Leaf wakes up to a face full of sun, turning over to Red's peaceful face within her gaze. Seeing him silently snore made a smile appear on her face before she starts playing with his hair and poking his cheeks. She then remembers the events that happened a few days ago. After they returned to Vermilion, the both of them healed their Pokemon, Red giving Milotic and Meowth to Nurse Joy for her to check on their burns. Once they got to their room, Leaf relentlessly requested to sleep in the same bed as him so that he won't leave, a request that he refused at first but ultimately gave in.

'Feeling a bit of deja vu here. I feel like an overprotective girlfriend…or a clingy one.' She thought, looking at Red before she kissed him on the cheek. 'Although, I don't mind that.'

Leaf would be lying if she said that she was not extremely pissed off that her time with Red at the party was ruined, she wanted to kiss him so much after the dance and possibly do much more but with the recent events that occurred between them, it is going to take a while before he is able to relax around her, much to her chagrin. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard groaning sounds, seeing Red opening his eyes and lazily giving her a smile, yawning a "Good Morning" which brought giggles from the brunette's mouth.

"So what are you gonna to do today, Red? It's been two days since you came back and I'm bored. I wanna see some action." Leaf whined, making a pout on her face, she then starts to shake him harshly. "Plus, you're due a gym battle today so let's go do it and leave this city soon. The earlier, the better. I want to see you kick ass."

"Alright, alright, Leaf. Sorry, it's just…Meowth and Milotic needed to heal from their injuries. And I didn't want Poli or Vulpix to have their first match with such a strong person." Red explained, getting out of bed and stretching, Leaf taking mental pictures of his body while trying hard not to drool. Her gaze then fell on his leg, seeing the bandage on it and taking notice of other injuries along his body, a somber expression on her face. When they went back to the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy took a look at their wounds, the nurse being shocked when she saw that most of Red's wounds were infected, disinfecting them and lecturing him to next time seek medical attention. Seeing him able to walk normally and without having to limp everywhere did put a smile on her face, a sign that he is recovering.

After he came out of the bathroom, Leaf looked at him then sighed before saying. "We need a break. After this, we're going as far away from here as possible. I'm surprised Nurse Joy treated your wounds granted she saw the news about the SS. Anne."

Red's Pokemon wholeheartedly agreed with her statement, hurrying Red to take them to the gym so that they won't have to waste their time in the city. After eating the breakfast and leaving the Pokemon Center, they journeyed throughout the city while conversing until they arrive in front of the Gym. They then entered the building before looking around to see that the interior looks like the inside of a factory which made Red and Meowth look around in awe.

"Good morning, soldiers!" A booming voice that startled both trainers. They both see a huge burly man with blonde hair and sunglasses who is in a soldier outfit, making the teen stand in attention which surprised everyone in the room, making the man smile. "Nice, private! At ease!"

Red then stood normally, letting out a breath he didn't know he had before he sees a hand, putting his own hand for a handshake, seeing a smile on the man's face and also the multiple scars he has on his arm before he was knocked out of his thoughts. "The name's Surge. Lt. Surge. What is your name, private?"

"R-Red, sir." Red answered, realizing that he was basically lifted up and down by the handshake.

"Well, at least someone respect for a soldier. Unlike a certain lassie who came before." Lt. Surge said looking towards Leaf when he finished, the girl looking at him smiling with a peace sign which made the man sigh. "Love ya too, Surge."

"It's Lt. Surge." He grumbled, pinching his nose and letting out a sigh before his assistant spoke. "I'm guessing you're here for a battle. Right?"

"Sir, yes sir." Red responded, making Lt. Surge turn around, wiping his face before turning back to the teens, the referee looking at him with a raised brow. 'D-did he just shed a tear?'

"Alright, private! Let's go." The blonde said, gesturing everyone to the battlefield where he and Red stood on opposite ends, the referee at the center and Leaf sitting in one of the seats within the audience section.

"This will be a 4 on 4 gym battle! The challenger is able to make substitutions and the battle will not be finished until one concedes defeat or all 4 Pokemon on one side is defeated." The referee explained before commencing the battle, raising his flags and then lowering them down. A smirk on Lt. Surge's face when he readies a Pokeball. "I hope you know that my Pokemon-"

"Shocked your foes in the war blah blah blah you're going to electrocute him blah blah blah. Just throw out a Pokemon already." Leaf said annoyed, interrupting the man which earned a glare from everyone on the field. "What? It's not my fault that you guys have some type of gaming dialogue that you look like you need to say before battling."

