Machoke was unsure of just how his match with Ninetales would play out. On one hand, he could tell she meant business but on the other hand, she now did not seem willing to use the spiked stone as a means of defeating him. Either way, the boy knew he could not simply run and besides, he still had a promise to keep.

With that in mind, the boy went back on the defensive, thinking, 'Okay, now that I've got my head in the game, I need to think of something. If I try going behind Ninetales, she'll catch me with her tails and considering how strong they are, I'd be better off worrying about her front side. Unfortunately, she can see my moves coming if I come in from the front,' the boy taking a deep breath and realizing the front was still the better option in the end.

However, Ninetales had grown tired of waiting for him to make a move as she sprinted toward him, Machoke panicking and holding his arm out just in time to block an incoming chop to his face. With that, the boy took full advantage of this, placing a firm grip on the kitsune's paw as the crowd went wild, Nori stating, "And with little time to think, Machoke blocks Ninetales' attack!"

"Alright, Machoke, you got the advantage!" Aipom spat, "Use it!" the boy nodding and uttering, "Right," before reeling Ninetales in and ramming his shoulder hard into her face, the kitsune's eyes wide with shock.

Weedle let out a sigh while thinking, 'Dammit, after seeing the lengths Ninetales went to in her last two matches, I thought for sure she would jump at the chance to use the spiked stone to her advantage. So far, she's the only one who's fallen victim to it,' Beedrill noticing his expression and asking, "Everything alright, Dad?" the caterpillar nodding and replying, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Machoke of course proceeded to do more as he took advantage of Ninetales' shock, sending a punch to her face. However, when he sent a second one toward her, the kitsune grabbed hold of his wrist and said, "Not bad, Machoke, but it's nothing I can't overcome."

With that, the fox proceeded to swing Machoke by his arm, everyone thinking she was going to throw him toward the stone only for her to direct her swing toward the turnbuckle, sending him face-first into it. Sure, Machoke had taken in quite a bit of pain from this, but it was nowhere near as bad as a face-full of spikes.

Reika took a deep breath and sighed, "I know I should be worried, but I'm just glad he hasn't been hit by that stone yet," Cici biting her lip and uttering, "I don't know. I get the feeling Ninetales wants to use it," the others staring at her as she squeaked, "I could just be imagining it, though."

The truth was that Cici was right. Ninetales may have been trying her best to look calm right now, but she was actually resisting the temptation to hurl Machoke into the spikes. She was even considering it when grasping onto his wrist, so why did she not go through with it? After all, the stone was added for combat purposes, so it would not have been against the rules for her to use it.

Whatever the case, Machoke still needed to be alert if he was going to win this match. As such, the boy examined Ninetales' movements as she was once again on the defensive. Machoke also went on the defensive himself, the two staring each-other down before Ninetales raced toward the boy and leapt high above his head, landing behind him.

Aipom's eyes widened as she screeched, "MACHOKE, RUN FORWARD!" the boy's eyes widening as he did just that, knowing Ninetales was going to try and catch him with her tails, Nori saying, "And it seems Ninetales was trying to catch Machoke with her tails without waiting for him to walk into it himself. I'm kind of surprised she hasn't used this method to do it before, but either way, Machoke was still ready."

After avoiding the move, Machoke grinned and thought, 'Yes, now I can grab her tails and use that to my advantage!' before suddenly remembering that Scyther had tried the same thing and deciding against it.

Heracross folded his arms with a look of uncertainty in his eyes as he said, "You know, so far, this match has been a little underwhelming," Reika turning and saying, "Well, yeah, not much has been happening so far, but-" the beetle cutting in and adding, "I'm mostly referring to how Ninetales is fighting. She seems to be taking a different approach to how she normally fights," Cici nodding and saying, "I've noticed it too."

Blaziken rose an eyebrow and asked, "What are y'all suggesting?" Heracross replying, "I dinnae know for sure, but I have the feeling Ninetales is deliberately holding back, like she's trying to prove something," the others even more confused as he added, "And what's more, I'm not sure if she's trying to prove it to the audience or herself."

