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Kouji understood; that he couldn’t look back, a warrior would rise, and he knew that Navy would, he didn’t doubt it. He saw the pain the man had gone through as easily as he had felt the fists hit his skin. His only objective was those enemies in front of him, after seeing those memories, after all the fights of that day.
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He felt exhausted, he was in pain, blood had been spilled from every part of his body. Even now he could barely see through the swelling of his own eye, he could barely make out a single thing in front of him, he could barely even step forward. He couldn’t breath, his lungs felt heavy, his throat hoarse. His mind was addling, his thoughts were swimming, and his eyes seemed almost empty. But he wanted to punch something.
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Really Hard
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It was a rage that controlled his fists, even when he himself was of a sound mind; he felt it in his fists, as if they were guided towards being swung, as if they existed in order to be swung, as if that was the one and only thing they existed in order to do. It was that rage that eminated from it now, a black, a deep black and purple flow started to disperse from it in that moment, and he stepped forward.
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A man’s fist couldn’t reach them, as Meowscarada was blasted back and sailed over his head, Kouji understood that fact full well.
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But he still stepped forward, his front foot slid forward, his back foot propelled him in a singular step, his leading arm was braced sidewards, his shoulders were tightly knit together, his chest squared, his shoulders wide, and his hips tensed.
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Then he stepped down, and all of that tension, all of that momentum, was instantly converted to a singular blow. A blow…
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That sailed before the Flutter Mane, he was just a half step out of reach. It was natural, with his left eye so swollen, his depth perception was gone, and yet; there was a great explosion of force regardless as a fist reached over his shoulder, as it crushed the face of a Flutter Mane and sent it reeling backwards.
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It was a singular, Wicked Blow, and the creature to which it belonged to, a cruel warrior that never offered mercy.
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And together they fought.

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Kouji didn’t know how to react for a moment; seeing the idiotic man run towards Zev; he almost moved to intercept but there was a quiet confidence in that man’s movement, and in the lack thereof from his pokemon. A smooth series of movements that showed a self-awareness of one’s point of balance in comparison to his enemies; it was the kind of fighting style Kouji could respect.
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But he was surprised at his own surprise, had he understimated this man who was above him? Or perhaps he had assumed he was the best fighter around now, but in a few movements, Kouji wasn’t sure who would come out on top in a close engagement.
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But he snapped his mind out of that in a moment, slight movement caused him to flick his knife back out; and stare into the corner. With Zev’s authority, the room was far more quiet, willing to listen, and now with his show of violence, it seemed that they had lost some of their gusto.
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”I’m rearing for a fight, and I’m sure the boss ain’t a stranger to one either. We could kill ya all, and wait to see if the next guys are any more willing to listen.” Kouji added ontop, but it might have been the wrong move as eyes hardened for a moment.
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”How much.” It was an aged voice, cracked and croaky from years of abuse. It didn’t show admittance of defeat, but it did show at least a willingness to consider it. Everyone knew just how much influence Rocket had regained ever since they came back together, but at the same time.
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People loved money even more than their own wellbeing.
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Kouji however didn’t pay attention to them, his eyes went to Zev before he tried to regain the situation, it was his own mission after all. ”25% of money you take in, and we’ll even cover you guys if other troublemakers come up around the area.” He tried to answer, but he didn’t know anything about rates, numbers, what was fair, what wasn’t. He just went for a number he thought fit well.
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”No deal. You ain’t asking for 25% of our profits, but our total revenue. No way, that’d leave almost nothing for us. How about you shut up kid, and let the adults talk.”

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Kouji hadn’t believed the sight in front of him, for the dead of the ancient past to rise up; to come up to be so many, and to take down the breathing. His eyes were squinted by the light, by the power of the blow, of everything.
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There was one less soul, but.
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”Get up.” He said to Navy; there was no kindness in his heart, they were warriors on the battlefield. The time for tears wasn’t now, not right now, it didn’t matter what was lost. ”If they cook us, then your buddies’ death will have been in vain. He was a real warrior, don’t disgrace it by losing heart now.” He said as he clenched his fists, he could think of those he had lost this day.
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The cute, innocent eyes of his Eevee was the first, it had made his heart churn, that had been his first, his very first pokemon, there while he slept, while he cried, and he had seen her be turned to paste, he understood that pain more than he wanted to admit.
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But now, that filled him with even greater determination, the loss of something gave rise to something new, something unique, something that was one of a kind. ”Meowscarada, buy us time.” He asked of his pokemon who changed her typing once more.
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Charging forward with a knockoff before the leading Flutter Mane could fire another one of those Moonblasts, sending it flying over their heads harmlessly. They’d have to fight themselves, so Kouji raised his tired, exhausted fists.
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One last blow, that was all he had in him. That was what he was going to throw, even if it were a simple ghost, his rage, his anger, all of his sorrow…
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He would put into a singular blow.