Red could only chuckle at the brunette's antics, seeing Buneary and Roselia sitting at the stands, both letting out an exasperated sigh. Lt. Surge simply threw his first ball in the air, not even bothering anymore.

"Magneton, at attention!" He shouted, sending out a Pokemon that looks like the combination of three magnets. The Electric type then let out a blast of electricity as its battle cry before everyone turns their attention to Red who takes out a Pokeball before one of his capsules opened, revealing Vulpix who gets into a battle stance much to Red's surprise. "Vulpix? You sure you want to have this battle?"

'Yeah! I wanna rewease some steam!' The golden fox said, emitting a glow that made the sun brighter than usual which shocked the Gym leader. 'A Drought user?'

"Let's do a Thunda-" Lt. Surge coughed, clearing his throat before he continues. "Thunderbolt now!"

Magneton starts spinning before it lets out a huge blast of electricity, the attack blasting in all directions before it focuses on a single point, that being its six tailed opponent.

"Flame Burst." Red said, his Vulpix let out a Flame Burst so powerful that some would mistake it for a Flamethrower. The two attacks clashed, smoke erupting from the place where they clashed. Through the thick cloud, Lt. Surge was able to make out some blue lights until he frantically voiced his next move. "V formation and use Magnet Bomb now!"

Floating blue fireballs came out of the smoke only to be stopped when Magneton glowed, dissecting the magnets and sending a barrage of light bullets that dispersed, stopping the wisps before unleashing a power Thunderbolt which was immediately countered by a Flame Burst. Fire meets lightning during a volley of attacks until Lt. Surge had enough, making his command. "Metal Sound!"

Hearing its trainer, Magneton starts spazzing sporadically which creates an ear splitting sound that caused everyone to hold their ears to block the unpleasant noise. The move disorientating the Fire type, making it unable to continue the clashes before it gets overpowered then hit by a Thunderbolt, knocking it back. They proceed with another collision, this time Red stopping Magneton from using Metal Sound by using Will o Wisp.

'Alright, two can play at that game.' Red thought before he makes his move. "Hex."

When he said that, Vulpix started glowing, its eyes shimmering a menacing color until Magneton felt a pain throughout its body, weakening which made it lose the clash and get point blank by a Flame Burst. Both Pokemon resumed their bout, shooting blasts at each other, explosions filling up the field, making a smile creep on Lt. Surge as his excitement grew.

'Now this is a battle!' He thought as his Magneton suffered from a Flame Burst before unleashing a Thunderbolt, shocking Vulpix which created a cloud of smoke, making Red and his Pokemon unable to see their opponent. 'Darn it! I need to keep on my toes.'

Trying to hear out for the Pokemon or looking around for any signs of electricity, he noticed a shadow in the dust cloud, quickly commanding his Vulpix to use Flame Burst which came into contact with a multi elemental attack, creating a clash before Magneton appears from the smog, charging an attack before Red hears Lt. Surge voice. "O-formation. Tri Attack!"

"Quick! Use Confuse Ray and dodge." The raven haired teen said desperately, the golden fox nodding before preparing itself. 'However, it was too late when his Pokemon was knocked by Tri Attack, sending both of them to their side of the field.

"You're doing great for someone so scrawny and silent. I like that." The blonde gym leader said, Red saluting to the compliment.

'Scrawny?!' Leaf thought angrily, looking over to Lt. Surge who is laughing heartily before looking at her red capped companion. 'Hmm, I need to check on that.'

"Hey, that Red kid is good." The referee said over to Leaf who was knocked out of her thoughts, turning her attention to him before looking back at Red and replying. "Yeah…I guess."

This got a confused look from the man, about to ask before he hears the brunette mumble. "Well, this fight is over."

"Hu-" He was about to ask but was interrupted when he felt heat from the battlefield, turning towards it to see Magneton suffering from a Fire type move before using Thunderbolt, confusing Lt. Surge when he realized its dizzy pattern. 'Oh shi-'

"Flame Burst again." Red said, interrupting any form of thought the gym leader had as he quickly voiced his response to the attack. "Evasive maneuvers!"

Magneton got up, dodging the waves of fire that came its way until it was hit by a massive fireball, its trainer clicking his teeth when he noticed that it is struggling to stay airborne. He tried to shout a command but it came to naught when the Steel type was hit point blank by a strong Flame Burst, the attack sending it to the floor, signaling its defeat.

