Hey everyone, its been a while. Yeah…sorry, I got no real excuse. Stuff has been happening and I just…couldn't muster up the motivation to write for a few months. Still, now its the new year, and I'm willing to give it another go. Happy New Year everyone, let's make this year a good one.

XXXX

The Throh looked Ash over, maintaining the smirk on his face before he chuckled. "You got spunk, kid. But it's gonna take more than spunk to beat me and Hitmonchan," he said.

"Your Hitmonchan is strong I'll admit that much," Ash frowned. "But don't count me and my Team out so easily."

"Heh, if that's what you want, then I'll humor you. Throw all you got at me. My Hitmonchan will knock your entire team flat," the Throh smirked.

Ash looked ready to go for his first Pokeball, while Pikachu looked unsure about this.

"Think we should stop them?" Misty idly wondered.

"Nah, this guy came in all but picking a fight. Don't think Ash is gonna take that lying down. Sides, it shouldn't be any different from any other Battle," Cedric shrugged. What was unsaid was that if things DID get ugly, then they'd be ready to intervene. However, before the fight could start…

"Wait!" a new voice called out, as the group turned and saw a Clefairy Pokemorph. She had reddish brown hair which she wore in a braid and was dressed in a white top and a short blue skirt. "Daddy, please come home!" she pleaded to the Throh.

"Rebecca?" the Throh said in confusion.

"Daddy, please come home. Mom's worried sick," Rebecca pleaded.

The Throh looked at her and sighed. "We've been over this before. I won't go home until we win the P1 Grand Prix and that's final," he said, and though he was TRYING to be firm…he seemed a little half hearted in it. "Anyway, we've got more training to do," he said before turning to Ash. "If you want a rematch we'll be at Fighting Spirit gym over that way," he said pointing down the road, before he and his Hitmonchan quickly jogged off in that direction.

Rebecca watched him go and sighed. She then turned to the group and bowed a bit. "I'm really sorry if my father caused you all any trouble."

"Well…it really wasn't any more trouble than any other Trainer," Ash said. "Though…what was that about?"

"Well, that was my father and his Hitmonchan." Rebecca said "He runs a training dojo for Fighting Types, and he used to be reasonable about his training hours, but now… mom and I have barely seen him recently, he's always focused on making Hitmonchan better."

"That's awful…" Cedric frowned. He couldn't even imagine what he and Molly would do if their father ever became obsessed with something to the point of not coming home.

Rebecca nodded sadly. "Lately he's been obsessed with winning the P1 Grand Prix. I'm hoping that with the competition starting soon he'll come home after he wins…but at the same time I'm worried after he wins…"

"He'll find something else to obsess over…" Brock frowned, seeing where she was going, to which she nodded sadly in confirmation.

Rebecca seemed to think about something to which she spoke up. "Actually…would it be alright if I asked you for a favor?"

"A favor?" Misty blinked.

"We'll do it if we can," Brock said without hesitation.

"I don't remember giving my consent to that one," Cedric said dryly.

"Just roll with it," Ash sighed.

"Could you…perhaps enter the P1 Grand Prix and defeat my father and his Hitmonchan?" Rebecca asked. "Maybe if you defeat him he'll come to his senses and come home…"

"...or he could just double down and get more obsessed," Misty sweat dropped.

"I realize that…" Rebecca sighed. "Still, if there's a chance that could convince him…" Rebecca trailed off.

"Say no more, we'll take care of it. So where do we sign up for this tournament?" Brock said.

"Shouldn't we be asking a few more details about that?" Ash asked dryly. "Like what kind of Tournament it is."

"It's a Trainer-Fighter Tournament specifically for Fighting-type Pokemon. From what I understand it's something of a tag team type match where the Pokemon and Pokemorph work together by tagging in and out through each round. Basically its a Dual Battle…but in a mix of a boxing and wrestling match," Rebecca explained.

"So, we'll take care of it, huh?" Misty said dryly, looking at Brock who sweat dropped at realizing the problem they'd just run into, seeing as the only one who has a Fighting-type was well…

"Well…I guess it's a good thing I wanted a rematch anyway," Ash deadpanned.

XXXX

The next day, the Fighting Spirit Gym was bustling as the P-1 Grand Prix was in full swing, people interested in the event coming from all over. Inside the waiting rooms, the various participants were doing their final preparations, eagerly awaiting the start of the tournament. Among them were Ash and Primeape, the latter doing a few practice swings, and even moving in a way that was clear he was thinking about Hitmonchan's punches. Ash watched him go for a bit with a small smile, glad his Pokemon was in high spirits. He was doing a few warm ups himself to prepare for the fights ahead. He was currently dressed in a pair of red knee high boxing shorts and nothing else, the same as pretty much all the other Fighters joining the tournament. As he stretched a bit first, he couldn't help but feel a bit proud of himself as he could see the fruits of the last several months of training and battle. He'd grown a bit more muscular in the time since he'd started, and though he wasn't quite to his father's level, they were becoming rather well defined, and he fully intended to keep it up…to a reasonable degree at least. His style WAS aimed to have a mix of speed and power for a reason after all.

