Episode 3: The Ruthless Rival

"Hut! Hah!" Ash cried as he cut the last two training dummies for his trial.

Master Karashi smiled and applauded, prompting Ash to take a bow. "Well done, Nincada--you've passed your unique weapon trial. The Radiant Phoenix Sword is--!"

"Wait!" a voice called.

"Klara?" Ash asked, surprised that Klara was framed in the doorway. He noticed that Klara was holding a purple and silver blade that evoked a Drapion's claw.

"Why are you and your friends the favorites of Master Karashi and Master Mitsu all of a sudden?" Klara asked. "If you're really one of the Heroes of Galar, I challenge you to a duel! Your Radiant Phoenix Sword against my Fierce Drapion Sword!"

"Klara...this is not the place for a duel." Master Karashi explained. "If you and Ash clearly want to duel, come to the main arena--you can duel all you like there."

"Fine..." Klara signed before departing in a huff.

"If Klara really wants to duel, then I will accept her challenge." Ash replied.

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"All right--here are the rules for your duel..." Master Karashi began as Ash and Klara met in the main arena. "The first one to knock down or ring out their opponent in two minutes, wins. You have ten offensive moves with which to do this. Defensive moves, such as blocks or parries, will not count."

"Two minutes--got it!" Klara smiled as she drew her blade.

"Ready...and begin!" Master Karashi called, causing a clock set for two minutes to begin ticking away.

Ash braced himself as Klara charged at him. "Too Dark To See the Sun!"

Ash stumbled backwards from the fierce attack, but noticed that his field of vision had dimmed a bit, as if a dark cloud had fell over his eyes. Did Klara just...blind me?

He heaved a relieved sigh as a whistle stopped the fight. "Klara...you are not to use moves that stymie the opponent, injure them, or otherwise give you an unfair advantage." Master Karashi began. "If you cannot fight fairly, I will declare Ash the winner of the duel."

Master Mitsu hurried to Ash's side. "Are you okay? That was a hard hit that Klara attempted to use..."

Ash blinked a few times as the darkness faded, allowing him to see Master Mitsu and the dojo's main arena clearly again. "I think so...what was that that Klara did?"

"That was a move from the Fierce Drapion Sword--'Too Dark To See the Sun'." Master Mitsu explained. "Even when blocked, it will dim the opponent's vision for a few seconds, leaving them vulnerable to attack."

That explains why everything looked so dark for a minute... Ash mused as he got up and sheathed his sword.

Misty arrived by Ash's side a few minutes later. "Huh...Klara challenged you too..."

"Wait, Klara challenged you?" Ash gasped. "But you have twinblades--you'd have the advantage against a one handed sword!"

"She also has a pair of twinblades..." Misty explained. "Shiny black blades, too...she called them Invincible Void Blades. I managed to beat her, then she ran off to challenge you,"

"So if she has a one handed sword and twinblades, then she may have a bow on her person too, so she can challenge Brock!" Ash concluded.

"Then we need to head for the target range, just so she can't cheat in a shooting match, too." Master Mitsu led Ash and Misty to the target range...

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Misty winced as the group arrived at the target range, where Klara was showing off a sleek blue bow that evoked tears. "Just as you said, Ash...she has a bow too."

"I don't know how she acquired all these weapons, but she needs to learn that in order to be the hero she so desperately longs to be, she has to fight fairly." Master Mitsu explained as she joined Brock and Klara. "Is everything okay up here?"

"Klara's wanting to have a shooting match..." Brock explained. "Her Beauteous Tear Bow against my Venerable Jade Bow."

"Very well..." Master Mitsu replied. "Each of you will take turns making three shots. The highest combined score, wins. A perfect score is 30."

"Okay...I can do that." Klara mused.

"You are not allowed to use guides, sights, or anything else that would help you." Master Mitsu cautioned. "If you are caught using a guide or a sight, you will forfeit the match, and the opponent gets an automatic 30. Understand?"

"Understood." Brock replied with a bow.

"Yes, sensei." Klara replied with a pious smile, snickering a little. Once Master Mitsu was distracted with setting up the targets, she took a small laser sight from her pocket and attached it to her bow.

Ash, meanwhile, retrieved a coin from his pocket as Klara arrived. "Okay...Pikachu face is heads...Kanto League crest is tails." he explained before flipping the coin.

"Heads!" Brock called.

"Tails!" Klara smiled as the coin landed in the dirt.

Ash checked the coin. "It's heads...Brock will shoot first."

"Okay!" Brock smiled as he made his way to an open lane.

Master Mitsu watched as Brock carefully aimed his shot, then fired. "Nicely done! 8 points!" she smiled when she saw Brock's arrow in the inner red ring.

Misty balked when she saw the sight on Klara's bow. "Didn't Master Mitsu say no guides or sights?"

"Yeah, but since it's bright right now, I don't think Master Mitsu can see the laser." Brock replied as he saw Master Mitsu applaud Klara's bullseye.

He noticed some clouds dimming the sunlight as he approached the line to take his second shot. Maybe the clouds will make the laser easier to see... he thought as he readied his second shot.

Master Mitsu saw Brock's second shot fly into the inner red ring again. "Well done--8 points!"

Ash saw the red dot from Klara's sight on the bullseye. "Sensei! Klara's using a sight!" he called.

Klara grimaced as Master Mitsu arrived to scold her. Drat! I was so close to successfully cheating my way to a perfect 30, but then Pika-Boy has to ruin it all! Somehow, Pika-Boy, I will confound you with my strategies, if it's the last thing I do!

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Later that afternoon, Master Mitsu led the group to a hill outside the dojo that overlooked a large canyon and a waterfall. "I am so sorry you three have had to put up with Klara--but maybe now we can have Brock complete his unique weapon trial without her interference. Master Karashi has talked with her, and confined her to her room until dinner."

"Fingers crossed he was able to get through to her that cheaters never prosper." Brock agreed before preparing his first shot.

After a few tense moments, he fired towards the waterfall. "I heard it hit something..." Misty smiled as she heard a tink off in the distance.

Ash led the way down the path, where he saw Brock's arrow embedded in a garnet that a Pikachu statue was holding. "Wow! Brock got it!"

Master Mitsu smiled as Brock carefully edged his arrow out of the jewel. "Very good--Tauros is also here in the canyon, but to find him, we must enter the forest..."

To Be Continued...