Garchomp was still in absolute shock. Gardevoir had looked so weak and so badly banged up after taking in her Dragon Claw and yet the girl was still standing. Even so, the dragon was not going to let this get to her.

With that, she raced toward her opponent, smirking and saying, "You got a lot of spirit! I like that!" Gardevoir smiling as if to pretend all the pain dealt earlier meant nothing, though while the crowd was impressed by this, Machoke could tell she was doing her best not to let Garchomp know just how much she had been weakened.

The truth was that Gardevoir had taken in more pain than ever before, and considering the Dragon Claw had been weakened in order to make sure her skin was not pierced, this was a very bad sign. Even so, the girl was not going to lose so easily after coming so far. As such, she waited until Garchomp got close as she ducked down.

However, Garchomp had prepared for any evasion tactic the girl had in mind now that she had pretty much used every direction possible and as such, the dragon sent her knee toward the girl's face. Her eyes widened as she tried blocking the incoming knee with her hands.

Unfortunately, she was not strong enough and as such, the knee forced the back of her hands hard into her face, the girl flying back. Sure, this was nowhere near as painful as if the knee had actually hit her, but for it to have this much of an effect was a very bad sign.

The Russian fans cheered some more as Machoke trembled, his eyes wide open as he spat, "OH MY GOD, GARCHOMP JUST KEEPS GETTING SCARIER ALL THE TIME!" Aipom sighing, "Calm down," rubbing his shoulder with her tail hand and adding, "Still, you're right. I'm starting to think maybe Gardevoir should just give up."

"Back in the day, she probably would have done that," Gallade replied, folding his arms, "However, Gardevoir is a lot more confident in herself now. She's realized the importance of fighting to the bitter end no matter how bad the odds are," the boy then smiling at Machoke and adding, "I have to thank you for helping her with that."

Machoke blinked and groaned, "I'm not sure if I wanna be the one responsible for this anymore," Blaziken sighing, "Have a little faith, man. Gardevoir's proven herself more than capable of getting out of tough scraps. I'm sure she can turn this around."

Gardevoir seemed to think the same thing as she pushed herself up again, taking a deep breath as Garchomp continued to be amazed by this. Once again, Gardevoir took the offensive, now knowing there was no way she could block any of the dragon's moves.

As such, she swerved to the right again, Garchomp swinging her arm toward her only for the girl to duck under it. However, she had no time to do anything else as the dragon had whipped her tail that way shortly after swinging her arm, said part running straight into Gardevoir's gut, the girl once again sent flying as a result, falling hard on her back.

"This is almost too painful to watch," Nori said, "Despite really going all-out, Gardevoir can no longer land a hit on Garchomp. It seems the Russian dragon has seen through her evasive manoeuvres."

While Gardevoir looked like she was really struggling to stay up now, Machoke stared with worry taking over, Aipom understanding his expression entirely. Things had started off rather well for the girl, but ever since she took in that Dragon Claw, it seemed like she was doomed to lose. As if the extensive damage she had taken in was not bad enough, Garchomp had seen enough of her movements to know how Gardevoir worked.

Gardevoir realized this too and as such, she knew she would need a new strategy. And then it came to her: why not harm Garchomp internally? Sure, when she tried this on Nidoqueen, it had failed miserably, but that was back when the girl's normal state was weak and she was taking on an opponent too tough for her. But now she had the power to make this count.

As such, the girl rushed at Garchomp again, Reika biting her lip and uttering, "I think she's better off going back on the defensive," Kirlia and Ralts also scared as the cloaked figure was not sure what to think. It was not as if Gardevoir was being rash. Garchomp had simply learned how to counter her strategies.

When Gardevoir got close, she leapt high into the air toward Garchomp only for the dragon to swing her arm at her. However, her eyes went wide with shock as when the arm hit Gardevoir, the girl pretended not to feel pain from it while wrapping her arms around the wrist and her ankles around the area of Garchomp's arm located right at the edge of her wrist fin.

