Chapter 218: The Final Champion
During halftime, Ryan pondered his strategy in the rest room. Ash's Pikachu was practically weakened and not a major threat; the next challenge would be Articuno and Zapdos. His remaining three were Rayquaza, Groudon, and Kyogre. These three had been well-trained under their respective masters, and it was time for them to take the stage.
The break quickly passed, and the second half of the match moved to the Grass Field. Once the Grass Field was set up, Ryan and Ash sent out their Pokémon.
Groudon faced Zapdos. Although Groudon was only a little over two meters tall, its strength was considerable. Its Desolate Land ability activated, igniting intense sunlight and turning the entire Grass Field into a sweltering heatwave, withering all the grass.
"Zapdos, Drill Peck!" Ash said, frowning as he watched Groudon.
Electric versus Ground—a natural disadvantage! Zapdos spun rapidly, charging towards Groudon. Groudon didn't dodge; Zapdos's Drill Peck struck directly. Then, Groudon grabbed Zapdos's sharp beak and slammed it to the ground.
Groudon's body shimmered with the glow of magma, and then sharp blades coated in magma shot out from the ground. The blades struck Zapdos, instantly causing a series of explosions, making Zapdos cry out in pain. One Precipice Blades taught Zapdos a lesson!
Little Groudon recalled its master's teachings: since it couldn't fly, how could it deal with opponents in the air?
Groudon's strategy: Shoot them down! If you can't shoot them down, use Gravity to bring them all down and pummel them on the ground! If one Precipice Blades isn't enough, then use another one!
Little Groudon strictly followed its master's teachings. After one Precipice Blades, it found that Zapdos was still standing, so it used another one!
Another series of explosions ensued, and Zapdos collapsed in utter defeat. Although Groudon managed to overwhelm its opponent, the explosive force still injured it. However, the excitement of defeating a powerful foe made these minor injuries insignificant.
"Zapdos is unable to battle! Ash, please switch Pokémon!"
With the referee's voice, Ash recalled Zapdos, and Ryan also recalled Groudon. After all, Groudon was also injured, and Ryan knew without a doubt that Articuno would be next. It was better to recall Groudon.
"Please, Articuno."
"Rayquaza, show your power!"
Two Pokémon, one blue and one green, appeared before everyone. Rayquaza had grown rapidly, reaching a length of five meters, not far from the seven meters of its predecessor. Its massive body floated in the air, its gaze fixed intently on Articuno.
"Rayquaza? The opponent is Articuno, why send Rayquaza? Articuno is an Ice-type, isn't it super effective against Dragon-type Rayquaza?" Sapphire asked, puzzled.
Lillie explained, "Ryan has considered this. Groudon took a lot of damage to defeat Zapdos. If it goes head-to-head with Articuno, it might suffer a loss. As for Kyogre, its Primordial Sea ability will turn the weather into heavy rain, which is the best weather for Articuno, which has Sheer Cold. It might get taken out by Articuno's Sheer Cold. In comparison, Rayquaza is a safer bet."
"Besides, did you guys forget? Didn't Ryan say he's always wanted to try that move? This opponent is perfect for him to try it out," Ruby said.
Brock and Serena were confused, but from their words, it wasn't hard to tell that Ryan was going to use a powerful move. The two couldn't help but worry about Ash.
"Rayquaza, Dragon Ascent!" Ryan said.
"Agility to dodge!" Ash shouted.
Rayquaza flew to a high position, a green aura surrounding its body, and then charged forward to collide with Articuno. Articuno quickly dodged using Agility, simultaneously flapping its wings and creating a violent Blizzard.
However, Rayquaza, with a perfect Dragon Ascent, Mega Evolved into Mega Rayquaza, activating its Delta Stream ability. A massive amount of turbulence instantly swirled across the field, scattering Articuno's Blizzard in all directions. By the time it hit Rayquaza, its power was negligible.
Ryan laughed and said, "Then let's try this move. I've always wanted to try it, but unfortunately, I couldn't use it last time. Ash, be careful!"
He then revealed the Z-Power Ring on his wrist, inlaid with a fiery red Fire-type Z-Crystal. Ryan assumed a Fire-type Z-Pose and said, "Don't pass out! Inferno Overdrive!"
Mega Rayquaza opened its massive jaws, a huge fireball condensing in front of its mouth. The fireball gradually expanded, and a scorching wave of heat swept across the entire area.
"Damn it, this might be too much!" Ryan, seeing the enormous Inferno Overdrive, realized that the attack seemed to have exceeded expectations.
Just as he was getting anxious, Ryan saw a small, pink figure, smiled, and said, "Fire!!!"
Ash, seeing the enormous fireball, was also shocked. But he couldn't afford to be distracted; the fireball had already shot towards Articuno. Ash immediately had Articuno use Sheer Cold to counter the fireball, but the effect was minimal; the fireball was reduced slightly, but it didn't have much of an impact.
"Articuno, Protect!" With no other options, Ash could only hope that Protect could block this attack!
The Inferno Overdrive successfully hit Articuno's Protect shield, but this also detonated the Z-Move, and fierce flames scattered in all directions, scaring everyone into backing away.
But a miraculous thing happened: a transparent light barrier blocked the explosion's flames, preventing them from spreading to the stands.
Ryan erected a psychic shield in the arena, blocking the flames. However, the suffocating feeling of losing all oxygen for a moment still left him shaken.
The flames gradually dissipated, and Articuno lay helplessly on the charred ground. Ash and the referee were also protected by the light barrier and were unharmed.
"Ar... Articuno is unable to battle... Ash, please switch Pokémon!" The referee was terrified and stammered.
Ash silently recalled Articuno, glanced at Ryan, and sighed, saying, "Pikachu, I'm entrusting everything to you."
Pikachu nodded and ran onto the battle field. After resting, its power had recovered considerably, but it was no match for Mega Rayquaza.
It withstood two Thunderbolts from Pikachu, and Extreme Speed directly knocked Pikachu out of battle.
"Pikachu is unable to battle! Rayquaza wins! Therefore, the champion of this Ever Grande Tournament is: Ryan from Pallet Town!"
With the referee raising the flag, the Ever Grande Tournament officially came to a close. Ryan won the tournament once again. Ash walked over and shook hands with Ryan, saying, "Sigh, I still lost to you."
"Ash, go watch from the stands. I have another match to fight," Ryan said.
"Another match?" Ash was confused. Ryan smiled slightly, recalled Rayquaza, and looked towards the commentary area.
Lance was looking at Ryan through the window. Ryan smiled at him and mouthed: "Come on down, our match is about to begin!"
(End of Chapter)
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