As morning arrived, Claude began knocking on the door to Astrid's room.

"Hey, aren't you going to train for the Top 32? Your match may be in the middle of the day, but you can still get up early!"

The door quickly opened, but to Claude's shock, no Pokemon's hands were using it. Instead the knob glowed blue alongside Meowstic's eye patterns on it's inner ears, yawning rather annoyed. He also stepped back at Astrid's attire.

"A Litleo onesie?"

The young blonde adolescent stretched her arms. "My family really liked Litleo so much, they kept one as a housepet," nudging herself awake. "Besides, there's still time," yawning while petting Absol and Pyroar's fur, who'd just now woken up alongside her.

Claude glanced at the three awake. "So you're using them in the next battle?"

Astrid awkwardly laughed. "Wel-l-l-l-l," earning a light ember blast from Pyroar that messed up her hair, much to her chagrin.

Meowstic began brushing her hair to her standard attire as she pouted at Pyroar. "And that's why I'm not picking you."

Pyroar gasped, stumbling to the floor as Meowstic snickered and Absol lowered their head, concerned.

"I was half joking. People are expecting me to use Mega Absol, and the trainer with the Greninja has battled me before with them, Meowstic, and Pyroar. A trainer has to treat all of their Pokemon equally, not just rely on the strength of one. That's the point of a team, right?"

Claude pondered the thought. "But what if you just get outplayed?"

"Then that just means I didn't focus on my Pokemon enough. For now, we'll have to see how things go," hearing and spotting other trainers moving from their rooms. "Just give me a few more minutes," asking him to exit.

Much to his chagrin, it took her a half hour before she was properly dressed, and all of her Pokemon returned to their Poke Balls. As they did, Claude recalled seeing the other Pokemon, but as the two ate breakfast, he grew curious.

"You really treat your Pokemon like family huh?"

"You could say that. I probably wouldn't become a trainer if it wasn't for them now."
He was about to ask for more details before she got him to order Poke Food for both of their teams, including asking about his Bisharp, who came out to eat as well.

"Bisharp, you really like your partner, don't you?"

The armored warrior enjoyed the Poke Puff, nodding.

"Great. You'll watch our battle with him, correct?"

Another nod got her to smile as Meowstic used Psychic to take more Poke Puffs for herself, only for Pyroar to roar at her, as Absol used it's horn to slice them apart, into six pieces, as the other three Pokemon let themselves out of their PokeBall to try some as well.

All the while Claude wondered what was going to happen.

At the start of midday, he and Bisharp watched in the stands. From above, he could see Ash and his friends sitting one place, while Remo, Alain, and other top trainers who had just won their matches, including Tierno and Sawyer, taking the time to carefully analyze how stacked the competition was.

The aura feels so menacing. Maybe I wasn't ready for this after all.

Astrid walked into the arena, approaching the hexagon shape the trainers usually fought on. Opposing her was a brown haired man with alluring cerulean blue eyes, wearing a gray suit, black blazer, blue tie, and flashed his yellow watch.

The arena was randomly selected, a lush forest battlefield with several trees, lush bushes on the higher platforms.

"Challenger Caen, Challenger Astrid. Each of you is allowed to use three Pokemon. The first who's Pokemon are unable to battle."

"Marquis Caen at your service," speaking with a mature, yet assured cadence. "An Ace Trainer? Let's see if you're worth enough to be a Marchioness," he smirked, "or just a Baroness I've beaten before."

"We're confident huh. Prove those aren't empty words then."

My name is Astrid, and I'd like you to meet one of my partners. Go, Liepard!"

"Now, fourth battle, begin!"

After a certain point in the battle, Caen was down to one Pokemon while she was down to two. Despite that, Astrid's tense breathing attempted to keep a wounded Delcatty retreated behind a tree in the forest battlefield against a serpentine Pokemon with black scales, yellow hexagon markings, purple scar marks, and red fangs quickly slithering across the trees with such speed, even trainers in the audience such as Sawyer and Tierno found it hard to keep up with.

"Seviper, snatch your prey! Wrap around them, then use Sludge Wave!"

"Seviper!" They dived down, releasing a sphere of poison around themselves much to Delcatty's panic and Astrid's grunted.

"Quick, Sing!"

Delcatty released a harmonic melody from her mouth as Seviper's poison sphere struck her. The cat screeched in pain, while the snake twitched, starting to slumber.

"That trick won't work. Ninety degrees in the air, Belch!"

Seviper blasted a massive purple gunk into the sky.

"Dream Eater, Delcatty, fast!"

As her kitty spread a mist around the two and used their shadow version, the gunk fell dirty down at Seviper, crashing straight into them waking up, stunning Astrid and Delcatty.

"Caen has countered the Sleep Condition? Who could've seen that coming," the announcer praised.

He smirked. "I guess that confidence spoke for itself," pointing out Delcatty was at risk of becoming poisoned. "Now, finale, Seviper," calmly smug in tone, "Dragon Tail!"

Astrid groaned, taking out her Poke Ball as Seviper lunged for Delcatty, forcing the cat one final command before she returned it. She took out another, flashing her earring.

"I'll need you today after all. Caen, I'd like you to meet another one of my partners. Go, Zangoose!"

