Yay Netopia!

A satisfying look for a job well done shone across Tennisman's face. He looked at his open palm, opening and closing it into a fist a few times and said, "I believe-"

Desmond interrupted, "GO GO GO!"

"What?" Deuce asked.

"I'M BORED. GO!" replied Desmond.

Tennisman had no problems with moving along and saved his thoughts for later. It was the least he could do for Desmond considering his thoughtfulness.

((Battle 2))

TennisMan and Deuce quickly hurried...with no particular reason. As they were traveling, something strange was going on around them. Everything became so...dark, and sounded like something HEAVY WAS DROPPIN DOWN ON TENNISMAN! The navi was able to dodge it and found out that it was a powie Virus that could have squashed TennisMan like a can. The virus lifted it self out of the ground and retreated back to his other virus allies. It looks like the whole virus has a knack for crushing or somethin'.

QuakerA: 80
QuakerB: 80
QuakerC: 80
Gaia EXA: 150
Gaia EXB: 150
Powie EXA: 100
Powie EXB: 100

TennisMan: 190
Deuce: 80

Terrain: 100% Normal

-BATTLE TWO, START!-

As Tennisman's eyes grew more accustomed to the darkness, he could clearly see the Quakers, Gaias and Powies lurking in the shadows. Running over the different possibilities in his head, he opted for the best play and ran with it. This meant making a straight dash for the Quakers.

"Moonblade." He called, coming to a halt in front of the group.

Tennisman flashed his arm out in a wide arc, swinging the short-lived kunai around himself to the surrounding viruses. One seemed to be just out of range, forcing him to point his buster cannon and take aim at it.

"MarkCannon." He added.

There was a quick lock and an even quicker discharge as he fired, unloading the powerful round at the rotund target.

"Pickpocket the hammer guy. He's not going anywhere." Desmond suggested and slotted in the chip.

Tennisman complied with the order, first materializing a Bandacoon and then directing it at the Gaia. However, there was a flaw with the plan - The Bandacoon apparently wasn't used to the dark yet and looked around blindly. Tennisman put his hands on it to calm it down but it had the opposite effect, scaring the little rodent and making it snarl and lash out.

"What's going on?" Desmond asked.

"The Bandacoon cannot see anything." Tennisman replied, "There is not enough light."

"I got it." Deuce chimed in, "Aim for the Powies and close your eyes."

Tennisman complied, putting complete faith in his support program yet again. He hoped for the best and took aim taking one final look at his targets.

"Desmond, slot-in Fireburn." Deuce said.

Now the plan made complete sense. Without looking at the fire, Tennisman could maintain his nightvision without being subjected to the sudden change in light and the Bandacoon would be able to clearly see its target. Deuce didn't have eyes that adjusted to the dark and could coordinate the attack while the viruses wouldn't have that luxury and possibly be blinded by the attack. It was incredibly simple and yet so well thought out that Tennisman was a little embarassed he didn't think of it himself. The barrel of his buster clicked a pilot light and shot out a blaze of flames that sprayed out at the Powies

"10 degrees left." Deuce ordered, prompting Tennisman to move his arm slightly to compensate. He could feel the intense heat from the attack on his face and hear the scampering of little claws as the Bandacoon made its way to the Gaia.

The flamethrower stopped and Tennisman opened his eyes again. The Powies were gone but not deleted.

"UP!" Deuce cried.

Tennisman looked up to see a Powie overhead. He swiped Deuce at the airborne virus, summoning a gust towards the pair of Gaias. He hoped it would be enough for it to land on them instead of himself but he wasn't confident about it and dashed away.

"Awesome teamwork!" Desmond commented.

Deuce remarked back, "All dependent on your chips."



