Author's Note:

So this is the second chapter, and this is the battle section. I'm still new to writing battles or any action scenes so bear with me please. Without further ado, please enjoy!

The crowd was amazed as their glorious leader stood there next to a Machamp grinning as she challenged them. Some were very excited and pumped up to go and challenge her, while some were wondering if they even had a chance.

Candela extended her arm and raised one finger, "I'll only be able to challenge you one at a time, and don't worry, I'll only use Kanto Pokemon because the professor told us to... for now." She then pointed towards the crowd asking, "so who wants to battle?"

"I do!" A young boy jumped off the bench and went straight to the field. He wore the standard Valor outfit and had a Pokeball in his hand. "I want to challenge you!"

"Oho! You've got some courage kid!" Candela smiled, "alright then, kindly stay at the end of the field."

The park field was smaller than Pokemon Tournament standards and was about thirteen meters long and four meters wide. Trainers would stay at the opposite ends and release their Pokemon to the center which was marked with the symbol of a Pokeball. Both Candela and the young boy stood at their respective spaces and Machamp walked his way to the center. "So kid, do you have a name?" Candela asked.

"The name's Joey! And NO! I don't have a Rattata!" Joey said. It was almost as if he was used to saying those words. Candela and the onlookers laughed. Everyone seems to remember the legacy of the famous Youngster Joey.

"If you don't have one yet, Joey," Candela continued, "that tells me that you're not done with the Pokedex! Hahahaha! Are you ready Joey?"

"Yes, Leader Candela!" the young one replied.

"Then bring out your Pokemon! And do your best!" Both Candela and Machamp pointed to Joey to signal that they were both ready.

"Let's go! Ivysaur!" Joey threw his Pokeball and out came an Ivysaur and both contenders were ready to go.

"No holding back now! You make the first move!" Candela told Joey.

"Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf!" The plant Pokemon summoned a large group of sharp leaves and shot them towards Machamp.

"Machamp, knock 'em down with Bullet Punch!" Candela ordered.

Machamp roared and released a flurry of fast punches to hit each and every leaf. The punches were so strong that the leaves just disintegrated in the air.

"Now Machamp, get close and use Dynamic Punch!" Candela continued.

Machamp raised both of his fists and they glowed with an incredible amount of light, and as the Pokemon dashed forward to his opponent, the opposite trainer yelled, "DODGE IT!"

The Ivysaur leapt backwards to avoid the attack and fortunately the Grass Pokemon dodged in time. As Machamp slammed his fists down, a small crater appeared in its wake and the crowd was shocked after the thundering sound.

Almost immediately once Ivysaur landed, Joey called out to him saying, "quickly, use Ingrain to hold him in place!"

Ivysaur's eyes glowed green and he was able to quickly summon dozens of roots from the ground to lash out at Machamp. Struggle as he might, Machamp was overwhelmed by the roots and was immobilised from the waist down.

Candela was pleased with what had happened and applauded her opponent, "good job! Now you've got me in a bind here. Blanche once told me that a Grass Pokemon's roots are very sturdy. So, not only is Machamp incapacitated, but he also far away from your Ivysaur!"

The audience oohed as they heard Candela's explanation. They cheered for the underdog for his ingenious tactic and Joey felt very proud of himself. "Thanks!" he said, "I've been criticised for having Ivysaur learn that move since he was a Bulbasaur! Not only will he get healed, but it's also great against melee Pokemon!"

"Yes it is!" Candela complimented, "never let negativity bring you down. Alright, let's continue. The others are waiting."

"You got it! Ivysaur, use Leech Seed!" Joey replied.

Ivysaur launched a small bunch of seeds towards Machamp and they grew and coiled around the Pokemon and sapping health from it back to Ivysaur.

"Hm... very clever," Candela said, "now all you have to do is play the waiting game and you'll knock me out."

"Yep, and just to add the icing to the cake, Ivysaur, use Sleep Powder!" Joey shouted.

Ivysaur released blue pollen from its flower and the pollen headed straight to Machamp. If Machamp falls asleep as he is seeded and rooted, Ivysaur and Joey actually have a chance to win.

"And that's your fourth move!" Candela said as if she saw a clear sign of victory, "Machamp, why don't you give him a round of applause?"

Machamp stretched out his four arms out wide and clapped them together. The force of the wind generated by his powerful arms caused the Sleep Powder to scatter away.

"Now use Stone Edge!" Candela immediately ordered.

Machamp gathered energy to summon sharp rocks from the ground and launched them straight toward the Ivysaur.

"Get out of the way Ivysaur! Dodge it!" Joey said as he feared for his Pokemon.

Ivysaur quickly jumped out of the way, but as soon as he did, the Ingrained roots loosened, which gave Machamp the opportunity to free himself.

Candela knew this would happen and said, "there's our opening! Use Bullet Punch to close the distance then follow with Dynamic Punch!"

Machamp swiftly went in and landed the Bullet Punches before Ivysaur even touched the ground. The flurry of attacks were already hurting the grass Pokemon, but the final attack sealed the deal. Machamp used one arm to deliver a massive swing and both Ivysaur and Joey knew that it was the end.

"Ivysaur! Nooooooo!" Joey yelled as he saw Machamp's fist fall onto his beloved Pokemon.

However, Machamp stopped himself half an inch before his punch connected. Ivysaur looked up towards his opponent and saw Machamp wink at him with a smile. Machamp knelt down and picked up the Ivysaur and both Machamp and Candela walked up to Joey.

As Machamp settled the Ivysaur back on his feet next to his trainer, Candela offered Joey a handshake. "You've got a good strategy going for ya kid," Candela said with a grin, "just remember that once you tell your Ivysaur to move, the Ingrain also gets removed, okay?"

"O-okay," Joey stuttered. He honestly felt like he had the upper hand during that fight, but it was instantly crushed the moment Candela saw his last move.

"Pokemon moves are very crucial in battles, so it's a wise tactic to hold some of your cards in your hand, am I right?" Candela asked. Joey and Ivysaur just nodded in agreement. "The Stone Edge caught you off guard didn't it? Did you think that my Machamp only had melee moves?"

