Chapter 42: Determination

The audience of the Talis Stadium were getting restless as they all were rooting for the final battle of the tournament. Rose and I stood by Josh's side as we all made it towards the access tunnel, waiting for the moment when Josh and Volt could finally do battle. I couldn't help but feel tense as I knew for a fact that Josh and Volt had yet to properly battle each other. They've both had their scuffles, but never an all-out brawl.

Volt, understandably, felt like this was going to be a moment he's bound to remember. As he stared at our access tunnel, he thought long and hard about how much he's been acting as a leader, and figured that Josh also had those similar issues. He even recalled the moment where he overheard our meeting prior to his battle, having listened to every word Josh said. This made him think back to those moments where Josh risked his life on numerous occasions to save others, including himself. Volt always thought about that as suicidal, even reckless.

But deep inside of himself, Volt realized that this was all just a part of who Josh was. Josh was always looking out for others. Always pushing himself to try and find answers. And this in turn led to Volt pondering his own worth as a leader. The moment he could remember that made him wake up to that realization was just after Josh broke his arm after his declaration last week.

Wulfrock placed a strap around Volt's arm after Josh's rant. While it was painful, it was nothing that he couldn't handle. He endured through worse. Of course, the moment he looked over at the strap holding his arm in place, he mentioned "I didn't think he'd be that desperate to return home."

"Believe me, Mike," Wulfrock stated with a stern look, "the last thing I expected was for you to snap at him after he brought up Damon."

Volt groaned at the mention of his long-lost brother, and stood up on his feet. "John, how long has it been since we've taken those boys in?"

"Three years," Wulfrock answered. "And here I was, hoping that you'd soon warm up to them."

"And weaken myself like you and Rin?" He scoffed, and made his way towards the door of his office. "The perfect soldier shouldn't be feeling sentimental. You know that."

"Oh god, Mike. Don't make this about Afghanistan again. I swear, that's all you ever seem to think about!"

"Just because I'm reminiscing about a difficult part of my life doesn't automatically mean I'm obsessed with the past," Volt argued with a glare. "I'm only looking after the boys until they mature enough to become fearsome warriors."

"By what? Locking them away after a near brush with death?"

"If it means guaranteeing their safety, then yes. That's exactly what I intend to do."

"Mike! You can't be serious!"

Volt soon left the office in a huff without another word. Wulfrock, clearly, was a little ticked off, and chased after him. Before Volt could log out of the game by accessing the menu with his functional arm, Wulfrock quickly grabbed it and yanked it towards him. Volt gritted his teeth, and angrily said "Get your stinking paws off of me, John."

"Not until you realize that you just made Josh stage an attempted mutiny," Wulfrock argued without hesitation. "Mike, this isn't right. If Nick found out about this, he'd be furious!"

"So what!?" Volt yelled back. "It was the mutt who stepped out of line!"

"No, he wasn't, Mike!" Wulfrock reprimanded. "He's just trying to help his friends and family! He's been stuck here for YEARS, Mike! And I've seen how far he's grown in those years while YOU were sitting idly by with your head firmly stuck up your ass!"

"Are you accusing me of being inadequate at my job!?" Mike argued. "Are you saying that I've never made any leeway ever since Nick gave me this position? I've been busting my ass off trying to rescue these trapped players with other guilds at our beck and call! It's been a struggle to find and rescue all of these players, and yet you seem to think I'm doing poorly at my job! Well, news flash, John! This world is huge! Finding these players is the equivalent of finding needles in a haystack!"

"And we could've made progress if this most recent effort succeeded!" Wulfrock reasoned. "Don't you realize that these are the risks we're taking? And knowing for a fact that we can't sit idly by anymore? We've already wasted too much time as it is!"

"Progress is slow," Volt argued. "Why are you so determined to see this mission over with quickly?"

"Because Josh and Adam will DIE if we don't!" Wulfrock yelled bitterly.

"All the more reason to keep them safe! I don't want them to die!"

"Is it because you miss Damon? Are you guilt-tripping yourself over the loss of your brother that you couldn't bear the thought of losing them?"

"IT'S BECAUSE I MADE A VOW TO THEIR FATHER!"

This led to Wulfrock being stunned into silence as he heard this news for the first time. As the Lycanroc stared at the Electabuzz with a confused look, Volt soon lamented and began to take a deep breath to calm himself. Upon calming down, Volt gripped at his broken arm and held his head low as he was filled with conflicting emotions. "I made a promise to their father. Three years ago. Over a month after they were trapped here."

"You… Mike, what are you saying?" Wulfrock asked in confusion.

"Before I became leader here, Nick assigned me to investigate what Josh and Adam's lives were like," Volt confessed solemnly. "I looked into what led the both of them to their current predicaments. How they both endured so much trauma, even before journeying to the Zero Isles. I hadn't realized what it was they both went through until Nick gave me this task."

Wulfrock simply looked on in silence, quickly realizing how much this information seemed to have shaken him to his core. Volt trembled a little as he averted his gaze slightly, biting at his lip to find the right words before continuing. "Their parents were very worried for them. They wanted to see them both back in the real world. But after everything I've learned about them, I was afraid that perhaps if they weren't strong enough, they were going to die, and I would've failed at keeping my promise to them."

Wulfrock felt pity over how his friend was feeling, and gently rested a paw on Volt's shoulder. Once Volt turned to look at his teammate, the Lycanroc gave a look of concern. "Mike, it doesn't matter if they are strong enough to face this world on their own. We've raised them to be capable fighters. We've seen how much they've improved up until now." He sighed, before suggesting "We need to let them go, Mike. They've already proven themselves."

