I've been waiting a long time to write this one. Hope you all enjoy it!


Skyler scoured through her tablet, taking a seat on the sofa in Team Mystic's lounge and break room. She helped Aria put together a report on the behavior changes of the fire pokemon previously recovered from Cheron Forest. With Team Mystic transferring the fire pokemon to a government-approved wide open area, Aria declared it another major victory for preserving wild pokemon. She gave Skyler the rest of the day off as a reward, but Skyler was fond of Team Mystic's lounge and spent a lot of time there watching videos and taking other interests such as drawing.

As she checked to see ongoing pokemon battles, she noticed the Junior Circuit was in progress. Matches ran across three different stadiums, showcasing young prospects who could compete in future Inventum Cups. With three battles running at once, she tapped on the one from Entei Stadium. One trainer struck out to her almost instantly. A red-haired girl stood there at the center of her box, red shirt, and black leggings, looking fierce and determined. She commanded her charmeleon to run right at her male opponent's tauros with Slash.

Skyler looked up the name. Elizabeth 'Liz' June Rose was displayed on her profile, as well as her team. Going back into the match, she saw Charmeleon landing a lead-in, precise hit on the sprinting Tauros with Slash. Skyler assumed Tauros had previously taken hits, as the latest Slash was enough to send Tauros crashing against the dirt, unable to continue.

Liz remained calm and collected. Her fierce eyes stared across the field with hundreds of spectators cheering her on. Her opponent recalled Tauros and brought out Hitmontop. Looking at the battle statistics, Skyler noticed that Liz had brought her opponent down to just one pokemon in the three versus three match. Liz had switched around to counter her opponent with type advantage, using Horsea to take down Sandslash. As Hitmontop came out onto the field, Liz recalled Charmeleon. Then, she brought out Liepard, the perfect counter.

There was something about Liz that appealed to Skyler. It may have been her smooth, medium-length red hair flowing down at the sides of both cheeks at an angled bob. She looked like she was out to conquer the Junior Circuit, and no one was going to stop her or her pokemon from doing so. She looked so composed, and it was inspiring. But, no, it was more than that, as Skyler came to a realization. Liz was attractive.

Blushing, she twirled the right side of her hair. She continued watching as Liz took complete command of the match, using Liepard to outmaneuver Hitmontop. That was when Aria suddenly walked into the lounge.

"Hey you," Aria walked over, curious as to why Skyler was blushing.

"Oh hi," Skyler sat straight up, turning her attention to Aria.

"Whatcha watching?" Aria leaned in.

"The Junior Circuit," Skyler slightly shifted the tablet to her left, letting Aria have a better look.

"That was a first crush blush if I've ever seen one," Aria teased.

In the months that followed Skyler's rescue in Cheron Forest, Aria viewed her like a kid sister more than anything. Skyler viewed Aria as the older sister; neither had any siblings, and they became good friends despite the difference between their ages.

"Michael Forrester," Aria muttered without a second thought, assuming that was who Skyler blushed over. "Don't think I fought him yet."

"How about Liz?" Skyler replied.

"Liz," Aria chuckled. "What a determined firecracker, that one."

Skyler perked up. "You fought her?"

"Yep," Aria nodded. "She doesn't live far from here. Her hometown's just south of Cheron Forest, and to come to think of it, she's in the Junior Circuit with some really great trainers, all of whom came from these parts."

Skyler paused for a moment. Then, watching Liz battle on, she decided to speak up. "It was her. I was blushing for her."

Aria was caught off guard. She quickly regained herself, realizing any form of surprise reaction would be inappropriate. She fully believed everyone had a right to decide who they wanted to be attracted to. She put her hand on Skyler's right shoulder, giving Skyler a sense of reassurance.

Skyler smiled. She didn't need words to know that Aria supported her. She figured Aria couldn't care less who she was attracted to, anyways. So Skyler and Aria watched Liz about to put her opponent away in the first round of the Junior Circuit.


"Liepard! Night Slash!" Liz saw the opportunity to win this battle following Liepard's successful Thunder Wave against Hitmontop.

"No! Hitmontop!" Michael yelled in despair. His hopes of going far in the Junior Circuit were about to crumble before him.

Liepard closed in on Hitmontop, delivering a powerful dark slash across his chest. The super-effective attack was more than enough to bring him down. The spectators cheered across a mostly empty stadium relative to its maximum capacity of 40,000 people. Liz figured there were at least several thousand, most in the central lower bowl on both sides of the field. Nonetheless, she aced her first-round match in front of thousands. Liz could be proud of that. She fed into the energy of the fans and cheered for Liepard.

"Yeah! Just like that!" Liz jumped. One round down, four to go.


Amanda's opponent, Greg, stood there in awe. He underestimated this girl from the beginning, mistaking her smile and cheerful demeanor for weakness. Unfortunately for him, by the time he realized his error, it was too late.

Wartortle made short work of Greg's Slowbro and Butterfree. His expert use of Bite and Rapid Spin under Amanda's keen eye for opportunistic strikes helped him prevail over two pokemon. Amanda and Wartortle had the chance to sweep Greg's team, and all they needed was to knock out Gurdurr in front of thousands of spectators inside Suicine Stadium.

Amanda and Wartortle had also practiced the combo of Aqua Jet and Rapid Spin, using the latter move to escape for further attacks. Water Pulse was the sole ranged attack in Wartortle's arsenal against fast movers. Gurdurr, in this case, was practically a sitting psyduck.

Greg had hoped to use Gurdurr's might alone to overpower Wartortle, but he could not get in a single hit. Then, with another Aqua Pulse and Rapid Spin, Amanda saw that Gurdurr was staggered and went in for the knock-out blow.

"Aqua Jet one more time!" she commanded, her face filled with joy but her eyes full of competitive determination.

H-how? Greg saw his demise. He worked real hard this past year, only to be swept by this girl like he was there for practice. He could only stand there helpless as Wartortle closed in for the knock-out blow.


Liam, the trainer who had to go against Bran, felt the same sense of dread as his hopes of going far in the Junior Circuit came crashing down here in Raikou Stadium. He saw the clutch play of Kadabra and his use of Disable on Jolteon's Wild Charge during the final round of the Random Duo, but seeing this in action was something else.

Kadabra's Disable stopped Buizel, Liam's partner in crime, in his tracks from using Aqua Jet. Between Kadabra, Noctowl, and Heracross, Bran and his team were able to completely control the match. Heracross, to Bran, was the missing piece of his team, able to provide raw strength and speed to overpower his opponents. If only Heracross could learn U-Turn.

Bran was quiet and calculating, which made him a scary opponent to Liam. It was like Bran decided what could and could not happen in this match through Kadabra's Disable, Noctowl's Hypnosis, and Heracross's maneuverability, and Liam had no say in it.

"Psybeam now!" Bran yelled. Victory was in his grasp.

Kadabra unleashed a powerful beam right at Buizel. The tired pokemon could only watch as Psybeam was about to strike him head-on.


