Ash had studied Luther seriously. During the two days of rest before the finals, he had spent almost all his time thinking. He thought back to his first meeting with Luther, their encounters along the journey, and the strange feeling Luther always left him with after their battles.
If defeating Paul had been about proving that his and his Pokémon's choices weren't wrong, then defeating Luther was about finding an answer.
His plan was simple. If Snorlax used Rest and Mismagius responded with Dream Eater, he would send out Sceptile to defeat Mismagius.
Meanwhile, Snorlax would continue healing while asleep. Even if he returned to the field still sleeping and could only use Sleep Talk, he could still deal tremendous damage.
Ash was willing to gamble because of Luther's team composition. Although Luther still hadn't revealed his final Pokémon, the possibilities were limited to Jumpluff, Espurr, Houndoom, or Pupitar.
Ash had already experienced how dangerous Jumpluff was during their earlier sparring match, and her performance against Dakota had been even more impressive. Originally, Ash had thought she would definitely have a place in this battle. Now, he had ruled her out.
Both Chansey and Jumpluff excelled at disrupting opponents early in a match. In other words, they were Pokémon meant to appear early on, not as a final ace. The same applied to Houndoom.
Although he was an excellent cleaner, Luther would never save him for the very end because Houndoom's stamina issues were an undeniable weakness. In a high-level deciding match, both sides constantly searched for openings, often requiring lengthy probing and exchanges.
That wasn't Houndoom's style. Throughout the tournament, Luther had usually sent Houndoom out while still having two Pokémon remaining, allowing him to trade one-for-one.
Pupitar seemed unlikely as well, which left Espurr. If Espurr removed the restraints on her ears, she became terrifying. Her psychic power was strong enough to challenge even a giant like Snorlax.
But previous battles had shown that removing those restraints came at a cost; it consumed stamina and put a heavy strain on her body. If she fought recklessly that way, Snorlax might fall, but Espurr would likely collapse from exhaustion too.
Until Houndoom actually appeared, Ash had been convinced the final Pokémon would be either Espurr or Jumpluff. So Houndoom had some special strategy too? That seemed the most likely explanation.
After all, Dakota had lost precisely because of Luther's endless stream of unpredictable tactics.
Snorlax's Ability was Thick Fat, meaning Fire-type and Ice-type attacks weren't very effective against him. Since Houndoom's strongest, most practiced moves were Fire-type attacks, that effectively weakened Houndoom's greatest strengths.
Ash didn't switch. He trusted his Pokémon completely. If Snorlax could endure once, he could endure twice. As long as the sleep ended, victory would be his.
Unexpectedly, Houndoom didn't attack immediately after entering the field. Instead, he rubbed a ring-shaped ornament off one of his legs. Holding the ornament in his mouth, Houndoom turned toward one of the cameras broadcasting the match live.
The camera operators immediately focused on the strange scene, zooming in until the name engraved on the inside of the ornament became visible.
It wasn't Luther's name. Instead, it was the name of someone unfamiliar to most people. Nobody understood why Houndoom had suddenly produced such an item, but judging from Luther's expression, he seemed to be encouraging it.
Then, without warning, a jet of scorching flame erupted. The ornament melted away within the fire.
The audience was baffled. This looked like nothing more than wasting time and stamina in the middle of a championship match. Snorlax was literally asleep and recovering. Was Luther really not worried? People looked at each other in confusion, unable to understand Houndoom's intentions.
Yet after burning the ornament in front of everyone, Houndoom seemed to radiate an indescribable sense of excitement and relief.
"Inferno." Luther's voice rang out with conviction. "Set the entire battlefield ablaze. Show them your true power. This is your stage now. Everyone worked hard to create it for you... the greatest stage possible."
Smoke began rising from the battlefield. Heat shimmered through the air, and the scorching waves forced even Luther to take several steps back.
Ash ordered Snorlax to use Sleep Talk. Snorlax randomly rolled Heavy Slam, launching a surprise attack. But Houndoom lightly leaped aside and avoided it with ease.
The head referee was beginning to sense something familiar. Whenever Luther sent out Houndoom, the battlefield never stayed intact for long.
"He might be watching the broadcast right now. He might even be here in person. Show him. Tell him he's an idiot. He wasted your time. He wasted your ability and your talent. You could've been so much better. You were buried because of his stupidity and short-sightedness."
The night before the match, surrounded by all of his Pokémon, Luther had spoken those words aloud.
"The other five Pokémon will create the opportunity for you. And then you'll be the one who takes the stage."
Houndoom thought he had misheard. The five Pokémon Luther had chosen were equally stunned.
"How many more two-year periods do you think you have left?" Luther had said, gently stroking Houndoom's head. "Even if you went to another region to chase your dream, it wouldn't compare to the Lily of the Valley Conference. After all, this is your hometown."
