING TO THE BITTER END!" Bisharp nodding and adding, "And you had the courage to face me at full strength while you were under extreme injury! The fact that you lasted more than five minutes proves to me that you are, indeed, tough!"

Machoke nodded with a big open-mouth smile as Vespiquen folded her arms, saying, "Strength has nothing to do with it. Her moves are predictable. Not using another submission hold was smart, but that's about the only thing I can praise you for."

And it seemed Blaziken thought the same thing as she slowly opened her eyes, gritting her teeth and grunting, "Alright, Gardevoir, give her hell for me," a big smirk on her face as she slowly walked over to the girl.

However, while Blaziken's movement was alarmingly slow after she had taken the big stinger to her back, Vespiquen did not take advantage of this. Instead, she folded her arms as if she was waiting for the chicken to switch with Gardevoir.

"Mademoiselle Vespiquen," Smeargle uttered, "What are you doing?" the bee implying a smirk and replying, "I was just thinking maybe I should give you a turn."

With that, Blaziken and Gardevoir gave each-other a high five before switching places, Vespiquen doing the same with Smeargle. And while this went on, Machoke grinned and exclaimed, "OH YEAH! I FINALLY GET TO SEE GARDEVOIR'S NEW SKILLS! KICK HIS ASS, HONEY!"

Gardevoir giggled in response to this and blew the boy a kiss, Smeargle taking a deep breath and trying his hardest not to panic. He had wanted to face the girl in an official match for a long time. The whole reason he joined the Grenoble tournament over a year ago was so he could have a shot at this. And yet now that it was finally happening, the beagle could not help but tense up. His eyes were wide as could be as sweat poured down his face, his teeth chattering.

Hoopa noticed this and frowned, folding his hands and asking, "What is this?" Diancie sighing, "He looks scared," the genie retorting, "I know that! He's not supposed to look scared! I swear, if Vespiquen made a mistake choosing this guy, I'm kicking her out of the group!"

Gardevoir could see just how nervous her friend was, but she would not hold back. It was as Florges said. If she did, it would likely come off as insulting to the beagle and she did not wish to insult her childhood friend.

However, she would at least try to ease his mind as she smiled sweetly, saying, "Well, didn't think we'd be here, did you?" Smeargle blinking as she added, "I remember you going on about how great it would be if we could fight in an official match, and here we are. I just want you to know I'm not going to hold back, so don't you dare do the same to me."

Vespiquen stared at the green girl and thought, 'Just as I thought, they are good friends. I just need to find a way to exploit this. She could ruin my chance to unleash his full potential if I'm not careful.'

However, it did seem that Smeargle's mind had been put at ease thanks to Gardevoir's words of encouragement, the beagle taking a deep breath and grinning, saying, "Oui, let's do this."

With that, he rushed toward the girl, thinking, 'I'll show you that I can be taken seriously. No more will I be the weak link of justice, the punching bag who does nothing more than allow villains to show off their skills!'

However, just as it looked like he was ready to strike Gardevoir, she immediately sent a hard slap into his cheek. The beagle's eyes widened as he flew back a bit, landing on his side and tumbling against the ground. This soon came to an end when his back ran straight into the turnbuckle while the crowd cheered for Gardevoir.

"And with one slap, Gardevoir sends Smeargle into the turnbuckle!" Nori exclaimed, "I heard she had trained with the great Psyla before her death, and we're already seeing some incredible results!"

"Damn straight!" Machoke exclaimed, getting up and adding, "That was awesome, sweetie! Keep it up!" Gallade uttering, "Actually, that shouldn't have dealt that much damage," Blaziken looking equally shocked.

Hitmonchan rose an eyebrow as Gallade uttered, "I'm not being disrespectful. You know I love my sister and will always cheer her on, but when she fought Blitzle, even after all her training, her slaps were not this powerful."

Talonflame blinked and stated, "Now that you mention it, she had a really tough time until that power of hers activated. I'm beginning to think maybe this Smeargle guy is about as weak as he looks."

However, Florges tried to remain calm as she thought, 'Good job, Gardevoir. Don't hold back no matter what,' Ralts and Kirlia both cheering in the back as unlike when Gardevoir faced Garchomp, they no longer feared that their presence would distract her.

Smeargle twitched all over as he slowly pushed himself back up to his feet, breathing heavily and gritting his teeth, Gardevoir ready for more as the beagle charged at her again. Just as the girl was about to send another slap his way, he ducked down and sent a sweep kick to her shin.

However, this barely did a thing as Gardevoir sent her knee into his face. Despite only having taken in two hits, the beagle had already coughed up blood as the girl proceeded to send both of her palms into his face, sending him careening into the turnbuckle again while the crowd went wild.

Hoopa was beyond irritated right now. What started off in their favour had immediately declined the exact second Vespiquen's partner entered the ring.

However, the bee had a plan as she asked, "Smeargle, would you like to trade places with me?" the beagle considering it.

But after a few seconds, he bit his lower lip and retorted, "Non!" shaking the pain off of his head and gritting his teeth, adding, "I can do this! I just need to try harder!"

"That's the spirit!" Gardevoir exclaimed as Blaziken sighed, "You may be happy, but I can't help but feel gypped. I actually like earning my victories."

Smeargle ignored the chicken's words and once again raced toward Gardevoir. But just as he got close, he took in yet another blow to the face. However, much to his shock, he was not sent flying this time as he took full of advantage of this, grabbing hold of the girl's arm and twisting it.

A smirk formed on his face as he exclaimed, "Oui! I finally got you!" only to notice his friend had taken in very little pain from this. And as stated before, she did not wish to insult him by holding back and as such, she sent her palm toward his cheek.

Unlike every other attack, she actually slowed it down a bit so when it hit, it still dealt pain but just barely enough to get the beagle to release his hold. He was not sent flying nor did the hit draw blood.

Vespiquen noticed this as Florges looked concerned. Even after all that, after it seemed like Gardevoir would take her words to heart, it seemed she had started to worry about Smeargle's pride too much. Sure, she tried her hardest to make it look like she still took the beagle seriously as an opponent, but it was plain as day to Florges and Vespiquen what was going on.

Machoke blinked and asked, "Did that guy get stronger?" Aipom shaking her head and replying, "At this point, I'm surprised you didn't pick up on it. Gardevoir applied less force to those last two hits."

"Wait, so she's going easy on him now?" Gallade asked as Hitmonchan groaned, "Dammit, I know she's trying to be a good friend, but in an official match like this in front of hundreds, that's the ultimate insult. Does she even realize that?"

Deep down, Gardevoir did know this and it pained her, but at the same time, she really hoped this would at least give her friend a boost in confidence. And it seemed to do so as he smirked, saying, "Looks like my arm lock weakened you a bit."

But just as he was about to go in for more, Vespiquen shook her head and remarked, "No, Smeargle. That's not it at all," Gardevoir blinking and biting her lower lip, thinking, 'Please don't tell him.'

However, the bee had seen an opportunity here as she implied a scowl, saying, "Smeargle, Gardevoir does not take you seriously. She purposely weakened those last two hits so you wouldn't get badly hurt anymore."

Hoopa blinked and groaned, "Dammit, really? And here I thought he might actually have gotten stronger," Diancie sighing, "But no one builds up strength that quickly," the genie glaring at him as she uttered, "Well, not that I know of anyway. I guess it's possible."

"Wait, is this true?" Smeargle asked as Gardevoir bit her lower lip, Blaziken wanting to express some agreement but did not wish to turn against her friend like that.

"Well, if what we've heard is correct, it seems that Gardevoir might be showing mercy on her opponent," Nori stated, "She's certainly never done that before," Smeargle turning to the announcer and sighing, "It's because none of her past opponents were weak like moi."

He then sighed, "I appreciate what you've done, Gardevoir. You were simply trying to build my self-esteem, but all this did was tell me that I'm really not cut out for this line of work."

Hoopa then pulled on his own cheeks and groaned, "OH MY GOD, VESPIQUEN, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?"

But just as it looked like Smeargle was about to quit, Gardevoir ready to protest, Vespiquen saw another opportunity as she glared at the beagle, saying, "Don't you dare leave this ring."

Smeargle's eyes widened as the bee added, "Trust me on this one. The minute I saw you, I knew you had a power greater than anything I have ever witnessed. You may not think much of yourself, but you have what it takes. Your friend sees you as nothing more than a weakling, and that's why she held back!"

"No, it's not true!" Gardevoir protested as Vespiquen sighed, "Who are you kidding? You never once took him seriously as an opponent and this is how you've chosen to communicate that to him," the girl shaking her head.

Smeargle gritted his teeth, a low growl coming from him as Nori asked, "Is Smeargle going to show us a new side of himself, folks?" the beagle's body suddenly twitching as he held onto the sides of his head, letting out a loud roar of both agony and fury.

'Non, I can't turn against Mademoiselle Gardevoir,' he thought as Vespiquen said, "There, unleash your true potential and make her pay for looking down on you!"

The beagle then took many deep breaths and thought, 'She's right. All these years, I thought Mademoiselle Gardevoir respected moi, but she never did! She has never had an ounce of confidence in moi, and she has proven that today!'

With that in mind, he took a deep breath as a green aura surrounded him, no one believing this as the beagle turned toward Gardevoir, saying, "Gardevoir, I came into this match hoping to at least prove myself better than usual, but now I intend to win, and I'll prove myself by making you the first opponent I ever truly defeated!"

"Smeargle, this isn't like you!" Gardevoir protested as Blaziken uttered, "You might wanna end the small talk."

And it seemed so as the beagle let out another loud roar, his pupils vanishing as two extra tails sprouted out of his rear end. As if that was not enough, his paint brush tips were rounder now, making them look more like onions, his teeth becoming sharper as his arms slightly increased in width. Not by a lot, but enough for people to notice.

No one could believe what they had just seen. Sure, the change was not major, but to see a hero transform like that was still a rare sight.

"Smeargle?" Gardevoir uttered with concern, the beagle exclaiming, "Don't worry about moi! I am the opponent, therefor you should be worried about yourself!"

'Non!' Florges thought as Masquerain uttered, "Did you know he could do that?" the flower girl shaking her head and thinking, 'I knew taking him lightly would lower his spirits, but I didn't think it would have an effect like this.'

Lucario looked especially tense as this reminded him of what happened every time a certain blue aura surrounded him during the Olympics. Each time it happened, he would lose control and resort to dirty tactics. Sure, his strength would increase greatly, but it always came at a price.

And it seemed the same might very well have happened to Smeargle as he charged toward Gardevoir with his tails at the ready, the girl too shocked to move right now as Blaziken snapped, "HEY, GARDEVOIR, MOVE!"

However, by the time she snapped out of her trance, it was too late as the Smeargle's tails seemed to expand in length, the beagle sending them rapidly into the girl's gut while barking, "TRIPLE TAIL BRUSH BARRAGE!"

Everyone stared in shock as Smeargle had gone from dealing little to no pain to actually drawing blood from Gardevoir's mouth. And after striking her thirty times, he proceeded to send all three tails into the same spot, sending her flying toward the ropes as she pressed up against them, resting her arms over them with a look of terror in her eyes.

"What just happened?" Machoke uttered as Aipom whimpered, "I don't know, but I don't like it."

"Wow!" Nori exclaimed, "I can't believe my eyes! It seemed like Smeargle was a complete weakling, but with one move, he's proven this announcer dead wrong!" the beagle howling into a air with a grin on his face, exclaiming, "TRES MAGNIFIQUE! THAT FELT ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!"

Vespiquen implied a smile with her eyes as Hoopa stared in stunned silence, Diancie saying, "Guess Vespiquen made the right choice after all."

Hoopa's shock turned to a maniacal grin as he said, "I'd say she did more than that. It's just like she said. This guy is perfect."

And with that, the bell rang, signalling that it was time for the tornado tag portion to start up. However, Gardevoir was unsure of what to do as Blaziken leapt into the ring and patted her on the shoulders, asking, "You okay?"

The girl bit her lower lip and whimpered, "I-I did this, didn't I?" the chicken sighing, "Look, it doesn't matter how this started. The thing is, I don't think that's your friend there standing in the ring before us. As such, I think the best thing you can do right now is snap him out of his state."

Gardevoir stared for a few seconds before nodding, a more serious look forming. After all, she felt that her holding back had brought this darker side out. As long as she took him seriously again, he would have no reason to act like this, or at least that was what she figured.

With that, Vespiquen joined her partner and said, "Excellent work. You showed an incredible amount of strength and skill back there. But that's only one move. Let's show them more, shall we?" the beagle nodding and replying, "Oui!" a wicked smirk forming on his face now.

With that, Smeargle rushed toward Gardevoir, swinging his tails at her only for her to grab hold of them with her palms. However, Smeargle saw this coming as he lifted her up, lowering his tails thus slamming her chin into the canvas.

Seeing this, Blaziken rushed toward the beagle in an attempt to save her partner only for Vespiquen to get behind her, wrapping her arms around the chicken and lifting her up, leaning back and planting the back of her neck into the canvas. Now the crowd was worried, especially Machoke and the others. They knew Vespiquen was tougher than she looked, but she did not seem like the kind would be able to lift up someone like Blaziken so easily.

Even so, Blaziken ignored the pain, smirked and said, "Big mistake," wrapping her legs around the bee's neck before performing a handstand, flipping Vespiquen over her body and sending her skull into the mat with a frankensteiner.

However, while Blaziken had gotten free from her hold, she noticed that Smeargle had his back turned to Gardevoir as the girl was trapped in one of his own holds. Two of his tails bound her arms in place while the middle one was wrapped around her neck, the beagle pulling hard and bending her back.

While this happened, Smeargle smirked and asked, "What was it Ninetales called her version of this move? The Kitsune Backbreaker? I think I'll call this the Beagle Backbreaker!"

Machoke was in far too much panic watching his girlfriend take in so much pain to comment on how stupid that name sounded and thus exclaimed, "COME ON, GARDEVOIR! YOU CAN FIGHT THIS!"

The girl gasped as she eyed Machoke, the boy adding, "It's true, Ninetales had a submission hold just like that, but her version was stronger! She used all nine of her tails while this guy only has three! Surely you can get out of this!"

"Oh, I have no doubt she can," Smeargle replied with a smirk as he proceeded to lean forward, latching his legs around Gardevoir's and performing a handstand. With that, he proceeded to flip the rest of his body, sending the girl's skull into the canvas as she coughed up blood once more.

Seeing that Vespiquen could no longer fight back, Blaziken charged at the beagle and leapt toward him, taking hold of his ears with her legs reeled back. Smeargle's eyes widened as her feet caught fire, the chicken shouting, "BLAZE KICK!" sending it hard into his back as he fell flat on his face.

The crowd went wild as Vespiquen slowly got up, scowling at this as Nori exclaimed, "Just as it looked like the Fiery Beauties would be done for, Blaziken has managed to help out her team mate and bring the advantage back with that famous finishing move, the legendary Blaze Kick! We haven't seen that move in quite some time, have we, folks!?"

With that, Blaziken helped Gardevoir up as Smeargle continued to lie on his belly, saying, "Come on, let's give that Vespiquen a taste of our teamwork."

"Right," Gardevoir replied with a sigh as Machoke and the others cheered wildly, Gallade breathing a sigh of relief and saying, "I was worried for a second there."

And with that, Gardevoir took hold of Blaziken's arms and lifted her up, spinning her around as the chicken's feet caught fire again. Vespiquen unleashed her smaller bees, prepared to fight back when Gardevoir released her hold on the chicken, both exclaiming, "ROARING PHOENIX!"

Vespiquen's eyes widened with shock as Blaziken's flame became the shape of a phoenix head, her feet hitting the bee hard in the chest as she fell hard on her back, coughing up green blood. And it did not end there as Gardevoir leapt toward her and spat, "GET A LOAD OF THIS!" lifting the bee up by the shoulders and wrapping her arms around her.

Unbeknownst to everyone, though, Smeargle had enough consciousness to watch the events unfold, shifting his tails around in an odd pattern as Gardevoir leapt high into the air, thinking, 'This is what ultimately won our match with Aegislash and Blitzle. I just know this will work,' a light smile forming as her mind added, 'Are you watching, Machoke? I want you to see my new signature move.'

Machoke's eyes sparkled as the girl flipped her body upside-down, spinning toward the mat while a gust of wind formed around her. Vespiquen closed her eyes tight, Hoopa and Diancie both mortified as Gardevoir slammed the bee's head hard into the canvas, squealing, "TORNADO BUSTER!"

With that, she released her hold on the bee and allowed her to collapse as the audience went wild, Nori exclaiming, "NEVER BEFORE HAS THIS BEEN SEEN BY PUBLIC EYES! IT SEEMS GARDEVOIR HAS A NEW FINISHING MOVE!"

"That was amazing!" Machoke exclaimed with a big grin as Gallade uttered, "How long has she been able to use that?" Hitmonchan's jaw dropped as she said, "Your sister is awesome."

However, just as quickly as things had started to look up, panic returned to the crowd as Smeargle slowly rose to his feet, looking as if the Blaze Kick from earlier meant nothing as he growled, "Did you honestly think one powerful hit would be enough to take moi down?"

Gardevoir pursed her lip but remembered that she had to take this seriously now. Right now, the fighter before her was not Smeargle, at least not in her eyes. She had to do all she could to return him to normal, and with Vespiquen seeming to be down for the count, this might just be possible.

 

All was silent in the arena as no one knew how to react to this. It seemed like Blaziken's Blaze Kick had finished Smeargle for good and yet he was still standing.

But on the upside, Vespiquen seemed to be out cold after taking two extremely powerful moves. Perhaps the Fiery Beauties could still earn themselves a victory today.

Ralts and Kirlia seemed to think so as they were cheering heavily, Florges taking a deep breath and thinking, 'He may be standing, but he's at a disadvantage again. I just really hope those two can break him out of this state. I liked him much better before.'

However, Masquerain had the biggest dimples on her face right now as she said, "Wow, Gardevoir's amazing. Not only does she have great singing talent, but she's surprisingly strong for one of her stature."

"Oui," Florges replied, "According to her emails, she and Gallade spend an hour a day training at a local gym. The reason for this is because Gardevoir does not wish to rely on her hidden power to win every one of her matches."

Masquerain had to admit, she was very slowly but surely becoming a fangirl of Gardevoir's, but even so, this did not change the fact that Smeargle looked even more frightening than before. Blaziken frowned at the sight of this and said, "Come on, he's alone. Let's show him what we can do."

Gardevoir nodded as she said, "Let's try that combination attack we've been practising," the chicken smirking and replying, "Oh yeah, that might just be enough."

With that, Blaziken sprinted toward Smeargle. The beagle attempted to stop her only for the chicken to leap over him, flying toward the ropes and planting her feet up against them. Gardevoir then proceeded to leap toward him while Blaziken propelled herself off of the ropes, both girls holding their arms out.

Once again, Smeargle's tails shifted in an odd formation as strangely enough, he did not even attempt to dodge this. And soon enough, both arms rammed into his neck from each side as Blaziken and Gardevoir exclaimed, "ECLIPSE HOOK!"

The crowd went wild as Nori stated, "And in another stunning display, the Fiery Beauties have doubled the strength of Gardevoir's famous Moon Hook, the first finishing move we saw from her! While a very simple move, it packs an incredible punch, being the only move to actually make the mighty Garchomp flinch when the two fought each-other!"

Machoke held his hands over his head and clapped, exclaiming, "YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!" before sighing, "I can see why Gardevoir wanted to team up with Blaziken. Those two make an excellent team."

Gallade nodded as Talonflame cheered, exclaiming, "THAT A GIRL, BLAZIKEN! SHOW THAT MUTT WHO'S BOSS!"

However, despite the added force, both girls were shocked to see that Smeargle seemed to take in no pain. As if that was not enough, he also proceeded to lift up his arms, grabbing hold of theirs before spinning his body around, sending each one flying into a different turnbuckle.

The crowd stared in shock as Nori uttered, "It looks like Smeargle took in no pain whatsoever as he immediately counters with an impressive throw. Again, is this really the same guy who took in nothing but massive damage from Gardevoir's simplest moves?"

"I'm more curious as to why that didn't hurt him when Blaze Kick knocked him down for more than ten seconds," Hitmonchan stated as Tsuya uttered, "Now that you mention it, that's kind of creepy."

Smeargle heard this as he smirked and replied, "If you must know, it's because Blaze Kick didn't really hurt me as much as I let on," the others staring as he added, "To be fair, it was strong enough to knock me down, but I could have easily gotten up right away if I wanted to."

Blaziken shook the pain off of her head and stared in utter horror at the sound of this. Blaze Kick had ended so many of her matches. How could this be true?

"The truth is, I stayed down to make the Fiery Beauties think they had beaten moi," Gardevoir biting her lower lip and trembling, Blaziken retorting, "That's bullshit! You're telling me you pretended to be knocked out while we went to town on your partner!? You weren't even planning to prevent her from taking in all that damage!?" pointing at the still-unconscious Vespiquen.

"She makes a good point," Gardevoir uttered with a look of uncertainty, "Why would you do that?" Smeargle smirking and replying, "There was something I wanted to do first, and I'm going to demonstrate it on you."

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Blaziken snapped as she charged at him only for the beagle to perform a handstand, spinning his tails around and shouting, "PAINTER'S FLAIL!" striking the chicken with all three tails and sending her careening into the turnbuckle again.

With that, Gardevoir refused to see what he had planned next as she rushed toward him only for Smeargle to smirk, leaping toward her with his arm out. The crowd gasped in shock as the beagle exclaimed, "MOON HOOK!" ramming his arm hard into Gardevoir's neck, the girl coughing up blood and landing on her back.

"And in a stunning display, Smeargle has turned Gardevoir's own move against her!" Nori exclaimed as Machoke gritted his teeth, grunting, "I'm starting to wonder why this guy is Gardevoir's best friend from Paris," the others wondering the same thing.

