"We're finally back, People of Arcana!" Dylan exclaimed to their audience as the people flocked into the legendary Arcana Colosseum after two consecutive rainouts had postponed the Master Cup Finals. "We may have been a bit waterlogged the last few days, but we're back with a vengeance to bring you the final three rounds of the Master Cup Tournament!" At their usual seating ground, ArcNet News was prepping everyone for the next few matches that would not only determine who won the tournament, but also who would be considered the most powerful Pokemon Trainer in the world. While Corey took to filming his friends as he always did, Dylan and Amber sat at the desk with two guest analysts: Daniel Kingston and Hop, the younger brother of Leon.

"That's right, Dylan!" Amber added. "We've all been wishing for the rain to go away and we'll finally get to answer the most important question of all: Who is the Ultimate Pokémon Master?!"

"LEON!" Hop cheered.

Amber laughed. "Hard to believe you're his little brother."

Hop, a rambunctious and excitable boy from Galar, spun around in his chair and pumped his fists in the air. "I came all the way here to watch my big bro win and I know he will! Especially after he took down that Dragon Queen, whoever she was."

"You mean Unova's Champion?" Daniel chuckled.

Dylan laughed at the banter surrounding him. "We're all excited for some trainers to show their mettle here, but for a brief reminder to those of you who may have forgotten, the Master Cup Tournament has been divided into two segments. The first took place all over Arcana weeks ago in elimination brackets and knockout rounds. Almost a thousand trainers from all over the world competed, until the Top 32 were established. And of those 32 strong and ferocious competitors, only eight remain. And today, those eight will soon become four."

"I gotta admit, there are some trainers here I'm nervous for."

"Well, these eight are without a doubt the best in world, so there's no reason to be that scared" Amber suggested.

"That doesn't mean that we want to see some trainers go home yet" Dylan said. "We've all been pulling for Jeremy to make it as far as possible."

"He's good" Hop admitted, "but no one is gonna beat Leon, this year. He's determined. I don't even think the King himself could stop him."

"We should start there then, Hop" Amber chimed in. "The first matchup of the day will be for the Champion of the Eastern Bracket. His Majesty, Michael Kingston, against his old friend and Sinnoh Region Champion, Cynthia. Guys, this is up in the air. The competitors are so even, it's nerve-wracking. But what's most surprising is how closely knit the two are, even when both of their reputations could be on the line."

"I don't think my cousin is worried about his reputation" Daniel added. "Michael has ice in his veins. Always has. But one thing Michael will never back down from is his friendships. Cynthia means as much to him as any of us cousins do to him."

"Cynthia is a force to be reckoned with" Dylan cautioned. "Let's not forget that the King has gone on the record saying the Fury was the only reason he beat Cynthia when they battled years ago. Now, both are on much more even ground. I wouldn't be surprised if the match goes either way, but I am a loyal subject to the monarch, so I'm pulling for the King to make it to the Finals."

"Daniel?" Amber inquired.

"As if you have to even ask" Daniel laughed. "Michael all the way. She'll give him all he's got, but no one has ever really seen him give all he's got since Ryan."

"Hop?"

Hop looked at both profiles for a long moment in his handwritten notes. "As much as I would love to see a rematch between my bro and the King, I want to see how tough Cynthia is, so I'll root for her to win. But it will be close, like you guys said."

"And I also stand with the King and think he will pull through" Amber added before continuing. "The second matchup is a very interesting one to me. Johto Champion Lance vs our good friend and local heroine Annette Fiveroux. Annette looked more determined than ever when she arrived at the Colosseum earlier this morning, guys. Do you think she's out to avenge Matthew's loss to Lance in the previous round?"

"That girl is so cool" Hop admitted as he scrolled through her Tournament History. "She took out Diantha like she was nothing and may do the same to Lance here. Here I thought Arcana was just the King and his family, but there are lots of good trainers here. Maybe I'll come on my own Pokémon Journey after the Master Cup."

"Honestly, Annette is the biggest wild card in this whole Tournament" Daniel pointed out. "I can't easily place where she'll be at the end of it. I wasn't sure she would beat Hau in the first round of the Finals, but after she handedly beat Diantha, I don't think anyone can stop her. She's a methodical machine of strategy and unity with her Pokémon. Has anyone noticed she is one of the few trainers who is routinely shaking up their team construction for every match? She's got the will to be a Champion, that's for sure."

"Annette is a Dark Horse candidate to win the Master Cup" Dylan said gleefully. "And I think the extra incentive of being matched up with the guy who kicked her boyfriend out of the tournament only adds fuel to the fire in her heart. We'll just have to see if her brains can beat Lance's brawn, because the King isn't the only one who has a mighty Dragonite behind him."

"Do we have any predictions?' Amber asked.

"Annette sweeps Lance" Dylan responded quickly.

"Annette and Lance duke it out, but she wins" Hop piped in.

"I also think Annette wins this one" Daniel responded. "Lance is good, but Annette might be one of the three or four most dangerous opponents left in the tournament for anyone to face."

"Then we're all in agreement, because I'm pulling for her too" Amber laughed. "I almost always support my fellow female Pokémon Trainers."

"Except Cynthia?" Dylan snickered.

"I will never back down from supporting the King after all he's done since returning to Arcana" Amber boldly stated. "Match Number Three is the one Hop's most excited for, his brother and Galarian Champion Leon against another local kid, Jeremy Lockhart. Guys, this one seems a bit lopsided. I know Jeremy is spunky and has talent to back him up, but Leon has looked invincible since this tournament started. Danny, any thoughts on this matchup?"

Daniel laughed as he saw Hop eager to give his own piece into the conversation. "Look, I've been doing this Tournament thing for ages. And while every single trainer can at times look invincible, no one is. It's a matter of finding the weakness and exploiting it. Unfortunately for Jeremy, most of the trainers who Leon has faced have been so determined to find his weakness that he manages to exploit theirs first. Any other year and I think Jeremy pulls it out here. He's that good of a kid and I suspect he'll be a Champion one day. But Leon is way too tough an opponent for him to overcome here."

"MY BROTHER IS GOING TO WRECK THIS KID!" Hop proclaimed excitedly. "I KNOW IT'S NOT NICE TO BE LIKE THIS, BUT I DON'T CARE!"