"Poilwhirl!" Poliwhirl fired off Scald, striking his female opponent's Diggersby head-on in front of thousands in Entei Stadium.

Nancy's companion hung in there, refusing to give up. The 13-year-old trainer was doing well for a moment, taking out Julian's Onix earlier in the match with a nice switch from Beautifly to Golduck. Since then, however, both pokemon were taken out by Pidgeotto. Julian made the executive decision to switch to Poliwhirl to take on Diggersby.

There was a tiny sliver of hope, Nancy thought, that Diggersby could at least prevail for Poliwhirl. Sure, Pidgeotto would be challenging, but he had to be exhausted, she thought.

That sliver of hope faded when Diggersby became inflicted with the burn condition from Scald. It was the second time Diggersby took a hit from that attack, and Nancy knew a single burn infliction would knock out the staggered Diggersby.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Julian cheered, anticipating his imminent victory.


"Yeah!" Kristine jumped.

Dratini was able to use Flamethrower, behind his three uses of Agility, to engulf Ariados completely. Kristine's opponent, Aaron, knew he was in real trouble when he learned he was fighting a Kyar twin. He was technically more accomplished than Kristine as far as badges went; he had six. But he and his best friend got crushed by the Donnovan Twins back in Richland Port many months ago. Someone who could take them down had to be good, he thought, no matter what the critics had to say about the Power Duo.

Since Kenalta, Kristine learned to not rely so much on type advantages, especially when going against the unknown. Fletchinder would have been perfect against Ariados, but he was sidelined for this match. Machoke had prevailed against Hariyama earlier, but barely. Kristine and Machoke won that close match because Kristine sought better opportunities for critical strikes, having Machoke strike at Hariyama's sides and back.

Dratini proved himself as a valuable team member by taking out Gabite with just two uses of Dragon Rage. Many spectators viewed these knock-outs as upsets, as Hariyama and Gabite were favored to win these individual matchups. But as Aaron found out, Kristine was intelligent, quick on her feet, and didn't care about the odds. Moreover, Kristine had wondered if Jason's methods brushed off on her. Months ago, she would have played it safe and worked her opponent down that way. Now, she was more ambitious and willing to take risks, and her team didn't mind that.

Ariados was unable to continue on as the referee declared the match in favor of Kristine. She embraced the cheers of thousands, ready to congratulate her opponent for his effort, and she was already preparing herself for the second round.


Meanwhile, the determined Magikarp flopped at the center of Raikou Stadium's field. Jason's decision to switch Riolu for Magikarp led many to scratch their heads in confusion. This was the Junior Circuit, the tournament for the trainers of tomorrow, and a trainer just had to use a magikarp.

IPSN didn't mind Jason's decision, however. The number of extranet viewers on the match skyrocketed within a minute after Magikarp was summoned. Those who knew enough about Jason realized Magikarp was brought forth for a reason. A largely unnecessary reason, as Riolu and Jolteon, who was in reserve, could quickly dispatch Corphish and win the battle. But it was for a purpose, nonetheless. Putting Magikarp in the Junior Circuit was a huge confidence booster for the pokemon.

Haley, the opponent, knew not to take this in any negative way. Doing extensive research on Jason the night before, she found out Magikarp had two confirmed KOs in a water pokemon tournament in Richland Port, along with two more KOs being used as an improvised weapon by Scorbunny in the Random Duo. In addition, it was rumored Magikarp had KOed a liepard, also in Richland Port. Appearances are deceiving, she concluded and warned Corphish to be wary of Magikarp.

Magikarp suddenly used Bounce to propel himself into the sky, using the sun to throw off Corphish's focus on him.

"My brothers are going to make fun of me for the rest of my life," Haley chuckled. "Keep focus and use Bubble Beam, Corphish!"

"Cor!" Corphish fired Bubble Beam up in the sky as Magikarp dove down right on him, set to win this match.


Jason and Kristine exchanged a high five and hugged back in Canon Carmesi's main lobby, celebrating each other's first-round victories. The surrounding guests all cheered and clapped for the two, many of them watching one of the twins' victories in person earlier in the day.

"It's good you used Magikarp out there," Kristine said before letting go.

"I knew we could do it," Jason smiled. "That's another KO for Magikarp."

"To be honest with you, it might be the only time you can use Magikarp here," Kristine continued.

"And that's why I used him in the first round," Jason replied. "Jolteon and Rilou backed him up just in case, but I trust Magikarp, and I would have taken responsibility if I put him in an unfair match."

Kristine walked over to a nearby TV screen displaying the tournament's bracket.

"We're adjacent now," Kristine pointed out. "If we both win, that means we go against each other."

Jason followed Kristine to the screen. He looked at who he was fighting next: Alex. A sense of adrenaline and determination kicked in. Jason nor Kristine needed to verbally remind each other who Jason was fighting in the second round.

"I made a promise that I will beat him," Jason kept his eyes at the screen.

Kristine patted him on the back. "Bring your A-game. Your pokemon are ready. You are ready. I play in Raikou Stadium before you. I'll swing by Entei to watch your game."

"Thanks," Jason turned to his sister and took a deep breath. "Good luck with your match tomorrow. I hope you win."

Kristine smiled. "I'm playing a guy named Quentin. He has a quilava, so I need to watch out for it."

"I'll be there in spirit," Jason said. "For now, I need to focus on tomorrow's match."

"Yeah, of course," Kristine acknowledged. "Do you need to be alone?"

"No, but I need a walk around this place."

"Sounds good to me."

The twins strolled around the resort as the sun began to set. Jason needed the open space and fresh air to breathe and think clearly. He still experienced sharp pains in his rib cage now and again, though it was becoming less frequent by the day. Being outside helped take his mind off the pain.

His match against Alex came to mind. Months ago, Jason was humiliated in a skirmish battle. He knew he was much stronger than before, but he assumed Alex became stronger as well. There was no doubt in Jason's mind that Alex swept his first-round opponent.

Kristine was concerned for her brother's ability to handle fighting Alex. She knew how to get in Jason's nerves, but this was different. Alex clearly disliked Jason, and Jason hated that kind of negative attitude. Dealing with someone like that was something he had difficulty with, as Kristine observed. At least, she concluded, she was tolerable to Jason because of her more likable personality.

Nonetheless, Kristine had to focus on her own match tomorrow. Her opponent was best known for using Quilava, his ace and starting companion. While accompanying Jason around the resort, she thought of the best strategy to counter Quilava. She knew better not to take any of Quentin's pokemon for granted; this trainer did beat his first-round opponent, after all.

The twins retired to their room an hour later. They hung out in the living room throughout much of the evening. Kristine was at the computer terminal at the far corner of the room while Jason browsed through channels on the TV.

Both of them would have lied if they said they weren't nervous for their second-round matches. While neither of them blatantly admitted it, they felt they needed each other's support in the coming battles. Even with them focusing on their own matches, they stuck nearby one another. This was probably the result of them traveling together since their journey began many months ago. They fed off each other's energy, whether it was positive or negative. So their determination kept them focused and confident. They were ready for the next day's challenges.

