Later, the next day, David walks into a hospital room where Chaz is sitting next to Kyla. Kyla lays resting comfortably in the hospital bed.
Chaz groans softly as he reaches into Kyla's backpack and pulls out Gardevoir's Pokeball. He presses the button and she comes out, bowing to David.
"Greetings, David. How is Miss Kyla doing?" Gardevoir asks softly.
"She is well, all tests come back negative for any trama, but this could have been much worse." David replies, looking to Chaz.
"In my defense, I objected to this." Chaz comments.
"I expected nothing less. However, the trick to sharing power through your trainer is that your trainer must remain calm." David points to his heart. "The power you give to your trainer passes through their heart before redirecting to the Pokemon evolving. If their heart rate is elevated, it can cause major feedback issues in their body."
Chaz thinks for a moment. "Lugia was the one sharing his power with her. That may have also been a factor."
David's fist clinches. "Let me put it to you this way.. If it were not for Kyla's active nature, her regular cardio, she could have gone into full cardiac arrest. Anyone else would likely be dead right now!"
Chaz looks sadly at Kyla before his eyes widen and he leaps to his feet. "Where are Blare and Sam?!"
"I saw Blare earlier. She seemed pretty happy, but I have not seen Sam." David replies.
Chaz points his claw towards Gardevoir. "Find her!" He orders excitedly.
"At once." Gardevoir answers before teleporting out of the room.
David crosses his arms and waits patiently.
After a few moments of silence, Gardevior returns with Sam by her side.
Sam quickly rushes to Kyla's bedside, dropping to her knees. "OMG is she okay?!!!"
"Yes, Sam. She will be fine, she just needs to rest." David replies.
Sam looks at David and Chaz before reluctantly retreating back to a chair in the corner. "What happened?"
"Eight mega evolutions and Lugia sharing his power with Kyla resulting in a clear mega marble." Chaz replies. "How did it go for you?"
Sam smile. "I was successful, but we did not take as extreme measures as you did."
"You know, it is not too late to put your name back in! Your bracket was not due to battle till tomorrow, and you would advance on a technicality!" David comments.
Sam shakes her head. "I don't want to advance on a technicality! I want to earn my way to the top, to battle Kyla, and surpass her."
Chaz smiles. "No free rides! I can respect that! I promise we will not go easy on you!"
Sam looks over at Chaz. "You better not! Jaz has her heart set on personally defeating you!"
Chaz chuckles. "Is that so?! I can't get a break!"
"That is the price of living life at the top!" David chuckles.
Chaz cuts his eyes at David. "Then why are more people not challenging you?!"
David smiles. "Because I don't flaunt how strong my team and I are!"
"I wonder if Blare was successful too!!!" Sam exclaims.
Kyla groans, rolling over. "Everybody out!!" She growls sleepily.
David motions to Sam to follow him, as they leave the room.
Two days pass, seeing Kyla getting back on her feet, getting a lecture from David, receiving worried hugs from Blare and Sam, and preparing for her match the next day.
Later that day, at the Bracket C opening match Kate, Jordan, Charles, and David quickly realize one problem.. there are only two competitors present. The turnout of spectators is still more than healthy as Grace and Blare meet on the field with Charles.
Blare and Grace seem to almost glare at each other, making Charles have to speak up. "Are.. we going to have trouble here, ladies?"
Grace turns to him with a smile. "No, Charles. We have just been looking forward to this for quite some time!"
"No kidding. Let's get this over with, shall we?" Blare asks, holding out a reluctant hand to Grace.
Grace slaps the palm of her hand, knocking her hand away. "You make it sound like I am going to be an easy win!!" She growls as she turns in a huff and walks back to her side of the field.
The crowd softly boos Grace's poor show of respect for her opponent.
In the announcement booth, David and Jordan look at each other with smug grins.
"Looks like Grace has a grudge!" Jordan comments.
"Too bad she choose Blare to hold that grudge on!" David replies.
Kate looks between them, listening to the conversation.
"So I assume you are rooting for Blare?!" Jordan asks.
David nods. "And you are rooting for our little sister?!"
Jordan nods. "Then.. care for a wager?"
"Bring it on!" David says leaning forward.
"Gentlemen, this sounds unethical!" Kate rebuts calmly.
"Winner treats the other to a week's vacation and does all the paperwork in the meantime." Jordan continues.
"Oh! You are that confident?!" David says with a smile. "Then you can pay for our honeymoon!"
"You proposed?!!!" Jordan asks excitedly.
"Gentlemen!!" Kate exclaims louder.
"Not yet, but.. I have the ring!" David replies.
Kate stands quickly, slamming her hands on the desk in front of her. "WILL YOU TWO CUT IT OUT!!"
David and Jordan lean towards one another with smirks, looking back at Kate.
"I think someone is jealous!" Jordan says with a snicker.