Volt shook a little as he then recalled something else. Giving a stifled laugh, he mentioned "That Meowstic, Lucian… He mentioned something like this would happen."

"Lucian?" Wulfrock questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Back over at Mt Ebott," Volt mentioned as he gripped his head, "Lucian showed me this exact scenario. I felt like I've been stuck in that realm of reality for days on end, studying every possible outcome. He didn't give me a prophecy. Rather, he gave me something else."

"Something else?" Wulfrock asked.

Volt nodded and lowered his hand. "He guided me, for what felt like days, on every possible outcome that could guarantee Josh and Adam's safety," he mentioned. "Even though it felt like only a few days, I could still see it happen… All of the scenarios that could lead to Josh and Adam's destruction. And I…" Clenching his fist, he looked at Wulfrock and said "I want to do what's right for them. To lead them down the correct path."

Wulfrock seemed to get the idea somewhat, and he nodded his head like he understood. "Well, first things first, I think you owe the 'mutt' and apology, don't you agree?"

Volt nodded and turned towards the hall. Both he and Wulfrock began to walk towards the courtyard, and calmly, Volt said "I guess I do. But on one condition."

"And what's that?" Wulfrock asked Volt.

"I want to see just how determined that mutt is willing to accept his responsibility as a leader," Volt argued. "I'll make my decision then."

"To let them go?"

Volt nodded, a somber expression on his face as he did so. "Once we speak with them, you'll understand. In order to be a strong leader, you must abide by the decisions of your allies, and guide them to the right path. If the mutt can prove that to me, I'll let them go."

Volt sighed deeply as the crowd roared once Infernick flew towards the referee spot once more. Staring at the Charizard, he was quick to realize just how much he was able to accomplish outside of the guild, even though he was in the same boat as me and Josh. Lucian… I know you're out there, watching this battle. What you showed me back at Mt Ebott, is this really the right path? Do you think that this was the correct method to showcase Josh and Adam's strength?

Volt's thoughts were interrupted when he heard "So, are you anxious, Mike?"

Volt recognized the voice to belong to Wulfrock. Taking a glance back to him, he saw that the Lycanroc was standing alongside Rinekai. He gave a smile to them, and asked "Are you planning to root for me?"

"Actually, we just wanted to say that in case you win, we're resigning our duties as members of Team Delta," Rinekai stated bluntly.

This caught Volt by surprise. Turning to face his team, asked them "What's the meaning of this?"

"We don't know what it is you're planning, Mike," Wulfrock stated. "However, Rin and I both agreed that the moment that you secured victory against Josh, we're resigning. We want to help them, and that means we're going to be looking after them without your involvement."

"Even though the two weak links of Rose and Adam were more than serviceable in your matches?" Volt questioned them. "They've both earned their rights to leave. It's the mutt that I'm more concerned with."

"Why, though?" Rin demanded. "What is it that you're not telling us?"

Volt sighed deeply, and turned his attention back towards the stadium with his arms crossed. "I can't tell you."

"Sir, we insist that you answer to us," Rin stated with a glare.

Volt grumbled to himself as he struggled to hold what he wanted to say. But soon, as he realized that there was little time to really open up to them, he sighed. Turning back to his team, he then stated "I have to make my choice. If he proves himself to me how strong he really is, I'll forfeit."

This soon stunned both Rin and Wulfrock as Volt gave his reasponse. Volt grimaced as he then stated "But that's only if he proves to be too strong. I'm not guaranteeing anything. I'm going all out against him, and I expect he does the same to me." He then sighed deeply, and insisted "I don't want you guys to leave. Especially after everything we all went through together thus far. I've made mistakes that I'm not proud of. But one thing that this team really needs is a good head on its shoulders."

Wulfrock and Rin both looked at each other with befuddlement. Volt groaned as he then mentioned "We only have three months to locate and capture MCP. Therefore, I intend to move forward with letting the Solace Guild run their investigations regarding that after today. Every team in different locations around the virtual world. But I can't run the guild alone. You know that." He then placed his hands on their shoulders, and with a smile, the first time he's ever shown genuine sincerity to them in a long time, he said "I'm sorry if I was out of place over the years. I want to make up for that."

"Mike…" Wulfrock mouthed out in shock.

"You really mean that?" Rin asked.

And with a nod, Volt ended up saying "I do. I'm the leader of not just Team Delta, but also the Solace Guild. I need to take responsibility for that."

Volt patted their shoulders, and once again turned to face the arena. His smile faded completely, but this time, he felt far more determined to push not just himself, but also Josh to their absolute limits. Rin was stunned beyond belief that Volt was finally starting to show signs of maturity, which she hadn't seen in years. Wulfrock equally as such, as he crossed his arms and gave a smile.

"I guess that mutt really has grown on you, hasn't he?" Wulfrock said to Volt.

Volt clenched his fists, before stating back to him "We'll see."

Meanwhile, Josh was eying Volt with hints of uncertainty. I patted his shoulder, and the moment he looked at me, he uttered "Volt looks pretty serious out there."

"Yeah, he does, doesn't he?" I said as I looked over towards the other side of the arena. "So whatever you do, don't let him get to you."

"Heh, and the fact that you're saying it is supposed to make me feel better?" Josh asked with a smile. "Where's this newfound confidence coming from, seriously?"

I stifled a laugh as I averted my gaze from my brother out of embarrassment. Rose then looked at Josh anxiously, and said "You're a tough fighter. I've seen how you took on tough opponents before. You'll be fine."

