Part CXXVIII: Elite Eight

"Well folks this is it, the midpoint of the competition and the beginning of the elite eight!" The announcer said excitedly as the crowd cheered. "This is where there is only one bout per slate so let's get things started with the first bout of the day. The first match will feature Lucario belonging Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town out in the Kanto region against one of last year's bronze medalists in Mienshao belonging to the Shalour City Gym Leader here in Kalos, Korrina."

The crowd cheered as Ash and Korrina walked out from the ends of the arena and made their way to the center of the arena where only one ring was now located in the dead center of it. The secondary entrance had been revealed the night before so that both trainers could come out from both sides at the same time just before the start of the bout to the cheering crowd. The only thing not present would be their Pokémon, they would be let out directly into the ring in the elite eight.

"We ended yesterday Ash and I lost; I won't lose again to you." Korrina said with a grin as they reached the center of the arena and climbed onto their platforms from where they'd coach their Pokémon as they'd done the last few days. "This is Mienshao's competition, we won't lose."

"Neither will Lucario and I." Ash said grinning back. "Conkeldurr may have lost but Lucario and Hawlucha are still in this competition, and they will meet in the final."

"Not if I have anything to say of it." Korrina said as she threw a Poke Ball high into the air. "Mienshao, come on out for the bout."

"Lucario, I choose you." Ash said sending Lucario out and both Pokémon appeared in the ring and took their seats well versed in the ritual by now, the only difference was a panel of 3 judges, the one missing was Nurse Joy, would be officiating the bout rather than 2 the day before. "Alright Lucario, you ready?"

Lucario barked in agreement as Ash began to rub his shoulders to help him loosen up a bit while Korrina did the same with Mienshao in their corner. This was a Pokémon that Lucario had never faced before though he'd seen it a little bit. He wasn't sure how it would fight in this kind of battle as the only Pokémon on their team who'd faced it was Hawlucha, who'd won but that had been in a regular battle not a bout like this.

The only one of the larger group of Pokémon who'd faced Mienshao like this was Pancham and he had lost to it. However, they were honorable Pokémon and didn't ask about the matches outside the team itself, so Lucario had to trust Ash to help him out in this one, as well as his own instincts and understandings of his opponent when he clashed with it. He trusted Ash and he could already feel the small amount of passive aura that Ash produced in a battle like this filling him.

"Ok we are at a disadvantage for two reasons to start this my friend, but we thrive on those so it's ok." Ash said quietly to Lucario as they both got in the zone for the battle. "The first big one we're at is that Korrina's main Pokémon is a Lucario so she knows how to face one, what Lucarios can do in these kind of battles, and no doubt Mienshao has sparred against her Lucario so it knows what to expect at least in terms of what your species can do."

Lucario barked in reluctant agreement of that. He knew that the human opposite him had an impressive Lucario of her own, he'd admired it as a Riolu when he first saw it and had evolved in a battle against it where he gave it a good challenge even if he lost in the end but not until it had Mega Evolved to counter him. Lucario wasn't going to lose to this human again.

"The other disadvantage is our lack of knowledge of Mienshaos and how they fight, but we got this." Ash said. "I know that they fight with a mix of chops and kicks at close range, but the dangerous part is their fur on their arms. They can use it like whips and that is not a common fighting type style. Be careful and aware Lucario."

Lucario nodded seriously as he listened to Ash's instructions and what he had to do. It was not a style he was used to, but he could overcome that with his own style. Lucarios were all around fighters, they could adapt on the fly, and he was no different.

"Ok good." Ash said. "The plan is simple for the first round; fast and strong fighting will win this. Get in close, avoid its range and go for fast and quick strikes to keep it off balance."

Lucario barked again as the bell rang and he got up and bounced on the balls of his feet as he moved forward, as did Mienshao though it had a more fluid grace to its movements. He had this and he would win this for Ash and for himself to prove to his friends that he was the best fighting type present.

As soon as the stools were gone Lucario charged. He was going to go hard and fast in this one as Ash had planned. He trusted his human and drew on his passive aura to fuel him as he ran right at Mienshao. To its credit, Mienshao reacted fast as a fighting type should and stopped trying to meet Lucario as it pulled up and used its arm fur to whip at Lucario as he ran, one going high and the other low to trap him between them. Shame that wouldn't work on Lucario.

Lucario had been training hard since evolving to master the aura sense that his species was known for and now he could sense it not just from Ash but from other Pokémon and could sense the moves of arm whips coming at him. With ease he dove forward so that the lower one passed underneath him while the high one sailed above him. He rolled as he hit the ground and popped up right in front of Mienshao before it could react to what he'd done to avoid its fur and Lucario was suddenly on the offensive.

Mienshao was actually a shade taller than Lucario and he used that to his advantage as he popped up and slammed the crown of his head into its lower jaw snapping its head back the way he'd seen Conkeldurr do the day before to Machamp. The blow stunned Mienshao and instantly Lucario was pressing his advantage.

Lucario followed the headbutt up with a paid of palm strikes to Mienshao's chest the caused it to lurch its head forward as it staggered back. As Lucario pulled back his second palm strike he used his other arm to deliver an elbow strike to Mienshao's cheek as it fell forward followed by an uppercut to the spot he'd headbutted to start this sequence. Lucario wasn't done yet though as he kept pressing his advantage and not letting Mienshao get its speed up he followed the uppercut with knee to its gut and a second one to its chin as it fell forward from the gut shot for a third strike to that spot.

That final blow had been what Lucario needed as it laid Mienshao flat out on its back and he retreated to a safe distance as the count began. He doubted it would be enough but a start like that showed it who was boss and gave him momentum early on.

Lucario was right and Mienshao rolled over and got up shaking its head as the count reached 7. As soon as it was up though, Lucario again stepped forward and within its fur whip reach to deliver a palm strike to its chest and began pushing Mienshao back again as he followed it up with two more palm strikes and a knee to really put it to Mienshao who was going to win this fight.

It was clear already that Lucario had the early edge as he pushed Mienshao to the ropes and balled his fists. He started punching Mienshao there as he had the advantage landing a good 5 blows to its face and chest but that was when Lucario was altered to his error.

He'd been so focused on striking Mienshao that he'd forgotten to keep his senses open to Mienshao's aura to predict its moves by reading its aura. Mienshao was already ready for it having stored up power for its counter attack, all it needed was the right moment and as it was pinned to the ropes that moment came and Mienshao unleashed its power on Lucario before he could sense it.

It started with a clean kick to Lucario's side causing Lucario to grunt and lose his rhythm before his 6th punch as he'd forgotten about the lower body of his opponent and that it could use its legs. Mienshao followed that up with a knee to his gut that winded him and then it chopped an arm across Lucario's throat sending him staggering back and giving Mienshao the room that it needed.

The moment Mienshao had that edge it pressed it and boy did it press it. What followed was a flurry of kicks and chops to Lucario's chest and sides as Mienshao pushed forward with its counter attack and backed Lucario up.

It took a good 6 hits before Lucario recovered and began blocking the attacks, blocking more than half of them thanks to reading Mienshao's aura. Still, it was a lot and reminded him that he'd gotten complacent as he backed up trying to counter the blows before the bell rang just as he found an opening and landed a final knee of the round to Mienshao's gut that winded it and stopped its attack.

With the bell though both Pokémon knew that it was time for the break and backed up to their corners to sit on their stools and pant as their trainers offered them water and support following the intense opening round to the quarterfinals. Lucario had learned a lot from that opening round, he wouldn't let what happen towards the end happen again.

"Ok that final sequence was a lot, and I couldn't follow it." Ash said as he gave Lucario water while Korrina did the same with Mienshao. "But it's about even from what I could tell. We had a great start, but I think we both underestimated how well Mienshao can focus through a flurry and then recover there."

