"Welcome one and welcome all to the Final Rounds of the phenomenon that is capturing attention all around the globe!" Dylan exclaimed to the camera and indirectly to ArcNet's viewing audience in front of Arcana Colosseum. "Within the confines of Arcana Colosseum, will be determined so many things. Only the strongest, smartest and most ruthless will survive. Championships will be forged, dynasties revealed, and the ultimate title of Pokémon Master bequeathed to they who truly shows their mettle in these last few rounds. Welcome to the Master Cup!" Dylan sat at a desk alongside Amber, with Corey filming the two as they gave updates and announcements for the last few rounds of what many were considering the most incredible tournament ever assembled.

"That's right, Dylan" Amber added. "As we embark on the last days of the Master Cup Tournament, one can only assume the most powerful Pokémon Trainer in the world is somewhere inside that Colosseum. Hope we're the ones who get to interview them first."

"Couldn't agree more, Amber" Dylan commented. "As many of you already know, the Pokémon Master Cup was separated into two distinct categories. The first part, completed the other day, was the Preliminary Round. More than a thousand trainers entered the preliminaries, but only those with strong enough performances could make it into the Master Cup's Final Rounds, which will begin today and take place over the next week. Many strong, competitive trainers unfortunately could not make it to this round due to the strict cap of 32 competitors, but we give them an "A+" effort for even trying.

"Our special honor today is given to young Tommy Queensbury" Amber spoke happily, "who only barely did not make it into this round after suffering a Sudden Death loss to up and coming Hau of the Alolan Pokémon League. We know Tommy will be back up and fighting for the title of Arcana Pokémon League Champion soon enough. Hang in there, sweetie!"

"After Tommy's elimination, we are left with thirty-two of the strongest trainers this world has ever seen" Dylan proclaimed. "All of the remaining competitors have been sectioned off into brackets, no doubt to ensure only the strongest and most dominant trainers survive. Tell the truth, I am a trainer myself, but you wouldn't catch me dead competing against these guys."

"They scare you that much?"

"Oh yeah!" he laughed. "Imagine my Jigglypuff going up against the likes of Leon's Charizard or Cynthia's Garchomp, or even the King's Dragonite. No chance in heck! Would you care to do the honors, beloved Co-Anchor?"

"Why certainly. The Four Brackets are as follows: the Eastern Bracket, which I am affectionately calling the Royal Bracket is where only the most dangerous and powerful trainers in the land are welcomed. Representing the Kalos Region, we have their newest Champion Calem. Hailing from the Sinnoh Region, we have League Champion Cynthia and her young protege and our good friend, Dawn. Coming all the way from the Orre Region, from which I've been told finally has stable running water throughout, we have Team Snagem's leader Gonzap and Orre's legendary hero, Wes! Dashing Wallace from the Hoenn Region and even Sleeping Beauty herself Caitlin of Unova also call this division home. Last and certainly not least, looming here is the King of Arcana and the most dominant Pokémon Trainer we have ever seen in Michael Kingston. Honestly, this bracket seems like a done deal for a titanic clash between Michael and Cynthia, but who knows? Stranger things have happened."

"The Western Bracket on the other hand" Dylan interjected, "is a lineup full of gunslingers and former champions alike. I think this might be the division that is most up in the air. Anyone can win it. We'll have to see if Home Field Advantage looms for either Billy Kingston or recently married Christopher Kingston. Heck, can we even say it may not factor in for Giselle or Mark Lionel at this point? The two have been here as long as I can remember. Adding some flair to this surprisingly Arcanan bracket are Bruno of the Johto Elite Four, Cheren of the Unovan Pokémon League, the Hoenn Region's current Champion in Steven Stone and the fair yet mysterious Marley of Sinnoh round out here. Personally, I can see any of these trainers making it to the Finals but keep an eye out for Steven Stone. Apparently, he may have a score to settle with Christopher Kingston for plucking Contest Queen Piper Pines as his own."

"Piper Kingston" Amber corrected. "She's adamant about that last name change now. But now it's time to move onto what many insiders are already factoring as the 'Master' bracket. The Northern Bracket and the Eastern Bracket are the only Bracket to contain two current Pokémon Champions within them. The ever-popular Leon of Galar and Iris of Unova may be the Champs to beat in this tournament, but we can't count out Lizzie West, who has been Michael Kingston's confidant and a part of his Elite Four for his entire tenure. That hunk in the blue is named Riley and he's from Sinnoh."

"That hunk?"

"Oh don't get all uppity" Amber teased. "We also have Jeremy Lockhart, the local boy, competing in this bracket after some very strong performances in the Preliminary Round. And to conclude this lineup, we have Grimsley from Iris's own Elite Four, Snowpoint City's Gym Leader Candice and Blackthorn City's Gym Leader Clair, the Lady of Dragons."

"Iris the Mistress of Dragons and Clair the Lady of Dragons?" Dylan questioned. "That's got to be a powerful combination there."

"Plenty of firepower here, Dylan."

"The last bracket is one of up and comers and veterans that hopes to inspire generations to come. I like to call this one, the Past and Future Division. Unova's stalwart Alder and the lovely Diantha of Kalos lead the way for the veterans. Did I mention that Diantha is up for an Actress of the Decade award and I'm pulling for her?"

"Oh brother" Amber jealously commented.

"We also have bad guy turned hero Matthew Kingston, Johto's longtime Champion in Lance, the redhaired maiden Annette Fiveroux, heroine of our generation Jocelyn Aced, the aforementioned Hau from Alola and the defensive stalwart Buck from Sinnoh. Rounding out this ultimate tournament of Champions. Man, I am so pumped for this to get started soon! How bout you, Amber?"

"Absolutely" she declared. "The first match of the Master Cup Finals is set to take place in just a few minutes, between his majesty King Michael and Caitlin of Unova. And I know for a fact that everyone wants to see Arcana's Legendary Hero up for a few more rounds. Even though many are curious to know why he chose to enter this ambitious tournament, the King has only said that he has 'some unfinished business' in front of him."

"Well, whatever business it is, we can be certain that all of the world will be watching. Stay tuned for ArcNet's exclusive coverage of the Master Cup with interviews, updates and live play by play commentary from Lucas and I when we actually get into the stadium." He sighed. "Let's hope we don't have the same difficulties we had last time."

"This has been ArcNet News" Amber reported formally, "and we shall see you momentarily for the commencement of King Michael vs Caitlin." Once the cameras turned off, Amber and Dylan proceeded to frantically pack their things and rush off towards Arcana Colosseum to ensure their press box was set for them. Corey followed afterwards. carrying his heavy camera and laptop backs. None of them wanted to miss a second of the action.

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Despite being in the middle of a heated battle, Caitlin could not help but let out a loud and robust yawn as her Reuniclus had somehow turned the tides against Michael's powerful Gengar. Despite's it's relentless speed and devilish powers with Special Attacks, the Reuniclus had certainly become a force to be reckoned with. And it had the often highly powerful Pokémon Trainer on his backheel. At least for now. He had been planning out a way to finish off Caitlin since before the match had begun. All he had to do was to have the patience to wait for his moment, even if it meant sacrificing his Gengar.

She certainly had him in a pickle in an ordinary situation. Her Reuniclus had turned the tides of battle by using the move Trick Room, which completely inverted the Speed of both Pokémon in battle. Her Reuniclus was now as fast as an Electrode and his Gengar was as slow as a Copperajah. But this had to be the way this match ended. He'd backed Caitlin against a wall, and she was responding ruthlessly. Now, it would be his turn to do the same.

Caitlin stretched out her body as she acted completely disinterested in the match, despite the numerical disadvantage facing her. "I've heard rumors of your prowess in battle, Your Majesty. And while I can say you are more skilled than the average trainer, I would hate to see you get eliminated by a lowly Elite Four member here and now." She pointed her Pokémon forward. "Reuniclus, Shadow Ball!" The Reuniclus sent a pulsating ball of ghostly energy at his Gengar, knocking it aside with relative ease and evening out the match between them with one Pokémon each.

"And just like that, Caitlin has succeeded in her comeback!" the announcer proclaimed in astonishment. "But whether or not she will win has yet to be determined."

Michael grinned as he faced his opponent. "Forgive me for boring you in this match, milady."

"I expected more from the trainer Iris would never shut up about" she replied, almost disinterested. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were holding back."

The King simply winked her way as he prepared to complete his masterpiece. "I can assure thee fair maiden that I am not holding back. And for boring you, allow me to make the match as exciting as possible! Let's bring the match home, Rhino!" Out from his last Poké Ball available in the match appeared his trusted Nidoking. The purple pin-covered Pokémon let out a howl of anger to signal the final events of battle to begin.

