Seven Gyms. Seven badges. And now… the eighth. The line between being on the Circuit and being a challenger against the Elite Four. A lifetime ago, at his very first Gym, Jaune had told him that most trainers never made it this far. But at the same time… this was the threshold. This was the line that he still had to cross. It had been an odd and unusual route, battling criminals and the elements just about as often as Pokemon trainers, but… now he was here. Standing outside the doors of the Argus City Gym, looking like such an ordinary building that it reminded Oscar of Jaune's Gym in Valois, he felt that he had truly come to the next great stage in his journey.

Even Mr. Port seemed to recognize the gravity of the situation. There was none of his usual exuberance as he gave Oscar a nod, and said, "This is it, my young friend—now you can prove yourself a true Champion in the making."

Most of the time, Oscar felt a little annoyed by the moniker, but now, he met Mr. Port with a confident smile. "Thank you, sir," he respectfully replied, then felt a small nervous twinge as he asked, "So… what do you know about this Gym Leader? I've… mostly been warned about him," he admitted. He remembered that Jaune had advised him not to make Argus his second Gym, and that Yang had given him a low whistle when he'd asked for any advice on the road to Argus, telling him he'd "find out on his own" what was waiting for him. Then she punched him in the shoulder with her metal arm.

Oscar still had… mixed opinions on Yang.

But Mr. Port just chuckled. "No 'him' here, I'm afraid!" he said, "But you were right to be warned—Argus boasts a former Champion who relinquished her title rather than lose it. She was a terror of the Circuit, a union of strength, speed, and skill that could bring all to heel—and that was before her Pokemon!" he laughed at his own joke, before giving Oscar a serious look, "They're no joke—as your eighth and final Gym challenge, she won't take you lightly, and her skill is formidable. Her Fighting-type Pokemon hit hard and fast, and she boasts a more diverse team than most Gym Leaders, born from her travels in her own legendary path round the Circuit."

"You think you can take on the Invincible Girl, huh?"

Oscar turned to see a dark-skinned woman in a flowing robe approach him with a slightly-condescending look. "Arslan Altan," she said, sticking out her hand to Oscar, who gingerly took it… only to be crushed in her grip. "And I'm a disciple of Pyrrha Nikos. Trust me—you're better off finding another Gym to get your 8th. No offense, but she's a little out of your League."

Stiffening at her words, Oscar retorted, "Not the first Gym to look down on me. And I still got their badge."

But Arslan just chuckled. "Didn't you hear the old man? Pyrrha doesn't lose. I've been studying under her for months in the hopes of getting her Badge. It's a rigorous course of discipleship that tests-"

"Oh, like Jaune's?" Oscar asked, admiring the symmetry of his first and eighth Gyms mirroring each other.

But Arslan just snorted. "No, it is not like the Valois Gym. That was just completing a course. This is a test of all a Trainer can be! And you…" she looked down at him with an imperious smirk, "would be better suited with another Gym."

Oscar bristled at her condescension, squaring up as best he could in a way that he hoped didn't make him look like a teenager. "Well, maybe you think that," he shot back, "but you're just a student here. I'd like to hear from the Gym Leader herself, thank you."

"Well, settle in kiddo. She's in Valois," she smugly explained, "There's a situation involving a criminal organization that the Gym Leaders are currently coordinating a response to. Scary stuff—the Gym Leader up in Patch actually got attacked by a criminal team, so maybe a little boy like you-"

"Excuse me," Oscar cut in, his lips curling upwards into a smug smile, "but I'll have you know that I was at Patch, and I personally faced Cinder Fall alongside Yang which-"

"Cin- Cinder Fall?" Mr. Port suddenly cut in, "Did you say… Cinder Fall?"

Even Arslan seemed taken aback that Oscar had said that name. It wasn't… it wasn't strange that the terrifying psychopath who had attempted to burn him alive even before she unleashed some kind of… monster demon was a woman who had a reputation that people knew, but for Oscar, learning that the woman he'd unexpectedly faced made Mr. Port turn pale… suddenly had him very nervous.

Arslan shook her head. "Pyrrha… Pyrrha and Cinder have a history," she explained, before straightening up and reasserting her regular self. "So it really doesn't matter now—Pyrrha will make sure that Cinder's not a problem. So you should-"

"It was a great and terrible battle!" Mr. Port proclaimed, his arms sweeping wide, "Cinder Fall had just been denied the position of Gym Leader and attempted to lash out in her anger. But did she go after the current Fire-type Specialist? No, she came here to Argus, because she was in a-"

"That's not true!" Arslan spat with obvious venom, "That's- that's just a lie people say to slander Pyrrha for-"

"I'm being slandered?"

Oscar turned at the voice, only to see…

Once more, he turned to behold an angel, a vision of beauty that left Oscar feeling like he was still the inexperienced traveler, showing up in Argus as clueless as he was in Valois. In her jacket and beret, it was like she hadn't changed a bit, still an otherworldly being whose immortal, brilliantly emerald eye saw… only a boy before her. Any confidence Oscar had in dueling Cinder Fall or collecting seven Badges suddenly vanished as he…

As he realized who the Gym Leader of Argus was.

Trying his damnedest to make a better impression (oh, why did she arrive now? Why not later! Or sooner! Just not now!) Oscar took some relief in knowing that he wasn't the only one who felt the spell of her green eyes, warm and amused and enchanting in a way that made Oscar feel things he'd never felt before. Even Arslan seemed to struggle to answer, venturing, "He- he was saying th-that you and Cinder had a…" before her words trailed off.

Pyrrha grew quiet, her smile vanishing as she turned grave. "Yes, we used to be friends," she sorrowfully admitted, "We were always rivals, always testing each other to grow stronger. I… don't know what happened to her, but I'll never forget the Cinder I used to know."

