The Secret of the Idol

by PokeMaster64

Wes Ravenfield, an Umbreon who wishes to become the world's greatest treasure hunter, has been failing in trying to find anything to prove his worth. But, upon discovering a sacred idol that could bring about chaos on the world, he will journey throughout Mysto with his brother and ex-girlfriend, along with new friends along the way. As they get closer, secrets will unfold.

63. Feuding Storm Clouds 4

Ch.63: Father and Son Reunited! Thunderous Hatred Booms!

The winds picked up drastically in the world of endless ocean and storms, with thunder roaring and lightning streaking the skies. The rains became heavier, pelting down on Team Ravenfield as they focused their attention on their opponent.

However, the storms intensity proved second to the thunderstorm that took shape between Tony and Leroy, their eyes locked with each other. One pair filled with hate, the other filled with coldness. Their reuniting was only for a minute or two, yet the tension was tangible to the rest of Team Ravenfield, unable to avert their eyes from the unmoving scene.

The roof lit up from the frequent flashes of lightning, shining everyone in a bright blue. Tony's and Leroy's fur lit up in their static appearance occasionally. Unlike the others, they could feel the storm's presence on a deeper, mystical level. They felt empowered in its presence. They were in their element.

Three minutes had passed, and Tony finally broke the silence. Sneering, he said, "Some way to greet your kid. You could pretend to be a little more surprised." His glare deepened. "Assuming you had any ounce of care in that black heart of yours."

Leroy remained unfazed as he stared at his son. After a moment, he closed his eyes. "You've certainly changed. You're not as cowardly as I remember." Tony gritted his teeth.

"Wait, wait, wait! Time out!" Gwyn shouted, flailing her arms around. "Tony! Is that really your dad?! The big jerk you kept talking about?! And he's a mage?!"

Tony didn't break eye contact with Leroy. "That last one's news to me."

"But…But…seriously?!" Gwyn exclaimed. Her brain felt like it got fried.

Flint's ears flopped down. "I can't believe this…"

"So, this is why you were so fussy the last couple of days," Ella figured out. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"To be honest, I was hoping it wasn't him and that I was just overthinking things." Tony glared. "But I recognize that magic aura. It has faint similarities to my own. Only way that's possible is if it was someone from my immediate family. I wanted to believe my senses were playing tricks on me…but I guess fate works in punishing ways. Now I get to learn where my asshole of a father has been for the last eight years. What a surprise."

Leroy narrowed his eyes. "Did your mother raise you with that filthy mouth?"

Tony smirked exasperatedly. "Oh no…why would you think such a thing? I just picked it up from the hellhole we were forced to live in all these years!" His sarcastic smirk fell into a frown. "Fun fact: when you can't afford to keep your house, you can't exactly keep it anymore. Guess the one place anyone poorer than dirt has left to live is the wonderful and shitty dump known as Fuego Village!"

Leroy blinked, his expression unmoving. "Is that so?"

"Oh yeah! Mom tried her hardest to make it work! Getting jobs, keeping us fed, and just trying to be the best mother she can through the hard times! Oh, she knew how to keep her spirits up when times were tough! Do you know what sitting through ash storms are like? They suck!" Tony held his hips. "And look at you, living it up in a cozy little temple with apprentices and a fancy job! Don't you just feel special?"

The hostile atmosphere around the Dewott made the rest of his team greatly uncomfortable. Despite his playful, sarcastic attitude, there was bitter undertones that were hard to miss. Eight years of pent up frustration was resurfacing from the lightning thief.

Tony paced around on the roof, going on with his rant. "I mean, just look at this place! You're living it up out here! You got the perfect weather and location! I guess you decided to be a selfish bastard and keep it all to yourself." Tony sneered at the Samurott. "Oh wait...I'm giving you too much credit. That implies some actual care towards your family."

Leroy glared. "Enough of your nonsense, boy. Your petty tantrum is of no concern to me."

"Don't go giving me the cold shoulder, Leroy," the Dewott growled, pointing at him accusingly. "You abandoned your family! Left them to fend for themselves without so much as a warning! You left Mom, me, and your unborn daughter and never came back! Eight years, Leroy! Eight! YEARS!"

"You're making a big deal out of nothing," Leroy stated emotionlessly. "You're still alive, aren't you? Figure that's enough." He glared. "Honestly, you should be happy to still have the family you have left."

Tony grinned irritably. "Oh, I see! Trying to play the whole 'material goods doesn't bring happiness' bit?! You're not wrong, but a damn house that wasn't falling apart by the corners sure would be nice!" The Dewott gripped his face and growled. "I mean…seriously! Do you not understand what you put us through, you bastard?! Not even a word of where you were going! You just left! That's it!"

"I left because my obligation as a mage came first." Leroy glared. "You know how dangerous the Idol of Origin is if you're out searching for it. Its safety comes before family, whether you like it or not."

Tony scoffed. "Nice excuse, let me take a stab at it. I don't give two shits what your obligations are. You could have tried supporting us from afar, like a reasonable breadwinner of a household should." He shrugged. "But then again, you are incredibly incompetent with everything that doesn't involve beating the shit out of someone."

Leroy closed his eyes. "I see you've been learning more about my least shining moments."

"It's like you don't even care. You never took the time of day just to be an actual father. It's like all you care about is fighting. News flash: I don't care about your brawling obsession! You married Mom, you had kids with her, and you had to deal with the future like a man!" Tony growled. "You didn't come here out of obligation! You ran away like a coward! You couldn't accept there was something you weren't good at and decided to just ditch us because being a Arceus damn father was too difficult!"

Leroy sneered at the snarling Dewott. Their anger intensified between them, just as the fives apprentices made their way to the top. Gunnar had his sword sheathed on his back. He narrowed his eyes as he saw the feuding duo. "I see we've made it in time…"

Ella cringed uncomfortably. "I know Tony hates his father, but…this seems like a bit much…"

"He's had eight years to think about this," Griffin pointed out. "Eight years of anger welling up in him. I don't think there's been a time where he didn't think about what he wanted to yell at his old man. Now he's letting all his feelings out in one sitting."