He didn't have long to think about it as soon enough, he and the other participants were called to the main arena for the opening ceremony. "Alright, let's go Primeape," he said, earning a determined nod from Primeape as they moved towards the exit, but as they were walking, someone else moved in front of them, not remotely caring that they were in the way. "Hey!" Ash said indignantly, but the person didn't seem to notice or care as they walked on. "Jerk," Ash grumbled a bit, taking note of the person…or what little he could tell. They were definitely male…but rather than wearing the more practical and less restrictive boxing shorts participants had been provided with, the person had opted to basically wear what may as well have been a full body spandex suit, which for some reason he'd opted to be one of the ones that covered his body fully…a very…uncomfortable choice…considering he could tell the person had a tail. On his head was a helmet, which SHOULD be illegal…but he figured if that actually WAS real, he'd be disqualified so…he'd leave that alone.

By the person's side was a Hitmonlee, walking with a gait that made him think of someone who thought highly of themselves for some reason. Still, out of curiosity he decided to take out his Pokedex all the same, scanning them as they left. "Hitmonlee, the Kicking Pokemon. Hitmonlee is a Fighting-type Pokemon first discovered in the Kanto Region. Hitmonlee are known for their powerful kicks which are enhanced by their ability to lengthen their legs when required. Some Hitmonlee have been known to kick so fast the kicks are nearly invisible."

"Sounds like there's gonna be some tough competition. Good," came a familiar voice as Ash turned and saw Rebecca's father (who she'd told them was named Anthony) walking towards him, the Throh dressed in boxing shorts as well, revealing his rather 'built like a tank' build, while by his side his Hitmonchan followed along, looking as eager as ever. "Didn't expect to see you here. Guess you couldn't settle for a rematch in the normal way," he laughed. "I like kids like you. Got the guts to go above and beyond."

"You could say that," Ash said, deciding not to reveal the real reason he'd joined. "And next time is going to be different," he said, Primeape jumping up and down a bit, looking ready for a fight even if he held himself back for now.

"We'll see kid, we'll see," Anthony smirked. "But until we have our match, good luck out there," he said as he and Hitmonchan soon left the waiting room as well.

"Guess we shouldn't keep them waiting either," Ash mused as he and Primeape soon followed after the other participants.

XXXX

While the participants were preparing for their upcoming battle, the main stage was bustling as people were already filling up the seats, all raring to see the fights that would come. Among them were naturally Misty, Brock, Rebecca, and Cedric. Pikachu was sitting in Misty's lap, while Jeffrey was in his Pokeball for obvious reasons. "Well this event is pretty popular. Kind of wish we could be down there helping Ash, but rules are rules…" Cedric sighed, before giving Brock a slight stink eye for agreeing to this before at least getting the full details.

"W-well, it can't be helped. None of us have Fighting-type Pokemon," Brock said a bit nervously. "Besides, could you honestly tell me you wouldn't have helped?" he questioned.

"No, but if Ash didn't conveniently have Primeape you would have literally made a promise we couldn't keep," Cedric said with a tone as dry as a desert.

Brock had the decency to look a bit downcast at the truth of the words.

"Is he going to be okay?" Rebecca blinked.

"Don't worry about him. He'll bounce back quickly enough," Misty waved off. "Still, this tournament seems pretty serious. Hope Ash will be okay."

"I think he should be alright. It's not like we're in one of those Underground battle events you hear in rumors," Cedric frowned.

"Oh it definitely isn't anything like that," Rebecca assured. "As long as everyone follows the rules, nobody should be in danger of serious injuries."

"Glad for the confirmation," Misty and Brock nodded as the announcer began speaking, opening the event and introducing the various competitors. Before long the tournament was in full swing, with the brackets being shown on the large screen nearby. The results…

"Heh, looks like we're both gonna have to make it to the finals if we want our rematch," Anthony smirked a bit, as he and Ash were on opposite ends of the brackets.

"That's fine by me," Ash said, even if he was inwardly frowning a little. Oh well, when exactly he'd have to face Anthony wasn't going to change the fact that seeing as he was here, he was going to give it his all. This would just be extra incentive. His attention quickly went to the announcer who was calling for the first match, which based on the brackets…was his match.

"Guess Ash is up first," Cedric mused, his attention on the fight. He'd want to cheer his best friend on but well…he didn't have the lung power to get over THIS crowd. That and he had full faith in his friend.

