Everyone had arrived at the construction site where the next match would take place. The workers here were rather happy for this decision as this meant they could take a break from building. Sure, they did have to help set up the bleachers, but they did not mind this all that much.

All the while, the audience members were wandering around the site as Reika sighed, "The problem with these types of locations is there's nothing to really do while waiting, is there?" Tsuya nodding and groaning, "I miss the spa."

The girl then noticed Houndoom walking around the area, her eyes widening as she bit her lower lip. After all, she had not seen Houndoom since his match ended, and with him being her new crush, she just had to meet him face-to-face.

The rottweiler was simply looking for somewhere he could pee right now when Tsuya came up behind him, tapping him on the shoulder while Reika and Cici watched this with simultaneous sighs. To them, this was just Tsuya being Tsuya. At the very least, the conversation seemed to go well as Houndoom was happy to talk to a fan of his and even give her autograph, even if she did ask him to write it on her chest with felt marker.

However, he had a rather big smile on his face when she said, "By the way, if you're feeling in anyway thirsty, you can have a bit of my blood," the girl lowering the side of her collar as Houndoom felt his stomach, thinking, 'I haven't had too much today,' the rottweiler then saying, "Wait right here. I'll be back in a second," before sprinting off to find a spot to pee, Tsuya sighing, "He's trying to avoid me, isn't he?" walking away from the area.

'I love the twenty-first century!' Houndoom thought with a big grin when he found a spot to unzip his fly and lift up his leg, 'Fangirls always offer me nourishment! First, that group of cheerleaders, and now this hot young thing! I know the reason vampires are so popular is a rather stupid one, but it's still awesome!'

However, when the rottweiler returned, he noticed Tsuya was gone and groaned, "Maybe this is a sign that I need to watch my weight," before tilting his head to the side, uttering, "But vampires don't gain weight."

All the while, Gallade and Hitmonchan were looking around as the girl decided to practice her boxing on a girder, Gallade staring at this and hoping the workers did not mind one of their materials being smashed up. Even so, he dared not question this and simply let her be.

All the while, Gardevoir was preparing herself for the match, using cinder blocks at weights. She found herself having a bit more trouble working with them than the usual weights, but she still managed to make use of them.

Machoke was walking by at this moment as he said, "Hey, Gardevoir, you ready for your match?" the girl smiling softly and setting down the blocks before saying, "Garchomp is pretty scary, but I think I can manage."

The boy nodded and said, "I'll train you if you'd like," the girl's eyes sparkling as she squealed, "Thanks! You're always there for me!" before hugging him lightly, the two starting a sparring match with one-another.

Machoke normally did not care for sparring, but Gardevoir was an exception. Before, he did it mostly because he knew how much she needed the help. Now Gardevoir had gotten very strong, but even so, Machoke still felt the need to help her out in any way he could. After all, she was the first real friend he ever had. She was the first one to show him genuine kindness and understanding in hero school. Needless to say, he felt a strong connection to her, though mainly in a friendly sort of way.

Garchomp, all the while, was getting ready herself. This was a match she had really been looking forward to simply because of Gardevoir's reputation. After all, who could ignore someone who was once known to barely stand up to the slightest of hits and yet still managed to have an amazing winning streak? The dragon was more and more excited to face her every second.

All the while, the cloaked figure from earlier was waiting in the bleachers, folding her arms with a serious look in her eyes while thinking, 'Gardevoir, you've really grown into such a talented young lady since I last saw you. You might just have what it takes to win the Olympics.'

Her eyes widened, though, when she noticed a certain pair of people walking over to her, namely Kirlia and Ralts, Gallade and Gardevoir's parents. The figure tried her hardest to hide her face as the two sat next to her.

"Honey, remind me again why we're sitting in the back row," Ralts said as Kirlia sighed, "Again, dear, I fear that if Gardevoir sees us during her match, she might get nervous and try too hard to impress us," her husband nodding and sighing, "In that case, why not stay at home and watch her matches like we usually do?"