The bipedal cross themed mongoose-cat hybrid with white and deep red fur with scar markings to the face, chest, and forepaws with a tail and hair rising up. The moment it layed eyes upon Seviper, a fury from it's eyes had Caen shaking.

"Something...what's wrong with that Pokemon?"

"Zangoose," Astrid asked with sincerity. "I understand, but remember, we've moved past that, haven't we?"

Zangoose regrettably turned away from their opponent, somber.

"Then let's channel that rage into victory!"

The Cat Ferret Pokemon raised both heads, charging head first into the forest after the sinister serpent.

"Haze!" Seviper blew a large black beam of smoke Zangoose attempted to slice through.

"Wrap around him, then use Dragon Tail!"

"Dragon Tail? Zangoose, aim for his head and use Close Combat!"

Seviper lunged at them, slipping through his arm, but before their tail glowed into green dragon scales around them, Zangoose rapidly punched them off, clutching it's head and tossing them away.

Caen commanded Seviper to dodge them, as Seviper used the platforms and trees to narrowly slip and aim for a strike with it's tail, but Zangoose punched and kicked several times to reach for them. The snake ducked underneath it's punches, forcing them to kick them into a nearby tree.

Astrid stayed calm, ordering them to use X-Scissor. As the cat double cross slashed, Caen called out for Sludge Wave, covering the snake in a purple sphere that trapped Zangoose, blocking it's green aura attack and smashing them into the bushes, crashing into a tree far away.

"Oh no, Zangoose!"

Her partner stumbled to get up, coughing up lavender bubbles, gaining purple lines between it's nose, shocking with purple energy.

"He's been poisoned, should I?"

"Accept defeat? Seviper, use Haze, then Belch."

Before Astrid could yell out a command, the snake released another cloud of smoke, blocking their vision. Zangoose used their claws to blow them away, but Seviper unleashed a purple ring of energy from the food they absorbed prior the furret cat attempted to catch, only to be thrusted into the tree, screaming as its body broke the tree, forcing it to fall on them.

"Zangoose!"

"Is it over?!"

Astrid grew worried, reflecting on the time he shielded her from an event when they were younger. "Please, be okay."

A hand picked themselves up using the tree to her relief, but the scars around their body was muddled with battle damage and scruff.

She took a deep sigh, taking out her Poke Ball. "Zangoose, retur-"

Zangoose dodged the red laser, howling at her.

"You sure," struggling to make a decision.

He pumped his fist. Her eyes widened.

"Stick to the plan then!"

"Please, Baroness, you're done. Haze, and then Sludge Wave!"

"That won't stop us. Zangoose, grab the tree and swing it!"

Seviper sprayed the blast of smoke, followed by the sphere of poison that corroded into the smoke. Claude grew nervous, but Zangoose picked up the splintered tree and spun around, before hammer-throwing it at Seviper, propelling straight through both attacks.

"What the!"

"Now break through the smoke, Night Slash!"

Their claws glowed light purple, smashing their feet against the losing poison to deliver a hefty claw smash dragging Seviper through the grassy forest.

"Dragon Tail!"

"That switch out strategy won't work. Counter with Night Slash!"

Zangoose and Seviper's limbs glowed in their respective colors, clashing against one another so hard the two blew each other back. Astrid and her partner smiled, even as Zangoose was forced on one knee.

"Looks we don't have a choice," coming to terms with her next decision. "Ready?"

Zangoose gave her a thumbs up.

"Let's go! Final Gambit!"

Zangoose roared, exploding the area around themselves in a red aura before launching at extreme speed.

"Seviper, quick, Sludge Wave! Then Dragon Tail!"

The serpent Pokemon fired a blast of poison and empowered it with it's glowing green scaled tail to boost it for extra strength, but Zangoose's sheer strength and howling rage smashed through the wave and struck Seviper. The impact caused a massive explosion that covered the entire stadium.

Astrid and Caen were on opposite ends of the calm-irrational spectrum, waiting for the smoke to clear.

Zangoose and Seviper stood in front of each other. The former's eyes blanked out, while the latter struggled to get up.

"Zangoose is unable to b-"

Claude got up out of his seat as Zangoose's body slipped, falling down on Seviper before they could get up. Seviper attempted to push them off, but their eyes quickly swirled, fainting.

"Zangoose and Seviper are unable to battle. With a score of 3-2, Challenger Astrid is the winner."

Caen wiped off the surging sweat. "Delcatty never fainted? How-wait."

Astrid took a deep breath. "Before you woke yourself back up, Delcatty's Dream Eater managed to recover enough health," releasing them out, who purred, still injured from the battle, but eager nonetheless.

"But, you had the advantage, two Pokemon to one. Why didn't you switch out?"

"Delcatty was still poisoned. Even if I took her out, you probably could've defeated her. Zangoose was going to fight to the bitter end, so I taught it Final Gambit just in case," coming into the battlefield to pick him up.

"That way, Delcatty would have enough energy to finish Seviper off."

Zangoose woke up, completely drained.

"Thanks partner, you, did well," as Delcatty came out, purring on Zangoose's fur. The bipedal cat looked away, blushing, even as Astrid could tell part of her intentions.

Claude blew a sigh of relief. "That was too close. So that's what she meant."

He raced down to confront her.

"You had me worried you were going to lose!"

"No worries, we're moving onto the top 16, aren't we?"

He sighed. "For an Ace Trainer, you sure are a wild card in the deck."