Chapter 76 - A Gigantamaxed Problem
"And just like that, we are tied!" the announcer exclaimed. "Both trainers are left with two Pokémon! I'm sure that there are going to be many more surprises in the coming moments, folks! But I think that I don't speak for just myself when I want these two competitors to fight forever!"
Seshiru folded her arms while she watched the television. "C'mon, Mr. Stephenson."
"You can do it, Logan!" Yurie shouted from the stands.
"Don't you dare lose! My plane ticket wasn't cheap!" Himawari added. He turned to Yurie and then said quietly, "Actually, it kind of was."
"Alright, there's no more reason to keep you waiting! C'mon out, Snorlax!" Logan yelled while throwing his Heavy Ball into the air. His massive Pokémon emerged, smacking her belly once she saw Maleah.
Maleah smiled. "Trying to save a surprise for me, huh? It's not going to work. Go, Vikavolt!"
Once her Pokémon appeared, its loud buzzing filled the field. It darted around haphazardly in the air, but Snorlax didn't appear too bothered.
"Snorlax, we can end this one quickly and then you can take a nap! Use Mega Kick!" Logan ordered.
Snorlax started to run down the field. She jumped into the air and stuck out her right leg, prepared to kick Vikavolt as hard as she could. But, the Electric-type was too quick, easily moving around Snorlax's attack.
"Skitter Smack!" Maleah shouted.
Vikavolt rounded the field and started to buzz once again. He collided into Snorlax and started to move around his limbs rapidly, scratching at the Normal-type with dark green energy. Snorlax roared from the unfamiliar pain and then took a couple of steps backward.
"And a direct Air Slash!"
Vikavolt flew back and then revealed the wings that were hidden under his shell. They started to glow white before he slashed outward, making Snorlax fall onto her back.
"Nice!" Maleah exclaimed.
Logan looked at his Pokémon. She stayed still, but she glared at Logan intensely. It reminded him of when he first caught her. "Use Thunder from there!"
Without standing back up, Snorlax tucked in her arms and legs before quickly jutting them outward. Sparks exploded from her body and flew into the air. They crashed down onto Vikavolt, who didn't bother to dodge. As the sparks surged through his body, Snorlax came back to her feet. Upon finding that her attack did very little, her rage only grew.
All we need is one really strong blow, Logan thought. "Mega Kick! Don't give up!"
"Snor-lax!" she called back. She twisted her body around and stuck out her leg again, looking for a powerful strike. However, Vikavolt was still too fast, easily ducking under her beefy foot.
"Thunderbolt!" Maleah shouted.
"Vika!" he hissed while unleashing his own set of sparks from his body in a direct blast to Snorlax's stomach.
Maleah punched the air. "And follow with Skitter Smack!"
Vikavolt pointed his body at Snorlax and then flew forward. He tackled into the Normal-type and began to slash away with the dark green energy.
"Snorlax!" Logan's Pokémon called. She jumped and dove down with her leg first, hoping to get in a Mega Kick, but Vikavolt was still too fast.
Maleah grinned. "This is over, Logan. Vikavolt, use Flash Cannon!"
Vikavolt flew backward while charging up a ball of silver energy in front of his two large pincers.
"I've had enough. We can't wait anymore," Logan said. He held out his hand, revealing the Snorlium-Z that Maleah had gifted him months before. It started to glow, and he hit his first pose. "We're gonna win this!"
"He hasn't used a Z-Move yet!" Yurie exclaimed.
Logan quickly finished his poses before sending the aura to Snorlax. Her eyes were filled with fire, and she ran down the field.
"Pulverizing Pancake! Dodge this!" Logan yelled.
Vikavolt unleashed his attack, and the silver beam struck Snorlax's stomach. It wasn't enough to stop the Normal-type from her rampage though. She barreled through the beam, leaped into the air, and then stretched out her body, blocking out the light from the sun. Vikavolt had used too much energy to immediately dodge, and within seconds, Snorlax came down, causing a loud crash that shook the stadium.
"What was that?!" the announcer yelled.