"Yes," Arslan said, giving Mr. Port a glare, "Rivals, not-"

But Pyrrha just laughed, a laugh to make Oscar swoon, as he heard the heavenly music of her amusement. Maybe he was only 15, and maybe he never would possibly have a shot, but right now, Oscar wasn't able to think sensible things as his knees started to quiver.

"Yes, yes, I know the rumors," she replied, "and you don't have to defend my honor, Ars. Cinder and I were only ever friends. We started at the same time and faced each other, and I…" the sorrow came back, the heavy look on her face utterly crushing Oscar's heart, "I never thought she would turn out like that. I… I wish she'd have just come to me. I could have-"

"She made her choice," Mr. Port softly, but firmly, interrupted, "and you cannot blame yourself for what happened."

Pyrrha smiled, a ray of sunshine now cutting through the gloom. "Yes… thank you Peter. And you must be Oscar!" she cheerfully said as Oscar's useless mind once again failed to be cool or do anything but shut down in response to her attention, "It's rare to see someone receive such enthusiastic praise from Yang! Her and Blake had nothing but good things to say about you!"

It was one thing to be under the gaze of the most beautiful woman Oscar had ever seen, it was another thing for that woman to tell him that two other extremely attractive women were talking him up in private. His cheeks felt hot; his heart pounded in his chest. His mind conjured visions that he dare not repeat as his overheated brain struggled to do something cool and self assured!

"It- it w-was nothing!" he squeaked, his voice strategically cracking at just this moment as Arslan gave him a smug look.

But… seeing Arslan's condescension rallied something in Oscar's soul. A part of him that knew, yes, the teenage boy with a Mudsdale and Pidgeot didn't actually have a chance with the supermodel-turned-Gym-Leader in front of him, but just because he didn't have a chance didn't mean that she had a right to look down on him!

A sudden blaze of self-confidence leapt into his heart as he declared, "A-and I'd like to- to challenge you f-for my 8th Badge, m-ma'am!"

…

Okay, not his best, but he'd screwed up his courage and he'd said his piece. Now he had to stick to his guns, square his shoulders, and look bold as he awaited her response!

Only… only to see Pyrrha's smile droop. "Oh," she said, making Oscar's heart sink that he'd feel her try to spare his feelings as she explained that she couldn't take a challenger like him, that he was making a fool of himself and-

"With the recent situation heightening security risk, I can't use my main team until the matter's resolved," she said apologetically, "We're on heightened readiness, and you've more than earned the right to match your team against mine. I would hate to deny you the chance."

The way Arslan visibly seethed with shocked jealousy did a lot to muffle his disappointment. But at the same time, showing up to be told that his match had to be put on hold wasn't what he'd wanted to hear.

"It's a fairly straightforward journey to get to…" suddenly, Pyrrha's words trailed off, "Actually… there is an option…"

"I'll take it!" Oscar declared, perhaps driven more by a desire to seem bold and mature before his crush. Particularly from the way Pyrrha's eyes lit up with excitement.

Taking out her phone, she explained what Oscar had impulsively agreed to: "A double battle would fit League regulations and minimize the risk to my team's response capacity."

Sizing up Arslan, Oscar grinned. A double battle would be a new challenge, but he could already picture crushing Arslan and impressing Pyrrha, and maybe she'd-

"Jaune and I haven't had a proper double battle in years," Pyrrha said, punching in his number, "And from what Yang had to say, you're up for it!"

"…Jaune?" he asked. Valois was nearby, yes. But why Jaune? And… what kind of team did Jaune even have? Oscar had seen a few giant steel monsters while learning about proper diet care, which had seemed awfully intimidating at the start of his journey and had largely not changed now.

"Oh ho ho!" Mr. Port laughed, "A chance to see the two of you battle together? Marvelous!"

"You and Jaune… battle together?" Oscar asked, trying to put together what Mr. Port was talking about.

"Of course we battle together, silly," Pyrrha laughed, "He's my husband."

All the wind was sucked from Oscar's lungs. Husband. Husband? She had a…

But of course. As Pyrrha took up her phone and stayed speaking to her… husband, Oscar realized that, obviously, a woman like Pyrrha couldn't be single. It wouldn't make any sense. The universe wouldn't allow it.

So with his smile increasingly becoming a rictus grin, he tried to focus more on the coming Gym battle and not the way his first crush was right now stomping on his heart, her face lighting up in excitement as she spoke to her-

"Don't think this is a reprieve," Arslan's sudden, harsh whisper cut through to him, "Pyrrha Nikos doesn't even need three Pokemon to defeat a child like you!"

Giving Arslan a glare, Oscar realized that even if this wasn't the best moment of his life… he could take some satisfaction in proving Arslan wrong!

Oscar had thought of Jaune as a good man. He'd given Oscar some great advice at the start, had been a careful teacher who might have been strict in his methods, but never left Oscar feeling anything other than that he could do this. And his lessons had been a huge help, Oscar knew there were moments in his journeys where if he hadn't had the preparation Jaune had given him in how to manage Pokemon, he'd have faced costly setbacks, or worse.

And yet, he felt no complications in his mind at the prospect of utterly humiliating him in front of his wife.

Oscar was looking forward to that part, actually. As a Steel-type Leader, Jaune certainly had sturdy Pokemon with fearsome defenses, but Oscar knew that he could break through those defenses. Maybe not so much strategically in the whole knowing how to do it, but with the stakes what they were, Oscar knew he could do it. And as he watched Jaune arrive, as he saw him share a kiss with Pyrrha… Oscar knew that he would win this battle.

