Tension hung in the air and silence held sway over the stadium as Seth and Allie stared each other down. The expression written on the royal's face was something that couldn't be described in just one word. She was giddy, elated, and most certainly enthralled by the opportunity in front of her. After a near agonizing year of waiting for this moment, she was finally about to see her wildest dreams come to fruition. There was just one more matter to attend before sealing the deal.

"Seth," Allie began, "just about a month ago I asked you if you loved me. Hearing you admit to me that you did made me the happiest woman in all of Kalos. Honestly Pauper you have no idea how excited I felt leaving that center knowing that fact. After we danced at the end of our time together, my heart felt something that I couldn't explain in mere words. The same feeling returned at the ball... and while I watched you dancing with Morgan and Serena I felt like I should have been out on that floor with you. I wanted to cut in and steal you away for myself because deep down, I'm a selfish woman."

Allie sighed and shook her head as she continued.

"After watching you in battle, and seeing how you cared for your Pokémon and even after our dance... one thing became crystal clear. You were the one I wanted to see succeed the most. You heard me right Pauper... I. wanted. you!" Allie added with a firmness in her voice, her eyes locking with Seth's as she stepped closer to him. "So come... dance with me. Speak to me in this language we call battle!" She finished, reaching down and grabbing a ball from her waist and priming it.

There was only one way that Seth could respond. A smile curved onto his face as he reached down to his waist to replicate her action.

"Well then... engarde, princess!" Seth declared extending his ball as though he would his sword toward Allie in challenge.

Allie grinned from ear to ear, and her eyes shone with delight as he'd accepted her challenge. Nothing in that moment would have pleased her more, save for snatching him by that tie and drawing him into a kiss that would light up his world brighter than the fireworks show her palace put on every year. The mere thought of it made her burn with the desire to do so, but she would restrain herself for now regardless of what her body and mind were aching to do.  Instead, she settled for blowing him a kiss before waltzing back to her side of the arena.

"Go get her, Seth!" came Serena's voice from the stands, prompting him to look up and see his friends waving at him.

"You got this bro! Show her what you're made of!" Jamie called out.

"You can do it big brother!" Melody encouraged him.

Seth's eyes caught sight of Melody's arm looped around Jamie's, a clear indication that he'd let her know how he felt.

"Well it's about time," Seth muttered to himself, chuckling as he walked over to his trainer's box.

After both of them were in position, the announcer cleared his throat to speak.

"For this special event, please welcome her royal majesty, Queen Adelaide, to be the judge of this match!"

All eyes looked down upon the field as Adelaide herself made her way to the center of the now forest-like battlefield. She had borrowed a purple referee's jersey and had her hair tied up in a ponytail. Adjusting her mic, the queen began to speak.

"This match will be between Allie and Seth Da Silva! Both sides will use six Pokémon. The battlefield will be changed once three Pokémon from either side have been defeated. The match will be over once all Pokémon on either side are unable to continue or if the opponent gives up!" Adelaide shouted.

"Before we begin, there is one more rule that I need to address. There will be no, I repeat, no substitutions allowed for this final test!" Adelaide declared. If both sides are okay with that then please send out your first Pokémon at the same time!"

Without hesitation, both Seth and Allie thrust their first Pokémon into action.

"Florges, aux armes!"

"Vespisol, engarde!"

"Both sides ready?" Adelaide asked, her hand going up after hearing an affirmative from her daughter and Seth. "Let the match begin!"

"Vespisol, Mega Punch!" Seth cried out.

At Seth's command, Vespisol gathered the wind into his fists and shot toward Florges at top speeds, converging upon her in a matter of seconds. As he closed in and wound up to strike, Florges's body began to glow a bright pink. With a wink, she bombarded Vespisol with dozens of pink hearts, infatuating him instantly. Vespisol fluttered in place in front of Florges, his face flushed and his heart thumping out of control. Vines slowly coiled around his frame and squeezed him tightly in their restricting grip.

With a sinister smirk, Florges raised Vespisol toward the sky and then slammed him into the ground a few times before swinging his body toward a tree and smashing his frame into it, pinning him there.

