Hello people! It's been almost 2 months since I last updated and... well the world is currently in a bad place right now, isn't it? I hope everyone stays safe!

This chapter would've been done a lot earlier, but my life was taken over by Mystery Dungeon in the beginning of March and then New Horizons came out and I've been obsessed with that. So...yeah sorry about that!

In other news, today is April 9, which means today is Blazing Courage's 5th anniversary! (anditscobaltsbirthday) Holy crap I can't believe I've been working on this for 5 long years now. I definitely did not think it would take me 5 years to get here, but here we are. At the very least, we are slowly approaching the end of the story. A lot happens in this chapter, and I really tried my best to write some action scenes. Forgive me if they're poorly written lol

Anyway, enjoy!


Cobalt's POV

The first round is about to begin. All participants in the first wave of battles, please head to your designated battlefield.

I gulped nervously. I had been sitting in my waiting room, trying to come up with my game plan. My first opponent was a Cinderace, a rather rare species of Pokemon. I have never seen one in person, let alone any of its prevolutions, but I am somewhat aware of how they fight. They are fast and nimble Pokemon with strong legs, capable of shooting fireballs as if they were soccer balls.

"It's really happening..." I whispered as I got up from my seat. I headed to the door, and as I placed my paw on the knob, I suddenly froze. I felt my body begin to shiver and I started sweating bullets. My legs felt like jelly and I could barely stand.

"C-Can I really do this...? Is this really okay...?" I clenched my eyes tightly. Now was not the time to be having second thoughts! I have to do this... I...

"Auburn...!" Scenes from the night before began to replay in my mind and I was reminded of how scared Auburn was as she cried in my arms. The fear I feel right now can't compare to what she must be going through. I shot my eyes open, turned the door knob, and marched to the main stadium with courage in my step.

I was instructed to wait on one side of the battlefield, with my opponent on the other. Like before during the opening ceremony, the blinding light of the stadium shot out all the way to the waiting area in the back and the cheers of the crowd echoed.

"...And now let's welcome our first fighters!" The host of the tournament, a very charismatic and loud spoken Darmanitan, finally announced. The staff member gave me a nod and wished me luck, instructing me to head in.

"I can do this... I have to do this... For her sake..." I repeated over and over in my head as I walked with down the path to the battlefield. Once I finally emerged, I was greeted by the audience cheering and shouting to the top of their lungs, many of them chanting name compared to my opponent's. I could also see my opponent straight ahead of me on the opposite side.

I continued to look forward as I stepped closer and closer to the center, observing the Cinderace. He looked just like how Cinderace looked in the textbooks: long ears, strong legs, burning red eyes, slightly taller than me. He had a smile on his face that emitted confidence. I could tell he was very strong. We both stopped when we reached the center, the Darmanitan being the only thing between us.

"Cobalt the Lucario, a local of the capital of the Fire Kingdom, Homura City! Known by his friends and classmates as Auburn's knight in shining armor! Along with being a former member of the Orchestra Club with Auburn, he was also a former member in the Battling Club and as the lone Fighting-type member with an almost perfect winning streak!"

"K-Knight in shining armor?!" Blood immediately shot up to my face as the host shouted to the entire kingdom on live television the whole knight thing that I always get teased about. I looked over at Auburn who was also blushing brightly. I then scanned the crowd for my friends, and when I found them they were all smirking, Tangelo especially laughing mischievously.

"Fighting him will be Singe the Cinderace from the small town of Pyro Town, located all the way on the other side of the kingdom! He is known for being the strongest Pokemon back home, not once losing a battle against his peers!"

Pyro Town? Perhaps that's why practically no one was chanting his name. That town is miles away all the way at the southern edge of the Fire Kingdom, the distance from there to Homura City is even greater than the distance between the old Miner's Town to here. He's never lost before though, huh? This is going to be rough...

In the corner of my eye I saw a white paw reaching out for me. I turned to see Singe offering to shake my paw. I looked up at the Cinderace nervously and hesitantly accepted his paw.

"Hello Cobalt. I'm Singe of Pyro Town, age 19. I've heard a lot about you." The Cinderace introduced himself. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"L-Likewise..." I gulped, "Um, what exactly did you hear?"

"That you taught yourself an Egg Move, and...you know." He motioned his red eyes over at Auburn's direction and smirked.

"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about!" I unconvincingly tried to deny him.

"Your sweaty paws tell me otherwise." He laughed and broke the handshake, wiping his paw on his hip. "While I do find it rather romantic, I'm afraid it won't become a reality." Singe lowered his eyes, "I have my own goals, and that requires winning the tournament."

"Well I'm sorry to inform you that you will not be winning this match." I responded, lowering my own eyes. "I also have my own goals, and there's absolutely no way I'll lose."

The Cinderace blinked and grinned. "Confident eh? Heh, this will be an interesting match." Singe crossed his arms.

"Fighters, please get in position!" The host finally announced.

"Good luck, you'll need it." Singe said rather cooler and headed to his side.

"Same to you." I responded, doing the same.

"Fighters, you have 30 minutes! You will be declared the winner when your opponent is knocked out by the count of 10 and unable to fight! Are you ready?!" The host glanced at the both of us, receiving a nod, "Round 1...BEGIN!"

Singe made the first move and charged at me with a Fire Punch at an amazing speed. I just barely dodged it, the little flecks of flames emitting from his fist dissipated millimeters from my face.

"Such speed! Have you ever seen anyone charge at someone with a Fire Punch like that?! It was almost as if Singe was using Quick Attack and Fire Punch at the same time!" The host shouted, the hype from his voice causing the crowd to cheer loudly.

"Whoa!" I sidestepped and recomposed myself, not at all prepared for such speed. This was not going to be easy. I quickly formed my bone staff with my aura and retaliated with a Bone Rush while he was in close range, knocking Singe away from me.

"And just as quickly, Cobalt fights back with a super effective Bone Rush! It looks like both fighters want this badly, but who wants it more?!"

"N-Not bad!" Singe quickly jumped onto his feet and wiped the dirt off of him. "Let's try something else!" The Cinderace kicked a pebble and juggled it with his feet, the pebble slowly turning into a soccer ball made of flames. Once it was large enough he swiftly fired the Pyro Ball straight at me. I easily deflected the attack with Bone Rush, the flames dissipating before me.

"And Cobalt blocks it like it was nothing!" The host shouted with the audience cheering loudly after seeing me block the attack with ease.

"N-No way!" Singe gasped. He lowered his eyes and gritted his teeth, frustration clearly written on his face. Singe then kicked up multiple pebbles up in the air and began juggling them skillfully. The area around him shined brightly as the Pyro Balls lit up around him. The crowd awed in amazement at just how skillful he was. If I wasn't the one fighting, I'd be doing the same thing honestly.