Lucario barked in agreement. He'd thought he'd had it, but Mienshao was just biding its time and then countered the instant that it could. That had been a savage counter, but Lucario was better now and could prepare for it. Plus, he had an idea that he could use to start strong again.

"We still showed it what you're made of though so keep it up." Ash said encouragingly and Lucario felt the aura fill him, as with before weaker than in a normal battle but his connection and friendship with Ash was so deep that he could feel even a fraction of his human's aura. "You got this, I trust you to win this, I know it."

Lucario smiled at his human's words as the bell rang and he got up and onto the balls of his feet. He was ready for this fight and Ash's trust went a long way. He wasn't going to violate that; he was going to win this thing and show that Mienshao who was the better fighter today.

Again, Lucario began the round with a charge and again he saw Mienshao pull up short to counter with its fur whips. Lucario grinned, this was just what he wanted, and he pulled up short to the surprise of his opponent and took a fighting stance as the whips came in. Mienshao was clearly confused but it kept the attack up as Lucario braced himself for what was to come next.

Raising his left arm, Lucario hopped back and up as the whips came to him so that he cleared the lower one while catching the higher one on his forearm. It wrapped around it as expected and wouldn't break, Mienshao could ensnare a foe and really hold them when it landed its whip. However, that was just what Lucario wanted as he landed on the ring floor, set his feet, and yanked back with all his upper body strength as he pulled on the whip that had his arm.

Mienshao was too shocked to realize what was going on until it was too late, and it was yanked off its feet and towards Lucario as fast as Lucario's strength could muster. Then, as soon as it reached Lucario, the Aura Pokémon stepped forward and drove a powerful right palm heel strike into Mienshao's face before it could even try to avoid it.

The Martial Arts Pokémon's head snapped back, and it was dazed by the blow but thanks to its fur on Lucario's arm it was held upright by the hit and couldn't get away. It's only way to avoid what was going to happen next was to retract its fur whip and it didn't have the ability to after the hit that Lucario had just delivered. That's why all Mienshao could do was dangle there as Lucario unleashed his plan.

Lucario started with a series of rapid-fire body shots with his right forepaw, landing a good 5 or 6 before he stopped and kneed Mienshao in the gut followed by landing an elbow to its face. That was enough to daze it to the point that the wrappings on Lucario's arm began to loosen. That was what he was waiting for.

With the fur now weaker, he began to spin on his heel the way he did with Hitmonlee the day before only this time he didn't have the leg pinned to his side but was using Mienshao's own fur that was wrapped around his forearm to his advantage. With the wrappings there all Lucario had to do was keep the spin up until they fully loosened, or he got too dizzy to keep it up. Fortunately, the wrappings gave out before he did and Mienshao shot across the ring and into the ropes as the fur finally come unwound from his arm.

As with Hitmonlee the day before the ropes were stretched pretty far though Mienshao's weight did help prevent it from being dangerous as they reached as far as they could from the impact and snapped back. Lucario was a little dizzy and stepped out of the way as the Unova Pokémon shot across the battlefield and into the next set of ropes, stretching them as well, before being snapped back once more. The momentum was dying and this time Mienshao hit the ground and rolled into the ropes it had first hit before coming to a stop and the count began.

Lucario steadied himself and took a fighting and got ready just in case Mienshao got up. He felt he'd done enough but this Mienshao had already surprised him, so he wasn't going to give it a chance like that again. He was right as Mienshao slowly, with the aid of the ropes, climbed up and shook its head clear and stepped off them with a second remaining on the count.

That was annoying but Lucario wasn't done yet and let out a bark as he charged the moment the count was called off, using the moment that he had to leap at Mienshao and knee it in the face, pressing it against the ropes as he did. As he fell down Lucario went for a palm strike to the face to end this, at least he hoped he would. Alas again Mienshao showed how it could take a beating and still fight on from it.

Whether it was planned or instinct Lucario would never know. All he knew was that one second he was delivering what he felt was the coup de gras of the whole fight, the next Mienshao had gotten its arm up and caught Lucario's wrist at the right moment, while turning its head, to push his arm up and over its head. At the same time Mienshao used its other arm to deliver a devastating horizontal chop to Lucario's gut.

As the breath was driven from Lucario's lungs Mienshao kicked him in both sides and then surprised him with a headbutt to his snout that backed Lucario up. The only thing that stopped Mienshao from following it up with a flurry of blows as Lucario stumbled back was the bell to signal the end of the second round of the bout.

Panting, Lucario backed up to his corner as Mienshao did the same to its own corner looking the worse for wear of the pair as he sat down on the stool and opened his mouth. Instantly Ash squirted water into it, and he drank it down while catching his breath from that last strike. He almost had it but again that Mienshao had showed how good it was by hanging in there for the final blow.

"That was a brilliant strategy Lucario, I didn't think of it that was all you." Ash praised and Lucario smiled at that, he did learn from Ash and Pikachu how to think out of the box and to take the initiative when he felt it was right to do so in battle and battles like this relied a lot on the Pokémon's own initiative. "We are definitely leading after that, you landed plenty of hits there."

Lucario just barked in agreement at that. He had landed a good series of hits and blows against his opponent in that round for sure. Still, it wasn't enough to end this and one more round would be needed to decide the winner. Lucario hadn't reached this point yet in his previous two bouts, so he wasn't sure what to do now but Ash would know.

"Alright this is a little different to Hawlucha yesterday." Ash said. "He was clearly in the lead and could be evasive in that round. This is more like Conkeldurr when he faced Machamp in that I'm not sure what the current score is. I think we have the edge right now, but I am not sure. What I want you to do then is be ready to be more defensive in this round. Don't evade as we do need some hits I think but don't engage unless you can disengage before Mienshao counters. Mienshao will come to you, I'm sure of it. We have the lead so it will make the opening move. Use that and counter."

Lucario nodded as he looked at his opponent who was getting plenty of instructions from its trainer as well. He was sure that he'd landed more hits overall, but he couldn't be certain. However, Ash's plan made sense and he'd follow it. He'd let Mienshao come to him and then he'd block and counter using his aura sense. Lucarios were all around fighters after all and so far he'd only really shown offense, it was time for defense and the bell rang at that moment as if to solidify that decision.

Lucario got up slower than the last two time and made his way out into the ring cautiously, keeping light on his feet and his aura senses wide open unlike the last two rounds where he'd started hard and fast with offensive strategies. Mienshao was also cautious as it got up and made its way out and they began to circle each other. It was certainly a more measured, cautious start this time around.

Mienshao was confused though, the last two rounds this Lucario had shown that it wasn't like its friend and teammate and had come at it right out of the gate. Now though it was waiting and stalling it seemed. That meant that it too knew that Mienshao was losing this bout based on hits, so it had to press Lucario to win the bout.

As if to make it clear, Lucario barked a taunt at Mienshao and took a fighting stance before forming a come at me gesture with his paw and grinning at it. He wasn't going to start this round. If Mienshao wanted to win it would have to come to him and take the victory from him. That was just what Mienshao did.

With a strange noise, likely its war cry, Mienshao charged taking the fight at the start for the first time all bout. It was just as Lucario had expected and he went defensive as he closed his eyes and let the aura fill him as he reached out and connected with Mienshao's presence.

His eyes would deceive him, only his senses could win this for him though it would be taxing, and he could only hold this level of focus for one round. Still, he could do it and through it he was able to tell that the first whip attack was a feint for the second and didn't bite but rather ducked and cartwheel over the impressive movements of Mienshao's fur as it closed on him.

That was the start but not the end of the battle. Mienshao had hoped to get Lucario with that but had failed and been forced to rethink its strategy as it closed on Lucario. That rethink led to it unleashing the flurry of kicks and chops that Mienshaos were famous for.

The attacks couldn't be seen by the naked eye and normally would be a problem for any Pokémon that faced it. There were only four ways to avoid it; the Psychic move, going intangible which only ghost types could manage, the precognition that Medichams could use, or aura sense. Unfortunately for Mienshao the last was limited to two Pokémon, Riolu and Lucario and Mienshao just so happened to be fighting the latter that had currently given himself fully over to his aura sense.

