First Match

The next day, Max and the gang woke up earlier than usual so they could be at the stadium by 7 am as planned. After confirming his presence, Max sat in the bleachers and waited. The event got a little behind schedule due to a few trainers not showing up on time, but fortunately, they just got in a few minutes late. Interestingly enough, the stadium was a lot more filled than the day before, as now things were getting really interesting.

So far, Max hasn't seen either Julia or Rory but guessed that they were somewhere in the public. Then, as the stadium was still welcoming more guests, the representative got in the middle of the field with a microphone.

"Hellooo and welcome everyone to this year's installment of the Mallowville City Tournament! All 16 participants remaining here in the tournament will compete for the grand prize. We'll see who comes out on top over the course of the day, I'm excited to see some battles down there, and I hope everyone else is as well!" The representative declared to the stadium, the crowd lightly cheering in approval.

{Oh my god. We don't care, just start the fights already.} Scarlet commented impatiently, listening to the representative give his speech about how much the tournament means to him.

"For once, I agree," Max replied with a chuckle.

"...That being said, I believe it's time to begin what we all are here for. Without any further ado, let's determine the order of our combatants," the representative said before pointing to the giant screen at the top of the stadium.

As the spectators cheered, a tournament bracket appeared on-screen showing sixteen cases with the pictures of the trainers flashing in rapid succession. A moment later, the order was randomly generated, with Max participating in the first round with an unknown guy.

"Figures," Max complained, rolling his eyes at his inconvenience.

{Doesn't leave you with much time to decide on who to pick.} Scarlet remarked.

Max scratched his chin for a moment, looking over his team as he made his picks. "I'll stick with May for now. She hasn't shown all that she can do yet, so it's a safe choice. Next, I'll go with… Aurora and… Sally."

{Huh? Me?!} Sally said, pointing at herself in surprise. {A-Are you sure?}

"Yes, but don't worry. I don't want to put too much pressure on you, so I'll save you for last if all goes south."

{Phew.} The cinderace breathed in relief. {I hope you guys will make it because if you fail, I don't know how I'll pick up after you.}

"We'll worry about that if it happens," Max said before recalling all three of them in their pokeball."

{Not that I'm complaining, but is there a reason why you didn't choose me?} Bonny asked.

"Because I want to save you for last as much as possible. Your raw power could throw even the most composed trainer on their head, so I don't want to show my trump card right off the bat," Max explained before leaving.

{...Whoa! Did you hear that?! I'm his trump card!} Bonny said softly, amazed and barely believing it.

{You always were.} Scarlet affirmed with a sly wink.

A minute later, Max made his way to the field entrance, waiting to be announced. After letting everyone memorize the tournament bracket order, the screen split in two and showed Max's face and his opponent's.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen!" an echoed voice declared all across the stadium. "The first match of Mallowville's tournament is about to begin! I'm pokémon battle caster Mahanma, providing commentary on today's battles. Both of our contestants are looking good and on fire, ready to rumble and give it all, so let's give them a little cheer." The voice said before the stadium went wild. "Now, you all aren't here for my beautiful eyes, are you? So let's not waste another second and let the tournament begin!" The commentator exclaimed before another uproar rose from the stadium. "The first battle will oppose two rookie trainers, both participating in a tournament for the first time, so put your hands together for our first two combatants; Max and Torik!"

With loud cheering, Max and his opponent entered the outside field, where a referee was waiting for them in the middle.

{Oh my god! Doesn't he look so badass?!} Bonny exclaimed, getting excited.

{Heh, wait 'til we get to the big leagues.} Scarlet replied, rolling her eyes as she watched him walk toward the battlefield.

Soon enough, both Max and his adversary were in their corner, facing and staring at each other. The guy was trying to keep a steady composure, but with Max, she noticed small nervous behaviors.

"Okay you two, the rules are simple," said the referee, looking at both trainers. "Both of you can use three pokemon each for this battle and it ends when either of your pokemon are all unable to fight anymore. Only one switch is allowed at any time during the battle, so choose wisely when to use it."

(One switch? Better make it count, then.) Max thought.

"Anyone can also forfeit the match at any time if they wish, and any outside interference will result in immediate disqualification. That being said, get ready and good luck." The referee said before briefly looking at both of them one last time as they each grabbed one pokéball.

"...Battle, begin!" The referee declared, swinging his arm down to start the match.

At the signal, both released their pokemon on the battlefield. Max's choice was May to break the ice, which was a good one since she's a steel-type. Then, to their surprise, a steelix appeared from Torik's side.

"Holy shit!" Max expressed, moving his head up to look at the big ass metal snake. "The big guns are being taken out rather quickly."

As Max was already thinking about how to best that thing, May, however, was slightly tetanized. She hasn't seen a steelix since the incident a couple of years ago where she went to find her mega stone in a cave. For a moment, flashbacks of that avoided tragedy invaded her mind.

[...May? Can you hear me?] Max called out to her, getting her to shake her head and snap out of it. [Are you okay?]

[Y-Yeah. Don't worry. I just… remembered that moment where we almost…] May recalled, holding her head to try to forget that day.

Max nodded his head in understanding. [I see. Well, it's in the past now and we're safe, so try to snap out of it.]

[Yeah, sure, master. Sorry about that.] The mawile apologized before facing the steelix again.

[Though, it's not gonna be easy.]

"Go get them, Rocky!" The steelix's trainer shouted.

Before Max could start thinking of the best course of action, the steelix charged at May, head down.

[Okay, May. Dodge and use Iron Defense as much as you can until I come up with something.]

[Understood.] May complied before stepping out of the steelix's way. [This shouldn't be hard. He's slow as any other steelix.] She added before starting to focus her energy.

Right after she initiated the move, May got hit by an Iron Tail from the steelix, launching her against the dome's shield.