"W-well, yeah," Joey shrugged. He knew that Machamp knows Bullet and Dynamic Punch, but he didn't really think about it after that.

Candela smiled, "honestly, if your Ivysaur was a Venusaur, I don't think the Stone Edge would hurt it as much since it builds more resistances when it evolves. But hey, all the more reason to keep working hard, am I right?"

Candela's warm smile made Joey feel at ease even if he lost the battle. Even everyone on the bleachers felt great knowing that their leader would not only give insights in decision making, but also supports you in your own development as a trainer.

Candela and Machamp both gave Joey and his Ivysaur a thumbs up. "Keep growing, and face us again in the future," Candela said.

"Ma-CHAMP!" Machamp said in agreement.

Joey and Ivysaur could barely say anything at that point. They both bowed out of respect to the victor and said, "thank you so much!"

The crowd suddenly yelled and cheered to both Candela and Joey. Candela noticed this and raised Joey's arm into the air and yelled, "CONGRATS TO JOEY AND IVYSAUR!" Even Machamp picked up Ivysaur and raised him over his head to congratulate the plant Pokemon.

"WOOOOOOOOOOO!" the audience cheered even louder as the applauded both performances. When the cheering died down, Candela asked if Joey could let others have a try, to which he politely said yes and went back to the bleachers with his Ivysaur.

"Okay, who's next?" Candela asked almost as if she dared anyone to challenge her.

The challenge was met with hushed voices as the members of Team Valor talked amongst themselves on what to do. Some wanted to talk strategy seeing that Candela was an entirely different trainer than what they would expect. Others wondered if it was worth battling or just watching and enjoying the battles.

"Oh come on now, win or lose, it's all about the fun!" Candela smiled once again to her team. "Think of it as a learning experience, no?"

"Then I'll go!" A tall, black haired girl raised her hand from the bleachers. She wore a red cap, a bright orange top, with black shorts and leggings. "I'd like to challenge you to a battle!"

"Sure, come on out to the field!" Candela gestured her to head over to her side.

The girl did as she was told and shook hands with her superior and said, "name's Kelly, thank's for the opportunity!"

"No problem, I'm honoured," Candela said as she shook her hand. Candela looked back to the crowd and shouted, "alright, Kelly's number two, so I hope number three's going to be just as eager, okay?"

"YEAAAAH," the crowd shouted back in excitement. Each of them wanted to watch another battle after the last one hyped it up. They were wondering if perhaps this one would prove to be a challenge to Candela.

Both participants stayed at their corners of the field with Machamp still in the middle. "Sorry about the ground, Kelly," Candela apologised. She was referring to the small craters and uneven ground that was caused from the battle earlier.

"It's okay Miss Candela," Kelly said as she waved at her opponent, "it'll be even rougher once we're done battling!"

"Hahaha! I look forward to it," Candela replied.

"Let's go, Rhydon!" Kelly threw out a Pokeball and out came a Rhydon which slightly towered over Machamp.

"Nice, looks like we've got ourselves a heavy hitter, Machamp," Candela said as she readied herself for the fight. "Champ," Machamp replied as he readied himself too.

"Rhydon, use Bulldoze!" Kelly commanded.

Rhydon repeatedly stomped the ground, which caused it to shake and lowering the speed of any Pokemon nearby. The crowd at the bleachers felt this as well and really wished that Rhydon doesn't know Earthquake.

"Machamp, jump!" Candela ordered.

Machamp did as he was told and jumped high into the air to "dodge" the attack. Once he was in the air, Candela said, "now use Dynamic Punch!"

Machamp prepared his fist for the attack as he descended towards his foe, but Kelly anticipated the attack, "I knew it! Rhydon, use Skull Bash!"

Rhydon jumped up towards the falling Machamp and rammed his head towards her foe. Machamp's fist collided with Rhydon's head, which caused a small explosion in the air. Both heavyweights landed on the ground safe and unharmed, but Machamp looked like his fist hurt a lot after the punch.

"I thought that you didn't want your Machamp to have his speed lowered, so I used Bulldoze," Kelly said, "which meant that there's one way to avoid the attack, which is to jump upwards!"

"That's true," Candela shrugged, "and what comes up, has to go down," she said confidently. "But do remember that Dynamic Punch still connected with your Rhydon, right?"

As Kelly heard those words, she immediately knew that she messed up. She forgot that Dynamic Punch automatically confuses the enemy as long as the move lands on the opponent. "Rhydon, are you okay?" she asked.

True enough, Rhydon was teetering from side to side and it did look confused. "Rhydon, snap out of it!" Kelly shouted, but it appeared that the command fell on deaf ears.

Candela saw this opportunity and seized it as she yelled, "Machamp, use Cross Chop!"

Machamp got closer and aligned both sets of arms into an X and hit the enemy Rhydon. The Rhydon felt the full force of the attack and fell to her back.

"Oh no, Rhydon!" Kelly grew very concerned, but her spirits were raised as she saw her Pokemon get up. Rhydon's defenses were increased when Skull Bash was used, so the Cross Chop's damage was mitigated a bit.

"Hm... I guess that wasn't enough to bypass Rhydon's defenses," Candela said as she scratched her head, "but I guess that means we just have to hit harder, right Machamp?"

"Machamp!" the Superpower Pokemon replied.

"Rhydon, are you okay?" Kelly asked. Rhydon turned to her trainer and grunted to signal that she was ready to continue battling. "Alright, looks like you're confused no longer. Use Rock Slide!"

Rhydon summoned dozens of stones and hurled them towards Machamp. Machamp punched the rocks as they flew straight to him, which caused a cloud of dust to appear in front of the four-armed Pokemon.

"Rhydon, use Skull Bash while Machamp can't see through the dust!" Kelly commanded.

Machamp heard a roar, but was unable to see where the attack was coming from through the debris.

"Step to the left to dodge it!" Candela said.

Machamp did as he was told and barely dodged Rhydon as the Drill Pokemon appeared from the front to ram her head to Machamp. "Cross Chop as Rhydon passes through!" Candela continued.

