Gathered outside of the Academy, within the Terarium, while others began making preparations for the journey to Area Zero, some were in attendance to watch a thrilling and long awaited rematch between two trainers with very powerful teams.
On one end was newly crowned Champion Mark, the newest (and unwilling) Champion of the BB League after his near-victory over Kieran the day before.
On the other end, the Future Seekers' Rimuru Tempest, with an aura of mystery around him to most, considering he was pretty much a nobody just up and challenging Mark to disqualify his status as a champion. Whether this was staged or not, no one could tell, but everyone pretty much knew if he had the gall to challenge the champion… he HAD to have something up his sleeve, or not, and was just bluffing them all.
"Been waiting long enough for this showdown, Mark. You're gonna get me at my best now. No interrupting the fight. No overprotectiveness… I'm gonna give you everything I have and show you the bonds I have TRULY forged!" FS!Rimuru promised with a wide grin. "Since you are Champion, I expect you're gonna give me your best as well? Or are ya gonna slack off just to get out of the Champion spot~?" FS!Rimuru teased.
"As tempting as that is…you gacking wish!" Mark chuckled, hopping in place to psych himself up.
"Hah! I love the answer!" FS!Rimuru smiled. "Well… let's not waste any time then, shall we? SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT!"
Cue: Cynthia Battle Theme - Remix by GlitchxCity
Champion Mark
6 Pokémon
VS.
Rimuru Tempest
6 Pokémon
Champion Mark has been challenged by Challenger Rimuru Tempest!
"Let's go! Veldora and Ranga!" FS!Rimuru shouted, sending out a Palkia and Zamazenta, both named after his friends as they roared with the power of their battle bond, their forms morphed some to almost LOOK like Veldora and Ranga both!
Rimuru-Palkia: Veldora
Rimuru-Zamazenta: Ranga
The otherworlders merely raised their eyebrows (or some similar expression) while the BB students were shocked.
"Wait, is that Palkia?!" Lacey exclaimed.
"And a Zamazenta?! He's got two Legendaries?!" Carmine exclaimed.
"Huh. Guess Rimuru Alter is running a full Legend team." Scarlet remarked.
"He's got more Legendaries?!" Carmine asked.
"Mmmmmhm!" FS!Ruby nodded.
"Wow, you really were going easy on me before, weren't you?" Mark said as he sent out his first two Pokémon. "Chakra, Keiji, let's go!"
"(Very well, who is my next…)" Chakra started, before he looked up at the Palkia across from him. "(...Damnation.)" he cursed.
"(GWAHAHAHAHA! That's right! Cower in the face of the mighty Veldora!)" The Palkia boisterously laughed, inheriting Veldora's personality traits as well.
"(Haha! Don't get scared, former god! After all, this is a good opportunity!)" Keiji laughed as he stomped his feet. "(Let's have us a good fight!)"
"(Rimuru-sama's will and mine are one. You'll find me no easy foe.)" The Zamazenta stated, sounding like Ranga.
"Okay, you guys… HAVE AT IT!" FS!Rimuru smiled.
"Wait, he's letting them fight on their own!?" Parvati asked.
On cue, Ranga (Zamazenta) leapt into the air as he seemed to be summoning a Thunder attack, only it turned dark and black as the group suddenly caught on to what it truly was, it was being combined with Black Lightning to form Black Thunder! Black streaks of Thunderous might shot down from the sky towards Chakra and Keiji!
Black Thunder
Type: Electric
Base Power: 130
Accuracy: 95
PP: 8
Has a chance to Paralyze Target. Chance increases on super effective hits.
"(What did that boy get us into?!)" Chakra exclaimed as he threw up a Light Screen to block the Black Thunder, before responding with a Charge Beam.
Jumping between them was Veldora (Palkia) as he was charging up an attack of some sort.
"(KA… ME… HA… ME… HA!)" He shouted as he fired a Hydro Pump that was mixed with spatial energy that swallowed the Charge Beam whole!
Hydro Kamehameha
Type: Water
Base Power: 170
Accuracy: 80
PP: 5
"(Now this is a battle!)" Keiji laughed, charging forth with a Body Slam, smashing into Ranga (Z). "(Hope we can be a challenge for you!)"
"(Gyahaha! Bring it!)" Veldora (P) shouted.
"...On one hand, I'm glad Alter Rimuru's feeling a lot better thanks to me and this multiverse's Rimuru. On the other hand… Mark's screwed." Zeo sweatdropped.
"Brother, what the hell have you done?" Akira questioned.
"Well how was I supposed to know Alter Rimuru has Legendaries in his team?!" Zeo retorted.
"It's Rimuru." Kazuma pointed out.
"Akira, don't criticize Zeo, your brother did the right thing." Hope said. "Siege's Rimuru needed the exposure he had so he could change his outlook. Is it right to just let someone wallow in their own self hatred and despair forever?"
"True." Akira noted. "At least he's feeling better."
"Besides, Mark and his team can handle this. We've faced Legendary Pokémon ourselves. Plus, as powerful as they are, they're not unstoppable. They have weaknesses just like everyone else." Frosta said.
"Also true." Gaius nodded.
"(Veldora!)" Ranga (Z) exclaimed.
"(Yeah! You lead!)" Veldora (P) exclaimed as Ranga (Z) prepared to unleash Behemoth Bash, as he formed a massive shield, while forming a horn on his head similar to Ranga's, while Veldora (P) pounded his fists together, the shoulder plates glowing to unleash a massively powered up Spacial Rend, his physique glowing azure similar to Veldora's dragon state.
"(Behemoth Bash and Spatial Rend! We will not survive these attacks!)" Chakra said.
"(Let's beat them to the punch then! You go for the wolf, I'll handle Palkia!)" Keiji declared as he charged the alternate Spacial Pokémon.
"(Just because I'm resistant to it, doesn't mean it won't hurt!)" Chakra yelled, before he gritted himself. "(To Naraka with it all!)" he raged as he buffed every stat he could before launching a Swift towards the Warrior Pokémon, charging behind it.