"A Poison Type against my Reuniclus?" Caitlin cried out. "My my. Whatever you have planned must be fascinating."

"Oh, you'd bet it is" he promised her. The effects of Caitlin's Trick Room were finally wearing off and he needed to hope he could fool her into doing it one last time. Fortunately, the Quick Claw she had given her Pokémon kicked in and Michael could not help but smile. His strategy would work after all. Her Reuniclus reestablished the Trick Room effect and thus made himself far faster than the Nidoking could hope to be. His Nidoking responded with a Swords Dance of its own to drastically raise it's own physical attacking power.

"I won't allow you to sucker me in, Your Grace" Caitlin proclaimed. "Reuniclus! Use Psychic!" The Reuniclus concentrated all of its telekinetic powers squarely on the Nidoking and ragdolled it across the arena floor. Caitlin was about to proclaim her victory but paused when she realized that Michael's Pokémon was still moving. It might even be ready to keep going. She gasped when she realized that in its mouth, it was holding a Focus Sash. The Nidoking rose to its feet and growled defiantly.

"But that's-"

"Game, set and match!" Michael countered. "Rhino! Use Payback!"

His Nidoking gathered all of the dark power he could muster and struck at the Reuniclus with vicious power. In one shot, the Reuniclus was felled, and Caitlin's last Pokémon finally gave way to it's inevitable defeat and collapsed into a pile of its own goo.

Caitlin recalled her Pokémon and sighed. "I must say, you are what your reputation speaks of."

"You're not too shabby yourself, Caitlin" Michael consoled. "I expect you to be back for another round when we hold the Master Cup Tournament again in a few years' time."

The two trainers made it to the center of the ring as the referees declared the winner. "Reuniclus is unable to battle! The Winner of the First Round is King Michael Kingston!" While the arena shook with cheers and adulation being flung at both trainers, Michael and Caitlin shook hands and promised to rematch one another in the near future.

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Gonzap chuckled as he seemed to finally have his old comrade turned nemesis on the ropes. His Skarmory had littered Wes's entire side of the battlefield with every single trick and trap he possibly could to ensure complete and total victory. Everywhere one of his trusted Pokémon stepped, they would succumb to wounds thanks to the strategies of Team Snagem's ruthless leader. Toxic Spikes from his Tentacruel, Sticky Web from his Galvantula and now Spikes from his Skarmory. Even if Wes had once possessed the numerical advantage, now it was being whittled away with every step taken.

"It would seem I've finally found your weak points, Wes" he laughed coldly, his long eyebrows flowing in the winds his Skarmory continued to whip up to cause even more trouble his opponent's end. "Maybe now is the time you finally accepted I am the superior Pokémon trainer!"

"Don't count on it, Gonzap!' Wes argued, the Meganium in front of him beginning to show signs of fatigue.

"Need more proof of my victory? Fine! Skarmory! Drill Peck!"

The Steel Bird Pokémon let out a vicious squawk before assailing the Meganium with one last Drill Peck, knocking it aside and finally evening the score with Wes. As the Meganium fell, Wes even had to admit he was going to be forced to take things easy from here on out. His last Pokémon appeared in front of him at his beck and call: a Noctowl. Thanks to it's flying abilities, it was immune from the hazards on the field. But Wes knew his Noctowl would not be able to out muscle Gonzap's Pokémon and realized he needed an alternative strategy. One he got the gist for almost immediately.

"We'll settle this in the skies!" Gonzap boasted.

"I doubt your Pokémon will be able to last it" Wes warned. "Noctowl! Sunny Day!" His Flying Type fluffed out its wings, resulting in the sunlight growing harsh over the stadium.

Realizing his Pokémon was going to melt under the pressure, Gonzap made his move. "Skarmory! Drill Peck! NOW!" The Skarmory, whose speed was declining rapidly the more heat was applied to the Colosseum, found itself unable to hit the Noctowl with a convincing blow. Wes's Flying Type easily dodged the blow and turned around, squawking a victorious hoot. Without even needing his trainer's input, the Noctowl sent a scorching Heat Wave the way of the Skarmory, knocking it aside and finishing it off in one move.

Gonzap slammed his fist on the ground. "HOW?! HOW DO I KEEP LOSING TO THIS GUY?!"

"Skarmory is unable to battle!" the Referee called. "The Winner is Noctowl and his trainer Wes!"

Wes made to go and try and cheer his old boss up, but the Team Snagem leader rose to his feet of his own accord, gave a curt look towards his former employee, and stalked off on his own to brood. Wes made to look at the bracket system and grinned. In the next round, he'd be matched up against Michael. He'd finally be able to witness firsthand just how powerful a trainer Michael was without fear of the Fury consuming him. As the cheers rained down above him, Wes soaked all of it in for the first time since he'd bested Cipher all those years ago.

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It took all of the convincing in the world from Dawn, Lucas, Michael, Lance, Leon, and so many others just to compel Cynthia to take part in this Master Cup. After all she had endured since leaving for Arcana over a year earlier, she was content to focus entirely on her research and find something more out of life than just battling. Even words from her Grandmother and Professor Rowan could not sway her. She was adamant that her battling days were past her. She had confessed to Michael in private that she still had night terrors of watching Cameron die for her continuously since the day it had happened. He elected to stop haranguing her to join, but the others kept pleading and begging. But the only one who managed to convince her to battle was Christopher Kingston himself. He, having known Cameron better than anyone, told her that his sister would have wanted her to battle. If Cameron had survived, then they might have had a chance to battle in this tournament as opponents. Cynthia relented and took part in the Preliminaries, still struggling to find that former inner passion she had for battling.

That is, until she matched up with Wallace in the first round. She'd rediscovered it as her Pokémon went above and beyond for her in ways they rarely had done before. Her Pokémon, while they shared a strong bond, would usually only go as far as they had to in battle. Never would she get a Pokémon doing more than necessary to win a match. She did not have the luxury of having the kinds of bonds Arcanans shared with their Pokémon. But now, having been through all that she had, to see her Pokémon not only showing insane levels of power early on, but also not letting up against a trainer of Wallace's caliber, she was beginning to feel that sheer power underneath her.

Now, as her Eelektross utterly dominated Wallace's Water Pokémon, forcing him to switch up to a Whiscash to avoid further Electric attacks, she felt as proud and vibrant as she had ever felt. She knew, deep down, that this well of emotion and power came from the bonds she'd developed with her new friends in Arcana and those she'd rekindled with Michael. Even at a slight type disadvantage, she didn't seem fazed in the slightest. Her Eelektross would win out in the end, by hook or by crook.

Wallace, who never showed any emotions during battle, was now clearly nervous. Cynthia hadn't even been scratched yet and he needed to turn the tides immediately. "Whiscash! Use Smack Down!"

"Eelektross! Protect!"

The Whiscash attempted to slam the normally ground immune Eelektross to the ground, but Cynthia's protective instincts allowed her to avoid any damage. Her Eelektross then doused the Whiscash in Acid Spray, draining the Pokémon's ability to withstand Special moves. While Wallace attempted to formulate a strategy, Cynthia knew the battle was already over.

"Eelektross! Giga Drain!" In one fell swoop, her Pokémon drained all of the strength from Wallace's Whiscash and eliminated Hoenn's most popular Gym Leader from the competition.

Wallace was floored but accepted defeat. "As the waves ebb, they also flow. I concede defeat."

Cynthia shrugged. "Not much of a choice I gave you, is there?"

He laughed. "Admittedly so. I wish you luck in the next round, Cee."

She turned her back to him and looked up towards the Royal Box, wondering if Michael was using his royal privilege to sneak in some match viewing before his own battle with Wes in the next round. "I've got my eyes on the big prize, Wallace. After that, I suppose we'll have to wait and see." She winked at the flamboyant water dancer and left the field to an eruption of applause.

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"It looks like Dawn of Twinleaf Town is in a bit of a bind here" the announcer warned to the audiences.

Dawn knew that was the understatement of the year. She was in serious trouble and if she didn't turn her situation around soon, she'd be sent home just as the Master Cup was beginning. Then how could she face those whom she had trained under? Cynthia, Professor Rowan, Michael? None of them would ever think of her as anything other than someone with a modicum of potential. But how could she beat someone who had Mega Evolution on their side?

Calem from Kalos reminded her a bit of Ryan. He was bold, confident and always showed no signs of being nervous or doubtful. But he also never pushed his Pokémon further than they thought they were capable of going. He even made the same speeches about friendship and brotherhood that Ryan would make back in the day. It both piqued and angered Dawn, who would never get the chance to prove herself to Ryan again. It also made her want to stomp this kid out. But how could she do that down one Pokémon to two? All she had to her was her Luxray, Kiara. But she was up against a Mega Evolved Pinsir that had already done a number on both her Torterra and her Staraptor. She would truly need everything she could if she were to win this match.