Snorlax huffed, blowing some of the dust at Maleah. She rolled over, revealing an unconscious Vikavolt. She slowly stood up and wiped dirt from her shoulders, not bothering to look back at her opponent.
"Vikavolt is unable to battle! Snorlax is the winner!"
"The absolute disrespect," Maleah said while withdrawing Vikavolt. "Beating me with the move that I gave you."
Logan shrugged. "All is fair is love and war and Pokémon battles."
"This means that Maleah is down to her final Pokémon," Sora said. He looked around the field. "We're about to see something incredible. I'm sure of it."
Snorlax reached her side of the field and took in a deep breath. She glanced over at Logan, telling him that she was nearing her end by her facial expression. She then turned back to Maleah, putting on a poker face.
Maleah cocked her head and cracked her neck. She drew out her final Poké Ball and grinned. "This is finished, Logan. My next Pokémon is gonna crush you."
Logan didn't respond.
"Go, Drednaw!" Maleah shouted while throwing her ball into the air. It exploded open, and her Pokémon emerged. It was a tortoise Pokémon, and it howled before snapping its jaws shut. Everyone waited patiently for Maleah to do something like have it mega evolve, but she made no such command.
Logan glared. "Alright then. Snorlax, it's your time to shine! Mega Kick!"
"Snorlax!" she yelled back. She started her bound down the field, causing it to shake with every step.
"Razor Shell!" Maleah commanded.
Drednaw tucked his body in and started to spin like a saw. He rolled down the field, as aquatic energy surrounded him. The two Pokémon connected in the middle, Snorlax sticking her leg out and finally getting a direct hit. The two paused momentarily before Snorlax was forced back.
"Don't give in!" Logan shouted. "Giga Impact!"
Snorlax slapped her belly, and then energy exploded from her body. She started to run forward again in a last ditch effort to help her trainer win the fight.
"Jaw Lock!" Maleah commanded.
Drednaw duck his hindlegs into the ground, and dark energy formed around him, creating a black pair of jaws. Eventually, Snorlax connected, and Drednaw clamped the jaws down. There was an explosion that followed, which cloaked the two in smoke. The crowd waited in anticipation, and they were shocked to find the two still when the smoke had wafted away. Drednaw kept the dark energy around Snorlax, preventing her from escaping.
"What is that?!" Logan wondered.
"Why don't we go ahead and show off your power?" Maleah said. "Lift her and use Razor Shell!"
Drednaw did just that. The crowd awed as he lifted the thousand pound Snorlax into the air. And then, he tossed her with ease. The aquatic energy surrounded him once again, and he took into the air as he spun. He sliced into Snorlax, whose body went limp before she came crashing onto the field. Everyone in the stadium was in shock by the impressive feat.
"Snorlax is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Drednaw is the winner!"
"And we are even once again!" the announcer yelled. "Maleah's Drednaw is impressive indeed! How will Logan make his comeback?"
Logan let the Heavy Ball retrieve Snorlax. He tucked it away and then sighed.
This isn't over. I can still. I can still lose. There's a lot more moving pieces for this battle, Logan thought. He looked down at his bracelet with his newly gifted Manectite fastened in. He let out a deep breath, snatched the Premier Ball from his belt and then threw it straight onto the field. Manectric emerged and roared. He had grown in size since the last time that Logan had seen him, now with broad shoulders just like Himawari.
"Logan chooses Manectric, which means that he'll have the slight advantage against Drednaw! However, as these competitors have proven, type advantage isn't everything!" the announcer explained.
Logan grinned. "Manectric, show the world what you can do! Let's mega evolve!"
Manectric howled as the rainbow energy swirled around him. He sparked with electricity, and within only a few seconds, he took his next form. His yellow fur grew, almost covering the entirety of his body, and he now crouched, ready to pounce once given the command. Drednaw slightly recoiled, intimidated by the Electric-type.
Maleah laughed. "You're not the only one with tricks." She tapped her own wrist, where there was a band that glowed red. The glow didn't come from a mega stone like Logan had expected. It was something entirely different.
"What is she planning?" Himawari wondered.
