"ok (งಠ_ಠ)ง let's go!"

With the fight now underway, Meltan rushes forth, eager to take the momentum. Compared to some of the opponents you've faced, an Eevee isn't the most frightening Pokemon to be facing down. Compared to the Zeraora and Hatterene and Beeheeyem, a battle like Meltan versus Eevee seems quaint in comparison. But looks can be deceiving, and you have no idea how this battle might play out. For now, you'll just wait, watch, and keep a hand on your Tera Orb.

Rushing forth, Meltan leaps high into the air and comes crashing down nut-first, aiming a Headbutt towards the furry dome of the Eevee.

"meltan drop!"

---

Gimmick, TERA; +15 on Even Rolls.
lfciBVfw + 15 = 105
Meltan HP 3/3.
illeana reyes

It's a good punch. Hard enough to hurt your jaw and leave a dent in your mask. He put some real effort into it. But he probably should have put in even more.

CRACK!

You reply with a punch of your own. A punch from a fighter, not a scholar. A punch from hands meant to break things instead of preserve them. Hands that have known little luxury and much hardship. More than anything, this your language, how you communicate with others. Arceus knows you speak it better than anything else.

"If you're going to fight, fight." You tell howard slayte, not the slightest hint of mirth in your voice. "Otherwise, go."

That's all you have to say. Really, that's all you need to say.

Meanwhile, Xurkitree stares down illeana reyes's Blacephalon. On the surface, it seems like a fair competition, Ultra Beast against Ultra Beast, neither with any inherent advantage over the other, the closest thing one can get to an even match within the dubious realms of Ultra Space. So, leave it to the League to immediately try and tip the scales using overwhelming force. With annalise henderson's Ceruledge behind it, PENELOPE LIVY's Camerupt in front of it, and lava beginning to form beneath its feet, it has remarkably few options. So instead of trying for a risky dodge, it leaps up over the Bitter Blade, and dives down into the chasm. Two sets of wires cling to Tera Crystals forming from the wall, while two more grab yourself and Howard, pulling you up before the lava can claim you. Of course, Regice is a little too heavy for that, but you're sure it'll be fine. Probably.

Now that you're "safe" in one sense of the word, Xurkitree quickly clambers back up out of the chasm, narrowly dodging stray magma all the while. Once it finally arrives back on the surface, it places you back on solid ground, and tosses Howard back behind it. Then, you face down the small but elite League contingent you've just made an enemy of.

"If you're just picking this fight because your bosses told you to, then fuck off. But, if for whatever reason you have some personal stake in killing me or protecting that pink dragon, then fine." You growl, pulling your pistol from your coat pocket as you glance between the many unfriendly faces. "I'll humour you. But if that's the way you want it, then you've got to humour me, too."

If they want to wage this war, then there's no room for soullessness. If they want to stop you, then they better put their all into it.

---

TL;DR - Shred tells Howard to kiss him or leave (paraphrasing), Xurkitree dodges like three different attacks while rescuing Shred and Howard from danger, then Shred attempts to threaten the half-dozen League Members protecting the dragon he's trying to beat up.
Shred's Disguise
howard slayte illeana reyes PENELOPE LIVY annalise henderson Isaac Merlo

You're fighting for your goddamn life down here. Slither Wing is in a frenzy, completely thrashing every Paradox Pokemon that strays too close to its rampage. All around you are charred-black chunks of broken machinery, pieces of the future that dared to challenge the past. The wild and true and free beast, destroying the mechanical facsimiles that oppose, breaking their iron bodies and their iron chains alike... There's something real poetic about that, but you're a little too busy struggling against the mechanical tide to pin down exactly what.

At the very least, you're past the worst of it, and of course that's when howard slayte makes his appearance. Seriously, couldn't he have come down a few minutes earlier, when the Iron Leaves was trying to stampede you to death? A Blizzard from that Regice sure would've cleared that up quick! Tch, well, it is what it is, you suppose. You're sure that whatever was happening on the surface was plenty important, too.

"Alright! Slither Wing, Tera Blast that--"

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅▃▃▄▄▅▃▃▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

"--Fucking hell!" As Slither Wing turns its burning gaze towards your voice, you instinctively hammer the button on the Pokeball before it can act on its violent impulses. Oh well. If those Armour Cannons from earlier couldn't hit it, then you're not sure that a single Tera Blast would've done much, either. Especially not compared to a specialised artillery attack like Zap Cannon. "Nevermind! You take this one!"

Instead, you take this moment to pause and observe what happens next. The final declarations of the Kyurem, the retreat of the Hoopa, and the emergence of the Palkia. You watch it all happen through tired eyes, trying and failing to piece together this impossibly large and unbearably complex puzzle. However, as you watch the Palkia begin to rend the greater dragon to pieces, something clicks.

Whatever is happening in front of you really pisses you off.

You don't know why. It's not a thought born from logic or reason. It's just pure instinct, incomprehensible and intoxicating all at the same time. The motivation for what you're going to do is irrelevant. All that matters is that you're doing it.