The French fans went wild as Nori exclaimed, "What an unexpected turn of events! I've never seen Gardevoir use a hold before, and this is certainly an effective one!" Machoke beaming and exclaiming, "WAY TO GO, GARDEVOIR!"

Gallade simply smirked and said, "I've been telling her to use strategies like that against tough opponents for ages," Blaziken replying, "And it might actually work this time."

It seemed Blaziken was right as Garchomp was gritting her teeth, wincing in pain while her arm was being twisted. A part of Gardevoir was amazed this had actually worked but there was no way she would let go anytime soon.

However, Garchomp was not going to allow herself to lose. She was just as determined to do her country proud as any other participant and as such, she spread out her knee, placing it right under her arm.

"She's not doing what I think she's doing, is she?" Machoke uttered as Aipom gulped, "I think your suspicions may be right," Garchomp lifting up her arm and turning it so Gardevoir's back was facing the knee.

Kirlia and Ralts both panicked when the dragon lowered her arm, ramming the girl's back hard into her knee. Gardevoir coughed up a bit of blood and released her hold before rolling off of the body part, trying desperately to get back up while coughing up more blood.

All but the Russian fans were in fear as Nori said, "Just as Gardevoir finally found a way around Garchomp's counters, Garchomp amazes everyone by escaping from her hold!" Ralts gritting his teeth and grumbling, "I need to cheer for her," Kirlia placing her hand against his shoulder and shaking her head, saying, "You'll only make things worse, honey."

All the while, the cloaked figure was trying to remain calm and collective but was really trembling underneath her cloak. Things were not looking good for Gardevoir and it just kept getting worse.

Gardevoir once again tried to get up as Garchomp took a deep breath, saying, "You're persistent, I'll give you that, and I admire you for your spirit. As such, I will give you this chance to forfeit," Gardevoir's eyes going wide as all went silent, Nori saying, "Wow, even after all that, Garchomp is willing to show her opponent mercy!"

"I hate to say it, but she should probably take that offer," Machoke uttered, Aipom not sure whether to agree or not as Reika sighed, "I hate to say it, but Garchomp really is too good. Maybe Gardevoir should give up," Gardevoir heavily considering it when Cici squeaked, "NO!"

Gardevoir along with the girl's friends stared at her as she added, "COME ON, GARDEVOIR! YOU'RE A GREAT FIGHTER! I'VE SEEN YOU IN ACTION AND YOU'RE AMAZING! I WON'T THINK ANY LESS OF YOU IF YOU LOSE, BUT GIVING UP IS WHAT COWARDS DO AND YOU'RE NOT A COWARD!"

Gallade blinked as he and Hitmonchan laughed nervously, not sure whether or not they agreed with that statement as Gardevoir frowned and pushed herself back up, breathing heavily and grunting, "That's right! If I'm going to lose this match, I'd rather lose with honour and dignity!" Garchomp nodding and replying, "I like you, Gardevoir. You really are a true warrior in the ring, but don't think I'm gonna go lightly on you."

While Gardevoir looked serious, a part of her was frightened beyond belief. She just knew that she was going to lose this match. It was far too late for her to pull off a miracle. But even so, she had experienced being hospitalized once and she knew she could deal with it. After all, this was not a life-or-death battle. It was a fair fight between heroes, so at the very least, her life was not at stake.

Kirlia and Ralts watched in silence, hoping some kind of miracle would happen while the cloaked figure got up, thinking, 'I think I've seen enough,' walking away from the area while the two parents looked at her. Kirlia blinked before noticing what looked like blue fur hanging out from under the cloak, the woman's eyes widening before she redirected her attention toward the match.

With all said and done, Gardevoir leapt at Garchomp with her arm out, shouting, "MOON HOOK!" Garchomp unable to respond in time as she received another blow to her neck. However, the dragon ignored the pain once again and this time wrapped her arms around the girl.

