Chapter 70 - Final Battle! All Or Nothing!
"Charizard, use Flamethrower!"
"Avalugg, try Protect once more!"
The winged Pokémon flew into the air and released flames from his mouth onto the field while the massive light blue Pokémon focused his energy and tried to create a blue barrier in front of him, but it was to no avail. The barrier shattered as Charizard's flames connected with it, and the Ice-type was swallowed by the flames. When the fire died down, Avalugg collapsed, and the crowd began to loudly cheer.
The referee held up his flag. "Avalugg is unable to battle. Charizard is the winner, which means that the victory goes to!"
A boy, around the age of thirteen, smiled as he raised his Poké Ball and returned Charizard. He wore a white button up top with a red hood and dark blue pants. He tucked his Poké Ball back onto his belt and then turned away to go back to the locker room.
"It looks like we have our final battle set," the announcer yelled into the microphone. "Tomorrow we'll bare witness to Logan Stephenson vs. Itou Kenta! Which trainer will take home the gold? You'll have to watch tomorrow to find out!"
"So, what do we know about Kenta?" Logan asked.
Yuichi clicked away on his computer and then sighed. "Well, he started the same year as me and you, he's from Kanto, and his first Pokémon was a Bulbasaur. But…"
"But?"
"Not much else," Yuichi said with a sad look on his face. "Apparently, Kenta has been an absolute loser up until now."
"What?" Himawari asked in shock. "He's destroyed everyone that he's battled against here."
Yuichi clicked away on his computer once more and a picture of Kenta pulled up on the screen. "He made it to the Top 32 in the Indigo Plateau, and then he was in the Top 48 in the Silver Conference. He never had a full battle in either conference."
"Maybe he was just unlucky?" Logan suggested.
"Maybe," Yuichi muttered. "But here, he's been tearing it up. He used the same two Pokémon in all of his double battles, and he's only had to use three Pokémon in his full battles. Because of this, we have limited data on his team. We don't know what six Pokémon he'll use."
Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door. They all turned, and Luna slowly peeked her head through.
"Oh, hey," Logan said. He was surprised to see his old best friend.
"You preparing?" Luna asked. She slowly eased her way into the room.
Logan nodded. "Yeah, but we have very limited information about this guy. I'm not sure what tactic I should take."
Luna looked at Kenta's picture on the computer. "This may come as a surprise, but I'll be rooting for you tomorrow. You better not lose."
Logan grinned and gave Luna a thumbs up. "I won't!"
Luna slowly turned towards the door and lowered her head. "Good luck, Logan."
"And now it's time for our final battle at the Ever Grande Conference! It has been quite the trip to get here! It can't be understated that every trainer who even made it here would have had to have been extraordinary to win all of those gym badges! But it takes the best of the best to get here to the finals! In the red corner, we have Logan Stephenson from the Unova Region. He's been able to beat old friends and new foes alike to get where he stands today, but he has one more challenge if he wants to win! In the blue corner is Itou Kenta from the Kanto Region! Kenta was sort of an unknown coming into the tournament, but so far he has won every battle that he has been in with ease, and he's now the clear favorite to win! But he shouldn't get ahead of himself just yet, because Logan will be no pushover," the announcer yelled into the microphone. "Everyone, get ready!"
"The following battle will be a six on six full battle to determine the winner of the Ever Grande Conference! There will be a short intermission once one side has lost three battles. The first half will take place on the rock field. Trainers, begin!" the referee announced while holding his flags into the air.
"We're not going to hold back," Kenta said. "Go, Raichu!" His Raichu grinned and ran out onto the field. He struck a fighting pose and waited for Logan's move.
Logan looked down at his Poké Ball and smiled. "You've always started your battles with Raichu, so that's no surprise. I assembled my strongest Pokémon for this fight. Let's put on a show." He tossed the ball into the air and Swampert appeared. He danced around a little bit before noticing Raichu.
"Looks like this won't be easy for me," Kenta said with a laugh.
"It's about to get harder!" Logan exclaimed. He held his arm into the air and the Swampertite began to glow. The crowd cheered as they once more witnessed the act of mega evolution. Energy surged around Swampert's body, and soon he began to grow in size. Swampert expanded and took his new form, which made the crowd awe. He roared at Raichu, but the Electric-type wasn't intimidated.
"Well then. We'll go first!" Kenta said. "Raichu, Quick Attack!"
Raichu exploded forward, and before Logan could make his command, Raichu collided with Swampert, knocking the Pokémon a few feet back.
"While we got 'em close, use Hammer Arm!" Logan ordered.
Swampert's arm started to glow, and he lunged forward. He smashed his arm against Raichu's cheek, making the Electric-type fly back to the other side of the stadium. Raichu stood back up and rubbed his cheek.
"Now, Waterfall!" Logan directed.
Swampert smacked his hands together and water began to form at his hands. He held his hands back and started to charge towards Raichu.
"Grass Knot!" Kenta ordered.
Raichu focused his energy, and suddenly vines burst from the ground. The vines wrapped around Swampert's legs, and the Water-type fell to the ground, making the stadium shake.
"Raichu has one weakness, and that's Ground-type Pokémon. You think we'd come unprepared?" Kenta asked.
Okay, so running is out of the question. If a Kanto Raichu is anything like the Alolan Raichu, then Grass Knot is going to be the only effective move he can really do on Swampert. Logan thought.
"Quick Attack!"
Raichu once again dashed forward and collided into Swampert.
"Ice Beam!" Logan instructed.
As Swampert fell back, he shot a beam of ice from his mouth. The beam connected with Raichu's feet, freezing him in place.
