Episode 53: The Fiercest Rival, Part 2

Niko sat down on his bed, up in the trio's suite. Minutes ago, he found out he'd be facing Elliot in the semifinals. It hardly occurred to him that he had finally progressed through the Pokémon League, and likely because the next obstacle in his way was more daunting than virtually every trainer he'd fought before, save for Hunter.

"But if I can beat Hunter, then I can beat Elliot." Niko said to himself. Some of his Pokémon were sitting in the suite with him. He had an idea of who he wanted to battle with him this time. Knowing Elliot, Niko managed to figure out most of his team, based on past encounters. "Scizor will be there for sure, and I'm sure his Zweilous will be, too. Probably Poliwrath, if he takes my challenge seriously. Emboar is another possibility, too…"

Niko spent nearly half an hour trying to map out the types of Pokémon he should use. He didn't want to throw in Magmortar again, and Numel and Lampent were not strong enough to take on Scizor. No, for Scizor Niko would have to rely on raw power and skill, not type advantages. Elliot's Scizor was a completely different Pokémon altogether, and it's likely gotten stronger since his last encounter with the Pincer Pokémon.

Eventually, he heard a rapping on the door. Outside were Charlotte, Warren, and Sydney. "What's up?" Niko asked. He knew his friends wanted to give him some alone time to strategize, and he took that opportunity.

"Saria and Harmony's match is starting now, so you don't have too much time left." Warren said urgently.

"Got it. I'm ready." Niko said confidently, running back to his bed to pick up the six pokéballs he planned to use in the upcoming battle.

"You sure?" Warren wondered.

"Of course he is." Charlotte commented. "He just said so!"

"Right…" Warren said, making way for Niko as the four of them walked down towards the stadium lobby, where they waited for the match to finish before it was Niko's turn.

"Serperior is unable to battle, Infernape is the winner!" They heard the referee announce on the television in the lobby. "The victory goes to Harmony from Black City!"

"So…you're up, Niko." Warren said. "Good luck, man."

"Good luck!" Sydney said, the couple each hugging Niko.

"Kick ass." Charlotte said, patting Niko on the arm.

"Thanks. I can do this." He smiled before walking from the lobby towards the tunnel. He had no idea what he was about to get into.

"And for our second and final semifinal match, we have Niko from Pallet Town and Elliot from Viridian City!" Colton Goodshow announced to the crowd. Cheering erupted in the stands as Niko and Elliot took opposite sides of a rocky battlefield. "Both of these trainers have graced us with some incredibly entertaining matches so far, so let's see what they bring to the table this time!"

Like always, the referee explained the rules, while Niko and Elliot both held a pokéball in their hands, ready to go.

"Emboar, I choose you!" Elliot commanded, throwing a pokéball out onto the field. Out of it erupted the familiar-looking fire pig that Niko had seen previously.

"Braviary, let's go!" Niko shouted, summoning the Valiant Pokémon. "Let's get off to a good start, buddy! Use aerial ace!"

"Flare blitz!" Elliot commanded. Emboar's body lit up in flames as it charged at Braviary. The two Pokémon collided, knocking the Valiant Pokémon backwards and onto the ground, where he nearly hit a pointed rock. "Head smash!"

"Braviary, dodge and use aerial ace!" Niko shouted. Braviary quickly got back into the air a Emboar crashed into the rock behind it, shattering it into hundreds of smaller pieces. Braviary then crashed down into the Mega Fire Pig Pokémon's side, knocking it onto its right side, just as it grabbed Braviary and threw it across the battlefield and into a larger rock. "Hone claws!" Niko said, noticing that Elliot and Emboar weren't doing anything. That's odd…why isn't he attacking?

Braviary finished sharpening his claws when he noticed it as well, turning to Niko for an explanation. Getting none, the Valiant Pokémon took matters into his own hands and charged at Emboar with aerial ace. The white tendrils erupted out of his beak, covering the length of his body, when he crashed into Emboar. Just then, the fire pig charged across the battlefield, grabbing onto Braviary's wings and holding onto them tightly. Both of them slammed into another rock and breaking through it before Emboar threw the Valiant Pokémon onto the ground.

"Flamethrower!" Elliot commanded, and his Pokémon opened up and unleashed a jet of fire at Braviary, engulfing it in flames.

"Brave bird!" Niko shouted, and suddenly saw a bright blue aura burst out from the fire and hit Emboar, knocking it onto its back. "Crush claw!"

