Dedicated to the life and memory of Technoblade. Rest in peace, Alex.
"Ugh… Come on, dad, what are we still doing here?"
Peony finished the bite he had just taken of his malasada before attempting to answer his daughter. "What? A guy's not allowed to sit down and enjoy a pastime meal?"
A disgruntled Nia shook her head. "We could've gotten something to eat anywhere else in Wyndon," she groaned, "why did it have to be the food court of this big dumb stadium?"
"Aww, come on, Nia," Peony pleaded lightheartedly.
Nia crossed her arms and let out a loud and exaggerated sigh. "You know, when I agreed to come with you to watch you in the tournament today, I didn't think it'd mean seeing you lose in the first round and spending the rest of the day loitering around here doing nothing." She groaned again. "Seriously, why are we even still here?"
"H-hey, now, life's not all just about winning battles and taking names, you know!" Peony defended - the sound of his daughter's disappointment was enough to nearly make him crumble. "It's also about seeing all the amazing sights, making new friends, and stopping to reunite with old ones along the way!" He gestured with arm to the occupied seat to his right as his eye contact remained fixed towards Nia to his left.
Another groan. "Well, whatever," Nia answered back as she hopped up from her seat onto the polished-white tile of the food court floor. "I need to get up and do some 'living'. If we're going off your description, I'm definitely not doing any of that sitting around here with you two old geezers."
"Nia, come on now," Peony pleaded softly.
"I'll be out looking for new clothes," Nia interjected, belligerently ignoring her father's plea as she began to walk away. "Text me when you're finally ready to go home."
"W-wait! Nia!" Peony rose from his seat and called after his daughter in vain before finally conceding and reluctantly allowing her to leave. With a heavy sigh, he turned to his company to his right and managed a faint smirk. "Sorry you had to see that, ol' bloke."
Avery sat with a somewhat uncomfortable expression on his face as he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his white dress shirt, still trying to come to terms that someone had called him an old geezer at the age of twenty-six. "Is she always that pleasant?" he asked sarcastically in a gruff tone as he dragged a hand backwards through his short black hair.
Peony chuckled. "Ah, don't mind her. She's at that age now where she's looking to be more independent, I guess…" He paused briefly, smiling in reflective silence. "She'll always be my darlin' Nia, though, and I know she'll always love her old pops in her own way."
"You have the patience of a saint, Peony, truly," Avery commended following a sip of coffee.
Upon receiving Peony's invitation to join him for a quick meal at the stadium food court, Avery was a tad apprehensive at first; being the manager to the champion of Galar meant long hours at work, after all, and he was ready to put the hustle and bustle of Wyndon behind him for the evening. However, the food court had cleared out quite substantially in the wake of the tournament finale, making the area much less noisy, hectic, and crowded as a result. This, coupled with the fact that Peony was an old friend, was enough to make Avery concede to the former-Champion's invitation, reluctant as he may have been.
"Thanks again for coming with me to grab a bite," Peony said with a grin. "I know you're not the most social bloke, so it really means a lot that you're willing to keep me company. I didn't wanna leave today without at least seeing how everything wrapped up, you know?"
Avery shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal, no need to make a song and dance out of it." He took another sip of his coffee. "Surprised you didn't reserve a seat for Kabu, though" he remarked curiously. "He have some strict work-out regimen to commit to, or something?"
"Ha! No, not this time," Peony laughed. "Nah, he left early to go to a family cookout at Melony's."
Avery smirked. "Huh… I thought I noticed those two acting kinda funny with each other during your guys' match this morning."
"If you thought that was something, you should've seen how they were around one another before the match," Peony chuckled. "I can't say for certain exactly what, but something is definitely going on between those two!"
"Oh, definitely," Avery agreed nonchalantly.
Peony raised a brow. "You don't seem too curious about it."
"It's not my place to pry," Avery replied bluntly. "Whatever someone else does on their personal time is none of my business."
"You always were pretty respectful of everyone else's privacy," Peony chuckled. "I've always respected that about you! In a place like Galar, where everyone's private lives are turned into their own soap operas by rabid paparazzi, that kind of trait is pretty hard to come by."
"What can I say, we're raised differently where I'm from," Avery answered. "Least that's how it was… couldn't tell you what it must be like out there now."
Peony's eyes drifted back towards his plate as he poked at the large malasada that sat there. "Been awhile since you've been out that way, huh?" he asked. "How long's it been since you've talked to any of your old pals from there?"
"I'd really rather not get into that right now," Avery replied as he anxiously shook his coffee cup in small circular motions.