"Tone it down" Amber giggled. "You don't want to short out your mic."

"Sorry" he sheepishly said, much softer than before. "My brother is going to be the Ultimate Pokémon Master and Jeremy is just a speedbump on the way."

Dylan sighed. "I wish I could say Jeremy has a real shot of beating him here but look at the facts of the case. Leon has hardly been touched in this Tournament so far. No Pokémon has fainted. No critical damage has been dealt. Jeremy may be good, but the only trainer I think that has a shot of dethroning him and keeping him from being that Ultimate Champion is gonna be the winner of the Michael/Cynthia matchup. Beyond that, this looks like Leon's Championship to lose."

"Well, I'm still gonna pull for Jeremy to win" Amber grumbled. "Some friends you guys are."

"Sometimes, friends have to be brutally honest" her co-anchor admitted. "Come on, Amber. He's walking right into Sharpedo Bay."

"My brother is more of a Charizard than a Sharpedo!" Hop proclaimed.

"We do still have one more matchup to discuss" Amber reminded those at the desk. "And it's the most intriguing one for me."

"Particularly over the drama this matchup will produce" Daniel added.

"Christopher Kingston vs Giselle Odelia. Now guys, we all know the history. What Giselle's thugs did to Chris's mother during her dictatorship and now two consecutive crushing losses at Giselle's hand in consecutive tournaments, first in King Michael's final year as Champion and then Ryan Kingston's first year defending his title. But we've seen a different Christopher Kingston this year. He's less arrogant and cocky. Danny, you see him more than anyone else here, do you think Piper has had some big impact on him?'

"Without a doubt. Chris was definitely more of a shoot from the hip kind of guy when I first got into the League. But now that he's with Piper, there's just something about him that's different. It's almost as if instead of just boasting about being the best, he has the talent to back it up. And taking down Marley and Steven Stone is no easy task. He is definitely going to at least give an interesting performance, to say the least."

"But what about taking on the brick wall Giselle has been for him in the past?"

"Oh, Giselle is a tough customer" Dylan pointed out. "It's almost like she has the ability to get into someone's head and make them make mistakes. She's an expert at the psychological warfare aspect of Pokémon. She had both Cheren and Billy on the backfoot for most of their matches and I wouldn't be shocked if she pops Chris in the mouth here. Chris isn't the only one who looks determined to prove a point in this Tournament."

"Leon told me all about Giselle when I was growing up" Hop explained. "She's a scary tough customer."

"Do you think she can beat Leon?" Amber asked.

He quickly shook his head at this. "Nope. No one can beat my bro."

"Not even the King?"

"That was just a fluke" he insisted. "Let's see them fight now!"

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see how their fights in this round pan out against Cynthia and Jeremy respectively. But for now, we have to make our predictions. Guys? Who do you have for the Champion of the Western Bracket?"

Daniel shrugged. "Honestly, my gut tells me to pick Giselle, but Chris has overcome tougher odds on so many occasions. I'm going with him."

"Giselle" Dylan answered quickly. "The only brick wall she may run into in this tournament is either Leon or the King. She can beat anyone else."

"I'll take Giselle over Chris" Hop added. "And I really hope she matches with the King so he can beat her and Michael and Leon match up!"

"Filling out the whole bracket?" Amber laughed. "I too will go for Giselle, here. History is on her side. And so many great trainers have already been beaten. I think now is the time that the King is the last of the Kingston Family in the Tournament. Stay tuned, everyone, because on ArcNet News, we will be showing off the entire matchups of these thrilling Tournament showdowns as soon as they come. At 11AM, the next round kicks off with Sinnoh Champion Cynthia taking on His Majesty, Michael Kingston!"

{}

All of the heartfelt emotions felt between the two aside, Cynthia had made it absolutely clear to Michael that though they would remain as close as ever outside of the arena, once the battle began, they would be truly opposed to one another. He assured his old friend they had no fears of not giving each other their best and planned out his team to take on the very best Cynthia had to offer. He'd gotten in his warmup with an "honorable" exhibition match against Giselle the previous evening. Now, it was time to take on the next obstacle on his road to the Finals.

As for Cynthia, the pep talk and time she'd spent with Michael made her realize that there was more to life than lamenting what was lost. There were more discoveries to make, more Pokémon to find and more battles to win. And she certainly had no intention of disappointing her future godchild by showing their father anything but the best she could provide. Both had every intention of going at it like the titans of legend they were. And despite the warm pleasantries and assurances of friendship they had between one another, the moment the battle began, it was all out warfare.

First up from both trainers came Michael's Espeon against Cynthia's Eelektross. Cynthia began with an all out onslaught against the Espeon with a series of ruthless Thunderbolts and Flamethrowers, only for the nimble Aether to dodge every single one. Aether would counter only with Double Teams and Calm Minds. Cynthia then altered her tactics to call forth a different kind of attack: Dragon Tail. The move managed to hit and force the Espeon out, pulling in Michael's Blastoise for the next matchup.

But Michael had guessed this would be her tactic and Mega Evolved his Blastoise right away, shockingly wiping out her Eelektross with a single high powered Hydro Pump. Cynthia called forth her mighty Braviary, which with one Retaliate, managed to even the score between the two. Michael's Espeon reappeared, once more utilizing it's Double Team and Calm Mind combo to boost it's stats while Cynthia's Flying Pokémon continued to hunt down Aether, to no avail. Finally, with it's stats powered up considerably, Michael shifted from a defensive stance to a purely offensive one. With just one ruthlessly powerful Psychic, his Espeon finally took down the Braviary.

This victory was short lived, however, as Cynthia's final Pokémon, a Spiritomb, appeared out of the darkness of Cynthia's Dusk Ball. With no ability to even harm the Spiritomb, Michael resorted back to a defensive minded one, with his Espeon's Double Teams again baffling Cynthia's powerful Ghost Pokémon. But it would not last long, as the Spiritomb finally landed an Ominous Wind attack, that while it didn't do a great deal of damage, did provide the Spiritomb with a tremendous boost in all of it's stats.