"Let's make this count! Use Earthquake!"
Swampert lifted his massive arms into the air and then smashed them into the ground. The entire stage shook, and the ground below Raichu tossed the Electric-type into the air.
"Waterfall!"
Once again, Swampert smacked his hands together and created water. He leapt into the air and drove his hands into Raichu, making him fly even further. Swampert landed back on his legs while Raichu landed back on the ground on his face.
Raichu started to stir, and he eventually stood back up. He glared at Swampert and then started to growl.
"Raichu, return," Kenta said suddenly. His Pokémon turned, and with a frustrated huff, ran back to the trainer's box. "I know when I'm outmatched. Raichu can rest for now." He pulled a Poké Ball from his belt. "Allow me to introduce you to my first Pokémon!" He tossed the ball onto the field and a giant green Pokémon with a flower on its back appeared.
Venusaur is a Grass-type, so he's got a pretty steep type advantage, but as long as we use Ice Beam and stay far away, we should be safe. Logan thought.
"Venusaur, use Razor Leaf!"
Venusaur lifted the large leaves on his back and began to rapidly shoot smaller sharpened leaves. They raced across the field, tearing up the terrain below them.
"Protect!" Logan ordered.
Swampert lifted his arms and a shield of blue energy appeared around his body. The leaves bounced off of the shield, and Swampert was left unscathed.
"Ice Beam!"
Once again, Swampert unleashed the light blue beam from his mouth. The beam froze the ground that it blasted above as it shot straight towards Venusaur, making ice stick out from the ground.
"Double-Edge!" Kenta ordered calmly.
Two giant vines emerged from Venusaur's back. He smacked the vines against the ground, which sent him soaring into the air, easily avoiding the ice attack. Then, he came crashing down into Swampert, knocking both Pokémon onto their backs.
"Close ranged Razor Leaf!"
Venusaur used his vines to bring him back to his legs, and he released a frenzy of leaves from his back before Logan could say anything. The leaves sliced into Swampert, forcing him back a few more feet.
"Hammer Harm!" Logan directed.
Swampert fought through the pain and began to swing his arms. He smacked the leaves away and then ran forward. With a giant swing of his fist, he sent Venusaur flying back a few feet.
"Follow up with Ice Beam!"
Swampert released his attack, and Venusaur was quickly encased with ice.
"Venusaur!" Kenta yelled.
"Charge it! Use Waterfall!"
Swampert roared before smacking his arms together, creating his usual aquatic energy. He began to charge towards Venusaur, but then a smile came across Kenta's face.
"Got ya!" Kenta yelled. "Solar Beam!"
The plant on Venusaur's back began to glow, and energy burst from his back. The energy destroyed the ice completely and then connected with Swampert. Swampert's body was flung into the air, and he came crashing down hard, destroying some of the ground that he landed on.
The referee took a close look at Swampert and made his call. "Swampert is unable to battle! Venusaur is the winner!"
"It looks like while Venusaur was using his attacks from before, he was charging up energy from the sun and preparing to use Solar Beam the whole time. Everything else was a distraction," Yuta said while Logan returned Swampert.
"Logan already used Mega Swampert," Himawari said. "That was pretty much his ace."
Luna shook her head. "He's got more." She now sat with the group, but she didn't really feel like she belonged.
"You can do it, Logan!" Yurie yelled.
"You said that Venusaur was your first Pokémon, right? Well, I think it's time that you meet mine!" Logan said while tossing his Poké Ball to the field. Emboar appeared and then roared at Venusaur. He stretched his arms out.
"I'm excited to see what he can do," Kenta said. "Venusaur, use Razor Leaf!"
Venusaur repeated his attack from before.
"Arm Thrust!"
Emboar was quick to use his attack. His arms started to glow white, and he destroyed every leaf that was sent his way by thrust his hands at them.
"Flamethrower!"
Emboar took in a deep breath and then released a steady stream of flames from his mouth.
"Dodge!" Kenta ordered.
By using two of his giant vines, Venusaur continuously moved around the flames. When the flames would get close, he would smack his vines on the ground and fly into the air.
"Earthquake!" Kenta ordered.
While in the air, Venusaur's feet started to glow, and he came crashing down into the ground. The entire stage shook, and the ground below Emboar flung him a few feet into the air.
"Solar Beam!"
Venusaur quickly shifted his body and shot a beam of yellow energy from his flower. The beam connected directly with Emboar, engulfing him completely. When the beam stopped, Emboar was airborne.
Logan looked up and grinned. "Emboar, use Heat Crash!"
A ball of red and yellow energy surrounded Emboar. He then shifted his body downwards, and he quickly fell back to the ground, smashing directly into Venusaur. There was a giant explosion, and smoke and dust filled the air. When the smoke cleared, Emboar stood tall, but Venusaur was left lying on the ground.
"Venusaur is unable to battle! Emboar is the victor!" the referee declared.
Kenta sighed and returned his Pokémon. "You did great."
"So far, both trainers have been playing with smart type advantages. It may come down to who chose their typings correctly," Himawari noted. "This may just come down to luck."
"It seems like they both have a counter for everything," Yuichi nodded.
"Don't you dare lose, Logan!" Yurie yelled.
Kenta pulled his next Poké Ball out and tossed it into the air. A giant orange dragon with a strong flame on the tip of his tail appeared on the field. He roared and fire burst from his mouth.
"Charizard vs. Emboar," Yuta said. "This will be interesting."
"Charizard, use Air Slash!" Kenta ordered.
Charizard's wings expanded, and then he shot into the air. He twisted his body and dove towards Emboar with his claws glowing white.