And the onslaught did not end there as Smeargle proceeded to lift Gardevoir up, leaping high into the air. Before anyone could even comprehend what was going on, the beagle proceeded to wrap his arms around the girl before spinning rapidly, a twister forming around his body as he flipped upside-down, headed toward the canvas.

"OH MY GOD, IS HE USING WHAT I THINK HE IS!?" Nori spat as Aipom exclaimed, "No way! We've only seen this move used once and he's already mastered it!?" Machoke absolutely mortified as Smeargle shouted, "TORNADO BUSTER!"

With that, Gardevoir's skull was slammed into the mat as she coughed up even more blood. Blaziken had recovered just in time to see this, a look of sheer terror in her expression. And to make matters worse, Vespiquen had finally recovered from all the damage dealt earlier, a big smile implied with her eyes.

"Oh my god, this just keeps getting better and better!" Hoopa exclaimed with a big grin, Diancie saying, "I wonder how he managed to pull that off."

Various members of the crowd wondered the same thing. However, Aipom seemed to understand as her eyes widened, the monkey squeaking, "I think I figured it out! I noticed that when Gardevoir used each of those moves, Smeargle shifted his tails in an odd pattern."

The others stared at her as Machoke uttered, "Now that you mention it-" Scyther nodding and asking, "Are you saying he somehow copied her moves by doing that?"

"That is exactly what I did, Mademoiselle Scyther," Smeargle replied with a smirk as the audience was even more interested than before, the beagle adding, "This is an ability I've always had, but I've never been able to use it before suffering defeat before. It's a family technique called Sketch. When used, it locks the memory of a certain move used by an opponent in our minds so we can use it perfectly whenever we feel like doing so. In other words, Gardevoir, those two finishing moves you used earlier are now mine as well."

The crowd was truly astounded, Machoke uttering, "Okay, this guy just got even scarier," and his reaction made sense. If he was to fight this guy, who was to say all of his finishing moves would not be sketched as well?

Many other heroes in the crowd were thinking it too as Gardevoir coughed before slowly pushing herself up, giving the beagle an angry look. This was a rare sight from her. Even when she faced villains, she would always be serious, but never angry. However, at this moment, she was furious.

"Quoi?" Smeargle asked with a shrug of his shoulders, "You all upset because someone else knows your signature moves?" Gardevoir refusing to respond to this question.

The truth was that she had no problem with that. After all, Machoke had used her Moon Hook against Lucario in the Olympic finals and she was ecstatic when she saw that. But the difference there was that Machoke had used the ability as a way of showing how much his friends had helped him get through the toughest of matches while also getting the drop on an opponent who could read all of his own finishing moves. Smeargle, on the other hand, seemed to have done this out of spite and Gardevoir would not stand for that.

"You were right," the girl uttered, turning to Blaziken as the chicken rose an eyebrow, Gardevoir adding, "This is not the Smeargle I know. It's obvious that I need to do everything I can to stop him."

And with that in mind, the girl focused hard as her hands soon had a violet glow around them. Machoke grinned wide and exclaiming, "OH YEAH, YOU'RE IN TROUBLE NOW!"

All of the others cheered wildly as Reika exclaimed, "So she really can use the power again!" the audience having almost forgotten all about that glow that gave her an immense burst of strength back in the day.

And the girl intended to make full use of this, rushing toward Smeargle as Vespiquen stared in shock, thinking, 'I can feel it. She's become much more of a threat than she was before.'

But just as the bee was about to rush in and help her ally, Blaziken leapt at her and sent a fierce knee kick to the side of her head, knocking her on her side. Although Smeargle would not allow the girl to get so close to him as he swung his tails at her.

Gardevoir once again grabbed them, though unlike before, she now had the strength to overpower the beagle's new strength. As such, she used this chance to bind the tails together before swinging her arms upward, sending Smeargle high above the mat.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "ALRIGHT, FOLKS, WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE THAT AMAZING FINISHER THAT HAS STOPPED SO MANY OF GARDEVOIR'S OPPONENTS PRIOR TO THIS MATCH!" and the announcer was right as Gardevoir leapt up to Smeargle's level, taking hold of his head and flipping him upside-down.

She then proceeded to descend with him, her legs rising above her head as Smeargle had more than enough consciousness to see what she was doing, especially since his head was facing her. As such, he shifted his tails again, just finishing the sketch when his skull was slammed into the mat, Gardevoir squealing, "METEOR BOMB!"

The crowd cheered even louder now, Machoke applauding his girlfriend as the hit had left a big indent in the material. Smeargle's eyes were wide with shock as he actually coughed up blood this time, falling on his back while Gardevoir rose to her feet, breathing heavily.

Vespiquen slowly positioned herself upright as Hoopa uttered, "Wow, that girl just got really scary," Diancie nodding and saying, "She's clearly stronger than she looks, but I don't think she was that strong before."

And Diancie would soon learn how right she was when Nori stated, "We haven't seen that violet glow in well over a year. It was said that Gardevoir had merged with her power when she faced Hitmontop and thus was unable to create it anymore. But she has stated in an interview that Psyla taught her to go beyond that and still form the power that made her a real force to be reckoned with, and we've now seen proof of this."

Florges clapped wildly and exclaimed, "ONCE AGAIN, TRES MAGNIFIQUE!" Masquerain staring in stunned silence and uttering, "Wow, she just keeps getting cooler every minute."

Ralts and Kirlia were also ecstatic, both of them so proud of their daughter. It was truly amazing how throughout this match, she just kept overcoming each and every disadvantage thrown her way.

Gardevoir smiled at Machoke and thought, 'I'm so glad you could see my new, improved power in action,' before looking down at her opponent as her mind added, 'Though I have to make sure they're both knocked out. I only have this power for three minutes, so I need to make every second count.'

However, Vespiquen was not about to sit back and allow her ally to lose and thus she raced toward the girl with malice in her eyes. And when Blaziken tried to stop her, the bee swerved to the right and sent her claws into her shoulder, the chicken now unable to move her legs for the time being.

With that in mind, Vespiquen unleashed her smaller bees and exclaimed, "Now I can see who's the true powerhouse of this team!" sending the bees toward Gardevoir as they flew around her, the strings binding her in place.

But just as it looked like Vespiquen would use her Attack Order, Gardevoir easily overpowered the strings and stood on the tips of her toes. She then proceeded to twirl just like a dancer, swinging the bee around before slamming her hard into the turnbuckle, causing her to release her hold as the crowd cheered wildly.

"And it would seem Gardevoir's power has allowed her to escape from Vespiquen's powerful string!" Nori exclaimed, "What an amazing comeback!" Vespiquen's eyes wide with shock as Gardevoir raced toward her, sending her palm hard into the bee's chin.

And it did not end there as the girl unleashed a torrent of slaps, dealing considerable pain as the crowd went even wilder. But just as Blaziken was about to join her and add to the damage, she noticed Smeargle slowly rise to his feet, a look of shock on his face. He could not believe how much that Meteor Bomb had hurt, especially when the finishing moves used earlier had not even come close.

But even so, he had managed to successfully sketch the move, but just as he was about to take advantage of this, Blaziken leapt at him from behind and exclaimed, "I DON'T THINK SO!"

She then grabbed hold of his ears and prepared another Blaze Kick only for Smeargle to smirk and cup his tail brushes together, sending all three into the chicken's gut. This caused her to cough up blood, releasing her hold as he folded his arms and looked down at her, asking, "Did you honestly think I would fall victim to that again?"

"Well, it caught you off-guard before," Blaziken grunted as the beagle proceeded to turn around, binding her with his tails while replying, "Actually, it didn't," Gardevoir stopping her assault and gasping upon hearing this.

Smeargle then proceeded to leap high into the air with Blaziken still in his grasp, releasing her from his tails only to turn around and grab hold of her head, flipping her upside-down while explaining, "As you know, I pretended to be unconscious so I could copy one of Gardevoir's finishing moves. In fact, me being knocked down was all part of my plan."

The two then descended toward the mat, Gardevoir's eyes wide with shock as Vespiquen used this chance to grab hold of her shoulders, the girl grasping the bee's arms and flipping her over her head and onto her back, Smeargle adding, "When I saw you set up the move, I let you connect it so I could fake unconsciousness."

Blaziken was too shocked to even struggle against the hold she was in, Gardevoir squeaking, "BLAZIKEN!" only for the chicken's head to hit the mat hard, Smeargle exclaiming, "METEOR BOMB!"

With that, Blaziken coughed up blood and passed out from the pressure, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. Everyone stared in stunned silence as Talonflame got up from his seat, roaring, "HEY, BLAZIKEN, THAT WAS NOTHING! SURELY YOU CAN GET UP FROM THAT!"

Lopunny took hold of his arm and shook her head, everyone else concerned now as Machoke groaned, "Oh no, I don't even think Gardevoir could take them both at once, even with her new power!"

But the girl refused to let it end here as she leapt over Vespiquen, planting her feet into the bee's gut before flying at Smeargle with her arm out. However, the beagle was ready this time as held up both his arms, stopping her in her tracks with a smirk on his face.

As Vespiquen rose to her feet, the beagle grinned and said, "Come on, let's show them that team move we've been working on," the bee nodding with an implied smile and saying, "Of course."

Before Gardevoir could even respond, Smeargle took hold of her wrist and slammed her onto her belly, leaping high into the air as Vespiquen flew up to his level. The beagle then took hold of her arms as her stinger emerged from the middle of her abdomen, the two descending toward Gardevoir's back.

"ASTEROID HARPOON!" the two exclaimed, sending it hard into the very spot they had aimed at. Gardevoir's eyes and mouth were wide open as she coughed up blood, the girl's head falling forward as her face hit the mat hard.

And with that, the violet glow faded despite her still having a minute left to use it. There was no doubt about it now. She had been knocked unconscious and would not get up anytime soon.

And with both Fiery Beauties out like a light, Nori started the ten count as all went quiet among the crowd, Hoopa with the biggest grin on his face as Vespiquen nodded at Smeargle in approval. He had truly impressed her today as he had finally taken the first step to making a true name for himself.

Florges immediately rose to her feet and exclaimed, "GARDEVOIR, GET UP!" Machoke nodding and shouting, "COME ON, I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS!" Talonflame still refusing to believe that Blaziken was really done for.

The others started to cheer for the duo as well, but it was too late. Nori had reached the number ten as she rang the bell and exclaimed, "And after the longest and most intense match so far, this victory goes to the Elegant Warriors!"

No one knew whether to cheer or not. On one hand, to the best of their knowledge, the victory had gone to a pair of heroes. But on the other hand, Blaziken and Gardevoir were much more popular not to mention Smeargle and Vespiquen's methods seemed questionable.

Even Lucario was starting to wonder if Smeargle was even a hero as the beagle's psychotic look suddenly became a content smile, the beagle raising his arm in the air, exclaiming, "Merci beaucoup, you lovely people! You all came to witness my first victory on Earth! This is greatly appreciated!"

Hearing these words, the crowd seemed convinced as their looks of shock slowly changed to smiles, all of them now applauding the beagle. And of course, some of them also cheered for Vespiquen, but right now, Smeargle was the true man of the hour.

After all, it was just like he said. This was his first real victory, the first time he had ever stood a chance during a match. And though not everyone knew of his poor track record, it was still a sight of behold.

However, there was still malice within Smeargle as he glared down at Gardevoir, saying, "As you can plainly see, I didn't need your pity. I can hold my own just fine, merci."

Vespiquen implied a smile with her eyes as she took the beagle's hand, the two walking out of the ring in a proper fashion. Machoke scowled at Smeargle before turning to the ring and racing toward it, his anger now replaced by concern. After all, his friend and girlfriend had taken in unbelievable punishment and would likely need medical help now.

And sure enough, the others followed behind him as he climbed into the ring, kneeling down before Gardevoir and holding her head up. He took a deep breath and asked, "You okay, honey?" the boy hearing feint breathing but not much else. Unfortunately, it was as he feared. Neither girl would get up anytime soon.

Aipom stared with concern as Machoke gritted his teeth, grunting, "Mark my words, Gardevoir. If those two make it past the second round, I swear I'll knock some sense into Smeargle for you. Don't feel like your efforts were in vain."

Hawlucha had joined him as well as he rested a hand on the boy's shoulder, nodding with a warm smile and saying, "Si. We'll help him remember why he and you were such good amigos before."

And with that, a medical team came in with two stretchers, gently setting each girl on one. Machoke watched in silence as the two were carried out of the dome, Aipom smiling at the boy and saying, "I'm sure you can do it."

Nori blinked and said, "Well, after three very exciting matches, I feel like it's time for an hour-long break. We'll do this after the next three matches as well, so until then, you're all free to get up, stretch, walk around and do whatever else you'd like. But remember, you only have an hour."

Machoke just wanted to run off and stay by Gardevoir's side when Aipom tapped him on the side, saying, "You'll need to stick around and watch the other fights. After all, every one of these teams consists of possible opponents for you."

The boy let out a sigh and groaned, "You're right," Reika giving him a sweet smile and saying, "I'm sure Gardevoir wouldn't want you to miss these matches, anyway."

As much as the boy still felt like bolting, he knew his friends were right. He had to study each and every team, even if he knew he would not face most of them.

Florges, on the other hand, rose to her feet along with Kirlia and Ralts, all three running from the stadium to ride in the back of the hospital van. And it was not long until Masquerain decided to join them.

And as she did, Florges looked at her and said, "You really don't have to do this," the butterfly sighing, "Do you honestly think I'm going to let you go to the hospital by yourself? If Gardevoir's such a good friend to you, it's only natural I'd wanna be there for her too."

The flower girl took a deep breath and replied, "Merci beaucoup," as Gallade watched his parents head outside.

He wanted so badly to join them, but he knew he had to stick around for his own match. After all, it was not too far away.

Hitmonchan noticed this, patting him on the shoulder with a smile and saying, "Come on, darling, let's win our match for Gardevoir's sake. I'm sure at the very least, she'll be happy to have someone in the family make it to the second round."

The boy nodded with a grin and replied, "Yeah, you're right," the two sharing a kiss.

And with that, everyone got up to use the hour as seen fit. Machoke was unsure of whether or not to use this time until Hawlucha rested a hand on his shoulder, giving him a warm smile and suggesting they at least have lunch. After all, Gardevoir would not wish for her boyfriend to worry about her, not when he had some downtime now.

Lucario had decided to spend this hour training with Clauncher. Unbeknownst to anyone, he had taken quick glances at Hoopa and Diancie during the match. He could tell they had some sort of connection to Vespiquen and had gotten bad vibes from all three. At the very least, he intended to defeat these two.

And of course, Scyther and Talonflame had decided to do the same. After all, Scyther was not the kind to slack off before a big match, even if her opponents were friends of hers.

Gallade and Hitmonchan, especially after deciding to win for Gardevoir's sake, went off to train as well. Though they had also agreed to spare an extra half-hour so they could have themselves a brief lunch date, perhaps even join Machoke and Hawlucha.

Needless to say, tensions had truly risen. It was only the first round and yet the audience had already been treated to something absolutely brutal. Who was to say the next few matches would be anything less?

 

After Gardevoir and Blaziken had suffered such a heavy loss, the spirits of their friends had certainly gone down. The first two matches may have been rough, but each one ended with a satisfying result, none of the teams feeling resentful toward one-another. And yet Smeargle, despite being Gardevoir's childhood friend, had shown so much malice and spite during his match that his victory felt more like him ending his friendship with her as opposed to him just trying to win the tournament.

Even so, they tried to remain spirited for her sake. Gallade and Hitmonchan were hard at work, using the training facility to build up their strength for their upcoming match. And of course, Scyther and Talonflame were at it as well, both sparring with one-another as neither could think of a better partner for this.

However, Lucario and Clauncher were much more focused on Hoopa and Diancie. The two just rubbed Lucario the wrong way and as such, he felt fortunate that he had a chance to defeat them before anyone else.

Though those who had already fought decided to enjoy some downtime. Machoke was hesitant at first, but he knew better than to let his girlfriend worry about him and thus, he was enjoying a nice, simple lunch with Hawlucha and his family. Isabel had started to warm up to Machoke and thus had no problem with him sitting with them for this.

Aipom was also seated with them as Machoke asked, "Any idea where the girls are?" Aipom replying, "Reika decided to check up on Scyther. Though for some reason, Cici and Tsuya decided to go with her."

Machoke nodded and replied, "Well, I'm not too surprised by Reika and Tsuya. Everyone knows by now that Reika has a thing for Scyther and Tsuya can't stop obsessing over Talonflame, but what reason could Cici possibly have?"

Isabel rose an eyebrow and asked, "Reika's into girls?" Hawlucha nodding and saying, "I had my suspicions, but I didn't think they were true."

Meanwhile, in said area, the girls were watching the two heroes train as Talonflame turned to them and said, "You know, you don't have to watch us. You can do whatever you want," Tsuya resting her chin atop her hands and sighing, "But this is what I wanna do."

The falcon shuddered at this as Scyther asked, "Still, are you sure you don't want to do something else?" Reika shaking her head and replying, "I wanna make sure you two have what it takes to win this tournament."

Cici nudged Reika as the black-haired girl sighed, whispering, "Not yet. It'll likely throw her off," her blue-haired friend shrugging her shoulders and replying, "You'll need to tell her someday."

Meanwhile, Gothitelle and Mawile were busy preparing for their own match. After all, theirs was the first to come after the break and needless to say, Mawile was beyond nervous. And it made sense as she was currently the youngest hero fighting on Earth, what with her being thirteen while all the others were over the age of fourteen. Not only that, but Metang looked absolutely frightening.

Seeing this, Gothitelle let out a sigh and gave her partner a light smile, saying, "Come on, I know you can do this. You pretty much bested me when we fought in the Reverse World. That would have been your win if you didn't forfeit," Mawile sighing, "I know, but Metang is so big and strong. That and he's made of metal."

Mawile's ponytail proceeded to let out low growling sounds as Gothitelle nodded and said, "Your mother's right. You're not alone in this match," the girl giving her friend a light smile and nodding.

Metang was just as serious about this match, if not more. He wanted to plough his way through the competition in the hopes of facing Lucario in a rematch. While a part of him was certain the dog was no longer the psycho who blew up his arms, he still felt like he deserved some vengeance for that.

Starmie, of course, worked hard as well, practising her spin moves on a punching bag. She then took a breather before saying, "Hey, I thought up a new technique last night."

"You don't say," the cyborg replied as the starfish nodded and stated, "Yeah, I'm waiting for the match to reveal it to the world. I think even you'll be surprised by it."

Metang folded his arms and replied, "Well, I look forward to seeing it in action," Starmie feeling beyond grateful to have Metang as her partner. After all, he was the one who inspired her to start coming up with more original moves.

Meanwhile, Kirlia and Ralts continued to stay by their daughter's side in the hospital with Florges and Masquerain standing against the wall to give them space. And while looking at her daughter, Kirlia sighed, "Don't let this loss get to you. Your father and I are very proud. You put up an amazing fight back there," Ralts adding, "I'm just glad you'll be okay."

The man then frowned and added, "I still can't believe how malicious Smeargle was back there. He always struck me as such a nice guy. What could have possibly made him act out like that?"

"It's because Gardevoir took him lightly," Florges cut in, soon covering her face as she realized such a comment was out of line, or at least she saw it that way.

The parents turned to her as Florges sighed, "I told Gardevoir that Smeargle wouldn't be happy if she held back. For any serious fighter, such an act is considered an insult, non?"

Kirlia was silent for a few seconds but ultimately nodded and replied, "That's true. I did notice that after a while, she stopped using her full strength."

"Now that you mention it," Ralts added while rubbing his chin, "When Smeargle caught her in that arm lock, it was because she didn't use full force. He must have felt insulted beyond compare."

Kirlia looked at her daughter with concern and said, "Well, I'm sure Smeargle knows by now that she meant nothing bad by doing that. He'll probably be back to his old, kind self in no time," a light smile on her face as Masquerain was unsure of this.

She did not wish to break their current mood, but deep down, she had a feeling they were wrong about this. If anything, Smeargle did not seem nearly as angry at Gardevoir at first. If anything, Vespiquen seemed to have influenced it.

In fact, no one knew a thing about the bee until now. Who was to say she was even a hero? After all, villains had made their way into tournaments for heroes through deception before.

Back when Talonflame fought in the Next Gen Battle, he had originally disguised himself as a golem named Golurk and claimed to be a hero. And after his true form was exposed, he went under the name Fiarrow and still claimed to be a hero and was not exposed until the finals when he faced Machoke. And the same went for Ninetales, only she had convinced herself she was a hero before being reminded of the horrible crime she had committed in her childhood.

However, with no definitive proof, Masquerain did not wish to say anything. If anything, she would use the next break as a means of finding out the truth. Not only did she wish to know whether or not Vespiquen could be trusted, but she also wanted to know who had sabotaged her and Florges' chances in the mountain climbing race and get said hero disqualified for breaking the rules.

And soon enough, the hour was up as the seats were once again filled, excitement building up in the crowd. Machoke's spirits had also lifted within that hour as his friends reassured him Gardevoir would be fine. Though a part of him still wished he could have been with her in the hospital right now.

With that, Nori cleared her throat and exclaimed, "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the fourth match of the Ultimate World Team Tournament!" the crowd cheering as she added, "I have to say, these first three matches have really been something, but remember, it's not over yet! We still have five more matches before the first round comes to a close!"

The woman proceeded to point toward the Eastern entrance, exclaiming, "In the red corner, one is a towering cyborg with incredible strength! He gave Lucario a real run for his money in the Hero Olympics and stands before us today, most likely seeking vengeance for what the world champ did to his forearms! And the other was actually this cyborg's opponent in the first round, a spirited starfish who's a lot stronger than she looks! Introducing the Iron Stars!"