Machamp used Cross Chop on Rhydon's back and it hurt the Pokemon a bit. Rhydon's defenses were high enough that the Cross Chop started to hurt a lot less.

"How did you know where it was coming from?" Kelly asked in bewilderment.

"Your strategy was nice, but don't forget that I'm participating in the battle as well," Candela said. "Even if Machamp can't see, I know where your Rhydon was before the dust blinded Machamp. Assuming Rhydon would charge forward, all I had to do was tell Machamp to follow me, and all he had to do was trust me." Candela gave a thumbs up to Machamp, and Machamp returned the gesture with four more.

"Duly noted," Kelly replied back. "Then it's a good thing that Rhydon and I also trust each other, right Rhydon?" Rhydon roared at her trainer and smiled.

The audience was very pleased with the way the battle was turning out. It wasn't just a battle of two Pokemon anymore, but rather a fight between both Pokemon and trainers.

"Let's continue, shall we? Use Dynamic Punch once more!" Candela shouted.

Machamp ran towards Rhydon with great speed, but at the same time, Kelly yelled, "counter attack with Rock Slide!"

Rhydon summoned a bunch of rocks again and hurled them to the incoming Machamp.

"Dodge what you can, but make sure you hit Rhydon!" Candela said.

Machamp did his best to avoid the attack, but some rocks managed to hit him and they hurt. Fortunately, Machamp was still able to land Dynamic Punch and Rhydon was confused once again.

"That's a lot of trust your Machamp has for you if he was willing to go through that barrage to land a punch," Kelly remarked. She was very impressed with the way both Pokemon and trainer had a connection between one another.

Candela could only smile at her opponent, "we've gone through a lot together, so I guess that explains it."

"Then I should have faith in my Pokemon as well!" Kelly yelled back. "Rhydon! Get pass the confusion and use Bulldoze."

Rhydon did as she was told and the Pokemon stomped the ground to cause the earth to shake.

"Machamp, use Bullet Punch to close the gap!" Candela ordered.

Machamp swiftly manoeuvred through the shaking ground and landed a flurry of punches to Rhydon's belly, which didn't seem to hurt Rhydon at all. Machamp's speed may have decreased, but he didn't need to be fast if he was already performing close quarters combat.

"Keep up the hits to whittle Rhydon down!" Candela said. She knew that Rhydon's defenses were incredibly high at this point in the battle, but every hit should count if she wanted to win. Machamp agreed and continued to use Bullet Punch repeatedly onto the Pokemon.

"Rhydon, use Skull Bash!" Kelly said, but unfortunately, Rhydon got confused and used Skull Bash straight to the ground and hurting herself in confusion.

"Quick, use Cross Chop before Rhydon gets up!" Candela shouted.

"Ma-CHAMP!" Machamp yelled as he swung his massive arms at Rhydon. This time, Rhydon felt a lot more damage than before, and growled in pain.

"Was that a critical hit?" Kelly asked as she was worried about Rhydon's condition.

"I guess so. Looks like luck's on my side, so sorry about that," Candela acknowledged the luck factor as she apologised to her opponent. Critical hits don't happen very often and can turn the tides of battle, but just like any other sport, there's always a luck factor that can impact any game.

"Rhydon, can you still fight?" Kelly asked.

Rhydon got up and howled loudly. The Pokemon was freed from confusion, but wasn't looking too good.

After all of the super effective hits Rhydon was taking, she knew that this was going to be Rhydon's last move. "Then we'll give this last one our best shot! Use Giga Impact!" Kelly commanded.

Rhydon furiously charged towards Machamp with all her might. Each stomp forward shook the ground and a very powerful attack was heading straight towards Machamp.

"Then we'll retaliate with everything we've got as well!" Candela shouted back. "Dynamic Punch, use all fours!"

Machamp's four massive fists glowed red and he too charged towards the oncoming Rhydon. Both Pokemon clashed and a large explosion appeared at the center of the battlefield. Smoke from the explosion clouded everyone's vision and people questioned who the victor was.

When the smoke cleared, the crowd saw who won the match. Machamp was on one knee and was hurt really badly after the attack. His fists were opened almost as if it was hard for him to keep them clenched. Machamp was tired for sure, but Rhydon on the other hand was face flat on the ground.

The crowd cheered even louder from the first match, and some even stood up from their seats to give a standing ovation. The amount of adrenaline that was rushing through was so much that everyone wanted to scream and cheer to pretty much anyone.

Kelly approached her fallen Rhydon and knelt next to her, "Rhydon, you okay?" Her Rhydon opened her eyes and softly growled at her trainer. She was fine, and Kelly knew that too. "It's okay buddy, you did great." Kelly said as she patted her Rhydon on the head.

"Here," a voice above her said. It was Candela, and she handed Kelly a red bottle labeled "Full Restore."

"Spray this onto surrounding areas that look hurt," Candela said as she too used the medical spray on her Machamp.

Kelly did as she was told and after a few sprays around Rhydon, the Pokemon was back to her feet.

"You displayed excellent battling skills, Kelly," Candela complimented her opponent as she helped her up, "aside from the first slip up, this was a tough battle. Rhydon kept getting sturdier and sturdier that Machamp's punches felt like tickles!"

Both Machamp and Rhydon heard that remarked and laughed.

"True, but they're still super effective," Kelly replied. Even she knew that, unless Rhydon has any way to sustain herself, defense increases would reach a point where it won't matter as much.

"Yep, but hey, we all enjoyed that battle," Candela remarked. "You, me, and our Pokemon. Right, guys?" Machamp gave a thumbs up to Kelly and smiled. Rhydon also smiled and wagged her tail in cheer.

"Awww, I didn't do as well as you did, Miss Candela," Kelly said.

"Psh, as if!" Candela replied as she patted Kelly's shoulder. "You're very talented! Keep this up, and you might surpass me one day!"

Kelly's cheeks turned to a shade of pink, "s-stop it! You're making me blush!" Both girls laughed and together they turned to the crowd. Kelly took Candela's arm and raised it shouting, "the WINNER!"