"The Steelix is starting off strong early on!" The commentator exclaimed. "Classic hit and run, Mawile got slammed!"

[Fuck! You good?] Max asked May in shock.

[...Dang! I didn't see it coming.] May said before standing up. [But I'm fine. I didn't feel much.]

[That's my little tank right there. But damn… Looks like we underestimated our adversary at the very beginning. Put on some pressure with Brick Break before retreating again.]

Doing as instructed, May dashed at the steelix and used her move on the steelix's head before back-jumping away. Unfortunately, the metal snake almost felt nothing.

"Mawile is back on the offensive, but it doesn't seem to be affecting Steelix!" Mahanma exclaimed to the crowd. "How will Max respond to that? Will Torik hold on to the advantage he's made?"

Max gritted his teeth in slight frustration. [Damnit! That steelix has a ridiculously high defense, but not so much with its special defense. Dammit, Fairy Wind's your only special move, not effective against steel-type.]

[Talk about bad luck.] May shared.

[You tell me.]

"Mawiles are steel-type too, so you know what to do," Torik commanded.

With a growl, the steelix's mouth burst into fire and dived at May, trying to catch her. Luckily, she dodged it in time.

[Are you kidding me? Fire Fang?] Max said, quite baffled.

[Despite my defense, I doubt I'll be able to endure many of those.] May pointed out.

[Then let's go with our first strategy again; Keep dodging and increase your defense as much as you can without lowering your speed. I know it does that when you use Iron Defense too much.]

[Alright, defense it is.] May complied, bracing herself for the steelix's next attack.

"Don't let up Rocky, take her down!" Torik said.

Using Fire Fang, the steelix dashed at May again, for the mawile to dodge once more. May then retreated as much as she could before quickly focusing on Iron Defense. Without any orders, the steelix kept aiming at the mawile with Fire Fang. Luckily, May managed to increase her defense before dodging again.

"What could Max's strategy be here, folks?! He hasn't given a single order to his pokémon, yet his mawile seems to know what to do. Have they come up with thousands of tactics in advance along their travels?"

"Yeah, let's go with that," Max mumbled with a grin.

For a short duration, May kept dodging the steelix's attempts to damage her while she dodged the metal snake before using Iron Defense. Eventually, May's defense had risen quite a lot, but when she couldn't dodge one Fire Fang and took the hit, both knew they couldn't go further.

[Okay May, any more Iron Defense, and you'll lose too much speed.] Max warned the mawile.

[At least I'm sturdy enough now. Despite being a fire-type move, I don't really feel it a lot.] May assured him, keeping her eye on Rocky.

[Besides Brick Break and Fire Fang, there's not much we can do against it. Maybe Ice Fang could help a little.]

[Want me to mega-evolve?] May proposed.

[Hm… I didn't want to use it just yet, but we could use the increased special attack. I think we're gonna have to show at least one card from our deck if we wanna win.]

May looked back at Max and gave him a thumbs up. [I'm ready.]

With both touching their stones, May changed into her mega-form in bright light.

"Ooh! A mega-evolution for the very first match! Max is kicking it up a notch now!" The commentator exclaimed before the spectators cheered loudly. "Now how will Torik respond?"

When the light faded, May was now a mega-mawile, ready to get back in the fray.

"This should be easier," Max mumbled to himself.

"Mega-evolution, eh?" Torik said. "Two can play that game. Your turn, Rocky!" He announced before making his steelix mega evolve as well.

"Oh, you motherfu—" Max blurted when the steelix was done changing form.

The commentator was already losing his mind upon seeing this, and loving every second of it."Now a second mega-evolution?! What a way to kick off the tournament, ladies, and gentlemen! Hold onto your belongings, this could get intense!"

Max was starting to shake a little bit out of nervousness but did his best to steel himself. [...N-No matter. We're stronger and will prove it. The plan still goes; attack it while keeping track of its tail. Fire Fang should do the trick for now.]

Instantly, May rushed at the steelix, who began to shoot small but quick Flash Cannon projectiles. With a higher speed, May dodged all projectiles and got all personal with the steelix before landing a Fire Fang. Thanks to her two maws, the damage was doubled. Despite the power, May didn't damage the steelix as much as she could have wished but was on the right path. Before she could continue, the steelix let himself fall and tried to get May with a Body Slam. Still too slow, May managed to escape in time, but the shockwave was enough to push her away, making her lose her balance a little. Using that opportunity, the steelix used Gyro Ball and struck May hard, sending her flying a couple of meters away.

[That snake is pretty vicious.] Max commented. [Good thing your defense is almost as good as his now.]

[Yeah, but my strength is still a bit underwhelming.] May complained, mostly to herself.

[Tsk. What should I do…] Max wondered for a moment before snapping his fingers as an idea came to mind. [Wait a minute, why didn't I think of this before?!]

May looked confused at that statement. [Huh? Think about what?]

[I'm sorry, May, but do you mind if I switch you out?]

[Well, I don't mind, but I'll lose all the defense I gathered.] She pointed out disappointingly.

[I know, and I'm sorry. You will stay in your mega-form, so it's not that bad.]

May thought about it before shrugging her shoulders. [...Alright. If you have a plan to win…]

[I do. Thanks.] Max said before recalling his mawile.

"A switch already? I hope he knows what he's doing because now he's got no switches left!" Mahanma commentated to the crowd.

"I'm well aware of that, thanks," Max mumbled before taking out Aurora.

[...A mega-steelix, huh?] Aurora commented before getting into a stance.

[Okay, Aurora. You probably won't like it, but I would like you to focus on just one move.] Max explained to her.

[...Okay. Which one?]

[Force Palm.] he replied instantly.

Aurora then briefly inspected the steelix, taking a moment before understanding where he was going with this.