The crowd went wild as Metang marched toward the ring, Starmie seated atop his head with sparklers in her hands. Metang then proceeded to hold her up as the sun shone bright behind her, the crowd truly amazed by this sight.

And as the two entered the ring, many applauded the entrance as Machoke sighed, "Come on, how is that anywhere near as impressive as our entrance? They're just lucky the sun happened to be in the right spot," Aipom sighing, "A little simplicity is not a bad thing."

Nori then pointed at the Eastern entrance and stated, "In the blue corner, one is a surprisingly powerful goth. She was originally afraid of the sun, and yet now she seems to have no trouble fighting in front of millions on a bright sunny day. And her partner is a former villain with, of all things, the spirit of her deceased mother living inside of her hair and helping her fight. If said person was not a part of her body, this would be against the rules, but like the no weapons rule, as long as she's attached to her, it's perfectly legal. As such, it is my pleasure to introduce the Queens of Darkness!"

With that, both Gothitelle and Mawile headed toward the ring, giving light waves to the crowd. Neither felt it necessary to have an overblown spectacle for their entrance, especially Gothitelle who had never really cared about that.

Machoke grinned wide and waved, exclaiming, "HEY, GOTHITELLE, KICK SOME ASS TODAY!" the goth giving the boy a light smile and increasing the speed of her wave by a tiny bit, Mawile clinging onto the side of her dress as Gothitelle stroked her head, saying, "I know what you're going through. I used to feel the same way when entering the ring. But don't let it get to you otherwise you'll have trouble focusing on the match."

Mawile nodded and smiled, saying, "Besides, Miss Octillery's in the audience, right?" and this was proven true when the octopus let down tears, sniffing, "Oh, it's so beautiful! Our little Mawile is growing up!"

Once the two girls had entered the ring, Gothitelle agreed to go first, Mawile happy with this. Metang was just about to step up himself when he noticed that Starmie was more than eager to show off her new skills. He simply could not refuse such a thing.

With both teams having decided, Nori saw no need to delay this any longer as she rang the bell, Starmie immediately leaping backwards and propelling herself off of the ropes. She then proceeded to tilt her body sideways, spinning like a frisbee as a dark aura surrounded Gothitelle's hands.

But before she could counter, Starmie swerved to the right and struck her cheek hard. Luckily, though, the goth seemed to have seen this coming to a certain degree as she immediately threw her arm up in that direction, sending her palm hard into the starfish's face.

The crowd cheered wildly for the goth as she then took hold of Starmie's arm, flinging the starfish toward the turnbuckle. However, it seemed Starmie had more planned as she flipped her body vertically, latching her lower star tips onto the pole and before standing on top of it.

The crowd cheered as Nori said, "Gothitelle made an impressive comeback, but Starmie's not going down that easily," the starfish then leaping toward the goth and spinning into her face.

Mawile winced at the sight of this as Starmie proceeded to take hold of the goth's arms, spinning her body around once more, only this time picking up Gothitelle with her. Not only was this different, but the crowd was impressed that someone of such small stature could even pull this off, especially since it took a lot just for her middle star tips, or rather her arms, to grab onto someone.

And after a few seconds, Starmie released her hold and sent Gothitelle flying into the turnbuckle, the crowd cheering wildly as Nori exclaimed, "After Metang defeated Starmie in the Olympics, he told her to come up with a wider variety of moves if she ever wanted to be more of a threat! It seems that the lovely starfish took his advice as she has already dished out two moves that have never been seen from her before!"

'Yes, she certainly has,' Metang thought with his arms folded, 'While those moves were nothing too special, they certainly surprised me. Due to Starmie's build, I didn't think she could even pull off a grappling move, and yet she still managed to do just that.'

"Are you okay, Gothitelle?" Mawile uttered as the goth took a deep breath and nodded, saying, "Your mom put me through Hell when we fought and I still managed to knock her out. You think this is going to stop me?"

"I didn't expect it to stop you either," Starmie said as she proceeded to latch herself to the goth's shoulders from behind, "It would have been disappointing to let that finish you off."

Before anyone could figure out what was happening, Starmie proceeded to lift Gothitelle just high enough above her head as she planted her feet firmly against the mat and propelled herself off of it like a rocket. She then planted her top star tip into Gothitelle's back, sending her high above the ring.

The crowd cheered even louder for the starfish as she used her speed to spin around Gothitelle, position herself above her before ramming the same tip into her gut. The goth had almost coughed up blood this time as she was sent careening into the mat, Starmie exclaiming, "SHOOTING STAR!"

Now Metang was truly impressed as Mawile screamed, "GOTHITELLE!" wanting so badly to just run in there and help her out.

But until five minutes were up, she could not do that. And right now, one had to wonder if Gothitelle could even remain conscious long enough for that time to be reached.

Even Octillery was beyond concerned as she asked, "Are you alright?" Gothitelle coughing a bit before slowly rising to her feet. And as always, she showed no signs of weakness as she took a single deep breath, saying, "Don't worry, it'll take more than that to take me out for good."

Metang did not seem the least bit worried as Starmie held her arms against her hips. Now she was unsure of how to feel about this. On one hand, it would have been amazing if that move had been enough to end the match right here, but on the other hand, it would have been a tad disappointing for her first opponent in the tournament to go down so easily.

With that, she once again flew toward Gothitelle, only this time she was ready. Once the starfish was close enough, the goth dodged to the right and sent her palm into her front side again. She then proceeded to send her other palm into the same spot, flipping Starmie upright before before two blue energy blobs formed on her hands.

Mawile's eyes sparkled as she thought, 'That's the move that defeated Mommy! It's perfect!' her hair grinning, remembering just how much this move had hurt.

"PSYSHOCK!" Gothitelle exclaimed, slamming both palms hard into Starmie and sending her flying into the turnbuckle, the starfish sliding down the side of it and feeling weak, her gem starting to blink slowly.

Seeing this, Metang nodded and said, "You've done a really good job so far, Starmie, but I think I should probably take it from here," the starfish nodding and replying, "Yeah, but were you impressed by my Shooting Star finisher?" the cyborg nodding and replying, "Absolutely. That really caught me off-guard."

With that, the two tagged each-other as Mawile asked, "Hey, Gothitelle, are you okay to keep going?" the goth nodding and replying, "Right now, yes."

Octillery, all the while, applauded her friend and exclaimed, "Excellent comeback!" Machoke breathing a sigh of relief and saying, "Not gonna lie, I was a little scared back there. Admittedly, this is my first time seeing her in an official match."

Gallade nodded and replied, "Well, one thing's for certain. Starmie's a lot more of a threat than I remember her being," Lucario much more interested in what Metang had to offer. After all, the cyborg mainly wanted to face him and the dog wanted to know just how much better he had gotten.

Metang gave Lucario a quick glance before readying himself, Gothitelle holding up her arms and thinking, 'Alright, I remember watching this match on TV. Not only is Metang relatively slow, but he has a limit to how many times he can use his strongest moves. If I can keep my distance and make him use up his energy, victory should be possible.'

However, it seemed her strategy may need some tweaking as Metang threw his fist forward, everyone shocked when his forearm flew toward the goth, a slightly thinner silver arm coming out of his normal blue one. And before Gothitelle could even respond, she took the hard punch to her face and flew toward the ropes, stopping herself from bouncing off.

It was truly astounding. All the pain Starmie had inflicted did not even faze the goth and yet this single punch actually scared her. And while she stared at Metang, the cyborg turned to Lucario and gave him an intimidating look, as if to say that would be him eventually.

Seeing this, Mawile could no longer sit back as she quickly ran over to Gothitelle, slapping her hand. The goth gasped and turned toward the girl, a light smile on her face. Deep down, she had been planning to switch with Mawile anyway, but now she could be at ease knowing the girl had enough courage to go through with it.

Mawile glared at Metang and said, "Alright, you've had your fun, but it's my turn now," the cyborg nodding and saying, "Yes, I heard about how you used to serve those punks dedicated to reviving Giratina, and from what I can gather, you guys were no slouches. Even so, don't think for a minute that I'm going to let you beat me."

"Yeah, you tell her!" Starmie exclaimed as Metang once again sent his fist forward.

However, Mawile was ready for this as she dodged to the right, her mother's mouth coming open before biting into the material. Metang's eyes widened as Mawile managed to lift him up with a surprising amount of ease, shouting, "ALLIGATOR JAW SWING!" shifting the arm sideways as the cyborg was sent head-first into the turnbuckle.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "What an amazing display! Despite being incredibly short, Mawile dishes out a shocking amount of strength, sending the towering Metang into the turnbuckle! We certainly can't take this little titan lightly, can we?"

And it seemed Metang was thinking this as he pried his forearm out of the ponytail's jaws, returning it to its rightful spot and rising to his feet. Needless to say, he would have to be careful now.

"Wow, Mawile's awesome," Reika uttered as Machoke grinned and exclaimed, "Alright! Looks like they might just win this after all!" Aipom sighing, "Don't get ahead of yourself. Don't forget, Metang was pretty strong before and now he's been upgraded."

And it would soon be made clear just how much more of a threat he was as he held his arms out, his head spinning like a windmill. This attack was already threatening enough before, but now that he was able to stretch his arms out, it was even worse as he did just that, Mawile ducking under the spinning forearms. Metang was more than ready as he tilted his head downward thus lowering his arms, the girl taking in a hard punch to the cheek as she flew backwards into the ropes.

After that, she bounced off and flew toward the spinning fists again, taking in another hit and falling on her back. The crowd cheered for Metang as he stopped his spinning, returning his arms and thinking, 'That's right, I still need to conserve energy. If I abuse abilities like this, I'll run out of steam and start to slow down.'

"Are you okay?" Gothitelle asked with concern as Mawile shook the pain off of her head, smirking and replying, "Come on, compared to what you put me through, that was nothing," her hair letting out growling noises as she sighed, "I'm just trying to ease the tension."

Deep down, those two hits were worse than anything Gothitelle had dished out on her, but she refused to let that get her down. She had been nervous before, but right now, she had to toss that aside and act more like she did when she faced her friend in the Reverse World.

With that in mind, she was back on the defensive as Metang charged toward her. But when he got close, she proceeded to whip her ponytail forward, the mouth opening wide and biting onto the cyborg's leg.

Metang's eyes widened once more, but he refused to let this get to him as he used his free foot to kick the side of Mawile's head. The girl ignored the pain as she pulled back, causing Metang to trip and fall on his back.

While she had been strong enough to throw him sideways, Mawile knew she could not lift someone as heavy as Metang and set him up for a suplex. Not even her mother was that strong and as such, she used this chance to flip him onto his belly, climbing onto his back and pulling his leg up, exclaiming, "ALLIGATOR CRAB!"

The crowd was even more impressed as Metang cried out in pain, trying his hardest to break free from this insane version of the Boston Crab. He simply could not believe how strong someone this small could be, even if the spirit of her mother was the one performing all of these moves.

"And Mawile just continues to shock and amaze this announcer!" Nori exclaimed, "Despite lacking muscle, she has already pulled off two incredible feats that would have taken even Lucario a great deal of effort to pull off!"

And the dog was certainly impressed. After all, when he performed a slam move on Metang before losing control of his emotions, it had put a bit of a strain on him just to connect it. And yet this girl who was half his size had managed to get the upper hand against the cyborg rather quickly.

However, Metang immediately saw a way out of this as he said, "Unfortunately for you, there is a way for me to get out of this," Mawile's eyes widening as the cyborg proceeded to shoot his arm forward, sending it up in an arch formation and directing it toward the girl's face.

And sure enough, she took in the hit hard, coughing up blood as she flew off of the cyborg's back. Metang rose to his feet as his fans cheered, Starmie breathing a sigh of relief and saying, "I knew there was no way you'd succumb to that."

And it seemed things might only get more intense from here as Nori rang the bell, signalling that five minutes had passed. With that, Starmie entered the ring as she and Metang pounded their fist and star tip together.

When Gothitelle entered, she immediately helped Mawile rise to her feet, asking, "Are you okay?" the girl nodding and grinning, saying, "Now that we can combine our efforts, I feel a lot better. These two may be tough, but we can still take them, right?" the goth nodding.

But could they really pull this off? After all, not only did Starmie's incredible speed make her quite a force to be reckoned with, but Metang had incredible strength. Both of these were features the girls did not have a lot of. But even so, if they were to go down, it would not be without a fight.

 

With the tornado tag portion having started up, the match between the Iron Stars and the Queens of Darkness was sure to heat up now. It had already been rather intense, with Starmie giving a strong opening only for Mawile to tip the tides in her team's favour, but now it was time to see how they would perform now that they could combine their skills.

However, Metang was not ready to let either make the opening move and thus he said, "Alright, Starmie, you know what to do," the starfish nodding and allowing the cyborg to pick her up by her top star tip.

Everyone was confused until Starmie started to spin like a buzz saw. At that moment, she was moving so fast that a star formed around her, Metang stretching out his arms and spinning, the two exclaiming, "SWIFT BUZZ PINWHEEL!"

And sure enough, neither Gothitelle nor Mawile had any idea how to avoid this as they each took in a fierce blow to the cheek. This caused both to cough up a bit of blood as Metang retracted his arms, flinging Starmie toward them as she exclaimed, "SWIFT!" running hard into Mawile.

After seeing the girl's strength earlier, both deduced that she had to have been the strongest member of the team and thus felt like they needed to deal with her first. However, while Mawile took in great pain from the hit, her mother refused to allow this to go further as she whipped herself out just fast enough to bite into Starmie's side, the star vanishing as her spinning came to a halt.

Metang's eyes widened as the hair growled, the starfish groaning, "Oh, right, her hair has a mind of its own," said ponytail flinging her hard into Metang's leg.

As his legs were the weakest parts of his, the cyborg felt great pain from this as he knelt down, Starmie feeling a tad dizzy as her gem started to blink a tiny bit faster. However, while the hit itself was enough to excite the audience, many were just as surprised by Starmie was when Mawile's ponytail did that all on her own.

"I knew the spirit of her mom was in there," Nori stated, "but I didn't think she could actually fight without Mawile, well, being conscious."

"Me neither," Metang grumbled as he folded his arms, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Starmie snapping back to reality as she nodded and replied, "Yeah, it's obvious Mawile herself isn't strong enough to take either of us. If we take out the ponytail first, she'll be a sitting duck."

However, Gothitelle had overheard this as she turned to Mawile with concern. If seemed she had not yet recovered from the strike dealt earlier and as such, she said, "Sorry, Mrs. Futakuchi, but you'll have to sit this out for a while. I'd use you for protection, but then Mawile would be in more danger."

The ponytail nodded and let out a low growl, the goth giving her a light smile as she thought, 'I don't think I can stand up to these two by myself, but I can try,' the goth charging toward them with her hands covered in dark orbs.

However, Metang and Starmie could not have been happier with this predicament as the cyborg lifted up his starfish partner, once again sending her forward. Only this time, he had the arm shoot toward Gothitelle as the two exclaimed, "METEOR STAR!" Metang's hand glowing like when he used his Meteor Mash during the Olympics.

However, Gothitelle saw this coming and was just about to duck under the incoming attack. That was until she remembered that they were now targeting Mawile's mother, who currently could not approach them due to her daughter's current state, and there was no doubt that she was the Iron Stars' true target.

As such, she held up her hands and took in the strike. Luckily, her power of darkness did soften the blow, but not by a whole lot as her hands were still forced into her face. Machoke and Octillery were both worried now as they started to cheer her on, really hoping she could pull off a miracle.

Unfortunately, Metang and Starmie were not done yet as when the cyborg's arm returned, he proceeded to spin his body around, flinging the starfish toward the goth. But when Gothitelle lifted up her arms to block the incoming strike, she was shocked when the starfish flew right past her, headed straight for the ponytail.

And of course, Gothitelle would not be able to help as when she turned around, Metang proceeded to extend his arms again, latching onto the goth's ankles. He then lifted her up and slammed her belly hard against the mat, the goth coughing up more blood as the crowd was restless now.

"For two former opponents, Metang and Starmie have made for an incredible combination!" Nori exclaimed as Starmie managed to strike the side of Mawile's mother, spinning away to avoid being bitten before returning from another angle, hitting the side of the ponytail.

Lucario clenched his paws as he said, "That one upgrade has made him so much more intimidating. I would love to face him again if he manages to get that far," Clauncher nodding and replying, "Yeah, and with Starmie, he's even more of a threat."

However, while Mawile's mother proceeded to take in more hits, the girl slowly recovered and gasped at the sight of this. Thus before Starmie could even figure out what was going on, Mawile leaned to the side so the starfish wound up running into her cheek instead, the audience surprised by what happened next as Mawile opened her own mouth, turning her head toward Starmie and biting into her arm.

Metang's eyes widened at the sight of this as the ponytail noticed this, immediately adding to the pain by clamping down on Starmie's other arm, the two leaning backwards as Mawile exclaimed through clenched teeth, "DOUBLE ALLIGATOR JAW SUPLEX!" slamming the starfish's body into the canvas.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "And just as it looked like Mawile was done for, she counters with an incredible combination attack, only not with her partner but with her mother!" before letting down a light tear and sniffing, "Reminds me of the time my mom and I came third in the mother-daughter track and field event back in forth grade."

At that moment, Metang proceeded to rush forward only for Gothitelle to recover when he got close to her and grab his ankles. The cyborg's eyes widened as she used her power of darkness to lift his legs up, causing him to fall on his back while the crowd went wild. Despite all the damage dealt earlier, the Queens of Darkness still had a good amount of fight left in them.

And with Starmie unconscious for the time being, Mawile leapt over to Metang and exclaimed, "Come on, partner, let's do this together!"

With that, Gothitelle nodded as Mawile's hair took hold of Metang's head, Gothitelle lifting him up by the ankles. Thanks to her power of darkness, she was able to do at least this much, though it did put a small strain on her. However, it was worth it in the end as the cyborg's eyes were wide with terror, both girls exclaiming, "DARK ALLIGATOR SUPLEX!" slamming the cyborg hard on his face.

It seemed Mawile's attacks earlier had done more than one could have expected as this actually proved just enough to knock the cyborg out, each of his eyes replaced by a small red X. However, both expected Starmie to recover and turned only to notice her gem had actually stopped glowing after Mawile's suplex earlier.

Nori remembered full well what this meant as she knew a ten count was unneeded. As such, the woman rang the bell and exclaimed, "And this victory goes to the Queens of Darkness!" the crowd going wild for the two girls as Gothitelle gave a light wave to the crowd, a tiny smile on her face.

Mawile, on the other hand, had the biggest smile of her life as she waved her arms with enthusiasm, her mother grinning wide and letting out growls of gratitude. As a former villain, Mawile never imagined she would ever get this much praise from the masses, and needless to say, it felt wonderful.

"That was close," Machoke said with a sigh as Reika nodded and uttered, "Not gonna lie, I wasn't sure if those two were even ready to take on opponents like that."

Octillery folded her arms and said, "Good job, my friend," Kecleon letting out a sigh and remarking, "You did notice Mawile did most of the work during that match, right?" only for the octopus to ignore his words.

Gothitelle had certainly noticed, but she refused to bring it up. After all, she had mostly entered this tournament to give Mawile the courage to fight in front of millions, so to see her plan work was good enough for her.

However, she then remembered who her next opponents were and needless to say, she and Mawile would need to prepare extra hard. Much like with Masquerain, something about those two just rubbed the goth the wrong way.

Either way, it was time for the ten-minute break as Metang and Starmie were carried out of the ring on stretchers. After all, whenever Starmie's gem faded, it always guaranteed that she would be unconscious for two hours. Meanwhile, whenever Metang's eyes became X's, it meant he would not get up any time soon.

"Wow, that was awesome!" Mawile squealed with a big grin, "I can't wait for round two!" Gothitelle giving her friend a light smile and replying, "Yeah, you did a great job."

With that, Octillery rose from her seat and gave her friends a wave before heading off to prepare with Kecleon. The chameleon let out a sigh and grinned, feeling excited. After all, this could very well be his first time winning in front of hundreds. Sure, he may have defeated Gallade in the Reverse World, but no one had been there to witness the event.

Though most of all, he wanted his parents to see him win a match. He had been nothing but a disappointment to them growing up and this was his chance to prove that he was worthy of the family name.

Machoke waved at Octillery as she gave him a quick wave back. Needless to say, the boy wanted to see her win as well, Gallade saying, "I hope they win. After what Kecleon's been through, he deserves a moment in the spotlight."

"True, but don't forget, they're going up against Throh and Sawk," Aipom remarked, "They were number one in hero school, right?" Gallade sighing, "I'm starting to question that at this point."

Bisharp, who was seated next to Scrafty on a far end of the bleachers, folded his arms and sighed, "I hope those two put up a better fight than they did against me," Scrafty nodding and replying, "Oh yeah, I heard you and Onix made really quick work of them."

As it just so happened, the twin brothers had left a little before Octillery and Kecleon to start preparing for their match right away. After all, ten minutes was hardly enough time to get in some good training.

All the while, Beedrill and Butterfree sat in the back row as the wasp sighed, "It's weird not joining Nori for this," his partner shrugging and replying, "Hey, that's what you get for being a contestant. If you were up there with her, you wouldn't be able to compete and receive praise and applause from millions," Beedrill blinking and replying, "You're right, I totally made the right decision."

And soon enough, the ten minutes were up as Nori exclaimed, "Alright, everyone, we're now entering the second half of round one! I hope you're all excited as I'm sure this will be another stellar match!"

Then pointing at the Eastern entrance, she added, "In the red corner are two twin brothers who in the first month of Hero School were at the top of the class! With amazing fighting skill that's only increased when they're together, I'd like you all to give a warm welcome to the Martial Arts Twins!"