"Single and alone.. I know some guys!" David replies with a chuckle.
Out of nowhere Kate clocks both of them across the head. "SHUT THE HELL UP!!"
Jordan and David both fall back onto the floor.
"GET THE HELL OUT!!" Kate shouts towering over them with a chair in her hands.
Jordan and David both run for the door as furniture flies towards them. They reach the door and slam it quickly behind them.
"Should we..."
David grabs Jordan by the hand. "No talk, just keep running!"
They rush down the hall, turning a corner out of sight, just as Kate bursts through the closed door.
Her eyes red with anger, she looks around before slowly retreating back into the room. "You have to come back eventually, assholes!!" She growls, slamming the door again.
Back on the field, Blare and Grace prepare to begin.
Just before Charles can begin his announcement, Kate comes across the radio. "Charles!! This will be a round knockout match. Three rounds, no Pokemon may advance to the next round, only knockouts will be counted as points, best out of three wins. GOT IT?!!"
Charles flinches from Kate shouting in his ear. "Yes.. ma'am.." He then turns to the crowd and repeats the match's instructions. He then turns back to Blare and Grace. "Ready?!"
Blare clutches her Pokeball at the ready, and Grace does the same.
"BEGIN!" Charles shouts.
Pokeballs fly as Scizor and Feraligatr emerge.
"Let's hit this one hard, Scizor..." Blare raises her mega braclet. "Mega Evolution!"
Scizor becomes a blur, speeding around Blare as the light between them merges. Scizor continues this speed past his mega evolution.
Grace points at Blare angrily. "How is that fair?!! Scizor is still speeding around, we can't even see him!!"
Blare snaps her fingers and Mega Scizor suddenly stops inches from Feraligatr. "Don't make requests you might regret."
Feraligatr throws a Shadow Claw, but Scizor dodges it with a spin. Coming around on his spin he hits Feraligatr across the jaw with Metal Claw, then turns with a follow-up Mega Kick. Feraligatr stands firm in this assault.
"You are going to have to do better than that!" Grace sings.
Up in the stands, Kyla and Sam watch together.
"Doesn't Feraligatr outspeed Mega Scizor?" Sam asks.
Kyla yawns. "Barely.. but that is nothing some good training will not overcome."
Sam looks at her worried. "Are you still tired?"
Kyla nods. "I just can't seem to get enough sleep. I am just so worn out!" Kyla shakes her head wildly, trying to stay awake. "But I want to be here to support Blare!"
Sam smiles and looks back towards the match.
Feraligatr frustratedly takes shots at Mega Scizor until he begins panting for breath. Feraligatr roars with anger, using Blizzard to freeze the field.
"Did you not train this Feraligatr? Does he not realize Scizor can fly?" Blare asks.
Feraligatr glares at Blare before spinning around on the ice.
"What.. the hell?!" Blare exclaims.
Grace just smiles as Feraligatr begins using Ice Beam. Scizor does his best to stay behind Feraligatr, but he spins faster with the help of the ice. Mega Scizor eventually falls to the ice, his left leg and wing frozen.
"Got cha!" Grace exclaims. "Feraligatr, finish this!"
Feraligatr begins charging a Hyper Beam as Scizor lays on the ice, trying to turn over.
"Scizor, Superpower Mega Punch!" Blare orders.
Scizor punches the ice as hard as he can, sliding himself back behind Feraligatr.
"NOW!" Blare shouts.
Scizor quickly charges up his Flash Cannon, in one claw, and a Hyper Beam, in the other. He fires the Flash Cannon first, knocking Feraligatr off balance, and quickly follows up with the Hyper Beam, knocking Feraligatr across the field. Feraligatr hits the wall hard, knocking him out.
"And that is how you do it!" Blare exclaims. "Great job, Scizor!!!"
"Feraligatr is unable to battle, by knock out! Scizor wins this round!" Charles announces.
Both trainers recall their Pokemon and ready their next Pokeballs. They both throw them and Donphan and Dragonair.
Kyla sleepily cringes. "Ouch.."
"What's wrong with that?!" Sam asks.
"Dragonair.. has the advantage." Kyla replies.
Sam thinks for a moment. "I thought Donphan was stronger.."
Kyla looks over at her. "Only in attack and defense. However, Dangonair can fly, out speeds Donphan, and could evolve again."
Sam groans. "This is making my head hurt!"
Donphan takes the initiative with a Rollout. Dragonair gracefully dodges his attack, almost mocking the poor ground type.
"Don't stop! Keep up that Rollout!" Blare orders.
Kyla perks up a bit.
"Find something interesting?" Sam asks.
"I think.. she is going to try to compensate for Donphan's disadvantage with his special technic." Kyla replies.
"Which.. is?!" Sam asks sitting up.
