Sorry to tease you guys more after the end to the previous chapter, but we're going to be turning the clock back a bit. After quite some time, we'll finally be getting a battle that's been fated to happen. Enjoy!
This was it. With six pokeballs at his belt and one last deep breath, Jack stood up from the bench he was sitting on in the locker room of the arena. As he looked in the wall-mounted mirror he looked at the calm demeanor on his face and the intensity in his eyes. He couldn't help but laugh to himself at the irony of it, he looked so calm and collected on the outside, but he was rather nervous on the inside. It made sense though, here he was, in the quarter-finals of the Indigo League up against his biggest rival after said rival beat the girl he had a crush on. Then Jack just had to go and promise Julia that he would pay that rival right back.
Sure, he had beaten Alan before, twice even! But Jack knew well enough that Alan would not take those losses sitting down. He had to have seen the news story about Jack and his friends taking down the Celadon Dark Star base as well and would train harder than ever to make sure he was above Jack. But Jack had trained for this as well. He had seen what kind of trainer Alan was, he heard the kinds of things he said to other people and his own pokemon if they did not meet his expectations. Here and now, Jack knew it was time to take that guy down a peg.
In a way, Jack knew this encounter was inevitable, the two would have to meet again at some point. It just so happened to be now. Feeling that all his preparations were complete, Jack took one last deep breath and made his way to the field.
From within their special booth, Dallas and Juanita watched over the arena with the former practically dancing with excitement while the latter quickly checked to see if she had any food in her teeth. As the two noticed they were live, it was as if a switch was flicked on in their heads as they immediately took on a more professional demeanor.
"Oh, it is a beautiful morning today as we move on to the quarter-finals of the Indigo League Tournament!" Dallas began. "We're quickly coming down to the wire as we have both quarter-final battles airing this morning with the semi-final bout and then the finals coming tonight! This level of excitement makes me glad I gave up my ballroom dancing career!"
"That's right, Dallas! At least about the tournament..." Juanita added. "And for our first battle of the day, we've got a match-up that may just be our most interesting yet!"
"Aww yeah, right on time!" Diego smirked as he, the twins, Cynthia and Verity took their seats in a row a fair distance from the field.
"Guess we get to see if Jack really can 'avenge you', huh?" Renée asked with a giggle, prompting a light blush from her sister.
"Heehee, oh stop!" Julia replied. "You know how passionate Jack can be at times. Still, it would be nice to see him beat Alan for how rude he was and, in a way, it sort of feels like those two were destined to battle each other here."
"Look at you, talking about destiny!" Renée teased, playfully punching her twin. "I get what you mean though, it's really been a while since we've seen that guy and he was dead set on getting even with Jack."
"Tch, I still gotta pay him back, too!" Diego huffed.
"Perhaps you'll be able to battle him after this battle is over." Cynthia proposed. "While I'm sure we would all prefer Jack to win, it's important to consider the opposite. You never know what might happen, especially considering the effects that these battlefields have."
"Right." Julia sighed. "I guess all we can do is watch."
"And that's no fun, ain't it!"
The five jumped a bit at the sudden appearance of Apollo, who had Sandra and Max with him.
"Must you always cause a ruckus?" The younger redhead sighed. Her brother simply shrugged with a coy grin. As the two siblings began a back-and-forth, Max took a seat next to the young trainers.
"So, what made you guys want to come out here?" Diego asked. "You rooting for Jack?"
"But of course!" Max responded. "It's only natural that I support the trainer that has beaten me, just as Sandra is supporting you. Though, quite honestly, we would be satisfied with either of you two winning the tournament. Not only because it's proof of your skills, but it will be a good way of knowing that all of us, especially the two of you, are strong enough to take on You-Know-Who."
"Right." Renée nodded as she turned to her aunt. "Speaking of which, have there been any updates from the officers?"
"We've been notified that the Blank Plate is currently in the possession of the royal family. Your old teacher has been assigned to guard the Plate, just in case Dark Star tries to make a move on it."
"You really think they'll try to take it?" Diego asked.
"We should certainly hope not, especially with the castle being so close to this arena. But we need to be prepared for anything."
"Makes sense." The bold trainer shrugged before he looked back at the field as Jack and Alan were beginning to take their places on the field. For this match, the battlefield was on an elevated, rocky platform. Just like several of the other fields, there were panels and machines that appeared to change how the ground around the platform looked. For this field the ground was changed to appear like clouds, with the battlefield appearing to like like the peak of a mountain.
"This is it, everyone!" Juanita began. "For the first of our quarter-final matches, I'm pleased to announce to everyone that for the remainder of the tournament, every battle will be a full six-on-six fight! And what better way to start off these battles with a pair that have history with each other! Our sources have told us that Jack and Alan, our two battlers, have crossed swords before. They've battled on a few occasions throughout their journeys through Kanto, and while Jack has come out victorious from their encounters, this may finally be the chance for Alan to get some payback!"
"That's not all, Juanita!" Dallas added. "How fitting is it that their battle takes place on the Mountain Field, of all places? Two trainers, two rivals, duking it out at the biggest stage of them all for a chance at becoming Champion! Kinda sounds like their both trying to reach a different kind of mountaintop, eh, eh?"
"Shut up, Dallas, you're not all that funny..." Juanita rolled her eyes as her co-commentator sulked. "Let the battle begin!"
"Well, Jack, we both knew that we'd end up battling each other again. It's a bit of a shame that it couldn't be in the finals, I wanted to beat you last before I became Champ." Alan said.
"To that I say that life won't always give you what you want. If it did, Julia would've beaten you."
"You're still hung up on that? Hmph. I would have figured that you'd be over that by now, you should know that not all of you can win. This isn't a place where friendship conquers all, like in those childish stories."
"I'm fully aware of that." Jack retorted. "It's not her losing the battle that I'm frustrated with, it's the fact that you went about beating her you embarrassed her afterwards. That's what I have an issue with." Alan shook his head in disappointment before Jack continued.
"But at the same time, you were right about one thing." This got Alan to raise an eyebrow. "We definitely would have ended up battling each other sooner or later, and what better place to pay you back than here, at the Pokemon League!"
A wide grin formed on Alan's face as he and Jack reached for one of the pokeballs around their belts.
"Show me what you're made of, Jack!"
Jack began the match with his Banette, the Marionette pokemon's usual grin was gone and appeared to be replaced with a determination that matched his trainer while the Ghost stared at his opponent. It was a new addition to Alan's team that admittedly caught Jack off guard.