"Let me introduce you to Gigantamax Drednaw, Logan!" Maleah shouted. She drew out the Poké Ball, which was then infused with the red energy from her band. She withdrew Drednaw, and then her Poké Ball expanded to almost ten times its regular size. She had to hold it with two hands before she threw it directly into the air.
Drednaw emerged once again, now rapidly expanding. When it finished, it stood up on its hind legs, standing well over seventy feet, and it had slightly changed form. It wouldn't have mattered how much its appearance changed though, as everyone was simply flabbergasted by its pure size.
"That's incredible," Yurie muttered.
"What in the world?!" Himawari screamed. He grabbed hold of Sora's shoulder. "Dude, are you seeing this?!"
"Technically, no," Sora groaned.
The crowd was full of gasps, cheers, and screams. Children were terrified of the beast while others were shocked into silence. Giant Pokémon were regularly seen on television as kaiju for superheroes to battle against, but it was only something seen in fiction and folklore.
"Don't be afraid, folks! This is called Gigantamaxing, which was popularized in the Galar region! For many years, it was exclusive to the region, but as the conferences have tried to diversify, we have been given technology to make it happen here for you all to see!" the announcer said.
Maleah laughed at the reaction from the crowd. She looked around at all of the surprised faces. Then, she looked down the field to find Logan, who didn't appear surprised or even bothered.
"Aren't you impressed?" Maleah asked.
Logan shrugged and then grinned. "I don't like to brag, but I've been up against some really terrifying Pokémon. When you try to battle a raging Kyogre and Groudon, not much can really scare you anymore. If anything, I'm now only even more excited to find a way to beat you! But a big Pokémon is big, and that's it. Nothing special!"
Maleah scowled. "You're going to regret insulting my Pokémon! Use Max Rockfall!"
Drednaw was now much slower than before. He let out a roar, and the entire village shook. Maleah's side of the field began to stir, and the ground was lifted almost twenty feet into the air, towering over Manectric.
"Oh boy," Logan muttered.
"Drop it!"
The ground began to fall forward, and Drednaw was hoping that it'd land directly on Manectric. But the Electric-type was fast. He ran forward, directly to the base of the rock, and when there was an opening, he slunk through it quickly narrowly avoiding the dangerous attack. The rock crashed down onto the field, shooting dust particles into the air. The energy shifted, and the debris started to stir. Within moments, a sandstorm had formed on the field.
I was hoping to make full use of Manectric's abilities, but it looks like we're going to have to wait for an opening, Logan thought. "Use Rising Voltage!"
Manectric put his two front paws down, and electricity escaped from his body, racing across the field. It shocked Drednaw all the way to his core, but he only let out a low grown. Logan was unsure how much damage it would have done.
"Your weak attacks won't do much," Maleah said. "Drednaw, use Max Darkness!"
Drednaw looked down at Manectric. The Electric-type could tell that he was grinning just from the eye contact. Dark energy swirled around his body and then shot downward.
"Deflect it with Flamethrower!" Logan ordered.
Manectric howled and then unleashed the stream of flames into the air. The two attacks clashed, and momentarily, they were even. But eventually, the dark energy won the test of strength, and Manectric was engulfed in darkness. His body was tossed backward, and he landed in some of the rubble from Drednaw's attack prior. He slowly got out and then roared.
Logan shifted his eyebrows. Flamethrower was kind of even there for a bit. And although we took the attack, he still got up. Maybe this Gigantamax thing isn't exactly as powerful as it looks.
Manectric looked back at his trainer, hoping for a command.
"Oh yeah! Try Rising Voltage! Give it all you got!"
Manectric crouched, and more sparks raced across the field before zapping into Drednaw. But once again, the large Pokémon barely reacted.
"C'mon, Manectric!" Himawari shouted.
"This battle has gone on long enough!" Maleah stated. "We're going to finish this now! Use G-Max Stonesurge!"
Drednaw reeled back and opened his large jaw. A ball of aura mixed with aquatic energy appeared. Manectric and Logan's eyes widened as Drednaw unleashed his attack, one of the largest blasts of water that either of them had even seen. There was no escape this time, and Manectric took the attack head on. He was dragged against the ground and buried under the rocks. Logan stared on in disbelief. There was no sign of life this time.