Ninetales once again raced toward Machoke as the boy took a deep breath, seeing she had actually left herself wide open for a counterattack. As such, the boy quickly threw his arms out, grabbing hold of the kitsune's wrists. With that, the Japanese fans watched with intent as the boy proceeded to lift Ninetales over him, hurling her back as his eyes widened, the kitsune flying straight into the spiked rock.

The Japanese fans went wild as the kitsune gritted her teeth, doing her best to ignore the pain while Aipom grinned, glad Machoke had managed to pull that off. However, Machoke panicked as he had actually not intended on doing that.

Ninetales quickly propelled herself off of the stone, taking many deep breaths while glaring at Machoke. With that, she charged at him as the boy held up his arms defensively only for the fox to leap over his head, slapping him hard in the face with her tails. Now that he was distracted, she was finally able to wrap the tails around him, the boy's eyes going wide.

The Korean fans went wild as Reika groaned, "Oh no," the others worried as Aipom rubbed her head, thinking, 'Oh crap! I have no idea how he can get out of that without straining himself!' Heracross equally worried.

However, Scizor thought she might have an idea but just as she was about to suggest it, Ninetails started spinning Machoke's body in a circular motion with her tails. Everyone stared in confusion as she said, "You thought I was going to use my Kitsune Backbreaker, didn't you? Well, I think it's time I try something different."

The crowd went silent as Nori asked, "Is this it? Is Ninetales finally planning on using the stone?" the kitsune shaking her head and thinking, 'No, I mustn't resort to such tactics.'

However, while she continued to spin the boy, she noticed someone appear in the crowd, a forty-year-old Korean woman with flowing black hair wearing a warrior's outfit. Her eyes widened as the woman asked, "Why not throw him into the stone? After all, it's in your nature to fight dirty," the kitsune breathing heavily now as the woman added, "Keep telling yourself you're on the side of good. I know who you really are under that facade."

Ninetales fumed and snapped, "SHUT UP!" before turning her back toward the stone and finally releasing Machoke while shouting, "KITSUNE BOWGUN!" launching the boy straight into the spikes as he cried out in pain, everyone gasping as Ninetales had finally brought herself to use the spikes against him.

Gallade stared in absolute horror, asking, "What the hell just happened?" Hitmonchan replying, "I'm not sure. Ninetales seems to have snapped," Blaziken sighing, "I figured even someone as calm and collective as her couldn't handle falling victim to spikes more than once."

"I have been getting the impression she's been resisting the urge to do that throughout the entire match," Cici replied, "but I don't think that's it," Heracross nodding and replying, "Aye. Something drew that out."

When Machoke backed away from the spikes, his front side now bleeding pretty badly, he took many deep breaths and turned, staring at the kitsune with terror in his expression. Ninetales blinked, her anger now subsided as she said, "I'm terribly sorry, Machoke. I had no intention of doing that," before noticing the woman again only this time in another part of the audience.

Her eyes widened as the woman glared, remarking, "Don't lie! You wanted to do that to him from the start, didn't you!?" Ninetales scowling, anger filling her as she rushed at Machoke again, this time leaping toward him and planting both her feet into his chest, sending his back into the stone as he cried out in pain again.

"I DID WHAT YOU WANTED ME TO DO!" the kitsune spat, "ARE YOU HAPPY!?" all going silent as the crowd looked around, Beedrill asking, "Who's she talking to?" Weedle replying, "Don't ask me."

Everyone else was equally confused, Aipom currently more focused on Machoke's well-being as the boy seemed to have taken in quite a bit of pain from those last two hits to say the least. Ninetales was also looking around now as the woman seemed to have vanished.

After a few seconds, the kitsune saw her in yet another spot, pointing and shouting, "THERE! EVERYBODY, LOOK, HYUN IS STANDING RIGHT THERE! SHE'S STILL ALIVE!" everyone looking and noticing a man sitting there, the audience member uttering, "I'm not even a woman."