"Right, okay… Sorry," Peony quickly relented, noticing Avery's discomfort. "For whatever it's worth, though, I'm sure they miss you. I mean, the way they looked up to you and all-"
"Your malasada's gonna get cold, old man," Avery said bluntly in a low tone, dodging Peony's statement altogether.
"Yeah," Peony finally conceded before taking his pastry into both of his hands for another bite. As he placed it back onto the plate, he flipped a switch in his disposition and smiled brightly. "Alrighty then, let's talk about something else!" he insisted. "Tell me, how's Incineroar doing?"
Avery stilled his anxious hand and placed his coffee on the table. "Well enough, after all this time," he answered, leaning back into his seat. "Though he's pretty irked at me that I didn't enter in today's tournament myself."
"He does remember that you've retired from battling, don't they?" Peony chuckled. "What gave him the idea that could've even happened to begin with?"
"Oh, I brought him into a match against Marcus awhile back," Avery sighed. "It must've refreshed his taste for battle, because now he won't leave me alone about bringing him out for another one."
Peony's eyes went wide as he almost choked on a bite of his malasada. "W-wait, hold on a minute!" he coughed. "You actually agreed to a battle with the chief!?"
"Hey, hey, not so loud, you buffoon!" Avery hushed in a gravelly tone as he looked nervously from left to right over both of his shoulders.
"What… How, I… I could've sworn you said you'd hung up the towel for good!" Peony exclaimed, softer than before. "How in the world did the chief convince you to pick it back up again!?"
"Will you relax?" Avery interjected. "I didn't pick up anything, it's not like that. I just…" He let out a long sigh. "Look, the kid was havin' a rough day, and I just thought a decent battle might help him get his feet back on the ground, alright? That's all there is to it, really."
Peony stared at Avery, his mouth agape in awe. "I can hardly believe what I'm hearing! The chief actually got you to hit the pitch again!"
"Hey, were you listening at all!?" Avery snapped. "I'm not getting back into battling, alright? That was a one-time deal."
"I bet it was the most ultra-mega action-packed battle of all time!" Peony beamed, ignoring Avery's defense. "You've just gotta tell me all about it! How'd you fair against the chief?"
"It really wasn't that big of a deal," Avery insisted. "I was rusty, and the kid was kinda off his game, there really isn't much to say."
Peony grinned. "There you go being modest again," he observed aloud. "You can say that a battle like that isn't a big deal, but I know the both of you better than that. I've battled the both of you several times each now, and, well, they just don't make trainers like you guys-"
"I'm not a trainer," Avery interjected firmly. "Not anymore."
"That so?" Peony continued. "At least tell me this much then; how'd it feel?"
A subtle look of honest lucidity fell over Avery's expression as he pondered this question for a moment before sighing softly. "You tell anyone I said what I'm about to say, I'll deny it," he began unequivocally as he lifted his cup and began shaking it in small circles again, feeling its liquid contents stirring within. "I'll never go back to battling the way I used to… not in front of all those people, not for all those stakes, not anymore. I've put that part of my life behind me, I had to." He paused in both motion and word. "That battle with the kid, though, it was something else… honestly, I couldn't remember the last time I felt that way."
"I knew it!" Peony exclaimed, nearly bouncing in his seat from excitement. "You do still have that fire in you! And leave it to the chief to be the one to bring it back out of you! That kid really is something else… reminds me a lot of how you were when we first met, Avery!"
Avery chortled under his breath, shaking his head from side to side.
"-my pleasure to introduce to you once again; Team Punkblade!"
In the break of the conversation, the stadium commentator's words and the audience's cheering rang clear as day to Avery and Peony despite being muffled by the many layers of concrete and steel that separated the arena from the food court.
Avery watched a large monitor behind the nearby malasada kiosk as it displayed Marcus and Marnie's procession towards the pitch.
He couldn't help but smile.
"You're wrong, Peony," he finally stated. "Marcus isn't anything like how I was… kid's got smarts, he's got heart, and most importantly, he's got courage." His smile began to hint at an iota of pride as he watched the young champion make his way to center field. "He's already bigger than I ever was, and he's only gonna keep growing."
"You're right about the chief, but you're still selling yourself short," Peony chuckled. "I'm still holding on to hope that the Moon will shine again. And when it does, I'm hoping for a rematch against an old rival."
Avery laughed a low gruff laugh behind a grin and beaming silver eyes, to Peony's surprise - it was rare that Avery emoted this genuinely and this comfortably in front of anyone. "Keep dreaming, old man."