With no other choice, Michael had to make an attack, utilizing the only move his Espeon knew that could hit Spiritomb: Grass Knot. But it did very little damage and thus left him wide open for another attack, this time, as he was preparing another fruitless Grass Knot, one Sucker Punch resulted in his Espeon tumbling to the ground and evening the odds.

While the crowds cheered for Cynthia's comeback, Michael could tell she was nervous. She'd had a massive type advantage and should have logically pummeled his Espeon, but Michael's Pokémon continued to do more than anyone thought them capable of and had done it's share in whittling down Cynthia's domineering Pokémon. Leaving it, while somewhat powered up, winded considerably. All he would need to do was have his last Pokémon finish the job. And he knew Cynthia was dreading having to face Rhaegar.

Fortunately for her as well as Michael, he had made the decision to rest Rhaegar for the next round, if he was lucky to make it that far. He had another Pokémon in mind to finish off this Spiritomb.

"Michael!" Cynthia shouted over the crowd noise.

"Yeah?" he replied.

His gorgeous friend folded her arms and smiled. "No matter what happens from here, it has been an honor to battle with you."

"Likewise, Cee."

"I know neither of us wants to lose, but if I do, I'm glad it was to you."

"I couldn't agree more. So I guess it's time we finish this match, one way or another. Let's take this home, Rhino!" From out of his last Poke Ball, his famed Nidoking appeared, brandishing it's wickedly sharp horn and growling menacingly. While the audiences cheered, Cynthia seemed to be regaining some of her confidence.

"Well, well. I was expecting Rhaegar."

"Can't let him get all of the big wins, now can I?"

"We'll just have to see if you chose properly" she grinned. "In the meantime, Spiritomb! Use Ominous Wind again!"

The sinister globe of darkness let out a wail that began to make the winds howl and screech alongside his Nidoking. But to the surprise of everyone, his Nidoking burrowed underground to avoid the blow. Cynthia prepared her Pokémon for a strike from a Dig attack, but it never came. She looked around contemplatively, trying to figure out what Michael was planning.

And Michael was not going to show her anything. He knew what his Nidoking was doing. It was a bold move. One that might backfire if Cynthia could figure out what he was planning. But it might be the only chance he had at winning this match. The Spiritomb was becoming stronger by the minute. Even if it had been drained a bit of energy, he would not be able to use that to his advantage for long.

Cynthia smirked. "You clever-"

"POISON JAB!" Michael shouted.

His Nidoking emerged from it's burrow, which now appeared right underneath the Spiritomb. With one massive ram of his head, the Spiritomb was struck by a strong and dangerous blow. And as Michael surmised, the contact with the Ghost Pokémon succeeded in poisoning his opponent. Once he had succeeded, his Nidoking vanished back into its burrow and let the Poison begin to do it's work.

"You never cease to amaze me, Michael" she remarked. "But this strategy won't beat me. At least, I won't allow it to." She nodded to her Spiritomb, which spat out a stream of flames into the burrow. His Nidoking emerged, suffering intensely from a burn.

"And you prove yourself worthy of being my match, Cee" Michael replied. "A burn or a Poison. I wonder which of us will fall first?"

"Burns will weaken your Nidoking's attack power."

"And poison lowers your defenses."

Cynthia threw her hair back. "Guess we're going to see which of us is worthy of being the best. Spiritomb, use Hex!"

Michael went white in the face. "No."

His Nidoking was soon surrounded by a ball of dark energy that hovered around it before glowing with a powerfully sinister energy that struck his Nidoking hard. Bruised and battered, but alive, his Nidoking would not be able to withstand another blow quite like this. Cynthia might truly have him on the ropes. While he contemplated his next move, he felt the strange and similar tingling feeling in his heart. One he was afraid would indeed come back in for him.

Why not use it? She could never defeat you with it...she has no answer to the Crimson Fury...

But neither did he. Even now, he could hear the words of Arceus and his adopted mother echoing all throughout his head.

I just wish you didn't have to be the one who shouldered all of this for people. You don't deserve this.

If he were to let the Fury control him in battle, he would not be able to control it. He would be a slave to his emotions, the way he had been when he watched Cameron get struck down. Not only that, but one mistake could cost him everything. His heart could burst, he could die instantly. What would it mean for the future? For his family? His wife? His children?

You made a promise to yourself, Michael...you need to be in the Finals...one last battle for you...

He sighed to himself. "Maybe, this one time..." he mentioned to himself. But he wouldn't overdo it. He only placed one finger onto the mark that had haunted his life since his abridged childhood. He felt a rush of energy into his body, the tingling in his heart becoming a thumping. His Nidoking rolled over onto his side, before quickly lunging onto his hind legs and growling menacingly, his eyes shimmering with a familiar red glow.

Cynthia was shocked at this turn of events. Though she was still eager to win, she had to worry first about Michael. "Michael?"

"ICE BEAM!" Michael snarled.

His Nidoking responded in kind, spitting out a horrendously powered Ice Beam. The beam pierced Cynthia's Spiritomb with such force that it nearly stopped itself from shimmering with it's dark powers. It fell backwards, before letting out one final scream and fainting. Cynthia recalled her Pokémon while the Nidoking stomped around the field as arrogantly and proudly as Rhaegar once did.

Realizing he wouldn't like his Pokémon to showboat an opponent, he tapped his arm once more to end it. But perhaps he hit it a bit too hard and he himself collapsed onto his knees, breathing heavily. His Nidoking did the same before Michael recalled him. While he took a moment to collect himself and comprehend what had just happened, he was not surprised to find Cynthia standing over him. He glanced up at her.

"You gonna be okay?"

"Ye-yeah."

"You sure?"

"I think so..."

"Good." Without warning, she gave her friend a good slap in the head. "That was for being dumb and letting the Fury overtake you!"

"Ow!" he grumbled, rubbing his head. "Why did you-"

"Because you have reasons to be here beyond just battling. Because I'm a little annoyed you beat me yet again. And...because I will not be losing one of my best friends in the world to something like this. Do you hear me?"

Michael sighed. "Yep. I got you, Cee."