"(GYAHAHAHAHA! TAAAKE THIIIIIS!)" Veldora (P) yelled as he launched Spatial Rend which followed behind Zamazenta, also charging behind it, as both ends flew towards one another.
"Uhmm… should we be bracing for this clash?" FS!Ruby asked.
"...You know what, good idea." Alkal said. "Brace yourselves!"
The attendees did so as the four Pokémon made impact, creating a massive burst of pressure that rocked the court platform. When the dust cleared, both Chakra and Keiji were knocked out…as well as Ranga (Z).
"It's a double knockout for Mark, but Chakravartin got Zama-Ranga!" Flamberge said.
"(Aw dammit! Ranga, pal, you alright!?)" Veldora (P) exclaimed.
"(I'll… be fine… Veldora…)" Ranga (Z) whined as FS!Rimuru recalled him.
"You did good, take a nice rest, buddy." FS!Rimuru smiled before taking out his next Pokéball. "Show him what you have, Rigurd!"
FS!Rimuru's next Pokémon turned out to be Urshifu, who looked just about as bulky as the first attendant to Rimuru had looked, as he looked just as devout as well, as he flexed himself.
"(I am here, Rimuru-sama! I will not let you down!)" Rigurd (U) stated as he put his fist and palm together, ready to fight. It was clear from Rigurd's stance afterwards that he was trained in the Single-Strike Style.
"Okay, Single-Strike. Got it." Mark said, sending out his next two Pokémon. "Ranmaru, Tadakatsu, you got this!"
"(Legendaries, eh?)" Tadakatsu observed. "(I would have liked to trade blows with Dialga, but Palkia is just as good.)"
"(Kieran's forces were one thing, but testing myself against those who would be considered gods of our world? I'm not sure I'm ready for such a battle…)" Ranmaru said. "(But even so…Lord Nobunaga would not back down from this challenge. So neither will I!)"
"(Good spirit, Ranmaru. I'll deal with Palkia. You take the Urshifu.)" Tadakatsu said.
"(So the little one is my challenge?)" Rigurd (U) asked. "(I hope you are prepared, I will not go easy on you, for Rimuru-sama!)"
"(Gyahahahah! Come on, all of you! I'll take you all on! For I am the mighty-!)" Veldora (P) exclaimed.
"Veldora, stop gloating or you'll-!" FS!Rimuru exclaimed.
"(Too late!)" Tadakatsu said as he made Vel-Palkia eat a fully charged Hyper Beam. Veldora couldn't dodge in time as he was too busy gloating, and took it right in the face.
"(*cough* …He… hits strong… Hehe…!)" Veldora (P) comically coughed before he collapsed.
"You moron… Take a break." FS!Rimuru sighed as he recalled Palkia.
"It's all tied up now!" Crispin said. "Man, this battle is awesome, and it's barely started!"
Unseen by everyone else, Kieran was watching the battle, as even he was blown away by what was happening.
"(If I can get my hands on the Hidden Treasure… then maybe…)" Kieran thought.
"Let's turn up the heat, Benimaru!" Rimuru exclaimed as he sent out a Reshiram next, as it blazed onto the field of battle, fiery eyes looking at his foes.
"(Your wish is mine to command. Let's forge our future, Rimuru-sama.)" Reshiram (B) stoically declared.
"Whoa, he's even got one of our region's own on his team!" Crispin said.
"Hehe, that guy's pretty skilled, isn't he?" Drayton remarked.
"(And now, a new challenge appears.)" Tadakatsu remarked as he closed the distance between him and the Legendary with a Zen Headbutt.
"(Hrmph. I'll not lose to anyone so simply.)" Benimaru (Re) declared as he turned to Tadakatsu. "(Sorry, but I must secure victory for Rimuru-sama. No matter the fight.)"
Suddenly, a black flame rose above Benimaru's (Re) head, as everyone could see that it looked like Fusion Flare… but it was black in color, as Benimaru glared at Tadakatsu.
"(FUSION HELL FLARE!)" Benimaru (Re) yelled as the black Fusion Flare SLAMMED down towards Tadakatsu!
Fusion Hell Flare
Type: Fire
Base Power: 160/200 (200 if used against Dragon Types)
Accuracy: 100
PP: 8
Despite his resistance to Fire types, Tadakatsu was still hit hard by the attack, yet continued to press on regardless. "(The last time I was struck down, it was dishonorable. This time…I intend to fall on my terms!)" he declared as he struck Benimaru (Re) with a combo of Thunder Punches, Hammer Arms, and Bullet Punches.
"(Krrrgh… You're like an annoying fly…)" Benimaru (Re) growled.
Meanwhile, Ranmaru was avoiding strong strikes from Rigurd (U) as he threw them strong yet at a fast pace, as he planted his feet down.
"(You won't escape! Aerial Chop!)" Rigurd (U) declared, combining Cross Chop and Aerial Ace for a devastating move!
Aerial Chop
Type: Flying
Base Power: 120
Accuracy: - (Never Misses)
PP: 10
Ranmaru's weakness to the Flying type hit him hard as he was sent skittering back, only a timely planting of his feet on the ground keeping him on the court.
"(A Combination Move… and likely only one of several.)" Ranmaru noted. "(However, it may have given me an opening…!)" he thought as he used Quick Attack in a zig-zag pattern to keep from getting hit until he reached Rigurd (U), planting a paw on his opponent's leg. "(Now, Counter!)"
"(Eh?)" Rigurd (U) would ask before he got nailed in the leg by the sudden power behind the paw, leaving him wide open for a straight upward kick from Ranmaru, as striking with double of the damage back was enough to comically send Rigurd (U) through the air before he slammed down at FS!Rimuru's feet with swirled eyes, KO'd by the attack. "(Uoooooooh…)"
"I guess I should have expected that… not bad, Rigurd, not bad at all. You earned a rest." FS!Rimuru smiled, recalling him.