I gritted my teeth and got my Bone Rush ready to deflect the incoming rain of Pyro Balls. Singe then did one last swift kick, sending the balls of flame high in the air. He then bent his powerful legs and jumped high up in the sky, firing the Pyro Balls one by one at me at an amazing speed.

"F-From the air?!" I exclaimed. One by one I striked back each Pyro Ball with Bone Rush, causing explosions of smoke from each one.

"Gah!" I coughed and closed my eyes, relying on my aura to sense each Pyro Ball and striking them away. However, since I was so focused on the Pyro Ball attacks, I failed to sense Singe charging at me from the sky with Bounce.

"AAH!" I shouted as the Cinderace jumped on me, the impact slamming me onto the ground. The crowd cheered loudly from Singe's surprising Bounce attack.

When all the smoke cleared I saw Singe standing a few feet away from me and smirking. I weakly tried to get back on my feet, but collapsed back onto the ground, yellow sparks surrounding my body.

"Oh! It looks like Singe's powerful Bounce has left Cobalt paralyzed!" The host shouted with excitement. The crowed gasped and shouted at the turn of events.

"C-Crap...!" I muttered as I gritted my teeth. It's not often that I get inflicted with paralysis since most attacks that cause it are Electric-type and not many Pokemon here know those moves. I slowly made it back on my feet and glared at Singe with frustration.

"Wow," Singe whistled, "You're still up? Not many can take that. Very impressive." Singe smiled as he juggled another pebble.

"I-It's gonna take a lot more than that to finish me!" I began charging up an Aura Sphere. Due to being paralyzed I took a sharp drop in speed, my body feeling more sluggish than usual.

"Well there's a lot more where that came from!" Singe shouted and kicked the Pyro Ball at me. I released all my energy and retaliated back with my Aura Sphere. The impact of the two moves caused a large explosion and covered the stadium with a cloud of dust and smoke. I prayed to Arceus that the paralysis wouldn't kick in and made my move.

"Wow, what an impressive display of power!" The Darmanitan host awed. "The attacks of both fighters have made the entire battlefield difficult to see! Could something be happening in the smoke?!"

"Gah!" Singe shouted in frustration, unable to see anything before him. "Where did he—huh?!" The area in front of the Cinderace had lit up and he gasped as I appeared before him with a powerful Blaze Kick. Unable to block in time, I struck the Cinderace directly into the ground.

"A-Amazing!" The host exclaimed as the battlefield cleared up, "Despite being paralyzed Cobalt took the opportunity and charged straight for Singe!"

As Singe impacted into the ground from my Blaze Kick, I used my free paws to summon my staff and strike him multiple times with Bone Rush. Singe shouted in pain from each strike, the Ground-type move causing super effective damage. I was preparing my final strike that would've shot Singe across the battlefield, but my body suddenly froze with sparks flying.

"N-No!" I shouted in frustration as I fell onto my knees with my eyes clenched tightly. Singe seized the moment and quickly jumped to his feet and punched me across the field with a powerful Fire Punch.

"A-AAAAH!" I shouted in pain as I slid on the ground. The audience and host all gasped from Singe's sudden reversal. I lied on the ground in pain from the major damage, unable to move due to being fully paralyzed.

"H-Heh..." Singe gasped for air while grinning. "T-That was a close one Cobalt! I-I...nearly thought I was done for..." He fell onto a knee, barely having enough energy to stand.

"Cobalt has been knocked down! Is he down and out?!" The host shouted. A countdown began playing from the display screen, counting down how much time I had left before I lost.

10... 9... 8... 7...

"N-N-No...!" I gritted my paws. "I can't lose here...!" I found the will to overcome the paralysis and forced my limbs move.

"N-No way!" The host gasped, "Despite being fully paralyzed, Cobalt is getting up!"

"H-How?!" Singe exclaimed. I glared at the Cinderace standing across the battlefield from me, yellow sparks crackling around my body.

"AAHHH!" I roared, using everything in my power to shake off the paralysis as much as I could. I formed my bone staff and charged at him with everything I had, the yellow sparks now replaced with aura emitting from my body.

"Tch!" Singe gritted his teeth and answered back with his own Fire Punch. Singe was exhausted so his movements were a lot slower than before, but unlike me he wasn't paralyzed. He successfully ducked and sidestepped away from each swing of my Bone Rush, and tried to retaliated with a Fire Punch when he thought he found an opening.

"A-Absolutely amazing!" The host awed, "Both fighters are quickly losing stamina, yet they continue to dodge and attack each other! Look at Cobalt match Singe's speed! How can one be so fast while being paralyzed?!"

"A-Argh!" As if on cue, my movements stopped suddenly from being fully paralyzed, causing me to fall to a knee again.

"Oh my, did I speak too soon?! The flying sparks are back!" The host gasped.

"N-Now!" Singe shouted desperately with a grin as he swung at me with a Fire Punch, his form sloppy from exhaustion.

"N-NO!" I cried loudly. My legs couldn't move, but I still had control over my arms. I didn't have time to roll away or anything, so I clenched my eyes tightly shut in a panic and thrusted my bone staff blindly in front of me.

"W-What the?! ACK!" My bone staff struck Singe right in the stomach, causing him to wheeze and fall over onto all four as he gasped for air in front of me coughing heavily. I gasped and saw my chance to end this. While still on a knee, I held up my bone staff high up in air like a sword.

"This is it!" I shouted loudly as I swung the staff down and brutally slammed Singe onto the ground with one final Bone Rush attack.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Singe cried in pain from the powerful and super effective attack.

"What a turn of events! It looks like Singe is down and out! Start the countdown!" The host shouted excitedly and pointed up at the display screens.

10... 9... 8...

The full paralysis wore off, so I slowly stood up and got in a battle stance with my staff in hand in case Singe somehow was not knocked out. My face was sweating bullets and my heart pounded like crazy from nervousness. My anxiety seemed to spike more and more as the countdown slowly fell.

3... 2... 1... 0...!

"Singe is unable to fight! The winner is Cobalt! Give it up for Cobalt who will be moving to Round 2!" The host ran up to me and grabbed my paw and lifted it up in the air. The crowd roared with cheers and applause, chanting my name over and over as I was declared as the winner

"I-I did it...!" I lowered my stance and released the aura from my staff.

"Cobaaaaaalt!" Mint shouted as she ran towards me with a first aid kit in hand. Behind her were other workers of the infirmary, headed towards Singe.

"M-Mint!" The Gardevoir had scooped me up into a tight hug.

"Cobalt you did it! I was so scared you were gonna lose! Ohmigosh you are amazing!" Mint broke the hug and hurriedly grabbed a Cheri Berry from her first aid kit. "Here, take this while I heal you."