The crowd cheered and applauded even louder this time and Candela knew this feeling all too well and loved it. But, she knew that she shouldn't take all the credit and took Kelly's arm as well and raised it shouting back, "to Kelly! Cheer for her everybody!"

The crowd openly cheered just as loud and Kelly, for the first time, felt that same feeling winners do during competitions. The joy of hearing the audience cheered and chanted her name felt almost like heaven.

Candela placed her hand on Kelly's shoulder and said, "until next time." Kelly thanks Candela one last time and headed back to the bleachers with her Rhydon where she was welcomed back by her peers. Even Joey approached her and gave her a high five.

"Alright, is there anyone else who still wants to battle?" Candela asked. She was so pumped up after the battle with Kelly that she didn't want to back down. She was on a winning streak with her Machamp and she wanted to see if she can keep her streak going.

Members of Team Valor grew silent. Candela seemed to be unbeatable. First she won was against Joey's Ivysaur, and now she beat Kelly's Rhydon. They didn't think that anyone had a Pokemon that would stand a chance against Candela's Machamp. Each of them wondered if there was a Pokemon strong enough to fight against Machamp and survive Machamp's powerful and deadly attacks.

One trainer however, tried really hard to contain her excitement. She wanted to be the first one to challenge her idol, but she wanted to wait and see the strengths and weaknesses of her and her Machamp. She watched with eager eyes and she was amazed by Candela's tactical thinking and quick decision making. She had a Pokemon that could actually stand a chance against Candela's Machamp, and she thinks that now's a good time to challenge her idol.

"I'd LOVE to battle you!" she screamed out loud.

The crowd turned to see a young trainer who leapt from the bleachers and ran straight towards Candela. She had a verdant newsboy hat with long, brown hair curled to rest over her left shoulder. She wore the classic trainer outfit: red shorts, black leggings, a sporty red top, and a yellow 3/4 sleeve jacket. She also had an orange messenger bag that slung from her right shoulder all the way to her left waist. "My name's Tori! It's so nice to meet you!" she exclaimed as she shook Candela's hand.

"Good to see that someone's all fired up!" Candela smiled as she shook the very passionate trainer. She knew that this new trainer, who's watched the last two battles, probably has some strong Pokemon to combat her Machamp or some sound strategy to defeat her.

"I'll do my best," Tori said with a smile. "Let's both make this a memorable one!"

"Ha! I won't hold back if you won't!" Candela replied.

As usual, both trainers stood at the ends of the battlefield with Machamp at the center. The crowd cheered for both trainers and waited patiently for Tori to release her Pokemon. "I've learned a thing or two from your battles earlier," Tori said to Candela, "you've got a strong Machamp with powerful moves, and not only that, you're also a very skilled trainer! No wonder you're the leader of Team Valor!"

"Oh please, you're too kind!" Candela said as she waved her hand nonchalantly after hearing her praise, "I'm just me!"

"Well, I want to battle you and WIN!" Tori shouted as she threw her Pokeball into the air. The crowd saw the trajectory of the throw and noticed that the ball isn't going towards the center of the field, but rather, it was heading towards the lake.

The Pokeball opened up, and in a bright flash of light, a massive, blue Gyarados appeared and violently roared out loud. The sight of the Atrocious Pokemon intimidated the crowd and caused fear to enter their hearts.

Candela whistled softly, almost as if she's unaffected by the sight of the ferocious Gyarados. "So it'll be one of those battles..." she said, "you ready Machamp?"

"CHAMP! MA-CHAMP!" Machamp gave Candela four thumbs up and was ready to go.

"Ooooh, I'm so excited! I'll make the first move, okay? Gyarados use Hydro Pump!" Tori shouted.

Gyarados breathed in and then shot a torrent of water from his mouth and it headed straight to Machamp.

"Machamp, dodge it!" Candela yelled.

Machamp tried to get away, but the width of the Hydro Pump was very wide, so Gyarados only had to tilt his head a bit to make sure that the Hydro Pump hit its mark. The Hydro Pump fully covered Machamp's entire body in its harsh torrential waters and the crowd was amazed as to how powerful the Gyarados was.

Gyarados finished his attack and Machamp was revealed to still be standing despite being hurt from a direct attack from the sea serpent.

"You're Gyarados is fast and strong," Candela said to Tori, "it's also very well raised."

"Hearing that from you makes all that training worth it," Tori replied as she tipped her hat in acknowledgement. "Here we go again! Hydro Pump!"

"Machamp use Stone Edge to defend yourself!" Candela commanded.

Gyarados used Hydro Pump once more and targeted Machamp. The attack completely hid Machamp from plain sight, and the crowd got concerned if Candela can win against Tori. Gyarados is a Water and Flying type Pokemon, so Bullet Punch, Dynamic Punch, and Cross Chop won't be very effective. The only move that Machamp knows that would be super effective would be Stone Edge, but he just used it as a defensive measure.

When the Hydro Pump ended, a big, conic, stone structure was revealed with the tip pointing towards Gyarados. The shape of the barrier allowed Machamp to withstand the attack as the sharp tip pierced through the torrent, which reduces the strength of the Hydro Pump.

"Now! Stone Edge!" Candela yelled.

The conic structure began to move and it appeared that Machamp was hidden inside and completely unharmed by the Hydro Pump. Machamp roared out and launched the stone structure towards Gyarados. The sharpened rock was headed straight to Gyarados, but Tori was able to react quick enough.

"Gyarados, duck and hide in the water!" Tori said.

The serpentine Pokemon did as he was told and dived into the lake to avoid the attack. The attack barely missed its mark, but Candela did not waver.

"Redirect it! Split it to fragments and aim downwards!" the Valor leader shouted.

"Maaaaaaa-CHAMP!" Machamp's eyes glowed as he raised his four arms. The large rock stopped in mid air and glowed as well, and it split into sharp fragments. Machamp swung his arms downward and the numerous stone framents headed straight to the water. Large splashes of water resulted from the attack, and then a hush fell upon the combatants.

Without warning, Gyarados rose up from the lake and roared to the sky. Machamp jumped backwards to prepare his next move. The atmosphere surrounding the battlefield felt heavy and the crowd did not dare disturb it.