"Calm Mind and then use Petal Blizzard!" Allie commanded.

"Vespisol, try to get out of it, use Bug Buzz!" Seth shouted.

Vespisol heard the command, but he wasn't able to respond and even if he could, his mind was numbed by the spell he'd been placed under and his body was completely restrained. Hundreds upon hundreds of glowing white heart-shaped petals came crashing into him, slicing across his frame as they slashed across the trunk of the tree in passing. Satisfied with the damage she'd done, Florges kept Vespisol pinned to the tree and raised her arms above her head and formed a massive sphere of pink energy.

"Moonblast!" Allie ordered.

Florges hurled the collosal sphere toward the now squirming Vespisol. The blast exploded upon impact, causing the top half of the tree to break and crash to the ground. When the dust settled, Vespisol was now in a sitting position with his head tilted to the side, his face still flushed and clearly unable to continue. Adelaide raised her hand.

"Vespisol is unable to battle! Florges wins the round!" Adelaide declared.

Sweat trickled down Seth's face as he returned Vespisol to his ball. He had known that she would be a very capable trainer ever since the first day of their three day journey. It was because of her that Combee was given any confidence at all. Seth had trained him to become strong but Allie was the mastermind behind the tactic that allowed him victory over Korrina and because of that, he evolved, a feat that was as likely as winning the lottery or being struck by lightning twice in the same spot.

While Vespisol was strong, he was still inexperienced and this round proved just how far he had to go. Allie, from the looks of things, knew a great deal more about battling than he could begin to wrap his head around. This one round gave him insight as to just how much of an uphill battle this was going to be, but that didn't mean he was going to throw in the towel just because she was ahead. Allie was testing him, which meant that he needed to put his all into this no matter what.

Attract was something I wasn't counting on which means that I need to approach this from a different angle, Seth thought, reaching for his next Pokémon, shouting, "Pyroar, stand by!"

A penetrating roar heralded the arrival of the Royal Pokémon. The lioness crouched low, her tail swaying to and fro as she locked eyes with her opponent. Allie smirked upon seeing the feline beast make her entrance.

Smart, very smart Seth. As far as things go, you do have the advantage here. But if you think that's enough to win this round I've got news for you. It won't be enough...

"Flamethrower!" Seth shouted.

"Light Screen!" Allie countered swiftly.

Pyroar's jaws opened and fired, releasing a stream of intense fire toward Florges who remained perfectly still as it approached. A barrier of light suddenly sprang up between her and the fire, crippling the attack significantly. The flames gently licked at Florges, the pain barely registering as though it were nothing at all. Looking up, she saw Pyroar lunging at her, her body ablaze with blue fire as she lashed out. Opening her mouth, Florges belted out a piercing shout that released pink, heart-shaped soundwaves that scratched at Pyroar's ears while sending her sailing backward.

Pyroar hit the ground on all fours and dug in with all of her claws as the sound bombarded her ears. Opening her maw, she loosed a threatening roar that pitted her own soundwaves against her opponent's, the attacks cancelling each other out upon contact. Pyroar's ears perked up, alerting her to the incoming danger that was a Moonblast headed her way. Leaping aside she began to run, avoiding several more that were sent her way.

"Fire Blast!" Seth roared.

"Grab her with Vine Whip!" Allie called out calmly.

As fire gathered in Pyroar's maw, vines shot out faster than she could track, and wrapped around her jaws, snapping them shut before she could finish forming her attack. Smoke poured from her jaws from the cancelled attack and she was now forced into a struggle to free herself from the tight grip she found herself in.

"Keep her still with Psychic!" Allie commanded with a snap of her fingers.

Suddenly, Pyroar's body was surrounded by a pink aura and within seconds, she was frozen in place, unable to move or struggle. Florges then raised her arms and lifted the still frozen Pyroar into the air. Several shining orange orbs materialized around her, growing to the size of softballs.

"Hidden Power!" Allie ordered.

With a wave of her arms, every sphere of light honed in on Pyroar and converged upon her all at once. Smoke filled the air as the orbs exploded. After a few moments passed, Florges lowered a passed out Pyroar to the ground.

