A terrifying Hydro Pump roared forth, and Blaziken's pupils contracted sharply.
The distance between them was too close, and the water jet was far too fast—there was no time to dodge.
In that critical moment, Blaziken could only raise its arms to shield itself.
Even so, the torrent blasted it back more than ten meters, its claws carving deep furrows into the ground as it skidded backward.
Dust clouds billowed into the air…
Blaziken retaliated with three furious punches, three successive Thunder Punches that sent Azumarill staggering back five meters.
But Azumarill countered with a single Hydro Pump, blasting Blaziken more than ten meters away!
The exchange left both sides grievously wounded.
Azumarill was covered in bruises, but Blaziken was in far worse condition—its breath came ragged and shallow.
It was clear whose injuries were heavier.
Of course, that was only because Blaziken was… "too fragile" in comparison.
Azumarill's natural constitution gave it monstrous endurance. Even after tanking three Thunder Punches, it still stood its ground.
At the same time, Azumarill's strength was overwhelming—a single Hydro Pump had left Blaziken reeling.
Blaziken was by no means a fragile Pokémon. But compared to the absurd resilience of Azumarill, it might as well have been. Nothing highlights weakness more than direct comparison.
"Blaziken!" Harrison's expression twisted bitterly as he saw his partner panting, the pain and fatigue in its eyes cutting into his own heart. He felt a wave of regret crush him.
If only he had sent Blaziken out against Azumarill earlier… Even if Blaziken had been defeated, he would still have had three trump cards in reserve to clean up! With that, Azumarill could have been eliminated for sure.
But now… it was too late.
Harrison let out a heavy sigh, then steeled himself. It was pointless to dwell on mistakes. What mattered now was giving his all.
He hadn't lost yet, had he?
And Blaziken—Mega Blaziken—still had fight left in it!
While Harrison was rallying his heart, Yozora gave his command again:
"Azumarill, use Surf!"
"Whaaah!" Water surged beneath Azumarill's feet, carrying it upward on a towering wave.
From high above, it looked like a colossal beast bearing down on Blaziken.
Harrison didn't flinch. He roared back:"Jump! Blaziken, unleash your final Blaze Kick!"
Blaziken leapt skyward with explosive power, its right leg igniting as it lashed out toward Azumarill.
But to Yozora, Surf had never been meant as the finishing blow. It was only a means of closing distance. He shouted immediately:
"Now, Azumarill—Ice Punch with everything you've got!"
Frost crackled violently as Azumarill raised its glowing fist and struck downward with the force of the crashing wave.
"BOOM—!"
Ice Punch and Blaze Kick collided head-on.
The resulting detonation shook the battlefield, shrouding it in rolling smoke.
When the haze finally cleared, both Azumarill and Blaziken lay sprawled on the ground—unconscious.
"Azumarill and Blaziken are both unable to battle!" the referee declared.
The arena erupted into chaos.
A draw?! No one had expected this outcome.
The referee raised his voice once more:"Since Harrison has no remaining Pokémon, the victory goes to Yozora!"
"Congratulations to Yozora for advancing to the finals!" the announcer cried.
The crowd went wild. Only now did they realize—Yozora had used only five Pokémon so far. He still had one left unused!
"Yozora's incredible!"
"He did it! The finals are next!"
"Go! Go! Go!"
The stadium thundered with cheers.
On the other side, Harrison could only give a wry smile. He hadn't expected Blaziken to single-handedly fight Azumarill to a standstill.
He had underestimated Mega Blaziken's power far too much.
If he had known earlier, he would have led with Blaziken. Then he'd still have three Pokémon in reserve at this moment.
"The pressure got to me. I lost confidence in my ace… That's why I lost this match." Yeyue exhaled deeply, then regained his composure. He walked forward personally to offer Yozora his congratulations.
Yozora thanked him sincerely, then withdrew to the stands to watch the second semifinal.
Takao vs. Dushe.
Both were fierce opponents, but Takao's Tyranitar had bulldozed its way through the tournament. Even in the semifinals, he dominated with relative ease.
Still, to defeat Dushe, Takao had been forced to use all six of his Pokémon, revealing his entire arsenal. His ace was, of course, Tyranitar.
The final match was scheduled three days later.
During that time, Yozora only spent a short while finalizing his lineup, then relaxed.
After all, his Johto team wasn't large. Counting Gyarados, it numbered only eleven.
And he refused to rely on old members, so his options were limited anyway.
Besides, this was the grand finale. Dragonite, Eevee, Suicune, and Azumarill were absolute musts. That left him only two slots to consider—an easy decision.
Soon enough, the Silver Conference Grand Finals arrived. The stands were packed to capacity, the atmosphere electric.
"Now, please welcome our two finalists—Yozora and Takao! The ultimate champion, the final glory, will be decided between them!" the announcer bellowed, and the crowd exploded into frenzy.
