"One battle to decide it all, then—Champion of the Lily of the Valley Conference… Paul."
Nurse Joy stepped gracefully onto the battlefield opposite Paul, flipping a Poké Ball into her hand with a confident smile.
As an official Inspector, she was well-acquainted with the affairs and figures of prominence across multiple regions.
Someone capable of defeating six Legendary Pokémon and winning a regional championship was no exception.
"Okay."
Paul responded without much fanfare, pulling out the Poké Ball he had prepared.
"This guy's a League Champion?!" Forrest exclaimed in shock.
Even the weakest League Champion, no matter how bland their path, was at least Gym Leader-level in overall strength.
And Paul? His power was far beyond that—easily capable of crushing Gym Leaders. Even most Honor-Class trainers could hardly pose any real threat to him.
"No wonder he's so strong... We really underestimated him." Brock muttered with a sigh. Serving as today's referee, he had been tied up with "a lot of things" the past few weeks and hadn't followed the other regional League tournaments closely. Who could've guessed someone like this had emerged?
Without mentally preparing himself, it was no surprise he had lost so miserably earlier.
"This will be a one-on-one battle. The first Pokémon loses the ability to continue fighting determines the winner. Both sides—release your Pokémon!"
Brock announced the rules firmly.
With that, Nurse Joy and Paul simultaneously tossed their Poké Balls onto the field.
"Let's go—Latias!"
"Garchomp, to the field!"
Two Dragon-type Pokémon appeared—one floating gently in mid-air with a sweet serene expression, while the other grounded, exuding a chillingly ferocious aura from every inch of its body.
This Latias was strong in her own right, though perhaps just a bit weaker than the one used by Tobias.
But that wasn't to say she was weak—after all, how strong were Tobias' Pokémon?
Each of his team members, at full strength, could break through even Paul's Pokémon with just a handful of attacks—barely surviving three hits was considered an incredible feat.
So yes, this Latias was still very powerful.
"The battle begins! Challenger attacks first!" Brock declared.
Paul's voice rang out cold and sharp:
"Garchomp, Dragon Dance—then Sandstorm!"
"Gaarr!"
Garchomp shifted its footing and began spinning rapidly, launching into a Dragon Dance. At the same time, intense sand whipped across the battlefield, stirring up a swirling Sandstorm.
"Dragon Pulse!"
Seeing that her opponent had not launched a direct attack, Latias conjured a telekinetic barrier, shielding herself from the raging sand. Then she opened her mouth, firing a glowing green energy sphere—Dragon Pulse—packed with concentrated Dragon-type power.
"Activate mode—Dragon Claw!"
The moment Dragon Dance ended, Garchomp's crimson eyes flared open. Scarlet energy surged around it like a killing aura and with a roar, it raised its glowing green claws—like twin blades—and slashed, shattering the incoming Dragon Pulse.
With a powerful stomp, Garchomp launched itself skyward, claws gleaming as it dove toward Latias with blinding speed.
Boosted by Dragon Dance, Garchomp's speed was terrifying. In the blink of an eye, it was already upon her.
"Psych Up—Dragon Claw!"
Latias showed no fear. With a shimmer of light, she used Psych Up, instantly matching Garchomp's boosted stats.
Twin emerald claws materialized on her forearms and with a fierce cry, she struck out to meet Garchomp head-on.
CRASH!
The two Dragon-types collided—and shockingly, their raw power was nearly equal.
But one blow alone could not determine the winner.
Garchomp's claws sharp as twin swords, launched into a relentless barrage.
Empowered by his awakened bloodline mode, Garchomp began to overpower Latias, who had matched him stat-for-stat moments ago.
At a certain instant, a flash of ruthless determination flickered in Garchomp's eyes. With a fierce roar, both Dragon Claws slashed down from either side, landing hard on Latias.
It's super effective!
"Laa—!"
With a pained cry, Latias could no longer maintain the barrier that had been shielding her from the raging sandstorm. The shimmering veil shattered into fragments of light.
"Dragon Claw!"
Though still wracked with pain, Latias was no ordinary opponent—she was a Legendary Pokémon. The moment she recovered, she countered with a powerful twin strike of Dragon Claws aimed squarely at Garchomp.
"Laaa…"
But the pain that followed wasn't Garchomp's—it was Latias herself who cried out, suffering from the recoil inflicted by Garchomp's Rough Skin ability.
"Dragon Rush!"
Empowered by the blood-awakened state coursing through its veins, Garchomp had an unyielding tolerance for pain. Sensing Latias' brief moment of disarray, it surged forward with explosive force, ramming head-on into its foe.