Lucario had never had his aura senses tested this way and kept his eyes closed as he let them control him and his movements as he sensed the impending attacks by reading Mienshao's intent with his own sense. What followed was an impressive series of moves that no one could follow as Lucario blocked all of Mienshao's attacks with the correct limb to do so.

The judges and crowd could just stare in slack jawed amazement as a blur of gray and purple from Mienshao was matched by a blue and black blur from Lucario as both Pokémon stood there unable to move the other. The speed and intensity of the former's attacks meant that any that landed would be seen and they weren't as Lucario, eyes still closed, deftly deflected everything. That was all that he could do though, he couldn't counter the attacks.

It certainly wasn't easy on either Pokémon; both were going all out at this point and neither had the infinite stamina reserves that some Pokémon seemed to have. Both wouldn't last and it was a matter of who would break first. When two diamonds met, one always broke and in the end one did.

That break came when Mienshao put too much into a chop with its right arm that Lucario intercepted with his left forearm and for the first time since the exchange that began two minutes prior held the attack on his arm rather than deflect it. That alone told Lucario that he had won and with a yip he pushed back and broke Mienshao's attack.

The surprise of the end mixed with Mienshao's exhaustion caused it to stumble back and Lucario, eyes never opening, moved forward and struck with a knee to Mienshao's gut. He followed it up with a powerful uppercut right under Mienshao's jaw that lifted it up and off its feet before it crashed down on its back on the mat. The only thing that saved it from a knock out as there was no way that Mienshao would be able to get up in time to beat the count was that the bell rang before it hit the ground ending the bout.

"And that was really fortunate for Mienshao." The announcer said as the judges began conferring and Lucario offered a paw to help Mienshao to its feet, a bark of respect in his voice and how well his opponent had fought in the entire bout. "Because the bell went before it hit the deck no count can be taken so there is no knockout in the first bout of the quarterfinal. This will come down to points and I think the judges have it now."

"Pokémon to the center." One of the judges said coming out into the ring and Lucario helped Mienshao to the center both respecting the other after a tough fought battle. "We've tallied the points and come to an average for each. The final score is 24 to 19.5 in Lucario's favor. That means that the first Pokémon to advance to the semifinals is Lucario."

"And there you have it; our first match has ended with a points win for Ash and his Lucario!" The announcer said as the crowd cheered and Lucario and Mienshao bowed to each other. "With that the last Kalos native trainer is out so for the first time in history no Kalos trainer will make the final four of the tournament. We are really seeing a lot of first this year."

The crowd continued to cheer as Lucario returned to Ash's corner to be congratulated by his trainer, as was Mienshao by its. It had been a tough and long battle, but Lucario had won and advanced to the semifinals.

"You were amazing Lucario." Ash said with a smile. "I never expected that at the end, that was unbelievable."

"Lucarios can sense another Pokémon's presence and intentions through aura Ash." Korrina called out and Ash turned to see her approaching having recalled Mienshao already and left her platform. "They train for it; it makes it almost impossible to sneak up on one. It's the biggest advantage a Lucario has in battle in fact, even more so then its all around abilities. Yours clearly learned it as that was the only way it could have defended against Mienshao's final flurry."

"Huh, you did that?" Ash asked Lucario who barked in agreement. "Well, well done then my friend. We really did it."

Lucario grinned and nodded, he had done amazing, but he really needed a rest and Ash saw it. Quickly he recalled Lucario and leapt off the platform to meet Korrina there and shake hands after a tough battle. Lucario would come out again and get an Oran berry in a moment so that he could watch the next bout and see who he was going to face in the semifinal.

"That was certainly a good one Ash." Korrina said as they made their way to the stands during the brief break before the second quarterfinal. "You really had me there at times."

"As did you, I haven't seen much of Mienshao so that flurry that it kept using was impressive." Ash said as they reached the stands and began heading to where most of their friends were. "Really hard to beat."

"It is." Korrina said with a nod. "It's how Mienshao reached the semis last year, but a surprisingly strong Medicham, oddly belonging to an incredibly bubbly ice type specialist in Sinnoh who proceeded to hit on me afterwards though as I'm straight I had to turn her down, was in the competition. Medicham's foresight skills are one of the few ways a Pokémon can counter Mienshao's flurry and this one was able to predict the attacks and win on points. My Lucario took it in the final in an epic battle of foresight verses aura prediction, so I did beat it in the end. It's a shame that Mienshao couldn't win but there is always next year."

"True." Ash said as they found their seats. "Are you staying for the rest of the competition?"

"Only today." Korrina said sadly as she shook her head. "I have no reason to after this so alas I have to go back to gym as grandad said that I could only be gone while I was still competing but had to head home the moment I lost. I'll see you around though. For now, let's enjoy the rest of the competition. I have May in the next bout."

"And I Misty." Ash said as they settled down with their friends and awaited the expected match between Machamp and Blaziken.


"Alright folks here is the second quarterfinal of the day and last bout before lunch and what a bout it is going to be." The announcer said as May and Misty headed out to their starting points. "Not only do we have the first Machamp in the competition in a decade and the first Blaziken in 4 years, but we have a total first for us in a match between two Top Coordinators. Yes, you heard me right we have two Top Coordinators, May from Petalburg City in Hoenn and a Sinnoh Grand Festival champion against Misty from Twinleaf Town in Sinnoh and the most recent Kanto Grand Festival champion."

At the crowd cheered again as Misty and May just waved as they made their way to their respective platforms for the battle. That had been an unexpected announcement for sure.

"They are both in Kalos this year helping with the debut of Contests in Kalos but as they have some of the finest fighting types out there they have entered this competition and shown us how good they are." The announcer continued. "Don't let looks fool you, these two lovely ladies command fighters not to be messed with. May has her fully evolved starter, the fire and fighting type Blaziken while Misty has the pure fighting type, and a perfect specimen of the type, in Machamp. Let the second quarterfinal begin!"

"I think Lilian or Vivian would be jealous of that." May said with a grin at Misty as she tossed out Blaziken's Poke Ball. "That was really some intro he gave us and no nicknames for once."

"It was and as with the Wallace Cups, I will win this one." Misty said grinning back as she threw out Machamp's ball. "I have your number May; I won't ever lose to a rival. After beating Anabel, I know that I can't let any of you beat me in battle."

"That win still annoys me, she was the best one of us to beat you, but your secret weapon was too much even for her, and you know that that was the one in a hundred chance you had of winning, you'd never beat her again." May said as the Pokémon appeared before their trainers and took their seats. "But I will break that streak. I will win this one."

"In your dreams." Misty said as she turned to Machamp though her friend was right about Anabel, Misty had one because the stars had aligned for her in that one chance she needed but if she faced the Salon Maiden again she'd lose quickly. "Alright Machamp, this is it; we are going against a rival of mine for Ash who I've already beaten but I think it's time to remind her that I won. We will beat her, I know it."

"Machamp." Machamp said with a nod, he could smell the similar pheromones that the other females who traveled with his human and her mate had around the human male indicating that they too wanted to mate with the male, but his human was an alpha just as he was and had claimed the mate for her own, another reason why he was right to join Misty and why he would win this for her. "Machamp."

"Ok good now Blaziken will be tough one." Misty said. "This isn't like Conkeldurr who was more raw power and core strength, Blaziken is limber, agile and has a lot of strength in other places, mainly its legs. Expect kicks but it can punch as well. You know your advantage, use it but don't rely solely on that. Think outside the box and use other tactics we've looked at as well if they fit. I know you can do it."

"Machamp." Machamp said with a nod as he understood and locked eyes with his friend and now rival Blaziken who was getting a pep talk of his own. "Machamp."

