Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Ariados Gang Part 3
"Now for the first semi final match we have Terrence v.s Leon!" The announcer yelled out, making the crowd excited to see what the kid Leon would do next.
"C'mon Leon my money's on you!"
"F*ck that kid up Terrence!"
"WOOOOO, ADOLESCENT BLOODSHED!"
As both Leon and Terrence made their way to the arena, they noticed the stage was starting to be covered in stained blood from the previous fights.
Initially, Terrence had a small smile, but when he saw Leon limping onto the stage, his smile grew into a full-fledged one.
Terrence, like Leon, wasn't a novice fighter like many of the participants. He had been fighting head-on, while his Pokémon had been distracting his opponents' Pokémon.
He couldn't hide his glee as he tossed his Pokéball up and down, blatantly showing the ridicule in his eyes.
"Let's see if Leon can fight against an actual trained fighter unlike those amateurs." Tommy smirked while bragging and side-eying the two.
"Shut up Tommy." Sam snarked with menacing eyes yet Tommy only continued.
"Listen tweedle dee and tweedle dumb, the kid I'm sponsoring has been known in the south side for never losing a barehanded fight, and once I abducted him I personally trained him he became a wrecking force." Tommy stuck his nose in the air while Sam gritted her teeth at the sight of Leon limping to his position.
*Sigh*
"It looks like you'll lose another person just like your dear friend Danny-"
"DAMMIT, I'LL F*CKING KILL YOU TOMMY!" Sammy suddenly stood up with a gust of wind, causing Tommy to instinctively reach for his side.
Before she could launch her fist at Tommy, Josh swiftly moved, placing his arms under her armpits to hold her back.
"I'M GOING TO RIP YOU TO PIECES TOMMY! LET GO JOSHY LET ME KILL HIM! LET-"
"Sammy." Josh's soft words made Sammy flinch, her rage-filled eyes gradually morphing into ones filled with guilt-ridden despair.
"We'll get him later, but if we fight him then we'll have to face the consequences." Josh made a soft gesture, motioning towards the crowd reaching for their weapons, while Jerome already had a gun aimed at the two nearby.
"Sam, you know the rules, fighting in the base is prohibited." Jerome let out a serious warning, unlike his usual gentle appearance as his entire body exuded a cold aura.
"That won't work on me Jerome." Sam squinted her eyes, proning Josh to increase his grip on her.
"You're right, at first you'll gain the upper hand until they gun you down." Jerome nodded his head in affirmation, only to gesture to the sea of weaponry at their side that sought to eclipse her view.
"F*ck." Sam released a defeated sigh, prompting Josh to release her, but the guns remained pointed at them.
Ignoring the looming threats, she focused solely on the match ahead, attempting to push aside the painful memories clamoring for attention in her subconscious.
However Josh eyes stared daggers at Tommy's who uncniously gazed downward feeling his directed killing intent.
Sweat began to bead on his back as a cold chill ran down his spine, causing him to grit his teeth.
"Josh listen, my words were out of line-"
"You better watch your back Tommy, because once you leave the base I'm coming for you." Josh's calm chilling words sent shivers down the spines of those nearby before he turned his head to meet Sam's gaze.
Jerome narrowed his eyes at the two before making a gesture, signaling the remaining people to lower their weapons.
Tommy was about to speak up, but before he could, Jerome placed a firm hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze.
"Tommy, do yourself a favor and simply stay idle in this little corner of yours." Jerome's smile was contrary to his death grip that threatened to crush Tommy's shoulder.
"Y-yes Jerome." Tommy let out a pain-riddled whisper as Jerome nodded, returning to his seat.
"Why don't you surrender, kid." The weasel looking Terrence murderously smiled at Leon.
"If you come over here and die now, I promise to end your suffering so swiftly, you might even be grateful for death." Terrence chuckled, his demeanor suggesting he didn't take Leon seriously.
However, as Leon's eyes scanned Terrence's body, his frown deepened. Everything, from Terrence's stance to the calluses on his hands, indicated that this kid had some serious fighting experience.
'I can't beat him head on.' Leon's jaw muscles flexed, a subtle indication of his effort to conceal the hard clenching of his teeth.
'But that was never the plan.' Leon stopped himself from smiling since that might give him away as he returned to his usual calm temper.
"BEGIN!"
"Raticate hyper fang!"
"Teddiursa cross chop!"
Two energies erupted from their beings in a fury as both Pokémon lunged at each other with a clear intention to kill.