The crowd went wild as Throh and Sawk headed toward the ring, waving to the crowd. They had no big spectacles or anything planned, just a simple entrance. And this seemed to be enough to please everyone.

"I have to admit, as lame as Vespiquen's entrance was, at least she was trying," Machoke muttered as Aipom sighed, "They're clearly trying to go for a more simple approach. Maybe you should try that sometime."

Meanwhile, Hoopa laughed at this before asking, "The Martial Arts Brothers!? That was the best they could come up with!?" Diancie sighing, "Well, it is a little uninspired compared to the others."

"And in the blue corner," Nori stated, "One is a powerful octopus who can really pack a punch! The other is a mysterious warrior with the ability to blend in with his surroundings. Put them together and you get the Vanishing Muscles!"

With that, both entered atop a big float, waving to the crowd as Machoke beamed, saying, "I like this entrance," Octillery blowing kisses while Kecleon used his tongue like a pole to balance himself high into the air, all the while thinking, 'Do you see me? Look where I am now. I'll make you all proud.'

And soon enough, the teams were ready as Throh and Sawk played rock, paper, scissors to decide who would go first. Ultimately, Sawk won as he grinned, his brother nodding and wishing him the best. However, Kecleon and Octillery did not even need to think about this as the octopus rested a tentacle on the chameleon's shoulder, nodding her head.

"Really?" Kecleon asked as Octillery smiled and replied, "Of course. This is your chance. I'm sure your folks are watching," the chameleon nodding and thinking, 'I hope so. I did call them and tell them to tune in.'

With that, Octillery moved behind the ropes and twisted one of her tentacles to make it look like she was holding up a thumb, Kecleon grinning before turning to face his opponent. He was certain he could win this, even if his physical strength was lacking.

With that, Nori rang the bell as Sawk immediately sprinted toward the chameleon. But just as he was about to send a karate chop forward, Kecleon focused hard as his body vanished, Sawk's eyes widening as his chop missed. And before he could even respond, he felt a fist strike him in the chin as he backed up, rubbing that very spot.

"You okay, bro?" Throh asked as Sawk nodded and replied, "Yeah, the hit was pretty weak," when suddenly, he felt something slimy wrap itself around his neck. It was not long until the audience could see what was going on when the blue fighter's neck seemed to shrink in width.

The crowd was truly amazed as Nori exclaimed, "And using his camouflage technique, Kecleon has gotten the drop on Sawk, catching him in a very painful submission hold!"

And it did not end there as the chameleon reverted to his regular form, leaning backward and lifting Sawk high into the air, exclaiming, "CHAMELEON SUPLEX!" slamming the boy's skull into the mat while the crowd cheered.

Meanwhile, back in Kecleon's home country of Mongolia, a family of chameleons were seated in front of a screen as a tall blue one folded his arms, saying, "Well, what do you know? He actually mastered camouflage," a slender pink one nodding and adding, "He also learned your famous Chameleon Suplex."

A couple of other chameleons, one yellow with droopy eyes and another red with a bow were cheering, the red one exclaiming, "I knew he'd get it someday!" before sighing, "Now I wish I hadn't been so mean to him."

Kecleon had a big smile on his face as he held his arms in the air, basking in the glory of all these cheers. Though he was shocked to see Gallade applauding him, a light tear rolling down his cheek as he thought, 'Thanks for having no hard feelings, man.'

However, it seemed Sawk was not going to stand for this as he propelled himself up off the mat, landing a two-legged kick into Kecleon's back while he was still distracted. Some members of the crowd cheered for the martial artist as he smirked and said, "Never turn your back to your opponent."

"Truer words have never been spoken," Nori stated, "Kecleon's moment in the spotlight comes to a halt as Sawk gives him a piece of his mind."

However, this would not last as the chameleon vanished, Sawk gasping as he felt his tongue make contact with his face. He then proceeded to send more hits his way, exclaiming, "MACHINE TONGUE BARRAGE!"

After taking in quite a few hits, Sawk backed up toward the ropes and said, "Your turn, bro," tagging in Throh as Nori exclaimed, "Throh has been tagged in, thus Kecleon must stop his assault otherwise he'll be disqualified!" Kecleon retracting his tongue and saying, "Thanks, but I already knew that."

With that, Throh entered the ring as Kecleon could not help but feel more confident than ever before. However, he still turned to Octillery, wondering if she would like a shot only for the octopus to signal him to keep going.

With that in mind, the chameleon proceeded to vanish and whip his tongue out at Throh. But when the red fighter took in the hit, he was ready for this as he clapped his hands together, taking hold of the tongue. The crowd watched in amazement as Kecleon reverted to normal, Throh swinging his arms around and sending the chameleon into the turnbuckle next to Octillery.

With that, Kecleon rubbed his head and said, "This guy's clearly better at countering my moves," the octopus nodding and saying, "Alright, I guess now's as good a time as any," the two switching places as Machoke exclaimed, "Yeah, you go, Octillery!"

Throh wasted no time charging toward the octopus who allowed him to grab hold of her. Afterwards, she proceeded to wrap her tentacles around his back, the boy's eyes widening as she used her four free tentacles to slap him hard in the face, causing him to release his hold, the octopus then wrapping said tentacles around him to bind him in place.

She then leapt into the air, leaning backward and sending Throh's skull hard into the mat. After that, she pointed her mouth up into the air as ink shot from it like a sprinkler, covering her entire body in the black substance. She then propelled herself toward Throh just as he rose to his feet, the boy's mouth and eyes widening as the octopus rammed into his back, shouting, "OCTAZOOKA!"

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "Octillery is showing a great deal of power as she not only got out of one of Throh's legendary holds with ease but also dealt a great deal of pain with her infamous Octazooka!"

With that, Throh gritted his teeth and sprinted toward Sawk only for Octillery to get in his way, sending her tentacles at him. However, the boy was ready this time as he took hold of two tentacles, leaning backward and sending a kick into her gut, forcing her away from him as she fell on her back.

And with that, Throh tagged in Sawk as the blue fighter took his place, saying, "Don't worry about a thing. I'll turn her into sashimi."

"Oh my, that sounds most unpleasant!" the octopus gasped as Reika uttered, "Ever feel like she's too positive about everything?" Machoke shrugging and replying, "Eh, it's part of her charm."

Clauncher applauded Octillery and said, "I have to admit, she's pretty cool," Lucario nodding and replying, "Yeah, you should try being her friend. I think you two would get along great."

Sawk rushed toward Octillery as the octopus waited for him to get close, sending her tentacles toward him. The blue fighter saw this coming and leapt just high enough to avoid the incoming strike as he spat, "BRICK BREAK!" cupping his hands together and sending them both into the octopus' forehead.

The crowd cheered for him as Nori rang the bell, exclaiming, "That five minutes, folks!" everyone even more excited as Sawk backed away from the octopus, he and his brother sharing a high five.

Octillery, meanwhile, rubbed her head as Kecleon stood by her side and asked, "You okay?" the octopus nodding and replying, "Of course. It'll take more than one good hit to take me down."

With that, Throh and Sawk huddled together as Sawk said, "I have quite a bit of trouble with that chameleon, but Octillery seems easier to hit," Throh nodding and replying, "Yes, and while Octillery seems to counter holds easily, Kecleon seems to struggle with that."

With that, both nodded and rushed toward their opponents, Sawk headed toward Octillery while Throh aimed for Kecleon. However, neither Vanishing Muscle would allow this to work as Kecleon sent his tongue toward the red fighter, Octillery getting ready to bind the blue fighter.

But it was just as the Martial Arts Twins said. Throh easily grabbed the chameleon's tongue, reeling him in before wrapping his arms around him, Sawk once again avoiding Octillery's grip and sending a karate chop to her side.

Throh proceeded to leap into the air and spin vertically with Kecleon still in his grasp while shouting, "ROLLING DROP!" planting the chameleon's head into the canvas.

And it did not end there as Throh continued to hold onto Kecleon with one arm around his neck, the crowd going wild for the brothers as he raced toward the distracted Octillery, grabbing onto one of her tentacles and swinging both around. Sawk leapt far away from the two as Throh soon hurled each one toward a different side of his brother, said blue fighter holding out his arms and racing toward his opponents as the two brothers spat, "FLYING ANCHOR!"

"Oh, I get it, they put two hooks together to create an anchor," Machoke uttered as Aipom sighed, "It's unexpected, I'll give them that."

But just as Kecleon and Octillery were seconds away from making contact, both smirked at one-another before Kecleon spun around with his tongue whipped out, binding Sawk's right arm with it. And before he knew it, Octillery had also wrapped four of her tentacles around his left arm as the Vanishing Muscles grinned and leaned back, slamming Sawk's back hard against the canvas.

The crowd cheered for the duo as Kecleon grinned at Octillery, the octopus nodding as he leapt away from her, whipping out his tongue and binding it to her tentacle. Seeing this, Throh charged at them and snapped, "I'M NOT LETTING YOU GET THE DROP ON US AGAIN!"

However, it seemed he had walked right into their trap as Octillery stood on the tips of her two foot tentacles, she and Kecleon exclaiming, "OCTOPUS WRECKING BALL!" the octopus spinning like a top while Kecleon was swung hard into the side of Throh's head. But it did not end there as he placed a firm grip against the red boy's head, Sawk recovering just in time for his brother to ram right into him, both flying into the turnbuckle.

And that was that. Both brothers were out cold, their eyes spinning as Nori started the ten count. The crowd cheered wildly for the Vanishing Muscles as both waved their arms, the announcer soon reaching the ten count as she rang the bell.

"And with that, the Vanishing Muscles have won the match!" the woman stated as Machoke clapped, shouting, "I knew they could do it!" Gallade, Aipom and their human friends all sighing, "Somehow, I knew that would happen."

Kecleon and Octillery gave each-other a high five as the chameleon grinned, thinking, 'Did you see that?' his family all the while cheering, the blue one exclaiming, "That's my boy!" the pink one kissing his cheek and saying, "I'm so proud of him."

And with that, the Octillery walked over to the two brothers to help them up. Luckily, she and Kecleon had not used enough force to hospitalize them, the octopus following Machoke's example of using just enough force to end the match but not much more than that.

And of course, the twins knew better than to act spiteful as they both grinned, holding out their hands as Sawk said, "Here's to a good fight," Octillery nodding and shaking each one's hand.

However, she then took it a step further as she reeled them in for a tight embrace, exclaiming, "YOU TWO WERE SUCH GOOD OPPONENTS!" Kecleon sighing in embarrassment and groaning, "Just so you know, there is such a thing as too friendly."

Throh and Sawk seemed to agree but were unable to struggle, Sawk groaning, "Why is it that only the weirdest girls ever show affection toward me?" Throh sighing, "I used to envy you, but now, not so much."

And with that, the two teams exited the ring as Nori sighed, "It's always nice when a match ends with friendship," before adding, "Anyway, enjoy your ten-minute break because we got another exciting match lined up."

And with that, Gallade and Hitmonchan both rose to their feet, nodding at one-another with big smiles before heading off to train. Lopunny and Heracross rose up to do the same as Machoke blinked and asked, "Hey, Aipom, who should I root for?" the monkey squeaking, "Don't ask me!"

Whatever the case, Gallade felt like he had to at least win this one. He owed that much to Gardevoir, but he also knew his friends from Scotland and Egypt would not go easy on him.

 

While Gallade and Hitmonchan got ready for their match with Heracross and Lopunny, Beedrill suddenly realized he needed to use the bathroom. As such, he got up and assured Butterfree that he would be back soon, flying toward the entrance to the hallway.

The butterfly shrugged and placed a bucket of popcorn on his chair in order to save his seat. However, after she did so, a teenaged girl seated next to her turned to her friend and started whispering while pointing at her, Butterfree's cheeks turning red as she scowled at the girl.

Meanwhile, Machoke took a deep breath and said, "It's good to see our other friends at least doing a good job. I really hope Gardevoir and Blaziken are alright," Aipom nodding before looking around and saying, "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Smeargle or Vespiquen since that match ended."

Hoopa had noticed this too but tried not to think about it. After all, he figured it would be awkward for Smeargle to sit amongst the crowd after showing significantly more malice during his match than even Serperior.

All the while, Gallade and Hitmonchan practised on some punching bags while Lopunny and Heracross were working hard as well. While the beetle lifted weights with his horn, the rabbit was focused on something else, specifically their entrance. After all, she wanted to pull off something similar to what Machoke usually did before one of his matches.

During this time, Beedrill exited a toilet stall with a sigh of relief when suddenly, he noticed a being that looked exactly like him standing right before him. The wasp blinked and uttered, "What the hell?" only for the other wasp to narrow his eyelids and pierce the chairman's shoulders.

Beedrill cried out in pain before exclaiming, "Who are you and why do you look like me!?" the other wasp retorting, "You ask too many questions," flying backward toward a mirror and shouting, "TWIN NEEDLE SUPLEX!" slamming Beedrill's head hard into it, the glass shattering as the wasp passed out.

During this time, a teenaged boy entered the fight area and looked around, spotting Butterfree among the crowd. He then waved at the butterfly as she looked down, not sure who this was but flew down anyway.

As she landed before him, the boy said in a rather effeminate tone, "Oh, you must be Butterfree! I'm such a big fan of yours!" the butterfly blushing lightly and replying, "Well, always nice to have an admirer."

The boy nodded and replied, "Anyway, I was wondering if I could take a photo with you, but I'd rather do it somewhere quiet where there aren't a bunch of people present."

Machoke noticed this and rose an eyebrow, saying, "Look who just became a superstar," Reika nodding and replying, "Yep, that's hero life for you," the boy sighing, "And yet no one ever wants to take a photo with me."

The butterfly did find this a tad strange but refused to question this. She may have had respect for Beedrill now, but she still jumped at the idea of one-upping him at something and as such, this made her especially happy.

The boy led Butterfree to a closet entrance, saying, "This looks like a good spot," the butterfly smiling and saying, "Well, I'm ready."

The boy grinned and seemed to subconsciously rest his hand against the doorknob, turning it as it slowly opened up. Butterfree's eyes widened when she saw Beedrill chained up and gagged, green blood coming from atop his head.

The butterfly clasped her hands over her mouth, gasping, "What happened!?" only for the boy to smirk, his body starting to change form.

Soon enough, 'he' had taken the form of Butterfree and flew at her from behind, spinning and shouting, "WHIRLWIND!" striking her hard in the back and sending her flying into the wall.

And it was not long until both insects were chained up, the Butterfree clone closing the door and locking it tight with a key she had stolen by posing as a staff member. However, to make sure this plan would work in its entirety, she proceeded to swallow the key, a big smile on her face as the Beedrill clone entered the area to join her.

But who were these two and how were they able to change form? Whatever the case, this was not good.

And sure enough, everyone was ready for the sixth match now as the fake Beedrill and Butterfree took their seats. Naturally, no one was able to spot the difference, not even Hoopa and Diancie. But how? Surely, they must have had some involvement in this.

Either way, this was not the main focus as the match was about to begin, Nori stating, "Alright, everyone, it's been an exciting first round so far, and hopefully, this match will be just as exciting as the one before it."

"I hope not," Hoopa groaned, "That last one was anti-climactic as hell," Diancie nodding and replying, "Yeah, it did feel a tad one-sided, didn't it?"

Nori proceeded to point to the Eastern entrance, exclaiming, "In the red corner, one is a fierce rabbit from Egypt with an incredible spirit and ears with unimaginable strength! Her partner is a tough beetle whose horn is actually stronger than the rest of him! Presenting the Bouncing Biceps!"

The crowd went wild as Lopunny and Heracross approached the ring, but this was no ordinary entrance. Heracross was dressed in a kilt and performing a Scottish dance while Lopunny wore a white Egyptian dress while performing a snake dance, the background music switching back and forth between Scottish and Egyptian.

With that, Lopunny proceeded to flip forward, performing a handstand with her ears before propelling herself high into the air and landing into the ring, the crowd going wild as Heracross spread his wings and buzzed high above it for a few seconds, soon landing hard against the canvas with a big smirk on his face, his right knee bent and his fist planted against the surface.

The crowd cheered even louder as Nori exclaimed, "And the two give us quite the show!" Machoke cheering wildly and whistling at Lopunny, shouting, "THAT WAS AWESOME!"

The rabbit beamed bright and thought, 'Oh, Gardevoir, you're so lucky!' her cheeks flushed pink as Heracross rolled his eyes and snickered, patting his partner on the shoulder.

And as the two removed their clothes, tossing them out of the ring, Nori pointed at the Western entrance and stated, "In the red corner, one is a spirited young fighter. Though his track record is a bit of a mixed bag, he has pulled out quite a few surprises over the past. The other is a powerful boxer from a family of martial artists, each with their own unique fighting styles. Once working for the side of darkness, her partner won her heart and now she fights for the side of good."

"That's not exactly why we turned over a new leaf," Hitmonlee grumbled from the crowd as Hitmontop chuckled, "It does sound a lot more dramatic, though," Tyrogue sighing, "Hey, at least one of us made it to the tournament. Just be happy about that."

"With incredible strength and spirit," Nori exclaimed, "I would like you all to give a warm welcome to the Boxing Brawlers!" the crowd cheering heavily as Gallade and Hitmonchan raced toward the ring, each one waving to the crowd.

Hitmonchan leapt up onto Gallade's palms as the boy propelled her high into the air, the girl performing multiple flips before landing firmly against the ring. Gallade then impressed the crowd as he somersaulted toward the ring, lifting himself off the floor and landing firmly against the ring, bending down on one knee with his arms spread out. Needless to say, the audience was just as thrilled about this entrance despite it not being quite as complex.

Heracross clapped and exclaimed, "Good show, Gallade! I actually think that was cooler than my entrance!" Lopunny nodding and adding, "True. Ours didn't have a somersault," Gallade blushing lightly and uttering, "Really? Because your entrance clearly had more effort put into it."

Hitmonchan smiled cutely at the boy and pinched his cheek, saying, "You're so cute when you're embarrassed," the crowd staring silently as Tsuya sighed, "I'm happy for those two, but could they maybe save that for after the match?"

Reika shrugged and replied, "Well, technically the match hasn't even started yet," Machoke saying, "Hey, nothing wrong with friends just acting like friends."

With that, the two teams shook hands as Gallade said, "Here's to a good match. Don't feel horrible if I beat you," Heracross jokingly remarking, "Keep dreaming, pal," the two laughing as each team walked to a separate end of the ring.

"While they certainly mean business, they still clearly value their friendship," Nori stated with a light smile as Gallade volunteered to go first, Heracross giving Lopunny a chance to start things off.

With that, the two stared each-other down as Nori rang the bell, Lopunny immediately starting things off by sending her ears toward the green fighter. However, Gallade was ready for this as he held up his arms, blocking the incoming punches with his blade formations pointed outward.

As a result, Lopunny's ears took in light cuts but due to the strength of the tufts, it was not quite enough to draw blood. Even so, she realized this could be detrimental as Gallade charged at her with his arms at the ready, exclaiming, "Nothing personal, but I intend to win this!"

But just as he was about to strike, the rabbit easily dodged to the side, holding herself up with one ear while planting both of her feet into Gallade's side. The boy ignored the pain and sent the back of his hand into her face, sending her back a bit as the crowd cheered, Nori saying, "So far, this match is looking pretty even."

Lopunny intended to change that as she sent one of her ears toward Gallade again, the boy blocking the incoming strike before shifting his arm and latching onto it, saying, "I remember this tactic. You send one ear forward in the hopes that I'll block it with both arms and then use the other ear. Don't think that's gonna work on me."

"Actually, I've learned from that mistake," the rabbit remarked with a grin as she sent the other ear into the boy's shin, his eyes wide open. This resulted in him loosening his grip on the other ear as both were soon wrapped around him, Lopunny drawing the boy forward until she had him in a tight embrace.

Machoke blinked and said, "Gotta hand it to her, I've never seen that tactic before," and it would only get worse for Gallade as Lopunny leaned backward, planting his head hard into the mat while the crowd went wild for her.

"And Lopunny counters Gallade's tactic with what I guess could be called an ear suplex," Nori stated, "It's as she said. That's definitely something we haven't seen from her before."

And with that, the rabbit bounced high above the ring with her feet aimed at Gallade's gut, Hitmonchan exclaiming, "COME ON, HONEY, YOU CAN DODGE THIS EASILY!" the rabbit shouting, "BUNNY BOUNCE!"

Gallade's eyes shot open as he remembered he had to do this for his sister. As such, he rolled to the side as Lopunny's feet hit the mat hard, her eyes wide open as her opponent took full advantage of this, striking the backs of her legs with a sweep kick.

The crowd cheered for the boy as this caught Lopunny off-guard, Gallade getting up and standing on the tips of his toes, grunting, "Sorry, but I simply can't lose this!" before spinning toward her with his arm blades pointed outward, shouting, "SWORDS DANCE!"

And as he got close enough, he managed to hit the rabbit multiple times, putting various cuts on her before she sent one of her ears into his face. This provided just enough of a distraction for her to leap away from him, breathing heavily with a light smile on her face.

"Now this is a fight," Lopunny said as Gallade nodded and thought, 'I fought a really powerful rabbit on Hero Planet just to be allowed a chance to fight on Earth. There's no way I'm gonna fall to you, even if you are a friend.'

But just as the match was about to continue, Heracross smirked and asked, "Hey, give me a turn, will ya, lass?" Lopunny smiling before replying, "Sure," bouncing over to the beetle and slapping her ear against his hand, the two trading places as Nori said, "Now Heracross has taken the stage. Let's see what he has to offer."

Gallade started to tense up as he thought, 'Oh no, I've never seen him in action, but Machoke told me he was really tough,' as Hitmonchan noticed this and asked, "You alright, honey? I could take your place if you want."

The green boy soon replaced his fear with a more serious look and replied, "It's alright. I think I can go a bit longer," the boxer smiling and replying, "If you're sure, then make me proud, tiger."