"Assurance!" Elliot shouted, but it was too late. Braviary's claws, illuminating a bright blue color, slashed at Emboar, leaving marks just like the burns inflicted on him from the previous fire attack. Braviary then rose into the air and finished with an air cutter, quickly defeating the Emboar.

"Emboar is unable to battle, Braviary is the winner! Elliot will use his second Pokémon!" The referee declared.

"Return, Emboar. I should have figured, Niko, that you'd start off with a flying type. Last we battled, you seemed to have an affection for them." He said, almost pleasantly. "I thought head smash would be enough. Guess not. Mienshao, you're up!"

"Another fighting type?" Niko muttered to himself. This is odd, coming from someone who values type advantages. Maybe that's his strategy? To throw me off by ignoring his own advice? "Alright then, Braviary, let's continue! Use aerial ace!"

"Wide guard!" Elliot shouted. Mienshao—a white and long-bodied Pokémon with a small head and long arms that look to be covered in white and purple fur—summoned a long-ranging protective shield around itself that Braviary was unable to penetrate, regardless of how many times or angles he tried. "Now, force palm!"

Mienshao thrust its arm out and, using some odd form of energy, threw Braviary across the field. Elliot then commanded it to use bounce, to which it responded by leaping high into the air and crashing down onto Braviary, who was too slow to retaliate. Mienshao leapt off of the Valiant Pokémon, who finally got back up and stumbled a little before, on Niko's command, thrust forward and used aerial ace, this time successfully landing his attack and knocking Mienshao backwards.

"Brave bird!" Niko shouted, knowing that Braviary would withstand the attack. The Valiant Pokémon rose high into the air before circling back towards Mienshao and crash-landing into it, kicking up a large cloud of dust.

Once it dissipated, however, only Braviary was sitting there, bruised and burnt. Mienshao, on the other hand, was in the air—it had used bounce again. The Martial Arts Pokémon struck Braviary in the back upon landing, kicking up more dust once again.

"You can keep going, Braviary. I believe you can." Niko said loud enough for his Pokémon to hear. "You never give up, do you?"

Braviary rose up, shaking his head. Niko then noticed his claws burst into a blue aura as he rose into the air, spun around, and slashed and clawed at Mienshao, who blocked each attack with the bent clump of fur hanging off of the tips of her hands. Braviary then dove in to use another brave bird, and Mienshao struck him in the face with what looked like drain punch, launching the Valiant Pokémon backwards, and into an already-shattered rock.

"Braviary is unable to battle, Mienshao is the winner! Niko will send out his next Pokémon!" The referee declared.

"Braviary, return. You did well, buddy. Feraligatr, I choose you!" Niko shouted, summoning his Big Jaw Pokémon. "You ready for this?" Feraligatr turned and nodded before staring down his opponent. "Use hydro pump!"

"Mienshao, dodge with bounce!" Elliot commanded. The Martial Arts Pokémon leapt high into the air, momentarily blocking out the sun before quickly descending to the ground. Feraligatr, for all intents and purposes, was prepared—his fist was now frozen.

"Ice punch!" Niko commanded. Feraligatr's chilled fist met with Mienshao's feet, creating a powerful impact that produced light shock waves. "Now, crunch!"

Feraligatr thrust his body forward and snapped at Mienshao, who dodged and kicked the Big Jaw Pokémon in the face before flipping backwards and gracefully landing on the ground. Niko then commanded his Pokémon to use whirlpool, to which Mienshao retaliated with wide guard and blocked the move. Niko grit his teeth—this Pokémon was tough, that's for sure.

"Feraligatr, hydro pump!" Niko shouted. Once more, Mienshao used bounce to flee the attack, quickly descending to strike at its opponent. This time, Niko and Feraligatr didn't respond with ice punch. "Hydro pump again!" He called out, thrusting his hand forward. Feraligatr unleashed another burst of water at his opponent, this time knocking Mienshao onto the ground. "Whirlpool!"

The Big Jaw Pokémon summoned a massive vortex of swirling water and hurled it at his opponent. Mienshao, in shock from the hydro pump, found itself caught up in the vortex, spinning around aggressively before being launched out and onto the dusty ground behind it, struggling to get back up.

"Mienshao, get back up!" Elliot commanded. "You can do this! Let's go" But Mienshao was unable to move.

"Mienshao is unable to battle, Feraligatr is the winner! Elliot will send out his third Pokémon!" The referee declared.

"Hm." Warren said, sitting back. "Not bad."

"Just wait, though…" Charlotte said. "From what we know about Elliot, he's got far stronger Pokémon with him."

