Sitting astride one of the halves, a lone Heracross watched the path intently. He hummed lightly to himself, proud of the deep, clear tone his voice produced. He prided himself on this voice, training it almost as much as his body. He felt like breaking into song to break the silence, when something caught his eye at the other end of the path.
Movement. A number of shapes- it was impossible to tell how many at this range- moved up the pathway, heading across the plateau. Toward the hillside.
The Heracross looked on expressionless for a moment, before a wide grin slowly crept, Cheshire Cat-like, across his face. There was only one reason travelers approached the hillside.
“Challengers,” muttered the Heracross to himself, before lifting of the rock and flying toward the hillside, chuckling lightly to himself. The other fighters would keep the challengers occupied long enough for him to spread the news.
The Master would be pleased, indeed.
---
.::Stark & Will & Geisha::.
“How much farther?” whined Will as the trio wound their way along the path. Stark sighed as he trudged ahead of the group, eyeing the destruction around him with a careful eye. Someone- a lot of someones- have gotten hurt here, he thought, noting a body-sized crater in the ground beside him. Will, aggravated at being ignored, jogged up alongside his Captain.
“If we do not make it to this guy in the next ten minutes, I will explode,” he complained. Stark barked a short laugh.
“Wouldn’t that be a sight?” he chuckled, drawing more of Will’s ire. Geisha took this time to intervene, before sparks started flying between them- again.
“According to the map that came with the mission call, we should be close- within a few miles at the very most.” This, of course, brought another loud groan from the Luxio.
“A few miles? Good holy Arceus, why do these fighter-types always have to live so damn far away?”
Stark rolled his eyes at his teammate’s whining- unfortunately Will’s main method of communication. There was only so much the Absol could take, and he was reaching his breaking point. Why couldn’t he have brought Rem along? Never mind the fact that he had to stay and watch Luna, Stark had anger to vent, nonetheless.
“Look,” he said, turning to Will. “We made it up the damn plateau, and it’s practically flat the rest of the way there, so you can take your whining, and shove it up your—“
The rest of this tirade was graciously cut short by an Aura Sphere blasting a crater in the path before them. Will yelped and leapt back, hiding behind Stark, as the former was already sinking into a battle stance. Geisha floated alongside the two, glancing around for their attackers, who perhaps were lying in wait for them. Stark followed the presumed path of the assault, and saw a pair of Lucarios balancing on the rocks ahead. The two leapt from the rock, landing noiselessly on the path, stalking toward the team.
“We have—“
“Been waiting—“
“For you—“
“Warriors,” the two stated, one male, one female, alternating their speech between themselves. Stark blinked in confusion, then raised himself slightly.
“Waiting? What for?”
The two chuckled in unison, then spoke as one. “We are the first- the first to judge your worthiness- to see whether you shall continue down this path… or be turned away.” The two stepped slightly away from each other. One, the male, bowed.
“I am Jakob,” he stated emotionlessly. As he rose, the other bowed as well.
“I am Giada,” she said, with barely restrained heat. She stepped back toward her partner, and both bowed in unison.
“We are the Fortunato twins- the Fortunate Ones- and we will judge if you are worthy to face the Master!” they shouted in unison, both tensing into perfectly mirrored stances.
There was silence for the space of a few moments, before Will leaned toward Stark and whispered, “Wonder how many blows to the head it took to come up with that routine.” He yelped in shock again as two Aura Spheres streaked by him, one grazing the top of his head. He again scuttled back to what he perceived was a safe distance, hiding behind his Captain. Stark rolled his eyes, then took a step forward.
“The Master? Is that the one who put out this bulletin?” he said, gesturing to the sheet of paper Geisha held. The two Lucarios nodded in unison. “And you two work for him?”
“Train under him,” said Jakob.
“To grow stronger,” barked Giada. Stark nodded knowingly.
“And should we refuse to fight you…?”
“You will be cast off,” said Jakob again, his expression slightly darker.
“If not by us, then by Master Kenshin,” seethed Giada.