*BAM*
Raticate flinched, unable to withstand the cross chop head-on. The clear disadvantage, coupled with the move's type advantage, led to his defeat in the collision.
Terrence's eyes widened in surprise as he hadn't expected Teddiursa to use a fighting-type move, but he quickly regained his composure.
'I have to kill him quick.' Terrence squinted, realizing that prolonging this fight any further would only further diminish his chances of reaching the finals.
"Ratic-"
"Cross chop!"
"Crunch!"
Leon intentionally shouted over Terrence, hoping to disrupt Raticate's move by even a fraction of a second, forcing Terrence, in response, to scream louder and retract his previous words.
Meanwhile, Teddiursa began gathering fighting-type energy as he charged toward Raticate, whose mouth began to glow with a dark, ominous color.
"Raticate make sure that Teddiursa doesn't get in my way!" Terrence barked orders as he circled the fray, his gaze fixed on Leon.
Teddiursa showed no signs of urgency; in fact, his smile only grew fiercer upon hearing Terrence's command, unsettling Raticate.
Despite this, Raticate trusted its trainer and prepared to face Teddiursa's onslaught once more.
"Now!" Terrence suddenly shouted right before Teddiursa could unleash his fighting power onto the hurt Raticate.
"RAT!" Raticate's display of dark energy was merely a bluff, concealing its true intention to unleash a swift quick attack.
*BAM*
Teddiursa slammed into the ground beneath Raticate, causing the Pokémon to fly backward unexpectedly. This turn of events shifted Teddiursa's expression from surprise to anger.
"Teddiursa!" Teddiursa growled, berating Raticate for its cowardice as he charged furiously at the opponent.
Terrence's bloodthirsty grin widened as he observed Teddiursa's intense focus on defeating Raticate.
Then, his gaze shifted to his target, Leon, who kept his hands in his pockets as Terrence approached.
"YOUR DEAD-" Terrence let out with a roar, clenching his fist as he slowly wound it up.
"Furret tackle." Leon then pulled out a pokeball while calling out a move after he surmised Terrance wouldn't be able to run away.
"Huh-" Terrence's eyes widened in surprise as a flash of light materialized before him, reflecting the emergence of Furret within his astonished gaze.
*Bam*
*Crack*
Furret's tackle lacked the power and precision of her quick attack, but it still inflicted considerable damage towards Terrence's who's ribs cracked fiercely.
The crowd and onlookers watched in shock, unable to comprehend the sudden turn of events unfolding before their eyes that had never transpired before.
"THAT'S CHEATING!" Tommy voiced what was on everyone's mind as he rose from his chair, his hand slamming against the glass window.
"Is it cheating?" Sammy spoke out the other thought that was on everyone else's mind as she turned towards Josh.
"ANNOUNCER HE'S CHEATING-" Terrence screeched out in immense pain, scrambling away from Furret while clutching his chest.
"No, the announcer said originally it would be a 1v1 as the trainer was only allowed to BRING a single pokemon, he never said we couldn't take another participant's pokemon and use it in our battles." Leon interrupted him as Furret continued to attack Terrence, who desperately tried to defend against the constant onslaught of Furret's attacks.
"The participant named Leon is correct, the rules never stipulate that one is not allowed to take and use another participant's pokemon. Only that one cannot bring another one of THEIR pokemon into the tournament." The announcer spoke, making everyone watching stunned before cheers unfolded in its place.
"I guess it's not cheating." Josh said to the side, though Sam was no longer paying attention as she continued to watch Leon with an elongated grin.
Meanwhile, amidst the shock of the others watching the tournament, one person's expression stood out. Rather than happiness or anticipation, this individual wore a look of fury.
"FURRET YOU TRAITOR!" Bianca screeched as she dashed out of the room she was viewing the battles from, heading towards the arena.
"Raticate help-"
"Furret!" Furret collided with Terrence once more as he attempted to scramble away from the unfair fight, but Furret wouldn't let him escape.
Instead of dealing with her rage through therapy, she unleashed it all on her makeshift punching bag, Terrence.
*CRACK*
"AHHHHH!" He yelled out as two of his ribs broke under Ferret's head.
Raticate hearing this tried to make its way towards its trainer to help him however everytime it did Teddiursa would get in its way.
"YOU LITTLE WORM!" ! Terrence angrily roared as he grabbed Furret and slammed her into the ground with all his strength.
Despite his full weight pressing down on her, Furret managed to slither just enough to sink her teeth into his flesh.