With that, Gallade held his ground as the rhino beetle before him folded his arms and said, "Don't think I'll go any lighter on you," before charging toward the boy.

Gallade held up his arms defensively as Heracross' horn rammed into them. But whereas this tactic had actually stopped Lopunny's ears, Heracross proved significantly stronger as he managed to force Gallade back until he wound up touching the ropes. And it did not end there as the beetle used this opportunity to send a few hard punches to the boy's gut.

The crowd cheered for Heracross as Gallade winced in pain, trying his hardest to resist. However, he found it very difficult to force the beetle's horn away from him and thus, Hitmonchan immediately rushed over to where he was and reached her arm over, tapping her hand against his.

With that, Nori rang the bell and exclaimed, "Hitmonchan has tagged her partner, therefor-" Heracross grinning and lifting his head up, saying, "It's alright, lass. I know how this works," backing up slightly as Hitmonchan kissed Gallade on the cheek, saying, "You've done a good job so far."

The boy took a deep breath and nodded, replying, "Thanks. Give him hell," the boy moving behind the ropes while Hitmonchan propelled herself over them.

With that, Heracross wasted no time rushing toward Hitmonchan only for the boxer to dodge to the right, sending a punch into the rhino beetle's cheek. The crowd went wild as Heracross' eyes went wide, Hitmonchan wasting no time sending a barrage of punches into his face with one fist while winding up the other. And after enough time, she proceeded to send the other into his chin as he backed up, rubbing the spot with a grimace.

"You alright, Heracross?" Lopunny uttered as the beetle nodded and smirked, replying, "I don't just feel alright, I feel alive!"

Machoke and the others cheered for Hitmonchan as Reika exclaimed, "Hitmonchan is so cool!" Keiko nodding and adding, "Yeah, it's amazing that she can pull that off with simple punches."

However, Heracross was not going to let this go so easily as he raced toward her again. The boxer rubbed her gloves together, creating an electric current around them before shouting, "THUNDER PUNCH!" but as she sent the fist forward, Heracross dodged to the right and sent his horn into the side of her head.

The boxer's eyes and mouth widened as that one hit dealt more pain than her multiple punches had earlier, Heracross then sliding his horn under Hitmonchan's feet. Machoke's eyes widened as he spat, "HITMONCHAN, LOOK OUT!" but it was too late as the beetle flung her into the air, shouting, "HORN SHOVEL!"

And as the boxer flew high above the ring, Heracross spread out his wings and rose up to her level, his horn glowing. He then planted it hard into the boxer's chest, shouting, "MEGAHORN!" Hitmonchan descending toward the mat and landing hard against it while the crowd cheered for the beetle.

Gallade's eyes widened as he held out his arm only for Hitmonchan to slowly rise to her feet, spitting out a small drop of blood before turning and giving the boy a thumb up. And just as a smile of relief formed on his face, Nori rang the bell, signalling that five minutes were up. And with that, Gallade could finally join his girlfriend, Lopunny entering as well.

"Good job hanging in there," Gallade said with a grin, "Now let's show them a taste of our teamwork," the boxer nodding with a warm smile.

With that, she immediately started to rub her right boxing glove against the ropes as Heracross blinked, Lopunny asking, "What's she doing?" the answer soon made clear when electricity surrounded the clothing.

"Unlike before, Hitmonchan is only using one glove," Nori stated as Gallade nodded and said, "It's so we can pull this off," the boy holding her left wrist.

And with that, the two spun their bodies around while standing on the tips of their toes, heading toward their opponents and shouting, "PSYCHO THUNDER!" both Lopunny and Heracross taking in an electrified punch and slash to their guts, backing up toward the ropes. However, it seemed they were not safe yet as both lovers continued their attack, Lopunny nodding at Heracross.

With that, the beetle lowered his horn as the rabbit leapt onto it, Heracross flinging her into the air while shouting, "HORN SHOVEL!" only to receive more strikes, only these ones hit his cheek.

But just as it seemed like the rhino beetle might go down soon, Lopunny flipped herself upside-down with her ears spread out. She had to get this just right and thus at the exact same time the couple had matched the position of her ears, she started to spin along with them.

The crowd was truly amazed as the rabbit exclaimed, "SPINNING CUDGEL!" sending the tips of her ears hard into each one's skull.

Both fighters went wide-eyed as their move came to a halt, their jaws dropped as this provided just enough of a distraction for Heracross to strike each one in the cheek with his horn. This caused the Boxing Brawlers to cough up blood as they skidded across the mat.

Reika bit her lower lip and uttered, "They were actually doing a good job," Aipom nodding as Talonflame folded his arms, sighing, "I saw this coming a mile away. I just didn't think they'd last this long."

And it did not end there as Lopunny landed behind Heracross, exclaiming, "Now! Let's finish this!" the rhino beetle nodding with a smirk and charging at Gallade and Hitmonchan.

With that, he proceeded to scoop Hitmonchan up with his horn only for Gallade to recover and grab hold it it, grunting, "I don't think so!"

But just as it seemed like the boy had truly stopped the attack, Machoke groaned, "Hate to break it to you, man, but he's spent years strengthening that horn. Pulling on it probably won't help that much," Gallade's eyes widening as he remarked, "Why didn't you warn me in advance!?"

With that, Heracross smirked and threw his head back, exclaiming, "THANKS FOR THE HELP, LADDIE!" flinging the Boxing Brawlers toward Lopunny.

And once the two were close enough, the rabbit spread out her ears and wrapped one around each fighter, leaning backward and exclaiming, "FLYING EAR BRAINBUSTER!"

With that, Gallade and Hitmonchan's skulls were planted into the canvas as Lopunny released her hold, the two fighters lying on their backs with their eyes closed. And thus Nori started the ten count, Machoke biting his lower lip and uttering, "Not gonna lie, I was kinda hoping he'd win this one."

Scyther and Talonflame looked at one-another, each one saying nothing as Scrafty sighed, "Well, he did put up a much better fight here than he did against me."

And once Nori reached ten, she rang the bell and exclaimed, "And the winners of this match are the Bouncing Biceps!" the crowd going wild as Hoopa folded his hands, saying, "Well, that was better than the last match, I guess."

After a few more seconds, Gallade and Hitmonchan opened their eyes, the boy letting out a disappointed sigh and groaning, "Great, even after all that, we still lost," only for the boxer to smile and reply, "But we did the best we could. I'm sure Gardevoir will be fine with that," the two sharing a brief kiss.

Heracross rolled his eyes and said, "Get a room, you two," as he and Lopunny helped them up, all four friends sharing a laugh. Sure, Gallade may not have won like he wanted to, but he felt fine knowing he had at least lost to friends and not enemies.

And with that, the two teams exited the ring as Nori said, "And despite all that went down, the two teams still remain on good terms," before smiling bright and adding, "And that concludes the sixth match, thus we will have another hour-long break! But don't be late because we're gonna have what I can only assume will be two very exciting matches, especially since the final match of this round involves the Hero Olympics champion!"

Hoopa grinned at Lucario as the dog turned to him and narrowed his eyelids, saying, "Something feels off about that guy," Clauncher giving him a confused look.

However, Scyther intended to use this time to get in some extra training as she said, "Come on, Talonflame, we gotta get ready," the falcon sighing, "How did I know you were gonna say that?" before joining her.

Bisharp and Scrafty also rose from their seats as the lizard grinned at his partner, asking, "Ya thinking what I'm thinking?" Bisharp nodding and replying, "Quite so. Let us prepare for this epic battle," the two taking their leave as well.

Lucario had also decided to use this time to train with Clauncher as Hoopa turned to Diancie and asked, "Hey, wanna look around a bit?" the sylph turning to him and uttering, "Don't you wanna train too?"

"Please!" the genie retorted with a smug look on his face, "I don't need training!" Diancie nodding and nervously replying, "Oh, yes, of course. I should have known better."

Aipom eyed the two and watched them leave the area. She could detect a lack of chemistry between them, and such a thing could easily lead to their downfall. And yet despite that, she also had the same strange feeling that Lucario had about them, as if they were a lot more threatening than they looked.

And of course there was also the fact that no one knew what had happened to Beedrill and Butterfree. To the best of their knowledge, the two were still in the stadium right now. And just who were these two who had put them out of commission? Would anyone ever find out?

 

While most of the remaining four teams were busy preparing for their matches, Machoke decided to stretch his legs with his friends. Aipom, Gallade and Hitmonchan walked with him, the boy sighing, "I really hope Gardevoir's okay with this."

"Aw, come on," Hitmonchan replied with a grin, "You know her. No matter what you do, you'll always be her wonderful big brother to her. Heck, you've lost plenty of times over the past and she still believes in you," the boy giving her an awkward stare as Machoke snickered and replied, "You have to admit, she has a point."

Aipom, however, seemed deep in thought as Machoke turned to her, asking, "What's up? You thinking about my second match already?" the monkey shaking her head and replying, "Oh no, it's something else. Remember what I brought up before that last match?"

"You mean how that Smeargle jerk and his ally seem to have left the stadium after their match ended?" Hitmonchan remarked with her hands behind her head, the monkey nodding and replying, "Yeah, I thought maybe I wasn't looking hard enough, but they really don't seem to be anywhere."

"Yeah, that is kind of weird, isn't it?" Gallade asked, "I actually wanted to confront Smeargle after we finished our training, but I couldn't find him anywhere," Machoke staring at the others as Aipom turned to him and sighed, "You didn't even notice, did you?"

"Well, I was too focused on Gardevoir's health to even think about it," Machoke replied with a sigh, "But yeah, it is kinda weird they'd just up and leave like that, especially during Gothitelle and Mawile's match. You'd think they'd stick around for that to know how they fight."

Gallade nodded and added, "Not to mention Smeargle is supposed to be our friend. I figured if anything, he'd at least want to see my match," Hitmonchan frowning and grunting, "Yeah, the nerve of him! That's just rude!"

Aipom then shrugged and replied, "Maybe we're just jumping to assumptions. For all we know, he probably just went to the hospital to check up on Gardevoir," all going silent as Gallade slapped his forehead, sighing, "Why didn't I think of that?"

With that in mind, he pulled out his cellphone and called Kirlia, holding it up to the side of his head as he soon got a response. The two spoke for two minutes, Gallade nodding his head and saying, "Alright, thanks. Love you too. Bye."

He then let out a sigh and stated, "Smeargle hasn't been seen there once, and Mom and Dad have been there the whole time, so they would have noticed if he showed up," Hitmonchan asking, "Are you sure Smeargle's your friend? Because nothing I've seen him do since that transformation of his seems like something a friend would do."

All four heroes went wide-eyed as Machoke uttered, "You know, now that you mention it, that Vespiquen girl is kind of suspicious, isn't she?"

Before the group could contemplate this further, they noticed a certain white butterfly looking around the area as Machoke waved. The bug noticed him and walked over as he said, "Hey, you're Masquerain, Florges' friend, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," she replied with a light smile before sporting a more serious look and adding, "Actually, I'm glad I found you. Have you seen Smeargle anywhere?"

"We were just talking about that, actually," Gallade replied, "The funny thing is, both he and Vespiquen disappeared after their match. I get the feeling they left the stadium."

Masquerain let out a low groan before giving the group a sweet smile and saying, "Well, thanks anyway," before turning to Machoke and adding, "By the way, you're pretty awesome. I can see why Gardevoir likes you so much."

"Thank you," Machoke replied with a grin as the butterfly bowed her head and said, "Well, it was nice talking to you, but now I must be off," only for Gallade to say, "Hey, if you're so intent on looking for them, it might be better to wait until tomorrow. After all, they'll have no choice but to return, right?"

Masquerain blinked and nodded, replying, "You know, you actually have a really good point," the green boy smiling and suggesting that she hang out with them for a while.

And soon enough, Machoke and most of the others not competing in the final two matches had managed to get together for a small chat. This of course included Hawlucha and his family, all of them having a good time. And while Masquerain was still intent on discovering the truth not only behind Smeargle's change in personality but also who had sabotaged her and Florges during the elimination race, it was nice to get some downtime and even make some new friends. In fact, she actually wished Florges could have joined in as they all managed to get along so well.

Even Golduck had joined in while Abomasnow had been hesitant at first. As it so happened, despite his look implying otherwise, he was shy around others. But after a while, he started to get into the conversation as well.

The only people not to show up for the get-together were Heracross, Lopunny and even Reika. This was because all three were helping Scyther and Talonflame train. The beetle and rabbit used this time to spar with their friends while Reika simply watched, giving them her full support. At the very least, she definitely wanted to see Scyther win one match in this tournament.

However, just as it was getting close to their match, Scyther turned to the girl and said, "You know, you really didn't have to do this. You could have had fun with your friends," Reika shrugging and replying, "I'm having plenty of fun here with you guys," Talonflame nudging his insect ally as she gave him an awkward look.

With that, the girl noticed the time and said, "Well, I best go before someone claims my seat," heading off as Talonflame, Lopunny and Heracross all held their arms against their hips, staring at Scyther as she asked, "Seriously, why are you all looking at me like that?"

But while everyone's spirits had been lifted quite a bit, there was still one major problem. Beedrill and Butterfree were still locked in the closet and one could only guess how long it would be until someone noticed, if ever.

And after a few more minutes, the seats were filled as Masquerain decided to take Gallade's advice. After all, he had a point. Searching the entire city would be a lot more exhausting than simply waiting for them to show up for the second round. Besides, she could probably get Florges to join her by that time.

"Alright, everyone, I hope you all had a good break," Nori stated, "because now it's time for the seventh match of round one. It's been an exciting tournament so far and I'm sure it'll only get better," Hoopa sighing, "Is it just her job to be overly-optimistic about everything? Seriously, those last two matches were a joke."

Diancie shrugged and said, "On the upside, our match with Lucario will come more quickly now," the genie's eyes widening as he slowly nodded, a light smile on his face as he replied, "You know, you are absolutely right."

And after a few more sentences from the announcer, it was time to introduce the teams as she pointed at the Western entrance, exclaiming, "In the red corner, both of these fighters are former villains now fighting for the side of good! One is a knight who, while chivalrous, is also quite deadly! He and his former partner in crime defeated Throh and Sawk with incredible ease when we first saw him in action and he's only proven himself more threatening from here! And his ally was the first villain to ever defeat one of Tokyo's heroes in combat, though his loss to Gardevoir afterwards has reformed him while he still continues to dominate with his knee kicks of fury! Put your hands together and possibly even give a bow for the Gentle Punks!"

"Gentle punks?" Machoke uttered as no one else seemed to find the name degrading. They all cheered as Bisharp and Scrafty headed toward the ring with the knight holding a boombox playing loud rock music over his head while the lizard performed air guitar while moving his feet to the rhythm.

Once they were close to the ring, both leapt toward it, performing a series of flips, each one landing on one knee with his arms spread out, Bisharp setting down his boombox and turning it off. Needless to say, this was enough to get the crowd excited.

Gallade applauded them before sighing, "I wish Gardevoir had been here to see that," Machoke nodding and replying, "Me too. That definitely would have meant a lot to Scrafty, that's for sure."

However, Scrafty did not seem the least bit upset over this as he knew full-well the reason the girl could not be here today. He just smiled at one of the cameras and thought, 'I hope you're watching this, Gardevoir. I'll do my best.'

And much like when Bisharp fought alongside Onix in the match Nori had mentioned, the knight had already decided to let Scrafty go first ahead of time. It was simply in his nature.

"And in the blue corner," Nori stated, pointing at the Eastern entrance, "one is an insect with incredible fighting spirit! Once fighting under the guidance of her mother, the legendary Scizor, she now fights on her own accord with unbelievable speed and strength! And her partner is no slouch either, having once been a villain just like his opponents! He used to go under the guise of Golurk, which I can only assume was a big contributor to his great physical strength! He once tried to strip Blaziken of her Texas Phoenix title and even dislocated his own partner's left arm and right leg when the two of them fought in the Next Gen Battle! Introducing the Slashing Explosions!"

The crowd went wild as Scyther and Talonflame flew toward the ring, grinning at one-another. The two then proceeded to circle around each-other, creating rings in the air before diving toward the ring and performing a U-turn just in time to avoid slamming their faces into it, descending gracefully onto the surface while folding their arms.

Scizor, who was seated somewhere in the middle, smiled and thought, 'I'm so proud of you, Scyther. Not only are you here right now fighting without my advice, but you look so much more confident than ever before,' her eyes narrowed as her mind added, 'Though honestly, I would have chosen a better ally.'

While the red insect knew full-well that Talonflame was on the side of good now, she still had not completely gotten over how he had set up an electric ring death match just to render her unable to give advice. And to think he had actually done this while still posing as a hero.

And much like the Gentle Punks, the Slashing Explosions had already agreed on which teammate would go first, though this did require coaxing. Despite her efforts to mature over the years, Scyther always liked being first when it came to this sort of thing, and thus her falcon partner knew he had to accept this.

And with both teams ready, Nori saw no need to delay the match any longer as she rang the bell, Scyther immediately sprinting toward Scrafty. But just as she got close, the lizard leapt to the side and sent a roundhouse into her waist. The crowd went wild as he leapt away from her, a grin on his face.

"Good show, Sir Scrafty!" Bisharp exclaimed as Scyther turned to him and said, "Ja, that certainly caught me off-guard, but it won't happen again."

With that, the insect headed toward the lizard while thinking, 'I need to think logically like Mother would,' as she realized something she could do.

And as she got close to Scrafty, the lizard leapt upward this time only for Scyther to jump at the same time. Scrafty panicked now as she proceeded to wrap her arms around him, throwing him over her shoulder and leaning backward. However, she also remembered the crest atop his head could easily prevent him from taking in damage and thus applied enough pressure to force his head forward and shouted, "FLYING HAMMER!" the back of Scrafty's head hitting the mat hard.

The crowd went wild as she released her hold, a light smile on her face as she thought, 'I hope you saw that, mother. I'll show you that I can be independent now,' Bisharp asking, "Are you okay, my friend?"

Scrafty slowly but surely recovered as he smirked and replied, "Of course. It'll take more than that to keep me down," Scyther nodding and holding up a fighting pose, Scizor all the while thinking, 'It was a tad early to use a move like that, but you managed to pull it off flawlessly. Good job, Scyther.'

And it seemed the insect would not let it end with that as she rushed toward Scrafty again. However, as she sent a knee kick his way, the lizard retaliated with one of his own, both knees colliding.

As it so happened, Scyther had counted on him doing this as she used her other leg to kick him in the side. This left the lizard in just enough pain to take two high kicks to the face, backing up with a grimace.

"Hey, is this some kind of insult?" he grunted as neither of the other fighters knew where he was going with that until he added, "Let me guess, you're trying to be ironic by using my tactics against me, is that it?"

"Nein, I was just using strategy," Scyther replied with a shrug as Reika uttered, "I thought Scrafty was a better sport than this."

Hearing this, Bisharp nodded and said, "I must agree, Scrafty. You're being a touch immature right now," the lizard sighing, "You're right," before smirking and saying, "Still, gotta hand it to ya, Scyther, ya still got some amazing skill, but I'm not gonna let ya whale on me any longer."

Scyther smirked and replied, "I wouldn't have it any other way," once again charging toward the lizard.

However, Scrafty was ready this time as he did something completely unexpected. Up until now, the lizard hard never used his hands for combat, so needless to say, the crowd was absolutely astounded when he threw his arms forward and latched onto Scyther's wrists, forcing her arms to the side.

The crowd cheered for Scrafty as he propelled himself up, planting both of his feet into her chest as she backed up, wincing from the pain. And of course it did not end there as the lizard leapt toward the insect with his knee pointed out, shouting, "HIGH JUMP KICK!"

Scrafty received even more cheers as his knee hit Scyther's face hard, the insect falling on her back as Nori exclaimed, "Scyther started off with an incredible advantage, but Scrafty has managed to turn this around and even unleash his most powerful move! And I still can't believe I actually saw him of all fighters use his hands!"

"Yes, I must say, that actually surprised me as well," Bisharp replied as Machoke uttered, "You mean he wasn't in on it?"

"Yeah, it's just that after relying on nothing but my head and feet for so long, I figured it was time to mix things up a bit," Scrafty replied while holding up his skin flap, "The only downside is I kinda need my hands to hold up my pants, but that's a small price to pay."

However, his eyes widened as it suddenly dawned on him that he had forgotten to take advantage of Scyther's state, the insect rising to her feet. He had fully intended on striking her at least one more time while she was down and had gotten too caught up in the moment.

"I must say, that definitely caught me off-guard, but that was nothing compared to the torment that Talonflame and Ninetales put me through when I fought them," Scyther stated as Talonflame smirked and replied, "Yeah, you tell him."

With that in mind, the insect rushed at the lizard once more as he smirked and said, "Don't think that's all I have," before leaping up and latching his ankles onto Scyther's neck. He then proceeded to flip upside-down, planting his hands against the mat as he lifting her up, slamming her head into the canvas while the crowd cheered for him once more.

Then with that, the lizard leapt into the air, shouting, "HIGH JUMP KICK!" headed toward her gut as Scizor was just about to get up and blurt out a piece of advice despite swearing she would never do so.

But it seemed as if she might not need to as Scyther's eyes opened, the insect folding her arms as her trademark blades sprouted out of them. And it was just like when Gallade had attempted his Psycho Cut on the lizard, his knee hitting the blades thus putting his attack to a halt.

And much like when Gallade blocked his strike, this wound up hurting Scrafty's knee as he gritted his teeth, a light tear rolling down his cheek. And it would not end there as Scyther threw her arms out and sent Scrafty a little ways into the air, planting her arms against the mat and lifting her legs up, sending her feet into the lizard's gut.

