AN:

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

CW: There's a bit of blood in this chapter.

01/04/2023: Added the movesets of the pokémon who battled at the end of the chapter.

04/05/2023: Retconned Gardevoir's usage of Power Gem.


"So, Charizard, how do you feel about our upcoming battle?"

Charizard crossed his arms, and his throat rumbled thoughtfully. Their next opponent would be Diantha… From what he'd seen of her battle, she seemed like an appropriately tough opponent. But not an insurmountable one, though.

Uncrossing his arms, Charizard gave a small bellow in reply, smirking. As long as he was there, it'd be a cinch.

Leon chuckled. "Feeling quite confident, ay? I don't blame you." He put his hand on his chin, a thoughtful look covering his face. "What do you think about the other competitors: Ash and Cynthia? We'll be fighting one of them in the finals. If we win, that is," he added with a cheeky wink.

Charizard snorted. Lose? He thumped his tail on the ground. As if something like that was even possible!

The other competitors, hm? Charizard didn't know which one would be more exciting to fight. Cynthia had that amazing garchomp — To a pseudo-dragon like him, it'd be the perfect opponent!

That Ash kid, though… His pikachu, the unevolved rodent, took out Mega Metagross, which is already no easy feat for a fully-evolved pokémon! What sort of strength was hiding behind that tiny frame?

In the end, Charizard uttered an uncertain growl and shrugged. It'd be best to wait and instead focus on this upcoming match.

Leon nodded. "Right." He lifted Charizard's pokéball, and he smiled. "Well then, are we all ready to go?"

Charizard grinned and nodded with enthusiasm. No better time than the present.

Leon returned him. Afterward, he walked out.


Leon and Diantha entered the stadium's battlefield, and the crowd erupted into a wild flurry of cheers. At last, the semifinals, it was time for them to begin!

Leon and Diantha took their place on the battlefield. As usual, the referee was waiting for them in the middle as he floated on his aegislash mount.

The referee cleared his throat, and his voice, amplified by speakers, boomed all across the stage as he spoke. "You may each use a full team of six pokémon in this battle and are allowed the use of one gimmick between Mega Evolution, Z-Move, or Dynamax. In addition, now that we're in the semifinals, you may each use two held items, not including mega-stones."

He raised his arms in the air. "Now then, battlers, send your first pokémon onto the field! Three! Two! One! Go!"

Leon and Diantha pitched and lobbed their balls, respectively.

"Come out, Dragapult!"

"It's your time to shine, Hawlucha!"

Dragapult emerged from his pokéball, releasing an energetic cry before zooming around in the air. Hawlucha, after he emerged from his pokéball, struck a few poses before taking on an appropriate battle stance.

Dragapult came to a stop across Hawlucha, and the two pokémon sized each other up.

The referee gestured with his arms. "Battle begin!"

Diantha shoved her arm forward. "Let's start this off right! Throat Chop!"

"Dodge it!" Leon ordered. "Then use Dragon Darts!"

Hawlucha sprinted forward, his hand glowing purple. He leapt, intent on thrusting it into Dragapult's throat, but his target zipped out of the way, leaving his hand to swing at an empty space. Hawlucha pursued him, unable to land a hit as Dragapult danced around him.

Dragapult flew high into the sky. He fired a pair of dreepy from his horns, and they rocketed toward Hawlucha. Hawlucha focused, and his body surged with a white aura. He took to the skies, the Dragon Darts missiles in full pursuit. He soared higher into the sky, passing Dragapult's own flight height.

Afterward, Hawlucha descended in a dive, lined up with Dragapult. The dreepy swerved from their course to be between him and his intended target. Hawlucha increasingly gained speed, and afterimages started trailing behind him.

Dragapult's Dragon Darts were fast approaching; at the last second, Hawlucha twisted his body, letting the dreepy pass through him.

Afterward, he bashed Dragapult with his body, passing through him. Hawlucha wheeled around and landed on the ground, crouching as he slid a few paces. He leapt again, coming back for another round. This time, he used his arms and legs to strike Dragapult repeatedly. He finished his flurry of blows with a two-handed strike which sent Dragapult crashing into the ground, bouncing a few times before he came to a stop.

With an acrobatic somersault, Hawlucha landed, and he bowed.

Suddenly, he felt a rush of wind behind him. Hawlucha backflipped, and the two dreepy missiles from earlier whooshed past him. They returned to Dragapult as he recovered and inserted themselves in his horns.

Hawlucha scowled, putting his hands on his hips. What a backhanded trick!

Dragapult smirked. That wasn't the only trick he had. He opened his maw, forming a dark-purple ball of energy in front of it.

Once it reached an impressive size, he fired it. Hawlucha leapt over the projectile; however, he had to remain airborne to dodge the onslaught of shadow-balls Dragapult sent his way. He twisted and turned in midair, using the wind to aid his movements.

Unfortunately, his efforts were wasted; one of Dragapult's projectiles slammed into his chest.

The detonation sent a wave of pain coursing through him, and he crashed into the ground. He picked himself up, his face contorted into a wince. Hawlucha gritted his teeth. He wasn't out of tricks just yet; he still had the means to gain a little edge over Dragapult.

Hawlucha jumped and spun. His claws glowed orange, his body gave off smoke, and he felt a surge of strength and focus rise within him. The visual effects dissipated as he landed, ready for another skirmish.

Hawlucha taunted Dragapult into attacking, and he gladly took the bait.

Dragapult puffed his cheeks and spat a gush of scalding water. Hawlucha arched his back; the steaming blast of water sailed above him, centimetres away from his face. The heat washing over him made him wince. This was not something he wanted to get hit by.

As Dragapult fired more water gushes, Hawlucha moved in, acrobatically dancing around them. Once in range, he ignited his hands with lightning and started swinging. Now, it was Dragapult's turn to dodge.

Moving like a noodle, he curved and twirled his body around Hawlucha's attacks. But Hawlucha was not fazed. With his heightened focus, he planted a solid uppercut on Dragapult's lower jaw, which sent him sailing skyward with hundreds of volts coursing through him.

"Focus, Dragapult!" Leon cocked back a fist and punched. "Thunder Wave!"

Dragapult opened his eyes; glaring defiantly, he shook off the leftover tension in his limbs and the few stray sparks which danced across his scales. He moved in, electricity gathering in his maw, and he released rings of electricity from it. He flummoxed as Hawlucha stayed in place, only crossing his arms in front of his face in anticipation. The rings surrounded Hawlucha, and stray sparks flashed across his body, making him tense unnaturally.

Dragapult laughed. What an idiot! Hawlucha hadn't even tried to dodge! What could have possibly compelled him to do that‽ He shrugged. Oh well, whatever the reason, it was only to his advantage.

Taking a few deep breaths, Hawlucha relaxed. He felt how the electricity affected his limbs, locking them in place. He grabbed hold of it, and, with a flick of his arm, he banished it from his body, curing himself of his paralysis.

Dragapult recoiled in shock. Hawlucha was immune to paralysis? He scoffed. How unfair!

Hawlucha bowed, smirking as he came back into a fighting stance.

Limber, huh? Leon lifted Dragapult's pokéball. "Dragapult, return." He switched to another pokéball. Small, fast, and nimble… He had just the thing to counter such an opponent. "Let's go, Seismitoad!"

The Water-Ground pokémon touched down on the field and released a croaking cry before she entered a battle stance. She and Hawlucha sized each other up. She chuckled. Seismitoad easily towered over Hawlucha, although this said nothing about the battle's outcome.

Diantha motioned. "Acrobatics!"

"Ice Punch!" Leon punched the air as he gave the command.

Hawlucha leapt into the sky. As he came down, he sped up until he was a blur and repeatedly tackled Seismitoad from different angles. The hulking beast barely flinched from each strike, although she felt each impact reverberate inside her. All the while, she clenched her fist, and it frosted over. When Hawlucha came in for another strike, she swung it, striking him in the stomach.

A wheeze escaped Hawlucha's lips before Seismitoad followed through with her swing, sending him flying. Hawlucha bounced on the ground a few times before he recovered in midair and skidded to a stop. He brought a hand to his belly, scowling at how it dully throbbed with pain.

Seismitoad wasted no time following up her assault: She dashed in, water covering her fists. Hawlucha shifted his stance in anticipation. Once Seismitoad got close enough and began her assault, he swerved around her strikes, using his small stature and Seismitoad's slowness to his advantage.

He jumped on her arm and sprung; one somersault later, he was behind Seismitoad. Hawlucha clenched his fist, and a burst of green energy surrounded it. Gritting his teeth, he whirled around and slammed it into her back. Seismitoad croaked in pain, and her back arched as she fell on her stomach.

Green strands of energy flowed from where she'd been struck into Hawlucha's fist; some of his bruises healed, notably on his stomach. Hawlucha jumped back a fair distance, standing ready for battle as Seismitoad picked herself up.

A fighter, that hawlucha is, Leon thought. But they could fight back just as hard. He pointed at the sky. "Seismitoad, use Rain Dance!"

Seismitoad grinned. It was time to get serious. She fished behind her back and produced a damp-rock. She held it up high as she cried out to the heavens, her body glowing blue. Soon after, dark grey clouds covered the skies, and rain poured onto the battlefield in spades.

Hawlucha grumbled. Was it too much to ask to fight in a dry environment?

However, he didn't have time to ponder further as Seismitoad zipped up to his location with incredible speed. Before he knew it, WHAM! Seismitoad had planted an Ice Punch into his tender tummy. And he had no time to wheeze as he went flying. He rolled on the ground and, slumped onto his belly, came to a stop.

"Hawlucha!" Diantha cried out in worry. Swift Swim, and for eight turns at that…

Hawlucha panted as he staggered back up. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Breathing wracked his chest with pain, but he couldn't give in now.

Leon balled his hand into a fist. "Move in! Liquidation!"

"Dodge with Acrobatics!"

The water splashed around Seismitoad as she dashed forward. A white aura flared around Hawlucha, and he put himself on the move. He had a tricky time dancing around Seismitoad's strikes now that they were coming in much faster. Still, he moved, dodged, and swerved around her strikes.

Hawlucha tried to jump back and out of range, but Seismitoad grabbed his leg. She slammed him on the ground again and again, eliciting agonized cries out of Hawlucha as pain exploded in his body each time his back or stomach made contact with the floor.

Once she was done, Seismitoad held him upside down. Her free arm's digits primed themselves with poisonous energy, making them glow purple. She jabbed them into Hawlucha's chest, who groaned out a wheeze as a wave of nausea overtook his system. His vision blurred as he went flying and skidding across the ground.

Seismitoad clenched her fist, and it frosted over. Time for the coup de grâce.

She zipped to Hawlucha's location. He was on his back, dazedly picking himself up before he noticed her towering form approaching.

There was no time to react.

Seismitoad slammed her ice-coated fist into Hawlucha. A shockwave of chilling air blasted outward, freezing some raindrops around the point of impact.

She moved back as the referee came flying over to inspect Hawlucha. He raised his arm in the air. "Hawlucha is unable to battle!"

Diantha recalled the fainted pokémon to his pokéball. "Thank you; you did well." She selected her next pokéball, smiling. This battle was already shaping up to be a great performance! "Tyrantrum, come on out!"

The Rock-Dragon splashed some water as he emerged from his pokéball. He settled his glare down onto his opponent and snorted. Seismitoad gulped as she looked up at Tyrantrum's massive form. So this is how Hawlucha must have felt fighting her.

Leon hummed as he pondered the odd choice of pokémon, although he was curious enough to see where this battle would lead."Seismitoad, use Ice Punch!"

Seismitoad gave a single croak of acknowledgement before she dashed forward, ice coating her fist. Diantha called for Tyrantrum to use Iron Defence; he stiffened his body, and a metallic sheen painted over his scales.

Seismitoad slammed her fist into Tyrantrum's chest, and an explosion of ice burst forward, coating it in ice. Tyrantrum shivered as numbness overtook his chest. But it was all part of the plan.

His weakness-policy appeared in front of him and released a bright flash of light. A surge of strength filled him, and he roared. Seismitoad backed up, wary of what was to come.

Leon adjusted his cap. So that was her plan. "Seismitoad, Drain Punch!"

"Iron Defence!"

Tyrantrum tensed again, and his rocky hide seemed to turn into metal scales. Seismitoad dashed forward, jumped, and uppercut Tyrantrum with a glowing fist. His head reared back as a few faint, green strands of energy flowed into her fist from where she had struck Tyrantrum. Seismitoad regained only a small amount of stamina, which made her growl in frustration.

Tyrantrum rotated and slammed his tail upside Seismitoad's head. The sheer force of the strike turned her vision into stars as she went flying. As she rolled on the ground, Tyrantrum followed up with a Dragon Pulse, but Seismitoad managed to pick herself up and dodge just in the nick of time. Tyrantrum's Dragon Pulse struck the ground harmlessly.

The rain started to let up. Seconds later, the sky was as clear and blue as it could be.

Seismitoad cursed. There went her speed advantage. Things would only get more difficult from here on out.

"Head Smash!"

"Water Pulse!"

Tyrantrum brushed his foot against the ground, smirking. With a roar, he charged, a blue-white aura surrounding his body. Seismitoad brought her hands to her side and cupped her hands, forming a swirling, blue energy sphere between them.