"While I agree with your reasoning, I just want to see her in action up-close," the woman replied as her husband shrugged, saying, "Works for me."

'Dammit, why are they here?' the cloaked figure thought, 'Come on, sit away from me at least! Oh god, I hope they don't notice me,' neither of the two seeming to know who she was.

There was only a half-hour left as Machoke and Gardevoir figured it was time to rest, the boy asking, "So, you got your own entrance prepared again?" Gardevoir shaking her head and blushing, replying, "It's kind of embarrassing, but I only had that one entrance prepared. I was going to save it for later, but I wasn't sure if I would make it through the first round, so..." Machoke cutting in while saying, "Say no more. I'll whip something up."

Gardevoir smiled sweetly and replied, "Thanks," Machoke then adding, "Before I forget, I got you a little something."

The boy pulled out a new jersey, this one red with a number one on the chest area as he said, "I know it's not as cool as the one I got you before, but red goes well with green, so-" Gardevoir giving the boy a big hug, squealing, "I LOVE IT! THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

Machoke smiled warmly and patted her on the back before letting go and saying, "Anyway, I best get that entrance ready. Got any requests?" Gardevoir thinking, her eyes widening as she squeaked, "I just thought of something really cool!"

Once the half-hour was up, the crowd was ready as Beedrill exclaimed, "Welcome, one and all to the third match of the second round! These first two matches were really intense! Let's hope this match is just as exciting if not more!"

Kirlia and Ralts could not wait to see their daughter enter as Nori exclaimed, "In the red corner, representing France and having surprised the world with her skills, Gardevoir!"

All went silent as Gardevoir entered the area with fake spikes on top of her hair. Seeing as she could not spike her hair up and make it stay that way, this was the best she could do. The girl had an enraged look on her face as everyone stared in absolute shock and amazement with a touch of horror.

Blaziken stared in shock as Gallade whistled, shouting, "LOOKING GOOD, SIS!" Hitmonchan chuckling at this as Blaziken sighed, "I swear, Machoke has completely transformed her," Gallade replying, "For the better."

Reika shrugged and added, "He's got a point. She always seems to do better like this."

Gardevoir then proceeded to leap high into the air, landing firmly against the ring with one knee touching it, the girl letting out an attempt at a roar. Of course, with her voice, it sounded beyond adorable, but she would not let this ruin her entrance as she reached under the front of her jersey, pulling out a can of black coffee. After that, the girl opened the can, tossed the liquid out of the ring and crushed it against her forehead.

With that, the girl took a deep breath before exclaiming, "I'M GARDEVOIR THE DRAGON SLAYER! COME AND FACE ME IF YOU DARE, GARCHOMP!" the French fans going wild as Ralts and Kirlia stared wide-eyed, big smiles quickly forming on their faces as Ralts said, "Our little girl's really grown into a true warrior, hasn't she?" Kirlia nodding and squealing, "I'm so proud!"

'Funny, I thought for sure they would disapprove of that,' the cloaked figure thought before folding her arms and adding in her mind, 'I also think it's really cool, though the last entrance was better.'

Gardevoir removed the fake spikes from her head and tossed them out of the ring as well, Nori saying, "Wow, she is definitely fired up for this," the woman then stating, "In the blue corner, coming to us from Russia and having defeated Lairon with her incredible skills, a terrifying dragon with a great deal of power, Garchomp!" the Russian fans going wild as the dragon charged toward the ring, propelling herself off the ground and performing a series of flips before landing firmly on her feet with her arms out and a serious look in her eyes.

The dragon then smirked and said, "Nice to meet you face-to-face, Gardevoir," the girl bowing her head and replying, "Likewise," Garchomp adding, "I don't care what that pompous Roserade says. I think that collar and jersey really suit you. Personally, I prefer this to your old one," Gardevoir blushing a bit and replying, "Thank you."