"Howard, don't be mad."

With that, you throw one of your Pokeballs high into the air, sending forth your Xurkitree to very top of the chasm. The Ultra Beast impassively surveys the destruction around it. Though the location is different, the sights are most familiar. However, its head lingers in the direction of the distant @remiel and his "righteous" dragon.

"XURKITREE, ZAP CANNON THAT PINK FUCKER!"

As far as it can see, there's only one pink fucker on the battlefield. Thus, it allows its many cables to intertwine, before launching forth a concentrated beam of electricity in the direction of the looming Palkia, and by proxy, illeana reyes.

---

TL;DR - Shred cleans up the Paradox Horseys in his area, has an important thought (citation needed), makes a good decision (citation needed), and sends out his Xurkitree to Zap Cannon Palkia.

"x_x"

Meltan might've been strong, but he wasn't THAT strong. Hit by the full force of Beeheeyem's Shattered Psyche, there simply wasn't anything he could do against the overwhelming power of the Z-Move. The little Hex Nut was sent flying backwards, right past you, before crashing into the wall and leaving a little hexagonal hole in it.

You just lost a fight to a blind child. Or, well, Meltan lost a fight to his Beeheeyem. Yeah, you're going to go with that one instead. It makes you sound like less of a complete and utter failure.

"Well."

---

Gimmick, TERA; +15 on Even Rolls.
BMQXqD_L
Meltan LOSES. Hideo WINS.
Hideo Kino

...What the FUCK did he just say?!

The whole "spread 'em" thing really catches you off-guard. You feel like you've been clobbered over the back of the head with a brick. You honestly just don't know how you're even supposed to respond to it. Whatever it was supposed to mean, it ends up being a powerful distraction technique, as when Froakie performs his Double Team into Hydro Pump combo, both you and Meltan are caught completely off-guard.

"(°ロ°) uh oh!"

FWOOSH! Meltan is caught by the Hydro Pump and washed away, slipping and sliding across the street. However, it'll take more than a little water to put a stop to him. Shaking off any excess wetness, your partner fires off a second blast of electricity, this time in the form of a Thunder Shock.

---

Gimmick, TERA; +15 on Even Rolls.
gEwBemft
Meltan LOSES last round. 2/3 HP Remaining.
CIAN MAHER

Meltan's had an impressive streak of luck, but unfortunately, it's about to run out.

As the Zeraora leaps high into the air, Meltan attempts to counter it with a Flash Cannon, but he's unable to fire off the attack before the leopard comes crashing down on top of him. With a yelp, the Hex Nut is send flying back, skidding across the ground for a few moments before coming to a halt. You have to admit, it was a good hit, but it won't change the outcome of this match. It's going to take more than one attack to put Meltan down...

...But it's better to be safe than sorry, right? So, Meltan takes the opportunity given and the distance made to set up an Acid Armour, melting, reforming, and reinforcing his body against further attacks.

---

Gimmick, TERA; +15 on Even Rolls.
A1DuBVnl
Meltan loses. 2/3 HP Remaining.
Josh Devlin

He's got this in the bag? Yeah, the garbage bag, maybe.

...See, this is the kind of high-level trash talk you'd be bringing to this battle if you weren't busy with your burger. Hard to trade witty barbs when you've got a mouthful of beef and bread. Still, what are you supposed to do, not eat it? Hell no. If you don't bite while the burger is hot, it's going to get cold, and you'd sooner die than suffer through a cold burger.

But enough about the burger for now. There's a Pokemon battle to be had, and Meltan is more than ready to fight.

"go (ﾉ>ω<)ﾉ人人人人人人人人 meltan thunder!"

Electricity crackles through his melting body, before Meltan thrusts his tiny hands forward, firing out a Thunder Wave in an attempt to paralyse the Froakie.

---

Gimmick, TERA; +15 on Even Rolls.
N6sXacgH + 15 = 21.
Meltan is on 3/3 HP.
CIAN MAHER

"yippee!"

Though it isn't the most impressive victory in the world, Meltan is more than happy to take this win, and so are you. Sure, it doesn't actually mean anything, but it's good for your self-esteem! And Arceus knows it needs a boost, given how bad this tournament is going.

You prepare to leave, but Howard makes the offer of Happy Hour at Applinbee's. Hm... Yeah, why not? After all, it's 9PM somewhere in the world, right? You can treat it as a celebration for your "hard"-"fought" victory. Besides, given the murderous look that the producer is giving you, it's probably best to lay low on the tournament matches for a while.

"Count me in."

---

TOTAL MELTAN VICTORY.
howard slayte

Mmm. Nothing like a Hamburger off the Burger Kingler™ saver menu to celebrate a battle hard fought. Savouring this fast food is a rare moment of peace amidst the otherwise hectic Vital City Tournament, and you're not taking this flame-grilled feast for granted. After all, it's cheap, it's filling, and there's not a pickle to be found upon the patty! It's just about as close to perfect as two Pokedollars will get you, and frankly, that's good enough for you.