"Alright Blaziken, Machamp will be tougher than what we've faced so far." May said to her starter as she prepped him for the match. "Machamps usually have a lot of raw strength and power, especially in their upper bodies, but this is one that has been trained by a Top Coordinator like me, expect good footwork and moves that belie its strength."

"Blaziken." Blaziken said with a nod at his human's words, he knew better than to underestimate this Machamp, he knew it well from their travels and it was a formidable Pokémon with a trainer like his, so it wasn't just a musclebound meathead but a fine-tuned fighter like he was. "Blaziken."

"Also, this is Misty we are facing and she, like me, can and often does imitated Ash." May continued. "She's my rival in that regard as well but don't focus on that as I've already lost that battle before I even got a chance. Focus on beating Machamp and showing Misty that she won't always beat us but expect the unexpected and do the same."

Blaziken nodded at that. He knew that his human wanted to mate with the male of the group, as did the other females of the group but only the female with the Machamp, Misty as she was called, got that honor. He wanted his human to be happy and to be with a mate that made her happy as well, he despised her first attempt to find one and not just because that human was clearly substandard as a mate but also because he'd been cruel to his human and Blaziken couldn't forgive that. He would win for his human and make it clear that she should be the male's mate as well.

Just then the bell rang, and the second fight began. With grins, Machamp and Blaziken rose and headed to the center of the ring slowly, sizing each other up as they got ready to duke it out with their strength and to win this for their humans. It was going to be a good fight.

Unlike most other bouts, this one started more hesitant as the Pokémon gaged each other before engaging the other in combat. Both were strong, fully evolved, Pokémon that knew each other so it made sense to take a moment to size the other up before attacking. Machamp knew that he had strength on his side while Blaziken knew that he had speed. In the end it was the latter that started the battle.

Suddenly Blaziken leapt at Machamp as fast as he could. He had given no indication of his plan until the second before when he bent his knees and used his impressive leg strength, his one aspect that was definitely stronger than Machamp, to close the distance in a split second with a prepared knee strike that would take Machamp in the face. That was the plan at least but Machamp was ready for this.

Machamp had anticipated that Blaziken would use his advantage at the start and was holding back because of it. He wasn't sure how the kick would come only that it would be from the greater leg strength that Blaziken possessed as that was its best advantage on him.

In hindsight Machamp should have expected the knee attack as it was the most direct one. Still, he got his four arms up and over his face in time to block the blow, barely, and a boom from the impact was heard as he slid back a few inches and he felt the sting in his arms from it showing how strong it had been.

With a roar Machamp used his greater upper body strength to push back as he uncrossed his arms, his solid grounding allowing him to outmuscle Blaziken and push him back. Stepping forward, Machamp pressed his advantage by closing and launching a pair of punches from his right-side arms before Blaziken could land and establish his own footwork.

Blaziken managed to get his own arms up in a cross guard in time to intercept the upper punch but the biggest advantage of Machamp, his four arms, meant that the lower one struck him just above his left hip on his abdomen. The blows hit at the same time and as expected had the force of, well, a Machamp behind them and Blaziken was blasted back and to the ropes faster then he could blink.

Still, he had a plan and as he hit the ropes he already began to prepare it. Of course, he had to wait for the special ropes to reach as close to their max elasticity and the pillars they were anchored to groaned from the stretch even though they'd been made for this before he could strike. Only then, when the ropes snapped back and sent Blaziken right at Machamp again and faster than he could have achieved on his own did he act.

Blaziken made as if he was going to launch a right knee again and Machamp braced for it thus falling for the feint. Then, as Machamp was bracing and knowing that with his speed Machamp couldn't block the change Blaziken had in mind, he flipped forward and used his extended left leg to land a heel kick right onto the top of Machamp's head with an almighty boom upon connecting it. It was so hard that a gust of wind that was generated from the impact.

Against most Pokémon the force of the blow would have sent them through the floor, or at least knocked them out cold. Against Machamp all it did was let out the massive boom that shook the ring and caused Machamp's knees to bend but not buckle as the blow passed his guard and landed a hit that hurt but wouldn't take Machamp out.

Blaziken groaned at the move failing to down Machamp. He'd hoped that it would but in the end his opponent's skull was too thick and his body too sturdy to be downed from a single kick, even a powerful, speed assisted one from a lick specialist like him. He was also faster than Blaziken could react to and raised his upper right arm to grasp Blaziken's left calf in a vice like grip. The move had landed a hit, but it had clearly backfired on the Hoenn starter.

With another roar, Machamp raised himself to his full height holding a squawking Blaziken by the leg high above his head before he swung his arm, the one gripping Blaziken, down hard. He didn't let go until the fire and fighting type hit the floor hard enough to wind it and bounce up off the springy material. Blaziken was too dazed and gasping for air to defend as Machamp stepped forward and launched another double right punch at him.

This time the upper right fist hit Blaziken in the face while the lower one took him in the chest and blasted him back and into the ropes again. It was clear from before that Machamp had challenged the elasticity of them and he did again as Blaziken once more stretched them to the max before it shot him back again. The only difference from before was that Blaziken looked too dazed to move, or at least that was what Machamp thought.

In reality, as dazed as Blaziken was, he knew that he couldn't lose his senses against Machamp or else he'd lose so he played up his confusion as he was snapped back by the now slightly sagging ropes. Then, at the last minute, he pivoted his body forward so that he became a head first missile, a missile that slammed right into Machamp's chest center mass and sent the Superpower Pokémon back and into the other ropes before he could react to what had happened.

All Blaziken could do was roll forward and spring to his feet when he landed, glad that his plan had worked. At least he was glad until he saw the flaw and grinning Machamp flying at him as he stood. Machamp had indeed been sent back and into the rope enough to test the elastic as well, the first time he'd hit the ropes all competition, they were now going to have to replace it after lunch and been shot back before Blaziken could do anything about it.

Machamp had seen the opening and took it extending his right arms to clothesline Blaziken as he passed him, catching him chest and face with his forearms. The force of the blow blasted Blaziken back and to the ropes again as Machamp rolled on landing before popping up and turning to slide on his feet, spinning to avoid Blaziken as Blaziken was flung back past him having already hit the ropes for a third time. He then waited as the rope that had just flung him stretched as it caught Blaziken and Machamp positioned himself right behind Blaziken as the rope snapped back.

As it was the second rope it was weaker and Machamp knew that he could withstand it as he braced himself. Blaziken was thoroughly dazed and didn't have time to register anything as Machamp puffed out his mighty chest and tensed all his muscles there so that Blaziken's back slammed into his chest and slid back a few inches as Blaziken seemed to be briefly stopped there.

What little breath was driven from Blaziken's lungs as he was held there for a second before he flopped forward. He knew that he'd failed his human before he faceplanted on the ground. He was out of breath and had taken multiple powerful blows. Still, he was going to try as the count began. He even managed to push off the ground with his forearms before his strength gave out and he hit the deck again with a slight bounce, barely conscious and annoyed that he'd lost.

"…9, 10. That's it, the count is over." A ref said as Machamp backed up to his corner grinning at his victory. "Blaziken has been knocked out, the winner is Machamp."

Almost on cue the programed bell rang to signal the end of the round and how close it had been to the break that would have at least given Blaziken a chance to recover. However, even with the break coming up Blaziken didn't think that he could have won. That Machamp was something else and he doubted any could beat it in a straight battle. The fact that Conkeldurr lasted to the third was impressive, he couldn't get out of the first.

"And I say, that is why Machamps are one of the best Pokémon historically in this competition with none of the 6 who have entered failing to reach the semis with 3 of them winning it all." The announcer said as the crowd cheered once they got over the quick end to the match. "Machamp has defeated Blaziken by a first round knockout and advanced to the semifinals tomorrow where it will face Lucario. That is going to be a match for the ages, I am sure of it. Anyway, it's now an extra-long lunch break as we will resume with the third bout of the day at the scheduled time. Can we get a new rope for the ring by the way, I think the last one can't take much more after those stretches."