"I sure hope so," Josh said nervously. He then turned to the both of us, and gave a smile. "If Volt doesn't go all out, then that's reneging on what we promised each other. He wants to see how much three years have changed me? I'm giving him how much three years have changed me."

We all nodded in unison, and we all drew our attention once again towards the arena. The crowd was cheering, all anticipating the final match of the day. Nick ended up raising his wings to silence the crowd once more, and with a nod of his head, he spoke. "Out of all the years I've known these two, I have never in my life thought a day like this would ever happen," Nick stated bluntly. "However, what initially started as a grudge match soon became an opportunity. Not just because I wanted to see how much Team Inferno have grown. But rather, to see how two people have matured and refined themselves after my absence. They are both strong-willed, and determined to see their missions through. I have cherished their companionship, and have managed to leave a lasting impression on them both.

"Now I wish to see just how much their determination can push them," Nick said enthusiastically. "Who will emerge victorious? Team Inferno? Or Team Delta? That question will be answered through this battle! And I promise you, once this battle is over, and a winner is decided, there will be a celebratory festival to be held here in Talis later tonight. The festival will be a showcase of Team Delta and Team Inferno earning commemorative awards for their display today. Because to me, it doesn't matter who's the winner. It doesn't matter who's in the right. What matters to me is that I wish to give both teams, whom I have grown to cherish and respect under my honor, are both equally celebrated in their own ways, and thus deserve their own rewards. There are no winners or losers. Only people who wish to display to us just how much they have grown. And to that, I hold both of the final competitors my deepest and most deserving respect."

The crowd applauded at Nick's small speech, all the while I felt like once again, Nick gave us goosebumps through his words alone. I almost started shedding tears over how much he truly was compassionate towards us, as his words practically melted my heart. Judging from Rose's reaction, she felt equally moved. As for Josh, I could see him clapping his paws together with a smile on his face because he couldn't help but feel a deep amount of respect over how much of a refined and noble person Nick truly was.

Nick soon silenced the crowd, and with one final statement, he declared "Now, enough of the formalities. You're all here for the final match. So, let's get this under way."

Nick directed his wing towards our access tunnel, and Josh took a breath. Taking a glance back to us, he smiled, and said "Wish me luck."

"You've got this in the bag, Josh," I said as I nodded to him.

"Good luck," Rose replied with a smile.

Josh then made his way forward to the arena, all the while Nick gave introductions. "In the blue corner, we have here the leader of Team Inferno. Making his stadium debut, it's the skilled aura-reading fighter with backbone to spare. A kind soul who guides his team to freedom. Give it up for LucarioTrainerJ!" The monitor soon displayed Josh as he walked forward, waving politely to the crowd as they cheered for him. However, the mere moment he took his starting spot on the battlefield, he then raised a fist in the air, and gave a bark of triumph which the crowd went nuts over.

Volt scoffed at Josh's entrance, before he noticed Nick signaling for him to walk forward as well. "Oh, I'll show you an entrance, Mutt," Volt muttered with a grin.

As Volt walked forward, Nick announced "And in the red corner, we have the leader of Team Delta, and the commander of the Solace Guild himself out of my own choosing. A fierce and shocking display of combat prowess and tactical maneuvering, he is willing to send you a shock unlike any other. He's the one and only, the powerful, the electrifying, and the confident D-Volt!"

Volt, at the mere display on the screen, got quite the applause as well as he entered. However, Volt grinned as he then began to start sparking electricity all over his body, before charging forward. He then ran into his starting position, sliding to a stop, before firing the electricity he was emitting into the air with a yell. Once he let out the discharge of electricity, the crowd roared with applause as he waved to the audience.

Josh chuckled as he saw Volt's entrance, before stating "I never took you for theatrics."

"Tch! You ain't seen nothing yet, Mutt," Volt taunted as he took a battle position. "Don't hold back, because I sure as hell won't."

"Heh. You haven't changed a bit," Josh said as he took a battle position. "And that's the reason I intend to knock some sense into you."

"Knock some sense into me?" Volt questioned. "The only one who's needing to be taught a lesson is you!"

"Then by all means," Josh quipped. "This this old dog a new trick."

With both fighters in their battle positions, the countdown clock finally started going off. 10. 9. 8.

All the while, Volt began to think back to a moment he spent with Lucian following the events of Mount Ebott.

It was shortly after we returned to the guild. Josh and Cross were both knocked unconscious, and both took their time to recover. Cross seemed to be groaning while he was sleeping, his face feeling like he's suffering from some sort of fever. I was afraid that somehow, he had been feeling sick. Josh, meanwhile, was being tended to for his injuries as he was being carefully inspected to pluck out any Iron Thorns that were protruding from his back. Frankly, it was really difficult for me to watch.

With my head hung low as I waited outside of the medical bay, I was soon approached by Rose, who went out of her way to pick up a bouquet from the flower shop. It appeared the flowers she picked up were a bunch of red roses. I could clearly tell that she was upset, judging from the way she seemed to be traumatized over what happened.

I tried to be friendly, and said "How are you holding up?"

"Fine, I guess," Rose answered solemnly. She then clutched at the bouquet in her arms tightly, her whole body becoming rigid as she tried her best to hold back tears. I wanted to speak with her, let her know that I was scared as well, but she spoke first and said "We're not strong enough…"

"Hmm? What do you mean?" I wondered.

"Don't you get it, Adam," Rose said. "If we were strong enough, Zeraora would've been defeated, and Josh and Cross wouldn't even be in this position." She sighed deeply, and then held the bouquet towards me, handing it over. "Give my regards to Josh when he wakes up, okay?"

"Uh…sure, I guess," I said nervously. "Why?"