"Pyroar is unable to battle! Florges wins the round!" Adelaide shouted, her declaration causing the crowd to erupt into cheers.

Mathilde smiled slowly as she watched the match between her pupil and Allie. Hearing footsteps beside her, she chuckled, already knowing who it was before she even said a word.

"Why do I suspect he has no idea who he's facing?" Diantha asked, arching a brow at the amused look on her friend's face.

"That's because he doesn't. What fun would it be if he did?" Mathilde laughed. "It's better he find out for himself isn't it?"

Diantha rolled her eyes and shook her head at Mathilde.

"It's been a long time since I've seen her in action. To think that it was only a year ago that she challenged me at the Battle Chateau. Of course you know... she came real close to beating me," Diantha said with a nervous laugh. "I knew she was gifted, but she really took me by surprise back then."

"I know, I was there when she came in, granted she was under the guise of a different persona back then... but I could tell it was her," Mathilde said smirking, remembering the redhead's getup from her battle against Diantha.

"It looks like she's done a lot of training since that day. Let's hope Seth lasts a bit longer so I can see a bit more of how much she's grown," Diantha said with a faint smile.

"Oh he'll last alright. Just wait and see," Mathilde said confidently, her eyes trained on Seth as Cerise materialized beside him and sprang into action.

Cerise shot forward, her blade shimmering with light as she swung her bladed body in a downward arc upon Florges's head. Reacting quickly, Florges reached up and slammed both of her palms onto either side of Cerise and held her in place. She winced as she felt the sting of steel against the sides of her hands yet she held firm, orbs of orange light forming around her as she prepared to strike back.

"Hidden Power!" Allie called out sharply.

One by one, the orbs collided with Cerise, sending her sprawling through the air. As she regained control of her body, she quickly sheathed herself into the back of her shield right as an orb of pink light crashed into the barrier she'd erected to defend with. She quickly dove toward the ground to avoid the vines that lashed out at her, her body sinking into the grass as she snaked toward Florges.

"Florges, Camoflauge and use Flower Shield!" Allie countered.

Florges's body took on a bright emerald glow, changing her type to a Grass-type in an instant. An array of pink flowers swirled about her frame for a moment or two before dispersing after bolstering Florges's defenses. As Cerise came up from the ground, Florges crossed her arms to cushion the succession of attacks that came her way. With a powerful shriek, Florges blew Cerise backward several yards and launched another Hidden Power assault her way.

"She's changed her typing! Cerise, Autotomize and then use Aerial Ace!"

Unsheathing herself, Cerise flew toward Florges, avoiding the onslaught of energy spheres that exploded along the ground as she closed in. Sparks flew from her body as she lightened herself, enabling her to make swifter movements to avoid the volley of pink orbs that were flying her way. Swerving to the side of another Moonblast, Cerise raised her blade and gathered wind energy around herself before coming down upon Florges at much faster speeds than she'd seen previously.

Florgest began attempting to parry each strike, only managing a few before she was overwhelmed by yet another increase in Cerise's speed. Unable to keep up, Florges was overcome by a rapid succession of strikes and with a final stroke from Cerise, she toppled over at last.

"Florges is unable to battle! Aegislash wins the round!" Adelaide exclaimed.

Allie grinned as she returned Florges. Placing her back onto her belt, she reached down and snapped her second ball from its place and expanded it.

"Well done Pauper, that was rather impressive. If I'm being honest I was a little worried that Florges might hog all the fun, but you managed to bring her down as I'd hoped you would," Allie said as she drew her arm back. "Swanna, time to fly!"

The moment Swanna took to the air, everyone in the stands began to marvel. Her black-feathered body and crimson beak caught the eye of thousands of fans as she circled above the stadium and flapped down onto the battlefield after taking a lap. Seth drank in the appearance of Allie's Swanna, admiring its beauty for but a moment before taking into consideration the threat she posed. Since Florges was extremely difficult to overcome, there had to be a good reason why Allie sent Swanna after Cerise knowing full well that she had the perfect counter to her.

"It's been a while since we've battled girl. What do you say we stretch those wings of yours and show everyone what you can do!? Scald!" Allie commanded.

"Strike back with Flash Cannon!" Seth retaliated.