Back on the stage, Ash and Primeape stood on one side of the ring which looked like a boxing ring, with Primeape inside the ring and Ash outside of it. On the opposite side of the ring was a Machop standing rather confidently, with their trainer standing outside the ring as well, revealing a Nuzleaf Pokemorph with a lean and athletic build, dressed in green boxing shorts and looking just as confident as his Machop. The match hadn't begun just yet, so Ash quickly took the chance to scan Machop. "Machop, the Superpower Pokemon. Machop is a Fighting-type Pokemon first discovered in the Kanto Region. Despite being small, Machop exhibits a great deal of power even amongst the Fighting-type Pokemon. Said power continues to grow as they mature till it becomes difficult to control."

"Guess we can't let our guard down with this one," Ash frowned, Primeape snorting but nodding all the same as the announcer began basically working the crowd to prepare them for the match, the bell soon ringing to signal it was time to fight. Primeape immediately pressed the offensive as he leaped forward, fist rearing back and ready for a strike.

"Machop, defend," the Nuzzleaf Pokemorph said simply as Machop moved, crossing its arms and blocking Primeape's opening strike. Primeape was about to follow up, but Machop immediately pushed back, forcing Primeape to stumble back a little before Machop countered with a flurry of Karate Chops.

Primeape was forced to awkwardly evade or block the flurry of attacks, but to his credit, he managed quite well in minimizing the damage, even as Machop brought down one last Karate Chop. Primeape quickly blocked it, the force pushing him back considerably, but he managed to hold his ground.

"You okay, Primeape?" Ash asked, earning a determined nod from his Pokemon. "Alright. In that case we're not gonna beat that Machop with a head on assault. Try using your speed to find an opening," Ash ordered, Primeape nodding aggressively before going back into the fray.

Machop smirked, expecting another direct assault as it charged forward to meet Primeape. Machop got close and went for a Low Kick, aiming to knock Primeape off his feet…but at the last moment Primeape jumped over the kick, landing to Machop's side, and began hopping all over, his erratic movements quickly confusing Machop who frantically moved about to try and keep track of the faster Fighting-type.

"Soften them up a bit! Scratch attack!" Ash ordered as Primeape continued with his erratic movements, but this time darted in quickly, striking Machop at an unprotected angle before regaining some range and repeating the process a few times. Machop growled as it weathered the assault, before seeing a chance and reaching out, grabbing hold of Primeape's arm during one such attack. However…

"Now, Leer!" Ash ordered as Primeape looked Machop right in the eyes and used the Move, causing Machop to flinch, loosening his grip, which allowed Primeape to raise his leg…and slam it into Machop's gut, sending his opponent flying and hitting one of the pillars of the ring. Machop groaned and looked just in time to see Primeape leaping at him ready to strike again. Acting quickly, he shoved his hand out of the ring, and felt another slap it before a form jumped into the air and landed a kick on Primeape. Primeape quickly righted himself in mid-air and landed a short distance back, glaring at the one who did it, revealing to be the Nuzleaf Pokemorph, while Machop had gotten out of the ring.

"So that's how the tag team rule works," Cedric mused from where the group was watching in the audience.

"Yes, in this tournament Pokemon and their Trainer-Fighters can tag out from each other in the middle of a match. The match ends when both are unable to fight," Rebecca sighed.

"But…wouldn't that be a problem if its a Pokemon against a Pokemorph?" Misty mused. Oh sure, it wasn't out there for some Pokemorphs to go fighting Pokemon, but generally speaking there was a reason why most official battles never pit Pokemorphs against Pokemon. The Pokemorphs would more likely be at a disadvantage.

"Well, the P-1 IS rather different," Rebecca admitted. "I think that might be part of what appeals to the people joining."

"Guess everyone has their own flavor of what's exciting," Brock shrugged. "Still, if nothing else right now this SHOULD be in Ash's favor."

Back in the ring, Ash was thinking the same thing as he watched the Nuzleaf in a ready stance, Primeape similarly guarded, though likely because he wasn't fully sure what to make of this situation. "I know it's a bit strange, but we sort of knew what we were getting into. Don't let your guard down, Primeape!"

Primeape nodded, quickly focusing on his opponent. The Nuzleaf just continued to eye Primeape, seemingly not interested in making the first move, which prompted Primeape to charge forward. Strangely the Nuzleaf remained motionless, as if he didn't even register the incoming attack. However, right as Primeape's fist met the Nuzleaf's chest, while for a moment it seemed like he was blown back, but to Primeape's surprise, he felt a distinct lack of resistance…before the Nuzleaf vanished in a puff of smoke, as a doll fell to the ground. Primeape blinked in surprise…and that momentary surprise made him unaware of his opponent reappearing behind him.

"Primeape, watch out!" Ash shouted, to which Primeape turned…just in time to feel a strike aimed for the back of his knee, forcing him down. The Nuzleaf didn't let up and before Primeape could recover, he was raining down a series of strikes from various directions, moving at a fast speed around him.

"Woah, he's fast!" Cedric gasped at the sight.

"Not just fast…I think he might even be from Fuschia City," Brock frowned.

"You mean you think he might be one of Koga's?" Misty blinked.