Wes narrowed his eyes. "Tony…"

There was silence between the two Sapienti males, matching glares casted at each other. Leroy gritted his teeth, then scoffed. "You're still a damn child."

Tony raised his brow, retaining his angry expression. "Come again?"

"I never worked well with others. Your mother knew this clearly, yet she still roped me into marrying her. She tried to convince me to settle down and take it easy. The concept itself seemed foreign to me…all I've know was battle." Leroy shook his head. "Angel knew how to get her way…so I ended up marrying her just to see if there was some benefit to this…settling down nonsense." Leroy glared. "Turns out…raising a family was a waste of my time."

Tony clenched his teeth. "You want to repeat that?"

"You were such a whiny brat. Naïve…scared…pathetic…" Leroy glared. "You just couldn't grow up, could you? You were a nuisance to deal with."

The Dewott seethed through his dark smirk. "Wow…you really are making yourself out as a jackass. Want to say anymore stupid shit? I suppose next you're going to say Mom was an annoying bitch and that you wish you never met her!"

"…" Leroy glared down. "And yet…your mother somehow always made it work." Tony raised his brow in confusion. "Where I failed, she picked up after me." He scoffed. "Felt so useless. I was raised to be a warrior, not a parent. But even though I cared not for you, Angel still brought something into my life that I've never experienced." He closed his eyes. "Perhaps a decent life…but it felt restricting…having people in my life."

Tony frowned, eyes shaped into an ominous glare. "So, you just gave up…like a coward." His fist clenched up. "You think I'm a nuisance…because you just saw me as a burden to deal with in your sad, miserable world. Did you even care what might have happened to us without you?"

"I trusted your mother to handle-"

"Reality check, asshole! Mom couldn't do shit! She tried and tried and kept on trying, but we still ended up living poor out in hell! I had to take over your responsibilities when she became too sick to raise me or Cheri! You didn't care to support us from here or visit us! You just didn't want to raise a family anymore and left!"

"Because dedicating myself to something I never wanted was a waste of my time!" Leroy shouted. "I gave Angel a chance! I loved her, but I didn't want to weigh myself down with a family! I've seen what happens to others in my line of work! There are those out there who will slay loved ones for revenge!"

Griffin glared, feeling a chord being struck inside him. I know that feeling…

Yet, Tony didn't care. "Oh, bravo!" Tony exclaimed, clapping sarcastically. "Now you're playing this off like you're being noble! Oh, let me guess! Our lives were in danger? You're running out of excuses, asshole!"

"Whether you like it or not, I cut myself off from you just so I could focus on protecting the key. I was the strongest candidate of my fellow apprentices. They needed someone like me to protect that key. I suggest taking another look at the mages. Any of the ones you fought ever mention having immediate family? Probably not. I rather not deal with Angel's death on my hands if someone was insane enough to come after me. I didn't want to deal with you or any more of the things I couldn't do." Leroy glared. "I admit: I'm not good at being a parent. I've never experienced love before. I never had something like that for as long as I can remember. I just couldn't raise you."

"You're sending me mixed messages here!" Tony growled. "You hated me, but you didn't want my life ruined?!"

"Hate is a strong word. I say nuisance…because I never had to deal with kids. I rather just cut all ties entirely instead of failing to do something I never could achieve. At least like this, I'm doing something worthwhile."

Tony blinked through his glare, then scoffed. "Someone once told me the Idol of Origin was far more important than my family. It made me angry to hear that, but now I see there is truth to the matter. The keys are important…" Tony's eyes darkened. "But you still ran away, before you could even see your own daughter."

Leroy closed his eyes. "Cheri, you said her name is? That was the name your mother picked out for her."

Tony jabbed his finger against his chest. "I took over and filled in your shoes so I could be better than you. I should have resented sharing the name 'Sapienti' from you, but I proudly wore that name as an expression of myself! A better version of you! One who doesn't abandon his family because it's too hard!"

Leroy opened his eyes and stared intently at the Dewott. "You think you're better than me…simply because you've done a better job at doing what I couldn't?" The Samurott gritted his teeth. "You really are still a child."

"Quit saying that!" Tony growled. "I've grown up a long time ago! The hell I had to deal with! Do you know the shit I've seen?! I've seen horrible things! People dying of sickness! Bandits enforcing their territory onto others! I had a friend who lost her freakin' hand because her mother was a conniving bitch who was more concerned about saving her own skin than her own child's! You have no right to call me a child!"

"And yet…your intended goal all the way up here was not solely to take my key. You just wanted revenge."

Tony's arms drooped down. "Yeah…so?"

"That…is pathetic."

The Dewott raised his brow and gritted his teeth. "What are you going on about now?"

"You want to know why I referred to you as a whiny brat? It's because you never thought with your head. You were always a stupid, overly emotional child who thought on pure emotion rather than thinking things through!" Leroy glared. "You got angry at some older kids and chased after them. You nearly ran off a cliff because you were only thinking about getting revenge. If I hadn't found you when I returned from work, you could have split your head open."

Tony grimaced. "One time! I-!"

"You got upset and cried because someone accidentally ran into you. You blew your lid off because you wouldn't eat your food. You got scared over the most minute annoyances because you were afraid of the monsters that lurked in your imagination. Even now, it seems that overemotional trend hasn't ended, just evolved. Now it seems all you care about is getting your petty revenge because I chose not to bother myself making more mistakes."

Tony clenched his fists so tightly, his knuckles turned white. "Shut…up…" he growled venomously. "I'm taking that key and making you pay!"

"If that's the attitude you're going into battle with, you cannot beat me." Leroy bared his teeth. "Is this how you'll confront the Shadow King if he returns? Are you going to fight like a warrior or are you going to get angry when things don't go your way?"

"I'm not the one who should be chastised!" Tony shouted. "YOU have to suffer for being a shitty father! You weren't there for Mom! You weren't there for Cheri! You never cared about me! All you cared about was yourself! I'm taking that key and sending you straight to hell!"