"Oh no," Logan muttered.
The red aura from before exploded from under Drednaw, and he rapidly decreased in size, returning back to his original form. He stumbled forward slightly, the effects of the battle now visible.
Maleah crossed her arms. "Well now. Gigantamax can only last for a few attacks before they're forced to turn normal. However, it looks like the timing is perfect. Your Manectric is finished."
The referee looked at the pile of rocks, trying to find Manectric. She had never seen an attack like G-Max Stonesurge before, and she believed that there was no way that Manectric would have survived. It was her job to take care of the Pokémon on the field, and she knew that she had to call the battle so that Manectric could get to a Pokémon Center.
She raised her flag.
But then, the rocks started to stir.
Logan sighed with relief. "We're not done yet! Electric Terrain!"
From under the rocks, the field started to change. A yellow light pulsated against the now destroyed terrain, making it electrified.
"How is Manectric still doing this?" Maleah wondered.
Logan grinned. "I have faith in my Pokémon! And I have faith in my friends to take good care of them when we're away! Manectric, use Rising Voltage!"
The rocks around Manectric exploded as sparks came from his legs. The entire terrain lit up, and Drednaw was shocked, letting out a terrifying scream. When the attack finally stopped, Drednaw slumped, but his legs did not give out.
Logan groaned. "No way! Drednaw is too strong!"
"In the sandstorm, Drednaw's special defense is powered up. Even a fully charged Rising Voltage isn't going to defeat us," Maleah said.
"Special defense?" Logan wondered. "Well, in that case. Use Psychic Fangs!"
Manectric howled and then bounded down the field, psychic energy surrounding his body. He leaped into the air and formed purple fangs around him and then tried to clamp them down. But unfortunately for the Electric-type, Drednaw responded with his own powerful attack, Jaw Law, catching and putting Manectric in a bind.
"No!" Logan shouted.
"Throw him into the air, and use Razor Shell!" Maleah directed, repeating the command from before.
Drednaw heaved, tossing Manectric upward. He then used his powerful legs to send him into a violent spin, assisted by aquatic energy.
"Rising Voltage!" Logan yelled desperately.
Manectric had to be quick, as he was vulnerable in the air. He focused the electricity in his body, which caused the field to spark. The energy surged, chasing after Drednaw. The two collided, and a flash of light lit up the stadium. Both of the Pokémon landed on the ground, and they glared at one another.
The sandstorm finally faded.
"That's gotta be it, right?" Himawari wondered. "No matter what, there has to be a winner now, right?"
Sora nodded. "Yeah. This is over."
Logan and Maleah didn't bother with another command. They knew it was over, but it was just a matter of who collapsed first.
Manectric's back leg buckled, and the crowd gasped.
But then, all of Drednaw's weight came crashing down, and he slumped to the ground.
"Drednaw is unable to battle! Manectric and Logan are the winners!" the referee declared. She let out an exasperated sigh.
"Moving onto the final round is Logan Stephenson! Faced with the odds of a Gigantamaxed Pokémon, he managed to pull off a win! I've never seen anything like it, folks! Please put your hands together for these competitors, who laid it all out on the line for us today!" the announcer screamed into the microphone.
Maleah looked at her knocked out Pokémon with a deadpan expression on her face. She slowly lifted her Poké Ball and withdrew Drednaw before turning around and walking towards the back. But then she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She looked back at Logan, Manectric at his side.
"Thanks for the battle, Maleah!" Logan exclaimed.
Maleah blushed. "Thanks, Logan."
The two walked together to the back as the crowd cheered for the both of them. Pokémon League staff and their Pokémon took to the field and started to flatten it out after the intense battle that just took place.
"Now what?" Logan asked. "Where do you go next?"
Maleah was unsure. She hadn't foreseen herself losing, let alone in the semi-finals. She shrugged. "I'll stick around for a bit to support you. I think you can win, no matter who you battle."
The two then passed by Seshiru and Haruto, who were silent.
Logan stopped and looked at his friend. "Seshiru, we're going to battle in the finals, right?"