The blow connected with devastating precision—Latias was struck down instantly, sent spiraling toward the battlefield below.
"Recover!"
Mid-fall, Latias flashed with a white glow. Her cells regenerated at high speed, rapidly healing the bulk of her wounds in the blink of an eye.
"Twister."
Just as Latias turned to reorient herself and take flight again, a vortex suddenly formed around her.
A terrifying twister appeared out of nowhere, and what was already a formidable Sandstorm merged with it, combining to dramatically enhance both the force and the trapping effect.
Inside the storm, Latias was continuously battered by its relentless fury. She attempted to break free with a Dragon Pulse, but the vortex was far too dense—her attack couldn't pierce it.
Outside the storm, Garchomp remained still, bouncing in place as it swiftly performed Dragon Dance to boost its own power even further.
"Dragon Claw—followed by Psychic Blades!"
Realizing that special attacks couldn't break through this unnatural vortex, Latias raised both arms high. Giant green projections of Dragon Claws formed above her, glowing with a brilliant violet aura.
With a sudden cross-slash motion, she unleashed two massive Psycho Cuts, each infused with psychic energy and razor-sharp precision.
BOOM!
The cyclone that had once resembled a prison of swirling fury shattered like paper beneath the psychic blades, split cleanly down the middle.
Breaking free at last, Latias immediately soared away from the storm's remnants. A pulse of white light shimmered across her body—Recover activated again, quickly restoring her energy to full.
But in the very next instant, a terrifying bloodlust locked onto her like a predator's stare.
Down below, Garchomp had completed its Dragon Dance. It stood perfectly still, having gathered its power for what seemed like an eternity. A crimson aura of killing intent had formed around it, thick and oppressive.
Green light blazed. Red energy surged outward. The twin Dragon Claws had transformed—now glowing like a pair of luminous green scythes.
Bloodline Awakening Mode.
Outrage.
Dragon Rush.
Dragon Claw.
All unleashed simultaneously!
"Full-power assault!"
"Gaarr—!"
With a deafening roar, Garchomp launched itself into the air. A spectral image of a monstrous dragon emerged behind it, composed of condensed energy and radiating overwhelming bloodlust as it surged toward Latias.
As it neared, the spectral dragon swung its claws in a brutal arc—its massive jaws wide open, ready to consume its target.
Pure-hearted, unworldly Latias—naive as a field-bloomed lily—had never witnessed such ferocity in her life. She froze in place, mind blank with terror.
"Protect!"
Thankfully, Nurse Joy's voice rang out in time, snapping Latias back to her senses. With what little clarity she could muster, she conjured a green Protect barrier at the last possible second.
But in the face of the colossal dragon, the barrier was just a tiny sphere of green light.
SMASH!
CRUNCH—!
The twin scythe-like Dragon Claws struck first, causing the barrier to ripple and tremble, barely holding. Then came the spectral dragon's massive jaws—clamping down and piercing viciously at the green orb.
BOOM!
A deafening roar echoed throughout the battlefield. In the sky above, a terrifying explosion sent shockwaves ripping in all directions, stirring up violent winds. Thick smoke rolled across the airspace above the arena.
"...Hmm?"
At that moment, Paul suddenly felt an extremely faint tremor—like a flicker of resonance deep within his mind. He instinctively raised his hand, glancing at the Key Stone embedded in his sleeve.
But the Mega Badge remained still, calm, and inert.
"Laaa...!"
A weak cry rang out as the badly battered Latias plummeted from the sky and crashed to the ground.
"Recover!"
Not fully understanding what had just occurred, but seeing that Latias hadn't yet lost the ability to battle, Nurse Joy immediately issued the command.
"Laaa~!"
A white light shimmered across Latias' body as her cells began to rapidly regenerate. She was initiating Recover again, regaining strength—but before the move could fully take effect, a flash of crimson light streaked from the sky and slammed into her.
BOOM!
Another heavy collision shook the field.
The spectators turned their eyes to the arena—and were met with a chilling sight.
Kneeling over Latias was a being that resembled a Garchomp… but something was off.
Why resembled?
Because this was Mega Garchomp—the Mega-Evolved form of Garchomp!
"GAARR~..."
Mega Garchomp slowly rose from Latias' unconscious form. The white light of Mega Evolution faded from his body as he reverted to his normal state.
His limbs trembled. He staggered a few steps backward, as if on the verge of collapse. Finally, he slumped heavily to the ground, gasping for air—completely drained from the final blow.
"Latias is unable to battle. Garchomp won, and this match goes to Paul!"
Brock, though full of questions, obediently stepped forward to announce the result.
(End of Chapter)
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