"Tony!" Ella scolded loudly. "That's enough! Calm down!"

Griffin narrowed his eyes. He isn't thinking straight.

Tony crouched down, legs spread out and one hand on the ground, keeping himself up. He seethed through his teeth. "You've neglected me! You've belittled me! You never gave me any positive encouragement! I'll never, ever forgive you for abandoning us! I've suffered enough torment from the scum of Mysto! Mom and Cheri have suffered enough! And you still! Don't! CARE!"

Leroy narrowed his eyes. "…and you think I haven't?"

Tony growled. "I'm done with your bullshit! It's just you and me!"

Wes' eyes widened. He took a step forward. "Tony! Our chances will be better if we-!"

"Stay out of this!" the Dewott snarled, making the Umbreon jump back. "He's mine…"

Leroy huffed a sigh. "If you want me to say it, I will: I didn't want to leave the way I did, but I just couldn't deal with having others in my life."

Tony's fur sparked wildly. "Weren't you listening? I'm done with your bullshit!"

The Samurott glared at his son, then sighed. "Fine…I still have my job to do. If you won't listen to me, then I guess I'll have to dispose of you."

Tony growled dangerously. "I want to see you try."

Gwyn stumbled back. "Are we seriously going to let him fight on his own?! That's insane!"

Wes narrowed his eyes. We were warned that Randolph and Seraphina were merciful when they took on me and Griffin. We decided it would be easier to work as a team. I should be pulling Tony from this fight, but…he's got a lot of issues to work out. Still…

Wes flinched out of his thoughts as a bolt of lightning shot down on the roof, which scared Gwyn into clinging to Ella with her fur standing on end. He glared at the two Sapientis and saw their aura surrounding them in the physical plane. Their fur color glowed with their static appearance, buzzing more wildly than before.

Flint looked at the raging storm clouds above them and noticed the lightning that once shot randomly was now concentrating onto the tower. "Their combined natures are drawing in the storms' power."

To further his point, the rainwater suddenly got worse while the winds blew uncontrollably, spraying the rain around and making everything feel like it was wrapped in a thick mist. Not enough to completely obscure their vision of the two Storm Magic users, but it was a thick curtain of water.

Gwyn whimpered as lightning shot down at the temple, clinging tighter to Ella. "I don't like this dimension! The weather here's insane!" she screamed.

The apprentices threw on their hoods as the rain intensified. Alis glared. "I've never seen anything like this from Master Leroy before. Just the force of their auras is commanding the storms."

Lightning struck down at them, causing Team Ravenfield to shield themselves, but Gunnar held his sword up and drew the lightning into the blade like a lightning rod. The Druddigon snapped his fingers and created an electrical field around them. Whatever stray bolts got too close to them, the field would absorb and redirect the shot into the ocean. Gunnar narrowed his eyes. "I respect Master Leroy as a fighter…but I've heard much about what he did. I can't say I approve of him abandoning his family."

"He seriously left them because it was too much for him?" Griffin asked.

"That's what we know," Androwe explained. "But also because…protecting the key does run the risk of putting others in danger. It's why this job is optional and only takes in special apprentices that fit the criteria."

"Family life never fit his lifestyle," Pembroke brought up. "I think he only stayed with his wife for as long as he did because he put legitimate effort into trying." He sighed. "But even then…he just wanted to forget about it all."

Griffin glared. Guess Sparky has grounds to stand on.

Silence came between Tony and Leroy as they stared each other down. Tony shifted his position a bit as he glared at the Samurott. Electricity coursed through his whiskers. His muscles were tense from intense focus. Meanwhile, Leroy's form felt more relaxed. He didn't take on his own fighting stance as he simply glared at his son with indifference, with his only objective being the protection of the Key of Storms.

Once Tony found his footing in the slippery stone, he kicked off and rushed towards the Samurott, splashing up water behind him. "Ventusphere!" Swirling winds cupped into his hand as he threw his hand out at the mage.

Leroy, however, reached out and clutched down on the Ventusphere, much to Tony's surprise. The winds violently expanded outward, sending the Dewott flying back while Leroy took the winds without difficulty. Tony caught himself on the floor and dashed off, circling his father with the added speed of Quick Step.

Sparks flew off and surged through the ground with each swift step he took. Tony stopped by Leroy's side and threw a kick to his gut. Leroy blocked the hit with his bracer, easily swatting the Dewott away. "I hope that isn't all you've got," Leroy taunted coldly.

Tony flipped off his hands and landed easily on his feet. He scoffed under his breath, then straightened up, channeling electricity through his arms. "It's called a warm-up for a reason. Quick Step!" Once again tripling his speed, he sprinted for the Samurott.

Leroy raised his foreleg and slammed his hand down, sending forth a wave of electricity that rose up from the ground like an actual tidal wave. "Surge Fluctus!"

Tony wasn't deterred by the incredible magic within the attack and kept sprinting. "Dragon Thunderclap!" He clapped his lands and created an opening through the wave, jumping through it safely. He gripped down on his scalchops and wielded them, electrifying the water blades.

Leroy blocked the blades with his bracer, narrowing his eyes at the intense, yet controlled sparks flying off. "You've certainly mastered control over your electricity. It takes years of practice to channel electricity through a conduit so fluidly."

Tony growled. "I don't need your damn compliments, you jackass!" He pushed himself off, then immediately lunged for his chest while his guard was down.

However, Leroy wasn't so easily taken as he swiftly slammed his hand down on the Dewott's head and smashed it into the roof, causing the thief's team to flinch. The impact was very pronounced and sickeningly brutal. Leroy wasn't messing around, even if it's his own son.

As Tony struggled against the Samurott's hold, Leroy resumed their earlier discussion, "Perhaps to make my point clear, family life was a new experience for me. Perhaps you can be angry with my departure, but it sounds to me your mother holds no resentment. How like her to do so."