. . .
"Zacian and Grimmsnarl," Leon noted aloud. "It's going just like you planned, Hop.
Hop grinned. "What'd I tell you? I know Marcus better than anyone," he gloated. "I knew that he'd feel pressured to lead with Zacian if I led with Zamazenta, I just knew it!"
"The fact that Marnie led with her hardest hitter too is certainly an added bonus as well," Leon added. "We have the opportunity to knock their two strongest Pokemon out of the running right off the bat. Let's do well to make the most of it and pave the way for the rest of our roster to clean house!"
"Just like we planned, then?" Hop asked.
Leon nodded. "Just like we planned."
"This is probably how they were hopin' the start o' the match would look," Marnie surmised from the opposing side of the pitch. "Ya know that, yeah?"
"I do," Marcus answered from beside her.
"N' you know that this is probably a trap, yeah?" Marnie continued.
Marcus nodded. "Yup."
"Cool. Long as we're clear on that." Marnie placed her right index finger to the temple of her head. "Question now is what's it gonna look like?"
"Well, they could try separating us by pitting Zacian and Zamazenta against one another," Marcus thought aloud. "Or they could make us think that's what they're gonna do, but then they mix and match their attacks and targets."
"Or they could do both," Marnie added.
"Or they could do both," Marcus echoed with a nod.
"Game plan?" she asked.
"We've gotta take the offensive," he replied. "Zacian and Grimmsnarl weren't trained in defense, so we need to hit hard and fast before Zamazenta and Aegislash even have a chance."
"Alright!" Hop shouted from across the pitch as he slammed his clenched right fist into his left palm. "Ready or not, mate, here we come! Zamazenta, use Behemoth Bash on Grimmsnarl!"
Zamazenta's eyes began glowing like golden flames, their entire body radiating with a bright crimson aura. With a mighty roar, the armored crest that plated the front of the great beast snapped forward on either side, creating a massive shield. One final determined snarl, and Zamazenta shot forward, streaking bright red across the pitch as a star in the black of a night sky.
"So much for leadin' the offensive!" Marnie shouted with urgency.
"Then we'll get defensive with our offensive," Marcus replied, laser-focused on the incoming attack. "Intercept with Behemoth Blade, Zacian!"
A shining sky-blue energy erupted from the colossal sword, spreading across the rest of Zacian's body as they raised its head upward with a low growl. This energy dispersed around Zacian like the wind of a tempest, blowing in all directions around the fabled beast in all directions as the blade seemed to charge itself to the height of its true power. Finally, Zacian brought its head down, repositioning their front legs so that it stood with a lower stance. Pressing with the full weight of their feet against the surface of the pitch, the bladed beast sprung forward, lunging at the midway between Grimmsnarl and Zamazenta to meet the Warrior Pokemon's incoming attack.
The great blade and gargantuan shield collided at center field with the resonant clanging of ancient fabled metal and a staggering burst of kinetic energy, the resulting shockwave kicking up enough of the loose soil into the air and giving this fierce first contact the look and feel of a large explosion.
Marcus and Marnie both raised an arm over their faces to shield themselves from the maelstrom of projectile debris. Simultaneously, they leaned forward, planting their feet firmly on the ground in an effort to resist the force of the shockwave from Zacian and Zamazenta's collision.
Marnie couldn't help but feel in awe of this display of power as she faced her head away from the buffeting coarse dirt. This is what a battle between two legendary Pokemon is like!? Her thoughts echoed in her mind with silent intensity - she'd never been so close to such a daunting showdown before, and now she was right in the middle of one. This is nuts!
"Marn, look alive!" Marcus shouted over the roaring gale. "Now's your chance to get Grimmsnarl ready to go!"
It was all Marcus needed to say for Marnie to snap back into the moment and take notice of the opportunity her partner was referring to. The looming cloud of dust in dirt that lingered in the air was dense and thick, a veil completely obscuring one side of the field from the other. She smirked - whether this was a coincidental byproduct of the massive attack or an intentional play on Marcus' part inspired by her own suggestion just prior to the match was unclear, but it made no difference to her. All that mattered was that Grimmsnarl could now make his first move without contest.
"Offense as a defense," Marnie said aloud with a grin. "I like the way you think! Grimmsnarl, quick, Bulk Up!"
Grimmsnarl clenched his fists and bent his elbows before bringing them back, pumping and tensing the muscle-like hair that coated his arms and torso.