Scrafty flew toward the side of the ring Bisharp was on as he pressed up against the ropes, using his arms to stop himself and taking a deep breath. Seeing this, the knight tapped him on the shoulder, asking, "Would you like to take a breather?"

"Yeah, a breather would be nice," Scrafty replied with a grin as he tagged in his partner, Bisharp leaping over the rope and taking his place.

The crowd was now even more excited as Nori stated, "Seems no one here has forgotten that legendary match between Bisharp and Machoke. The crowd has missed seeing this knight in action," Machoke sighing, "And yet they still had trouble remembering who I was after the match," Aipom patting him on the shoulder.

With that, Bisharp held up his arms with his wrist spikes pointed outward, saying, "Your swords may be strong, but mine are quite deadly as well," Scyther smirking and remarking, "Your swords are more like daggers."

With that in mind, both fighters rushed toward one-another as Scizor nodded and thought, 'Scyther certainly has the right mindset. Her blades aren't just bigger but they're also stronger than the spikes on Bisharp's wrists. This could end well for her.'

With that, Scyther crossed her arms and exclaimed, "ARM SCHWERT!" swinging her blades in a cross formation only for Bisharp to hold up his fists.

Probably the biggest shock of all was that this actually proved enough to stop them. The insect's eyes widened as Bisharp took hold of her arms, which were still crossed, and leaned backward, planting her head into the mat.

However, Scyther easily freed herself from his grip and rolled away from him, scowling as Talonflame barked, "Hey, Scyther, don't forget this is a team match!"

The insect's eyes widened as she nodded and said, "Ja," rushing toward the falcon only for Bisharp to race toward her with his left wrist spike pointed outward, shouting, "WRIST SWORD!"

Luckily, Scyther saw this coming as she leapt high enough to avoid the strike, flipping forward before landing in front of Talonflame, tagging him. The falcon smirked as now Bisharp and Scrafty were a tad worried, the two knowing full-well just how powerful this opponent would be. After all, he seemed impossible to defeat until the day Machoke discovered his odd fear of the sun.

"You know, tagging me in would have been so much easier if you flew over to me," Talonflame said with a smirk as Scyther sighed, "Just because I'm not taking mother's advice doesn't mean I'm going to start using my wings for battle. I'm good enough not to need them," the falcon raising an eyebrow and sighing, "I learned a long time ago that there is such a thing as too confident."

"I actually kinda feel sorry for Bisharp, now," Machoke uttered as Tsuya nodded and replied, "Oh yeah, Talonflame almost beat you, didn't he?" Cici whimpering, "He technically would have if Weedle hadn't stopped the ten count."

And it seemed Bisharp and Scrafty would certainly need to be careful as the falcon flew toward the knight. However, just as Bisharp was about to fight back, the falcon flipped himself over his head, sending his talons into the back of the knight's helmet.

And it did not end there as he lit his right talon on fire, exclaiming, "ROUNDHOUSE INFERNO!" sending another hard kick to Bisharp, this time knocking him forward.

The crowd cheered as Nori exclaimed, "And with only mere kicks, Talonflame shows us that great power that gave Machoke a run for his money!" and it did not end there as the falcon proceeded to fly above the knight, placing his talons together, the claws pointing at Bisharp's back.

Everyone knew what was coming as Machoke winced and uttered, "I remember this one," Reika groaning, "Yeah, it was painful watching you fall victim to that."

And with that, Talonflame spun his body around like a top as flames surrounded his body, the falcon descending toward Bisharp and shouting, "SPINNING TOP INFERNO!"

However, just as it was about to hit, the knight's eyes opened as he quickly rolled out of the way, Talonflame running into the mat as his claws were stuck there. The falcon looked down at his talons and tried desperately to pry them out of the canvas, even flapping his wings as hard as he could while grunting, "I can't believe I just fell for that."

And of course, there was no way Bisharp was going to let this opportunity slide as he quickly sprinted toward the turnbuckle, leaping onto it and placing his arms against his side. His fans knew exactly what was coming as they cheered wildly, Scrafty grinning wide. This was a move the knight had not used since his fight with Machoke and everyone looked forward to seeing it again.

As such, Bisharp leapt off of the turnbuckle and flipped vertically toward Talonflame's back, the falcon's eyes widening as the knight's axe head put a big gash in his back, Bisharp exclaiming, "GOLDEN BATTLE AXE!"

The crowd went wild as Machoke clapped and said, "Nice to see he's at least found a better way to make that move work," but much like when Scyther hit Talonflame with her Arm Schwert, the falcon did his best not to let the pain get to him as he finally managed to pry his talons out of the mat.

However, things were only about to get more interesting when Nori rang the bell, signalling that five minutes were up. This got the crowd even more excited as Scyther and Scrafty entered the ring, both eager to help out their respective teammates. Needless to say, the match could only get more intense from here.

 

With the tornado tag portion now underway, the crowd was beyond excited. Already the match had exceeded most of the audience's expectations and one could only guess what these teams could pull off together.

"Good job getting the upper hand back," Scrafty said, placing a hand on Bisharp's shoulder as the knight nodded and replied, "Honestly, I wasn't completely certain if I could do it, but I'm sure if we put our minds to it, even we can defeat someone as strong as Talonflame."

"Well, that would be interesting," Talonflame remarked with his arms folded as Scyther nodded and said, "Don't forget about me."

With that, the Slashing Explosions wasted no time charging toward their opponents as Scrafty nodded at Bisharp. With that in mind, he leapt atop the knight's hands before being propelled into the air. Afterwards, the knight leapt up and clung to Scrafty's ankles, the two performing a vertical flip toward Talonflame.

Sure enough, Bisharp managed to land a hard kick to the falcon's forehead, wrapping his ankles around his neck before leaning back and grabbing hold of his ankles. The crowd was truly amazed as after Bisharp had delivered his kick, Scrafty leapt out of his grip and sent his own two-legged kick into Scyther's skull, setting her up for the same move.

And with that, the Gentle Punks nodded at one-another before applying just enough force to flip their opponents over, planting their skulls into the mat while the crowd went wild. Nori was speechless as she had no idea how to react to such an odd yet creative tactic.

"Wow, that was impressive," Machoke uttered, "It's like they planned that from the get-go," Aipom nodding and replying, "Yeah, it's truly amazing what one can accomplish in a team match. They may be strong when fighting by themselves, but when they fight as a team, they can be even stronger."

And it did not end there as Bisharp proceeded to lift up Talonflame, holding onto his wrists and ankles while bending his back in a bridge formation, the crowd even more impressed as the falcon gritted his teeth, grunting, "Why can't I get out of this!?"

Even Lucario was beyond shocked as Bisharp exclaimed, "NOW, SIR SCRAFTY!" the lizard smirking and latching onto Scyther's neck once more with his ankles, using his hands to propel himself high into the air.

He then proceeded to flip his body around, releasing his hold and allowing her to spin vertically in midair, soon moving above her partner. And once her belly was facing Talonflame's, Scrafty planted both knees into her back as he and Bisharp exclaimed, "IRON MAIDEN!" Scyther colliding with her partner.

This forced Talonflame's back into Bisharp's blade-like ribcage as the gash got bigger, both he and Scyther coughing up blood. All the while, the crowd cheered wildly as Nori stated, "It would seem that the Gentle Punks have created a special move based around those coffins with spikes on the inside."

"Oh, so it wasn't a reference to the band?" Machoke asked as Aipom and Reika rose their hands to strike him for that dumb question but did not go further with that, Reika uttering, "It pains me to admit it, but I was thinking the same thing," Aipom whimpering, "I'm so ashamed."

"Honestly, I just can't believe I'm seeing this," Gallade said, "Seriously, Machoke, how hard was it for you to defeat Talonflame?" the boy sighing, "Please don't remind me of that."

Needless to say, Lopunny and Heracross were especially worried. After all, Scyther and Talonflame were much closer to them than Scrafty and Bisharp. As such, they wanted to see the duo win more than anyone else.

And it would seem that not all hope was lost for them as Talonflame gritted his teeth, asking, "How's about we give these two a taste of our teamwork?" Scyther nodding and replying, "Ja," before planting her hands and feet firmly against Talonflame's shoulders and ankles. She then propelled her back up hard enough to force Scrafty off of her as he flipped backward, landing on his feet.

It was then that Scyther leapt off of Talonflame, allowing the falcon to pry himself free from Bisharp's grip, propelling himself toward Scrafty while Scyther descended and planted her feet into the knight's midsection, right between his ribcage. And to top it off, Talonflame had also landed a two-legged kick to Scrafty's forehead, knocking him on his back.

He then lifted up the lizard by the head and smirked, saying, "I gotta hand it to you. Both of you did a lot better against me than I thought you would," Scyther taking hold of Bisharp's wrist and adding, "But it's gonna take a lot more than that to take us down. My mother's hellish training gave me an incredible resistance to pain."

The insect then proceeded to swing her body around, forcing Bisharp to run toward Talonflame as the falcon flung Scrafty toward the knight, stating, "And as for me, I've built up so much strength that it'll take a great deal of power to take me down for good."

Hoopa's eyes sparkled as he squealed, "I hope to I get to face these two in the next round!" Diancie confused by this but refusing to question it as the Gentle Punks collided with one-another.

And of course the attack did not end there as Talonflame and Scyther charged toward their opponents, each with their arms out as they hooked both of them in the neck. Bisharp's eyes were wide with shock as Scrafty coughed up a bit of blood.

"And just as it seemed Bisharp and Scrafty could win this, Talonflame and Scyther retaliate with two hooks at once!" Nori stated, "And despite the simplicity of the move, both opponents have taken in considerable pain from it!"

And the Slashing Explosions had much more up their sleeves as Scyther lifted up Bisharp and leaned back, planting the back of his head into the mat with a German suplex. All the while, Talonflame sent a hard punch to Scrafty's face, leaping back toward the ropes and bouncing off, shouting, "NOW, SCYTHER!"

The insect nodded and lifted up Bisharp, shoving him in front of his ally as Talonflame's body caught flame, the falcon planting his beak hard into the knight's midsection while shouting, "FLAME MISSILE!"

The crowd cheered wildly for him as he forced Bisharp's back hard into Scrafty, sending both into the turnbuckle before backing up and smirking, saying, "You guys may be tough, but we're really tough."

Scyther nodded as the two gave each-other a high five. However, they were a tad surprised when both of their opponents recovered, breathing heavily but still appearing to have plenty of fight left in them.

"Well, we already knew ya two would be a pain in the ass," Scrafty said with a smirk, "Honestly, you have not disappointed us, but even so, we have no intention of losing."

"Yes, you may be our friends, but we swore not to hold back no matter what," Bisharp added as Talonflame grinned, saying, "Honestly, I'm just grateful you're taking this as seriously as you are. So far, this match has been a lot more fun than I expected. I'm having a blast."

"Even so, we're still gonna win this one, right?" Scyther asked as the falcon nodded, the two headed toward the Gentle Punks again.

However, it seemed Bisharp and Scrafty still had more fight left in them as the knight took hold of his partner's tail. He then proceeded to fling him forward, the lizard's feet pointed outward.

However, just as Scyther and Talonflame readied themselves for the impact, both were shocked when Scrafty soared right past them. The two then turned toward him and shrugged, turning back to Bisharp as Talonflame said, "After all that effort to get up, they miss. Well, makes things easier for us."

"At this point, did you honestly believe that was unintentional?" the knight retorted as Scrafty planted his feet into the rope, bouncing off and aiming for Scyther's back, shouting, "HEAD SMASH!"

With that, his crest was rammed hard into the insect's back as she flew toward Bisharp, the knight's arm blades out as he used them to pierce her shoulders. The crowd went wild as the knight leaned backward, Talonflame rushing at him only for Scrafty to flip toward him, shouting, "HIGH JUMP KICK!"

However, the falcon easily blocked the incoming knee with both of his hands. But luckily for the Gentle Punks, this provided just enough of a distraction for Bisharp to plant Scyther's skull hard into the mat, shouting, "DAGGER SUPLEX!"

He then retracted them and said, "Thanks for helping me come up with a name for that," as he took advantage of the fact that Talonflame was preoccupied, exclaiming, "WRIST SWORD!" and striking him on the side with his left spike.

This actually dealt just enough pain for the falcon to let go as Scrafty continued his descent, striking the falcon in the forehead. However, panic rose within the lizard as this was not enough to knock Talonflame on his back as a wicked smirk formed on his face.

Machoke panicked and uttered, "I forgot just how scary he could be," Lucario nodding and thinking, 'I was worried you might be losing your edge, but your resistance to pain is still as impressive as ever. I hope to face you in the next round.'

With that, Talonflame proceeded to hurl Scrafty into the turnbuckle as Nori exclaimed, "The Gentle Punks got themselves an amazing comeback, but it looks like it might not last!" and this seemed so as just as Bisharp was about to go in for a strike of his own, Talonflame took to the sky and asked, "What say we end this, eh, Scyther? Let's try that move I taught you."

"The one you and Lucario used against Missingno, ja?" the insect replied as Talonflame nodded and said, "The same."

With that in mind, Scyther performed an aerial flip toward Talonflame who grabbed hold of her ankles. He then proceeded to fly toward Bisharp who exclaimed, "This is easy to overcome!"

But as he propelled himself off the ropes and headed toward them with his wrist spikes at the ready, Talonflame lifted Scyther just high enough for her to grab onto his arms. The knight tried his hardest to pry himself free but found himself unable to do so, Talonflame's body once again consumed by flames.

With that, the falcon flew high into the air before performing a U-turn, flipping both Scyther and Bisharp over him as Scyther released her hold on the knight, the two shouting, "TOWER FLARE BLITZ!"

Lucario's eyes sparkled at the sight of this, Clauncher asking, "You came up with that?" the dog nodding as Bisharp flew fast and hard into Scrafty just as the lizard was seconds away from recovering.

And that was that. Scrafty coughed up one last bit of blood as both passed out, Nori starting the ten count while the crowd went wild, Talonflame and Scyther landing gracefully against the mat, a big smirk on Talonflame's face.

"Didn't think I'd see that move again," Machoke said as Aipom nodded and added, "I guess I should have known Lucario wasn't the only one who could pull that off."

And sure enough, Nori soon reached the ten count as she rang the bell and exclaimed, "AND AFTER A LONG AND INTENSE MATCH, THE SLASHING EXPLOSIONS HAVE WON THIS MATCH!" the crowd cheering even louder, Talonflame raising his arm in the air and exclaiming, "Man, does it feel good to be in the spotlight again!?"

"Ja, and it feels wonderful to win without any advice for a change," Scyther added as the two gave each-other a high five.

Unfortunately, Talonflame was not exactly a master at deliberately weakening his attacks so his opponents would not be hospitalized like Machoke and a lot of the others and thus, it seemed that the Gentle Punks would need medical attention. And as strange as it was, the falcon did feel a little bad about that as he saw them being put on stretchers.

However, he was surprised when both had enough consciousness to at least wake up, Bisharp opening his eyes first and saying, "Good show," one of the medics carrying him, saying, "I wouldn't recommend talking right now."

"Hey, it's not hurting me," Scrafty replied with a grin before turning to Scyther and Talonflame, saying, "Best of luck to ya."

And soon enough, both were taken out of the stadium as Scyther gave them a quick wave, saying, "Not gonna lie, we make a pretty awesome team."

"Yeah, you were actually really badass today," Talonflame replied with a smirk as Scyther jokingly remarked, "Only today?" the two nudging each-other and laughing.

"And I thought he and Lucario acting friendly toward each-other was weird at first," Machoke uttered as the Slashing Explosions exited the ring.

All the while, Scizor folded her arms and thought, 'Excellent work, Scyther. I have to admit, you and Talonflame work well together. I guess I really don't have anything to worry about after all.'

"Well, as you all know, there's only ten minutes left before the final match of round one," Nori stated, "All of you get up, stretch, do whatever needs to be done because this is certain to be an amazing fight."

Naturally, this was the match everyone had anticipated since the tournament began. To see Lucario in action after so long seemed like a dream come true, and all of them were ready to see if he would once again be the champion.

However, while the idea of facing the dog again did scare Machoke to a certain degree, he still grinned and held a thumb up. Lucario nodded at the sight of this, giving the boy a light smile and returning the gesture. If anything, both wanted a chance at a rematch in the finals.

However, while Lucario and Clauncher headed off to train, Hoopa smirked and said, "Train all you like, but it won't help. I'm gonna enjoy wiping the floor with the Hero Olympics champion," Diancie nodding and replying, "Of course. Once we take him down, the world will know just how dangerous we really are."

Meanwhile, in a certain locked closet, Beedrill and Butterfree were still out cold. Hopefully they would recover in time for the next round and free themselves as one could only guess what the imposters would do in their place.

All the while, Lucario and Clauncher were getting ready as Clauncher said, "That was a really cool move you and Talonflame came up with. Honestly, I'm surprised you wouldn't wanna team up with him," the dog smiling and replying, "We may work well together, but honestly, I can't think of a better ally right now."

A part of him was unsure whether he truly meant that or not, but at the same time, he did not regret this response. After all, the first time he ever defeated a villain was when he fought alongside Clauncher. Both Krokorok and Leavanny had him on the ropes until the short blue lobster came in and saved not only him but also the bank. It just felt right to fight alongside her once again.

And once the ten minutes were up, everyone was ready for the match to begin. Once again, this was the most highly anticipated match of the day and to have it last just seemed fitting.

"Now, pay real close attention to this match," Aipom said with a serious look, "Remember, you might end up facing Lucario in the finals again," Machoke nodding and replying, "Yeah, I know. I'm hoping for that," the boy thinking, 'You're awesome, Lucario, but I wanna see if my improvements are enough to beat you this time.'

Once the crowd was settled, Nori cleared her throat and stated, "Well, this is it, folks, the final match of round one! It's been pretty exciting so far to say the least, but has the best truly been saved for last? After all, Lucario is the favourite to win the entire tournament, but not much is known about his opponents. Just where did these two come from and what do they have to offer?"

Masquerain sat amongst the crowd and thought, 'I don't know, but there's something odd about those two.'

Much like Lucario, the butterfly had been paying attention to Hoopa and Diancie every now and then. Something about them just rubbed her the wrong way and she intended to find out why.

"Without further ado, let's introduce the teams!" Nori exclaimed before pointing at the Western entrance, shouting, "In the red corner, one is the Hero Olympics champion! Once a villain, he now fights for the side of good and has shown us incredible strength and skill! And though he doesn't have his trademark chest spike, the source of his London Bridge technique, he can still pack a punch! And his partner is a rather laid-back sort but knows when to get serious! Though an odd combination, perhaps this could be a match made in heaven, but not in that way! With that, I introduce to you all to the Fancy Fighters!"

With that, the crowd went wild as Lucario and Clauncher approached the ring, waving to the crowd. Though while the lobster had a big smile on her face, Lucario had a much more serious one. After all, that was just in his nature.

"First the Gentle Punks then the Fancy Fighters?" Machoke groaned, "Come on, Lucario's way too badass for a name like that!" Reika shrugging and replying, "Maybe it's a cultural thing."

Even so, he quickly replaced his disappointment with a big grin, exclaiming, "Kick their asses, Lucario!" waving to him as the dog turned and gave him a light smile, nodding his head.

With that, Nori pointed toward the Eastern entrance, shouting, "And in the blue corner, there's about as much known about these two as Vespiquen as they seem to have come out of nowhere! One is a genie, but not the kind who grants wishes! He may be small in stature, but one can only imagine what he might be capable of! And his partner is quite a beauty but is also most likely to be a lot stronger than she looks! So, everyone, give a warm welcome to the Demonic Angels!"

The crowd was unsure of how to react, but some gave the newcomers light applause just to be polite as the two headed toward the ring. Hoopa waved and blew the people kisses as if the lack of cheering meant nothing to him while Diancie gave a light wave with a cute smile.

"Hoopa," she whispered, "We're not getting as much attention as I thought we would," the genie replying, "It's alright. These nice people have just never seen us in action before. Trust me, when this match is over, they'll remember our names."

With that, the two entered the ring as Masquerain narrowed her eyelids, really hoping the Fancy Fighters would take these two down. And with that, Lucario decided to give Clauncher the first shot.

However, the lobster shook her head and replied, "Actually, it's probably best that you go first," the dog raising an eyebrow as she added, "Think about it. The crowd mostly came to see you. I don't think they'll be nearly as satisfied seeing me go first."

The dog shrugged and replied, "Guess you're right," as Amanda was watching this on her TV back in London, exclaiming, "Kick some tail, bro! I know you can do it!"

Of course, her and Lucario's mother, Sarah, was also going to watch but not before making some tea for the occasion. And as it just so happened, she had only now finished brewing it as she entered the room, breathing a sigh of relief. After all, she did not wish to miss a minute of the match.

And just as Clauncher suggested, Lucario was up first as Diancie did not even question Hoopa's decision to take the first stand. After all, she knew full-well just how much he wanted this.

Before the match could begin, Hoopa grinned and said, "You have no idea what a pleasure it is to stand in the ring with you right now," holding out his right hand as Lucario blinked, the audience certainly glad to know he was a good sport.

However, the dog looked suspicious until the genie said, "I remember watching you defeat Machoke in the Olympic finals. You were so cool and I honestly wish I could be as awesome as you. Just to shake your paw would be a true honour."

Lucario nodded and sported a light smile, saying, "Well, here's to a good match," holding out his own hand only for Hoopa to smirk and send a fierce uppercut to the dog's chin.

The crowd gasped as Nori wasted no time ringing the bell and signalling the start of the match. Hoopa floated behind Lucario and wrapped his arms around his waist, leaning backward and planting the back of his head into the mat.

The crowd started to boo the genie as Nori exclaimed, "And Hoopa starts this match off with a dirty tactic, lulling his opponent into a false sense of security just so he can take advantage of him!"