While the referee declared Michael's victory, Cynthia brought Michael back to his feet and pulled him into an embrace. Michael was caught off guard, but did not hesitate to hug her back, much to the delight of the crowds. When they came apart, Cynthia shook his hands and then departed to go off on her own. Michael waved to the people in the audience before slowly making his way off the floor. Before he could let himself rest, he found his cousin Madeline leading a few of his household guards up to him. While Michael tried to shrug off his pain, the guards and his cousin stood firm.

"Your Grace" she spoke politely, "you're expected in the medical wing, immediately."

"On whose authority?"

"The Queen's, sir" a guard spoke up nervously.

"You really had to ask, Mike?" Madeline sighed.

Michael shook his head. "No, but if it will appease the Queen, I'll go and get looked at. But I doubt the doctor will have much to say."

As if echoing something her father might have told him when he was the Champion and Byron had been the Chief of the Arcana Police Force, Madeline winked. "No, but your wife will."

{}

It did Annette's heart good to be confronting the man who had beaten Matthew in the previous round in the current one. For one thing, she could prove herself against the very best trainer in all of the Johto and Kanto Regions. Not only that, but she could also avenge her Matty's loss simultaneously. She was not going to let Lance move past her in this round. She had her dreams, her goals and her boyfriend on the mind. She even blew off some personal time with him so she could focus herself on how to beat Lance.

He was a force to be reckoned with, for sure. But not invincible. The only two Annette had no concrete plan for defeating in this tournament were Leon and the King. She had plans for every single trainer left. Be it Cynthia, Giselle, Chris or even Jeremy. And she spent the time she could have been being with Matthew working out the perfect way to upend the man who had defeated him a few days earlier. But how does one defeat the reigning Johto/Kanto Champion for nearly 10 years?

Simple. You identify the weakness and exploit it.

Lance was the self-proclaimed "Master of Dragons", with a legion of them at his beck and call. But Dragon Pokémon were not invincible. Fairy Pokémon, Ice Types and even Dragons themselves could overcome them. And yet these were not the only paths one needed to follow if they were to overcome Dragons. Many of the Dragons he commanded also had secondary weaknesses to exploit. And this was how she needed to beat him. Pure Dragon Types were rare, but they existed. And she needed to have an answer for them, which she believed she had. But to best the others and give her a distinct advantage, she needed to find a way to win the battle before it began.

Just because she had studied these trainers and their weaknesses, doesn't mean they knew hers. And she would use her relative obscurity to her advantage. All anyone knew about her was that she had an affinity for Dark Pokémon, with the exception of her Hawlucha. But she had plenty of Pokémon she had been experimenting and tinkering around with. Some that could prove devastating for any opponent. One such Pokémon would be essential to her plans for this match with Lance.

When she was a little girl, Annette had been gifted a Pokémon by her parents to go with the Larvitar she had been raising as well: a Smeargle. One of the rarest traits of Smeargle is it's ability to copy and learn permanently any move it's shown. And while she trained with her Pokémon and a few others, she had her Smeargle studying every move in the known universe. Every way to defeat an opponent. Every way to end a match before it began. And she had her strategy.

So when she opened her match with a Smeargle, Lance was immediately caught off guard. He sent his Gyarados in for the attack with a ruthless Giga Impact, but her Smeargle used Spiky Shield to not only block the blow, but also to cause the Gyarados some significant pain. While the Gyarados recharged, she laid down the perfect way of dismantling the rest of Lance's team. Her Smeargle began to scatter large stones across the field, thus causing major problems for Lance's natural Flying Beasts.

Realizing how quick things were going against him, Lance had his Gyarados use Dragon Dance to boost it's speed and power, only for Annette to counter this by having her Smeargle spit out a Sticky Web to keep lowering the speed of all of her opponent's remaining Pokémon. The Gyarados made another charge, but she guarded again with Spiky Shield and caused the Gyarados more pain. To secure her victory, she then commanded her Smeargle to scatter another row of Toxic Spikes onto the ground in front of her opponent.

"You seem to have this whole match figured out, Annette" Lance said proudly. "Gotta say, I'm impressed."

"You should see what else I have in store for this match" Annette casually warned. "I'm not just a girl who loves Pokémon."

"I can see that. But don't think this match is over yet, you know."

"I'd say it is" she added bluntly. "Let's go to work, Smeargle! Dragon Tail!"

Lance's face paled. "Clever girl!"

The Smeargle rushed forward and slammed it's tail into the Gyarados before rushing backwards. The attack forced Lance's Pokémon back into it's Poke Ball and dragged out Lances's second Pokémon, a Dragonite, which proceeded to be struck hard by both Toxic Spikes and Stealth Rock, on top of it's speed being lowered. The Dragonite defiantly spat out a Dragon Pulse, which would have done Annette's Smeargle in if not for the Focus Sash it held, allowing it to withstand the hit.

"Dragon Tail!"

Annette's strategy was now clear to everyone in the arena and there was little Lance could do to stop it. The Smeargle again slammed it's tail like a Dragon's into the Dragonite, forcing it back into it's Poke Ball and forced out the Gyarados again, this time succeeding in doing the chip damage Annette knew would win her the match outright. The Gyarados began to feel the effects of poison as well as the Stealth Rocks and Sticky Web.

"Gyarados! Hydro Pump!" The Gyarados spat out a massive geyser of water. Annette did not resist and allowed her Smeargle to faint from the blow, recalling it as if the blow was one she was more than capable of withstanding. And she was. She reached onto her belt and called out her second Pokémon, another few knew she'd been raising to this point, an Electivire.

"Now comes the part where the match ends! Thunderbolt!" As if gathering the power from the previous days storms, her Electivire sent a stream of electrical energy towards the Gyarados, instantly knocking it out and forcing Lance to make a critical decision about the rest of the match. Annette could only hope he had no idea what her last Pokémon was and would think his moves more cautiously. She had her plans for taking down anything Lance could dish out, but she needed the chip damage to keep working.

Out came Lance's first Dragonite, already weakened severely by Annette's hazards. But despite the massive skid he was on, Lance still showed no fear or cause for concern. In fact, Annette thought he was enjoying himself, even in what might end up being a rough defeat. "I gotta say, Annette, you're the best I've seen in a long time. There isn't a single element of the game that has shot past you. Well, except one of them. You have to plan for unpredictability."