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Kouji gritted his teeth as he was doused in blood; he could tell in a moment. His opponent was beyond pissed off; the shots that were fired, the deadly, terrible, shots. He could tell in a moment, if he were to be hit by one of those, he would die.
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”Tch. Guess we’re out, I don’t want to fight after that one. Let’s leave.” Absol nodded as it jumped across the space, rock to rock; with his trainer firmly held in his mouth. There was no sounds for a moment, right until the opening of a cave passage, towards a rift.
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”Oi, I’m Kouji Matsubara, what’s your name?” His pokemon halted for a moment, as if wondering what the point behind such a thing was. For a creature without a name, these introductions made no sense to him.
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But for Kouji, it meant a lot. He would fight this person again, at some point, some day, just not this day, not anymore.
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His body ached, his consciousness swam, and yet he forced himself awake, to hold strong for just a little longer as he waited…For an answer.

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Kouji stilled at the insult before he smirked.
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”Gear junkie.”
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Still, the battle that Roaring Moon was locked into was a difficult one, even with it’s Jaw Lock; it’s mouth fixed into place, it was being forced off slowly; it was being driven to a lower, more base place. The pride of a dragon roared up from its gut, dark impulses sat within its mind, and so it lashed its tail at the ground in order to drag it down again.
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The electric waves that traveled across the ground, which made what scant fur it had stand up; it was the deciding difference between the two; and then came the outrage; the strong force it kicked him back, and with another roar he was being pushed against; his back legs skidded across the dirt; his wings furled as if the resistance would slow the crashing, and yet the vicious attacks began from that point on.
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That was why he retaliated with a Dragon Claw, to meet the incoming outrage; it was as if he were trying to contain an entire dam with a singular cup, a pointless endeavor, but slightly better than doing nothing.
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”Oi boy, Dance.”
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Yet his trainer’s commands were ever as strange, but the moment in which he struggled to understand it, a barrelling ball came in from the side; dislodging the Iron Jugulis from him. The roll out had come to his aid, and so he roared, because any Dragon’s Dance needed to begin with that declaration.

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The room stilled in a moment; it was strange, Kouji had seen it in effect before but this wasn’t the person he associated with that. Zev, so this was a Rocket Beast? He couldn’t tell, was it the pokemon he used, Kouji had never seen it before, but he understood. Genesect. There was no extra drop of blood spilled, no extra words, no extra fists swung.
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It felt over.
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So he took his knife back with a rough tug, he had no intention of losing the stone embedded at its base; he heard the question, and was quick to reply. ”Why else? You guys are getting a nice heavy profit from crime, and we ain’t involved.” His voice was more even than before, stiller; calmer.
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But it only hid the smoldering emotions below the surface; anger danced in his eyes, he should have been the one to do it. ”How about you pay up?” He should have shut his mouth after that enough, but the glower in his town was there.
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”Why would we do that? Rocket ain’t helped us build it, and you guys want a cut in the money without doing a thing?”

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Kouji stared at the pink glow that coalesced around that fist, so this was how he was going to die huh? ”Won’t know till I tr-” He felt a force at the back of his collar pull him, before he found himself soaring through the air and then touching back on the ground; the stone at his feet was his megastone, embedded wtihin his knife from before.
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”A-Absol?” He seemed surprised, but the pokemon snarled as it charged forward; past the Drowzee; his horn glowed the deepest of black before he dived like a Peregrin falcon, rotating as he aimed for the weakest point of his opponent, his neck. Uncaring of the injured trainer of his he swung around within his maw.