And it seemed Hoopa's attacks would not end there as he said, "You should have seen that coming. After all, didn't Machoke do the same thing to you after your match with Garchomp?" the dog growling angrily as Hoopa proceeded to latch onto his head, forcing his face toward the turnbuckle.

However, Lucario was ready now as he held up his arms, turning his paws around so his spikes faced Hoopa's hands. He then proceeded to plant them into those very parts as the genie's eyes widened. And thus he released his hold and groaned in pain, trying to shake it off while the crowd cheered for Lucario.

"I knew that wouldn't be enough to stop you!" Clauncher exclaimed as Lucario sighed, "First of all, Machoke didn't try that crap during our match, and secondly, he had a good reason to hit me in the face. But no matter, I know you're not the only hero out there who would think to try something like that and I only see it as an added challenge to overcome. I'm just glad you're going all-out. It'll make victory much more satisfying."

The crowd was even more impressed, Machoke uttering, "So something like that isn't against the rules?" Aipom shaking her head and replying, "Nope, I've seen humans get away with that too," before narrowing her eyelids at the boy and adding, "But promise you'll never stoop to that level," the boy remarking, "Are you calling me a cheater!?"

And with Lucario back on the offensive, he was not going to let this moment to strike back go as he charged at Hoopa with a blue aura around his paw, shouting, "FORCE PALM!" sending it hard into the genie's face. The crowd went wild as he then proceeded to send a fierce knee kick to his gut, Hoopa backing up and grinning, saying, "So that's the legendary Force Palm."

Nori nodded and stated, "It's been a while, but seeing one of Lucario's signature moves in action again is certainly satisfying!" Hoopa rubbing his face and adding, "You know, Lucario, every time I saw this in action, I thought it would be extremely devastating to take it in, especially with the way you used it to break Metang's arms."

The dog blinked as Clauncher uttered, "Did you hold back?" the dog shaking his head and remarking, "You know I wouldn't do that," only for Hoopa to gasp, "You didn't!? Wow, I mean, it hurt, but it wasn't really all that special. Maybe you're not as strong as I thought you'd be."

The crowd looked confused as Machoke spat, "IS THAT GUY INSANE!?" Talonflame folding his arms and remarking, "Yeah, I took that move in a few times when training with him and even I felt a good amount of pain from it."

However, Diancie seemed to know something the others did not as she bit her lower lip. Though luckily, this did not get to Lucario as much as everyone thought it would as he shrugged and said, "No matter. Let's just continue the match, shall we?"

Hoopa simply smirked and nodded, replying, "Yes, let's."

 

So far, the fight between Lucario and Hoopa seemed like either one's game. Each had landed a few good blows, but neither looked badly hurt.

With that in mind, Lucario held up a defensive stance as Hoopa grinned, saying, "Something you might be interested to know is that while I have no arms, I'm unable to separate my hands from my body. There is a limit to how far they can go."

"Is that so?" Lucario replied with a grin, "That at least rules out the odds of you attacking me from a distance," the genie remarking, "Oh, does it?"

The crowd was confused by this until Hoopa proceeded to snap the two fingers that made up his right hand, saying, "Hat trick," his left hand vanishing as everyone was truly astounded.

Clauncher noticed that very hand appear behind the dog in the form of a fist as she spat, "Lucario, behind you!" but it was too late as the fist flew toward Lucario's back like a rocket, hitting him hard as he winced in pain.

The crowd was truly astounded, but it did not end there as the fist sent the dog toward Hoopa who proceeded to send his right fist into the dog's gut. With that, his left hand finally separated from the dog and returned to its rightful place, Hoopa placing both hands against his side and saying, "As you can see, if my hands were to ever distance themselves from me, they will instinctively return in a matter of seconds. It's like my body is a hand magnet or something like that."

Needless to say, everyone was rather worried about this, especially seeing as Hoopa could magically warp his hands anywhere he wanted, Nori saying, "Well, it seems just like an actual genie, Hoopa has magical powers. I wonder what else he can do."

"Hey, yeah!" Machoke exclaimed with a childish grin, "Maybe he could give me one trillion yen! Or maybe invincibility! Or perhaps he could grant me the power to conjure up food whenever I need it!" Aipom bonking him on the back of the head, grunting, "Focus! The match is still going on!"

"I hate to disappoint you, Machoke," Hoopa said with a light smile, "but I don't grant wishes. That teleportation spell is pretty much the extent of my magical capabilities," the audience looking just as disappointed as Machoke upon hearing this.

However, Lucario saw this as a good thing a she thought, 'Excellent. He won't be able to pull any other fast ones like that. Now that I've seen him use that ability once, I can easily counter it.'

It seemed Hoopa did not realize this fact himself as he snapped his fingers, once again teleporting his hand, only this time it was facing the dog from an angle. But just as Lucario was about to dodge it, it seemed the genie had something else in mind as he swung the side of his head around, flinging the ring attached to his horn and shouting, "DEMONIC RING!"

Lucario and many other people's eyes were wide open. It was not so much the ring being a weapon that surprised everyone but rather the fact that after Hoopa unleashed it, spikes formed around it.

Masquerain's eyes widened with shock as this seemed strangely familiar to her, Lucario taking in the ring to his cheek as a small cut formed. This provided the distraction Hoopa needed as his left fist rammed into Lucario's ribs, returning to the genie's side as the dog knelt down, holding onto that very spot with his teeth gritted.

"Wow, Hoopa is just full of surprises!" Nori exclaimed as Clauncher looked concerned, "Not only can he teleport his fist, but he can even use his ring as a deadly boomerang. However, I'm not one-hundred percent sure if this is legal."

"Wait, what!?" Hoopa remarked, his eyes and mouth wide open as Diancie whimpered, "Oh no, you'll be penalized if it isn't!" the genie now genuinely frightened as Machoke sighed, "I was starting to think he might actually get away with that."

And with that, Nori pulled out the rule book and flipped through it before finding the right page, the audience curious as well until she said, "Yep, it's perfectly fine. As long as the weapon is either attached to the fighter or is an article of clothing, it is perfectly, one-hundred percent legal, therefor the match will be allowed to continue and Hoopa will be allowed to use his ring as a weapon all he wants."

Some members of the crowd were alright with this, but Machoke gritted his teeth and grunted, "Come on, are you kidding me!?" only for Reika to pat him on the shoulder, uttering, "You do remember Gardevoir once used that first jersey you bought her as a weapon against Roserade and didn't get in trouble, right?" the boy blinking and replying, "Oh yeah, that's why I bought her a new one."

Talonflame shrugged his shoulders and remarked, "Lucario probably would have said he was okay with it even if it was a rule violation. If I know him, he'll wanna earn this victory for good, and if his opponent is disqualified, he'll feel beyond cheated. I'd feel the same if that happened to me, so I feel him."

The others nodded in response as Machoke shrugged and replied, "You got a point there," not saying any more than that."

Needless to say, both Lucario and Hoopa were more than happy to have heard this as the genie grinned and said, "Well, that's good to hear, because I have much more I wanna try out on you."

And with that in mind, the genie proceeded to teleport his left fist once again, aiming for Lucario's back. But now the dog truly was ready, Hoopa swinging the side of his head around to prepare his ring.

Clauncher really hoped Lucario had found a way to avoid this by now as Hoopa exclaimed, "DEMONIC RING!" once again flinging it forward, the spikes jutting out again.

However, Lucario was ready as despite the ring being extremely fast, he was still able to sense it as he lifted up his hand. And when it was close enough, he took hold of it before leaping up just high enough so he could balance one foot on top of the incoming fist.

Hoopa's eyes widened as Lucario ignored the fact that grabbing the ring had caused his palm to bleed, waiting for the fist to be closer. And once it was, he proceeded to swing the ring sideways, striking Hoopa's cheek and forcing his head sideways as his eyes were even wider, his jaw dropped.

Diancie clasped her hands over her mouth as Lucario then leapt off of the fist, planting his feet into the genie's skull thus knocking him on his back. The crowd went wild as the ring pried itself out of his hand, returning to its owner.

"So your ring is bound to you as well," the dog stated as he flipped the genie over, grabbing hold of his chin, "It doesn't matter anyway. You can't use it when you're in this position."

The crowd cheered even louder as the dog proceeded to pull hard on the spot he was holding, Hoopa's eyes and mouth still wide open as he cried out in pain, Nori exclaiming, "And Lucario has turned Hoopa's tactic against him and has him set up for a camel clutch! I don't think I've ever seen him use this submission hold before!"

"That's right," Lucario grunted, "Not only was my London Bridge defeated long ago, but the spike that allowed it to work is no longer a part of me. As such, I have studied a variety of submission holds that I feel make for good replacements."

Hoopa's look of pain turned to a wicked smirk as he said, "Not bad, but not good enough," before reaching his hands back. Since they were not attached to arms, this was a lot easier for the genie to pull off as he formed two fists, sending them into the dog's sides.

"Lucario!" Clauncher cried as the dog winced in pain, stilling holding on until Hoopa sent the fists into his sides again. This ultimately caused Lucario to loosen his hold as Hoopa proceeded to grab hold of his ankles, lifting the dog off of him and flipping him one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, slamming his back hard against the mat.

The crowd was once again shocked as Nori said, "Just when you think Lucario has him on the ropes, Hoopa pulls off another amazing comeback. While his hands may be unable to leave him, it seems he can move them anywhere without straining himself since there are no arms binding them in place."

"She's right," Hoopa replied as he rose up, positioning his hands by his side and spinning them like batons, adding, "I can do this with them and not break my wrists," Diancie breathing a sigh of relief. Sure, she knew he could do this, but she was still worried that his back might end up breaking.

However, things might just take a different turn as Nori rang the bell, signalling that five minutes had passed. With that in mind, both Diancie and Clauncher entered the ring, Machoke blinking and saying, "Hey, this is the first time no one actually tagged out before the tornado portion started," Aipom nodding and replying, "I guess it makes sense. Lord knows Lucario's got a strong spirit and if you ask me, that Hoopa seems a little too stubborn to even consider switching with someone else."

"You alright, buddy?" Clauncher asked, helping Lucario up as he nodded and replied, "Yes, I'm fine, but this Hoopa certainly is more of a challenge than I thought he'd be."

Diancie was about to ask Hoopa if he was okay as well until the genie grinned and said, "Now that we can fight together, this match will be even easier," the sylph blushing lightly before nodding and replying, "Yes, we'll win this for sure."

But before either one could do a thing, Lucario was ready to make up for all the pain dealt to him earlier as Clauncher rolled up into a ball, saying, "Let's give our first team attack a shot, eh, buddy?" the dog nodding before reeling his foot back, shouting, "CRUSTACEAN FOOTBALL!" the dog sending said part hard into the lobster as she spun vertically toward Hoopa.

But just as the attack was about to hit, Diancie got in the way and stopped Clauncher with her hands. This ultimately proved ineffective, though, as the force from the hit sent her back into Hoopa, the genie falling on his back as Clauncher leapt away from Diancie, landing on her feet and holding her arms up, shouting, "Ta-dah!"

The crowd went wild as Nori said, "At first, I couldn't help but find that tactic a little too simplistic, but it seems that kick from Lucario had more force than expected as despite blocking the hit, both Diancie and Hoopa still took in damage."

And it did not end there as Lucario leapt toward Clauncher, using one foot to balance on her big claw. Everyone was shocked that the lobster was able to hold him up, but nevertheless, this was not all the Fancy Fighters had planned as she propelled Lucario off of her, the dog holding out his wrist spikes and shouting, "ROYAL JAVELIN!"

Diancie gasped in pain as the spikes pierced her shoulders, the sylph crying out in pain while Clauncher leapt toward Lucario's back, spinning vertically in the form of a ball again. She then rammed herself hard into said spot thus adding to the force and causing Diancie to fall on her back, the crowd cheering heavily.

"Many were confused by this odd pairing at first, but so far, Clauncher seems to be an ideal partner for Lucario!" Nori exclaimed with a grin, "The two have only used two combined moves and already, they're showing incredible results!"

"I'll say," Machoke uttered, "Now I can see why Lucario was so sure about this," Talonflame shrugging and replying, "She's a suitable replacement for me, I guess, but she'll never measure up to my badassery," the falcon flexing with a smirk as Tsuya turned to him with her eyes sparkling, the falcon's eyes wide with panic now.

Reika and Scyther rolled their eyes before cheering for the Fancy Fighters, both of them doing something completely unexpected as they lifted their opponents up. The two then nodded at one-another as Clauncher latched onto Diancie's waist, Lucario wrapping his arms around Hoopa. With that, both proceeded to lift up their opponents and leaned sideways, sending each fighter's back hard into the mat with a backdrop.

"As we all know, Lucario has not been known for using slam moves aside from his father's finishers during that one legendary match," Nori stated, "so to see him use a backdrop is certainly surprising. But honestly, I'm even more surprised that Clauncher can use an ability like that, proving that size doesn't matter."

Cici smiled lightly as this only gave her hope that she could become strong like that someday, Reika uttering, "Now I really can see why Lucario saw her as a great partner. Not only do they work well together, but she's really strong. Diancie's twice as big as she is yet she lifted her up without even breaking a sweat."

But of course, this match was far from over as the Demonic Angels pushed themselves up, neither looking the least bit fazed by any of this. Sure, they had taken in some good hits, but they were certain they could turn this around all the same.

"Well, good to know your partner's no slouch either," Hoopa said with a smirk, "This match just got even more interesting."

With that, the genie turned to Diancie and said, "Well, I've had my moment in the spotlight. It's time you had yours," the sylph nodding with a light smile and replying, "Thank you."

With that, she proceeded to stand up on the tips of her toes, the crowd curious as suddenly, the sides of her dress lifted up, gems similar to the ones on her head emerging from under the material. She then proceeded to twirl toward the Fancy Fighters as she exclaimed, "SUGARPLUM FAIRY SLASH!"

Lucario tried to dodge, but Diancie proved surprisingly fast while twirling and thus managed to strike his midsection with her blades, the dog yowling in pain as a big gash formed. The crowd gasped as Diancie then encased her hands in in the same material used for her gems and sent an onslaught of punches into his face.

Clauncher was just about to rush in and help when Hoopa charged toward her, his left horn aimed at her gut. However, the lobster saw this coming and leapt high above his head, evading the strike and lifting up her claw as it expanded in size.

But just as she was about to send it crashing down upon her opponent's skull, Hoopa snapped his fingers as his left hand vanished once again, this time appearing above the lobster's head. As a result, her attack was halted when the fist came crashing down onto her skull, knocking her hard on her belly.

The crowd was in even more panic, Lucario now holding up his arms to block Diancie's punches, his eyes widening when he turned and saw the position his partner was in. Hoopa took full advantage of Clauncher's state as he floated behind her and sent a barrage of rapid punches into her back. Due to him having no arms, this required no energy from him whatsoever, thus he could keep this up all day.

"The Fancy Fighters started off strong," Nori stated, "but the Demonic Angels have truly turned things around with some devastating abilities!" and it did not end there as Diancie noticed Lucario distracted by his friend's predicament, sprouting a long gem spike from her knee and sending it into the dog's leg.

"OH MY GOD!" Machoke cried as he watched the gem pierce his flesh, sticking out of the other side as blood squirted out, "I'd hate to fight her in a later round!"

And it would only get worse as Lucario dropped his guard, Diancie sending one more punch toward his face. But just as it looked like this one would land, the dog held up his right paw and blocked it, a look of fury in his eyes as a blue aura surrounded him.

Clauncher's eyes widened as she looked up at this, now ignoring the pain to her back. She remembered how during the Olympics, Lucario would go from a fair fighter to a sadist whenever this aura appeared. And back in London, both Amanda and Sarah saw this on TV, Amanda praying that her brother would not lose control of his emotions.

However, unbeknownst to them, ever since Lucario defeated Machoke and restored his family's reputation, he no longer felt that sense of malice whenever this power activated. Instead, he would now use it to help fight for his friends.

With that in mind, he grinned and said, "Don't worry, Clauncher, I got your back," the dog turning his body around and flinging Diancie toward Hoopa. And just before the genie could respond, the sylph wound up flying into his side, both falling hard against the mat while the crowd cheered wildly.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Machoke exclaimed, "There's no way Lucario would go down that easily! Take it from me!" the others just as happy as the boy.

Clauncher gave the dog a weak smile as he calmly walked over to her, reaching out his hand. With that, she held out her claw as the dog took hold of it, helping her up and asking, "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Clauncher replied, "You know it'll take more than that to take down little old me," Hoopa rising back up with fury in his expression. Sure, he wanted a challenge, he wanted victory to feel satisfying, but Lucario's resilience was starting to annoy him now.

Diancie followed suit as the genie turned to her and said, "I think it's high time we end this. What about you?" the sylph nodding.

"Sorry to disappoint, but we won't fall that easily," Lucario retorted as he raced toward Diancie. Just as Hoopa was about to intervene, Clauncher leapt toward him, once again rolled up into a ball as she rammed herself hard into his back.

But just as Diancie was about to counter, Clauncher leapt toward Lucario as he lifted up his arm, taking hold of her tail once was she was close enough. With that, her claw once again expanded in size as the two exclaimed, "CRAB GAVEL!" Lucario swinging her downward thus increasing the force of her trademark Crabhammer.

Diancie's eyes widened as the claw struck her temple hard, the girl coughing up a bit of blood and falling hard on her back. And once again, the crowd went wild as Lucario released his hold on Clauncher, the lobster flying into Hoopa before he could recover from the blow dealt earlier.

"Damn, those two are amazing!" Gallade exclaimed as Talonflame nodded and smirked, saying, "I'd expect no less from Lucario," before thinking, 'Dammit, I think that Clauncher might actually be a better ally for him than I was.'

But just as the Fancy Fighters were ready to end it for good, it seemed Diancie had something else in mind as she placed her hands firmly against the canvas and exclaimed, "GEM GROWTH!"

Lucario was caught off-guard when two gems shot up under his feet, not only putting a hole in each foot but also sending him flying high into the air, his body spinning. Once again, Masquerain could not help but feel suspicious when she saw this.

While she may not have been in the race when this happened, she had seen how Sandslash and Kabutops had fallen. It was when two bright pink rocks seemed to just suddenly appear in the side of the mountain. At first, she believed they must have been in there the whole time and the two heroes had not noticed, but now she could not help but question this.

But just as Clauncher was about to help her ally, Hoopa snapped his fingers, this time causing the ring around his waist to vanish and form high above the canvas. What really shocked everyone was when what appeared to be a vortex formed in the middle, Hoopa flinging the horn around his horn toward Clauncher.

Before the lobster could even respond, the ring managed to slide right under her as another vortex appeared, everyone confused by this as the lobster was pulled into it, emerging from the waist ring and descending toward the mat. With that, Hoopa flew toward her, smirking and saying, "By the way, when I said that teleportation technique was all I had, I lied," wrapping his hands around her and shifting the lobster around so her head was facing the mat.

It seemed Diancie had a similar idea as when Lucario was just high enough with his own head facing the mat, she leapt up to his level and wrapped her arms around him. The crowd could not believe this as Hoopa exclaimed, "HYPERSPACE HOLE!" Diancie shouting, "GEM PILEDRIVER!"

With that, both Fancy Fighters had their skulls slammed hard against the surface, Nori exclaiming, "And both take in really powerful piledrivers! Just when you think the Demonic Angels can't get any more threatening, they surprise us with one new technique after another!"

The crowd was truly mortified now as it seemed Lucario and Clauncher were now struggling to get back up. And it only got worse when Hoopa floated over to Lucario, hurling him on top of Clauncher.

"Now it really is time to end this match," he said with a wicked smirk as Diancie nodded and asked, "Should I use my strongest technique to finish them?"

"Well, of course," Hoopa replied with a big grin as Diancie nodded and started to float. No one could believe what they were looking at as Nori asked, "Wait, she could fly this whole time?"

It seemed there was a reason for this as pink spheres of light circled the sylph's legs, a bright flash surrounding them. And once the light faded, her legs were replaced by a jagged stone. And it seemed the audience was in for even more of a spectacle when cracks surrounded the object, the rock bursting open to reveal a big pink diamond underneath, Diancie floating high above Lucario.

"I think I know exactly what she's trying to do," Reika uttered as Aipom nodded and squeaked, "Those two really need to recover soon."

"No shit they do!" Machoke retorted before getting up and barking, "COME ON, LUCARIO, CLAUNCHER, YOU CAN DO IT!"

With that, the boy started to pump his fist in the air, chanting, "LUCARIO! CLAUNCHER!" repeatedly as soon enough, the rest of the crowd got up and did the same. As impressive as Hoopa and Diancie were combined with the fact that everyone thought they were heroes, everyone still wanted to see the Olympic champion win this match.

Amanda prayed that he could get up from this, Sarah having full confidence in her son. After all, he had recovered from far worse over the past, so there was no way this could take him out for good.

It seemed everyone's support had worked as Lucario slowly opened his eyes, grunting, "No, not yet," but as he struggled to get up, Diancie descended toward him as Hoopa floated up to her level, flipping himself upside-down and placing his hands on her shoulders, speeding up her descent.

With that, both exclaimed, "DIAMOND METEOR!" Lucario unable to get up in time to avoid taking in the stone to his back. It wound up piercing his belly, his eyes and mouth wide open as he held out one arm, twitching and coughing up blood.

And of course, Clauncher wound up taking in pain from this as well as her eyes widened briefly. But soon enough, both Fancy Fighters were out cold as Nori started the ten count.

With the finisher out of the way, Diancie pried herself out of the two and landed on the mat, her legs returning to normal as Hoopa smirked and said, "Yeah, we'll go down in history for this," resting a hand on her shoulder as the crowd stared with concern.

Luckily, the two had not actually killed either hero. After all, that would get them disqualified for sure, hence why Diancie had gone for Lucario's midsection as opposed to his chest. Sure, he had a hole in him now, but it was not big enough to kill him, especially since heroes could handle what most humans could not.

