Finn's chest swelled as he watched Isaac and his team square off beautifully against the Iron Valiant. They wove in and out of each other with ease and clarity, hitting back like a flock of Taillows pecking. Finn was more than pleased - he was proud.

Ying croaked in his arms, rousing herself back into action. Her feathers waved in an invisible wind. She could feel the vitality and warm pride radiate off her friend's skin, and was glad he was well again.

"Ready to get back in?" Finn asked, patting Ying's cape, and the great owl nodded. They got on their feet and raised their weapons not a moment too soon - Iron Valiant snuck through Isaac's manoeuvres and knocked the air out of his ribs.

Finn's gut dropped. The air turned silent in the wake of that blow. "Isaac!" Finn cried, throwing himself over his student. Ying flung Iron Valiant back with a blast of wind. Coldness shot through Finn's veins, his fingers fumbling as he tore through Isaac's shirt. Was he wounded? Was his life at stake? Then came a warm rush of relief as Finn saw the dark, but ultimately minor, bruise. Isaac would make it.

"Oh god, thank god you're alright." Time was short, but that small moment felt like forever. Finn rested his forehead against Isaac's and closed his eyes. Gratitude and honour met where their brows touched. A new, fresh vital force raised its head in Finn's body.

"I'll take it from here."

Finn stood up, picking up his crown from the grass. The Iron Valiant got back on its feet, and Finn's crown found its place on the master's head again. Silver glowed in the moonlight.

"Regulus, to the left!" Isaac's Ceruledge took one side of the robot and Finn himself took the other. He might just be human, but that was what gave him strength. His blades burned with wrath, with the recognition that Isaac had almost died for him, and the determination to make sure that it ended now.

Two fighters - one purple, one green - slashed off against the Iron Valiant, and they were gaining on him for a while. Then, with a flash of robot pink, Finn and Regulus were knocked clean off their feet. The Iron Valiant towered over them, its weapon glowing decisively. Finn's face slackened with mortal fear as the robot crept up towards him... And then shifted gear fully like a blade unsheathed.

"Ying, now!"

A lone arrow shot from the trees behind the Iron Valiant and pinned its shadow to the grass. The monster tried to move but its feet just wouldn't budge. Ying used Spirit Shackle! Iron Valiant's feet were sewn into the ground!

With a grin, Finn slid up and out, pulling Regulus with him. The battle was all but over. The robot was useless if it couldn't move.

Finn brushed his nose with the back of his hand. He could end it there and then... But he wouldn't.

"Isaac, would you like to do the honours?"

Isaac Merlo

Finn nodded halfway between being solemn and gratified. Isaac was dutiful, but by this point, Finn didn't just see Isaac as a student but a brother of the blade.

Finn offered Isaac a hand, moving to pull him off the grass.

"I want you by my side."

The battle had thoroughly exhausted Finn of his energy. Running purely on adrenaline now, he reached for an Ultra Ball in his trouser pocket as the Iron Valiant struggled against Ying's unbreakable chains. It, too, seemed to be low on juice. Finn wondered the same thing as Isaac did - what would a killing machine look like if it's turned round to the side of justice?

One way to find out.

Supporting himself by keeping an arm over Isaac's shoulder, Finn threw the ball at the robot and sealed it in for good.

Then, Finn spoke softly, delicately. Intimately. "Thank you, Isaac."

And collapsed. Fatigue rushed in on Finn like a black wave and swallowed him whole. But Finn only let it take him because he felt safe and taken care of, not just with his Pokemon, but his friend.

Isaac Merlo

Finn jolted out of a dark, inky sleep. He grabbed onto his sheets, looking for his sword, and his eyes darted about the ward. But there was no danger, no monster lurking in the woods. Light shone in from the windows. Finn was safe here.

Emotions flooded Finn's insides, but Finn wasn't sure what they were. It felt like a valve being released, the loosening of a spring. Finn rested his eyes on his knees as gentle waves rocked his body. Not in the sense of a sea jeopardising a boat, but a child being cradled.

The door opened - Finn quickly wiped his eyes and sat upright, but relaxed once he realised it was Isaac.

"What happened?" Finn asked. He recalled swords clashing in the woods and catching Iron Valiant, but then what happened afterwards? He had to know if everything was alright. He tried to look composed but his eyes betrayed him. His hair was still all messed up from his fitful sleep.

Isaac Merlo

Finn smiled weakly. He knew what Isaac was doing, and he appreciated him for it, but he knew that this was a lie. He smiled knowingly, in defeat, in surrender. Part of him died that night - or was it back in the starry cavern, gouged out by the attacker's cruel blade? His ego had fallen from his face, removing the mask that had been stitched so tightly into his skin.

Who was the master? Who was the one that kicked the Iron Valiant's ass?

Finn didn't recognise the person who wore his crown anymore. But he knew that man didn't fight alone.

"Isaac, I didn't do it. We did."

Finn looked up at Isaac with a grateful spark in his eyes. He wouldn't be alive if not for his loyal, steadfast student. Part of him died so that he could start again,

"Come here."

Isaac sat by Finn's side, and Finn pushed himself upright with a groan. He reached out to Isaac and embraced him, their foreheads touching, their green and blond fringes enmeshed.

"Thank you."

Isaac Merlo

Finn grinned lightly, but his gratitude ran deep for Isaac. Such pupils came about once a lifetime, and perhaps even less than that. Weakly, but surely, Finn's eyes twinkled.

Finn's green fringe drooped. The meds were doing their thing, and he felt sleep creep back into his body. But Isaac asked a good question - what would be the Iron Valiant's name? Finn thought, his lips pursed. Iron Valiant wasn't a pupil - he was a teacher. He taught Finn the importance of relying on those around him - to lean on the strength and support of his friends.

"Jiangjun." Finn muttered. Victorious in war. Whether the war was outside on the field, or inside his soul.

Isaac Merlo