The battle between Blake and Dokukage has reached the finale! Both trainers have sent out their aces, their Scizor! But which Scizor will emerge the victor? Will Blake be able to leverage his tricks and schemes and pull out the victory in the end? Or will Dokukage overcome him with his skills as a shinobi? It all comes to an end here!

KedharS: He's certainly going to do his best.

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: In a fair fight, it's going to be difficult for Blake to beat Dokukage, even with Weiss's skill.

Aquahaze675: He picked up something better than flashy moves. Actual ninja combat. Pokemon are strong. Pokemon with martial arts are stronger.

Hpntheman: We won't be seeing ultra beasts any time soon.

Thunder Fire: 1) Not sure if that's his real name or not I was just joking. 2) Technically yes, but if he sends it out it will immediately faint to stealth rock. 3) The ones who don't exclusively use Ninetales.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 548

Days before the Phantom Cup began, Dokukage was meditating in the quiet serenity of the forest, snow surrounding him. He had his eyes closed and was focusing on becoming a part of nature, ignoring the cold and slowing down his body to prevent shivering. A shinobi must become part of the environment, suppressing everything about themselves and blending in with their surroundings.

Dokukage was fucking bored. He may not have been cold, but honing his skills in the snow-covered forest like this was boring as hell. Hence, when a distraction caught his ear, he couldn't help but respond to the sound of footsteps tromping through the snow, growing louder as they approached where he was sitting.

Dokukage cracked open an eye to see who it was that had come up to him. Well, now that was a surprise. But luckily he was very good at pretending to not be surprised.

"Hello!" It was a familiar voice, and one he wasn't particularly fond of. Dokukage turned his head and rose from where he sat in the snow to face Sylvia Driscoll wrapped up in a thick black parka with her Shuppet, Specter, floating beside her.

Dokukage said nothing. He gave her an empty, cold stare, hoping that their distance would hide the pounding of his heart. Fuck, even packed up in a jacket like that she was hot, fuck!

No! NO! Stop thinking that way! She's a conniving, evil woman! It doesn't matter how hot she is, you can't let her get to you! Dokukage's masked face gave no signs of his inner turmoil. If Sylvia picked up on it, it didn't show on her face. That pretty, flawless face, that playful smile, and the allure of those sparkling blue eyes-

No, they're contacts! Dokukage mentally slapped himself.

"What brings you here?" Dokukage finally managed to ask. "I do not appreciate being interrupted during my training."

"Sorry, didn't know you were busy walking up trees," Sylvia said sarcastically, her painted lips curling up in a coy smirk. Dokukage resisted the urge to groan. Of course, the Naruto jokes, like he hadn't heard THOSE a million times…

Sylvia reached into her coat pocket and withdrew a black envelope, spinning it towards him with a flip of her wrist. He caught it out of the air with two fingers, not even blinking.

"Nice reflexes as usual," Sylvia smirked. "That letter right there is an invitation to the Phantom Cup, a special tournament where you will fight trainers of all different kinds, showing off all those lovely ninja skills of yours, by dear Dokukage."

Dokukage opened the letter and scanned the contents, but he wasn't impressed. He was not a fan of unnecessary conflict.

"I refuse. There is no merit in me joining this tournament," he replied.

"Not even if I ask really nicely?" Sylvia asked, sticking out her lower lip and opening her eyes wide, giving Dokukage an adorable Growlithe face.

Urgh… too much… can't… resist… no! She's bad! Evil! A wicked woman, a true shinobi must not give into temptation from the wiles of a seductress! Dokukage reprimanded himself. "Is this something you need from me?"

Sylvia's eyes narrowed and her face returned to its normal playful appearance.

"Consider it as a favor, from me," she replied, batting her eyelashes.

"I owe you a debt," Dokukage admitted. "If this will repay my debt…"

"You don't," Sylvia said, shaking her head. Her tone turned serious and a dark glint tinted her eyes. Dokukage wanted to shit himself, and at the same time he found an angry Sylvia Driscoll to be strangely alluring. Dokukage punched his imaginary self in his mental face.