“You must defeat us all- The Seven,” they said in unison, “or you shall not face the Master. That is his way.” They nodded again, as though finalizing their statement.
Stark considered this knowledge quietly, before being interrupted by a squeak behind him.
“What? There are seven of you fruitcakes here?? That wasn’t part of the bargain! The bulletin said we were going to fight this Kenshin guy, not a bunch of prissy samurai wannab—“
“Fine,” said Stark, cutting off his teammate’s rant. “We accept your challenge.”
The two Lucarios nodded, and walked slightly away, giving Stark’s team time to react to this development.
“You can’t be serious, boss- we can’t take these guys down, and some nutso Blaziken,” complained Will.
“This will be quite arduous,” mused Geisha. “We haven’t done anything quite like this in a while- are you sure the three of us are up to this?”
Stark closed his eyes in thought. After a few tense moments, he spoke. “We came to do a mission- and we’re seeing this through to the end. Will, stop hiding and get out here- we’ve got a fight to win.”
He stepped forward at that, his movements sinuous and intimidating, almost dancelike, as his fangs and claws grew sharper. As the blood boiled, and the Swords Dance worked its magic, a dark voice roused itself from the depths of Stark’s mind.
Oooh, we kickin’ some asses now, Stark? cackled Boros, readying himself. Stark growled slightly at his intrusion, but nodded nonetheless.
Yes, Boros- we kickin’ some asses. Will reluctantly took up the place on Stark’s left, sparks dancing from his fur in anticipation of the battle, in spite of his nervousness. Geisha floated resolutely into the place on Stark’s right, dark power emanating from her as she readied herself.
The Lucarios grinned in identical satisfaction. “You are all ready then?” they called in unison. Stark looked from left to right, and nodded. The pair nodded in response, and fired off a quick succession of Aura Spheres without warning. Both Stark and Will leapt to the sides, but Geisha stood firm, the spheres rushing uselessly through her form.
Type advantages rule, she thought smugly, before firing her own volley of Shadow Balls at the pair. The two leapt away, unfortunately into a two-pronged attack, one of the two struck by a Thunderbolt from Will, the other a rush of Psycho Cuts. Both called out in pain as the blasts connected, blowing them back a space before they righted themselves, landing gracefully, though a little worse for wear. The team came back together, all of them a little more confident at the turn the battle took.
“Had enough?” said Stark, smiling slightly. The female Lucario, Giada, glanced at that smile, and, as though it had personally insulted her, howled with rage. The other sibling nodded and leapt to a nearby outcropping, as the sister stomped on the ground, sending a wave of force rippling across the ground, tearing it apart as it went. Stark and Geisha managed to get out of the way in time, but Will was slightly slower. The Earthquake attack struck him head on, blasting him off his feet and sending him bouncing across the ground. Stark turned to go after Will, before an Aura Sphere struck the ground before him, sending him back, into the path of another Earthquake. Stark yelped and used Aerial Ace, fleeing backwards, away from the attack, as Jakob sent another volley of Aura Spheres exploding around his feet, trying to shepherd him toward the onslaught from his sister.
Dancing madly away from the twin attacks, Stark called out for help to Geisha. She nodded, sinking into the ground and vanishing. A blot of shadow appeared behind Giada, as Geisha seized her from behind, lifting her into the air.
“Stark!” called Geisha, struggling to keep her hold on the thrashing Lucario.
“Pull!” shouted Stark as he ran toward the pair. The Mismagius flung the sister into the air before diving and vanishing into the ground, as Stark dashed at the falling Giada, blasting her helpless form with Psycho Cuts, the leaping into the air and slamming her into the ground with a well-placed Aerial Ace. The Lucario was unconscious the moment she touched down.
