Hey, everyone! Sorry I've been away for so long. My work schedule's been changing almost constantly, so I wasn't able to put in the time and effort for my last story and I eventually lost interest in it. I had planned on writing this new story a couple of weeks ago, but with my step-sister's funeral I needed time to think things over, and now I think this new tale will be better off for it. So without further delay, enjoy!
Damn it! The hammer slammed into the right side of his ribcage, sending Ash Ketchum stumbling back so violently that he was barely able to bring his sword up to deflect his burly opponent's next strike. His only saving grace was that he had been able to put up an Aura Barrier around his body, otherwise the damage would've been much worse. Before he could catch his breath, a boulder the size of his head came hurtling toward him at something resembling the speed of sound. Knowing he couldn't dodge it or block it, Ash did the only thing he knew to do: He extended his left arm and fired an Aura Sphere from his open hand. The cobalt-blue ball and the boulder collided, exploding in a cloud of dust.
Before his opponent could make another move Ash charged forward through the dust cloud. Caught off-guard, the guy instinctively crossed his hammers together to block the incoming strike. Smirking, Ash thrust his blade forward just underneath his guard raising the hammers just above his opponent's head, leaving him exposed. Before the poor bastard could figure out what just happened, Ash opened his mouth. Instead of a yell, an Aura Sphere shot out, slamming into the other guy's chest with enough force to send him flying into the wall behind him with a dull thud before crumpling to the floor. After a few seconds passed and he didn't get up, a worn-out bell sounded, signaling the end of the fight.
"Looks like that's it, ladies and gents!" the night's announcer boomed over the cheers and boos of the crowd, "The winner of tonight's fight is our resident Aura-wielder: The Outcast Guardian, Ash Ketchum!"
Raising his blade over his head in a quick salute, Ash made his way out of the modest-sized arena towards the locker room. Looks like Tom was right again. Doing the unexpected can pay off.
"Well, that should do it," Brock Harrison said as he finished bandaging up Ash's bruised side, "You're lucky you had your barrier up, otherwise you would've ended up with a couple broken ribs."
"Yeah, I know, I know." Pulling his shirt back down, Ash then stuffed the envelope containing his meager winnings into his duffel bag along with his fight outfit. While the winners usually got more of the earnings from the fights, the local promoters usually kept most of them. Fortunately, most of the competitors, Ash included, didn't fight for the money; they fought to build a reputation, because they knew that would be more important in the long run. It could potentially mean earning a spot in the regional Blade-Power Tournament, and that was too good to pass up.
"Then again, you've never let a bruise or two bother you," the tanned-skinned doctor said with a shrug, "At least you got a win to go with that bruise this time."
Swinging his bag over his shoulder, the raven-haired youth replied, "Yup. Another notch in the belt."
And one step closer to where I need to be.
And that's it for this chapter! I decided to keep it short this time. Let me know in the comments what you thought, and if you have any useful tips, please feel free to let me know. I should hopefully have the next chapter done by the end of the week, but if not I will get it out as soon as I can. See you guys later!