Dragonite accelerated into the sky as Typhlosion dropped to all fours, firing a torrent of fire up at the ascending Dragon Pokémon. Dragonite spun in mid-air to avoid it, before being caught by Typhlosion sweeping it back. Dragonite roared as he shook off the attack, hovering in the air above the stadium.
"Dragonite, Thunder Wave." Lance called.
Waves of electricity flew down from Dragonite covering the field but Typhlosion slipped through them, dodging easily. Lance grunted. He didn't think he would be able to catch Sam out that easily but it was worth trying.
"Ember." Sam ordered.
Typhlosion started spitting bursts of fire up into the air, forcing Dragonite into dodges to avoid getting caught. Dragonite started to circle even higher to avoid the attack, waiting for his next instruction.
"Hurricane." Lance ordered.
Dragonite's wings started to flap, generating impressive winds despite their small size. Typhlosions attack was swept away by the powerful wind, but Typhlosion pressed himself against the ground where the wind could barely hurt him. Dragonite growled in frustration but let his attack end. He fired a Flamethrower down, but Typhlosion met it with an attack of his own, the two cancelling out in mid-air. Dragonite changed position in the air and attacked again with the same result.
"Enough shadow boxing." Sam growled. "Typhlosion, Lava Plume."
Typhlosion settled back on his haunches as the flames on his back grew. He put his head against the ground and sent out a torrent of flames. An instant later a burst of fire raced out of the ground towards Dragonite, catching Lance's Pokémon by surprise. He tried to fly out of the way but was caught by the edge of the attack, causing Dragonite to roar in pain.
"Aqua Tail." Lance countered.
As Dragonite rolled away from Typhlosions attack, he spun himself, pointing directly at Sam's Pokémon. Water surrounded Dragonite as he shot forwards with incredible speed, heading straight for Typhlosion.
Sam smiled slightly. "Inferno."
Typhlosion dropped to all fours once again, as flames shot away from him in all directions. Dragonite pressed on with the attack, crashing through the flames and into Typhlosion. There were separate echoing roars across the field as the two Pokémon took the impact of a powerful attack from their opponent. Typhlosion was sent skidding away from the impact, before climbing back to his feet, eyes narrowed. Dragonite came off slightly better, still standing. He seemed slightly scorched from the impact of Typhlosions attack, even if it looked like he had dealt more damage than he received. Lance gritted his teeth. Aqua Tail was devastatingly powerful when used from on high, particularly against a fire-type. Yet he would preferred to have done the damage to Typhlosion without getting Dragonite burned.
"Typhlosion, Flamethrower." Sam ordered.
The torrent of flames shot at Dragonite who met them with his own attack, the two splitting off once again. Typhlosion roared and stepped forwards, firing another Flamethrower. Again Dragonite was able to redirect it with his own. Typhlosion stepped forwards again. This time Dragonite had to push a little harder to redirect the attack quickly enough.
"Typhlosion, Flame Wheel."
Typhlosion leapt forwards, flames surrounding him as he rolled towards Dragonite. Dragonite lifted off the ground, allowing his opponent to pass underneath him. As Dragonite twisted to see where Typhlosion was going, he saw the Volcano Pokémon heading straight for the stadium wall. There were screams from some of the spectators as the fiery Pokémon rolled up the wall, arcing back towards Dragonite who hesitated for a moment in surprise. Typhlosion crashed into him, sending them both crashing to the ground.
As they hit, Dragonite reached out and caught hold of Typhlosion's fur on his back behind the flames. Typhlosion squirmed as he tried to escape the attention of Dragonite who had a look of fury on his face, as well as some pain from the attacks he had taken.
"Dragonite, Hyper Beam." Lance ordered.
"Eruption!" Sam shouted in desperation as he saw a possible end for his Pokémon.
As Dragonite unleashed his most powerful attack at point-blank range, flames erupted from Typhlosion. There was an explosion, followed by the loud thuds of two Pokémon crashing to the ground. As the smoke cleared, Typhlosion was slowly dragging himself back to his feet, clearly battered about by the hits he had taken. He had unleashed some powerful strikes on Dragonite but his power in attack was let down by his weaker defence. Across the field Dragonite was doing better, but not much. Lance's iconic Pokémon was powerful and could take a lot of this but he had been severely hurt by the power in Typhlosion's attacks.
Sam cocked his head slightly before coming to a decision. If the two continued, Dragonite would win the contest. For all his training, Typhlosion was still not strong enough to take out Lance's powerhouse. He had done a lot of damage, and left Dragonite burned, but he might be needed later. Sam held out a Pokéball, recalling his starter with a smile. He took another Pokéball off his belt and threw it into the air. Pidgeot appeared once again.
Ash chuckled as Sam's Pokémon appeared. Max appeared slightly amused while Mellanie just groaned.
"That is such typical Sam." She complained. "He swapped out Pidgeot for Typhlosion then swaps them back again."
"It is also good strategy." Max said. "Lance already showed he wanted Dragonite to fight Pidgeot. Given how early it was, he probably felt he didn't have much choice. Yet now he is torn between either…"
"Recalling Dragonite and using a weaker match-up or risking his best." May finished, interrupting her brother. Max glared at her, but she just smiled sweetly back. "I'm not as clueless with battling as I once was."
"Indeed." Max said. "Although you do still focus on contests."
"They are better." May said defensively. "I'd thrash you in contests."
Ash chuckled. "You probably would May. You are a superb coordinator."
May looked at Ash a slightly uncertain look in her eyes. "You've watched me?"
Ash shrugged. "I see them when I can. I was particularly impressed with the show you put on in Vermilion in the exhibition."
"You saw that?" May asked in shock.
"Yes." Ash said. "Even Espeon was impressed."
"Espeon?" May asked. "Your Pokémon saw it as well?"