Ninetales blinked and asked, "When did that man get there!?" before looking toward another spot and seeing the woman sitting right there, shouting, "THERE SHE IS!" everyone turning and noticing a mother with her child on her lap, the woman looking around as the child squealed, "Mommy, she's talking about us!"

"No I'm not!" Ninetales spat before looking around some more, breathing heavily as she started to see Hyun appear in more and more locations, replacing various different audience members. Had the kitsune gone insane? And furthermore, what was the woman referring to with her previous statements?

Machoke on the other hand did not seem so confused as he said, "I guess you must still really miss your master to see her everywhere," Ninetales retorting, "SHUT UP!" the boy trembling as she added, "I don't want any sympathy from you!"

Everyone looked confused as Nori said, "The usually calm and collective Ninetales is now showing a great deal of ferocity, but where is this coming from? And why does she think her dead master is in the audience?"

"IT'S BECAUSE SHE IS, YOU IGNORAMOUS!" Ninetales retorted as the announcer winced, ducking under her desk and whimpering, "Please don't hurt me!" Aipom saying, "But I don't see her anywhere and nor does anyone else," Ninetales growling, "It's because she keeps moving around! She won't stay still long enough for anyone to see her!"

However, while no one saw anyone of the sort, Reika did notice three people standing among the crowd with a wooden cross, a warrior's outfit hanging from it as Ninetales pointed and spat, "THERE! THERE SHE IS!" Aipom saying, "She's not there either, but that is definitely her old fighting outfit."

The people turned, this time certainly seeing something, but Hyun herself was not there. It was just as Aipom had said. Only her top was there and it was attached to something else.

Nori slowly rose back up and uttered, "Who are these three and what are they doing with Hyun's top?" one of them, a teenaged boy with short brown hair and a muscular build saying, "Like Ninetales here, we were also students on Hyun before her death. I am Chung-Ho," another one, a younger boy with a slim build and messy black hair adding, "My name is Jae, and this here is Hana," the boy directing everyone's attention to a small girl with short hair, her eyes wide open as she trembled, Chung-Ho adding, "She's very shy around strangers."

"That's all very interesting, but why are you here and why have you brought your master's old battle outfit?" Weedle asked as everyone else was wondering the same thing, Jae replying, "Every now and then, Hyun communicates to us from the land of the dead. That's how strong our connection is with her. So to answer your second question, she asked us to bring her here in any way possible."

"That is just weird," Machoke uttered as Reika said, "Still, that would explain why Ninetales was seeing her everywhere."

Chung-Ho then stated, "As for your first question, we have come to expose a horrible secret regarding Ninetales that you all might be interested to know!"

All went silent as everyone stared silently, Ninetales trying to regain her calm nature as she asked, "What are you talking about? You guys are my friends. You know I have nothing to hide," Hana biting her lip, too afraid to say anything as Chung-Ho remarked, "You are NOT our friend, not after the way you killed Master Hyun!"

The entire area went silent as Weedle asked, "Wait, what's this about her killing her master?" Ninetales staring, looking just as shocked as everyone else while Jae stated, "What you have all just heard is true! It has been said for the last five years that our master died in a training accident, and she certainly died during training, but it was no accident!"

While he spoke of this, Ninetales remembered it plain as day. She was ten at the time and had finally met Hyun's expectations.

"Of all the students I have had, you are truly the best," the woman said with a look of uncertainty in her eyes, Ninetales bowing her head and replying, "You are too kind, Master, but why can't you smile?" the woman replying, "It is because I can see that I have made a terrible mistake."

The kitsune's eyes widened as the woman got up, saying, "I could see it in your eyes just now. You've been planning to use my power for evil purposes, haven't you?" Ninetales gritting her teeth as she knew by now that her master could read people's faces.