"I do. You took care of my Nincada." Dokukage had felt guilty about that little exchange for years. Sylvia had treated it as no big deal, but it had been something he had never forgotten. His personal code of honor prevented him from being able to overlook a debt owed, and saving the life of one of his pokemon was absolutely a debt that needed to be repaid.

"Psh," Sylvia rolled her eyes, waving her hand dismissively. "We both got something out of that. And besides, you were the one who pulled me after that river, after all."

Her voice dropped in a husky purr and she strolled closer to Dokukage, raising her hand and tracing her fingers along the edge of his mask. It took all of Dokukage's training to not flinch at her touch. She wasn't wearing mittens, so her black-nailed fingers were cold against the line of his skin. She raised them up his cheek and reached his nose, tucking her fingers under it, moments away from pulling it down. She looked into his dark eyes, the two sharing a silent glance. Dokukage was petrified with terror, though even his eyes were as inscrutable as Sylvia's always was. He felt her begin to pull down and his hand reflexively shot out and grabbed her by the wrist. She smirked in response, and he punched himself inside. She had managed to drag a response out of him after all, damn it!

"If it wasn't for you saving me that day, you and Miss Lunark taking such good care of me… 'Sylvia Driscoll' would have never been born…" Damn it, fuck, her voice was getting even more throaty, and Dokukage's training could only slow down his heart so much!

Sylvia leaned in closer, pressing her ruby red lips up against his ear, her hot breath ironically causing him to freeze.

"…Daddy," she purred. Dokukage blacked out for about a second. Fucking Sylvia Driscoll.

"…But fine!" Suddenly, Sylvia's voice lost all its lustiness and husky tones, returning to its normal playful timbre as she pulled away from him and flashed him a flirty grin, tease that she was. "I was going to ask you a favor, but if you want to consider it as a payment of your… 'debt', as it were, then we can do that, too."

At this point, Dokukage had no words to describe what he wanted. Right now he just wanted to go take a long shower.

"So here's how you can repay your… 'debt'," Sylvia said, wiggling her eyebrows. "I would like you to enter the tournament, if you would."

"Why? Just to fight?" Dokukage could do that. He could fight. If that would clear the slate between him and a girl who was the absolute worst person in the world to owe a debt of gratitude towards, he could absolutely do just that.

But Sylvia wasn't having it. Her eyes widened and she gave a toothy smile, shaking her head. The look in her eye made Dokukage's blood run cold.

"I have a pretty good eye for how this tournament is all going to shake out," Sylvia said, explaining to Dokukage the nature of the battle royale that was planned. "And I plan to get in the same matchup as my sweet and adorable little Blake Harker. And of course, I plan to throw the fight… for my own reasons, anyway."

"And that's what you want me to do?" Dokukage asked, sighing a little. "Throw a fight?"

"No, no, your mission, should you decide to accept it, Mr. Ninja, is to fight Blake in the second round, obviously," Sylvia said, like any line of thinking that resulted from her crazy mind was in any way obvious.

"You want me to fight against him? How am I supposed to control that?" Dokukage asked.

"Oh, I'll handle that," Sylvia said, waving her hand dismissively. "By my calculations, once I set things up to fight against Blake, things should be set for you to fight against Keahi Revanche."

"I don't know him," Dokukage said.

"You don't need to, don't worry," Sylvia said. "He's just a blowhard who thinks he's clever just because he's slightly more intelligent than the average human. But with the way he fights, he won't stand a chance against you and your tactics. I wouldn't be surprised if you wipe the floor with him without losing a single pokemon, honestly."

"So you think you can actually arrange for me to fight against him in the second round?" It sounded absurd, but this WAS the girl who had strong-armed her way into the Eight Leaders in one of the craziest strategies out there. Caution was a shinobi's greatest strength, and Dokukage was cautious enough not to put anything past her.