Tony ceased trying to push against his father's foreleg and instead raised his hands, channeling Fulmen Scattershot. Only, rather than creating a field of electrical orbs, he slammed the two charges down into a blinding light that forced Leroy to back off.

Tony leapt out of Leroy's reach, all while gritting his teeth. "What's that supposed to me?! Do you know how hurt she was when you left?!" He used Fulmen Scattershot again, firing a volley of electrical orbs.

Leroy, despite his size, demonstrated remarkable nimbleness and speed as he avoided the shots, which swirled in the wind that spiraled around the tower. "I'm sure she was…"

"Is that all you have to say?!" Tony growled. He raised his fingers and stopped the electrical orbs, which surround the entire roof of the tower. "She was devastated when you left! I don't know what she saw in a shitty jerk like you, but she missed you!" He swung his hands down with a swift snap of his fingers and electrocuted everything inside the field, including himself.

Team Ravenfield and the apprentices covered their eyes as the light emitted a blindingly bright light. The lightning struck Leroy, but he took it with no visible discomfort. Tony, having grown use to his electricity's own intensity, was also unfazed. He glared in annoyance as the Samurott just took the attack.

"What a weak spark…" Leroy mocked coldly. He raised his hand up, sending electricity through it. "I've taken worse hits from deadlier storms. I'd had hope you would provide more of a fight."

Tony scoffed. "You're barely fighting back."

"Allow me to rectify that complaint." He thrusted his hand out. "Gale-Vis Fulmen!" Shooting from his hand were dozens of electrified cyclones, slithering through the air likes snakes, or like the approaching heads of a hydra. Either way, they were coming in fast.

Tony ran to his right, with the cyclones chasing after him. "Light Speed!" In a flash, he zipped past the electrified winds and got above his father in the blink of an eye. He aimed his finger down and charged up electricity through it. "Lightning Shot!"

In a surprise, however, Leroy reacted quickly and pointed back at the Dewott. "Lightning Shot!"

The two beams of electricity collided with each other in a brief power clash before Tony flew back, gaining some distance. He grunted. "Copycat…"

Leroy glared. "For someone who doesn't hold me in high regards, you're not one to refer to me as the copycat. Even with our tense relationship, you still spied on me during my practice bouts." He raised his brow. "You're a clever learner, boy. Shame you waste that potential acting out some irrationally."

"Tsk…" Tony spat on the ground and raised his fists. "What's so irrational about being pissed with a flaky, emotionless jackass?"

"The results of this battle are all the answer you need."

Tony scoffed, forming an irritated grin. "Don't get cocky with me."

They both aimed their fingers at each other, channeled electricity through them. "Lightning Shot: Lotus Bullet!" They rapid fired the multiple Lightning Shots, accurately countering each other's with unreal precision.

Team Ravenfield watched the exchange of similar spells in awe. "That's right…Tony said he picked up his traits from his father," Flint brought up. "He must have self-taught himself all those spells from watching him."

"He's a natural born learner like Wes," Ella commented.

Griffin glared. "He's stalling."

"Huh?" the team sounded.

"Just look at him. He's not taking Sparks seriously." He pointed at the Samurott, still firing shots at his son. From the start of the match to now, Leroy's facial features had barely changed in any drastic sense. "He knows full well that Sparks is set on proving a point. He's waiting for him to slip up."

Gwyn narrowed her eyes worriedly. "What does that mean?"

"It means either he drops the daddy issues or we'll be seeing some problems."

Wes narrowed his eyes, watching the growing rage on Tony's face. "Come on, Tony…"

Tony and Leroy finally stopped firing their Lightning Shots. The Dewott immediately changed things up by rushing in with his scalchops once again. "Quick Step!" He sped around in swift sidesteps, hoping to throw the Samurott off.

Leroy kept lazy vigilance of his son's position, resuming where he left off, "I fully expected your mother to hate me for departing the way I did. Even I wonder why she would hold me with the same standards…"

"Stop…TALKING!" Tony slid in on the slippery stone and swung his blades.

Leroy swiftly gripped his left seamitar and unsheathed it, connecting with Tony's electrified water blades. Tony pushed against the larger sea lion harder, locking them into a slight strength clash.

Leroy glared coldly at the Dewott. "Perhaps now we should test the extent of your swordsmanship." His fur glowed brightly as he channeled lightning through his foreleg and shot it through his seamitar, exploding it in a blinding light that Tony had to look away from. The Dewott jumped back as soon as his arms went limp, avoiding a swift chop from the seamitar.

He stumbled back a bit, but retook his stance. He glared at Leroy as he held his weapon over his shoulder. It was coated in a thick cluster of electricity, surging with a strange mix of chaotic movement and stable control in the lightning.

Leroy locked eyes with his son, raising his brow curiously. "I felt the tension in your strike. You're pushing yourself far past your normal strengths."

Tony sneered and balanced on one foot as he posed with his blades in an intimidating manner. "I fight the way I want."

"You're fighting recklessly. You don't care about getting that key. You just want to have your revenge." Leroy shook his head. "You're acting like a damn brat, same as before."

"Stop calling me…a BRAT!" Tony roared before rushing back into the fight.

Leroy's gaze steadied as his blade met Tony's. The collision of weapons seemed to affect the atmosphere, as two bolts of lightning struck in the center of the raging storm above them. The flashes accentuated the anger in Tony's face, darkening his features while highlighting his pronounced glare. The same effect came over Leroy's cold expression, though not as intense.

Their blades separated, then they went in for the second clash. Each collision sent a shower of sparks flying with vivid ferocity, maximized by the intensity of their auras.

"Quick Step!" they both shouted, wrapping their legs in electricity. They sped around the roof and clashed their blades with each passing. Their audience had to keep constant awareness of where they were. While not impossible to keep up with, constant attention was needed, otherwise one would miss the trade of attacks. And it only got faster.

"Light Speed!" Tony and Leroy coated themselves in electricity before speeding off at incredible speeds.