Old age was a hurdle Houndoom could never overcome. His physique was still well-maintained, but his strength continued to decline.
He was trapped inside an aging body, and his long-held dream was beginning to fade with it. Was simply making an appearance in the main tournament enough?
Luther wouldn't allow something that half-hearted. He had promised Houndoom a stage. Since they had reached the finals, then the finals would be that stage. Even if it cost him the championship, he would accept it. The finals weren't just a place for Luther to prove himself; they were also Houndoom's stage to prove himself.
On the battlefield, pillars of fire burst from the ground around Snorlax, surrounding his massive body. Still asleep, Snorlax began sweating profusely, the moisture immediately evaporating under the intense heat. Even Snorlax's expression twisted in pain. Under the assault of the flames, he woke up before Rest had fully run its course.
Darkrai and Houndoom had never gotten along. Yet after Luther finished speaking the night before, Darkrai had been the first to walk up to Houndoom and give him a nod. And it was Darkrai who had gone all out at the start of the match, fully prepared to pave the way for Houndoom by heavily injuring Ash's Pokémon.
Gardevoir. Chansey. Azumarill. Mismagius. All five Pokémon had fought with everything they had, for Luther's championship, and for Houndoom to become the brightest Pokémon standing on this stage.
Everyone of them trusted Luther without reservation, and they trusted Houndoom to reclaim everything he wanted.
This time, it was five supporting one.
Within the flames, Snorlax opened his mouth. A Hyper Beam locked onto Houndoom.
A chilling howl echoed through the steam-covered battlefield. Everyone who heard it felt a shiver run down their spine.
"People once believed Houndoom's terrifying howl was the call of a grim reaper from hell," Misaki softly recited from the Pokédex entry.
The flames engulfing the battlefield shot into the sky. After the lesson they had learned from Houndoom's previous performance, the broadcast crew had reinforced all the camera positions before the finals. As a result, the live feed remained perfectly clear.
Within the sea of fire, Houndoom's Flamethrower collided head-on with Snorlax's Hyper Beam. Battered by Inferno's extreme heat, Snorlax swayed unsteadily. Even the Hyper Beam itself began to tremble.
Houndoom's Flamethrower resembled a laser beam more than ordinary fire. It steadily pushed the Hyper Beam backward until it reached Snorlax's face. The thunderous crash of Snorlax's massive body hitting the ground made everyone's hearts jump.
Through the haze, Houndoom's eyes glowed red. The look transmitted through the giant screens was enough to make people afraid.
The diligent referees soaked themselves with ice water to cool down before quickly returning to their positions and updating the battle status.
"Snorlax is unable to battle. Houndoom wins."
Nobody cheered. Nobody shouted. Most of the audience was still stunned.
It wasn't as though they had never seen Luther's Houndoom unleash his power before. From the preliminary rounds all the way through his fierce battle against Misaki in the main tournament, Houndoom had consistently displayed incredible strength.
But today was different. Today he looked like a starving beast, greedily devouring every second he could spend on this stage.
Some people were waiting for Houndoom to collapse. His stamina should have reached its limit long ago, anyone who had followed his matches knew that. Some could even estimate how much strength he had left based on which moves he used.
The damaged battlefield slowly rose back into position, yet the arena remained silent. Houndoom's legs had already begun trembling; the cameras captured it clearly. And yet, the exhausted Houndoom remained standing.
On shaking limbs, he paced back and forth beside Luther, almost as if he were urging the battlefield to hurry up and rise.
The moment the arena was ready, Houndoom stepped onto his battlefield once more.
Ash rubbed Sceptile's Poké Ball. What Houndoom had just shown stirred him deeply as a fellow Trainer. He wasn't fatigued or intimidated by Houndoom's presence. He had only one thought: defeat Houndoom and pull the scales of victory back to his side.
Sinnoh carried countless memories for both him and his Pokémon. For the first time in his life, he had reached a League final, and he didn't want his journey to end here.
No matter what opponent stood before him, Sceptile would face them proudly. Houndoom's snarling, fearsome expression didn't frighten Sceptile; instead, it ignited an even stronger desire to win.
Cynthia looked across the battlefield. This kind of complete silence had happened once before. Paul's Electivire and Ash's Infernape had delivered such an incredible battle that the entire stadium had fallen silent, completely immersed in the fight.
Now it was Houndoom versus Sceptile. The trembling in Houndoom's body was impossible to hide, yet flames seemed to burn within his eyes. Even Cynthia wanted to know what was sustaining him at this point.
Some of the frost covering Sceptile's body had melted away, but the injuries he had suffered left his expression looking strained, lending a fierce edge to his features.