Kristine was happy to see Liz, Amanda, Bran, and Julian prevailing through the first round. While fighting any one of them seemed like a far-out prospect, Kristine couldn't help but wonder what if. Still, she reminded herself to take this one round at a time; she still had the second round to get through.

Jason took a deeper look at the bracket on the TV and was relieved to see all of their friendly rivals making it through. Of course, he hoped for success for all of them. But at the end of the day, each round would eliminate half of all competitors until one trainer remained. Such was the nature of tournaments; one would win, while all the rest would walk away disappointed. So naturally, he wanted to be the one who would win.

It wasn't until close to midnight when the twins retreated to their rooms for the evening. They were both able to sleep soundly, keeping calm amid the tension in anticipation of tomorrow.


"Fletchinder! Aerial Ace!" Kristine commanded.

It was midday, with the weather hot and humid. Kristine had helped solve dehydration by having a water bottle attached to a clip on her belt, and she encouraged her brother to do the same. It was better that the trainer did not go down to heat exhaustion in a prolonged battle, she thought.

Nearly 10,000 fans were in Raikou Stadium, watching three of the eight matches that would occur right here. Kristine and Quentin kicked off the triple-header, though some argued this was the main event. Many knew Kristine as the female Kyar twin, cutting across Inventum alongside her brother and blazing down the coast.

Quentin was a black-haired 14-year-old who was tall for his age. He made a name of himself in southeast Inventum, between winning six badges and defeating Team Instinct head and gym leader Spark on live television. He wore a black short-sleeved shirt and red baggy jeans, a supposed trademark. Kristine, wearing black shorts that came up to her lower thighs, wondered at first sight how Quentin could withstand the heat with such heavy-looking jeans.

The battle got tense as the match started off with Snorunt against Manectric. Kristine felt out Quentin before realizing his potential for quick KOs when he quickly switched to Quilava. Kristine responded with a rapid retreat and brought out Espeon. Quentin made another switch shortly after, as Kristine took advantage of the downtime to call for Calm Mind, perhaps Quentin's biggest mistake yet. Since then, Espeon took out Manectric and Vigoroth through her empowered uses of Psybeam and Swift. Quilava came back out to save the match, getting close to Espeon with Flame Wheel and Quick Attack. As a result, Kristine recalled Espeon and played the ace up her sleeve against Quilava: Fletchinder.

Kristine knew Quilava had melee attacks in Flame Wheel and Quick Attack. However, she was more concerned about Quilava's Swift and Smokescreen. To defeat Quilava, she needed speed and a lot of it. That was where Fletchinder came in, she thought. Between his Gale Wings ability and Aerial Ace, he could strike Quilava at a second's notice with pinpoint accuracy.

Fletchinder dove down from the sky, conducting barrel rolls to dodge the incoming Swift from Quilava. The occasional star from Swift struck Fletchinder, but Kristine knew getting hit by that attack was inevitable. However, if Fletchinder maintained his focus and did not break off the attack, he could strike Quilava head-on.

Fletchinder practiced his attack runs for months, sometimes with Espeon firing Swift to simulate a high-pressure situation. He was used to this. He maintained his composure and made an elegant strike across Quilava.

"Quilava!" Quentin started to feel his Junior Circuit victory hopes fade away. No, we didn't come here to lose in the second round!

Fletchinder flew back towards the sky, with Kristine preparing to call for another pass.

"Fire Smokescreen! Now!" Quentin yelled. We just need to get Fletchinder. After that, Espeon; she has to be worn out. And Snorunt can't dodge Flame Wheel all day.

Quilava fired off Smokescreen, concealing himself.

"Use Agility!" Kristine responded.

"Fletch!" Fletchinder picked up speed.

Quentin knew that Kristine would take advantage of any downtime from action, using stat-boosting moves. Using Smokescreen was a considerable risk, and it may have been a mistake, but Quentin figured he had not much else left to lose other than the match.

Kristine waved in the air, signaling Fletchinder to circle over her. "When Quilava fires Swift, aim for the point of origin with Aerial Ace!"

Just then, a volley of stars emerged from the smoke. This was Quentin's gambit to turn the match around.

"Go!" Kristine yelled, holding her visor with her left hand while ducking with stars flying over her head.

Fletchinder took several hits on his way into the smoke. However, he kept his focus, diving right into Smokescreen to confront Quilava. Quentin kept one step ahead, getting Quilava to retreat a safe distance. He knew Fletchinder won't just stop right there, so he needed to counterattack right then and there.

"Quick Attack!" he ordered.

Kristine couldn't see what was going on through Smokescreen, but she trusted Fletchinder to make the proper judgment. Quilava charged right at Fletchinder, and Fletchinder simply continued his Aerial Ace attack without hesitation. The two sideswiped each other, sending one another tumbling in opposite ends of the floor.

Smokescreen cleared seconds later. To Kristine's relief, Fletchinder was able to get up and take to the skies. To Quentin's despair, Quilava had enough. He was down and out, prompting the female referee to call the match.

"Quilava is unable to battle!" she declared under the cheers of thousands of spectators. "Kristine Kyar is the winner!"

"Yeah!" Kristine threw her fists in the air. Fletchinder landed right before her. She knelt to his eye level. "You were amazing."

"Fletch!" Fletchinder happily chirped.

Kristine pulled out Espeon's and Snorunt's pokeballs. "As were both of you. I'm proud of you all. We're going all the way!"

Kristine recalled Fletchinder a moment later and got up. She noticed Quentin was waiting for her at the center of the floor, his left hand in his pocket. Fans cheered as Kristine approached him.

"Well fought," Quentin extended his right hand. "You are smart, that's for sure."

Kristine chuckled and shook Quentin's hand. "Thanks. You're a tough one. Good match!"

"Yeah, I tried to mount a comeback, but it was too little too late. You still managed to sweep me."

"It didn't feel like a sweep."

"I knew I'd be in trouble when both of you got placed on my side of the bracket," Quentin laughed, referencing Jason. "Good luck. What's gonna happen if you have to face your twin in the next round?"

Kristine smiled. "Win."

"Well, nothing will stop you then," Quentin turned around. "Take care, Kristine. I hope you make it to the final round."

Thousands of cheers soon followed. Kristine waved at the crowd in all directions, amplifying those cheers. She soon reminded herself of Jason's upcoming battle in Entei Stadium. Kristine felt the need to be there, like an unexplainable force telling her to depart now. She left the floor, but not without raising both fists in the air to pump up the remaining crowd once more.


"Only two matches here," Yenela Kreea sighed. The IPSN reporter was sent to PokeWorld in advance to cover both the Junior Circuit and the Inventum Cup. She often questioned why she had to report on the Junior Circuit, as she believed she was too high profile to cover the earlier rounds. That was until she realized her favorite pair of twins were competing. So Yenela figured there was no harm in spectating one of their matches. The interns covered the matches on the extranet, but Yenela was looking for something big to unfold. If there was such an opportunity, she'd pounce on it. She'd get credit, and the involved parties would get recognition. It was a win-win, she thought.