[I see. Let's do this, then.] Aurora answered back as she discreetly prepared the move.

[Not too strong, though. Act as if you tried pretty hard to damage him.]

Rolling her eyes, Aurora got next to the steelix very quickly and used a moderately strong Force Palm, which bypassed its defense completely. Despite that, the move wasn't that powerful on its own, so the damage was minimalistic. Fortunately, it seems to hurt the steelix enough to make it flinch a little, with the damage output close to May's Fire Fang.

"Incredible! Max's switch to Lucario is turning this fight around, the Force Palm breaking through the Steelix's defenses!" The commentator exclaimed with the crowd cheering on.

"Dang it…" Torik said, noticing that. "Don't stay in the open, Rocky. Go under!"

Upon hearing its trainer, the steelix dug underground.

[Dig? Ha! That's child play for us.] Max commented proudly. [Aurora?]

[I got it, now let me focus.] Aurora retorted while closing her eyes, making Max sigh unamused.

Mahanma narrated what was happening to the crowd. "Both combatants appear to be in a classic game of 'cat and mouse'! Not many can boast about being able to predict where a 'mon using Dig will pop up. The question is; Can that Steelix fool that lucario's senses?"

For a moment, the steelix swam in the ground, waiting for the right moment to strike. Little that the pokémon knows is that Aurora could easily track any of its movement, knowing its exact position at all times. Then, after a moment, the steelix went for it and tried to get Aurora. Knowing the exact moment when it will emerge, Aurora dodged at the last second and struck the steel/ground-type pokemon with multiple Force Palms in quick succession. When completely out of the ground, the steelix retreated and looked rather hurt.

"Amazing! With a barrage of Force Palms, the Steelix is slammed to the ground, and just like that, Max's lucario turns it around!" Mahanma narrated, a little proud of his clever wordplay.

"What the… how are those simple attacks hurting you so bad? I know that lucarios are fighting-type, but still…" The steelix's trainer expressed. "Okay, Rocky, if the ground doesn't work, go airborne."

With another growl, the steelix used Magnet Rise and began to levitate with the help of an electromagnetic pulse.

"Flying battleship maneuver, let's go!" Torik commanded his Steelix.

Instantly, the steelix went higher in the sky, now literally a flying snake. When high enough, it assaulted Aurora with multiple Flash Cannon projectiles. Creating a bone with Bone Rush, Aurora dodged as much as she could while blocking some with it.

Max bit his tongue at this predicament he was in. [Shit. How are we gonna beat it now that it can fly?]

While he was wondering that, the steelix charged a powerful Flash Cannon and tossed it at the lucario, doing a high back leap to avoid the impact.

[Like this.] Aurora said before jumping in the air.

Then, to Max's astonishment, Aurora began to fly herself. Kinda. As soon as she was at the peak of a jump, she propelled herself higher with the help of her aura, spontaneously exiting Aurora's lower paws. It was like she was creating her own standing point to jump.

Mahanma once again, lost his mind upon seeing this, as he now didn't know what to expect in the upcoming matches. "Unbelievable! The laws of physics just don't apply to these two pokémon, ladies and gentlemen!"

While the lucario was nearing the steelix, the metal snake kept tossing Flash Cannon projectiles, which were all easily dodged by Aurora. When at reach, the lucario used multiple Force Palm again, which destabilized the steelix. As it was trying to retaliate, Aurora went up a notch a little and used her ultimate Force Palm, making the steelix fall on the ground with a loud bang. With Aurora landing a bit further away, the steelix reverted back to its normal form, visibly unable to fight anymore.

"One final Force Palm to seal the deal, Max and his Lucario take the first round!"

"Steelix is out of the battle. One pokemon down for Torik." the referee announced.

"...Damn." Max's opponent cursed, recalling his pokemon. "Good job nonetheless, pal." He mumbled before exchanging a pokeball with another one. "This should do the trick." He said before releasing an infernape into the battlefield.

"Clever! That lucario is a real menace, so it's wise to try to take her down as fast as possible!"

"Another infernape, huh?" Max muttered to himself, thinking back to the last one Aurora clobbered back at Oxgard. [Unfortunately, we can only switch once, so you'll have to deal with him.]

Aurora waved her paw dismissively. [Don't worry about that. I would have refused anyway.]

[Usually, an infernape is specialized in attack, so you should manage. You have a decent defense and special defense.]

[I'll try not to get hit on purpose nonetheless.]

[That would be smart, indeed.] Max said, slightly amused.

"Ready for the next round?" The referee asked.

Upon hearing him, both pokemon leaned a bit forward, waiting for the signal.

"...Fight!"

In a flash, Aurora and the infernape dashed at each other without receiving instruction and clashed, both blocking the opposing attacker. Many wouldn't have understood why, but Max knew his pokemon and knew it was a way to seize her opponent's power.

"What a showcase of strength and pride between fighting types! Both combatants in a one-on-one struggle, having their own psychological battle using their bare eyes!"

Next, Aurora backed away with a high back flip, landing near Max.

[What now?] The lucario inquired.

[Let's start with a nice confusing Double Team.] Max said with a grin.

As the infernape was ready to attack again, Aurora ran towards him and used Double Team, creating multiple reminiscent images of herself around her.

"Clever Double Team by Lucario! Which one is real? Who can say? I dare anyone to try to find the real one!" Mahanma exclaimed to the crowd.

[Then keep a safe distance with Aura Sphere.]

As the infernape was trying to figure out where the real lucario was, Aurora charged an Aura Sphere and launched it. Too confused, the infernape took the hit, hurting a little.

"If you can't find the real one, just hit all of them." His trainer instructed.

{Roger.} The fire-type pokemon acknowledged.