"Oooh, now here's an interesting start!" Dallas exclaimed. "We have Jack's Banette up against Alan's Kleavor! This marks the second pokemon from Hisui that we've seen in this tournament."
"While I may have my... quirks, when it comes to seeing carnage, I am happy to see species from that time that used to be extinct make a comeback." Juanita added before smirking sinisterly. "I suppose Kleavor having axes for arms certainly helps with the carnage quota though!"
"Kleavor... I read about them but I've never seen one in person." Renée hummed, taking out her pokedex.
'Kleavor, the Axe pokemon: This pokemon is a rough, crude, and violent sort. It swings around its large, heavy stone axes to finish off its prey.'
"Hmph, rough and crude sounds like a perfect description for Alan himself." Renée huffed.
"I know! He's so confident in himself!" The group heard a female voice swoon. Everyone turned to Diego's right, where Oma was sitting.
"Huh?!" Diego exclaimed. "You actually like that guy? Wait, who even are you?!"
"Ah, I don't believe we've ever met. But I do know about you all, you're Jack's traveling companions. As for myself, my name is Oma, Alan actually bested me in a previous round."
"If you've battled him before then that means you've seen how he can be." Renée stated. "So why do you like him?"
"I just find his brashness and confidence to be enchanting! But, I'm not here just for him, I can't decide if I like him more than I like Jack."
"Eh?!" Julia gasped. "What do you mean, you like Jack?!"
"Well I do think both of those boys are handsome, but while Alan is more forceful and blunt, Jack just has a certain energy around him. It's tough to explain to people who don't have training in reading auras and fortunes, but there are some very... interesting things in Jack's future, and Alan's for that matter, but specifically about Jack, that make him just as amazing in my eyes."
"Fortunes?" Diego asked while Julia pouted at what she was hearing from the Hex Maniac. "Wait, didn't we get our fortunes told by that white-haired girl?"
"White-haired girl? Is... is her name Sakura by any chance?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Ugh, she's my sister..." The dark-haired girl groaned. "She's skilled as both a trainer and a fortune teller, but sometimes she just gets on my nerves."
"I think we know what that's like." Renée replied, as she and Julia gave each other a sly look. "Hey, looks like they're about to make their first moves!"
"Alright, enough chit-chat!" Alan exclaimed. "Kleavor, Stone Axe!"
"Slow them down with Thunder Wave!" Jack commanded.
"Yaagh!" Banette growled. With a swipe of his claws, the Marionette pokemon let out a ring of lightning at Kleavor, who was charging at the Ghost with one of its axe arms raised. The lightning ring enveloped the Axe pokemon, constricting its body before getting absorbed by the insect. Despite the status condition, Kleavor continued charging forward unimpeded.
With a bit of panic beginning to grow within him and his pokemon, Jack didn't hesitate to make his next move.
"Shadow Claw!" He ordered. As Kleavor leaped into the air to strike at Banette, the Marionette's claws began to grow as a shadow-like aura enveloped them. With a spark, the two attacks collided, both Banette and Kleavor pushing as hard as they could against the other and growling at each other. With one last growl, both pokemon reared back their free arms. Banette leaped towards the Axe pokemon and gave it a hard slash across its jaw, throwing it for a loop for just a moment before Kleavor smashed Banette down with its axe. With a croak, the Ghost was smacked down onto the ground, various splinters from the rocky terrain and pieces of Kleavor's axe blades splintered off from the attack, dotting the field with sharp, knife-like stones that quickly disappeared into thin air.
"Huh, what just happened?" Julia asked.
"The battle just started and it already looks like things might be going in Alan's favor!" Juanita commented.
"Normally I think we'd have to wait and see more until we can firmly decide who has the edge, but having Stealth Rocks up against his opponent certainly does tip the scale in Alan's favor." Dallas nodded.
"Stealth Rocks? But how did those get set up?" Julia asked.
"Stone Axe." Cynthia answered, much to the confusion of her daughter and nieces. "Kleavor's Stone Axe attack creates Stealth Rocks when it successfully hits its mark. Considering the pokemon he's used in the tournament, it shouldn't be too much of an issue aside for his Fearow, but the immediate damage to his whole team will certainly be a problem."
"Speaking of his Fearow..." Sandra continued. "That's the only pokemon Jack has that can get rid of those entry hazards, and that's only if Jack himself prepared to deal with them. If he hasn't, he's going to be in for a rough time."
"Let's power through this, Banette!" Jack assured. "Use Shadow Claw, one more time!"
"Avoid it and use Stone Axe!"
Banette lunged towards Kleavor again, his mouth-zipper growing into a wide grin as he watched the paralysis overtake Kleavor. The Axe pokemon trying to move only to be met with the numbing sparks keeping it in place and allowing Banette to rake and claw at the mantis' face.
"Get him!" Alan commanded. With a gruff roar, Kleavor shook off the numbness and quickly smashed Banette with it's mighty axe hand across the Marionette's whole body. The force of the attack blasted the Ghost away from Kleavor. Banette moaned in pain as he tried to get back to his feet, only to collapse onto the field.
"And that's one down on Jack's side! But with the way things are looking for Alan and his Kleavor, Jack just might be able to even things up!" Dallas exclaimed.
"Normally I hate these simple back-and-forth battles where things are constantly even, but with how much history these two have and with the animosity between them, I might just find myself loving this!"
Jack was expecting a smug grin on his rival's face, but was surprised to see Alan looking right back at him with a stern glare. That surprise quickly faded once Jack realized that this wasn't the same Alan he had first met in Viridian Forest all that time ago. It was almost two months since then and yet he could remember the aura of harsh confidence that oozed out of him. Now, that smugness was gone. Replaced by an almost professional feeling of strength that came out of his dark brown eyes. In a way, Jack wished he could have actually seen Alan change, instead, fate threw Team Dark Star at him. Wallowing in the feelings of what could have been wouldn't help him though, Jack had grown just as much as Alan did, and he was ready to prove it!
With a huff, Jack sent out his Kingdra next, the shiny pokemon waved it's tail fin to stay aloft in the air as she stared down her opposition. In a flash, the Stealth Rocks reappeared and pressed themselves into the Dragon pokemon, who let out a quick yelp of pain before the stones quickly retreated and returned to their invisible state.
"Well there go those Stealth Rocks." Diego sighed.
"And Alan's probably going to recall his Kleavor now that he's at a type disadvantage." Julia added.