"Yeah! Mark's got the lead 4 to 3 now!" Lacey cheered. "That's our champion for you! Wooooooo!"
"Er, Lacey…?" Amarys asked, noticing how Lacey was acting a bit out of character as she realized and composed herself.
"M-My apologies. Even I cant contain my excitement, it seems." Lacey blushed in embarrassment.
"(Well, that's one opponent down. Now, how is Tadakatsu…?)" Ranmaru looked to the big screen, only to see that his partner was down to one HP. Looking over, he saw the Metagross stumbling a bit, as Benimaru (Re) was covered in punch marks.
"(The Tough Claws Ability…)" Benimaru (Re) growled, as he snarled. "(If this continues….!)"
"(I have you now… hehehe… take… THIS!)" Tadakatsu exclaimed, throwing an attack…
Only for a CLANG to resound, as standing before Benimaru (Re) was a Solgaleo which seemed to have a very refined beard.
"Great save, Gazel!" Rimuru smiled.
"(Had a bit of trouble, did you, Benimaru?)" Gazel (S) quipped with a toothy smile.
"(I merely miscalculated. I thank you for the aid.)" Benimaru (Re) declared.
"(Of course. Now.)" Gazel (S) declared, turning to Tadakatsu. "(I believe you need a nap.)"
"(...Ah, well-)" Tadakatsu remarked before being planted down by a Focus Blast from Gazel (S).
"And Rimuru just tied it again." FS!Ruby snickered.
"But you gotta give it to Mark, he's going against an All-Legendary team who can battle on their own without any commands from your Rimiru." Hope said. "And while he's down to three, so is his opponent."
"Phew, that's the two reps from the Terarium down…" Mark said, sending out his Perfect Link. "You're up, Asura!"
"(Another Reshiram?)" Asura observed Benimaru (Re). "(That reporter girl had one as her Link during the PLT2. Damn Fire attacks…)" he grumbled.
"(And that means anything to me? You're another obstacle for Rimuru-sama. One I aim to eliminate.)" Benimaru (Re) declared.
"(Not this time!)" Asura declared as he started off with a Magical Leaf.
"(And just what are you doing to my injured friend, sir?)" Gazel (S) politely asked as he straight up shot Flamethrower after the fact, right into Asura's face, while also rushing at him, coated in Psychic Energy for a Zen Headbutt!
Zen Flamethrower Headbutt
Type: Fire/Psychic
Base Power: 90 Special, 80 Physical, 170 Total
Accuracy: 100
PP: 10
"(Damnation!)" Asura yelled as he met Gazel (S)'s charge with a Focus Punch, getting pushed back to the edge of the field. "(I am not…losing to a Fire Legendary again!)" he declared.
BURST
Pouring Fighting type energy into his fist, Asura turned the Focus Punch into a Drain Punch, sapping away the Solgaleo's HP to replenish the amount lost to the Flamethrower.
"(That's not going to help much, I'm afraid.)" Gazel (S) apologized, increasing the Psychic type energy behind his attack.
"(Actually…it's working perfectly.)" Asura said, looking over his opponent's shoulder, which Gazel noticed.
"(...The Riolu!)" Gazel realized as he turned to see Ranmaru hitting Benimaru (Re) with a Low Kick attack, sending them crashing to the ground.
"(I admire the dedication to your lord. May it serve you well in the future.)" Ranmaru bowed in respect.
"(Rimuru-sama…)" Benimaru (Re) groaned as he lay defeated.
"You did fine, Benimaru." FS!Rimuru declared, returning him.
With Gazel (S)'s gaze averted to Ranmaru, Asura and Ranmaru had a perfect window to play to type advantage and put them up by 2 Pokémon. As the Riolu dashed towards the other Pokémon on the field, Asura used a Force Palm to push Gazel (S) off of him.
"(Ranmaru, now!)" Asura declared as the two leaped up into the air, each of them charging a Close Combat. To two each hit their Fighting type attacks on Gazel (S)'s head, sending him crumpling to the ground.
"(And to make sure you stay down…!)" Asura said, bulking up before he coated his arm in green metal, landing an uppercut that sent the Solgaleo onto his back, knocked out.
FS!Rimuru recalled Gazel (S) after the attacks finished, as he smiled softly as things got… eerily quiet for a few moments.
(End current theme)
"...Did… he snap again?" FS!Ruby asked.
"I hope not…" Parvati remarked.
"Gotta say, Mark." FS!Rimuru stated. "You really do deserve to be a Champion. You've taken out 5 Pokémon I bonded so close with they became beyond legendaries…" FS!Rimuru stated, tossing a simple Pokéball up and down, as if building up tension for the release of it. "...But I think you'll find you wished you'd saved this one for when you didn't have more than one left. Because now, she and I… we have all the reason to go all. Out."
"...Wait… what does he have to make him say that…?" FS!Ruby asked.
"Uhhh, not sure…" Kathlaa remarked, before FS!Rimuru tossed the Pokéball high, as the sunlight caught it, as it shimmered… before it opened up, and down shot a powerful aura as it slammed to the ground, covering itself in dust before the dust settled….
Revealing… an Ogerpon.
"!?" FS!Ruby gasped.
"...Is… that…!?" Parvati exclaimed.
"How did he get an OGERPON!?" Rutega exclaimed.
Kieran was left speechless as he beheld the sight of Rimuru Alter's Ogerpon. "There's…more than one ogre…?" he said to himself in a desperately hopeful tone. "M-Maybe…" he said, before shaking it off. "No…I-I have to get stronger first. Only then…"
"Man, you are just full of surprises, huh?" Mark chuckled. "But… What makes you believe you can defeat my best team with your one Pokémon? That's a hard feat. Even for the best of Trainers."