“Giada!” shouted the other Fortunato, before sending an insane volley of spheres rocketing at Stark. This time, Stark was too slow, catching several of the spheres on his flank as they blasted him backward. He hit a stone and crumpled to the ground, groaning in apparent agony. A flash of blue light lit up the outside, and Stark looked up to see Jakob gathering a massive Aura Sphere, his gaze focused solely on Stark. Geisha shouted something unheard, rushing toward the Lucario, but she’d never get there in time. He was done for.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning streaked from out of nowhere, striking the sphere squarely. Stark caught only a flash of the Lucario’s terror-filled expression before the sphere destabilized, exploding in a brilliant blue flash. Stark closed his eyes against the light from the massive burst, gritting his teeth against the shockwave that blasted from the burst sphere. When the light dimmed, Stark looked up to see Jakob’s perch decimated, the Lucario lying silently in a pile of rubble, his chest rising and falling with the deep breaths of the unconscious.
Stark looked toward the origin of the lightning bolt, and saw Will there, crackling with electricity.
“That’ll teach them to blast me,” he growled, a hint of smugness in his tone.
---
Kenshin nodded with approval at the flash of blue light in the distance, and felt the connection that Jakob had established between them fade into oblivion. Still there, of course, but faded. Unthinking. Unconscious.
So, the twins have been beaten, he thought to himself. His hand found and gripped the massive sword behind him in anticipation. The two Pokemon behind him, one a Combusken, the other the Heracross from earlier, grinned as they awaited the group’s arrival. He might actually find a fair challenge in these three, after all.
---
“Halt!” a voice shouted as the three made their way further along the path. The team stopped, looking for the origin of the voice. The path had gone strangely quiet since the exclamation. The trio waited for any more signs of movement or life. Completely silent.
Suddenly, a cackle of laughter sounded from behind a stone, as a spinning shape flew from behind the rocks, straight in front of the group, across the path… and crashing explosively into the rocks on the other side. The laughter stopped instantaneously.
Will snickered under his breath.
The shape emerged from the crater he had blasted with himself, revealing it to be a now-dazed Hitmontop. He stumbled into the middle of the path, then, suddenly, straightened into what Stark supposed was a dramatic pose to the little Pokemon, but just seemed like a bad movie to Stark.
“Ha ha! Do you see! Even the very earth trembles at my might!” shouted the Hitmontop, changing poses periodically, ratcheting up the already high ridiculous nature of their encounter. “Tremble before me, fools, the great Gulliver the Invincible!!” he shouted, ending on a suitably dramatic pose.
There was silence for the space of a few moments, before Will burst into hysteric laughter. Gulliver sustained his pose for a few moments, before turning to the laughing Luxio.
“You doubt my abilities, do you, mortal? Observe then, what damage I have inflicted on this stone!” he said gallantly, pointing to the crater in the rock he had just crashed into. “And if that is what I can do to stone, imagine what damage I shall inflict on your frail mortal flesh and blood!” He punctuated this by throwing his head back in a gallant laugh. When he finished, he looked back at the assembled group, a smug grin on his face. “But since I am generous, I shall give a sporting chance- you have ten seconds to flee before I begin my assault. I suggest you take it, before you face the wrath of the Great Gull—“
“Let me get this straight,” said Stark, steamrolling over the Hitmontop’s monologue. “You mean to say that you are one of the Seven that we’re supposed to beat before we face Kenshin?”
“Of course!” crowed the Hitmontop.
“Excellent.”
---
The Heracross sat alone on the hillside, as the Master had gone inside, and the Combusken had left to rouse his team to fight the warriors a time before. He had hoped the Combusken would get to them before something—
A small sound, as from a great distance, drew the Heracross’ attention. A cloud of dust rose from somewhere along the path. As it did, the empathy link that was attached to Gulliver faded into darkness. The Heracross sighed. Out on patrol, again, no doubt, he thought glumly. That left Tager with only three members now- and if the three managed to best his team, that left only him. Him alone, Siegfried the Resolute, between the challengers and the Master.
He stood, then began flying toward his post at the Cloven Stone. He was almost certain, given the power of these three that Tager would fall. In fact, he hoped for it. It had been a decade since someone faced him, even longer since anyone bested him and fought the Master.
And he would welcome it, should he fall, if only to witness Master Kenshin in battle once more.