Ash nodded. "We were both there. There are some things you could have improved on, but for the first public display of it, it was pretty good."
May snorted. "I'd like to see you do better."
There was a silence in the box for a long moment as May whitened, having realised what she had just said. "I… Wait, I mean…"
May trailed off, quailing underneath the powerful, intimidating gaze of Ash Ketchum. Eventually Ash laughed, breaking the tension.
"I'll show you how when Espeon gets back. Her control enables her to create some decent aesthetics."
Ash turned back to the field where Pidgeot was just taking off as May leaned back in her chair to regard Ash. When she had spoken to Dawn the Sinnoh coordinator had said that it was hard to reconnect to Ash. Yet May had almost forgotten that he had been away for so long. It was easier, with Max and Mellanie there, both of whom seemed at ease with him. May smiled slightly. For all he said about being different, at his core Ash was still the same. He was far more powerful and had many more responsibilities, but his core character was the same. He was just far more intimidating.
"Pidgeot, Aerial Ace."
Pidgeot shot forwards, crashing into Dragonite who tumbled down slightly before catching himself. He returned fire with a Flamethrower that singed Pidgeot's tail feathers as the Bird Pokémon raced away once again. Pidgeot squawked indignantly, glaring down at Dragonite with a beady eye.
"Dragonite, get closer." Lance ordered. Dragonite surged forwards, chasing Pidgeot up into the air. The Bird Pokémon tried to spiral away, but Dragonite was too quick.
"Flamethrower." Lance ordered.
Dragonite unleashed a torrent of flame but Pidgeot was able to slip underneath it before surging towards Dragonite again. Dragonite spun, just dodging the attack and firing another burst of flame that gained rapidly on Sam's Pokémon."
"Pidgeot, Hurricane." The young trainer barked.
Pidgeot flipped over, flapping his powerful wings. The wind whipped up broke up Dragonite's attack and sent the Dragon Pokémon towards the ground. Dragonite roared as he flapped his wings against the wind, straining to hold his position. As Pidgeots attack ended, Dragonite surged forwards again.
"Dragonite, Wing Attack." Lance ordered.
"Same back at him." Sam retaliated.
The two Pokémon raced at each other, wings colliding as both tried to get their attack in. Pidgeots second wing came around, but Dragonite was too quick, raising a paw and catching it. He growled in pain but held on.
"Dragonite, Hyper Beam." Lance called instantly, seeing his advantage.
Dragonite opened his mouth, throwing Pidgeot away and sending the golden beam racing after his opponent. Pidgeot didn't have time to dodge and was caught cleanly by the attack, sending him spiralling back towards the ground.
"Pidgeot, catch yourself!" Sam shouted, seeing the danger. Pidgeot continued to plummet, as Dragonite flipped over and went into a dive, chasing after Pidgeot.
"Dragonite, end this. Send Pidgeot into the ground with Wing Attack."
As Dragonite approached Pidgeot, the Flying-Types eyes snapped open. He looked up to see Dragonite rushing forwards and flapped his wings powerfully. Pidgeot pulled out of the dive, swooping away from Dragonite. Before Dragonite could change direction, Pidgeot opened his beak and unleashed his own Hyper Beam. Dragonite tried to dodge but he was already committed to his dive. The attack caught him squarely in the back as Pidgeot rose up and away, driving Lance's Pokémon towards the ground. Dragonite flapped his wings desperately as he approached, but he was coming in too fast. With a deafening crash, Dragonite hit the ground.
Lance took an involuntary step forwards. He knew that the danger in aerial battles was the impact on the ground. Whichever Pokémon hit first would be likely to lose. Yet he thought he had Pidgeot pinned. The Pokémons quick thinking and manoeuvrability had cost Lance dearly.
As the smoke cleared from where Dragonite had hit, there were gasps throughout the stadium. Lance's Pokémon had risen back onto his feet, glaring up into the sky with a murderous look on his face. Pidgeot had a look of surprise on his feathery features, clearly not expecting Dragonite to survive the hit.
"Dragonite, get hold of Pidgeot." Lance barked, anger running through his voice.
Dragonite leapt forwards, accelerating at an awesome speed, anger driving his movements. Pidgeot tried to escape, but Dragonite was too quick. He grabbed Pidgeot's talons and threw him down towards the ground.
"Pidgeot, Quick Attack to escape." Sam called.
Pidgeot responded, trying to dart away from Dragonite, but the Dragon Pokémon wasn't in the mood to see his opponent escape. As Pidgeot tried to slip to one side, Dragonite fired a burst of flames that forced his opponent back underneath him as he dropped. Pidgeot squawked in alarm as Dragonite grabbed him by the feathers and hurled him towards the ground. Pidgeot smashed into it, wings flapping and talons scraping as he slid, trying to find purchase to get back into the air. Just as he lifted off once more, Dragonite's Dragon Rage attack smashed into him, finally knocking him out.
Sam held out a Pokéball, quietly recalling his Pokémon. He looked at Dragonite who looked badly hurt, even if he had just crushed Pidgeot. Even so, for Pidgeot to not take out a single one of Lance's Pokémon was disappointing. Pidgeot was known as one of his stronger Pokémon, and was usually able to get a victory, sometimes more. Sam looked down at his Pokéball belt and selected the next one.
"Cloyster, you're up."
Mellanie sat bolt upright.
"Cloyster?" she said in surprise.
Max chuckled. "I'd say your surprise is the same as Lance's. You didn't know he was planning a switch then?"
"No." Mellanie said. "He's almost never used Cloyster. I mean, Cloyster is his typical rotation for Walrein in a tournament, but I didn't expect him to switch him in for this battle."
"It is certainly an interesting move." Max mused. "On the one hand, Cloyster has a much stronger defence with the shell. But if Lance can get through it, Cloyster can usually only take a couple of hits." Max's voice became slightly distant as he continued to think out loud. "Slightly faster, but usually slightly weaker attacks…"
"Max." May said. "You are such a nerd."