"Blaziken return." May said knowing that she had to recall her starter and looking at the ball in her hand. "You were amazing my friend, some of those moves were inspired and I am sure against any of the other Pokémon in this competition, except maybe Chesnaught in defensive mode or possibly that Poliwrath, would have won with those moves but Misty's Machamp is just too strong even for you. I can see why that Pokémon is considered one of the pinnacles of fighting types. Take a rest you earned it."

"Well done Machamp, that was faster than I think anyone expected." Misty said gently patting Machamp's head as he reached her smiling broadly at his win even if he was hurting a bit from those hits and block, that Blaziken had some serious power to it, he just had the edge today. "We won and advanced to face Ash and Lucario next. That will be tough, he's seen what you can do against Conkeldurr and his Lucario is defiantly better than Conkeldurr so it will be a tough match."

"Machamp." Machamp said agreeing with his human but also ready to win it for her no matter who he faced. "Machamp."

"Take a rest, we'll discuss strategy tonight." Misty said recalling Machamp before looking up to see that May had hoped down from her platform and was heading over to her so Misty did the same. "Well done May, I think few could have stopped Blaziken there."

"He certainly gave it his all, but that Machamp is one sturdy Pokémon to take some of those hits." May said with a grin holding out her hand for Misty to shake which she did. "I feel like with their raw strength this one was either ending in the first or going the distance and being a brutal slugfest."

"True it was a good one that was quicker than I thought it would be." Misty said before pulling May towards her for a hug. "And I am still undefeated against you lot. Now you can join Dawn in the multiple loss camp. Well, multiple loss post confrontation that is as this is my 4th win over you."

"Alas yes but one day I will beat you Misty, I will have my revenge." May said hugging her friend back. "Well in battle, you beat me to Ash, and I won't interfere in that."

"I did but we're still good on that front." Misty said as they broke apart. "Right?"

"Of course, you're one of my closest friends Misty, that never changed our friendship." May said though she felt the pain of her loss in her heart. "And so is Ash, I'd never fuck that up. Dawn's remorse for her own actions showed me that I have to be sensible, and Sabrina has helped a bit, hopefully more as I want to discuss things with her if I ever see her again but that's not related to this. Anyway, we're all good though Serena and I may give you a date day soon to really recharge and, you know, have a break. You have been respectful of our feelings most of the time, so you deserve a little alone time with him."

"I get that." Misty said. "And thank you, Ash and I could use that."

"I figured, I know how hard it is for you two to be respectful around Serena and I and we are grateful for that so when there's a time we'll let you take a day, probably in Laverre if there's time while we're there." May said. "And I can really get Serena ready for the Contest there, she needs that 3rd ribbon after all."

"That works, thank you." Misty said grateful for what May was doing and hoping that she did get the chance to have a day with Ash just the two of them. "But shall we join the others for a long lunch before we watch your brother go. One of the Hoenn siblings should make it to the semis at least so we can support Max together."

"Sounds great and this will be a good match as he and Owen are traveling together so they know each and their Pokémon other well." May said as they headed to the exit to regroup with the others for lunch as planned. "I wonder how that will play into it."

Misty just nodded in agreement as she was curious as well. They would know soon enough as the Kalos Fighting type Tournament continued with a bout between traveling companions in the third match of the quarterfinal.


"Welcome back from lunch folks, the rope has been replaced, as have the pillars as they were also damaged, so we are all ready to resume." The announcer said as Max and Owen entered the arena and made their way to the ring for the third quarterfinal. "And up next we have another great bout for y'all to enjoy. On one side is Max and his Chesnaught, one of two remaining Kalos native fighting types in the tournament, and on the other is Owen and his Passimian, an Alolan fighting type that is from one of the Galarian colonies and making its species' debut in this tournament."

The crowd roared in support as the pair of traveling companions reached the ring and made their way up to their platforms both ignoring the crowd as they did. Max wasn't to focused on the announcements and he knew that Owen wasn't either, but they had to put up with them for the moment at least.

"Also, Max is from Petalburg City in Hoenn and if that sounds familiar to y'all it should be as he's May's younger brother and a trainer challenging the Kalos gym leaders this year with hopes of entering the Kalos Conference at the end of the year." The announcer said. "While Owen is from Ballonlea City out in the Galar region making him the first Galarian native to compete in our illustrious tournament and his Passimian is from Galar, the second Pokémon caught in that region to ever compete here after a Falanks a few years back. This will be good."

"A bit much don't you think." Max said as he pulled out his Poke Ball. "But I am looking forward to seeing what you can do Owen. We've had some training battles, so I know what Passimian is capable of but not against Chesnaught."

"Likewise, and with Chesnaught's recent evolution I haven't faced it yet so this will be a fun experience." Owen said withdrawing his own Poke Ball as well. "Let the best man win then."

"Well, it will be our Pokémon winning for us so the best fighting type." Max said tossing the ball out. "Right Chesnaught."

"Show him who is better Passimian." Owen said throwing his won ball out. "We got this."

Both balls burst open at roughly the same time and the Pokémon appeared before their trainers in the ring before backing up and sitting down on their respective stools. It was time to get in the zone. They may be friends, but they were also rivals in this tournament and they intended to win it all for their respective trainers.

"Alright this one is going to be tough and different from the last two." Max said to Chesnaught as the Pokémon sat. "We know Passimian well. Standing it is taller than you, but you have a good 15 pounds on it and are stronger based on raw strength."

Chesnaught nodded in agreement with his trainer as he looked at Passimian in the opposite corner. His friend and fellow fighting type was getting a lot of advice from his trainer, but Chesnaught ignored that as he focused on what his own trainer was saying and their plan to win this bout.

"There is another advantage for us." Max said. "Passimians are known to fight in gangs or whatever they are called and tend to favor teamwork over solo fighting. You can fight alone, and you can fight with fists, Passimian is used to berries not its limbs. The lack of items hinders it and the fact that he's made it this far is impressive and a testament to how unknown the species is here. We know it though, so we got it. Play it safe and defensive while keeping in mind that it knows our tactics, has greater mobility and can fight on all fours which sets it apart from most known fighting types so can breach your defense."

Chesnaught nodded in agreement. He knew how this battle was going to be very different and he was going to have to be smart if he was going to win it and win it he intended to do. As the bell rang to start the third bout of the day, Chesnaught rose ready to once again bring glory to himself and Max as he showed Passimian who was the best fighting type in their group.

Unlike the last two rounds, Chesnaught came out and didn't take a defensive stance but rather a standard fighting one as he watched Passimian closely. He wasn't going to go defensive just yet, but he wasn't going to attack first, he wanted to see what Passimian had planned before he made a move.

Passimian for his part was doing the same approaching on two feet but hunched a bit so he was not at his full height as he gaged Chesnaught. He knew the Pokémon well; he'd known it since it was a Chespin, but he'd never faced his friend as a Chesnaught and not under these circumstances were moves and items were banned Still, he had advantages too and once he was sure that Chesnaught wasn't going to go defensive he leapt forward to start the attack.

Passimian landed on all fours and closed the distance as fast as he could to Chesnaught. He sensed that the Spiny Armor Pokémon would go for a leg strike and used his own considerable muscles to leap up and avoid the potential knee and instead twisted his body for a side kick. He wasn't very good at fighting without his berries, but his boss had told him he couldn't use them and shouldn't be reliant on them to begin with as he may not have them all the tome and as such a fighting type should have versatility. That was why he'd trained all week to use his dexterity and limbs like other fighting types.

However, Chesnaught had been there with him training his own new fighting type to get used to it and saw the move coming a mile away. He knew that Passimian's advantages on him were mobility, flexibility and dexterity so he'd stayed grounded and waited for Passimian to make the first move. Seeing him come in low and knowing that the Teamwork Pokémon liked to use feints with his berries, Chesnaught trusted his gut and moved as if to knee only to pull back and hop a step backwards and cock his arm back as Passimian twisted for a powerful side kick that was aimed at his head.