With that, she leapt high above the ring before flipping upside-down, the Russian fans cheering while Gardevoir's friends stared in absolute horror, knowing exactly what was happening. Garchomp released a shock wave that surrounded her body in a blue flame before shouting, "DRAGON RUSH!" sending Gardevoir's head hard into the canvas, a smoke cloud forming.

All went silent as the smoke cleared, Gardevoir laying there with her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Machoke was trembling all over as Cici looked down, pursing her lips and feeling partly responsible for this. Reika and Tsuya simply rubbed her shoulders, looking at Gardevoir with concern.

Gallade and Hitmonchan were both terrified, Blaziken's eyes wide with shock. All the while, Kirlia and Ralts could no longer stay hidden as they rose from their seats, shouting, "GARDEVOIR!" Machoke turning and asking, "Who are those two?" Gallade turning as well and groaning, "Oh no, Mom and Dad are here to see this."

Unfortunately, nothing could wake the girl up now as Beedrill counted to ten, ringing the bell and exclaiming, "And the winner of the third match of the second round is Garchomp!" the Russian fans cheering for her while the French fans looked down in disappointment.

Machoke immediately jumped over the guardrails, sprinting over to the ring and shouting, "GARDEVOIR! ARE YOU OKAY!?" Weedle calling in a medical team to come to the ring.

Garchomp looked down at the girl lying there and knelt down, saying, "You fought a good fight, kid. Don't let this one loss crush your spirits," Gallade, Kirlia and Ralts running over to make sure the girl was alright as well.

Garchomp got up and thought, 'I wish I had friends like that,' the dragon exiting the ring and noticing Lucario shooting a glance at her with Amanda by his side, the girl asking, "You think you could take her?" Lucario folding his arms and replying, "She'll be a tough adversary, but I think I can manage."

Gardevoir's family stood by Gardevoir's side as she was loaded up onto the hospital bed, Kirlia asking, "Will she be okay?" Ralts resting an arm on her shoulder and replying, "Honey, you dealt with losses like this during your time, too. She's our daughter. She can tough it out," the man then sighing, "You did a great job, honey."

Gallade simply looked at them and asked, "Why didn't you say anything until now?" Kirlia replying, "We figured our presence might make her nervous."

Gallade shrugged and replied, "That might be true, actually," Machoke thinking, 'So now the whole family's together. Not the best reunion, that's for sure.'

The family continued to give encouraging words while Gardevoir was loaded into the back of the truck, Beedrill stating, "With that match out of the way, join us for the next one in a couple of hours! This one will take place in the local park," Weedle adding, "The exact same park where Machoke and Lopunny fought, so don't be late."

Machoke had trouble focusing as he ran over to the truck, asking, "Can I ride with you to the hospital?" Ralts and Kirlia turning to him as Gallade sighed, "Sorry to say this, Machoke, but you should seriously watch the match between Metang and Lucario. One of those two might be your opponent in the finals, remember?"

The boy blinked as Kirlia bowed her head to him, saying, "Thank you so much for helping our daughter," Ralts giving him thumbs up and adding, "You seem like a great guy, Machoke. We should hang out during downtime. I'll buy you a drink," the two along with Gallade and Hitmonchan climbing into the back of the ambulance, the vehicle taking off from the area as Reika and her friends walked over, Reika saying, "She'll be fine, Machoke."

Machoke nodded and smiled, saying, "Yeah, I know. She's strong. She can handle this," Blaziken walking over and adding, "Gallade's also right. We still barely know a thing about Lucario's abilities, and I see him as the most likely hero to make it to the finals."

The boy nodded and headed over to the vehicle that would take him and the remaining participants to the next match. Of course, the ride would be a bit more awkward as there were only five left, and not one of the heroes joining Machoke was a friend.