"I have to say," Jaune said, heedless to the hostility Oscar now held towards him, "You've come a long way from our first meeting. You look like a real Trainer now."

Oscar… tried not to be touched by the compliment. But any benevolent thoughts inspired by his words were swiftly quashed as Jaune moved to the opposite side of the Gym, soon joined by Pyrrha. Standing side-by-side, they looked… how, just how were they together? Jaune was wearing beat-up overalls and a goofy backwards ball cap, looking every piece the Pokemon Breeder while Pyrrha was incredibly put together in her long red coat and beret. She looked ready for action, quiet, calm, and focused, a Pokeball resizing in her black gloved hands, while her… husband was fumbling through his belt to find the right Pokemon. He only had three!

Taking his eyes briefly off his opponents, Oscar reminded himself that jealous anger would be both unbecoming of a Trainer and a sure source of his own defeat. He gave Jaune a courteous nod as he crossed the Gym to where he'd be standing as the challenger.

Pyrrha's Gym was a simple, unostentatious dojo built to serve both quiet meditation and tremendous battles. Looking at how well-polished the floors were, you'd almost miss the spots that indicated repairs had been needed. Judging from Arslan's words—as much as Oscar didn't want to give her credit—-Pyrrha didn't take that many actual Pokemon battles, but… Oscar had no doubt that the ones she did take were as epic as would fit his final Gym in the Circuit.

Turning to face Pyrrha and Jaune (still fumbling with his Pokeball!) he saw Pyrrha cock her head inquisitively, silently asking Oscar if he was ready. Taking one last look at his team, seeing the nervous excitement paired with cool determination, and… whatever Shedinja's deal was, Oscar answered with a nod.

The fight was on.

"Go! Aegislash!"

"Go! Falinks!"

Both Leaders tossed their Pokeballs forward as Oscar braced himself for what was coming. From Jaune, a levitating sword with a knightly shield in its hand. From Pyrrha, a… bunch of little things that partially reminded Oscar of the Exeggcute Ren had tested him with. But unlike that disorganized mess of eggs, the Falinks…es (he already had some questions) stood in unified attention, clad in metal armor with shields brandished as well.

A very militant presentation… but Oscar wasn't going to be intimidated! He was going to end this the way he started this, and with a nod to Ninjask and Shedinja, two diffractions of his Starter, Oscar sent his initial pair forward to meet Jaune and Pyrrha in the field.

This was it.

His first and eighth Gym coming together at one point, one last line to cross before he could declare his intent to become the League Champion. Oscar took a moment to take a breath and steady himself, and then…

"Shedinja, high, Ninjask, low!"

"Falinks! Take the lead!"

At Pyrrha's command, the miniature army sprang into action, rallying around the floating sword and chirping in a rhythmic fashion. What they were saying, Oscar didn't have a clue, but he picked up that they were acting almost like a Trainer in their own right, two of them observing Oscar's Pokemon, giving analysis to the leader which swiftly directed that info to Jaune's Aegislash, the rest standing on defense, shields raised.

Clearly, Jaune and Pyrrha had experience backing each other up in battle, and the sting of it made Oscar a little… careless.

"Ninjask! All out attack!"

Allied with Oscar's mental state, perhaps remembering being complimented by Pyrrha at the start of their journey in Valois, Ninjask made a wrathful screech and shot forward.

"Take out the Falinks!" Oscar added as Ninjask began a series of fast swoops, but… Jaune's Aegislash had a platoon handling intelligence for it and with shield in hand, it was effectively keeping Ninjask from getting in close enough to hit. But Oscar had two Pokemon.

"Shedinja," he nodded, "Give the-"

"Strike down the Ghost-type."

Oscar was almost stunned to hear Jaune's voice so… calculating. He'd always been a warm and gregarious type, even in correcting Oscar's technique or informing him of the practices Oscar really felt like he was already supposed to know. But this was Jaune as a combatant, showing that his analytical eye led to-

"SHEDINJA! ELEVATION!" Oscar cried. He'd have time to muse later, but right now, he had to give his slow-moving spectral Pokemon some direction to try to sluggishly dodge the heavy swing of the Aegislash. It wasn't much, Oscar knew that Shedinja wasn't going to be able to dodge for long, but Oscar knew that both his Pokemon could fly, while only one of the other pair could. Splitting them up…

Another near miss, another skipped heartbeat as Oscar lamented that he had literally no way of knowing if Shedinja was legitimately dodging through supernatural insight or was just getting really lucky as the Aegislash missed him by a hair once more.

"Ninjask! Tie him up!"

Pyrrha gave an order to the forgotten Falinks, and from the corner of his eye, Oscar could see that they were engaging in some kind of war-dance, no doubt building up their strength to really make him hurt, but right now-

Whether his luck ran out or the Aegislash's skill finally came to bear, Oscar saw the strike connect. And Shedinja simply couldn't take hits when they connected at all, the hovering shell suddenly dropping from the sky as the blade continued to sweep in a wicked black trail of ghostly energy.

…

Alright.

So Jaune had first blood. Fair enough, Oscar had faced sharp odds before and this was supposed to be his toughest challenge yet. Recalling Shedinja, Oscar tried not to let it get to him or throw him into a tailspin. He'd gotten this far, he'd faced dire stakes and accomplished Leaders and he knew the sting of defeat. If he was going to avoid tasting it again, it'd come down to his ability to get ahold of himself and not let that get to him.

Ninjask buzzed in the air, keeping a cautious distance from the levitating sword Pokemon that could move a lot faster than Oscar had been anticipating from a Steel-type Specialist. But maybe he could still leverage speed here… Aegislash wasn't that fast, just faster than Shedinja, and as Oscar glanced to Pidgeot, he figured he had an angle he could play here and avenge his fallen Pokemon!