"Pinsir! Swords Dance" Calem called to his Pokémon, making him even stronger than he was previously.

Dawn was running out of time. "Kiara! Thunder Wave!" While her Luxray managed to succeed in paralyzing the Pinsir, the Pinsir countered with a Facade that nearly took her Luxray out. She was only fortunate that her Luxray would be nibbling on some Leftovers to regain a bit of health every turn. "Wild Charge!" Knowing this could be the move that leads to her defeat, she nevertheless took the gambit and sent her Luxray charging forward. It crashed itself with full strength into the Bug Pokémon and stunned Calem with it's raw power. His Pinsir, which had managed to withstand a Brave Bird from a Staraptor, could not do so against a Luxray and fell.

But Dawn's Luxray was drained, almost completely of energy. She would need to hope that his next Pokémon was one she could handle, or this risky move may have all been for nothing.

But for all the things that Calem had, he was missing one crucial thing. The thing that made true champions like Cynthia and Lance and Michael so feared as opponents: the poker face. Calem may have won the Kalos Pokémon League, but he seemed more worried about the upcoming clash than she was. While Kiara chewed on her Leftovers and slowly regained her power, the handsome young man nervously called out his last Pokémon. From out of a Net Ball appeared a highly coiffed and elegant Swanna.

Dawn looked to Kiara, who's eyes lit up like a predator who had spotted her prey. She grinned. "Alright, Kiara. I'll let you take things from here."

"Uh, Swanna! Use Aqua Veil!" The aquatic flying Pokémon created a veil of liquid energy around itself as if attempting to shield itself.

Kiara licked her paw, as if dismissing the attempt to protect itself as nothing but a slight. She then lowered herself into a crouch and took slow and methodical steps towards Calem's Pokémon.

Calem was losing it. "Bubblebeam!"

The Swanna spat out a wave of bubbles, but the Luxray continued to creep despite them. The attack simply floated over Kiara's head as her prowling continued. The Swanna continued to spit out it's attacks, but Kiara simply kept herself low, munching on her Leftovers in case one of the attacks landed. Once she was in range, Dawn declared her intent.

"WILD CHARGE!"

The Luxray leaped with a snarl and slammed with all the power of the electricity it could get. The Swanna did not stand a chance. After the entire arena lit up with the sheer power of her Pokémon, the audience exploded in applause as Calem recalled his Pokémon and sighed to himself as Dawn soaked in her victory.

"The Winner is Dawn of Twinleaf Town!" the announcer proclaimed.

The two young trainers met in the center of the ring. Despite his sorrow over the turn of events, Calem shrugged it off and gave Dawn a cheery grin. "I guess I need to do some traveling to see even more powerful trainers. Thank you for opening my eyes, Dawn."

Dawn smiled back. "I only became this good thanks to coming here and training harder than Sinnoh ever let me. I suggest going along with that girlfriend of yours to see what the world has to offer." She proudly flashed her Battle Frontier entry pass. "Then, you'll be able to get into the Battle Frontier like me!" She offered a handshake and Calem took her up on it.

"Good luck, Dawn" Calem replied. "You're going to need it." He then slipped his hand out of hers and made his way over towards Kalos Queen Serena in the stands, the two lovingly embracing to the "awwws" from the crowd.

Dawn was puzzled by her opponent's words, until she glanced up at the bracket and gulped. Her next two matches, should she be able to win the first, would be against her mentors and idols. Cynthia in the next round, her opportunity to prove herself and avenge her loss to the legendary heroine in the Sinnoh League Finals. And if she somehow overcame that mountain, another daunting task was looming should the King also prevail. If she was to succeed and become the legendary trainer, she knew she was capable of being, she'd certainly have to prove herself. But with Kiara nuzzling her leg beside her, Dawn was unafraid. Let the storm come.

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Billy Kingston was originally terrified to be up against Bruno of Lance's Elite Four at the Indigo Plateau. He looked like a wild man with long black hair and muscles the size of tires. And his Fighting Type Pokémon were said to be the most powerful in the world, not helping his own Steel Type odds very well. But with some encouragement from his mother, a few pointers from his sister and the ceaseless love and adoration of Amanda, Billy found himself feeling strangely confident against this gladiator of myth.

The two engaged in a ruthless Pokémon Battle, with their Pokémon exchanging earthshattering blows with one another as if they were in a boxing ring. Billy's Bronzong upended Bruno's Toxicroak, only to be nearly shattered to pieces by a Machamp's impeccable Submission attack. His Lucario then went toe to toe with the Machamp, only for Bruno's bulky Pokémon to be slowed and ultimately taken down by the speedy Lucario. Bruno countered with his ace, Hitmonchan, who took out the drained Lucario with a single Sky Uppercut.

But strangely, Billy wasn't nervous. Doing his best to emulate his cousins, he felt as if he had planned on this. Hitmonchan was strong, bulky and reasonably fast. It's most crucial weakness was that it's defenses, while solid, could be penetrated by a Pokémon faster than him. One that could drill through his sturdy stance and force him onto the defensive. And he had just the Pokémon to do this.

"It would seem that Billy Kingston has one last trick up his sleeves" the announcer cautioned, causing the fans to go crazy.

Bruno cracked his knuckles. "I'd love to see what it is, Billy."

"Oh don't worry. I've got something special." He then flicked his wrist forward and his Skarmory appeared with a shrill squawk. It drilled it's talons into the ground and eyed the Hitmonchan on the opposing side with contempt. Once Billy whistled, his Pokémon rushed forward. The Skarmory and Hitmonchan moved at almost blinding speeds, with the Hitmonchan trying desperately to land a blow, while the Skarmory would fly in his face and quickly vanish by flying higher and playing the game of peak-a-boo for several minutes, much to the delight of the fans. The Hitmonchan finally threw a Thunderpunch that struck hard at the Skarmory, who also managed to land a Drill Peck on the Hitmonchan's head. Both Pokémon flew backwards and got up, dazed and winded from the blows.

"Gotta say, I'm impressed" Bruno admitted. "But this clash will decide which of us is stronger! HITMONCHAN! GO!'

"Hit him with all you've got, Skarmory!" Billy cheered. "Show em no mercy!"

The Skarmory nodded and both Pokémon surged towards one another at over 60 mph. One of Billy's ace Pokémon flying with all his strength and Bruno's eager to meet him charge for charge. The Hitmonchan struck hard with a Fire Punch and an explosion ripped through the center of the ring. Both Billy and Bruno were blinded by the explosion and flung back a few feet. When the smoke had cleared, it was clear that both blows had landed. The Hitmonchan's gloved fist had connected with the Skarmory's chest, while Billy's Skarmory had succeeded in drilling it's steel beak into the chest of Bruno's best Pokémon. Both stepped backwards, groggy from the blows and struggling to stay standing.

"Whichever Pokémon falls first shall be the loser" the announcer warned.

As the announcer completed his words, the Hitmonchan rolled onto his back, let out one loud and faithful cry and fainted.

Bruno let out an almost primal cry in accepting defeat, while the rest of the Colosseum cheered for Billy. Unsure of what to do with the newfound adulation, Billy simply waved to them, causing even more people to hail and shower cheers on him. He awkwardly stood there for a moment while his Skarmory stumbled over to his side and finally fell onto his face in front of him, resulting in Billy recalling him.

He looked up towards what was now being called the "Royal Box", expecting Amanda to be there watching his match. He blew a kiss up to the box and nodded to himself, smiling more than he ever had before. He was one step closer to fulfilling his own dream of being a Pokémon Master. Now, his next goal was to give Amanda a gift worth remembering. He just hoped he'd have enough time to shower, heal his Pokémon, talk to the press and make it to the jewelers before they closed up for the evening. If not, it was only one day before he'd be able to show her how much he really felt.

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Giselle had a feeling that someone in the higher ups had a hand in selecting her first-round matchup. She was expecting a random opponent or to perhaps even match up against one of her more recent rivals like Christopher or Mark Lionel. But to get Cheren in this round? Her childhood friend? The boy who had sought her out to apologize on behalf of all of her friends from Unova after what had befallen them? This had either Alder or Iris's hands in it, for sure. But she would have to inevitably face him if it came down to it anyway. May as well get it out of the way now.