"Arm Thrust!"
Emboar's arms started to glow with chakra energy, and the two Pokémon clashed in the middle of the stadium. They tested their strength against each other, pushing back as hard as they could.
"Dragon Pulse!" Kenta yelled.
Charizard sucked in air, and then released a giant ball of blue fire at the ground. It knocked both Pokémon backwards.
"Flamethrower!" the trainers ordered in unison.
Both Pokémon unleashed steady streams of fire at one another. The fire connected in the middle of the battlefield and then exploded, covering most of the stadium with smoke.
"Air Slash!"
Charizard quickly dove into the smoke then searched for Emboar. He slashed at the Fighting-type, flinging him out of the smoke.
"Keep it going!" Kenta yelled.
Charizard continued his attack. He burst through the smoke and then darted directly for Emboar.
"Flamethrower!"
Emboar unleashed his attack, and it engulfed Charizard. Charizard slowed down, but fought through the fire. He lifted his claws to strike once more.
"Arm Thrust!"
Emboar ducked under Charizard's attack. He then uppercutted Charizard, but before the Flying-type could retreat, Emboar gripped him by the tail. He pulled Charizard back, and jabbed once more, landing another strong blow to the face.
"Fight back, Charizard! Thunder Punch!"
Charizard shifted his body and smashed his electrified fist against Emboar's stomach. The Fighting-type let go of his vice grip.
"Charizard, Air Slash!"
Once again, Charizard began slashing at Emboar with white energy. Emboar jumped back, creating a space between the two.
The two Pokémon glared at one another and heaved deeply.
"Nonstop," Yurie said.
Himawari nodded. "They both have Fire-type pride, so this one could get ugly."
"Heat Crash!" Logan ordered.
"Thunder Punch!"
Emboar leapt into the air, and the orb of red and yellow energy formed around him once again. He turned his body towards Charizard and began to fall. Charizard's arm started to spark with electricity, and he jumped into the air. The Pokémon met, and there was one more giant explosion. The Pokémon fell back to the ground and landed hard, but once the smoke cleared, they both slowly stood back up. Emboar's body stuttered, and electric sparks occasionally emitted from his body.
"Oh no!" Himawari yelled.
"Paralysis…" Logan muttered.
"Air Slash!"
"Arm Thrust!"
Once again, Charizard darted forward and began to slash wildly at Emboar. Emboar tried to defend, but he could not move a muscle. He took every attack and fell to his knees. He groaned, but stood back up and roared at Charizard again.
"Emboar! Are you okay?" Logan asked. His Pokémon huffed and then flexed his muscles, although some of the twitching could have been spasms. Logan nodded. "Okay, we're gonna use that attack, buddy."
"Charizard, use Flare Blitz!"
Charizard roared and his body became engulfed in fire. He leapt into the air and started to fly forward.
"Head Smash!" Logan ordered.
Emboar stamped his feet and slowly started to run forward. With time, he picked up speed, and a blue energy encased his body. He jumped into the air, and both of the Pokémon smashed into one another. There was a slight pause and then silence, as though time had stopped. The Pokémon were both flung back, and they landed in a heap in front of their trainers.
The referee looked at the two creatures for a sign of life, but both didn't move a muscle. "Both Pokémon are unable to battle!" the referee declared. "This round is a draw!"
Logan ran out to Emboar and lifted him to the best of his abilities. "You did wonderful, Emboar! Your efforts won't be forgotten!" The Pokémon gave him a weak thumbs up as he was returned to the ball. Logan walked back to his trainers box and looked down at his remaining Poké Balls.
Kenta returned his Charizard and then smiled. "I'm thinking that this may be the best battle that I have had here in Hoenn. I've only trained with these Pokémon for the three years that I've been training, so they don't get challenges quite like this anymore."
"Kenta hasn't lost more than three Pokémon in any of his battles. The fact that Logan was able to knock down two so early is a really good sign," Yuichi said.
"You can do it, Logan!" Yurie yelled.
"Gengar, it's up to you!" Kenta yelled while tossing his Poké Ball onto the battlefield. A large purple Pokémon appeared. It snickered at Logan.
"Alright, in that case, I'll go with Raichu!" Logan said as he released his Pokémon. The Alolan Pokémon floated on his tail to his side of the field. He grinned widely at Gengar, showing off his wicked teeth.
"I see," Luna said.
"What?" Himawari asked.
Luna grinned. "Just watch."
"I don't know much about Alolan Pokémon, but I do know that Alolan Pikachu is half Psychic-type. You've made your first mistake, Logan," Kenta said.
"Do your worst!" Logan yelled.
"Gengar, Shadow Ball!"
Gengar floated into the air and formed a ball of black energy in her hands. She tossed it towards Raichu.
"Dodge! Let's get in close!" Logan ordered.
Raichu ducked under the ball, and then started to air surf quickly towards Gengar.
"Sludge Bomb!" Kenta directed.
Gengar lifted her arms into the air and a ball of purple sludge formed at the palms of her hands. She lunged the ball directly at Raichu.
"Duck!" Logan yelled.
Raichu lowered her head and narrowly avoided the attack.
"Now, use Dark Pulse!" Logan commanded.
"What?" Kenta asked in surprise.
Raichu formed a ball of dark energy in his hands and then tossed it at Gengar. The attack connected directly, and Gengar fell to the ground. She quickly recovered.
"I wasn't aware that Alolan Raichu could learn Dark Pulse," Kenta said.
"Well, looks like you should read more books!" Logan said with a laugh. Raichu snickered.