"Oh, that must be from a local Pidgey!" Jaune noted with sincere interest as Pidgeot flapped forth, "At least, the claw ridges in the evolution suggest it. You must have caught it right outside of Valois, right?"

It was asked in genuine curiosity, but Oscar couldn't help but feel it was a reminder that Jaune had known him when he was just a beginner. But that could be equally an attempt to psych him out as much as it could be his honest appreciation, and either way, Oscar could only give the same reply. Giving Pidgeot a confident nod, he received an equally confident SCREEE of pride in response as Pidgeot flexed his wings.

"Sure is," Oscar answered, cracking a grin and taking a devil-may-care stance as he threw his finger forward and cried out, "But stay high and show him you're a lot more than any other local Pidgey!"

With another scream of birdly pride, Pidgeot flapped his wings with force enough to make Oscar take a step back, but he saw as Pidgeot rapidly gained elevation, Ninjask was already in position, and for Jaune…

"Aegislash, descend!" he cried.

But it was too late.

His Aegislash had managed to get Shedinja, but now it was out of position. Too high up for the Falinks to assist or cover, and with Pidgeot making such a spectacle of himself, no one was watching Ninjask streak in like a blur and repay the harm done to Shedinja. Hard, fast strikes, sending the sword spinning, and with the handle whipping around…

Tumbling from the sky like a thunderbolt, Pidgeot seized the Aegislash and swung it around hard, sending the sword flipping through the air. But Ninjask wasn't just fast: he was nimble. Like a shot, he was upon the Pokemon and drove it into the wall with a slam!

Giving Jaune a cocky smile, Oscar was… a little disappointed to see in response…

"Excellent work!" Jaune cheered, hardly dismayed, "Good teamwork between your Pokemon."

"Honey," Pyrrha quietly chided him, "You can't treat him like he's still a student. Trainers feel like you're condescending to them."

Damn right he did! And Oscar was prepared to give the smug bastard hell as he blushed and threw out…

Oh.

Oh, this was…

It was… it was that monster! A steel dinosaur of jagged teeth and gleaming horns, standing tall on two legs with a heavy tail dragging behind to stabilize it. It gave a terrifying roar as it squared off with Pidgeot and Ninjask. Oscar had seen Jaune's Aggron at his Gym, but facing it down in a battle, he could scarcely believe what he was looking at! But shaking his head, Oscar refused to let this Pokemon intimidate him. Now was the time to grit his teeth and figure something out.

"Keep to the air and hold back," he instructed his Pokemon, knowing he had the advantage of agility over his foes' terrestrial Pokemon.

"Falinks, keep Aggron supported," Pyrrha crisply instructed, "standard Mountain formation."

Oscar didn't like how organized Pyrrha sounded, her Falinks clearly ready for… something, but they were as ground based as the Aggron. And they were a lot less scary than the giant metal dinosaur, that was for sure.

Still…

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall!" Oscar cried, "Stay mobile, move fast, and go for the eyes!"

It was a command Pidgeot particularly enjoyed as he screamed his joy and swooped in on the attack. A head on attack was perhaps foolish, but as the Aggron swung its massive tail, far quicker than one would expect from a steel monster, it was still far too slow for Pidgeot, who broke off in an instant. And Ninjask simply appeared right in its face, slashing with fury against its metal armor. Not enough to inflict solid injury, but enough to put it off balance. Ninjask escaped before the Aggron's claws could rake at it, and Oscar saw the beginnings of a loss of balance.

"Now!" he yelled to his Pokemon, hanging close by the Aggron's reach. Oscar saw the opportune moment to knock it down, and as his Pokemon streaked forward, coming in low with a-

The Falinks!

Oscar had almost forgotten about them, but now, they were impossible to ignore, the lead coordinating the rest of the squad as they effortlessly and simultaneously intercepted both Ninjask and Pidgeot on their approach. And while they were only small Pokemon… each one was a sturdy mass of shield and spikes, and neither Ninjask nor Pidgeot could make a dent in them, even on the charge! And tied down…

"Don't forget about me," Pyrrha said with a smirk, "I am the Gym Leader here, after all."

"Pull back, pull back!" Oscar cried, but the Falinks weren't inclined to let his Pokemon retreat. They were at once savage in their fury as much as they were stridently organized, practically an entire team of Pokemon working as a single mind as the leader relayed Pyrrha's orders to keep Ninjask and Pidgeot tied down.

Pidgeot, at least, was a strong flyer, his powerful chest muscles meaning he could pull up, but-

"Pidgeot, swoop in!" Oscar gasped out, realizing that Ninjask was built for speed and agility, and with the Falinks mobbing him…

But it was too late. Oscar had to recall his Pokemon from the mob, wincing to see both his starters down, and because he'd made the careless mistake of overlooking the Gym Leader herself in this fight. But the sting of self-criticism only heightened Oscar's determination—he might have slipped up, but he wasn't going to spiral. Looking at the Falinks as they rallied around Jaune's Aggron, Oscar started to figure that he needed a new approach, but his original strategy was sound. The Aggron was sturdy, but not unassailable.

He just needed Pokemon that could hold their own, Pokemon that could take something as big as the Aggron head-to-head. So long as he couldn't counter Jaune's Pokemon, the other side dominated the field, and Pyrrha was too good at exploiting that. Already, the Falinks were moving back into position, highly coordinated in their efforts to bring down whatever Oscar would send out next.

Turning back to his team, Oscar gave a nod and said, "Drednaw, you've got this."

The armored turtle gave a slow nod of her own as she lumbered forward, squaring up against the other side. Pidgeot gave a resilient squawk, its pride a little clipped, but his fight not yet done.