"Ack-pfpt! I can't see a thing!" Hop exclaimed as he spit the dirt that had gotten onto his tongue out of his mouth. "What happened? Did Zamazenta-"
"Look!" Leon interjected as he pointed forward.
Slowly, the dust began to settle from the air, and while visibility of the further side of the pitch was still obscured, the scene at center field became clear.
Zacian had intercepted the brunt of Zamazenta's attack, striking at the shielded armor on their chest with the giant blade. Both Warrior Pokemon now stood fixed in a deadlock, each with their feet firm against the ground and their weapons grinding against one another as they pressed forward into one another with all their might.
"An unstoppable force meets an immovable object!" the commentator cheered over the stadium loudspeaker. "Zacian and Zamazenta have collided with all their might at midfield, and neither one of them appears to be giving an inch!"
"Hold steady, Zamazenta, just like that!" Hop shouted.
"Now's our chance, Aegislash!" Leon called forth. "Now use Shadow Ball on Zacian!"
A bone chilling sensation emanated across the field with Aegislash at his center as the Royal Sword Pokemon unsheathed himself from the safety of his shield and shrouded himself in a dark energy. The energy began concentrating into a large sphere in front of his body as he extended his cloth-like arms in front of himself. The ghostly orb grew to be nearly the size of Aegislash's entire being before condensing into a smaller and denser sphere that hummed with a haunting howl.
The dust had settled just enough for the forming Shadow Ball to be visible from Marcus and Marnie's end of the pitch.
"That's a nasty lookin' Shadow Ball," Marnie commented aloud.
"Let it loose, Aegislash!" Leon commanded.
Aegislash floated slightly backwards before proceeding to rotate his entire body upside down counterclockwise until he was nearly parallel to the ground. From there, the Royal Sword Pokemon wound himself back and swung forward, striking the condensed Shadow Ball with the flat side of the bladed edge of himself like a tennis ball and sending it howling across the pitch with the speed of a bullet.
Marnie watched anxiously as the Shadow Ball began to close the gap between itself and Zacian, who was unable to move due to its ongoing stalemate with Zamazenta. "Marcus…"
"Don't worry, I've got it," Marcus replied with calm focus. "Zacian, get out of there! Play Rough!"
In the midst of their struggle for dominance, Zacian allowed themself to ease up on the force they were applying slightly, allowing Zamazenta to begin gaining ground. Right as the shielded Pokemon began to move forward, however, Zacian lunged inward and slammed their armored forehead straight into Zamazenta's, using the crimson beast's newfound momentum against themself. The surprise attack caused Zamazenta to stagger backwards just far enough and just long enough for Zacian to safely hop backwards, narrowly avoiding contact with the oncoming Shadow Ball.
Shadow Ball struck the ground mere feet away, exploding with enough force to kick up another veil of dirt and dust.
"And a vicious Shadow Ball misses its mark thanks to some quick thinking from Marcus!" the commentator chimed over the audience, whose excitement was already at a new peak for the day from their awe at the opening sequence of this match.
Vicious is right, Marcus thought to himself. We definitely don't want one of those making contact.
"Don't let up, Aegislash!" Leon yelled. "Use Shadow Ball repeatedly!"
Aegislash began generating and volleying Shadow Balls one after the other, all aimed towards Zacian.
Marcus clenched his jaw. "Heads up, Zacian! Get outta the way!"
Zacian made quick note of each Shadow Ball as they launched forward before beginning to bob and weave back and forth, left and right, nimbly avoiding each and every ghostly projectile with agility and grace.
Each Shadow Ball sailed past Zacian, detonating on impact and kicking up plumes of dust and dirt until another curtain of debris cascaded over the field, leaving visibility next to none.
"That Leon…" Marcus murmured, making visible note of the funnel of dirt that spiraled across the pitch before turning to Marnie. "I'm suddenly starting to think that Zacian was never his intended target."
Marnie nodded in agreement. "Then we're on the same wavelength." She cupped her hands around her mouth and looked out towards the pitch. "Look alive out there, you guys!"
Grimmsnarl let out a fierce roar as he planted his feet and took a firm defensive stance, awaiting the imminent attack.
Zacian clenched their fangs around the hilt of their colossal sword, eyes darting back and forth in all directions as they searched for any sign of enemy movement through the thick veil of smoke and dust.
"I hope you got a lock on Grimmsnarl's location before that barrage attack, Hop," Leon said, his voice determined and focused.
"No worries, Lee, Zamazenta and I are on top of it!" Hop replied with a smirk. "Zamazenta! Dash through the dust and use Behemoth Bash on Grimmsnarl!"