Seshiru looked back at him and paused, letting Haruto continue down the hallway. "I promise. We'll have the greatest battle in the history of the Indigo League."
Logan gave her a thumbs up and grinned. "I'm looking forward to it!" He watched Haruto, who didn't even bother to regard him. "Don't lose!"
Logan turned back to where Maleah was, but she was now gone, leaving Logan alone in the hallway. She had probably already gone back to the locker room. He wanted to console her after her loss, but he was afraid of giving her the wrong idea. For the time being, he was content with staying in the hallway and listening to the rumble of the crowd, enjoying it for as long as he could.
"With our first battle out of the way, we have now moved on to today's main event! It's the A-Block's Egawa Seshiru vs. Kawahara Haruto! These are the two top ranked trainers in this tournament, which means that we're going to be getting a battle worthy of the finals right now!" the announcer shouted. After the intense battle prior, the crowd had lost a lot of their energy. It was going to be hard for Seshiru and Haruto to live up to it, but they didn't care, as long as they walked away the winner.
"The following match will be a full six on six battle! A winner will be decided when one side has lost all of their team! When one side loses three Pokémon, we will enter a short intermission. Trainers, are you ready?"
"Ready."
Seshiru wasted no time. She threw her ball into the air, and Poliwrath emerged. He was well and rested from his battle with Emma, and he was ready to go all out against Haruto.
Haruto closed his eyes, took a breath, and then scowled. "You're in my way, Seshiru. We won't let up! Go, Slowking!"
Haruto's Pokémon was chubby and pink with a large shell on his head. He put his arms behind his back and regarded Poliwrath, knowing that he had a type advantage.
"Poliwrath, start with Ice Ball!" Seshiru ordered.
"Fight back with Psychic!" Haruto commanded.
Poliwrath lifted his arms into the air and started his attack. He formed a ball of ice over his head and then tossed it forward, hoping for a direct blow. However, Slowking was fast in spite of his name. He focused his energy, stopping the ball of ice in the middle of the air.
"I don't think so!" Seshiru shouted. "Give 'em another!"
Poliwrath raised his arms into the air again, forming another ball, now much heavier. He held it with both of his mitt-like hands before heaving it forward. It destroyed the first ball and then continued before hitting Slowking directly in the crown. The Psychic-type backed away a few feet; his focus had been broken.
"Keep it up! Use Liquidation!" Seshiru ordered.
Poliwrath started to run down the field, aquatic energy forming around his right fist.
"Iron Defense!"
Slowking remained still, taking the direct hit from Poliwrath. However, there was a slight glow that came from Slowking, and the blow barely did any damage. He started to laugh as a look of bewilderment came over Poliwrath's face.
"Psychic!" Haruto shouted.
A purple aura surrounded Poliwrath's body before he was lifted into the air. He struggled as the energy stretched and squeezed him in random areas of his large body. He was then tossed backward, landing hard on the ground.
"We're gonna show you why I've earned the nickname of Brutal Kawahara!" Haruto shouted. "Ice Beam!"
The gem on Slowking's crown glowed with white energy, and the jagged beam of ice shot straight from it, hitting the grounded Water-type. Poliwrath let out a pained cry, and Seshiru tensed up.
"Don't give them a second! Surf!" Haruto commanded.
The ground below Slowking rumbled before water erupted from the field. He shot the water into the air, turning it into a wave. It came crashing down and engulfed Poliwrath, who didn't flinch. Eventually, the water washed away, and Poliwrath stood up. He flexed his muscles at Slowking, who was now surprised.
"With Water Absorb, your Water-type moves are useless," Seshiru said. "Dynamic Punch!"
"Wrath!" her Pokémon shouted while focusing chakra around his fist. He ran forward while waving his arm above his head, gathering energy.
"Psychic and put him to a stop!" Haruto barked.
Once again, Poliwrath was forced to stop in his tracks. He was only inches away from hitting his attack, and Slowking had to use all of his energy to keep Poliwrath from lunging forward and causing an explosion.
Have to change up tactics, Seshiru thought. "Use your own Psychic and break free!"