For some odd reason, Lucario was giving him a dark look. Machoke had never seen this from him. He did remember the stories of how his father had stripped Riolu of his championship title, but he had no idea how serious Lucario was about it. Up to this point, the dog seemed to have nothing against Machoke and had even helped him defeat Talonflame, so where was this coming from?

While the heroes were transported to the park, Gardevoir had been rushed to the hospital and placed in a bed, her family by her side as Gallade patted his parents on the shoulders. After all, they looked even more worried than he did, and he was already as worried as a protective brother could be.

"She'll be fine," the boy said, "She was also hospitalized when she fought Lopunny and she came out okay," Kirlia nodding and replying, "I know, it's just that this is the first time watching her fight in person and she suffers a horrible defeat," Ralts nodding and replying, "We just have to remember one thing. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger and this loss didn't kill her, so she's only likely to become stronger, right?"

The two parents nodded as Hitmonchan smiled warmly, saying, "You guys get along great," before sighing, "It's painful to think my family almost fell apart," Gallade nodding and replying, "At least you learned your lesson."

At that moment, the cloaked figure entered and said, "You're not too far from the truth, Ralts. She will get stronger, and I'm going to help," the man turning, about to ask who this figure was when Kirlia took a deep breath, saying, "It's nice to see you after so long, Psyla."

With that, the figure smirked and said, "Can't pull the wool over your eyes, can I?" before removing her hood to reveal a blue wolf with red and black fur around her snout. Going halfway down her back was long messy hair of the same colour. Also sharing the red and black colour were her hands, feet and the tip of her tail.

Gallade and Ralts stared wide-eyed as Hitmonchan asked, "Who's Psyla?" Gallade shrugging and replying, "I don't really know, but I've heard mention of her before."

"Oh, that's right, neither you nor your sister have met her," Kirlia said with a smile, "Psyla here is my sister," Gallade's eyes going wide as he asked, "Wait, my aunt is a wolf?"

Psyla nodded and replied, "Yes, our father was a fox named Zoroark," Gallade staring at Ralts who replied, "Don't look at me. She's related to your mother, remember?" the boy turning toward Kirlia and asking, "How long were you planning to hide this from us!?"

The woman took a deep breath as Psyla asked, "Yeah, that's a good question. Why did you never tell your kids about me?" Kirlia sighing, "I meant to at one point but I forgot," all going silent as Ralts stared at the woman, saying, "Wow. I have nothing to say to that, honey."

"Wait," Hitmonchan uttered, "Your grandpa is the famous Zoroark?" Gallade replying, "I didn't know that either," Kirlia sighing, "Yes, you did actually know him, but he died when you were two, so I guess it makes sense that you wouldn't remember him, especially since he was camera-shy."

Gallade blinked and sighed, "What else don't I know about our family?" Psyla sighing, "Look, the point is that I'm here for a reason. Being related to your mother by blood, I also have the famous power the females in the family have, but one thing I have managed to do that no one else in the family has up to this point is learn to control it."

Kirlia's eyes widened as she remarked, "You learned to control it!? That is so unfair!" Psyla ignoring this and adding, "Gardevoir has come close but hasn't quite mastered it yet. I intend to help her figure it out."

Gallade blinked and asked, "So you mean merging her normal state with the power wasn't the same as mastering it?" Psyla shaking her head and saying, "It's different from what anyone in the family's ever done, but it's not quite the same."

Kirlia was still feeling envious of her sister right now as Gallade asked, "I have one last question. If you're my aunt, why do you look like you're as old as me?" Psyla chuckling and replying, "Don't you know? Canines barely change their appearances when they get older. Seriously, a thirteen-year-old dog does not look that much different from a two-year-old."

The boy blinked and replied, "That actually makes sense," remembering that Riolu did not look a day over fifteen himself.

At around this time, everyone else had arrived at the park, the audience members deciding to go for a walk to pass the time. Blaziken and Machoke were walking together as the boy sighed, "Man, just about everyone's at the hospital right now."