"Donphan can use his momentum as both attack and defense. Once he gets going, it is hard to stop his Rollout." Kyla replies. "Even a Machamp might find it a challenge."
Grace watches at Donphan goes in for attack after attack, Dragonair still dodging. "Trying to wear my Pokemon down again? Not this time!! Dragonair, fly!"
Dragonair takes to the sky, hovering out of range of Donphan's assault.
"Okay, Donphan, time to take a spin around the field!" Blare sings.
Donphan takes a wide spin into the wall, following it around the field.
Grace and Dragonair watch as Donphan begins picking up speed, knocking off pieces of the wall, and digging a rut in the field.
"What the hell is she doing?" Grace asks under her breath.
"PINBALL!" Blare shouts.
Donphan combines his Rollout with Bulldoze kicking off the wall and bouncing from wall to wall. He bounces off the third time and bounces a little higher than before.
"Is.. he trying.. to bounce up to Dragonair?" Grace asks under her breath. She looks towards Blare who seems to be watching Donphan. "I am missing something here.."
Dragonair becomes increasingly impatient watching this display and begins firing off Fire Spin. The fire seems to almost dance around Donphan, not making contact as he spins.
"All they are managing to do is tear up the field.. Even if Donphan managed to go airborne Dragonair would just dodge the attack.." Grace mutters. "Blare must be setting up for some third-round strategy. So I need to find a way to stop Donphan."
As Dragonair moves closer, getting tired of flying, Donphan returns to moving around the wall.
Grace groans. "Dragonair, Ice Beam! Freeze it in its tracks!"
Just as Dragonair begins using Ice Beam, Donphan begins spinning in place, kicking up rocks towards Dragonair. The rocks block the Ice Beam turning into ice spikes. The ice spikes quickly build up between the two Pokemon until Donphan charges forward. This throws Dragonair off guard. Worn out and unable to take flight, Dragonair braces for the frontal assault.
Donphan stops at the ice spikes and begins backspinning, in a rut he had made earlier. This kicks the ice spike up and shoots them at Dragonair. Dragonair tries to dodge the barrage but it is quickly overwhelmed. The ice spikes pierce Dragonair's skin, causing extensive damage. Dragonair screams in pain and collapses in its own blood.
"Oh.. no. That was much more brutal than I wanted.." Blare mutters sadly, looking towards Grace who is almost in tears.
Donphan stops spinning and slowly approaches Dragonair.
Grace shuts her eyes and clenches her fists. "Just.. knock her out!! What are you waiting for?! She is in so much pain!!! END IT!!!"
Donphan looks at Blare who gives him a sad nod. Donphan then quickly kicks Dragonair in the head, knocking her out.
"Dragonair is unable to battle, due to knockout! Blare wins the match!" Charles announces.
Grace quickly recalls Dragonair. "YOU'RE A MONSTER, BLARE KELL!!" She shouts tearfully as she turns and runs away sobbing.
"Grace!" Blare shouts, sadly, after her as she disappears from sight. "I.. didn't mean..."
Charles walks up for her, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Blare.. these things happen. You did nothing wrong."
Blare recalls Donphan and looks up at the stands, quickly finding Kyla in the crowd. Kyla is slumped forward dozing off, but Blare thinks she sees disappointment in her demeanor. Blare quickly turns to Charles with tears in her eyes. "No, Charles! It is not okay!" She then runs out of the Arena.
Jordan and David watch from a breezeway.
"Well, I guess you won the bet." Jordan says disappointed.
David slaps his across the back of the head. "We don't have time for that!! Find Grace and comfort her! I am going to talk to Blare!" He says as he heads out of the Arena.
Jordan rubs the back of his head. "Always rushing off.. Unbelievable.." He says, putting his hands in his pockets and walking out.
It is not long before David finds Blare, outside the battle tower, crying behind a nearby Pokemart.
"Blare." David says calmly.
"Go away, David!" Blare sobs. "I.. I can't keep this up!"
"Blare.. the nature of Pokemon battles can be.. brutal.. at times. This was not against the rules, every trainer knows the risks their team is taking." David replies.
Blare looks up at him, tears running down her flush cheeks. "I COULD HAVE KILLED DRAGONAIR!! THERE IS NOTHING RIGHT ABOUT THAT!!"
David quickly kneels down and wraps Blare in a hug. For a moment she struggles against him, but eventually gives in, hugging him back, and sobbing loudly into his shoulder.
"Let it all out. It is okay to feel this way, it is how we learn to be better trainers." David whispers into her ear.
"David.. this wasn't.. the first time.. this has.. happened!" Blare says between sobs.
"Tell me about it after you relax. We have all the time we need to talk." David replies softly, holding her a bit tighter.
Elsewhere, Jordan finds Grace in the Pokemon hospital, inside the battle tower. Her expression is a combination of sadness and anger.
Jordan sighs. "This is going to be unpleasant.."