Leading up to this moment, Ninetales had always had looks of cheer and calmness on her face, never looks of malice. But the very second she had learned the last of Hyun's abilities, a smirk had formed on her face for less than a second. That was more than enough time for Hyun to notice her true intentions.

"What are you going to do about it?" the kitsune asked with a cold look as Hyun sighed, "I made you into the fighter you are today, therefor it only makes sense that I destroy you before you cause harm to mankind!"

With that, a big fight broke out between the two. Hyun pulled out all of her best techniques, but unfortunately for her, Ninetales had learned all of her techniques and knew exactly how to dodge them. Combined with the fact that she had youth on her side, this was not good as soon enough, she had caught the woman with her tails, placing her back against hers.

Hyun's eyes widened as she tried to cry out in pain only for Ninetales to cover her mouth with her top tail, saying, "Sorry, Master, but I can't have you alerting the others," before smiling wickedly and adding, "I just thought up a great new name for this technique. I'll call it the Kitsune Backbreaker."

Hyun tried her best to escape. Unfortunately, Ninetales was even stronger than the woman could have ever imagined. As such, the kitsune applied even more pressure to her move, a great deal of pressure that she had not used since she had been accepted on Hero Planet. After a few seconds, Hyun's jaw stayed wide open while her eyes slowly rolled to the back of her head, the kitsune releasing her as she fell flat on her face. There was no doubt about it, her backbone had been snapped in half and as such, the woman could no longer move.

However, once the deed had been done, Ninetales replaced her wicked smirk with a look of shock as she spat, "SOMEBODY, HELP! THERE'S BEEN AN ACCIDENT!" the others entering as she spread herself over Hyun, exclaiming, "CALL AN AMBULANCE! SHE NEEDS MEDICAL TREATMENT!" tears welling up in her eyes.

Jae nodded and exclaimed, "On it!" the boy quickly exiting the room as Chung-Ho asked, "Do you want me to watch over her with you?" Ninetales remarking, "No! I want you to get her a mattress to lie on!" the kitsune then turning to Hana and adding, "And you, get her a pillow! She's suffering too much right now!"

Of course, the others had not seen the events leading up to the injury, so there was no way for them to know that she had intended on this. Even so, it seemed they really were onto her as back in present time, Chung-Ho sighed, "By the time we got medical attention, Hyun was already dead and it's all her fault!"

Ninetales then let out a sigh and replied, "It's true that my actions led to her demise, but I did not mean to do it! I would never kill that wonderful woman who shaped me into the hero I am today! I've carried on her legacy all these years because I knew she would want that!" tears rolling down the kitsune's cheeks as she added, "I was the one who called for help! Why would I do that if I intentionally killed her!?"

All went silent among the crowd as Jae nodded, saying, "She has a good point," Chung-Ho nodding and replying, "Yes. Sorry for accusing you of such things," Ninetales taking a deep breath as Machoke could detect insincerity in her tone, fear coursing through his veins now. Even so, he could not let this get to him.

"Okay, that was a lot to take in," Nori uttered, her eyes wide open as she added, "With all that confusion out of the way, it's time to resume the match."

Ninetales took a deep breath, replying, "Thank you, Miss Nori," Cici biting her lip but saying nothing.

She could tell something was up but did not want to throw out any wild accusations. However, it seemed she might need to say something as while Chung-Ho and Jae seemed content now, Hana was trembling with her eyes fixated on the kitsune.

The match resumed with Ninetales taking the defensive as Aipom rubbed her chin, Machoke asking, "Okay, I'm starting to draw a blank now! What should I do!?" the monkey replying, "I'm not sure about any major strategies that might work, but try your best to avoid her tail," the boy lowering his eyelids and sighing, "You're a true source of enlightenment, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry, but this is the best I can think of," Aipom replied, "The most we've seen from Ninetales is her various tail attacks. We've barely seen her fight from the front, so just do the best you can, alright?" Machoke taking a deep breath and replying, "Right, okay."