He then burst into flame and got into a ball before rolling forward with Flame Wheel. Surprisingly, it was rather fast and was deleting Aurora's 'clones' upon contact.

"Infernape is wasting no time, on the hunt for the real lucario! But Max is plotting something, will he find them in time?!"

[Okay, Aurora. He will eventually get rid of Double Team, so might as well use that time to increase your attack power a little.]

[So Bulk Up?]

[Yup.]

While still in movement so her pressure could stay on as long as possible, Aurora focused her energy and used Bulk Up. When she was done, the infernape had just finished making Aurora's other self disappear, now back to only two pokemon on the battlefield.

[Go in with Bone Rush.]

"Close Combat," Torik commanded.

Both then dashed at each other with Aurora creating a thick energy bone. As soon as they were close enough, both exchanged a flurry of hits, with none passing the defense of the opponent. Luckily, the infernape tired out slightly faster and Aurora managed to exploit an opening, barging right through his defense. The lucario then struck the fire monkey with Bone Rush multiple times, completely at the mercy of Aurora's momentum. The lucario then concluded with a powerful thrusting move on his chest, making the infernape fall on his back further away.

"Ooh! Brutal strikes coming in from Max's Lucario! This Infernape is getting wrecked in this fight!"

{Surely you can do better than that.}Aurora challenged with a single bone swing.

{Ghr! You cocky…}The infernape growled before getting on his feet again.

[Is it really necessary to provoke him?] Max asked.

[Hmpf. Maybe you want that ticket as soon as possible, but I don't want half-assed fights. I want to earn that ticket.]

Max let out a chuckle as Aurora told him her motive for this fight. [Hehe. That's the headstrong lucario that I love so much right there. I have faith in your strength, so go ahead.]

[...Thanks.] Aurora said with a tiny smile.

[Get in there and give him hell with Close Combat, then.]

[My pleasure.]

In a flash, Aurora was on the infernape and unleashed a flurry of fast and powerful blows, with the fire ape raising his arms to protect himself.

The commentator would continue to the crowd the play-by-play as he watched these pokémon do battle. "Lucario's back on the offensive, going for Close Combat! How will Infernape respond?!"

"Defend yourself with Monkey Throw," Torik commanded.

While shielding himself from Aurora's Close Combat, the infernape dropped his defensive stance and grabbed the lucario despite taking a few hits. He then jumped over her while still holding her and began to roll with Aurora in his hands. Both then spun together a few times before Aurora got violently tossed across the battlefield and landed on the dome's shield.

"Look at Infernape, trying to fight back! He doesn't want Lucario to do as they please, but what can he do? It's do or die, he has to keep this up and work a miracle if he wants to win this fight!" Mahanma announced, the crowd cheering as they watched the action.

[Ouch.] Max said for Aurora. [How about we end this with a Meteor Mash and a Seismic Toss?]

[No problem.]

Back on her feet, Aurora rushed at the infernape once again.

"Don't let that lucario get near you!" Torik ordered.

Before Aurora could get close enough, the infernape tapped loudly on the ground a few times. Aurora didn't get at first what he was trying to do, but quickly realized it when she saw herself getting inside a fire ring on the ground. Out of reflex, Aurora jumped high in the air and avoided the Fire Spin trap.

"A close call for Lucario!" Mahanma exclaimed as he watched with bated breath.

When on the ground again, the lucario was near the infernape and could initiate Meteor Mash half a second later. Being a fast move, the infernape could only block half of the hits, with his energy going down at an alarming speed. Then, Aurora uppercut him and jumped behind him before descending with him only to strongly toss the fire pokemon on the ground with Seismic Toss.

"A powerful Seismic Toss! Was it enough to take a win?!" the commentator narrated.

The referee then inspected the infernape, who was obviously unable to fight anymore.

"Infernale is unable to battle. The win goes to Max." He called out.

"Yes! Just one more and it's off to the next round." Max said.

[That fight was a bit disappointing, though.] Aurora said.

"Damnit," Torik mumbled before recalling his infernape. "Alright. I didn't want to use him in the first battle but you left me no choice." He said before reaching for another pokeball. "And what's great about that, is that I have the perfect counter-pick for your lucario."

Max's adversary then released his last pokemon on the field, a palossand.

[Hmpf. I see.] Max thought.

[A ghost-type for my fighting-type, and a ground-type against my steel-type. Well, looks like I'm in trouble.] Aurora shared, not looking desperate in the slightest.

[Indeed. You may have even lost.] Max humored.

[Eh. Don't dig up my grave too early, would you?] The lucario retorted in amusement. [I may be unable to use the majority of my attacks, but I still have a few, and it's enough to win.]

[That's the spirit.]

"Are you ready?" The referee asked as usual.

{Indeed.} Aurora answered while getting in her stance.

"...Fight!"

"Sandstorm!" Torik suddenly blurted out.

{Eyyaa!} The palossand exclaimed before creating a sandstorm inside the dome shield.

That didn't stop Mahanma from doing the play-by-play. "Amazing! Torik has decided to go all in and start with a blinding Sandstorm! It doesn't look good for that lucario. Not many can withstand a hazard that fierce!"

[Yeah, except for rock, ground, and steel-type, which my Aurora is, idiot.] Max mumbled in his head.

[Don't mind him. Focus on the battle at hand.] Aurora told him. [It may not harm me, but it reduces my visibility a lot nonetheless.] She added while shielding her eyes from the sand.

[You tell me. I practically can't see you right now.]

[Shit. That's just our luck.] Aurora cursed.

[Just keep track of that palossand's aura and you should do great.]

[While not a bad idea, the thing is I can't.]

[Why?] Max asked, a bit confused.

[Ghost-type are nonliving pokemon, so they don't have aura energy. If I can't see them with my eyes, they are invisible in every way.]