Max flushed. "It is a passion…" he mumbled.
May laughed. "Too bad it couldn't help you beat Mellanie."
Max glared at his sister. "Nobody can beat her. She even fought Lance to a draw."
"I can." Ash said quietly, eyes never leaving the stadium floor where Lance was recalling Dragonite.
There was silence in the box for a moment before Max decided to speak. "Ash, nobody can even lay a finger on you. Last week you flattened the two strongest in Hoenn using a single Pokémon."
Ash smiled slightly. "They had some good ideas. Unfortunately Aggron is hard to hurt, let alone beat."
"I rest my case." Max said. "You don't count. Nobody else can beat Mellanie."
Mellanie flushed slightly, but looked pleased with the compliment. They were distracted by an echoing roar from the stadium floor.
"Ah." Ash said. "I wondered when we'd get this one."
Lance's Salamence roared again, regarding the Cloyster facing him with an angry glare. He flicked a gaze back to his trainer, almost dismissing his opponent. Cloyster for his part glared across the field at Salamance, but edged his shell slightly more closed.
"Salamence, into the air." Lance barked. Salamence soared up, arcing over Cloyster who watched him go. Sam didn't give a command, waiting patiently. "Use Flamethrower." Lance called.
Salamence's attack raced towards Cloyster who simply shut his shell. The attack washed over him, but as it ended had done no discernible damage.
"Cloyster, Aurora Beam." Sam called. The shell snapped open and a rainbow coloured beam shot up towards Salamence who dived to one side to dodge. Cloyster watched carefully before firing a second beam that very nearly caught Salamence, only a last moment change of direction saving Lance's Pokémon from the hit. Salamence spun in the air, glaring down at Cloyster an angry look on his face. Without an instruction from Lance, Salamence fired another Flamethrower down at his opponent. Cloyster's shell snapped shut, allowing him to ignore the attack. Salamence dropped down and blasted another fiery torrent at Cloyster who endured once again. Salamence dropped to right in front of Cloyster, letting out a deafening roar of frustration.
"Salamence, Hyper Beam." Lance barked. Salamence fired the golden beam at almost point-blank range, sending Cloyster's shell skidding backwards across the ground. The Bivalve Pokémon came to a stop, shell opening up and a slightly dazed expression on his face. While he hadn't taken any severe damage, the experience of being catapulted across the field seemed to have disorientated him.
"Cloyster, Aurora Burst." Sam said quietly.
A slightly confused expression came across Lance's face before he realised what Sam's instruction must have meant.
"Salamence, into the air. Keep moving." Lance called.
Cloyster fired a very short burst of Aurora Beam that caused Salamence to leap into the air. He stopped just as Cloyster fired another short burst that forced Salamence to drop towards the ground once again. Another burst followed, causing Salamence to spin to one side. As Cloyster continued to attack, Salamence was being driven back quickly before finding himself getting stuck in a corner. Cloyster continued to attack, adjusting each time Salamence tried to escape, boxing Lance's Pokémon in even more.
"Full power." Sam said.
Cloyster unleashed a far more powerful Aurora Beam straight at Salamence who couldn't dodge. The attack pinned him against a wall where he roared in pain, writhing as Cloyster poured more and more energy into the attack. As he finally let his attack rest, Salamence crashed down, the injuries on clear display on his body. Cloyster withdrew back towards his trainer, settling down in front of Sam with a slight smile on his face. As Salamence dragged himself back to his feet, Lance gazed at Cloyster, looking for a weakness. As a defence, a Pokémon who could retreat into a virtually impenetrable shell was superb. Lance thought back to other times he had fought Cloyster's. Usually he would win by catching the Pokémon with its shell open but that was proving to be extremely tricky. An idea came to his mind, but he almost rejected it instantly. It required a change of Pokémon, but he didn't want Sam to catch on. A quick look at Salamence told Lance what he suspected. His Pokémon had been badly hurt by Cloyster's attack.
"Salamence, Flamethrower." Lance ordered, coming to a decision. Salamence reared up and fired his attack but was noticeably slower this time. Cloyster's shell snapped shut once again, the attack washing over him without visible damage. Cloyster's shell snapped open and another Aurora Beam shot out. Salamence tried to dodge but wasn't quick enough, the attack catching him and sending him skidding backwards once again.
"Cloyster, use Spikes." Sam said. Cloyster fired spikes away from around his shell to cover the field on Lance's side. Cloyster's shell snapped shut once again, just in time to block Salamence's next attack as Lance tried to take advantage of the distraction. The Dragon Master gritted his teeth slightly. While most of his Pokémon were fliers, if they could be pushed towards the ground Lance knew he would be in trouble.
"Salamence, Thunder Fang." Lance commanded. His Pokémon leapt forwards but Cloyster's shell remained stubbornly shut, blocking the attack. As Salamence let Cloyster go, the shell parted just enough to fire out yet another Aurora Beam that sent Salamence flying backwards, ending his fight.
Lance recalled Salamence a slightly wistful look on his face. Replacing the Pokéball on his belt he fingered one before choosing another. Throwing it, there was another loud roar as his second iconic Pokémon appeared. Gyarados.
Ash leaned forwards. "Sam should swap out Cloyster now." He said.
The trio around him looked shocked. "Why? Cloyster has just battered Salamence." May said. Down on the stadium floor Cloyster and Gyarados exchanged early blows, neither getting the upper hand.
"Because Cloyster is about to lose." Ash said simply.
"How?" Max asked.
"You'll see." Ash said. "But Lance is a sufficiently competent trainer to have spotted something." He looked around at the baffled faces around him before sighing. "Cloyster does have a weakness – his shell cannot be completely impermeable or he wouldn't be able to breathe. You can use that to get an attack through."