"Unpredictability?"

"You think you've got me against a wall. And for all intents and purposes, you do. But I wasn't made the Champion of my region by giving in or allowing someone to whittle me down to nothing. I know I've got to turn this battle around and I think my next move will do that for me. Dragonite! Use Ice Spinner!"

"Ice what?"

The Dragonite stomped it's feet on the ground, freezing all of Annette's traps in place. To her shock and horror, the Dragonite proceeded to not only knock all of Annette's hazards and traps aside, but then struck at her Electivire with all it could muster. Her Pokémon stood it's ground, but fell to a knee, showing signs of fatigue from the blow. Though rattled by how quickly Lance had turned the match around, she still had a job to do. And she needed to stop this comeback before it turned into a deficit for her.

"Alright, not in my plans, but I'll take it. Electivire, use Ice Punch!"

"Dragon Rush!"

Both Pokémon charged at each other with all the remaining energy they could muster, but Lance's Pokémon succumbed to the poison swelling inside of it and collapsed to the ground, allowing Annette's Electric Pokémon a free and clean shot to Ice Punch it back to Lance's side of the field. She had managed to keep her advantage, but just barely. As Lance recalled his Pokémon, Annette knew she needed to desperately recalculate her final moves. She had been counting on her strategies to win, but Lance swept them aside like they were nothing. Now, she only had her last Pokémon and a winded Electivire to go up against whatever Lance was going to show her.

Lance casually tossed out his last Pokémon for battle, a Duraludon. The massive Steel behemoth let out a tremendous roar before slamming it's feet into the ground and causing an Earthquake that easily bested her Electivire.

Annette recalled her Pokémon and took a deep breath. The match was about to end, one way or another. She called out her final Pokémon, her Hawlucha, to battle on her behalf.

Johto's Champion confidently threw his cape back behind him and smirked. "Looks like this is the end, Annette. Let's see what our final Pokémon have to show for us!"

"Let's do this, Hawlucha! Use Flying Press!"

"Thunderbolt!"

Annette's Hawlucha rose into the air and proceeded to slam itself in full force against the Duraludon, who also rained down Thunderbolts from the sky to cause immense damage. Both Pokémon were heavily damaged in the battle, but Annette's looked to have taken the worst of it. But she was prepared for this. Her Hawlucha was nothing if not a fighter. As the Thunderbolt had caused a static paralysis, her Pokémon chewed down in it's Lum Berry to cure it of its ailments.

"THUNDERBOLT!" Lance ordered.

"Hawlucha! Roost!"

Lance's Dragon Pokémon sent a mighty bolt of lightning at Annette's Flying/Fighting Pokémon. But it landed on the ground and rested itself just in time to avoid the catastrophic damage it would have caused. Using its feathers to shield itself, her Hawlucha had given up its flying ability to recover health and withstand the Thunderbolt, which proceeded to do minimal damage to him. As both Pokémon stared each other down, it soon became apparent that one was primed for another round, but the other was running out of steam.

"Let's bring this one home!" Annette cheered. "High Jump Kick!" The Hawlucha moved with such speed that Lance had no time to mount a defense, nor did his Pokémon. The Hawlucha leaped high in the air and kicked the Duraludon in the face, causing it to fall backwards and collapse onto his back. There was no chance of it recovering in time and thus, the Hawlucha proceeded to finish the job with a final Flying Press to body slam itself into the downed Dragon, finishing the job and ending the match.

"Duraludon is unable to battle" the referee declared. "The winner is Annette Fiveroux!"

The PA Announcer was clearly pumped for her as well. "THERE YA HAVE IT, FOLKS! ANNETTE FIVEROUX ADVANCES TO THE SEMI-FINALS!"

Annette cheered as the audiences went wild around her. celebrating her tremendous victory over the best Johto had to offer. Her Hawlucha rushed over to her and hugged her, with Annette hugging him back. "You did it, buddy! I'm so proud of you! We're in the Semi-Finals!"

Lance recalled his fainted Pokémon and nodded. "So it is done, then." He walked out into the center of the arena. "I think the future of Arcana and the rest of the world will be in good hands with trainers like you running around, Annette."

Annette nodded and walked forward until she and Lance were only a foot away from one another, looking up to him with a smile of unfathomable pride. "I'd like to hope so, Lance. Being a Champion is all I've wanted to do with my life."

"What happens after that, then?"

She looked away, her brain instantly making her think of Matthew and her heart causing her to blush. "Well..."

"The important thing, Miss Fiveroux, is that you'll have time to sort it all out. I've seen all that this world has to offer and never once am I not blown away with the potential of children in the younger generations. One day, the sun will set on people like me, Cynthia and Michael. And will rise with you all. Yourself, Dawn, Jeremy Lockhart, even that hotheaded Matthew." He pointed to Annette and let out a boisterous shout. "Look to her, Arcana. Because I think she's going to be the next Pokémon League Champion!"

Annette's face went as red as her hair as the people shouted her name as they once had Ryan's and once did Michael's. "Gosh..."

"The road will only get harder from here, Annette" he warned. "I doubt whoever you find in the next round will be the kind of pushover you expect. And I also doubt that you will shrivel under pressure. If I know you, which I think I have gotten to well enough thanks to our battle, I don't think there's a trainer left who will intimidate you. This is your time to shine, Annette. And go with it as far as your ability and aspiration can." With that, he bowed respectfully before turning around and departing from the arena.

Annette stood around, smiling her brightest smile as they all cheered her name. Her Hawlucha began to show off it's own nimble skills in unison with the cheers.

"ANNETTE! ANNETTE! ANNETTE!"

{}

"I think she should be able to watch these matches!" Matthew responded bluntly to those in the Royal Box alongside him. He had rushed down to congratulate Annette after her victory, only for her to decline coming up to see the rest of the matches out of fear of breaking the rules about witnessing an opponent's matchup without permission. "Come on, Chris cheated all the time by watching matches."

"And Chris was an immature child up until recently" Lizzie teased. She made a casual glance over to his wife, Piper, who was studying the match between Leon and Jeremy with twinged nerves as the two trainers exchanged heavy blows between Leon's Rillaboom and Jeremy's Heracross. "He is playing fair, right?"

