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Bright, ruby pincers click impatiently while a rumbling growl echoes up the canyon walls. Water pouring down the cliffs creates a gentle mist all around us.

My opponent isn’t doing the best job of hiding her nerves. Who could blame her? Scizor is as tall as her. But my bat can still look them in the eye while on all fours, just the right height to see his rows of fangs.

Lightning above lights up the sky.

“Battle, Start!”

“Swords Dance!”

Thunder shakes the earth.

“Banshee Blitz.”

Alloy’s eyes widen and Scizor stumbles mid setup as they learn my big bat is a whole new level of beast.

A death wail brings dozens of onlookers to their knees. Takedown, Mean Look, Screech, Supersonic… Ya the monster hasn’t fallen behind at all. The big bat needs to hunt big prey at night.

Shak crosses the field in one powerful leap like a plane crash. Scizor shakes her daze just in time to lean out of the full hit, crossing her claws to dent the blow. The steel typing hamstringing our power on display. Shak tumbles across the ground.

I can’t let the bug gain distance. “Leech Life!”

“Agility!” Alloy’s voice cracks but there's a massive grin on her face. Her hands visibly shake.

Scizor side steps in a blur as the bear trap of teeth snaps where the bug’s face just was.

Shit, “Screech again and grab it!”

“Endless!” Alloy shouts.

A chirp of a wail is all Shak gets out when Bullet Punch nails him in the throat, Fury Cutter follows up to the eye, ear, and nose. My bat stumbles back awkwardly only to take a brutal Metal Claw uppercut.

Stone’s fist pumps up in tandem, “Now wreck it with Iron Head!”

“Quick Guard!” We can do this!

Wings flash closed in front of a red missile of a headbutt. Shak gets knocked back but holds steady; however Scizor is now twenty feet up, gripping the canyon wall.

Have it your way then, “Sludge Bomb and go!”

While Alloy takes a second to question my move, Shak hacks a glob of purple mucus towards Scizor’s face.

Her free steel claw bats away the sludge only to realize it was just a cover for the bat to leap into the air himself.

“Dodge and Bullet Punch again!”

The red menace moves like a mantis, powerful hops propelled faster and controlled by constantly beating insect wings.

In the falling rain we watch Scizor just barely edging out the bat in speed. Each near miss results in more quick jabs. Just like any other annoying bug, only this one is six foot tall and made of steel.

“Gust it back and go for another grab!”

The dance continues but the ref interjects, “Mind the boundary rules trainers.”

Dammit, I know!

The white chalk lines meet one cliff wall and the waters edge of the growing pond off to our side. It doesn’t extend over the camp and I recall reading there was a height limit of some sort.

Scizor's ability to hop from one ledge to another or back to the ground is playing hell against our need to find angles of attack. If we forget flying and land then there's no way we’ll catch the bug.

Shak’s own, massive size is handicapping him in this fight. This hulk just can't maneuver like a normal bat.

Across the field, Alloy gives me a wink, “Get back and keep up Pin Missile.”

Shiiiiiit, “Air Cutter back!”

Glowing red needles catch the lights from camp while the falling rain gets cut apart in waves by concentrated air currents. But we have basically given up training special type attacks, the big lug is just too biased towards brutality. Shak's air blades barely fend off most of the harassing metal stingers. We're losing even more ground to swat this damn bug.

Alloy doesn’t relent, “Aerial Ace into Iron head!”

Scizor runs right up the cliff into a blur of red metal firing out over the last Air Cutter.

“Super sonic!” Come On!

Shak’s wail is cut short again by red steel smashing him in the face. He goes flapping backwards and flails a bit to even remain airborne. Scizor uses the big bat’s own body to leap back to the cliff face. One of her pincers locks down in the rock face.

“Focus Energy.” Alloy has completely returned to that cool and confident smirk. Looking at me instead of the fight above. “It’s over, Mr. BodyGuard.”

Motes of red energy light up like a galaxy of stars, swirling around Scizor. Shak is still trying to regain altitude.

“Super Sonic again Big Guy.” it's our only chance to break Scizor's stride and close the distance!

His voice warbles and coughs, his wings struggle to pump harder. Scizor aimed for the throat and wings the whole time. Like a brass knuckled boxer working a loud brute.

Alloy shouts to the rainy sky above, “Agility and Psycho Cut!”

Scizor disappears off the canyon wall!

A beam of scarlet flashes across the canyon.

Shak screams out in pain, his hoarse voice choking to vocalize the pain. My bat plummets with the rain while Scizor steadily descends with the backdrop of lightning. A glowing red laser sword extended from her ruby claw.

My own flash of red light, Shak’s ball, catches the beast before he hits the ground. There's no helping it, he possibly still has some fight in him but we were already struggling to land a hit.

“Trainer Kurt has Withdrawn, Scizor and Trainer Stone win the Canyon King Crown!”

Damn, “I’ll be the first to admit that looked bad ass.” I chuckle and glance at the special luxury ball in my hand, “Ya did great big guy. Who’d have thought an ambush predator would lose a long slug out?”

The ball shakes a bit in my hand while Alloy approaches.

“Awesome battle Kurt!” She looks genuinely ecstatic. “Scizor has been working so hard to learn those moves. I actually didn’t expect to use them officially until the final! Your bat just wouldn’t go down!”

Jane practically runs into the field, “That was amazing!”

Scizor drifts down beside us and stumbles to one knee as soon as she lands. I can see the membranes between her exoskeletal plates stretching from heavy panting. Heat waves radiate from her metal body. From the waist down it's like looking at broken pottery or glass. Several large chips are missing from her claws.