She saw the schedule. Kristine was fighting Quentin, she noticed - a potential showdown. When the outcome was displayed on the jumbotron above Entei Stadium's field, Yenela smirked. Seeing that Kristine swept Quentin, she concluded that picking Jason and Alex was the right move. Both trainers were capable, and they both lived near each other. She took a seat along the center front row on the stadium's left side, near the media box where two IPSN interns set up their computer equipment to cover the match.


Jason stood within the hallway, overlooking the mouth that led into Entei Stadium's field. He was relieved to see on the mounted screen in the left corner that Kristine won her match. He couldn't help but feel butterflies in his stomach with his upcoming match against Alex. But he knew he had to win; he made a promise to Kristine, and he couldn't let his pokemon down this time. Jason took this as a do-or-die situation. He didn't want to leave this punk for Kristine to handle. He wanted to take care of Alex here and now.

"Deep breaths," Jason muttered, breathing in and out. Controlled breathing not only helped the pain in his ribcage, but it helped his anxiety as well. He stood there, loosening his arms and legs in anticipation of hearing his name being called by the PA announcer at any moment.


Kristine rushed her way to Entei Stadium. Then, politely navigating her way through dozens of eager fans that wanted to congratulate her, she walked down the steps of a central aisle on the left side of the stadium. She took a seat, surprised to see Amanda and Bran nearby. Seeing there weren't designated seats for this battle, she got up to sit next to them.

"Hi!" Amanda smiled and waved.

"Howdy," Bran nodded at Kristine.

"Hey!" Kristine sat down next to Amanda, who happened to be closer to her. "So, what brings you two here?"

"I won my match!" Amanda boasted, pointing up at the jumbotron that displayed her 3-1 victory over a female trainer.

Kristine gave Amanda a high-five. "Congrats!"

"Thanks!"

Kristine leaned over to Bran. "And you?"

"My match is after this, right here," Bran explained. "I have a plan, but I thought I'd take my mind off a bit and see Jason's battle."

"I see," Kristine nodded.

Just then, Liz approached the three trainers. "What's up?"

"Hey Liz," Kristine waved. "Did you win your battle too?"

"Sure did," Liz pointed at the jumbotron. She won a decisive 3-0 victory against her male opponent in the second round.

"Another sweep?" Amanda mentioned. "Wow, Liz. You're killing it."

"My team's killing it," Liz smirked. "I just yell," she then sat next to Kristine, facing the floor.

"I reckon Julian's battling right now?" Bran assumed. "Since he's not here."

"Yeah," Amanda nodded. "I even offered to come to watch his match, and he was like 'don't worry about me. Jason needs all the help he can get against Alex.'"

"Tried to be the tough guy," Liz snickered. "Speaking of this match, Kristine, you face the outcome's winner."

"For Jason's sake, I hope he wins this one," Kristine replied, looking ahead.

"Alex seems mean," Amanda added. "I want Jason to win."

Bran remained quiet on the matter, lost in thought about his upcoming match.

"Two rivals who hate each other," Liz said. This will probably be one heck of a match."


Jason waited patiently for the PA announcer to introduce the match. Seconds felt like minutes as he stood within the hallway, trying to keep his anxiety from overwhelming him. He just wanted to get this match underway. He wanted to take the fight to Alex, to prove to him he wasn't some useless trainer.

At long last, the male PA announcer spoke amid the cheers of thousands across the crimson stadium. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! Here in the first of our two second-round matchups in Entei Stadium, we have Jason Kyar against Alex Secra, both of whom have started their journies in the mountain subregion."

Jason could hear a round of applause outside, in addition to vague chants of Magikarp. He wanted Magikarp to get exposure in the tournament scene, but he suspected pokemon battle fans would view him as the trainer who used a magikarp.

"Both have started becoming trainers around the same time, and no doubt have they been neck to neck with one another all the way to this point. The winner of this match faces Kristine Kyar tomorrow afternoon right here in Entei Stadium. So everyone, prepare for a tough match! Introducing Alex Secra!"

Jason heard a round of applause as Alex took to the center of the floor. Here we go.

"And from the other side, Jason Kyar!"

Jason took a deep breath and walked onto the floor. He saw that smug look from the punk with short dark brown hair right from the get-go, wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans.

Jason approached Alex, eyes locked right on him. The cheering intensified, as did the chants for Magikarp. He zoned all of that out. His focus was on the trainer in front of him, and he intended to prevail.

Jason stood just three feet before Alex at the center of the arena. Alex crossed his arms and scoffed. "You're persistent."

"I guess I am," Jason shrugged.

"You're going to make an idiot of yourself in front of all Inventum," Alex belittled. "Your sister should have stopped you months ago. All it took was defeating a couple of bigger idiots in Richland Port, and now you're pretending to be a good trainer. It ends now. After I'm done with -"

"We're going to beat you, Alex." Jason cut him off, speaking with such confidence while the blonde female referee approached the two. She had to toss a coin to determine who would summon their pokemon first and did so right on her hand to get this over with quickly.

"You're going to lose. Right here. For all Inventum to see," Jason continued. Alex was dead silent.

"And tails!" the referee declared, the blank side of the coin appearing on her hand. The right side of the field had heads, and in this case, the face of a pikachu, while the left had tails. And since Alex was to her left, he decided who made the first summon.

"I make the first move," Alex still stared at Jason.

"Yeah," Jason scoffed.

The two departed to their sides of the field. The confrontationally shy referee breathed a sigh of relief.

Jason looked to his right to see Kristine and Amanda cheering for him behind the wall separating the floor from the seats. Bran and Liz sat at their seats right behind, eyeing Jason as he walked to his trainer's box.

"Okay!" the referee walked over to her box and faced Jason. "Jason, are you ready?"

"Yeah!" Jason replied.

The referee then turned her head to Alex. "Alex, are you ready?"

Alex simply nodded.

"Okay then," the referee acknowledged, suspecting this was going to be a tense fight. "Let the battle begin!"

Jason primed his first pokeball. This was it; the battle against Alex was underway. "Let's go, Jolteon!"

"Jolt!" Jolteon barked as soon as he was summoned. Cheers ensued from the crowd.

"Rhydon! Take them out!" Alex yelled, bringing out his first pokemon.

"Rhy!" Rhydon furiously roared.

"Rhydon," Jason muttered, observing the evolved form of Rhyhorn. He's going to counter me again with everything. No. We're going to play it our way.


"Well, this isn't good," Liz said as Amanda and Kristine sat back down.

"I was worried this would happen," Kristine looked on. "They fought months ago. Jason brought in his team minus Swellow, and Alex likely has the same team minus Beedrill if they, in fact, parted ways."

"Comes down to the aces up their sleeves," Bran mentioned, his arms crossed in thought.


"Rhydon, use Take Down! Now!" Alex commanded.