Swanna opened her beak and unleashed a thick stream of superheated water toward Cerise who retaliated with a powereful blast of her own. As the beams connected, it became clear as to why Allie had chosen Swanna. The water plowed through the light with little resistance and crashed into Cerise before she had any time to defend, the hot water scorching her blade and sending her slipping and sliding along the ground. Looking up, Swanna was on her in a flash, water gathering in her beak as she reared her head back.

"Water Pulse!" Allie ordered.

"King's Shield!" Seth countered.

Cerise quickly pulled her shield onto herself and guarded against the forceful burst of water that shot from Swanna's beak. Ascending quickly, Cerise began dodging around several bursts of water as Swanna gave chase. Angling her body, Cerise began to swiftly descend, her blade glowing blue.

"Head Smash!"

Cerise carved through the air toward Swanna who, by the looks of things, intended to meet her head on... only to alter her course just moments before impact, allowing Cerise's blade to miss her by a slight margin. With a mighty flap of her wings, a strong gust of wind plowed into Cerise and smashed her into the ground below. Barely conscious, the last thing Cerise saw was a thick stream of hot water crashing down from the sky ontop of her.

"Aegislash is unable to battle! Swanna wins the round!" Adelaide's voice rang out. "And since three Pokémon from Seth's side have been defeated, the field will now change!"

Seth returned Cerise as the field began to transform into a flat field with several massive boulders scattered througout. Looking up at Swanna, Seth began to devise a way to deal with such a crafty opponent.

I knew she was no slouch, but she's more fierce than Felicity in a fight. I guess there's only one thing I can do here and that's throw her off a bit, Seth thought as he reached for another sphere on his belt. "Gogoat, you're up! It's time to say hi to an old friend!" Seth called out as he thrust the horned beast into battle.

Gogoat stamped his right hoof on the ground and snorted air from his nostrils upon seeing Allie and her Swanna. Allie blinked upon seeing Seth's peculiar choice. If she were being honest, she had expected him to use something that made more sense. But now that she thought about it, Seth at times, had very unorthodox methods of battling. Whatever he had planned, she was sure she would be surprised.

"It's been a while you old troublemaker. I can see Seth has been treating you very well judging by how you've been performing," Allie praised him. "Why don't we see just how much stronger you've become now that you've been with a proper trainer! Swanna, use Air Slash!"

"Double Team!"

Swanna began rapidly flapping her wings, sending out several crescent blades of air toward her target. Heading the call of his trainer, Gogoat duplicated himself at a swift pace, causing the wind assault to carve several divots into the ground while dispersing a few copies in the process, leaving Gogoat unharmed. Vines suddenly lashed out at Swanna and latched onto her wings, dragging her down from the sky with a mighty tug.

"Ice Beam!" Allie called out.

"Wild Charge through it!" Seth retaliated.

Swanna's beak opened wide to prepare her attack only for the vines to yank her forward, throwing off her focus as she flew toward Gogoat. Sparks crackled around Gogoat's body as he charged forward with his head lowered. The impact he made on Swanna's body sent several volts of electricity through her body on contact. Retracting his vines, he let Swanna down onto the ground and walked away from the fallen avian and turned to give Allie a challenging stare.

"Swanna is unable to battle! Gogoat wins the round!" Adelaide called out.

Allie smirked upon returning Swanna, keeping eye contact with Gogoat as she reached down to select her third sphere. Enlargening it, she hefted it up and down a little while she started to talk.

"It's been a while since I've felt this kind of rush. I have to say that I'm rather pleased by your efforts this far Pauper," Allie stated as she continued to toss the ball up and down. "And as for you old friend," she paused, looking directly at Gogoat, "you've grown quite strong, and because of that strength I'd like to see just how well you handle what I'm about to throw at you. I'll warn you now... you will have a harder time with this than any of my previous Pokémon," Allie informed as she tossed the ball high.

In a flash of light, a pink, bipedal Pokémon emerged from within her ball. She had black stripes on her conical ears and a blue orb on her forehead and tail. About her neck was a collar with a stone that matched the normal coloration for an Ampharos. Gogoat stared up at the Electric-type and snorted in challenge and stomped his hooves as he prepared to charge.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road then. Ampharos, use Cotton Guard!"