"Certainly is a possibility. That style sure reminds me of his fights," Brock nodded.

"If he is, then Ash and Primeape better think of something fast," Misty frowned.

Back at the fight, Primeape groaned as he was knocked back, landing not far from the edge of the ring. Seeing what was happening, Ash quickly held his paw out, Primeape seeing it and quickly slapped it, signaling a tag out. Not wasting any time, Ash pulled himself into the ring, and quickly met the Nuzleaf who was about to strike at Primeape with a kick, the Nuzleaf managing to block in mid-air, even as it sent him back a bit. The Nuzleaf frowned as he looked at Ash for a moment, sizing him up as Primeape quickly got out of the ring, leaving it to the two Pokemorphs to fight.

Ash frowned a bit, sizing up the Nuzleaf as well. He was fast, really fast…but then…this wasn't the first time he'd faced someone moving fast like that. In fact…that fight style…well…now's a good a time as any to get a bit more practice with his Aura he supposed. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, and extended his senses, a soft blue glow covering him. As a Riolu his abilities with Aura weren't QUITE as naturally developed as a Lucario like his dad…but he'd had some training on how to use it, so it should work.

Either way, the Nuzleaf seemed surprised at the act, but ultimately decided to go on the offensive. Moving forward, he suddenly started running literal circles around Ash, moving too fast for the eye to see. However, Ash didn't seem to pay him any mind as his eyes were still closed. Eventually the Nuzleaf picked his time to attack, aiming for Ash's side, but right as it seemed like he was about to hit the Riolu with a Leaf Blade, Ash…moved. He leaned back, the blade missing him by mere inches and causing the Nuzleaf to stumble forward…right as Ash opened his eyes and brought up his leg, landing a strong kick in the Nuzleaf's gut. He gasped out in pain before quickly jumping back. The Nuzleaf eyed him in surprise, before regaining his composure and sizing him up, waiting for him to make a move.

Ash took another deep breath, before he charged forward, his right paw glowing as a trio of claws extended from it as he aimed to strike with a Metal Claw. The Move found its mark…and a puff of smoke ensued, another Substitute falling to the ground. The moment he saw that, Ash immediately closed his eyes, tapping into his Aura again. He sensed some movement again…and quickly reacted, swinging his arm and hitting the Nuzleaf right in the chest, causing him to gasp as he was sent flying back.

"I'll admit…this is the first time someone has been able to keep up with me other than those I've trained with or under," the Nuzleaf frowned as soon as he regained his balance. "So it seems the senses of a Riolu are indeed nothing to scoff at."

"I've just had some training. You should see what Lucarios like my Dad can do," Ash smirked a bit, before he quickly pressed the offensive, using Quick Attack to close the distance. The Nuzleaf reacted quickly, readying another Leaf Blade and aimed a strike, wanting to take advantage of Ash's speed, but at the last moment, Ash ducked under the strike, before delivering a Force Palm right to the Nuzleaf's gut, causing him to gasp and stop short while his Leaf Blade vanished and he soon fell to the ground, a referee coming over and confirming he was out.

The crowd erupted into cheers at the conclusion of a thrilling first match, and when the referee held both Ash and Primeape's right arms up to show their victory, they had to admit…it felt pretty good.

"He won!" Rebecca cheered.

"As if there was ever a doubt," Cedric chuckled, having full faith in Ash from the start.

"Its a good start. Now he just has to make it through the rest of the Tournament," Brock nodded.

And make it through the tournament he did, as Ash and Primeape kept up the momentum, winning their next matches and steadily progressing through the tournament. However, they also knew they would be having some stiff competition. As expected, among them was of course Anthony, as he and his Hitmonchan demolished their opponents with their fight styles which were precise, effective…yet also very controlled, both Trainer and Pokemon only ever dealing what they needed to deal to take down their opponents, a clear sign of respect. Unfortunately the same could not be said for the other growing contender for the Champion title. The mysterious fighter with the Hitmonlee were likewise also progressing strongly through the tournament, but their fights were…brutal. Oh sure, there were no serious injuries…but there were definitely more than a few matches won with unnecessary application of force. Not to mention how they conducted themselves…there was clearly little to no real respect for their opponents, to the point it was only that they hadn't actually broken any rules that was keeping them in the tournament.

Before long, the tournament was entering the semi-finals, and the crowd was getting more and more excited. As for Ash and Primeape…

"Ow ow ow…" Ash groaned as he applied a bit of salve on a spot that he'd taken a rather hard hit, while Primeape was scratching a little at a spot that Ash had sprayed some Super Potion on. They'd managed to make it this far and even win their Semi-final match, but boy was the competition getting stiff. Ash in particular well…let's just say he wasn't about to try being a pro-wrestler anytime soon. Experiencing a submission hold, or as they liked to call it, a torture rack at the hands of a Machamp Pokemorph…was quite painful. He was just glad his opponent had been careless and moved too close to the edge, allowing Primeape to tag in. "Guess there's a big difference between Gym Battles and Tournaments like this, huh?" Ash said a little awkwardly which Primeape couldn't help but agree on. For now though they had a bit of time to rest, and opted to make the best of it by keeping an eye on the next match. Anthony vs the mystery fighter.