"I saw you and your Ogerpon fight, Mark. It was impressive. But there's one thing you lack that me and Ogera here have." FS!Rimuru stated. "A kindred bond. See, her history, like most histories between our dimensions, was different. Her friend abandoned her. Everyone abandoned her. Those masks of hers, they were a gift from an old sage, and what's worse, they're all damaged, from her trying to fend for herself. Something she and I share: We've had to fend for ourselves after the world spit on us and threatened to kill us. I gotta give you props though, Mark." FS!Rimuru smiled as he held up the Magic Seal Mask, which was cracked from where Mark had punched it, as Rimuru put it on, the mask showing his left eye. As Ogera donned her first mask… it too had a crack in it. Over the left eye.
Cue: Battle Against a True Hero - Metal Symphonic Cover by FalKKonE
"You gave us even more reason to bond since my mask shares the damage on all of hers. Now prepare to feel the wrath of our combined strength and kindredship!" FS!Rimuru roared.
Ogera: Rimuru's Ogerpon
Phase 1: Hearthflame Mask
Type: Grass/Fire
"(Rimuru's the only friend I've ever had. So I can't… no… I WON'T lose here and now. I've come too far to lose.)" Ogera stated firmly as she and Rimuru raised their weapons as one, Rimuru's sword catching pure flames to signify the current typing, as Ogera's mask changed to the Hearthflame Mask's colors, as the two of them took their stance, sharing a very strong Battle Bond. Perhaps stronger than any Trainer before… Ogera wasn't going down easy. Neither would FS!Rimuru. Immediately, Ogera opened up by glancing Ranmaru's way, and blinking to the other side of him. "(You did well, pup, take a breather.)" Ogera would say.
"(Huh-!?)" Ranmaru gasped before the power of Zen Headbutt crashed into him, putting him down with the strength of the Psychic Move, as Ogera blinked back to the front of FS!Rimuru.
"Holy-!" Mark almost cursed before he caught himself. "O-kay…that's a thing. Well, guess it's only fair I'm down to two! Ogerpon, you're up!" he said, sending his version of the Mask Pokémon out.
"(I'm ready! Who's…)" she started to ask before she saw Ogera. "(Wait…is that…me?)"
"(Get used to it quickly, girl.)" Asura said as he powered up. "(This one won't go down easily.)"
"(Right!)" Ogerpon said, donning her Wellspring Mask.
"(So… A god of Wrath and a shadow of my true self.)" Ogera declared as she looked at the two opponents in front of her. "(Tell me, angry God, what drives your anger so much? I know our Asura has learned to control his anger to the point it doesn't completely dominate his thoughts. It's shameful, actually, to see you as such an angry Pokémon.)" Ogera declared to Asura with a mix of an empathetic and almost condescending tone at once.
"(There's a difference between angry and annoyed.)" Asura said. "(You aren't an enemy, so I can't go full force on you yet. Besides…I can tell you have some simmering anger yourself.)" he countered, powering up. "(Let's work it out of your system, shall we?!)"
Asura leaped towards Ogera, as she looked at him in unamusement almost, as she easily evaded his blows before using Low Sweep to knock him into the air despite it being not very effective, as her club caught flames.
"(BLACK FLAME CUDGEL!)" Ogera yelled, as the flames turned black again, before it smacked Asura for Super Effective damage and sending him flying.
Black Flame Cudgel
-Usable Only With Hearthflame Mask
Type: Fire
Power: 175
Accuracy: 100
PP: 10
Ogera then looked towards Mark's Ogerpon, as her visible eye hardened. "(And then we have you…. I wonder how well off you had it… All the stories say the same about how it was supposed to go. You had a friend. The friend went missing. And all your memoirs were nice and shiny masks. These masks are all I have left to know humanity has some good left in them, damaged from those three losers I murdered in cold blood. And here you are, no scars to show you have any lingering feelings left.)" Ogera spoke bitterly. "(Did you have fun learning about Mark and his happy crew!? Did you have FUN getting all your Masks in a row!? I didn't join Rimuru because it was fun. He needed me. I needed him. We need each other. And I won't let a mirror image of myself step between OUR victory!)" Ogera yelled in anger as she stomped her foot, sending a mix of Trailblaze and Magical Leaf at Mark's Ogerpon!
"(Looks like you've got some issues yourself…)" Ogerpon said as she dodged the attack. "(But I'm not about to lose here either!)"
Ogerpon then drew her Ivy Cudgel as it surged with water and scored a clean super effective AND critical hit, knocking Ogera off balance ans sending her Hearthglame mask off her face.
Ogera stumbled back with a growl of anger, as her Mask clattered onto the ground as it revealed something no one had seen on first glance: Remnants of lethal poison from the Loyal Three, going across her right eye, as she glowered at her foes.
"(You think I'm done? Just like that? FAR FROM IT!)" Ogera yelled as she flipped on her own Wellspring Mask.
Phase 2: Wellspring Mask
Type: Water/Grass
"(Here's a little something for you! STEEL THREAD!)" Ogera yelled as suddenly, very hard to see threads pinned Mark's Ogerpon and Asura in place, keeping them there!
Steel Threads
Type: Water
Power: - (Status Move)
Accuracy: - (Never Misses)
This move inflicts Paralysis on all opposing Pokémon. Every turn for the next 5 turns they attempt to use an attacking move (status moves can be used without penalty), regardless of what it is, they take damage from a BP 40 Water Type move.
"(I have you right where I want you now!)" Ogera yelled as she jumped up, channeling the sun's energy. She was going to unleash a Solar Beam!
"(Uh oh!)" Ogerpon realized as she decided to take a gamble and switch to her Heartflame Mask, right before the Solar Beam was launched and hit hit. Due to the resistance, Ogerpon and Asura both survived, but the Steel Threads still threatened to impede their attacks and damage them, leaving room for more ranged attacks.
"(With every careless move we make following the next 4 attacks from that Ogre, we'll take damage. We can't risk attacking.)" Asura said.
"(Uh…oh, okay!)" Ogerpon said. "(Then how about we make not careless moves? How tough do you think these threads are?)"
"(...Not tough enough.)" Asura said, waving a hand at Mark.
