Chapter 21:
"Charizard, Roost," Flourette says to the surprise of many. This makes Charizard vulnerable, but is the best chance of restoring it to a state where it can comfortably fly.
"Earthquake," Mark responds.
I look over the battlefield at Mark, Flourette and their Pokémon. Mark says they could be equals which makes me wonder what sort of driving force he has to put in such a dominant performance. It's terrifying. At this point, it seems like I will be facing Mark in the final and the prospect of that is horrible. I have no way of competing with him in this kind of form.
The ground beneath Charizard explodes. Flourette's tactic was risky, but it was her only option and it hasn't paid off. Charizard is beaten into submission by the flying rubble and topples forward. In almost comedic fashion, rubbing salt into the wounds, a wild rock smacks Charizard on the head as it tries to lift itself up. It slumps back down again.
"Aggron, end it, Heavy Slam!" Mark says.
Aggron charges. Then, it is over. Charizard put up a better fight than Flourette's first two Pokémon but fell in the end without dealing any damage. Flourette picks her next Pokémon knowing she is running out of options. She stops before sending it out though.
"What could you possibly want to drive you to this?" she asks, "Does money really mean that much to you?"
"As much as the prize money could fund fossil research, that's not what I'm after," Mark says, "What I want is something money can't buy!"
"The glory of the World Champion title, you self-obsessed…"
Mark turns to face where we sit and shouts, "I want answers, Elderidge! Where is my father?"
Attention turns to Lancelot sat on his throne. His expression doesn't change. He doesn't react at all. He simply continues to stare at the battlefield intently. Back down below, Mark calms down and turns back to Flourette. He forces a cough and adjusts his attire to regain his composure.
"As you can see, I have to win this tournament so that I can find out what happened to my father. I searched the world for answers, the only lead I ever uncovered was a link to Elder Industries. I signed up for this tournament because of the promise that I would learn what I need to know if I win," Mark says. His passion and devotion to his cause are evident. If motivation really is the difference in this battle then it is clear why it is so one-sided.
"As much as I support what you're trying to do, I can't go easy on you," Flourette says, "I'm working so I can stop things like that happening in the first place."
"I wouldn't expect any less, now bring what you have left."
"Go, Gallade!"
"Aggron, Earthquake," Mark says to resume the battle.
"Dodge!" Flourette calls out.
The ground rumbles and is further ravaged. Gallade is fast though and manages to manoeuvre around the onslaught and get in closer to Aggron.
"Drain Punch!" Flourette shouts, taking her chance. Gallade is close enough that Aggron won't have much opportunity to dodge or block.
"Heavy Slam."
Mark knows about the advantage Flourette is trying to use and has a counter for it. A head-on collision. It's like watching a repeat of Mark's battle with Shaw. Gallade lands a clean strike in the centre of Aggron's chest. However, it doesn't faze Aggron at all. It keeps going and bundles Gallade over, crushing it beneath its enormous weight.
I sit, looking at the battlefield in shock as the referee declares Gallade, Flourette's fourth Pokémon, unable to battle. The battle makes no sense. I can't think of anything wrong in how Flourette has played other than her hesitation in the first move. Mark has been able to flawlessly counter everything she has done or stop it before it happens. I have never seen anything like it. Thomas had figured me out yesterday, but this makes it look like Mark can see inside Flourette's mind or the future. He has worked out everything in advance. No matter how many times I replay the battle so far in my head, it doesn't seem real.
I think back. When I first entered the VIP area, Lancelot mentioned that Mark had been scouting his potential opponents. He always seems to be everywhere and know everything about everyone. He even knew about the battle between Elin and Flourette and attended it. He likely learned more about Flourette's battling there.
"Go, Swampert," Flourette says. Swampert re-joins the battle after its brief appearance before. Flourette is really running out of options. Her determination to keep fighting is admirable. And yet, the idea that one of the tournament favourites is looking to score just one knockout for an achievement is mind boggling.
"Your work is done, Aggron," Mark says and calls his Pokémon back, "Go, Torterra!"
Flourette doesn't like it, but she's going to stick with the matchup. I imagine she has something she can do that's not going to force her to switch out again.
"Stealth Rock," Flourette says.
Swampert punches the ground and the shockwaves seem to trigger something in the ground around Torterra. A circle of sharp stones stick out of the ground around Torterra. The idea seems to be to trap Torterra and keep it where it is. However, Swampert isn't usually the sort of Pokémon that can fight well from a distance. It will have to try and get in close itself and work around its own attack.
"Stone Edge," Mark says and cracks a smile.
The sharp stones are torn from the ground and fire at Swampert. Flourette's Pokémon has to use its bulky arms to shield itself from the attack. Any attempt at controlling the field has backfired, limiting Flourette's options even more.
"All or nothing, Ice Punch!" Flourette cries out. She really is at the stage where she just has to throw everything she has at Mark regardless of the consequences.
Swampert bounds forward on all fours. Mark calls for an Earthquake and Torterra responds by slamming its front legs down on the already weakened ground. The ground responds as though it were delicately balanced on a pivot. It flips up and strikes Swampert's face like an uppercut. Swampert has to abandon its attack to clutch its jaw in pain.
"Finish with Wood Hammer," Mark says.
I can't watch anymore. I cover my face with my hands and hear a loud crash followed by cheers. Five down. One left. Mark still has all six of his Pokémon. No matter the motivation behind the battle or how well Mark has battled, it's just embarrassing. Flourette is still smiling, but I can't imagine how terrible she must feel right now. Even with a Mega Evolution under her belt, what will people think of her for this?
"Come on Salamence!"