And outside of a lucky shot from Cheren's Serperior against her Tentacruel, she had allowed her Haxorus to dominate most of the match. It was a bit cathartic, but she was longing to avenge herself against her own rival and former best friend Hilbert. He who had replaced her as the "Hero of Ideals" as well as replacing their childhood feelings for one another with a new bride named Georgia, had indeed participated alongside his Wife. But both did not make it out of the preliminaries, with Georgia falling in battle to Tommy Queensbury in surprising fashion and Lizzie being the one to stuff Hilbert. Though some (herself included) questioned whether or not she still could not bring herself to reassert her feelings for her friends, she devoted all of her time to winning back the honor of being a Pokémon Champion. For real this time. If not that, she'd relish in a rematch with Michael Kingston. Another who had once adored her that she'd let slip out of her grasp...

"You don't seem to have your full mind in this match, Giselle" Cheren commented.

"Why would I need to?' she responded confidently. "I've got a commanding lead and your Simipour really doesn't stand a chance."

Cheren sighed. "Yeah. I don't think I'm up for the task of beating you. Your time in Arcana has changed you and I'm happy you've reached these new heights as a Pokemon trainer. Of course, I can't admit defeat too easily. I do have a reputation back home to maintain." He pointed to his Simipour. "Ice Beam!"

"Haxorus! Giga Impact!"

Giselle's Haxorus charged in a rampage towards the Simipour, even blasting through the Ice Beam from her old friend's Pokémon to collide with the Simipour. The Simipour stumbled backward from the blow, crashing into the ground and fainting almost on impact. Giselle nodded to herself as the referee made his decision.

"The winner is Giselle Odelia!"

Cheren and Giselle made their way to meet one another one last time. "Do you still intend on staying here? We still miss you back home, you know."

Giselle shrugged. "I may come for a visit. But in my heart, I know Arcana is my home. Besides, I'm not guaranteed my rematch with Michael Kingston and I intend on getting it. Until then, I can't even think about leaving here." She offered her hand to her friend. "But I promise we will meet again soon. And not as enemies or rivals. But as friends again."

Cheren took her hand and pulled a surprised Giselle into a hug. "I look forward to it."

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Mark's Pikachu was backpedaling as fast as possible from the relentless onslaught from Steven's Aggron. But this massive Steel Pokémon kept on coming, it's Stomping Tantrums and Stone Edges becoming more challenging to dodge. His Pikachu's speed was certainly being put to the ultimate test and Mark was deeply uneasy. Mark had certainly not taken Steven Stone for granted. After all, how could you? He was a longtime Champion in Hoenn for a reason. A fearless, ruthless and downright intimidating tactician who gave even titans like Cynthia a run for their money. His Pokémon were said to be all but invincible and Mark had learned firsthand just how unstoppable they were. His Charizard lasted less than a minute against Steven's Aggron and while his Goodra had succeeded in pushing back the Aggron with a Dragon Tail, it was demolished by an Alolan Sandslash. His Pikachu finally earned him a point, but out came the Aggron once again to force Mark to have to rethink his strategies.

His Pikachu was not built for close combat situations. Its speed wore his opponents down and he would occasionally shower Thunderbolts on his opponents while preparing to deliver the final blow with either a Volt Tackle or an Iron Tail. But this Aggron did not seem to be slowing down, no matter what he threw at him. With every move the Aggron missed, it made his Stomping Tantrums all the more powerful, thus making it even riskier to dodge and avoid attacks.

Mark was desperate and Steven knew it. But rather than glower over his opponent, as many who had preceded them have done when given an early lead, Steven's poker face as on point. He showed no emotion. No ferocity. Just focus. A steely kind of focus that Mark envied. He'd had that focus a long time ago. Before his life changed forever. Before a twelve-year-old kid came out of nowhere and demolished his Kanto Champion Title. Before he chose the hero's quest over the Champion's. It was becoming increasingly clear that Steven had what Mark didn't. And Mark knew he was only delaying the inevitable. This match was over before it had even begun.

But he would make Steven earn it. With one final, ferocious onslaught from his Pikachu. "Alright, Pikachu! Time for us to end this battle with some style!" He whistled towards his Pikachu, who began to flash with a strange power. The audience let out a collective gasp at this, though those from the Alolan sect began to cheer. While Mega Evolutions had caught on around the world, Z-Moves were still coming along slowly.

Even Steven was caught off guard. "Huh? Your Pokémon can use Z-Moves?"

Mark grinned. "Don't forget I was a Champion back when you were studying rocks in University, Steven." As his Pikachu seemed to be calling on the power of the heavens themselves, electrical currents began to surge throughout the crowds. Even the clouds above the Colosseum began to darken. His Pikachu's eyes became focused, the pouches on its cheeks overflowing with enough energy to power half of Arcana on its own.

"This doesn't look good" Steven commented.

"Let him have it, Pikachu!" Mark called. "Give em 10,000,000 Volts!"

A Thunderbolt attack the size of a city block shot right out from the cheeks of the Pikachu and crashed into the Aggron. With the power of the gods, the blast became completely blinding. A white light prevented anyone from seeing anything and the claps of thunder splitting eardrums all across Titanio City. After several seconds, Mark sarcastically wondered if the attack had done enough damage. He could hear alarms going off in the nearby city and noticed that even the video replays and loudspeaker systems had gone offline thanks to the attack.

His Pikachu sank to the ground in complete exhaustion, but he wiggled his tail towards his trainer to indicate he was alright. Rest easy, Buddy. I think we proved our point.

Mark was about to call over to Steven when he noticed something horrifying. A light barrier fell from in front of Steven's Aggron, who had taken the blow as if it were nothing. Mark recalled an anime he had watched back in the day where a character unleashed his most powerful attack on an enemy, but it had done next to no damage. And his Pikachu had just done that. A Thunderbolt that had similar power to an Explosion or Self Destruct and his opponent's Pokémon had taken it as little more than a summer breeze. Sure, it did tremendous damage, but it was only doing roughly the same amount of damage to the Aggron as a Shock Wave would have.

Steven dusted his jacket off and grinned. "Well, Mark. That display was quite impressive."

Mark couldn't tell if he was being genuine or not and just stood in silence.

"I mean it. That power is almost never seen in these parts. I studied Z-Moves the last time I spoke with Professor Kukui in Alola. They have tremendous power. Perhaps power that would rival Arceus himself. But the charging time means I can perhaps come up with a way to soften the damage or avoid it altogether. Great power comes with a great responsibility to know how and when to wield it. And you only lost because I pushed you into a desperation move. There's a reason why they call it 'desperation', Mark." He looked to his winded Aggron and nodded. "Let's end this with a Reversal." The Aggron swung its tail aggressively, striking the Pikachu until it slammed hard into the ground, causing it to faint and ending the match in a win for Hoenn's Champion.

"The Winner is Steven Stone of Hoenn!"

Mark recalled his wiped-out Pikachu and nodded solemnly. "So...my time in the limelight has come to an end."

"I wouldn't say that" the winner added. "You finished in the Top 32 in a Tournament out of over 2,000 competitors. That says a lot about how strong of a trainer you are. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Arcana's new Champion would name you as a part of his or her Elite Four or Pokémon League."

"New Champion?'

Steven sighed. "I guess Michael and Chris didn't tell anyone else besides us. The highest ranking Arcanan in this Tournament will become Arcana's new Champion. It could be one of them, or Billy or Lizzie if she stays. I'm certain you still have a part to play in Pokémon battling moving forward." He offered a handshake to Mark. "Good luck, Mark."

"You too, Steven" Mark replied as they shook hands to the applause of those around them.

"Any tips on beating Christopher Kingston or Marley?"

Mark shrugged. "Marley is someone I've only ever seen battle once when she and Chris used to date. As for Chris...pray he's not distracted by anything."

Steven smiled to himself. "Good. A chance to avenge losing to Chris in two competitions."

"Two? Didn't you only battle him once?"

"Competitions don't necessarily mean battle" Steven replied ominously.

{}

Chris was positively ecstatic when he found out Marley would be competing in the Tournament. Not to pursue her romantically in any way, but to get the rematch he felt he needed. He and Marley were once lovers, back in the day. The only thing the two took part in that wasn't being positively ensconced with each other's beauty was when they battled. And boy did they battle often. Marley was a veteran in the Pokémon Battle Frontier and constantly competed with the best that the world had to offer. She came to Arcana looking for a fight and found a romantic partner for at least one season. Marley fought through the Pokémon League quickly and even managed to beat Cameron in battle, resulting in her and Chris matching up in the Finals for the right to challenge Michael. Chris barely edged her out, which ended their romantic summer. His heartbreak would only be punctuated by being swept by Michael out of the one and only Title Match he played in for the honor of being Arcana's Champion.

