At the exact point where Garchomp's twin blades and razor fangs crossed, a glowing sphere of unstable energy began to form—expanding and contracting as if it contained the very power to annihilate everything.
Just looking at it weighed on the soul, giving off an oppressive aura so heavy that even the blazing sun above seemed dim, swallowed by the dragon's overwhelming might.
The atmosphere spun in a counter-clockwise spiral, as if dragged into the vortex of power. The energy of dragons surged to its very peak, sand and debris lifted by the spiraling winds blanketed the sky, smothering all light.
Red's mouth went dry. His wide eyes were locked onto the glowing orb above, swelling with destructive force. He knew it clearly: when that sphere descended from the heavens, it would mean his defeat.
And yet,Red was not the kind of person to admit defeat so easily.
Which was why he made one final, desperate gamble.
"Snorlax—stop that Garchomp!"
The forgotten giant who had been lying motionless at the edge of the battlefield stirred. Snorlax's body was covered in burns and scars from earlier electric shocks. Resting had not been enough to heal its injuries, but it had recovered just enough strength for one last strike.
This was Red's hidden card—the trump he had reserved for the very last moment.
Snorlax shifted from its lazy reclining posture into a sprinter's crouch, its normally sleepy eyes sharp and lethal. Locked on the massive dragon gathering energy in the sky, it prepared for the charge.
"Go, Snorlax—Giga Impact!!"
Red's roar cracked the air, filled with both desperation and determination.
In the next heartbeat, Snorlax launched like a living cannonball. Its feet smashed the tiles beneath into rubble as it hurled forward, propelled by raw force, its massive frame a warhead crashing toward Garchomp. This was its last, all-or-nothing blow!
"Finally! Red—you really thought I'd forget about that Snorlax?!"
Logan's lips curled into a confident smile. At that moment, the flaming Jolteon racing across the field suddenly shimmered and shifted—transforming into Espeon. With a flash of psychic light, it teleported directly between Garchomp and Snorlax.
Logan had been prepared. He knew this move was coming.
"Reflect!!"
A translucent barrier shimmered into existence between the two titans, fragile-looking, like a thin pane of glass.
But Red's pupils shrank.
"Half-Reflect again…!"
He knew instantly. Logan had predicted Snorlax's charge long before it came.
"BOOM—!!"
The Reflect wall shook violently but held. Snorlax's full-body slam hit with earth-shattering force, enough to make even Espeon behind it grunt from the impact. Yet, the rebound was merciless. Snorlax was flung backward at even greater speed than its launch, crashing into the stadium wall with a thunderous crack that shattered stone.
Snorlax collapsed, unconscious.
Red clenched his fists. His last card had fallen.
There was no longer any way to stop Garchomp.
And so, with grim determination,Red turned to his last two partners.
"Pikachu! Venusaur! All-out attack! Thunderbolt!! Solar Beam!!"
If he couldn't stop the dragon's ultimate move, then he would meet it head-on.
Across the field, Logan raised his hand high, his voice calm, commanding.
"This ultimate move is still unstable. It takes too long to charge… If your Pokémon weren't already so badly injured, or if you had space to escape, this wouldn't be the right time to use it."
He paused, then his gaze hardened.
"But here—Red, let me show you your greatest weakness. You have talent, yes, but when forced into a corner with no escape, when it comes down to pure power—that's where the difference truly shows."
He swung his arm down with authority.
"Garchomp—Meteor Shower!!"
At that moment, over two hundred thousand spectators surged to their feet as one.
In homes across the world, billions watching through televisions and streams leaned forward, breath held.
The sky darkened, as though night had swallowed the sun. Then—stars burst forth in countless thousands, streaking like burning dragons across the heavens.
And then they fell.
The colossal battlefield, spanning fifty acres, was swallowed whole in a rain of meteors. Each blazing star trailed a brilliant tail, crashing down with unstoppable might, a cosmic deluge that turned the stadium into a celestial apocalypse.
It was no longer a battle move—it was a bombardment. A carpet of destruction so fierce it could have leveled an entire mountain range.
From below, Pikachu's lightning and Venusaur's Solar Beam shot upward, piercing the storm in a desperate bid. The combined power of Red's last two warriors was incredible, breaking through dozens of meteors in a radiant blast.
But there were too many.
The meteor shower drowned their light, overwhelmed their strength, and consumed their final attack.
And then—
"BOOOOOOMMMMM——!!"
The impact was deafening. Meteors slammed into the earth, first silent, then followed by endless explosions that rattled the bones of every spectator. The shockwaves tore through the stadium, the protective barriers trembling on the edge of collapse.
The light was blinding. The roar unceasing. For a full minute, the world itself seemed to be torn apart.
And when the smoke cleared, silence fell.
The battlefield was gone. The once-grand stage was reduced to a shattered wasteland, pockmarked with craters still smoking, the ground broken beyond recognition. The League would have to rebuild the entire stadium from scratch.
Only the trainers' platforms remained standing. Had this been a real death match, Red and his team would have been obliterated.
Logan gazed over the devastation, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. This was the pinnacle of dragon might. Garchomp's Draco Meteor—the strongest dragon technique. The destructive power was breathtaking, even if Garchomp could barely control it.
In the ruins, Venusaur lay overturned, unconscious. Next to it, Pikachu's tiny body lay battered and bruised. And yet—
"…Pika…"
With a trembling cry, Pikachu pushed rubble off its back, staggering upright on shaky legs. Bloodied, broken, but still sparking faint electricity from its cheeks, it refused to yield.
"Pikachu!"
Red's voice cracked, eyes wet.
"Pika!"
The little Pokémon's gaze burned with determination. No matter how battered it was, it still declared: I can fight.
On Garchomp's head, Espeon's tail swayed, psychic energy warping the air. One more strike would end Pikachu for good.
Red's expression shifted. His joy melted into solemnity. Silence lingered for long seconds—then he smiled, a smile of release, of growth.
"…Logan, you said it in the first battle. Rather than let my Pokémon suffer for my pride, a true trainer must know when to step down. In the past, I would've pushed Pikachu on. But this time—"
Red's voice broke. Tears streamed down his face.
"I surrender!"
With that single declaration, his body sagged, collapsing onto the trainer's platform. Exhaustion and heartbreak mingled, but also something new—growth.
In the stands, Delia, Red's mother, pressed her hands over her mouth, tears streaming. Yet, she smiled with pride.
Silence held for only a heartbeat. Then the stadium erupted—
"RED SURRENDERS!! THE MATCH IS OVER!!"
"The champion of the Indigo Plateau Conference, the first under the new system, the winner of the fifteenth Pokémon League is—Logan, from Pallet Town!!"
The announcement shook the skies.
"For the next three years, until the next challenge, Logan is the undisputed Champion of both Kanto and Johto!!"
"Tonight—belongs to the Champion!! Congratulations, Champion Logan!!"
The League President himself grabbed the microphone, bellowing with a voice that seemed impossibly large for his frame.
"CHAMPION! CHAMPION! CHAMPION!!"
The chant spread like wildfire.
Two hundred thousand voices roared as one, shaking the heavens.
Logan had ascended.
The new Dragon Champion had been born.
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