"And for the conclusion, a battle in the sky. Go, Charizard!"
Mark's Charizard and Flourette's Salamence stand eyeing each other for a moment. Both Pokémon then jump and take flight. A natural fighting instinct in both Pokémon has awoken and they are up for this battle.
"Dragon Claw!" Flourette shouts up to her dragon.
"Flamethrower," Mark says.
Salamence shoots across the sky with an arm outstretched. Charizard is ready and waiting, breathing fire at the glowing claw. Salamence is stopped in its tracks as it fights off Charizard's attack hoping to get in closer to strike. It slashes through the flames and both attacks fade out.
"Hydro Pump!" Flourette shouts excitedly. Suddenly, there is hope for her avoiding a whitewash.
A torrent of water fires from Salamence's mouth. At such close range, it has to hit and has to deal massive damage to Charizard. However, Charizard rushes forwards and suddenly shoots upwards. The resulting Air Slash slices through the water and splits it. The water flies harmlessly either side of Charizard's tail as it trails behind the rest of its body.
"Dragon Pulse," Mark says.
Charizard fires a blast of purple energy from above. Salamence is able to fly out of its path. The attacks continues on and strikes the ground, smashing a small crater in the already ravaged battlefield.
The two Pokémon circle around each other exchanging long-ranged attacks. Each attack produces a narrow miss, lightning fast dodge or impressive block. Neither one seems close to tiring. The constant cycle is leaving them in deadlock. It will take something from one of the trainers mixing it up to break the cycle. I would have expected Mark to have done it by now. Based on the rest of the battle, this should be easy for him. Instead, he seems quite content with the situation as it is.
Mark calls for yet another Dragon Pulse, but, this time, he grins. It is the same grin he has pulled with many of his previous finishing moves. Flourette recognises this and reacts immediately.
"Salamence, Outrage!" she calls.
Salamence roars loud enough to rock the stadium. It is coated in energy as it charges at Charizard, ploughing through the Dragon Pulse. Charizard cancels its attack and ducks, grabbing hold of Salamence from underneath. Salamence can't stop. It flails wildly in the air with Charizard gripping tightly. Salamence roars in pain as Charizard digs its claws in to maintain grip.
"Now, end this!" Mark shouts.
Charizard summons all of its strength to twist Salamence to face the ground. Salamence is unable to control its flight from its own attack. Charizard just has to hold on tight to guide its flight, aiming directly at the ground.
I hold my breath. The two Pokémon spiral to the ground, struggling against each other. As the impact looms, Charizard releases its grip and kicks off from Salamence. Salamence hits the ground. Dust flies up around it, blocking it from view. Charizard jets off to the side and crashes to the ground as well, skidding through the rubble. Charizard lies motionless as the dust settles around Salamence to reveal yet another crater in the battlefield. It is obvious that Salamence is out cold. The question that remains is Charizard. Has Flourette managed to salvage anything from the fight?
Charizard lies amongst the rubble and groans. It slowly lifts its head and spits out a few flickering flames. That is all the referee needs to declare it a victory for Charizard and a total whitewash overall. There is no way realistically that Charizard can fight, but the rules are clear and the knockout won't count. Flourette's expression is near impossible to determine. Her smile is wavering. It looks like it could be a mix of shock and anger.
Mark and Flourette quickly remove their Battle Gears from their wrists before doing anything else. This strikes me as odd. Especially when they proceed to act normally about it as they return their Pokémon and meet in the middle for the handshake.
"Don't worry, next time we battle, I'll be the one destroying you," Flourette says with a menacing grin.
"I look forward to it," Mark says and nods.
"An incredible victory for Mark Young who moves on to the final to face Holly Wexler in what is sure to be an unforgettable match!" the announcer declares over the speakers.
"Well, good luck with that," Robin says and pats me on the shoulder.
I stare at the screen in front of us. Mark has destroyed Flourette and I now have to face him. I am doomed.
With the match over, it is time for us to head back. As much as I don't want to think about what I have to face in a couple of days, the topic of discussion is what we have just witnessed. Flourette didn't manage to pull off Mega Evolution again. We try to debate whether or not it would have made a difference. The conclusion we reach is that she might have scored a couple of KOs but would have still lost.
Back at the hotel, a media scrum is waiting for us. Security guards and a gate stop them from getting into the grounds of the hotel, presumably for the protection of us and the other guests. Raymond tells us to have our room keys ready to present to the guards so we can get through. The crowds of supporters I could deal with, even when they had been hurling abuse. The press is not something I want to face. They will undoubtedly be after myself and Mark the most.
We brace ourselves and step out into the mass of cameras and microphones. Flashes distort my vision as I push through the crowd. People are shouting our names and asking questions as microphones get stuffed into our faces.
Through the chaos, I hear a familiar voice calling my name. It's not one of the others. I look around trying to see if it's who I think it is, but I can't see anything clearly. I feel the reassuring hand of a security guard on my shoulder and I flash my room key at him. He then shoves me through a side gate.
I stumble into the grounds of the hotel and take a moment to breath as the gate spits out the other competitors.
"Is everyone ok?" Rhianne asks.
I want to ask her the same thing. She sounds traumatised by the whole experience and I'm not surprised. Only Mark and Daedalus don't seem shaken by the scrum as they walk away.
Then I hear it again. The voice calling my name.
AN: I was very tempted to edit this today to feature a double Mega Evolution in the battle between Charizard and Salamence, but wasn't completely sure on doing it. It's not very "professional" to do something like that before the official reveal and better pictures of Mega Salamence so you'll have to do without for now. Hope you enjoy it anyway.