To one side, Tori was clapping her hands in amazement. She still had a cheerful expression on her face and spoke, "nice use of Stone Edge! I gotta admit, it was really slick! Totally rendered the Hydro Pump useless!"

"Well, you know what they say about good offense and defense," Candela replied back, "I'm more surprised that you're still only using Hydro Pump."

Tori laughed, "weren't you the one who said not to use all the cards in my hand? Are you curious as to what I'm going to do next?"

Candela tensed; she wondered how could this trainer, this tourist, could be so confident in this battle. Machamp already took one Hydro Pump to the face and even though he's still standing, Candela knew that there was a limit.

Tori giggled, "well, here's a sneak peek! Gyarados, use Dragon Dance!"

Gyarados performed several, fluid movements in the water with his body and a purple aura surrounded him. Dragon Dance was a move that increases the user's Attack and Speed, and Candela was thinking of countermeasures to prepare for what was about to come.

"Stone Edge!" Candela ordered. She wanted to see if Gyarados was fast enough to dodge the attack because if the Pokemon can, then Machamp would be in very deep trouble.

Machamp responded to the command by raising his arms up in the air as he summoned chunks of sharpened stones from the ground. The four-armed Pokemon sent the stone fragments towards Gyarados, but the opponent dodged the attack effortlessly.

"Looks like my Gyarados is fast enough to avoid your Stone Edge!" Tori was already jumping with glee. "Now Gyarados, use Hydro Pump!"

Gyarados inhaled once more and released a ferocious torrent of water straight to Machamp. Candela ordered Machamp to use Stone Edge defensively and once again, Machamps created a protective shield around him.

"Just stay in there until the move ends!" Candela said, "Gyarados has to stop to breathe eventually!"

"Not likely!" Tori shouted, "use Aqua Tail to break the rocks!"

Gyarados's third move was revealed, and he immediately swung his large tail at Machamp's position. Candela wanted to react, but she couldn't do so fast enough. The impact not only broke the barrier, but it also knocked Machamp straight into the air. Machamp was airborne and was falling straight into the lake and right above Gyarados.

"Use Bullet Punch as you're falling towards him!" Candela yelled. She debated between the two punch moves, but seeing how Gyarados's speed has increased, she didn't want to gamble a missed strike over the chance of confusion.

Machamp prepped his fists as he was falling and sped faster towards Gyarados. Tori saw this and reacted, "use Crunch to stop him before he hits you!"

The priority Bullet Punch and the very fast Gyarados met each other and the crowd was stunned to see Machamp caught in Gyarados's mouth with his arms and legs holding the beast's mouth open. The tension increased as Gyarados tried to bite down, but the muscled Pokemon didn't flinch. Both Pokemon struggled to oppose each other's strengths and it appeared to be a stalemate.

"Gyarados, you've got him! Hydro Pump at point blank!" Tori commanded.

Gyarados inhaled deeply to prepare for a massive attack. Candela knew that she couldn't afford Machamp to take the hit and did something clever. "Close the mouth!" Candela told her Pokemon.

Machamp followed and attempted to close the serpent's mouth. Gyarados's jaw relaxed since he was preparing a Hydro Pump, so Machamp was successful in his attempt to prevent the attack from happening.

"Get him off you Gyarados!" Tori ordered. She didn't want Gyarados to face Machamp in close quarters since it would prove to be very fatal.

Gyarados flailed around and managed to remove Machamp from his face and tossed him back on land. Machamp landed safely, but was open for an attack.

"Hydro Pump!"

"Stone Edge!"

Both Pokemon obeyed and the same exact results happened once more. Gyarados's powerful wave of water couldn't break Machamp's stoned barrier. Gyarados stopped to breathe, and when Machamp felt like the attack stopped, he busted himself out of his Stone Edge and jumped back towards the center of the field.

"This battle... I almost don't want it to end," Tori said seriously. She was enjoying the battle a lot, and it was probably because she believes that she has the upper hand. "I've landed at least one good Hydro Pump and a powered up Aqua Tail, and you have yet to land one move! Does this mean that I'm winning?"

After Candela heard those words, she crossed her arms and smiled. Tori wondered as to why her opponent was smiling. Clearly, judging on the faces of the Pokemon combatants, Machamp was getting exhausted while Gyarados was still roaring loudly. The audience knew this too and were on the edge of their seats. Whether they were just watching with their eyes or through their recording cellphones, they had to admit: things weren't looking too good for Candela, and yet, why was she still smiling?

"I can see that you've got determination," Candela replied, "you've got a fire inside of you that's burning uncontrollably and waiting to be released."

True enough, Tori was feeling ecstatic. She's battling her idol and she wanted to treasure this memory forever. "Thank you so much!" she went on, "but I think we should end this soon." Tori's eyes narrowed and she pointed to Machamp shouting, "Gyarados, finish this with Hydro Pump. Machamp can't strike back, so don't hesitate!"

Gyarados obeyed and repeated his attack once more.

"Go on," Tori told Candela, "let Machamp protect himself again."

Candela didn't reply back. Machamp glanced back to his trainer and Candela nodded back to him as if they didn't need words to communicate. Machamp saw his trainer's serious expression and smiled. The Superpower Pokemon protected himself with his sharp, conic shield just before the Hydro Pump connected and he was successful in protecting himself.

"It appears as if you're out of ideas, dear leader," Tori exclaimed. "It's almost something I would call... predictable."

Tori tipped her hat towards her opponent to hide her eyes, "Gyarados, follow up with Aqua Tail. Crush the barrier, and knock Machamp to the lake!"

With a loud roar, Gyarados lifted his tail and swung it viciously towards the barrier's side. Tori saw in her mind what would transcribe afterwards. Gyarados would knock Machamp out of his barrier, and then she would order Gyarados to launch him to the lake. With Machamp in the water, Gyarados will have all the advantage he needs to win.

Suddenly, Candela shouted, "IT'S COMING FROM THE RIGHT! GRAB IT!"