The kick narrowly missed his face but as soon as it was past, Chesnaught stepped forward and punched out as hard as he could. Passimian was in the air horizontal to the ground and spinning around, there was no way that he'd be able to dodge it and all he could go was grunt as he rolled in the air in time to take the punch to the chest rather than his back as he didn't want to turn his back to Chesnaught in this bout.

The blow was just above his gut, so it didn't wind him, but it did blast him painfully back and to the ropes. Chesnaught may be a high defensive fighting type but that didn't mean that he couldn't punch like the best and the blow sent Passimian right into the ropes. However, as the ropes, new for this round, only stretched slightly as Passimian used his right hand and foot to grab the rope and hold on so that he wasn't slingshot back to Chesnaught like other Pokémon had been when they'd been sent into the ropes.

Instead, he stayed on the ropes as the snapped taught and chittered a taunt at Chesnaught with a grin on his furry face. Chesnaught had been expecting the slingshot and was ready for a follow up attack but instead Passimian was on the ropes, so Chesnaught charged, lowering his head to hit Passimian with his full force and speed.

Alas, Chesnaught was not built for speed and Passimian waited before he used his strength and natural talents when it came to climbing to flip up to the top of the rope and then leap off and over Chesnaught as he barreled into the roped, turning in the air to land behind his friend but facing him at the same time. Then, crouching low, he ducked down and waited.

Chesnaught hit the ropes and they stretched a bit, but his speed wasn't enough to move them much, so he turned, arm wide to sweep into Passimian. It was similar to what Pangoro had done to him but unlike himself, Passimian was limber and had a body that could get low and under the arm, which was what Passimian had done by ducking down as soon as he could and then as Chesnaught finished his spin and had his back to the ropes, arms wide, Passimian struck.

With another chitter, he leapt just before the end of the spun and struck with an uppercut to the underside of Chesnaught's jaw. He then kicked out with his right foot as he fell back to hit Chesnaught in chest for good measure. However, the kick didn't do much and Chesnaught had already recovered and acted as he stepped forward, his head coming down and lunged at Passimian going more on instinct than anything else.

Before the pure fighting type could react, and while he was still in the air, Chesnaught was on him and grabbing his face in his right hand, his large, spike like, fingers making it easy for the dual type to hold him there and drove Passimian head first into the ring floor hard enough to startled him however the elastic nature of the floor and the coconut helmet that all Passimians wore protected him from full dazing.

However, unlike other floor drives, Chesnaught did not leave it there. Instead, he stepped forward, still holding Passimian by the face, and then spun on his left foot to generate momentum before he threw Passimian right at the opposite ropes. It was an interesting move but as he'd not let go of Passimian the entire time it was considered a legal move.

Passimian flew at the rope fast and didn't get his full bearings until the rope had reached the end of its stretch and he was shot back at Chesnaught who was still standing there waiting for him, his arm cocked back, before Passimian could grab the ropes and avoid the slingshot. There wasn't much that Passimian could do to avoid the blow, but he could at least make sure that whatever Chesnaught's plan was didn't work as the Kalos Pokémon intended it to work. That was why as Chesnaught punched forward as Passimian reached him, Passimian lent back and stretched his body a long as he could make it.

Thanks to the move, Chesnaught's fist just hit the base of his jaw and snapped his head back while his arm brushed along Passimian's body so it was a clean hit but not the finishing blow that Chesnaught had hoped it would be. As it happened, Passimian wrapped his tail around one of Chesnaught's larger back shoulder spike on the right side of his back and his legs around his upper arm so that he had a hold as he passed. He was too tall to go along the whole arm but the grip he was was strong enough to hold him as he leaned back and used his left hand to punch Chesnaught in the side of the head as hard as he could.

The blow was only a glancing one and Passimian needed to go for another one as he twisted his upper body, still gripped to Chesnaught's upper arm and shoulder with his legs and tail, to use his core to deliver a stronger punch to Chesnaught's face. Alas this time Chesnaught was ready for it.

Getting his left hand up in time he caught Passimian's right fist in his left hand and held fast. He had the angle in this position and yanked back. With the way things were Passimian knew that he could be injured if he held on as Chesnaught had the angle and strength right now so he had to let go with his legs and tail as Chesnaught pulled him off him and tossed him to the side as hard as he could. Passimian hit the ground hard, bounced off it and into the ropes just as the bell rang to end the round.

Even though he flopped to the ground after hitting the ropes Passimian was able to get up and scamper over to his side almost as soon as he hit the floor. Chesnaught backed up and returned to his own corner and sat down, opening his mouth for water and not panting too hard having not used too much effort in the first round compared to Passimian.

"That was good and different to what I think any were expecting from you my friend." Max said to Chesnaught as he finished giving him water and began whispering to him. "More of a brawl than I expected but that mobility means that you have to counter it with a more conventional style rather than your defensive one. Still, you landed some heavy hits and I know that Passimian is feeling them."

Chesnaught nodded as he looked at his friend and opponent. Passimian was panting more and clearly looked worse for wear after the first round. His blows were being felt and Chesnaught knew it.

"That is good because we have a big advantage that will win this for us." Max said and Chesnaught listened intently to his human. "We can hit harder than Passimian can. The only realistic way for it to win is on points, we have the raw strength advantage in this bout. Use that Chesnaught and we will win. Be smart like I know you can be, and we'll advance to the semifinals."

"Chesnaught." Chesnaught said as the bell rang to start the second round and he got up, he had this and he knew it.

Slowly Chesnaught made his way into the ring as Passimian did the same. The Alolan native Pokémon was wary of the Kalos one as they began to circle each other, neither wanting to make the first move just yet. The round before had taught Passimian that he couldn't match Chesnaught's strength but that he could use his mobility to land points and win that way, his boss telling him as much during their break. He'd only win if he fought smart so that's what he planned on doing.

Chesnaught had the same plan and waited for Passimian to come to him. He had counted and was sure he landed more hits in the first round so the other Pokémon would have to start this and start this Passimian did as he chittered once he had a plan and leapt forward. Again, he was going to charge on all fours but this time it would work.

As with before Passimian made as if to leap high with his superior mobility and go that way and this time Chesnaught bit by taking a defensive stance and putting his arms in front of his face the way he'd done against his previous opponents. However, all Passimian actually did was leap forward on a shallow trajectory that closed the distanced faster and got in under Chesnaught's guard. It was a risky move but one that Passimian knew could pay off and he had his helmet which was another advantage for him in this move.

Passimian popped up and before Chesnaught could realize the attack had been a feint, Passimian struck with a series of punches to Chesnaught's unprotected gut. He landed 4 before Chesnaught realized but it was as he landed the 5th that Chesnaught recovered and acted, again more out of instinct than anything else. What happened next Passimian wouldn't remember well but he'd see footage of and all he could say was that he'd made a big mistake with his risk.

Chesnaught had recovered and rather than backup, he used the position to his advantage to bring his elbows down onto the top of Passimian's head as he backed up enough to land it cleanly. At the same time, he brought up his left knee as he bent down for the move. The result was a pair of elbows that slammed into Passimian's helmet and accelerated his head into Chesnaught's knee that caught him in the jaw less than half a second later.

The blows caused Passimian to see stars as his attack ended and Chesnaught stepped back while he fell to the floor. However, Chesnaught wasn't done, not by a long shot. This was an improvised sequence but one that he knew would go well for him and poorly for Passimian.

As Passimian fell to the ground, Chesnaught grabbed him by the scruff of his neck with his right hand and spun, lifting Passimian up in his grip as he did for an overhead throw as soon as Chesnaught finished the spin like the round before. However, this time Chesnaught threw Passimian to the ground as hard as he could rather than across the ring. All Passimian could do was blink as he was thrown face first into the springy ring floor hard enough to bounce off it.