Deuce - Equip
1 - Run to Quakers
2 - Moonblade QuakerA, QuakerB (90 damage)
3 - MarkCannon QuakerC (70 damage + lockon) + untapped power (20 damage)
4 - Fireburn PowieEXA, PowieEXB (50 damage)
5 - Pickpocket Gaia EXA (steal zenny/chip)
Deuce - gust Powie EX over Gaia EXB
6 - dodge

TennisMan moved towards the Quakers and tried to slash the virus with the MoonBlade. One was cut like a butter while the other jumped up as far as he could to evade the attack. The other Quaker tried to follow his comrade as well, but it was shot down as it was flying up towards the air by the MarkCannnon.

The navi's work of lighting up the area worked as it burned the Powie and let the Bandacoon steal a handful of money for his master. As the Powie and the Gaias was about to attack, TennisMan used Deuce to blow the Powie away above the Gaia, making the Powie drop on the Gaia and negated the Gaia to attack. However, the Gaia swung its hammer, only to be dodged and the Powie was able to crush TennisMan with its anvil like body.

QuakerA: 80 [in Air]
QuakerB: DELETED
QuakerC: DELETED
Gaia EXA: 150
Gaia EXB: 130
Powie EXA: 50
Powie EXB: 50

TennisMan: 170 [Pickpocket: 400z]
Deuce: 80

Terrain: 100% Normal

Tennisman rolled out from under the Powie and saw the Quaker dropping down from the sky. He raised his buster at it, hoping Desmond would pick up on the cue. Fortunately, his operator was observing closely and slotted in a HiCannon just in time for Tennisman to fire while still on his back.

"Deuce, are you okay?" Tennisman asked.

"That's nice of you to care, Tennisman," Deuce remarked, "I'm fine."

"Overwrap." Tennisman ordered and got to his feet.

"What now?" Desmond asked.

"Twinfang, Lilbomb..." Tennisman said, still contemplating the rest of his plan.

"Shotgun and V-Gun." finished Deuce as he put up his barrier.

Tennisman nodded to confirm the request and flashed his arm out to the Gaias, trying to get a clear shot at the pair. He felt a little groggy from the last hit but still fired the TwinFang at them and attempted to follow up with a Lilbomb. He tossed the bomb up to be served but caught it in his own hand.

"What's wrong?" Desmond asked.

"...Nothing is wrong." Tennisman answered with a pause and tried again, putting more focus into his attack. He successfully served the explosive and it exploded brilliantly on impact, engulfing both viruses in a cloud of smoke. Just to be sure it would be enough, Tennisman served another ball into the haze, hoping to finish the job.

The Powies were last on his agenda and both had been weakened by the Fireburn. He took careful aim at each one, firing once for each virus. He then sighed and clutched his head, stumbling a bit.

"Dude, you are NOT alright." Desmond said.

Tennisman groaned in response.



1 - HiCannon QuakerA (80 damage)
Deuce - Overwrap self (40 HP barrier)
2 - TwinFang Gaia EXA, Gaia EXB (70 damage)
3 - Lilbomb Gaia EXA, Gaia EXB (50 damage + blast 2) + untapped power Gaia EXA (20 damage)
Deuce - Attack Gaia EXA (20 damage)
4 - V-Gun PowieEXB (50 damage + spread 2)
5 - Shotgun PowieEXA (50 damage + spread 2)
6 - dodge

As much as TennisMan was hurt from the Powie...Even though he was still very healthy in some degree, he was able to successfully delete all the viruses...except one. His attack with the HiCannon was a complete miss since the Quaker was too high and the angle of the shot was too off. The Virus slammed down to the ground and sent a powerful shockwave through the navi.

QuakerA: 80
QuakerB: DELETED
QuakerC: DELETED
Gaia EXA: DELETED
Gaia EXB: DELETED
Powie EXA: DELETED
Powie EXB: DELETED

TennisMan: 170 [Barrier: 20]
Deuce: 80

Terrain: 100% Normal

He was so sure that he had hit that last Quaker virus, but it was clear to him and the dent in his barrier that he had missed. He was still in poor fighting condition but had to end this battle if he wanted to get the rest he so needed.

"Ugh... Kunai." Tennisman mumbled.

Tennisman could feel a handful of throwing weapons form within in his grip. He quickly lashed out his arm and launched the attack before the Quaker could perform another attack.