"Don't be so sure." Cynthia responded. "If Alan's pokemon has been weakened as badly as it looks, it may be smarter to actually allow it to faint here. This way, Alan can send in a pokemon that has the advantage over Jack's."
"Hmph, he would try to pull something like that." Diego grumbled.
"Stone Edge." Alan ordered. The Axe pokemon slammed its blades down onto the arena, raising up two boulders from the walls of the mountain and shattering them into pieces.
"Scald!" Jack quickly called out. Just as Kleavor was about to launch the barrage of jagged rocks, Kingdra exhaled a steaming blast of water right at the stone-clad insect. While Kleavor had enough time to react, the numbing paralysis reared its head again, leaving it open just long enough top stop its attack and blast the bug back over to Alan, no longer able to fight on.
The sound of the sizzling steam permeated into Alan's ears as his gaze remained locked onto Jack, who glared right back at him. Wordlessly, Alan sent out his Grimmsnarl as his second pokemon, upon seeing it, a pit began to form in Julia's gut...
"And Alan keeps the trend of type advantages rolling with a Fairy type up against a Dragon, and on a mountain as well! Man, this is just too fitting!" Dallas cheered.
'Do it, Jack... Switch out your pokemon!' Alan thought to himself. For the first time that battle, his expression shifted as he began to smirk slightly when he saw Jack raise his pokeball. Once Jack had it in position...
"Grimmsnarl, Reflect!"
"Flip Turn!"
Alan let out a soft gasp as Kingdra suddenly began rushing towards the Bulk Up pokemon with water seeping out of her snout at a steady pace. Suddenly Kingdra stopped and leaped upward, sending the water that had been built up towards Grimmsnarl in a manner that almost resembled a wheel. Just as the water wheel struck the Fairy pokemon, Kingdra zipped back into Jack's pokeball.
"Oh, a clever momentum shift, but can Jack capitalize on this?" Juanita pondered. Without missing a beat, Jack sent out his Fearow up next, the bird pokemon squawked in pain when the Stealth Rocks struck again.
"Why would he send out his Fearow? Wouldn't his Venusaur be better right now?" Diego asked in sheer bewilderment.
"Typically, yes." Max replied. "However, him sending out Fearow can only mean one thing, just watch."
"Fearow, Defog!"
"Spirit Break!"
A harsh, neon-pink glow began to form on Grimmsnarl's right arm, the hair surrounding the appendage tightened and caused the arm to look more muscular. With a war cry, the Bulk Up pokemon charged at Fearow. The Beak pokemon grumbled a bit before her wings began to turn completely blue. With a single flap of its wings, Fearow revealed the hidden Rocks for a moment before the sheer power of the wind turned them into dust. The light blue barrier surrounding Grimmsnarl's body also faded into nothing as the Fairy pokemon battered Fearow with a mighty punch. Despite choking back a cry of pain, Fearow continued to fly strong as a sharp look formed in Jack's eyes.
"Now, Toxic!"
"Toxic?" Alan repeated. With the proximity between the two pokemon being so close to each other, Fearow had a clean shot as she spit out a black, tar-like substance into Grimmsnarl's face.
"Grrrhm?!" Grimmsnarl sputtered and choked as he tried wiping off some of the sludge, stepping away from the bird as he did so.
"Now follow up with Drill Peck!"
Fearow flapped its wings and gained a bit of altitude before beginning to continuously roll in midair, the open air of the mountain field seemingly aiding in the attack as the sheer force of the wind that was being whipped up began to kick up dust and small pebbles. Fearow had become a blurred mess of brown feathers as she spiraled towards Grimmsnarl at a breakneck speed. Before either Alan or his pokemon could make a counterattack, Fearow had slammed into the Dark pokemon's abdomen, forcing him to spin alongside Fearow before the bird stopped. The momentum blasted Grimmsnarl into one of the cliff walls and onto the ground in a heap. For a moment, everyone thought Grimmsnarl was down for the count until...
"GNRRL!" The beast growled, slowly getting back to his feet.
"Did you really think you had us there?" Alan asked. "It's going to take a lot more than that to beat us, Jack. You should know that. But if you're done, I suppose it's our turn now; Grimmsnarl, use Dark Pulse!"
The Bulk Up pokemon opened its mouth, a croaking sound escaping its lips for a moment as the troll took on a horse stance. Faster than anyone could have anticipated, a black beam of energy with bits of green and purple dotting it blasted out of Grimmsnarl's maw. Fearow tried to dodge the attack by rolling out of the way only to get its left wing clipped by the beam.
With a cry of pain, Fearow began to plummet towards the rocky field. However, just as Alan had done, Jack did not look the least bit concerned.
"Just like you said, it's going to take a lot more than that to take us down!" He proclaimed as Fearow regained her altitude. "Let's end this with Double Edge!"
"Spirit Break!" Alan commanded. Fearow's body began to glow a soft white before the avian pokemon dive bombed at Grimmsnarl, who's arm tightened up again. As Fearow got close, Grimmsnarl tried punching the bird out of the sky. The two appeared to be just as evenly matches as Banette and Kleavor before them as they both pushed to overpower the other. With one last push, the Beak pokemon managed to slam into Grimmsnarl's abdomen, sending the two right into one of the boulders littering the field.
Fearow was the first to get back to its feet, but the bird wobbled around a bit before ultimately collapsing back down onto the ground with no more energy to fight as Grimmsnarl rose back to his feet. The Dark pokemon let out a roar of triumph before choking and spitting out the Toxic gunk Fearow spat onto him. The gunk sizzled a bit before Grimmsnarl also collapsed, right in front of Fearow.
"Wow, after that tremendous display, we've got a double knockout!" Juanita squealed like a little girl in a candy store. "Both sides remain even at four pokemon remaining, but while we know Jack still has his Kingdra, we still don't know what pokemon Alan is sending out next!"
Jack sent his Kingdra back out onto the field, as he looked at the pokemon Alan sent out, he couldn't help but furrow his brow in contemplation at his choice.
"What is that?" Diego asked when he saw Alan's pokemon, scanning it with his pokedex. It resembled a Kantonian Meowth, only it was larger, dark grey and its head resembled a helmet of some kind.
'Perrserker, the Viking pokemon: After many battles, it evolved dangerous claws that come together to form daggers when extended.'
"Now here's an interesting choice. We've got another Galarian pokemon in the form of Perrserker!" Dallas exclaimed. "Pokemon like that are known for having a diverse set of moves they can learn, does Alan have a plan up his sleeve?"