The famous spell that made Tony so formidable, now being used by son and father. In an instant, all Team Ravenfield could see were flashes of light zipping around the roof, too fast to keep track of compared to the Quick Step. Mere blinking meant missing half the fight. It seemed all Tony knew came from his father. They had to wonder…what other tricks Leroy had up his sleeve.

Tony switched up tactics and flipped over Leroy just as he approached with another sword swing. Tony sheathed his scalchops and aimed his fists down at the Samurott. "Impetus Pressure!" The wave of pressure blasted down on the mage, shooting through him.

Leroy grunted in discomfort, but fought back against the pressure wave and grabbed Tony by the wrist. He swung him down and threw him into the ground on his back. The Dewott coughed out blood from the impact, momentarily stunned. Leroy took this brief window of vulnerability to extend his fists out and aim for the Dewott.

"Impetus Pressure: Maximum Tremor!"

Tony's eyes widened as his body was completely engulfed in a beam of vibration, crushing up the roof under his back and nearly collapsing through it. Blood forced out of his mouth once again, spilling onto his face and upper half of his vest. This Impetus Pressure felt more rattling than his own. It felt like his cells were being vibrated at unbearable degrees.

Leroy, after ceasing his spell, grabbed Tony by the head and lifted him up. "Do you yield?"

Blood dripped from the corner of Tony's lip. He weakly brought his fist up and wiped it off, lightly staining his fur. He glared into his father's eyes, eyes sparking with lightning. "I'm not done yet." He quickly threw his fists out and blasted the Samurott in the face with Impetus Pressure.

The surprise attack disoriented the sea lion, loosing his hold on the thief. Tony quickly sprinted under him and shot his leg into the Samurott's exposed stomach, where the armor didn't cover him. Leroy flinched, then jumped back only to find the Dewott had fled. He quickly surveyed the area before feeling a fist collide against his cheek. He forced back against the fist and glared at his son, who had the remnants of the Light Speed fading off him.

"You're making progress…but not fast enough." He slammed his palm into the Dewott's chest. Before he could attempt to flee, Leroy shouted, "Gale-Vis Fulmen!" Tony was fired back by the electrified cyclones, drilling against his body before merging into a larger cyclone that spun vertically, incapacitating the thief in the center as he was bombarded with electricity.

The others looked on in concern. Gwyn reached out. "We need to help him!"

"I agree!" Flint shouted. "Tony can't face him on his own!"

However, Griffin held them back before they could exit the protective field. "No…he needs to do this on his own." The Flareon and Mew looked at him in confusion. "Trust me…this is something he needs to settle by himself."

Ella bit her lip. "Does Tony even stand a chance?"

"As he is…" Griffin closed his eyes and shook his head. "Best hope luck is on his side."

Leroy sat on his haunches and crossed his forelegs as he watched his son struggle against the damaging and restricting lightning bolts. He narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps it was wrong of me to leave the way I did…but you aren't making your case better by constantly fighting against the past."

Tony gritted his teeth together, struggling to face the Samurott as the high winds of the cyclone stung his eyes. He leered furiously at his father. "This is all…your FAULT!"

"And why must it bear repeating?"

"If you won't own up to abandoning us…I'll make you pay for every horrible day we've endured!" Tony fought back against the restrictive lightning. They felt like shackles latched around his arms and legs, but a shackle can be broken with the right level of might.

Leroy closed his eyes. "I see the fault in my actions…but I cannot bear to face the consequences. There is no point in making amends. The damage is already done."

"Don't…worry!" Tony growled through his teeth as he fought against the bindings. "You won't have to make amends…you'll be reprimanded! Severely and without mercy! Light Speed!"

Tony's body lit up in electricity. Due to his entrapment, Team Ravenfield finally got a good look at his electrified form. He looked just like a Dewott if they were made completely out of electricity. They saw said form vibrating in place, disrupting the electrical bindings and the storm surrounding him.

Tony's arm resisted the binding force of the electricity, pulling with all his might against it before ripping himself out. In a flash, the cyclone collapsed in a single move, with Tony's blazing form vanishing the second he was free.

Leroy had better eyesight than Team Ravenfield when keeping up with Tony's speed, as he was able to not only accurately predict the zipping thunderbolt's movements, but managed to tag him with his seamitar, landing a clean hit against the Dewott's stomach.

Tony clenched his teeth, keeping himself together as he grabbed onto the seamitar and held on tight. "Got you!" He formed the Ventusphere and slammed it into the Samurott's face.

The winds blasted into his face and nearly sent his head flying, along with the rest of him, but Leroy gripped down tightly with the ground and tensed his neck, facing the winds seriously. Tony gasped as the Samurott's horn erupted with electricity.

"Lightning Shot: Overdrive Cannon!"

He jabbed the horn against Tony's chest, then blasted him across the roof with a condense orb of electricity. The orb's speed carried Tony through the air and made it impossible for him to slip out. Leroy sheathed his seamitar, then flicked his finger up, guiding the orb into the sky. He watched the two fly higher and higher into the air before reaching the clouds. With a quick clench and twist of his fist, the orb detonated and exploded in a sphere of wildly discharging lightning that blast through the tower and the raging ocean.

Team Ravenfield shielded their eyes, with Ella crying out, "Tony!"

"Isn't this overkill?!" Flint shouted in fear.

Jose crossed his arms. "Perhaps…but it is the job of the Storm Mage to protect the Key of Storms at all costs."

"But to do that against his own son?!" Ella yelled.

Wes glared. "Tony's not down yet. He's a tough fighter."

Griffin closed his eyes. But for how much longer?

Thankfully, Wes was right in his assumption. The aftermath of the explosion left a giant hole punctured through the clouds, revealing some of the gray sky. Much to their relief, they spotted their Dewott friend in the center of the hole, suspending himself in the air with a Ventusphere on a handstand.

That's what they could see, but they couldn't see the heavy damage he sustained in the attack. He had black patches of burnt fur, his clothes were tattered by the sides, the buttons on his vest were completely blown off, revealing his torso and more burnt fur, and he had slight tremors in his posture, revealing he was losing some steam.