"I think it'll work out that way, certainly," Sylvia said. "These sorts of things are quite boring and predictable after all… but anyway! Yes! Fight Blake! And not only fight Blake, but I want you to win, as well."

"Is that supposed to be difficult?" Dokukage asked. He had seen Blake fight before. The boy was talented, but he wasn't at Dokukage's level.

"It doesn't have to be," Sylvia shrugged. "But what I need you to do is to show Blake just how weak and inexperienced he is. Knowing him, he's going to charge head-first into fighting against the Phantom, and that's going to get him and his pokemon hurt, or worse. And I so despise boring situations like that. It's much more interesting if the hero trains and grows and then defeats the villain, don't you think?"

"So you want me to knock Blake out of the tournament to discourage him?" Dokukage asked, raising his eyebrow. "Aren't you facing him already? In the first round, can't you just do that yourself?"

Sylvia's jaw dropped and she looked aghast, holding her hand over her chest in shock.

"I would never! What would Blake think of me if I were to do something so cruel? Why, he would never speak to me again! No, no, that simply won't do," she said, shaking her head. The saccharine tone of her voice and the laughter in her shining eyes told Dokukage all he needed to know, Blake probably wasn't feeling all sunny days and Ponytas about her as it was.

Her being Sylvia Driscoll also spoke to that assumption, of course.

"Come on Dokukage, you're a ninja!" Sylvia said, clapping him on the shoulder and giving him a thumbs' up. "You're born for this, you know! Trained to be a hit man! Go for it! And besides, once you're done, you can just drop out after. You don't even have to keep going!"

Dokukage nodded his head. He wasn't happy about being admitted into a tournament just to knock another competitor out, but as his sensei said, a mission was a mission. And with this, his debt to Sylvia would be repaid.

"Great! Love you, Dokukage!" Sylvia said, giving him a wink and blowing him a kiss, flouncing off. Dokukage sighed. Sylvia Driscoll was something, alright. He was a ninja who specialized in Bug types, so why did he feel like he was being caught up in her web?

Okay, seeing the way her ass moved when she was leaving was kind of an answer, but- No! He was a ninja, upholding a code of honor! Not a hormonal teenager!

Remembering Sylvia's seductive voice, parts of his body disagreed.

Back in the present, Dokukage hardened his resolve. This was the time where his mission would be successful. His Scizor against Blake's. If Muramasa defeating Blake's Scizor wouldn't be enough to humble him, nothing would.

"Weiss, swords dance!" Blake ordered immediately.

"Muramasa, swords dance as well," Dokukage countered.

Both Scizor boosted their attacking power, facing each other down. Neither was willing to take the risk of attempting a second, though, in case their opponent took the opportunity to strike.

So he's a cautious one… that's good. If anything, this battle has shown me he fights with his brain, Dokukage acknowledged.

"This is so strange," Lila said. "I mean, they're both using the same pokemon! Who's going to win?"

"Could go either way," Dakota shrugged. "But Blake definitely has the edge, considering Dokukage's Scizor took a hit from that stealth rock."

"When both trainers use the same pokemon, and the pokemon are around the same level, then only one thing matters," Akira replied, thinking the issue through thoroughly. "The skill and experience of the pokemon and their trainers."

"Weiss, bullet punch!" Blake ordered. Weiss flapped his wings and shot across the field, raising his pincers and unleashing a barrage of punches at the opposing Scizor.

As expected, Dokukage thought. "Muramasa."

Muramasa knew exactly what to do. He waited until Weiss drew close enough to land the first hit, and when the Scizor threw a punch, Muramasa dodged the strike, stepping to the side and letting Weiss's momentum carry him forward. As he did, Muramasa brought his pincer up and hit Weiss right in the jaw, sending the other Scizor stumbling backwards.

"What?!" Cynthia gasped. "No fair! What about Weiss's attack?!"

"It was dodged," Kanou calmly replied, adjusting her glasses. "Muramasa avoided the blow, and countered with a bullet punch of his own. Didn't you hear the announcer? When it comes to a match like this, the important part is the experience of the pokemon and their trainers. Blake's Scizor is strong, but Dokukage… he trains with his pokemon."

