Chapter 6: Heading to Rockville

"Leo, I think we will have to extend the training a bit more; it will be a night training. You have almost mastered Iron Tail; we need that move as it could be beneficial either in combination attacks or to finish off the opponent..." the enthusiasm was evident in Arthur. As he pronounced these words. He was making strange movements in the air. Leo watched him, panting but also sharing his trainer's encouragement.

"It's all right, master, I can go on until we have succeeded", replied Leo, determined, adopting his posture on guard and dusting himself off.

"We must take advantage of the fact that Leni must still continue to try on everything I buy her at Victoria Secrets... But, oh my God, it still hurts, Leo." Arthur looked sick with nausea when he thought about that, as well as a slight ruddy colour populated the cheeks over his dark skin. But that didn't dampen his spirits. There were priorities, even if his mind kept going back there.

"Come on, Leo, use Iron Tail!"

The night grew thicker and thicker, and both the trainer and the Monsuta had reached their limit, at least for that night. Finally, they arrived at the small inn that Arthur had been able to rent with the money left over from Leni's big splurge. Everyone seemed to be asleep. The girls were alone in a single room, and as they passed the room, Arthur and Leo's ears seemed to slyly grow back just to make sure that nothing unusual was going on there.

All in order.

They both continued to their large room, where Leo's brothers, Longfang, Jacky, and Mani, slept soundly. Or at least that's what it looked like.

Leo yawned and, after walking to where he was going to sleep, slumped down without taking a good look at the position he would descend into. The Poison Dragon fell into a deep sleep. Arthur looked at him, and then he looked at all of them... his gaze denoted a great pride and also admiration. Thanks to his companions, it seemed that the dreams and hopes going around in his head would come true. Confidence towards them predominated in his soul.

Soon he will find his goals complete.

"Arty, I don't think I ever thanked you properly for making me so happy this afternoon..." Arthur felt a warm, soft sensation on his back; the voice his ears picked up was Leni's hugging him from behind. It took him a few seconds to realize what it was that generated that sensation.

"Leni, for God's sake..." Arthur stared

"You're tired, aren't you? You trained too late with Leo. Poor Arthy, always worrying about everyone, prioritizing our safety and our dreams..."

"Leni, I told you to let us know when you came to thank Arthy for his generosity. You came alone; how selfish!"

"You're hopeless... Well, we're all here now" it was about Calypso and Mora, both of whom were whispering in a high tone of voice, somewhat angry with their older harem sister. All three were dressed in a kind of two-piece pyjamas, shorts, and blouses short enough that Arthur had adopted a bright red colour. Leni's was blue, Calypso's was black, and Mora's was red, but not as red as Arthur's complexion at the moment.

"Girls, everyone is sleeping, please, let's take care of this tomorrow. I'm tired." Arthur's pleas were totally ignored, and the girls pounced on him, disregarding his words. Arthur was able to dodge that nice attack, but he didn't want to disturb his Monsutas' sleep in the slightest.

Arthur Pendragon's lungs must have been those of an accomplished athlete, for he managed to keep breathing even while submerged amidst the sea of mounds of his harem, even if he doesn't like to be called that. "You're a good boy, Arty; you deserve all the affection a young man like you can get," Calypso whispered in Arthur's ear, as the moon streaming in through the window reflected in her blue eyes. She pulled the young blond closer to her breasts. The breath of the three girls was visible in the partial darkness of the room. The moonlight was the only source of illumination.

"Kisses, kisses for you, Arty..." Mora showered Arthur with kisses as the boy seemed to lose his life amidst that deadly assault of affection.

"Oh, look, he's still got those tight, sweaty clothes on, you're not thinking of lying down like that, are you, Arthy?" said Leni, as she began to undress Arthur without the boy being able to object.

"Well, the truth is that I was thinking of taking it off before going to sleep, but you came in, Leni, and..."

"Easy, I'll take over," replied Leni between naughty giggles while Calypso and Mora supported her.

"Sometimes I think the master is in more danger with you than on the battlefield" Raph's relaxed, steady gaze slipped through the darkness and made Arthur jump, pushing the girls away without hurting them as they were finishing taking off his clothes.

"Oh, Raph, isn't that what..."

"Master, please conserve the rest of your embarrassment by avoiding finishing that sentence" Raph went back to sleep as if nothing had happened.

"Now yes, Arthy, rest, tomorrow another hard day of training awaits you", Leni spoke as she went to sleep.