He pleaded with her to stay, but she refused, insisting she needed to return to the Frontier to become stronger and concluded their relationship more formally. Before she left, she vowed to beat him in a rematch that had yet to come.

Until today that is.

Marley was one of the masterminds of the modern Battle Frontier. A true and downright dangerous Pokémon Trainer that focused on utilizing the speed of her team to overwhelm her opponents early before finishing them off with just the perfect amount of power. Having grown fond of Arcana in her time there, she took to raising an Arcanine herself, which had since become a staple for her team, which also now included a Manectric which had zapped the daylights out of Chris's Charizard as if it were nothing. He countered with his Garchomp, but it was now fighting for its survival against the mighty Arcanine Marley had at her disposal.

Their match was even. Dangerously even. Chris suspected he would have to break out a Mega Evolution if he hoped to beat her. Her Arcanine seemed to be pulling from limitless pools of energy. Even now, as his Garchomp grew more and more weary, Marley's star Pokémon did not seem to be breaking a sweat.

"How is it in the years since we had our battle" Marley observed "that you've both become a stronger trainer and a weaker one?" She folded her arms and shook her head. "You've abandoned your recklessness, which is admirable. But it gave you your greatest qualities. This strategic game just isn't you, Chris."

"Maybe not" Chris responded. "But I never thought I'd be a married man, either. Sometimes, a guy has to change."

"I beg to differ. You're still trying too hard to be like your cousin. It's not you and the more you deny who you are, the sooner I'm going to kick your keester out of this tournament!" She sent her Arcanine forward and with one final ExtremeSpeed, Chris's Garchomp fell and left him in a deep and worrisome hole.

As he recalled his fainted Dragon, he contemplated Marley's words. Was he truly not being himself these last few months? But this was the changes people had always wanted him to undergo. To take things more seriously, to focus on being the best instead of boasting about it. It was the thing he expected that finally warmed Piper up to him. It might have helped him eclipse Ryan and Cameron and become the Champion had the Syndicate not resurfaced. But now, it was what was holding him back against Marley?

He looked to the last Pokémon available to him in this round. What do you think, Jafar? Do you think I'm holding back? Unlike some others he knew, including the White Mage, Chris could not truly understand his Pokémon and as a result, he knew that his Pokémon would likely be echoing his own thoughts back to him. His Alakazam knew as much about this situation as he did. They, alongside his Charizard and Blazekin, had been by his side his entire career as a Pokémon Trainer. All he could see in his head was the serious and contemplative look Jafar always gave before battling.

And he had his answer: we'll figure it out as we go.

Chris sent his Alakazam out as his last available Pokémon. The mighty Psychic Type floated in the air in front of his trainer, using his vastly superior intellect to focus in on the weak points of the Arcanine. The Arcanine growled angrily and rushed forward to hit with yet another ExtremeSpeed, but Jafar activated a Psychic Terrain, altering the battlefield and nullifying the priority move. Before the Arcanine could even skid to a stop, Jafar was in motion, wiggling the spoons in his hands in response to activating his own Metronome attack. From out of his spoon, shot a massive torrent of water. The Hydro Cannon struck Marley's Arcanine with such authority that the Arcanine was knocked out with a single shot.

This caught Marley off guard. She seemed about to say something, but the roaring from the crowd kept her quiet.

"Nice shot, Jafar!" Chris cheered. "No way we're going down without a fight!" His Pokémon resumed meditating and floating in front of him. Chris folded his arms as his former flame contemplated her next move. "What's the matter, Marley? I thought you said I was on my way out of this tournament!"

Marley smirked, throwing her arms to her side and showing a stark and defiant expression. "Well. well. I see you've got some fire inside of you after all. But this changes nothing, Chris. I can avenge my defeat and make my own destiny as the greatest Pokémon Trainer in the world." She pointed her finger at her former lover. "Nothing has changed between us, Chris! I'm not here just to beat you. I'm here to demonstrate just how powerful the trainers of the Battle Frontier are. And I will show you no mercy!" She reached onto her belt for the last Pokémon in her arsenal. "Go, Dragapult!" From out of Marley's Dusk Ball appeared the wickedly fast and equally ruthless Ghost/Dragon Pokémon. This was certainly a new Pokémon for her to use but fit right in with her passion for fast Pokémon.

"Type advantages won't get you too far on their own, Honey Pie" Chris grinned. "Jafar is going to take me to the stratosphere!'

"Not before I smack you down to the earth's core, Lover Boy!" she replied as flirtatiously. "Dragon Darts!"

"Alakazam! You know what to do!" Without much prompting, Alakazam warped out of the way of Marley's Dragon's attacks. When he resurfaced, he wiggled his spoons once more to activate Metronome. However, unlike the last time when Chris got a move that was extremely useful, his Alakazam instead sent out a Charge Beam that did very little damage to the Dragapult, but also added a bit of a Special Attack boost. But the Dragapult recovered from the attack quickly and instead unleashed a ruthless Shadow Ball at Jafar.

Jafar was barely able to teleport away in time, but the blast missed by mere inches. When he reappeared, the Dragapult had vanished into thin air. The Alakazam remained focused, alert to all around it, as if expecting the Dragapult to rush out of the shadows and strike. Which was exactly what he predicted would happen.

His trainer remained calm and collected. As did Marley, with both trainers keeping their eyes down and arms folded. Wondering who would be the one to blink first.

Chris couldn't help but chuckle when that person was Marley. "SHADOW FORCE!"

"Teleport!"

Jafar warped right out of sight as the Dragapult slammed into the ground with the force of a thousand nightmares. Before Marley's ace Pokemon could recover, Jafar struck it down with a single, wickedly powerful Psychic attack that ended the match as cleanly as it could have been.

Marley was in shock and could not say a word.

Chris recalled his Alakazam and soaked in his first victory of the Master Cup Finals. While the adoration of fans was something he was used to, he knew that to reach those loftiest of heights never seen before, he would have to keep his focus. No more slouching. No more distractions. Especially for the ominous threat that loomed in the next round. He glanced over towards the brackets and spied his name moving up one bracket to match up with Steven Stone in the next round. The first of what would be many long and difficult showdowns would come. And he needed to be ready.

"Congratulations, Chris" Marley spoke up after making it to where he stood. "You proved you truly are better than me. I think Arcana will be in good hands with you should you become it's Champion."

Chris shrugged. "You're no slouch yourself, Marley. I didn't think I'd be able to win this with how quickly you wore some of my guys down."

Marley shook his hand and winked his way. "I'd say let's get drinks to celebrate, but I doubt your wife would be too courteous."

Chris chuckled at this. "No way. I'm a family man now. My partying days are long behind me, or at least they will be." He made one last look at the brackets and knew the hill would only get much steeper from here.

{}

"Bonemerang 'em, Marowak!" Matthew called to his trusted Pokémon.

Stretching out his short yet powerful arms, the Ground Pokémon flung its Thick Club at Jocelyn's Ninetales, striking it hard in the head and knocking it out of the fight with a single blow. The graceful Fire Type did not stand a chance against the Marowak after it had managed to beat Matthew's Magnezone in combat. After striking it's target, the Thick Club flew around and right back towards it's wielder as if on command.

Though she was in a serious deficit, Matthew could not help but notice how calm and collected Jocelyn was. She recalled her fainted Pokémon and simply stared at her former charge with a look that Matthew never thought he would get from her. One of respect, admiration and pride. She was proud of him, for once in his life. And he would ride this high as long as he could.

"I'm glad to see you've been raising my old Marowak so well" she remarked. "Maybe I should trade back with you after the Tournament."

"Sorry, but no take backs" he replied teasingly. "My Marowak is going to take me all the way to the top!"

"Well, since you're relying on one of my Pokémon to win, how about I return the favor?!" She reached onto her belt and called out her final Pokémon for this match. Matthew was not surprised to see his old Poliwrath emerge from the Poké Ball. With a few jabs and punches of shadow boxing, the Poliwrath showed off it's versatility for this final clash over who would advance to the Top 16. "Water Pulse!" The Water Pokémon spat out a massive geyser of water from it's mouth to completely douse the Marowak, who simply took his Thick Club and leaped over the blow before slamming his club hard on the head of the Poliwrath.

Jocelyn's Pokémon recovered and the two began a fierce close quarters match, with the Poliwrath throwing jabs and blocking strikes, while the Marowak both blocked and struck back with it's Club.

"Low Sweep!" Jocelyn ordered. The Poliwrath spun his feet around, kicking the Marowak and knocking him off his own and to the ground. Then, before he could recover, another Water Pulse launched him backwards towards Matthew, who himself got soaked with what remained of the attack. The Marowak managed to keep fighting but staggered to keep himself standing.