[Damn. We practically ran into your natural enemy.]

Aurora clicked her tongue in anticipation. [This won't be an easy fight.]

Then, all of a sudden, Aurora received a Shadow Ball on the chest, surprising and damaging her a little.

[Ah, shit!] Aurora growled.

"We can't see much from up here, but it seems like the battle still rages on!"

Suddenly, so that the spectators could see properly, the dome's shield changed into a darker and opaque blue color, making the two pokemon's vital energy visible from outside the sandstorm.

[What happened?]

[I got hit by a Shadow Ball. I gotta keep moving.] The lucario said before starting to run in no particular direction.

[Yeah. Good idea. God… what do I do?] Max wondered. [...Maybe you can try to dissipate the storm with Force Palm or Aura Sphere.]

[Worth a try.]

Taking a short moment to focus, Aurora unleashed a couple of powerful Force Palm all around. As she guessed, it was ineffective as the very little space she was creating was instantly filled back with sand.

"Smart moves from lucario, trying to blow away the sand, but it's not enough. There's just too much surrounding her, and unlike the Steelix from before, she can't dig her way out of this!"

[Damnit. It doesn't work.]

Then, as Aurora was running, she tripped over quicksand that was being formed under her.

{Fuck! What is that!?} The lucario said while looking around.

She quickly realized that she was in trouble. However, it was already too late as the quicksand was getting higher and higher, slowly swallowing the lucario.

[No, Aurora! Get out of there!] Max exclaimed worryingly.

[I'm… trying…] Aurora assured him while using Force Palm, in hope that it would free her.

Unfortunately, everything was in vain as the lucario didn't have any ability to pull herself out. Quickly, Aurora was engulfed in quicksand, completely trapped under it.

"You know what to do," Torik said.

Upon hearing his order, the palossand used Sand Tomb and made the sand extremely hard and heavy, crushing the lucario beneath the sand. Immediately after, it used Earth Power and made a rock formation appear from where Aurora was, launching her in the air before landing hard on the ground near Max.

"Damn, Aurora! Are you holding on?"

Getting on her knees with slight difficulty, Aurora looked at the sky, slightly absentminded.

"...Aurora?"

For a short moment, the lucario didn't react before sneezing like a dog, which Max couldn't help but find her cute when she did that.

"Geez, you scared me," Max said, relieved.

{Sorry. Got some in my nose.} Aurora justified before brushing her snout.

"Not too messed up?"

{A little, but I have no choice but to keep going.} She said before slowly standing up.

"Tsk. That one switch rule is kinda dumb if you ask me."

{Complaining won't help much at the moment.} Aurora said before dodging an incoming Shadow Ball.

[But… What do we do? That palossand is practically invisible and immune to all of your moves. Maybe we should…]

[Give up?]

[Not the battle, but maybe just acknowledge that we struck a wall for that match.]

[So you want me to bow and admit my defeat without fighting?]

[Don't think of it as admitting defeat. It's more of a… A tactical retreat, that's it.]

This time, Aurora got hit by one of the palossand's moves, Earth Power, and flew against the wall before landing on her knees.

Aurora then scoffed as she briefly looked back at her trainer. [...Pfft. So that's it? That's the strength of your will?]

[Huh? What are you talking about?]

[I love you, master, but I always had a hard time dealing with how fast you're primed to throw in the towel. Every time it gets a little hard, you're the first to give up.]

[That's simply not… true. I don't want to give up, I just don't want you to overdo it for nothing.]

[And who are you to decide for me what I want?] Aurora asked before avoiding a Stone Edge attack.

[Well… your… trainer I'd say.]

[Yeah, and a trainer coaches us, not bosses us around. You humans might do that, but not us pokémon.]

[I don't boss you around, I'm just making a suggestion.]

[Well, I don't approve of it.] Aurora disagreed, now sounding a little angry.

[...Okay. I still don't know what to do… Sandstorms don't last forever, so maybe if we wait long enough…]

[Not very efficient-wise, but we don't have many options here, so…]

[I'm sorry. With all of that sand flying everywhere, it's hard to do anything else. If only we had something to dissipate it… Wait a minute…] Max muttered as he had another idea.

[What? You got something?]

[I… might be. But…]

After dodging another attack, Aurora sighed.

[I'm not part of your plan, isn't it?]

[I know what could help with that sandstorm, but I need May.]

[...I see.]

[I can still try that if in the end, you can't manage.]

Going thoughtful for a moment, Aurora let out a louder sigh before getting into a submissive stance, admitting defeat.

"What is happeni- Wait! We don't see this happen often, ladies and gentlemen! The lucario is openly forfeiting against the Palossand! Does her trainer agree with this!?"

[What are you doing?] Max asked, almost ashamed.

[You have a plan to win this match, right?]

[Well… there's no guarantee, but—]

[You better be sure about it!] Aurora blurted out. [I'm not 'forfeiting' for you to say tell me now that you're having doubts! I'm doing this for you, so you better be godamn—]

[I'll win this fight, Aurora. I promise we will.] Max assured her.

[...Great. That's more like it.] The lucario said with a smile before being recalled by her trainer.

"Max's lucario forfeited the fight, which means she's unable to battle. One win for Torik."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Max mumbled before taking his mega mawile out again.

May was surprised by the sandstorm, but thanks to her steel-type, she didn't get harmed.

[Okay, May. That sandstorm has caused us some trouble, but I have an idea on how to deal with it and the palossand we're fighting.]

[I'm ready.] May affirmed as she got into a battle stance.

[Alright, here's what we're gonna do…]

On the other hand, Torik was rather confused about the last fight.

"The hell was that? Trainers rarely throw in the towel in a pokémon battle." He mumbled to himself. "Oh well, if all three of his pokemon give up, that's gonna be my win."