*Crunch*
"ACK!" ! Terrence yelled in pain, his blood generously staining Furret's pristine coat of fur and despite his agony, he persisted in trying to subdue her.
Watching this, Leon knew he had to intervene before taking a couple of deep breaths, he rushed at Terrence from behind and started punching his head.
Terrence could only grit his teeth, knowing that if he let go of his hold, it would be the end for him and his chances of surviving to his teens.
"FURRET STOP HELPING JESSICA'S MURDER!" Bianca's voice rang in the ears of everyone witnessing this brutish battle.
Furret froze under Bianca's voice, instinctively starting to shiver, her gaze shifting from Terrence to Bianca.
"SHE LOVED YOU, CHERISHED YOU, YET YOUR HELPING THE PERSON WHO SNAPPED HER NECK!" Each of Bianca's words struck Furret in the deepest parts of her heart as reality unfolded before her.
Leon's soothing words crumbled in her ears as she realized the gravity of her actions, which tarnished Jessica's memory.
Terrence, witnessing Furret's distress, immediately released his grip on her and tackled Leon to the ground, equally shocked by Furret's sudden stillness.
Both were injured, with Terrence bleeding profusely, but his overall strength was more evident when easily tackling the caught off guard Leon to the ground.
'If I snap this twirp neck then I can do what he did in this match.' Those were Terrence's thoughts as he wrestled with Leon to get a good hold on him so he could tame his pokemon for the next match.
"Argh! Furret don't listen to that b*tch-"
*BAM*
"ACK!" Leon, attempting to snap Furret out of her inner turmoil, was suddenly struck on his side, right where he had been previously injured.
The pain quickly overwhelmed him, providing Terrence with an opportunity to put him in a chokehold, though not before Leon's experience with fighting allowed him to continuously thwart Terrence's attempts to strangle him time and time again.
Leon was more of a boxer, but that didn't mean he hadn't ever been tackled to the ground a couple times which helped him avoid certain death.
With the situation now flipped upside down, Teddiursa, who had been stalling to conserve his vitality for the final fight and keep Raticate at bay, could no longer do so.
"Raticate!" Raticate let out a roar as it collided with Teddiursa, finally getting a chance to deliver a devastating blow.
"Ursa." Teddiursa grunted, feeling the full brunt of the quick attack only for his claws to suddenly rocket downwards, but before Raticate could bounce off of him as his paws dug into Raticates flesh.
"URSA!" Teddiursa recognized the dire situation and knew he had to end the fight quickly as a dark ominous energy enveloped his teeth, preparing for his next move.
*CRUNCH*
"REEEE!" Raticate screeched out in immense pain, Teddiursa ruthlessly ripping away a large chunk of Raticates flesh while pushing both of them backwards.
*Thud*
Teddiursa hit the arena floor, scrambling to its feet as Raticate furiously lunged towards it, its fangs glowing brightly.
With no time to spare, Teddiursa coated its paws with fighting energy and grabbed Raticate's jaw before it could make contact with its body.
"Rat!" Raticate attempted to bite down, but Teddiursa gritted its teeth, pushing back with all its might.
Its arms trembled furiously, knowing that releasing its grip would mean repeating the same dangerous cycle, and Teddiursa wouldn't have time to counter.
A Raticate's bite could be fatal if it managed to tear a chunk out of him and Teddiursa knew that it would be detrimental if he lost this opportunity.
"TEDDIURSA!" Teddiusa screamed at Furret who was standing idle while listening to Bianca's continuous disparaging ramblings.
Leon, unable to speak for fear of giving Terrence an advantage with his chokehold, instead focused all his strength on preventing himself from being suffocated.
"That b*tch!" Sammy stood up though once she did Jerome and the other also stood up.
"SAM!" Josh yelled, making Sammy flinch before immediately sitting back down while making the others follow in suit.
Tommy, completely absorbed in the fight, paid no attention, his focus fixed as he nervously bit his nails.
"FURRET DON'T LET JESSICA'S MURDERER LIVE!" Bianca slammed her hand on the railing while guilt tripping Furret into abiding by her words.
"TEDDI TEDDIURS-" Teddiursa couldn't finish his words as Raticate slowly started to gain ground as its jaw slowly made progress in shutting, showing the rugency in his eyes.
Finally through the constant frustration, Terrence brute forced his way into head locking Leon who tried to struggle away only to be thwarted time and time again.
"Furret." Leon gasped, making a last-ditch effort to grab Furret's attention, his face turning purple from the lack of air.