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Kouji couldn’t help but release a chuckle at that; it was true. He was indeed real, he had been hit, had hit, and here they stood; battling against an impossible future with impossible odds. But that was perfectly fine, he had seen impossible things throughout that day.
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This was just another moment.
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Taking four poison barbs Kouji threw them forward; and Meowscarada seemed to know just what to do with it as she caught in her quickly forming Bouquet, a true flower trick, concealing horrible things; through the rush of water; she threw it up and forward as a Hydro Pump hit her.
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Then it exploded into a purple mist within a moment, sharp petals cut across the air, and barbed thorns coated in poison.
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Then order broke as she managed to crawl her way out of the ribbon of water.
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It wasn’t over just yet.

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Kouji hadn’t expected to be paired with this person once more, but at the same time. It was to be expected; they had succeeded the last time regardless of any troubles. ”Oi oi, it’s you again huh brat.” He said with a smirk as he looked forward; his eyes fixed to the inside of the sub.
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”Have you heard of the ghost stories? Hope you ain’t scared of ghosts cos we’re going for a very late night meal.”
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They didn’t need pokemon, they didn’t need to fight, but at the same time; he disliked it because of those factors.

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Kouji loved moments such as this; the walk, the feeling of his heart beating in his chest; the adrenaline rushing through him. The heat rushed to his head; pokeball, or knife? Knife, it was a quick decision for him as he was asked the question.
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And he answered, lunging forward, his left foot slid in between the large guards, before he swept it outwards to unbalance him; his hand shot forward, and the knife buried itself in the man’s other leg. ”Rocket. How about you listen up, and let us through, okay?” He said as he dug it in deeper, it was followed by a scream of pain, the shuffling of chairs, and the fast approach of footsteps.
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”Oi oi, you’re really gonna end up bleeding out here.”
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”F-Fuck you.” The man shouted in time with the click of a button and a flash of red light as a Gurdurr entered the fray, the crowd cheered loudly just as a crack went through the air, yet Kouji only had eyes for that support beam as it swung through the air; he ducked as the man he had stabbed fell.
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”Shit. You’re up, Absol.” He took out his own pokemon in that moment but a Mach Punch flew through the air.
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And it did not come from Gurdurr.

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You would be forgiven for forgetting things such as type advantages in a dire moment such as this one; a punch was a simple matter. But you couldn’t help but feel at least some relief at seeing a large bug, but then you begun to wonder just how it hit so hard, and then the worry started to truly set in.
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Even if you could make it out, the confidence that usually filled you to your very marrow; the bravado that ran through your entire circulatory system, the spunk that shot between your synapses and ran through your nervous system; it all went cold.
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That was the moment in which the impact struck Absol; hitting it cold in the jaw; the pokemon’s head rocked to the side, a crack you could hear as his legs feel underneath him. You knew in that moment…
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This was a brawl.
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You weren’t sure what spurred you on first, that cold feeling had turned into an inferno the moment that sound hit your ears; your feet began to move, and then your fists did immediately afterwards as it landed against the soft fur; before you found yourself being flung away and crashing against the wall.
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It seemed to be done with you, you noted it turning towards the other; as if looking them up and down, deciding what to do with it. Your hands went to your pokemon who seemed dazed, but still awake, still alive.
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The fire smoldered.

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Kouji looked to Zev who took over without a moment of hesitation. He didn’t pout, because a young man of his age did not make such a childish expression, but he did push out his lips ever so slightly, his cheeks inflated, and then he blew out a sigh. ”Gottit boss.” He said as he looked over to the other crowd, it made sense so he couldn’t quite argue, he followed quietly, and looked at the exchange of coin.
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Once they were inside, the atmosphere changed greately. ”I thought that 20 was low, but guess they make a good buck on bets, huh?” He said as he looked around, large cages kept them out of reach from the stage itself, and the crowd was pushed up against it, everyone attempting to get their view. Boxes were piled up on for those in the back to stand upon.
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He knew this sight, he had seen it in his dream, alongside Michael Navidson, the opposition, and his eyes wandered up; to the highest position in that place. A number of people sat around a round table, perhaps they might have put up the front of equals, but the man with the large jacket, puffed up and feathery, seemed to be the head honcho.
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”I’m going up.” He put a hand in his pocket, his favored knife, and his favored pokeball sat alongside each other.
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”Gonna watch the brawls, or you following?”
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Just as he had stated such, two doors cracked open, a Machop and a large burly man came out from either side. Man vs Pokemon; the crowd had gone wild, loud; yet Kouji didn’t seem interested.
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”Idiot, you can’t just beat your way past anything.” He stated, annoyance on his face.
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It’s a shame hypocrisy was not a word in his vernacular

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