With that, the boy was about to get his head back in the game when he noticed Ninetales had grown impatient and was racing toward him. The boy simply waited for her to get close enough before thinking of something he had not tried on her yet, the boy sending his foot into her shin. Sure, it was a simple strategy and not a particularly creative one but it still managed to catch Ninetales off-guard as he grabbed hold of her wrist, starting to swing her around.

Aipom beamed and exclaimed, "Machoke, it's obvious Ninetales is no longer afraid of using the stone, so try not to hold back on that either!" the boy still feeling a little bad about relying on it but deciding she was right. Unfortunately, just as he was about to do that, the kitsune shifted her hand back and forth before sliding her wrist out of his hold.

Machoke's eyes widened as the kitsune quickly turned around, once again wrapping her tails around him. The Korean fans were going wild as Chung-Ho turned to his cohorts and said, "Well, she is on the side of good. I guess we can be happy she's winning, right?" Jae nodding and replying, "Yeah, it would be wrong not to support our friend," Hana still trembling.

"I'm sorry for using the stone earlier," Ninetales said with a sigh, "I wasn't quite myself, but rest assured, I have no intention of using it again," Machoke not feeling completely reassured by this but at least she was not going to send him into the spikes.

However, just as the kitsune was about to try something else, Hana shook her head, a serious look in her eyes now as Ninetales turned to her. Her eyes widened as she once again saw Hyun there only now she had taken Hana's place.

The girl stared with intent as the kitsune could hear her exclaiming, "How much longer do you plan on hiding your true self from the world!?"

Everyone stared in shock as Jae asked, "What are you talking about, Hana?" the girl replying, "I've been terrified for these last five years! I know something you guys don't, but I've been too scared to say anything and I guess a part of me didn't want to believe it either, but after you guys left, I saw something horrible!"

All went silent as Ninetales asked, "What are you talking about?" Hana taking a deep breath and saying, "When the others went off to do as you asked, I checked back one more time just to make sure Hyun was okay."

She told of what she witnessed when she did so. When Ninetales figured everyone had left the area, Hyun had mustered up just enough strength to grasp onto her ankle, grunting, "I can't let you go, not with what I know now!" only for the kitsune to fold her arms, remarking, "And what are you going to do to stop me, Master?" a smirk forming on her face as she lifted her foot, stomping on the woman's face to finish her for good.

Ninetales' eyes were wide open as she had nothing to say to this, Hana trembling all the while and uttering, "It still scares me just thinking about it," everyone staring at Ninetales in absolute silence, the Korean fans feeling angered to have someone so horrible representing them.

Scizor was breathing heavily, uttering, "Scyther must be in even more pain right now," and while she said this, her daughter was currently gritting her teeth, wishing she had the strength to move. Not only had she lost the second round but once again, she had lost to a villain posing as a hero.

Hana was still trembling as Jae rested a hand on her shoulder, saying, "You may have been late to say this, but I'm proud of you for doing it," Chung-Ho nodding and adding, "Though next time you witness something like this, don't keep it bottled up for so long. Five years is a long time to hide something so crucial."

Blaziken gritted her teeth and growled, "It's Talonflame all over again," Heracross frowning while Reika replied, "At least we didn't have to wait until the finals to discover the truth this time."

However, Beedrill turned toward Weedle who nodded at him, the wasp just about to speak up when Machoke cut in, exclaiming, "WAIT!" everyone turning to face him as the boy asked, "Weedle, you keep saying that rule violations can be overlooked if the opponent is okay with them, right?" the caterpillar nodding and replying, "Yes. Where are you going with this?"

Machoke took a deep breath and said, "You should already know, but now that I know Ninetales is evil, I can't just let her walk out of this ring feeling okay!" Beedrill's eyes sparkling with admiration as his father sighed, "I had a feeling you'd say that. I guess it can't be helped. This match will continue until a winner is decided."

Aipom took a deep breath, once again feeling proud of Machoke. He may not have been the most serious fighter all the time, but when it came to justice, he was one of the most focused fighters one could ever meet.