Matthew grunted, knowing he was in a bind. He didn't have a Pokémon to combat the Poliwrath effectively with his Magnezone beaten. His only real option was his Noivern, who was known more for its speed than its power. This would require simply brute forcing his way into the next round. His Marowak looked back at him for an order and seemed to recognize the face he was making and flung his Club into the air before catching it in salute.

"How much power can my old Poliwrath handle?" Matthew inquired. "Because I'm about to shake this Colosseum to its core! EARTHQUAKE!" The Marowak struck down on the ground with such force that even the sears in the stadium began to shake, with people screaming in both fear and delight at the same time. The Poliwrath was caught up in the middle of the blow, doing his best to avoid the ground's quaking. But he took one bad step and fell to the ground before being flung about the arena like a kernel of popcorn. When the shaking ended, the Poliwrath was down for the count.

"Poliwrath is unable to battle" the Referee declared as he slowly tried to recover from falling down due to the quaking force Matthew had unleashed. "The winner is Marowak and Matthew!"

"And with that" the announcer proclaimed, "Matthew Kingston advances to the next round!"

Matthew recalled his fatigued Pokémon and made his way towards Jocelyn as she called back her own Pokémon. She shrugged. "Oh well. Guess you eclipsed me in power, Matty."

"I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for you" he reminded her. "Thanks."

She held her hands up to the air around them. "Soak this in, Matthew. That is the sound of people cheering your name. And that won't stop anytime soon, so long as you keep improving yourself." She began to walk past her former charge and towards the exit to the main arena. She paused before leaning forward and kissing Matthew on the cheek. "I didn't do anything, kid. This was all you."

Matthew could only watch as Jocelyn departed to her own applause as he became the first member of his bracket to advance. The only questions left were who would be joining him?

{}

Whereas most of those in Arcana were used to the sheer overwhelming power that Michael's own Dragonite would wield in battle, many were surprised at the sheer grace with which Lance's own Dragonites dominated the battlefield against everything that Unova's old Champion Alder could throw at him. Instead of slamming into foes with the power of a comet, they instead bathed the field in fire, electricity or ice depending on their moods. And Lance had driven Alder into a corner, one he may not be able to get out of without some cunning.

"The last time I was in this kind of jam, I lost my throne in Unova" Alder recalled.

"Pokémon seems to be a kid's game, Alder" Lance commented. "They think the game has passed us."

"Guess we need to show them that this tournament is more about experience than anything." Alder, with only his Volcorona left to him, decided now was the time to wear down the surprisingly light-footed Dragonites with some heat. His almost mythical Bug Pokémon quickly danced in the air, quickly raising the temperature around the Colosseum.

The Dragonite remained unfazed and growled defiantly at the rising temperatures.

"I don't think your intimidation tactics are working, Alder" Lance laughed. "You may need to-"

"I know you'd never get intimidated by me, Lance" Alder chuckled. "Which is why I'm just making sure I make my statement seen!" He sent his Volcorona forward, it's gaze intent on taking down the Dragonite.

The Dragonite attempted a Hyper Beam, but it's attack was taking too long to charge. Lance realized he'd been duped. "Using the weather to your advantage, eh?"

The Volcorona spat out a wickedly powerful Overheat that finally brought Lance's Dragonite to it's knees and prompted it to faint. Lance recalled his faithful Dragon and noticed that the score had now become even once more. One a piece, winner take all. Loser likely headed for a long and well-deserved retirement. Lance couldn't help but smile as his last Pokémon seemed to be calling to him.

"There's just one problem with your strategy, Alder. The weather isn't something that just benefits you." He then sent out his most powerful Pokémon yet: a Charizard. With one tap to the device on his wrist, Lance's ordinarily Fire/Flying Type suddenly underwent a startling transformation, shedding it's light orange skin for dark-obsidian and its flames going from red to blue. With one ferocious roar, the Mega Charizard X appeared and took over the match.

"Megas?!" Alder gasped.

"Can't let those kids get too far ahead of us" Lance grinned. "FLARE BLITZ!" His Charizard recklessly slammed itself into the Volcorona, with all of the power of fire it could muster. While Alder's powered up Pokémon was more than capable of taking on non-direct attacks, one physically devastating blow was all it took for the match to come to a fiery conclusion. The Volcorona fell right in front of Alder, a smoldering pile of fatigued Bug.

"The Winner is Lance of Johto!" the Referee declared, as the audiences showered praise and adoration on both competitors.

Despite his victory, Lance was already mentally preparing himself for what lied ahead and what he wanted to accomplish. The rest of their bracket still needed to be determined, but it was in all likelihood that Matthew Kingston would get the match with him he'd been craving since they crossed paths what feels like an eternity ago. Lance smiled and flung his cape behind his back. "To get to the true master, one must make sure the apprentices are put in check. Time to see if Matthew really is ready for the big time." His Charizard flew along after him while Alder made a speech officially retiring from Pokémon Battling.

{}

Annette could not help but be disappointed by how this new young Champion from the Alola Region was battling. She had always expected that Champions possessed some kind of mental or physical advantage over more common trainers. It was probably true, but how could she be sure with how nervous and timid Hau was being in this match. Here was a boy, who despite being the same age and possibly experience as her (if not more), was playing like a kid who had never battled before an audience before. She had expected him to hammer her with all of the might and fury of Alolan Pokémon, which was why she sent out her trusted Tyranitar first. But her Tyranitar had proceeded to trounce not only Hau's first Pokémon (an Alolan Exeggutor). but also crushed his second Pokémon with such ease you would have thought that it was the Tyranitar that held the advantage over the Primarina.

While Hau's last Pokémon, Incineroar, did it's best to avoid the same cataclysmic fate that his previous ones had, Annette folded her arms in sadness. "I don't think you're truly trying with me?"

"Huh?"

"You heard me" Annette responded. "I don't think you're giving this fight your all. I've had you beaten from the word go and you haven't even been able to put up a fight against me."

The young trainer sweat nervously on his side of the arena. "I don't know what you're talking about. I am giving this fight all I can."

"Then you'd better find some more of that inside of you" she warned. "Hau, this is the biggest tournament the world has ever seen. I know I may not be the best one here, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to give this tournament everything I've got. Because I know that with every single round, this tournament is only going to get tougher and tougher on me. Hau, if you can't even make it past me, how would you expect to take on the rest of our bracket, let alone those trainers that will be lurking ahead?"

Hau gulped. "I promise you, Annette. This is me giving it my all." He looked to his Incineroar. "And if this doesn't convince you, nothing will! Prepare your Z-Move, Incineroar!'

Annette raised an eyebrow at this, seeing that her opponent's Pokémon was truly gaining power. Nothing that was going to rival her Tyranitar immediately, but she decided to wait it out to see what he could throw at her. If he was giving this fight all he had, then she might truly have what it takes to make it to the finals...

Hau's Incineroar began to draw in more and more power, with him howling and roaring as it's power continued to climb higher and higher. Annette could tell that Hau was not as nervous as he was before. Perhaps all of that pep talking she gave him had it's intended effect? Or was Hau simply expressing his true power. Annette knew for sure that whatever attack this Pokémon struck hers with would do little to no damage. Her Tyranitar was one of the most powerful Pokémon there was. She'd raised it from the egg her brother had given her. Its power was almost comparable (at least in her mind) to Cynthia's Garchomp, Leon's Charizard or Michael's Dragonite. Surely there was no way this Incineroar could...

"Oh no" Annette gasped. Incineroar can learn Fighting Type Moves, can't it?

"How about you give that Tyranitar and All Out Pummeling!" Hau declared.

Annette's face went pale. Her Tyranitar was built for relentless offense. Its defenses weren't the best. She was certain this blow was going to hammer her best Pokémon for everything it was worth. And at once, the Incineroar attacked. It's relentless onslaught on her top Pokémon was not stopping anytime soon. With every punch and blow her Pokémon endured, Annette's confidence in herself began to fade. Had Hau simply been lulling her into a false sense of security, only to utterly obliterate her best Pokémon in one ferocious blow? She suddenly felt herself growing weak, unable to breathe. She made to reach for the inhaler she often kept in her pocket, but it wasn't there. As her anxiety filled, she would be forced to deal with the aftermath as her opponent might have completely turned the tables on her.

When the blows finally stopped and the Incineroar leaped back in front of his trainer, exhausted and extremely vulnerable, the attention went from the Tyranitar that had almost collapsed on itself to Annette, who was clutching at her throat and gasping for air. With one last desperate heave, she fell onto her side.

"Miss Fiveroux!" the referee cried. "What's happening?!"

"Annette?" Hau gasped.