"Golurk, I choose you!" Elliot shouted, summoning a large, automaton Pokémon that resembled a suit of armor. It was mainly teal in color with yellow swirls on its shoulders and hands. It has a small head compared with its body, and pale yellow eyes. There was a massive crack across its chest, which was patched diagonally with a brown object that resembled a belt. It had a Roman armor-like skirt and flat feet beneath it.

"Feraligatr, return." Niko said, exchanging pokéballs. He had gotten quite used to substituting, and understood why Elliot used to do it more than he did. Yet, it seemed like the roles were reversed this time. "Venusaur, I choose you!" He shouted, summoning the Seed Pokémon.

"Ice punch, Golurk!" Elliot commanded. The Automaton Pokémon charged across the field, its fist covered in ice. Meanwhile, Venusaur braced himself, ready for whatever Niko wanted him to do.

"Wait for it…" Niko muttered softly, enough that Venusaur could hear him. "Now! Stun spore!"

Out of the flower on Venusaur's back came a small cloud of yellow dust that floated through the air. Golurk tried to dodge it, but nearly tripped on itself in the process. Ultimately, it ended up temporarily stunned by the spores.

"Razor leaf!" Niko shouted. Venusaur shook his body, summoning razor-sharp leaves from the flower and directed them at Golurk, who took the hit without complain. "Now, solarbeam!"

Venusaur's flower began to lightly illuminate as he collected energy for the attack. Meanwhile, Golurk struggled to move. Elliot, on the other hand, was completely silent. He knew what was coming. The stream of solar energy, nearly a minute later, launched forward at Golurk, shooting it backwards across the field and onto its back.

"Earthquake!" Elliot shouted. Golurk, while still on the ground, rumbled the area around it, enough to shake Venusaur as well.

"Frenzy plant!" Niko commanded.

"Oh?" Elliot asked, somewhat surprised. "That's right—Fay told me about this. Golurk, ice punch the roots!" He shouted as a dozen large, spiked roots erupted out of the ground and shot at the Automaton Pokémon. Golurk managed to hit some of them, freezing them with its cold touch, but was slapped around by others and eventually knocked off of its feet and onto the ground in defeat.

"Golurk is unable to battle, Venusaur is the winner!" The referee declared. "Elliot will now use his fourth Pokémon!

"Return, Golurk. Niko, I'm impressed." He said. "I don't know if you could tell, but I've been trying out a different strategy. It's the one you used against me—no switching. Isn't working out quite well for me, I've realized."

"There's still a lot of battle left, Elliot." Niko said with a smirk. "We'll see."

"Poliwrath, let's go!" Elliot shouted.

"Venusaur, return." Niko said. The Seed Pokémon needed to rest after using that frenzy plant. He didn't want it going up against Elliot's powerful Poliwrath just yet. "Eelektross, I choose you!"

"Fair enough." Elliot said, looking a little frustrated. "Poliwrath, brick break!"

"Eelektross, coil!" Niko shouted. The EleFish Pokémon wrapped himself up, lightly illuminating his body in a white, translucent glow. Poliwrath, meanwhile, charged across the field and jumped into the air, its hand straight and glowing, before landing the attack on Eelektross, who on contact summoned a thunderbolt that launched Poliwrath backwards. "Now, wild charge!"

"Poliwrath, hydro pump!" Elliot commanded. The jet of high-pressure water hit the electrically-charged Eelektross, causing an explosion that only seemed to hurt the latter. Eelektross was send backwards and into the ground, smoke billowing from around him. "Now, brick break!"

"Eelektross, coil!" Niko shouted. The EleFish once more coiled up, this time more in protection from the brick break. Again, he sent out a thunderbolt that resulted in a repeat of their first encounter. Instead, though, Eelektross used charge beam instead of wild charge, which momentarily stunned Poliwrath. Seeing his opportunity open up, Niko nodded to Eelektross. "Wild charge!"

"Poliwrath! Use hydro pump!" Elliot shouted, almost in a panic. Eelektross charged forward, ready to collide with his opponent. Meanwhile, Poliwrath was paralyzed, unable to move. However, just before Eelektross struck, the Tadpole Pokémon unexpectedly shot out hydro pump, but as close range. The resulting attack repelled both Pokémon backwards towards their trainers. The powerful Poliwrath and the less experienced, but advantaged Eelektross lay on the ground several dozens of feet from one another, exhausted from the unusually brief battle between the two of them. Niko and Elliot waited for their Pokémon to get back up, but neither seemed to be able to.