[...Think you can dodge that palossand's attack until you're ready?] Max asked his pokemon.

[I should. Since I lost all my defense, my speed is back to normal.]

[Great. I'm counting on you.]

[Thanks, master.] May replied gratefully before closing her eyes. [Like always, I'll do my best for you.]

Taking a deep breath, May contracted all of her muscles and looked like she was intensely focusing on something.

"What are they up to? No matter, we won't let them do what they want. Don't you agree, buddy?"

The palossand then used Earth Power in order to stop whatever the mawile was planning. Despite being overly focused, May somehow managed to see the hit coming and could dodge it fairly easily.

"Tsk. I see. Even if you are focused, you still have strong reflexes. Impressive." Torik mumbled. "Keep the pressure."

The palossand's next move was Bulldoze, which May dodged again. He repeated the move a few more times without success before stopping.

"Well, that's annoying. Are you planning to attack someday or you're gonna keep fleeing for the rest of the match?" Torik asked Max out loud.

"Who knows?" Max replied.

"Tsk. He kind of gets on my nerves." Max's opponent mumbled some more. "Let's go with an unavoidable move, then."

Hearing its trainer, the palossand used Earthquake, shaking and breaking the entire ground inside the dome. Despite having jumped to dodge, May couldn't stay in the air long enough to avoid the hit and partially took the hit. Despite her naturally high defense, she felt it.

[How is it going?] Max asked May

[Almost there. Just a little longer.]

[Do it as quickly as possible. He will probably keep using Earthquakes until you're out.]

[Don't worry, it won't happen, even if I take that move ten more times.]

[Alright, May. I feel you, but let's try to not tempt the devil, shall we?]

[I won't. I want to win as much as you do, so let me just do what I need to do.]

[...Alright. Sorry if I made you upset. You're right. You can do it, sweetie.]

[Just watch. I'll win this fight.]

Quickly after the first one, the palossand used Earthquake once again. This time, however, May didn't jump and took the hit fully.

[You should jump to at least minimize the damage, May.] Max pointed out.

[It's just *pant* a waste of time and energy.]

[But…]

[I have faith in you and your ideas, master. Let me just… focus a little more…] May replied before enduring another Earthquake.

[May…] Max said while balling his hand into a fist. "...Come on, May! You can do it!" Max yelled cheerfully.

"Ghnnnn!" May vocalized loudly with a few veins getting more apparent before yet another Earthquake struck her.

"What the hell! What is that mawile made of?!" Torik wondered out loud.

Despite enduring the hits, May was feeling her life force fading away each time she got damaged by the palossand. However, she was holding up.

"Enough playing around. Give everything you have and make that mawile fall down already."

{Let's gooo!} The palossand exclaimed before gathering all of his strength to unleash its ultimate Earthquake.

Suddenly, May opened her eyes.

[I'm ready, master.] She informed him.

[Then give him hell.] Max replied with a smile.

{Yyhhaaaa!} May howled before opening both of her maws upward and releasing an overpowered version of her Fairy Wind.

Her maws became literal geysers of pinkish powder. Quickly, the sandstorm took a pinkish coloration, being outweighed by Fairy Wind's power. With Sandstorm changing into 'Fairy Storm', the move began to damage the palossand instead.

"What is going on?!" Torik inquired, almost in a panic.

{Ghaa! It… hurts…}

Having no other choice, the palossand canceled his move Sandstorm, clearing the zone. As the dome went into its normal transparency, the palossand barely had the time to notice May already on him, going for a double Crunch. The hit was strong enough to push the palossand away, from where he went all limp and half destroyed, instantly by the move.

"The palossand is unable to fight anymore. Torik is out of usable pokémon, which makes Max the winner of this match!" The referee announced.

"Yes! Yes!" Max exclaimed, flailing a fist around as the crowd applauded and cheered for him.

"*sigh* Goddamnit." Torik cursed while recalling his pokemon before turning to leave.

"Good match, though," Max told him.

"Yeah, whatever. Thanks." Torik replied, disinterested.

"The next match will begin soon. You may now leave the field." The referee instructed.

Briefly looking at Torik, Max recalled May, who was sitting, panting, and back to her normal form.

"There's a healing machine in the conference room for your pokemon. They probably need it. It's at the end of the main hall." The referee added.

"Alright. Thanks."

He then left the battlefield and made a small detour toward the conference room. While doing so, he released Sally. Upon appearing, the cinderace quickly looked around before letting out a sigh of relief.

{Phew! For a second, I thought you might have called me for the battle.}

Max let out a chuckle at the Cinderace's sudden nervousness. "I respected your desire and won the match with only May and Aurora."

{Thanks. Wait! You won?! That's fantastic! Congratulations!} Sally exclaimed, very happy for him.

{All thanks to the girls' hard work. But you know, Sally, at some point, you'll have to give it a try too. You can't always run away from battles.}

{I… I know.} Sally conceded, her ears dropping down. {Just… not these types of matches. That ticket is too important for everyone. I don't want to screw things up.}

"Sally… *sigh* Someday, maybe," Max said, affectionately caressing her head.

{What?}

"Nothing. I'll let it slide this time because I understand how you feel about this, but I know for a fact that you need to become a solid fighter eventually. Running away from your problems won't help in solving them."

{I'm… not running away.} Sally assured him, pouting. {I'm strong and ferocious.} She added softly.

"I know you are," Max said, petting her some more. "You just have to believe in yourself a little."

{...}

"Is it too much asking if I were to tell you that I wish that I wanted you to participate in at least one round?"

{...For now, yes.} The cinderace admitted, still sulking.

"Haha! You and your ripping honesty. You're so cute and endearing."

{No, I'm not.}

Laughing some more, Max and her arrived at the conference room.

"That's odd. No one's here." Max remarked upon entering the room.