"Gengar, use Ice Punch!"
"Dodge, and then use Dark Pulse!"
Gengar's arm started to glow light blue, and she jumped towards Raichu. Raichu floated backwards and then unleashed another ball of darkness at the Ghost-type.
"Another Ice Punch!" Kenta ordered.
"Dark Pulse!"
The two Pokémon used their attacks, but this time Gengar was ready. She avoided Raichu's Dark Energy and then jabbed. She struck Raichu directly in the face, sending the Pokémon onto his backside.
"Got ya!" Kenta yelled.
Raichu slowly stood back up and began to snicker again. He jumped and started to flip rapidly while a red glow engulfed his body. Within seconds, he landed back on the ground, but now it was Zorua that stood where Raichu once was.
"What the?" Yurie wondered out loud.
"It's Zorua's special ability," Luna said. "He can transform into any one of Logan's Pokémon to try to deceive his opponent's. But once he takes a hit, he transforms back into Zorua."
"That's amazing!" Yurie exclaimed.
"It is impressive, but it comes with two major drawbacks," Luna said. "One, Kenta now knows that Logan has a Raichu on his team, and can prepare mentally for it. And two, Zorua isn't exactly Logan's strongest Pokémon."
"I see…" Yurie said quietly. She stood back up. "You can do it, Zorua!"
"I guess you learn something everyday," Kenta said.
"Zorua, we gotta be fast! Aerial Ace!" Logan said.
Zorua jumped into the air and dashed towards Gengar. At the tip of his nose, white energy formed.
"Brick Break!" Kenta yelled.
"Oh no!"
Energy formed at Gengar's arm, and she swung it at Zorua. The two connected, but it was Zorua who flew back.
"Keep on the pressure! Sludge Bomb!"
Gengar lifted her arms into the air once more and formed purple sludge. She tossed it at the ground in front of Zorua. The sludge exploded, and Zorua flew back. He landed hard, but stood back up.
"You okay, Zorua?" Logan asked. His Pokémon nodded.
"Brick Break!" Kenta ordered.
"We gotta keep at a distance! Keep using Dark Pulse!"
Gengar lunged forward with her arm glowing white. Zorua jumped backwards while continuously releasing balls of dark energy at the ground. Gengar was pelted with the energy, but continued running forward. She landed in front of Zora and swung her arm. Zorua began to screech and giant tears poured from his eyes. Gengar stopped her attack and curiously looked at Zorua. Then, the Dark-type stopped crying and grinned. He once more released a dark energy ball at close range, blowing back Gengar.
"Fake Tears?" Kenta wondered. "That Zorua is even more mischievous than Gengar."
"Each person has shown their hands," Yuta said. "Now it's all about who can out maneuver the other."
"Logan has the type advantage," Himawari added.
"But that Gengar has the power and speed advantage," Yuichi said.
Luna sat back in her chair. "Zorua has one more attack though."
"Ice Punch!" Kenta ordered.
Gengar's arm started to glow light blue as she shrunk into the ground. Her shadow skated across the battlefield and then darted for Zorua. She quickly reappeared, and uppercutted Zora into the air.
"Zorua, now's your chance! Hit 'em with your strongest Night Daze!" Logan yelled.
Zorua's eyes began to glow light blue, and his body became engulfed in a crimson red energy. He came back to the ground and the stage shook. Suddenly, the crimson energy exploded from his body and began to engulf the entirety of the field. Amidst the chaos of the attack, Gengar jumped into the air.
"Brick Break!"
Gengar's arm began to glow, and she came crashing down onto Zorua. There was a small explosion, and Zorua's attack ceased. When the smoke cleared, Gengar stood above the unconscious Zorua as the winner of the bout, but she breathed heavily.
"Zorua is unable to battle! Gengar is the winner! Three of Logan's Pokémon have fainted, so we will now take a short fifteen minute break!" the referee declared.
Logan ran out onto the field and lifted Zorua into his arms. "You did wonderful, buddy! Really took 'em to their limits!"
"Zo…"
Kenta returned Gengar and then walked back to the bench behind his trainer's box. He took a seat and stared out onto the field. Logan walked back to his own bench and sat down. The crowd stirred as some of them went to the concessions and bathrooms. Yurie stood up and ran towards the hallway that lead to Logan's bench. He waved her in, and she ran to his side, taking a seat.
"What is your plan?" she asked.
Logan took in a deep breath. "Yuichi did research on Kenta last night for me. I knew about Raichu, Venusaur, and Charizard, and I guess I prepared well enough with Zorua. His last two Pokémon, I'm unsure of. He hasn't had to use any of them in the tournament so far."
"Keep the pressure on him! Give 'em the ol' one two, if you know what I mean!" Yurie cheered.
Logan shook his head. "I have no idea what you mean."
"We're all rooting for you! I know that you can win!" Yurie replied with a grin.
Logan grinned. "I'll do my best! I'm gonna make sure that Kenta remembers this battle for the rest of his life!"
Unfortunately, he already knows about Raichu, so he's probably forming counter strategies in his head. My other two Pokémon will be surprises, but he seems to have a counter for everything that I do. He also still has four of his Pokémon left. This ain't easy. Logan thought.
"Logan…"
"Yeah?"
"When you win, what kind of food do you want? I'll make anything!"
Logan grinned. "Anything will do!"
"Then anything it is!"
Logan laughed and then looked up into the crowd at his friends. "Yurie, I want you to stay here and cheer me on. Get a close view of the action!" Logan said. She nodded.
"I got us all hot dogs," Himawari said to the group as he came back from the concessions. "Nothing for Luna though, because she calls me names."