"Poliwrath and Eelektross are unable to battle!" The referee declared. "Both Elliot and Niko will send out their next Pokémon!"

"Return." They jointly said.

"Hydreigon, I choose you!" Elliot shouted, summoning a vicious-looking, three-headed draconic Pokémon with six thin, black wings that each ended in two points on its back. It had a fuchsia-colored collar on its neck which surrounds its head. The main head is dark blue and has black eyes with fuchsia pupils. Its two hands are also black and each one harbors a head. Its tail sported a fuchsia stripe and ends with a black tuft.

"Oh…oh my…" Charlotte said, pulling out her pokédex.

"Hydreigon, the Brutal Pokémon. Dark and dragon type. It responds to movement by attacking. This scary, three-headed Pokémon devours everything in its path!"

"So his Deino, and then Zweilous…" Warren said. "Evolved into that?" He shook his head. "Lord…"

Niko eyed the Hydreigon carefully, unsure of how to respond. He knew Elliot would use a dragon type of some sort, particularly that Zweilous of his. But this newly evolved form was…different.

"Rampardos, I choose you!" Niko shouted. "Ready for this? Use ancientpower!"

"Hydreigon, dragon pulse!" Elliot commanded. The Brutal Pokémon conjured two purple beams from its mouth that hit Rampardos' ancientpower, shattering the rocks into small pieces. "Now, dragon rush!"

"Rampardos, head smash!" Niko commanded. Rampardos lowered his head and charged at Hydreigon, his red head glowing from the amount of energy it was using. Both Pokémon collided powerfully in the middle of the battlefield, causing a shock wave to emit from the point of impact, and launching both of them backwards. Rampardos crashed into an undisturbed pointed rock, now shattering that one as well, while Hydreigon managed to remain airborne, only looking a little dizzy from the impact. The Head Butt Pokémon slowly got back up, already looking exhausted.

"Hydreigon, draco meteor!" Elliot commanded. Niko's eyes widened when he saw the move. All three heads on the Brutal Pokémon were pulsating bright orange and they looked to the sky, opened their mouths, and each shot out an orange sphere-like object. High in the sky, all three of them exploded, sending what looked like comets down towards the ground.

"Rampardos, dodge!" Niko shouted. The Head Butt Pokémon, now looking up in a panic, tried to weave around them. However, he was not nearly as agile as some of his teammates, and ended up getting pelted by several of them before collapsing onto the ground. "Rampardos!" Niko cried out, now worried again.

"Rampardos is unable to battle, Hydreigon is the winner! Niko will now send out his next Pokémon!"

Niko returned Rampardos and looked up at the scoreboard. He had three Pokémon left now to Elliot's two. He had two of his strongest Pokémon, and so did Elliot, since Niko knew what his sixth one was going to be. Taking a deep breathe, Niko whipped out a pokéball and threw it.

"Glalie, you're up!" He shouted. He also briefly noted to himself the Elliot's Hydreigon looked exhausted after the draco meteor—almost as if it were one of the first times it had successfully used the move. "Use ice beam!"

The Face Pokémon quickly leapt into action, conjured a steady stream of ice towards his opponent, striking Hydreigon directly in the chest. The Brutal Pokémon, angered by this, opened both of its side-heads and unleashed a black nexus of energy towards Glalie.

"Protect!" Niko commanded, and Glalie responded with a protective shield. "Ice beam again!"

"You're going to have to do better than that, Niko!" Elliot shouted. "Hydreigon, dark pulse again!"

Both attacks met in the middle of the field, creating a stalemate. Frustrated, Elliot then commanded Hydreigon to use dragon rush, to which Niko and Glalie replied with double team, causing the attack to miss.

"Ice beam!" Niko called out. After watching Hydreigon crash into the ground after striking a duplicate Glalie, the latter hit the former in the side with a stream of ice, nearly freezing its side. "We can do this, Glalie! Use crunch!"

Glalie opened his maw and dashed towards Hydreigon, mouth wide open. Then, as he was close enough, Hydreigon's left arm shot up and unleashed a dark pulse into Glalie's mouth, creating an explosion and launching the Face Pokémon high into the air.

"Draco meteor!" Elliot commanded. Once more, Hydreigon's heads began to glow bright orange as spheres appeared inside their mouths. They proceeded to launch them high into the air, just as Glalie regained his composure.

