"You've already done remarkably well to reach the finals. Even if you can't claim the championship, it won't change the fact that you are my student. So, don't put too much pressure on yourself."
In a quiet corner of the stadium, Elite Four member Agatha spoke to Gu Yuan with a smile.
In the center of the arena, the second semifinal match had just concluded. The winner was Akatsuka, who relied on his Blastoise to secure victory. Even though Blastoise was at a type disadvantage against his opponent's Venusaur, Akatsuka still won, proving his formidable skill.
Facing Akatsuka, Gu Yuan's Charizard would undoubtedly be at a type disadvantage. In terms of overall strength, Akatsuka possessed three quasi-Ace Rank Pokémon, including a dual Dark and Fire-type Houndoom.
One of Houndoom's egg moves was the rare Destiny Bond, which was a significant counter to Gu Yuan's Annihilape. Gu Yuan expected that the moment Annihilape took the field, Akatsuka would deploy Houndoom to force a one-for-one trade, preventing Annihilape from sweeping his team.
From this perspective, Gu Yuan's chances of winning against Akatsuka seemed slim.
"Don't worry. No matter how great the disadvantage, I won't give up. I won't let the pressure of failure get to me."
"Besides, until we clash for real, nobody knows who the final winner will be."
"Just watch. I'll definitely bring home the championship trophy. Just don't forget the reward you promised me," Gu Yuan replied with a grin, showing no signs of nervousness despite witnessing Akatsuka's power.
"Oh? In that case, I'll be looking forward to it."
"If you truly manage to win the championship, I guarantee the reward will satisfy you."
"Alright then, I'm off to study some tactics. Teacher, you better get that reward ready."
After laughing and bidding farewell to Agatha, Gu Yuan returned to the Pokémon Center. He began to plan his lineup for the final showdown.
Gu Yuan's only remaining advantages were Sylveon, who had yet to appear, and one of his other hidden Pokémon like Ceruledge. Conversely, Akatsuka had exposed his full strength during the semifinals.
Akatsuka's team featured his Ace Rank Blastoise, followed by his quasi-Ace Rank Houndoom, Scizor, and Ursaring. His secondary rotation included Crawdaunt, Feraligatr, and Seismitoad. Based on the types, Akatsuka clearly specialized in Water-types.
This meant that if Gu Yuan wanted to use Ceruledge or Skeledirge, he would need to find the perfect timing. Despite this, he remained confident in his victory, as he still had an unplayed trump card!
While Gu Yuan was researching Akatsuka, Akatsuka was doing the same to him. Similar to Mitsuki before, because Gu Yuan had revealed so little of his strength, Akatsuka's tactics were incomplete. He would have to adapt on the fly during the match.
Under intense preparation from both sides, the final match arrived as scheduled.
"Gu Yuan! Gu Yuan! Gu Yuan!"
"Akatsuka! Akatsuka! Akatsuka!"
Inside the stadium, waves of cheers erupted as the audience cheered for their favorite contestants. Under the gaze of thousands, the protective shield rose, enclosing Gu Yuan and Akatsuka and muffling the outside noise.
Looking at the composed expressions of both trainers, the referee nodded in satisfaction and began to read the rules.
"Let the finals begin!"
As the referee's voice fell, Gu Yuan and Akatsuka released their Pokémon simultaneously.
"There it is! Contestant Gu Yuan's Ditto appears once more, while contestant Akatsuka sends out Seismitoad! Can he defeat the Ditto with such an impressive track record?!"
Seismitoad, a Pokémon from the Unova region, was a dual Water and Ground-type. This excellent typing meant it had no weaknesses other than a quadruple weakness to Grass. Akatsuka's Seismitoad also had the Poison Touch ability, giving it a chance to poison opponents upon contact.
"Cacturne, Seed Bomb!"
As the match began, Gu Yuan had Ditto transform into a Cacturne with the Water Absorb ability. This not only gave him a type advantage but also rendered Seismitoad's Water-type moves useless.
"Seismitoad, block it with Muddy Water!"
Swirling, murky water surrounded Seismitoad. Relying on its high move mastery, it used Muddy Water to intercept every seed.
"Charge forward! Clear the path with Seed Bomb!"
Receiving the command, Ditto rushed forward while hurling seeds infused with special energy. Being a Ground-type made it difficult for Seismitoad to learn Ice-type moves, so it was forced to use Mud Shot to counter the bombardment.
Cacturne possessed excellent Attack and Special Attack stats, making Ditto's offensive extremely aggressive. Considering Cacturne's ability, Akatsuka didn't dare use Water-type moves, leaving Seismitoad under constant pressure.
Against the continuous barrage of Seed Bomb, Seismitoad eventually faltered. The super-effective Grass damage forced it back in pain. Knowing Seismitoad was no match for Ditto, Akatsuka began looking for a chance to switch it out. However, Ditto's assault was so relentless that he couldn't find an opening.
"If that's the case, then Seismitoad, I'm counting on you to hang on and drain Ditto's stamina!"
Failing to find a window to switch, Akatsuka pivoted to a defensive strategy. He hoped that if Ditto maintained this intensity, its stamina would eventually deplete.
"Ditto, Energy Ball!"
"Seismitoad, block it with Hyper Voice, then a final Ice Beam!"
Sound waves rippled out, shattering the Energy Ball. Immediately after, a beam filled with freezing energy shot out. Akatsuka had maintained a strong defensive posture just to lure Ditto into a false sense of security, and the sudden counter caught Ditto off guard.
Gu Yuan decided to trade damage for damage. He had Ditto lob Seed Bomb high into the air, which then rained down around Seismitoad, knocking it out completely. Conversely, Seismitoad's Ice Beam struck Ditto, dealing heavy damage to the already exhausted Pokémon.
"You did great, Seismitoad. Next, I'm counting on you, Scizor!"
Quickly swapping Pokémon, Akatsuka launched his second wave of offense.
"Ditto, Spikes, then use Ingrain!"
Invisible sharp spikes were scattered across the battlefield. The next time Akatsuka switched Pokémon, they would take damage instantly. Then, roots sprouted from Ditto's feet, anchoring it to the ground to continuously restore its stamina.
At that moment, Scizor charged forward using Agility.
"Ditto, Leaf Storm!"
After using Ingrain, Ditto had become a sitting duck. Gu Yuan had to use a high-power move to prevent Scizor from closing in.
"Use Iron Head and X-Scissor to charge straight through!"
Receiving the order, Scizor showed no fear and dove directly into the emerald gale.