Rose soon trembled, saying "I just don't want Josh to see me upset." She then looked away, and mentioned "Maybe it's for the best that I leave before you guys get too attached."

"What?" I tried to reach out to her, but she was able to quickly log out of the game as I held my arm out. In just a split second, she was gone, and I was once again all alone in the hallway, complete with a bouquet of roses that I didn't know what to do with. I began to feel this lingering sense of dread as I quickly realized that perhaps Rose was trying to cut all ties with us in case we ended up dying in this world.

My train of thought on the matter was interrupted when I heard Volt behind me bring up "Looks like every rose has its thorn, it seems."

I immediately turned to look at Volt as I stood there with the flowers. The look on his face was that of clear anger. I winced as I soon told him "I guess she's afraid we'll end up like Gabe. I wouldn't really blame her, if I'm being honest."

"So, you've come to realize exactly why it was that pursuing Zeraora was a bad idea," Volt remarked with his arms crossed. "And yet, despite my warnings, you almost died out there, Puss."

"I know," I said softly.

"You put not only your lives, but the life of the fruitcake Gallade in mortal danger," Volt argued. "If you know what's good for you, I expect you three to be brought forth directly to my office as punishment for insubordination. Do I make myself clear?"

I solemnly nodded to him, and whimpered "Yes, sir…"

Volt scoffed at my current emotional state, and he began to start walking away. However, the moment he was about to turn down the corner, he stopped in his tracks, and sighed deeply. "Listen, Puss," he added, taking a glance back at me. "This world is no game. Your lives are precious. Don't just throw them away."

"But…what about our missions?" I asked curiously. "We place ourselves into danger all the time, yet you seem to be relatively fine with that."

"Don't argue back with me," Volt scolded as he looked away. "Focus on the recovery of you brother. Give him your support. I'll send a word for you once all three of you are active and able to walk."

He was then about to walk away, before I soon asked him "What did Lucian show you, sir?"

This caused him to stop dead in his tracks, before he yelled at me "None of your damn business!" He then walked away in a huff, practically livid. Back then, I just assumed I was pressing too hard into his personal affairs, and I just had to keep quiet.

In actuality, once I was out of sight, Volt slowed his walk down. He rested a hand onto the wall, and began to start shedding tears. With gritted teeth, he tried to build himself back up, but unfortunately, he ended up slouching and feeling the immense weight and responsibility starting to get to him. Softly, he muttered to himself "I'm sorry, Nick… What am I supposed to do?"

Eventually, Volt returned to his office, and upon entering, he was quickly greeted by the presence of Lucian. The Meowstic was just casually sitting on the desk, reading the book titled "Under the Dome" as he waited for Volt's arrival. Calmly, the Meowstic said "If you don't control your temper, your temper will control you."

Volt groaned as he shut the door behind him. "What do you want?"

"I came to be of service," Lucian said as he shut the book. "After all, after everything that you've done to provide assistance, you unfortunately have found yourself once again back to square one." Setting the book aside, the Meowstic soon levitated from the desk and onto the floor. "Josh and Adam both have been struggling to fight in this world, cut off from the rest of human society. Trapped in a proverbial bubble that is just close to the brink of bursting."

"Is that right?" Volt asked bluntly. "Well, if you're so knowledgeable, why don't you try and alter the course of the future, or guide everything and everyone to guarantee their safety?"

Lucian adjusted his glasses as he stared at Volt. "I'm afraid I'm not the one who needs to make this decision, Volt," he said. "You aren't following through on your actions. You have no reason to be bottling yourself up like this."

"Oh, I'm bottling myself up?" Volt retorted. "I'm not the one who chose to look after those kids! In fact, what do you think I am bottling up? Hmm? Tell me!"

Lucian sighed as he looked at Volt with a smile. "You care for them. You just don't want to admit it. And if you do care for them, you would do the right thing. You need to let them go and mature into the adults you want them to become."

"I…I…" Volt wanted so badly to argue against him, but deep inside, he knows what Lucian is saying it correct. He angrily sighed, but that anger slowly melted away to sorrow. "I can't. Not after what happened. They're not ready to be out there on their own."

"I beg to differ," Lucian said with a plain smile on his face. "You and your team have monitored their activities, and ultimately realized one thing: you all support their efforts. Josh and Adam no longer need to be confined to one place. If they need a chance to grow and develop into better fighters, the only way they can is if you bring to them forces from outside of Talis. Already, Cross and his team have managed to be a good outside influence for them. And let's face it, Volt. Cross had spent an entire year drifting from one location to another for an entire year, even though he understands the risks involved for trapped players."

Volt didn't know how to get back at him with that comment. He simply just looked at Lucian, and silently began to think to himself. Sighing deeply after a while, he crossed his arms, and mentions "I don't want them going out there without being prepared for what's going to happen, Lucian. I'm just afraid of what will happen when I tell them…"

"I understand," Lucian said. "Josh is rather fickle, especially around you. I'm just asking if you're ready to put their strength to the test, just like what I showed you."

Volt grimaced as he recalled what Lucian subjected him to with his abilities. "I only want what's best for them. But…how do I know what you're suggesting will actually happen?"

Lucian gave a shrug, and answered with "I don't know. But that's the simple beauty of life, don't you think? If we all knew what was going to happen, life would be pretty boring. You just need to give a little push in the right direction, that's all."

7… 6…

Volt calmly took a breath as he stared at Josh on the other side of the arena. If the only way to see if you have the strength to fight is through me, then so be it, Mutt. However, don't think I'm going to stand down because I've been looking after you for the past three years.