The match quickly began, as expected with Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee opening the match facing off against each other. The moment the bell rang…well…there was a reason the two species despite being of the same family…were known to be rivals. Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee didn't need any prompting to start their fight, Hitmonchan quickly closing the distance and beginning a flurry of rapid jabs and punches. However, Hitmonlee wasn't deterred as moving quickly he dodged most of the punches while blocking what he couldn't as best as he could, minimizing the damage.

"That's it! Keep up the pressure but don't let your guard down!" Anthony encouraged from his side of the ring. This was a good start for Hitmonchan certainly, but as he did so, he couldn't help but frown when he looked to his opponent. He'd seen how that guy fought up till now, and he knew this wasn't going to be an easy fight. Still, they'd made it this far, and he wasn't about to quit just because they had a brutal opponent. If anything, beating them while sticking to his own style would just make the victory all the better. Shifting his focus back to the Pokemon, so far it seemed like Hitmonchan was still at an advantage, yet rather than being unable to fight back…it honestly felt like Hitmonlee wasn't even trying to fight back, just being fully on the defensive.

"Are they…waiting for something?" Anthony wondered to himself as he watched Hitmonchan continue his assault. The punches were coming faster, more eager…more… "Hitmonchan, don't lose focus! That's what they want!" he shouted, but it was too late, as at that exact moment Hitmonchan threw a powerful punch aiming to break Hitmonlee's guard, but Hitmonlee was waiting for that, and at the last minute managed to swerve out of the way, causing him to stumble forward, followed by a kick aimed at the back of his knee, causing him to lose balance further. He scrambled to regain balance, but by the time he did Hitmonlee had turned the tables, now being on the offensive and pushing Hitmonchan on the defensive. Worse, because of his unsteady state, he couldn't effectively defend, meaning he was now the one taking damage.

"Tag out!" Anthony shouted as Hitmonchan tried to defend himself while carefully moving towards his Trainer, Hitmonlee intent on dealing as much damage as he could. Fortunately Hitmonchan managed to hold out long enough for him to reach the edge of the ring, and tag out with Anthony who immediately got into the ring and moved to block Hitmonlee, allowing Hitmonchan to get out and regain his breath.

Anthony grit his teeth as he endured the barrage, but he knew what he was looking for. At a particular wind up from Hitmonlee to prepare for a powerful kick, he evaded at the last moment, and grabbed hold of the leg in question. Hitmonlee had a split second to sweat drop when he realized what was about to happen, as Anthony pulled, taking Hitmonlee off his feet, and pulling him into a spinning throw, which soon sent it slamming head first into one of the posts of the ring, landing with a groan. Even so, Hitmonlee quickly recovered and would continue fighting…if not for an arm poking through the ring. Hitmonlee hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to keep fighting, yet the insistent feeling of the arm leaning through…made him feel like he didn't have an option. With that he tagged out with his Trainer who climbed into the ring and soon got into a ready stance.

"Hmm…" Ash frowned, earning a confused sound from Primeape. "It's…I don't know if it's nothing…but I feel like I've seen that stance before," he said, his eyes now firmly glued on the masked fighter. He'd been seeing the fighter since the start, and while at first he didn't think much of it, the more he's been seeing it the more he feels like something was coming together.

Back in the ring Anthony and the mystery fighter seemingly eyed each other, both waiting for the other to make a move. Eventually however, Anthony noticed an odd…twitch…in the stance of the mystery fighter, before said fighter charged forward. Anthony moved quickly as his opponent went in with a Quick Attack, but Anthony reacted quickly, grabbing hold of the arm he'd moved in to punch with, and threw his opponent over his shoulder. The mystery fighter went flying, but quickly righted himself in mid-air, and even used his flight to hit the ring, and rebound, pulling into a flying kick that caught Anthony by surprise, sending him flying into the edge of the ring as well. He groaned but quickly got back up. "Guess you're not in the Semi-finals for nothing," he couldn't help but say, before charging forward.

The Mystery fighter met his charge, the two soon exchanging blows, both fully on guard and as such, they were evenly matched as they evaded or blocked each other's strikes, quickly countering with their own which in turn were blocked or evaded.