He panted deeply, then positioned himself on the Ventusphere to squat down on it. With the clouds above him destroyed, no more rain fell on him. His fur was matted over his face and puffed out slightly around his body, drenched in rainwater. However, despite his disheveled appearance, he was still raring to settle the score with his old man.

Tony balanced on the Ventusphere on one foot, then threw about four of them ahead of him. He released the one he stood on, using the expanding winds to jump between the line of Ventuspheres and close back in on the tower. On the final 'stepping stone,' he leaped directly over the tower until he was roughly above where his father stood.

"Did you really think I would go down like a weakling?!" Tony shouted as he charged electricity through his hands. "This is the true power of the storm, bastard! Lightning Shot: Double Barrel Shockwave!"

He fired the two beams that twisted into each other, speedily dropping with the Samurott in his crosshairs. Leroy quietly scoffed before raising his hand up. "You are no master of the storms, boy."

He slammed his palm into the direct path of the diving Lightning Shot. The downward force sunk the roof a bit inside, but remained reasonably stable as Leroy resisted the spell. Tony pinned his arms to his sides as he dove straight down, feeling the rush of the air hitting his face and his whiskers fluttering.

I still have my final ace. Just need to wait for the right timing and he's toast! Tony smirked angrily. "You're finished, bastard!" He pulled out his scalchops and formed the electrified water blades once again.

With the last of the Lightning Shot out of his way, Leroy quickly countered the Dewott's strike with his seamitar. To Tony's credit, the use of his fall increased the striking power of his strike, nearly collapsing the roof right from under them. Nearly, at least.

Leroy kept a firm hold on his seamitar, fighting back the brief downward force striking down on him, then threw the Dewott off. Tony flipped a couple times in the air and landed on his feet, then immediately zipped around with Quick Step, building up electricity in his hands.

"Lightning Shot!" He ran around his father as he took quick shots at him through his blind spots.

Leroy spun his weapon and accurately deflected the shots while keeping constant focus on the speedy Dewott. "Have you formulated your next plan of attack?"

"Oh, I'll leave you stunned!" Tony kicked off and slammed a Ventusphere into the Samurott's side. Leroy gripped down on the ground as the wind sphere pushed him across the roof. "Now, Fulmen Scattershot!" He threw the electrical orbs and had them surround the Samurott in a thick cluster.

The Ventusphere stopped pushing Leroy, who was an inch away from falling over the tower's edge. He glared at the Dewott before noticing the Fulmen Scattershot field surrounding him.

Tony clapped his hands together. "I put far more power into these! Now burn away!" He snapped his fingers, triggering the orbs to explode with lightning.

As promised, the orbs delivered a far stronger discharge than the previous usage. Leroy grunted as the electricity stung at his skin, but not as badly as he did to Tony. He endured the bombardment of lightning and aimed his horn at Tony. Much to the Dewott's surprise, the electricity was being syphoned off and channeled through the horn.

"Fulgur Channeling." The Fulmen Scattershot was completely assimilated into his horn, charging up the tip of his horn with unstable electricity. "I'll take your lightning and give it back with a vengeance. It seems to be your pride and joy." He glared. "Lightning Shot: Overdrive Cannon!"

He fired the electrical blast with greater force, sliding back from the recoil. The shot soared across the roof, tearing up the ground with its extreme pressure. Tony seemed to be frozen in place, as he refused to jump out of the incoming projectile's way.

However, he wasn't planning on running.

Tony scowled and held his hands out. "Anything you can do, I can do better!"

Wes' eyes widened. "Tony, what are you-?!"

"Fulgur Channeling!" the Dewott shouted out just as the enhanced Lightning Shot slammed into his open palms. His heels sunk into the roof, collapsing it in further. His arms were tense, barely withstanding the Lightning Shot without giving out on him. He gritted his teeth as he attempted to contain the unstable, wildly sparking energy between his hands.

He felt the electricity burning his palms, but nothing he couldn't withstand. He could feel the built-up power of his Fulmen Scattershot and the Lightning Shot: Overdrive Cannon attacking his defensive aura. If he wasn't fully prepared to counter or absorb it, chances are he would've been thrown off the tower and straight into the ocean.

With a piercing battle cry, he compressed the Lightning Shot between his hands, soaking up the electricity into his fur as it began to glow. This time, rather than the static appearance that accompanied him, his fur glowed a bright light blue, matching the color of the lightning. Surges of electricity ran up his body. It felt invigorating, the tingling sensation and energy coursing through his veins.

Tony fought against the superior power of the Lighting Shot, imploding the energy between his hands. He seethed with discomfort as the last of the power was sucked into his fur. He threw his hands apart, showing off his smoking palms as he panted in exhaustion.

He shook his head, regaining his breath, then glared at Leroy. "What…What now?"

Leroy narrowed his eyes curiously. "Where did you learn to do that?"

Tony smirked tauntingly. "Just…now…" His hands shook weakly as the smoke around them settled. "You…You're right…I am a quick learner…"

Leroy glared. Reckless move, too. He used that spell without understanding of the mechanics. He's lucky he didn't burn the skin off his hands.

Tony's fur sparked erratically as he channeled the excess power into his right hand, forming a condensed ball of lightning. He smirked sinisterly. "I'm going to take you out with this final shot…with everything I got…"

Leroy's glare sharpened. "You're too weak. Surrender."

"No!" the Dewott shouted. "I'm going to prove that I'm better than you! I will become the better man!" His electricity bounced off his fur and surged through the wet roof. "I will succeed where you ran away from! I won't abandon family! I won't leave others to survive without me! I shall make the Sapienti name mean something other than being tied to an inconsiderate jackass!"

Leroy blinked slowly. A flash of lightning surged from the sky behind him. "You can't win…not like this. If you want to succeed me…you will fail if you continue this foolish path. Like the childish brat you are."

Tony clenched his teeth and snarled. "I'm done listening to you. Now, behold my power!" He lobbed the electrical orb into the sky.