And soon enough, Nori reached the count of ten and rang the bell, exclaiming, "And the victory of the final match of the first round of the Ultimate World Team Tournament goes to the Demonic Angels!"

Needless to say, the crowd seemed upset at first. However, that quickly changed when a young woman said, "Hey, you know, Hoopa and Diancie are pretty cool."

Many were confused until a teenaged boy nodded and replied, "Yeah, they just beat the Hero Olympics champion. I didn't think it was possible," and soon enough, the rest of the crowd seemed to agree, Hoopa grinning wide as Diancie blushed lightly, a big smile on her face as she held her hands up against her cheeks.

"They can't be serious!" Machoke exclaimed, "Hoopa cheated at the start of the match! They should be upset!" Aipom nodding and sighing, "True, but this is the nature of fight fans. The champion going down is not something people can just ignore."

Needless to say, while the crowd was certainly excited about this, Machoke and his friends were not the least bit happy. And of course, neither were Amanda and Sarah, both really hoping Lucario would be okay after taking in such a fierce finisher. Needless to say, Hoopa and Diancie were a true threat and one could only guess what their true intention was for joining this tournament in the first place.

 

So far, the fight between Lucario and Hoopa seemed like either one's game. Each had landed a few good blows, but neither looked badly hurt.

With that in mind, Lucario held up a defensive stance as Hoopa grinned, saying, "Something you might be interested to know is that while I have no arms, I'm unable to separate my hands from my body. There is a limit to how far they can go."

"Is that so?" Lucario replied with a grin, "That at least rules out the odds of you attacking me from a distance," the genie remarking, "Oh, does it?"

The crowd was confused by this until Hoopa proceeded to snap the two fingers that made up his right hand, saying, "Hat trick," his left hand vanishing as everyone was truly astounded.

Clauncher noticed that very hand appear behind the dog in the form of a fist as she spat, "Lucario, behind you!" but it was too late as the fist flew toward Lucario's back like a rocket, hitting him hard as he winced in pain.

The crowd was truly astounded, but it did not end there as the fist sent the dog toward Hoopa who proceeded to send his right fist into the dog's gut. With that, his left hand finally separated from the dog and returned to its rightful place, Hoopa placing both hands against his side and saying, "As you can see, if my hands were to ever distance themselves from me, they will instinctively return in a matter of seconds. It's like my body is a hand magnet or something like that."

Needless to say, everyone was rather worried about this, especially seeing as Hoopa could magically warp his hands anywhere he wanted, Nori saying, "Well, it seems just like an actual genie, Hoopa has magical powers. I wonder what else he can do."

"Hey, yeah!" Machoke exclaimed with a childish grin, "Maybe he could give me one trillion yen! Or maybe invincibility! Or perhaps he could grant me the power to conjure up food whenever I need it!" Aipom bonking him on the back of the head, grunting, "Focus! The match is still going on!"

"I hate to disappoint you, Machoke," Hoopa said with a light smile, "but I don't grant wishes. That teleportation spell is pretty much the extent of my magical capabilities," the audience looking just as disappointed as Machoke upon hearing this.

However, Lucario saw this as a good thing a she thought, 'Excellent. He won't be able to pull any other fast ones like that. Now that I've seen him use that ability once, I can easily counter it.'

It seemed Hoopa did not realize this fact himself as he snapped his fingers, once again teleporting his hand, only this time it was facing the dog from an angle. But just as Lucario was about to dodge it, it seemed the genie had something else in mind as he swung the side of his head around, flinging the ring attached to his horn and shouting, "DEMONIC RING!"

Lucario and many other people's eyes were wide open. It was not so much the ring being a weapon that surprised everyone but rather the fact that after Hoopa unleashed it, spikes formed around it.

Masquerain's eyes widened with shock as this seemed strangely familiar to her, Lucario taking in the ring to his cheek as a small cut formed. This provided the distraction Hoopa needed as his left fist rammed into Lucario's ribs, returning to the genie's side as the dog knelt down, holding onto that very spot with his teeth gritted.

"Wow, Hoopa is just full of surprises!" Nori exclaimed as Clauncher looked concerned, "Not only can he teleport his fist, but he can even use his ring as a deadly boomerang. However, I'm not one-hundred percent sure if this is legal."

"Wait, what!?" Hoopa remarked, his eyes and mouth wide open as Diancie whimpered, "Oh no, you'll be penalized if it isn't!" the genie now genuinely frightened as Machoke sighed, "I was starting to think he might actually get away with that."

And with that, Nori pulled out the rule book and flipped through it before finding the right page, the audience curious as well until she said, "Yep, it's perfectly fine. As long as the weapon is either attached to the fighter or is an article of clothing, it is perfectly, one-hundred percent legal, therefor the match will be allowed to continue and Hoopa will be allowed to use his ring as a weapon all he wants."

Some members of the crowd were alright with this, but Machoke gritted his teeth and grunted, "Come on, are you kidding me!?" only for Reika to pat him on the shoulder, uttering, "You do remember Gardevoir once used that first jersey you bought her as a weapon against Roserade and didn't get in trouble, right?" the boy blinking and replying, "Oh yeah, that's why I bought her a new one."

Talonflame shrugged his shoulders and remarked, "Lucario probably would have said he was okay with it even if it was a rule violation. If I know him, he'll wanna earn this victory for good, and if his opponent is disqualified, he'll feel beyond cheated. I'd feel the same if that happened to me, so I feel him."

The others nodded in response as Machoke shrugged and replied, "You got a point there," not saying any more than that."

Needless to say, both Lucario and Hoopa were more than happy to have heard this as the genie grinned and said, "Well, that's good to hear, because I have much more I wanna try out on you."

And with that in mind, the genie proceeded to teleport his left fist once again, aiming for Lucario's back. But now the dog truly was ready, Hoopa swinging the side of his head around to prepare his ring.

Clauncher really hoped Lucario had found a way to avoid this by now as Hoopa exclaimed, "DEMONIC RING!" once again flinging it forward, the spikes jutting out again.

However, Lucario was ready as despite the ring being extremely fast, he was still able to sense it as he lifted up his hand. And when it was close enough, he took hold of it before leaping up just high enough so he could balance one foot on top of the incoming fist.

Hoopa's eyes widened as Lucario ignored the fact that grabbing the ring had caused his palm to bleed, waiting for the fist to be closer. And once it was, he proceeded to swing the ring sideways, striking Hoopa's cheek and forcing his head sideways as his eyes were even wider, his jaw dropped.

Diancie clasped her hands over her mouth as Lucario then leapt off of the fist, planting his feet into the genie's skull thus knocking him on his back. The crowd went wild as the ring pried itself out of his hand, returning to its owner.

"So your ring is bound to you as well," the dog stated as he flipped the genie over, grabbing hold of his chin, "It doesn't matter anyway. You can't use it when you're in this position."

The crowd cheered even louder as the dog proceeded to pull hard on the spot he was holding, Hoopa's eyes and mouth still wide open as he cried out in pain, Nori exclaiming, "And Lucario has turned Hoopa's tactic against him and has him set up for a camel clutch! I don't think I've ever seen him use this submission hold before!"

"That's right," Lucario grunted, "Not only was my London Bridge defeated long ago, but the spike that allowed it to work is no longer a part of me. As such, I have studied a variety of submission holds that I feel make for good replacements."

Hoopa's look of pain turned to a wicked smirk as he said, "Not bad, but not good enough," before reaching his hands back. Since they were not attached to arms, this was a lot easier for the genie to pull off as he formed two fists, sending them into the dog's sides.

"Lucario!" Clauncher cried as the dog winced in pain, stilling holding on until Hoopa sent the fists into his sides again. This ultimately caused Lucario to loosen his hold as Hoopa proceeded to grab hold of his ankles, lifting the dog off of him and flipping him one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, slamming his back hard against the mat.

The crowd was once again shocked as Nori said, "Just when you think Lucario has him on the ropes, Hoopa pulls off another amazing comeback. While his hands may be unable to leave him, it seems he can move them anywhere without straining himself since there are no arms binding them in place."

"She's right," Hoopa replied as he rose up, positioning his hands by his side and spinning them like batons, adding, "I can do this with them and not break my wrists," Diancie breathing a sigh of relief. Sure, she knew he could do this, but she was still worried that his back might end up breaking.

However, things might just take a different turn as Nori rang the bell, signalling that five minutes had passed. With that in mind, both Diancie and Clauncher entered the ring, Machoke blinking and saying, "Hey, this is the first time no one actually tagged out before the tornado portion started," Aipom nodding and replying, "I guess it makes sense. Lord knows Lucario's got a strong spirit and if you ask me, that Hoopa seems a little too stubborn to even consider switching with someone else."

"You alright, buddy?" Clauncher asked, helping Lucario up as he nodded and replied, "Yes, I'm fine, but this Hoopa certainly is more of a challenge than I thought he'd be."

Diancie was about to ask Hoopa if he was okay as well until the genie grinned and said, "Now that we can fight together, this match will be even easier," the sylph blushing lightly before nodding and replying, "Yes, we'll win this for sure."

But before either one could do a thing, Lucario was ready to make up for all the pain dealt to him earlier as Clauncher rolled up into a ball, saying, "Let's give our first team attack a shot, eh, buddy?" the dog nodding before reeling his foot back, shouting, "CRUSTACEAN FOOTBALL!" the dog sending said part hard into the lobster as she spun vertically toward Hoopa.

But just as the attack was about to hit, Diancie got in the way and stopped Clauncher with her hands. This ultimately proved ineffective, though, as the force from the hit sent her back into Hoopa, the genie falling on his back as Clauncher leapt away from Diancie, landing on her feet and holding her arms up, shouting, "Ta-dah!"

The crowd went wild as Nori said, "At first, I couldn't help but find that tactic a little too simplistic, but it seems that kick from Lucario had more force than expected as despite blocking the hit, both Diancie and Hoopa still took in damage."

And it did not end there as Lucario leapt toward Clauncher, using one foot to balance on her big claw. Everyone was shocked that the lobster was able to hold him up, but nevertheless, this was not all the Fancy Fighters had planned as she propelled Lucario off of her, the dog holding out his wrist spikes and shouting, "ROYAL JAVELIN!"

Diancie gasped in pain as the spikes pierced her shoulders, the sylph crying out in pain while Clauncher leapt toward Lucario's back, spinning vertically in the form of a ball again. She then rammed herself hard into said spot thus adding to the force and causing Diancie to fall on her back, the crowd cheering heavily.

"Many were confused by this odd pairing at first, but so far, Clauncher seems to be an ideal partner for Lucario!" Nori exclaimed with a grin, "The two have only used two combined moves and already, they're showing incredible results!"

"I'll say," Machoke uttered, "Now I can see why Lucario was so sure about this," Talonflame shrugging and replying, "She's a suitable replacement for me, I guess, but she'll never measure up to my badassery," the falcon flexing with a smirk as Tsuya turned to him with her eyes sparkling, the falcon's eyes wide with panic now.

Reika and Scyther rolled their eyes before cheering for the Fancy Fighters, both of them doing something completely unexpected as they lifted their opponents up. The two then nodded at one-another as Clauncher latched onto Diancie's waist, Lucario wrapping his arms around Hoopa. With that, both proceeded to lift up their opponents and leaned sideways, sending each fighter's back hard into the mat with a backdrop.

"As we all know, Lucario has not been known for using slam moves aside from his father's finishers during that one legendary match," Nori stated, "so to see him use a backdrop is certainly surprising. But honestly, I'm even more surprised that Clauncher can use an ability like that, proving that size doesn't matter."

Cici smiled lightly as this only gave her hope that she could become strong like that someday, Reika uttering, "Now I really can see why Lucario saw her as a great partner. Not only do they work well together, but she's really strong. Diancie's twice as big as she is yet she lifted her up without even breaking a sweat."

But of course, this match was far from over as the Demonic Angels pushed themselves up, neither looking the least bit fazed by any of this. Sure, they had taken in some good hits, but they were certain they could turn this around all the same.

"Well, good to know your partner's no slouch either," Hoopa said with a smirk, "This match just got even more interesting."

With that, the genie turned to Diancie and said, "Well, I've had my moment in the spotlight. It's time you had yours," the sylph nodding with a light smile and replying, "Thank you."

With that, she proceeded to stand up on the tips of her toes, the crowd curious as suddenly, the sides of her dress lifted up, gems similar to the ones on her head emerging from under the material. She then proceeded to twirl toward the Fancy Fighters as she exclaimed, "SUGARPLUM FAIRY SLASH!"

Lucario tried to dodge, but Diancie proved surprisingly fast while twirling and thus managed to strike his midsection with her blades, the dog yowling in pain as a big gash formed. The crowd gasped as Diancie then encased her hands in in the same material used for her gems and sent an onslaught of punches into his face.

Clauncher was just about to rush in and help when Hoopa charged toward her, his left horn aimed at her gut. However, the lobster saw this coming and leapt high above his head, evading the strike and lifting up her claw as it expanded in size.

But just as she was about to send it crashing down upon her opponent's skull, Hoopa snapped his fingers as his left hand vanished once again, this time appearing above the lobster's head. As a result, her attack was halted when the fist came crashing down onto her skull, knocking her hard on her belly.

The crowd was in even more panic, Lucario now holding up his arms to block Diancie's punches, his eyes widening when he turned and saw the position his partner was in. Hoopa took full advantage of Clauncher's state as he floated behind her and sent a barrage of rapid punches into her back. Due to him having no arms, this required no energy from him whatsoever, thus he could keep this up all day.

"The Fancy Fighters started off strong," Nori stated, "but the Demonic Angels have truly turned things around with some devastating abilities!" and it did not end there as Diancie noticed Lucario distracted by his friend's predicament, sprouting a long gem spike from her knee and sending it into the dog's leg.

"OH MY GOD!" Machoke cried as he watched the gem pierce his flesh, sticking out of the other side as blood squirted out, "I'd hate to fight her in a later round!"

And it would only get worse as Lucario dropped his guard, Diancie sending one more punch toward his face. But just as it looked like this one would land, the dog held up his right paw and blocked it, a look of fury in his eyes as a blue aura surrounded him.

Clauncher's eyes widened as she looked up at this, now ignoring the pain to her back. She remembered how during the Olympics, Lucario would go from a fair fighter to a sadist whenever this aura appeared. And back in London, both Amanda and Sarah saw this on TV, Amanda praying that her brother would not lose control of his emotions.

However, unbeknownst to them, ever since Lucario defeated Machoke and restored his family's reputation, he no longer felt that sense of malice whenever this power activated. Instead, he would now use it to help fight for his friends.

With that in mind, he grinned and said, "Don't worry, Clauncher, I got your back," the dog turning his body around and flinging Diancie toward Hoopa. And just before the genie could respond, the sylph wound up flying into his side, both falling hard against the mat while the crowd cheered wildly.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Machoke exclaimed, "There's no way Lucario would go down that easily! Take it from me!" the others just as happy as the boy.

Clauncher gave the dog a weak smile as he calmly walked over to her, reaching out his hand. With that, she held out her claw as the dog took hold of it, helping her up and asking, "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Clauncher replied, "You know it'll take more than that to take down little old me," Hoopa rising back up with fury in his expression. Sure, he wanted a challenge, he wanted victory to feel satisfying, but Lucario's resilience was starting to annoy him now.

Diancie followed suit as the genie turned to her and said, "I think it's high time we end this. What about you?" the sylph nodding.

"Sorry to disappoint, but we won't fall that easily," Lucario retorted as he raced toward Diancie. Just as Hoopa was about to intervene, Clauncher leapt toward him, once again rolled up into a ball as she rammed herself hard into his back.

But just as Diancie was about to counter, Clauncher leapt toward Lucario as he lifted up his arm, taking hold of her tail once was she was close enough. With that, her claw once again expanded in size as the two exclaimed, "CRAB GAVEL!" Lucario swinging her downward thus increasing the force of her trademark Crabhammer.

Diancie's eyes widened as the claw struck her temple hard, the girl coughing up a bit of blood and falling hard on her back. And once again, the crowd went wild as Lucario released his hold on Clauncher, the lobster flying into Hoopa before he could recover from the blow dealt earlier.

"Damn, those two are amazing!" Gallade exclaimed as Talonflame nodded and smirked, saying, "I'd expect no less from Lucario," before thinking, 'Dammit, I think that Clauncher might actually be a better ally for him than I was.'

But just as the Fancy Fighters were ready to end it for good, it seemed Diancie had something else in mind as she placed her hands firmly against the canvas and exclaimed, "GEM GROWTH!"

Lucario was caught off-guard when two gems shot up under his feet, not only putting a hole in each foot but also sending him flying high into the air, his body spinning. Once again, Masquerain could not help but feel suspicious when she saw this.

While she may not have been in the race when this happened, she had seen how Sandslash and Kabutops had fallen. It was when two bright pink rocks seemed to just suddenly appear in the side of the mountain. At first, she believed they must have been in there the whole time and the two heroes had not noticed, but now she could not help but question this.

But just as Clauncher was about to help her ally, Hoopa snapped his fingers, this time causing the ring around his waist to vanish and form high above the canvas. What really shocked everyone was when what appeared to be a vortex formed in the middle, Hoopa flinging the horn around his horn toward Clauncher.

Before the lobster could even respond, the ring managed to slide right under her as another vortex appeared, everyone confused by this as the lobster was pulled into it, emerging from the waist ring and descending toward the mat. With that, Hoopa flew toward her, smirking and saying, "By the way, when I said that teleportation technique was all I had, I lied," wrapping his hands around her and shifting the lobster around so her head was facing the mat.

It seemed Diancie had a similar idea as when Lucario was just high enough with his own head facing the mat, she leapt up to his level and wrapped her arms around him. The crowd could not believe this as Hoopa exclaimed, "HYPERSPACE HOLE!" Diancie shouting, "GEM PILEDRIVER!"

With that, both Fancy Fighters had their skulls slammed hard against the surface, Nori exclaiming, "And both take in really powerful piledrivers! Just when you think the Demonic Angels can't get any more threatening, they surprise us with one new technique after another!"

The crowd was truly mortified now as it seemed Lucario and Clauncher were now struggling to get back up. And it only got worse when Hoopa floated over to Lucario, hurling him on top of Clauncher.

"Now it really is time to end this match," he said with a wicked smirk as Diancie nodded and asked, "Should I use my strongest technique to finish them?"

"Well, of course," Hoopa replied with a big grin as Diancie nodded and started to float. No one could believe what they were looking at as Nori asked, "Wait, she could fly this whole time?"

It seemed there was a reason for this as pink spheres of light circled the sylph's legs, a bright flash surrounding them. And once the light faded, her legs were replaced by a jagged stone. And it seemed the audience was in for even more of a spectacle when cracks surrounded the object, the rock bursting open to reveal a big pink diamond underneath, Diancie floating high above Lucario.

"I think I know exactly what she's trying to do," Reika uttered as Aipom nodded and squeaked, "Those two really need to recover soon."

"No shit they do!" Machoke retorted before getting up and barking, "COME ON, LUCARIO, CLAUNCHER, YOU CAN DO IT!"

With that, the boy started to pump his fist in the air, chanting, "LUCARIO! CLAUNCHER!" repeatedly as soon enough, the rest of the crowd got up and did the same. As impressive as Hoopa and Diancie were combined with the fact that everyone thought they were heroes, everyone still wanted to see the Olympic champion win this match.

Amanda prayed that he could get up from this, Sarah having full confidence in her son. After all, he had recovered from far worse over the past, so there was no way this could take him out for good.

It seemed everyone's support had worked as Lucario slowly opened his eyes, grunting, "No, not yet," but as he struggled to get up, Diancie descended toward him as Hoopa floated up to her level, flipping himself upside-down and placing his hands on her shoulders, speeding up her descent.

With that, both exclaimed, "DIAMOND METEOR!" Lucario unable to get up in time to avoid taking in the stone to his back. It wound up piercing his belly, his eyes and mouth wide open as he held out one arm, twitching and coughing up blood.

And of course, Clauncher wound up taking in pain from this as well as her eyes widened briefly. But soon enough, both Fancy Fighters were out cold as Nori started the ten count.

With the finisher out of the way, Diancie pried herself out of the two and landed on the mat, her legs returning to normal as Hoopa smirked and said, "Yeah, we'll go down in history for this," resting a hand on her shoulder as the crowd stared with concern.

Luckily, the two had not actually killed either hero. After all, that would get them disqualified for sure, hence why Diancie had gone for Lucario's midsection as opposed to his chest. Sure, he had a hole in him now, but it was not big enough to kill him, especially since heroes could handle what most humans could not.

And soon enough, Nori reached the count of ten and rang the bell, exclaiming, "And the victory of the final match of the first round of the Ultimate World Team Tournament goes to the Demonic Angels!"

Needless to say, the crowd seemed upset at first. However, that quickly changed when a young woman said, "Hey, you know, Hoopa and Diancie are pretty cool."

Many were confused until a teenaged boy nodded and replied, "Yeah, they just beat the Hero Olympics champion. I didn't think it was possible," and soon enough, the rest of the crowd seemed to agree, Hoopa grinning wide as Diancie blushed lightly, a big smile on her face as she held her hands up against her cheeks.

"They can't be serious!" Machoke exclaimed, "Hoopa cheated at the start of the match! They should be upset!" Aipom nodding and sighing, "True, but this is the nature of fight fans. The champion going down is not something people can just ignore."

Needless to say, while the crowd was certainly excited about this, Machoke and his friends were not the least bit happy. And of course, neither were Amanda and Sarah, both really hoping Lucario would be okay after taking in such a fierce finisher. Needless to say, Hoopa and Diancie were a true threat and one could only guess what their true intention was for joining this tournament in the first place.