Unlike Leon, Terrence lacked the knowledge to cleanly snap a neck; he could only strangle him with all his might.
"JUST DIE!" Terrence clenched his teeth, exerting all his might to squeeze the remaining life out of Leon.
Meanwhile, Furret's eyes shifted, catching a glimpse of the familiar position Leon was in.
Mixed with her constant thoughts of Jessica due to Bianca's presence, Furret saw a familiar situation unfold.
Briefly, grief-stricken, she saw Jessica through Leon as Bianca's constant shouts drowned out everything else.
Sensing something start to shift in Furret, Terrence spun Leon around, shielding Furret from seeing him any further.
"FURRET DON'T YOU DARE-"
"FURRET!" Furret, consumed by her grief, instinctively rushed forwards still mixing up Jessica with Leon as a bright white light surrounded her.
*CRACK*
"AHHHHHHH!" Terrence immediately released his hold as he felt his spine break in two under the full force of Furret's Quick Attack.
*GASP*
Leon collapsed to the ground, gasping for every precious breath as he crawled away from Terrence's looming figure.
"MY LEGS! I CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS!" Terrence stopped paying attention to his current predicament, completely engrossed in a horrible realization.
Raticate's gaze turned towards its trainer's cries, and as it did, Teddiursa let go of Raticate's teeth.
*SNAP*
Raticate's jaw clamped down on thin air, causing it to refocus its attention. Just as it turned its gaze back to Teddiursa, it saw a sharp claw hovering dangerously close to its eyeball.
Teddiursa, with determination in its eyes, punctured its claw into Raticate's eye and pushed further.
"RATIC-"
"TEDDIURSA!" Teddiursa angrily roared, interpreting Raticate shriek as it engulfed its fist with flames causing Raticate to spasm as its brain started to melt from the attack resulting in a seizure.
*TWACK*
*TWACK*
*TWACK*
Teddiursa continued to strike the spasming Raticate until its movements gradually ceased, morphing into slight twitches, the telltale sign of its demise.
*Huff*
*Huff*
Teddiursa huffed out big breaths as it started running towards Leon who was crawling away with Terrence agonizing over the loss of the functionality in his legs.
*Thud*
Teddiursa's knees fell down onto the arena as its breath became more and more ragged as it held its body.
"TEDDI!" Teddiusa yelled trying to knock Leon out of his panicked state which worked as he gazed toward Teddiursa.
Leon, who had been following his instincts after his breath suddenly came back to reality, slowly walking towards Terrence until he suddenly halted.
'Wait, why do I need to end it?' Leon suddenly thought, he never heard the referee say there was a time limit and with Terrence being crippled he could use this time to rest.
'My match is up next so that bastard can just wait.' Leon paused, his hand raised toward Teddiursa, signaling that he had regained his senses, letting Teddiursa heave a sigh of relief at the gesture.
"KILL HIM-"
"SHUT THE F*CK UP YOU INCOMPETENT B*TCH!" Leon yelled at Bianca who flinched at hearing this kid's vulgar words directed at her.
"Furret don't listen to that incompetent person, it isn't entirely your fault for what happened. If she would've trained Jessica to fight close quarters then Jessica wouldn't have died by my hands!" Leon yelled demanding words into Furret's head, her ears tucking down at being yelled at on both sides while not realizing she wasn't at fault.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA." The crowd erupted into unified laughter, their amusement mingling with agreement at Leon's words, which now made perfect sense.
"YOU-"
"And if she can't see this, then she's an incompetent person as well as an inadequate trainer. Why would you listen to someone who fails at both ends of their sh*t stain of a life?" Leon spoke as he picked up Furret, who instinctively slithered around Leon's neck like a scarf.
"Fur." Furret's tone was sad and hollow, yet it didn't disagree with his words.
Bianca's face darkened at the overwhelming laughter and ridicule coming from both a young kid and the crowd, her fingers tightening around the rails.
Without saying a word, she let go and stomped out of the arena, shooting Leon a death glare, though he paid it no mind.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Sam laughed hard in Tommy's direction as she saw him angrily cursing at Terrence.
"USELESS, USELESS!" Tommy kept banging on the glass which only made Sam more delighted.
"Why isn't he killing him?' Jerome tilted his head watching Leon carry Furret over to Teddiursa.
"Oh yeah, why isn't he killing him?" Sam stopped laughing after hearing Jerome's words, instinctively looking toward Josh for answers.
"Because he's stalling." Josh's answer made everyone confused before they realized what it implied.