"I think he understands now that he won't be a Champion until he starts doing things more seriously" Piper answered honestly. "If he is cheating, then he'll have a very disappointed wife to answer to."

"I think he is" Mark responded. "I don't think he's taken anything else more seriously in the time I've known him."

"Other than ousting Giselle" Julia commented, herself needing as much room to sit as possible with her twins only a few weeks from their due date. "No, if I know Chris, he's taking this as seriously as the rest of them. Which is why I think Giselle is the perfect opponent for him to face. Their grudge goes back a long way."

"The real question ought to be what does Giselle want in all of this?" Billy inquired as he and Amanda sat at the bar drinking wine together. "She was already Champion before. Does she want to do it legitimately this time?"

"I think she wants to prove that she's not that kind of person anymore" Matthew commented.

"Coming to think of her more positively now?" Julia lamented. "Come on, Matty, you were my last hope." When she saw how nervous he was, Julia called him over. "Relax, sweetie. I don't hold it against you." Matthew sat beside her as she continued. "You and she both walked down the wrong paths and came out better because of it. If that makes you look at her with a bit of reverence, then I commend you for it." She leaned over and tussled the boy's hair before a kick from one of the twins caused her to lean back on her husband's throne. "Ooof. That one hurt."

"So when do I get to spoil them?" Piper asked curiously.

"A few weeks" she relayed. "But I think we've got two more hurricanes by the feeling." She looked at a message on her Poke Gear and giggled. "A clean bill of health for His Grace? That wasn't what I was expecting."

"You think he'd be in bad shape?" Amanda wondered.

"The Fury is basically all that's kept him going all these years" the Queen lamented. "I just want him to be able to be there for our children."

"WOW!" Mark cried out. "You guys are missing this!"

"What's up?" Matthew exclaimed. "Did something happen?" All but Julia sped over towards the windows to see what Mark was looking at. The battle between Leon and Jeremy was progressing, with both Pokémon exchanging violent blows constantly despite being winded. Jeremy's Heracross was munching on some leftovers while Leon's Rillaboom was replenishing his own health with the Grassy Terrain he'd put up. Matthew was puzzled as to all that Mark was excited about. "I thought something cool was happening."

"You've missed half this match" Mark explained. "Matt, I think he's done it."

"What?" Billy asked.

"He thinks Jeremy finally found the kink in Leon's armor of invincibility" Lizzie commented. "I don't think I've seen Leon this pressed since the Tournament began. He's actually having a hard time with him."

Matthew looked down to see what they were all talking about, just in time to witness Jeremy's Heracross rip through the Rillaboom with a mighty Megahorn. Leon's mighty Grass Pokemon was felled and the audiences were floored. Matthew could not believe it. "He...he might have a chance here."

"OF COURSE HE DOES!" Holly shouted at him. "RIGHT ON, JEREMY!"

"It's tough" Mark cautioned. "He's still down 2-1, but I think Pokémon Battles are about momentum. Losing it can leave someone out to dry. I never got it going against Steven, which is why he beat me so quickly. But if Jeremy can steal the momentum from Leon, this could be anyone's match."

"We don't know what other Pokémon he has, though" Julia added. "This is the first time we've seen Leon pressed for anything."

"Wouldn't Sonia be impressed" Amanda giggled.

"She swears nothing is happening between them" Piper commented, "but you have to wonder."

"Come on, Jeremy!" Holly begged. "You've got this."

Everyone watched on as Leon contemplated his next move. With about as much flourish as one would expect from Galar's Champion, Leon called out his next Pokémon, sucking out the remainder of the hope in the battle. A Charizard. The mighty Fire Pokemon landed on the ground and let out roars of dominance and intimidation. Even Jeremy looked like he was down.

"Well this just got harder" Billy gulped. "Poor kid..."

"It's not over yet!" Holly insisted. "He's got this. Just a little bit more."

Matthew focused on Jeremy. He knew little of his skills as a trainer, but to have made it into the Final 8, he had to have a few tricks lined up for situations like this. But it would take more than his Heracross could muster to overcome the type disadvantage. As the Charizard moved in for the kill with an incredible Flare Blitz, he braced himself for the worst. But the silence from the crowds confused him. Were they in shock? What was going on? Matthew opened an eye and cried out. "No way!"

"He dodged it?!" Billy cried out.

"Wow, he's good" Lizzie admitted. "No wonder he overwhelmed me."

Holly was jumping for joy with regard to her boyfriend's unexpected move. "GO JEREMY! GO!"

Matthew's jaw nearly dropped when the Heracross countered Leon's Pokémon's impeccable speed with a single Stone Edge. With one blow, Leon's signature Pokémon fell to the ground in front of him and the match was now down to 1-1. The crowds were still in shock that Leon was being roughed up as violently at he was.

He was about to join in on the cheering, but Jeremy did not look as proud or as confident as he expected the boy to be. His Heracross was exhausted. It had given it's all against both Leon's Rillaboom and his Charizard. Did he have enough energy to last through one more Pokemon. Matthew was going to say something, but saw how giddy Holly was about his success and kept himself quiet.

But Julia, who had slowly made her way over to the glass, looked down and seemed to see the same thing he did. She nearly lost her footing, but Matthew caught his old mentor's hand and let her stand resting on his shoulder. "Jeremy looks nervous."

"His Heracross has seen better days, I'd imagine" Billy added. "You don't think they expended all of that power for nothing, do you?"

"He has to have more!" Holly pleaded. "There has to be. This can't end like this! Not when he's so close!"

Leon called out his last Pokémon and Matthew felt utterly crushed for Jeremy. An Aegislash. The only Pokémon his Heracross truly had no chance of beating. No Megahorn or Stone Edge he had would be powerful enough to crush this Ghost Pokémon. And neither would any Fighting Type moves he had. He could see Leon saying something to Jeremy, who looked up at him, confused as to what he was saying. Matthew stared down at Leon, who was shockingly giving his opponent a pep talk. He couldn't exactly tell what was being said, but Jeremy's attitude was changing. He was beginning to smile again, even if the end of the match was going to be a forgone conclusion.