"I didn't want a hot dog anyway!" she snapped.
"Alright, everyone! It's time to get back to the action!" the announcer yelled.
Logan nodded and gave Yurie a high five. He ran back to his end of the field while Kenta walked to his. The trainers focused on one another.
"This battle will now resume on the grass field!" the referee said while raising his flags into the air.
Kenta threw his Poké Ball onto the field, and Gengar reemerged.
"Alright. In that case, I'll go with Flygon!" Logan said. His Dragon-type emerged from its Fast Ball. She soared into the air and let out her battle cry.
"Another stupid mistake," Luna said.
"Start with Dragon Rush!" Logan ordered.
Flygon's body became engulfed in blue flames. She soared down to the ground, and dashed across the field towards Gengar.
"Ice Punch!" Kenta ordered.
The two Pokémon rapidly approached one another.
"Earthquake!" Logan directed.
Flygon suddenly stopped her movements. She twisted her body and then landed hard on the ground with her legs, making the entire stadium shake. Gengar was thrown into the air, and she stopped her Ice Punch.
"Fire Blast!"
Flygon took in a giant breath before flames exploded from her mouth. The flames collided with Gengar, and the Ghost-type soared through the air. She landed hard back on the ground and then keeled over.
Kenta looked at his Pokémon in surprise. "I...can't...believe it."
Logan sighed. "That could have been close. Don't think that I forgot about Ice Punch, Kenta!"
Kenta returned Gengar. "I'm gonna have to play smart. Meet one of my strongest Pokémon! Go, Blastoise!"
A giant blue Pokémon appeared on Kenta's side of the field. It stretched its four limbs and then glared at Flygon.
"Makes sense that he'd have a Blastoise," Yuichi said. "This guy is a walking advertisement for the Kanto region."
Flygon has nothing to counter a Water-type. I still don't know what Kenta's sixth Pokémon is, so the problem is if I should reserve Flygon for the next battle, or if I test out Blastoise's strength here. Logan thought. Flygon turned to him. She then pointed at Blastoise and let out her battle cry. Looks like Flygon has made my decision for me.
"Let's fight with all our hearts!" Logan said. "Flygon, use Boomburst!"
Flygon began flapping her wings rapidly, creating soundwaves that shook the entire stadium. Stones and rubble lifted from the battlefield and flew into the air. People lost their hats. Blastoise took the energy of the attack head on, but did not flinch a muscle.
"Cute," Kenta said. "Blizzard!"
Blastoise opened his mouth and a flurry of snow came forth.
"Dodge!" Logan ordered.
Flygon flew into the air and narrowly avoided the snow. She looked down at Blastoise and smiled, but Blastoise kept his stern expression.
Luckily, Blizzard often misses. However, if it were to hit, that would spell the end of Flygon immediately. Logan thought.
"Bring her down. Use Hydro Pump!"
Blastoise turned and focused one of his cannons. He grunted and released a powerful stream of water. The water blasted quickly through the air, but Flygon was barely able to dodge it.
"Keep it up!" Kenta yelled.
"Don't stop moving!" Logan directed.
Blastoise pointed his other cannon and began firing water from both of them. Flygon moved as quickly as she could to avoid every attack.
"Dragon Rush!"
Flygon found the sweet spot between the two streams of water. Her body became engulfed in blue flames, and she fell towards the ground, smashing directly into Blastoise, and making the Water-type slide back a few feet. Blastoise grunted.
"Back up, and get into the air!"
"Hydro Pump!"
Flygon flapped her wings and started to take off into the air, but Blastoise was quick. He shot Flygon with his attack, making her crash down into the ground.
"Blizzard!"
Blastoise shifted and opened his mouth again. The stream of snow blasted quickly towards Flygon.
"Boomburst!" Logan yelled.
Flygon once again began to flap her wings rapidly, kicking up stones. The ice attack connected with the stones, and it came to a stop, allowing Flygon to soar back into the air.
"It looks like we've reached a stalemate," Kenta said. "I'm not too keen on showing you my sixth Pokémon, because that admits defeat in itself."
"Well, we can't win by just dodging," Logan replied. "Fire Blast!"
"Hydro Pump!"
The two Pokémon unleashed their attacks, and they clashed in the middle of the air. What followed was an explosion of smoke and dust which Flygon immediately dove into.
"Earthquake!"
Flygon came to the ground hard, and the battlefield began to shake. Blastoise stumbled over a little bit, but was ultimately unphased.
"Dragon Rush!"
"Skull Bash!"
As Flygon's body was engulfed in flames, Blastoise ducked his head and began to charge. The Pokémon crashed into one another, and Blastoise stood strong. Flygon's body was tossed back, but she quickly recovered.
"One more time!" both of the trainers yelled.
The Pokémon repeated their attacks and charged.
"Blizzard!" Kenta commanded seconds before they would have connected.
Blastoise stopped in his tracks and opened his mouth. Flygon tried to stop her attack, but she was too slow, and her body was soon engulfed by the strong snow. She fell to the ground and fainted.
The referee raised his flag. "Flygon is unable to battle! Blastoise is the winner!"
Logan returned his Pokémon and frowned. "You did good, Flygon." He looked at Blastoise who still stood strong. "You've left me almost no choice." He tossed a Poké Ball into the air and his Raichu appeared. He floated happily on his tail.
"I'm guessing this is the real one?" Kenta said with a smile. "I sure hope so."
"Yeah. No more tricks," Logan replied.
"Hydro Pump!" Kenta yelled.