"That little bastard is going to take advantage of the fact that the match doesn't have a time limit." The mohawk guy who came back mid way through the match laughed out.
"Hmmmmmmm." Jerome rubbed his chin while nodding his head since the rules once again didn't state this fact.
"Teddiursa." Leon knelt down as Teddiursa lay sprawled out on the arena, then turned his head toward him.
"Ted?"
"Can you by any chance replenish yourself by eating that Raticate?" Leon asked from the knowledge in his head with Teddiursa immediately nodded his head though raised an eyebrow.
"Teddi-"
"Don't worry, just do it." Leon noticed Teddiursa pointing to the straight-faced announcer who continued to stare at them, never taking any action.
"Teddiursa." Teddirusa shrugged, then stood up and slowly walked to the deceased Raticate.
*Chomp*
"What gives, aren't they going to kill that loser?"
"Wow, no regards for the dead."
"Who gives a f*ck about the dead, what the kids doing is smart."
"STOP MESSING AROUND AND KILL HIM!"
"Kill HIM!"
Amidst the increasing shouts directed at Leon, he remained unwavering, turning his gaze to Terrence, who was attempting to crawl back to the exit.
Observing Teddiursa, who was feasting on the defeated Raticate, Leon didn't approach him but instead took a seat.
"Hey Furret do you want some?" Leon looked towards the downtrodden Furret..
Furret shook her head, indicating that she hadn't exerted much energy, and nestled into Leon's jacket.
Leon chuckled softly, embracing Furret as she desired, and observed Teddiursa consuming Raticate's remains before settling down himself.
He began to convert the raw energy he had absorbed into usable energy, repeating the process until he opened his eyes once more.
Ignoring the crowd's escalating demands, from insistent shouts to pleas for him to continue so they could witness the next fight, Leon remained seated, focused on his own thoughts.
*Bang*
*Bang*
"Open the door! I'll be better next time so let me out!" Terrence's screams echoed as he crawled towards the closed exit, his fists bruising with each desperate attempt. Despite the pain, he pressed on, determined to escape the arena.
"What an idiot! Doesn't he know the only rule? Only one person can leave." A spectator scoffed at Terrence's desperate attempts, a familiar sight in these brutal battles where every participant faced similar struggles.
The tournament was divided into brackets based on the number of rounds, ranging from bronze with one round to platinum with four.
Furthermore, there was a separate division of brackets that accommodated those without Pokémon, intensifying the competition further.
In these battles, victory often required more than just defeating Pokémon; it meant taking out the opposing trainer.
It led to confrontations where only the strongest prevailed. While it might seem like an exaggerated way to recruit, experiencing these brackets firsthand revealed their transformative power.
There were no breaks, no mercy.
Only one would emerge victorious, showcasing their strength and resolve. Surviving to the end tested one's character and resilience.
For many, the idea of taking another's life, even in a battle, was unfathomable for some to stomach so these initiations were to get them accumulated.
It was for this specific reason that recruiting children over adults was preferred; since the idea was easier to stomach the more you lived with it, especially if you grew up with the idea.
Minutes passed until Teddiursa approached Leon, signaling his readiness as Leon calmly directed him towards Terrence, a silent acknowledgement of the next challenge awaiting them.
"Kill him." Leon gave the order, and Teddiursa vanished from his side, swiftly chasing after the pleading Terrence.
"HELP HELP-"
*CRUNCH*
The kid's head caved in with Teddiursa's punch, splashing his flesh all around the ground as his body to slump to the ground.
Teddiursa had specks of blood on his face from the result but wiped the blood from his head instead of licking it, as he didn't like the taste of humans.
"PARTICIPANT LEON IS FINALLY THE WINNER! PLEASE LEAVE THE ARENA SO THAT THE NEXT BATTLE CAN COMMENCE!" The announcer seeing Terrence finally die, immediately spoke out to hurry out the next battle.
Leon obediently followed his orders, although his injury still nagged at him, albeit slightly less than before.
"Hey Jerome, are you scared about your kid dying to Leon?" Sam inquired towards Jerome who crossed his arms.
"If he can't kill Leon, then he's ultimately useless." Jerome voiced out though showed a smile to Sam.
"But I doubt he can truly kill him." Jermone crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat as Sam scrunched her brows.
"How so?" Sam inquired, not satisfied with the cliffhanger presented towards her.
"You'll see." Jerome turned his gaze back to the arena while showing a knowing smile.