She looked to her side and saw her inhaler had fallen out of her pocket. She tried desperately to reach it but was too weak to do so. Near the entryway to the arena floor, she thought she could hear her brother fighting with security to get out to her. It wasn't until the referee, upon seeing what she was desperately trying to do, grabbed her inhaler and returned it to her that Annette could feel her breathing return to normal. She took her squirts and tried to calm herself but felt incredibly woozy.

"Will you be able to continue?" the referee asked.

Annette tried to respond but didn't have the voice to do so at the moment. She would have shamefully shaken her head to drop out of the match and forfeited to Hau, if a stirring from the battlefield hadn't caught her attention. The Incineroar was not moving, still completely drained from the onslaught it had given to her Tyranitar. It was her own Pokémon moving. The Tyranitar was rolling from its back onto its front and pushing itself back up. Apparently, it didn't need her permission to keep the fight going.

Annette smiled weakly. If her Pokémon could move after that pummeling, she could move on despite her weakness. She nodded and pushed herself to her feet. With her windpipe still somewhat constricted, she looked desperately to her trusted Tyranitar. It glanced back and gave her a loving smile. She then activated the Mega Ring on her wrist and her Tyranitar accumulated even more power for itself as it Mega Evolved. The Mega Tyranitar proceeded to use one single Stone Edge on the opposing Incineroar that ended the match. Hau's Pokémon simply took the blow and was launched several feet backwards until it was knocked out.

Hau was flabbergasted by the turn of events. "Wow...I thought I had you there..."

As the audiences cheered for Annette, a medical team came out immediately to try and resuscitate her. But she waved them off and stood on her own. She took one last swig of her inhaler and finally felt her voice back inside of her. "No thank you" she sputtered out. "I'm okay." She recalled her Tyranitar, waved happily towards Hau for a great match and then made her way over towards her brother.

Garret was apoplectic. "I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN IF MOM AND DAD LET YOU BATTLE!"

Annette rolled her eyes. "Did you think they were going to keep me in a bubble the rest of my life, Garret?" Her voice was still choppy, which didn't help her case.

"Don't you take that tone of voice with me!" he snarled. "Do you think it's easy worrying about my little sister day and night?"

Realizing her brother truly was only looking out for her, she flung her arms around him, which stopped his tirade. "And I appreciate it, Garret. Really, I do. But I'm not some dainty little girl who can't do things for herself." She took a deep breath as she found her own voice again. "You will always be my big brother and I love you. But I can handle being a normal kid. Mom and Dad knew it, too. Which is why they left me in your care."

Garret sighed. "Annette. We're all we've got in this world. If anything happens to you-"

Annette giggled. "Jocelyn and Matt won't be happy to hear that."

"You know what I mean" her brother responded. "You and me. The last of our family. I can't do this on my own again. I need you."

Annette kept hugging her brother and nodded. "And I will always need you there with me, too."

{}

Diantha didn't know which was harder for her: competing with the likes of Katrina Jackson for the constant awards in their acting careers or competing with the likes of the world's best Pokémon Trainers. She had done both for such lengthy parts of her life that both felt like simple extensions of who she was. And yet, both had their colossal challenges.

As an actress, she was often pressured by the tabloid media of Kalos and around the world. She was in a friendly yet fiercely competitive rivalry with Katrina for all of the acting awards, yet Katrina was happier than she was. She was married to her husband, Carson Jackson and had a family in Arcana that loved and supported her. She was pressured by many to start that next phase of her life as a wife or even a mother, but her instinct was to go back to what she was best at and use it for her roles.

As a trainer, which she had begun as, she was pressured constantly by the next generation of trainers who were clamoring for her spot in the limelight. She had become good friends with Calem and Serena on their first journeys throughout Kalos, even assisting them in taking down the dangerous Team Flare. But Calem's rise had come up quickly for her. It seemed like yesterday she was meeting some green trainer Professor Sycamore was talking about and the next she was battling him for the honor of being called Champion of Kalos. And despite throwing everything she could at him, she lost. She still accepted being a mentor to him but put more effort into her acting career until the call for the World Tournament came.

She had maintained this balance of actress and trainer for so long, she hadn't realized until this moment, as she faced Buck in the first round of the Master Cup, that she had a chance to reclaim her title as Champion of Kalos. Calem had lost, being wiped out of the first round by the young and fair Dawn from Sinnoh. Was this her destiny all along? To be the best trainer Kalos had ever seen? If she could not beat Katrina in the acting field, could she perhaps be named the most powerful Pokémon Trainer in the world? Of course, this would put her up against her old friends in Lance, Alder, Steven Stone, Cynthia and Michael Kingston in pitch battles. And after he had saved her life from a kidnapping plot in Kalos mere days after he and Julia had moved there, she was keen to repay Michael with a truly worthwhile battle. She'd lost her chance to repay her savior in "the old way", so this was the only way that came to mind. And she would do it by beating Buck, then advancing to the next round and trouncing whoever stood in her way.

Now, as she sat on the precipice of sweeping her opponent out of the match with her Gardevoir, she still maintained her aura of calm. She would not get arrogant in the face of an opponent she'd never battled before. "I expect you to throw everything you have at me, Buck. Because I will be doing the same!"

"I'm trying awful hard" Buck admitted, "but I think ya got me here, Milady. But I can hope with this last blast my turn the tides! Claydol! Gimme a Hyper Beam!"

Diantha, while thankful that Buck truly was trying this match, could have seen that coming if she was blind. "Teleport!" The Gardevoir warped out of the way in time for the Hyper Beam to miss by a wide margin and strike the nearby wall padding. When she reappeared, her Gardevoir then sent out one last Moonblast, which rocked the Claydol back and forth before slamming it hard into the ground and causing it to faint.

Buck shrugged off his loss. "My endurance strategy doesn't work well against your graceful power, milady."

Diantha laughed at this. "I am honored to have battled such a gentleman today, Buck."

"If'n you're ever in my parts of the Battle Frontier, feel free to stop by" he offered as he departed to heal his Pokémon.

Diantha watched as he departed with a smile on her face. Maybe I should go to the Frontier after all of this. Make a name for myself before reclaiming my throne from Calem. But that could come later. Now, she was still in the Master Cup. And she had a date with the young prodigy Annette Fiveroux in the next round of the tournament. And if she longed to face Michael in the Title Match, she needed to make it past this young maiden first.

{}

The fact that the entire Northern Bracket's matches were delayed until the end of the first round aggravated Lizzie enough. But to learn that it was entirely because of a small feud that broke out between Iris and Grimsley about whether or not a Herdier is considered a cute Pokémon absolutely infuriated her. The two made up almost as quickly as their argument began, but the match times had been shuffled already. To someone as anxiety riddled as her, she could not bear to have her schedule changed. She missed out on plans she had to contact her parents, check in with Justin and spend some extra time with her friends before the second round began. Now, she had to lead off the fourth bracket's four matches against one of those who had started the fighting in the first place.

Grimsley, the master of Unovan Dark Pokémon, was said to be an intimidating opponent. But Lizzie found herself easily cruising past him. Having brought in a hand raised Togekiss for such an occasion, it proceeded to wipe aside her opponent's best Pokémon. First, his Scrafty and then just as quickly his Krookidile. Now, his Bisharp was trying it's hardest to protect itself from the onslaught coming from her new ace Pokémon now that Jirachi had returned to the Realm of Arceus for a decade or so.

"You've crossed a line by humiliating me, Miss West!" Grimsley declared. "Now, my Bisharp will even this match before-"

"This match ended for you the moment you kept me waiting with that stupid argument with Iris!" she snapped. "I was preparing to test you before unleashing my Pokemon on you. But you wasted that opportunity. Now, I'm going to crush you!"

Grimsley seemed offended by such words. "How could you say such things? Our conversation was-"

"Was a waste of everyone's time!"

Her opponent attempted to put on a serious face. "Fine. Then let's end this. Bisharp! Iron Head!"

"Togekiss! Air Slash!"

Her Togekiss, being slightly faster, whirled her wings about before the currents lashed violently at the Bisharp, stopping him dead in his tracks until he fell onto his knees. Before the Bisharp was capable of recovering, her Togekiss happily conjured up an Aura Sphere to strike out and deliver the finishing blow to the match. His Bisharp crumpled to the floor in a pile of its own armor, while Grimsley stared blankly at the arena, as if not believing what had just unfolded in front of him.