"Time for that then? Gotcha!" Mark said, fishing out his Tera Orb. "But I can only use it on one of them. Which one…?" he thought as he looked between his two Pokémon, before he saw the look in Ogerpon's eyes. "...Right." he said, tossing the Tera Orb to her.
"(Just need to change really quick, and…!)" Ogerpon said, switching to the Teal Mask before the Tera Orb hit her as she Terastalized, the Teal Mask turning into its Terastal form. The strength of the form allowed Ogerpon to break off the Steel Threads (taking damage in the process) before she charged straight towards her counterpart.
Ogera simply shook her head at her counterpart, as she suddenly dashed right for her. "(You FOOL!)"
Suddenly, she spiraled at Mark's Ogerpon, which made her realize… She was using U-TURN!
Strangely, Ogerpon made no attempt to dodge out of the way, still heading towards the opposing Pokémon. The two collided, but instead of striking out, Ogerpon leaped forwards…
"What's Ogerpon doing? Ogera's gonna…" Eddy started before Double D shushed him.
"I believe I know what's happening…" the sock-headed boy said.
Ogera finished her attack, standing in the middle of the court, with her counterpart still holding on. She was confused on what attack Ogerpon was using, until she realized:
It wasn't an attack.
"(I'm sorry you had to go through all that…)" Ogerpon told her counterpart as she hugged her. "(I…can't imagine what it must've been like. But…I'm glad you're okay with your Rimuru now.)"
"(Wh… what are you… wh… what is this…?)" Ogera asked, as instinctively, tears began to form, as her one-eyed eye showed them forming. "(...Are you… giving me… …a… hug… like… like Rimuru did when… …when….)"
Ogera only sobbed, her anger ebbing away to her true agonizing emotions of being truly alone, with no friends except Rimuru to tend to her, as the Battle Bond caused FS!Rimuru to feel this, as he clutched his heart, closing his eyes to not allow himself to cry.
"(It's okay to cry.)" Ogerpon said as she held her counterpart. "(It just means other people can know when you need help. And…I wanna help you. So…)" she started, sounding nervous. "(...Could I…be your friend too?)" she asked.
Ogera's eyes widened further as more tears came, leaking through her mask as she sobbed a bit, looking so unsure of herself before she closed her eyes and cried, holding Ogerpon in return as FS!Rimuru choked up, his eyes tearing up as he tried to hide it.
"Whoa! Ogerpon with a Pacifist play outta nowhere!" Flamberge said.
"Shut it, you dummy!" Kathlaa hissed as she smacked Flamberge so hard she face planted the ground. "Let them have a moment in peace!"
"(...Other than Rimuru-sama… I was never asked… to be anyone's friend…)" Ogera sobbed as she closed her eyes. "(...Is this world… not as cruel as I thought…? Are there… actually good willed people and Pokémon out there…?)" Ogera asked through more sobs and tears.
"(There are. And…there are bad ones too.)" Ogerpon said. "(But…I think it's a lot more complicated than that. It isn't easy to find the good ones. So… maybe we just need to look for them. And…yeah, we might get hurt on the way, but…if we can find those truly good people, and be friends with them…I think that's worth the risk.)"
"(...Yes.)" Ogera finally stated, her tears slowing down. "(Yes… I'll be friends with you…. It may take me a while to… truly open up. I still haven't opened up fully to Rimuru-sama… but… we can be friends… but promise me… one thing, okay? ….When this battle is done, just don't freak out about me.)"
"(Of course!)" Ogerpon promised.
"(...Then what are we waiting for.)" Ogera smiled as she suddenly leapt back. "(Give me your all like a true friend would!)" She exclaimed, dashing forward for another U-Turn!
This time, Ogerpon avoided it by using her increased speed thanks to Embody Aspect and gave Ogera another big hit with Ivy Cudgel, its power increased thanks to the terastal phenomenon.
Ogera's mask was knocked off again, as Rimuru growled, clutching his face.
'Not good… She's down two masks already, and I haven't even finished Asura… what's worse, all I have left are two masks that put me at more disadvantage than true advantage… ugh… just have to make them work…' FS!Rimuru thought, as he raised his sword again, this time raising the Earth around him, as Ogera put on the Cornerstone Mask, and shot a Rock Tomb at Ogerpon and Asura both, which snapped all remaining Steel Threads, freeing the God of Wrath Breloom.
Phase 3: Cornerstone Mask
Type: Grass/Rock
"(Damn… that wasn't supposed to happen…)" Ogera remarked. "(This just got a looot tougher-)"
"(RAAAH!)" Asura yelled, landing a proper punch on Ogera, which knocked her Cornerstone Mask clean off thanks to the Fighting Type effectiveness, bringing Ogera down to only her Teal Mask as FS!Rimuru sweat a bit.
"I don't think we're gonna make it… sorry, Mark… I gave it my best shot to get you out of this…." FS!Rimuru thought as Ogera donned her Teal Mask.
Phase 4: Teal Mask
Type: Grass
"(Hearthflame time!)" Ogerpon said as she switched to her Hearthflame mask, while she was still Terastalized, switching speed for physical attack. "(One more time…Ivy Cudgel!)"
"(Not this time! HIYAAAAH!)" Ogera yelled, clashing Ivy Cudgels with Ogerpon, as it opened the door wide for Asura!
BURST
Flick Left Stick forward!
Asura ran full speed towards Ogera, summoning his other arms, reeling two of them back and striking Rimuru's partner with duel Mach Punches.
Flick Right Stick forward!
The Breloom repeated the action with the arms on the opposite side.
Flick Both Sticks forward!
Asura then cocked all six of his arms back, charging a Focus Punch to each.
"(Gotten most of your anger out? Good…)" Asura said as he launched his attacks. "(Now learn to use the rest for something better!)" he said as Ogera went sailing across the court, tumbling to the end of the field.
"GUAAAAGH!" FS!Rimuru exclaimed, clutching his chest due to how hard the attack hit, stumbling hard enough he was next to his partner, his own mask falling off as he panted.