In a corner, he noticed a machine that resembled the ones in the pokemon center but looked more 'portable'.

"I guess it's a self-service pokémon center," Max said while walking towards the machine. "I'm surprised that I didn't see him."

{Who?}

"Oh, the guy I just won against," Max explained while dropping May's and Aurora's pokeball on two out of the six slots of the machine. "Not a bad trainer, but wasn't prepared enough before facing us."

{How did it go?} Sally asked, eager to know how the battle went.

"Well…" Max started, pressing a button to initiate the machine. "That guy started off with a freaking steelix."

Sally's jaw dropped open with a gasp. {No way!}

"Yeah, can you believe it? Anyway, I had sent May first, but it didn't go well, even in her mega form, so I switched to Aurora. She beat the steelix and the infernape, the next one."

{Whoa! Aurora's so strong!} Sally said, very impressed.

"Indeed. However, she didn't stand a chance against that palossand, so she forfeited so May could make us win with a big ass Fairy Wind."

{That's awesome! Wait… Aurora forfeited?}

"Yeah. I kind of pulled her leg on that one, to be honest."

{But… she would never do that.}

*ding*

"I know…" Max conceded, grabbing his pokeballs again. "I got quite flabbergasted."

{She must really, really, really love you to forfeit a fight just for you.}

"Eh. I guess so." Max said, looking at Aurora's pokeball.

A short moment later, he then released his two other pokemon.

"Feeling better?"

{You bet I am!} May answered enthusiastically. {I'm ready for more!} She added while throwing tiny punches around.

"Hehe."

{Max told me everything! You guys were awesome!} Sally shared.

{Well, it wasn't much. It was just the first battle.} Aurora said, slightly blushing. {It can only get harder from here.}

"Indeed, but I have faith in all of you. We'll pull through together."

{...Yeah. we will.} Aurora agreed.

"...Say, Sally, why don't you and May head to our places? Aurora and I will join you in a moment."

{Sure.} The cinderace accepted.

{See you later!} May said, with both her and Sally leaving Max and Aurora alone.

{...Hpmf. Am I up for some spanking? Not that I woul—}

While speaking, the lucario got surprised by a hug from Max.

{H-Hey, now, loverboy. This is not a r-real wise place for that kind of thing.} Aurora said, a bit embarrassed.

"Thanks, Aurora."

{...For what?}

"For everything, but more specifically, for what you did earlier. I know it must have pained you to abandon a fight, but I'm very grateful. I'm sorry for putting you in that situation."

{...It's… not that much of a big deal.}

"I know how you are, Aurora. Turning your back on a fight is a dishonor to you. You must feel humiliated."

{No, I mean, it's literally not that much of a big deal.} The lucario assured him while tapping on his back, telling him to break the hug. {You're right when you say that I'm not the type to back down on a fight. But… strangely… I didn't have a second thought about what I did. Less than I anticipated myself, actually.}

"You… don't?"

{I don't like how my fight ended, that's for sure, but… we won, master. Isn't that what really matters in the end?}

"...Well… kinda…"

Sighing, Aurora walked away from Max.

{I'm not the Aurora I used to be.} The lucario said, looking at her aura-burning paw. {There was a time that I might have felt what you just said. But… I don't. It might sound strange coming from me but… I still feel like I won that fight. Master Setsui always says that the real winner isn't the strongest or the most resilient, but the one that lives another day to see their loved ones.}

"..."

{I knew that I wasn't apt to fight that palossand, so I did what I had to do in order to make the team win; Giving my place to someone who could succeed where I couldn't. Teamwork, right?} Aurora explained before looking at Max.

Aurora's trainer was speechless and baffled. He was astonished like he rarely ever got in his life.

"Wow, Aurora…"

{...What?}

"You've grown so much. I couldn't be prouder of you right now." Max shared with a wide smile.

{Tsk. Don't be ridiculous now.} Aurora retorted, turning her back at Max with crossed arms, all flustered. {Your credibility is on the drop right now.}

"Haha! Maybe, but I mean it. It's incredible how strong you became. Every time I see progress like that, I can't help but compare you to the first time we met. The gap is getting wider and wider."

{...*sigh* I'm not the only one to be praised. I did my own work but… I wouldn't be here without you and the girls.} Aurora shared, looking back at him. {I… just want you to look at the best version of me.}

"And praise Arceus, you're getting there. Not only is it a delight to look at your curves, but so does looking at the result of your hard work.

{*sigh* If only romanticism was more of your forte.} Aurora said, a bit discouraged.

"Hehe. This is as much romanticism as you can have, baby." Max jested.

{*sigh* Say, I also noticed and love how you changed over time, master, but please, don't change too much.}

"You think it's wise to say that? I'm far from being perfect yet."

{No one is, and to me, you are perfect just the way you are. Remember what I said a long time ago?}

"Hm?"

Before answering, Aurora went for a hug.

{You may be an idiot, but you're my idiot. You have everything a pokémon could hope for from a trainer. So yeah, don't change too much.}

"Eh. Right back at ya, little cutesy." Max said, rubbing her back. "Sorry again for making you forfeit."

{It's okay. I'm over it already.}

"Hehe. You're quick to heal." Max jested.

{Ah, you know me.} Aurora replied, breaking the hug. {This beauty is unbreakable.} She added while flexing a little.

"Haha. Couldn't have said it better myself." Max said, stroking her cute hair.

Then, Max took Aurora by the paw and headed outside to join the other girls on the bleachers. There, Max sat next to Scarlet and looked at the field, where the next match was already taking place between two unknown trainers.

"How is it going?" Max asked.

{Not much. They just started.} Scarlet replied, looking at a hippowdon and a claydol.

"I see. I guess that one of them is gonna be my next opponent."