"Well, at least Garchomp's civilized," Blaziken said, "Still, Gardevoir's gonna have a lot of trouble defeating her. After all, she managed to shatter Lairon's armour. Even for heroes, breaking through steel is not an easy task."

Gardevoir was certainly aware of this but there was no way she would let this get to her as Machoke took a seat, exclaiming, "You can do it, Gardevoir!" the girl flashing him a cute smile and nodding her head. Once again, the boy just knew how to fill her up with confidence.

With all said and done, the bell was rung as Garchomp wasted no time rushing toward the girl. Gardevoir took a deep breath, waiting for just the right moment before gracefully dodging to the side and sending a fierce backhand into Garchomp's cheek, the dragon's eyes wide with shock as the French fans went wild.

Gardevoir did not let it end there as she sent a hard palm punch into the cheek as well thus adding to the damage. Garchomp backed up a bit, rubbing the spot. It was not so much the hits themselves that surprised her but rather how much they had hurt. Gardevoir, even with her increased muscles, was still skinny, so she did not look nearly as tough as Lairon.

"WAY TO GO, SIS!" Gallade exclaimed, "SOCK IT TO HER!" only for the dragon to rush at the girl again, Gardevoir dodging a second time. Unfortunately, this did not garner the same results as Garchomp swung her tail out to the side, smacking the girl in the shin with it.

Her eyes widened as she knelt down, trying her best to ignore the pain. However, Garchomp would not give her that chance as she swung her arm hard into the side of the girl's head. The Russian fans cheered as she was sent flying a little bit away from the dragon, falling on her side.

Garchomp really was strong. Gardevoir thought for sure that with her new-found strength, she could handle a big heavyweight like her. Sure, every opponent she had fought ever since she had merged her powers with her normal form had been her height at most, but she still believed she could do it. However, just those two hits alone were enough to make her feel like she did back when she needed her power, back when even the weakest of opponents could draw blood from a small number of hits.

The cloaked figure simply looked at this with a calm look, thinking, 'I figured. She still needs my help,' Kirlia and Ralts resisting the urge to get up and cheer their daughter on. But again, both figured she would perform worse if she knew they were watching.

Machoke tensed up, a look of sheer terror in his eyes as he spat, "COME ON, GARDEVOIR! GET UP!" the girl turning to look at him as he added, "YOU'RE STRONG, GARDEVOIR, VERY STRONG! THOSE HITS WERE NOTHING! A LIGHT WHACK OF THE TAIL!? A SMACK TO THE FACE!? THAT'S HOW A CHILD FIGHTS!"

Garchomp folded her arms, grumbling, "I know what he's doing, but did he have to put it like that?" Gallade nodding and stating, "Gardevoir, you've really impressed me since you came to Earth. You've been doing an incredible job. Are you going to let two hits like that ruin everything?"

Gardevoir's eyes sparkled as she managed to rise up, now ignoring the pain dealt earlier as she squeaked, "You're right! This is nothing for the new me!" Ralts taking a deep breath and nudging Kirlia, saying, "That Machoke is a miracle worker, isn't he?" Kirlia nodding and replying, "If only he and Gardevoir were interested in each-other. I'd pay for the wedding," the cloaked figure thinking, 'I'm not sure whether I truly agree with that or not.'

Garchomp took a deep breath and said, "You've got good friends, Gardevoir, and I have to thank them. If beating you was this easy, it wouldn't have felt satisfying in the slightest," the dragon then rushing toward the girl with one of her wrist fins at the ready, swinging it at the girl like a blade as she simply ducked under it, sending both her palms hard into Garchomp's gut.

The French fans cheered loudly as Nori said, "It looked like Gardevoir would be out quickly, but she has made a quick recovery and gotten the advantage back," Garchomp flying back a bit but managing to skid to a halt before hitting the ropes.