"Rhydon!" Rhydon began charging at Jolteon at full steam.

"Jolteon, use Agility and get out of there!" Jason decided to keep Jolteon in the match.

"Jolteon!" Jolteon picked up speed, dashing out of the way of Rhydon.

"Now, real quick, use Pin Missile!" Jason followed.

"Jolt!" Jolteon turned to face Rhydon, sliding along the dirt, and fired off a volley of pins.

"Protect!" Alex yelled.

Rhydon projected a barrier to shield himself from Jolteon's Pin Missile. The pins simply dissipated upon impact.

"Stone Edge! Get rid of him!" Alex resumed his attack.

"Agility once more!" Jason responded.

Rhydon stomped the ground with his full weight as his feet glowed a bright blue. A circle of large stones shot out from the ground beneath Jolteon. However, Jolteon could escape the attack, making a massive leap right over one of the stones.

"Pin Missile again!" Jason issued.

Jolteon landed on his feet and fired off another volley, this time striking Rhydon head-on. It was a minor hit, with Rhydon shaking it off, but it was a massive victory for Jason and Jolteon. They knew they could prevail.

"Stone Edge again!" Alex yelled.

"Rhy!" Rhydon took aim and stomped the ground once more.

"Agility and then Pin Missile!" Jason continued through with his plan.

"Jolt!" Jolteon picked up speed, jumping over one of the pillars that sprang from the ground. Then, he turned around and fired Pin Missile in mid-air.

"Protect!" Alex called.

Rhydon shielded himself from another Pin Missile.

"Stone Edge!" Alex followed up once more.

Rhydon fired a third Stone Edge, which Jolteon dodged. Jason wondered what Alex was trying to do, but there were three circles of jagged pillars towards the center of the arena. As a result, his view of the other side was largely obstructed.

Jolteon ran over to Jason's side of the field. Suddenly, Jason heard the sound of a pokeball beaming its pokemon back inside.

"Keep an eye out!" Jason grew suspicious. He wasn't sure what to expect. Whatever Alex had in mind, he was doing so quietly.

"Use Agility!" Jason commanded. He learned, through training with Kristine, to make use of the downtime in action. A pokemon's time on the field needed to be productive, she thought, and he followed suit.

Jolteon sprinted back and forth after the third use of Agility. It seemed whatever Alex threw at him, Jolteon would be able to handle. Jason was confident in his companion's ability to overcome anything.

As Jolteon sprinted towards the right side of the field, a flaming wheel suddenly bolted around the corner from one of the jagged pillars. The wheel was accurate, leading into where Jolteon would be. When Jolteon became aware, it was too late. The apparent Flame Wheel collided, sending Jolteon tumbling back.

Cheers erupted. Alex made a highlight play by creating terrain and using it to his advantage. Flame Wheel ricocheted back and dissipated, revealing Monferno.

"Jolteon! Get up and use Thunderbolt!" Jason yelled.

"Jolt!" Jolteon sprang into action and fired off Thunderbolt at Monferno.

"Mon!" Monferno leaped over a pillar, with Thunderbolt striking the top and sending a portion of it tumbling down.

"Don't chase him!" Jason warned. "They're up to something!"

Just then, Monferno emerged from the top of an adjacent pillar, closing on Jolteon. He threw his arms and legs, trying to connect hits against Jolteon.

Jason observed the move. Acrobatics, he concluded; the move was too agile and active to be something compelling like Close Combat. Jolteon could dodge attack after attack thanks to his three Agility uses but could not unleash a counterattack. Instead, he stayed on the defensive, gradually losing ground.

Monferno then lunged right at Jolteon, striking him with his tail before being recalled. Jolteon tumbled over and was slow to get up, to Jason's concern. He wasn't the most durable pokemon around, relying on both speed and power to prevail over opponents. So two direct hits took its toll on him.

Jason wondered what move Monferno used. To be recalled would mean he would have to take the following action. Except something about that sudden recall seemed unusual.

"U-Turn!" he yelled. "Jolteon! Careful!"

Suddenly, the circle of stones at the dead center of the area practically exploded in dust, with Rhydon emerging. His entire body spun like a massive drill, taking aim at the staggered Jolteon.

"No!" Jason screamed.

Rhydon struck Jolteon head-on, sending him flying towards Jason and crashing right at his feet. He could not get back up.

The crowd erupted in cheers. It was an excellent maneuver by Alex to knock out Jason's ace.

"Jolteon is unable to battle!" the referee declared.

"No..." Jason knelt, recalling Jolteon. "Good job, bud. We will win this."

"Your best pokemon is done," Alex yelled from across the field. "It's over!"


"Jason allowed Alex to get the initiative!" Liz observed. "He played too defensively and paid the price. Alex knows how to keep the tempo going. The question is, can he keep it going the entire battle?"

Kristine glanced over to Liz. Jason may be behind, but he certainly didn't lose just yet. As Liz hinted, there was still an entire battle to be fought. She looked back towards Jason as he got up and prepared a second pokeball. Come on, bro.

"Return, Rhydon!" Alex conceded the next move to observe Jason's next pokemon.

"Hmm," Jason made a last-second decision to switch his next pick, returning the pokeball he had in his hand to his belt and pulling out a third pokeball.

"Let's go, Kirlia!" Jason summoned.

"Kirlia!" Kirlia greeted with grace.

"Be on your guard," Jason advised. He and Kirlia had worked on expanding her move pool on the road to PokeWorld. He was confident in her ability to handle whatever Alex was going to throw at her.

Alex had that smug smirk on his face, pulling out his next pokeball. "Destroy her, Sneasel!"

"Sneasel!" Sneasel crossed his arms, looking right at Kirlia as soon as he was brought out.

Jason thought about calling for Future Sight, but it would only be suitable for communicating with Kirlia telepathically. With Sneasel immune to psychic-type moves, Jason's options were limited. However, Sneasel was weak to fairy-type moves, and Jason wanted to take advantage of that. He didn't want to dance around with rotations; he wanted to fight Alex head-on.

"Kirlia, run at Sneasel and use Draining Kiss!" Jason commanded.

"Kirlia!" Kirlia charged at Sneasel, projecting a pink energy attack in the form of a kiss to fire from a distance.

"Dodge and use Quick Attack!" Alex yelled.

Kirlia blew a kiss, the magical projectile aiming right at Sneasel. He narrowly avoided Draining Kiss before darting towards Kirlia.

"Protect! Now!" Jason responded.

Kirlia shielded herself from Sneasel's incoming Quick Attack, causing the Sharp Claw Pokemon to bounce off the barrier.

"Draining Kiss again!" Jason followed up.

Kirlia fired off another attack, but Sneasel threw all of his might behind one punch covered in frost. His Ice Punch and Kirlia's Draining Kiss collided, resulting in an explosion of pink mist and ice shards. The spectators roared in cheers and applause.

Sneasel retreated behind the mist. Kirlia could only stand there and wait for his next move. This was where Jason regretted not having a stat-boosting move for Kirlia. Calm Mind would have been beneficial in this situation.

