For Charizard and Ash, this battle was turning into a grueling one.
Even with his boosted speed, Charizard could barely keep up with Mismagius. Every time he tried to answer with Flamethrower, arcs of electricity would crackle across Mismagius's body.
At best, Thunderbolt and Flamethrower would collide and cancel each other out, and Luther clearly had no interest in dragging things out. Mismagius was willing to take a Flamethrower head-on if it guaranteed that her Thunderbolt hit Charizard.
On the surface, it looked like an even trade. But Ash knew perfectly well that if this continued, Charizard would be the only one getting the short end of the stick.
After fighting Darkrai earlier and taking an Egg Bomb from Chansey, the two Pokémon weren't starting from anywhere near the same condition. Besides, Ash had already noticed during their first exchange that Flamethrower wasn't doing much damage to Mismagius.
Grinding his teeth with fists clenched, Ash watched Charizard narrowly dodge another Thunderbolt before fearlessly charging at Mismagius again. He knew he had to change tactics.
"Crunch!"
If Fire-type attacks weren't doing enough, he would use a Dark-type move that was super effective against Ghost-types. Plus, Charizard had already boosted his Attack with Dragon Dance.
Ash timed it perfectly. Mismagius had just finished firing a Thunderbolt and hadn't accelerated again yet, while Charizard was already surging forward.
Facing Luther, Mismagius saw his lips move. Understanding the silent instruction, she suddenly slowed down for a brief moment. That tiny difference in speed was all Charizard needed. He opened his jaws and bit down hard on Mismagius.
It was a devastating hit. Mismagius was dragged through the air as Charizard carried her along in his mouth. Determined not to let go, Charizard clamped down harder. Dark-type energy surged as he continuously restrained her movements.
Barry and Dawn were already marveling at Ash's perfectly timed opening, but Conway and Brock suddenly realized what was happening.
"This is bad!" Brock shouted.
"Dark Void."
Biting Mismagius didn't stop her from using Dark Void. At this distance, Charizard had absolutely no room to dodge.
The moment the black curtain of light engulfed Charizard, even the commentator froze for a second. Ash instantly realized Luther had tricked him again. He hurriedly raised his Poké Ball, trying to recall Charizard.
"Dream Eater."
Still suspended in midair and not yet fallen to the ground, Charizard was enveloped by Mismagius's psychic power. His body twitched, and a loud boom echoed across the field.
The referee raised a flag. "Charizard is unable to battle. Mismagius wins."
The fact that Luther's Mismagius could use Dark Void had once been one of the biggest stories of the Lily of the Valley Conference. After revealing the move during her preliminary match against Conway, she hadn't used it again.
Most of the spotlight in Luther's battles usually went to Azumarill, Houndoom, and Darkrai. Mismagius typically only appeared to clean up weakened opponents, so many people had forgotten she possessed such a shocking move.
Ash hadn't forgotten. The instant Charizard rushed in, he remembered it. However, when Crunch connected and Mismagius didn't immediately counterattack, he had been misled into thinking Charizard had successfully pinned her down and prevented her from moving.
Darkrai, standing at Luther's feet, let out a snort. He was highly dissatisfied with how slowly Mismagius had used Dark Void, apparently forgetting that he had been just as slow when he did it.
Mismagius was withdrawn, and Luther sent Gardevoir back onto the field.
Ash was still hesitating over which Pokémon to send out next when he froze. Mismagius should still have been able to fight after healing herself with Dream Eater. Yet Luther was switching her out now, and bringing back Gardevoir, who was still suffering from Toxic?
Ash lowered Sceptile's Poké Ball and chose Tauros instead.
Tauros was still in good shape and could withstand Gardevoir's attacks. More importantly, the effect of Anger Point hadn't worn off yet. One hit should be enough to finish off the injured Gardevoir.
"Iron Head!"
Tauros pawed at the ground. The moment he heard Ash's command, he burst into a sprint. Even the battlefield's crater-filled surface couldn't slow his charge.
"Psybeam."
Luther chose not to use Psychic because he had once again received a vague message from Gardevoir. She warned him that the enraged Tauros would likely be able to break free of Psychic's restraint.
The strange, hypnotic light of Psybeam enveloped Tauros as he charged recklessly toward Gardevoir. But the illusions contained within the light couldn't distract him. All he could see was Gardevoir.
"Power Swap," Luther said with a smile.
It felt as though an invisible hand brushed across Tauros's body. The immense strength brought forth by Anger Point was gradually stripped away and transferred into Gardevoir.
Iron Head slammed into Gardevoir and sent her flying, but Ash didn't see what he expected. Gardevoir hadn't gone down.
Seeing the confused looks on Dawn and Barry's faces, Conway adjusted his glasses and explained, "Power Swap transfers the opponent's Attack and Special Attack boosts to the user. In other words, the power Tauros gained from Anger Point has now been stolen by Gardevoir."
Misaki wiped cold sweat from her forehead. "So Luther's been waiting for this ever since Tauros revealed Anger Point's power, hasn't he?"
Lucian nodded. "An excellent Trainer can't rely on just a few straightforward ways to break through a situation. By combining the moves their Pokémon master, they can create all kinds of unexpected effects. I think that's something you should learn. You and Ash both favor head-on tactics. In that sense, you're very much like Cynthia was back then. But Cynthia mastered far more things than either of you realize."
"Oh, spare me the lecture. I was just saying Luther plays dirty," Misaki replied, waving him off in disgust. "Go stir up trouble somewhere else, Mr. Agitator Elite Four."
Ever since Luther had once mentioned Lucian's nickname, "Agitator Elite Four," Misaki had enthusiastically adopted the remarkably fitting title.
"You hear that? The Agitator Elite Four should keep quiet," Flint chimed in.
"I'd suggest the Agitator Elite Four learn how to get along with younger Trainers," Bertha added with a laugh.
Soon enough, the other three Elite Four members had all started calling Lucian by the nickname as well.
Tauros's fighting spirit hadn't diminished at all. His long, defiant bellow convinced Ash to go all in.
"Take Down!"
Luther swept a hand forward. "Since we've already swapped the power, let's show everyone what it can do. Fire Punch!"
Tauros's head collided violently with Gardevoir's slender arm. Even Gardevoir was surprised by just how much strength she now possessed.
With a forceful shove, she sent Tauros flying back, even as she herself was knocked away by the impact of Take Down. At the same time, Fire Punch smashed Tauros to the ground.
Gardevoir lay on the battlefield for a few moments before using her psychic power to lift herself back into the air.
"Tauros is unable to battle. Gardevoir wins."
When Kirlia evolved into Gardevoir, it wasn't just her psychic power that grew stronger. Many moves that she had previously been unable to comprehend came naturally after evolution. That vast movepool was exactly why Luther was so confident going into this finals match.
Both he and his Pokémon had been growing stronger the entire time, and they weren't improving any slower than Ash.
(End of Chapter)
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