Pokemon: Echoes of the dusk

The air held still for half a heartbeat.

Then

BOOM.

The arena erupted into a flurry of motion.

A flash of light to Shion's right an Electabuzz surged forward with a roar, fists crackling with electricity as it barreled toward a nearby Frogadier.

To his left, a Salamence took to the air in one massive wingbeat, its shadow spreading across the arena as it loosed a booming Dragon Pulse into a clustered group.

The stone floor shuddered under the sheer weight of attacks.

"Accelerock!" Shion shouted.

Kiba's form blurred, his body glowing faintly as he zipped through a flying shard of Air Slash and darted to Shion's right. He landed a clean hit on a Gallade mid-lunge, knocking it off balance before dashing back behind a jagged rock formation.

Already, the arena was transforming. Chunks of earth had been blasted loose. Pillars rose from tremors. Dust filled the air.

And this wasn't a turn-based battle. There were no pauses, no countdowns. It was pure chaos.

Shion ducked low as a massive vine whipped over his head a Tangrowth had flailed blindly after being struck by a rampaging Bouffalant, its horns glowing with Wild Charge.

He hit the dirt, rolled, and scrambled behind a slab of broken arena stone, heart pounding.

Kiba where's

A bark answered before he finished thinking it.

Kiba leapt from the far side, claws glowing with Bite, pinning a Luxray to the ground before vaulting off it to dodge a retaliating Psybeam from a hovering Beheeyem.

Above, a Noivern shrieked, swooping in with a Boomburst that rippled through the arena like a sonic hammer. Shion clapped his hands over his ears, gritting his teeth. The field trembled. One of the weaker trainers stumbled backward their Togetic slammed by the shockwave and knocked clean out of the sky.

A red flare went up.

That one's out.

The referees signaled quickly. A Kadabra teleported the unconscious Pokémon away in a blink of light.

Shion steadied himself, eyes scanning.

Ten seconds in. At least five KOs already.

Kiba's holding steady, he thought. But we're not the strongest here. Not yet.

He watched as a Machoke wrestled a Mightyena to the ground, only to be blasted off its feet by a sudden Shadow Ball from a lurking Chandelure that hadn't moved until now.

Some trainers were waiting.

Not fighting.

Lurking.

That was dangerous.

Kiba can't afford a surprise hit like that, Shion thought, grinding his teeth. We need to keep moving.

"Kiba, bait and weave! Stay fast, hit quick!"

The orange Lycanroc barked and bolted, dashing between stone cover and circling a Roserade in the middle of charging Energy Ball. With a feint to the left, then a sudden Rock Slide from the right, Kiba toppled the Roserade, pelting it with boulders and cutting off its attack.

A second red flare went up.

Another elimination.

Then the Salamence came back down.

It slammed into the field like a meteor, causing a crater to ripple outward.

Stone chunks and earth burst into the air.

Shion was thrown backward, landing hard on his side. His shoulder screamed. Dirt filled his mouth.

"Kiba!" he choked, wiping his eyes.

His partner was already on the move, dashing through smoke.

He's okay. Stay calm.

Another roar.

The Salamence turned its massive head and set its sights on Kiba.

Its mouth began glowing with charged flame.

No time!

"Accelerock! Don't try to block hit the legs and run!"

Kiba dashed forward in a zigzag, light flashing under his paws. He zipped beneath the dragon, struck one of its hind legs hard, and veered away just as Flamethrower scorched the ground where he'd been.

Seven left, Shion thought wildly. We just need to survive

A burst of frost caught him off guard.

He dove to the side as a Cryogonal unleashed a beam of icy energy toward a nearby Arcanine the two attacks collided mid-air, sending icy shards everywhere.

One grazed Shion's cheek.

Cold. Sharp.

He gritted his teeth and scrambled behind a fractured platform.

"Bidoof, you still alive?"

From inside the satchel: "Ten more seconds and I'm eating your scarf."

Shion laughed breathlessly, then peeked over the top.

He saw a trainer in a red cloak recalling their unconscious Togekiss.

Three more red flares in the last few seconds.

Some trainers were clearly outclassed.

Others were monsters in disguise.

A Hitmonlee was darting from one side of the field to the other, disabling targets with brutal Low Kicks. A woman behind it was calmly calling orders with a slight smirk.

But others?

Shion's eyes caught something strange.

A Gengar just… standing still. Watching.

Not fighting.

Its trainer nowhere in sight. Hidden, probably. Waiting for the chaos to thin out.

So that's the play, Shion thought. Stay out of the way, conserve strength, let the field burn itself down.

He shook his head.

"No good. I've only got one Pokémon. We don't have the luxury."

He spotted Kiba crouched behind a slab of debris, flanks heaving, dirt scuffed into his fur.

Two opponents closed in.

A Sneasel, lightning-fast, and a Lurantis, blades gleaming.

They hadn't noticed Shion yet.

Kiba's trapped.

"Feint right! Rock Slide, full force!"

Kiba leapt into motion.

The Sneasel dove claws shimmering with Ice Punch but Kiba slipped left, forcing the Sneasel off-course just as a Rock Slide burst from below, sending the Lurantis flying.

Kiba didn't stop there. He twisted midair and drove his claws down on the Sneasel's back, pinning it before leaping off and dashing toward Shion again.

Two red flares rose.

The crowd exploded into cheers.

Shion let out a slow breath, heart still hammering.

Kiba just scored two.

That meant they were still in it.

But more trainers were converging now the field was thinning, and everyone knew what that meant:

Fewer targets.

Fewer distractions.

And if you were standing?

You were a threat.

"Brace yourself," Shion muttered. "They're coming."

There were only twenty-five Pokémon left on the field.

The difference was stark.

Gone were the greenhorns and the nervous. The battlefield was quiet now not from lack of action, but because those remaining had nothing to prove to each other.

Only to the crowd.

And to themselves.

Shion crouched low behind a half-collapsed stone pillar, heart pounding. Dust and scorched earth filled the air. His scarf clung to his neck, damp with sweat and heat.

Across the field, broken chunks of the arena rose like jagged teeth. Burned grass and cracked dirt formed jagged trenches. The Alakazam at the perimeter were still glowing faintly, keeping the barrier up but even they looked strained.

Kiba...

Shion's eyes locked onto the orange-furred Lycanroc weaving through cover, his chest heaving but his eyes laser-focused.

He hadn't stopped moving.

They couldn't afford to.

Every time he paused to catch his breath, another Pokémon fell. One misstep, one second too long, and you were gone. The red flares in the sky they weren't slowing.

And Kiba… was pushing beyond his limit.

A Granbull came charging toward him, slobber flying from its tusks, its arms wreathed in raw Play Rough energy.

"Kiba left flank, hit and fade!"

Kiba responded in a flash, dashing to the side, letting the charge scrape past him. He twisted, claws glowing black with a familiar move Bite and lunged.

His jaws closed on the Granbull's foreleg, but then

The energy shifted.

A pulse ran through Kiba's body, not wild focused. The fangs glowed deeper, sharper, and when they crunched down again, the Granbull screamed.

"Wait," Shion breathed. "That wasn't Bite…"

The Granbull staggered, unable to keep balance.

A referee nearby raised a hand. Another red flare launched.

Kiba backed away, panting.

A flicker of dark energy curled around his jaws.

Crunch.

He'd evolved the move mid-fight.

"Good boy," Shion muttered, wiping dirt from his face. "You're a monster."

Shion celebration was cut short

Another problem approached.

A Zangoose this time, fast and feral, claws glowing with X-Scissor, its sleek white-and-red body streaking across the field.

It wasn't coming for Kiba it was coming for Shion.

Fast.

Knew this would happen eventually.

Shion dove to the side just in time, feeling the snap of claws rake the air behind him. He rolled, scrambled to his feet, and saw the Zangoose pivot

"Counter!"

Kiba was already there.

He stepped between them and took the Night Slash directly to the ribs. His body glowed red absorbing the blow, letting the force churn inside.

Then he launched it back with a roar, the burst of retaliated power slamming into the Zangoose's gut and sending it tumbling like a ragdoll across the dirt.

Another red flare.

The crowd erupted cheers echoing across the arena.

Kiba stood still, growling low, eyes scanning the battlefield for the next threat.

Shion stumbled over, still trying to catch his breath. "You okay?"

Kiba didn't answer just gave a huff and stared ahead.

Not out of disobedience.

But focus.

The battle goes on

Across the way, a Bisharp and Floatzel were fighting back-to-back, coordinated like professionals. Their trainers stayed out of sight, likely using subtle hand signs or short commands to keep the rhythm tight.

Shion noted that.

Those two are going to survive. Better not get in their way yet.

To the left, a Donphan was rolling in tight arcs, using Rapid Spin and Bulldoze to control a section of the field. It was forcing opponents into specific zones, boxing them in for a Flygon that circled above like a desert hawk.

Kiba can't fight airborne enemies well unless they get close. We'll avoid that zone entirely.

A flicker of light behind the smoke caught his eye a Hawlucha soared overhead, diving for a Toxicroak, only to be intercepted by a Noctowl that crashed into it from above with a psychic-charged Zen Headbutt.

Everyone's pulling out the best they've got now.

Then it happened.

A Rhyperior, massive and cracking the stone under its weight, began stomping toward Kiba's position. Its horn spun with building energy Drill Run.

Shion's eyes widened.

"Kiba, move!"

Kiba tried but the Rhyperior's charge was too fast, too direct. The impact would knock kiba out

But Kiba didn't dodge.

He ducked.

And then did something strange.

He twisted.

Shion blinked as he saw it Kiba's claws dug into the dirt. His body spun into a corkscrew. His legs kicked back, and a spiral of dust burst outward from the ground.

A blur of silver and orange.

Kiba wasn't just dodging.

He was mimicking the Rhyperior's attack.

He was learning it.

Kiba surged forward with spinning momentum, body angled low, claws like a drill.

He slammed directly into the Rhyperior's chest.

The beast staggered a deep grunt, confused and stunned and then dropped to one knee.

The crowd roared.

Even the referees paused.

"Kiba…" Shion whispered. "That was Drill Run. You learned Drill Run."

Kiba growled, shaking dirt off his fur.

Not cocky.

Just ready.

Another red flare rose. The Rhyperior was recalled.

Only sixteen Pokémon left.

Kiba just took down three.

The soundscape had changed again.

No more explosions.

Now it was controlled bursts of violence and silence in between.

The survivors were sizing each other up.

Pacing.

Picking their final moves.

"Kiba," Shion said, crouching beside him. "You're doing amazing."

Kiba gave a low bark, ears twitching. He could smell the others circling.

"Keep moving. Be unpredictable. Don't go for direct fights anymore not unless you can win it fast. We wait for openings. Watch the ones that group together. They'll clash eventually."

Kiba nodded just once then darted to the left, disappearing behind cover.

The field was turning into a chessboard.

But Shion wasn't going to be a pawn.

Not anymore.

---

A hush swept over the battlefield.

The last sixteen stood scattered across a scarred and smoking arena.

No more reckless charges. No explosions. No wild, panicked lunges.

Now, it was all eyes.

Watching.

Measuring.

Waiting.

From his cover behind a cracked stone arch, Shion could feel it the shift. The blood-deep instinct of every trainer and Pokémon on the field screaming the same thing:

Only ten may remain.

Six more to fall.

"Watch for teams forming," Shion murmured. "They'll pick off stragglers first. Kiba's taken down too many he's gonna be marked."

From the smoke across the field, a Golem rumbled forward, stepping heavily toward a grouping of three Pokémon: Floatzel, Hitmontop, and Golduck. The three flicked quick glances at one another.

They nodded.

There it is. An alliance.

Golem's feet cracked the stone as it stomped forward, charging with Heavy Slam. But Floatzel was ready, darting sideways and dousing the Golem with a spiraling Aqua Jet, just as Hitmontop rolled beneath with Rapid Spin and Golduck lashed it with a Confusion Beam to throw its aim.

Golem didn't stand a chance. The triple-hit knocked it on its back, and a moment later, it vanished in red light.

One red flare.

Fifteen left.

Elsewhere, Kiba crouched low, nose twitching. He moved quietly behind a broken column, claws tensed.

Something flickered.

Kiba smelled it before he saw it.

A Zoroark.

Illusion dropped the stone beside him shimmered and transformed into the lean, fanged fox, leaping at Kiba with claws outstretched.

"Counter!" Shion barked.

Kiba didn't dodge.

He leaned into it, letting Zoroark strike his ribs with a blazing Night Slash, then twisted and slammed a red-glowing retaliatory claw into Zoroark's side.

Zoroark hissed and was thrown back, but it landed on its feet. It wasn't down yet.

A shadow flickered near them.

The Gengar.

Still lurking. Watching.

Kiba's fur bristled.

One wrong move and we're dogpiled, Shion thought.

Then came a shriek.

Skarmory dove from above, metal wings gleaming, aiming to slice through both Kiba and Zoroark at once.

The Zoroark bailed, slipping away with Agility.

Kiba responded the only way he could.

"Rock Slide! Now!"

He pounded the ground, sending jagged stone shards upward several smashed into Skarmory mid-dive, knocking it off balance.

But not enough.

Skarmory screeched and barreled forward

Until a sudden Inferno engulfed it.

From the side, a spectral blaze shot across the field Chandelure hovered, its fire arms flaring, eyes glowing with gleeful menace.

Skarmory crashed to the dirt, twitching. Red light pulled it away.

Another flare.

Fourteen.

The alliances shifted.

Floatzel and Golduck exchanged a glance and turned on Hitmontop the moment it finished off a weakened Breloom.

The Hitmontop spun back, trying to guard itself, but a double-team Aqua Tail and Psybeam combo sent it flying into a rock wall.

Red light. Another flare.

Thirteen.

Breloom followed moments later from Chandelure's flames.

Twelve.

Kiba was on the move again.

He dashed around Steelix, who thrashed its iron tail at a swooping Pidgeot. The bird danced through the sky, fast as a dart, eyes gleaming with hyperfocus.

Steelix swung again, but this time the ground shook a massive tremor ripped through the center of the field.

Garchomp burst up from underground, its dual blades glowing with Dragon Claw, roaring as it slammed into Steelix's side.

The two giants clashed, tail to tusk, blow for blow. Sparks flew. The arena floor cracked under their feet.

We are NOT getting between that, Shion thought.

Kiba darted around the back, then froze.

Flygon hovered just above, wings humming, staring down at them both.

It tilted its head.

A moment of understanding passed.

Flygon turned and flew elsewhere.

An unspoken agreement: not yet.

"Ten seconds," Shion muttered, wiping dirt from his brow. "We just need to outlast two more."

Kiba's breaths were ragged now, but he still stood.

A blast of water screamed past them.

Floatzel and Golduck were charging.

"Of course," Shion muttered. "They teamed up… and now we're next."

The two water-types moved in perfect sync. Floatzel fired a Water Pulse, while Golduck followed with a splitting Ice Beam aimed at Kiba's path of retreat.

"Accelerock behind them!"

Kiba vanished in a blink, zigzagged past the water attacks, and appeared behind the Golduck with a crushing, stone-glowing strike.

Golduck was slammed into a broken slab and did not get back up.

Red light.

Eleven left.

Floatzel turned too late.

"Kiba CRUNCH!"

Black energy flared in Kiba's jaws.

He clamped down hard on Floatzel's side, then flipped and Drill Runed the stunned Pokémon into the earth.

The crowd went insane.

Red flare.

Ten.

The referee raised a whistle.

The Alakazam lit up in unison.

The psychic barrier rippled and expanded, pulsing with arcane light.

A booming voice rang across the field:

"End of Preliminary Round One! We have our ten!!**"

All Pokémon froze even those mid-attack.

The field glowed faintly as the Alakazam stabilized the zone.

Shion dropped to one knee, panting.

Kiba staggered to his side, panting harder, coated in dirt and bruises.

But still standing.

They made it.

He looked around the field.

Only ten Pokémon remained:

Kiba, growling with pride.

Gengar, watching everything.

Garchomp, bloodied but smirking.

Flygon, hovering above it all.

Zoroark, clutching its ribs, eyeing Kiba with reluctant respect.

Pidgeot, wings spread, body gleaming.

Drapion, tail twitching.

Chandelure, still floating with eerie fire.

Steelix, cracking its jaw, unmoving but undefeated.

Floatzel, surprisingly still conscious barely it seems another Pokemon was knocked out before it did

Ten.

Shion laughed breathlessly. "You did it, Kiba… We did it."

Bidoof popped his head out of the satchel. "If you died, I was taking your scarf."

Shion chuckled. "Thanks for the support."

From the royal box, a bell rang. Trumpets sounded.

The first match was over.

And Shion had survived.