"That all?" Desmond asked.

"Firehit." Tennisman added.

An aura of fire wrapped around his empty hand. He had difficulty focussing and the flames flickered between different shades of red and blue. He just had to get past this battle and he could take a rest. He needed In an instant, the multi-coloured inconsistences gave way to a sudden white blaze that flashed up past his forearm and up to his elbow.

"WHOA!" Desmond blurted out.



1 - Kunai1 QuakerA (3 x 30 damage)
2 - dodge
3 - dodge
4 - Firehit QuakerA (60 damage) + untapped power (20 damage)

The last Quaker was destroyed instantly as TennisMan used his Kunai and his FireHit to finish it off. As soon as the virus was deleted, the entire network went silent and felt very ominous and awkward for everyone. What was ahead of them?

QuakerA: DELETED
QuakerB: DELETED
QuakerC: DELETED
Gaia EXA: DELETED
Gaia EXB: DELETED
Powie EXA: DELETED
Powie EXB: DELETED

TennisMan: 170 [Barrier: 20]
Deuce: 80

Terrain: 100% Normal

-BATTLE WON!-
700z, 37 BugFrags, [Quake1] BattleChip

((Did that 700z include the 400z from the Pickpocket?))

Tennisman had to take a break. Ignoring the changing environment and taking comfort in the silence, he sat on the floor and massaged his temples.

"Did that Powie really hit you THAT hard?" Desmond asked.

Tennisman didn't answer, only reporting the rewards for his operator, "700 Zenny. Quake1 battlechip."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. You okay? We can take a break." said Desmond sympathetically.

"Well that's not what you were saying before..." Deuce mocked, "GO GO GO!"

"Yeah well I didn't know this would happen!" argued Desmond.

In a weakened voice, Tennisman said, "Please, stop."

"Okay." Desmond squeezed in apologetically. Deuce had nothing to add.

It wasn't the Powie. It was the speed. Tennisman had exerted himself too much and though the upgrade made him faster, it also added to his stress. He wasn't used to it yet and didn't think he could maintain it for long periods. He kept it in mind as he began to recover and stood up.

"Better?" Desmond asked.

Tennisman nodded and moved on, finally taking an interest in what was happening in the net.

((Battle 3))

The Netopian area was dark and now it was starting get cloudy with thunder clouds. The already darker net started to emit some grim atmosphere as the navi traveled further into the net. And then...

*FLASH!*

Not so far, a lightning striked the ground and a powerful thunder followed shortly. It was strange since it didn't start raining. Just ahead where the lightning striked, TennisMan and Deuce could see electric sparks and it was slowly coming towards them. Along with a spark was something very peculiar traveling along with it...

SparkyA: 100
SparkyB: 100
SparkyC: 100
SparkyD: 100
???A: 130 [Hidden within the Clouds]
???B: 130
???C: 130
????A: 80 [Hidden within the Clouds]
????B: 80
????C: 80

TennisMan: 170
Deuce: 80

Terrain: 50% Normal, 50% Cracked

-BATTLE THREE, START!-

The flash of lightning showed Tennisman the field of broken panels he was walking into and he immediately stopped in his tracks. He knew he would need a Court Change if he wanted to avoid falling in. He pressed his palm to the ground and activated his signature program. He couldn't see the panels very well but he could feel the grass sprouting close by and that was good enough for him.

"I'm reading at least 10 guys up there!" Desmond said, "They're hiding in the clouds."

Tennisman couldn't make out what the shapes were from all the cloud cover. He could only grip Deuce in preparation for a clearing gust. He swung the racket hard and sent a wave of air at the clouds, hoping to disperse them but it wasn't nearly good enough. He needed more power.

"Windracket." He added.

"Now?" Desmond asked, "You're not even close to anything."

Tennisman took hold of Deuce with both hands and looked at the second major cloud cluster. He crouched down with arms held low and leapt upwards, slashing his racket in a rising uppercut before swinging it over his head. The blast of air knocked him back down hard, nearly breaking his legs in the process but he managed to landed safely, albeit somewhat painfully.