The dragon took a deep breath and smirked, saying, "Not bad, kid, but you're still not quite on Lairon's level of strength," Gardevoir smiling softly and replying, "As long as I can still deal damage, that's good enough for me," Garchomp thinking, 'Quite the optimist, isn't she?'

However, the dragon chose to ignore this as she rushed at Gardevoir again only for the girl to dodge once more. Garchomp swung her tail at her only for the girl to see this coming, leaping over it and flipping her body over, sending her foot hard into the dragon's cheek.

"YOU'RE ON FIRE, GARDEVOIR!" Machoke exclaimed while the crowd continued to cheer wildly, Kirlia smiling and saying, "That's our little girl," Ralts sighing, "If only I could risk cheering right now."

However, as all was looking well, Garchomp seemed unfazed now as she said, "I'll admit, Gardevoir, you're a lot tougher than you look. But even so, your pattern is a tad obvious," Gardevoir blinking in confusion as Gallade asked, "What's she talking about?" the dragon adding, "During your match with Roserade, I noticed you did not seem to have a lot of moves in your arsenal. It's mostly just slapping, kicking and that one advanced move of yours."

Gardevoir simply blinked before nodding her head, replying, "Yes, I know," all going silent in the crowd as she added, "My moves are pretty limited. I'm not sure if I am yet ready to pull off something like a suplex or a piledriver, but I'm okay with that. I've found ways to work with the abilities I got now, so I don't need anything too fancy just yet."

The French fans cheered as Nori said, "Whether you like this way of fighting or not, you can't deny that confidence is something to be admired," Garchomp simply aghast while Machoke exclaimed, "Yeah, you tell her, Gardevoir!" Hitmonchan smiling bright and adding, "Your sister's so cool, Gallade," the boy nodding and replying, "I know, right?"

Garchomp, on the other hand, went from looking shocked to unimpressed as she replied, "I'll admit, it does take a lot of guts to just outright say something like that and keep smiling. I respect your confidence, but are you really sure that's enough?" Gardevoir blinking as the dragon added, "Think about it. Most if not all of your opponents have been lightweights, beings who can't sustain all that much damage. But against an opponent like me, you'll need a lot more."

"Hey, that's not true," Machoke uttered, "She fought Nidoqueen on Hero Planet," Aipom sighing, "I hate to admit it, but that's not as impressive as you might think. First of all, from what you told me, her power was at, well, full power, and she specifically needed that in order to stand a chance. What's more is that Nidoqueen is a lot older than Garchomp and has gotten weaker with age. Garchomp might have a point."

However, the others did not seem to agree as Reika exclaimed, "YOU DON'T NEED ADVANCED SLAMMING TECHNIQUES TO TAKE HER DOWN! JUST KEEP AT IT!" the others cheering as Gardevoir smiled softly, squeaking, "Thanks, guys!"

Garchomp simply took a deep breath and said, "I gotta hand it to you, your friends really are something special," the dragon once again rushing toward the girl.

And once again, Gardevoir managed to dodge, however, the dragon was extra-prepared now as she quickly spread her arms out, striking the girl's neck with one of her wrist fins. Gardevoir coughed up a small drop of blood as Garchomp proceeded to force her back-first into the turnbuckle, the Russian fans cheering as everyone else stared wide-eyed.

Garchomp of course refused to let it end there as she locked her arms around Gardevoir's shoulders, lifting the girl up and leaning backward, planting her head hard into the mat before releasing her, Gardevoir grunting in pain. Even so, she did her best to ignore this, slowly but surely rising back to her feet and breathing heavily. She could not believe it. After only a few hits, she was starting to feel weak. Was Garchomp right? Was her merging with her super powered state not as good as she thought?

This was certainly a possibility. After all, while making her power a permanent part of her made her normal strength at least three times higher than it was before, it was nowhere near as strong as she had been when her body could actually start glowing. Sure, she no longer needed to be brought to her limits to draw out of the power, but it seemed to come at a price. Maybe becoming one with the power was more detrimental than beneficial.