"Earthquake now!"

Gogoat lifted his front hooves and slammed them on the ground, causing it to shake violently. Cracks snaked their way toward Ampharos who stood firm and braced herself for the eventual impact. The ground beneath her exploded, kicking up dust and debris and shattering a few boulders in the process. As things cleared up, Ampharos was nowhere to be seen. Gogoat backed up while looking around, his ears catching the sound of something moving extremely fast around him. Before he knew what hit him, he was sent flying, his side smoking from the fiery impact of the blow he'd been dealt.

As he hit the ground, Gogoat pulled himself up only to be caught in a sticky, electrical web that shocked him each time he tried to move. Looking up, he saw the orb on Ampharos's head glowing a bright.

"Signal Beam!" Allie ordered.

Struggle as he may, Gogoat couldn't break the restraints. Ampharos finished charging her attack and fired. A laserbeam of green light plowed right into Gogoat's side, putting him out of commission in an instant. The horned beast crashed to the ground on his side, steam rising from his body as he lay unconscious. Adelaide's hand shot up once more.

"Gogoat is unable to battle! Ampharos wins the round!"

Seth looked at the board as he recalled Gogoat to his sphere. A fourth circle dimmed on his side, leaving two that were still lit up. Allie looked as though she had barely broken a sweat since she had four of her teammates still at her disposal. Ampharos had made short work of Gogoat and from what he'd just seen, the Earthquake didn't even phase her one bit! On top of her Agility boosts, Ampharos was incredibly sturdy which meant he would need something equally as defensive in order to last against her.

His hand reached down to his waist and grabbed hold of his fifth ball. Taking a deep breath, he launched it into the air with a shout.

"Tyrantrum, stand by!"

The mighty rock dragon loosed a terrifying roar to the heavens as his massive legs came crashing to the rocky ground upon his release. An intimidating snarl slipped from his throat as he glowered at his adversary. Allie's eyes fixated upon Tyrantrum in an effort to assess the level of threat he posed. The dragon, as far as she remembered, had been with Seth longer than most of the Pokémon he owned which meant that his strength would reflect that length of time. Taking him lightly would not be wise, but she also couldn't afford to create more problems for herself by Mega Evolving her Ampharos just yet.

"Now there's a challenge I'd been hoping to see," Allie murmured as she devised her strategy. "Let's see just how fierce you are! Ampharos, Dragon Pulse!"

"Knock it away with Dragon Tail!" Seth countered.

Ampharos opened her mouth as the orb on her head and tail began to glow. A beam of intense violet light came spewing from her mouth, forming into the shape of a dragon and roaring toward her opposition. Tyrantrum growled low and swung his body and tail with full force, using all of his weight to deflect the attack in another direction. Seeing this, Allie grinned with delight. As she had hoped, Tyrantrum would deliver Ampharos a bit more of a challenge.

"Tyrantrum, Stone Edge!"

Tyrantrum raised a heavy foot and drove it into the ground, causing glowing, jagged stones to start jutting out of the ground in a path toward Ampharos. Sparks flew from Ampharos's orb and as she raised her arms above her head, a sphere of lightning expanded between them. With a heave, she threw the sphere at the oncoming trail of stones, blasting them all apart. Tyrantrum took a giant step sideways and narrowly avoided the ball of electricity that blew up several boulders behind him. Keeping his eyes on Ampharos, he roared in challenge and lowered his head.

"Dragon Dance and then use Head Smash!" Seth commanded.

"Dragon Pulse, keep him at bay!" Allie called out.

Stomping his feet in a rhythmic fashion, Tyrantrum jetted off toward Ampharos, an azure aura erupting around his body as he rampaged forward. Ampharos launched another beam of draconic energy forward, the blast hitting Tyrantrum square in the face as he charged. The blast only seemed to slow him mildly. Gritting his teeth, Tyrantrum plowed through it and put his weight into the force of his strike and nailed Ampharos head-on, flinging her into the air and sending her crashing into a boulder, breaking it apart upon impact.