"He always has a plan!" Oma giggled.
"That girl's right." Sandra added. "This is more about if Jack can counter whatever he has planned."
"That look on your face tells me you haven't seen many Perrserker, Jack. If you've even seen one at all. So let me tell you about them and Galarian Meowth as a whole; they don't play nice. They Play Rough."
The Viking pokemon gave off a low growl as its dagger claws extended outwards and its eyes began to change to a dark pink color. With its guttural growl now turning into a full-blown war cry as the Steel pokemon charged at Kingdra.
"Kingdra, Scald!" Jack called out. Once more, Kingdra exhaled a stream of boiling water at the Viking pokemon. Both Jack and his pokemon looked stunned when they saw Perrserker charge right through the attack before battering Kingdra with a series of slashes, punches and kicks, all while laughing like a madman. Once satisfied with its attack, the iron-wielding pokemon jumped back a but to observe its handiwork with a hearty laugh.
Jack looked stunned as he saw Kingdra slowly sink to the ground after the vicious attack, but his eyes sharpened when he noticed Kingdra stiffen a bit, almost as if fighting to remain conscious.
"You can play as dirty as you want, but when you have us against the wall, our drive to win just goes up! And when it reaches its limit, it just boils over! Kingdra, use Scald!"
With the Water pokemon's eyes refocusing on Perrserker, Kingdra let out one last blast of burning hot water, blasting the Steel pokemon until its body went from a brownish-grey to burning red. Without any letup, Jack continued his offense.
"Now, Flip Turn!"
Just as before, Kingdra blasted Perrserker with a ring of water, distracting it long enough for Jack to recall his pokemon and send out his fourth; Mightyena. Upon seeing it, Alan couldn't help but laugh to himself.
"Hmph, you still have that pokemon?" He asked.
"Yeah, because unlike you, I won't abandon a pokemon just because it doesn't 'meet my expectations'! Speaking of, I remember you having a Spinarak when we first met, did you release that, too?"
"Hah, I didn't think you still remember that! Yes, I did own a Spinarak, and it's since evolved into an Ariados. I still have it, but I haven't brought it to this battle. I saw no need for it. Regardless, right now you may have burned my Perrserker, but this battle is far from over! Now, Iron Head!"
Despite the pain it was going through from its burn, Perrserker lunged forward towards Mightyena at full speed with its head tucked down.
"Dodge it!" Jack commanded. As the Viking charged closer, Mightyena rolled over to his side. With no time to change its speed and momentum, Perrserker smashed headfirst into a boulder on the field, disorienting it for just a moment. "Now, Crunch!"
Mightyena snarled as he bit down onto Perrserker's arm before jumping into the air. With a front flip, the Bite pokemon released the Viking from his jaws and allowed it to crash back onto the field. But even with its burns, the bite mark and the impact from the slam, Perrserker rose back to its feet and glared at Mightyena with a scowl.
"Wow!" Dallas announced. "Even after taking so much punishment that little guy is still standing?!"
"Well he certainly has the resiliency of a Steel type." Juanita added.
"My Perrserker is much more than resilient, he can also do serious damage, like this! Use Close Combat!"
"You won't get the chance, Sucker Punch!"
The Steel pokemon roared again, the bright red burns on its body intensifying for a moment before its claws extended again. Before it could even get the chance to move, Mightyena lunged at the beast, swiping at the charm on its forehead with his paw and slashing the Steel type pokemon across the face. Perrserker's roars of anger soon died down to groans of pain as the beast appeared to be unable to take any more, with one last burst of flame from its burns, Perrserker finally collapsed face first into the dirt.
"And Jack retakes the lead!" Juanita exclaimed. "It seems that things are going in his favor right now, even if his Kingdra is rather weak. Can Alan possibly bring it back?"
"We certainly can." The raven-haired boy smirked as he sent out a Tentacruel. "And this is how it all begins!"
"A Tentacruel?" Cynthia pondered, raising her hand to her chin. "What could he be planning?"
"Whatever it is, it's probably not good." Julia huffed.
"Or genius!" Oma added.
"Tentacruel, use Toxic Spikes!"
"So he plans to poison the rest of Jack's pokemon?" Max hummed as he nodded to himself.
"But that won't work..." Diego added, looking rather confused.
"Whatever you're trying to do, we'll shut it down before it can even get started!" Jack exclaimed. "Mightyena, use Devastate!"
With a wave of the Jellyfish pokemon's tentacles, a spray of deep purple spikes dotted Jack's side of the field, harmlessly bouncing off of Mightyena as the Bite pokemon's whole body began to glow with a black and purple aura. Every breath the hound took ended with a snarl before Mightyena charged forward with a roar, gaining speed with every step. In a way, he ended up resembling an Arcanine's Flare Blitz.
With a loud boom, Mightyena crashed into Tentacruel and pushed it right into one of the mountain cliffs. Jack's eyes widened in surprise when he noticed Alan smirk.
"Thanks for getting your pokemon close." Alan huffed. "Use Sludge Wave!"
Regaining its composure, Alan's Tentacruel aimed its beak at the Bite pokemon and unleashed a torrent of watery, purple fluid out of its body as the red orbs on its body began glowing. The wave of venom pushed Mightyena back over to Jack's side of the field, though thankfully not into any of the venomous caltrops.
"Now, Ice Beam!" Alan continued.
"Sucker Punch!" Jack called out in a panic. Mightyena dashed towards its venomous foe with his front paws glowing purple, running at a speed that neither the hound nor his trainer could see the icy blast hitting Mightyena head-on. The chill running along Mightyena's entire body proved too much for the hound to take as it collapsed onto the ground, half-coughing and half-shivering from the attacks it had sustained.
"Well, the battle's back to being even..." Juanita began. "...But both of them have one pokemon that's really weakened."
"This is still undoubtedly anyone's battle to win, but I believe it's safe to say that we've reached a point where neither Jack nor Alan can afford to make any mistakes. One slip-up and they can kiss their chance at victory goodbye!" Dallas added.
'Sending out Gallade means I could hit Tentacruel and whatever pokemon he sends out next pretty hard.' Jack thought to himself. 'But those Toxic Spikes could be too much of a risk if I let them stay there. I know his Tentacruel knows Ice Bea, but this may be my best option right now.'