Blastoise pointed his cannon at Raichu. He then blasted another strong stream of water towards Raichu.
"Dodge! Then use Thunder!"
Raichu easily floated around the attack. He then lifted his arms into the air, and a burst of electrical energy exploded from his body. The energy crashed into Blastoise, making the Water-type fall back, seemingly damaging him for the first time in the match.
"Let's get in close now! Use Thunder Punch!"
"Skull Bash!"
The two Pokémon charged at one another. Blastoise rammed his head into Raichu's arm, and he easily overpowered the Electric-type. He headbutted Raichu, making the Pokémon soar into the air, but Raichu easily recovered and then slowly floated back to the ground on his tail. He remained calm the whole way down.
"If we fight up close, we can't win. Raichu, use Psychic!"
"We're in for a treat now," Luna said with a grin.
The entire arena began to shake while Raichu focused his energy. The energy pulled giant stones from the ground and flung them towards Blastoise.
"Hydro Pump!"
Blastoise span in a circle and began to rapidly shoot water from his cannons at the stones, destroying them on impact.
"Thunder!" Logan ordered.
While the stones continued to fall and Blastoise continued to shoot them down, Raichu released another surge of electricity from his body. It once again connected, and Blastoise stopped moving. He stood still and glared at Raichu.
"Amazing! He took two Thunders head on, and he's still standing," Yuichi said.
Yuta nodded. "You have to commend Blastoise's strength, but I can guarantee he's on his last legs. He just knows not to show it."
"Blastoise, use Flash Cannon!"
Blastoise stuttered a bit before pointing both of his cannons towards Raichu. A silver energy began to form at the edges. He leaned over, and the energy became even bigger. He let out a battle cry and then unleashed a gigantic stream of silver energy that blasted across the field.
"Focus Blast!"
Raichu put his arms together and then formed energy in his palms. He punched the air, shooting the energy back at Blastoise. The two attacks collided, but the energy of Raichu's attack broke through. It connected directly with the Water-type, flinging him back into the wall behind Kenta. Kenta looked back at his Pokémon in surprise.
"Blastoise is unable to battle! Raichu is the winner!"
"And now we're even…" Logan muttered. He looked at Raichu who started breathing heavily.
Kenta returned Blastoise to his Poké Ball and then turned back to face Logan. He remained silent.
"What's on your mind?" Logan asked with a smile.
"We each have two Pokémon left. I don't like to see so many of my Pokémon faint, and I'm contemplating whether or not to try to drag this out much longer or end it as fast as I can," Kenta responded. He pulled a Poké Ball from his belt, but his Raichu pulled on his pant leg, making him stop. Kenta's Raichu pointed at Logan's, and Kenta responded with a nod. Raichu ran onto the field.
Whatever that final Pokémon is, it's gotta be strong. If possible, Raichu has to make it out of this battle safely. Logan thought. "Raichu, you ready?" Logan's Raichu nodded.
"It looks like we're gonna have a battle between Raichu!" the announcer yelled. "Don't forget folks, Kenta's Raichu already had an encounter with Logan's Swampert earlier in this battle. But you can bet that Logan's Raichu is also worn out from its battle with Blastoise! It's sure to be a good fight no matter what though!"
"Thunder Punch!" the boys yelled in unison.
The two Pokémon darted across the field, both of their fists lighting up with electric energy. They collided with one another, creating a giant orb of electricity in the middle. It exploded, sending shockwaves throughout the stadium. When the dust cleared, both Pokémon stood strong, still pushing their fists against one another's.
"Thunder!" they both yelled.
Kenta's Raichu jumped back a few feet while Logan's quickly floated backwards. The two unleashed a gigantic surge of electric energy from their bodies, and lighting struck down onto both of them. They glared at one another and began to yell, the energy only getting stronger.
"They're evenly matched when it comes to electric abilities," Yuta said. "They're gonna have to try something new."
"Raichu, use Psychic!" Logan ordered.
"Don't give him the chance! Quick Attack!"
As the Alolan Raichu began to focus his energy, Kenta's Raichu dashed forward. He crashed into Logan's Pokémon, making him fall off of his tail.
"Once more!"
Kenta's Raichu lunged forward again and rammed his body into his Alolan counterpart. Logan's Raichu keeled back and quickly hopped on his tail to try to get away.
"Thunder Punch!" Kenta yelled.
Kenta's Raichu jumped into the air, his fist electrified with energy. He came down and jabbed at the Alolan Raichu, landing a direct hit on the cheek, but Logan's Raichu fought through the pain and scowled at his opponent.
"Focus Blast!"
The Alolan Raichu put his arms together by his side. He started to create a blue energy in his hands, and he unleashed it at close range on Kenta's Raichu. Kenta's Raichu was sent flying back, and he crashed hard into the ground. The referee took a close look at him, but as he started to raise his flag, the Raichu began to move. He stood back up, but his body shook violently.
"We need to finish this soon!" Logan yelled. He raised his hand into the air, revealing a yellow Z-Crystal. It started to glow with energy and Logan began striking poses, increasing the glow and making the air around him shift. Suddenly, the energy flowed through his Raichu, and they both let out a battle cry. "Stoked Sparksurfer!"
The Alolan Raichu began to float into the air, and using his energy, the battlefield started to shake. Lightning crashed against the field and began to fill the terrain with static.
"Grass Knot!" Kenta ordered.
His Raichu ran forward and let out his cry. Roots burst from the ground and wrapped around the Alolan Raichu, forcing him to stop his attack. As though he had been punched in the gut, all of Logan's air was sucked from him, and the energy disappeared.