Josh internally frowned, his gut swirling in an ominous premonition from Jerome's words as his gaze followed Jeromes.
The match started as the two participants came out from each end, they both showed bruises though still looked unbothered by them.
"NOW THE SECOND SEMIFINAL MATCH WILL BEGIN: Reggie v.s Persila!" The announcer yelled as the crowd became rampant.
Both of these participants had sustained minimal damage from their fights, and their Pokémon appeared equally unscathed, heightening the crowd's anticipation for the battle that would unfold between them.
On one side stood Reggie, with a rock-solid appearance, his tan skin complementing his ruffled brown hair.
On the other side stood a girl whose eyes were slitted like a snake's, her milky white skin contrasting with her long black hair.
"Good luck~" Persila winked at Reggie while playing with her abnormally long nails which had hints of red on them.
Reggie remained composed, his gaze unwavering as he focused intently on the announcer, while Persila twitched her eyebrow in annoyance at his indifference.
Meanwhile, Leon was engrossed in watching the TV, with Furret cuddled around his shoulders, and Teddiursa casually picking his teeth with his nail.
'This battle should let me get a better read on both of them.' Leon didn't watch their second fight, but he still managed to observe them even if it was a little bit.
From what he gathered, Persila and Reggie were formidable opponents.
Persila targeted vital spots with her sharp nails, while Reggie relied on brute force to attack vital areas. Their methods were both quick and concise, leaving no room for hesitation.
Their fighting styles were both identical and completely different, making it challenging for Leon to understand them fully.
With them quickly subduing their opponents, he was left with limited information to work with, making deciphering their techniques no easy task.
"BEGIN!"
"Arbok, thunder fang!" Persila hissed, her lips curling into a cold smile, while Reggie casually slipped both hands into his pockets.
"Corsola, ancient power." Reggie calmly spoke, his echoing words making everyone flinch.
"Arbok, stop the move and slither through them!" Perisla immediately halted the thought of going offensive after seeing the abnormally large rocks start to float into the air.
Persila's heart raced with fear, knowing that if Arbok was hit by even one of those rocks, his HP might drop by 20% or more.
"Corsola!" Corsola shouted with a maniacal smile as the boulder flew at abnormal speeds, closing in on its target.
*Boom*
*Boom*
*Boom*
The boulders landed all around Arbok, who narrowly slithered through them, his mouth lighting up in a yellow glow as a loud crackling noise filled the arena.
"NOW KILL HIM!" Persila's eyes shook with excitement as Arbok attacked Reggie instead of Corsola.
However, Corsola didn't even flinch; instead, it began preparing something while Arbok opened its mouth wide, ready to take a big bite out of Reggie.
"Hmmmmm." Reggie hummed, taking out his hands which were covered in a dark brown hue.
Josh's eyes widened in disbelief as he sprang to his feet and rushed to the glass, trying to comprehend what he was seeing.
"I wanted to wait until the finals, but I guess it can't wait."
*BAM*
Arbok's fangs met with pure, unbridled rock-type energy, causing a slight shockwave to ripple through the air.
Reggie had kept his hands in his pockets throughout the fight, leaving everyone puzzled until this moment.
It turned out he had been channeling copious amounts of rock-type energy into his fists all along, as a precaution.
Despite being pushed back slightly, Reggie didn't even wince at the pain Arbok inflicted, while the latter was fiercely knocked to the ground.
"F*ck!" Leon facepalmed, realizing that his match would be significantly harder unless Persila emerged victorious.
"F*CK!" Sam yelled out while grabbing her hair knowing that a literal rock wall stood between her and those evolution materials.
"F*ck." Josh unconsciously muttered, shocking everyone in the booth since Josh was never known to use such horrid profanity.
"Corisla bubblebeam on Persila." Reggie commanded as he dashed toward the bewildered Arbok, catching the serpent off guard with a swift blow that slammed its head into the solid ground.
"Arbok, quickly use acid spray!" Persila anxiously shouted not expecting this outcome.
"COR!" Right when she did Corsola finished preparing a large bubble beam resulting in Persila reacting.
A rapid stream of bubbles surged toward Persila as she hastily darted sideways, narrowly evading the oncoming beam.
Smoke billowed in her wake as the bubbles collided with the stone behind her, stirring up a thick cloud of dust.
Meanwhile, Arbok unleashed a spray of acid at Reggie just as he closed in for another attack.
However, in her haste, Persila overlooked the fact that poison attacks only dealt half damage to rock-type Pokémon.
"USE WRAP ARBOK!"