Unfortunately, that's not good enough for Meltan. Partially, that's because his diet consists mostly of metal, and though your burger is rich in iron, it's hardly the ideal meal for your partner. Mainly, though, it's because he's too busy looking for prospective opponents to think about snacking at a time like this. Fortunately for him, and unfortunately for you...

"look mr shred ヽ(°〇°)ﾉ an opponent!"

...You didn't even get to finish your burger before he found another batle to be fought. Tch. Sigh. Etcetera. Oh well, you suppose you'll have plenty of time to finish it while Meltan is fighting. Who knows? If you're lucky, he might even wrap this up before you're done.

"Hey, you! You ready for a fight?"

---

Gimmick, TERA; +15 on Even Rolls.
CIAN MAHER

It's been a few days since the Vital City Tournament started, and frankly, you're beginning to wonder how "Vital" this "Tournament" actually is to this "City".

Seriously, how much is this really going to help Lilycove in the long run? Sure, it's great for tourism, and the merchandise is probably raking in the money, but what about after that? What about when the tournament is all said and done? When all the participants have cleared out and the sponsors are gone, how much prosperity will be left behind? It really makes you think...

"look mr shred (☆ω☆) an opponent!"

Oh, hold that thought. Looks like you've got another opponent to fight. As Meltan hops down from your shoulder and waddles into fighting position, you take a good hard look at the trainer opposite to you... Hm. Yeah, she's pretty hot. Anyway...

"Alright bud, you ready to win?"

"＼(￣▽￣)／ ready freddy!"
"＼(￣▽￣)／ meltan!"

---

Gimmick, TERA; +15 on Even Rolls.
illeana reyes

Clearly shook by the sheer power displayed by Meltan, the Zeraora kicked it up into second gear. Round and around the strange beast went, running circles around the Hex Nut in an attempt to disorient him. A more trained, practiced fighter might've been able to see through this trick. You have dozens of Pokemon in your PC, and most've them would've seen through such a flimsy attempt at deception. But Meltan? Meltan was not one of those Pokemon.

"uoouoouoouoouoouoouoouoouoouoouoouoo (＠_＠) so fast..."

In his fruitless attempts to track the movements of his opponent, Meltan quickly became dizzy, his singular eye turning into a swirl as he staggered and swayed back and forth. However, in a strange twist of fate, this would turn out to be an advantage. As he stumbled about in a desperate attempt to regain his balance, he moved in such a manner that allowed him to perfectly dodge not one, not two, but all three of the Electro Balls. Wow. You couldn't believe it, and you saw it happen right in front of you! Whoever Arceus was, wherever Arceus was, he clearly hated this guy. You don't envy him one bit.

And it would only get worse for your opponent, as the moment the last Electro Ball sailed harmlessly past him was the moment that Meltan got a hold of himself.

"oh there you are ε=ε=┌( >_<)┘ meltan crash!"

Leaping forth, the Meltan threw himself right in the path of the Zeraora, and took the opportunity to land a head-on Headbutt.

---

Gimmick, TERA; +15 on Even Rolls.
29XodXJi + 15 = 101.
Meltan WINS. 3/3 HP Remaining.
Josh Devlin

Despite his best efforts, Meltan's Flash Cannon couldn't score a hit. Beeheeyem's Rock Tomb, though? It couldn't have landed more cleanly upon the little blob even if they had been placed one by one. Such were the disadvantages of having little-to-no legs to speak of - Even dodging slow attacks proved a challenge.

"gweh!!"

For a moment, the pile of rocks just lay there in a heap, completely unmoving. Then, Meltan would burst out from his tomb and fire a Tera Blast towards the Beeheeyem. Sure, a Tera Blast while Unterastalized wasn't the most impressive attack to use, but you didn't exactly have much choice. After all, if you did commit to a Tera Fighting, that'd only cause you more problems than it solved...

---

Gimmick, TERA; +15 on Even Rolls.
zgE5K2wM + 15 = 27.
Meltan LOSES. 1/3 HP remaining.
Hideo Kino

The Pikachu summons forth a wave of water, seeking to wash the Hex Nut away. But it's going to take more than a little water to put a stop to Meltan. He's got the momentum on his side, and he's not gonna stop until this Tofu is cooked!

"go (ﾉ>ω<)ﾉ========✴ meltan beam!"

Mustering forth his steely determination, Meltan fires forth a powerful Flash Cannon, aimed towards the centre of the rushing water. The blast punches a hole right through the water, splitting it in half like some kind of red sea, before rushing forth towards the Pikachu. All the while, the bisected Surf sails harmlessly past Meltan, leaving him completely dry from toe to tip. Once again, it's another stunning step towards victory for Meltan.

...Do you cook tofu? You've never actually eaten it before. Hm...

---

Gimmick, TERA; +15 on Even Rolls.
qBE1OSBg
Meltan WINS. 3/3 HP Remaining.
ollie morales