---
The air started to get hot around the trio as they moved further down the path. First, simply warm, then progressively warmer and warmer as they progressed, until, as it was now, almost unbearable to continue forward. The three stopped moving, panting in the profound heat.
“What… the hell…?” panted Will, his fur sparking weakly, now. Stark shook his head. It was the only response he could think of. Even Geisha moved uneasily, painfully.
“This heat,” she whispered in a labored tone. “It’s… not natural…”
Stark nodded. Someone was causing this. He raised his head painfully, and, with an almost superhuman effort, called out. “Show yourself!” he cried out, much stronger than expected. There was silence for the space of a second, before Stark was answered with a quiet chuckle.
“Very good…” whispered the voice. "I’m surprised you caught us. Only a handful have ever gotten as far as you have, and even fewer have noticed us. Fewer still… have bested us.” With that, the oppressive heat was lifted, and the sound of talons clacking on stone was heard. The trio waited, catching their breath after the lifting of the heat, waiting to see their adversary. They didn’t have to wait long.
A shiny Combusken strode confidently from behind the debris, his feathers bristling with anticipation. Suddenly, the sound of other footsteps could be heard, and two more joined the Combusken. The two were almost identical, wearing the same robes, same texture of skin, similar facial features. The one on the Combusken’s right, however, was shorter, squatter, with red skin, while the one on the left was taller and blue-skinned, slightly more graceful in his movements. A Throh and a Sawk, respectively.
“There would be another,” said the Combusken airily, “except that he has already… associated himself with you, unfortunately. Briefly, I might add.”
Stark cocked his head in confusion, but Will perked up suddenly.
“Wait. You mean that loser ‘invincible’ guy was on your team?” He finished this thought with a very insulting snicker. Stark glared at his teammate for being so crass, but the Combusken only nodded ruefully.
“Yes, unfortunately. Gulliver is quite capable as part of a unit, surprisingly, but his overconfidence is his ultimate failing- as you have plainly seen.” He shrugged. “But where are my manners? I have neglected to introduce myself. Tager Strongarm, at your service. The strong, silent types beside me are my colleagues, Coal,” he said, motioning to the Sawk, “and Jasper,” he said, indicating the Throh. He bowed to the trio. “Together we are known as Tager’s Tigers, and we shall be the ones to test if you are worthy to face your final two opponents.”
Stark nodded, settling into a ready stance, his teammates following suit. Tager grinned widely at this.
“Ah… You are eager, I see. I like that. No pretense, no complaining, just two forces locked in combat…” His grin turned savage as heat rippled from his feathers.
“Fantastic.”
With that a gust of searing heat launched toward Stark, and the battle was on. Stark dodged the Heat Wave, then responded with a series of Psycho Cuts. Jasper dove in front of Tager, raising a Protect shield against the onslaught, while Coal drove forward at Will, fists raised for an attack. Will threw a Thunderbolt at the Sawk, but it dodged each strike, finally closing the gap between them and letting loose a murderous punch. Will yelped in surprise and leapt back as the blow cleaved the ground before him. Meanwhile, Tager leapt over his associate’s shoulders, aiming at Geisha, dropping her with a brutal Fire Punch. Geisha flew back, scorched slightly, then responded with her own attack, blasting Shadow Ball after Shadow Ball at her attacker.
Meanwhile, the Throh, who had been foolishly watching this whole time from behind his shield, suddenly found a massive blow smashing through it into his jaw. Stark landed deftly, watching the Throh bounce across the ground as he fired a Razor Wind at his diminishing form. The Throh had just enough time to look up before a razor-edged cyclone enveloped him. He stood futilely against for only a moment before falling.
Stark’s success was slightly diminished by the sight of Will being flung into a rock pillar, and Geisha being driven to the ground by a storm of fire. He glanced between his two fallen comrades, then at the two who had beaten them, who were now advancing toward him. Stark did a quick double take between the two, before closing his eyes.
All you gotta do is say please, came the response, followed by a sadistic giggling. Stark rolled his eyes, as the slow advance of his opponents turned into a faster approach.
Please, he thought, followed by a string of muttered profanities.
Now, now, chided Boros, before a rush of power suffused Stark’s limbs. The power grew, coalesced, and, finally, with a roar, Stark released it, just as his opponents dove at him. A wave of pure force erupted from the Absol, blowing away his surroundings- which happened to include the two Pokemon trying to smash him. The Sawk sailed somewhat elegantly through the air, while Tager’s flight was cut short by a protruding stone. As he crumpled, the Sawk bounced across the ground, before finally recovering- just in time to catch a Thunderbolt and a Shadow Ball to the face. He collapsed, and did not rise again.
Stark stalked slowly toward the Combusken, who was struggling to get to his feet. He made it to his knees before Stark’s shadow fell upon him.
“You are… incredible,” muttered Tager, holding his injured side. Stark nodded at the compliment, then slammed a Night Slash into his face. With one last utterance of “In… credi… ble…” he collapsed, beaten. Stark nodded. Only one more left. Before the big one.
---
Kenshin lay inside his small shack, dozing slightly, resting in anticipation of these warriors. As he dreamed, he saw the three- shapeless thus far, as the empathy link did not carry anything definite, only feelings- gathered before him. He saw his power meeting with their own, the very foundations of the plateau trembling from their clash. He dreamed, and then awoke in a cold sweat- not from fear, but from excitement, even impatience. He glanced at his sword, eager to let it see battle again.
Surely they must be close by now, he thought eagerly. Surely I will soon bring my power to bear once again. Do hurry, Warriors! I have waited almost twelve years for this moment, and I cannot bear to wait a second longer!
---
Stark stared at the figure atop the rock before him. Well, atop half of it, at least. The Heracross gazed back down with an equal unflinching stare. Will and Geisha only watched as the two Pokemon locked eyes… waiting… waiting for… something. After a few minutes, Will cleared his throat.
“We gonna do this all day, or what?” he grumbled. Geisha shushed him, her eyes trained on the Heracross. After a few seconds, he smiled, leaping down from the stone, then spreading his arms wide in welcome.
“You have done well, Warriors,” he said in a deep, clear voice. “You have bested six of the Seven- no small feat, considering you are the first in a decade to make it this far. But the time has come for your true test- to see if you can best me. Should you do so, you will be permitted to face Master Kenshin, a reward none have claimed since the Master first opened this challenge, over twelve years ago. Allow me to see if you are worthy of such an honor- I, Siegfried the Resolute, greatest of the students of Kenshin of Blades.”
Stark nodded at this, and the three tensed, familiar with the routine of the path. Stark glanced past Siegfried, at the hillside in the distance. That was where their target lay- and the only thing between them was this Heracross. Stark turned back to their opponent, inclining his head respectfully.
“I am Stark Dravin, leader of Team Blacksteppe. And we accept your challenge.”
Siegfried nodded almost imperceptibly, then vanished. Stark had only enough time to wonder where he went before a clawed fist drove his face into the ground. Barely a second passed before a foot connected with his forehead, sending him flying backward.
Will watched wide-eyed, blurting a “What the fu—“ before Sieg’s fist smashed into his windpipe and another fist smashed into his head. He crumpled noiselessly as Siegfried turned to Geisha.
“Well,” she muttered, floating toward the Heracross, the air around her darkening. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
Suddenly she lunged, diving face-first at the Heracross. Siegfried readied his horn for a charge, rushing to meet the reckless Mismagius head-on. Just before the two connected, Geisha’s trajectory changed radically, driving her straight into the ground, vanishing in a puddle of shadow. The Heracross swung his horn and missed, throwing himself off-balance, as Geisha rocketed up from her Shadow Sneak, driving straight into the Heracross’ stomach. He gasped in pain and shock as he was lifted and thrown aside, then pelted with Shadow Balls as he drove into the ground.
Siegfried struggled to his hands and knees, shaking off his disorientation. He laughed heartily, glancing at Geisha.