(End theme)
"Huff… huff… O… Ogera… I'm sorry… I…" FS!Rimuru remarked, clutching his chest in pain, before he watched Ogera stand up. "...Wha…?"
"(...No… I won't… I'm not done…)" Ogera winced in pain as she looked at FS!Rimuru. "(I can't just let those masks define me anymore… I'm not gonna just lie down and lose while I still have the fight in me…!)"
"...Hah…. Damn…" FS!Rimuru laughed. "...I knew you had more spunk than I did…"
"(Don't say that… you got me out of that mess.)" Ogera laughed before the two of them both stood up, as FS!Ruby looked in shock.
"...No way… they're still gonna fight!? How!?" FS!Ruby exclaimed.
"...Look." Rutega remarked, watching the two as they suddenly began mimicking each other's moves, with FS!Rimuru drawing his sword, and Ogera doing a similar motion with her Ivy Cudgel, as if a Z Move was coming up.
"It's time to show you… our bond goes beyond the mask." FS!Rimuru laughed. "Win or lose, do or die…"
"(You want me at my best? You're both getting me at my best… But at the end of it all…)" Ogera said with a smile.
"WE GO DOWN TOGETHER!"
Cue: Dialga's Fight to the Finish! - Metal Cover by GaMetal
With an eruption of dark spatial energy, FS!Rimuru and Ogera both powered up, as Ogera leapt forward, while FS!Rimuru mimicked her stance from behind, as if he was a controller for her, the two locked in a firm bond as they stared down Asura and Ogerpon.
Final Phase: True Battle Bond! Rimuru-Ogera!
Type: Grass/Spectral
NEW TYPE!
Spectral
Strong Against: Fighting, Fairy, Dragon, Steel
Weak Against: Normal, Ghost, Electric, Ground
"...Okay, hold the phone." Mark said. "I'm sorry, did…did you invent a type?"
"...Uhhhh…. Did I?" FS!Rimuru asked, completely confused.
"(Did we? I thought we just did a cool power up and that was it, I didn't think… …Huh.)" Ogera mused.
"...What in the name of Arceus is going on?!" Zeo, Akira and Gaius mentally exclaimed.
"A Battle Bond…" Hibiki whispered in awe.
"But in an unexpected way… Impressive." Luca remarked.
"Giratina and I got a lot of catching up to do." Kiana commented.
"And I need to get a Keystone and Blastoise's Mega Stone." Chris added.
"Same for me and Sceptile's Mega Stone." Houki also added.
"So… just what kind of type did you invent, Rimuru?" FS!Ruby asked.
"You think I know!?" FS!Rimuru exclaimed.
"Anyone got a Pokédex on them? A Rotomphone maybe?" Rutega asked.
"I'll try to salvage this." Mayumi said as she looks up the new type. "What the heck? It's got its own chart and everything! Okay… Let's see… It says here that it's super effective against Fighting, Fairy, Dragon and Steel. And it is weak to Normal, Ghost, Electric and Ground. Finally, something to have Normal-types for!"
"(Okay that's a little embarrassing…)" Ogera admitted.
"Push that aside and let's focus on what we do have. Let's start on Asura!" FS!Rimuru declared.
Charging up her Ivy Cudgel, it glowed with Spectral energy as Ogera dashed at Asura at blazing speeds!
"Now this is a development…" Mark noted. "Okay gang, focus on using Normal-Type attacks! That should wear them down!"
"(Fine then!)" Asura said, drawing on Normal-type energy, and dashing forth to meet Ogera head on with a Giga Impact.
Ogera quickly evaded the attack, as she swung her Cudgel full force into Asura for Super Effective damage!
Spatial Cudgel
Type: Spectral
Power: 100
Accuracy: 100
That attack was the final straw for Asura, who sailed away, slipping into unconsciousness, his last act to fire a Swift attack at Ogera before he landed outside the field.
"(Argh..!)" Ogera yelled in pain as the attack hit.
"(And with that, it's down to me.)" Ogerpon said. "(I probably won't be able to come from behind on this, but you know? I'm happy! Both Rimuru and Mark are getting what they want in the end. Mark won't have to be the BB League Champion, Rimuru's all better… and you're finally seeing the light yourself. So even if I lose here, it's still a win for everyone.)"
"(Hah…. I guess for us both it is a win. So let's give it our all! Here! AND NOW!)" Ogera smiled.
"You know what that means! It's TIME!" FS!Rimuru shouted as the two of them powered up, as Ogera raised her Ivy Cudgel, as spatial energy charged up, summoning multiple numbers of almost watery forms in the air, all aimed at Ogerpon.
"...You're kidding me…!" FS!Ruby exclaimed.
"Ogera… She's using Megiddo!" Parvati exclaimed.
"Is it really…?!" Ethox asked.
"Yup, it totally is." MH!Rimuru replied
Megiddo Cudgel
Type: Spectral
Base Power: 200
Accuracy: 95
PP: 8
"(Hmm…okay, let's see if…)" Ogerpon concentrated, as she tried to draw on both Grass and Normal type energy, as she raised her own Cudgel. "(Here we go! Retaliation Cudgel-!)"
The attack fizzled out almost immediately.
"(Oh, it didn't work.)" Ogerpon pouted. "(...Uh oh.)" she said simply, too late to throw up a Protect as the Megiddo Cudgel hit her dead on.
When the dust cleared, everyone in the audience looked on in awe as the cloud cleared, revealing Ogerpon knocked out in Mark's arms, the trainer smiling despite it all.
"You were amazing out there, Ogerpon." Mark smiled. "Well…that's all six of my Pokémon. That means…I lose." he said, cracking a smile.
"Great fight, Mark." Hibiki complimented. "But that was a very close battle."
"On the bright side, at least Alter Rimuru unlocked a new Battle bond." Kiana added.
"...Haha… haha…. HAHAHAHAHA! We won, Ogera! WE WON!" FS!Rimuru exclaimed.
"Heyyy Kieran, you know what thaaat meaaans?" FS!Ruby asked.