"Wow! Interesting!" Lt. Surge said, elated returning his Pokemon. He then presses a button on a remote, the field then opens which revealed a swimming pool that covers the entire field, leaving some platforms for any Pokemon that are unable to swim. Throwing the Great Ball in the air, a blue and yellow dolphin like Pokemon that had a lantern like light protruding from its head went into the pool and pop its head out of the water.

"Meet my Lanturn. This soldier's mother got me through the worse when I was drowning out in the oceans during the war." Lt. Surge said with a smirk on his face as he walks forwards and pats Lanturn head, encouraging a happy squeal from the Pokemon. He then looks at Red, watching him released his Beedrill on the field which immediately hugged him, the act causing a chuckle to leave the war veteran. 'Not every day you see a Beedrill show that much affection to their trainer. That Pokemon looks to be well trained.'

"Go, Red sweetie! Kick his butt!" Leaf cheered from the sidelines, making a pink blush run upon Red's face while he uses his cap to cover his face as much as possible.

"This battle isn't gonna start itself! Lanturn, Bubblebeam!" Lt. Surge's voice boomed through the building, startling Red who immediately whispered for his Pokemon to dodge before it lands a Twineedle, knocking the Water type back deeper into the pool. In retaliation, the Electric type lets out a blast of electricity which hit the Bug type who was able to get back up quickly, landing an Assurance which sends its opponent rocketing to the other side of the pool.

"Lanturn! Use-" He could not continue when Lanturn was pulled back by a string to Beedrill before being hit by a direct strike on it, hitting it repeatedly until it slams it into the water, much to the gym leader's dismay. 'Like they say, the silent soldiers are the most dangerous.'

"Thunder Wave!" Lt. Surge commanded. Lanturn let out a blast of lightning, electrifying the water before it shot towards Beedrill.

"String Shot shield now!" Red countered back. The yellow bee immediately spurting out silk out of its stingers to create a shield, blocking the electricity until its opponent uses Bubblebeam, rendering String Shot useless and hitting the Bug type.

"Assurance quick then hit it with Venoshock." As the words leave his mouth, Beedrill acted immediately, speedily striking the Water type before it launches the Venoshock move to finish its assault. Lt. Surge then noticed something he could put to his advantage, smiling before he voiced his move. "Swim formation Delta then Bubblebeam."

'What is he doing? He didn't use this against me.' Leaf thought, seeing Lanturn hopping about the water while dodging Beedrill's attacks, making water splash upon the Bug type until Red noticed what was going on. "Get out of there quick. Fly to one of the platform."

'Soldier's sharper than I thought.' Lt. Surge thought as he watches the Bug-type struggling to get over to the platform, its damp wings flapping slowly. 'But not quick enough.'

"Bubblebeam now and then use Thunderbolt!" Lanturn let out bubbles from its mouth that float across the pool, making its opponents confused by its actions. Before Red could blink, his Pokemon was electrocuted, quickly racking his brain for any way to counter attack only to fail when it fell into the water. In the domain of his opponent, Beedrill was attacked at all directions, any attempts of it getting out of the water was thwarted by its aquatic assailant. 'Darn it.'

"C'mon Red." Leaf said, her fingers crossed while watching the battle with a worried expression. Seeing the yellow bee barely conscious while getting attacked, Red fished his head for ideas until something came to mind, making him hit his face with his palm, much to everyone's confusion. 'Why did I not think of that sooner?'

"Venoshock in the water, let out as much venom as you can." The crimson eyed teen muttered. His Pokemon immediately followed the order by letting out a massive stream of purple liquid into the water that stopped its attacker, hurting it when it breathed in the toxins. While it continued its attack, Red informed it to not stop and to get onto the platform as soon as possible, earning a click of the tongue of Lt. Surge.

"Let out the full artillery! Thunderbolt now!" The man said, his Pokemon making one desperate attack, releasing all the electricity in its body throughout the pool, electrocuting Beedrill, much to Red's dismay.

"Hold on, Beedrill!"

"Keep your ground, soldier!"

"Keep attacking!" Both trainers shouted in unison, their Pokemon enduring each other moves while keeping their assault, everyone else watching in awe at the fight. Their attacks start to weaken, Lanturn slowly succumbing to the poisoned water and the same with Beedrill from Thunderbolt.

