The flags dropped.
Dust scattered.
And in the space of a breath, the arena exploded into motion.
"Scizor Agility!" Owen's voice cracked like a whip.
"Meganium, set sleep powder. Prepare terrain." Loria's tone was calmer controlled, measured.
Scizor blurred.
Even Shion barely saw it move one instant, it stood across the field, and in the next, it had vanished into a streak of red glinting under the sunlight.
"Skyfall, up!" Belle called.
Her Staraptor launched into the air just as green spores erupted from beneath Meganium's feet. The pollen-like haze spread swiftly Aromatherapy laced with Sleep Powder gently floating across the field in a wave of unnatural calm.
Kiba growled and dropped low, eyes locked on the speeding red shape zipping along the far side of the arena.
Shion's instincts screamed.
"Counter-clock left, Accelerock!"
Kiba blurred forward.
The dust kicked into a cone behind him as his paws struck stone, eyes flicking sharply toward the shimmering edge of red.
Scizor's claws flashed.
CLANG!
The two collided in the center Kiba's Accelerock met with Scizor's Quick Attack-laced movement.
But instead of a clean blow, the Lycanroc was parried his paw kicked aside by one of Scizor's bladed pincers. Kiba hit the ground in a roll and sprang back.
Owen smirked. "Nice try."
Belle had seen enough.
"Skyfall, Brave Bird. Draw their attention."
From the air, her Staraptor dove like a thunderbolt, blue fire cloaking its wings as it streaked toward Scizor.
Loria adjusted her glasses. "Meganium. Barrier. Then Vine Whip, midair."
The Meganium stomped once a flash of psychic shimmer bloomed around both opponents.
Skyfall's Brave Bird connected but dulled, its momentum cut by the barrier. It flared its wings and veered upward to avoid being entangled by a whip of glowing green vines that lashed skyward.
Shion's brows furrowed. "They're completely in sync."
He glanced at Belle focused, calculating.
"Meganium's support is perfect. We've gotta break their rhythm."
Belle didn't take her eyes off the field. "Then we draw fire. You go brute force. I'll bait the vines."
Shion nodded. "Kiba! Crunch go for Meganium!"
Kiba's eyes glowed his teeth darkened with shadow as he lunged at the Meganium, darting around the edge of the spore cloud.
Scizor moved to intercept.
"Drill Run!" Shion barked.
Kiba's body spun mid-stride, his claws digging into the ground as he twisted, charging forward like a spiral-tipped arrow. Scizor tried to parry again but the torque was different now.
The drill hit home.
It crashed into Scizor's abdomen and sent the red insect reeling backward, lines of dust spiraling around it.
Owen's eyes flared. "Scizor, recover and strike! Double Hit!"
Scizor slammed its pincers into the ground and righted itself, lunging back in a blur of speed.
"Rock Slide raise cover!"
Kiba stomped, and the earth shattered beneath his feet jagged stones erupted upward, creating a wall between him and the insect. The first hit clanged off the side of a boulder. The second clipped Kiba's shoulder, sending him stumbling back.
Meanwhile, Meganium had recovered.
"Loria's prepping for support again," Belle muttered. "Time to break their backline."
"Skyfall, Roost and reposition."
Her Staraptor landed quickly just out of range of the cloud, wings glowing faintly as it pulsed with light. The soothing aura restored its bruised wings, just in time for Belle's follow-up:
"Now, Close Combat Meganium!"
Skyfall leapt forward in a stunning corkscrew, talons flaring with energy, and dove straight at the dinosaur-like Pokémon.
"Barrier, again," Loria snapped.
"Break through," Belle hissed.
The attack collided, and this time, Skyfall's speed pushed past the barrier's resistance.
Its wings slammed into Meganium's chest sending it skidding backward, leaving a trail in the sand.
But Loria was ready. "Synthesis."
Meganium's petals glowed, absorbing the sunlight overhead its injuries fading before their eyes.
Shion gritted his teeth. "We have to split them. Their combo's too tight."
Belle nodded. "I've got a plan. But you'll need to commit."
Shion exhaled. "I'm ready."
---
Mila leaned forward, eyes wide.
"They're good," she murmured. "Really good."
Vince tapped the railing with his fingers. "Didn't expect Kiba to push back Scizor like that. That spin was nasty."
Ren, silent, watched every movement. His eyes narrowed.
"Shion's not a brawler," he finally said. "He's reading the field. Adapting."
Mila glanced at him. "He always paid attention to everything. Even when he wasn't fighting."
Ren gave a quiet nod. "It's not just the Lycanroc that's changed."
---
Shion pointed. "Kiba flank right. Drill Run, full speed."
"Skyfall, back him Air Slash wide."
Kiba darted, spinning low like a comet.
Skyfall ascended and unleashed a sweeping gust, blades of wind scattering across the field, aimed to pressure both opponents into retreating.
Owen scowled. "Scizor, Bullet Punch, intercept again!"
Loria clenched her fist. "Meganium defensive vines!"
It happened all at once.
Kiba disappeared into the spinning dirt and wind.
Scizor closed the distance.
But
Kiba was waiting.
Crunch.
He latched onto the Scizor's pincer just as it closed in twisted mid-motion and dragged it off-course, slamming it into the ground with sheer momentum.
Dust burst outward.
Meganium turned its head to assist but Skyfall was there, descending from above like a falcon.
" Brave Bird!" Belle commanded.
Skyfall spiraled crashed into Meganium just as it tried to put up another barrier. This time, the Close Combat had weakened it.
The wall shattered.