{Hmpf. Dance little ants.} Scarlet said a bit haughtily. {No matter what you do, master is gonna destroy all of you.}

"Positive reinforcement by belittling claims. My favorite." Max replied, gently tapping one of her thighs.

{I'm just stating facts.}

The fight lasted a bit longer than Max's and ended with the victory of the one that started with the hippowdon. After leaving the field, the next battle could take place, which was between two girls. The battle was quite one-sided as one won the fight with only one pokemon, a blastoise, though looking in bad shape at the last round.

Then came the next match, where Rory showed up against another male trainer. Just like the last one, his opponent was no match as Rory won the match with only one pokemon, a magnezone. Barely nodding, Rory left the battlefield as soon as he won.

"The attitude of that one," Max commented.

{Honestly, I really hope that you eventually face that jerk and rub your victory in his face.} Bonny shared.

"Really now? Not that I disapprove, on the contrary, but it's rare hearing you trash talk like that."

{Something brushed me the wrong side with that one.}

{Yeah, me too.} May agreed.

"You too?" Max said, a bit surprised.

{I don't know why, but he kind of gives me the same vibes as my previous trainer.}

"Do you think he's a pokemon abuser?"

{I can't really tell since I don't have any proof but it wouldn't surprise me.}

{I can easily picture him yelling and verbally abusing his pokemon.} Bonny added.

"I really hope it's not the case."

{Let's not forget the other way around.} Dusk intervened.

"What do you mean?"

{As far as we know, he could be the one being abused by his pokemon.}

"Then he would be dumb to keep them."

{Hm… I doubt it would be that easy.} Luna stated.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

{A human or a pokemon that has a strong grudge is hardly comparable. One is rather inoffensive while the other could be more… messy.}

"Messy? I don't follow."

{What's scarier in your opinion?} Scarlet said. {A human seeking revenge on a pokemon, or vice versa?}

Max then took a few seconds to visualize.

"...I think I see your point. Still. Surely there are some things that can help trainers deal with that."

{There is, so he doesn't have any excuses. He's just garbage.}

"If I didn't know you, I could have guessed that you have a crush on him." Max joked.

{Don't say things that make me want to hang myself.}

"Whoa. That went dark really fast. Don't put that kind of image in my head, would you?"

{Then stop putting yours in mine.}

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. Geez."

{I love your sense of humor as it's similar to mine, but sometimes, it's inappropriate.}

Leaving it at that, Max spectated the next match, which wasn't particularly interesting. Then, came along the one, where it was Julia's turn to show up.

{Oh! It's her!} Sally remarked as soon as the female trainer appeared in the field.

"Sweet. I'm eager to see how she will do."

{It would be nice to have a fight against her.} Scarlet mentioned.

"Indeed. I wish Sally could have a rematch against her incineroar."

{She might be if Julia keeps winning.} Bonny pointed out.

"Come on, Julia. You can do it."

Unlike the other matches, Julia's lasted a bit longer as she struggled a bit against the other trainer. The first round was about Julia sending her corviknight against a butterfree. Interestingly enough, the butterfree was pretty strong and fast, giving a bit of trouble to Julia's pokemon. Luckily, Julia managed to pull through her first fight, leaving corviknight only a bit tired. Next, her opponent released a turtonator. This time, however, Julia lost the round as her corviknight couldn't manage the turtonator's defense and counter. The female trainer then replied with her pachirisu. To Max's astonishment, not only was that pachirisu fast as lightning, but quite powerful as he beat the turtonator and the next pokemon, a hitmontop. Obviously, the pachirisu gave it all as it was barely standing at the very end.

"And the winner of this match is Julia." The referee announced before the crowd cheered.

"Wow. She packs quite the punch." Max commented.

{Yeah. I guess she does.} Scarlet agreed, with which Max smiled, amused by her tone.

"And pretty, don't you agree?" Max nagged playfully while nudging Scarlet with an elbow.

The next thing he felt was a strong static shock in his sides from the gardevoir's Thunder Punch.

"Ow! Hehe. I guess I deserved that one. I hope she makes it to the finals. Kinda want my revenge on her."

{She's on the right path.}

After her, three other matches took place. They went on rather smoothly, but another trainer caught the attention of Max's group and some others. On the last one, a short and wimpy-looking guy destroyed his opponent with only one pokemon as well, an audino. Thanks to Bonny, Max had a good example that a normal-type could kick some ass but was still impressed at how powerful that audino was. Mostly chosen for housework, those pokemon are rarely seen in combat, let alone with that strength. Unlike the audino's trainer, which appeared shy and very reserved, the female normal-type pokemon seemed a lot more cheerful as she rushed into her trainer's arms as soon as she won.

"And that's it folks for this morning's fights!" The commentator announced. "Noon is right around the corner, so it's time for everyone to take a small break and grab some lunch! We'll be back this afternoon at 1 p.m. And speaking of lunch, a small buffet is offered in the conference room for our brave competitors, whether they lost their match or not! See you later!"

When done speaking, the bleachers started to empty, with very little staying.

"The conference room?" Max said, standing up. "I was there earlier and there was nothing."

{It was probably being prepared until now.} Dusk guessed, with the girls doing the same

"Fair enough. I don't know about you, but I'm kinda peckish, so how about we go to that buffet?"

{Peckish? I heard your stomach rumbling seventeen times so far.} Scarlet said as the group headed outside the bleachers' zone.

"You count my stomach rumblings?"

{They were rather loud, so hard to not take notice.}

"Well, it's kinda very demanding energetically to blurt out commands and watch."

{In all seriousness, making your brain work does consume energy, so your job isn't less honorable than ours.}

"Oh. Well, I wasn't subtly burning myself through a joke, but thanks."

{Oh, my bad, then.} Scarlet replied, playing along.