The mist soon cleared. Sneasel could be seen on the other side, sharpening his claws together.

Hone Claws, Jason observed. Alex took the time to get Sneasel powered up, while Jason did nothing. Jason was feeling Alex was getting the edge over him in this battle. The frustration began to kick in, but Jason realized that while he was much better than he was months ago, so was Alex. Perhaps Alex was the better trainer, Jason thought, but he noticed Alex fought without any sort of animation, making calls while stationary with little to no body language. This was just a process to him.

Jason knew that heart alone won't make him prevail in this match. Alex revealed his entire team, and Jason still had one ace up his sleeve, something he suspected Alex overlooked. There was still a chance to gain the initiative over Alex. For now, Jason kept Kirlia on the field. If anything, he wanted Alex to work all of his pokemon on the field to wear them down. That seemed to be working thus far, and it was the best Jason could do.

"Use Draining Kiss again!" Jason issued.

"Kirlia!" Kirlia charged at Sneasel once more.

"Quick Attack!" Alex commanded.

Sneasel charged at Kirlia, moving faster than Kirlia could project her attack. This forced Jason to act defensively. "Use Protect!"

"It's over!" Alex yelled. "Brick Break!"

Kirlia created a barrier to shield herself. However, Sneasel switched his attacks and jabbed at the barrier with an open fist. Kirlia's shield shattered, sending her tumbling back.

"Ice Punch!" Alex continued his assault.

Before Kirlia could regain her footing, Sneasel ran up to her, striking across her right cheek with Ice Punch. Kirlia fell over on her stomach.

"Kirlia!" Jason yelled. No, she can't go down right now!

Kirlia struggled to get up, defiant and wanting to prevail for Jason. However, Sneasel stood right over her. As she tried to spring into action, Sneasel lifted her up by grabbing her left arm.

Gasps were heard across the stadium. First, Sneasel prepared a devastating Ice Punch with his left fist. Then, he delivered a forceful attack right at the center of Kirlia's gut. It seemed as if all the air escaped Kirlia's lungs, and she blacked out from the pain delivered by the attack. Sneasel then let go, sending the helpless pokemon crashing onto the ground.

The majority of spectators were in shock. Even the referee was startled, her eyes glassy in empathy for Kirlia. But she had to rule the sequence in favor of Alex and Sneasel; the motive may be sinister, but nothing was illegal about what just happened.

"Kir-Kirlia is unable to battle," she quickly spouted. "Jason is down to one reserve."

Jason was devastated. Sneasel shot him a glare before turning around, with Alex recalling him. A strike against Kirlia in that fashion was a strike to him and all of his pokemon, a demonstration of complete disrespect. He recalled Kirlia. "I'm so sorry, Kirlia. We'll take it from here."


Kristine got up from her seat, feeling horrible for Kirlia. She had a particular attachment to her and hated seeing her go down like that.

Amanda had tears roll down her face. "Poor Kirlia. I wonder how Jason's going to react."

Bran's eyes widened. He remained silent, wondering how he would handle this situation. He'd be angered if any of his pokemon were taken out like that.

Liz suddenly shot right up. Then, with her fists tightened and her teeth clenched in complete anger, she walked towards the wall and leaned over, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Dammit, Jason! Stop screwing around and kick his ass already!"

Liz turned around to see Kristine, Amanda, and Bran looking right at her, all stunned.

"What?" Liz snapped. "Should I start throwing f-bombs too? Maybe that'll get the message across!"

"That wouldn't be necessary," Kristine calmly replied. "Jason knows the pressure. He believes he can still win this," she then began to softly mutter, "Defeat Alex. Or I will."


Jason primed his last pokeball, with Alex ready to respond appropriately.

"Your weakness rubs off on your pokemon," Alex spoke. "It's a shame. They could have been so much better under a competent trainer."

Jason ignored him. He needed to believe in himself, and that was all that mattered. Many would have given up at this point, but he was persistent. Perhaps Jason was stubborn on a legendary level, but he figured as long as there was a pokemon left, he still had a chance. Alex had to utilize all three of his pokemon to defeat Jolteon and Kirlia; surely that had to count for something when it came to stamina.

Jason kept the unknown in store for Alex. He zoned himself out from the sporadic chants of Magikarp; some of those chants were in mockery as others wanted some sort of epic comeback. Other goodhearted fans cheered for Jason, some in a standing ovation.

His last chance resided on the ace up his sleeve. He glanced down his last pokeball and held it tightly. "I'll be with you the whole time. I'm asking a lot out of you, but I believe in you. You can do this. We can do this. We will do this."

Jason faced Alex with fierce determination. "This is for Kirlia! Let's go, Riolu!"

Jason threw his last pokeball, bringing out Riolu. The Emanation Pokemon knew what was on the line, and he was ready for it. He viewed Kirlia not as a teammate but as a friend. Riolu sensed everything that had transpired and took the dirty move personally. He looked on with resolve, ready to take on Alex's team.

"At least it's not Magikarp," Alex smirked, pulling out a pokeball. "So you're not entirely stupid. End this battle, Rhydon!"

"Rhy!" Rhydon roared.

Jason knew the advantage belonged to him. He believed Riolu was more than capable of taking down Rhydon. Moreso, Riolu could take down Sneasel in one hit. As long as Jason played his cards right, he and Riolu could prevail.

"Riolu! Charge in and used Shadow Claw!" Jason issued.

"Rio!" Riolu ran at Rhydon, projecting a ghostly claw.

"Protect!" Alex responded.

Riolu's Shadow Claw swiped right against Rhydon's barrier.

"Stone Edge!" Alex followed up.

"Rhydon!" Rhydon stomped his feet.

"Dodge and use Brick Break!" Jason yelled.

Stone pillars shot out from the ground beneath Riolu. He grabbed hold of one of those pillars, using it to propel himself upwards, and lunged over Rhydon. Riolu began his descent right behind Rhydon, and before the Drill Pokemon could turn around, Riolu delivered Brick Break. The attack sent Rhydon, standing over six feet tall and weighing 260 pounds, sliding back a considerable distance.

"Yes!" Jason cheered for Riolu. "Keep at it, Riolu! You got this!"

Rhydon took a direct hit to his back but still stood firm.

"Turn around and Stone Edge!" Alex seemed annoyed. "Get him!"

"Rhy!" Rhydon turned around and stomped the field.

A circle of jagged stone pillars shot up beneath Riolu. He avoided the pillars by jumping, using one pillar to somersault right on top of another. He began jumping from stone to stone, trying to flank Rhydon.

"Mow it all down with Drill Run!" Alex crossed his arms.

Rhydon lunged at Riolu's position, using his entire body like a drill. He smashed through his own jagged pillars, trying to quickly take down Riolu.