Ampharos pushed herself up and dusted herself off. Looking back at Allie, she could tell just by the look on her face that Allie was getting more pumped by the minute. Turning back to her opponent, she planted her feet and then was off like a shot, her tail gleaming like steel as she swung into Tyrantrum's heavy frame, causing the behemoth to stumble backward, nearly tipping over. Tyrantrum lowered his body and rammed his head into her, sending Ampharos sliding backward along the ground before coming to a stop while still on her feet.

"This is more like it! Looks like we're going to have to get a little more serious here," Allie declared as she reached up to her necklace and touched the stone.

In a blinding flash of light, Ampharos began to transform. Wool began to grow at the back of her head and her toes turned from white to black. Her once slim tail transfigured into a long and wooly one with several orbs adorning it. Her ears became horn-like as well. Her orbs began to glow and electricity snapped off from her body and flew along the ground, creating an electrical atmosphere on the battlefield. Sweat trickled down the side of Seth's face as he recognized the strategy that Allie had just put into place. Ampharos had just used Electric Terrain.

"You've done well to hold of Ampharos for this long. But I think it's time we wrapped this round up don't you think?" Allie said smirking and pointing at Tyrantrum whose body was now sparking with static electricity from the earlier exchange of blows.

"Zap Cannon!"

Seth's eyes widened in alarm as he saw Tyrantrum struggling to move, his body hindered by paralysis. His head whipped around to see Ampharos charging a sphere of electricity between her arms. The ball grew in size and with a mighty heave, she threw it at full force. Try as he might, Tyrantrum's body wouldn't allow him to move. All he could do was stand there as the ball bowled him over, exploding upon impact as he crashed into the ground. As the dust cleared, Tyrantrum was revealed to be out of commission within a giant crater.

"Tyrantrum is unable to battle! Ampharos wins the round!" Adelaide shouted while raising her hand to make the call.

Seth's heart began hammering in his chest as he looked at the scoreboard. The fifth circle darkened on his screen leaving only one remaining. His gaze shifted over to Allie who was now gently stroking Ampharos's wool, an elated expression on her face as Ampharos nuzzled into her. Something about that scene tugged at Seth's heart. Perhaps it was in the way she was smiling that caused his cheeks to tint a light pink hue. Maybe it was her laugh as Ampharos licked her face as she praised her. All Seth knew in that moment was that she was truly happy, something he wanted to make sure lasted for as long as possible.

"Bisharp, engarde!"

It was a cry that Allie had been waiting to hear since the match began. She'd been observing all of Seth's matches, and if there was one thing she looked forward to the most, it was Bisharp making an appearance. Ever since she'd witnessed his new form during his match against Felicty's Venusaur. Her eyes widened and her smile broadened as Seth immediately triggered Bisharp's transformation. With the transmutation complete, Bisharp shifted himself into a combative position, his spear arm pointed in Ampharos's direction in a challenging manner.

"He's gotten more serious Ampharos. Don't underestimate him, he's strong! Use Fire Punch!"

In a blurred motion, Ampharos closed the gap between her and Bisharp, fire cloaking the end of her arm as she swung toward him. Bisharp's body began glowing gold as he brought his shield up and knocked her arm away, leaving her wide open for the spear strike that Bisharp threw her way. The point of the spear jabbed into Ampharos's abdomen, knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying backward and crashing into the ground. Ampharos panted heavily as she got back onto her feet.

All the damage she'd taken from her battle against Tyrantrum was starting to take effect, and despite her reinforced defenses, receiving a return strike at twice the normal power was more than enough to rattle her. Gritting her teeth, Ampharos regained her footing and faced Bisharp, ready for another go at the steel bandit. After a moment or two, Bisharp bolted forward, his spear shrouded in a blue-violet light as he converged upon Ampharos.

"Coming to us huh? Fine by me! Ampharos, why don't we give him a nice greeting? Thunderbolt!" Allie shouted in a commanding voice.