Zamazenta's eyes began to glow as they seemed to lock on to a target through the curtain of dirt in front of them. The armored crest on their chest snapped back into a shield shape as crimson energy began brightly radiating off of their body.
The veil of dust parted suddenly before Grimmsnarl as the momentum of Zamazenta's rapid head-first approach pierced through it with the might of a harpoon. Zamazenta had managed to slip past Zacian undetected amid the airborne debris, and was now nearly upon Grimmsnarl, who had nowhere to run and no time to get out of the way.
Marnie grit her teeth, her fight or flight response kicking in. "Dig in n' grab hold of Zamazenta, Grimmsnarl!"
Grimmsnarl dug his toes into the soil and faced his titanic assailant with fearless mettle, gripping Zamazenta's shield plating with all of his might as the crimson Warrior Pokemon slammed into him with the force of a freight train.
Marnie clenched both fists as she watched the scene play out with bated breath, unaware of her own bruxism brought about by the stress of this situation; the battle had only just begun, but the stakes hadn't felt higher at any other point in the day than they did in this moment.
"Zacian, assist!" Marcus called forth quickly. "Fall back towards Grimmsnarl and lend him a hand"
Zacian made a quick turn-around and bolted towards Grimmsnarl's location, gripping tightly at the hilt of its sword with their teeth. The large blade parted the floating debris to their side as it ran forward, cleaving through the dirt and dust like a knife through butter.
Meanwhile, Grimmsnarl continued to grip hard at Zamazenta, who continued to push forward with all of its might in an attempt to overwhelm the Bulk Up Pokemon with its sheer size and power. Remarkably, however, Grimmsnarl held strong - with a series of strained grunts, he curled his feet and rooted himself to the ground, pushing back against Zamazenta with every ounce of strength and resolve he could muster. And to everyone's shock and amazement, with the balls of his feet grinding against the ground, Grimmsnarl's efforts began to yield impressive results as the legendary beast began to lose momentum until he was brought to a nearly complete halt.
"Unbelievable! Despite being at a severe type-disadvantage, Grimmsnarl still managed to not only hold strong against Zamazenta's Behemoth Bash, but boldly challenged it head-on and succeeded in bringing the great Warrior Pokemon to a standstill!"
"Heck yeah! That's how it's done, Grimmsnarl!" Marnie shouted in an uncharacteristic and unabashed bout of competitive excitement; she and Grimmsnarl had just challenged a legendary Pokemon to a contest of raw strength and won.
Hop's gaping mouth looked as if it could drop to the ground at any moment out of sheer astonishment. "What the- how in the world did Grimmsnarl do that!?"
"That Grimmsnarl really is something else!" Leon commented before gently slapping his own cheek to snap himself out of an equally astonished state.
Marcus grinned in disbelief and shook his head. "Marnie, you are just too much." He turned his attention to Zacian, who continued its rapid approach towards Grimmsnarl and Zamazenta. "Zacian, use Sacred Sword on Zamazenta!"
The blade within Zamazenta's teeth began beaming with a shining white light as the cobalt beast continued its rush towards Zamazenta's back. With a great leap forward, Zacian's attack looked as if it were all but inevitable.
"You might've managed to stop Zamazenta's Behemoth Bash, but he's far from helpless!" Hop exclaimed with a confident smirk. "Zamazenta, break away using Close Combat!"
Zamazenta was quick to react to Hop's command. Taking notice of Zacian's incoming attack, the red beast shifted all of their weight on their front two legs before lifting their hind legs into the air, springing backwards, and kicking Zacian as hard as possible. From there, Zamazenta took advantage of the shift in their own weight by diverting all of it to their hind legs as they returned to the ground before lunging forward headfirst into Grimmsnarl's chest.
Zacian narrowly had time to tilt their body sideways, ensuring that the gold armor that plated their front legs took the brunt of Zamazenta's attack - a strong kick from the hind legs. From there, the cobalt warrior tumbled backwards through the air, rolling across the ground a few times before they managed to plant their feet back on the ground and bring themself to a halt.
Grimmsnarl, however, was not so fortunate. Having been caught off guard by Zamazenta's counterattack against Zacian made him vulnerable to the sudden attack it then proceeded to unleash upon him. Grimmsnarl keeled forward in pain, allowing Zamazenta the opportunity to get in a few more strikes; one with its left paw and another with its head, the latter of which sent him flying backwards uncontrollably. The Bulk-Up Pokemon landed flat on his back - not out of the running, but down and struggling.