"T-Thank you." I accepted the berry and ate the entire thing in one bite, its spicy flavor's healing quickly having an effect. I quickly felt my energy return as Mint used Heal Pulse on me. "Ooh, that feels so much better." I sighed in relief. My body no longer felt stiff from the paralysis status.

"Cobalt you really are crazy! Honestly, I thought you were done for when that paralysis kicked in one last time! Then you go and just randomly stick out your staff and stab Singe in the stomach?" Mint shook her head, "At least you aren't seriously injured. Let's get you to the infirmary to fully heal you."

"C-Cobalt..." Mint and I turned to see Singe limping over with one of the nurses helping him walk. The Cinderace offered a paw and smiled at me. "T-That was the greatest battle I've ever had."

"Singe..." I smiled and accepted the handshake.

"It looks like your own ambitions were stronger than mine. You must really love Auburn!" He laughed loudly. "Don't blame you, the princess is gorgeous, isn't she?"

"H-Huh?!" I blushed heavily, not expecting him to say that. "I-I-I... U-Um..."

"Haha, ah lighten up buddy, I'm just messing with you!" Singe punched me weakly on my arm. "Well now that you beat me, I fully expect you to win. I won't forgive you if you lose!"

"Singe..." I widened my eyes, "I already told you I won't lose, right?"

"I suppose you did huh? Good luck, future king!" Singe winked before walking off with the nurse.

"Look at that display of sportsmanship! Let's give one last round of applause for our fighters for displaying such an amazing battle!"

The crowed again roared loudly, my name echoing throughout the stadium. I looked over at my friends in the audience who were all jumping and screaming while waving the banner with my name up in the air. I then looked over at royal family, who were clapping and smiling. My eyes met with Auburn's and she had the most relieved look on her face. I smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up, which she responded with a playful grin.

One round down, four more to go...


My next two battles were somehow a lot easier than the first. It would appear I was just unlucky during my first round and got paired with one of the top contenders of the tournament. According to Tangelo, word on the street was Singe was actually ranked third as the strongest contestants in the entire tournament, falling behind me and Garnet. I had no idea where he got that info from or what he based it off, but I took his word for it.

Round 3 had just ended and the tournament was having another intermission as they had with the end of the previous rounds. As expected, Garnet had reached the semifinals of his bracket. It really looked like it's going to come down to me to make sure Garnet does not win, especially seeing as my final opponent for my bracket was none other than Jon.

I had been watching every battle that I could, and I was shocked to see how much stronger Jon has become. Although he was also a member of the Battling Club with Garnet, Jon wasn't particularly a fan of battling, especially he joined against his will. But that didn't mean he was a pushover. As a Cyndaquil and Quilava, he would always do well in the club, and now that he's fully evolved he's that much stronger.

"So your next battle is against Jon huh?" Tangelo asked while biting into his sandwich. The intermission before the semi-finals was the longest one as the tournament has been going on for several hours at this point, so I was spending my time with all my friends for some food, excluding Auburn of course as well as Mint who was busy in the infirmary. "Jon's gotten a long stronger since he evolved, hasn't he? I did often see him training in the park with Garnet while I babysat my sisters."

"But he's no match for our powerful chum Cobalt!" Masello said with confidence. "He's never beaten you, right? I do believe I would recall if such an event happened!"

"I don't think so..." I sipped from my berry smoothie, the refreshing Sitrus and Oran berries both quenching me and healing up my energy, "But I shouldn't take this so easily. If I underestimate him, it just might cost me the match."

"From what I've heard though, he doesn't even want to be in this tournament. Garnet's forced him to join. What a shocker." Maple shrugged as she crossed her legs. "If only that boy had more self-confidence..."

"He did mention to me that he wants me to win the tournament..." I slumped over on the table with my straw in my mouth, slurping up the last of my berry smoothie.

"That makes sense seeing as he's clearly in love with Maple." Aika lowered her eyes and looked over at Maple, who had a light pink tint to her cheeks. "Maybe you could do something about it."

"M-M-Me?!" Maple jumped from her seat. "W-What am I supposed to do?"

"Um, admit that you like him back...? Or just ask him out...?" Tea said quietly, yet bluntly at the same time. "You... do like him, right?"

"I-I mean I don't dislike him..." Maple blushed shyly. All of us looked at our Braixen friend with furrowed brows. Maple isn't usually this... bashful. She's usually open about things like this and always teases about how she's aware of Jon's feelings. "I-It's just... w-well..."

"Whoa, what is this? You okay?" Tangelo nudged the blushing Braixen, causing her to jump again.

"I-I'm fine, thank you!" Maple glared at Tangelo.

"So why are you stuttering and being all weird ? You're never like this when we talk about Jon's feelings for you. You've even admitted to being interested in him." Tangelo responded back, raising his paws defensively.

"I-I'm not being weird at all!" Maple slammed her paws on the table, her face completely flushed red "A-Ahem, I am completely calm." ...She is most definitely not acting normal.

"Perhaps our blushing chum here is nervous because we've put her on the spot to take action?" Masello suggested.

"Oh you have a point." I agreed. "Isn't it usually boys that make their moves on Maple? She's never the one that initiates."

"M-Must be nice..." Tea said sarcastically, rolling her yellow eyes.

"Y-You guys have the wrong idea!" Maple shouted out of frustration.

"Now's she's gotten all defensive!" Aika laughed, "We are spot on! Come on Maple, stop beating around the bush and ask him out already! He's a tall and handsome Typhlosion now!" Aika grinned widely.

"Ugh, you guys are the worst!" Maple pouted and lifted her snout angrily.

"Hey, speaking of Jon, isn't that him right there?" Tangelo pointed out at the Typhlosion that was heading this way, looking down on the ground with an expressionless face.

"W-What?!" Maple screamed and jumped from her seat.

"Oh..." Jon slowly lifted his head at us. "It's you guys. Hey..." Jon said rather monotonously. Jon looked over at me and frowned. "Cobalt..."

"Jon. You by yourself?" I nodded at the obviously troubled Typhlosion.

"Yeah, just here to get some food for me and Garnet..."

"You don't look exactly happy to be here." Aika said bluntly, "Not excited to fight Cobalt?"

"Am I ever?" Jon's tone changed, "You know I don't like fighting in the first place."

"So then why are you here? Because Garnet asked you?" Aika rolled her eyes, "Don't you ever think for yourself?"

"Aika!" I said sharply at the Mightyena. Jon froze in place and stared at his feet.

"She does have a point though..." Tea added. "But Garnet is Jon's best friend... I'm sure he would do anything for him..."

"Sounds like a one-sided friendship if you ask me." Tangelo shrugged.

"Well it's a good thing no one asked you!" Jon snapped, causing us to flinch back. "Now if you'll excuse me I have things to do. Cobalt, I'll see you at the semi-finals where I destroy you." Jon tried to glare at me, but he looked sad and scared more than anything.