*BAM*
A barrage of punches erupted from Reggie in the next moment, fueled by his unyielding Rock-type energy.
Despite Arbok's attempts to evade, Reggie pressed on, skillfully maneuvering to the side whenever the serpent's body encroached close enough into his personal bubble.
"Corisla, stop your bubble beam and collide into her body with a head smash."Reggie's voice remained calm as he delivered yet another punch to Arbok's face.
*Splat*
Arbok endured the blow but retaliated by sinking one of its fangs into Reggie's forehead, piercing through with a stream of venom that flowed instinctively into his bloodstream.
"Argh!" Reggie showed a pained look for the first time in the match though didn't flinch as he immediately made his next move.
*Crack*
The fang lodged in his flesh caused some heavy damage to his nerves as the poison was continuously short circulating his ability to pulse rock energy into his hands.
Though, before even more venom could pulse into his being, Reggie brutally hit his fist into the large fang as it cleanly broke off.
Arbok's eyes widened as it noticed its fang firmly lodged in Reggie's forearm before without hesitation, Reggie leaped into the air, lifting his legs as he wrapped them around Arbok's neck.
Harnessing his momentum, Reggie flung his body downward, sending Arbok along with him as the pokemon hurled towards the ground under the pull of gravity.
*THUD*
*BAM*
*BAM*
Reggie swiftly struck Arbok's eye twice upon impact with the ground, eliciting a splatter of blood from the socket before he deftly evaded backward while narrowly dodding a purple tail.
*Whish*
The crowd watched in awe as Reggie rolled and leaped with agility, effortlessly evading each swipe of Arbok's tail.
Meanwhile, Persila struggled to maintain her focus amidst Corsola's relentless onslaught of attacks.
Dodging narrowly, she began to comprehend the true strength packed within the diminutive coral Pokémon.
Despite being occasionally struck by Corsola's Water Gun, Persila's nimble movements mitigated much of the damage.
"DAMMIT KILL HIM ARBOK!" Persila angrily screeched out as the water gun grazed her skin resulting in it becoming red hot.
"Arck!" Perisla widened her eyes in horror, noticing the water scorching her very skin.
"Corsola!" Corsola let out a gleeful cry as it unleashed its newly learned Scald attack, intensifying its assault on Persila.
*Huff*
*Huff*
Persila struggled to catch her breath, her attention torn between her own fight for survival and the escalating battle between Arbok and Reggie.
While Reggie steadily wore down Arbok, the snake Pokémon grew increasingly reckless with each blow.
Reggie shared Leon's desire to persuade Arbok to join him, recognizing that victory in the finals would be assured with the powerful Pokémon like Arbok on his side.
However, he underestimated Persila's agility, which matched his own Corsola's, making a direct confrontation difficult.
As Arbok's aggression reached a boiling point, spurred on by another hit from Reggie, it finally lost control.
"ARBOK!" Arbok unleashed a furious hiss, emitting a thick cloud of poison energy that enveloped its body.
Perisla's eyes widened in alarm; Arbok was tapping into the poison energy reserves they had saved for the final round.
Despite recognizing the danger, Perisla gritted her teeth and made no move to stop Arbok since she knew that if this battle didn't end fast then her chances of victory in the next round was less than none.
In that moment, Reggie and Corsola locked eyes, sharing a silent understanding.
As Corsola rushed towards her trainer, Perisla found herself alone on the other side of the arena.
"Dammit!" Persila cursed, knowing what their actions entailed as she rushed forward knowing it would be over if Arbok died.
"AR ARBOK!" Arbok relentlessly pursued Reggie, closing in with Slams and attempting to land a devastating blow with Poison Tail.
Sweat beaded on Reggie's forehead; he couldn't afford to attack, with the poison coursing through him and the constant blood loss from his hand taking its toll.
Despite Corsola's attempts to fire Scalds at Arbok, his erratic movements made it nearly impossible for her to hit him effectively.
"Head smash!" Reggie's first yell came as Corsola rushed into his line of sight, a welcome sight amidst the chaos.
Arbok, unfazed, seized the opportunity presented by Reggie's momentary pause to launch an attack.
Corsola, caught up in the intensity of the moment, focused solely on her target, her body pulsating with dark brown energy.
*BAM*
*BAM*
Arbok's tail flicked while hitting Reggie's ankle, though its slight victory was short-lived as Corsola rammed its rock hard body into Arbok's being.
"AR!" As Arbok's breath began to wane, Persila swiftly appeared beside Corsola, her fingers poised like blades.