Seems that wasn’t as easy as the highlight reel will make it look judging by the furiously scribbling Gabby a few yards away. Thankfully Ty's camera caught Scizor's sorry state upon landing.

Alloy gently rubs the back of her human sized bug. “You did it girl, you held out. Great fight!”

To my surprise the bug manages to stand while putting a claw on Alloy’s shoulder. The other claw extends out to me. Her alien yellow eyes, pupils behind clear facets, looking pleased.

I fist bump the pincer, “You looked amazing up there.” Looking back to Alloy, “I’m sure Steven will be bragging to his buddies when he sees this fight.”

There is no question in my mind that we got out strategized here. She had plenty of time to plan while we took care of the flood danger. I probably could have at least looked up her trainer record to learn her active team.

Naomi asks a question burning at the back of my mind, “It must have taken a lot of training for Scarlett to channel that much psychic energy?”

Alloy’s smile falters for a second and I swear Scizor averts her eyes. “Well… short answer, yes.”

Oh come on, “Spill it kid, it’s not like we’re going to tell anyone.”

She sticks her tongue out at me while Scizor pokes her backpack. Alloy rolls her eyes and reaches in a side pocket. Out comes a mangled mess of a fork which she passes to Scizor. The bug chirps in happiness and begins munching on her metal treat.

The Stone girl puts her hands on her hips, ignoring the loud crunching noise, “If you want to learn an expert’s secrets, you’ll have to do better than that. High tier trainers are all about even trades.”

You say that but I’m pretty sure the bug chewing twisted silverware is a blatant give away.

An official comes over with what looks like a plaque with a hoop of barbed wire nailed to it.

“Congratulations Ms. Stone! It’s rare we get a rookie that wins a crown. Now, don’t go trying it on haha!”

Is this hiker dude serious?!

He coughs into his hand, “Seriously, it's for trophy cases not foreheads. Our main office has warned us we’ll have to come up with something else if they keep getting calls from idiots thinking it’ll look cool.”

Oh geez.

Citro laughs, “No one is that dumb.”

Jane pulls out her phone and shows us a picture of a Pokecenter nurse, stitching up her aunt Lucy’s head. “It totally happens.”

Alloy’s jaw drops, “I want that pic!”

The boy shakes his head and turns to Naomi, “So what’s the plan?”

“We’re here tonight,” her tablet checking is interrupted by the still unnamed Hiker dude.

“You can’t miss the post tournament bonfire!”

Watts scowls at being interrupted mid team leader's speech, “As I was saying,” Alloy snort laughs again, “Camp tonight, then put those mud tires to the test in the morning to reach Lavaridge Ranch by late afternoon. After we collect our pokemon and Kurt's contract payments, we’ll be in Lavaridge proper by nightfall.”

Stone practically hops out of her cowgirl boots, “They got you the shiny Ponyta?! You know you have to let me ride when it evolves!”

Naomi smirks, “Maybe after it melts your team in Evergrande.”

Jane actually giggles at the total 180 in Alloy’s expression.

Right, I keep forgetting our redhead has a type and Stone hits the bullseye. Naomi’s eye roll hints at her opinion of her older childhood friend having a fling with her teammate.

“Alright,” I wave over Gabby and Ty, “Let's get the tents up and get some food already.”

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After most of the camp lights have gone out, and everyone is snoozing off with full bellies, I’m brushing Shak’s dark, blue fur. The big lug is happily gnawing at a basketball sized chunk of frozen blood with little meat chunks.

“Ew.” Naomi’s whisper reveals her sneaking around a tent with Citro nervously following. “Pst, Kurt! Come with us.”

Speaking at a normal volume because I’m an adult, “You know, it doesn’t make the whole bodyguard job thing easier if you go sneaking out.”

“That’s why I’m letting you know first.” she smirks.

I see even Citro finds that logic off. “Sit down, kids. I’m almost done and then we can scurry amongst the tents.”

The boy avoids looking at the blood popsicle while sitting by a low burning campfire I still have.

“Kurt, do you feel bad about losing the tournament today?”

Looking at the lad staring off into the valley, watching the wild pokemon mingle with trainer’s teams. Someone's massive Torterra is taking a bath in the pond to the delight of a half dozen Mudkips that race up its side to splash back into the pool.

“No,” I glance at Naomi sitting down beside him, “I don’t think any of us actually had a real shot at winning.” she nods in agreement, “Today was about seeing what more experienced trainers bring to the table.”

I keep brushing while Naomi finishes the idea, “We learned a lot today right?” Citro wholeheartedly agrees, “That’s it. Well, and the battling against actual trainers too.”

Deciding to head off an issue, “You two still got any thoughts about my little, evil villain, lair raid?”

Naomi falters a bit, “Well, it’s just part of the job right? Being a professional trainer.”

Citro has a bit more, “Is Jane alright? She seemed really off this morning.”

Yup, “Well, if you two knuckleheads had snuck off to spy on her and Alloy,” both kids wince a bit in admission, “You’ll probably find them both just talking about absent dads, league horror stories, or Steven’s ‘off the clock’ personality.”

Well, at least Naomi looks a little guilty, while Citro nervously picks up the water bottle he left here earlier.

Give him a second to take a big drink, “That, or they’re making out like two teenagers trying to forget all that angsty crap.”

The boy sprays water all over the fire, nearly putting it out. Shak grumbles out a hoarse, chuckle noise.

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