Jeremy's Heracross tried to raise it's arms up to guard, but it simply had no energy left and was a wide-open target for the finishing assault. And one Shadow Ball was all it took to end the match with a narrow victory for Galar's Champion.

As the referee called the match, everyone in the King's Box looked distraught. Holly was the worst, as if almost denying what had just unfolded before her own eyes.

Julia frowned. "It's over. He put up a good fight."

"Poor Jeremy..." Matthew said.

Holly rushed out of the Royal Box to be by his side in this crushing loss. Matthew went to follow her, but Julia held him back. "Leave her be."

"But if she-"

"Jeremy will tell her what she needs to hear" his mentor assured him. "That he put up the best fight he could, exploited every weakness he could see and took Leon for everything he was worth. But in the end, he still has more to learn about himself and his Pokémon." She winced in pain and leaned more heavily on Matthew. "Ooof. Okay, okay. I'm sitting down." Matthew helped the Queen back to his cousin's chair and stood by her side as she got herself comfortable once more.

"Leon, Annette, Michael..." Matthew recounted. "The three best in the world."

"And soon to be joined by one more" Amanda pointed out. "We'll just have to see if either Chris or Giselle is up to the challenge."

{}

Whereas the previous two battles had been more about showing off the endless talents of Pokémon and the trainers who brought them to these heights, the final match echoed the first one between Michael and Cynthia, with both Giselle and Chris clashing like the near gods of Pokémon Battling that they were. Neither trainer was giving an inch. No one showing any weakness. Trading blows that would shatter a continent if they were strong enough. This was going to be a battle that might have drastic consequences on the way the remainder of the Master Cup Finals.

Christopher had more motivation to battle in this one than any previous one. Giselle was a roadblock he had never overcome before. Not when she was the Champion in his childhood. Not when she was the despot that Michael overthrew. Not when she had bested him in the final tournament of Michael's tenure as Champion. And not when they had squared off in Ryan's one and only year he defended his own title. She was to him the greatest hurdle he would have to tackle yet. A dominant, god-like force that trained Pokémon better than almost anyone he knew. Someone who could take everything someone had and throw it back in their face like it was nothing. And Giselle was on her game in this fight. He couldn't deny that. He just had to be slightly better than her or risk losing it all.

Giselle, conversely, was also highly motivated to compete in the remainder of this tournament. She and Michael had undertaken their long-awaited Exhibition Match in private. It not only affirmed to her that she could compete with the rest of the forces in this tournament, but she also might have a chance to win. And win it all outright. She had redeemed herself in the eyes of many of the people she had wronged in the past. But affirming her friendship with Michael was all that she needed to take the rest of this tournament by its horns and crush anyone who stood in her way. Even Chris, the son of the woman who's death had ruined her psyche for nearly a decade.

The blows came often and with intensity from the word go. Her trusted Liepard scored an early victory against his Dusknoir with a few well timed Night Slashes, only to be brutally knocked aside by one Close Combat from his own trusted Blazekin. She then proceeded to call out her Aerodactyl, which used it's speed and powers of flight to dominate the matchup, but the Blazekin continually evaded her every move. Finally, she'd had enough of the cat and mouse game and had her trusted Flying Ace use an Aerial Ace that ripped through his Blazekin and left it on the ground. She sent her Pokémon in for the kill, only to be unexpectedly slammed down by a Counter. Despite the intense deficit, one snarl from her Haxorus was all it took for everyone to realize the match was far from over. The Haxorus proceeded to use Earthquake to rip through Chocobo's remaining strength and leave the match deadlocked at one.

As the crowds exploded in cheers and their excitement boils over all around the two, Christopher recalled his fatigued Pokémon and grunted in frustration. "You're truly a master Pokémon Trainer, Giselle. I hope you're aware of that."

"I'm glad we've established the obvious" she replied haughtily, but altered her tone to further address him. "But you've improved yourself. That Counter move was not something the Chris Kingston of the past would have done. Of all the people I've seen in this tournament so far, you've impressed me more than anyone. Even that guy from Galar."

"You think either of us has a shot against those guys?"

"Well, one of us is going to have to show them we're not slouches, either. Whoever is left in after us is going to be the hardest opponents we've ever faced." She looked towards her Haxorus and smiled. "Naturally, though, one of us still has to win this match before we go looking at the next round. So pick your Pokémon and let's settle this!"

Chris shrugged. "Okay, if that's what you want." He reached onto his belt for the final Pokémon he had to use against one of the most memorably powerful Pokémon he'd ever faced off against. Faster than Marley's Arcanine. More powerful than Steven's Metagross. A Dragon Pokémon of the highest caliber, trained by someone who herself is the most powerful trainer he'd come across that he wasn't related to. If he was going to beat a Haxorus, he would have to completely invert the match. If Giselle was going to use a Pokémon of pure brawn, he would use one of pure mind power. And he had just the Pokémon to throw out against that. "I choose you, Jafar!"

From out of his Poke Ball appeared one of his oldest compatriots: his Alakazam. The announcer stoked up the already excitable crowds for this final showdown of the third round. "So this will be a match between two different types of Pokémon. One of pure strength and one of pure intellect. Winner take all!"

Giselle was not going to let Chris think out his strategies. "Haxorus! Outrage!" Howling wildly, the Dragon Pokémon stomped around wildly and proceeded to charge towards Chris's Psychic Pokémon.

But Chris was able to sit back and allow Jafar to dominate the remainder of his match on his own. His Pokémon was not only a veteran of many battles in their relationship as trainer and Pokémon as well as friends, but also was able to look deep into the future and tell what he would need to do to combat this mighty Dragon Pokémon. Before the contact from an Outrage could be made, Jafar vanished into thin air. The Haxorus howled angrily at the failure to make contact, only to be flipped upside down without his consent and slammed into the ground before being shot backwards like a rocket by Jafar, who reappeared in front of his trainer, floating in the air and meditating.

Giselle looked back at her Haxorus, who leaped to her feet and howled in relentless anger. "Focus, Haxorus! We need to calm down and prepare ourselves for what's to come!" The Dragon Pokémon shook his head and stomped his feet in the ground to try and regain control of the match.