Poliwrath's eyes started to glow, and there was a sudden flash of purple light, which divided the two. There was a quick explosion, allowing for Poliwrath to back away.
"And now Dynamic Punch!"
Poliwrath took advantage of the distraction. He dove into the smoke and then jabbed. What followed was yet another explosion, this one much larger and louder. Poliwrath leaped out of the smoke and landed on his side of the field. He looked to Slowking, who slowly stumbled out, now confused.
Haruto glared. "We can end this, Slowking! Use Psychic!"
Sure enough, it would take one more of Slowking's super-effective attacks to end the battle, but the confusion was too much for the Water-type Pokémon. He looked at the ground and sent a wave of psychic energy, effectively hitting nothing.
Seshiru grinned. "And the first win goes to us! Use Liquidation! Give it all you got!"
"Wrath!" Poliwrath shouted. He clasped his hands together and let the aquatic energy surround his arms. He struck Slowking as though he were swinging a bat, and the Psychic-type was tossed into the air. He landed on the ground with a hard thud, and his body went limp.
"Slowking is unable to battle!" the referee declared. "Poliwrath is the winner!"
"Amazing," Himawari said. "Even with a disadvantage, Seshiru was still able to pull off a win. She single?"
"Stop it," Yurie muttered.
Haruto withdrew Slowking and glared at Poliwrath. "We're not going to play your game of fighting an uphill battle. You and your friend Logan are too theatrical. We'll sweep this battle. Go, Tangrowth!"
Haruto's Pokémon was a mess of dark blue vines with two wide eyes peeking out from the inside. Seshiru was vaguely familiar with the Pokémon, so she wasn't afraid.
Seshiru lifted her Poké Ball and called back Poliwrath, making Haruto slightly angrier. She then threw her next Poké Ball into the air, and her large Lapras appeared on the field, letting out a loud howl.
Haruto balled up his fist. "Whatever. Start with Grassy Terrain!"
Tangrowth's legs glowed bright green, and energy released from his body, spreading across the field. There was a slight green grow that now gave the field a relaxing aura.
"Ice Beam!" Seshiru shouted, not phased by the feeling.
"Dodge it!"
Lapras unleashed her jagged beam of ice down the field, freezing some of the grass that had sprouted. Tangrowth quickly got around the beam though, and then he looked at Lapras, knowing what was going to be asked of him.
"Power Whip!" Haruto shouted.
Tangrowth whipped out one of his arms down the field, slamming it into Lapras' side. The Water-type was lifted from the ground and into the air, force back.
"And with Grassy Terrain, that was sure to have done a lot," Himawari said.
"Tangrowth, use Poison Jab!" Haruto commanded.
Tangrowth hit the ground, and the tips of his fingers started to glow with a scary purple hue. He glared at Lapras and then leaped into the air, prepared to come down and strike.
"Sparkling Aria!" Seshiru ordered.
Lapras remained still while she used her attack. She started to hum, and a bubble formed from the noise. It expanded, and when Tangrowth was close, it imploded, defending Lapras from the poisonous strike. Tangrowth was blasted backward, landing on his back.
"Body Slam!" Seshiru yelled.
Lapras howled and forced herself into the air, surprising everyone in the stadium.
"Catch it!" Haruto instructed.
Tangrowth rolled backward and then held out his arms. He took the full brunt of Lapras' strike, but he managed to remain still as he wrapped his vines around her body.
Haruto closed his eyes and grinned. "And now Brutal Swing!"
Tangrowth started to spin, slowly lifting Lapras up. He slammed her down and then tossed her upward, releasing her from his clutches.
"Shouldn't have let go," Seshiru said with a grin. "Ice Beam!"
Lapras, although hurt, managed to get Tangrowth in her sights. She took aim from the air before blasting the jagged beam downward. It connected with Tangrowth, making him screech. Some of the ice crystalized over his body, but it didn't matter. The damage had been done, and what remained unfrozen hung limp to the ground.
The referee gritted his teeth as he looked at the hurt Pokémon, but he had to make his call. "Tangrowth is unable to battle! Lapras is the winner!"