"Sweet dreams, Arty," Mora said as she took the right

"Here, another little kiss... Good night, Arty," Calypso said.

The girls said goodnight to Arthur at last, but not before squeezing him against their breasts once again.

Finally, Arthur Pendragon managed to lie down and enjoy deep and well-deserved sleep.

Someday, one day the boy will finally to go sleep without the female form next to him... one day.

The following day everyone was awake by the time Arthur could get up. The girls had made breakfast, and Arthur headed to the table with a voracious appetite. "A brave warrior needs to feed very well, Arthy. You do the right thing." Calypso said, with a small apron she was wearing, which had little frogs stamped on it.

"Arthy, why aren't you answering your phone? It's been ringing since you got up," asked Leni, who was wearing another apron and scrambling some eggs in a tray. Leni's apron suffered a little at the top, but she was getting the job done.

"That's the aftermath of your little game yesterday afternoon, Leni...those demented women just keep calling," said Arthur, a little annoyed but still eating. Leni responded with a few chuckles and served more food to the noble trainer. When he finished, he asked everyone to gather outside the inn. The girls looked excited without knowing anything; Longfang and Raph walked outside with complete serenity, while the others were already out enjoying the beautiful day.

"Guys, I've gathered you all here because I wanted to share with you the order of the next moves... We'll be here until tomorrow, as I'm a bit short of money and, well... basically..." Arthur watched behind his companions as the innkeeper looked at him with a fake smile, mumbling, "Pay up or get the fuck out of here, you fucking pervert", and rubbed the back of his neck between small, interrupted guffaws. "...We must leave tomorrow, that's all. So, today you will have to train as much as yesterday. Leo and I will continue training Iron Tail which is almost ready." Leo nodded determined and willing; Arthur replied with a thumbs up and a wink. "Tomorrow, when it's time to leave, we'll start the trip straight to Rockville...it will be there that I'll challenge the local trainer and have my first official battle." Arthur had suddenly become very serious after the wink and had blurted out this news.

Everyone was silent, expectant, and the girls seemed to suppress a feeling of almost uncontainable elation. Suddenly, Arthur Pendragon drew a broad smile on his face, raising his thumb now towards the front, towards his companions, who responded in the way he already suspected. Shouts of joy, more choking from the harem and, what caught Arthur's attention mightily, Longfang seemed to bow to him, and Raph smiled, showing signs of appreciation, which he showed little. The blond teenager only gave the respect back...

"We're going to make it, Master... together," Leo said, also letting out a commanding roar. This was too much for Arthur's sentimental heart, who, after making his last effort, is not well... It's not manly! Calypso who was the first one he found when he opened his arms in search of close sentimental support.

This proves nothing!

"Oh, Arty, you are crying for joy. (No, I'm not!) This strengthens our bonds, makes them as strong as diamond." Calypso said, hugging Arthur tightly, who was mumbling something regarding how untrue that statement was. "This is definitely a record... I manage to destroy the momentum in record time." Raph said, walking back inside the inn with a calm pace, while Longfang, bowing her head, let out a long sigh, closing her eyes as she lay down on the grass.

The hours passed, and the atmosphere in the woods adjacent to the inn was one of hard work. Everyone was sparring, as Arthur had asked them to, for his part, Arthur and Leo...

"Leo, maybe I'm paranoid, but don't you think we've gotten even stronger in just two days of training?" asked the young blond to his panting Monsuta. "I feel it too, Master... maybe it has to do with the Kei. As we gain experience, I suppose our connection is gaining solidity. That should bring us more versatility in our combat skills, master." Leo's words filled his master with enthusiasm and hope. Both he, and Leo, had complete confidence in the channelling of Ki through bonding with the Monsutas over the use of skill cards.

Thus they continued to train hard. First, Mora and Leni brought food at a certain point in the training session. Then, after she showed how proud she was of Arthur by pressing her lips to his, Mora ran off hand in hand with Leni, who was having a hard time running because of how agitated she felt due to the bouncing of her breasts.

The day ended, and everyone went to bed. Arthur did so with extreme caution due to what had happened the night before. After quickly undressing and getting into bed, he let out a sigh of relief.

Only for that relief when the girls somehow manage to get in bed without him knowing.

Seconds later, Arthur Pendragon just fell asleep thinking about the journey he was to undertake the next day.