"Ah- what!?" Marnie exclaimed in confusion.
Marcus couldn't help but chortle to himself softly, noticing the parallels between Hop's play and the one Marcus had made only just prior. So… Hop used Copycat…
"Nice one, Hop!" Leon praised with a grin. "It really paid off training Zamazenta to learn Close Combat, that was really well executed!"
"That move was brought to you in-part by Champion Marcus; not my most original play, but still super-effective," Hop replied with a coy grin as he met eyes with Marcus from across the field. "You wanted an opening for your secret weapon, Lee, now's as good a chance as any. Zamazenta and I will keep Marcus and Zacian busy, so you and Aegislash do your thing."
Leon nodded. "Right. Aegislash! Time to show everyone your full power! Use Steel Beam on Grimmsnarl!"
A silver coloured aura began slowly building around Aegislash - subtle like a resonant light at first, but eventually growing into a wild energy that surged violently like an electric current in a thunderstorm.
"Look out, folks! Leon's Aegislash looks like he's about to demonstrate the awesome and dangerous power of Steel Beam! And it seems Grimmsnarl might be the unwilling volunteer to showcase its might!"
"Not good," Marcus warned Marnie in a foreboding tone. "If that lands, Grimmsnarl's finished!"
Marnie grimaced at the thought. "Get up, Grimmsnarl! Ya gotta get outta the way!"
Grimmsnarl mustered every ounce of resolve he could to try to get back up and onto his feet, but the struggle to do so was evident; Zamazenta's Close Combat attack had left him injured, winded, and slow to move.
Noticing this, Marcus sought to take Swift action. "Don't let Aegislash's attack go off, Zacian!" he shouted. "Use Crunch!"
Zacian wasted no time in making a rapid dash towards Aegislash, who remained fixed as they continued charging their attack at the opposite end of the pitch.
"Oh no, you don't!" Hop called out. "Zamazenta, don't let Zacian get any closer! Use Close Combat!"
As Zacian nearly finished closing the gap between themself and Aegislash, they were suddenly intercepted by the full weight of Zamazenta's body slamming into them. Zacian barrel rolled to the side before landing upright on their feet, allowing them the posture to use their fast reflexes and narrowly avoid the slew of Zamazenta's following attacks. Ducking and dodging, Zacian managed to continue to avoid each and every one of Zamazenta's kicks and paw swipes. However, regardless how hard they tried to break away towards Aegislash, they remained unable to do so.
Marcus felt his jaw tense, feeling as if he and Marnie both were backed into a corner. We're not making any ground like this…
"Close in, Zamazenta!" Hop cheered. "Let 'em have it!"
Zamazenta sought to keep the pressure on their sibling Warrior Pokemon with a head-first aerial lunge, making effective use of the armor around their torso.
Marcus saw this as his opening. "Parry it, Zacian, and use Sacred Sword!"
Zacian didn't hesitate to act; with a sudden lurch forward, they smacked Zamazenta square in the face with the broad side of their sword, stopping the oncoming attack in its tracks
Zamazenta felt the wind forced out of their lungs as they recoiled back some with a grunt, face scrunched in response to the unexpected parry. They barely even had enough time to re-engage their focus onto the ongoing skirmish when they were sent airborne by an upward sword strike to the lower torso.
Zacian delivered their Sacred Sword attack with a focus on stopping power as opposed to the lethality one would expect. Aiming for the lower pointed crest of Zamazenta's armor with the tip of their blade, Zacian used a broad swing to strike their crimson sibling with enough force to throw them into the air. With Zamazenta now out of the way, Zacian returned to their dash towards Aegislash.
Zamazenta could only roll across the ground to a stop as they fell from the air - all the damage they'd sustained aside, the shock that came from this unforeseen attack left them unprepared to have to rebound properly.
"That's it, Zacian!" Marcus yelled. "Now use Crunch!"
Fueled by the applause of the roaring crowd around them and by their success in their bout against Zamazenta, Zacian charged forward with ferocious determination to strike at Aegislash before Steel Beam could finish charging.
"There you are, just like we planned," Leon murmured to himself with a grin. "Aegislash, change targets! Let Steel Beam loose on Zacian!"
As Aegislash's impending attack reached the fringe of full power, the Royal Sword Pokemon turned his sights from Grimmsnarl to Zacian. The aura around Aegislash flickered once more like a haunting silver flame before he raised his cloth-like arms to the sides and unleashed the full power of Steel Beam towards Zacian, the slate ray of energy screaming like screeching metal as it soared across the field like a harpoon.