“You are a surprising one, my lady,” he said. He spat out something that might have been blood, and turned. “I will have to be extra-careful around you.” With that, he fired up another Extremespeed to get close, then plowed his horn into Geisha’s gut. As she tried desperately to recover from this assault, the Heracross lifted his head with impossible speed, and swung his horn again across her face. Geisha spiraled painfully away, striking a stone and sinking into it.
Siegfried halted, anticipating another strike from below, when a Shadow Ball exploded against his back. He cried out, turning, only to catch another blast in the face. He growled, clawing at his burning eyes as a sudden Psywave attack drove him to his knees. His eyes opened slightly against the pain, just in time to see a head emerging from the shadow before him. Without hesitation, he grabbed the Mismagius around the throat, ripping her bodily from the hole before him and flinging her to the ground. He lifted her again and smashed her to the ground, immobilizing her against the stone. She couldn’t Sneak as long as he had her in his grip. She was done.
Siegfried’s wings began humming, first low, then higher-pitched and stronger. The Bug Buzz grew in intensity, washing over the Mismagius, causing her to cry out in pain and frustration. Siegfried cackled.
“Any last words before I cast you pretenders away?” he shouted at her.
“Yeah,” came her growled response. “You should… really learn… to look behind you.”
The Heracross turned in shock, just as a Night Slash connected with his jaw. Dazed, he lost his grip on the Mismagius, and she sunk into the shadows once again.
“Will, now!!” shouted Stark, and a stream of electric attacks and profanity was launched at the Heracross, blasting him where he stood. After a small eternity of electrocution, Will finally relented, leaving the Heracross smoldering where he stood. He was silent for a moment, then spoke, labored.
“That… had… style.” And with that, he collapsed backwards, defeated.
---
Kenshin of Blades stood outside his shack, feeling the last of his students’ links fade into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness. His heart beat in eager anticipation. It was finally time. For the first time in twelve years, he would face a truly worthy opponent, one capable of defeating the Seven.
And perhaps, for the first time since his father passed on… he would find someone capable of defeating him… He grasped his sword in anticipation, and the waiting began. He was no longer impatient, simply excited.
Rest, Warriors. Ready yourselves, for I will not make this easy for you. I expect you to show me the same courtesy.
---
The trio stopped at the foot of the hillside, waiting before rushing in blindly to face their last opponent. Stark set down the pouch around his neck, drawing out some fruits and distributing them among the team. As they ate, they looked amongst themselves, communicating almost through sight alone. Their next battle would be their most difficult yet- yet even if they failed to win, they had still completed the mission, hadn’t they?
Stark shook his head. “It’s not enough.” The other two looked up at him, curious at his statement. He looked between them.
“Even if we don’t beat this guy, we still have technically completed the mission, right?” He shook his head again. “That’s not good enough. We’re a great team- just barely scraping past in this battle isn’t enough for people of our caliber.” He set his half-eaten fruit aside, glaring between the two of them. “So I don’t want either of you thinking that ‘good enough’ is good enough. I want you both to give it your best- give it your all. Or, if that’s too much, you can leave. But I am seeing this through.” He nodded, then sat back. There was silence for the space of a minute, then Will chuckled quietly.
“I thought you’d never get around to saying something like that,” he laughed.
Geisha nodded. “It’s like you said Mr. Dravin- ‘to the end,’ yes?”
Stark looked at them for a moment, then nodded, smiling. “To the end.”
Will nodded, then leaned back, satisfied. “So… who wants to kick a chicken in uprights?”
---
He was waiting for them when they arrived at the house on the hillside, kneeling in the dirt, a massive object before him. At first glance, it appeared to be an oar, of Japanese design, but closer inspection revealed that though the edges were not sharp, the piece itself was crafted from solid steel, the workmanship and the design pointing to only one conclusion- the thing was a giant sword.
The Blaziken’s eyes opened as they approached, and he grinned widely, grasping the hilt of his oar-sword, backhand-style, and standing, wielding the massive steel beast effortlessly.