"Incoming Sparkys," Deuce pointed out, "use a Countbomb."

"Yo! They're gonna get there before the bomb goes off!" Desmond rebuked.

"SEND IT." Deuce shouted, clearly in no mood to argue.

Desmond knew little about the viruses, which was a stark contrast to the seemingly boundless expertise Deuce seemed to possess. It was a no contest and the operator relented. The chip was slotted in and the bomb landed close to Tennisman, right in front of the wave of oscillating satellites.

"I'll send another Fireburn to light things up again." Desmond said.

Tennisman nodded and raised his buster to the sky, unleashing a towering inferno at his mysterious opponents to unmask their identities.



1 - Court Change (large grass terrain)
Deuce - Equip
Deuce - Gust away clouds for 130 HP group
2 - Countbomb (50 HP - 2 turns to deal 100 to all)
3 - Windracket 80 HP group (gust away clouds)
4 - Fireburn 130 HP group (50 damage + light up)
5 - dodge

TennisMan didn't take too long to take care of the cloud camouflages with the help of Deuce and his trustworthy WindRacket. With the clouds gone, it revealed a powerful version of a Weather virus and Cloudy, which was blown far far away from the battlefield from the powerful WindRacket. The navi quickly set the CountBomb and fired a Fireburn to burn the Whompers. Angry, one of the Whomper proceeded to blow a chilling blizzard towards TennisMan, which heavily damaged the CountBomb, damaged TennisMan, and freezed a small portion of the ground. The Sparky group was still creeping towards TennisMan, but they were still far away from the navi.

SparkyA: 100
SparkyB: 100
SparkyC: 100
SparkyD: 100
WhomperA: 80
WhomperB: 80
WhomperC: 80
CloudyA: 80 [Cloudy Group: Microburst'd]
CloudyB: 80
CloudyC: 80

TennisMan: 130
Deuce: 80
CountBomb: 10 [Turn: 2]

Terrain: 40% Normal, 10% Ice, 50% Grass

"Deuce," Tennisman addressed, "Are you able to use your Overwrap on objects?"

"It's not impossible. I'd give it a shot." Deuce answered.

Tennisman pointed the head of his racket at the Countbomb still ticking down. A bubble of energy wrapped around it adding an additional layer of protection. The Cloudys had been blown away for the time being and the Sparkys seemed slow enough to avoid. The most pressing matter was the group of Whompers overhead.

"HiCannon, Kunai, Firehit." Tennisman called out.

He raised his arm into the air and opened fire, first shooting off the cannon round at one target and then spraying up a stream of daggers at another. Deuce had meanwhile begun to weave his strings over the battered and bruised patches on Tennisman's uniform, fixing them for now.

Tennisman took a step forward to bring himself directly below the last Whomper. He crouched down, gauging the distance between himself and the target. The virus was high up, but not so high that it couldn't be reached. He could do this. Tennisman leaned forward while still crouching, feeling the strength well up in his legs and arm. He lunged upwards like a rocket in another fierce uppercut motion.

"FIREHIT." Tennisman shouted, his flaming fist streaking into the sky like a dragon.

The navi touched back down to the ground safely and lobbed up four additional tennis balls into the Whomper group just to be safe.

"Feel better?" Desmond asked.

Tennisman nodded and took more notice of his surroundings.



Deuce - Overwrap Countbomb (40 HP barrier)
1 - HiCannon WhomperA (80 damage)
2 - Kunai WhomperB (3 x 30 damage)
Deuce - Restring Tennisman (heal 30)
3 - Firehit + untapped power WhomperC (80 damage)
4 - Ace Serve Whomper survivor (4 x 30 damage)
5 - dodge

With the Whomper destroyed with his Cannon, Kunai, and his super destructive dragon uppercut, he didn't have to use his Signature attack at all. The navi was able to cover the Bomb with its protective barrier and treat his injuries as well.