"Charge forward!" Oscar ordered, and Drednaw, head tucked down, entered a full gallop towards the Aggron. She swept in with a fury and met her foe head on! Jaune ordered a matching charge, and the two heavyweights locked into each other. The charge alone wouldn't be enough, but with the Aggron caught in its struggle against Drednaw's tenacious strength, her jaws latching on hard, Pidgeot could swoop in and-

"Watch for aerial attacks coming on high!"

Pyrrha's order came in just as Pidgeot made his swoop, and the Falinks seemed to just materialize, using each other to help climb up the Aggron and meet Pidgeot's attack and effortlessly deflect him.

He had to take down the Falinks!

Jaune had been taking the offense so aggressively, with Aegislash and Aggron, it was hard for Oscar to focus on the fact that Pyrrha had been playing an aggressive support role, her Pokemon not only strengthening Jaune's, but also capable of running interference and preventing him from doing anything!

But Oscar wasn't going to be discouraged by this. In fact… Pyrrha and Jaune seemed confident of their defensive position, and that gave Oscar an idea…

Throwing out his hand, he shouted, "Pidgeot! Get even!"

It was all he needed to say, his Pokemon snapping into action to take the chance to settle the score with the Falinks for ruffling his feathers. But he knew that Pidgeot, for all his prideful nature, understood what he really meant. That the solution wouldn't be to rush in—Pyrrha had already ordered her Falinks to form up into a position to counter an aerial attack—and that the subtle wave of Oscar's hand wasn't just part of the dramatic gesture to seem heroic… but directing him where to attack from.

Because now the Falinks was pointing away from-

"DREDNAW CHARGE IN!"

Drednaw roared her fury as she broke away from the Aggron—relieved enough to be released from her bite—and thundered to the disrupted formation of the Falinks! They turned, their leader making a shrill cry, but it wasn't fast enough as Drednaw's bulk collided with the first of the Falinks, then the second and the third, a full rout through their lines as the armored Pokemon went tumbling in every direction. Those that tried to stand found themselves alone against the snapping jaws of a lumbering tank of a turtle, and as they whirled to try and escape, Pidgeot broke onto the attack. It was swift, it was brutal, and in the end…

Oscar had taken down… Pyrrha's first Pokemon.

As the Falinks vanished, recalled to its Pokeball, Oscar looked to Pyrrha and the serene smile on her face. No, not serene… Oscar had expected serenity, the impassive, benevolent look of a Gym Leader pleased to see the challenger had some skills. Maybe not every Gym Leader was as professional or… sensible as he had expected when he started his journey, but they all understood that their job was to give the challenger a run for their money, and yet, if they were making appropriate progress, inevitably lose. Pyrrha's smile didn't seem to reflect that perspective, but rather… something that reminded Oscar of Nora.

Which was never a good sign.

"Time to step it up!" Pyrrha cheered as she reached for her belt, making Oscar really worry about what was coming if this wasn't "stepping it up." But Pyrrha swiftly produced her second Pokeball and tossed it forward with a cry of, "Go! Lucario!"

Oscar… couldn't exactly place the blue… dog person Pokemon? Not the strangest he'd seen, but it definitely-

"PIDGEOT! GET BACK!"

Instinct kicked in before Oscar even realized he was speaking, but fortunately, Pidgeot moved back without question as Pyrrha's Lucario shot forward with a leaping strike that Pidgeot only narrowly avoided. If Oscar hadn't caught the subtle motions that cued him into…

No time to get distracted! Jaune called out an order to Aggron to engage Drednaw, and while she was a hardy Pokemon, Aggron was a steel dinosaur. As the two slammed into each other, Oscar saw that it was a foe that couldn't be written off.

"Lucario, stay nimble," Pyrrha commanded and the… jackal? Pokemon? Went on to bob and weave around the Gym. Pidgeot stayed high, wary of what it could-

"Disrupt the Lucario, now!" Oscar cried and Pidgeot, thankfully, snapped into motion, his wings kicking up a great gout of wind and dust, just as a blue energy sphere started to form around Lucario's hands. Buffeted by the windstorm, it was still able to thrust its fist forward and send the orb rocketing towards Pidgeot, who dropped down to dodge it by a featherlength. The bolt of energy struck the wall, and Oscar didn't have to see the damage it did when he could hear the crash of wood splintering.

"She's so cool…" Oscar heard Arslan sigh from up on the balcony. He tried not to let his eye twitch in annoyance as Arslan proceeded to explain to Mr. Port what sounded like Pyrrha's entire biography, but it was only distraction. Chewing his lip, Oscar calculated that Pidgeot was too worn to really move in and fight the Lucario head to head, maybe even at full strength he wouldn't be a match for the nimble Pokemon, especially as-

"Take out the Drednaw," Pyrrha ordered, and the Lucario broke off to rush in.

"Cover her!" Oscar cried in reply, except-

"NOW!" Pyrrha ordered, just as Pidgeot began his attack. The Lucario nimbly spun, reversing direction with dazzling speed as all of a sudden, another burst of blue energy was rocketing towards Pidgeot who only barely dodged. Oscar could see that this Pokemon was dangerous, the aura blasts coming out as fast as its punches, and clearly could inflict some serious damage.

"Keep it up!" Oscar cried in a desperate maneuver. One Pyrrha clearly picked up as she cried, "Finish him!"

The Lucario sprang forward, no longer relying on energy blasts when it could just punch Pidgeot right in the beak. It was a doomed head-to-head, even if it was hard to punch a bird, Pidgeot simply couldn't beat the Lucario!

But of course, he wasn't going for the Lucario.

"Disorient him!" Oscar cried.