5… 4…

Volt recalled the day when he was made the new leader of the Solace Guild. The promise that he made to look out for our safety from Mom and Dad. The harsh truth that he knows that Josh and I are willing to risk everything for the sake of helping others, even if they were still able to log out.

3…

"Hey, Volt!" Josh yelled suddenly, grabbing Volt's attention. As Volt eyed the Lucario in front of him, Josh gave a wide grin, before mentioning "May the best Pokémon win."

2…

Volt couldn't help but smile at Josh's confidence in this. With a slight chuckle, he then said "Same to you, Mutt."

1… 0.

I siren blared, and Josh and Volt both ran towards each other, ready to strike.

As the crowd was cheering, Josh and Volt began to make attempts to try and land solid strikes against one another. They both chose not to use any opening moves yet, but for the most part, they practically matched each other blow for blow. Josh's own speed was being matched by Volt's, and they were not going to hesitate to use whatever methods they had to in order to win.

"Already, D-Volt and LucarioTrainerJ are locked in combat," Eccho announced. "They apparently decided that this matter is to be settled not through moves, but rather through their own fighting capabilities."

"Regardless, this is not how we've come to expect this battle to play out," Yamatochi announced. "This looks more like a battle you'd expect in any typical fighting game."

"You sound disappointed," Eccho said to his partner.

"That's because I am," Yamatochi replied. "I was expecting more from the two leaders of those teams, if I'm being honest."

Volt grinned at the announcements, and muttered "Oh, I'll show you something more!" Suddenly, he then began to take his battle seriously, as his hand glowed white, indicating he's activated a move to strike. Josh seemed to notice as well, as he managed to backflip away from the punch, before he then kept on backing away until he was at a fair distance.

Josh smirked, and brought up "Let me guess, Dynamic Punch?"

"Heh. I'm surprised you figured that out," Volt added. "Regardless, I know for a fact that if you want to take me on, you'll have to fight with every fiber of your being. Now…COME AT ME!" He then began sparking electricity, as he then shot a bolt of lightning towards Josh's direction.

Josh quickly pulled out a Bone Rush attack, and twirled the bone staff to deflect the Thunder attack that Volt sent towards him. Volt refused to yield as he kept on firing the attack at Josh, all the while Josh was beginning to struggle as the lightning was proving to be quite powerful against him. Josh was nearly pushed back from the attack itself, but he then had to think carefully, otherwise he would take some serious damage.

"You know…" Josh grunted. "I was beginning to think that you were holding back on purpose. But now, I'm seeing that you are finally starting to take me seriously."

"Don't push your luck, Mutt," Volt argued as he continued the Thunder attack. "You haven't seen anything from me yet."

Josh grinned, and snarked back with "Then let's see how you fare with this!" He then utilized Double Team, multiplying into multiple copies as he let the Thunder strike the ground. All at once, Volt was placed in the presence of dozens of Lucario as they all started charging towards him with Bone Rush attacks inbound. "Try this on for size, Volt!" Josh yelled as all of the clones readied their attacks.

Volt stifled a gasp as he then tried to find a means to defend himself, but quickly got bombarded by the oncoming Lucario horde. In essence, all he could really do was take the blows since there were so many Lucario striking at him all at once. The crowd was in awe as they all saw the display taking place, witnessing how Josh was utilizing all of his efforts to try and defeat Volt to the best of his abilities.

"Go Josh!" Cross screamed as he and Team Calibur were rooting for Josh to turn up the heat in the battle.

"Fight!" Chris yelled.

"Streit! You can do it!" Nolan cheered.

Lucian giggled a little as he looked over the battle while Team Calibur were doing their best chances at cheering Josh on. His giggle ultimately grabbed the attention of Sabrina, who asked him "Why are you laughing?"

"It's nothing," Lucian reassured as he stared at the fight. "Though, is it me, or does it seem like the pair are trying to push each other past the breaking point?"

Sabrina was slightly confused by Lucian's wording. "You're going to have to explain things, because I'm a little lost."

"It's really quite simple," Lucian added as he adjusted his glasses. He then looked towards his sister, and told her "Neither side seems to want to give it their all at first."

"Uh…isn't that what a battle usually does?" Sabrina questioned.

"Not exactly. You see, Josh and Volt both chose deliberately not to use any moves at the beginning. That's a sign that they both apparently fear what would happen if they push each other to their limits." Lucian soon turned to look at the battle, commenting "Volt wants to see how far Josh is willing to go. He's just afraid of what will happen when he reaches that point."

"Wait… Are you saying that Volt…?" Before she could finish her sentence, Lucian gave her a reassuring glance, even motioning towards Team Calibur, who were loudly cheering without any attention to them, as if to subtly tell her something he doesn't want her to blurt out. "Oh. Right. You want hope to stay alive, after all."

"That I do, dear sister," Lucian said with a smile. "It's all up to them to reach that point."

Volt felt the relentless assault from the multiple Lucario opponents striking at him with Bone Rush at multiple angles. Not wanting to be outdone, he growled a little as he then fell to one knee, and knelt to the ground and gripped at it with his hands. He then yelled "Enough!" before he fired a powerful blast of electricity through the ground, breaking through the earth and striking at all of the Lucario clones, even striking at the real Josh as he ended up being caught off guard by this new attack.

Josh got a full force blast of an electric blast, stunning him, before Volt charged forwards to Josh and struck him hard in the torso with Brick Break. Josh could feel the wind being knocked out of him as he was then sent flying a good distance away from Volt as the crowd cheered.