"Mark's disqualified from being champion, and that means Kieran's the champ! Again!" Parvati cheered.
Kieran didn't bother replying to those statements, instead watching Mark as the half-angel smiled. "Even when he loses…he's still happy?" Kieran thought to himself. "Would he have been like that if I won? Does… does he actually still consider me a…" he wondered, before he turned around and walked away, looking conflicted.
"Well, now that we have that all said and done…" FS!Rimuru smiled. "I suppose I should explain what Ogera meant when she told Ogerpon not to freak out when she saw her after the battle, right?"
"Yeah, so what was that all about?" Glimmer asked.
"Well… I hope none of you guys freak out if I'm honest. Ogera?" FS!Rimuru nodded towards, as Ogera nodded before she suddenly tossed up her Ivy Cudgel… as it suddenly grew in size, turning into a sizable club a human could wield, and soon enough, a human hand would catch it. Revealing a young woman with green hair tied into a ponytail, having horns on her head similar to Rimuru, wearing a white undershirt, black pants and sneakers, and a hoodie that changed colors depending on what Mask she wore, as the scar left by the Loyal Three was now much more visible over her right eye.
"Surprise, everyone." Ogera smiled. "I'm a gijinka."
Every single trainer watching the battle was shocked, but none of the heroes were that surprised….Except Team XDR being confused as heck.
"...A what?" Team XDR blinked in confusion.
"Gijinka. A Pokémon capable of taking human form, basically." Entrapta answered.
"There's a few in Richard and Siege's team rosters, but from what we've seen, they either don't exist in the Color-Verse, or we haven't run into one on this side yet." Emo added. "Who knows, maybe your reality's got some and you just haven't met 'em."
"Hmm…" Houki mused as she stared at her Treeko and the other Pokémon partners from Team XDR. "Guess we'll find out in time."
"I honestly had a feeling you were one. I've seen Gijinkas before, so I wasn't really surprised much." Hope said.
"Well, how about that…" Mark chuckled, pulling out one of his Full Restores and using it on Ogerpon.
"(H-Huh…? Oh…we lost, didn't we?)" Ogerpon asked.
"Yeah, but you did great out there." Mark smiled. "Ogera thinks so too."
"(Oh, really? Ogera, did I-?)" Ogerpon asked, before she realized what her counterpart looked like and gasped, jumping from Mark's arms and racing over. "(Oh my goodness, you're so pretty!)" she squeed, stars in her eyes. "(Is that a move I don't know? Can I learn how to get a form like that?)" she asked.
"Ah… eh… uhm… well… I- Wait, I'm… pretty!?" Ogera asked in shock.
"That's the part you're worried about?" FS!Rimuru deadpanned.
"S-sorry, I'm just n-not used to compliments like that!" Ogera flusteredly responded.
"Hey. If you're cute, you're cute. That's all you need to know." Kanade shrugged.
"Easy, Ogerpon, you're bound to make her brain reboot." Mark laughed as he approached FS!Rimuru. "That was a great match. Thanks for that." he said, offering a hand to his victorious opponent.
"Hey, I'm just glad we could have a proper one after last time. Given how I acted, I think I owed you one." FS!Rimuru smiled, shaking Mark's hand.
The students of BB Academy were left speechless at what they had just witnessed, many of them having their jaws hanging and mouths wide open in shock.
"D-Did that just happen?"
"No way…five Legendaries, and four of them knocked out?! That's actually possible?"
"How the heck did Rimuru's Pokémon turn into a human?!"
"What was that thing they used at the end there? A Battle Bond? I gotta figure out how to do that…"
"Oh boy…. Looks like I made some waves…" FS!Rimuru remarked with a sheepish grin.
"To be honest they don't understand the concepts of what we did yet." Ogera laughed.
"I guess that's true…but it's also hard to explain to them…" FS!Rimuru admitted.
"Can't you just rely on Great Sage?" Ogera asked.
"It doesn't work that way!" FS!Rimuru shouted.
"Yeah. Raphael is the same way." MH!Rimuru said.
"See! He gets it! …Wait. Duh. Of course he does." FS!Rimuru facepalmed.
"So since you called it Great Sage, guess your skill never evolved then, did it?" MH!Rimuru said.
"Well, no." FS!Rimuru answered. "Mainly because… well… you know." FS!Rimuru remarked, his tone hardening thinking about the past again, as Ogera put a hand on his shoulder, to show she was there for him, as it made him smile some.
"Ah…sorry." MH!Rimuru said.
"Don't be. From the looks of it, you and I took different routes to our Demon Lord status, didn't we? Great Sage was evaluating you the entire time, and there's definitely some key distinctions she found." FS!Rimuru remarked. "Did you ACTUALLY kill 1,000 humans to get to that point?"
"It was actually a lot more than that, but yeah. It was necessary to achieve my rise to Demon Lord." MH!Rimuru said. "But no worries…I only used the soldiers of Falmuth's army."
"Damn right. They deserve it." FS!Rimuru snarled. "...So then how was I… …I went a roundabout way to become a Demon Lord on my end, though I'm not exactly sure if I'm recognized as such just yet."
"Well I'm an Awakened Demon Lord and I'm already a member of Octagram, the 8 demon lords." MH!Rimuru said.
"...So then who did you replace?" FS!Rimuru asked.
"The Crazy Pierrot. That small fry Clayman. The one who caused the tragedy to begin with." MH!Rimuru said.
"...Clayman, eh? I'll have to remember that." FS!Rimuru darkly remarked. "Great Sage, make that note for me."
"Ooohh… I don't know if I like that bloodthirsty look in your eyes…" Ogera remarked with eyes of slight fear.
"So he caused it for us?" FS!Rimuru asked.
"Yeah. He was using us and Falmuth to try and evolve into a full Demon Lord." MH!Rimuru said. "But I beat him to the punch."
"That sneaky, sniveling…" FS!Rimuru growled.