Riolu made a massive leap to avoid being struck by Drill Run. He barely cleared the landing on his own two feet as the pillars came tumbling down. Rhydon ran at him, emerging from the dust, using Take Down. Alex wanted to keep Riolu suppressed and on the defensive. Riolu dove out of the way with no time to react, trying to recuperate for an offensive.


Yenela watched the situation unfold. She noticed Jason and Riolu's refusal to give up and their utter defiance to Alex and Rhydon.

"Everyone needs to see this," she grabbed her smart device and scrolled down her contact list. She contacted the Executive Producer of IPSN's flagship channel.

"You're gonna need to check this match out," she started off. After some confusion on the other end, she replied, "Yeah, the one in Entei Stadium going on right now. You have two interns commentating on the match. I don't care if you have no control over them! Look, you don't need to jump through hoops and reach all kinds of people. I'm saying have Tom introduce a segment of the Junior Circuit and have this battle as a backdrop. Worst case scenario is that you have a filler for a slow news day. Best case scenario, the backdrop becomes something significant, and you just aired the top play of the week on live television. A kid gets fame; you get ratings. Everybody wins."

After a long pause on the other end, Yenela finally heard a verdict. She smirked. "I'm glad you trust me. I'll give them the heads up."

Yenela disconnected the call and faced the two male interns, approaching them. They were in their box, headsets on and actively commentating on the match for their extranet viewers.

"Riolu is putting up a fight, but it might be too little, too late," stated one intern, slightly chubby and with short light brown hair.

"Jason is letting Alex do whatever he wants," observed the other intern, very lean and with black hair. "It's like he chained himself! Get loose, man!"

Yenela leaned in, spotting an opportunity as she saw it. "Break the chains."

The two interns, startled but not making any noise due to their hot mics, turned to face her. They were surprised, knowing who Yenela was.

"If and when the time is right, that is what you say. The credit all belongs to you." Yenela gave them a thumbs up and turned around. "Oh, and by the way, you're on live television. It's what you guys wanted, right?"

Yenela departed, leaving the two stunned interns to realize via their laptops that they were, in fact, streaming this battle through IPSN's flagship channel. While their stream was a mere backdrop, Tom narrating the outline and progression of the Junior Circuit, they knew they could be broadcasting for millions to see at a moment's notice.


Kristine watched on as Riolu dodged Rhydon's attacks, trying to regain the upper hand. She turned her head to see Jason standing in one spot. He was super confident, and there was a sense of pride he displayed. One might make a mistake in assuming that Jason was fully content with whatever the outcome may be. Kristine knew better, yet there was something unusual between Jason and Riolu. Neither looked nervous, and neither gave in. They were going to fight to the bitter end.

Then, something struck her nerve. Something beautiful was about to unfold, and she sensed it. It was something she couldn't describe, but instinct drove her to stand up and lean over the wall, arms folded.

"Huh?" Amanda looked at Kristine. "What's up?"

Bran and Liz shifted their eyes towards Kristine. She did not respond to Amanda, mesmerized by what was unfolding before her eyes.


Riolu jumped from another Stone Edge attack, using one of the pillars to leap high into the air. Rhydon smashed through the pillars with Drill Run, causing Riolu to redirect his landing. He stumbled and fell over just ten feet away from Jason. Rhydon was at a safe distance, giving Riolu space to launch a counterattack. He got back up, glancing at Jason.

"Riolu, you got this!" Jason smiled. "I'm so proud of you right now."

Jason's comment struck a positive chord in Riolu's heart.

"Now," Jason nodded, "We go all the way."

"Rio," Riolu nodded back with a smile. He turned to face Rhydon, charging at him and projecting Shadow Claw.

Jason and Riolu both swiped with their left hands at the same time. Jason realized what he just did as if instinct drove him to do that.

"Protect!" yelled Alex. He wasn't sure why Riolu was still hanging in there.

Shadow Claw was a ruse. Rhydon exposed himself.

"RIO!" Riolu lunged at Rhydon with Brick Break. He and Jason both threw their fists forward. Riolu shattered Rhydon's barrier, striking him right in the stomach with a critical hit. Both Riolu and Jason screamed in the heat of the moment, the powerful attack sending Rhydon flying across the field.

A bright white glow suddenly consumed Riolu. Alex, the referee, and anyone in the first row had to look away. Only Jason and Kristine remained unaffected, looking right into the light.


"Riolu's evolving!?" Amanda shielded her eyes.

Liz got up, intending to pull Kristine away. "Kristine! Look away, or you'll be seeing dark spots the next week or two!"

"I'm fine," Kristine calmly spoke.

Liz saw that Kristine was almost entirely zoned out. She retreated back to her seat.

"What in the world," Bran was taken back.

"We're seeing Jason's true strength," Liz looked on, just as stunned. "This is it. This is what I've wanted to see."


The glow began to fade. Lucario emerged, taking two steps towards the knocked-out Rhydon.

"Riolu..." Jason muttered. "No. Lucario..."

The 10,000 fans across Entei Stadium erupted in a standing ovation. Only a few could recall the last time something like this happened.

"Rhydon is unable to battle!" the referee declared after a brief delay. "Riolu is the victor. I mean, Lucario is the victor!"

Alex, dumbfounded, recalled Rhyhorn. Jason's defiance was sickening. Why. Why is he still fighting? What is driving him? No matter. Monferno can now take care of Lucario easily.


The two interns were silent as the evolution unfolded. A moment later, they found themselves broadcasting on live television. Tom led a short introduction of the match, allowing the two interns to broadcast to millions across Inventum.

"And we're live," the chubby intern started off, nerves attempting to take over. He took a deep breath and regained control of himself. Speaking clearly, he addressed the millions of more people that were tuning into the flagship channel. "We welcome those tuned into IPSN's flagship television channel. We're here at Entei Stadium inside PokeWorld with the Junior Circuit well underway. We are currently in the second round, with the final 16 trainers battling it out all day. I am Charles."

"And I'm Scott," the leaner intern introduced himself. He figured to act natural; in essence, nothing about his broadcast had changed. "We got a potential classic in the making in this match between Jason Kyar and Alex Secra. Jason is down to one reserve with Jolteon and Kirlia going down, but just a moment ago, Riolu evolved into Lucario and had just taken down Rhydon."

"I feel like I saw this somewhere years ago when I was just a kid," Charles added.

"Unova, if I'm not mistaken," Scott said. "Hold onto your hats, everyone. We'll see if Jason and Lucario can pull this off!"


"Win this, Monferno!" Alex brought his starting companion out.

Lucario stared Monferno down, poised to strike.

"Flame Wheel!" Alex yelled.

"Mon!" Monferno spun himself into a flaming wheel, rolling right at Lucario.

Lucario sidestepped just enough to avoid Flame Wheel.

"Lu!" Lucario shouted, his first word since his evolution. He began harnessing energy with his hands pulled back.

Jason made the same motion. It was like he was in sync with Lucario; Jason was aware that he was doing so, but he didn't resist it.

Aura Sphere, Jason knew what the move Lucario was using. All lucario knew the move; it was a staple among them. Lucario fired off the attack, striking Monferno so fast he didn't know what hit him.