Minutes have passed as both Pokemon continued their assault until Red noticed that the Electric type move started subsiding quickly, its attack stopping as the Bug type is able to fly onto a platform and then sprawled out, barely able to move, much to Red's dismay. Lt. Surge made a grin until he realized that his Lanturn was also taken down, it floating stagnantly before seeing the iconic unconscious swirls in its eyes, the referee announce the end of the match. "Both Pokemon are down meaning it's a tie!"

"Well, it's not much but Red's still in the lead with one win. Just two more." Leaf commented, her Buneary cheering on for her friend while he picks up Beedrill and carries it to his side of the field. As he tends to its wounds and the pool closed on the field, Meowth hops on the field, stretching its limbs and readying itself for battle which surprised Red. "You sure about this, Meowth?"

'Sure as a Rain Dance, Red I'm glad to be able to move now.' The cream colored cat said, finishing its stretches before it gets into a battle stance. It then noticed Lt. Surge sending out a tiger like Pokemon who made a huge roar while Red scans it with his Pokedex. "Electabuzz, the Electric Pokemon and the evolved form of Elekid. Electricity runs across the surface of its body. In darkness, its entire body glows a whitish-blue."

'Interesting.' Red thought when he puts the device, now hearing the booming command of his blonde opponent. "Change of tactics. ET now!"

Seeing the electricity crackling from Electabuzz made Red's eyes widened when he realized the move, mouthing his counterattack. "Stop him with Taunt."

Meowth immediately got to work, sprinting around and insulting the Electric type along with landing a few scratches, getting its attention as it thrashes towards the cat, much to its glee. 'Works like a charm.'

The yellow tiger sends out a flurry of Thunder Punch, its opponent swiftly dodging them before the Normal type retaliates by using Feint Attack, hitting it in the gut and knocking the wind out of it. Muttering his next move which only Meowth could hear, the Normal type then lands to the floor, swiping its opponent feet with its tail before extending its claws, landing a Slash in the form of an uppercut.

"Signal Beam, shotgun style!" Hearing the order, Electabuzz obeyed as it let out a barrage of rainbow blasts from its head which its opponent was able to evade. After a while and being unable to get closer to their bipedal opponent, Red was caught was when two blasts placed perfectly across each other, the shockwave blowing Meowth forward before it went face first to a Brick Break, much to Red's surprise and Lt. Surge's glee.

"Meowth, you ok?" The teen said with a concerned to which the Scratchcat shook itself and stretched before giving a nod. 'Yeah…I'm alright.'

"Alright, Meowth, let's do this." Red said then whispering some words to the Normal-type which made it smile before it lunge forward and running circles around the yellow striped monster, the action perplexing both the Pokemon and its blonde trainer. "At attention, Electabuzz. Observe and try to hit it with Thunder Punch."

Seeing Meowth coming closer, Electabuzz tries to punch it only to be rewarded with failure, immediately countered with Slash. The exchanges continued along with Meowth using Taunt, angering Electabuzz which made its attacks more uncoordinated until it secured a hit on the Normal type, knocking the air of it while its takes a Slash to the face. Both Pokemon were distanced from the strikes, Meowth being sluggish which made a look of glee appear on Lt. Surge's face and worry appear on Leaf's. 'Oh no.'

"Brick Break now! End the battle!" Electabuzz runs forward while readying its fist before descending it towards the Normal type. Much to everyone's surprise, its opponent dodged which made the Electric type open to receiving a strike to the gut, making it fall on its back, much to everyone's confusion until the gym leader spotted the smirk on Red's face.

"H-he tricked me…" He could not continue his mutter as the Electric type takes a speedy barrage of attacks onto its body, knocking it out unconscious before seeing his opponent's Pokemon having a Cheshire grin on its face while the referee announce the results of the battle which was Meowth's victory. "He let me think it was paralyzed so that I could get close."

'Well, that was a nice exercise.' The Pokemon said, stretching her limbs and playing with her bell before returning by Red's side, getting petted by him along with some Berries for a job well done. He then hears loud cheering from Leaf which made him wonder if he could hide more under his cap.

"At attention, Raichu!" Lt. Surge releasing a brown mouse with orange pouches for cheeks with a menacing grin on its face as it braces itself for battle. Upon seeing the Pokemon, Red's expression hardened before looking at one of his Pokeball before one of them erupted, a light appearing on the field which revealed Clefairy. The pink fairy started exercising before it hopped in one spot, getting a laugh from Raichu but the gym leader looked at it with a serious glare.