"Give it the best Thunder you can!" Kenta yelled.
Kenta's Raichu took a moment and breathed deeply. He then unleashed a gigantic surge of electrical energy from the body. The electricity came down on top of the Alolan Pikachu, frying the grass roots immediately. Logan's Raichu fell from his tail and slumped to the ground. He slowly was able to stand back up, and both of the Raichu glared at one another.
"Thunder Punch!" both of the trainers ordered.
The two Pokémon started to slowly walk forward, their arms charged with electricity. They met in the middle of the battlefield and stared each other down. Kenta's Raichu jabbed first, hitting the Alolan Raichu square in the jaw. Logan's Raichu responded with a jab of his own. The two then started to rapidly hit each other one by one. The crowd cheered with each blow. Finally, they collided at the same time with one another, and both stumbled back. They glared once more.
"Raichu, use-" Kenta started, but he suddenly stopped. His Raichu took a step forward and then collapsed to the ground. Logan's Raichu raised his hands into the air and yelled as electricity surged from his body.
"Kenta's Raichu is unable to battle! Logan's Raichu is the winner!" the referee declared.
Kenta ran out onto the battlefield and grabbed his Raichu. He picked him up and carried the Pokémon back to the trainer's box before setting him down and patting him on the head.
"You did great, Raichu. Please take a long rest," he said while handing over a small star-shaped candy. He stood up and then turned to Logan. "Your Raichu is truly incredible. It makes me wonder about the power of Pokémon from other lands." He lifted his final Poké Ball. "Logan, since I've reached the level that I'm at now, no one has pushed me this far. My next Pokémon is yet to make an appearance in the Ever Grande Conference. He is my strongest Pokémon. Once I send him out, this match will be decided."
"Don't count my Pokémon out just yet," Logan said. He looked over at his Raichu who slowly stepped back onto its tail and then floated towards Logan's side of the field. Raichu doesn't have much, if anything, left in him.
Kenta threw his Poké Ball into the air. A big yellow and white Pokémon with small wings burst forth. It had a round and cute face, but its eyes appeared to be thirsty for a fight as it scowled at Raichu.
"Meet Dragonite," Kenta said. "The strongest Pokémon that you can find in Kanto."
Logan smiled. "You're predictable. You're very strong, but you're predictable."
"That's a relief," Yuichi said with a heavy sigh. "Last night, when we were discussing potential Pokémon that Kenta could use, we came to the assumption that he either would be using a Dragon-type or a Legendary Pokémon. There had to be a reason why Kenta kept his team a secret like he did."
"And I'm guessing that Logan made his team based on your gamble?" Himawari asked.
Yuichi nodded. "Logan has a counter for Dragon-types."
"But Dragonite isn't going to be easy even if Logan has a type-advantage," Yuta added.
"I advise that you withdraw your Raichu, Logan. He won't be able to take a single attack from my Dragonite," Kenta said.
Logan looked at Raichu, who turned back. Raichu shook his head and then faced Dragonite and growled. "Raichu chooses to continue, and I have faith in my Pokémon!"
"Then let that be your undoing."
"Raichu, use Thunder!"
Raichu mustered up all of the energy that he could and sent a flurry of electricity flying from his body. The electricity crashed down onto Dragonite, who did not move a muscle. The electric attack stopped, and Dragonite cracked his neck.
"Dragonite, Hyper Beam."
Dragonite's head suddenly jolted upwards, and a small ball of white light formed in front of his mouth. He then released a beam of energy, destroying some of the battlefield. The beam connected with the Alolan Raichu, blasting the Pokémon across the field and into the back wall. Raichu slowly floated to the ground and fainted.
"Raichu is unable to battle! Dragonite is the winner!" the referee said.
The crowd remained silent and in shock while Logan walked to his Pokémon.
"Raichu, you okay?" he asked. Raichu looked up at him weakly. "You did great today. You deserve as much rest as you can get." He returned Raichu to his Poké Ball and then walked back to his trainer's box.
"I hope that you're next Pokémon is truly prepared. I won't lose, Logan," Kenta said. "Don't underestimate Dragonite."
"Oh, I'm not going to underestimate Dragonite. I've actually prepared quite well to take on a Dragon-type." He grabbed his last Poké Ball. "Go, Crabominable!"
His last Pokémon appeared and yelled at Dragonite in an attempt to intimidate it. However, the Dragon-type huffed, and Crabominable scrunched his lips.
That Hyper Beam is very dangerous. I gotta get Dragonite up close, but he won't come willingly knowing that Crabominable fights best at close-range. Logan thought. "Crabominable, start with Stone Edge!"
Crabominable roared, and using his energy, he lifted tons of small stones from the ground before shooting them towards Dragonite.
"Let's finish this quickly. Fire Punch!"
Dragonite easily avoided the stones, and then flew towards Crabominable. His fist caught fire, and he swung for the Ice-type.
"Dynamic Punch!" Logan yelled.
Crabominable shifted his body back and then thrust one of his arms out. The two Pokémon's fists connected, sending a shockwave throughout the stadium.
"Toxic!" Logan ordered.
A purple goo started to leak from Crabominable's hand. It attached to Dragonite, and the Dragon-type in a panicked state, backed away. Suddenly, a purple energy surrounded Dragonite, and he let out a screech.
"What?!" Kenta yelled.
"Toxic," Yuta said. "Any and all Pokémon can learn it. It's one of the most dangerous moves in Pokémon battling. The longer this battle goes on, the more likely Dragonite is to succumb to the poison."
"Logan may actually win this," Luna mumbled. She stood up. "Logan, don't you dare lose now!"
"Ice Hammer, Crabominable!" Logan ordered.
His Pokémon lunged forward. He covered his fist with icy energy and swung at Dragonite, landing a direct hit on the Dragon-type's mid-section. Dragonite flew back a few feet, but was ultimately okay.
"Iron Tail," Kenta ordered.
Before Logan could make a counter attack, Dragonite darted in front of Crabominable. He swung his body around and smashed his tail into the Ice-type, flinging him across the battlefield. Dragonite turned to continue his attack, but the purple energy suddenly sapped his energy. He collapsed to the ground.
"That one was a bit stronger than the last," Kenta said to himself.
"Stone Edge!" Logan ordered.
Small stones burst from the smoke that engulfed Crabominable. The stones pelted Dragonite, and he fell back.
"Dragonite, Fire Punch!"
Dragonite quickly flew up into the air, his wings making a booming noise as he flapped them. His arm caught on fire, and he lunged at Crabominable, landing a direct hit. The Ice-type backed away, holding his cheek. Dragonite suddenly fell to the ground again, letting out another screech.
"If I don't land a finishing blow soon, then Dragonite is finished," Kenta said. His eyes were now filled with panic.
"Ice Hammer!" Logan yelled.
Crabominable lifted his arm and swung it downwards at Dragonite, but Kenta's Pokémon was quick and dodged.
"Hyper Beam!"
Dragonite quickly released a bright white energy beam from his mouth. The energy connected with Crabominable, and pushed the Ice-type against the wall before forcing him into the air. Crabominable's body was dragged across the stadium wall, and he collapsed once the attack stopped. Before the referee could make his call though, Crabominable forced himself to stand back up. He let out a battle cry, and Dragonite fell once more while the purple energy depleted his health.
Logan's heart thumped rapidly in his chest. This was the moment that he had waited so long for. He dreamt of fighting in the finals of a conference. He dreamt of winning it and going on to fight the Elite Four. And then, if he could defeat them, he'd get to challenge the champion. All of the doubt that he had before had been washed away. His loss to Mao. His loss to Luna. None of it mattered anymore. But his body shook. Whether it shook with nerves or adrenaline, he didn't know. All that he knew was that this battle was mere moments from being decided.
"This is our chance, Crabominable! Finish this with Ice Hammer!" Logan ordered. His Pokémon nodded and then charged forward as fast as its small legs would allow.
Dragonite stood still and breathed heavily. He looked at Crabominable with one eye and winced.
"Dragonite, I'm sorry, but we need to use it," Kenta said. Dragonite slowly nodded. "Outrage!"
Dragonite staggered but stood back up. His entire body began to glow a slight red. As soon as Crabominable swung his arm, Dragonite blocked. He then began to repeatedly strike Crabominable while screeching and howling. Arcane energy exploded off of his body with every strike. Every time Crabominable lifted his arms to block, Dragonite knocked them down and then struck the Ice-type directly in the face. Dragonite put his hands together and lunged at Crabominable once more, knocking him into the air. But before he could fly too far, Dragonite grabbed the Ice-type's leg and then tossed him back to the ground. Crabominable landed hard, and when the dust had settled, the result was clear. Dragonite landed back onto the battlefield and let out a roar.
Logan's hand stopped trembling. He looked out at Crabominable who had fought so hard before. He went over it all in his head. He went over the strategy that he created and the type-advantage that he had set for himself. He went over it all, but as he observed Crabominable's lifeless body, it became clear that it wasn't enough.
"Crabominable is unable to battle! Dragonite is the winner! Your victor and Ever Grande Conference Champion is Itou Kenta!" the referee declared as the crowd cheered.
Dragonite raised his arms into the air and cheered before he collapsed to the ground directly in front of Crabominable. Kenta and Logan walked out onto the field to their Pokémon.
"You did great, Crabominable," Logan said.
Kenta held his Pokémon's head in his arms. "Dragonite, you were amazing. That was so close, and I'm so proud of you."
"He lost," Yurie said. She held Torchic tightly in her arms. "I hope he's okay…"
"Logan, thank you for our battle today. You've taught me that I still have a long way to go, and because of our battle, I'm curious about the power of other Pokémon," Kenta said. He held out his hand. "It was a pleasure facing you in the finals."
Logan looked at Kenta's hand. He grinned and then shook it. "It was a blast! Let's battle again someday!"
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
I'm so relieved to have this arc finished. I do enjoy writing full battles, but boi. Writing Logan's final three battles was really fun, but I think a lot of the other battles, like Yuichi vs. Luna and Yuta vs. Asper, were a bit harder to write. Nonetheless, thank you for reading this behemoth of a final battle. I know that since Kenta was introduced in this chapter, it may be harder to connect with the battle itself, but I was wanting to take that risk. For the longest time, I had two endings written. One of them was Logan winning, but I think Logan's journey has a bit more fuel to it.
Next chapter, we'll start to wrap up the trio's journey in Hoenn.
We're going to move onto the next journey in a couple of weeks. I don't want to say who is going where (because spoilers), BUT I kind of want my readers to name the next story. I want to follow my regular naming convention like "Healing in Hoenn" and "Awakening Alola" but I'm unsure of how to go about it. Should I name the next story something like "Healing in Sinnoh" or should I try something like… for example "Shining in Sinnoh" or "Kicking it in Kanto"
So, option A - "Healing in _" or option B - "_ing in _o"
If you like option B, think you could give me ideas? I won't spoil where anyone is going right now, but if you had to make up a title (using my naming conventions) for a story in Kanto, Johto, or Sinnoh, what would you name it?