"Protect!" Niko shouted, realizing that double team wouldn't have been good enough to dodge a move like this. Glalie obliged, but with difficulty. The comets raining down from the sky were exhausting on the protective shield the Face Pokémon had conjured. But, Niko remembered how tired Hydreigon was the first time it used draco meteor. "Now, Glalie! Ice beam!"

Glalie nodded, quickly descending towards Hydreigon before unleashing a close-range ice beam, freezing one of Hydreigon's arm-heads.

"Now, crunch!" Niko shouted. Glalie clamped down on the frozen head and, despite taking a dark pulse to the face from the other head, managed to lift and throw Hydreigon in a circular motion onto the ground. "Finish it off with ice beam!"

"Hydreigon is unable to battle, Glalie is the winner!" The referee declared. "Elliot will now use his final Pokémon!"

"Oh…my…god…" Warren said, suddenly excited. "Niko has the advantage!"

"But…that Scizor…" Charlotte said. "I'm worried about it."

"Niko has Feraligatr and Venusaur!" Warren said.

"But neither have an advantage…" Charlotte commented.

"It doesn't necessarily matter for that Scizor." Niko's mother interjected. "Elliot's Scizor is quite powerful."

"Hydreigon, return." Elliot said. "Well done, Niko. I didn't expect to be put into a corner like this." He looked down at his wrist, where a thin black bracelet sat around his wrist. A small orb was sitting in the middle of it. "But I am, and I hope you're ready. If not, looks like I'll be going to the finals. Scizor, I choose you!"

Out of his sixth pokéball came the tall, red steel-coated Pincer Pokémon that Niko had seen on several occasions prior. This time, Scizor wore something around its neck—a small necklace-like object with a tiny orb in the center. Something was different about this Scizor.

"Glalie, this is a very powerful Pokémon. Can you keep going?" Niko asked, knowing fully well that Glalie would have a lot of difficulty with Scizor. However, the Face Pokémon nodded. "Very well. Ice beam!"

"Please, Niko. Scizor, steel wing!" Elliot commanded. The Pincer Pokémon's wings began to glow bright gray as it dashed across the field, faster than Niko had remembered. Scizor then struck Glalie directly in the face, knocking it to the ground. "Iron head!"

"Ice beam!" Niko shouted. Glalie managed to hit Scizor with the ice beam, but it hardly seemed to faze the Pincer Pokémon, whose head was glowing a bright gray color. Scizor smacked Glalie back down into the ground. The Face Pokémon, damaged from the force of the steel type move, was unable to budge at this point.

"Glalie is unable to battle, Scizor is the winner! Niko will now send out his next Pokémon!" The referee declared.

"Glalie, return." Niko said, lamenting his choice to use the Face Pokémon in this particular battle. "Feraligatr, you're up!" Now that Scizor was closer, Niko got a better look at the thing around its neck. It was small, to be sure, maybe no bigger than a large marble. But it was pale blue with a red, teal, and black curved stripe running through the center. What the hell is that? He thought to himself. "Feraligatr, be careful! Use hydro pump!"

"Scizor, steel wing!" Elliot commanded. Scizor shot forward, quickly closing the distance between it and the Big Jaw Pokémon. However, Feraligatr managed to strike it with hydro pump, disrupting the attack and causing Scizor to crash-land into the ground nearby.

"Whirlpool!" Niko shouted, watching as Feraligatr raised his arms to conjure a vortex of spinning water. As he threw it down on Scizor, the Pincer Pokémon quickly got back up and struck Feraligatr, forcing the whirlpool to crash down on both of them and fling them in opposite directions on the field.

"Scizor, how are you?" Elliot asked. The Pincer Pokémon turned to its trainer and nodded. "Alright, be vigilant—this Feraligatr is stronger than we remember. We might have to use our last resort sooner than we thought. Use iron head!"

"Feraligatr, hydro pump!" Niko shouted. Last resort? Like…the move…? Or is Elliot talking about that thing on his wrist? What is it!? He thought to himself.

Feraligatr managed to knock Scizor backwards with the jet of high pressured water, once again disrupting the attack. Scizor was launched backwards, rolling and crashing into rocks before coming to a stop.

"Well done, Feraligatr!" Niko said, although he couldn't help but be worried—Elliot seemed oddly calm now, despite his ace Pokémon taking a powerful hit to the face. Feraligatr seemed to share these sentiments, as he wasn't quite as proud as he might normally be.

"Scizor…are you ready?" Elliot asked as his Pokémon got back to its feet. The Pincer Pokémon turned to him and nodded. "Alright then. We're backed into a corner, this is our last resort. Scizor, MEGA EVOLVE!"