Haruto's eyes widened. He hadn't lost two Pokémon in a row during the entirety of the tournament. It wasn't even something that he had considered.
In the backroom, Logan and Maleah stood, watching the television.
"Looks like you're gonna get to fight your friend," Maleah said. "Something is wrong with Haruto."
Logan remained silent. He wanted Seshiru to win, and he was hoping that he'd get to battle her the next day, but he also knew better than to count Haruto out so early into the match.
Haruto thought over his next move. He actually didn't have very many Pokémon that could go up against Lapras. He knew that he'd have to work with a disadvantage, but he also knew that he could win if he chose the correct strategies.
"Nidoqueen, you're up!" he yelled while throwing his ball into the air. His blue Pokémon emerged before letting out a roar.
"Haruto goes with Nidoqueen, which means that he's once again at a slight disadvantage! Does this mean that he's out of options?" the announcer wondered.
"Nidoqueen, use Superpower!" Haruto commanded.
Nidoqueen was fast. Red chakra exuded from her body, and she bounded down the field. There wasn't much that Lapras could do, and she was forced to withstand the hit. Her body slid across the grass of the field, and she was now facing the wrong side.
"Ice Beam!" Seshiru ordered.
Although she couldn't get a direct hit, she turned her head around and released the beam again. Nidoqueen tried to move out the way, but her arm was struck, and she let out a loud groan.
Haruto grinned. "Our pain only turns into power! Avalanche!"
Nidoqueen punched the ground with her injured arm, and the field began to shake. Snow and ice erupted from the ground and then shot across the field. It came over Lapras, who was forced outside of the barriers of the field by the attack's sheer power.
"That was strong," Seshiru muttered. She looked at the field, now filled with ice and snow. "But now we have a path to move on! Use Waterfall!"
Lapras cooed and aquatic energy surrounded her body. She powered through the snow and easily moved across the field with enough energy to climb a waterfall.
"Show them how strong you are!" Haruto instructed.
Nidoqueen stomped her legs and waited. She opened her arms to catch Lapras. The two collided, and Nidoqueen was forced to slide back but only slightly.
"Take her for a ride," Haruto said. "Use Drill Run!"
Nidoqueen dug her horn into Lapras and didn't let go. Suddenly, she started to spin, pushing the Water-type across the field. There was no rhyme or reason to the push though, and they moved in a hectic pattern as Lapras let out a terrible screech.
"We have to break free!" Seshiru exclaimed. "Use Sparkling Aria!"
"I don't think so! Crunch!"
Lapras started to howl, and the ball of aquatic energy formed. However, Nidoqueen was just as fast at forming her attack. The ball exploded, raining down powerful energy onto the two. There was a moment of silence when the attack stopped, but when the smoke cleared, Seshiru was disappointed to find a set of dark black jaws locked onto Lapras.
Nidoqueen eventually released her hold, and she stumbled backward, as Sparkling Aria had done its toll on her body. However, to Nidoqueen's delight, Lapras tumbled forward in a fainted state.
"Lapras is unable to battle! Nidoqueen is the winner!"
"And just like that, Haruto begins his comeback! Is this only a moment of hope or will the brutal battler from Hoenn be taking his first steps to victory?!"
Himawari folded his arms. "Yurie, you know both of these trainers better than I do. Who do you think has this victory?"
"Well, to be honest, I've only watched Seshiru up and close, so I can't make that call," Yurie said. She had been watching Haruto throughout the tournament, but it wasn't enough information to make any bets.
Sora put his hand to his chin. "Well, let me say this. Their Pokémon are very well trained, but they have a different level of respect for their trainers."
"What do you mean?"
"Seshiru's Pokémon trust and love Seshiru. A Pokémon like Poliwrath would fight till all of the bones in his body were crushed if it meant getting the victory."
"And Haruto's Pokémon?"
"They see Haruto as the general of the team. They fear but respect him. They're all very prideful," he explained. "So, it's a matter of trust and love versus fear and respect."
"Quagsire, it's your turn!" Seshiru shouted, releasing her Pokémon to the field.