"Thunderbolt now!" Lt. Surge's voice boomed throughout the gym, Raichu started crackling with electricity, the lightning increasing in potency before it discharges it, scorching part of the arena as it made its way to Clefairy.

"Use Copycat, Clefairy." Red muttered, his Pokemon letting out a similar blast, it being smaller and more disorientated before both attacks clashed, the mouse winning the collision. This continued for a while until Red was able to understand Raichu's moves, using Copycat and shooting underneath one of its Thunderbolts, arching it upwards and making it miss, much to Lt. Surge's surprise.

"Sorry, Clefairy does not…have a lot of…long ranged moves." The raven haired teen stated, a smile on his face as he redirects another Thunderbolt with Copycat, looking at the field being damaged and making a smile. "So Copycat is our best bet to levelling the field."

"That is good, private. Using your opponent's strength and power both to your advantage and also to study their attacks patterns as well. An admirable quality of a soldier." The blonde veteran commented before he sees that Clefairy seems to be a bit exhausted. "But how long can it hold on?"

"Yeah, you're right. Can't always…fight fire with fire. Let's…try another way then." This brought a raise of the brow from Lt. Surge and a look of confusion on Leaf's face before the teen continued. "Clefairy, Brick Break now!"

Grinning, Clefairy punched the ground repeatedly, cracking the floor and creating craters making everyone more bewildered except for Red who has a smirk on his face. Raichu then uses Thunderbolt, the attack creating a cloud of smoke.

"Oh no!" Leaf yelled with concern in her voice, only seeing everything obscured as she waited to see the results. Everyone could only look in awe when they see the raven haired teen standing on the field but no signs of Clefairy. Answering the collective questions on the Pokemon's whereabouts, it hops out of a crater, holding a boulder in its hands before it charges towards the electric rodent, taking the rock with it. Raichu uses another Thunderbolt which Clefairy responds by punching the rock it was carrying, it colliding with the move and stopping it, much to everyone's surprise.

"What th-" Lt. Surge nor his Pokemon did not have time to react as a Mega Kick connected to the mouse's face, sending it to the ground. Lt. Surge could let out a smirk before he looks at the teen, his smirk widening. "Using your surrounding as a weapon. Good job."

"It's not…perfect but we'll get…better with time…so we'll have to make do…with what we have now." The crimson eyed trainer said before scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

'Even so, that was an excellent countermeasure. In long range battles, most trainers are used to the normality of going in guns blazing and pull through with sheer strength and spirit. This is the reason why Pokemon like Machamp are stated to be losers in that specialty when it's just that their powers are being used incorrectly. Also, this way, his Clefairy does not have to use a lot of energy.' Lt. Surge said, a sweat bead travelling from his forehead to his cheek as he continued with a chuckle. 'Damn…the League may have their work cut out for them…not even sure the dragon punk was this good when he was this kid's age.'

"Combat position and use Thunder Punch!"

"Brick Break to block and get Mega Punch ready. I'll tell you when to use it."

Both Pokemon get ready as they lunge towards each other, fists raised as they both let out a flurry of punches towards the other, Clefairy playing defensive while Red observes the battle with unbreakable focus. As soon as Raichu uses its right arm and prepares for a strike, he spoke immediately. "Block right. Punch left."

The pink fairy followed immediately, blocking the right hook and responding with a punch to the electric rodent's cheek from its left. This continued for a while, Red's scarily good predictions whittling Raichu's defense, much to Lt. Surge's shock. 'From what I'm seeing, it looks like this kid has seen his fair share of boxing. He's like a coach.'

'That Raichu was nearly the grim reaper for my match until Nidoran evolved but he…found a way through all that. He's playing Lt. Surge for a fiddle this whole battle.' Leaf thought, her Buneary in awe as they saw the Fairy type duck under one of Raichu punches before Red commands it to counter it with a heavy blow to its stomach, resuming by landing a flurry of light jabs before ending the combo assault with a strong uppercut. Before the pink fairy could continue, Lt. Surge took the distance provided between them as an opportunity. "Switch tactics. Dig."

Raichu followed, spinning its body and disappearing into the ground, Red not missing a beat as he looks around the field and waits for a sound before he quickly makes his next move. "Go back to the crater now!"

'Not so fast.' The blonde man said before he snaps his fingers, making Raichu appear out of the ground in front of Clefairy. "Iron Tail now."

No sooner did the pink fairy get hit by Raichu's attack, knocking it halfway across the field before using Thunderbolt towards it, Leaf instantly smirked when she sees the look on Red's face. "Mega Kick to put yourself in the air."