A loud crash was heard and Gyarados was still able to fully swing his tail, but for some reason, he was unable to withdraw it back to the water.

"Wha- What is this?!" Tori panicked. She clutched her bag tight when she saw what had happened.

Gyarados was indeed successful in breaking Machamp out, but before he could bring his opponent to the lake, Machamp managed to catch the massive tail just at the edge before the land met the water. Machamp had planted his feet heavily into the ground and the force of the Aqua Tail dragged him all the way to the edge in a semi-circle, and the earth had proof of this because it was broken all around in the shape of the attack's path.

Machamp cried out in pain, but still managed to smile straight into his opponent's eyes. He was grunting and struggling to hold onto Gyarados's tail, but he just had to hold on for a little longer. Candela took the opportunity and commanded, "NOW! THROW HIM TO THE FIELD!"

Machamp roared out loud and his entire body tensed as each and every muscle was used to attempt to lift the massive sea serpent. The Pokemon's veins were very visible to the amazed crowd as they were witnessing the events. Gyarados was unable to resist and was lifted from the lake and thrown right into the middle of the field.

"Gyarados, NO!" Tori was devastated to see Gyarados in land. The impact caused the ground to form a long and wavy crater following the shape of Gyarados. Right before her eyes, Tori could already see her defeat.

"Use Stone Edge to lock Gyarados in place!" Candela shouted.

"CHAAAAAAAAAAMP!" Machamp's eyes glowed and he raised his arms with great speed, which caused large, stone spikes from the ground to form around Gyarados to prevent him from moving. Gyarados cried loudly in pain, but Candela wasn't finished just yet.

Candela stretched out her arm to issue her final command, "DYNAMIC PUNCH! ALL FOURS! FULL POWER!"

Machamp jumped into the air and all four of his fists glowed red hot. He landed on Gyarados's belly and unleashed four punches one at a time. The first caused the ground to shake. The second punch caused the rocks keeping Gyarados pinned to the ground to break. The third one made Tori look away. Finally, the fourth made everyone quiet.

Silence fell. It was as if time stopped. Nobody moved. Not the trainers, not the Pokemon, and not even the crowd. Only the wind made any movement across the battle field.

"G-Gyarados... no..." Tori broke the silence. She had her head down and her legs were feeling weak. She lost the strength to stand and fell down with tears in her eyes. She wept because she blamed herself for causing her Pokemon to go through extreme measures and suffer the consequences.

The crowd didn't know what to do. Perhaps it was because they're not familiar with Pokemon all that well, but they were torn between cheering for Candela or calling the Pokemon Center.

Without warning, Gyarados twitched. Machamp saw this and immediately jumped off the serpent's belly and awaited further instruction. "I-It's still moving?!" Candela exclaimed. She was surprised to see the Pokemon move after taking a Stone Edge and four Dynamic Punches from her Machamp.

The Gyarados roared and cried to the sky and a loud deafening noise caused everything and everyone to hush. Gyarados stood tall as he stared at his opponent and roared once more; Gyarados was enraged.

"G-Gyarados?" Tori looked up to see her Pokemon and was so glad to see that he wasn't hurt.

However, something felt off. Candela knew this and wondered what made her feel uneasy. Gyarados, the Atrocious Pokemon, was enraged and towered over all. The Pokemon withstood the Dynamic Punch most probably because he resisted it, so-

"Wait..." Candela thought for a second. "Dynamic Punch?!"

Gyarados roared loudly again and this time, he teetered to one side towards the crowd.

"BRING IT BACK TO HIS POKEBALL!" Candela yelled to Tori, but it fell on deaf ears. Tori was too stunned from what she pieced together and was frozen in place.

"H-he's... confused," Tori said to herself.

Gyarados inhaled and everyone knew too well what kind of attack was going to happen next. The crowd screamed and wanted to get away from the incoming Hydro Pump. They pushed and shoved everyone and anyone from the bleachers, but they couldn't move fast enough.

Gyarados brought his head back and was about to unleash his powerful attack, but Candela instinctively threw out a Pokeball and really, REALLY thanked herself for bringing such a Pokemon for this situation.

Gyarados used Hydro Pump just as Candela's Pokeball opened and the crowd closed their eyes.

Nothing happened.

In the midst of the chaos, some of the bystanders wondered what made everything not hurt and dared to open their eyes. When they looked up, they saw a green Politoed absorbing all of the water that was coming from Gyarados's Hydro Pump.

"Great job! Politoed, use Hypnosis!" Candela ordered.

"Poli!" Politoed's eyes glowed and both Pokemon locked their gazes with one another. In a mesmerising voice, Politoed gently whispered, "Politoed."

Gyarados couldn't avert his eyes and teetered slowly to sleep. The sea serpent Pokemon landed softly on the battlefield and was fast asleep.

Upon realising that they were safe and sound, the crowd cheered and praised their saviour. Some cried, while some were feeling great to be alive. Candela eventually eased up and told Machamp to rest. Machamp did as he was told and just fell backwards onto the ground, breathing heavily from the exhausting battle.

"Politoed, make sure Gyarados stays asleep okay? I'll just speak to his trainer," Candela said. Politoed nodded and continued to watch over the sleeping Pokemon.

Candela walked over to Tori, who was still trying to process what had just happened. Candela offered her hand to help her up, but Tori just stayed still. With a sigh, Candela sat next to Tori. "Hey, it's okay," Candela brought her arms across Tori and gave her a hug. "Things may have gone out of hand, but everything's okay now." Tori held onto Candela tightly and just sobbed. She thought about how she almost caused a major disaster because she wanted to win a battle. She didn't want to, but she continued to think about the many faces that would have been hurt by her Gyarados. Tori was devastated, and she just continued to cry.

"Shhhh, shhhh, it's okay," Candela patted Tori on the back, "it's okay. Let it all out."

After a few moments of crying, Tori regained her composure and said, "thanks boss." She wanted to act strong and she immediately wiped away her tears.

Candela found Tori's hat lying on the ground and picked it up. "Come on, let's get your Gyarados back in his Pokeball," Candela said as she gave Tori her hat back. Tori accepted her hat back and together with Candela, they approached the sleeping Pokemon. Tori took out a Pokeball and said, "Gyarados return." The water Pokemon went back into his Pokeball and the crowd felt even more at ease.