“Warriors… welcome,” he said, spreading his arms wide, lifting the sword as though it were a toy. “You have endured much to get here, and I thank you for responding so eloquently to my request. It had been so long, that I feared my message had not reached your Guild. Alas, thankfully, I am proven wrong, quite blessedly wrong indeed.” He shifted his grip on the sword, swing it upright, and setting the flat on his shoulder. “At this point, I am sure I need no introductions, but, for the sake of politeness, I will give you one. I am Master Kenshin Tsukuyomi, known to many as Kenshin of Blades. And I have the supreme honor of being your opponent this evening.”
Stark nodded, then stepped forward. “My name is Stark Dravin, Captain of Team Blacksteppe, agent of the Guild of the Sun.”
Geisha moved forward next. “I am Geisha Takeoka, loyal friend and servant to Mr. Dravin.”
And then came Will, grinning as he said, “My name is William Shaw, and I’m here to help these guys drive you into the ground!”
Stark winced at Will’s comment, but Kenshin only laughed.
“Har! I like that one, Dravin! Such fire, such honesty! This will be an enjoyable battle indeed!” His wrists started smoldering, glowing as the flames licked around his hands, writhing up and across his blade. He shifted into a war-like stance, the flames growing brighter.
“You have shown me your fire, members of Blacksteppe, so please, as we begin our clash, allow me to show you my own!!” And with that, he raised his sword to the sky, howling as if in triumph, as a wave of flame exploded around the Blaziken. He lowered the sword, then, without further delay, leapt at the trio.
The team scattered as Kenshin’s oar smashed into the ground, causing an explosion of flames to erupt from the impact site. The three fired off a volley of Thunderbolts, Psycho Cuts, and Shadow Balls at Kenshin, but his cloak of flames simply grew, spreading out behind him as he danced around their shots, the cloak hiding his stance and location, making him far more difficult to hit. He swung the sword in an arc, sending out a wave of flame, silencing their onslaught as they desperately tried to avoid the attack. As they did so, he gathered the cloak into a condensed ball of fire, then flung it at Will, the ball transforming into a five-pointed star of flame. The Luxio yelped and jumped out of the way as the Fire Blast exploded, missing Will by inches and blowing him away on a gust of hot air.
As Will desperately tried to regain his footing, Stark launched a barrage of Psycho Cuts at the Blaziken, even landing a few blows before he turned, more flames already lapping at his heels as he dodged or even parried the assault. Geisha floated around him, tossing Shadow Balls at him, only to have one deflected back at her by his sword. The ball burst against her chest, drawing a cry of pain and shock from her, followed by another Fire Blast, enveloping her in a burst of flame. She emerged from the assault unconscious, trailing smoke as she floated almost lifelessly to the ground.
As Kenshin turned his attention to Stark, a Thunderbolt struck his sword, causing him to cry out in pain. He turned toward Will, not even sparing him a glance as a Flamethrower spewed from his mouth. Caught so off-guard, Will was consumed by the rush of flames, crying out in pain and rage. Stark ran toward the Blaziken, firing off attacks and trying to draw his attention away from Will. It worked, but only momentarily, as Kenshin turned, slamming his sword into the ground, sending a streak of flame along the ground at Stark. He dodged it easily, but the wave swept snakelike around him, forming a ring of flame, entrapping him. The flames then spun into a vortex, leaving Stark gasping a whirl of heat and smoke. From the outside, he only barely heard an explosion of some sort, followed by Will, screaming in pain. Then, nothing over the rush of flames around him.
The ring of fire spread out around Stark, lessening the heat slightly and giving him some room to move. In a moment, Kenshin entered the ring, walking straight through the flames. He smiled at Stark, not in an unfriendly way, as he stalked forward.
“You are very brave, Stark Dravin. Very brave, or very foolish.” There was nothing mocking in his tone, just thoughtful, as though puzzling out the mystery that was Stark to himself.