The orb merged into the clouds instantly. The dark clouds swirled towards the point of contact as power built up in the center of the spiral, a light blue glow emitting and gradually shining brighter.

The Samurott stared at the collection of electricity, narrowing his eyes seriously. "…Thunder God's Wrath. A powerful spell that requires a massive charge time for a destructive blow of raw Storm Magic." He looked directly at Tony. "You intend to finish me off with that."

Tony dragged his foot back and leered back. "I'll use all my power to finish you off! What do you have now?!" He sprinted at full speed with his electrified water blades.

Leroy slammed both his hands down. "Surge Fluctus!" He summoned the wave of electricity from the ground.

Tony didn't try the Dragon Thunderclap this time. Instead, he lunged straight for the wave and slashed the electrical wave to pieces. Strands of sparks were split before and rained over his body as he continued to dash forward without stop. Leroy took out his seamitar and channeled lightning through it.

"Fulgur Channeling: Flash Splitter!" Commanded the raging storm, a bolt of lightning struck his weapon and infused with his magic. He slashed the weapon and clashed with Tony's blades. Much to Tony's surprise, his electrified water blades were absorbed into the seamitar before taking a direct hit to the chest.

"GAH!" Tony cried out. Pain welled up in his chest, nearly making tears leak from his eyes. Adding to the force was the lightning flying off the seamitar and making the Dewott fly back at absurd speeds in a fraction of a second. It was like being from at the speed of lightning. He slid through the roof, uplifted chunks of stone in his path, but rolled to his feet. He touched his chest out of alertness, but recoiled from the stinging pain.

Leroy aimed his horn and channeled lightning through it. "Lightning Shot: Lotus Bullet!" Rather than his hands, he fired rapid fire Lightning Shots from his horn like a turret.

"Light Speed!" Tony swerved around the shots as they slowed down a bit, then raised his fists to the Samurott as the spell deactivated. "Impetus Pressure!"

It didn't go according to plan as he hoped. Leroy quickly moved his head and evaded the pressure wave, leaving Tony's side open for a direct punch to his side. Tony spat out in pain, crying a voiceless scream, then was grabbed by the ankle. Leroy electrified his seamitar and batted Tony in the gut. He wasn't given the chance to catch his breath. Everything stung like mad. His injuries were getting the better of him.

Tony skipped across the ground before falling flat on his stomach. He pressed his hands down and struggled stubbornly to rise. "Not…yet!" He flipped onto his back and fired the Lightning Shot: Lotus Bullet from both his fingers.

Leroy saw through his shots and blocked them with his seamitar swiftly. "I'm giving you one more chance. Surrender…or pay the price."

"I…will not…yield to YOU!" Tony screamed, firing Lightning Shot: Double Barrel Shockwave. "I won't rest! I'll never rest! Not until you pay for our pain!"

Leroy sliced down the middle of the beam, gritting his teeth with bitter eyes. "Enough! Don't strain yourself!"

"You wanted me to take this seriously!" Tony shouted as he fired off Fulmen Scattershot. "I'm giving it my all and beyond! Everything I have to DEFEAT YOU!"

Leroy pulled out his second seamitar, crossed the weapons for a second, then slashed and destroyed the electrical orbs. "You're acting foolish! Surrender and grow up, you whiney brat!"

"I don't submit to you!" Tony blasted the roof with Impetus Pressure, vibrating the roof until it crumbled under Leroy. He jumped into the air, making Tony smirk victoriously. "Now, you're mine!" He flicked his fingers down. "Burn in Hell! Thunder God's Wrath!"

The clouds exploded with lightning, then rained down on the suspended Samurott. Leroy stared up at the approaching lightning bolt before becoming consumed in its destructive power. Flint, Gwyn, and Ella screamed and shield their eyes while Wes, Griffin, and the apprentices kept their eyes on the fight.

The power of Fulgur Channeling mixed with Thunder God's Wrath created a massive thunderbolt that was nearly impossible to dodge. Not even Tony was safe from it. Having been prepared for it, he instinctively threw his hands up and used Fulgur Channeling to ease the blow of the attack on himself. Though, there was some struggle as he hasn't had much time or practice using the spell, evident from the new burning sensation greeting his already burnt hands.

He wasn't sure how long he was enduring the spell. Pain makes the perception of time a little fuzzy. Eventually, though, the Thunder God's Wrath ran its course and faded away. Tony let his arms fall to his sides, taking the moment to catch his breath after feeling so stressed.

He looked around the roof and saw no trace of his father. He raised his brow curiously. I…I didn't kill him, right? He shook his head. No…no, the spell wouldn't have disintegrated him. He probably ran off somewhere. A weak smirk grew on his face. There's no way he could've avoided that. That was a direct shot. No way he had time to use the Fulgur Channeling, either.

Tony sighed, then laughed tiredly. "Well?!" he shouted. "Still think you're better than me, bastard?! Come on out and show your face! I've won! HA!" He slouched over and held his knees, panting a little more. His legs shook tiredly. "I…I…I told you…that I would become better than you…so, got anything smartass comments for me now?!"

"…you lose."

Tony's eyes widened as he felt the sudden appearance of his father's aura right behind him. Without thinking, he spun around and slammed his knee into the Samurott's foreleg. He was treated to a shocking revelation as he kicked the Storm Mage.

His kick passed right through him.

With great horror in his eyes, he stared up at his father, who took on the element of lightning itself. His midsection reformed itself after taking the kick, as if no damage had been taken. His form jittered wildly in his new, electrified state. His fur glowed with a bright, sky blue radiance while the rest of him developed a blue outline around him. His fur stood on end near the face, giving him a gruffer appearance.

An interesting addition was the cloud scarf that formed around his neck, wrists, and ankles. They were white as marble, with brief surges of electricity passing through them.

Tony stumbled back and collapsed onto his rear, eyes dilated in fear. "Wha…What is that?!"

Leroy glared coldly. "A level of power you will never achieve from where you stand." The odd form vanished just as quickly as it appeared. "You are not fit to continue your journey if this is how you react to tense situations that directly anger you. You're a fool. Nothing but a fool who acts out of blind emotion when something directly attacks him."