And Meganium hit the ground with a grunt, its petals bruised, vines limp.
Loria hesitated.
Then raised her hand and recalled Meganium.
Owen stared at her, betrayed. "Loria?!"
She shook her head. "We can't recover from that hit. Not with Scizor pinned. Better to retreat now."
He cursed under his breath.
Scizor pushed up slowly its movements sharp but dulled.
Kiba stood above it, panting.
"Accelerock," Shion whispered.
One flash.
One hit.
Scizor fell.
Cheers rose from the eastern quadrant of the stadium.
Shion let out a shaky breath, fist clenched.
Kiba stood proud, fur ruffled and eyes still glowing faintly red.
Belle exhaled. "Good work."
They turned as the referee raised the blue flag.
Victory
The roar of the crowd faded slowly as Shion and Belle stepped off the battlefield. The tunnel swallowed the noise, leaving only the faint echo of their footsteps and the low hum of the coliseum behind them.
Kiba padded along beside Shion, tail swaying low and proud. Belle's Staraptor, Skyfall, flew ahead, wings beating against the warm stone air before disappearing back into its Poké Ball with a flash.
Belle glanced sideways at Shion. "You're better than you look."
Shion blinked. "Uh… thanks?"
She gave the faintest smirk and turned her head, mumbling something under her breath. Probably a compliment. Maybe.
At the next hallway split, Belle peeled off without a word back toward the waiting hall, her boots clicking lightly as she disappeared around the corner.
Shion sighed and reached down to scratch Kiba's ears. "We did it."
Kiba gave a small bark in agreement.
Then he heard someone call his name.
"Shion!"
He turned and immediately saw them jogging up the corridor: Mila, smiling wide; Ren, with his usual calm presence; and Vince, ever the loudest of the group.
"That was awesome!" Vince grinned, throwing a fist toward Shion's shoulder but stopping just short. "That Meganium didn't stand a chance once your Staraptor girl dropped in. And Kiba? Man, that Accelerock combo…"
"He's gotten sharper," Ren said, nodding toward Kiba.
Mila nodded too, golden eyes shining with warmth. "I can't believe how strong you've gotten. And Kiba he's totally different now. But still… him."
Shion scratched the back of his neck, a little red in the face. "You guys were watching?"
"All of it," Mila said.
"We saw everything," Ren added.
Even Bidoof, from his satchel perch, gave a little snort and wave like he'd been watching too though Shion was pretty sure he'd slept through the first half.
"Come on," Vince said, already walking ahead, "you've got to tell us more. I've got coin, and there's a vendor selling fried berry dumplings that'll make you forget what sadness tastes like."
Mila laughed. "Lead the way."
They walked the city streets together through the crowded festival markets, beneath banners of crimson and gold that flapped gently in the early evening breeze. Ravios was alive with energy. Jugglers tossed flaming torches in the distance. Musicians played soft lute melodies in the corners of alley cafes. The air smelled of sweetbread and spice.
It felt like peace.
They sat on a worn bench outside a teahouse, each holding something warm and sweet.
"So," Mila began, sipping from her clay cup, "start talking. You left Riverleaf almost half a year ago and just… vanished."
Shion looked down at his cup, steam curling upward. Then he smiled softly.
"It started with the Ursaring."
Mila blinked. "What?"
Ren's brows furrowed. "What Ursaring?"
Shion inhaled slowly and began. "It was the day of the spring market festival. Everything was normal until this… red-eyed Ursaring rampaged into the village. I've never seen a Pokémon so violent before. My dad he lost a leg. Kiba nearly got killed too. But… that's when he evolved."
Mila gasped. "He evolved then?!"
"Right in the middle of the fight," Shion nodded. "It was wild. He… changed. Got faster, stronger, and somehow orange."
Vince tilted his head. "So that's how the odd coloration happened…"
"Not exactly. I still don't know how. Maybe it's related to the stress, or the fight… or something else." Shion shrugged.
Ren, quiet, looked at him closely. "And after that?"
"I left the village. Said goodbye to my family. Decided to travel."
He spoke more freely now, the words gaining warmth.
"First was Avia Hollow. That was the first time I ran into adventurers. I… kinda accidentally registered at the guild."
Mila raised a brow. "How do you accidentally join a guild?"
"It just happened." shion said sheepishly
They laughed.
"Then I passed through Brookmill, Ternstone, and Bellmire. Each one had something different. Challenges, people, strange events. Ternstone had an old mine full of danger that's where I found Golurk."
"You have a Golurk?" Vince nearly choked on his dumpling. "Dude!"
"Yeah," Shion chuckled. "Though… he's too big to bring around in the city. His name is Rune."
Ren nodded. "That explains a lot."
"And then I met people," Shion continued, more softly. "Good people. A merchant named Dunlin, a smith named Jareth, and an alchemist named Fena. They were my companions all the way to Ravios."
"They sound like a real party," Mila smiled.
"They were," Shion said, eyes softening. "We split when we arrived in Ravios. Said goodbye at the city gates. It… it felt like something ended."
"They're still here, right?" Mila asked.
Shion nodded. "Yeah. Somewhere. I'll probably see them again."
Ren looked thoughtful. "You've been through a lot."
"You too," Shion replied with a quiet smile. "I can tell."
They exchanged a glance mutual respect, and perhaps a lingering hint of nostalgia.
Vince leaned back and stretched. "You know, I don't say this often, but I'm glad I ran into you guys."
Mila sipped her tea, smirking. "You say that every time someone buys you food."
They all laughed.
Even Bidoof, crumbs on his cheeks, snorted sleepily in agreement.