Ampharos's orbs all began glowing as she focused on her charging target. A powerful bolt of lightning tore through the air in a straight path toward Bisharp. As the blast neared, Bisharp's body suddenly replicated itself just as the blast was about to strike, causing the lightning to tear up the ground behind him while smashing several boulders to pieces. Every copy lunged at Ampharos who swung her tail hard and dispersed several duplicates as they neared into a smoke. As the smoke began to fade, a spear empowered by draconic energy shot out of the smoke and powered into Ampharos, knocking her flat on her back, her mega form giving out as she hit the ground.

"Ampharos is unable to battle! Bisharp wins the round!"

Allie blinked as Ampharos went down. To say that she was impressed was not enough. She was more or less slightly slack-jawed while watching Ampharos come around and sit up. Regaining her composure, and shaking off the chills she'd gotten from watching that last exchange, she walked over to Ampharos and gave her a gentle hug.

"You did well Ampharos. He was a toughie wasn't he?" Allie said with a laugh, her eyes shifting toward Seth and Bisharp who were patiently waiting for her to send out her next Pokémon. "You get some rest okay? Thank you for doing your best," Allie said, smiling as she returned Ampharos to her ball.

Standing up, she placed the ball back onto her belt and reached over to grab a black and white sphere.

"Once again, you've managed to impress me. To think that I used to hate that," Allie chuckled into her hand. "So before we end this match, I just want to say one more thing. Regardless of the outcome of this battle, just know that you have made me very happy with this match. I hope you're ready, because this will be your last round Pauper," Allie said smirking.

And I can already hear the wedding bells ringing... Allie thought as she hurled the ball into the air.

"Machamp, aux armes!"

Bisharp locked eyes with Machamp as she materialized into view. She was unlike any other he'd ever seen before, bearing a muscular yet feminine-looking figure as oppposed to the hulking mass of muscle that normal Machamps were known for. Her skin was lavender and was clothed by a black one-piece suit. Readying his spear, Bisharp raised his shield and assumed a defensive stance. Seconds later, Seth's voice split the silence that had hung in the air.

"Psycho Cut!"

"Bulk Up!" Allie countered.

Bisharp raised his spear and then pointed it toward Machamp as psychic energy gathered into its tip. Blades of crescent shaped, pink energy, shot from his spear and stomach blades while several more were launched from the blade on his helm and shield. Machamp stood her ground and spread her feet apart, puffing out her chest as she braced herself for impact. Her muscles bulged, strengthening her abdomen as well as her arms as the sharp blades of energy broke apart against the toughness of her hardened body. Taking a deep breath, Machamp pulled back her arms and shot them forward, launching two massive bursts of aura toward Bisharp.

Throwing up his shield, Bisharp attempted to guard against the sudden bursts of energy launched his way. Both attacks made a solid connection, one hitting the shield and disrupting Bisharp's focus while the other took the wind out of him after crashing into his stomach, sending him flying into a boulder and smashing through it, the rocks from the impact piling ontop of him soon after. Bisharp pushed himself up and held his spear arm against his stomach while he attempted to push himself back up. Coming to a stand, Bisharp shifted back into a battle stance and locked eyes with Machamp.

So she knows Vacuum Wave huh? Lovely... that means I won't be able to keep my distance like I had hoped to do. Looks like I'll just have to do things another way then...

"Bisharp, use Iron Defense and then Aerial Ace!" Seth called out.

"Here he comes Machamp! As soon as he gets close, let him have it with Vital Throw!"

Powering up his defenses, Bisharp exploded from where he stood, wind gathered around his spear as he jabbed forward, aiming right at Machamp's stomach. When he was in reach, Machamp knelt down and clotheslined him, winding him as he was lifted off the ground and slammed back down, cracking it upon impact. Pinning him down, Machamp powered up one of her fists and swung downward. Before she could make contact, several blades of psychic energy crashed into her, causing her to stumble backward, enabling Bisharp to retreat away from her, albeit he was very unsteady after standing back up.

Gritting his teeth, Bisharp loosed a battle cry that echoed through the stadium. A golden light outlined his body and the ground shook beneath him. Pointing his spear at Machamp, he beckoned her forward, the desire to beat her burning strongly in his eyes. Seth could feel the excitement and determination coming from Bisharp as he prepared for one final assault, the aura of Revenge crackling around him as he awaited the acceptance of his challenge.