Anthony grit his teeth as he blocked a particularly strong kick with his own leg. He was about to move to counter before he abruptly had to block another strike, followed by another. Something was…changing. His opponent was suddenly fighting more frantically. Yet at the same time…his movements were becoming…almost unfocused. Strikes weren't coming as precisely as before too. He wasn't fully sure what was going on, but this was an opening in the making, and true enough, when he saw a swing that wasn't quite properly done, he charged forward, ducking under the swing and slamming his fist into his opponent's gut. His opponent gasped, stumbling back, but he followed up with a kick to the leg, forcing his opponent to a knee. "You're done!" Anthony declared, aiming a punch right at his face, hitting him in the cheek. His opponent's head snapped to the side, but rather than flying to the side, he had used that moment to grab hold of Anthony's arm. Anthony's first instinct was to pull away, but at that moment…he suddenly felt weaker. "W-what?" Anthony gasped.

"More…I need more!" the mystery fighter gasped out, revealing that his mask/helmet had been knocked off by the punch…revealing a Riolu with discolored fur…and an unhealthy hungry look in his eyes as the paw gripping Anthony's arm was glowing with a sickly purple aura.

"What the-?!" Brock gasped in alarm.

"That was Cross the whole time?!" Misty gasped.

"You know that guy?" Cedric asked, while Pikachu had already leaped off and was making his way to the ring.

"Yeah, and he's bad news," Brock said as already he and Misty were trying to make their way to the ring.

"He's a wanted criminal. We encountered him one time, but he got away from the police that time!" Misty added.

Cedric's eyes widened in alarm at the thought of someone like that right in the middle of the place, while Rebecca looked horrified knowing a wanted criminal was fighting her father.

Back in the ring, Anthony was trying to get the Riolu to let go of him, but he wasn't letting go, and worse, he was getting tired just from having the Riolu grabbing him…until suddenly said Riolu was punched in the cheek, sending him flying into one of the pillars.

"You okay?" Ash asked Anthony, having rushed in the moment he realized it was Cross.

"I'll live," Anthony grunted. "The hell was that?"

"That would be what happens when Cross gets his hands on someone," Ash frowned. "He's a wanted criminal. He's wanted for a number of assault cases, hospitalizations, and even ended the careers of several fighters. On top of that he's got a technique that drains aura from other Pokemorphs like he was doing just now," he said quickly.

"Explains a lot," Anthony frowned as by now Cross had gotten back up, and he wasn't alone as Hitmonlee had joined him in the ring.

"Tch! You have some nerve interfering with me. Who the hell do you think you are?!" Cross snarled.

Ash blinked at that. "You seriously don't remember?" he asked, almost baffled.

"I only remember the strong. Clearly if we have met you were not," Cross said coldly.

"Well he's a real piece of work," Anthony frowned, and by now Hitmonchan and Primeape were in the ring too. If Cross wasn't going to play fair, they had no reason to do that either.

Ash shook his head at that. "Forget it. I don't actually want to be remembered by someone like you anyway. Just know that this time you're not getting away!"

"We'll see about that," Cross smirked…right before several fireballs hit the arena roof, the ensuing fire causing panic as the audience scrambled to get away.

"Where did those come from?!" Cedric gasped as by now he, Misty, Brock, Rebecca, and Pikachu had reached the ring.

The answer soon came when his Incineroar and Lycanroc leaped out and quickly entered the arena area, albeit still out of the ring.

"So it seems more annoyances are here," Cross frowned, clearly not remembering Misty or Brock either. "If you insist on getting in my way, then I suppose even you all would suffice to make me stronger."

"Are you insane?! You've set the building on fire with you and everyone else still in it!" Misty shouted.

"A trivial concern. Whoever survives is strong, and whoever perishes is weak. That's all it comes down to," Cross said, not remotely concerned even as the sprinkler systems tried to keep the flames in check, but they were already rapidly spreading. Fortunately by now a good chunk of the audience had managed to get out of the arena and were hopefully heading for the nearest exits.

"W-what's wrong with this person?" Rebecca gasped at how callous Cross was being.

"He's straight up insane." Brock said with a harsh frown. "He's got an obsession with power and basically wanting to drain the aura of his opponents."

"Well he's not going to be doing any of that once we're done with him," Anthony glared.

"Not alone you're not," Cedric said.

"All of you want to fight me? Fine then. But first…" Cross mused, before looking to Lycanroc who smirked, before it slammed a paw down on the ground…and the ring shook as Stone Edge promptly broke through it, forcing everyone on it to jump out as the ring was destroyed. "Now we can fight more freely," Cross smirked, and for a moment his eyes burned with a sickly purple aura before he charged forward, his Pokemon not far behind.

Hitmonlee suddenly got in front of Cross, sending a barrage of extended kicks their way, but Hitmonchan quickly countered with his own set of punches. However, being focused on the kicks left him open when Cross got by his side…and kicked him in said side, sending him tumbling away.

"Cheap trick!" Anthony growled, quickly tackling Cross, but Cross quickly dug his feet in, stopping the charge briefly before hitting Anthony with a Force Palm to the chest, sending him flying back a little. Cross quickly shifted his attention to the others…or he would have if he wasn't abruptly hit by a Psybeam, one that had come from Jeffrey who'd come out of his Pokeball. Cross grunted as he tried to remain focused, but that momentary lapse was all Pikachu needed to suddenly close the distance and aim an Iron Tail right for his face, clearly intent on paying the insane Riolu back for what he'd done to the electric-type's trainer and friend.