"Calypso..." said Arthur, pausing as he noticed the outfit she was wearing, "Do you know which direction we should take from here towards Rockville?" Calypso was wearing her pirate bounty hunter outfit with slight changes due to the hot weather. The corset had been trimmed so that her entire abdomen was bare, the skirt had been replaced with shorts that revealed much of her tanned upper legs. "According to this electronic map, we should continue east, into a wooded area, then a large lake, followed by a swamp and then a large mountain. Dangers abound everywhere, but we might also get nice people." Calypso finished saying with a big smile on his face.

"Cool..." said Raph, with a neutral expression that didn't let you know if he really thought it was cool or was just being sarcastic.

"Sounds interesting... we might find great challenges that will make us more skilled warriors," Longfang added, with heroic, imposing posture. As the girls jumped hand in hand and gleefully behind him.

"We'll be able to make many more friends, of course, we will!" said Micky, the water dragon, radiating happiness to everyone around him. Except for Raph and Longfang

This did say adventure all around, and every member of the team understood... In their own way.

"Alright, it's decided... We'll all head for the wooded areas to the east!" exclaimed Arthur, spreading a broad smile as he turned around and started walking... behind him, his support, his support, his family, his hopes... his friends.

They had already advanced quite far; they managed to reach the entrance of the wooded area after Mora had the idea of asking for help from a giant condor that was flying by. "Mr Condor, you can fly very high and fast; could you give us a ride?" It turned out to be a large wild Monsuta. The battle was extremely short, as the Monsuta was injured; he agreed to give them a ride in exchange for Arthur to heal him with healing Ki.

"Master, how do you think it will be to face a gym leader?" asked Micky, the water dragon flapping its wings slowly while walking, zigzagging. Arthur was silent for a few seconds... His expression was serious, everyone looked at him, and the zigzagging stopped.

"Hey, now that you mention it... I have no idea," Arthur replied, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand and his nose with his index finger while his smile evaded any trace of concern. Everyone else behind Arthur seemed to stumble at the same time, even Raph.

"Arty, you should be thinking about that; you'll soon be in front of Roxane, the gym leader in Rockville," Mora said, walking as if she was performing a dance in a ballet hall.

"She's right, Sir... you shouldn't take it lightly, in front of a contest you should be warn your opponent's abilities so you can frighten him much more easily," said Jacky, who mysteriously hadn't been noticed, counting on the size of a young elephant.

"Oh, it's Jacky..." said Leni, holding her hand to her open mouth in surprise with her Koro, Volt on her shoulder

"Yes, who else would use all those complicated words in one sentence making sense of it?" asked Leo, smiling amicably with his companion Monsuta. "

More than elegant, my dear Spider Dragon, I'd say elegant," Jacky added in a jovial tone. Arthur smiled even wider, closing his eyes and then opening them with determination.

"I think it's great that you think that way, Jacky...I know I can trust you." Arthur began to say. "And that's one of the main reasons I've decided not to worry more than I should about the showdown with the gym coach. That would cause fear to take ground over me... instead, I'd rather hold on to the confidence I have in them and in my abilities. With that in mind, guys, we can face anything, can't we?" Without knowing it, Arthur was a born leader... He guided his teammates through noble and selfless deeds, which showed them that they could trust this man.

Not that he will ever see that way.

Longfang, Raph, Jacky, Leo... particularly they looked at him with eyes full of pure loyalty. It was their most sincere way of thanking Arthur Pendragon for having Arthur Pendragon as their master.

On the other hand, the harem...

Leni was the first to pounce on the boy with emotional impetus. "Arthy, how do you manage to say the right things? You're wonderful," Leni was saying, hugging the young Pendragon from behind. Calypso and Mora devoted themselves to filling Arthur's face with little kisses, who walked with the same expression as if none of them was on him but conscious and grateful with the gesture... Practised tranquillity.

The Monsuta can't believe their master can even walk straight with how much they show their affection.

At that moment, a loud rumble shakes the earth... Heavy, solid footsteps are heard with 1-second intervals between each. "Jacky!" exclaims Arthur. "Protect the girls, please..." commands the young blond, waving his yellow topknot as he turns back towards the source of the sound. "Leo, have you noticed? It's about a large enemy."

"Yes, that's what it sounds like. I'm ready," Leo replied, putting himself on guard. Arthur knew he would need more help, alone with Leo; he would not be able to deal with this enemy, judging by the size alone.

"Maybe he's friendly, a lost soul..." said Micky, smiling and jumping slightly over his position.