The referee swallowed hard. Both sides were ready, yet neither Pokémon made the first move. The oppressive atmosphere was so intense that even he felt nervous.
"Flame Charge!"
"Brick Break!"
Luther and Ash gave their commands at almost exactly the same moment.
Wrapped in flames, Houndoom accelerated. It was hard to believe he could still move at such incredible speed. Sceptile burst forward as well, his hand glowing as he swung a chopping strike toward the charging blaze.
Brick Break slammed into Houndoom's head. His body suddenly dipped, nearly losing his balance, and the flames surrounding him dimmed. His vision blurred, and a deafening ringing filled his ears.
And yet the fire on Houndoom's body refused to go out. Like an eternal flame from legend, the fading embers reignited and burned hotter than before. Driven forward by instinct alone, Houndoom forced his body onward.
Then he felt the impact against his head. The move had connected.
The hand Sceptile used to strike him was still burning hot. The searing pain stabbed deep into Sceptile's arm, but Ash's shout made his blood boil. A green glow began to shine across Sceptile's body.
Overgrow. As his stamina approached its limit, the power of his Grass-type moves increased.
Sceptile lowered his center of gravity. The Leaf Blade on his arm lengthened under the effects of Overgrow. As the seconds passed, green light poured from it like flowing water. The blade grew brighter, sharper, and more solid.
Houndoom could no longer use Overheat. He could no longer use Inferno. His breathing had become ragged and heavy.
"Fire Fang," Luther commanded. If he couldn't finish the battle with a powerful move, then he would end it with the simplest one.
The green blade grew larger and larger in Houndoom's vision. His legs felt as heavy as lead, yet at the very last moment, they moved. He didn't dodge, not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't. Facing that streak of green light, Houndoom lunged forward, like a moth flying toward the only light in the darkness.
Sceptile brought Leaf Blade down mercilessly. Leaf Blade was followed by Fury Cutter, and then he spun smoothly, preparing to finish things with one final strike.
Suddenly, a set of flaming fangs snapped shut. The Houndoom, who should have been knocked down by Leaf Blade, chased the only light left in his fading vision before collapsing. His jaws locked onto the arm wielding the Leaf Blade. Houndoom couldn't see Sceptile, but he could see the Leaf Blade.
Scorching flames erupted from Houndoom's mouth. Luther hadn't given a command; he had assumed Houndoom no longer had the strength to use another move. Yet just before Sceptile could land the finishing blow, Houndoom unleashed a Flamethrower.
"Houndoom, hang on!"
"Come on, Sceptile!"
As their attacks collided, the focus gradually faded from both Pokémon's eyes. The green glow flowing across Sceptile's body slowly receded like a retreating tide. The flames spreading over Houndoom's body also began to die out.
The jaws clamped around Sceptile's arm loosened. The raised Leaf Blade weakened and drooped. Both Pokémon crashed to the ground.
The referee's entire body tingled with tension. He hesitated for several seconds before tightening his grip on the flags in his hands.
"Houndoom and Sceptile are both unable to batt, "
His expression shifted from uncertainty to surprise, and finally to admiration. Something seemed to stir within him, a pure, overwhelming sense of emotion. As though he had just witnessed a legend, the head referee changed his ruling.
"Sceptile is unable to battle. Houndoom wins!"
"Ash has lost all six Pokémon. Therefore, the winner of this Lily of the Valley Conference is Luther of Sandgem Town!"
Houndoom kept his eyes shut. Despite the dizziness and lack of oxygen, he forced himself back onto his feet. Luther had said that winners deserved to enjoy everything they had earned, how could he fall asleep now?
This victory had been built by five teammates who traded their own health and strength without hesitation.
They had wagered everything on him, creating this moment for him. If Luther had wanted to, there were probably smarter, easier ways to win this match. But he had deliberately chosen the harder road, and somehow, the other five Pokémon had accepted that choice too.
For the sake of those five idiots, he had to claim the thing he wanted most.
Cynthia rose to her feet. Diantha stood as well and began applauding softly.
Ash wasn't disappointed by his defeat. Instead, he cheered for Houndoom with all his strength. Even Sceptile, who had briefly lost consciousness from Fire Fang, stood up and walked over. He reached out and helped support Houndoom's exhausted body.
The audience, still stunned by the battle, slowly regained their senses. Applause began to break out, then more and more, until it merged into a thunderous roar that shook the entire stadium.
Luther sprinted onto the field and wrapped his arms around Houndoom's scorching-hot body. Tears poured from his eyes. He wasn't someone who cried easily; he just genuinely didn't know what expression he should wear while facing Houndoom right now.
"We won."
Houndoom gently rubbed his cheek against Luther's face and licked away the tears. At this moment, he had only one wish: that the applause would become even louder, and that it would last just a little longer.
(End of Chapter)
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