"Jon wait!" Maple shouted suddenly and got up from her seat, running up to Jon.

"M-Maple...?" Jon turned around, his face quickly turning red as she approached him. "W-W-What is it?"

"I..." Maple blushed heavily as she shifted her paws. "W-Well..."

"Oh crap is she gonna do it?!" Aika jumped from her seat.

"No way!" Tangelo followed.

"Ohmigosh she's gonna confess?!" Masello and Tea squealed.

I watched the scene before me and gulped. My heart began to race. Was I about to witness a love confession?!

"C-Can you guys shut up for a second?!" Maple angrily turned around and glared us down.

"M-M-M-Map-p-ple?" Jon stuttered continuously and his body trembling.

Maple grabbed Jon's hands and held them tightly. "...Be careful in the next round. I'm of course rooting for Cobalt, but I'll root for you too. I... I don't want to see you get hurt. So... good luck!" Maple stood on her toes and gave a quick peck on Jon's cheek.

The flames on the back of Jon's neck roared as they ignited brightly, thought not as bright as the blush that dyed the Typhlosion's face red.

"Ohmigosh, so cute!" Masello and Tea squealed loudly in a high pitch.

"Ooh, not bad." Aika and Tangelo commented.

"Wow..." I said quietly with my jaw hanging. It wasn't a love confession, but it was very cute.

"I-I-I-I-I...!" Jon continued to stutter with the flames on his neck still shooting like crazy. "M-Maple wait!" Jon grabbed Maple's hand as before she could walk back to us..

"Jon...? O-Oh!" Jon had scooped up Maple and hugged her tightly.

"I can't take it anymore! I don't want to be in this tournament anymore! I'm tired of listening to Garnet's stupid orders!"

"J-Jon...?" Jon broke his hug and placed his hands on Maple's shoulders.

"Maple, I love you!" Jon finally said, "I've been in love with you for a long time now!"

"OHMIGOSH HE DID IT!" Tea shouted before fainting onto the ground.

"T-Tea!" Masello shook our hopeless romantic friend. "Wake up! Now is not the time to be taking a nap!"

"Jon...!" Maple's face was completely red, her purple eyes opened widely from the sudden confession. I've heard from the others that boys confess to Maple often, but she usually takes it with a straight face before turning them down. This however was completely different from though. "Heh... Hahaha!" Maple suddenly started laughing.

"H-Huh? W-What's so funny?!" Jon was flustered and looked like he was going to cry, which I don't blame him. The poor guy finally poured his heart out and she's laughing?

"Hah... I-I'm sorry... It's just... I already knew that!" Maple wiped a tear from her eyes as she tried to regain her composure.

"Y-You did?!"

"We all did Jon. Your love for Maple was almost as obvious as Coburnt!" Tangelo laughed.

"Oh come on!" I complained with a deep blush.

"W-What?!" Jon hid his face in embarrassment. "I-If you knew, why didn't you say anything?!"

"Because I was waiting for you to say something." Maple pulled Jon's hands from his face, revealing his deep, brown eyes. "I was hoping you'd find the courage to do it one day. I didn't think it would take you over five years to do it though. You lack confidence, y'know?" She smiled warmly.

"W-Well can you blame me? Y-You were the most popular and prettiest girl in school! All the guys wanted to have you as their girlfriend and you always turned them down, even after dating them!"

"And do you know why I turned them down?" Maple asked softly. Jon remained silent, answering her with a shake of his head. "It's because I liked you, silly!"

"Y-You do?!" Jon's eyes lit up.

"Yup! You're adorable, you know? Always blushing and stuttering around me, how could I not like you? Plus you keep Garnet in place. You clearly care about your friends, since you've stuck by him this entire time. Seeing you always made me feel differently than the other guys I've ever dated. Even now my heart is racing like crazy!"

"M-Maple...!" Jon's eyes glistened, as if he was about to cry. "Oh Maple I'm so happy! Will you be my girlfriend?!"

"Ahaha I'm pretty sure that comes with the love confession." Maple winked and grabbed Jon's head as she stood on her toes to reach the taller Typholsion.

"Maple, what are you—MMPPH?!" Jon muffled as Maple brought his lips to hers, locking him into a kiss.

"Oh my! How romantic!" Masello shouted while still trying to shake Tea back to consciousness. "Oh poor Tea missed the best part!"

"Wow..." I blushed heavily. My heart felt like it was going to burst, witnessing this display of romance, yet at the same time I felt embarrassed, like I shouldn't be watching this.

"Get a room already!" Aika and Tangelo teased.

"You guys do that kinda stuff all the time though!" Maple stuck her tongue out at the other couple, "It's finally my turn!"

"Jon, there you are!" Garnet suddenly showed up, his arms crossed. The Blaziken glared at us angrily, quickly ruining the joyous mood. "Is this why you were taking so long? Finally felt like telling Maple how you felt?"

"G-Garnet..." Jon looked away, avoiding eye contact from his friend.

"Couldn't this had waited until after the tournament? You could've confessed and had all the lovey-dovey time you wanted AFTER beating Cobalt." Garnet rolled his eyes.

"You know, any normal friend would be congratulating them instead of complaining." Maple crossed her arms and glared at Garnet.

"Tch, whatever. Jon, give me my money back, I'll buy my own food." Jon held out his hand with Garnet's money while staring down at his feet, which he snatched quickly from him. "Geeze..."

"G-Garnet!" Jon finally raised his head and spoke up.

"What now?"

"I... I-I..." Jon stuttered nervously. His body began trembling, but Maple grabbed his hand and nodded at him, quickly calming him down. "Garnet, I'm dropping out of the tournament."

"W-What?!" Both me and Garnet shouted in shock. He's dropping out...? Well I suppose that makes sense now that he's with Maple but...

"You heard me." Jon lowered his eyes, "I'm dropping out of the tournament. I'm tired of fighting and I want no part of this anymore."

"Y-You can't quit! Y-You're supposed to defeat Cobalt for me!" Garnet panicked.

"Well you'll have to do that yourself. I was never interested in becoming king, so I have no reason to continue." Jon tightened his grip on Maple's hand and looked down and smiled at her. "I already have everything I ever wanted here."

"J-Jon..." Maple blushed heavily.

"B-But I'm you're best friend! You said you'd always have my back!" Garnet angrily took a step forward. "You're gonna chose me over Maple?!"

"I did say I'd always have your back, but then things changed Garnet. You changed! You reverted back back to your stupid childish self, just when things were getting better! And all for what?!"

"J-Jon, don't...!" Garnet's anger quickly turned into fear.