The bracelet clamped around Elliot's wrist began to react to the marble-like object on Scizor's neck. Both began to glow, and Scizor was enveloped in a sphere of powerful-looking energy that, moments later, burst open to reveal a different-looking Pokémon.

It was still Scizor, to be sure. However, its pincers lengthened and developed serrations. The lower half of its claws turned white and gained three pointed spikes on the underside. Its eyespots were blue with a thin black rim. Additional pieces of black armoring appear on various areas of its body: a three-pointed crest on its forehead and striated coverings on its shoulders and thighs. Its legs were less detailed after this transformation, and resembled larger, tapered spikes with white tips.

"What the—" Warren said as he spit out his soda. "WHAT IS THAT!?"

"Mega evolution…?" Charlotte wondered to herself. "I had no idea that was a thing…huh."

What the hell is this? Niko wondered. Is it permanent? How did Elliot do that? How much stronger is Scizor now? Suddenly, he began to worry. But he didn't want to let Feraligatr see his fear, and put on a brave face. "Let's go, Feraligatr! Whirlpool!"

"Scizor, x-scissor!" Elliot commanded. Before anyone knew it, Scizor was upon Niko and Feraligatr, slashing at the Big Jaw Pokémon just as he conjured the vortex of water. Feraligatr fell backwards, landing on his tail. "Iron head!"

"Hydro pump!" Niko shouted. Luckily, Feraligatr managed to knock Mega Scizor away with the jet of water, but just barely—his opponent was far faster than he expected. "Now whirlpool!"

Feraligatr got up and conjured another swirling vortex of water. Just as he launched it, he noticed Mega Scizor dodge the move and shoot around in a curved motion to strike at Feraligatr, knocking him aside with steel wing.

"Iron head!" Elliot commanded. Mega Scizor headbutted Feraligatr in the side of the head, causing the Big Jaw Pokémon to stumble. Mega Scizor then went in for a steel-wing, to which Feraligatr retaliated with a crunch, grabbing onto the wing and spinning Mega Scizor around before launching it towards it's trainer. "X-scissor again!" Elliot called out. Mega Scizor then burst towards the ground to collide with Feraligatr, slashing at him with its two elongated pincers.

Feraligatr stumbled backwards, eventually falling over a rock and onto his tail. Niko cried out for him to use hydro pump, but it was too late—Mega Scizor was quickly upon him with iron head, which eventually knocked the Big Jaw Pokémon out.

"Feraligatr is unable to battle, Mega Scizor is the winner!" The referee announced. "Niko will now use his final Pokémon!"

"Niko's…Niko's screwed…" Warren said, eyes wide open. "That Scizor is incredible."

"His Venusaur isn't at a disadvantage, though." Charlotte added.

"But it isn't at an advantage, either." Warren replied, sighing heavily. "C'mon, Niko…"

"Feraligatr, return. You did fantastic. Against odds that we hadn't ever seen before, you got close to winning. I'm very proud of you." Niko then pulled out his last pokéball, containing Venusaur. "It's all on you, buddy! Venusaur, I choose you!"

"Just like last time, Niko." Elliot said. "Three years ago. Scizor and Venusaur."

"The outcome will be different, though." Niko said with a smirk. "Venusaur, razor leaf!"

"Scizor, steel wing!" Elliot commanded. The Pincer Pokémon charged at Venusaur, wings wide open and glowing bright gray, as it carefully maneuvered through a field of razor-leaf leaves before slashing at Venusaur, who quietly grunted from the attack. "Now, x-scissor!"

"Stun spore!" Niko shouted, just as Mega Scizor landed its attack, it got hit with the yellow spores emitting from Venusaur's flower. Mega Scizor stumbled backwards from the shock of the attack, now collapsing backwards to Venusaur's left. "Prepare for solarbeam!" He shouted.

Unexpectedly, Mega Scizor got back up and struck Venusaur in the side with x-scissor, causing Venusaur to wince again. Nevertheless, he fired off the solarbeam that somehow managed to hit Mega Scizor, who was now just to the left of the Seed Pokémon. Scizor was knocked backwards, but quickly gathered itself again.

"Venusaur, we're going to need to give more power to these attacks…" Niko said. "As you can tell, this isn't the same Scizor we fought last time." The Seed Pokémon nodded in response. "Now, razor leaf!"

"Block it with x-scissor!" Elliot commanded. Mega Scizor clasped its pincers together in an x-shape to block the torrent of leaves, but they were shooting out of Venusaur at a fast enough rate that Mega Scizor had difficulty dealing with it. "Iron head!"