That had been what Chesnaught had been planning because as Passimian bounced off it he stepped forward and launched a savage kick upwards and right into Passimian's face. That was it for Passimian, he was instantly out cold from that blow as he was lifted into the air and spun several times before he fell down and landed on his back on the ground, limbs splayed, and clearly out as Chesnaught backed up and waited for the count.

The count was merely a formality though. There was no way that Passimian could get up after those blows and they all just waited for the count to end.

"…9, 10. That is it, the bout is over." The ref counting said once the count was done and the crowd cheered. "Passimian has been knocked out, the winner by knockout is Chesnaught. It advances to the semifinal."

"What an ending there folks, that is what a fighting type can really do!" The announcer said as Owen recalled Passimian and thanked him while Chesnaught made his way over to celebrate with Max. "Chesnaught really showed its strength in that combo but let's not count out Passimian, that was a great debut from the Pokémon, and we hope to see another one in this tournament soon. We still have some time before the next bout which will take place on time so enjoy the little break for now, we will return with the final quarterfinal of the day soon."

"Well done Chesnaught, you really gave it to Passimian there." Max said patting his Pokémon's head as he smiled at Max. "I wasn't expecting that, but you really showed your strength to land that final combo to win it for us. We've advanced, let's see who we face in the semis."

"That certainly was something else at the end." Owen called up to Max as Max recalled Chesnaught and turned to see that his friend had already leapt off the platform and made his way over to Max. "Passimian had a good plan it seemed, but Chesnaught fought through it and there was no way that Passimian could avoid it once Chesnaught realized what he could do."

"Yeah it was something else and totally unexpected." Max said jumping off the platform and shaking hands with Owen. "Different as well."

"You wisely adapted your tactic from the last two rounds to counter my Pokémon's different style to those of Breloom and Pangoro." Owen said as they made their way to the stands to watch the final bout of the day. "Last two rounds you could just use your defense to wear out the Pokémon and counter but that won't work against a Passimian and especially against one that knows your Chesnaught well. Their tactics are very different, and you adapted to it just as a trainer should."

"Well, I do know your Passimian well as well, so that helped." Max said as they reached the stands and made their way to their seats were their friends were ready to celebrate them and May was going to be embarrassing towards her baby brother for going further than her in the tournament. "It's the next opponent I'm concerned about; either will be a problem."

"Hawlucha is easier for sure as it uses similar styles to Passimian with a high level of mobility compared to most fighting types and an atypical build, but it is smaller than Chesnaught." Owen said as they sat down noting that Ash and Adam weren't there now. "But Poliwrath is another problem entirely. How will you handle either?"

"Not sure yet but let's watch and see who it will be." Max said as they all settled in and waited for the break to end so that the final bout could take place. "Then I can devise my strategy for the semifinal based of who we are facing."

There was only one more match left in the quarterfinals and all eyes were on it. Soon they'd know the last semifinalist and be ready for the tournament to kick into high gear with it.


"Well folks, the break is over, and it is time for the last quarterfinal." The announcer said as Ash and Adam entered the arena. "We've got three of our semifinalists known, who will be the last one to reach tomorrow. Will it be Hawlucha, the other Pokémon still in under Ash's ownership as he tries to become only the 3rd trainer to get two Pokémon to the semifinals and the second in a row after Korrina achieved that feat last year. Or will it be the aspiring fighting specialist from Dewford Town out in Hoenn, Adam, who entered all 6 of his Pokémon but now only has Poliwrath left in the tournament. Time to see who will join Lucario, Machamp, and Chesnaught in the semifinal."

The crowd cheered as Ash and Adam made their ways over to their starting platforms and climbed on them. This was the last match of the day and Ash planned on closing it out the same way he started the day. He was going to win again no matter how hard it was.

"I may only have more left but this one will win." Adam called out to him as Ash set himself on his platform. "I won't go out this early Ash. You may have beaten Hitmonlee, but my Poliwrath is something else."

"I saw it against May's Blaziken the other day, I know how good it is." Ash agreed as he pulled out his Poke Ball. "But strength alone won't win and my Hawlucha has the tactics on you."

"We shall see, I will win this with Poliwrath and show that I have what it takes to be a fighting master." Adam said tossing out his Poke Ball. "Korrina won it last year, Gurkinn, Marshal, Chuck, Mylene, Brawly, and even that odd man Anthony who was a bit of a mentor to me last year in Kanto have all won this tournament in the past, I intend to do so as well."

"Good company but I will be the one joining them with Lucario or Hawlucha." Ash said throwing out his own Poke Ball at the same time. "You will see, right Hawlucha?"

Hawlucha cawed in agreement as he appeared and looked out at his opponent. It was that beefy Poliwrath he'd seen while training for this tournament but hadn't faced yet. This was going to be hard, but he trusted Ash and took his seat as he waited for his instructions on how he was going to win this match and join Lucario in the semifinals.

"Alright Hawlucha, this one is going to be tough but so was yesterday's so I know that you can handle it." Ash said as he looked out at Poliwrath that was being instructed by Adam as it patiently sat waiting for the round to start. "I've tangled with this Pokémon a few times before but not for a while. It's strong and has stamina for days, one of its kind even handed Charizard his first defeat but it was what bonded me and him in the end, so we can't wear it out. Instead, we are going to win with our mobility and aerial advantage."

"Hawlucha." Hawlucha cawed in agreement.

"Land hits, stay mobile and avoid it's fists." Ash said simply. "It's a punching specialist so we got this."

Hawlucha nodded as the bell rang and he rose to face his opponent. He was going to win this and advance just as Ash wanted. He'd already beaten a few bigger foes; this one was going to go down as well. Lucario wouldn't be the only one of their team still in the tournament tomorrow, Hawlucha was going to join him and then win it all against his friend and rival. First though, this Poliwrath had to lose and Hawlucha let out a caw as he charged to begin the final bout of the quarterfinals.

Hawlucha didn't know much about his opponent, this was the only Poliwrath he'd ever met, and he'd never faced it in battle before, only seen it around as they trained for this competition. He knew that is was a strong Pokémon though, he could see it rippling with muscles in its compact body, but he was sure that he was faster than it. That's why he charged straight at it to start with a good hit.

Unfortunately, his lack of knowledge showed and even Ash had forgotten about one fact regarding Poliwrath as he hadn't seen it in action yet in the tournament; Poliwraths had just as much strength in their legs as they did the rest of their bodies. Yes the Pokémon preferred punching but that didn't mean that it didn't have strong legs as well, the Pokémon could run fast enough to run on water for short distances and Adam's Poliwrath showed its speed right away as it rushed out to meet Hawlucha as he did the same.

All Hawlucha could do was go wide-eyed at the speed before Poliwrath was on him and punched faster than he'd expected. The heavy, powerful, fist slammed into Hawlucha's face and stopped him dead in his tracks before blasting him back and into the ropes as he processed the hit he'd just taken. Poliwrath could hit like the best of them and Hawlucha would have to keep that in mind as he hit the ropes and they stretched pretty far before finally tightening and sending him back. However, now it was time for Hawlucha to use his own body advantage and unique typing that no other fighting type he knew had.

As Hawlucha was launched off the ropes faster then he'd ever flown, he extended his wings and used his flying type to glide at Poliwrath who had held its ground ready for the impact with fist cocked back for the blow. However, Hawlucha was in the air where he held dominance and at the last second he twisted his body and tucked his wings in so that the fist missed him, and he slammed head first into Poliwrath's chest just off the center of the swirl there that made a great target for him.

Despite Poliwrath having half a meter and almost 70 pounds on Hawlucha, the speed at which he hit it was enough to blast it back and into the ropes behind it. Hawlucha just twisted back and rolled on landing to pop up and keep running at Poliwrath as fast as he could. He couldn't give up his advantage as Poliwrath hit the ropes and bent them though not as much as he had as he'd been slower when he hit them. Still, they held him long enough for Hawlucha to do what he had planned.