Monferno tumbled out of Flame Wheel, crashing onto the floor before jumping back into action.

"Enough of this!" Alex screamed. "Close in with Mach Punch until you knock him out!"

"Monferno!" Monferno lunged at Lucario, rapidly striking at him with closed fists.

This was a cause of concern for Jason. Lucario gained the steel type, meaning he would be vulnerable to Monferno's fire and fighting-type attacks. He knew this was what Alex was riding on at this point. Alex needed to take down Lucario now or face a disaster.

Lucario dodged Monferno's attacks left and right, then suddenly stood still. Monferno quickly punched him right across the face. Many across the stadium wondered why Lucario stopped avoiding the attacks.

Both Jason and Lucario knew that they couldn't play defensively. They needed to take advantage of Alex's overaggression and counter with decisive strikes. Lucario took a super-effective hit because not only could he take a few more of those, he needed to power up Reversal.

Monferno attempted to land another Mach Punch. This time, Lucario sidestepped and struck Monferno with an open fist. Monferno fell on his knees before rolling over on his side, clearly knocked out.

"Monferno is unable to battle!" the referee declared. "Alex is down to one reserve!"

The crowd all stood up in cheers and chants. A miracle was unfolding, and they were all there to see it first hand. Many assumed it was all over for Alex. Sneasel was his last pokemon, and on paper, he was no match for Lucario.

Alex's hands trembled as he recalled Monferno. He could not believe what was going on. He noticed Jason and Lucario in sync and looking determined to win. Why is he so stubborn? He can't be this good. There's no way!

"Sneasel, you finish him right now or else!" Alex blatantly threatened, bringing out out his last reserve.

"Sneasel!" Sneasel hit the ground running after being brought out. He had a sense of purpose and urgency, going after Lucario with no fear of his profound weakness to fighting-type attacks.

"Quick Attack and Brick Break! Go!" Alex commanded.

Sneasel charged at Lucario, dashing in to strike at his opponent with Quick Attack.

Lucario crossed his arms to mitigate the attack. Sneasel ran right into him, but it felt like crashing into a steel wall. Somewhat dazed, Sneasel spun around, powering up Brick Break. If he could land the hit, he might have a chance to win this.

Lucario had other plans in mind. He matched Sneasel's Brick Break with his. A kinetic force ensued from the collision; Lucario held his ground while Sneasel tumbled three times over.

"Get back up, dammit!" Alex shouted.

Sneasel sprung into action and tried to strike Lucario with Ice Punch out of desperation. However, Lucario had already closed in on him. Sneasel overextended his freezing right arm, and Lucario simply grabbed it, gripping tightly.

"Snea..." Sneasel grunted. He looked down, realizing that Lucario was using his right hand to power Aura Sphere, right against his stomach.

Lucario leaned in next to Sneasel's more prominent ear. "Lu. Lucario," he softly spoke.

Sneasel looked at him in despair and regret before shifting his eyes to Jason on the far side of the field.

"For Kirlia," Jason muttered, staring right at Sneasel. This was for more than Kirlia, as Jason would admit. This was for the entire team. This was to solidify themselves as Inventum's upcoming elite. This was the most significant victory yet. But Jason already knew he and his team had much more to do to be the best out there.

Lucario fired a point-blank Aura Sphere at Sneasel's stomach. The resulting attack sent Sneasel flying high into the air before crashing down just a few feet shy of Alex's feet. He never tried to get up after that.


"Comeback complete!" Charles yelled. "He did it! He won the battle!"

"He was shackled most of the match until it mattered most!" Scott added before jumping out of his seat. "Break the chains, Jason and Lucario! Break the chains!"


"Yes!" Amanda jumped up.

"Oh my god," Bran laughed. "He actually did it!"

"That's going on IPSN," Liz added. She noticed Kristine was still leaning over the wall and got up to stand next to her.

"Hey," Kristine spoke.

"You back to reality yet?" Liz chuckled.

"Yeah," Kristine turned to face her. "Sorry. I felt something. Like their energy or whatever. It was weird."

"Don't be sorry," Liz patted her on the left shoulder. "I can't imagine being a twin to be easy all the time. Probably comes with weird side effects."

"Thanks, Liz," Kristine smiled.

"I try, I guess," Liz snickered. "You fight him tomorrow, you know."

Kristine turned back in Jason's direction. "Yeah. I know."


Alex stood there, devastated. This was his match to destroy Jason and force him to retire from being a trainer. Instead, he got eliminated in the second round of the Junior Circuit.

Jason snapped back to his own self. He realized he had complete control of his body and became overwhelmed by the sense of a hard-fought victory and the screaming fans throughout Entei Stadium. He gazed ahead to see Lucario looking right back at him. Jason approached his newly evolved companion. "Lucario," he softly spoke.

"Lu," Lucario took a few steps forward.

Jason was well more than a foot taller than Lucario. Lucario may have been just shy of four feet tall, but Jason thought the tenacity he displayed projected a much larger image. The two embraced each other.

Jason held onto Lucario tightly, tears starting to roll down his face. "You did amazing. I'm proud to have you come along with me in this crazy journey."

"Lucario," Lucario hugged Jason firmly.

Jason ignored the pain that ensued from Lucario's hug, between his cracked ribcage and Lucario being incredibly fit. Perhaps this was Lucario's way to show his appreciation.

Then, Lucario grabbed onto Jason's right hand, lifting it up for all the crowd to see.

"Lu!" Lucario howled.

Cheers, chants, foot-stomping, and a round of applause all ensued. Jason fed into the fans' energy.

"Yeah!" Jason screamed. "Let's go!"

The crowd roared thunderously. Jason knew he just made many new fans, but he was oblivious to the exact magnitude, thanks to IPSN.

Jason turned his head to the other side of the field to see that Alex had already recalled Sneasel and left. There was no sign of him whatsoever. Jason wondered what would happen in the future when he would bump into Alex again. There was no doubt this would change him forever, or so Jason thought. Maybe he's just gonna be full of hatred for the rest of his life.

Jason gazed at the crowd, shifting his eyes to the first row. Kristine, Liz, Amanda, and Bran all leaned over the wall to wave at him and Lucario. Jason and Kristine both locked eyes at one another and exchanged a single nod. In less than 24 hours, they would go up against each other. If Jason thought he had to work for this victory, he knew he would have to work even harder to beat Kristine.

Kristine knew she had her work cut out. Jason was coming for her, and he was going to find some key takeaways from his battle against Alex. That meant Jason was going to be stronger tomorrow than at present. Where Alex hit a ceiling, Jason had none, and he knew it. That meant Kristine had to keep working to be the best trainer out there like there were no limitations.

But, for now, it was time to rest. Jason was thinking of a nice long trip down Canon Camesi's lazy river on a tube; that sounded really good right about now. Jolteon, Lucario, and especially Kirlia needed a checkup in the pokemon center as well. It was time to focus on recuperating and then would come the battle between twins.