Still frustrated with how Grimsley had prolonged their match with something so trivial, Lizzie did not congratulate her opponent for the first time in her career as a Pokémon Trainer. She was sure that it could spawn a rumor of her being a rude opponent, but she didn't care. If Grimsley was going to continue to act like a petulant child, she would treat him as such. She turned on her heel and left the arena to heal her Pokémon and prepare for her next match. She made her way for the tunnel to head out to the Pokémon Center and the woman's locker room, only to be stopped by a man with two slim boxes in his hand.

"Miss West, I presume?" he inquired.

"What's it to you?" she wondered.

"Did you succeed in your match against Grimsley of the Unovan Elite Four?"

"You would have seen it if you weren't waiting in here" she cheekily reminded him.

"As congratulations for your victory, I present to you this gift." He handed her one of the slim boxes.

"Who is it from?"

"Read the tag" he answered before rushing off to dispose of the other gift.

Lizzie did as he instructed and read what was written:

In case you win...

Lizzie opened up the package and her eyes went as bright as they had a few months earlier, when she noticed a particular flower gently placed beside her head one morning when she woke up. Likely because it was the same exact kind of flower. a lily. Only this time, the lily wasn't an ordinary one. It was made entirely out of gold. One of the petals had her name engraved on it.

This is what Justin has been working on?! Justin had been spending a great deal of time communicating with someone about some secret project, even in the rare moments when the two would be alone and on a "kinda sorta" date. He must have spent thousands of Poke Dollars on this and it was all just for her. For the first time in her life, Lizzie felt the warmth of a blush in her cheeks, and she broke out into a wide smile.

{}

Jeremy watched with deep, nervous eyes as his Zebstrika desperately dodged and retreated from the relentless onslaught from Riley's final Ace Pokémon: a Lucario. While his Zebstrika was fast, he knew they could not keep evading them forever. He needed to face his opponent, even if it meant his early elimination from the Master Cup.

Despite often playing well in the Arcanan Pokémon League Finals, he didn't expect to make it as far as he had in this tournament. He had expected to join Holly and Tommy on the sidelines while rooting for either Annette, Christopher or the King. But to be considered one of the most elite Pokémon Trainers in the world was a little unnerving for him. But here he was, struggling to ward off the final and most dangerous of Riley's Pokémon and somehow advance to the next round of the Tournament. But if his Zebstrika were to fall here, he wasn't sure he'd be able to overpower this absolute machine of a Lucario. His only remaining option would be his trusted Stoutland. And a Stoutland against a Lucario was basically begging for death. Or at least an elimination.

"This is what I get for pushing you into a corner, eh?" Jeremy laughed nervously as his Zebstrika narrowly dodged a Force Palm from Riley's best Pokémon.

"You've got tremendous talent, Jeremy" Riley responded politely. "I must say I haven't seen this much latent talent since I fought alongside Dawn. But there is more to a battle than sheer talent, though I take it you know all about that."

"You never know, Riley. Give me a chance and I might surprise you with some power."

"I'd like to see that, since you haven't been able to even put a dent into my Lucario since I sent him out."

"Maybe that's a part of my plan."

"Hmm?"

The Zebstrika landed gracefully on its hooves and spun around, glaring at the Lucario with the eyes of a fierce wild beast. The glare was so unnerving that it caused Riley's Pokémon to skid to a stop, awkwardly. It could not stop itself from falling into the dirt right in front of Jeremy's Pokémon. The Zebstrika clopped its hoof into the ground and rushed with one well-placed Flame Charge that trampled all over Riley's Pokémon. The Lucario stumbled backwards before falling to his knees in complete fatigue.

Riley grinned. "You've set me up. Impressive."

Jeremy refused to let his opponent butter him up. "Nice try."

The Lucario slowly made it to his feet and seemed to be channeling in it's aura. "It's one thing to set me up. It's another to actually win the match." The Lucario's energy began to explode all around the arena, causing the audience to burst into cheers.

Jeremy eyed his Zebstrika. Looks like I need to prepare for the worst before I can counterattack. If he wanted the opportunity to match up against whatever the Pokemon League had to offer him, he needed to make his move count. His Zebstrika, seeming to understand where he was planning to go with the new powered up Lucario staring them down, nodded and shook his mane out before mirroring with an intimidating look of his own. Then, to the astonishment of everyone, he began a slow trot towards Riley's side.

The Lucario lowered his paws as if to conjure the energy needed for an Aura Sphere. The Zebstrika began to trot faster.

Jeremy remained focused on his next move. Break him, Zebstrika. Break him before you engage him!

The Lucario continued to gather energy. The Zebstrika galloped with the force of a stampede.

In all Pokémon Battles, there comes a time when one trainer makes a fatal error in judgment. Where one trainer, desperate to turn the tide of battle before something bad happened, unleashed as much energy as possible into one attack that might either end up stunning his opponent into submission, or leaving him vulnerable to a separate attack. Whichever opponent blinked first, was often the one who lost.

Jeremy remained focused.

Riley blinked. "Aura Sphere!"

"Flame Charge!"

The Zebstrika shot towards the Lucario like a rocket. The Lucario unleashed all of the energy in his palms towards it's intended target. Both blows struck simultaneously, but only one blow was crushing. While the Zebstrika was flung backwards and barely managed to keep his legs beneath him, the Lucario crashed against the wall behind Riley, his head spinning until he rested against the wall, completely devoid of energy.

"Jeremy Lockhart advances to the second round!" the referee dictated.

"WE HAVE A WINNER!" the announcer cheered.

Jeremy waved nervously to everyone in the crowds, taking in all of the moments he could get of this adulation. He knew it would only get harder from here. If these were the only cheers he got, he'd soak it all up.

Riley recalled his Pokémon and grinned. "Yup. I figured as much. Talent, skill and determination. You've got the makeup, Jeremy."

"Thanks for the acknowledgment" he smiled back.

"Now, all you need to do is figure out if the sum of the parts equals the whole" his opponent warned. "Beating me is one thing. Taking on one of those titans is an entirely different matter."

Jeremy shrugged. "I take all challenges as they come, Riley."

"Spoken like a true Champion."

{}

"And just like that, folks" Dylan's voice echoed as the final matches of the first round played out, "we've wrapped up the first round of the Master Cup Finals!"

"Man, were those some exciting matches or what?" Daniel Kingston cheered, having taken on a role as a commentator with ArcNet. "My heart was pounding a mile a minute." All three of him, Dylan and Amber sat at their desk outside of the Arcana Colosseum as the excitable fans finally began to depart on the first day of the Master Cup Finals. While Corey filmed their sessions, he also simultaneously used his feed to add in images and clips from the battles that had taken place as a highlight reel of sorts.

"Anyone stand out to you in the first round?" Amber inquired. "You are the battle expert here, Danny."

"I've heard all this stuff about Leon being a superb trainer, but I didn't imagine he wouldn't even get touched in his matchup against Candice. I mean, no matter what strategies she implored, Leon just overpowered her. He looks unstoppable right now."

"They say Leon has only ever lost one match in his entire life" Dylan recalled. "Wasn't it to the King?"

Daniel nodded. "And I suspect he wants to rematch my cousin as soon as possible, assuming both make it into the Semi Finals."

"Which isn't exactly up for much debate. I mean, those two are without a doubt the favorites."

"I'm not sure" Amber spoke nervously. "The King had a close match with Caitlin."

Daniel laughed this off. "Michael was keeping it close for entertainment purposes. He and Caitlin, all respect due to her, aren't even in the same stratosphere. Watch how this next round goes and I'll show you just how truly dominant my cousin is in the arena. Michael can pick and choose where and when to put himself into the next gear. Leon doesn't have a brake on his freight train. Maybe that will give him an advantage in a potential rematch."

"For those of you just tuning in" Dylan interjected, "we have our Final Sixteen competitors and our Second Round matchups geared for tomorrow! Galar's Champion Leon will face Unova's Champion Iris. Jeremy Lockhart will face an old opponent in Lizzie West. His Grace, Michael Kingston, will matchup with an old friend in Wes from Orre. Dawn of Twinleaf Town gets her rematch with Cynthia she's been craving. Annette's got a huge hill to climb next round against Diantha, as does her boyfriend Matthew Kingston against Johto League Champion Lance. Giselle Odelia matches up with Billy Kingston and in what can only be described as the battle for the love of Piper Pines-"

"Kingston" Amber corrected.

"I'm trying to drum up drama" Dylan laughed.

"Don't let Chris hear you say that" Daniel warned.

"Either way, we've got the battle I'm most excited for tomorrow, with Steven Stone taking on Christopher Kingston."

"I can only hope that those who gave us such exciting matches are geared to do the same for us tomorrow" Amber proclaimed. "This has been ArcNet News and we thank you for joining us and look forward to providing you with more exciting play by play tomorrow! As always, our lovely viewers, stay classy."