As Poliwrath steadied himself and readied his next attack, Hawlucha was already on him. Leaping in the air and flipping forward, Hawlucha extended a leg and slammed it down between Poliwrath's eyes on top of its head as hard as he could at.

The blow was hard but the muscles of the Tadpole Pokémon's body, coupled with its strange physiology as an amphibious Pokémon with a water type, meant that it didn't do much and Hawlucha was now in a precarious position, one he regretted the moment he failed to down Poliwrath with his attack.

The water and fighting type had already been reading a punch and now just brought his right fist down in a hammer fist style right into Hawlucha's chest and drove him into the floor of the ring. Hawlucha hit and an felt his breath drive from his lungs as he bounced up of the springy floor. As he did, Poliwrath stepped forward and punched with his left hand in a left cross that took Hawlucha in the side as he was in the air.

The force of the second hit sent Hawlucha flying sideways and into the ropes, bending it and snapping him back again. Again though, despite the pain he was in, Hawlucha let his instincts kick in and he used the snap of the rope to extend his wings and glide at Poliwrath.

This time though he tucked his wings in and corkscrewed so that he was even faster. Thanks to his practice with his Flying Press attack he was faster than Poliwrath could react and by the time he ended his corkscrew he was on his opponent and slammed into his chest with his own in a midair body slam.

The impact sent both Pokémon in the same direction as Hawlucha used his speed to overcome his weight disadvantage and force the larger, heavier, Poliwrath against the ropes again. Once he was there Hawlucha knew that he had him and pushed off the slightly stunned Pokémon with a kick to the chest and landed in front of it. With Poliwrath on the ropes he attacked with a mix of chops and knees into his opponent's body, landing a good 7 before Poliwrath could react but react he did.

Poliwrath had been stunned by the impact but once he was on the ropes he tightened his muscles to protect himself as he took the blows and prepared his retaliation. That came just after the 8th blow, a knee to his side, when he brought his two hands together and as if he was going to crash his knuckles against each other except Hawlucha's head was in the way of them.

Before Hawlucha could process it, two powerful fists crashed into his head dazing him as they got him at the same time and his attack stopped. This was followed by a knee to his jaw as Poliwrath surprised everyone with a leg-based attack for the first time all tournament. The force of the knee lifted Hawlucha up and off the ground and Poliwrath followed it up with a downward punch that took Hawlucha in the chest and blasted him back and into the floor.

There was a reason for this. The last 2 times that Poliwrath had hit Hawlucha across the ring he'd used his flying type to counter after hitting the ropes and flying back at Poliwrath. Now he would hit the ground first and lose momentum as he bounced off it and into the far ropes. As such they didn't bend as much and Hawlucha flopped down to the ground near the ropes dazed and unable to counter. Poliwrath just stood there as he waited for the count to happen.

Hawlucha was almost too stunned to move as the count began. What had happened had been unexpected and fast and he'd taken a lot of physical damage from it. However, as he heard the count he knew that he couldn't fail Ash and with a great effort he slowly got to his feet with the help of the ropes and shook his head clear as he pushed off the ropes to face Poliwrath in a fighting stance. It wasn't a moment too soon as the count had hit 9 by that point.

However, before Hawlucha could take another step the bell wrang to end the round. Grateful for the sudden respite, Hawlucha hurried to his corner as fast as he could and sat down hard as he panted and opened his mouth for some much-needed water. Poliwrath did the same though he didn't look tired at all mainly because he wasn't, his species had some of the highest stamina out there, and instead of drinking the water his human just doused him in it.

"Alright that was faster than I expected but I got a good feel for it." Ash said as Hawlucha rested while Adam furiously talked to Poliwrath. "Poliwrath won't tire I feel, and it has you beat on raw strength, but we have the hits. Time to play defensive, evade and counter. That is how we win this one."

Hawlucha just nodded, it was what he would do himself in this situation. He couldn't hope to match Poliwrath for strength, he couldn't, but he could evade and counter. It would be hard given his foe's speed, but he felt like he could do it thanks to his flying type.

"Good, we won't lose this." Ash said. "I know you can do it Hawlucha."

"Hawlucha." Hawlucha said as the bell rang and he got up, he was still a little shaky from the hits, but he knew his human trusted him, he wouldn't let Ash down.

Almost as soon as Hawlucha cleared the corner though, Poliwrath was on him. Whatever its trainer had said to it, it had been effective as it came at Hawlucha hard and fast to start the second round. Hawlucha barely had time to avoid the right hook that Poliwrath threw at him as he backed up and kept doing so when the follow up left cross came.

It was a vicious opening salvo and Hawlucha was forced back as he kept avoiding swings and was quickly running out of room. However, he felt that he could do it if he leapt up and onto the ropes with his strong legs. If he did that then he could clear Poliwrath and maybe land a kick on his way over as he put some distance between them. Alas that had been exactly what Poliwrath's trainer had told him to do and expect and that was when the final combo was planned. Poliwrath executed it to perfection.

As Hawlucha leapt up and back, Poliwrath changed his swinging punches to jabs and landed the first in Hawlucha's gut, hard but he didn't use his full strength. He only used enough to send Hawlucha back and into the near ropes hard enough to bend them far enough back for Poliwrath to get his hands over his head and interlock his fingers as he took a step back. Then, as the winded Hawlucha was shot back at him he brought them down hard onto the back of its head before it could use its wings to its advantage. The force of the blow drove Hawlucha down and into the floor of the ring and Poliwrath retreated to a safe distance as he waited for the count.

As for Hawlucha, he knew that it was over the moment the jab landed. He'd taken to much in the first round to survive a blow like that. All he could do was embrace the inevitable and apologize to Ash and his teammates for failing them. The last thing he thought before Poliwrath's hands hit the back of his head and his world went black was that he hoped Lucario could win it all for them now as their combined pride now rested solely on the Aura Pokémon's shoulders.

The count at this point, as it had been the match before with Passimian, was a simple formality. Hawlucha lay on the floor of the ring, his wings splayed, out cold for all to see but to officially end the match the count had to be completed.

"…9, 10. That is it, Hawlucha has been knocked out." The ref counting said as Poliwrath raised his arms to the cheering crowd. "Poliwrath has won by knockout and will advance to face Chesnaught in the semifinal tomorrow afternoon."

"Well, there you have its folks, the last quarterfinal has ended in a knockout and our last semifinalist is known." The announcer said to the still cheering crowd. "Ash will not get two Pokémon in the semis as Hawlucha is knocked out by Poliwrath in the second round."

"Hawlucha, return." Ash said recalling Hawlucha and looking at the Poke Ball in his hand with a smile. "You did great my friend but alas that Poliwrath had your number there. We'll train harder I promise, and we will all now support Lucario as he goes for the gold."

Ash put the Poke Ball away and looked up to see Adam congratulating Poliwrath before recalling him. However, before he could say anything the announcer cut in again.

"Well folks that is it for the day, we will resume tomorrow at the new time for the semifinals which will take place either side of lunch." The announcer said. "Until then, here are your final four in the 23rd annual Kalos Fighting Type Tournament."

Ash looked up to the jumbotron, noticing Adam doing the same, as the bracket shrunk to 4 showing the two sides as they got ready to meet in the final. Then it changed and the images appeared starting on the screen with Lucario in the top left corner, then Machamp in the top right, Chesnaught in the lower left and finally Poliwrath in the lower right.

They were the final four and tomorrow they would go at it to determine who would be in the championship bout and claim the title of best fighting type in Kalos this year. Ash grinned, he may have lost with Hawlucha, but Lucario had won, and he was up against Machamp which meant he was facing Misty again. This time though Ash wasn't going to lose to them. He was going to win and advance to the final. He couldn't wait and headed to rejoin his friends before they left to prepare as the tournament continued into its penultimate day.