Candela playfully punched Tori on the shoulder and said, "you did great out there. I was on the ropes the entire time!"

Tori acknowledged the kind gesture, but couldn't bring herself to speak. She held onto her hat with one hand, and brushed her long brown hair away from her face. "Thanks," she finally said, "I... I appreciate it. I'll go to the Pokemon Center now."

"Sure, do you know where it is?" Candela asked.

Tori didn't even look up to her leader. She felt like a disgrace and was not deserving of her kindness. "I'll find my way."

Tori turned away from Candela, but before she could run, she turned to face the crowd: her fellow team mates and some regular bystanders. The young girl bowed in front of them and said with a very convincing tone, "I'm deeply sorry for my actions!"

After her apology, Tori didn't even wait for a response. She just put her hat back on to hide her shameful face and ran towards a direction she did not know where it would go, except for the fact that it will lead her far away from the park.

Candela's heart hurt for her opponent. She may not know what Tori was going through, but she felt that as her role model, she should do something about it. Candela put her hands to her cheeks and told herself that that'll have to wait. For now, she had to make sure that everyone was okay.

Candela went to check and see if there was anyone injured from the bleachers. She saw that members of Team Valor were also checking to see if anyone was hurt. Even Joey and Kelly, two faces she etched into memory form her earlier battles, were willing to lend a hand to comfort the others. Fortunately enough, there were no injuries suffered, but some were feeling a bit traumatised from the experience. "I know that things went... out of hand, but I won't blame you if you don't want to stay here anymore," Candela said. These tourists were here as a vacation. They were given a chance to explore Magalam and take in the sights and wonders for what the region has to offer. So if something as scary as this were to happen on a daily basis, she couldn't blame them for wanting to leave.

"No, we're fine," they said to Candela's surprise, "we have you to thank, and as long as you're with us, we feel safe!"

Those kind words warmed Candela's heart and she gave each and everyone a hug or a handshake. The leader eventually returned to her Machamp with her Politoed by her side and a Full Restore in hand and healed the Pokemon back to full health. "Great work Machamp," Candela smiled as she applied the spray, "making me proud everyday!"

"Champ!" Machamp gave his leader a smile and thumbs up as his woulds healed.

The muscled Pokemon stood up feeling rejuvenated and Candela turned to her Politoed saying, "thanks Politoed. Without you, things would have gotten messy."

"Poli!" the green toad saluted in front of her trainer.

Candela brought out Politoed's Pokeball and returned him back into the ball. She turned back to the crowd and with a deep breath, she shouted, "everyone alright?"

"Yes!" the crowd responded.

"Good!" Candela smiled once more to the crowd, but her expression changed when she moved on to the next topic, "now, I'm sure that you're all going to feel uneasy towards Tori."

The audience knew what she was referring to. Even after everything was okay, knowing that a fellow member nearly caused a major accident, they couldn't see Tori the same way anymore.

"She's feeling guilty right now, and I don't blame her," Candela continued, "so please, if ever you see her, just welcome her back. Ask how she's doing. Ask her where she got her hat. Just... don't try to dwell too much on this one, okay?"

Candela could see the some mumbling amongst the people in front of her. Some were nodding along, while some were shaking their heads.

"You got it, Miss Candela!" a voice cried out.

Candela knew this voice all too well, and turned to see Kelly raise her hand amongst the crowd. "Thanks Kelly," Candela said.

"Me too, Leader Candela!" Joey screamed out afterwards. "I'm great at comforting people! You could say that I'm in the top percentage," Joey joked.

Everyone laughed to that remark, and Candela's heart was at ease. She was proud to see that her team was loving and caring to one another and she felt like, despite what had happened with Tori, the first meeting of Team Valor was a success.

Out of the corner of her eye, Candela noticed a hand being raised. "Yes? Do you have a question?" Candela called out. It appeared that a young boy with rectangular spectacles raised his hand. He stood up and kept his hands behind his back as he asked, "c-can we still have a battle?"

The crowd groaned. They couldn't believe that after the last battle, which almost resulted in a disaster, someone still wants to battle. Clearly, nobody could beat Candela's Machamp at the moment. Someone would have to train hard everyday to just stand a chance against her.

Candela sighed, but still managed to smile, "sure kid, come on up."

"T-thanks!" the young lad stuttered.

He managed to squeeze his way out of the bleachers and meet up with Candela. "What's your name kid?" Candela asked.

"Uh, my name?" the boy repeated. He was nervously twiddling his thumbs and tried to think well and hard on his response. He was about a head shorter than Candela, and wore the traditional Valor outfit. Candela wondered as to why everyone's pretty much wearing the same thing. Perhaps she could ask the Professor if there was a shop somewhere selling these apparel. Hopefully the owner's not overcharging their customers.

"S-salem," the young one replied.

"Well Salem, glad to meet you!" Candela said as she patted him on the shoulder. She gave him a big smile, expecting to cheer him up, but he just nervously turned away stuttering, "n-nice to meet y-you too!"

Once again, both trainers stood at the ends of the battlefield. Previous battles caused the field to be pretty much a small wasteland, but this didn't stop the trainers from the battle.

"Go Rattata!" Salem thew out a Pokeball and out came a very familiar Pokemon that some were very tired of seeing. The Rattata looked up to see Machamp towering over him and felt uneasy.

The crowd laughed and whispered quite loudly on how laughable this attempt will be. They discussed on how there was no way this kid with a Rattata could beat Candela's Machamp.

"Quiet you guys!" Candela shouted at the crowd. She was annoyed from listening to everyone already criticising the outcome before the match even started. "Can't you see that he's trying his best? He was the only one brave enough to challenge me even after the last three battles!"

Everyone hushed after Candela's remark. Some were ashamed, but others were seriously doubtful that the outcome would differ from the last three battles.

"Salem," Candela said to her challenger, "I will honor this battle by taking this seriously."