"How about we save this talk AFTER this is all done!?" Ogera suggested. "We are sort of in a de-stress period right now, right? Let's make use of it."
"Ugh… you're right." FS!Rimuru sighed before looking to MH!Rimuru and making the 'keep in contact' signal to him, as if wanting to know ways to absolutely humiliate and embarrass his own Clayman.
MH!Rimuru replied by pretending to hold a phone and giving a thumbs up, to which FS!Rimuru nodded back, as Ogera watched this with a dread look on her face.
"Two Rimurus scheming together… why does this spell absolute disaster for the unlucky victim?" Ogera asked.
"No reason!" Both Rimurus spoke at once in total unison, with the same "innocent" smiles.
"Even in different multiverses, Rimuru's still Rimuru. But honestly, I'm okay with that." Zeo smiled.
"Yeah…it's not gonna end pretty…for the other guy." Theo said.
"Aaaanyways, what else needs done before we head off to Area Zero?" FS!Ruby asked.
"We still have 2 weeks before the expedition begins. We can always take care of some side stuff. Capturing Pokémon from Paldea, Kitakami and the Terarium for one. Stocking up on supplies…" Twilight said.
"I'll be heading to the East Provence, there's something I want to look into there." Roy said.
"Well I know where I'm going. The Glaseado Mountains. I heard from some old guy Articuno was seen flying around it." Frosta said.
"I'm gonna go swimming in the Paldean seas to look for Kyogre. I heard one was sighted in the seas awhile back." Mermista said.
"Ha… Good luck." David said, knowing full well how powerful Kyogre is. "Speaking of which, there is a little something in the Terarium that people have been spreading rumors about, so I think I'll check that out."
"I'll go with you then. Sounds like fun." Mayumi said.
"You know, since you guys got to explore Paldea, the Rebellion will take this chance to explore it. We already did Kitakami and the Terarium." Gaius said.
"Leia, I need your help with something. I heard rumors of a Zekrom and a Reshiram appearing." Gunvolt requested.
"Ah… Zekrom. I wonder if this one is N's Zekrom." Leia said. "Probably not but nice to think. Sure I can help in finding those two with you."
"Thanks, Leia." Gunvolt nodded. "You coming too, Ix?"
"Considering this is Zekrom and Reshiram we're talking about, I'm in." Copen nodded.
"You think you have a perfect link with Zekrom and Reshiram, GV and Ix?" Joule asked.
"Call it a gut feeling." Gunvolt answered.
"Same here." Copen nodded.
"Then it's decided!" Lola cheered. "We're counting on you, Leia!"
"So…where did you plan on going, Adora?" Hope asked.
"I'm going after Ho-Oh." Adora said.
"You're WHAT?!" a lot of the group asked in shock.
"Ho-Oh?! Are you crazy?!" Kazuma asked.
"Not crazy, interested." Adora corrected. "Ash always talked about how Ho-Oh inspired his dream, and I heard it was sighted in Paldea. I'm interested in the legends surrounding it, so… I wanna catch one. I heard it was flying around the plains of Paldea so I'm checking it out."
The Eds looked in between each other before they all nodded in unison. "We're coming too!" Eddy spoke up.
"Really, Eddy? If you're planning on doing something with Ho-Oh's feathers, forget it." Adora said.
"You're not taking his rainbow feathers." Akira deadpanned.
"No, no, not that!" Eddy clarified. "I mean we…might run into those Pokémon I was talking about before Mark and Kieran's battle! We're tagging along to see if we can't run into them."
"O…kay. Not sure I believe you but it's fine." Adora said.
"Since Frosta is going after Articuno…. What do you say, Himeno? Want to see which of us can capture our bird first?" Toya asked.
"Oh, you think you can catch Zapdos before I can catch Moltres? I say bring it." Himeno said.
"Wow…everyone is…really getting into hunting legends." Himiko said.
"Yeah…" Shun'ei said.
Ash K looked at them talking before he started laughing. "This…is what I really missed from these guys." he said.
"Pika Pika." Pikachu replied in agreement.
"What will you be doing?" FS!Rimuru asked his counterpart.
"Me?" MH!Rimuru said.
"C'mon Rimuru, don't tell me YOU'RE not interested in getting a Pokémon for yourself."
"It's not really something I thought about." MH!Rimuru said.
"Well, now that you've been asked, are you considering it?" FS!Rimuru asked.
"Maybe. Guess we'll see, honestly." MH!Rimuru said.
"And as for the rest of us…we'll just hang out here." Mark spoke. "Two intense back-to-back battles like that is going to require my team and I to take it easy for a bit."
"Understood. Me and Shun'ei will join ya for a sort of casual trip around the places we've been. Paldea, Kitakami and even here. No stress. Sound good?" Himiko asked.
"Yeah, I think I would like that. If you don't mind Tenko and Angie coming along with you. They seem stuck to you like glue." Shun'ei said.
"I could say the same with you and Meitenkun." Himiko said with a smile.
"You know…somehow this makes sense for us." Mark said. "This whole thing did start with the three of us and those three from that day."
"How could I forget?" Shun'ei asked as he sent out Quaquaval. "To think back then, this sassy duck was just a little Quaxly."
"And my right hand mage was just a cute little Sprigatito." Himiko said, sending Meowscarada out.
"And this guy…!" Mark said, sending out his Skeledirge. "...well, he hasn't changed all that much personality-wise, but I still have fond memories from when he was a Fuecoco!"
"Honestly…I never wanna forget our memories of Paldea or any of the places we visited relating to it." Shun'ei said.
"Same." Himiko said.
"You all sound like you have fond memories with your Pokémon. I hope I will be able to share in those memories someday." Merrin said.
"Well, you, Marni, and Madeline are all in agreement that you will all wait until you go on journeys of your own to find your Perfect Links, did you not?" Kareem asked.
"Yes, we did. And after seeing all of those matches so far, I think the wait will be worth it." Madeline said.
"Yeah…we all have our own things to do, it seems. This is gonna be a fun 2 weeks." Jexi said.