Before anyone could react, Clefairy used the move to leap in the air, reaching the ceiling in seconds. Shaking away the surprise from its body, Raichu controls its attack and redirected it into the air, aiming at the pink fairy only to be stupefied once again when it uses Copycat to use Thunderbolt to propel itself out of the way of the blast and then jettison itself towards the electric rodent, landing a Mega Punch to its face and launching it to the floor.

"Dig now!"

Upon hearing the command, Raichu disappeared into the ground which made their opponents on alert as they look around for where it would attack until Red got an idea. "Use Mega Punch and Brick Break on the ground."

Clefairy did as told, pummeling the ground with both attacks, surprising both the referee and Lt. Surge at the amount of strength that the Pokemon has despite its size. Before long, the Electric type came out of the ground and swung its tail which the pink fairy caught, shocking the gym leader. He could not say his next move when his Pokemon was held by the tail by its opponent before Red shouts his next move. "Hold onto its tail and use Brick Break to punch it!"

It then follows, punching Raichu repeatedly and holding its tail like a ping pong ball on a paddle. Before long, the Electric type got back its second wind, about to release all the electricity in its body before Red caught on, voicing his next attack. "Finish it. Mega Punch."

Grabbing its opponent's tail with all the strength in its body, Clefairy pulls it forwards before bracing itself, lashing out by throwing a powerful punch to the electric rodent, rocketing it out of the field and creating a crater right behind Lt. Surge, the man awestruck when he sees his Pokemon unconscious.

"YES!" Leaf cheered, jumping up from her seat along with Buneary. She ran down the steps towards Red while he does a fist bump with Clefairy before launching herself towards him, making both of them fall to the ground.

'I miss doing this.' She thought, rubbing her cheek against his which made him blush out of embarassment from everyone seeing the both of them. 'I definitely miss this.'

They then hear a slow clap, seeing the gym leader walking towards them, Leaf not letting go of Red even as he stands up on his feet and stood at attention. "At ease, private."

The teen relaxed, earning a giggle from the brunette latching onto him before the man continued. "You fought like a soldier. The most intense battle I've had in a while and that's saying something. We need more like you who can think out of the box. Plus, it's good to see some of the new generation still showing respect when they see it."

He looked at Leaf as he said this, the girl in question throwing a razzberry at him before he sighs and continues. "I would like to know, that trick with Dig. How did you come across that idea?"

"I…mined with my dad when I was younger. When mining…my dad always tell me to be extra careful around…Pokemon that can dish out powerful attacks…like Earthquake and Brick Break, usually caves in the tunnel…so I tried it in battle…and it works."

"Interesting…I learned something today against my Ground weakness." The man said, a hand on his chin as he is deep in thought before he continues. "Well, anyways. Nice job! And to commemorate this…"

Lt. Surge takes out the Thunder badge from his jacket and hands it to Red along with the TM for Thunderbolt, a smile on the teen's face. Upon receiving the items, the teen salutes and words a 'thank you' before they say their farewells before the two teenagers leave the gym. A look of pride on the blonde man's face before his referee walks beside him before asking a question. "Lt. Surge, sir. Why didn't you arrest him? You heard the news, right?"

Lt. Surge did not falter when the man said that before looking towards the pier and saying. "Private. Do you believe in second chances in life?"

The question caught the man off guard before he straightened himself and answered honestly. "Uhhh…yes, sir. I do. I mean if we did not. The word 'Accident' wouldn't exist."

Lt. Surge hummed towards the referee's answer before putting his arms behind his back. "I see… We all make mistakes in life but that does not mean that some of us don't deserve a second chance…even if it's from the ones that we least expect."

The blonde man continues to look towards the pier until turning his gaze towards the direction of the fleeting teens, a thought on his mind along with an unreadable expression on his face.

'I have gotten my second chance. I hope that you make good of yours, young Fires.'

Phew, and done. This chapter was honestly not as story inducing as it was supposed to be but I had fun with it. I had to go through everyone to understand soldiers and cadet stuff in order to make Lt. Surge's character so it took me a while to get this chapter done. Apart from that, I'm happy about it and I hope that you guys love the battle. I never really had much for the Vermilion arc after this so we're pretty much finished from here so let me know all your opinions about the fight if you had any. Thanks for everything with the story. Hope y'all take care of yourselves and please be safe out there. Enigma out!