With a mighty SCREEEE, Pidgeot rose up and flashed his wings open, demonstrating how brilliant his plumage was—and how sharp his talons gleamed—right in front of the Aggron's face. By reflex, the Pokemon reared back slightly, enough to give Oscar an opening!

"Now! Counter!"

Drednaw gave a roar as she ducked down and, using her lower center of gravity, pushed slightly under the Aggron… and then lifted. The Aggron was a heavy Pokemon, a massive bulk of steel, but Drednaw wasn't trying to throw him but to take advantage of its disorientation and topple its weight! Lucario dodged out of the way—not a likely casualty, but, oh, it would have been sweet to take them both out!—as Drednaw dropped the Aggron onto the ground with a mighty crash as the floor splintered beneath it.

Pidgeot, knowing his time in this fight was likely not going to last much longer, slashed and raked his talons, perhaps ineffectually, but it all counted as Oscar flashed a wild grin and ordered Drednaw: "Take him out!"

With a roar of agreement, Drednaw unleashed a brutal jet of water, utterly blasting her foe point-blank. It was a hardy Pokemon, and an intimidating one at that, but even it had limits. Oscar saw its figure dissolve into light as Jaune recalled his second Pokemon. Two-thirds of the way to defeat!

But in response to that, Jaune only flashed a grin. "Haven't been on the ropes like this since I started out," he said, his voice still brimming with confidence, "Which is, really, only appropriate when I'm about to pull out my Starter from those days. Go! Lopunny!"

Hurling the Pokeball forth, a brown, bipedal rabbit showed itself, ears cautiously flicking as its eyes darted to Pidgeot, Drednaw, and Lucario. Both Pokemon recognized each other with a quick nod, probably no strangers to working together if this was Jaune's starter. Compared to the walking tank Jaune had previously commanded, it seemed like a step down in danger… but Oscar wasn't going to let his guard down that easy.

Especially from how it held its hands in front of itself. It looked almost timid in the way it held them tight in a fluffy bustle of fur. But Oscar was watching closely, and with what he'd seen from Lucario, he could spot the telltale signs of a fist ready to punch his team. "Drednaw," he began, hoping to get one of the other two Pokemon with a good bite, "Lock it-"

"Lucario, you've done this before!"

Oscar didn't know what that meant, but he could see it wasn't good as both Pokemon immediately moved into a familiar rhythm. The Lucario bounded forward to get caught in the Lopunny's arms, swinging the allied Pokemon around as it used its powerful, rabbit-like legs to spring into the air and hurl-

The blow came hard and fast, and though the Lucario only had the momentum of its launch and couldn't properly throw a punch, Pidgeot had been run down by the fight already, and a sucker punch in midair was enough to send him tumbling from the sky as the Lucario sailed through the air, rolling into its landing. Oscar had no choice but to recall Pidgeot to his Pokeball, lest he hit the ground hard.

"Takes me back…" Pyrrha wistfully sighed as her Lucario made a perfect three-point landing.

"Incredible work, Ma'am!" Arslan cried from the balcony, "Such- such familiarity with…"

Her words trailed off into so much noise in Oscar's ears. Her sycophancy didn't add anything Oscar needed to know. As he sent out Mudsdale, he knew he was down to the back half of his team, and while it was equally 3-3 on both sides… these two Pokemon were clearly experienced with fighting together, and breaking through their teamwork would not be easy.

Looking to his team, he had to make a call on Mudsdale or Gogoat. Both were sturdy, hard charging Pokemon, but Gogoat was much nimbler and more agile. But… looking at the Lopunny and Lucario, Oscar could see that trying to match them might just be a fool's errand. Better to play to his strengths. "Mudsdale," he said with a grim nod, "Don't let them overawe you. You've put mud in the eye of glitzier Pokemon than this."

Mudsdale snorted, relishing in her past experiences throwing dirt all over clean Gyms, as she trotted forward. No matter how Oscar felt, trying his damnedest to keep his legs from shaking, his team had confidence to spare. They believed in themselves—and they believed in him! They'd gotten this far as a team, and they…

They weren't finished.

Barking some quick commands, Mudsdale and Drednaw formed up into a tight formation, looking to bite, stomp, and snarl at anything that got close, and unlike the threats that might come from more traditionally impressive Pokemon, a snapping turtle and and angry mule gave even Jaune and Pyrrha's team pause. But still, as they entered a cautious standoff, Oscar could see the equations in play.

When he called for a lunge, Mudsdale needed space to launch a charge, but that meant breaking away from Drednaw. Pyrrha's Lucario and Jaune's Lopunny moved in perfect sync to exploit that opening, dashing in to land strikes against Drednaw's hard shell and darting out before either Drednaw or Mudsdale could return the favor. Oscar was picking up that Jaune's Lopunny was providing more feints while the Lucario was delivering the real blows, but that information was useless when Oscar couldn't act on it!

He needed- needed to do something, anything that could break up this slow whittling down of his forces!

"Mudsdale!" he cried, "Wait for it, and Drednaw-"

Rather than say a word, Oscar merely gestured at the Lopunny, a sign Drednaw understood well enough to launch a jet of water at the nimble rabbit. It dodged, but Oscar knew it was going to dodge.

And so did Mudsdale.

Take out Jaune's last Pokemon and then it'd be two on one, and while the Lucario was clearly a tough customer, Oscar thought he'd have much better chances without the Lopunny giving him cover. It was a nimble Pokemon, but now it sprang exactly to where Oscar had been anticipating, his signal putting Mudsdale exactly where she needed to be as he heard her hooves thunder across the floor, a triumphant snort echoing as his sturdy packmule reminded yet another Gym Leader not to write off the donkey!

Jaune barked an order, but his Lopunny was too slow, its momentum carrying it still forward as it tried to turn, to get away from the thunderous charge! And now, the moment of-

Not… not… possible…

Lopunny blocked the charge.

Oscar's jaw dropped, stunned to see that the slender Pokemon was more than just a bunny! It's legs ground against the floor as it halted the charge, it's hands placed hard against Mudsdale's lowered head, but now readying to-

"Drednaw!" Oscar bellowed, knowing that he was going to pay for this, "The bunny's locked down!"

Drednaw whipped around from where the Lucario was scoring blows on her shell, but this would be worth it. A blast of water rocketed towards-

Except, it didn't.

Anticipating the move, as Drednaw turned, the Lucario seized her by the leg and swung her around before hurling her like a hammer. Not at anything, thankfully, but as the Lopunny danced away, Drednaw smashed into the floor. For all her armored hardiness, she couldn't take this, and so Oscar had no choice but to recall her to her Pokeball.

This was it.

Oscar was down to his last two Pokemon. He had Jaune on the ropes, yes, but Pyrrha still had another Pokemon in her repertoire, something Oscar couldn't even begin to predict. Sending forth Gogoat, who exchanged a grim nod with Mudsdale, Oscar knew that this was beginning to feel like a repeat of his last Gym. And he…

He wouldn't accept that.

Tactics burned away as his mind began to feel the heat of all his frustrations. Months of hard trekking across the countryside, against- against criminals and storms and literal monsters, and it all came to this? The hell it did! A sudden, wild thought came upon him that now was no longer the time to play smart. Playing smart was how someone played to win, and Oscar had the feeling that avenue had been closed off to him. But it was giddiness, not despair, that came with that thought, a savage determination deep in his core that saw an inevitable loss and only thought, "Only on my terms." And Oscar knew what his terms were here.

The hell he'd be beaten without seeing Pyrrha's whole team!

He wasn't going to let her finish it with one Pokemon still unplayed. He would see everything she had to throw at him and he would taste what she was capable of. Maybe it was enough to defeat him, but Oscar would know exactly how much that was!

Laughing boldly, Oscar saw the looks of unsettled confusion on Jaune and Pyrrha's face. He laughed louder, seeing the creeped-out look on Arslan's face. And he laughed louder still as Gogoat and Mudsdale looked back to him, two of his heartiest, most dependable Pokemon… and they joined in, braying and bleating in the joy of a Pokemon battle!

"We're not yielding here!" Oscar cried out, his voice quaking with glee, "No matter what, we fight to the end! The end! THE END!"

Jaune cut in. "Y-you know," he said, "There's no shame in a forfeit, it doesn't-"

"No," Pyrrha interrupted, placing a hand on Jaune's arm as a smile of her own, as wild and untameable as Oscar's spread across her face, "I know this, Jaune. I know the battle-joy, and I will-"

"Pyrrha, this is exactly why he should forfeit! The last time-"

"LUCARIO!" Pyrrha laughed heedlessly, "Grant him the joy of a warrior! Show him the glory of battle! BLOOD AND CARNAGE, WE FIGHT!"

"WE FIGHT!" Oscar cried back, his Pokemon screaming their assent!

"WE FIGHT!" Pyrrha shrieked.

"WE FIIIIIIIIIIGHT!"

"This is a regulation match, not a-"

But Jaune's words were inaudible, his Lopunny shrinking backwards as madness plunged onto the field and spilled upon the floor. The Lucario threw itself forward as Gogoat screamed his charge, head down, horns up. The thundering of hooves across the floor, nimble moving through the terrain that was damaged in taking down Jaune's Aggron, dancing like Pyrrha's Lucario did as they flashed forward, their paths forking like lightning. In a split second they would-

"BREAK THE GROUND!" Oscar whooped to the braying assent of Mudsdale. She slammed her hooves to the ground with the force of an earthquake, the ground buckling, floor splintering, all being cast about as Gogoat had not a care for the sudden disruption, but the Lucario…

Both Pokemon shot past each other, their contact happening too fast, too precisely for Jaune to see. Just that, one moment, they were lowered on the charge, moving through the fractured terrain, and the next, they were both past each other, frozen in position, until…

Oscar saw the Lucario slump, falling to its knees.

"You did well," Pyrrha said, "Lucario, return."

He could hear Jaune exhale a sigh of relief. "Okay, so, we all just got a little intense, but lets not forget."

"Aha."

Oscar's eyes shot back to Pyrrha, who suddenly laughed again. And again.

"Heh- heh- hehahahaha!" Pyrrha giggled, breathing heavily as she recalled her Lucario, "Ahhhhhh, this is a battle!"

She straightened herself out, pausing for a moment to recollect herself from the blood-fury she and Oscar had both plunged into. And in the absence of battle… Oscar felt some of the haze lift from his eyes, the madness abating as Pyrrha stretched her arms… but in her eyes, Oscar saw in the glint of green something that had never seen before, not even in the Beowolf's inhuman eye.

"You're good," Pyrrha smiled, but it was not a smile that gave Oscar any relief, particularly as she continued, "Good enough to make me wanna go all out!"

Grabbing a Pokeball not from her belt, but from her necklace, she tossed it in the air before catching it as it resized. "Pokemon are more than just powers and abilities! More than statistics and evolutions!" she cried, "They are the bonds we forge, the conjunction of trainer and Pokemon—as well as the bonds I have with my community, my students, with the man I love!"

Wait, what-

"Go!" Pyrrha cried, hurling the Pokeball forward, "Luvdisc!"