"That's quite a resourceful counterattack by D-Volt," Eccho announced. "That Rising Voltage seemed to be just what he needed to break free from the strikes by J."

"But given how he's been fighting like that, J had no time to react, and got a surprise attack from Brick Break," Yamatochi replied. "All of a sudden, both fighters are now kicking things up a notch."

As Josh got up onto his feet, Volt crossed his arms and taunted "I modeled my Rising Voltage attack to emulate Zeraora. Just to give you a taste of his power."

"Heh. I've felt worse stings from Zeraora than I ever did from you," Josh remarked. As Josh took a fighting stance once more, he asked "Are you seriously underestimating me? I'll have you know, I've been through worse."

"Oh, I'm aware," Volt said as he too took a battle stance. "However, I'm a little disappointed in you, Mutt. If you're the tough as nails virtuous hero you claim to be, where is the effort? Did all of the years of raising you make you soft?"

Josh glared intensely at Volt on that statement. "Volt, we both know for a fact you're going easy on me. How else am I supposed to grow if you refuse to give me a challenge?"

"I did what I could to keep you safe!" Volt stated loudly. "Isn't that enough!?"

"Yeah? Then if you wanted to keep us safe, and you cared so much for wanting us to return home, why don't you give us bigger challenges?" Josh then charged forward, ready to strike with another Bone Rush, before yelling "Where is your sense of honor as a soldier!?"

Volt leapt out of the way from Josh's strike, before retaliating with another Rising Voltage attack. But this time, Josh was fast and stuck the bone staff into the ground to absorb the attack itself. The lightning ended up hitting the bone staff, with none of it even remotely touching Josh in the slightest as he continued to glare at Volt.

Volt gritted his teeth before he and Josh both charged towards each other. Josh readied a Force Palm to strike at Volt, while Volt himself ended up using a Dynamic Punch on Josh. They both struck each other in the face, and they both ended up knocked backwards.

Volt staggered up to his feet, while Josh ultimately felt dizzy after that last attack, the effect of Dynamic Punch. Visible stars were circling around his head as he tried to steady himself. Once Volt was on his feet, he yelled out "Don't you talk to me about honor! You wouldn't understand a thing as a soldier! We have our rights! We fight against any threats to our nation, and carry out our duties as heroes among men!"

As Josh tried to focus on Volt, he ended up chuckling. Volt was taken aback by Josh's laughter, which soon slowly escalated into an uproarious cackle. Josh soon calmed himself, staring up at the sky as he began to think back. "You know, Volt… My father once told me about his days in the military. He always pointed out that being a soldier isn't all it was cracked up to be. It was rough. Painful. Grueling. On assignment, he would always fend for survival with his team, struggling to hold their own in the wilderness, eating whatever edible flora and fauna the world provided. But you know something he always told me about how soldiers work?" He then glared at Volt, mocking him, and saying "A soldier is just a pathetic, insignificant mutt that was meant to follow orders. That's what you always call me, Volt. A mutt. A mangy, disobedient mutt who has his virtues held too far high for his own good. A single soldier isn't worth a goddamn thing. An army, on the other hand, is. And you know what, Volt? My dad is a far greater soldier than you would ever be in your entire life!"

Volt stared at Josh while he was confused, stunned by his biting words. He clenched his fists tightly as he slowly started to glare at Josh and his reprimands. As he shook, staring at the Lucario, he mouthed out "You're wrong…" He then took a sharp breath, before declaring "You're wrong, Mutt! You are dead wrong!"

Josh grinned a little, before he then stumbled forward. "I'm not done talking, you insignificant dog," he taunted. "The main reason I hold soldiers in high regard is because even though they are dogs meant to follow orders, if they survive, they are deemed as heroes. A hero isn't born, Volt. They are made. And I know that you feel the same way. I made myself the hero because I willingly choose to protect others. I willingly choose to carry out difficult tasks if it means that somehow, we could return home. The reason I snapped at you that day is because you are doing the one thing a hero like you shouldn't be doing. You are not helping survivors of harsh conflict carry out their duties as heroes. You are holding them back. Tying them to a leash! And it is that reason why you are a hapless, hopeless, nobody that is firmly stuck focusing on the past! Damon would've died either way! But he had more guts than you ever did! You're not a soldier, Volt! You're not even a hero! I'm not even the mutt in this scenario, Mike! YOU ARE!"

At those words, Volt suddenly snapped, as he charged forward toward Josh, his fists glowing white, as he then yelled "SHUT UP!" He released a rapid flurry of punches towards Josh, which he was able to dodge quite a bit as Volt angrily yelled on. However, all of those pent-up emotions that Volt unleashed would soon reach a boiling point, and before long, Volt screamed as he then managed to strike at Josh with an intense punch towards the face. And then another. And another. On and on the punches didn't stop. And as the spectators were watching this unfold, their cheers slowly died down. This no longer resembled a battle. This instead resembled a beat down.

I winced as I couldn't help but feel scared over how intense Volt was in this instance. I wanted to just run out there and step in to save Josh. Almost the entire stadium was staring at this assault in sheer shock as Josh just stood there, taking all of the beatings like nothing else. I wanted to run and save Josh, but I couldn't even feel my legs responding. Jesus Christ! What are you doing, Adam!? Go out there! Stop this! Don't just stand there like an idiot!

Eventually, the brutality of it all led to Volt managing an uppercut onto Josh, knocking him down towards the ground. His face was all bludgeoned up, he had blood dripping from his mouth, and even though he was still conscious, he clearly was reaching his limit. Volt soon backed away from Josh, before staring at his own hands, seeing the blood that was on them as a result of his punches. He was breathing intensely as he stared at his hands, struggling to control himself before he then came to realize that he was damn-near close to beating Josh within an inch of his life.

All at once, at the sight of the blood, and at the sight of Josh on the ground, his expression changed from anger, to shock, to regret. And soon, memories started coming back to him.

Afghanistan: August 30, 2021

Mike was furious. He punched Nick in the face and knocked him down to the ground, relentlessly beating him close to within an inch of his life. "YOU BASTARD!" Mike yelled angrily. "There is no way I'm abandoning him! I need to go back! Give me the real orders, Nick!"

Nick groaned as he tried to sit up, rubbing at his cheek as he mentioned "We have our orders, Mike. We lost. The Taliban won. As much as I hate the order to fall back as much as you do, that was what the president wanted us to follow."

"No! That's what you are being ordered to follow! Not me!" Mike then grabbed Nick's uniform and lifted him up, before pinning him towards a wall. "You are no leader. Don't you want to be a hero? To protect innocents who are in desperate need to be saved? Then I say we […] the orders of the higher ups!"

"No, Mike!" Nick argued. "If you disobey orders, I'll have no choice but to discharge you for disorderly conduct! You know this as well as I do!"

"Oh yeah? Well…then I think that I should be the leader instead, don't you think?" Mike stated bitterly. "Because the way I see it, you are being an absolute piece of […] if you think I'm leaving my brother there to die!"

"He's already as good as dead, Mike!" Nick retorts. "The Taliban are not willing to leave prisoners alive, and you know that! Now do as I say, and follow my command!"

Mike was so upset that he ended up screaming and punching Nick's face, leaving a visible scar by his lower lip. The punches kept on coming, until both John and Rin ended up dragging Volt away and holding him back. Volt screamed out explicit profanities at Nick as he angrily lashed out at him while he was being held back. John soon held Mike's arms behind him as Rin stepped in front, her arms outstretched as she yelled "Stop it! Both of you!"

Mike wanted to argue with her, but at noticing her expression, he could tell that she was clearly upset, but not at the loss of her brother, nor Damon being gone forever. As Mike stared at her, he was shocked to find that she was upset with him. Mike soon calmed down from his rage, only for him to then start sobbing as he fell to his knees.

Nick felt at his lip, seeing the blood that was coming out, where a young soldier soon approached him and asking "Sir? Are you alright?"

Nick brushed the soldier aside silently, before he then approached Mike, ultimately keeping his distance. As Mike looked up at him, Nick couldn't help but sigh deeply over how unfortunate this whole situation turned out to be. He then knelt down, before telling him "If I could risk it all to save a life, I would do so in a heartbeat. But the war is over. I can't risk losing more troops than we already did. You can't be a hero for throwing the lives of many into the line of fire without a justifiable cause. One life isn't as important as the lives of many, Mike."

Mike sniffed as he looked over at Nick, seeing how sincere the older gentleman was in that instant. After a bit of awkward silence, Mike sighed, defeated. Nick then stood up on his feet, before ordering "Pack your things. There's nothing more we can do."

Once Nick left to check on the other troops, Mike was left in the company of both Rin and John in that instant. Mike was then helped to his feet, as John patted his back. "I know…" John whispered. "I know."

The three of them were left there in silence, as Mike then looked over at his dog tags that hung from his neck. Upon seeing his name engraved on them, he then tore them off of his neck, handing them over to Rin. Mike implored to her "If anybody asks, tell them that I am no longer on active duty. From this day forward, you can consider me retired."

"Mike," Rin muttered as she clutched at the dog tags. As she looked at them, she then mentioned "You can't live on your own. Not after what happened. I know exactly how you feel." She then looked at her two companions, and mentioned "I want to leave as well."

John sighed, before adding in "In that case, I guess we all want to leave while the going is good." He then gave a pitying smile towards Mike, and said "You obviously need somebody to keep you on a leash. What better person than your best friend?"

Mike was surprised to see how Rin and John were being so selfless in this instance, willing to quit the military to help him with his grief. As he could hear the sound of aircraft come in to take them back to the USA, he nodded to them sadly. "Thanks. I guess this is it, then."

Rin and John both comforted Mike for a little bit, before the two of them soon left Mike all alone to collect his thoughts. Mike looked down at his hands, seeing them shake as his right hand seemed to be coated with Nick's blood. He was furious, but at the same time, Nick knew what he was doing. Who was he to judge? Mike clearly was not cut out for military service anymore.

Once again, he was letting his anger get the better of him, and it resulted in Josh badly injured as he saw the blood that was staining his hands. He shook where he stood, realizing that he was becoming the opposite of what he was once wanted to believe himself to be. He was close to hyperventilating, visible sweat streaking down his face, as he now knows that he just did what he now regrets doing.

Mike not only hurt Josh. He beat him down to a bloody pulp.

Slowly, the crowd was starting to murmur among themselves over what happened, as nobody had any clue as to why Volt lashed out as intensely as he did. As Volt could hear the crowd slowly start to give way and say what was on their minds, Volt began to realize that he was now in a difficult spot. Already, the crowd began to see that he was unstable. He took note of a few who were starting to boo at him.

I groaned as I saw this display, saying to Rose "I can't take this anymore. This needs to stop."

On the other side of the arena, in the other access tunnel, Rin and John looked at each other, before Rin added "Let's go."

"Yeah."

Just as soon as we were about to walk out, however, we all then took note of an Aura Sphere being fired into the air so suddenly from Josh, before the sphere quickly faded. Thankfully, that sudden sight of the move silenced the crowd. To top it off, Josh also yelled out "WAAAAIIIIITTTT!"