"But…" Cynthia turned to the battlefield, frowning.

"She… Kanou? She's right," Callie said, frowning. "I warned Blake, I told him that Dokukage trains his pokemon to fight like ninjas. It isn't just about the moves, like mine, they can use martial arts in fights, which is really dangerous."

"So there's nothing he can do?" Sango asked.

"He'll do the best he can," Ayame's booming voice overwhelmed the other girls. She had her face locked into a stoic stare. Her tone softened, "and that's all I want from him. Come on, Blake! Weiss! You guys can do this!"

"Scizor!" Weiss lunged forward, increasing his speed with agility.

"Weiss, use double team!" Blake ordered. Weiss nodded, and a swarm of Scizor surrounded Muramasa, the duplicates indistinguishable from the original.

"Nice!" Dakota cheered. "By creating all those duplicates, Blake's given his Scizor the opportunity to get a hit in on Dokukage's Scizor! He's outnumbered!"

"But Dokukage's Scizor can use double team, too," Akira reminded her. "Don't forget that."

But Dokukage didn't find that to be necessary.

"Muramasa," Dokukage said sharply. Muramasa closed his eyes and relaxed his body, his pincers dangling at his waist. "Air slash."

Muramasa's eyes shot open and he swung his pincer like drawing a sword, spinning and slicing through the copies with a long blade of air until he hit Weiss in the side, Weiss grunting in pain.

"Now, vacuum wave," Dokukage ordered. Muramasa shifted his stance, putting his foot forward and hitting his pincer against the air, sending a powerful shockwave that hit Weiss in the stomach, the pokemon doubling over.

"Weiss!" Blake cried. "Iron defense!"

"Scizor," Weiss coughed out, rising to his feet, his red scales shining like metal as his body hardened and his defense increased.

"No way," Lila breathed. "They're the same pokemon, and yet this match is so one-sided…"

"I said before," Akira said, his voice sad. "They might be using the same pokemon, but it's an incredible difference in skill."

"A shuriken," Dokukage said, "used by an amateur, is nowhere near as effective as a stone wielded by a master." As he patted himself on the back for using one of his sensei's Narutoisms properly, he watched the other Scizor hardening his body, a fire still burning in his eye.

"If nothing else, your pokemon has an amazing drive," Dokukage said. There was no way that pokemon couldn't see the difference in ability between him and Muramasa. And yet he wasn't discouraged. It isn't just the blind charge of a fool, either. No, there's something else driving him…

Dokukage glanced at Blake, who had the same defiant look in his eye.

…Driving both of them.

"Weiss! Flash cannon!"

"Scizor!" Weiss raised his pincer and fired a compressed blast of light that hit Muramasa in the shoulder before the Scizor could react, much to Dokukage's surprise.

Well, that caught me off-guard! We must polish our speed. "Muramasa, use agility."

"Scizor," Muramasa nodded, shooting forward. He flew in a zigzag so Weiss wouldn't be able to hit him with another flash cannon, forcing Weiss to change tactics.

"Weiss, back!" Blake ordered. Weiss flapped his wings as well and backed off, trying to keep distance between himself and Muramasa.

"Muramasa, bullet punch," Dokukage ordered. Muramasa shot forward, disappearing into a red blur. But unlike when Weiss had tried to attack with bullet punch, Muramasa appeared behind Weiss and caught him in the wing, Weiss grunting in pain. Weiss turned and swung his pincer in a slash, but Muramasa was already gone, careful to keep his distance from Weiss.

Muramasa continued to attack like this, getting in light hits on Weiss before the pokemon could respond, slowly chipping away at his health.

"Scizor…" Weiss panted. The moves hadn't done a lot of damage, but he was starting to run out of energy.

"Weiss, are you okay?" Blake asked quietly. He wasn't sure how the two of them were going to pull it off. Aya and his friends were all cheering for him, but as he was right now he imagined it must be what Ayame had gone through against Gerard yesterday.