"Gyarados, up." Lance barked as Cloyster fired another attack. Gyarados lifted slightly off the ground, doing just enough to avoid getting hit. He fired another Flamethrower down at Cloyster whose shell snapped shut once again. Gritting his teeth slightly, Lance decided to put his plan into action.
"Gyarados, Hydro Pump." He ordered. The torrent of water smacked into the shell, sending Cloyster back slightly. As Gyarados continued to pour water onto the shell Sam looked bemused, his Pokémon easily enduring.
"Get closer and keep it up." Lance said. Cloyster remained stubbornly shut as water began to pool around the Bivalve Pokémon. As Gyarados got closer, Sam saw the danger, but too late.
"Cloyster, you need to move." Sam shouted. Under the onslaught however, Cloyster kept his shell shut, struggling to even hear his trainer's command.
"Gyarados, Thunderbolt." Lance said quietly. He took no pleasure in the pain this would cause Cloyster, particularly now that Sam had spotted the danger but he needed to win. The attack hit Cloyster's shell, gaining power from the water. Cloyster shrieked in pain as the water underneath him carried the charge forwards. As the water dripped through tiny gaps in his shell, carrying Gyarados' attack through Sam turned away. The electricity caused the muscles holding the shell shut to relax, opening it and exposing Cloyster to the follow up strike from Gyarados.
The referee stepped forwards.
"Cloyster is unable to battle." He announced. "Since Samuel Fernandez has lost three Pokémon there will be a short intermission."
Lance recalled Gyarados, turning and striding away. Sam recalled Cloyster forlornly, before turning and heading back towards his trainer's room.
"You knew that would happen?" May said to Ash who nodded.
"Of course. Sam was overconfident having beaten Salamence so easily, but Lance knew that is Cloyster's weakness." Ash glanced at Max. "I'm surprised you didn't."
Max flushed. "Who thinks like that?" he asked. "Who thinks of weaknesses like that?"
Ash chuckled slightly. "Elite battlers. You'll get there one day. But it is moves like that which set Lance apart from so many others."
"You still thrashed his Dragonite." Mellanie muttered.
Ash grinned at his tutee. "Well of course I did. Still, Dragonite was a powerful Pokémon. Charizard had to step up to it."
Mellanie fixed her tutor with a piercing gaze. "Charizard battered him. He barely had to step up."
"True." Ash said, before turning in his seat. "Excuse me a moment."
Ash rose and strode away, up into the back of the box, vanishing through the doorway. On the other side he knelt down, seeing Espeon waiting for him.
"How are you doing?" Ash murmured quietly.
"Every single Region Pokémon has fallen to us." Espeon answered.
"All of them?" Ash asked, eyebrow raised. "I'm impressed. That was quick. How is the team?"
"Utterly exhausted. Only myself and Alakazam are here, the rest are at home resting. They'll need a couple of days to recover at least."
"They earned it." Ash said. "I'm proud of all of you."
He reached to his belt and placed a Pokéball on the ground next to Espeon.
"Take Charizard back as well. He can provide defence to the island in case Sonia or Cleffa tries to strike back. I assume you didn't find her?"
"Cleffa? No. She is too elusive."
Ash sighed. "As she always has been. No matter. You have removed her support. She will not be able to stand against us next time we fight."
Ash stroked Espeon's fur, drawing a contented purr from the Sun Pokémon. As he climbed to his feet, Charizard's Pokéball rose up, following Espeon as she vanished in a flash of light. Ash turned and strode back into the box, taking his seat as Lance and Sam reappeared.
"Dragonair, come on out." Lance called, throwing a Pokéball into the air. Dragonair appeared, settling on the ground before growling in pain from the spikes that were still there from Cloyster. Sam smiled slightly as he selected his Pokéball.
"Nidoking, destruction time." Sam said. Sam's Pokémon appeared with a loud roar, thumping his chest with a huge fist.
"Dragonair, stay off the ground." Lance said warningly as his Pokémon lifted off. Dragonair nodded without taking her eyes off Nidoking..
"Nidoking, you need to be aggressive here." Sam said warningly. "Typhlosion is battered so you need to get a victory."
Nidoking roared loudly, stepping forwards.
"Dragonair, Thunder Wave." Lance barked.
"Rock Tomb around yourself." Sam countered.
As waves of electricity arced around towards Nidoking, he smashed rocks up into the air from the ground. They landed all around him, acting as a block to the Thunder Wave.
"Follow it up with Double Kick." Sam said.
Nidoking kicked out at the rocks at his feet, sending them flying towards Dragonair. Lance's Pokémon gracefully slipped to one side, dodging both rocks that Nidoking sent her way. Lance allowed himself a small smile.
"Dragonair, Slam." He ordered. His Pokémon lurched forwards, her tail smashing out to try and hit Nidoking. It caught the Drill Pokémon squarely in the chest, sending him rocking backwards. Nidoking roared and swung out with a fist, but his Mega Punch missed as Dragonair slipped away again.
"Nidoking, Earth Power." Sam called.
Nidoking slammed a foot into the ground, causing cracks to appear across the field but Lance was waiting for it.
"Dragonair, Agility." He said. As the ground erupted underneath Dragonair, spikes flying through the air, Lance's Pokémon flickered, rushing to one side at high speed. Her body contorted, managing to evade every single one of the spikes flung into the air. Dragonair straightened out, firing a Hyper Beam at Nidoking. The Drill Pokémon tried to dodge but Dragonite had struck too fast after his own attack and he was caught, being sent sprawling to the ground. As Nidoking climbed back to his feet, Sam met his opponent's eye.
"I never thought you'd be the one who was employing an evasive style." Sam said with a grin.
Lance shrugged. "Against a Nidoking it just made sense."