However, when the girl noticed her friends continue to cheer for her, she shook her head, a serious look in her eyes. Even if all of that was true, she was not going to let that get her down. Instead, she would do the absolute best she could do with her strength as it was and as such, the girl sprinted toward Garchomp, completely ignoring the pain dealt to her.

The dragon blinked and said, "So now you're on the offensive," before holding out her wrist fins like shields and adding, "That might not be the smartest idea."

However, her words were soon proven wrong when Gardevoir leapt up into the air with her arm out, headed toward the top of the dragon's shoulder as her eyes widened, the girl squeaking, "MOON HOOK!" sending her arm hard into Garchomp's neck, the crowd going wild as the dragon started to back up.

However, all went silent as Nori exclaimed, "Oh my god, Garchomp just took in one of Gardevoir's most powerful moves and yet continues to stand!" and this was true as while the dragon had certainly taken in considerable pain from the move, she had not been knocked down by it like Gardevoir's past opponents had been.

With that in mind, the dragon immediately took full advantage of this, holding up the arm closest to Gardevoir and ramming her claw into the girl's gut, shouting, "DRAGON CLAW!" said claw now glowing at it ended up putting a deep hole into the girl, Gardevoir's eyes widening as she coughed up more blood.

Everyone gasped as Weedle spat, "HEY, GARCHOMP, KILLING IS THE BIGGEST VIOLATION OF TOURNAMENT RULES!" the dragon remarking, "Don't worry, old-timer, I'm not going to kill her!" the caterpillar groaning, "Why does everyone keep calling me that?"

Even so, the others were beyond worried now as that looked fatal. If Garchomp had pushed her claw in all the way, it probably would have pierced Gardevoir's flesh considering how skinny she was.

Either way, the dragon refused to let this chance slide as she proceeded to swing Gardevoir around with the tip of her claws still lodged into her. The dragon then hurled her head-first into the turnbuckle as she fell to the floor, looking like she would be unable to move now.

All went silent, even the Russian fans feeling sorry for the girl as Nori said, "While Garchomp did not apply enough force with her Dragon Claw to kill her opponent, she still managed to deal a devastating amount of damage. I don't think Gardevoir can get up from that," Beedrill nodding and starting the ten count.

Machoke's mouth and eyes were wide open as he spat, "GARDEVOIR, ARE YOU OKAY!?" Gallade and Hitmonchan both trembling.

Sure, Garchomp would certainly not try to kill her if she wanted to win the Olympics, and the dragon was not a bad girl in any way. Even so, with the amount of force she had shown, who was to say this match would not end with an unfortunate accident?

However, everyone's fears were put to rest when they heard Gardevoir still breathing, but she was not moving. Was it already over? The match had only gone for a little over ten minutes and it looked like she had already lost.

Kirlia and Ralts stared in absolute terror, both figuring it was already too late to pretend they were not there. However, the cloaked figure did not seem all too worried, and the reason became clear when Gardevoir's body twitched, the girl slowly pushing herself back up into a sitting position just as Beedrill was one millisecond away from finishing the ten count.

Everyone in the area stared in absolute shock, Garchomp especially. With how much damage Gardevoir had taken in, that should have finished her off even if it was early in the match. But despite all of that, the girl was still standing.

Machoke had tears in his eyes as he sniffed, "OH THANK GOD! I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK!" Aipom nodding and replying, "Yeah, same here," Gallade and Hitmonchan both patting each-other on the shoulder while breathing heavily.

"Thank goodness," Cici squeaked, "I was so scared," Reika and Tsuya patting her reassuringly on her shoulders, Blaziken smirking and saying, "She's got some real spirit, that Gardevoir."

One thing was for certain, though. This match was not over yet, but would it have been smarter for Gardevoir to stay down?