Or rather, that was the plan if not for Incineroar taking offense at that, and snapping Pikachu out of the air by his tail, the mouse almost comically hanging upside down as Incineroar brought him up to his face with a glare…which turned into a comedic look of pained surprise as Ash quickly delivered a Rock Smash right to Incineroar's head, forcing him to let go of Pikachu. Ash was about to make sure Pikachu was okay, but he suddenly had to block a punch from Cross that nearly broke his guard.

Cross reared his leg back, ready to land a powerful kick, but he was suddenly doused with a powerful blast of water from Misty, sending him skidding back, and when it ended, he saw Brock charging at him with a Horn Drill, only for Hitmonlee to quickly get in the way, landing a kick to Brock's gut, stopping his attack. Brock gasped from the hit, which gave Cross the opening to close the distance, and grab him with a paw covered in a familiar sickly purple aura, and this time it was burning stronger than when it had touched Anthony, so the moment Brock felt it against him, he shouted in pain as he felt Cross start to drain his Aura. Fortunately the drain didn't last long as Ash and Cedric both acted quickly, with Cedric firing a powerful Thunder Shock with some help from Pikachu, the attack forcing Cross to let go lest he get shocked, while Brock was safe thanks to his Type. The moment there was some range, Jeffrey fired another Psybeam which would have hit Cross had Incineroar not jumped in the way, the Fire/Dark-type smirking as the Psychic Move splashed harmlessly against his chest. However, the smirk died when Ash followed up with his own move, figuring now was a good a time as any to try the Move he'd been practicing recently…and fired a Vacuum Wave, hitting Incineroar right in the gut, the Super Effective match up causing the large cat to double over in pain, before the Riolu closed the distance and punched him in the face, sending him flying back.

Lycanroc took offense at that and charged forward, moving rapidly in a zig zag pattern as it glowed green, aiming for Ash…until a powerful blast of water caught it by surprise, courtesy of Misty. Lycanroc sputtered angrily and shook off the water…just in time to see Hitmonchan right in front of it, before a Mach Punch to the chin sent it flying back as well.

Hitmonlee glared at the sight of his teammates getting knocked around, but refused to back down as well. He quickly aimed a strong kicked at Hitmonchan, but before it could hit, Jeffrey fired another Psybeam, causing Hitmonlee to lose focus…and allowing Primeape to grab hold of his still extended leg, pulling into a spinning throw as Hitmonlee soon found himself joining Incineroar and Lycanroc.

Cross snarled at what just happened. "Persistent," he said, charging up his Aura and firing it, forcing everyone to evade, before he fired again and again.

"I thought firing Aura Spheres was supposed to be a Lucario thing!" Cedric shouted as they were abruptly on the defensive. Granted they weren't QUITE Aura Spheres, but the comparison was there.

"I think we've well established this nut job isn't normal!" Misty pointed out, right as one of the shots flew towards Rebecca.

"Look out!" Ash shouted, moving to try and protect her, though someone got there before him, said someone being Hitmonchan who'd moved to protect his Trainer's daughter, taking the shot in her stead, sending him flying into the now empty spectator seats.

"Hitmonchan!" Anthony gasped in both alarm and gratitude for what his Pokemon just did…but he wasn't in a position to be able to quickly check on his Pokemon…not when more of those abnormal Aura Spheres were coming their way.

Already Jeffrey had tried to defend himself but the Aura Spheres powered right through his Psybeam, and hit him head on, forcing Cedric to quickly call him back. Another Sphere almost hit Pikachu, if not for Primeape quickly tanking the hit. Primeape handled it better, but a few more hits had him on his knees, forcing Ash to quickly recall him too.

"He's picking us off at this rate!" Misty shouted.

"We're gonna have to take him down soon!" Ash shouted…right as a bit of burning debris hit one of the spectator benches on the opposite side of the arena. "Because I don't know how much longer the building can handle this!"

"He's not gonna get farther, not on my watch!" Anthony growled, before he suddenly charged forward, right during a lul in the attacks, which allowed him to close the distance, tackling into Cross as the two grappled. Anthony grabbed hold of Cross's arms by his wrists, using the close proximity to start delivering several kicks, including one particularly hard one to the side of Cross's knee, causing it to twist a bit. "End of the line creep!" he growled.

"As if I'd lose…to fodder like you!" Cross growled through the pain, before rearing back and headbutting Anthony, forcing him to loosen his grip, just enough for Cross to break his arm free and then grab hold of him, his purple aura igniting again and this time Anthony shouted in pain as unlike last time, Cross wasn't even trying to be subtle.