Oscar blinked, half his brain reeling with the fact that this… this had something to do with Jaune? And the other half…

It was a little red heart fish. Didn't seem like… like anything really, certainly not as dangerous as her Lucario. Didn't seem to have any typing that made sense for her Gym, and even less sense for… for the final Pokemon to defeat before his eighth badge.

"Is that… is that a…" he searched his mind for whatever word he could use to describe this because saying "joke" would probably end poorly.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune cut in, his voice… surprisingly alarmed at the sight of it. Evidently, this was a surprise to him too… somehow?

But Pyrrha just grinned. "In Argus, it's said that any couple who comes across a Luvdisc is ensured a long and happy relationship," she said, making Oscar's heart roil, "And when my husband proposed, this Luvdisc was there. It is a symbol of our love, the unbreakable power that shows that the heart is the strongest muscle of them all!"

The ludicrousness of the situation was helping take the edge off, but of all the things to face… it was basically her wedding ring. Oscar had been in multiple near death situations, had been humiliated by Yang, and also, he'd realized that Blake gave him the Badge to get out of having to do the work of a Gym Challenge. But of all the various indignities and injuries he'd faced on this journey, the 8th would end with… this? Really?

Shaking away his emotional injury and quiet resolutions to never fall in love again, Oscar turned his attention to the dumb fish that, as Pyrrha said, represented his own heart getting stomped on in front of him. He wouldn't feel good about this, but it could bring him some catharsis as-

"Luvdisc! Show him what love can do!" she cried with a manic glee before adding, "Origin Pulse!"

Wait-

Flapping its flippers mightily, the Luvdisc reared up and then the whole world changed.

A hurricane, that was the only concept Oscar had for it, a sudden storm surge exploding into reality all around him as the once-tranquil dojo became home to a whirling mass of water that seemed to suddenly be all around him, sheets of water buffeting his body as a rising current swirled around his legs. Oscar would have thought that Pyrrha had teleported all of them into a storm if it wasn't for the fact he could still see pieces of the Gym, the earthquake-fractured floor becoming flotsam all around him. But still… change this fast didn't-

The Luvdisc!

Oscar saw the little red fish, a blip of color among the roaring waters, and he realized that Gogoat and Mudsdale were not up against a Pokemon in their league, not as it trilled and rallied a circle of pure water around it, the formation of an attack Oscar wasn't sure anything here could take! He- he might have had better chances with another Beowolf than this little- little heart shaped fish!

"Pyrrha!"

Oscar whirled to see… to see Jaune take charge, his eyes wide with understandable alarm as he struggled through the water now rushing around him as a little red fish threatened to level a building.

"J-Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, almost surprised to hear his immediate and extreme concern.

"You're bringing down the whole building, Pyr!" Jaune shouted above the roar, "Luvdisc is not a League-sanctioned Pokemon!"

She blinked, then gave Oscar a sheepish look as her terrifying Luvdisc stopped blasting the Gym apart. "R-return, Luvdisc," she mumbled, recalling it to its Pokeball.

As Oscar blinked in dulled reaction to… to what had just happened, the Gym now covered in puddles of water left over from… that. He'd been blown up and frozen and experienced all sorts of up close and personal threats from Pokemon, people, and the world itself, but Oscar really felt whatever it was Pyrrha had trained that Luvdisc to do was just… something beyond all of that. Jaune had said it was bringing down the building… the little red fish, and Oscar believed it.

He felt Mudsdale nudge his arm. Turning his gaze back to his Pokemon, he saw that… they still had their footing. Even up against that they'd held position, braving the storm and-

Mudsdale brayed in annoyance, jerking her head over to the other side of the Gym to direct Oscar's attention to Jaune and Pyrrha. But Oscar… oh wait…

Jaune's Lopunny had dived for cover outside the bounds of the arena. Pyrrha had withdrawn her Luvdisc. While Oscar had… two Pokemon still on the field. One snorting for a fight, the other stamping her hooves to show that she was just as much up for whatever else Pyrrha might throw at them. But… they'd both played three Pokemon. They'd both recalled three Pokemon. Which meant… Oscar had won.

He'd won.

A sudden, giddy surge of confidence, inspired by his stalwart Pokemon, rose up in Oscar's breast as he looked at the two Gym Leaders. Against his brimming confidence, they only met him with sheepish, apologetic looks, and Oscar knew that he had been victorious.

"Pyrrha!" he cried, trying to look cool as he did it, but this time, really feeling like he was succeeding as he said, "I believe you owe me a Badge."

And across the Gym, he saw as Pyrrha's lips curled up in a respectful smile as she reached down to a pouch on her belt.

Eighth of eight.

Through treacherous terrain and organized crime and Gym Leaders who had less concern for safety than he might like… Oscar had completed the Circuit.

Thanks to Renarde and BluePhantasm for feedback on this chapter! This is a unique writing challenge, and one I had not expected would become so daunting! I had to write up a chart to handle this 6 v. 6 battle (or 6 v. 3 v. 3), trying to balance Pyrrha and Jaune's Pokemon while also showing off Oscar's full roster. It's tough! Pokemon battles are actually a real challenge to write in how they combine the character of both trainers and their specific teams, particularly in a way where the fight seems meaningfully challenging, and my respect for the Pokemon anime has increased enormously in writing this fic. It's also funny that such a niche fic is taking up so much of my mental reserves, but in a way, I'm much happier writing weird fics for a smaller audience than I am writing more crowd-pleasing fics. You guys are what make this all worthwhile!

But now, Oscar's achieved something few do, something Jaune himself admits he never achieved back in Chapter 1: completed the Circuit. Oscar has eight badges, and with it, a right to challenge the Elite Four and make a claim against the Champion! But it seems he's got some loose ends still to tie up, a world that's still revolving even as he accomplishes his journey. Next up: the Dark Queen of Another Land.