From opposite tunnels, Yozora and Takao emerged—Yozora from the blue side, Takao from the red.
Yozora looked every bit the young prodigy: barely two years into his journey, still carrying traces of youthful innocence.
Takao, on the other hand, was exactly as his name implied—tall, broad-shouldered, around thirty years of age, a seasoned trainer with immense battle experience.
"According to the rules, the red side will send out their Pokémon first," the referee announced.
Without hesitation, Takao hurled his Poké Ball."Go, Ursaring!"
In a flash of light, a massive one-eyed Ursaring appeared, radiating raw dominance. Its missing eye gave it an even fiercer aura than normal.
Yozora studied it carefully. Its strength was formidable—Elite-tier, upper high level.
That was already extremely high, especially for Takao's opening Pokémon.
By contrast, aside from Dragonite, Eevee, Suicune, and Azumarill, none of Yozora's Johto team had reached such heights. Most were only early Elite tier, with a handful at mid-tier.
Eevee, once it evolved, would reach high Elite.
Dragonite stood at Elite peak.
Azumarill was low Elite Four tier.
Suicune—mid Elite Four tier.
"Your turn, Steelix!" Yozora called, sending out his Crystal Steelix.
The audience gasped as the crystalline giant coiled onto the field.
"Wait, is that a Shiny Steelix?!"
"A crystal-colored Shiny? No way—that's insanely rare!"
"I've never even heard of such a coloration… Maybe it's not a Shiny at all, but a mutation!"
No one had expected Yozora to reveal such a rare Pokémon in the very finals.
"Hmph. Shiny or not, talent doesn't equal strength," Takao sneered. His experienced eyes instantly gauged its level—early Elite tier.
Far below his Ursaring.
"The battle between Steelix and Ursaring begins now!" the referee declared.
Takao barked his order first:"Ursaring, Hyper Beam!"
A golden beam lanced forth at frightening speed.
"What—? Right from the start?!" Yozora's brows furrowed. The attack was too fast—he barely had time to react before it slammed into Crystal Steelix.
The explosion rocked the arena, blasting Steelix backward with a pained roar.
Its defenses were legendary, strong enough to match even late Elite. But Ursaring was stronger still—and Hyper Beam was a devastating move.
The damage was undeniable.
"Hyper Beam landed directly! What overwhelming force—Takao wastes no time pulling out his strongest attacks!" the announcer shouted in awe.
"Now, Ursaring—Brick Break!" Takao followed up mercilessly.
The crowd gasped. Hyper Beam was known for its severe recoil: the user should be immobilized after firing.
Yet Takao's Ursaring charged forward without hesitation, fists glowing.
It had mastered the move so thoroughly that its so-called weakness no longer applied!
"Steelix, Iron Defense!" Yozora countered swiftly.
With a metallic shimmer, Crystal Steelix's body gleamed like polished steel, its defenses surging.
The Hyper Beam it had just endured triggered its Stamina ability, boosting defense further. Combined with Iron Defense, its durability skyrocketed—three full stages in total.
In other words, Steelix's already monstrous defense had doubled.
Ursaring slammed down with Brick Break after Brick Break.
But Steelix didn't budge.
Its defense had reached Elite Four levels—nearly impregnable.
Even with type advantage, even with quadruple damage, Ursaring's strikes barely scratched it.
Each hit only triggered Stamina again, raising its defense even higher.
Step by step, Crystal Steelix's armor reached its absolute peak: six boosts in total. Its defense had become utterly terrifying.
To the spectators, it looked as though Ursaring's savage blows were nothing more than tickling.
"My god—Crystal Steelix's defense is insane! Aside from that opening Hyper Beam, Ursaring hasn't been able to leave a mark!" the announcer roared, as the stadium erupted once more.
"Damn it… What kind of defense is this?!" Takao's eyes narrowed as frustration mounted.
"Hmph. If Hyper Beam worked once, then I'll keep using it!" He grit his teeth, preparing to strike again—
But Yozora gave the command first."Steelix—Iron Tail!"
With a mighty sweep, Steelix's crystalline tail smashed into Ursaring, sending it flying. The bear roared in pain as it crashed through the air.
Before it could recover, Yozora struck again:"Finish it—Rock Tomb!"
"RUMBLE—!" Enormous boulders slammed down, pinning Ursaring beneath their weight.
"Ursaring!" Takao cried out.
The beast forced one last surge of strength, shoving aside the rocks. But its eyes rolled white—it collapsed unconscious.
"The teamwork between Yozora and his Crystal Steelix is flawless! What a display!"
All eyes turned to Takao.
If even Ursaring couldn't pierce that defense… what could?
Takao's face darkened. His remaining Pokémon were strong, yes, but not stronger than Ursaring. None could match Steelix's impregnable wall.
Except one.
"Go, Tyranitar!" Takao declared at last, throwing his trump card.
(End of Chapter)