Tony tried to scramble to his feet. "You-!"

"There's no point to even using my most powerful abilities against you. You haven't earned my respect with your foolish behavior." He narrowed his eyes. "For that…this fight is over."

Tony stood tall and snarled furiously, eyes bloodshot with rage as he fumed through his nose. "You're GOING to fight me and I will BEAT you!" He charged electricity through his arms. "I'm not dropping until I've defeated you-!"

Just within the corner of his eye, he saw Leroy's seamitar flying directly towards the side of his face, wrapped in electricity. The uncontrollable and raging streams of lightning flying off it told him this was the Fulgur Channeling: Flash Splitter. The amount of electricity that was absorbed into that blade told him the sad, unfortunate truth: he took the power of his Thunder God's Wrath and placed it into this decisive strike, where fear filled the Dewott's eyes the closer it drew, inches from his face.

"Don't make promises you can't keep…otherwise, you're no better than me."

Team Ravenfield, minus Griffin, screamed as Tony not only took a direct shot to the head from the seamitar, but also shot off the roof in a streak of light so fast that it took them a moment to register what just happened. The sonic boom it made pounded through their eardrums immediately after the attack landed. However, that moment of discomfort for their ears did not sway their attention from the true horror.

"TONY!"

Wes immediately ran to the edge of the tower and just caught the sight of something splashing into the water. With adrenaline suddenly raging through his body, he removed his hat and jacket before, much to his friends' shock, jumping off the tower and diving straight into the water.

Gwyn and Flint ran to the edge and looked down frantically. "Where are they?!"

"I don't know! If Tony's unconscious, he might not be able to breathe down there for very long!" Flint worriedly shouted, constantly checking to see if his brother reemerged with the Dewott in tow.

Griffin had his arms crossed as he watched the two panicking. Since she trusted Wes' abilities, Ella set her attention on Leroy. And she was seething with anger. "What is WRONG with you?! You could have killed him!"

Leroy narrowed his eyes. "The first of the mages should have told you: we will protect these keys even if we must claim a life. Their safety holds greater weight than the life of one. You all took this risk when you obtained the first key."

Ella showed off her teeth, growling quietly. "But to your own son? Don't you feel any regret for what you've done?! If you had just owned up to your mistakes and not ran away like you did, maybe Tony would actually have respected you!"

"…" Leroy looked away with his eyes narrowed in deep thought.

Ella would have torn into him longer until she heard, "Wes! I see Wes!" Gwyn shouted with joy. "He has Tony, too!"

Ella ran over to them and looked over the edge. "Is he okay?!"

They spotted the Umbreon's head emerging from the water, gasping for air, then pulling Tony up out of the water, with his foreleg supporting him under his arms. The blood on Tony was smeared in the water, staining the side of his face red. The last attack left his fur darkened and dull in texture. His head was slouched over while his eyes were closed. He finally reached his limit and lost the will to stay conscious.

Wes paddled towards the starting dock of the tower, fighting his way through the currents. "Hang in there, Tony!"

Right when Wes reappeared from the water, his friends were already making their way downstairs. They met him at the dock before he reached it and Griffin and Flint pulled the two onto land. Wes flopped onto his stomach and shivered from the cold water while Tony was set on his back.

"S-S-S-So c-c-c-cold…" Wes whined quietly, teeth chattering and eyes clenched shut.

Ella, who carried down his jacket and hat with her, draped the Umbreon's jacket over his body. "Easy there, Wes."

"Come here, bro," Flint called over, wrapping his forelegs around the freezing Umbreon and pulling him close, sharing his body heat with his miserable brother.

"T-T-T-Thanks, Flint…"

Ella smiled lightly, then looked at Gwyn as she checked over Tony's injuries. "How is he?"

Gwyn frowned. "Pretty beat up. Burnt fur, damage to his hands, minor bleeding…his magic aura is the only reason these aren't worse." She reached through her bag. "I may need to craft some medicine."

"Allow me to look over him." They saw the apprentices joining them, minus Gunnar, with Pembroke stepping forward. "I have some medical knowledge and supplies on hand. We should bring him back to the temple to heal."

Flint nodded. "Yes…that'll be great, thank you."

Pembroke walked to the end of the dock while Alis summoned some clouds to suspend Tony in the air like a gurney. Griffin glanced at Androwe. "Where's the Druddigon?"

"Gunnar?" The Walrein glanced up at the tower. "Err…I think he wanted to speak with Master Leroy about…what just happened."

Griffin blinked, then looked ahead. "I see…"

Pembroke held his paws out. "Gate of Foribus!" A blue portal opened up before them, where he gestured them to enter. "This way, this way." One by one, everyone stepped through the portal, with Pembroke entering last. The portal closed up behind him.

As everyone left, they were being watched by Leroy and Gunnar, the latter of them sighing in disappointment. "You could've handled that better."

Leroy closed his eyes. "My job doesn't allow for special treatment to family. I did as I was assigned to do."

"You know that's not what I mean." Gunnar sighed and turned away. "You know…just because you never had a family of your own, that doesn't mean you should turn away the one you were given." He gave a look over his shoulder, seeing the Samurott staring at the clouds. "You know what you did wasn't right…and you'll have to make up for it."

Leroy glared. "It's too late for that…I made my mistakes. I can't take them back now."

"Maybe not…" Gunnar started walking towards the stairs. "But you can learn to swallow your pride…and own up to them. The first step…asking for forgiveness." He heard the quiet gruff under the sea lion's tone. Gunnar sighed. "You say family is a burden…I don't think you gave it the chance you think you did. Consider that." Gunnar headed down the tower.

Leroy looked over his shoulder for a moment, then returned to watching the clouds. Tony's rage was still fresh in his mind. The kid was nothing like the one he knew eight years ago…and yet a part of him felt…guilty. Despite the vengeful tone the Dewott carried with him, he was right.

Leroy closed his eyes and bowed his head with a deep sigh. "…family…"