Reggie's eyes widened in alarm as he raced toward Corsola, attempting to intercept Persila's impending attack.
*Splat*
*Crunch*
Five elongated nails pierced Reggie's already injured arm, but a fist coated in rock type energy connected with Persila's shoulder, crushing it completely.
"AHHHHHHH!" Persila screeched in pain as her body was flung back into Arbok's embrace, her left arm hung limply as she grabbed it in distress, gritting her teeth in pain.
"Corisla water gun!" Reggie immediately commanded as Arbok wrapped its body around his trainer to catch her frown slamming into the ground.
"Arbok thunder fang on Corsola, forget about the plan and kill that Corsola." Persila knew that all plans had evaporated with the revelation of Reggie being an energy user.
"Arbok."Arbok weakly nodded, its eyes still narrowed in thought about the damage Reggie had inflicted.
Despite being hit full-on, leaving Arbok with only 15% HP, it completely tanked the water gun and launched itself at Corsola.
"Head smash!" Reggie yelled though didn't move towards the hurt Persila.
*BAM*
*BAM*
As the two Pokémon clashed, their energies collided in a chaotic burst of power even with one having a clear typing advantage, Corsola refused to yield.
"CORISLA!"
"ARBOK!"
Both of them screamed through the agony, battling through the pain that reverberated in every fiber of their beings until one of them collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.
Corisla remained standing, but faint electrical pulses coursed through her body, signaling that she had been paralyzed.
Arbok's broken and crushed body lay limp on the ground, leaving Persila to sorrowfully gaze at her beloved Pokémon.
"I'll make your death painless if you-" Reggie suddenly offered only Persila eyes to stream out tears, letting out sorrow filled laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Perisla's maniacal laughter reached new heights, filling the anticipatory arena as she awaited her next move, two strands of hair falling in front of her face.
"You think I really care about living as pathetic as that loser Terrence!" Persila had lost her sanity as Reggie frowned, feeling a bad premation.
"GOOD LUCK REGGIE, YOU'LL NEED IT GOING FROM ONE MATCH TO ANOTHER!" Persical hysterically shouted as REggie's eyes widened before he rushed at her.
! Perisla made direct eye contact as she brought her nails towards her neck, lodging them into her own flesh without hesitation.
Persian, a fifteen-year-old girl who had known nothing but pain, decided to go out on her terms.
Blood trailed down her smooth neck, but Perisla drew blood until it flowed down her being until it mirrored a river.
Reggie stopped, realizing it would be of no use to stop her, as he watched her fall to the ground.
Her eyes no longer made contact with Reggie; instead, they focused on her dear Arbok.
As the blood pooled below her, memories of this cruel world flashed before her, but she ignored them all and pulled herself forward.
Blood trailed behind Perisla as her milky white skin turned deathly pale, but she didn't care.
Perisla despised this world and the system forced upon her from birth, but throughout the pain and hate, she loved her Arbok.
He was her sole source of solace, her first and last cherished memory.
Crawling into Arbok's embrace as their blood shed onto one another, she wore a genuine smile.
Despite his cold body, she felt his warmth, and she followed his example, drifting off into his death's embrace.
"Corsola, use life dew on yourself." Reggie ordered, though she didn't immediately use it after seeing Reggie's wounds.
"Do it, you're in a worse state than me." Reggie's voice was firm, making Corisla nod its head.
"PARTICIPANT REGGIE HAS WON HIS MATCH!"
"THE FINAL MATCH WILL BEGIN, IMMEDIATELY!" The announcer's voice boomed as two grunts rushed out from the side, snatching both the unconscious Arbok and Persila before swiftly exiting the arena.
Leon nodded towards Teddiursa and Furret in their room, returning both of his Pokémon to their balls before stepping into the center of the arena.
Reggie did the same, before he soon locked eyes with Leon.
Despite noticing Leon's weakened state, Reggie didn't underestimate him in the slightest.
"You know I'll win in the end." Reggie confidently spoke since he didn't think this skinny Leon could truly beat him in the end.
"Over my dead body." Leon let out a dad joke, expecting any reaction at all only for Reggie's deadpanned expression to loom in defiance.
"THE FINAL MATCH BETWEEN LEON AND REGGIE WILL COMMENCE DECIDING THE WINNER OF THE DIAMOND BRACKET!"
Both of them held pokeballs in their hands while waiting for the sigh to start as their thumbs hovered over the buttons.
"BEGIN!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone