This is one of my longest chapters to date, and when I said I'd get down to some real battles, this chapter has two of the best so far. So please tell me what you think of these battles.

You may read now. ;)

Chapter 35

Blake rested on the edge of the bed in his dark hotel room, Absol resting behind him on the bed on its side. The only light in the room was coming from the tv that the two of them were staring at together, watching the reruns of today's matches.

It was habit Blake had picked up on since the IBF Tourney started, picking apart his matches to see where he could correct his mistakes or strengthen his offense. Winning with just Absol today was a surprise for Blake. He had never used Absol in a match until now, and it had quickly jumped to the upper tier on Blake's list.

Even with all the training he had done with Absol, Blake had never seen the Disaster Pokemon battle as how it did today, and he could tell that it Absol's natural style to battle with precision, focusing all its power on one point to cause massive damage to its opponent. It was similar to Gallade in more ways than one. Its speed and reflexes were to be desired as well after how it managed to turn around that dire situation at the end of the match in an instant. Blake was certainly impressed with Absol and would be using the Disaster Pokemon a lot more in the future.

Fast forwarding to Matt's match, Blake had to give his rival props for creating such a crazy plan to beat a trainer that was obviously stronger than him in almost every way. The huge gamble of using a Shedinja was something not even Blake could've foreseen. If Matt had lost the Clash, Shedinja would've been knocked out by the damage and that would've been the end of his plan, but everything worked in his favor from the beginning. Blake couldn't decide whether to call it luck, or skill. Still, Matt would be a worthy opponent, but from that last battle, Blake knew he had to be a lot more cautious since Matt's arsenal was a lot larger and stronger than Blake had originally thought.

The door to his room burst open, allowing light to enter his room. Blake and Absol glared at the source of the light, seeing a feminine silhouette standing in the door way. The two of them practically hissed at the girl, the light hurting their eyes since they had spent the entire afternoon in the darkness of their room.

"Sheesh Blake-kun, since when did you become a vampire?" Lana asked playfully as she entered the room.

"Lana? Close the door." Was the first thing Blake said, waiting for the click of the door shutting before he looked toward the girl. "What are you doing here?"

"Professor Cedar had something that needed to be investigated in Mt Corenet so I was called for the job." Lana replied, taking a seat beside Blake on his bed. "And I need your help."

"My help? For what?" Blake inquired as Absol moved over to Lana, curiously sniffing the girl. Waiting a few moments to see if Absol was comfortable with her, Lana began to scratch underneath its chin, getting a small snort from it before Absol flopped down on the bed beside Lana allowing the girl to continue.

"Someone sealed off the passage way to Spear Pillar." Lana continued.

"And? What does that have to do with me?"

"It's not like a cave collapsed Blake. It was sealed using a Crest." Lana explained, getting a sharp glance from Blake.

"Can't you bug Grace about this right now?"

"No, only you have the ability to break the seal."

"Only me? Damn, right now I'm busy with the IBF Tourney. I can't be wasting time on stuff like this." Blake replied.

"But Blake-kun, Professor Cedar reported that there's a lot of seismic activity coming from Spear Pillar, and if there's a seal from a Crest, which means its something we should be worrying about." Lana explained, getting a shrug from Blake.

"I know just how crazy all this junk can get, but right now the Finals are the only thing on my agenda. I have to stay focused if I'm going to win." Blake replied calmly.

"If you know how crazy all this can become, why are you ignoring it. I need your help to figure out whatever it is going on in Spear Pillar." Lana almost pleaded, removing her hand from Absol.

"Lana, like I said. Right now I can't help you. I refuse to lose since I gotten this far." Blake responded, stubbornness evident in his voice.

"Please Blake-kun. This is a lot more important than this tournament. There's a lot more at stake than what you think."

"Like what?"

"The whole world. Everyone is at risk, don't you remember what you read back on Mt Tsugi?"

"Of course." Blake almost snapped.

"Then you of all people should know what's going to happen."

"It's not like I believe all that garbage. I'll admit that I've met a few freaks that keep talking about all this stuff like you and Grace, but frankly, I don't believe any of this is going to happen, and I don't care either." Blake stated, getting a strange look from Lana who rose up from the bed abruptly.

"So you won't help me?" She asked for clarification.

"No, not right now." Blake replied.

"Alright then…I'll leave you for now, Blake." Lana said in a deadpan, exiting the room.

Blake flinched when she slammed the door behind. But he wasn't going to change what he said. Everything about these Crests seemed like one strange story to him, and he certainly wasn't going to sacrifice crucial training time during the Finals to go exploring.

He had to prepare for Matt, for Griffen and for all his possible opponents.

10/23/0046/Morning

Corridors

Blake and Grace stood alone inside the long dark corridor that led into the stadium. It was quiet, the two of them trying to contain their excitement for their matches today.

Grace's match was the first today, and Grace was trembling in her shoes as they waited for the announcer to finish the introductions.

"Do you think you'll win?" Blake asked, snapping Grace out of her daze.

"Of course. That's what I'm here to do against anyone I face." Grace announced.

"And for the first match today, in the red box we have the Champion of the Johto Battle Circuit, the Queen of Johto, Meegan J!" The announcer shouted as the crowd began to chant the name of the red head who came running out onto the field with a spotlight following her. "Give her a hand folks!"

Meegan took her spot on the battle field, waving to the fans before he light disappeared, turning to Grace's entrance.

"And in the blue box we have the Little Princess of Johto, the only person Meegan J views as a rival, Grace!" The announcer said, motioning to Grace's corridor.

"That's my cue, I'll see you later Blake!" She said, giving him a V for victory before sprinting out into the stadium, the arena roaring at her appearance.

"We have an interesting setup today between these two competitors from Johto since they both started out in the Battle Circuit around the same time, the two of them have constantly been fighting each other over the right of who's the strongest in Johto. And from their debut, they have advanced all the way to the top of the IBF, still battling each other. Now, the day as finally come where they can duke it out against each other directly for the right of being the Johto representative in the IBF Tourney."

"Trainers, this will be a three on three Pokemon battle. Are you ready?" The ref asked, getting a nod from both girls who had selected their first Pokemon. "Clash!"

Grace and Meegan gave each other a sharp stare, reeling back their arms to initiate the Clash. Hurling their Poke-balls onto the field, both put a fast spin on their Poke-ball as they neared the other. But while Meegan's had a powerful forward spin, Grace's Poke-ball was spinning random, obviously uncontrolled and moving around in the air.

The two met with unexpected flare as the stadium stared in awe at the light show in front of them. Meegan's was sent flying backward as the two released the Pokemon onto the field.

Grace smirked, it was a clear advantage for her right from the start. Metagross roared as it leered at Meegan's already weakened Rhydon who returned the leer with a pained growl.

"Match begin!" The ref shouted, lowering the flags.

"Rhydon, let's make up for the Clash damage with Fire Fang!" Meegan shouted, seeing that she was already on the losing side. She needed to turn this around quickly.

"Metagross, don't let it hit you with that! Keep it away with Meteor Mash." Grace ordered quickly, seeing that Rhydon was a lot faster than she expected.

"Meta!" The Iron Leg Pokemon roared as it two front legs became engulfed in a yellow aura. As Rhydon charged in, its stomps being heard throughout the stadium, it opened up its mouth revealing its now extended fangs that had become bright orange.

Rhydon closed up the distance, ducking below Metagross' first attack before giving the Steel type a hard shove with its hands which flipped Metagross, putting in on its flat top. Before Metagross could reorient itself, Rhydon landed on top of it, preparing to sink its teeth into Metagross' hard body. With a grunt, Metagross threw a punch toward Rhydon's face, but before it could hit the tail of the Drill Pokemon had closed up around Metagross' arm, holding back its attack.

Metagross wasted no time trying to launch an attack with its next arm, but Rhydon slapped its arm away at the joint of its arm before looking down at Metagross, opening up its mouth.

"Metagross, use Hammer Arm with your third leg!" Grace shouted as Rhydon bit down on Metagross. The Iron Leg Pokemon groaned for a moment before thrusting its third leg upward into the stomach of Rhydon. Only managing to land about seven seconds worth of damage, Rhydon had to cut of its attack after taking the harsh blow to its stomach. Coughing and gagging, Rhydon couldn't hear the shouts of Meegan for it to look at Metagross flipped itself using Psychic before reeling back one of its front arms.

Landing the Meteor Mash attack, Rhydon was sent straight back to Meegan J on its back, leaving a trail of dust as it slid across the field.

"Come on Rhydon, this isn't over yet." Meegan called out to her Pokemon as it tried to rise to its feet, but taking to consecutive super effective hits had pretty much finished off Rhydon. The Drill Pokemon gave off a low groan before it collapsed to the ground once more, its eyes being replaced by black swirls this time.

"Rhydon is unable to battle. Match continue!" The ref declared as Meegan returned Rhydon to its Poke-ball.

"You did good Rhydon. Grace is just a lot stronger than we thought she'd be." Meegan said, taking her next pick. She had two Pokemon she could use against Grace's Metagross. One could easily dominate Metagross but could easily be taken out soon after while the second was well rounded, and she was going with her second choice. "Altaria, let's do this!"

The Dragon/Flying type Pokemon squawked as it took flight, soaring over Metagross in a air.

"Start off with Fire Blast then dive in for an attack!" Meegan shouted, deciding to cause as much damage as she could in one go. "

"Metagross, protect yourself with Psychic." Grace commanded as Altaria unleashed an enormous blast of flames that took the shape of the kanji for fire. Metagross' eyes gained a bright blue hue, its body becoming surrounding in an outline of the same color as it was engulfed by the flames. "Now blast it away!"

"Meta!" It roared, releasing a circular blue pulse from its body which blew away the flames as well as the approaching Altaria, leaving Metagross unharmed from the attack.

"Altaria, use Dragon Dance!" Meegan shouted, watching her partner retreated higher into the air, retracting and extending its wings as if it were dancing.

"While its busy Metagross, let's get it with Flash Cannon!" Grace ordered, pointing at Altaria who was remaining in one place to perform Dragon Dance. Metagross gave a low hum before charging up a sphere of gray energy in front its mouth with two rings circling around it which it then fired at Altaria who was high above it.

Just before the Flash Cannon made contact with Altaria, it completely the Dragon Dance which gave its body a whitish glow before it disappeared, avoiding the attack with ease.

"Now use Dragon Dance once more!" Meegan shouted as Altaria appeared down on the field this time. Altaria began the same process again, but faster this time.

"Metagross, this time let's get it with Bullet Punch!" Grace yelled, seeing that they would need more speed if they were going to hit Altaria now that it had boosted its stats.

Metagross burst forward speed that most people had never seen a Steel type Pokemon move at, leaving afterimages of itself as it moved, raising its left front arm to strike Altaria as it closed in. At it through its arm forward, Altaria completed the dance once again, disappearing with its advanced speed.

The eyes of the Iron Leg Pokemon widen in shock before it was suddenly hit from above by Altaria, smashing it into the ground before Altaria took off into the skies with another squawk.

"Grr, her Altaria is too fast for Metagross now." Grace noted, seeing that not even Metagross moving at its highest speed to hit Altaria. "I have to do something now."

'How do you like that Grace?' Meegan said with a smirk. "Now let's see how she does with this. Altaria, take it down with Fire Blast again!"

Altaria gave another shouted before opening its mouth wide, unleashing another blast of flames onto Metagross.

"Block it out with Psychic Metagross." Grace called out, watching as it took on a blue outline again to protect it from the powerful fire attack. "Oh no."

Metagross' protective shield couldn't hold out against the increased power of the Fire Blast, effectively damaging Metagross who wasn't taking the flames too well.

"Forget protecting yourself, get rid of the flames!" Grace said quickly. Metagross did as it was told, but the damage was evident on its body. Underneath its body as well as its legs had been scorched.

"This is getting bad, I can't keep battling Altaria with its stats so high. I'll have to sacrifice Metagross to take out Altaria." Grace said to herself. "Metagross, hold down Altaria with Psychic!"

Metagross groaned before its eyes gained a blue hue, followed by Altaria body gaining an outline of the same color. Altaria let out a shout of discomfort as its limbs refused to obey.

"Now get it with Meteor Mash!" Grace ordered. Metagross took off in a charge toward Altaria who it had dragged down to the field, preparing to finish it with one blow to the head.

"Altaria, blow it away with Fire Blast!" Meegan ordered since Metagross' Psychic attack wouldn't be able to hold down both Altaria and an attack.

Altaria tried to cocked its head back to unleash the attack before it remembered it was frozen in place. With no other choice, Altaria opened its mouth as Metagross closed in, allowing the flames to pour out of its mouth. Thrusting its arm forward, Metagross pierced through the flames, smashing its arm into Altaria's head, the flames pouring out its mouth raining down onto Metagross.

It took a few minutes for the flames to clear away, but when they were gone, the ref inspected both Pokemon.

"Both Altaria and Metagross are unable to battle!" The ref shouted as the fans applauded for the battle.

"What a rare sight, a double knock out in the battle!" The announcer shouted. "You all know what that means, its time for a second Clash!"

Both trainers withdrew their Pokemon from the field, thanking them for the effort they put forth during the battle before looking toward each other. With a nod to the other, both of the girls could tell which Pokemon they were going to use. Their oldest and closest partner Pokemon.

"Trainers, Clash!" The ref shouted, raising the flags. It was rare for a crowd to become noisy during a match, but Grace and Meegan were keeping things interesting, and the fans couldn't stay silent during a match like this.

Chucking their Poke-balls onto the field, Grace's eyes widened as Meegan had managed to mimic the random spin she had put on her Poke-ball, creating an even Clash with an even larger display of sparks then their first Clash. The stadium roared as two Pokemon appeared on the field,

They had both selected a fire type, Grace calling out her Arcanine while Meegan had released a slim black, four legged Pokemon a long tail and a pair of horns. The two Pokemon barred their fangs at each other, breathing out a small burst of flames with each breath.

"Match continue!"

"Houndoom/Arcanine, use Flame Thrower!"

Both Fire types opened up their mouths with a roar, releasing a powerful fire type attack. The intense flames of Houndoom was properly countered by Arcanine's, the two attacks pushing against each other before swerving out in all directions. The fans cheered as the two Pokemon continued for a few moments, testing the others stamina.

"Enough of this, Houndoom use Sunny Day!" Meegan ordered as the duo of Fire types ended their first attack.

Firing a yellow sphere of energy into the air high above the battlefield, a new light source was created that was far brighter than that of the lights that lit up the stadium.

"Now let's use Flame Thrower again!"

"Arcanine, use Flame Thrower too!"

The two attacks were even larger in size then the first time, and their power had increased drastically. The heat of the flames meeting was intense, and the fans closest to the field were feeling high temperature that had been created from the two attacks mixing.

"Houndoom, get moving with Agility!"

"Arcanine, use Extreme Speed!"

The all out battle between the two transferred from a battle of power to a high speed precision battle as the two Pokemon raced around the field as nothing more than a blur of the color of their fur. Neither managed to land a clean hit on the other as they bounced around the field, this being proof that their speed was completely even.

"Alright Arcanine, use Heat Wave!"

"Houndoom, counter with Heat Wave."

This time the result of the two attacks meeting was hurricane of orange, flaming that was actually creating a strong breeze that forced many of the fans to hold onto their hats and other objects to make sure they weren't taken away by the winds.

"What a match!" The announcer exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement as he watched the two Pokemon duke it out with all their speed and strength.

Both Grace and Meegan could see that all these Fire type attacks were draining the strength of their Pokemon, but this match was quickly becoming something that both of them couldn't help but smile at as they battled each other.

"Arcanine, get it with Thunder Fang!"

"Houndoom, take in the Heat Wave using Fire Fang and then attack!"

Houndoom opened up its mouth, the remaining orange winds from the Heat Wave's getting sucked into its fangs which caused its orange fangs to become a deep red. Arcanine snarled at Houndoom, electricity crackling from its mouth as the two of them raced toward other. Arcanine, being the large of the two of them, attacked from above while Houndoom came from below. Both bit down onto the torso of the other, Arcanine landing a good bite onto Houndoom's back while Houndoom sunk its teeth into Arcanine's extended neck.

Both continued to snarl and growl at the other as the effects of their fang attacks began, Houndoom being enveloped in a yellow halo while Arcanine was absorbed in a fiery aura. After a few moments, of this, both of them released their hold on the other to stumble backward from the damage, Houndoom obviously experiencing more pain than Arcanine.

"Shake it off Houndoom and use Solar Beam!" Meegan shouted, a large smile on her face. She had never felt like this during a battle. She was having fun. Too much fun.

"Arcanine, use Extreme Speed to dodge it and then attack with a second Thunder Fang!" Grace yelled, wearing a similar expression to Meegan.

Charging up a Solar Beam at an accelerated pace thanks to the Sunny Day, Houndoom's attack was prepared in time to ward off Arcanine before it could attack, but as it fired the beam from its mouth, Houndoom discovered that Arcanine had only taken a small leap to pounce onto it. Arcanine landed on top of Houndoom, chomping down on its back once more where it sent a strong electrical current into its opponent's body, brutally shocking Houndoom for a good fifteen seconds before Arcanine released it.

Jumping backward, Arcanine was panting as it watched Houndoom groan, resting on its stomach.

"Come one Houndoom, we can do this!" Meegan shouted to her partner who struggled to its feet, growling at is rose up.

'Wow, Houndoom has gotten really tough since the last time we battled.' Grace noted, pleased that the battle could continue.

"Houndoom, Heat Wave!" Houndoom gave a pained snarl before it fired its attack toward Arcanine.

"Arcanine, let's go with Heat Wave too!" Arcanine unleashed its attack as well, the two of them meeting with the same result as the time before, but as the two continued, the electrical damage that had built up on Houndoom took its toll, weakening the strength of its Heat Wave attack.

"Houndoom, stay strong!" Meegan called out, but when Arcanine took note of Houndoom's dwindling power, in strengthened its own attack, pushing the tornado of fiery winds onto Houndoom, surrounding the Pokemon in the attack.

"Enough Arcanine, its over!" Grace yelled, ending the attack. When the tornado cleared, Houndoom's unconscious form which had been picked up by the winds fell to the ground in a heap.

"Houndoom is unable to battle! The winner is Arcanine and Grace!" The ref announced, raising the blue flag for Grace who practically screamed in delight before rushing onto the field to thank her Arcanine for a job well done.

"And she's done it! The Little Princess of Johto has overtaken the Queen and seized the top!" The entire stadium exploded with cheers. Not a single spectator could control themselves after the match they just saw.

After returning her Houndoom to its Poke-ball, Meegan walked up to Grace at the center of the battlefield, where she congratulated her on her victory before the two embraced in a hug.

"What sportsmanship! These two of have truly set the bar high for the rest of today's matches! How will or next match between Blake and Matt compare to this one?" The announcer asked as both Blake and Matt, wherever they were located in the stadium, cracked whatever joints they could before smiling in anticipation of their match.

"Now we have the second Match of day 2, between the two rookies of the tournament. Both came like a rocket out of nowhere, one of them taking down a Regional Champ while next has been to a miracle trainer! In the red box we have the Cannonball Rookie of Johto, Blake!" The announcer yelled, pointing toward the west entrance where Blake came out walking casually with his hands in his pocket.

Taking his spot, Blake took a good look around the people cheering for him. He had managed to tune out all their cheers, putting all his concentration on the match ahead.

"And now we have the boy that conquered Sinnoh, and hotshot Rookie from Hoenn, Matt!" Despite being the person to knock out the Regional Champ of Sinnoh, many of the fans were rooting for Matt as he came running to his spot on the battlefield, waving to the fans of Sinnoh that had accepted him overnight. "Can these two trainers keep the fire alive after that amazing match we just witnessed?"

"Trainers, are you ready to commence?" The ref asked, neither of them giving him a reply in any way, shape or form. The ref was slightly unnerved by this, but continued anyway. "Trainers, Clash!"

Blake and Matt selected the first Pokemon they'd use from their belt, launching it onto the field. The two boys had chosen to use a Power Ball for their Clash, and contact was astonishing. When they met, a white doom formed with a sonic boom, kicking up a huge dust cloud around the field which gained many shouts of amazement from the crowd.

"What a Clash!" The announcer exclaimed, the crowd roaring with approval to the already epic start.

Blake and Matt smirked even though they couldn't see each through the dust cloud as the dome faded. Two large silhouettes could be seen in the dust cloud as it was blown away, revealing two exceptionally powerful Pokemon that were recognized globally as a powerhouse Pokemon.

"Match begin!" The ref shouted.

"Tyranitar/Aggron, use Earthquake!" Blake and Matt shouted in unison.

Both Pokemon gave a loud, long roar before the field began to shake, slowly at first but it quickly became violent and sporadic.

The fans ducked down in their seats, waiting for the shaking to begin in their seats, but it never came. Unknown by most of the fans, all Battle Domes are built with resistance panels underneath the field to contain attacks such a Earthquake so that no collateral damage is caused to the Battle Dome beside the field which can easily be repaired or replaced.

Blake and Matt struggled to maintain their footing as both Aggron and Tyranitar continued the attack, tearing apart the field as time passed. Eventually the attacks subsided, leaving both Tyranitar and Aggron heavily damaged from the super effective attack, but it looked as though neither of them were going to give up from just that exchange.

"Tyranitar, let's get this going with the Modified Dark Pulse!" Blake called out, watching as Tyranitar raised its arm over its head, charging up a Dark Pulse in the shape of a disk which it then hurled at Aggron.

"Aggron, get rid of it with Shadow Claw." Matt ordered. Aggron raised his right arm as well, its massive hand becoming surrounded in a dark aura which quickly took the shape of a large paw with three long sharp claws. Using the claws to obliterate the Dark Pulse, Aggron made a charge toward Tyranitar, unaffected by the destroyed field that was in its path.

"Tyranitar, counter with Dragon Claw!" Blake commanded, getting a nod from his partner who igniting its hands in purple flames before charging toward Aggron.

The two met at the center of the battle field, starting off with a push match where they slammed their hands together, releasing a shockwave that blew some of the debris back a few feet as they tried to push the other back. The two separated, taking on step back before they stepped forward again, slamming their shoulders against each others.

This was where their differences became evident. Tyranitar's raw power against Aggron's pure defense evened out the damage taken and given. The two broke apart again, beginning to attack with the use of their enhanced claws in a close quarters exchange. While Aggron was bobbing and weaving to avoid Tyranitar's direct attacks, Tyranitar was utilizing a sway to avoid Aggron's attacks.

As the exchange between the Pokemon continued, the fans took note of Blake and Matt battling like their Pokemon, Matt hunched over with his hands in front of his face using the basics of boxing while Blake was swaying like Tyranitar, lashing out from time to time with an attack.

"Aggron, take it down with Iron Tail!" Matt yelled.

"Tyranitar, use Fire Fang and bring it down with you!" Blake shouted.

Aggron moved, raising its tail to strike, but Tyranitar chased after it, opening up its mouth where it had a pair of flaming fangs. Grabbing onto Aggron's shoulder, Tyranitar tugged it toward itself where it managed to sink its teeth into Aggron's neck, coating its body with flames. But Aggron persevered through the pain of the Fire type attack and swung its tail at Tyranitar's stomach, landing the attack.

Tyranitar froze from the hit, a low growl escaping from its mouth before it released Aggron, collapsing onto its back. Aggron looked down at Tyranitar with look of disdain before it fell backward as well, hitting the ground with a very large thud considering its weight.

"B-both Pokemon are unable to battle!" The ref declared. Today was definitely his lucky day seeing two double knockouts.

The volume of the fans jumped up to a new level, praising the two powerhouse Pokemon for their fighting spirit.

"Two double knockouts in one day. You're witnessing one of the rarest treats the Battle Circuit has to offer folks!" The announcer stated, his enthusiasm clearly coming through in his voice.

"Trainers, Clash!" The ref shouted after Blake and Matt had returned their Pokemon, selecting their next to go into battle with. The boys gave each other a nod before pelting their Poke-ball's onto the field, this time the two of them using a Spin Counter combined with a Hook.

There were a glorious show of sparks that lit up the arena before the Pokemon were released on the field, Absol observing its latest opponent which happened to be a Weavile. Both gave each other a long hard stare before Blake stared the battle.

"Absol, start off with Agility! Then use Night Slash but focus the energy into your horn." Blake commanded.

"Weavile, use Agility too. Then attack using Crush Claw!"

Both Pokemon took off, using the new set up of the field for instant direction changes and areas to rebound off of if they were sent tumbling from an attack. Whenever the two of the met, their was a clear slicing sound that marked where they had met, either from Weavile's claws when it landed an attack or Absol's horn. After a few minutes of the fast paced battle with the crowd cheering, Absol and Weavile had a head on collision which stopped their fast movements, both pausing to observe the other.

Weavile only had a few cuts on its body, but they were deep and it was obvious that they were causing the Sharp Claw Pokemon a lot of pain as it held its side. Absol was coated smaller scratches that were pretty shallow, but the constant stinging all over its body was a large source of irritation to the Disaster Pokemon.

"Absol, use Razor Wind!"

"Weavile, use Ice Shard!"

While Weavile's attack had been fired first, when Absol launched its Razor Wind attack, the blades of wind demolished most of the Ice Shard before continuing toward Weavile. Weavile was knocked clean off its feet by the Razor Wind while the remaining shards of ice embedded themselves in Absol's torso, getting a pained howl from the white furred Pokemon.

"Absol, stay strong and follow through with Shadow Claw." Blake ordered.

"Weavile, don't fall!" Matt shouted, causing Weavile to catch itself before it fell, remaining on its feet. "Good, now use Faint Attack!"

Absol and Weavile charged toward the other, Absol lunging at the Sharp Claw Pokemon to impale it with its darkened claws, but as it landed the attack, Weavile disappeared, avoiding the hard hit. Appearing to its right, Weavile landed a hard blow to Absol's side which sent in skidding on its feet to it right, Absol stubbornly remaining on its feet as it glared at Weavile. Absol snarled before jumping at Weavile again, but the same thing happened, but this time Absol was sent down to the ground on its side with a howl.

'This isn't looking do good for use. That Faint Attack won't miss while it forces Absol to miss. To counter that I'm really going to have to put Absol's reflexes to the test.' Blake noted. "Absol, charge up a Razor Wind and only fire one blade of wind, keep the rest of the energy in your horn."

'He used this to end that Toxicroak yesterday, I better watch carefully.' Matt said to himself as Absol fired a single blade of wind toward Weavile who evaded the attack using Faint Attack.

"Now concentrate!" Blake said. Closing its eyes, Absol tuned out the cheers of the fans, following Weavile's fast footsteps. It was coming from the left.

"Sol!" It growled sharply, placing its horn in the path of Absol's attack. Blocking the attack before it thrusted its horn forward, firing the remainder of the Razor Wind attack at close range into Weavile who couldn't escape. Weavile was sent sailing across the field, straight into the wall of the stadium where it left a body print before it fell to the ground, its eyes replaced with swirls.

The ref declared Absol the winner and Matt let out a heavy sigh that went unheard by everyone as the fans cheered. Matt remained silent and still, his hands on his hips as he shook his head. Then he began to laugh.

"This is the most fun I've had in a while Blake!" He shouted, but Blake couldn't hear him.

"Match continue!"

Selecting his final Pokemon, Matt gave it a light toss on to the field, releasing the Pokemon he has since his childhood.

"Ludi!" Ludicolo shouted happily, beginning to hop from one leg to another, performing its little dance.

"Absol, let's make this quick, use Razor Wind but keep it in your horn." Blake ordered.

"Ab-sol!" It barked, beginning to sprint toward Ludicolo, its horn becoming a bright white.

"Ludicolo, dodge it and use Drain Punch!" Matt shouted. As Absol neared Ludicolo, the Carefree Pokemon waited on one leg, allowing Absol to graze it, but as it did, Ludicolo spun on that one leg. Using the built up momentum, Ludicolo made a full three sixty to maximize the damage it could cause when it landed the Drain Punch to Absol's torso which sent the Disaster Pokemon flying. "Now follow with Hydro Pump!"

"Absol, look out!" Blake hollered at his Pokemon, but Absol couldn't move at all. The cannon of water picked it up off the ground, sending it flying across the field. Absol's body was forcibly pushed through several of the rocks that had been uprooted during the Earthquake, finishing it off.

"Absol is unable to battle!" The ref proclaimed. "Match continue."

Blake now figured out what Matt had said as he returned Absol its Poke-ball. And he was having fun too. Enough thinking and strategizing, he was just going to battle it out with Matt.

"Gallade, I'm betting everything on you." Blake said, releasing the Blade Pokemon onto the field.

"Gal." It muttered, putting out both its arms before extending its elbows, a sign that it was ready to begin.

"Ludicolo, use Razor Leaf!"

"Gallade, cut your way through with Leaf Blade."

Ludicolo leaned forward, launching dozens of crescent shaped leaves toward Gallade from the hat on its head. Gallade charged into the oncoming onslaught, its arms taking on a green glow. Slicing and dicing the Razor Leaf attack, Gallade made its own path through the fray before closing in on Ludicolo.

"Use Poison Jab!" Blake added now that they were in Gallade's area of expertise. Hand to hand combat.

Gallade's hand gained a purple aura now as it thrust its right arm forward toward Ludicolo's face, but as it hit Ludicolo, the Carefree Pokemon shifted all its weight onto one leg to avoid the attack.

"Get it with Drain Punch!" Matt yelled.

The exchange began with nothing but back and forth punching match, Gallade using the sway like how Blake had taught it, but Ludicolo was practically dancing to avoid Gallade's attacks. And the dance was proving to very effective with how easily Ludicolo was dodging Gallade's fast combinations.

"Gallade, transition to Psycho Cut!" Blake ordered, hoping to break the equilibrium with this close range special attack. Ludicolo gained a wide smile as Gallade swung its arm in a horizontal arc, firing a pink crescent from its arm toward Ludicolo who was no less than three feet away. 'We got it.'

As the attack was about to hit Ludicolo, it leaned back until its body was parallel to the ground, allowing it to avoid the frontal attack. But the Ludicolo shot back at Gallade, reeling back its fist for a Drain Punch.

"Lade!" The Blade Pokemon gasped as it was bashed in the face by Ludicolo which sent it stumbling backward.

"Ludicolo, use this opportunity to land an Ice Beam."

"Ludi!" It shouted, firing three cyan color beams at Gallade's feet which the Blade Pokemon failed to avoid, resulting in its legs being frozen to the ground.

"Now use Hydro Pump!"

"Gallade, block it using Psycho Cut!" Blake shouted.

Gallade barely completed the Psycho Cut in time, but when it fired the attack, it parted the Hydro Pump which prevent the water from hitting Gallade directly. The crescent continued toward Ludicolo through the water, heading in for a direct hit to Ludicolo's face.

"Ludicolo!" The Carefree Pokemon shouted as it was knocked to the ground with a hard thud, holding its face in pain.

"Gallade, use Swords Dance and then break free of that ice." Blake ordered while Ludicolo was down. They would need a stat boost if they were going to take down Ludicolo. Gallade's arms became reflective and sharper before it smashed the ice, easily shattering it. "Now let's get it with Poison Jab again, and this time try to read through Ludicolo's attack patterns."

Gallade gave Blake a nod before dashing toward Ludicolo who had just risen to its feet, preparing another Drain Punch under Matt's command. The two of the entered another exchange like the one at the beginning of the battle, but this time it had become a slug fest as they two of them beat away at each other. While Gallade was causing some serious damage with the use of Poison Jab, Ludicolo was constantly healing itself with the use of Drain Punch which greatly lengthened how long this lasted. All of this was taking place while Matt and Blake continued to reenact the battle between their Pokemon from their respective box.

"What?" Matt exclaimed as Ludicolo stumbled backward after getting socked in the gut. The even trade off of punches had finally been broken when Ludicolo no longer had the stamina to continue its dance which allowed Gallade to take full control.

"Don't stop Gallade, keep going!" Blake said loudly. The Blade Pokemon continued forward, throwing straight which Ludicolo avoided, beginning to bob and weave as Matt taught it to in case they got into a battle were couldn't keep dancing to avoid attacks.

"That's right Ludicolo, this isn't over yet." Matt said, taking same orthodox stand Ludicolo had taken, mimicking his Pokemon as it evaded Gallade's torrent of frontal attacks with only a little struggle. The trading of punches continued with the fans cheering, neither landing a solid hit for a short period of time.

Finally, it appeared as though Ludicolo's stamina had run out completely as it dropped its arms to its sides, breathing heavily. As Gallade stepped in for the finish, Ludicolo threw out one last reckless punch which Gallade dodged before landing a hook to Ludicolo's temple. Turning on its toes and putting its entire body into the punch as it shifted its weight, Gallade flipped Ludicolo with that one punch, sending the Carefree Pokemon to the ground head first with a thud.

The ref had to take a few moments to find his way through the heavily damaged field. Gallade and Ludicolo had ducked it out in the single flat area in the middle of the field that Tyranitar and Aggron had created. Finding a heavily bruised Gallade waiting on one knee, the ref spotted Ludicolo who was resting on its sides, its eyes replaced with swirls.

"Ludicolo is unable to battle, Gallade and Blake are the winners." The ref declared, raising the red flag for Blake who was a bit stunned himself. This win felt different from the rest. Like he had truly fought with a trainer evenly from start to finish. It felt good.

Dropping down to his knees, Blake closed both his hands into tight fists before giving out a shout to the ceiling that couldn't be heard by the fans as they gave the match a standing ovation.

Chapter 35. Blake and Matt finally meet in one explosive battle right from the get go after the battle for Johto between Meegan and Grace. It's one incredible match after another, and Grace and Blake come out on top, meaning the two of them will be battling each other next. But with Blake refusing to help Lana with the issue going on in Spear Pillar, what dangers lurk around the location of the IBF Finals?

So what did you think of the battles? Were they good to any of you guys, because when I look back at them I thought these were some of the best I've put out in a while. Please Review tell me what you think, cause I'd really like to know what anyone's thinking when they're reading this.

R & R