Chris looked to his Alakazam and laughed. Jafar was already gaining more and more power without him even having to command him. His Pokémon were not only committed to fighting with him, but to winning. They were not emulating him in the way they did before, when he was a guy with tons of potential, but allowed his arrogance to keep him from reaching the goals he'd wanted to. Never overcoming Michael. Never overcoming his sister. Not sitting on the same throne his grandfather and Ryan before him had. Having endless potential, but nothing to show for it. Yet here they were now, poised for the greatest levels of success they'd ever seen before. Finally, his chance to overcome his past was here. And he wasn't about to let it slip from his grasp again.

The Haxorus charged again, this time with intent to use a devastating Crunch attack. But as if he were seeing this before it could happen, the Alakazam vanished while still meditating, reappearing behind him. The Haxorus tried to keep pace with him, but the Pokémon would vanish at every single turn. Giselle was visibly getting frustrated with her opponent, knowing all too well that unless she found a way to figure out what he was planning, her run through this tournament was going to erupt into flames.

Chris finally nodded to his Alakazam, who's eyes shot open and he gripped the Haxorus within a strong telekinetic grasp. Moving his hands in a circular motion, Jafar proceeded to fling him about through the air, spinning round and round until finally launching him against a padded wall on the arena floor and proceeding to have him ping pong all around the colosseum until landing right in front of Giselle's stunned face. Her Haxorus struggled to stand up on it's own, before finally falling face first into the ground, out of energy.

While the referees and announcers stoked up the crowds and signaled the end of the match, Giselle recalled her exhausted Haxorus and shook her head. "So many questions answered...so many things revealed in such a short amount of time." She then looked up towards Chris and nodded respectfully. "I guess Arcana is truly going to be in good hands going forward, one way or another."

As Chris recalled his Alakazam, he approached his former enemy. "You put up a good fight, Giselle. But I'm not settling for anything short of the title of Ultimate Pokémon Master now."

"And you may very well get there, Chris" she added. "Gotta be honest, I never thought you'd be the one to take things so seriously. Guess both the Contest Queen and Royal Queen had their own impacts on you, independent of your cousin and Speck."

"You know she hated you calling her that."

"I don't know why, it's what I always called her."

Chris sighed as memories of his sister flooded back into him. "Giselle, should the day come when I do take over as Arcana's Champion..."

"Don't get all sentimental on me, Kingston" she snapped teasingly. "If you want me to be on your Elite Four, all you have to do is ask."

He was caught off guard by her assertion. "What?!"

"You wouldn't be saying anything if you not only didn't respect me as a trainer, but also saw that Arcana needs a strong backbone it really hasn't had much of since the King left for Kalos. You recognize that Arcana is in dire need of a shakeup, yet know that I'm one of the very best to ever frequent the Pokemon League. Therefore, I accept a role in your tentative Elite Four." When he made move to protest, she waved him off, briskly shook his hand and walked off. "Nope. I won't let you wriggle your way out of it. I will graciously serve as the Champion commands, you know, should you eventually win. But we both know the hurdles are only going to get steeper from here. Better you be facing them than me." Without so much as another word, Giselle walked out of the arena and left Chris to soak in his victory.

But even this would be cut short, as with his victory, the third round of the Finals had ended. He pumped his fists into the air as the crowds cheered and the PA Announcer made his statements. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Pokémon Trainers of all ages. With Christopher Kingston's victory over Giselle Odelia, the Final Four in our Tournament have been determined! One of these trainers will be crowned the most powerful Pokemon Trainer in all of world history. And the other three will never see that opportunity given again." The crowds clapped and cheered wildly. "And now, without further ado, let's bring out the remaining three contestants, starting with the Champion of the Northern Bracket, LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEON!"

Chris glanced over towards one of the three corners leading off the floor of the Colosseum arena and spotted Leon strutting his way over towards the center of the arena. He confidently flung his cape behind him, to the awe of his spectators. Upon seeing Chris standing in the arena, he grinned. "So, I take it I'll finally get to see the famous Christopher Kingston in battle."

"We'll see how the matchups are decided" Chris flatly informed him. "There are two other champions to worry about."

"And now, Battle Fans, put your hands together for the Champion of the Southern Bracket: Miss Annette FIVEROUX!"

This caught Chris completely by surprise. "Annette won?" Sure enough, the fair redheaded maiden walked out, her face as red as her hair as the onlookers hailed her as a Champion in her own right. She pranced up to the center of the arena and came between Chris and Leon, waving with a bright smile on her face. "Well, well. I take it Lance didn't stand a chance against you."

Annette could barely muster the words to reply and instead allowed her excitement to dictate her actions. "I'm ready for anything, Arcana!"

Leon grinned. "Anyone who can beat Diantha and Lance is truly a worthy opponent. Wouldn't you agree, Chris?"

The most recent winner nodded in agreement. "I do. Now we just have to see which of the Titans of the Northern Bracket prevailed." But Chris knew that deep down, he didn't have to ask. He knew very well which of Michael and Cynthia had prevailed in their round. Nothing against the gatekeeper of his sister's heart. But he knew that Cynthia was not going to be joining them up there on the podium.

"Last, but most certainly not the least, welcome the Champion of the Eastern Bracket! Ten-time Arcana Pokémon League Champion and Hero of the Generation! His Majesty, KING MICHAEL KINGSTON!"

Michael walked out to the most euphoric applause Chris had ever heard in his life. Whereas the three who were on stage allowed their excitement and the joy of their fans to get the better of them, Michael simply waved to his fans and subjects before marching into the center of the arena. As the crowd's excitement was almost deafening, Chris could not hear what Michael was saying to either Leon or Annette as he approached them. All he saw was Leon and Michael pound fists against each other and grin in sheer anticipation of the fight everyone was expecting to be the one in the Finals. Then, Michael gave Annette a respectful bow, prompting her to almost swoon. To alleviate her starstruck behavior, he simply shook her hand and made his place to Chris's side.

Without waiting for him to say anything, Chris put his arm around his best friend's neck and grinned. "Let's soak it in, bud. We're the Best Trainers in the whole damn world!"

"As if we didn't already know" Michael replied proudly.

"Let's make these next few matches ones they'll be talking about for generations to come!"Chris boasted.

His cousin only nodded. "I know we will."