"Sire," he said softly upon seeing the mess that Lapras and Nidoqueen had created.
"Superpower!" Haruto commanded. He knew the costs of the attack, but he was also aware that he needed to do as much damage to Quagsire as he could while he could.
Nidoqueen roared and started to run down the field, chakra emitting from her body.
"Keep her back with Earthquake!" Seshiru commanded.
Quagsire slammed his tail into the ground, expecting for the field to shake violently and put a stop to Nidoqueen's charge. However, he could feel the terrain weakening his strike, something he wasn't used to. He looked at Seshiru, confused, and before she could give another command, Nidoqueen struck, tackling the Water-type to the ground.
"Get up and use Ice Beam!"
Quagsire rolled against the ground and to the side. He quickly got to his feet, aimed, and then unleashed his own beam of jagged ice from his mouth. It hit Nidoqueen in the side, and she flew into the air, landing hard in a pile of snow.
"Avalanche!" Haruto commanded.
All of the snow swirled into the air and encircled Nidoqueen. She focused it and made it clump above her while she raised her arms. She glared at Quagsire and then sent it crashing down.
"Muddy Water!" Seshiru shouted at the last second.
The snow and ice piled onto Quagsire and buried him. The crowd didn't have to wait long to know the results of the attack though, as the snow quickly lost its beautiful white color, becoming a muddy brown. The ice washed to the sides as Quagsire emerged with a smile on his face.
"That Quagsire is a psychopath," Sora said.
"End this! Use Muddy Water!"
Quagsire let out a soft coo and then launched a wave down his side of the field. It violently washed over Nidoqueen, and she was forced to the outside of the field. She washed up right in front of the referee's podium, her body limp.
"Nidoqueen is unable to battle!" the referee declared. "Quagsire is the winner! Haruto has lost three Pokémon, so we will now go into an intermission!"
Seshiru smiled and withdrew Quagsire. She looked at the field as the green aura slowly disappeared. When they returned to the battle, neither of them would have a distinct advantage. They'd have to set up once more.
Haruto clenched his fists and then walked to his bench. He sat down and thought over his three remaining Pokémon.
"In an event that I didn't think was possible, Haruto has lost three of his Pokémon first, which means that we're going to our fifteen minute intermission!" the announcer told the audience. "Enjoy your break and buy a lot of food, but make sure to be back on time! You don't want to miss a single second of this action!"
Yurie put her hand to her chin. "I'm not sure who I should go talk to."
"Haruto is losing, so he could probably use the support," Himawari said. "I'll go talk to Seshiru! I know that we don't know each other, but I think I'm good at hyping people up!"
"You just want to flirt."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
So, Logan is moving onto the finals after a very intense battle with the King of Kanto, Maleah. It was really fun to write the Gigantamax battle, and I especially liked writing for Logan's reaction to it.
Also, we move to Seshiru vs. Haruto! The fate of the final battle in Kickin' It In Kanto lies in the result of the battle! I will write the conclusion for it in the next chapter! Who do you think will win?! Who do you want to win?! It's Logan vs. Seshiru or Logan vs. Haruto!
REVIEWS:
pokemonking0924 - "I especially like all the little tricks Logan has used during this match I especially like Incineroars fighting style and antics. I bet the modification that Maleah added to their field is for using Dynamax Pokémon, I'm looking forward to seeing Logan and everyone's reaction." - Writing for Logan's Incineroar was great! And thanks to this review, I decided to make Logan's reaction different from Cyan's.
Kunoichi69 - "I'm willing to bet that Maleah is going to be using a Gigantamax since they are more impressive than just regular Dynamaxing. I know Logan still has Snorlax and I hope the big eater accidentally becomes a Gigantamax accidentally just like Pikachu did in the anime (13th episode of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, and the 1,098th episode of the Pokémon anime)" - I considered it, but I decided to go with Snorlax using her Z-Move instead.
CrescentApple - "Haruto is interesting. He believes he can defeat Maleah when he sees all her tricks. But I guess it makes sense. He can create counter measures." - It's one reason why Logan has been holding back some of his stronger Pokemon. The other contestants are always watching!