"...I won't say anything about it, don't worry." Jon sighed heavily, "But I hope you open your eyes soon before it's too late. Honestly, this has gone way too far, even for you." Jon shook his head, then smiled at Maple. "Maple, can you come with me? I've got something important to do."

"Oh, sure..." Maple agreed and grabbed his paw, though she was somewhat confused.

"W-Where are you going?!" Garnet shouted with fear.

"I'm going to report that I am dropping out of the tournament." Jon stopped in place, still holding paws with Maple and said without turning back. "Garnet... you will always be my closest friend, but..." Jon turned around and looked at Garnet angrily, "I hope you lose. You and me both know this isn't right. Cobalt and Auburn clearly care for each, I wish you just leave them alone already. Open your eyes."

"Jon..." I couldn't describe how I felt at that moment, but I knew I was glad about one thing: I didn't have to fight Jon.

Garnet froze in place, his mouth agape and eyes wide open. He eventually snapped out of it and walked away, his head downcast and not saying a single word or even buying food.

"Oh I am so overjoyed!" Masello cheered loudly, "Maple and Jon is finally a thing and Cobalt is going straight to the finals!"

"I definitely didn't see that coming." Aika commented.

"Dude!" Tangelo jumped at me and patted my back, "You made it to the finals! This is such hype! You're really really gonna do this!"

"Y-Yeah..." I gulped. I am relieved that I don't have to fight Jon and get to go straight to the finals, but I couldn't help but be nervous. It's the finals for the princess' heart after all. What is Auburn going to think of this?

"What is wrong, chum? Certainly you should be overjoyed right now, yes?" Masello looked up at me and frowned.

"I am, but... I guess I'm still having some doubts about this whole thing." I admitted as I slumped over the table again. "And I'm a feeling nervous because I told Auburn I was only in this to protect her, but now it's come to this..."

"A little too late to be having second thoughts, don't you think?" Aika raised a brow. "This is what you wanted, right?"

"Y-Yeah, but..."

"Come on dude, you made your vow already, now you just need to come through!" Tangelo consoled me, "Trust me, this is the right choice! This is what Auburn secretly wants too."

"M-Maybe..." I blushed, "But still... I don't know. I guess it's just a lot of pressure. I'm gonna have to fight Garnet after all. Last time I battled him I lost terribly."

"That's because you weren't prepared! A lot has changed since then!" Tangelo reassured me. "You're not the same Lucario from two months ago man!"

"Tangelo..." I blinked. He has a point, I really have gotten a lot stronger over these past two months. I got up from my seat and nodded with confidence. "You're right! I have to do this! I've overcome so many obstacles to make it this far! I will see this through and come out on top!"

"You definitely will chum!" Masello happily cheered, "The power of love always wins!"

"M-Masello!" I whined with a heavy blush on my cheeks.

"Dude, don't say something so cheesy like that..." Tangelo cringed.

"Aw, but I know you believe in it the most out of all of us, my best chum!" Masello smiled cheerfully.

We all laughed at Masello and Tangelo's silly argument, until the intercom suddenly came on and interrupted.

Attention everyone, the semifinals will begin shortly. Contestant Jonquil has dropped out of the tournament, meaning contestant Cobalt is the winner of the first bracket and will face the winner of the second bracket in the finals. Please head to the main stadium for the final battle of the second bracket.

"Well I guess this is it." I looked over at my friends. "I should head back to my waiting room and rest up while I can."

"There won't be enough time to chill in between intermissions since this was the only long one. I doubt we will have any time to even see each other before the finals." Tangelo stated. He then walked over and patted. "Good luck Cobalt. It's not gonna be easy, but if anyone can win this it's you."

"You simply must win chum! You must, not just for your own sake but for Auburn's as well!" Masello surprisingly sounded serious for once.

"Don't worry Masello, I plan to win." I reassured him, which he responded with a smile.

"Cobalt, next time I see you you'll be crowned as the winner! I already have an amazing story in mind, so you better not lose!" Aika demanded with a playful grin.

"W-Wha..." Tea suddenly regained consciousness and slowly floated back in the air. "I-Is it time for the next round...?"

"Oh Tea, my ghostly chum you missed out on so much! We need to get going now so I'll explain it on the way! But for now we are saying bye to Cobalt! We probably won't see him until after the end of the tournament!" Masello explained.

"I-I see..." Tea yawned. She slowly floated over to me and stopped in front of my face. "Cobalt..."

"Y-Yes, Tea?" I gulped. Was she going to fangirl on me about having to win?

"Good luck Cobalt. Make sure to beat up Jon and then beat up Garnet..." The Lampent yawned, unaware of Jon having dropped out already.

"R-Right..." I sighed in relief. "Thanks guys, I'll see you all later!" I bowed before running off, the cheers and shouts of my friends slowly fading as I parted farther away.

When I made it back to my waiting room, I jumped onto the couch and stretched out my body as I lied on it. I reached for the remote control and turned on the TV hanging on the wall to watch the semifinals of the second bracket.

And here we are folks: the semifinals! It's already been decided that Cobalt will be heading straight to the finals due to his opponent dropping, but who will the famous and crowd favorite Lucario be going against?! Find out in a just a few moments as the last match for the second bracket begins shortly!

"C-Crowd favorite huh...?" I blushed. A lot of Pokemon are really rooting for me, and it's honestly such a surreal feeling. Why is it that everyone is cheering for me? Is it because I'm not a Fire-type? Do they want me to make history and be the first non-Fire-type king? Or is it perhaps everyone at this point knows how I feel about Auburn? That Darmanitan host has been dropping not so subtle hints about it after all.

I rolled over on my side and let out a heavy sigh. There's no way Auburn isn't aware of my true intentions by now. Every time our eyes met before each battle her expression became more and more worried. Just thinking about how she will look when our eyes meet in the finals is enough to make me feel sick. The last thing I wanted to do is make Auburn feel sad or worried, and yet here I am risking serious injury.

I decided to turn off the TV and lied on the couch in silence, alone with my thoughts. It was obvious Garnet was going to win, and I'm already familiar with his aggressive battle style, so there wasn't much point to watching the match. My eyelids felt heavy as the exhaustion of the tournament caught up to me and before I knew it I was fast asleep.

*Knock knock knock*

"W-Wha...?" I lazily opened my eyes, waking suddenly from the loud knocking. "O-Oh, I fell asleep..."

"Cobalt? Are you in there? I'm coming in." A familiar voice announced and opened the door to enter my room.

"Oh, Mom." I yawned as I sat up on the couch and rubbed the drowsiness from my eyes.

"Were you sleeping? The semifinals just ended." Mom took a seat beside me on the couch. "Garnet won easily. The battle was pretty one-sided."

"Shocker." I shrugged.

"He was fighting a lot more aggressively and recklessly than before. It was as if he was angry or something. I wonder if something happened."