Now the Cloudy virus returned and pissed off! One of the virus started to pour down stinging, needle like rain all over the area. It broke through the bomb's barrier like nothing but TennisMan just happens to dodge the rain with his newly gained speed. The navi also caught a glimpse of the Sparky getting much closer than before! Brace for impact!

SparkyA: 100
SparkyB: 100
SparkyC: 100
SparkyD: 100
WhomperA: DELETED
WhomperB: DELETED
WhomperC: DELETED
CloudyA: 80
CloudyB: 80 [It's Pouring!]
CloudyC: 80

TennisMan: 160 ["Ace Serve" Unused!]
Deuce: 80
CountBomb: 10 [Turn: 1] [Barrier: 0 HP]

Terrain: 40% Normal, 10% Ice, 50% Grass

The enemies closed in around Tennisman - Sparkys from the left and Cloudys from the right. He looked at his damaged Countbomb and realized he wanted to see this through, but what could he do? It was already on the verge of falling apart. It felt hopeless.

"Well, you know what they say," Deuce said, "Things are at their darkest before they turn bright again."

Beneath Tennisman, the floor flashed a warm and comforting glow. It was a holy panel.

"I forgot I had this in the folder." Desmond said.

Tennisman, renewed with a sense of imminent victory said, "Guard."

Without loading it into his racket, he held the shield overhead, using it as an umbrella from the viral downpour of the Cloudys. Another Guard appeared in reserve at his feet, half leaning and half covering the Countbomb itself.

"Pickpocket?" Desmond suggested.

Tennisman had no qualms about using it now and activated the chip as his operator slotted it in. The rodent scurried around Tennisman's feet, toying with the Countbomb.

Tennisman needed to get the Bandacoon to the Cloudys and lifted it up onto his shoulders. It raised its head sniffing the shield hovering over it. Giving one last direction by pointing at Cloudys, Tennisman gave it a one-armed toss and swiped Deuce after it, propelling it further into the air with a helpful gust. The Bandacoon panicked and squealed as it soared through the air and into the clouds.

"Aaaaaaand zero." Deuce said, checking the face of the Countbomb.



1 - HolyPanel (5% Holy Panel under Tennisman)
2 - Guard Countbomb from rain (reflect 60)
3 - Guard Countbomb from rain (reflect 60)
4 - Zapring CloudyA (80 damage)
5 - Pickpocket CloudyC (steal zenny or chip)
Deuce - Gust Pickpocket at CloudyC

((MEH!))

While TennisMan was guarding the Countbomb and throwing rodents at raining clouds (weird~~), the Countbomb finally counted down to 0 and flashed in a white light. It blinded everyone who was looking towards it, even TennisMan, and blew up in a large shockwave. It instantly destroyed the viruses in one shot and left the navi unharmed. With the Cloudy gone, the weather started to clear up and sunshine was shining down on TennisMan and his reward.

SparkyA: BOOM
SparkyB: BOOM
SparkyC: BOOM
SparkyD: BOOM
WhomperA: DELETED
WhomperB: DELETED
WhomperC: DELETED
CloudyA: BOOM
CloudyB: BOOM
CloudyC: BOOM

TennisMan: 160 [Pickpocket: 350z]
Deuce: 80
CountBomb: KABOOM!

Terrain: 35% Normal, 10% Ice, 50% Grass, 5% Holy

-BATTLE WON!-
1700z+350z, 52 BugFrags

Tennisman gathered his rewards and moved on. There was nothing left for him here.

((Battle 4))

TennisMan traveled a bit further than usual and found a peculiar group of viruses. It was a large herd of Molokos along with Swordys and Billys that seemed to regulate the sheep viruses. Thankfully, TennisMan's presence was hidden and unknown to the viruses. The navi needed something drastic or else he'll be out numbered!