"Stun spore!" Niko shouted. Another cloud of yellow dust puffed out of Venusaur's flower and reacted with Mega Scizor, paralyzing it just as the Pincer Pokémon slammed its head into Venusaur's, causing the Seed Pokémon to roar loudly. "Fight through the pain, buddy! Solarbeam!"

Venusaur's flower began to glow as he gathered solar energy from the now setting sun. Mega Scizor slowly began to move just as Venusaur unleashed the attack, directly hitting his opponent in the chest and dragging it backwards across the rocky terrain, where it fell to the ground just in front of Mega Scizor.

"Now this is it! Venusaur, frenzy plant!" Niko shouted, sensing the end of the battle, either in his or Elliot's favor.

"Scizor, use x-scissor!" Elliot commanded.

Venusaur roared to the heavens as powerful spiked roots erupted out of the ground, progressively getting closer to Mega Scizor, who attempted to slash at each of them with x-scissor, just as Golurk had attempted in a previous match. However, the roots were not easily cut, and soon Mega Scizor found himself overwhelmed by them, quickly succumbing to the powerful slaps and hits from the various roots. One of them hit Mega Scizor in the back, knocking it forward as Venusaur used razor leaf to hit it backwards again, creating a ping-pong effect.

The roots went away, leaving only Venusaur and Mega Scizor on the field. Both exhausted, and both ready to collapse. The entire stadium was dead silent until Scizor began to glow, reverted to its prior form, and collapsed face-forward onto the ground.

"Scizor is unable to battle, Venusaur is the winner! And the victory goes to Niko from Pallet Town!" The referee declared.

Niko, not quite believing it, simply blinked in confusion. "There's no way…" He said softly. "Wh—what?"

"OHMYGOD OHMYGOD!" Warren shouted, placing his hands against the sides of his head. "HE DID IT!" Charlotte, equally shocked, placed a hand up to her mouth, overcome with emotion as well. Niko's mother quickly shed tears.

Off in a far land, Fay sat at his desk, looking at one of his computer monitors and smiled.

"Venusaur…" Niko said, crouching down in front of his first Pokémon, who had just collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion. "Against all odds, we won. You and I. You, me, and all of our friends. Now, we're going to the finals in a Pokémon League because of you." He patted Venusaur's head, which was bruised from Mega Scizor using iron head. "Well done."

Venusaur smirked slightly before closing his eyes and fainting as well.

"And there ya have it, folks!" Colton Goodshow announced to the stadium. "We now have our final two trainers—Harmony from Black City, and Niko from Pallet Town! They will begin their battle tomorrow afternoon, same time as today. Have a great evening!" He said before cutting his mic.


Like when he defeated Hunter and Dan, Niko was greeted by his friends with tight hugs and congratulations. His mother, in tears, looked up at her son with a different kind of expression.

"Your father would be so proud of you right now." She said. "You and your Venusaur."

"I hope so." Niko said before turning to his friends. "One more battle, it looks like."

"And it's against Harmony. Think you can win?" Warren asked.

"I hope so. I've only seen a few of her Pokémon, but I've got an idea." Niko said.

Later that evening, he saw Elliot sitting out near the fountains with his Scizor. They were polishing the latter's steel coat. Niko was alone—he had just finished having dinner with his friends and mom. As he approached, Elliot briefly looked up at him, nodded, and continued polishing.

"Hey, Elliot." Niko said.

"Hi Niko."

"That…was a good battle." Niko then looked at Scizor, who was just an inch or so shorter than he was. "You've gotten much stronger." Scizor nodded in acknowledgement.

"He has, but not enough. We still have a long way to go, it seems."

"But it was a close match, don't be discouraged by that."

"I'm not, Niko. Did I ever give you the idea that I was?"

"No, but—"

"Then don't assume." Elliot said abruptly. "Fay would be very proud of you. JJ, too."

"I hope so. I didn't exactly leave on good terms."

"But like everyone else, they'll forgive you." Elliot commented. The two were silent for a moment. "Good luck tomorrow. Harmony looks tough."

"Yeah, she does." Niko said. "But thanks. I appreciate it."

"Anytime, rival." Elliot said with a slight smirk this time. "You're a good guy, Niko. Sorry if I ever gave you grief in the past."

"I didn't take any of it too personally." Niko said. "At least, looking back on it. But thanks…I needed a rival to keep me going. You definitely helped to fit that role."

"Me and Hunter, it seems."