"It is a shame." Sam said. "But you've lost this round. I've spent my entire career training against the master of evasion and countering. You can't compete." Sam glanced at his Pokémon. "Nidoking, Thrash."
Nidoking charged forwards, arms flailing. Dragonair tried to dodge but Nidoking had advanced too fast, charging through the spikes on the ground, ignoring them as he surged at Dragonair. Nidoking's smashed Dragonair into the ground, causing a shriek of pain as spikes hit Dragonair.
"Dragonair, Outrage." Lance barked.
Dragonair started thrashing around, his tail smashing into the side of Nidoking's head. Nidoking roared in anger and smashed his first into Dragonair, who flailed again, sending Nidoking staggering backwards. The two Pokémon continued to exchange blows, thrashing about wildly but Nidoking's superior strength started to give him an advantage. The crowd started to hush as the two Pokémon continued to fight brutally, all attempts at technique and grace lost to the need to hit their opponent as hard as possible.
Eventually Nidoking staggered away, shaking his head. Opposite him Dragonair was reeling, clearly feeling her injuries. She also looked dazed from her attack. Sam looked up at Lance and grinned. While both Pokémon were confused and injured, Nidoking's strength meant that he was in a much better state.
"Dragonair, use Ice Beam." Lance ordered.
His Pokémon looked at him with a confused expression before slamming her head into the ground to try to clear it. Lance growled in frustration. Across the field Nidoking raised his hands to his head and started shaking it aggressively. Sam tapped his foot, waiting. Eventually Nidoking turned and met his trainers eyes, his gaze completely clear once again.
"Nidoking, use Hyper Beam." Sam said.
Nidoking threw his head back before unleashing a powerful golden beam at Dragonair. Lance's Pokémon looked up from where she was trying to bury her head in the ground to see it racing towards her. She suddenly fired an icy-blue beam underneath Nidoking's attack, catching the Drill Pokémon in the foot. As her Ice Beam hit, Nidoking's strike crashed into her, sending Dragonair flying. As she hit the ground, knocked out Sam glanced at his Pokémon who was stamping his foot to try to get some feeling back into it after the cold attack.
"Dragonair, return." Lance said quietly before selecting another Pokéball. He looked at it before replacing it once again and choosing another one.
"Altaria, you're up." Lance said.
Lance's Pokémon appeared, with a flurry of wings and a crackle of electricity. Sam blinked in surprise.
"Altaria?" he asked. "But she's paralysed."
Lance smiled. "But she is also a Flying-Pokémon."
Sam chuckled. "Well if that's what you want. Nidoking, Mega Punch."
Nidoking surged forwards but Altaria leapt into the air, dodging easily. Lance laughed.
"Nidoking aren't the best at fighting Flying-Types. Going to swap Sam?"
Sam shook his head. "Rock Tomb."
Nidoking smashed a foot into the ground, throwing rocks up into the air. He launched several in quick succession into an arc, causing them to drop around Altaria. She shrieked as she dodged, diving closer towards the ground.
"Dragon Breath." Lance retaliated. Altaria pulled out of her swoop and fired a torrent of fiery breath at Nidoking. Sam's Pokémon growled as he twisted away from it, letting the attack pass to one side.
"Again." Lance said. "Don't let Nidoking get another shot away."
Sam shrugged. "Nidoking, dodge."
Altaria sent another torrent of breath at Nidoking but he easily dodged. His eyes narrowed slightly as Altaria fired a third Dragon Breath at him, but this too missed.
"Nidoking, Hyper Beam." Sam barked suddenly.
Nidoking unleashed another golden beam at Altaria who tried to dodge. As she did she crackled with electricity, causing her to be pinned in place. Sam grinned with satisfaction as Nidoking's attack nailed Altaria, sending her crashing to the ground. She groaned slightly as she tried to climb to her feet but Nidoking arrived with a Mega Punch to pummel her into submission. As his fist slammed down there was an explosion. Nidoking was launched back across the field, crashing down in front of Sam on his back. He groaned as he staggered to his feet, looking across the field. Altaria was knocked out, her final Dragon Breath having exploded in front of her. Nidoking tried to roar his triumph but the movement caused him to slump slowly to the ground. Knocked out.
Sam sighed as he recalled his Pokémon. Nidoking had fought well, beating one of Lance's Pokémon outright and finishing off another. Yet he was worried about the two that Lance had left. Dragonite was powerful and Typhlosion was battered. And Lance's other Pokémon was just as famous as his Dragonite. And having barely fought, Gyarados would take some beating.
Lance threw another Pokéball out, causing Gyarados to appear with a roar. Sam reached down and chose the only Pokémon that would make sense. As he released his Electabuzz Lance's eyes narrowed.
"I thought that would be your choice." Lance said. "I couldn't imagine him not being in your team. But I know he isn't your strongest."
Sam shrugged. "No, he isn't. But he is an expert at beating Pokémon he has a type-advantage over."
Lance laughed. "And Gyarados is an expert at not losing those. You aren't the only person who has tried to beat him using an Electric Pokémon."
Sam didn't answer, turning his gaze to the famous red Gyarados. Gyarados met his gaze, snarling back at his opponent.
"Electabuzz, Thunderbolt." Sam ordered.
Lance spread his arms, as if to say "what can you do." As the electricity fired at Gyarados, the Atrocious Pokémon fired his own bolt of electricity. The two attacks collided in mid-air, cancelling each other out.
"I warned you." Lance said.
Sam laughed. "Lance I didn't take this fight on carelessly. I know that is your strategy. I'm just comparing the two attacks. Electabuzz, up the power."
Electabuzz put his fists together, his body crackling with electricity. The attack against Gyarados renewed, the power increased. Lance looked up at his Pokémon who had a determined look on his face as he met the attack with a stronger one of his own, again causing them to fizzle out.