"I see..." I closed my eyes. Jon's words probably stung him pretty badly and he took it out on his opponent.

"Anyway, the finals are going to begin soon. The intermission is shorter this time since Garnet doesn't need much healing. How are you feeling? Need any last minute healing?"

"I'm fine on the healing part, but..." I looked down at the ground. "I'm honestly pretty scared. I really have to face Garnet in the finals. So much for dropping out when he lost."

"Pfft, as if you really would've dropped out had Garnet lost earlier." Mom rolled her eyes. "Auburn would've been pretty upset at you."

"She's already upset I'm even here to begin with." I sighed.

"That's only because she doesn't want to see you hurt. Deep down, I know she is overjoyed that you entered. And we all know why, don't we?" Mom elbowed me playfully

"M-Mom..." I blushed heavily. Everyone keeps implying that Auburn feels the same way that I do, and while I do have my own suspicions, I can't 100% confirm it.

"Cobalt..." Mom's tone suddenly turned seriously. She grabbed my paws and looked at me straight in the eyes.

"Y-Yes Mom...?" I gulped.

"I know how badly you want to win this, but please don't overdo it. I know you, Son. Don't do anything reckless."

"Mom... I..." I looked away. She was completely serious. Just from the look in her eyes I could tell she was worried to death about my well being. "I... I'll try. I don't plan on getting seriously injured here, but I also don't plan on losing. I will do what it takes to win, Mom."

"...Very well." Mom got up from her seat and placed her hands on her hips. "All I can ask is try. I pray to Arceus that nothing bad happens to you. I believe in you Son."

"Thank you Mom." I smiled weakly. I know Mom wasn't satisfied with my answer, but the stakes are too high to take this lightly. This battle is going to the be the most difficult battle in my life and there's no way I'm walking out of this uninjured.

Attention everyone, the intermission will be ending shortly. Please begin heading to the main stadium in an orderly fashion for the final match. Contestants Cobalt and Garnet, please make your way to the stadium as well.

"It's time." I got up from the couch. "Let's go Mom."

The two of us exited my room, and at the same time the door to the room across from mine opened. One of the infirmary workers exited and bowed before shutting the door, probably giving Garnet some last second healing. Moments later Garnet exited his room with a rather dull expression on his face, as if he felt nothing. He paused for a brief moment when he noticed us, glared at me harshly, then walked off.

"Something is definitely troubling him." Mom shook her head and placed her hands on her hips. "The poor kid. I can tell he really doesn't want to be here."

"Why is he even here then? To torment me?" I frowned. Does he hate me or something? We were kinda sorta friends at one point though, and I even tolerated him when he started being a jerk again this year.

"Who knows?" Mom shrugged. "Well don't mind him. You can let out all you frustrations when you beat him up in battle!" Mom giggled. "Come on, let's head to the stadium."

"Right." I nodded and headed down the hall to the battlefield with Mom.

It was ominously quiet with very few staff members around. Everyone was probably already at the stadium to watch the finals. Every step I took closer to the stadium I felt my heart pound faster and faster. I tried my best to remain calm, but I couldn't help but be nervous for what was to come.

"Well this is where we split." Mom said as we stopped in front of the entrance to the large infirmary area. Mom grabbed my paws and squeezed them tightly. "Your paws are sweaty..." Mom frowned.

"Y-Yeah I'm a little more than nervous, I admit..."

"You have nothing to worry about Son. I have full confidence in you. Remember, no one can beat you when it comes to heart and resolve. Good luck Cobalt, and be careful."

"Mom..." I whispered. I wrapped my arms around her hugged her tightly, "Thank you Mom."


"Ladies and gentleman! Today we have a classic clash between long time rivals: Cobalt versus Garnet! Standing before us will win the right to marry Princess Auburn and become our future king! Who will come out on top?! Will it be the princess' very own knight in shining armor Cobalt? Or will it be the hot-headed cocky powerhouse Garnet? Let's welcome our two finalists!"

That was the host's cue. I took a deep breath and made my way into the battlefield, Garnet doing the same thing from the opposite side of the battlefield. When we reached the center, Garnet stood there silently and glared daggers.

Usually he would be taunting me with that stupid grin on his face, trying to rile me up. I closed my eyes and sensed the intense aura emitting from the towering Blaziken. It was a mixture of anger, frustration...hate? And... yet it was wavering? Something is definitely off with him. His unusual silence and change in aura and attitude is honestly discomforting.

"Garnet, I can tell you don't want to be here." I frowned, "It's not too late to surrender."

"Shut up Cobalt! I will defeat you once and for all! I will be the one achieving my goals!" He spat at me.

"Oh my, it looks like there is some tension going between our two fighters! This should make for an interesting battle! Fighters, get in position!" The Darmanitan instructed us.

Garnet glared down at me one last time before turning around and walking to his side of the battlefield. I couldn't help but feel a little worried for him. He may drive me crazy but... I still care for him. Or something like that.

"Garnet... It looks like I'll have to snap some sense into you then." I muttered to myself as I walked to my side. Jon mentioned that Garnet needs to open his eyes. I'll just have to beat him up and force them open.

I stood at my side of the battlefield and observed the audience one last time. They were all cheering so loudly, some for Garnet, but mostly for me. I saw all my friends cheering with all their heart, waving those embarrassing banners and jumping from their seats. I even saw Singe in the audience, the Cinderace giving me a confident nod when our eyes met. Then I looked over at the royal family.

"Auburn..." I whispered to myself. Auburn looked so anxious, she was sitting at the edge of her seat with her paws on her chest. I smiled at her like I did before every round to reassure her that everything will be fine. In the past rounds she nodded and smiled weakly, but this time the frown remained. I suppose the stakes are just too high this time around.

I sighed and took a deep breath. "Don't worry Auburn. I will protect you, I promise..."

I looked over at the opposite side of me and saw Garnet was already in his battle stance. I followed his example got in position.

"It looks like our two fighters are ready!" The Darmanitan host announced. "Let's get this finals match started! Fighters, your final round begins... NOW!"

The moment the host made the call Garnet cloaked himself in flames and charged at me with Flare Blitz at an amazing speed.

"W-What the—?!" I sidestepped as quickly as I could to avoid the powerful impact. "W-When did he get so much faster?!" Garnet quickly stopped in placed when he reached me and swung around with a Blaze Kick before I could dodge or block.

I shouted in pain as I took the Blaze Kick at full force and was shot across the battlefield. I gritted the pain as much as I could and recomposed myself so I could land on both feet. When I landed I looked up and saw Garnet was already charging at me with another Flare Blitz.

"H-How?!" I quickly whipped out my aura bone staff and struck him before he reached me. Garnet shook off the damage easily and jumped back, staring down at me while panting heavily. He glared down at me as if he was a predator and I was his prey.