It reminded him of fighting his brother. No matter how he tried, he couldn't come up with a winning strategy. It was like the previous fight against Dokukage when he was taking the lead had never happened. Dokukage… his Scizor was astoundingly well-trained.

"Dokukage's Scizor has been using so many attacks, but he doesn't even look winded," Lila marveled, although sadness was touching her voice. "It doesn't make sense…"

"Weiss is putting all of his energy into this fight," Akira said. "As for Dokukage's Scizor… he's conserving his strength. He has a lot of experience with fighting. Weiss is strong, but Dokukage's Scizor is redirecting that strength while at the same time maintaining a long fight."

"Vacuum wave," Dokukage said, Muramasa sending a long blast of wind that hit Weiss in the face. But it wasn't enough to stop Weiss's charge.

"Scizor!" Weiss roared, raising his pincer. His speed shot up even more as he used agility, nearly reaching bullet punch levels of speed as he closed the distance between himself and Muramasa in a flash.

"Weiss, x-scissor!" Blake ordered.

"Scizor!" Weiss raised his pincers and swung them both down at Muramasa, faster than the pokemon could dodge. Muramasa stood there, not dodging as Weiss struck, Weiss's pincers hitting Muramasa in the shoulders.

"Counter," Dokukage ordered. Muramasa narrowed his eyes, taking the force of the blow on his shoulders. Keeping his body limp, he managed to deflect a lot of the damage, bringing both pincers up into Weiss's gut in a powerful double strike, sending Weiss flying backwards.

"Sci-!" Weiss coughed out, clutching his stomach as he hit the ground hard. He was having trouble breathing and he tried to get to his feet, but before he could rise a shadow fell over him. Weiss raised his head to see Muramasa staring down at him, a cold look in his eye. The Scizor raised his pincer and held it to Weiss's throat in a warning.

"You fought well," Dokukage said. "But your pokemon need more training. Your Scizor doesn't have the experience to beat mine. There is no shame in acknowledging the weakness of yourself, or the strength of your opponent."

Dokukage just wanted this to be over so he could get some fucking sleep. He was washing his hands of this whole mess after Blake dropped out.

"I think that's for the best," Akira nodded.

"No way, you can't give up!" Dakota disagreed, as she always did.

Lila wasn't sure what to say. She was watching the two Scizor and thinking of Darla, knowing her friend would never give up.

"Scizor…" Weiss murmured, staring at Muramasa.

It ended in a flash. Weiss swung his arm and deflected Muramasa's pincer, lunging forward and swinging his other arm to hit Muramasa in the face as hard as he could. Not because he expected to win, but because he wasn't going to meekly accept his own weakness. Muramasa rolled with the punch, turning his cheek and letting the blow glance off of him, Weiss tumbling forward. Muramasa brought his pincer up into Weiss's gut, hitting him with another counter that made Weiss cough out again, crumpling over once more.

Muramasa dropped Weiss hard on the ground, and this time the Scizor didn't get back up again.

Sorry Weiss… Blake apologized. We tried our hardest… but in the end it wasn't enough. Blake glanced in the direction of the stands, where Aya and the rest were sitting. Callie and Cynthia had helped him so much to prepare for this fight, and Aya and everyone had cheered so loudly. It felt awful to not be able to win for their sake.

"Blake's Scizor is unable to battle!" Lila judged. "Dokukage's Scizor wins! And that means Dokukage will move on to the semi-finals!"

"Return," Blake said, calling Weiss back to his pokeball. Dokukage did the same. He nodded to Blake, not having any more words for the boy.

It wasn't anything personal. But owing a favor to Sylvia… yeah, no, I'm way too scared for that shit, Dokukage silently apologized, a shiver running down his spine as he headed off the battlefield.

Blake tried and fought and schemed, but in the end Dokukage was simply that much more skilled in training his pokemon. But that just means Blake has more room to grow!