"No, wait!" Marcus exclaimed. "Zacian! Get out of the way!"
Regrettably for Zacian, the revelation regarding Steel Beam's trajectory came too late. The assault erupted forward far too quickly for the fabled beast to avoid, consuming them within a ray of shining gray light that sent them rocketing backwards off of the side of the pitch before yielding a massive explosion from the collision. Thick smoke and burned soil smoldered in the air above the impact site.
"Zacian!" Marcus cried out.
"Direct hit with Steel Beam!" The commentator shouted over the growing bustle of the stadium ambience. "Aegislash shifts his focus, taking his sights away from Grimmsnarl and instead onto Zacian! What has become of the legendary warrior!?"
Grimmsnarl finally managed to take to his feet, planting a hand firmly on his right leg as he tried to establish a better sense of equilibrium. He panted and winced from the pain as he glared at Zamazenta from across the pitch; the first chance he had, he intended to pay them back in full.
The comfort of seeing Grimmsnarl back up on his feet allowed Marnie to shift her worry towards Marcus and Zacian. "Zacian was the target all along," Marnie deduced. "Aimin' at Grimmsnarl with that attack was a ploy, n' we fell for it."
Marcus scowled at himself for allowing himself to be so easily misled by his opponents. "Leon would've definitely gone through with that attack on Grimmsnarl if it better suited the situation… but I think you're right," he concluded in agreement. "I bet they're strategy was always to get Zacian out of the running right from the get-go."
"Did it work?" Hop asked.
Leon dared not take his eyes off the pitch. "I hope so," he replied. "After that Steel Beam, I'm not sure how much longer Aegislash will last out there."
Everyone on the field collectively clenched their fists in unrest and anticipation for the verdict of Zacian's status as the dust began to settle.
"I can hardly believe it, folks! Even after taking the hit from such a devastating Steel Beam at such a close range, Zacian is still up and raring to go!"
Sure enough, despite having sustained noticeable injury, Zacian stood strong, their vague silhouette forming back into their cobalt, pink, and gold self as the cascade of smoke and debris settled around them. A variety of different wounds were visible across their body among sections of singed and burnt fur, and exhaustion began to take form through a subtle panting behind the clenched teeth that held the colossal blade in their mouth. And yet, they stood proud and unwavering, their eyes fierce and resolute as they did all they could to deny any and all weakness.
Marcus perked up at the sight, smiling gleefully. "Yes! Way to go, Zacian!"
"Would you look at that?" Leon smirked. "Legendary Pokemon sure are made of some tough stuff!"
"Folks, as intense as the opening battle of this match has turned out to be this far, each Pokemon on the field has sustained substantial damage, begging the question; which Pokemon will be the last ones standing!?"
Marcus' smile faded, realizing the severity of Zacian's injuries. "Zacian can't take much more," he stated. "They'd never let themselves show it, but they're at the end of their rope here, I can tell."
Marnie nodded in concerned agreement. "Grimmsnarl's runnin' outta steam, too," she added. "This ain't workin', Marcus… No matter what we throw at those two, they always seem to have somethin' up their sleeves to counter it."
"Yeah," Marcus concurred. "They're coordination is second to none… They've obviously given a lot of thought on how to get our two power players off the field as quick as possible…"
His eyes broadened suddenly as an idea clicked in his mind, giving way to a confident grin.
Marnie looked at him quizzically. "What is it, Marcus?"
"Zacian, return!" Marcus shouted as he quickly extended the purple Master Ball forward and recalled the legendary warrior with a beam of white light.
Hop and Leon were taken visibly off guard by this. "Wait, huh? Return?" the younger brother questioned aloud.
"And right in the midst of some legendary combat, Marcus withdraws Zacian from the field! What could the Champion be up to?"
"Yeah, Marcus, what are you up to?" Marnie asked, echoing the commentator.
Marcus placed the Master Ball back into his pocket and substituted it for a normal red Pokeball. "Those two have been one step ahead since before the very first attack," he began. "They've known exactly what to expect from us, and have even adapted our strategies for themselves in real time." His eyes turned to the ball in his hand. "I say it's about time we give them something they'd never see coming."
"Wait, you mean that strat? Already?" Marnie raised a brow. "I thought we were savin'' that for Charizard."
"Desperate times," Marcus quickly replied with a casual shrug.
Marnie nodded softly. "Yeah, guess you're right… Should I switch out Grimmsnarl, then?"
Marcus shook his head. "No, we're gonna need his muscle to bring down Zamazenta."
"Well, his last bout with them's got him pretty winded," she answered in a concerned tone. "If we're gonna do this, we gotta do it quick."
"Don't worry, we will," Marcus grinned with brimming confidence as he glanced at the Pokeball. "Celebrity flare in a flash has always been his specialty." With this, he gave a light kiss to the crimson cap of the Pokeball in his hand. "Showtime, champ."
Leon and Hop's eyes widened at this gesture - it was all the telegraph they needed to know who Marcus was about to call forth.
"So, he's up next, huh?" Hop pondered aloud.
Leon nodded. "Stay on guard, Hop."
With a broadening smile, Marcus loosed the Pokeball forward like a baseball. The red and white orb sailed through the air swiftly before bursting open at the hatch with an ivory flash.
AN: It's been a long while.
A lot has happened in my absence, a lot of highs and a lot of lows. But deep down, I was always bound to come back eventually. I've never been one to leave something unfinished, and this series remains near and dear to my heart, so of course it is no exception.
I'd like to apologize to anyone whose been eagerly awaiting more content, or anyone who may have been left awaiting a reply to a PM. While I try to do good by acknowledging messages, and while I'd like to be able to work and commit to a regular upload schedule like I've been able to in the past, the truth is that there's just been too much going on for me to keep up with everything at once. I'm preparing for my wedding with the love of my life. I'm working every day to rise the ranks at work to be able to sustain myself financially. I'm dealing with chronic health issues (nothing deadly, but still not fun). All of this, as well as a myriad of other artistic pursuits, all happening in tandem with one another and fighting for creative priority among my one-tracked mind.
Yet many things have been happening lately that have made the call to return to this series an increasingly difficult one to ignore. The Pokemon anime as we know it is approaching a climax nearly three decades in the making, the hype for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is building, there's just a lot of excitement for the future of the franchise right now, and I'm definitely feeling myself gradually becoming more engaged with it all. An impressive task to accomplish, considering how immersed I've been in Elden Ring these past few months...
Beyond this though, a more personal matter. Anyone reading this who is even remotely familiar with YouTube's Minecraft community is probably aware of the gargantuan loss experienced this past weekend with the passing of Technoblade. It may seem a slight odd, bringing this matter up at the tail end of a Pokemon fan fiction, but Technoblade and his content have been an overwhelming influence of positivity and joy for me during some of the hardest times of the past few years of my life. Long time followers of my works on this platform may have even noticed that the character Marcus himself is based in part off of Technoblade. I never knew him personally, nor do I believe he would have ever had any conscious reason to log into or and browse the catalogue of my punkblade shipping fics. But Technoblade's ability to overcome his anxiety and become a legend inspires me on the daily to continue working past my own anxieties and my own health concerns. To make for myself the best life I possibly can and maintain a headstrong and positive attitude, no matter how bleak things may look, and no matter how much I might try to psych myself out. To be more like him. To be more like Marcus.
And while I've a number of reasons as to why I'd like to see this story through to the end, and this series through as far as it can go, a part of that is because after all he's done for me, I feel like I owe it to him. However insignificant and silly it may seem, it's my own humble way of honoring the memory of the true stuff of legends. Rest in peace, Alex. Technoblade never dies.
Finally, there's all of you. You who continue to browse my works. You who continue to message me and compliment the stories I've told and tell of the ways they've touched your life or influenced your writing. I don't always reply to PM's; I've actually been really bad about that these past few months. But I do read just about every message I receive. I see every heartwarming sentiment, and words cannot express how much it all means to me. I owe it to you all as well, to see these stories through. And see them through I shall.
So what's next, then?
Team Punkblade chapter XIV is currently in progress and will be completed... eventually. Unfortunately, I'm not in a place in my life where I can confidently commit to a release schedule. However, it is in the late stages of the rough draft, and I'll hopefully be able to share it with you all soon. Ideally, I'd like to be able to say that this story will be finished before the end of the year, but knowing my own work history, even that seems like a stretch. Just know that it will be completed. After that, I'd like to revisit some of the drafts I'd started to Galar Chronicles: Letters from the Tundra. There's a lot of world building I'd like to start doing before returning to more My Name Is Marcus installments, and I intend to accomplish more of that through the Letters one-offs.
Once again, thank you all so much for taking the time to read, I hope the chapter was to your liking! If you did, send me a PM, leave a comment. I'd love to start opening some more channels of communication with you guys, be they about my stories, your stories, Pokemon, or anything else.
Thanks again, and I hope to hear from you soon. Be well!
-Avery