I stared back down at him, staff in hand. Garnet has always been a reckless fighter, but even he wasn't like this in the earlier rounds. Was he holding back before and only now going all out? If he keeps fighting with this much speed and force, I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up with him. But at the rate that he was going, he is going to run out of stamina quickly.

I need to take advantage of his recklessness and get him when he's low on stamina. I decided to make the first move and ran at him while he was still gasping for air. I swung my staff and attacked repeatedly with Bone Rush.

"Tch!" Garnet raised up his arms and blocked the attacks, leaving his legs open.

"HA!" I quickly changed my aim and swept Garnet off his feet. Before he fell onto the ground I swung one last Bone Rush full force and shot him across the battlefield. I instantly broke the staff and charged up an Aura Sphere to fire before he landed. Garnet quickly recovered in the air and shout out a Flamethrower just as I fired my Aura Sphere, the two powerful attacks causing an explosion of smoke and dust as they impacted.

"W-What an amazing sight!" The host shouted passionately, "These two are going all out and aren't holding any punches!"

When the smoke died out, Garnet stood on the other side of the battlefield, breathing heavily. I could tell his all out full force strategy is starting to take a toll on him, yet it doesn't look like he's giving in anytime soon. I just needed to ride this out and conserve my energy. Eventually he will run out of steam...

Without even wiping the sweat dripping from him or completely catching his breath, Garnet once again cloaked himself in flames and charged with amazing speed. I stared him down and observed his every move with my bone staff in hand, ready to retaliate with whatever he had planned.

When he got close enough, I sidestepped again and tried to counter with Bone Rush. Garnet anticipated this, broke his Flare Blitz and began striking me with a flurry of powerful punches and kicks. The two of us went back and forth, blocking and dodging each other's attacks.

"Look at them go! Such fighting skill! Which of them will land their hit?!" The host awed, getting the crowed hyped up.

I gritted my teeth as Garnet continued to kick and punch with amazing speed, not showing any signs of slowing down. I continued to block each blow with my staff and attempted to counter, only for Garnet to block and do the exact same thing. If this keeps up then both of us will be out of breath! I needed to act fast to keep up the stamina advantage...!

I kept a close eye and observed Garnet to make sure to be ready if he decided to mix up his strategy. Without slowing down any of his attacks, Garnet took in a deep breath. I gasped as I anticipated an incoming Flamethrower.

I immediately followed up my last block with a dodge and swung up my staff upwards to strike him under his chin. Garnet unexpectedly anticipated the strike and stopped the swing by grabbing my staff.

"W-What?!" I panicked. H-He caught it?! How?! The audience was just as shocked as I as they all gasped loudly.

Garnet unleashed the powerful Flamethrower attack right in my face. Unable to react fast enough, it was a direct hit, causing heavy damage. I shouted in pain as my body burned from the super-effective hit.

"Garnet caught Cobalt's parry and got a free attack from the read! That is definitely gonna hurt!" The crowed went wild as Garnet was able to read my counter and score a free hit.

"C-COBALT!" I heard Auburn scream out my name, her cries echoing in my ears along with my own cries of pain.

I fell onto my knees as the flames continued to engulf me completely. Garnet took advantage of my weakened state and hit me directly in the stomach with the a crazy powerful Blaze Kick.

"AAAAAHHH!" I cried as I flew in across the battlefield. Unable to recover myself, my body slammed full force onto the wall, leaving behind large cracks on it. I landed face first onto the dirt, my entire body in immense pain.

"Oh my goodness what a powerful strike! It even damaged the wall! Is Cobalt down?! Start the countdown!"

10... 9.. 8...

"COBALT NO!" I heard numerous voices call out to me. So many voices telling me to get up.

7... 6... 5...

This... hurts... I-I c-can't... I... I failed...

4... 3... 2...

"COBALT GET UP!" My eyes shot open from a loud shriek. I manged to look up and see Auburn at the edge of the bleacher, tears pouring down her eyes like rain.

"A-Auburn...!" My body twitched. It can't end like this!

"C-Cobalt is getting up! He's not out just yet!" The host shouted at the top of his lungs.

"H-How?!" Garnet shouted in frustration. "Are you freaking kidding me?!"

"I... I won't lose to you Garnet!" I roared as I finally stood on both feet. The crowd cheered loudly and began chanting my name. "I-I already told you Garnet... I WILL PROTECT AUBURN!" I somehow found some energy and shouted at the top of my lungs. I was extremely tired and practically knocked out, and yet I felt my aura bursting like crazy.

"T-This is...!" I remembered my parents telling me once if Lucario take heavy damage sometimes their aura will begin overflowing, causing them to emit aura and power up their attacks, as if trading stamina for more power. I charged up an Aura Sphere and gasped at how much aura was building up, the sphere quickly growing in size.,

"A-Amazing! Where did this sudden surge of energy come from?! Cobalt is back in the fight and ready for more! Look at how much aura is emitting from him, he's practically glowing!"

"Tch, no matter! I'll just knock you out again!" Garnet snarled and ran at me with great speed, this time not engulfed in flames. Perhaps he too is out of stamina?

I launched the largest Aura Sphere I've ever made directly at the charging Blaziken before me. Garnet continued to charge at me, shooting a Flamethrower at the Aura Sphere to weaken the attack before it struck him. Since Aura Sphere never misses, the only thing you can do is block it, yet he recklessly kept charging at me. A loud shout of pain roared from the furious Blaziken as the attack caused an explosion from the impact.

"Oooh! Garnet tried to break through with a Flamethrower but it looks like it failed! That is gonna hurt—or not?! Garnet is still on his feet and charging at Cobalt despite taking a direct hit! Yet he's definitely slowed down! That Aura Sphere clearly did some heavy damage!"

"W-What is he doing?!" I was taken back. How did he even take that?! Garnet was slowed down greatly from the hit, yet he continued to come at me. I got in my battle stance and prepare to react accordingly to whatever he was going to do. Just as Garnet got close enough to me he sluggishly jumped up at me with a High Jump Kick.

"H-High Jump Kick?!" I gasped loudly. Garnet was already slowed down and low in stamina, now he's attacking with that high risk, high reward attack?! I easily sidestepped away and dodged the poorly executed High Jump Kick, causing Garnet to crash and take major recoil damage.

"A-ARGH!" Garnet crashed onto the ground and grabbed his leg in pain.

"W-What an odd choice of attack! Garnet has taking major recoil damage and is down! How will Cobalt retaliate?!"

With Garnet down on the ground I took the opportunity and swept Garnet up with Bone Rush, but the Blaziken surprisingly recovered quickly and retaliated with a low swept Blaze Kick.

"W-What the!?" I tripped onto the ground. Garnet quickly jumped up to his feet and fired a Flamethrower directly at me.