"Y-yes, ma'am!" Salem anxiously replied. He couldn't believe that Candela would choose to defend him in front of all these people.

"You've been watching me battle right? Which means you've come up with a strategy to beat me, am I correct?" Candela asked as she formed a fist with her right hand.

"Yes, ma'am!" Salem responded.

"Then I won't hold back!" Candela nodded to Machamp who was waiting for a command and then she said, "Machamp, Bullet Punch!"

Machamp did as he was told and dashed towards the small Rattata. Candela saw Salem's mouth move, but was unable to hear what he said, so she paid it no heed. Machamp's punch connected and a small cloud of dust surrounded the two Pokemon.

The crowd whispered to each other saying things like, "KO," or "he didn't stand a chance." Some even shook their heads in disappointment. All three previous battled were so hyped that this last one was just a pity.

"Endeavour!" a voice cried out.

When the dust cleared, Candela saw that Rattata was still standing on all fours and was surrounded with a glowing aura. "No way! He endured the hit?" Candela was amazed by her ignorance as she forgot that Rattatas could learn Endure. Not only that, they can also learn Endeavour. "Machamp, get back!" Candela shouted, but it was too late.

Rattata, who was already in front of Machamp opened its mouth and chomped on Machamp's finger. Machamp felt as if all of his strength left his body and became extremely weak and exhausted.

"Machamp, use Bullet Punch once more!" Candela had to issue an attack before Salem could tell Rattata could attack. She knew that Rattatas could learn Quick Attack, but Machamp was so much faster, so the Bullet Punch should connect faster than a Quick Attack.

"SUCKER PUNCH!" Salem shouted.

Time stood still as everyone watched. There was a small, and tiny Rattata in front of a large Machamp. They saw Machamp wind up his punch, but they noticed that Rattata was much quicker and more nimble. The weaker Pokemon raised a mini fist and punched Machamp before his opponent could attack. It didn't even look strong; it looked just like a small tap that shouldn't hurt anyone. Much to their surprise, the battle ended; it was anti-climactic. Candela's Machamp fell in front of Salem's Rattata, and everyone froze.

The crowd didn't know what to do. After the previous battles, they expected Candela to win, so they thought nothing of Salem and his Rattata. Now that they saw that he won, they didn't even plan on cheering because it was such a let down from their expectations. They wanted a memorable battle just like the previous ones, but this conclusion was unexpected.

Someone started to applaud. Everyone turned to see who it was, only to find out that it was Candela, their leader. Candela applauded Salem's quick thinking and Rattata's courage to combat her and her Machamp.

"Genius! Well done!" Candela smiled to Salem once more as she walked from her end towards Salem. She helped Machamp back to his feet and picked up Rattata from the ground. In her warm arms, Rattata felt comfortable and smiled back at the cheery leader. Candela and Machamp approached Salem and the defeated leader gave the Rattata back to the winner.

"It's not how I pictured my loss," Candela shrugged, "but hey, a win's a win!"

"Thank you!" Salem said as he hugged his Rattata.

"Ha! Now there's the confidence that I was looking for!" Candela patted Salem on the head and shuffled his short, black hair a bit. "After today, I hope that you'll find the courage to do what you have to do, okay?" Candela knew that Salem was a bit shy and timid, but she hopes to be able to help him develop his courage so that he'll be braver in the future.

"I-I'll try!" Salem admitted, "I'm sorry that you had to lose this way." He looked sad, and even Rattata pouted as he saw his trainer's face.

"No need to apologise!" Candela responded. "Now give me your hand, and give Rattata to Machamp."

Salem did as he was told and together with Candela and Machamp, the winners turned to the crowd and smiled.

"Everyone," Candela shouted, "meet your WINNER!" Candela raised Salem's arm into the air, and Machamp raised Rattata above his head with one arm.

The audience began to clap their hands and applauded. They cheered, screamed, and shouted for Salem and his Rattata.

"Congratulations!"

"Amazing!"

"You did something we only dreamed of!"

They praised Salem's efforts and the young, spectacled boy cried tears of joy. He felt like the king of the world as he heard the crowd chant his name.

"Thank you everyone!" Salem managed to say back to the crowd in a soft voice.

The crowd cheered even louder and everyone had smiles on their faces.

"C'mon, smile some more!" Candela said to Salem, "you've earned this, so enjoy it!"

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Salem replied, "I thought that, well, I just- sorry. I'll smile now."

"Good, good!" Candela nudged him forward and applauded as well.

Machamp gave Rattata back to his trainer's arms, and both Salem and Rattata stepped forward facing the cheering crowd and bowed in front of them. When he finished bowing, he looked up to the crowd and smiled and waved. The crowd loved it and cheered even louder, "Salem! Salem! SALEM!"

"And Rattata!" Candela shouted.

"Rattata! Rattata! RATTATA!" the crowd wooed.

When the crowd finished praising the winner, Candela gestured Salem to return back to his seat. The crowd accepted him with high fives and handshakes, to which Salem just nervously thanking them with high fives and return handshakes.

"I hope every one of you has learned something today," Candela said to the audience, "don't ever under estimate your opponent! Even I fall short of following this rule. Apologise to Salem for thinking that he wouldn't win!"

"We're sorry," the crowd said in unison. They sounded sincere towards Salem, and the young trainer felt an intense amount of pressure as the limelight fell on him. "N-no worries!" he managed to reply back.

Candela smiled again, and the crowd began to believe that no matter the situation, Candela would still be smiling warmly towards anyone. "Alright, now who's hungry?"

"WE ARE!" the giant group of Team Valor members replied.

"Then let's head to RNB!" Candela replied.

The entire Team Valor present that day bonded together and walked towards the direction of RNB. They were tired and exhausted from chasing Candela and watching the intense battles that had happened between some members and their leader Candela. Amongst the group, Candela was responding to questions and concernd, Salem was being praised by others for being the winner, Kelly was happily chatting between the other members, and Joey was really inspired to catch and train a lot of Rattatas.

Feed back would be very much appreciated! Hope you all enjoyed the story! :D

BTW, I've chosen to transfer the "One Time" stories into its own collection. You can check it over there.