"Up it to Thunder." Sam said. Electabuzz stepped forwards as he increased the power in his attack once again. Sam glanced down at his Pokémon slightly nervously. Electabuzz hated the colour red, a problem that many of his kind suffered. It had taken a lot of work for Electabuzz to even listen to him when fighting against a Pokémon that was red. Yet Electabuzz was itching for a chance to charge.
"Gyarados, give it everything." Lance barked angrily. Despite the increase in power Electabuzzs attack showed no sign of breaking through. Sam sighed and made a chopping motion with his arm. Electabuzz stopped his attack instantly, allowing Gyarados' own strike to hit him.
Lance blinked in shock. As Gyarados' attack ended, Electabuzz stepped forwards crackling with electricity. There was a very faint blue glow coming off the Pokémon who flexed his muscles at Gyarados.
"You knew that would happen." Lance said accusingly.
Sam grinned. "Of course. You fell for that one completely. Electabuzz, Thunder Punch."
Electabuzz shot forwards, darting quicker than Lance had ever expected. Gyarados roared in shock, rearing his head and firing a burst of water on instinct. Electabuzz met the burst with a fist, electrifying the attack and shocking Gyarados. Gyarados roared louder, this time in pain as Electabuzz leapt up, crashing his other fist into his opponent.
Gyarados fell, crashing down into the ground, landing on some of the few remaining spikes after the other explosions in the battle. Lance looked on, an expression of shock on his face. For all he had researched his opponent, he had never expected something like this. He had fallen straight into Sam's strategy, giving Electabuzz the power boost he needed.
"Gyarados, return." Lance said shakily, holding out his Pokéball.
Electabuzz spun, glaring at Lance, anger written on his face. Lance ignored him, returning Gyarados' Pokéball to his belt. As he reached for Dragonite's, something finally occurred to him. If Dragonite had been too badly hurt by the earlier fight, there was a good chance he would struggle against a powered-up Electabuzz. For the first time in the battle Lance began to consider that he might lose. The thought didn't upset him like he thought it might. Despite the half-time lead, he knew it would be a hard fight. As he quickly ran it back through his mind he realized that not a single one of Sam's Pokémon had gone down to one of his. He had used more than one Pokémon to defeat each of them. Even if one of Sam's hadn't beaten one of his, the intensity of the struggle had forced Lance into rotation. He sighed. If he did lose, Sam was a worthy person to lose to.
"Dragonite, let's do this." Lance said quietly as he threw the Pokéball. Dragonite appeared with a roar, looking down at the crackling, glowing Electabuzz. He glanced back at Lance who shook his head slightly.
"Dragonite, into the air." Lance ordered. Electabuzz threw himself forwards but his Thunder Punch missed as Dragonite accelerated with incredible speed. Dragonite spun in the air, firing a Flamethrower down at Electabuzz who danced backwards.
"Thunderbolt." Sam commanded.
The attack raced up into the sky but Dragonite slipped to one side once again, firing his own attack. The Flamethrower caught Electabuzz in the chest, sending him sprawling backwards. Electabuzz leapt back to his feet, firing another bolt of electricity. Dragonite dodged once again, but this time his return strike was slightly slower, allowing Electabuzz to dodge.
"Lance is in trouble." Max said quietly, his voice almost awestruck. "Sam might actually do this."
Ash leaned back in his seat, arms folded. He knew what Max was getting at. With a powered-up Electabuzz, Dragonite would be hard pushed to win. Gyarados had taken a hard hit, and while Typhlosion was tired, Sam was probably the favourite to win. Dragonite's earlier exertions, defeating one of Sam's strongest in Pidgeot and battering Typhlosion. For a Pokémon that was famous for its power and agility, Dragonite looked slow and sluggish. It was all relative of course, a sluggish Dragonite was still a match for most of Sam's Pokémon. But Ash suspected that once Sam realised how close he was to outfighting the battling legend, he would switch.
"How long till Typhlosion comes back out?" Mellanie asked, echoing Ash's thoughts.
Nobody answered for a moment as Electabuzz took another hit to return a strike on Dragonite. The roars around the stadium from the crowd were momentarily drowned out by the bellow of pain from Lance's Pokémon.
"Not long." Max answered eventually. "Typhlosion might beat Dragonite from here. And if he does, Electabuzz gets a straight shot at Gyarados."
"Not yet." May chipped in.
"Why not?" Max asked. "He should save Electabuzz for Gyarados."
"May is right." Ash murmured, causing the coordinator to flush slightly and Max to look embarrassed.
"Why not?" Mellanie asked. "You think Electabuzz is better for Dragonite?"
"No." Ash said. "Electabuzz should be saved for Gyarados. But if Sam recalls him he'll waste the benefits of tricking Lance into hitting Electabuzz with an electric attack."
It was Max's turn to flush. "Of course. As soon as that ends though…"
"If Sam is smart he'll recall Electabuzz." May finished.
Ash glanced at her. "I'm impressed you spotted that. Perhaps you're not just a coordinator."
May smiled nervously. "You pick up some battling after a while."
"I know." Ash said. "Still, it is a good spot. And for the record, I think Sam has proved he's smart."
Max chuckled. "That is true. He might just win this."
"Electabuzz, full power Discharge." Sam ordered.
"Dragonite, climb!" Lance shouted.
Electabuzz slammed his fists together and sent out waves of electricity, firing them up into the sky. Dragonite tried to climb but the attack was too fast and too powerful. It overtook Lance's Pokémon, hitting him and causing a deafening roar. Dragonite slumped in mid-air, falling back towards the ground. As he started to pick up speed, Dragonite's eyes snapped open once again. He flapped his wings and pulled out of his dive, landing in front of his trainer a look of fury on his face. To the crowd Dragonite maintained his defiant demeanour but Lance could see his Pokémon was battered. He looked at Electabuzz and realized that Sam's Pokémon was no longer crackling with energy. Electabuzz had used up all of the extra power he had gotten from Gyarados.
Lance met his Pokémon's eyes and came to a decision. Dragonite and Lance both knew that Dragonite couldn't beat Electabuzz. He had taken too many injuries and fought too long. Lance cocked his head slightly. His Pokémon knew what he was asking and almost resignedly nodded.
"Dragonite, return." Lance said, holding out a Pokéball.
There were gasps around the stadium. There was only one Pokémon left that Lance could use to take on Electabuzz. Yet swapping out his iconic Pokémon for a Gyarados with a double typing weakness was a move that nobody had expected.
"Gyarados, end this fight." Lance barked.
As Gyarados appeared Electabuzz looked back at his trainer who shook his head. Electabuzz slammed his fists together, causing sparks to fly. Sam groaned. His Pokémon was struggling against a red opponent.
"Gyarados, Flamethrower." Lance ordered.
"Electabuzz, dodge and Thunderbolt."
Electabuzz danced to one side but instead of using Thunderbolt threw himself forwards, fist crackling. His Thunder Punch swung underneath Gyarados who twisted his body, before recoiling quickly as Electabuzz swung his arm back again.
"Gyarados, get away." Lance ordered calmly.
Gyarados swung his tail around, sending Electabuzz flying backwards before using it to propel himself across the field away from the Electabuzz that was close to rampaging. Sam gritted his teeth as Electabuzz surged to his feet and charged forwards once again.
"Electabuzz, Thunderbolt!" Sam shouted, but his Pokémon completely ignored him. Electabuzz hurled himself at Gyarados who sent him flying with a flick of his tail. Electabuzz hit the floor, scrambling back up to his feet just in time to be caught by a Hyper Beam.
"And stay down." Lance muttered as the dust from Gyarados' attack started to clear. As the smoke cleared Electabuzz slowly climbed back to his feet, battered. He cast a glance at his stony-faced trainer before adopting a battle stance once again. The anger that drove the rampage was replaced by steely resolve.
"Electabuzz, Thunderbolt."
Gyarados met the Thunderbolt with his own. Sam smiled slightly but this time when Electabuzz ended his attack, Gyarados was ready for him. Gyarados' Thunderbolt never reached Electabuzz, fizzling out in the air. Sam grimaced. A power boost would have been helpful.
"Gyarados, Flamethrower." Lance ordered, reverting to one of the few attacks that Gyarados would be able to use safely. Electabuzz dived to one side, giving him an escape from the attack. As he came back to his feet, Gyarados drew himself up to his full height, looking to intimidate Electabuzz. Sam's Pokémon took a step back, before his expression changed. He had focused on the colour of Gyarados' scales once again. Electabuzz slammed his fists together and electricity raced out from him, covering the battlefield. Gyarados had nowhere to go to dodge Electabuzzs attack. He roared in pain as the Discharge found its mark. As Electabuzzs attack ended, Gyarados slumped down to the ground.
The referee stepped forwards hesitantly then more confidently when there was no movement from the Atrocious Pokémon. He raised a flag tentatively.
"Gyarados is unable to battle. Electabuzz takes this round."
There was a roar from the crowd as Lance wordlessly recalled his Pokémon. Sam showed no emotion as Electabuzz rocked back on his heels, exhausted from his battling. Lance raised his final Pokéball.
"I never thought this would happen." Lance said quietly. "But I never give up, no matter what. Dragonite, let us fight together for this."
Dragonite appeared, stood tall, the marks of his previous battles evident on his body. He gazed down at the Electabuzz in front of him before looking up at the giant scoreboard high above his head. He inclined his head gracefully.
"Electabuzz, Thunderbolt." Sam ordered.
Electabuzzs attack raced out but Dragonite leapt into the air before charging forwards. He slammed into Electabuzz, using gravity to give him a boost. As Dragonite lifted off once again, Electabuzz was clearly knocked out.
"Electabuzz return." Sam said resignedly. As he reached for his final Pokéball he almost laughed. So many beginning trainers protected their starter in a belief that it was their most powerful Pokémon. And while that strength was something that typically carried through their careers, elite trainers were far less likely to save their starter. Yet here they were, two of the best trainers in Kanto and it came down to a battle between their starters.
Sam rolled the Pokéball around in his hand, looking down at it.
"This is it." Sam said as he threw the Pokéball into the air. Typhlosion appeared, standing tall on his back legs. Flames erupted from his shoulders, giving him a fiery mane. Dragonite settled back on the ground in front of his trainer. Both trainers carefully observed their opponents Pokémon, trying to guess their strength. Trying to guess their endurance. Trying to find any final advantage.
"What are they waiting for?" May asked into the hush that had fallen around the stadium.
"They are studying." Mellanie said, her voice quiet. "Looking for something."
"This is where it stops being just a battle of skill." Ash observed.
"What do you mean?" May asked.
"It is more than just a question of who's the better trainer now." Ash said. "Both trainers have given their all. Both Pokémon come into this final fight having taken a lot of damage. Typhlosion has had slightly longer to recover but Dragonite is a battling legend. Both will be close their last legs. The question now is who will have the willpower to keep getting back up after each hit."
Ash looked around at the three people around him. They were all hooked onto his every word.
"The pressure is cranked up." Ash continued. "It is so close that a single mistake will cost the trainer victory. And so they will look for every possible advantage here. Something to give them the edge at the death." Ash smiled slightly wistfully. "This is what battling is meant to be about. Not the procession that my fights are. I may be the best in terms of ability, but battling as a sport needs fights like this. This is a fight that will be talked about for years."
"Who will win?" Max asked quietly.
Ash didn't answer, just continued to watch proceedings with a smile on his face.
"Dragonite, Water Gun." Lance said breaking the silence.
Dragonite fired a burst of water but Typhlosion was too quick. He dropped to all fours and leapt to one side, skidding as he hit the ground.