"Even after all that, he still wants to keep going. He's just like his trainer, never knowing when to give in. I suppose that's just one of the qualities I've come to love about that man," Allie said to herself, a smile crossing her visage as she met Seth's gaze. "Let's not insult him now, put everything you've got into this attack Machamp! Hold nothing back!"

Machamp nodded in understanding and bolted toward Bisharp, all four of her fists glowing bright orange as she approached. Bisharp charged forward and thrusted his spear forward at blinding speeds toward her abdomen. Machamp watched the spear closely and grabbed it, using the momentum Bisharp already had going to yank him high above her head in windmill fashion.

"Seismic Toss!"

Machamp swung Bisharp downward with all of her might and smashed Bisharp onto his back, breaking the ground beneath and forming several small fissures from the impact and kicking up a dust cloud that clouded everyone's vision. The shadow of Machamp could be seen releasing Bisharp's spear and a light flickered in the smoke, signifiying that Bisharp's form had given out. When everything cleared up, Bisharp was revealed to be out of the fight. Adelaide's hand shot up swiftly to make the declaration.

"Bisharp is unable to battle! Machamp wins the round which means the victory goes to Princess Allie!" Adelaide exclaimed.

A thunderous applause accompanied by a frenzy of cheers echoed through the stadium as Allie's screen dominated the board, a victory sign flashing across the wide screen above the arena. Bisharp slowly came around and was greeted by the face of his trainer. Seth smiled down at Bisharp who was now attempting to stand. Looking up, he saw a lavender hand reaching out to him. On the other end of it was his opponent, smiling down at him and nodding for him to accept her help. Bisharp looked at her for a moment or two before reaching out and allowing her to take his bladed hand and pull him to his feet.

"That was probably the most fun I've had in a long time," came Allie's voice, prompting Seth to turn and face her. "You really got my heart pounding out there Pauper..." Allie said, a blush tinting her cheeks as she stepped closer to him and looked slightly downward into his eyes expectantly. 

"You're really something, you know that don't you?" Seth replied, his eyes locking with hers as she drew even closer.

"I know, it's just part of my charm you know?" Allie giggled, playfully flipping her hair before wrapping her arms around his neck. "So... isn't there something you ought to be asking me, or did you lose your mind for a moment after I kicked your ass?" Allie whispered into his ear with a sly grin.

"Very funny, and no, I didn't forget at all," Seth replied, reaching down into his pocket and grabbing the ring that was inside.

Taking her hand, he dropped down and looked up into her blushing, happy face. Words seemed to fail him at that moment as tears of joy began welling in her eyes long before he even said a word. He was never one for speeches and this was no different as he couldn't find the right words to say. Flashes of their time together, as well as when he'd nearly lost her for good, all came flooding in at once, further complicating things for him. It wasn't until he was took a deep breath and thought about those memories that he was able to speak.

"Allie... when I began this journey all I wanted to do was help my family. I'll be honest with you, at first I wasn't thrilled to be dragged into this competition. The thought of spending even a minute with you was something I couldn't stand. You were, as I said, spoiled and selfish, qualities nobody in their right mind would like and yet... here I am, wanting to be just as selfish for just once in my life. After getting to know who you really are, I am not ashamed to admit that I am, without a doubt, in love with you. So now I have an important question for you, Allie..." Seth paused, holding her gaze as he asked, "will you marry me?"

Allie didn't even need to think about it.

"Yes, yes and a million times, yes! Of course I'll marry you Pauper!" She declared, tears flowing freely from her eyes as she smiled down at him while extending her hand out so he could place the ring on it.

As he placed it on her finger and stood up, Allie wrapped her arms around Seth's neck with and squeeled happily as she embraced him tightly.

"Come here you!" Allie said, giving Seth a sudden jerk by the tie, pulling him into a deep and passionate kiss, uncaring of the thousands of eyes that were on them in that moment.

It had finally happened. The moment she'd dreamed of since she was little was finally coming true. Following the closing ceremonies, Seth and Allie withdrew for the evening, after speaking with friends and family, to dine with Allie's family and speak of the ceremony to be held in a month's time.