He managed to drain a bit, but not before he was suddenly kicked in the face, forcing him off of Anthony who fell to a knee panting. "Will you just shut up and lose already so we can get out of here?!" Ash growled.

"Weaklings like all of you don't know your place!" Cross roared, not appreciating the sudden kick as he charged at Ash. Ash for his part quickly had his guard up as he focused on evasion, knowing full well he did NOT want to get grabbed by this nut case. He blocked and evaded a few punches, before countering with a few of his own. Cross barely seemed deterred even as he grunted when Ash managed to punch him square in the chest. Instead, he countered with savage blows of his own, Ash feeling his arms buckle from when he was forced to block. However, as they fought, he noticed something. Cross's movements were getting a bit slower. Even his footwork seemed off…and then he noticed the leg Anthony had kicked and realized Cross was favoring it. Quickly realizing the opening he had, he came up with a plan quickly.

Ash jumped back a little to evade a Metal Claw from Cross, before readying a Quick Attack, and charging right back. Cross didn't know what Ash was planning, but he wasn't about to find out, and quickly aimed a Force Palm (albeit one that was burning with his purple aura) at Ash, but Ash was expecting that, and at the last minute, ducked under the attack, before hitting Cross with his own Force Palm…right in his injured leg. Cross shouted in pain, before Ash continued his momentum and landed an uppercut on the crazed Riolu's chin, sending him flying back.

Cross growled as he hit the ground, already seeing Ash aiming for another shot. If this kept up he was actually going to…lose. The moment that hit him, his eyes BURNED with his purple aura. "No! I won't lose to the likes of you!" he roared as he fired his aura forward, but rather than a single blast, it was practically a sustained beam of energy, forcing Ash to quickly evade while Cross in his barely controlled state ended up bringing it up and hitting the roof, further weakening the already severely damaged structure, and causing it to start falling in on itself.

"Look out!" Misty shouted as she fired Hydro Pumps to knock away any debris she could, while Brock was ready with Horn Drill to break apart any pieces she missed. However, they couldn't quite get them all, as one piece fell at an angle that was behind them…where Rebecca was.

"Rebecca, get out of there!" Cedric gasped, but the girl was frozen in place and would have been crushed…if not for another figure getting in the way.

Rebecca felt herself hit the ground, but she didn't feel any burning. When she opened her eyes… "Daddy!" she gasped as she realized Anthony had saved her…but now the debris was on his back.

"Get out of here…!" Anthony winced as some of the fires licked at his back.

"Not without everyone!" Ash and Cedric both shouted as they quickly rushed in and destroyed the debris, helping Anthony up. Quickly glancing back at where Cross had been (Ash having forgotten about him in the split second the more important issue presented itself), they realized the Riolu had made his escape, as had his Pokemon too. With him gone they quickly focused on getting out of there…

XXXX

"Thank you again for everything," Rebecca said. They had all managed to escape with a little help from Onix who Brock had called out, the rock snake having quickly made them an escape route, and now they were all outside of the Fighting Spirit Gym which had just been put out by the fire fighters that had arrived shortly before they made their escape, even if the Gym…was going to be in need of renovations for a while. At the same time paramedics were checking on everyone who'd been in the gym, some were treating Anthony for the fortunately mainly light burns he'd sustained. "And I'm REALLY sorry it turned out like this."

"Well it WAS a bit more…exciting…than we'd have liked," Cedric sweat dropped.

"But that's more Cross's fault than anyone else," Ash reassured. "So…you gonna be okay?"

"We'll be fine," Anthony said with a light chuckle. "Between the damages to the gym, the tournament being canceled, and the EMTs telling me to take it easy for a while, I'm definitely taking a break for now," he said. "And honestly…after what happened I realized I've been way too obsessed with the tournament," he admitted as he turned to Rebecca. "I'm sorry for the worry I caused you and your mother. Can you both forgive me?"

"Of course we can," Rebecca smiled. "We know how much being a Trainer-Fighter means to you, but just don't get so carried away again, okay?"

"That's a promise," Anthony chuckled as father and daughter embraced.

"Well, all's well that ends well," Brock smiled a little.

XXXX

And done. It took me a while to finally get this one right, partially because it took a canon episode and went more original with it. Yes, they fought Cross again, and while some help was needed, they managed to drive him away. A nice show of gradual growth I'd say.

Either way, I'll try to get more chapters out sooner than later, but please bare with me when my schedule…slips. Thanks.

Oh, and finally after so long, here's another Retold File.

File No. 13: Tournaments

While the Pokemon League is the most renowned of the Tournaments in the world, there are plenty of other Tournaments, both affiliated and unaffiliated with the League. While the League's style is the most common type of tournament, various Tournaments, especially those unaffiliated with the League can have a variety of rules and regulations. However, generally speaking, all legitimate tournaments have rules and precautions in place to ensure all participants walk away with minimal injuries. In the case of an illegitimate tournament, especially Underground Tournaments, one often enters at their own risk.