Rin, John, and I all stopped in our tracks upon hearing Josh scream out. As Volt looked down at Josh, shocked to see he was still alive, if a bit bruised up, Josh slowly started to stagger back to his feet. As he got up, he mentioned "It's not…over…until I'm unconscious…and unable to fight…"

As he stood tall, taking a few breaths to try and steady himself, Volt was quick to stammer to him "Y-you… You still want to keep going?"

Josh chuckled a bit, before adding "I've been wondering where that strength was, Volt. The moment you finally unleashed your true power. I must admit, it truly was something else…"

Volt was stunned to see Josh continue as he suddenly began glowing brightly with an orange aura around him. Volt was taken aback by that, but before he could get a word out, Josh rushed towards him, and managed to land a solid hit in Volt's chest with a punch, before he was then sent flying all the way towards the opposite side of the arena and crashing into the wall.

As the crowd was in stunned amazement over Josh's immediate recovery, they slowly but surely began to start cheering, chanting Josh's name by screaming "LTJ! LTJ! LTJ!"

"I don't believe it, ladies and gentlemen!" Eccho announced in surprise. "LucarioTrainerJ is still active! The battle is far from over!"

"Not only that, but it appears he's learned a new move as well!" Yamatochi described with awe. "He's apparently managed to learn Reversal! I don't believe my eyes!"

"Reversal?" I gasped as I stood there with Rose. "No way!"

"Is that a good thing?" Rose wondered with unease.

"More than a good thing!" I exclaimed. "It's a move that deals more damage if the user has lower HP! It's the perfect turnaround!"

Rin and John, meanwhile, were eyeing Volt as he staggered up to his feet from the attack. They were both taken by surprise by how Josh seemed to be pushing him. Rin ended up asking "Since when had Josh ever shown such strength before?"

"I think Josh has grown a bit," John replied as he turned his attention to the Lucario. "Josh was merely toying around with Volt to see him be pushed to his limits." The Wulfrock then felt shivers up his spine as he saw how Josh just stood there, the Lucario's whole body glowing a bright blue aura around him. John then turned his attention back towards Volt, and back to Josh, before asking "Who do you think I should root for?"

"I don't know…" Rin pondered. "Whoever's in the right of mind, I guess…"

Up in the audience, Cross and his team are stunned silent as Josh stood tall against Volt. While the rest of the crowd were cheering Josh on, Cross was made aware over how much strength Josh had been holding back this whole time. "Woah… I've never seen Josh this intense."

"Oh mein…" Nolan ended up looking towards his team, asking them "Was he always this strong?"

"He's been here for years," Chris said anxiously. "Obviously, he's holding himself back on purpose for our sakes. I don't think I've ever seen him take a battle seriously before."

"He rarely does," Lucian brought up, grabbing Team Calibur's attention. "Josh personally trains his mind and body on a daily basis, doing whatever means necessary to carry on his reign as the leader of Team Inferno. Because Adam doesn't go all out in combat, Josh makes up for it. I'd say that judging by the aura he's radiating, he's been holding back this strength for a while."

"Wait… So this is Josh completely unbound?" Cross asked.

Lucian could only nod his head silently as he eyed the battlefield. Team Calibur were soon in amazement over how Josh was carrying this much power inside of him this whole time. Cross in particular felt intimidated by that raw power. "Good God… You really are as tough as I thought."

Once Volt was back up on his feet, he stared over at Josh, seeing his raw strength finally untapped. Josh was quick to make two bone staffs, which he twirled around in his paws as he stared over at Volt. The Electabuzz couldn't help but feel so intimidated by the Lucario's intense aura, which was so powerful he could feel it from all the way across the stadium.

Josh clanked the bones together as he slowly walked towards Volt. "Fight." Volt began to breathe intensely, before backing away into the wall itself. He had nowhere else to run. Josh clanked the bones again, and once more demanded with intensity in his voice "Fight me, Volt."

"I…" Volt was at a loss for words. So, this was that true strength I saw? Is he really that powerful? He's bluffing. There's no way he could possibly be as strong as he thinks, right? Volt gulped before he then stammered "Listen, Mutt… Let's talk things over."

"We…are in the middle…of a battle…" Josh said as he clanked the bones in his paws. "And for the love of GOD!" He then chucked one of the bone staffs towards the wall where Volt was at, pinning it just right next to his head. Volt jumped a little at how fast that throw was, before he began to nearly panic. Josh continued his tirade with "My name is not Mutt! You and I are equals, Volt! Therefore, you will call me by my real name! So shut up, walk towards me, and FIGHT!"

Volt realized that all sense of reason was gone, and he knew he was facing an uphill battle. He took a deep breath, and slowly, he walked forward. "You and I are not equals," he stated. "Far from it. But if you think that means I'm going to throw in the towel, you're wrong."

"Good," Josh tormented. "Because I have several long months of frustrations that I want to vent off. And the only way to do that is by bashing your face in."

Volt scoffed at Josh's threat. "Then by all means…Josh. I dare you to approach me. Our real battle begins here, and it will end here."

"Don't try to win with empty threats alone, Volt," Josh taunted. "Not unless you have the strength to back it up."

"Oh, I have strength, Josh!" Volt yelled. "Let's see if you can match it!"

The both of them walked menacingly towards each other slowly. Josh radiated a powerful aura around his body. Volt was sparking with a ton of electricity around his. But soon, the tension was released.

And the moment that they clashed at high speed towards each other, we all knew that this time, the battle was going to be all-out. No restrictions. No limits. It was either Josh or Volt.

The only real question: Who was going to win?