“That is probably how you have earned those scars- you threw yourself at every kiken, every hazard, that crossed you, and came out alive, if not unscathed.” He took a step forward. “Perhaps you yourself are a kiken. A risk to the life and limb of your enemies, though perhaps a touch reckless.” He smiled warmly, an odd contrast to the inferno around them. “I am sorry, Kiken… but it looks as though I am the victor.” He raised the sword, grasping it with both hands. “I had hoped for a little more… but you fought bravely, and that is all I have asked.” He raised the sword higher, readying for an attack. “Good-bye, little Kiken. I enjoyed our spar.”
Stark shook his head. No. He couldn’t lose here- not after all he had been through. He felt his rage rise at the unfairness of it all, how easily they had been bested. There was no way he could lose like that.
“No,” he muttered, giving Kenshin a moment of pause. “No. No,” he said, getting stronger. The rage flowed out of him, spreading about his body, cloaking him in power, royal-blue flames igniting across his fur. He looked up, the color draining out of his eyes. “No, no, NO!” he spat, a billow of blue flame spreading from his body, eating at the orange inferno around him. “This is NOT how it ends! This fight is not over! And I will NOT let it end like THIS!!” At his last word, the flames burst out, snuffing out the Blaziken’s inferno wherever it touched. As Kenshin stared, dumbfounded, Stark leapt up, striking him in the jaw with his Outrage. Blue flames erupted at the contact, sending the Blaziken spiraling away. He rose quickly, then, hearing Stark’s roar behind him, he rolled quickly out of the way, as Stark struck the spot where he had landed, causing a small explosion of fire at the impact.
As Kenshin struggled to stand, Stark ran forward, slamming against one of his legs, throwing off his balance, causing him to lean forward into a vicious kick from one of Stark’s hind legs. He stumbled backwards, then, recovering, raised his sword in an attack, until another bolt of lightning struck it, causing him to shout in pain stumble away once again. Stark looked, surprised, in the direction of the attack, seeing Will standing there, burnt almost to a crisp, but still very much willing to fight. Stark jogged over to his ally, and standing together, faced down their foe.
Kenshin shook his head, then glared down at the two comrades as fire began sparking from his wrists. “Enough!” he shouted. “This is where it ends!”
“Quite,” came a voice from under him. Geisha burst from the ground, lifting the startled Blaziken into the air, staring down at Stark, saying, “Mr. Dravin?”
Stark nodded, smiling. “Pull.”
With a mighty heave, Geisha flung Kenshin into the air, allowing Will to pummel him with Thunderbolts. He cried out, then was silenced as one particularly nasty bolt blasted him toward the ground. Hesitating not a second, Stark leapt forward, bringing his paw down into a vicious Night Slash as Kenshin’s head came into view, slamming his head straight into the ground.
Stark walked a few steps back from the Blaziken, looking intently at him, waiting for any sign, any movement that the fight was not yet over. Suddenly, his chest heaved in what sounded like a gasping cough, then again, and again, faster and faster until Stark realized that he was laughing. Sure enough, as his breath came back, his laugh grew stronger and stronger, until it echoed across the plateau.
“Oh, holy Arceus,” he gasped finally. “Never have I seen such a display of courage! Such power, such bravery, such will!! Ah, it sets my heart aglow just thinking about it!!” He laughed still, coughing and gasping as he forced himself into a sitting position.
“You are truly worthy of studying the art of war! As promised, you shall have your reward- as soon as the feeling comes back to my legs!!” At this statement, he erupted into yet another fit of laughter, laying back upon the ground, crowing at the sky. Stark watched him for a moment, smiled lightly, then collapsed, exhausted from their labors. Will and Geisha moved over to him, concern fading to relief as they saw he only slept. Will stumbled and winced as his burned body hit the ground.
“Gah… I’m sorry, Geisha, but… would you do the honors?”
Geisha said nothing, simply pulling the Explorer’s Badge out of the pack, and, with a sigh of relief, activated it, sending the trio away in a burst of light, leaving Kenshin chuckling and gasping on the ground.