"Oh, yeah…Hunter."

"What an odd man." Elliot said plainly.

"That's for sure." Niko said, looking up at the dark sky above Vertress City. "Have you ever made it to the finals before?"

"Yeah, in Sinnoh a couple years back. If I remember correctly, you might have been in Hoenn at that time."

"I was." Niko said, reflecting on his past. "What's it like? The finals?"

"It's tough. It was the toughest match I ever competed in. I lost, though, to some trainer from Veilstone City. He had a Torterra that was tough as hell to beat. Also knew frenzy plant, like your Venusaur."

"Guess grass type starters are your weakness." Niko said with a chuckle.

"Guess so." Elliot said. "But I think if you could handle Hunter and I—both admittedly strong trainers—you'll do fine against Harmony. But, as a word of caution, I've never seen her use all six Pokémon. You have to be careful about that sixth one, whatever it is."

"I will. Thanks for the advice, Elliot." Niko said. "Well, I guess I'll see you later."

"See ya. And good luck." Elliot said. Scizor uttered a sound as well, indicating that he was communicating the same message. Niko turned, nodded, and then walked back towards the main stadium where he was to meet with his friends and Pokémon.

On the way, Niko saw Harmony sitting on a bench. Her hands were clasped together, and she was sitting straight up. That's when Niko got a clearer picture of her. She had dark hair that curled at the bottom. Her eyes looked to be hazel, and she had a slightly rounded face. She wore a dark green cardigan over a black shirt. Lastly, she wore a black skirt that ended just below her knees.

"You can just say 'hi.'" She said in a melodic voice.

"What?" Niko asked.

"You're just staring at me." Harmony said with an eyebrow raised. "Come, sit here."

"Okay…" Niko said, walking over to sit next to his eventual opponent.

"So…how are you feeling?" Harmony asked, looking down at him.

"I feel fine. You?"

"I'm happy." Harmony then looked out towards the front lawn of the stadium. "I've been watching your battles. I'll say this—I'm impressed."

"You are?" Niko asked with wonderment.

"Of course. You have a strong bond with your Pokémon. You should feel proud."

"I'm proud of them every day…" Niko said happily. "They're the reason I do this."

"I can see that. The bond between a trainer and Pokémon is a unique one."

"Like you and your Infernape?" Niko asked.

"Well…yes. I'm quite close with my Infernape. But it was not my first Pokémon."

"What was? I-if you don't mind me asking."

"Oh, it's fine. My first Pokémon was a Slakoth, actually. I'm originally from the Hoenn region. I got a Chimchar when I visited Sinnoh to visit family. This was all before I challenged gyms in Unova…and other regions."

"Hoenn and Sinnoh are nice places…" Niko said.

"Oh? You've been there too?"

"Yeah. This is my fifth Pokémon League, actually. And…my first time past the quarterfinals."

"Oh, don't worry about that. We all improve at our own paces, and learn things at different times. It's only the natural order of things, Niko." She smiled warmly. "Five though? That's certainly impressive. It explains why you consistently seem to use different Pokémon in your matches."

"Yeah, I've got quite a few of them." Niko said, laughing.

"I admire that. Shows a willingness to expand your skillset with different types of Pokémon—whether they're elemental types, or different battling styles, it helps a trainer learn."

"I actually never owned a dragon type until this year. My Druddigon is my first."

"And it should feel proud just by that alone." Harmony said. "I never caught a steel type until my recent journey to the Kalos region."

"What Pokémon is it?" Niko wondered, having never heard of the Kalos region before this.

"You'll see tomorrow." Harmony said with a smirk. "I'm excited about our match tomorrow. You seem like a powerful opponent."

"I feel the same way." Niko said.

"Then it will be one for the books." Harmony said, holding a hand out. Niko locked eyes with his opponent, who was only a few inches shorter than him, and shook her hand. It was soft and light, just like her personality. "Good evening, Niko. I hope you sleep well."

"You…you too." Niko said, watching as Harmony walked back through the entrance to the stadium and disappeared, leaving Niko alone to ponder his upcoming match.


Author's Note: Fun fact-this is the longest episode of the series now, at 6,500+ words (6,200 without the Author's note).

I also said that today would be the end of the season. As you now know, that's a lie. I planned to have a couple more done today, but life got in the way. I'm about halfway through the finals episode now, and then one will be after that to wrap the season up. So expect the season to finish tomorrow, instead of today as was originally planned.

I also hope you enjoyed this particular episode. See you in the next one-Niko vs. Harmony