"Venusaur! It's on you now!" The black-haired trainer proclaimed, sending out his ace pokemon. Jack noticed that the moment Alan laid his eyes on Venusaur, the sly grin he wore only grew. As Venusaur landed on the field, the purple spikes sprang to life, covering Venusaur's body and getting absorbed into his skin until the field was completely clean.
"Tentacruel..." He said.
"Venusaur, use Earth Power!" Jack commanded.
"...Flip Turn!"
Jack's eyes widened as he saw Venusaur already beginning its attack, with the trainer far too late to stop him. Tentacruel, following Kingdra's exact movements, launched its own ring of water at Venusaur. While the attack hardly phased the Grass type, it did allow Tentacruel to return to Alan's side. With no hesitation, Alan himself sent out a pokemon in an Ultra Ball and upon seeing it, Jack's blood began to run cold, almost literally as the temperature itself lowered as Alan's Baxcalibur took to the field. Venusaur's Earth Power attack struck the beast, but appeared to hardly cause any serious harm.
"Incredible! Not only did Alan just shift the momentum for himself and send out a pokemon that completely counters Jack's Venusaur, but he also managed to give us a surprise with a pokemon natively found in the Paldea region!" Dallas announced.
"Baxcalibur may be an Ice type..." Juanita added. "But this battle just got a whole lot spicier!"
"Baxcalibur..." Cynthia said aloud. "I... know you all are hoping Jack wins but, I do hope we get to see just what that pokemon can do. I've been interested in catching one for myself."
"Aunt Cynthia..." Renée sighed, shaking her head.
"It got a lot colder all of a sudden, is that pokemon an Ice type?" Julia asked, using her pokedex.
'Baxcalibur, the Ice Dragon pokemon; This pokemon blasts cryogenic air out of its mouth. This air can instantly freeze even liquid-hot lava.'
"Woah..." The younger twin said in awe as she looked back at the dragon. "I get why you like that Dragon, Aunt Cynthia..."
"Ugh..." Renée groaned as she and Diego rolled their eyes.
"Venusaur!" Jack ordered. "Use Spring Buds!"
Alan remained silent as he and Baxcalibur allowed the barrage of seeds to strike the Dragon. The cold sweat that Jack was going through only got colder when he saw that none of the buds managed to sprout onto the opponent.
"Icicle Crash!"
Baxcalibur let out a roar that shook the field and froze the air around it, creating a cloud of mist that surrounded the Dragon. With a wave of one of its claws, Baxcalibur transformed the mist into a giant icicle that sped towards Venusaur with the speed of a missile. The icicle smashed into Venusaur, shattering upon impact and slamming the Seed pokemon back over to Jack, covered in frost and barely breathing with no chance of getting back up to fight.
"Inconceivable!" Dallas called out in shock. "That may just be the fastest knockout we've had this entire tournament!"
As the audience cheered or voiced their shock at the attack, Jack stood in a stunned silence as he recalled his Venusaur.
'What was I thinking...' He said to himself. 'I could have Mega Evolved. I SHOULD have Mega Evolved! Venusaur could have taken the hit with the Thick Fat ability! Kingdra... Kingdra's weak but as a Dragon type pokemon she can hit that thing hard!'
In a hurry, Jack sent out the aforementioned pokemon, right when Kingdra began floating on the field, the toll that the battle had already taken on her was clearly on display as Kingdra was taking labored breaths and was still openly wounded in some spots.
"Dragon Pulse!" Jack called out with no hesitation. Alan chuckled to himself and shook his head.
"Glaive Rush!" He replied. Kingdra strained herself to launch a blue beam of energy at Baxcalibur, the beam crackled with yellow sparks as it whistled through the air towards the opposing Dragon. Baxcalibur scoffed at the attack as it ran forward, towards the beam, before jumping and flipping forward and exposing its back towards the beam. The large dorsal fin on the back of the beast glowed a harsh red color as Baxcalibur carved a path through Kingdra's attack before slamming into the Water pokemon.
The two crashed onto the ground with a thud. Baxcalibur rose back to its feet easily with a faint, yet noticeable, strain in its breathing.
"Now this is the carnage I like to see!" Juanita squealed. "In an instant, Alan has pushed Jack to just his last pokemon! This might be it everyone!"
'That's it... It's over...'
'Jack...' A voice called out.
'It's three against one, I can't win this!' Jack went on in his mind.
'Jack!' The young trainer was snapped out of his thoughts by a voice that he recognized to be his Gallade, reaching out to him telepathically. 'This battle is far from over and you know it. You still have me, and I can Mega Evolve as well. We can still win!'
As he absorbed the words his pokemon was giving him, Jack let out a deep breath as he reached for his last pokeball. The moment Gallade popped out of its pokeball, Jack activated his Key Stone. With his confidence coming back to him, Jack stared down Alan as his Gallade brushed his cape off and glared at Baxcalibur.
"All or nothing..." Diego let out, leaning in to watch what was undoubtedly the twilight of the battle. As much as he didn't want to think about it, he knew he had to mentally prepare himself in the event that Alan won.
"This is it, ladies and gents!" Dallas exclaimed. "Jack and his Mega Gallade will have to run the gauntlet of Alan and his three pokemon if he hopes to advance to the semi-finals! Can he do it, or is this an easy win for Alan?"
"Well, Jack, you've had a good run, but I'm afraid this battle is over!" Alan scoffed.
"It's far from over!" Jack replied. "This isn't the first time I've dealt with impossible odds before and it sure as hell won't be the last! But, I'll keep fighting until my team and I have nothing left to give! Gallade, use Sacred Sword!"
Gallade's blade-like arms extended to about half the size of his body, turning a brilliant blue as they grew.
"Icicle Crash!"
Baxcalibur charged up its attack once more as Gallade leaped forward, poised to strike. With a mighty roar, the Ice Dragon pokemon launched the ice missile at the Blade pokemon. Gallade pressed on with his eyes focused solely on the Dragon like a valiant knight ready to strike the final blow. With a great swing, Gallade clashed its blade against the giant icicle, cleaving right through it and continuing forward slashing Baxcalibur's abdomen and running right bast the mighty glacier. With a confident huff, Gallade allowed its blade arm to retract as Baxcalibur collapsed onto the frosted ground, croaking out a barely audible moan as it lay in defeat.
"Haha!" Diego laughed in joy. "That's one down, two to go!"
"And one of those two is already weak!" Julia added, giving Diego a high five.
"Don't go on thinking that you'll be able to mount a comeback so easily." Alan said, immediately shutting down Diego and Julia's celebration. "You mentioned my Ariados earlier, and while I said I didn't bring it with me, I did bring the other pokemon I had at the time. My ace!"
The gang leaned in in interest as they watched Alan throw out his next pokeball and, to their surprise, activate a Key Stone of his own. The Shadow pokemon landed onto the mountainous field, already in its Mega Evolved form as it stared at Mega Gallade with its three eyes. It's newly formed third eye in the center of its forehead began to glow purple for a moment as it burned its visage into the blade-wielding pokemon's memory.
"You know, Jack, I watched your battle earlier. The one you had against the boy with that gaudy hairdo." Alan began. "The clash your Gallade had with his Lucario was honestly pretty impressive. Now, I know this attack isn't exactly ideal for a Gengar to have, but I'm the sort of person who enjoys battles that are up close and personal!" The two young men locked eyes, a certain ferocity appearing in their gaze as Alan continued. "So let's top that clash and give everyone a show! Gengar, use Shadow Claw!"
Jack shook his head, chuckling to himself. "And here I thought you were the type that was always serious! But fine, I'll play your game! Gallade, use Psycho Cut!"
Gengar let out a ghoulish howl as its claws began to expand in a manner that almost resembled the blade-arms of Gallade. The Blade pokemon himself had already unsheathed his appendages, which had began to glow purple, with the edges of his arms glowing a brilliant gold. Both pokemon let out a shout of power as they charged at each other. The two met in the center of the field and clashed their attacks against each other, letting off purple and black sparks in every direction.
The two jumped away for a moment before charging again, this time swinging madly every which way they could. Every swing, slash and swipe the two pokemon tried was met with a counterattack that blocked their own with neither of the two landing a hit on their foe. The sheer power of their clashes created a shockwave that kicked up dirt and blew away smaller rocks with the force the two were creating.
Eventually, the two exuded so much force with their attack that it felt like the two trainers themselves were involved in the clash. Slowly, the two pokemon began adding their psychic and paranormal abilities into not only their attacks, but their physical movements as they began levitating right off the ground and high up into the air above the field.
"Oh man, this is amazing!" Dallas exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his seat. "Two Mega pokemon showing off just what it means to be considered legendary in terms of their power with neither side giving an inch!"
"That's not all!" Juanita butted in, just as excited as her companion as she sported a bloodthirsty grin. "But if either of those two pokemon get one good hit in on their opponent, it's lights out! It's true that Gengar typically use moves that don't involve physical contact, but that doesn't mean that the species as a whole is against it, nor are they physical weak at all!"
The speed and ferocity of the attacks continued to increase as the two pokemon continued their clash, letting out a war cry as they felt the very air around them warp from the energy the two exhumed.
"Keep the pressure on!" Alan asserted.
"Don't let them win!" Jack shouted. 'This is going nowhere. At this point Gallade will just tire out and Alan can just pick us off easily. We need to create our own opening, but how?'
Jack watched the two pokemon closely, taking notice of how both Gallade and Gengar swiftly dodged each other's attacks. That was when he saw it: the reason why neither pokemon was able to get a hit in was because both were making the exact same swinging motions in a pattern. It was insanely hard to pinpoint given the speed in which the two were attacking, but once you noticed it, it was blatantly obvious to see.
"Gallade, catch Gengar's attack!"
As Gengar made a downward slash coming from Gallade's left, the Blade pokemon avoided the strike and then grabbed at Gengar's arm, stunning both the Ghost and its trainer with the sudden change of motion.
"Now throw him to the ground!"
Using Gengar's momentum, the Blade pokemon swung Gengar over his shoulder once before swinging Gengar in a circle and then down towards the ground.
"Finish it with one more Psycho Cut!" Jack commanded. From its position in midair, Gallade unleashed a bright purple blade from its left arm-blade that extended in Gengar's direction. The ethereal blade sliced through Gengar, stopping the Ghost right before it hit the ground as the Shadow let out a hiss of pain. With a smirk of his own, Jack looked over to Alan, who was beginning to sweat...
"You know, Alan." He began. "I can't help but think back to what you said a few minutes ago, about how I shouldn't think that I can mount a comeback so easily. Not only am I going to win this match, but I'll win the rest of this tournament, too! Gallade, finish them off!"
With Gengar still stuck on Gallade's energy blade, the Psychic pokemon heaved the blade upwards, swinging Gengar along with it. At the apex of Gallade's swing, Gengar as flicked off of the blade and helplessly began falling back to the ground. With a graceful charge through the air, Gallade sped towards the Shadow pokemon with the Psycho Cut still poised to strike, and with one great swing, Gallade sliced through Gengar! The third eye atop Mega Gengar's head flashed for a moment before the Ghost pokemon transformed back into its base form and fell onto the ground with a resounding thud while Gallade gently floated back over to Jack, breathing heavily from exhaustion, but otherwise unharmed.
"Now that is some carnage!" Juanita laughed. "Not only that, but this battle truly does seem to be all wrapped up, but not in the way we initially expected!"
"That's right, Juanita!" Dallas nodded with glee. "Jack and his Gallade have mounted an incredible comeback, and with how things are looking for Alan now, he's the one who needs a miracle now!"
Alan wordlessly recalled his Gengar and sent out his Tentacruel. As Jack met his gaze again, he had expected his rival to glare at him with a look of bitter hate, envy, or some other negative emotion that he couldn't think of right now.
Instead, however, Alan was smiling at him...
It was a smile of what could only be described as resignation. A reluctant one, but resignation nonetheless.
"Psycho Cut!" Jack finally called out. One last time, Gallade lunged forward with its blade extended. With a final slash, Gallade struck the Jellyfish pokemon down, with Alan not even making an attempt to fight back.
"And that is game, set, and match! Jack moves on to the semi-final round!"
"YES!" Julia cheered. "He did it! He did it! He did it!"
"Told you guys he would!" Diego added with a laugh.
"They were both so incredible!" Oma swooned.
"As expected from someone who was able to face off against Singularity." Sandra noted.
"So, now that Jack's made it to the next round, now it's my turn!" Diego huffed as he stood up and ran off.
From their spots on the field, the two trainers recalled their pokemon as the field returned to the blank form it started out as.
"Hey, Alan." Jack called out just as his rival was turning to leave. "For what it's worth, that was a good battle."
"Hmph." Alan sighed. "It was. But don't think this is over between us." Jack couldn't help but raise an eyebrow upon hearing that. "Since you beat me, I expect you to do as you said you would and win the tournament. Go on then, win and become the Champion! Just know that I'll be the one to beat you for that title!"
Jack couldn't help but smile as he and Alan both went their separate ways.
"See, I told you you'd win!" Diego exclaimed, patting his best friend on the back.
"I have to admit, you had us worried for a bit there." Renée sighed. Jack shook his head, as if in disbelief.
"For a minute, I thought I really was about to lose."
"But you didn't!" Julia cheered. "You really pulled through!"
"Haha, yeah, I guess I did. By the way... who are you?" Jack asked, looking over at Oma, who was standing a bit further away from the others with her eyes locked on Jack in awe.
"Oh yeah, this girl was sitting with us. She was kind of rooting for both you and Alan." Diego explained.
"M-M-M-My name is O... Oma!"
"Rooting for both of us?" Jack pondered before he noticed Alan walking out of the arena. "Hey, if you like both of us, why don't you go on and talk to Alan. He's... a bit rough around the edges, but I think he'd be happy to talk to you."
With an excited gasp, Oma's face became more flushed than it already was. "Good idea!" She gasped before rushing over to the boy.
"You sure that was a good idea?" Renée asked. "He might not be in a good mood."
"Heh, like I said. He's rough around the edges and can be a jerk sometimes but... Alan's not really all that bad. Especially compared to some of the other people's we've dealt with."
"I guess that's true." Renée relented.
"Yeah, well, he's still a jerk!" Diego huffed. "Speaking of jerks, the guy I'm about to face is one! Come on, my fight's gonna start soon!"
As the trainers were about to reenter, Cynthia's Poketch began beeping.
"Oh, excuse me, it looks like I have a message." The Sinnoh Champion said, looking towards her device curiously before her expression immediately grew more serious. "I just got a message from Anabel and Looker. We're going to have a meeting regarding you-know-who. Would you mind watching Verity until then?"
"Of course, Auntie!" The twins replied. After getting her daughter to promise that she would behave, Cynthia headed away from the stadium.
"Well, it stinks that she won't be able to see me wipe the floor with his guy, but at least you guys are still here!" Diego exclaimed before rushing inside.
"Oh, I'm honored to be able to witness what'll be an amazing battle!" Renée said with a sarcastic tone and roll of her eyes.
Cynthia returned to the hotel she was staying in and was directed to an office by one of the hotel staff. As she entered, the two officers were already there waiting for her, going through some files that appeared to include photos of people Cynthia didn't recognize.
"Ah, Ms. Cynthia, I'm glad you were able to join us." Looker greeted.
"Of course. What seems to be the issue?"
"Well, while Goff is guarding the Blank Plate, we've been notified by radio signals picked up by our HQ that are sent and received from what should be a woodland area several kilometers Southeast of the Sinjoh Ruins. These signals appear to be coming from nearly every major region around the world." Anabel explained. "We have reason to believe that this location is where Team Dark Star is currently holed up. We're planning an investigation, but we're currently gathering resources. However, if these signals are truly the work of Dark Star, then they have agents, or at the very least connections, with unknown individuals from Hoenn, Sinnoh, Johto, Unova, Kalos, Alola, Paldea, Galar, Kitakami, and a region further West from Orre by the name of Reborn."
"All of these locations... Do you think he has agents in these regions searching for the plates?" The Champion asked.
"Possibly." Looker replied. "We're hoping that our investigation of this area will provide some insight as to what is going on with those signals. If, by chance, those radio signals are not caused by Team Dark Star, then they should still be investigated as there are other criminal organizations and individuals running amok aside from this group."
"I see..." Cynthia sighed, picking up one of the folders on the table and looking at the picture inside. "And I assume some of these individuals are among the files you have here."
"That's correct." Anabel nodded. "These are specific people of interest that have either a known criminal history or have some sort of connection to those that do."
Curiously, Cynthia looked over the file in her hands alongside the photo. It was of a man with black, spiky hair with an eye patch covering his left eye, his remaining right eye was a chestnut color. According to his file, his name was Paul Clark, though he also went by a codename that was unfortunately smudged on the file, along with his region of birth. Information on his past was scarce, though the data that was available detailed his involvement in the death of a woman in the region of Reborn, where he is supposedly residing in currently. His communication with the supposed location of Team Dark Star was minimal compared to the others.
"Ah, Mr. Clark..." Looker stated, looking over Cynthia's shoulder. "We don't have much information on him, but considering his location and the low number of signals being sent from that region, we've deemed it unlikely that he is directly working with Singularity and Team Dark Star, though we are keeping an eye on him."
"Speaking of Reborn, Looker was assigned to a case there some time ago, however a series of earthquakes hitting the region as well as the priority of this case has taken precedence over that one." Anabel explained. "That's not all though, we've learned that the Plates emit a special type of energy that is the primary cause for Arceus' change in type when exposed to one. This signal cannot be picked up from common Dowsing Machines and Itemfinders available to ordinary trainers, but larger scale signals that are emitted by machines used by archaeologists and major groups like Devon Corp. can pick up these signals. I bring this up because we haven't detected any signals from the Reborn region. If Paul Clark is communicating with Singularity, it likely isn't involved with the Plates."
"I see, but then I suppose that raises further questions." Cynthia replied, putting Clark's folder down and looking at the rest. One was of young man that appeared to be in his early 20's with spiky blonde hair wearing a red hoodie.
Another was of a group of four people, each wearing a different type of mask or head covering. The first wore a mask that had a symbol of a shield with two crossing swords, the second's mask consisted of an eye with an array of lines that swirled around in the shape of a bell, the third was certainly the strangest as it was a helmet with an LED screen for a face that had a neon green smiling visage on it. The fourth individual was the most ominous, wearing a black hood and having a skull mask.
Shifting her gaze to another folder, Cynthia saw a photo of three men wearing tan robes standing in front of some sort of altar. Whatever reason all of these people were communicating with Singularity for, there was no way it could be good.
"I'm sorry we had to drag you all the way over here." Anabel sighed. "But this issue is proving to be... worrying. Very worrying. It's as if every time we feel as though we have a lead or we're one step closer to learning more about what exactly Team Dark Star is up to, another layer seems to pop up from underneath."
"C-Chief, please, don't over-exert yourself. We don't want a repeat of what happened in Alola."
"Right." Anabel sighed.
"It's no trouble." Cynthia assured, placing a reassuring hand on the woman's shoulder. "I've dealt with an evil organization before. At the time I had some regrets about not doing more to stop them, especially at the most crucial of times. I will not make that same mistake again! So, where should we begin?"
"I suppose we should start by going over what we know about each of these groups, why they might be in touch with Dark Star, and what they may gain out of it." Anabel went on as the three began sifting through all the files.
"HAHAHAHAHAAA! YES! YES! CHASE HIM DOWN!" Juanita cackled as she watched Diego's Raichu run after Jin's Weavile. The Wily pokemon appeared to be out of breath and barely able to continue running as it leaped up to the top of a dead tree, the branches of which had all fallen off, leaving a charcoal colored beacon pointing to the heavens amongst a field of what was once trees and grass.
The Forest field that the two had been battling on was still mostly intact, save for a circular area that was left as nothing but burnt grass, ash, and the aforementioned burnt tree. Much like Alan had earlier, Diego was ahead of his opponent, as he still had his Crobat alongside his Raichu up against Jin, who only had his Weavile left. Unlike Alan however, it appeared as though Diego had a firm grip on the battle.
Jin himself, who had been arrogant and rather calm throughout most of the battle, was quickly beginning to lose his cool as he could feel the sweat dripping down his forehead. The cocky grin he wore at the start of the battle was replaced with an anxious frown.
"You, you think you've beaten me?! But this isn't over..." He proclaimed. "IT'S NOT OVER! Go ahead and try that light bomb trick you pulled against that girl, it won't work!"
"Pandora isn't just 'some girl', y'know, she's tough and she's been a lot more chill about taking a loss than you seem to be." Diego scoffed. "But since you asked so nicely, we'll show you our Light Grenade technique, with a special twist we've been saving!"
"Oh?" Julia quirked an eyebrow. "Is he saying he still has stuff he's been keeping from us?"
"Hehe, you know, I was being sarcastic earlier when I said this would be an amazing battle, but I have to admit; seeing Diego fighting this hard and knock that creep down a peg is great! Today's turning out to be really good!"
"Alright Raichu!" Diego called out. "Let's kick it up a notch with our Hellzone Grenades!"
"Rai-rai!" Raichu cheered, charging up electric power in her cheeks and paws. Not knowing what to expect, Weavile braced for impact.
"Scatter Shot!" Diego commanded. Raichu punched at the air repeatedly, sending out balls of lightning that sped towards the Ice pokemon, who covered itself to try and block at least some of the damage... that never came. Cautiously, Weavile lowers its claws and began to look around...
Only to discover that all of the orbs had stopped in the air all around it, acting as a sort of minefield.
"Weavile!" Jin called out, still having no idea of what to do.
"Nowhere for you guys to run!" Diego said with a laugh. "This is the end!"
With a clap of her paws, Raichu brought all of the lightning balls together right into Weavile. The ensuing explosion shattered the burnt tree, spreading more smoke and bits of bark around the field. As the smoke cleared, Weavile lay on the ground motionless and with sparks still radiating around it.
"And that is it, folks!" Dallas announced. "Diego has firmly secured his spot in the semi-final round and will be going up against Jack later tonight! Stay tuned, because this battle will certainly be one you don't want to miss!"
As Diego regrouped with Jack, Verity and the twins, he was immediately swarmed by the girls.
"Wow, that was way, way cool!" Verity said with stars in her eyes.
"I gotta say, you really did put on a good fight out there!" Renée added.
"I can't believe you two made it all the way to the Top Four!" Julia chimed in.
It was then that Diego noticed that Jack was rather quiet as he gave him an indescribable look. As the two locked eyes, Diego returned a similar expression.
"Guess this is it, huh?" Jack said.
"Yup." Diego nodded. "I mean, let's be real here." He couldn't help but chuckle, breaking the sudden seriousness a bit. "We both knew that we'd make it far, so we had to wind up battling each other eventually, right?"
"Right." Jack replied, managing to laugh a bit himself. "And we'll both do our best and support the winner. But for now, I think it's best if we split for a little while. No offense, but I do have to plan for our battle."
"Right, right. I gotta plan, too."
As the two boys went their separate ways, the girls looked back at them before looking to each other.
"Guess we should've seen this coming." Renée sighed. "Still, we should split up, too. Diego needs someone to keep him from getting to the arena late, and Jack needs someone to talk to keep him from stressing about the match too much."
With a nod, Julia hurried to follow Jack while Renée took her cousin's hand to follow Diego.
Jack found himself in the locker room of the stadium for the second time that day, going from battling his biggest rival to his best friend. Needless to say, the Butterfree in his stomach just Gigantamaxed.
But, just as before, he had done all that he possibly could to plan for this battle and, for all of his quirks, he knew Diego did the same as well. Alan was a harsh trainer, but he knew that Diego was another beast entirely. If he had to give it 110% before, he'd have to give it 130% now. Before he was about to head to the field, he received a message on his PokeNav.
'Hey, Champ-in-the-Making! Just wanted to wish you luck and to tell you that all of us here in Littleroot are so, so proud of you! Your Grandpa and I are with your Mom at home right now and your Dad took time off his schedule to watch your fight. I know it's going to be tough battling your best friend, but think of it as a case of iron sharpening iron, both of you will come out better after this. Can't wait to see you home again, when we can refer to you as the Champion of Kanto! Good luck, Gramps. P.S.: Sunny says hi.'
Jack couldn't contain the smile on his face at the message, as nervous as he knew he should be about knowing his father was watching him, at the same time he felt a comfort in knowing his family was supporting him from all the way in Hoenn.
Jack made his way over to the field and saw that Diego was there, waiting for him. As soon as he saw the whites of his eyes, Jack took a deep breath before giving his friend a confident grin.
"You ready, Jack?" Diego asked.
"I'm ready." He responded, as the two got their pokeballs ready...
"Let's dance!"
WHOO! Important battle this chapter and another one coming right after! Originally I had intended to split up Jack vs. Alan and Diego vs. Jin into 2 separate, smaller chapters, but I figured that stretching out the Dark Star attack longer wouldn't be a good idea. While replacing the battle with the bit with Cynthia, Looker and Anabel wasn't the most action packed, I wanted it to show what this story will lead into following the tournament in terms of immediate story and beyond.
But, aside from that, next chapter will feature another climactic battle, this time between two of our heroes and then we'll FINALLY get into the attack that you've all been patiently waiting for! I hope you all will look forward to it!