"Flamethrower." Sam countered.
Typhlosion slid to a stop and flared his mane, firing a burst of flames towards Dragonite who jumped into the air, flapping his wings to give his leap more height.
"Stay low." Lance said quietly. Dragonite glanced back at his trainer with a nod to say he had heard and understood. He didn't have the energy left to keep dodging at high altitude. This would be won on the ground.
"Flame Wheel." Sam ordered.
Typhlosion charged forwards, flames surrounding him. He leapt into the air and hit the ground rolling, turning himself into a flaming wheel that raced towards Dragonite. Lance's Pokémon instinctively fired a burst of water at his opponent but it didn't break through the shield of fire that Typhlosion had surrounding him. At the last second Dragonite dived to one side, rolling away from Typhlosion. A roar from Dragonite said that he hadn't dodged completely, the attack clipping him slightly.
"Dragonite, Flamethrower." Lance commanded.
"Let it hit." Sam said.
Typhlosion spun from where his Flame Wheel had finished, to see flames rushing towards him. He stood up, arms extended to take the hit squarely in the chest. As it hit, the flames on his shoulders erupted to bigger than before. With the sound of the flames surrounding him, strengthening him, Typhlosion couldn't hear properly. His sensitive ears were being deafened by Dragonite's attack. He could hear his trainer shouting something but couldn't hear what. He looked over to where Sam was but could only see shadows through the flames.
As the attack died down Typhlosion looked around to see Dragonite racing towards him, surrounded by water. Lance had used the distraction of the Flamethrower to set Dragonite up for an Aqua Tail. Typhlosion tried to dodge but it was too late. He was caught by the attack and sent sprawling into the dirt on the arena floor. Dragonite settled down in front of his trainer as Typhlosion staggered back up to his feet. He met Dragonite's eyes but Lance's Pokémon staggered, a paw going to his side.
Across the arena Sam saw it. Dragonite was struggling from his burn he sustained battling earlier. Now he understood why Lance wanted his Pokémon to stay grounded if possible. Moving would make the burn hurt more, draining Dragonite more. Suddenly a strategy flashed into Sam's mind. A way to win. Because even though Lance had managed to do a lot of damage to Typhlosion, he had also given him exactly what he needed to beat Dragonite.
"Typhlosion, Flamethrower." Sam said confidently.
Typhlosion shot the attack at Dragonite who spun on a single foot to dodge.
"Again." Sam said before Lance could give a command. Dragonite looked to see another torrent of flames racing for him. He leapt lightly to the side, before seeing a third burst of flames coming at him. Dragonite glanced back at Lance a slight expression of worry on his face but for once in his life, Lance had nothing. As Typhlosion advanced, the mane on his back roaring with power, Flamethrower after Flamethrower forcing Dragonite into a corner, Lance gave in to the inevitable.
"Dragonite, into the air." Lance said.
As the next Flamethrower raced towards him, Dragonite leapt into the sky, wings flapping powerfully to gain altitude. Typhlosion fired yet another Flamethrower after him but Dragonite slipped to one side and retaliated with a Water Gun that Typhlosion promptly vaporised.
"Hold him up there." Sam ordered. "But don't use too much energy. Just keep him at a distance."
Typhlosion nodded, firing Ember attacks up at Dragonite. Lance's Pokémon was forced to keep moving, trying to return with his own attacks but Typhlosion was attacking too aggressively. As he spun in the air, evading another attack, Dragonite felt the burn leeching his energy. The attacks from below showed no sign of relenting and Dragonite looked back at his trainer who seemed to be out of ideas.
"Get closer." Lance said eventually. "Then use Hurricane."
Dragonite dropped under the next attack, closing the gap towards Typhlosion. As the Volcano Pokémon adjusted his aim for the next attack, Dragonite started beating his wings. The wind in the stadium picked up once again, pressing spectators into the seats. Typhlosion's next attack was whipped away by the wind and he dropped back down to all fours to try to survive against the attack. Dragonite let himself drift closer to Typhlosion who dug his claws in but it was no use. The wind threw Sam's starter across the field where he crashed to the ground.
"Dragon Rage." Lance barked.
Dragonite opened his mouth and a surge of fiery breath came racing out. Typhlosion had no chance to dodge, still trying to recover from being hit by the Hurricane. The Volcano Pokémon was thrown across the field once again, settling down in a cloud of dust that had been whipped up by Dragonite's attacks. As Lance's Pokémon settled back onto the ground, his exhaustion was there for all to see. The marks of his burns were all over his body. Dragonite was panting, slightly bent over with the exhaustion. But he was still standing.
As the dust cleared a figure shifted in it. Typhlosion rose from the cloud, looking almost as bad as Dragonite. A look of fierce determination crossed Typhlosion's face as he took an uneasy step towards Dragonite.
"Flamethrower." Sam ordered.
There was no showmanship to Typhlosion's attack. The flames on his shoulders barely even changed he was so tired. Yet he produced a stream of flames that shot towards Dragonite who tried to dodge but didn't have the energy. The Flamethrower hit, lifting Dragonite off his feet and sending him crashing to the ground for the final time.
A/N
Well this one was a monster chapter. I apologise for it taking two weeks but it is 8,000 words so cut me some slack! I didn't want this fight to drag on for multiple chapters so I thought I'd just get it all out in one.
On the note of the update schedule I will try to keep getting updates out on a weekly basis but I cannot guarantee that I'll be able to. I shouldn't ever let there be more than two weeks between chapters but if there isn't a chapter on a Friday it probably means I didn't have time to write one. I apologise in advance but there isn't much I can do. Unfortunately I do need some time asleep, even if it isn't much! I am also aware that this chapter was heavily focused on Sam and Lance. The emphasis will be shifting back towards Ash soon. He has some unfinished business to attend to.
Until next time,
Iama2p