MolokoA: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoB: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoC: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoD: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoE: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoF: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoG: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoH: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoI: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoJ: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
Swordy EXA: 90
Swordy EXB: 90
Swordy EXC: 90
Swordy EXD: 90
Billy EXA: 120
Billy EXB: 120

TennisMan: 160 [Preemptive Strike!]
Deuce: 80

Terrain: 100% Normal

-BATTLE FOUR, START!-

Tennisman looked in awe of the group of viruses and instinctively crouched down behind what little cover he could find. Neither he nor Deuce made a sound or so much as moved from their spot as they wondered what could they possibly do against such a large gathering. They needed a solid plan of attack or risk being horribly overwhelmed.

"Well," Deuce whispered, "Any plans?"

"Yo man, I got NOTHING." Desmond answered, "Like, what if you ran in and spiced everyone?"

Deuce whispered back, "The Swordys would endure and the spores wouldn't penetrate those thick wooly coats. Tennisman would have to deal with the... Seven, eight... Ten Molokos."

Desmond sighed, "This is balls."

"The first priority should be the Billys." Deuce said, "Being paralyzed is not an option here. We should deal with the Swordys next and then try to finish off the Moloko group as a whole."

Tennisman was lost deep in his thoughts but was still paying enough attention to nod in agreement.

"Ringlog, Energybomb, MarkCannon, Elecpulse." Tennisman said and moved into a better position to attack, "Deuce, please cover me."

Desmond was taken back, "You're not bringing him with you? What the hell?"

"If he has a plan, he has a plan." Deuce said and hovered away from his spot to find a better place to snipe from.

Tennisman loaded up the first two chips, bringing about a log at his feet and a bomb in his hand. He took a deep breath and could see Deuce in position for the assault. He nudged the log slightly with his foot to better aim it at the Billys before giving it a fierce kick and throwing the bomb high into the air with an arching swing of his arm. Then, activating both the MarkCannon and Elecpulse in his arms, Tennisman charged ahead and let loose simultanous blasts of enhanced cannonfire and magnetic waves into the Swordys. From the side, two tennis balls shot towards the pair of Billys like bullets. Deuce was doing his job admirably.

The closer he got to the Molokos, the more he realized how poorly thought out this plan was. He was practically unarmed against an army of viruses that was likely about to charge him. Thinking fast, he pressed his hand to the ground.

"Court Change." He said.

The plain panels around him cracked and aged, withering up as if the life had been drained from it. Soon, the pristine white tiles changed to a dusty brown and Tennisman sank into the warm sandy texture of his small dune. If it worked, the sand would slow the Molokos enough for him to ready another set of attacks. If not, at least it would make for a softer grave.


1 - Ringlog BillyEXA, BillyEXB (50 damage) x2
Deuce - Attack BillyEXA (20 damage)
Deuce - Attack BillyEXB (20 damage)
2 - Energybomb SwordyEXA (3 x 40 damage)
3 - Untapped Power MarkCannon SwordEXB (90 + lockon)
4 - Elecpulse SwordyEXC, SwordyEXD (100 damage)
5 - Court Change (sand)

As soon the Log started to roll down to towards the viruses, they were able to immediately pin point the location of TennisMan and headed straight at him. However, with the log coming at them so unexpectedly, The Billy viruses got a direct hit from it and Deuce was able to finish one off. The Swordy viruses started their assault on TennisMan, but three out of four was deleted instantly by the navi's destructive waves of chips. One Swordy and almost landed a slash on Deuce! The virus was standing between TennisMan and Deuce, so it won't be easy regrouping...The battlefield shortly turned dry and arid, soon covering it with sands. Majority of the Molokos was having trouble traversing on the think sands.

MolokoA: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP] [Moloko Group (A-G): Evasion Lowered]
MolokoB: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoC: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoD: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoE: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoF: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoG: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoH: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoI: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
MolokoJ: 60 [Fleece: 10 HP]
Swordy EXA: DELETED
Swordy EXB: DELETED
Swordy EXC: 90 [Right in front to Deuce!]
Swordy EXD: DELETED
Billy EXA: 20
Billy EXB: DELETED

TennisMan: 160
Deuce: 80

Terrain: 60% Normal, 40% Sand