Blaziken shrugged and replied, "Well, I'm sure things'll be better tomorrow. Gallade sent me a text saying they would be there to watch your match. Even Heracross is going to come to make sure you take Ninetales down," Machoke groaning, "Right, I'd almost forgotten about my promise."

Blaziken rolled her eyes, hoping this was not intentional when the two noticed Scrafty and Bisharp walking around. Machoke waved at them as the two ran over to them, Blaziken saying, "Hey there, how have you two been doing?"

Scrafty turned and grinned, saying, "Not bad. How have ya been?" Bisharp replying, "As if we need to ask that of Machoke. He has so far, how you say, been on fire in this tournament, and I would expect no less from such a champion."

The lizard grinned, turning to Machoke and saying, "Yeah, I'd love to face ya someday. I envy Bisharp," Machoke nodding and replying, "Hey, as long as it's under good conditions, I'd be up to it."

Blaziken then gave the two an odd look and asked, "Say, why haven't you guys been around for the other matches up to this point?" the chicken pointing at Scrafty and adding, "Especially you! You missed both of Gardevoir's matches!"

Scrafty let out a sigh and stated, "I saw them on TV. I would have gone in person, but every time I went ta get tickets, they were always sold out," Bisharp replying, "It is my fault we never arrived on time. I kept stopping to help people in need," the lizard patting him on the shoulder and replying, "That is nothing ta be ashamed of."

"So I take it you managed to score tickets for this one, then," Machoke replied as the two nodded, Bisharp replying, "Indeed. It would seem there are less people walking out into traffic among other things going on today. Besides, I must know how Lucario is representing our country."

"Nice to know you value him over your actual friends," Machoke uttered with an awkward look on his face, Scrafty sighing, "Alright, we'll be sure ta make your match tomorrow. After all, that Ninetales is a scary contender."

With that, the group soon headed toward the bleachers where Reika and her friends along with Aipom were already seated. There seemed to be a lot of excitement among the crowd, more so than usual.

Machoke and Blaziken took a seat near the girls while Scrafty and Bisharp found empty seats right behind them, Reika giving them a quick smile before turning her attention toward the ring, Beedrill exclaiming, "Welcome, everyone, to the final match of the second round! Tensions are high as everyone has been looking the most forward to this match!"

"This is the one everyone's been looking the most forward to!?" Machoke remarked, "But what about MY match!? Their matches were so short!" Aipom sighing, "That's a big part of the reason. Because both Metang and Lucario finished their opponents so quickly, many believe them to be the toughest fighters in the tournament."

Scrafty shrugged and sighed, "If ya ask me, I thought their opponents were kinda lame," Bisharp replying, "Still, their victories are not without merit. We shall see if this really is the most exciting match of the second round or not."

Nori smiled and exclaimed, "In the red corner, representing England, a mysterious dog who has not shown us a lot of his abilities but is still able to pack a punch, Lucario!" the British fans going wild when the dog walked toward the ring, only this time he was in tip-top condition.

"His head's in the game this time," Machoke uttered, "This might be over even more quickly than the last one," Aipom blinking and replying, "I'm amazed you actually remembered that," the boy glaring at the monkey.

As Lucario stepped gracefully into the ring, he noticed Amanda waving to him with a big smile on her face, the dog smiling back briefly before turning his attention to the match that would be starting soon. Clauncher was also among the British fans as being a fan of Lucario herself, she saw no reason to separate herself from that division to sit in the middle bleachers

"And in the blue corner," Nori stated, "coming to us from Croatia, a towering cyborg with a lot of might, Metang!" the Croatian fans cheering loudly as the cyborg approached the ring, a serious look in his eyes as he leapt high into the air and landed firmly against the canvas.

Tensions were even higher now as the two fighters stared each-other down. This might just be the most exciting match of the second round. Only time would tell.