"How is it that you can always keep your cool? It's amazing," Longfang asked, but the question seemed to get lost in the vastness of nothingness.

Destroying the last trees in its path, the beast made itself physically known. It was evidently some kind of bird, but it was about twenty feet tall, and its beak resembled a large coffin with a sharp beak forming at the tip. Arthur quickly pulls out the InDex as he takes his distance. He scans the beast, and its expression changes dramatically. "Well, guys... meet Pickett, a flying/fighting Monsuta," Arthur said, smiling forcedly as he couldn't stop the frantic, independent twitching of his left eyebrow.

The first pre-Rockville hurdle had been met.

Because why not.

"Oh, how interesting...I think I got my lunch on time, just before noon, just the way I like it. My digestion is slow, and I like to have an appetite at dinner." The wild Monsuta's loud yet slow tone of voice did not match his actions, taking into account that he lashed out mercilessly towards the team after saying these words.

"Guys, watch out..." shouted Arthur, narrowly dodging a kick from the Pickett. Then, almost using the same motion, the wild Monsuta deployed one of its wings violently, seeking to impact Raph, who had been badly mauled.

Arthur saw this moment as the right one; the Pickett had neglected his torso and was vulnerable. "Raph, now, use Mash Steel!" the Arthur Pendragon device glowed; Ki was beginning to channel from this point to Raph, who was in the air after dodging the attack. Raph began to spin in the direction of the target's side as his steel-coloured tail glowed. The attack was a success; Arthur put a lot of Ki into this attack. Both he and Arthur know that attacks must be accurate and forceful when dealing with a large enemy.

The Pickett was deeply resentful; he had begun to bleed and took his distance. "You snacks, you're going to pay for this..." The calmness in the Pickett's tone of voice was gone; he stood firmly and tilted his beak down, showing a truly intimidating and sinister look. "Calypso, here..." said Arthur, tossing the InDex to the pirate princess. "Take charge, tell me, what attacks does this beast have?"

Calypso obeyed immediately and began scanning the Pickett... "Arty, the InDex only shows me one ability... Last Enemy Breath." Arthur and the others adopted a totally serious but inquisitive expression. How was it possible that it only had one ability? And what did that ability consist of? Was he trying to use it now?

"Be careful, Arty... Apparently, the Pickett is a murderous, patient Monsuta. Even in battles like this. He is surely directing all his concentration to visualize your attack and, when you do, pinpoint the weak spot and strike in a deadly manner with his huge beak. You must be careful" Arthur listened carefully to Calypso's words and acted accordingly.

"Very well. Leo, Raph, Micky... stand the three of you in front of me and listen to me very carefully." Arthur said, determined, as the girls took their positions to give encouragement to the young blue-eyed blond. "This we must end it in one combined attack, understand?" Arthur looked his companions in the eyes. Micky was smiling, but his gaze was the only one directed directly at the Pickett's. Then, in unison, the three Monsutas replied, "We're ready."

"All right, everyone start running towards the target. Now, Micky, use Water Missile straight at his face." Arthur ordered; Micky was in the middle, his whole body began to envelop itself in intense blue energy, as did his eyes, opening his maw and instantly shooting an incredible jet of water that was widening at the tip, blocking the Pickett's vision. He was forced to move to the right, the direction where he had last seen Raph, but the land dragon was no longer there.

Arthur, from his position, energetic, gave his second-order "Leo, quick, Poison Claw on the open wound." The Spider Dragon, demonstrating increased speed due to training, took Raph's position, disorienting the Pickett. Still, the Pickett's concentration was impeccable, and he was ready to attack, head-on, as his beak allowed him to do so.

Taking a couple of steps forward, he was already very close to Leo. "Leo, be careful!" shouted Arthur, running towards the battle site. Leo looked at him out of the corner of his eye and nodded his head, engendering confidence in his master. The Pickett threw his neck back, taking distance, only to then shoot a peck with incredible speed towards Leo, who managed to dodge by a few centimetres a deadly impact that severely injured his right-wing. However, this move left the Pickett in a bad position, which had a hard time recovering its initial position, allowing Leo to attack his command. "Leo... NOW!" wounded and right-wing bleeding, Leo's claws rose with momentum, turning deep purple, and furiously penetrating the wound in the Pickett's side.

The poison had entered his system, and the pain was searing. The Pickett resented it but would soon be unconscious enough to suffer any longer. And no, it wouldn't be because of the poison or another water-type attack. There was still the Earth Dragon to shine.

"All right, Raph, you know what to do..." Arthur said, smiling and walking over to Calypso, who was standing with her mouth open, as was the rest of the harem. Raph was flying above the Pickett, who, when he raised his head to look at him, could only see a glow. They say that the light at the end of the tunnel generates hope, but that was not the case with the wild Monsuta. In this case, the light meant the end of him. "Use Sonic Uproar!" Raph's jaws were open, the attack ready to be launched. The Pickett fell to the ground, eyes-rolling. It had been defeated.

The moment Micky fired Water Missile, Arthur instructed Raph to start charging Usa Sonic Uproar where the Pickett could not see him, as this attack needs to charge for five seconds, time that Leo got him, which he had to pay with a wound on his right-wing.

The team had succeeded in taking down an extremely dangerous and bloodthirsty wild Monsuta. Without a doubt, the team's experience was evolving. After healing Leo, he was still suffering a bit, so the team tried to avoid battles and keep moving forward. Arthur made to sure call HQ to pick this up. Pickett's eco destroying Monsutas when left alone.

Because of this, they were forced to take shortcuts, asking friendly Flying Monsters to help them shorten the way to Rockville. Despite Arthur's unfortunate fate, this was accomplished. The young Pendragon could not concentrate due to Leo's health condition. Arriving in Rockville, Arthur decides to commit Leo to a recovery centre for Monsutas. The harem comforts Arthur, who worries too much about his friend. He postpones his presentation to the gym leader momentarily. Still, Leonardo's smile as he leaves the centre after about three hours of being hospitalized restores the dark-skinned young man's fighting spirit. "Leo... I couldn't do it without you, you know that, don't you?" says Arthur, and the faithful spider dragon nods with assurance and conviction.

And so the team walks towards the gym. Once inside, Raph feels right at home; the theme is utterly earthy.

At the back of the gym, a slender girl, wearing a shiny brown latex suit, extremely tight to her body, stands giving orders to a pair of Earth Monsters under her command, while another assesses the situation. One of them looked like a titan, humanoid body, with sections of what appeared to be dry earth and no facial features. The other was a rocky castle encased in shifting sand, and the one assessing was a reptile, also humanoid in shape with a large tail. Rings of earth swirled above its head and at the ends of its four limbs.

"Oh, my... looks like the boy who's come to challenge me has already arrived." Said the girl, who noticed Arthur and the team. "Leni, here, scan those Monsters when you get a chance" Arthur tosses the InDex to the half Light-Elf, after whispering.

"My name is Arthur Pendragon, and I come to challenge you to a Monsuta battle," said Arthur, who looked quite serious, but the intensely red line on his cheeks and nose detracted from his seriousness.

"My name is Roxane, Earth-type trainer of this gym." She said with a sweet voice excited expression as she walked towards Arthur. For some reason, she looked hot. The harem's face had taken on an alert countenance. Roxane's breasts rivalled Leni's. When Roxane was in front of Arthur, she leaned over and, without another word, kissed Arthur Pendragon on the mouth while slowly closing her eyes and holding the boy by the neck with one of her hands.

"This is unbelievable... "said Raph, in a resting position. The girls were mute, perplexed, and paralyzed watching that scene. "He just got here..."

When Roxane wanted to, she released Arthur, and with a strong jump backwards, she returned to her position where her Monsuta were already positioned and on guard. "This is a private battle; I like to be alone with my opponent, but I will let these people with you watch as I destroy your pride, pretty boy," Roxane said, blowing a kiss from a distance.

"Arthur Pendragon, finish that woman off...right now." Leni looked furious; for the first time in a very long time, she addressed him as Arthur instead of Arty. This woke Arthur from the hypnosis he had fallen into after that passionate kiss. "Leni... calm down, you scaring me," Arthur said as he watched Leni exhale hot air from her nose.

"Come on, girls, we must support Arty," said Mora, positioning herself in a good spot on the battle stage.

"The stage will be this..." Roxane snapped her fingers, and a huge hatch began to open in the floor, giving way to a vast earthen stage with all its elements. This was a desert that automatically left Micky out. "You're the challenger; I decide the stage... Just like that, handsome" the girls' choreography was disturbed every time Roxane spoke and flirted with Arthur. "There won't be the use of location cards or gate cards."

"Alright... "Arthur smiled and looked confident. "Leo, Jacky, come here. We're going to fight." The Monsutas approached their master; Jacky seemed happy to be able to fight, sharing a smile of approval with his master and Leo.

"The battle is three on three, pretty-eyed boy... one more to go," Roxane said, rubbing her hands all over her body.

"But what the hell is wrong with that woman? Do all meatbags act like or it's because of Lord Arthur" wondered Longfang, not waiting for an answer.

"No, the two of them will be more than enough," Arthur replied, with enviable conviction and slowly ending Roxane's confident attitude. "Wow, you can be reckless too. You're exciting, Arthur Pendragon."

"All right, let's fight..." said Arthur, serious, determined, and flushed. Roxane equipped herself with a staff-like device, imbued it with brown Ki, which glowed in tune with her three Monsutas. There were no cards anywhere.

"Hey, where are your Monsuta skill cards?" asked Arthur, incredulous.

"I don't need them, honey... I'm a Ki user, my connection to my Monsutas is supreme. Now, I suggest you cover yourself." She said, smiling.

"Wait, what, why?" Arthur looked disoriented; it was the first time he would fight someone who used his form of combat through Ki and direct connection with the Monsutas.

"Sandhide, use Destroyer Cannon" Roxane gave her first command. The castle-shaped Monsuta fired a huge ball of earth he generated from the environment into the palm of his hands. This was Roxane's largest Monsuta,

"Jacky, now, use Wall of Defense and then Ground Tracking." Arthur was moving away from the impact, and Leo followed while Jacky complied with the order. "As you command, Sir Pendragon" Jacky, making use of his eight limbs and his twenty-four, began to raise a wall of earth that he extracted from the desert soil, in turn, also using his four upper claws, he accelerated the process by generating more earth on top of the wall that formed as a kind of crescent. Finally, using water expelled from his body through his trunk, Jacky solidified this wall, turning the soil into mud. Taking into account the wind generated by the frenetic movement of Leo's wings that warmed up, ready to attack, the mud solidified much faster than expected, blocking the attack of the enemy Sandhide.

"Wow, that's why it chose an insect type... That Monsuta is a beetle type, this is its habitat." Roxane was aware of Pendragon's abilities. But she didn't hesitate. "Sands, it's your turn; use Earth Clones and send them to destroy that wall, then use Desert Projectiles against the other flying Monsuta." In this case, the one who attacked was the Monsuta without facial features. Roxane was sending out large amounts of Ki in all her attacks, always giving it her all. Arthur examined her closely as he looked at Leo and smiled. "Arthy, Arthy, Arthy! You can do it; you're going to make it; finish off that vulgar, sassy woman!"

"Drown her in her own desert!"

"Yes, let her swallow dirt until she burst wide open!" The girls were highly furious and cheered with burning fury in their eyes. Arthur looked at them with fear, but that filled him with courage.

No one hits on Arty without their permission. When she loses this battle, the girls will make sure that Roxane knows the pecking order.

The Sand's clones were beginning to destroy Jacky's strong barrier. There were five clones, and it was costing them. The original Sands began firing at the renewed Leo, who was easily dodging the projectiles. "Alright, Leo, use fast attack on the Sands, then Poison Claw in the same impact zone, let's go!" ordered Arthur, looking at where Roxane's other two Monsutas were since Leo was already focused on the Sands. Leo's speed left Roxane reevaluating her movements. "Damn, that dragon is fast," thought Roxane, when Leo in less than a second advanced between the projectiles of the Sands and attacked it without it being able to defend itself. Although it was covered with dirt, the quick attack shattered its defences and left the access to its organism vulnerable for Poison Claw. The deep purple claws penetrated the Sands' skin less than a second after being hit by the fast attack. The sand that covered him had not yet fallen to the ground when the spider dragon's venom was already circulating through his system. The Sands' fate was already sealed. Roxane had begun to stutter, as she could not decide what order to give to her Monsutas.

To her misfortune, Arthur Pendragon did know what to order. The chain of attacks intended from the beginning for Leo had not ended. "... And to finish, Venoshock! Straight towards that pesky castle over there." Arthur finished ordering, raising his device, and expelling a good amount of Ki straight towards Leonardo. Still, in the air, the Spider Dragon releasing its first prey, opened its jaws and shot a jet of intense purple straight towards Sandhide. This was a tough, armoured Monsuta, but Venoshock's jet was characterized by being constant and penetrating. Maybe it wasn't an attack meant to take out a tough Monsuta like that in one hit, but it would undoubtedly hinder its movements.

"Crocomaster, use Deadly Sand Combo on that annoying Poison Dragon, NOW!" Roxane seemed to lose her patience and once again unleashed an immeasurable Ki lock on her staff device, straight towards the Crocomaster, which lashed out with great speed as it roared. This was undoubtedly Roxane's main Monsuta. It used the spinning earth hoops on its limbs to propel itself almost at the speed of light.

"Arthur, Be careful! That Monsuta is a fighting/earth type, it's dangerous at close range!" shouted Leni, though it was a bit late.

Crocomaster was on top of Leo, and the spider dragon barely noticed him...

Leo had received about fifteen precise and powerful blows within a couple of seconds, all to the torso. He fell to the ground, severely wounded. While the Crocomaster kept flying, snapping at the air with his short legs. "There's your big Spider Dragon, handsome... Each Crocomaster strike, besides being powered with pressurized air, carries a large charge of sand generated by the earthen rings in its limbs. He is thankful that he could not kick it, for he needed his legs to reach his position in the air.

Arthur, despite this, was smiling... "Leo, you've done well. You're going to be back on your feet soon."

"Hey, what are you talking about? You're going to lose. Look, already Sands' earth clones took out the wall of that cowardly insect that was hiding. The original Sands can't fight anymore, but I still have two Monsutas, and you only have one. Besides, you must not have much energy left; look at you; you're badly wounded."

It was true that fighters who opt for Ki and connect with their Monsutas have the disadvantage of taking damage when their Monsutas suffer. Both Arthur and Roxane were a little sore, but... "You're naive and foolish, Roxane... Do you think Jacky is hiding behind the wall?" asked Arthur. The wall came down, and there was nothing.

"Now, Jacky, come out of the depths, take Leo over your body and use Multiple Stings against Crocomaster."

"What, no, no, NOOO" Roxane was terrified.

"I gave two orders to Jacky, wall of defence and Earth Tracking. This allows me to hide big Jacky under lands like this and make him appear with double his power and stamina, which he gets from his prolonged foray into warm sands like this. This is a Fighting-type insect, not poisonous as you surely thought." Arthur seemed to be rubbing his head as he laughed in front of the desperate Roxane.

Jacky unleashed a series of ferocious and frenzied bites on Crocomaster, which had no orders and only received attacks and more attacks without being able to defend against the elephant-sized insect, which was flying, as it had spread its multiple thin wings under its shell. After this display of power, Crocomaster could no longer fight. He fell on the sand, his eyes rolled back in his head. "Rocky, cast Sand Graveyard, make it fast" Roxane gave her last desperate command. This one employed all the Ki she had left. She was on her knees, resenting the attacks received by Crocomaster.

Rocky made all the sand in the place rise, concentrating a massive attack on Jacky and Leo. "Jacky, quick, you have little time; get Leo as close as you can towards Rocky, quick!" -

"That I will, Sir", replied Jacky, serenely and covering Leo with his massive body. Then, when he was finally close, Rocky fired that massive attack after an intense battle cry.

"Now Leo, USE IRON TAIL!" Arthur gave his last order for this battle. He, too, was resentful after Leo received Crocomaster's attacks.

The Spider Dragon, making a last, forced effort, complied with the order and, through a deadly roar that minimized Rocky's battle cry, successfully executed the attack they had practised so much and finally perfected. That attack would not finish Rocky, but it would break his defence and leave a minor wound. More than enough for the poison that ran over the enemy Monsuta, thanks to the Venoshock, to enter his organism.

The fight was over. The winner, Arthur Pendragon.

Instantly, Roxane was in pain; she could not take it anymore. Arthur, who seemed full of energy in the last seconds of the battle, realizing he had won, couldn't take it anymore either. Both Monsuta trainers fell imminently to the ground, with the difference that Roxane fell without anyone stopping her; on the other hand, Arthur Pendragon had the support of his Monsuta and a large harem of three girls who held him up before he hit the ground.

Arthur Pendragon had won his first official battle against a gym trainer, and now he was swimming in a sea of hugs as the screams of excitement thanks to his victory reached his tired ears. This didn't use to happen too much to him, as his luck wouldn't allow it. This hadn't changed, which left us thinking that maybe something terrible was about to happen to the dark-skinned, blue-eyed, golden-haired young man. But, for the moment, Arthur had earned his victory, and now he had to rest.