"N-Not t-this time!" I reacted while on my back and began twirling my staff to ward off as much fire as I could. I was able to deflect a decent amount of it, but I still took heavy damage from the flames. Just as the fire began to die out I used my bone staff to get up on my feet and swung it with all my might, Garnet quickly dodge the attack.

"This is too incredible to watch! Garnet and Cobalt continue to fight and repel each other's attacks! How is this even possible?!" The host gawked.

Again, Garnet and I were back at attacking and blocking with his kicks and punches and my Bone Rush. The both of us were extremely tired and pushing our limits, with Garnet's attacks getting more and more aggressive and sloppy.

"W-Why won't you just give up already?!" Garnet shouted at me between attacks.

"I already said I won't lose! I made a promise and I do not intend to break it!"

"I don't care about your stupid promise! I don't care about your stupid lovey-dovey knight and princess act! It makes me so sick seeing you two like that!" Garnet glared down at me, "It's not FAIR!" He roared loudly and mixed up his regular kicks with rage induced Blaze Kicks. "Why do you get to do whatever you want?! How come you always get what you want?! Everything always goes your way and it drives me INSANE! JUST DIE ALREADY!

"D-Die?!" I panicked. Garnet's words freaked me out, and his attacks were becoming harder to block. "W-What are you saying?! Not fair?! Auburn doesn't even like you and you clearly don't care about her!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Garnet launched one last powerful Blaze Kick that I wasn't able to block effectively.

"A-AH!" I fell back from the powerful kick. I managed to recover mid-air though, and with the help of my bone staff I landed safely. However my entire body was in pain as flames engulfed me and caused me to fall on a knee. "N-No!" The Blaze Kick not only did heavy damage but it also left me with a burn.

"H-Hey now, this is not a fight to the death!" The host stuttered. "If you truly intend to kill him we will take action!" The Darmanitan warned Garnet harshly.

"Tch, whatever, I'm tired of this! It's time to end this!" Garnet shouted and cloaked himself with flames with Flare Blitz. "THIS IS YOUR END COBALT!"

"N-Never!" I gritted the pain from the burn and charged up an Aura Sphere. Aura emitted more and more from my entire body as the sphere grew, becoming even larger than my body. My aura is going even crazier than before, but I'm also running out of energy... I-I need to end this quick!

Mere seconds before Garnet came into contact with me I fired the enormous Aura Sphere in front of me, the impact causing yet another large explosion and stopping his Flare Blitz. I closed my eyes to try to sense out Garnet behind the smoke and saw the attack knocked Garnet back. I took the chance and charged right at him as fast as I could. I reached the Blaziken as soon as he impacted the ground and attacked him with Metal Claw from the spikes on the back of my paws repeatedly, hoping to get the attack boost from the move to cancel out my attack drop from being burned.

"S-Something is going in that smoke ladies and gentlemen and it doe not sound pretty!" The host shouted as Garnet let out sharp yelps of pain from the my attacks. "The smoke is clearing out! And... C-Cobalt is repeatedly striking Garnet with Metal Claw!" The Darmanitan announced with shock.

I felt my attacks growing stronger and stronger with each strike, despite Steel-type attacks being not very effective. Garnet was quickly running out of energy, and I felt like it was finally my chance to end this.

"It's over now Garnet!" I shouted loudly and used all my might to strike Garnet onto the ground with a powerful Blaze Kick.

"A-AAAAAAAAAH!" Garnet cried, my attack boosted Blaze Kick dealing a critical hit on the heavily damaged Blaziken. Garnet lied motionless on the ground before me, appearing to be knocked out.

"G-Garnet is knocked out! Start the countdown!"

10...9...8...7...6...5...

I gulped as the countdown drew closer and closer to 0. I observed the audience and saw that practically everyone was on the edge of their seats.

4...3...2...1...0...!

"Times up! Garnet is knocked out! Our winner is Cobalt!" The host announced loudly and ran up to me. He grabbed my paw with his large ape-like hands and lifted it high up in the air. "Our future king has been decided, Cobalt the Lucario!"

"I... I won...?" I was dumbfounded. The entire audience roared like crazy and chanted my name over and over. A loud bang echoed the stadium as cannons shot out confetti. I looked over and saw Garnet lying motionless on the ground, unconscious, medical aid quickly on their way with a stretcher.

I looked over again and saw my friends celebrating like crazy. Tea and Masello were bawling their eyes out, probably overjoyed that Coburnt will be a thing— OH!

"T-That's right!" I suddenly realized. My face began to heat up and my heart began racing. I won... so that means...

I looked over at Auburn who was also blushing heavily. She had the widest smile I've seen her make, and yet she was also crying—

"A-AAH!" I screamed loudly suddenly as I was swallowed in flames. I had forgotten I was still burned. The burn damage made me remember that I was also in great pain. I cried loudly and collapsed onto the ground.

"C-Cobalt?!" The host let go of my hand and stepped back as I fell onto the ground on my back.

"COBALT!" I heard a familiar voice scream loudly. I felt myself slowly lose consciousness as a golden figure appeared before me, her beautiful fiery red eyes shimmering from the tears pouring. "Cobalt?! Cobalt are you okay?!"

"A-Auburn...?" I muttered as I tried to fight my eyelids from closing. "I-I... I won right? Garnet lost... r-right...?"

"Y-Yes... you did Cobalt..." Auburn sobbed. She gently placed a paw on my cheek, her tears continuing to fall as they landed on my face and dampened my fur. "Garnet lost..."

I weakly raised my paw and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I...I'm so glad... Y-You're safe now... Auburn..." I felt the rate of tears fall onto my face increase and loud cries filled my ears before my vision turned completely black and I lost consciousness.

You're safe now... And that's all that matters...


WHEW THAT WAS HARD TO WRITE! Does this count as the climax of the story? I think it does. I hope it didn't feel rushed or anything...

So! A lot happened here. Jon x Maple is real now GET HYPED! Honestly that was my favorite part of the story lmao. I had so much trouble writing the battle scenes, but when it comes to just Cobalt and friends chilling and having slice-of-life things happen, I feel...so much more in my element lol

Also, COBALT DID IT FOLKS WHAT A SHOCKER! This battle had to be the hardest thing I've ever written for this story. I've had this battle planned since the very beginning and yet when I finally got to it I had no idea how to write it lma P

So yeah, now Cobalt fainted, what's gonna happen next?! The next chapter may or may not be the final chapter. I haven't decided yet. It'd be nice to end it on a solid 35 chapters, but... we'll see. I'll try to work on it and get it done within the next month. Depends how much I'll be able to put down my Switch lmao

See you all in the next chapter! AND STAY INDOORS! BE SAFE YALL THE WORLD IS CRAZY BUT WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER!