Chapter 17: Sapphire vs. Mustard Part 2
The smoke finally cleared and Sapphire and Mustard were able to see the outcome of their Dragon Pokémon's combined onslaught. To their amazement, both Kagami and Kommo-o were still standing! They'd expected at least one of them to go down, but they were both still able to carry on! The two Pokémon were panting but otherwise were showing no signs of giving up that easily. Everyone watching gasped in amazement.
"Gosh! I thought we'd have at least one winner after that but nope, they're both still standing!" Klara exclaimed.
"That's Dragon types for you, they never go down easily." Ruby murmured, "The amount of endurance they have is uncanny at times."
"You're so right on that." Leon agreed, "Even my own Dragon Pokémon are able to take hits and keep going no matter what!"
"We'll have to see how much longer these two can keep it up for." Hop put in, his fists trembling with excitement, "Man this is just too thrilling for words!"
"I really hope Sapph wins!" Emerald said nervously.
All eyes were on the two Dragon Pokémon as they resumed their battle. Kagami used Outrage once again but Kommo-o weaved to one side so that its opponent missed completely. Kagami skidded to a halt and turned around to try and hit Kommo-o again but the scaly Pokémon used Clanging Scales a second time to throw her off. The noise stopped Kagami dead in her tracks and made her grimace in pain. The attack sapped away some of her health and also lowered her Defences, making her more vulnerable to an attack than before. Kommo-o then followed up by launching an Aura Sphere at Kagami. The ball of energy hit her directly and knocked her down onto her back. The Druddigon grunted and winced from the hit but she got back up again and retaliated with Iron Head. The two Pokémon exchanged a couple more blows, both taking and receiving hits, before Mustard gave a command that turned the whole battle on its head:
"I think it's time for a power boost! Use Clangourous Soul!" he commanded.
Kommo-o held out its arms and its scales clanged together to make some kind of melodic sound that was like nothing anyone had heard before. Its body glowed a heavenly blue as its scales clanged together, almost like Kommo-o's very soul was coming out for a moment. Sapphire thought it sounded lovely, but she knew that it wasn't making that noise to put people at ease. Clangourous Soul was a move that boosted ALL of the user's stats at ones. Kommo-o would be stronger, faster and have higher defences than before as a result of this move! The one downside was that it also took away some of the user's health as a cost, but Sapphire didn't think Kagami would last much longer to take advantage of that side effect.
She was quickly proven right as Kommo-o used Clanging Scales again. Thanks to Clangourous Soul's boost, it was too fast and strong for Kagami to handle. She couldn't react in time and could only wail in pain as the damaging soundwaves tore through her again. It felt as if she was about to be shaken apart as each soundwave hit her. After the attack was over, Kagami was left swaying on her feet for a moment. She wanted to carry on fighting…but in the end, she had to give up. She fainted on the floor, completely wiped out by the attack. Kommo-o raised its arms in triumph, its large scales jangling together to make a victory jingle. A chorus of excited chatters rang out from the audience.
"I knew it wouldn't be that easy for Sapph. Now Mustard has taken one of her Pokémon out." Ruby acknowledged.
"I told you he'd be bringing out his real aces." Honey reiterated, "I can't tell you how many times a student of ours has fallen victim to that Kommo-o and its Clangourous Soul effect. It's real handy getting to boost all your stats at once, isn't it?"
"Too true." Leon agreed, "I remember how effortlessly my old master took ME out with that Kommo-o. I barely stood a chance against it!"
"It may be tough, but my gal's gonna take it down, you see if she doesn't!" Ashley declared, "If she can beat a Zeraora, she can beat any Pokémon!"
Sapphire returned Kagami to her Pokéball and smiled softly.
"You rest well for now. I assure you, we'll defeat that Kommo-o." Sapphire declared, "And I have just the Pokémon that will take it down…"
She returned Mysterio to the field. It only made sense to do so as Kommo-o had a double weakness to Fairy attacks and Mysterio knew one. The only question was could he take Kommo-o out first? He was still weakened from the battles with Mienshao and Luxray earlier, not helped by Lycanroc's Stealth Rock cutting into him upon entry and weakening him even more, so anyone could win this battle.
Determined to end the battle as quickly as possible, Sapphire ordered Mysterio to use Dazzling Gleam. The Psychic Pokémon aimed at his opponent and blasted it with sparkling fairy energy. Kommo-o was hit directly by the energy beam but to everyone's astonishment, it somehow DIDN'T take it down in one hit! Maybe Clangourous Soul's power boost had made it resilient enough to survive the hit despite it being doubly effective. At worst, Kommo-o was just stunned and rubbing its eyes to shake off the blinding lights but it didn't look anywhere close to going down yet. Satisfied, Mustard commanded his fighting dragon to retaliate by using Clanging Scales. It was Kommo-o's strongest move so Mustard decided to go with which attack would do the most damage to win the battle. Mysterio cringed in agony as the sound of the clanging scales tore right through him. He then collapsed onto his knees, panting heavily.
Sapphire tried to get him to carry on but Mysterio seemed to be too worn out from the punishment he'd received earlier and in this battle to carry on. Kommo-o watched intently, wondering if Mysterio would be able to continue. It didn't want to be unfair and attack while he was down. The Alakazam forced himself back onto his feet. Sapphire commanded him to use Dazzling Gleam again but as he tried to do so, he fell back down onto his knees again and let out a loud, pained sigh that made it clear he couldn't go on. He wasn't unconscious, but he clearly couldn't keep fighting so Honey decided to call the battle here and there.
"Alakazam is too worn out to continue battling! Kommo-o wins by default!" the matron called.
The audience murmured. It was unusual for a Pokémon battle to end like this. It was always by a straight knockout but not in this case. Even Sapphire and Mustard weren't expecting a turnout like this. The dojo student returned her Pokémon and looked down at the ball sadly.
"I'm so sorry that it didn't work out. I assure you, your hard work won't be in vain." Sapphire said softly.
She looked back up at Mustard.
"That Kommo-o's very well trained!" she exclaimed, "I'm at a loss for words that it took a Dazzling Gleam from Mysterio and still kept going! Usually a move like that would knock a Kommo-o out in one hit!"
"Not this one, little Sapphire." Mustard said proudly, "I've made it my business to train this Pokémon to take hits from any Pokémon and keep on going, type-advantage or not. Even Fairy types have reason to respect Kommo-o's strength! It also helps when Clangourous Soul boosts up all her stats at once so her defences get stronger too!"
"I can see why it's one of your aces." Sapphire said, sounding impressed, "I do have to wonder why you didn't use it against Zeraora though…" she noted.
"Kommo-o wouldn't have lasted long against him due to Zeraora knowing too many moves that would've taken her out." Mustard said grimly, "She wouldn't have been much of a help in that fight. But she's helping plenty in THIS fight at least!" he cried enthusiastically, "So what will your next move be, Sapphire? I bet you still have some way to defeat my powerful fighting dragon despite everything!"
Sapphire beamed graciously. It was nice to know that even if Mustard was evening the score between them so far, he was still confident in his student's abilities to know that she wasn't done for yet. It reminded her of Ashley. She often expressed more confidence in her than she did in herself. But this time, Sapphire was more confident in herself. She could do it! She was far from defeated!
"Oh believe me master, I'll turn this match around, don't you worry about that!" Sapphire declared, "Kommo-o is strong, but it's far from invincible! Let's see how she fares up against Terri!"
She threw her next Pokéball and out came Terri the Krookodile. Upon entering the arena, Terri was hit by Stealth Rock but her Ground-typing made her resistant to Rock attacks so it barely hurt her. Ashley's face lit up upon seeing Terri appear on the field. As another Pokémon she recognized from her home region, she was naturally thrilled to see a Krookodile in action.
"Sweet! Sapph has a Krookodile now!" the former Champion cried excitedly, "I've got one of my own! I really should show it to her sometime soon!"
"I'd love to see yours one day!" Sapphire replied for she heard Ashley's excited chattering, "I bet yours is a real ace like Terri is! Show everybody here what you can do, my girl!" she called to her Pokémon.
"No problem, Shelia." Terri said, her long jaws spread out in a grin of anticipation, "Hope you're watching, mates! You're all gonna be blown away by how strong I am…"
Ruby wasn't so sure. On paper, this was a bad match-up as Krookodiles were weak to Fighting-types like Kommo-o. What was Sapphire's plan here? Maybe Terri had some kind of move that would turn things in her sister's favour. The silver-haired teen folded her arms and sighed unsurely.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Sapph…" she said to herself.
Kommo-o launched the first attack. Mustard ordered it to use Aura Sphere on Terri. The Dragon/Fighting Pokémon conjured up the ball of aura and threw it towards the crocodilian Pokémon as if it was playing catch with her. Terri blocked the attack by using her Stone Edge counter shield. The Aura Sphere just hit the spinning stones and broke away harmlessly. Terri then retaliated by using Earthquake. Kommo-o tried to dodge as the huge fissure punched towards it but Terri's Earthquake was so powerful that the shockwave was enough to catch up to it and knock the Dragon/Fighting Pokémon aside. Everyone gasped in surprise. Kommo-o skidded to a halt just by Mustard's feet but it got back up again and tried again with Aura Sphere. Terri just blocked it again with her Counter Shield. Then Sapphire ordered Terri to run towards Kommo-o and use Klara's grappling technique she'd learned from her Drapion.
Terri lumbered heavily towards Kommo-o and pounced on the draconian Pokémon. She bit down on one of its arms and wrapped her arms around its neck. Kommo-o shook and writhed around furiously to try and get the Dark/Ground Pokémon off itself but Terri held on too tightly. Klara cheered excitedly, glad to see Terri was using her Drapion's grapple move so well. Then while Terri was still biting down on Kommo-o, Sapphire ordered her to use Thunder Fang. Kommo-o let out a screech of pain as Terri's electrified teeth painfully zapped it. Mustard could see this battle wasn't going to end well for Kommo-o so he ordered the scaly dragon to use Clanging Scales. Even though Terri was holding on to it, Kommo-o was still able to shake its scales and create the damaging soundwaves that pounded hard into its opponent. Terri fought to hold on but in the end, the attack was too strong for her and she was forced to let go in the end. As soon as Terri was knocked off, Kommo-o used Aura Sphere one last time and was finally able to score a direct hit.
The attack was enough to knock Terri clean out, but it was clear to everyone watching that she'd done the damage Sapphire needed to Kommo-o with her attacks. The fighting dragon looked exhausted, almost ready to collapse on the floor itself. Sapphire's next Pokémon would surely finish it off. Sapphire returned Terri and exchanged her for Dal the Magnezone. Like with Terri, Stealth Rock barely even scratched him as he entered the battle. Normally, such a match-up would be a bad idea as Steel-types were also weak to Fighting but Kommo-o was so worn out that it wouldn't matter.
"I knew Terri would have the strength and raw power to wear it down." Sapphire declared, "She's proven to be one of my biggest powerhouses. Now Dal, finish this battle with Tri-Attack!"
"EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" barked Dal.
The Magnezone took aim and fired a triangle shaped beam at Kommo-o. Just as Sapphire had predicted, it was enough to finish the mighty Kommo-o off. It just didn't have enough health left to keep the battle going any longer, especially with Clangourous Soul taking a large chunk of it away in order to boost up its stats. Kommo-o collapsed onto the floor and let out one last sigh before it passed out, unable to battle anymore. Mustard took a single moment to accept what had happened before he returned his Pokémon to its ball. Kommo-o had been a strong opponent for Sapphire and had evened the odds well, but even it had to fall eventually. The audience cheered for Sapphire.
"Great going, Sapph!" cried Abigail, "You're really turning this match around now!"
"You're amazing! Keep it up!" shouted Sanjay.
"So now the two are even, just three Pokémon left each." Hop acknowledged, "Talk about Even Stevens!"
"Indeed, little bro." Leon agreed, "And Kommo-o is one of Mustard's best Pokémon! Sapphire's really gotten stronger since coming here!"
"I know!" Emerald concurred, "It's like the Sapph we're watching now is a whole new trainer from when I defeated her in the semi-finals! I think she could potentially win this match if she keeps it up!"
"I'm sure Mustard still has plenty of tricks…in his vest I guess as he has no sleeves." Ruby said with a slight chuckle, "He still has that slippery Mienshao of his and his last two Pokémon are no doubt going to be tough to beat."
Everyone watched Mustard as he was about to send out his next Pokémon. Given he was down to his last three, he could have anything else left along with his Mienshao. The former Champion held his arm out straight, his wrinkled face still stretched into a fiery smile of excitement.
"I must say, this really has been the most fun I've had in a while!" he said jovially, "I think you may be my toughest opponent I've faced in a while, Sapphire!"
"I guess that's accurate considering I beat Zeraora as well." Sapphire chuckled.
"Needless to say, it really has been a pleasure having you on the island as part of our little family and getting the chance to have a full battle with you." Mustard said kindly, "It's a pity this term has to come to a close when the battle's over. At least we'll be ending it on a high note, don't you think?"
"If it ends with our Urshifus duking it out together, then it really will end on a high note!" Sapphire declared.
"Yes indeed…but all in good time." Mustard said impishly, "Corviknight, into action!"
He threw his next Pokéball to unleash his Steel/Flying type Pokémon. Emerald gasped in awe as Corviknight emerged from its Pokéball.
"Wow, he has a Corviknight too? I didn't expect that!" Emerald exclaimed, "I wonder what Misty would think to that one…" she said thoughtfully.
"If you ask nicely, I'm sure Mustard will be happy to let you and him duke it out with both Corviknights for a fun match." Ruby suggested, "Though why did Mustard pick that? Surely he knows it's a bad match-up against a Magnezone!"
"Ah, just you wait and see Ruby!" Leon said, grinning mischievously, "That Corviknight of his has a way around Electric types…"
Ruby knew what Leon meant before Mustard had even called an attack. She wasn't surprised at all when the Dojo Master called for Corviknight to use Light Screen. At least Dal's Electric attacks would do less damage to Corviknight now it was up. Sapphire frowned. So Mustard liked to use that Light Screen strategy she and Dal were fond of using too? She'd show him that Light Screen wouldn't stop her Magnezone from emerging victorious!
Dal launched the first attack with Thunderbolt. He zapped Corviknight, scoring a direct hit on the crow Pokémon. Thanks to Light Screen, he only did half the damage he normally would've done, so Corviknight wasn't badly hurt by the super-effective move. The steel bird shook itself off and retaliated with a move that Sapphire didn't expect from it. Mustard called it to use Body Press, a Fighting-type move that did more damage the higher the user's Defence was. With Dal being half-Steel type, it gave Corviknight at least one weakness of his to exploit. The Steel/Flying Pokémon launched itself into Dal, using its whole body as a projectile that made it look as if it had been fired out of a cannon. Dal let out an electronic wail as he was hit by the attack. Sapphire could see that this was going to be a trickier match than she thought.
"Corviknight has Light Screen up to weaken Dal's Electric attacks while having a super-effective move I have no defence against." Sapphire muttered, "Where's Reflect when I need it?! No matter. There's more than one way to skin a Persian as they say…"
She waited for Corviknight to try again with Body Press, only this time she was ready for it. As the crow Pokémon charged towards Dal, she ordered the Magnezone to use his Counter Shield strategy. Dal spun around and generated an electric ring around himself to defend from Corviknight's attack. The steel bird Pokémon couldn't stop in time and entered the electric ring, which resulted in it getting a painful shock that stopped its attack from connecting. As long as Dal continued to spin like this, Corviknight couldn't get in close and successfully land a hit. It tried to use Body Press again by flying over the top of Dal and rocketing straight down, but Dal spread his electric barrier so that it surrounded him from all angles. Corviknight banked up to avoid hitting the shield again. Mustard nodded grimly.
"Protecting itself from all angles…very clever." he complimented, "It'll be tricky getting in close like the first time without getting zapped…"
He pursed his lips as he considered his options. Then he had an idea. Instead of using Body Press, he ordered Corviknight to use Iron Head. But it didn't aim for Dal. He ordered it to use Iron Head on the ground just below where Dal was hovering. The resulting crash created a shockwave that punched into Dal and threw him off-balance. He couldn't concentrate anymore and thus lost his Counter Shield. Now he was wide open again, Corviknight flew straight up into Dal with another Body Press. Sapphire gasped in shock as Dal was flung upwards by the hit and he came crashing down, looking very much like a UFO that had descended from up above to explore the new planet it had found. Dal was able to get up again but he was slow in doing so. Sapphire knew the battle had to end now before Dal took more damage. She ordered her Pokémon to use Thunderbolt again. Dal tried to zap Corviknight but it flew out of the way of the attack and came in again with Body Press. Dal dodged the attack and fired back with Thunderbolt.
This game of tag continued for a while with numerous shots fired and missed until suddenly, a barrier flickered around Corviknight and seemed to sparkle out of existence. Sapphire knew what this meant.
"Awesome! Light Screen's worn off! Now we'll be able to hit it at full power!" the black teen cried happily.
Dal took aim and fired again with Thunderbolt. Corviknight was able to dodge the attack by flying to one side but eventually, Dal was able to catch it. He hit it full on and with Light Screen no longer in play, Corviknight took the full power of Thunderbolt as it electrocuted it alive. Mustard looked away as the blinding flashes of electricity was too bright to look at. Corviknight crashed down to earth, fried and very much out of the battle. Despite its best efforts, it hadn't been enough. Dal spun around with delight.
"COR-VI-KNIGHT-HAS-BEEN-EX-TER-MIN-ATED! MAG-NE-ZONES-ARE-SU-PREME!" he barked.
"Ha! I think that Magnezone's been watching too much Doctor Who." Hop chuckled.
"It may be no Dalek, but he's got the firepower and sturdiness of one." Ruby observed, "It took hit after hit from Corviknight and just shot back with Thunderbolt until he eventually won. Sapph's really trained him well."
"That's my girl for ya." Ashley said with pride, "She trains all her Pokémon well! No wonder she beat me back in the semis…"
Mustard returned his Corviknight. Down to two Pokémon already! He hadn't had a real challenge like this in years, not since his heyday when he used to be champion! Even if Sapphire was giving him a tough battle, he didn't really care as he was having more fun than he'd had in a while just battling her. She may not be the current Champion of Galar, but Mustard began to think that he might have the perfect use of Sapphire's skills when this was over…
He sent out his next Pokémon, which was his Mienshao once more. Sapphire took in its presence with a grim stare. It had been very evasive in the battle by constantly switching with other opponents thanks to U-turn, but now Mustard only had one Pokémon left and he wouldn't want to use it up so quickly. Mienshao would have to stay in and fight this time, and hopefully she'd be able to defeat it.
"It may be a Fighting-type, but your Counter Shield may give us an edge." Sapphire said hopefully, "Give it all you got with Tri-Attack!"
"I-O-BEY." croaked Dal.
He aimed his magnets at Mienshao and began charging up his Tri-Attack. Sapphire was hoping to at least inflict a status condition of some kind on the fighting weasel Pokémon to hinder its performance in battle for Dal's benefit. But unfortunately, it didn't happen as Mienshao rushed in with Fake Out just like before with Mysterio. The attack stopped Dal dead in his tracks and left him unable to carry out his attacks. Now Dal was stunned, Mienshao lashed out with Close Combat to finish him off. It was an impressive sight to see the skinny, lanky looking Mienshao throwing punches and kicks as heavily as it was and giving Dal a good solid pounding. Mienshao drew its arm back and threw one last punch that knocked Dal straight down into the ground. The Magnezone couldn't get up again. He let out a low croak as he drifted into unconsciousness. The score once again had been evened out. Sapphire returned Dal to his Pokéball.
"Now both of us are down to two. It really is going to be a close one…" Sapphire murmured, "Luckily for me, Mienshao's defences will have dropped thanks to Close Combat so I may have a chance to defeat it…"
She was tempted to bring out Iron Fist next but she fancied using him at full health for the inevitable battle with Mustard's Urshifu so she'd stand more of a chance. So instead, she sent out Bloom the Venusaur to try and take out Mienshao. He was hit by Stealth Rock upon being called out by he didn't seem too badly hurt by it. Ruby and Emerald stared with interest as Bloom materialized into play.
"Wow, she got a Venusaur too!" Emerald cried, "Just like how Ruby has a Charizard!"
"Where did she find that?" Ruby asked curiously, "I don't recall the Bulbasaur line living on the island."
"I gave him to her." Honey answered, "He was a gift to Sapphire for clearing the first trial. She beat my Blastoise with him when we battled."
"That was nice of you." Ruby said brightly, "I bet it would've been awesome to have watched you two battle with your Blastoise and her Venusaur. Can they Gigantamax like Charizard can?"
"Absolutely." Honey said with a wink, "But I think Sapphire will be saving the Gigantamaxing for her Urshifu so you won't see Bloom Gigantamax in this match."
She was right of course. It was how both Sapphire and Mustard planned for the match to end. But first, Bloom and Mienshao had their own battle to carry out. Mienshao couldn't stop Bloom with Fake Out again as it was a move that could only be used once unless it switched out and came back out again with U-turn. But Mustard had other ways of dealing with Grass-types as the audience quickly saw when he ordered his Pokémon to use Blaze Kick. Mienshao sprinted towards Bloom, leapt into the air, performed a perfect somersault, and then sailed down towards him with its foot extended outwards. Flames surrounded its foot. Bloom cried out as Mienshao landed its attack. The flames burnt him and the attack had been a critical hit, making it more painful for the flowery frog-like Pokémon. But Bloom was tough and he shook off the hit. Satisfied, Sapphire ordered him to retaliate by using Energy Ball. Bloom blasted Mienshao with his attack and thanks to Close Combat's drawback, it had done major damage to his opponent. Mienshao grunt and fell down onto its knees for a moment, seemingly done for. Sapphire punched the air excitedly. It was the first time in the whole battle she'd successfully landed a hit on Mienshao and it looked as if it might be out already!
But to everyone's surprise, the Fighting-type Pokémon managed to get back up again. Like all of Mustard's Pokémon, it was much more durable than the average species. Now Mienshao was back up, the Dojo Master ordered it to use Blaze Kick again. It tried to kick Bloom but Sapphire countered by getting Bloom to use his Counter Shield. Sludge Bombs circled around him as he shifted his body left and right and Mienshao was thrown back the moment it kicked one of them, causing it to explode. Mienshao grunted as it hit the ground back first and skidded to a painful halt but it refused to give up. It ran towards Bloom and instead of trying to attack again, Mienshao lashed out with the fur whips on the end of its hands and used them to smack one of Bloom's Sludge Bombs back into him. The bomb exploded, throwing Bloom's concentration off enough for his Counter Shield to fail. Now he was wide open, Mienshao came at him with Blaze Kick again. Determined to take it down first, Sapphire ordered her Venusaur to use Earth Power. Both attacks landed at the same time with Bloom getting singed by the fiery kick and Mienshao being pummelled by the power of the earth itself.
The resulting collision of moves once again created a huge cloud of smoke that blanketed the arena and left everyone unable to see for the time being. A few minutes later, the smoke cleared and everyone gasped as they saw…both Pokémon lying unconscious on the arena floor together. Sapphire and Mustard were astonished at this turn out.
"Flippin heck…it never ceases to amaze me when something like this happens!" Sapphire exclaimed.
"Quite, my child!" Mustard blurted, "It would seem your Venusaur and my Mienshao were more evenly matched than we expected!"
They both returned their Pokémon and drew out their last Pokéballs. Everyone watching felt a tingle of anticipation in their stomachs. This was it, their last Pokémon! It all came down to this!
"Ooooh, the suspense is killing me!" Annie cried.
"It's like my battles with Paul, Sapph and Ruby." Emerald observed, "Down to our last Pokémon…even if I'm not battling right now, it still feels as intense as it was for me!"
"No doubt it'll be both of them with both versions of Urshifu." Leon declared, "That's how student battles with my master always ended, even with me."
"So you had an Urshifu of your own once before?" Ruby asked curiously, "Why did you never use it in your Champion battles?"
"Because I lost the battle. Urshifu didn't see me as worthy for losing so it didn't want to be my Pokémon anymore." Leon said sadly, "I hope if Sapphire loses, her Urshifu won't do the same thing."
"With what I've seen so far, Iron Fist doesn't seem like that kind of Pokémon." Ruby insisted, "He won't turn on Sapphire if she loses."
All eyes were on the two trainers as they sent out their last Pokémon. Both Iron Fist and Urshifu materialized onto the field and adopted battle ready stances to show they were ready to throw down and give it all they got. Even though Iron Fist was hit by Stealth Rock, he barely even flinched. As far as he was concerned, they were harmless little pebbles bouncing off his muscular body. It was easy to tell the difference between the two Urshifus despite how similar they looked. For Rapid Strike Style Urshifu, the fur spikes on their legs swept down instead of up and the bandana on the back of their heads flared forwards and outwards instead of backwards and up. Even their fighting stances were different with Iron Fist standing with his feet apart, his centre of gravity balanced and his fists clenched while Urshifu stood more loosely with his hands splayed out as if ready to perform a chopping action. It was easy to see why they were so-called after their fighting styles. Iron Fist smirked with anticipation.
"Bet you've been looking forward to this rematch." he said daringly.
"Most definitely." Urshifu confirmed, "You may have defeated me as a Kubfu, but you won't find me so easy as I am now."
"And so we're down to our last Pokémon." Mustard acknowledged, "It's almost a pity this battle has to end. It's been such fun challenging you!"
"The pleasure's been all mine, master." Sapphire said brightly, "But all good things must come to an end. Let's show everyone why you're the Pokémon that beat Zeraora, Iron Fist!" she cried hotly.
"Oh they're in for a show with us!" Iron Fist agreed.
Both Urshifus launched into action as Sapphire and Mustard ordered them both to use Close Combat. The two traded blows with each other, punching and kicking furiously and knocking one another back. It was like watching something out of a martial arts film with the two Urshifus. After that, Iron Fist struck back by using Aerial Ace. His hand sliced across Urshifu's chest and the kung-fu bear Pokémon staggered back in pain. Urshifu shook off the pain and retaliated by using his signature Surging Strikes move. He lashed out with three vicious jabs that hit Iron Fist in both shoulders and his stomach, each blow landing in a critical hit that knocked the wind out of the Dark/Fighting Pokémon. In return, Iron Fist retaliated by using his signature Wicked Blow. His powerful fist slammed into Urshifu's stomach and threw him back several feet across the arena. Urshifu grunted but was able to keep standing. Both Pokémon then lashed out with another Close Combat. The audience winced with every blow that landed as if somehow the attacks were hurting them despite neither of them being on the receiving end of the attacks.
The resulting Close Combats ended in another stalemate with both Iron Fist and Urshifu staggering back. With their defences dropping like so, they couldn't keep using Close Combat or they'd be going down very quickly. Iron Fist lashed out with Aerial Ace again but Urshifu bent down low and jabbed his opponent in the gut with Poison Jab. Iron Fist coughed and doubled over, leaving him open for Urshifu to whale on him with Surging Strikes. Iron Fist was knocked down, but not for long as he picked himself up and retaliated with Iron Head. He charged into Urshifu and knocked him back with his steel-coated head butt attack. The blow caused Urshifu to flinch, leaving him open for Iron Fist to use Wicked Blow again. Urshifu was knocked down by the blow but he was able to get back up again quickly. Both Urshifus roared as they then bent down and charged into each other with Iron Head. Both attacks connected, making the audience grimace as if their own heads hurt just watching them bash each other.
"Cor, this is intense stuff!" Hop yelled breathlessly, "Look at them go!"
"It's like they're equal in strength and skill!" Ruby observed, "Those are some incredible Pokémon!"
"I bet these two could make a great kung-fu movie with moves like these!" Emerald exclaimed.
"But one of them has to win in the end." Ashley noted, "Equal as they may be, there can only be one winner. I doubt any of them will settle for a draw."
"Sapphire will win! Just you watch her!" Klara insisted, "I bet she'll have some kind of strategy to turn this match in her favour! She always does!"
"Whether it'll work is another thing as my old mentor's the kind of guy where it takes more than strategy to win." Leon murmured, his eyes glued on the battle before him.
Both Urshifus continued to trade blows with one another, neither one willing to give an inch to the other. It was as if they were using all their physical and mental power to carry on going to prove who the superior fighter was. Sapphire felt like she was watching mirror reflections duelling each other with how equal the two fighters seemed to be. At the rate they were going, they may well end this whole battle in a tie! She thought to herself. How best to turn this battle in her favour? Then she remembered.
"I bet Mustard won't see this coming…" she mused to herself, "Iron Fist, catch Urshifu's fist and flip him over!"
Iron Fist did just that as Urshifu lashed out with Surging Strikes again. He caught his opponent's attack and flipped him over onto his back, slamming him down hard. Mustard's eyes widened in amazement while Honey cheered for her student, glad to see her tactics being used here.
"We-hell!" Mustard chortled, "I see you've picked up a thing or two from my wife! Her Pokémon often use that move when we practice together!"
"That's why she battled me before we fought Zeraora, to teach me some useful moves to use against him." Sapphire confirmed, "I bet you didn't see that coming!"
"Not at all!" Mustard laughed, "You are a girl of many surprises! But I don't think our Urshifu can settle this battle with just their skills alone…" he said cryptically.
"I agree…I think we should let their Gigantamax forms settle this battle." Sapphire concurred.
Everyone watched excitedly as the trainers returned their Pokémon and activated their Dynamax Bands. It was a first for everyone watching except Leon and Honey as they'd never seen Gigantamaxing Urshifu before. In a matter of moments, both Pokémon were in their Gigantamax forms. Once again, they both looked very similar with the biggest differences being that Iron Fist was red and white while Urshifu was blue and white. The fur spikes around his knees were rounded at the tips instead of pointed and the long flowing bandana had grown longer and swept down under his arms. Both looked incredible like this and everyone was eager to see them battle as they were now.
"So that's what the other G-Max Urshifu looks like." Sapphire acknowledged, "Awesome! But we're going to win this one!"
"Don't be so sure of yourself." Mustard warned, "A trainer must never get too overconfident in battle as it can often lead to defeat."
Sapphire nodded. That was always good advice to follow in battle.
"OK Iron Fist, let's finish this as quickly as possible! Use G-Max One Blow!" the dojo student ordered.
"And you Urshifu, use G-Max Rapid Flow!" Mustard commanded.
Both Urshifus launched their signature G-Max Moves on one another. One threw a single punch while the other lashed out with rapid jabs. Their blows contained so much power in them that the whole Battle Court seemed to shake every time they hit each other. The giant ursine Pokémon stumbled back from the blows they'd received but they regained themselves and carried on fighting. Sapphire decided that an increase in speed might help so she ordered Iron Fist to use Max Airstream. Iron Fist did so, blowing his opponent back with strong tornadoes of wind that he created from nowhere. It was a super-effective hit and it boosted Iron Fist's speed so he'd at least be faster than Urshifu now. But Mustard decided to hit back with Max Knuckle. Urshifu brought a giant energy construct fist smashing down onto Iron Fist. That was also a super-effective hit and it gave Urshifu a boost to his attack so he'd now be able to hit harder than Iron Fist.
The two repeated their previous moves, blowing and punching another back with Max Airstream and Knuckle respectively. Then they lashed out with their signature G-Max Moves once more. Iron Fist moved quicker and landed his attack first but Urshifu was able to do more damage with his attack as a result of the respective boosts from earlier. Sapphire then had an idea that could give her more of an advantage. She ordered Iron Fist to use Max Knuckle himself. Iron Fist slammed his energy construct fist down on Urshifu, momentarily stunning him. Now he too got an attack boost from Max Knuckle, making him both stronger and faster than Urshifu now. As a result, Iron Fist was able to use a much more powerful Max Airstream that almost knocked Urshifu clean off his feet. Urshifu was visibly starting to tire. He panted heavily and looked almost ready to give up. But he refused to go down.
Mustard ordered him to use Max Steelspike. It wasn't very effective and Iron Fist easily countered it with Max Knuckle. But the idea wasn't for it to do damage. It was to raise Urshifu's Defence to try and help him take blows more easily. After that, Urshifu shot back by using Max Knuckle on Iron Fist again. The Gigantamaxed Pokémon stumbled back, nearly falling over. He too was starting to tire, looking worn out from the punishment he'd received in the battle. But both Urshifu were still standing so it wasn't over yet.
"You can do it Iron Fist! We can win this! Finish off with Max Airstream!" Sapphire screamed.
"Make this our match, Urshifu! Finish off with Max Knuckle!" Mustard yelled.
Both Urshifu carried out their orders, landing decisive blows on each other. They cried out and yelled as the Dynamax energy in them dissipated. They'd reached the last reserves of their strength and now they were shrinking back down to their normal size and forms. Iron Fist and Urshifu stood where they were for the moment, panting and straining to stay standing. Sapphire watched, her heart pounding. Who was going to collapse first? Mustard felt just as tense, a bead of sweat trickling down his face. The audience didn't even dare to breathe as if worried they'd interfere with the result. Then…both Urshifu collapsed onto the floor together. Sapphire and Mustard stared incredulously at their Pokémon. Both were down! This had to mean the fight was a draw and nobody won! Honey stepped in to confirm the result. It seemed neither Pokémon was going to get back up so she only saw it fit to declare a draw.
"It would seem both Urshifus are unable to battle! This match is…"
But before Honey could finish her sentence, Iron Fist suddenly started to move again. Everyone stared disbelievingly as the Legendary Pokémon shifted his arms and pushed himself up off the floor. He slowly moved up onto his hands and knees, straining heavily from the effort. Then he pushed himself up onto his feet. Urshifu didn't move. Iron Fist was battered and worn out, but he had somehow managed to stand up again.
"Ungh…I'm…still…conscious!" he grunted, "No need…to call…a draw!"
For a moment, nobody could speak as they were still in shock over what had happened. But in the end, Honey knew that it was only fair to declare the clear result.
"Iron Fist still stands while Urshifu hasn't moved! Therefore, Sapphire is the winner of our final trial!" the matron declared, sounding thrilled to be giving that result, "Many congratulations to Sapphire Silverlock for clearing all the trials of this term on the island!"
Applause exploded for the victorious Sapphire, but the dojo student didn't seem to hear it as she was still unable to believe it had really happened. Was she dreaming? Had she, Sapphire Silverlock, just defeated the Dojo Master himself?! And despite how close the battle had come to being called a draw?! Surely this wasn't really happening!
"I really won? I…really…won?" she murmured, her voice distant.
Mustard was the quickest to recover, returning Urshifu to his Pokéball. Despite the loss, he wasn't disappointed in the slightest. While a draw would've been nice, it was better that he lost to a good student instead of it ending with no winner. He approached Sapphire in the centre of the arena and snapped her out of her daze by putting a hand on her shoulder.
"What else can I say other than congratulations to you?" Mustard said jovially, "That was a thrilling battle, Sapphire, and you've more than earned your victory today! You really have been one of the finest students we've ever had on the island!"
"Th-thank you…" Sapphire stammered, her eyes welling up with tears as so many emotions were building up inside of her, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe this is really happening! I really did it!"
She then threw her arms around Mustard and allowed the tears to trickle down her face and release all her emotions. Mustard just patted her back softly and let her cry for a minute to let it all out. Ruby couldn't help but smile as it reminded her of how she'd reacted to defeating Leon last year. She, Emerald, Annie, Michael and Ashley ran over to give their congratulations to Sapphire.
"Well done Sapph! If anyone was going to clear the island, it was definitely you." Ruby complimented.
"Does this make you the new island master now?" Emerald joked.
"Whatever it does, I'm so proud of you!" Annie cried in delight.
"Defeating a trainer like Mustard is no easy feat, but you did it!" Michael yelled in exhilaration.
"I'm so glad I came from Unova to watch this!" Ashley cheered, pulling Sapphire to a big hug, "Watching my girl win such a thrilling match was just so awesome!"
Sapphire took everything in with a smile of appreciation. She really didn't know what to say. No words could do justice how thrilled she felt with herself to have pulled this off. As soon as the cheering stopped, Mustard came in to say something else.
"You've been a fine student, my girl." he complimented, "Passing the trials with flying colours, raising Kubfu well into a strong Urshifu and defeating the biggest threat to myself and my family…I'd say you really have a lot of accomplishments to be proud of."
"To think I did all that and become a semi-finalist in the Galar League all in the same year!" Sapphire gasped, sounding as if she couldn't believe all that had really happened.
"Pokémon trainers can achieve a lot when they really put their minds to it." Mustard said softly, "Speaking of which, remember how you said you didn't really know what you wanted to do next as a Pokémon trainer?" he asked.
"Yes?" Sapphire replied. She was curious where this was going.
"Well I have a proposition that may help you find some direction in your life." the old trainer offered, "How would you…like to succeed me as the new Dojo Master here on the island?"
A stunned silence fell over the Battle Court. Sapphire was so astonished that she thought she was going to faint.
"M-M-Me? Be the new…Dojo Master?!" she exclaimed.
"Yes indeed." Mustard said happily, "I think you'd be great as the new master of this place! In case you haven't noticed, I'm old. Quite old in fact. I won't be around forever so I'll need someone to take my place as the next Dojo Master. And given all you've done for us, I think you'd be perfect to succeed me."
"Y-y-you sure?" Sapphire stammered, "I'm n-n-not sure I'd b-be a great t-teacher like you. D-do you really think I'd be u-up for this?"
"He wouldn't be offering if he didn't think so dear." Honey insisted, "To tell you the truth, we actually discussed this possibility while you was in your coma. We both thought it'd be a nice offer for you to help you find a use for your skills as a Pokémon trainer. Much like my husband, you'd be helping train potential future Champions in the making! Of course, we won't make you the new Dojo Master if you don't want to. If you don't want to accept, that's perfectly fine with us."
Sapphire had to take a moment to think about this. It was quite a big offer to give her! Being the new Dojo Master! She had to admit, she liked the idea of being a teacher instead of Ruby's successor. She looked over to her family and girlfriend, all of whom shared encouraging smiles to her.
"Do what you think is right, Sapph." Ruby said kindly.
"I think you'd be great as a Dojo Master." Ashley put in, "With yer Pokémon smarts and skilled battling, you'd be able to teach a lot of trainers some great moves for their own battles!"
"No matter what you choose, we support you all the way." Annie said softly.
Sapphire took all the kind words in with delight. She was so lucky to be surrounded by kind and loving people like her family and girlfriend. After what seemed like an eternity for her, Sapphire gave her decision.
"Thank you Mustard. Thank you Honey. You've both been so good to me since I've been here." the teen trainer said graciously, "And your offer is a very kind one. I won't be lacking direction anymore now you've given me one. I choose…to accept your offer."
Mustard and Honey smiled happily.
"That's wonderful, Sapphire." Honey said gratefully, "I know you'll be a fine Dojo Master."
"We won't put you in charge straight away of course." Mustard reassured, "We wouldn't do that to you. We'll still run the place and gradually ease you into the role until you're ready to fully commit. No need to rush anything!"
"Of course!" Sapphire chuckled, "I look forward to being the new Dojo Master, as unexpected as the offer may have been. But the most I look forward to…"
She turned and took Ashley's hand, gazing longingly into her eyes.
"…is getting to spend the rest of my life with my wonderful girlfriend now that she's living in Galar with me." Sapphire concluded, her voice full of love and care for the Unovan girl.
Ashley was so touched that she pulled Sapphire into a kiss. That made everyone smile. Young love never failed to be so sweet. Sapphire's life was going to change, and all for the better. With her girlfriend able to live in Galar with her, her supporting family by her side and with wonderful mentors to help her grow into her exciting new role as Dojo Master of the Isle of Armour, she knew that she was no longer lost. She'd found her new place in the world…and she was going to love every minute she spent in it…
And so ends this adventure on the Isle of Armour. Sapphire has finally found her calling as she's now the new Dojo Master! I think she'll make a great teacher, don't you? ^^
Thank you all for reading, reviewing, following and adding this story to your favourites. Once again, you guys make writing these fanfics totally worth it. Your support is what really keeps me going in times like this. ^^ I hope you all enjoyed the story and I hope you'll enjoy the next fanfic as we go in a different direction. We move on from Pokemon battles to Pokemon Contests as they make their way to Galar in "Galar's Got Talent". Hope to see you all there! :D