She hurled it, and the sphere followed a curving trajectory, hitting the side of Tyrantrum's head. It detonated, throwing Tyrantrum off his intended path as he toppled over. He flailed around as he tried to get up.

Leon balled his hand into a fist. "Now's your chance! Poison Jab!"

"I don't think so! Tyrantrum, use Earthquake!"

Seismitoad ran forward, poisonous globs oozing out of her digits. Before she could fully close in, Tyrantrum slammed his tail into the ground. Cracks appeared in it, and a rush of energy snaked across the ground before erupting underneath Seismitoad's feet. She cried out in pain as a slew of debris and small, piercing rocks punctured her skin.

Tyrantrum managed to get up while Seismitoad landed on her back. She staggered back up, panting and wobbling.

Tyrantrum roared, and a blue and white veil of energy draped his form. Again, he charged. Seismitoad clenched her teeth. At the speed he was coming, she had no other option but to meet him head-on.

And so, she clenched her fist, and a burst of ice covered it. She waited for the right moment and met her opponent's charge with her singular Ice Punch.

Smoke and ice particles flew in every direction as an explosion rang about.

Eventually, the smoke cleared, revealing Tyrantrum, standing triumphant over Seismitoad, who was slumped over with swirls for eyes.

The referee raised his arm in the air. "Seismitoad is unable to battle!"

The crowd burst into cheers.

Leon returned Seismitoad. "Thank you. Take a good rest, now." He stashed the pokéball. He quickly observed Tyrantrum. He didn't seem to have taken recoil damage. Hm, it must have Rock Head for its ability, then. He selected his next pokéball. "Let's go, Ms. Rime!"

The Ice-Psychic pokémon landed on the field, engaging in a short bout of tap-dancing. She came to a stop, tapping her cane on the ground, and, undaunted, she stared down at the behemoth she'd be facing.

Ms. Rime pointed her cane at Tyrantrum, inviting him to take the initiative. Tyrantrum snorted. He would take pleasure in complying.

He spat a massive pulse of draconic energy, but Ms. Rime swerved to the side, letting the attack strike the ground. It blew apart the ground, which sent various splinters flying in all directions.

Ms. Rime spun her cane to deflect any incoming debris. Then, she tapped her cane on the ground once, twice, thrice. The yellow eyes on her belly glowed, and a pink energy pulse emerged from Ms. Rime's body. It expanded, surrounding the battlefield in a translucent, psychic dome.

Frowning, Tyrantrum stared at his surroundings warily. This did not bode well for him — Whatever Ms. Rime planned to do, he had to stop it before it could come to fruition.

He raised his foot and slammed it on the ground. Blue spires burst out of it and headed toward Ms. Rime. She jumped on top of them, hopping from stone to stone as her belly face glowed purple. Tyrantrum observed her with wide eyes.

With one final leap and a somersault, she landed behind Tyrantrum. She whirled around and spread her arms wide; a column of purple energy suddenly erupted below Tyrantrum. He roared in pain as the psychic energy tore countless rocky scales from his flesh.

Diantha gulped. Psychic Terrain and Expanding Force…a terrifying combo. Tch. And it also ignored Tyrantrum's enhanced physical defence. "Fight back, Tyrantrum!"

Tyrantrum regained his focus. Seething, he swiped his tail at Ms. Rime, who simply hopped over it. Tyrantrum tried to bite her, but Ms. Rime nimbly escaped his jaws each time he lunged.

Tyrantrum's final lunge ended with him sprawled on his belly. Ms. Rime approached the downed dinosaur; he tensed in anticipation of her attack.

Ms. Rime tapped her cane on his snout and hopped back to her original position on the field.

Tyrantrum expected something to happen, yet nothing was happening. What… What was this mockery for‽ Furious, he snapped his jaws open, preparing a Dragon Pulse. He'd teach her to mock him!

However, a wave of nausea washed over him, causing him to lose focus. Purple splotches covered the corner of his peripheral vision. Ugh. Poison. Tyrantrum picked himself up, wobbling as he panted.

Diantha frowned. She had to finish this battle before the poison could run its course. "Tyrantrum! Use Earthquake!"

Despite his nausea, Tyrantrum retained his enhanced strength; he began stomping the ground with increasing force. Tremors shook the earth, which knocked Ms. Rime's balance out of whack. Moreover, a shockwave ran across the ground and erupted under her, peppering her with chunks of rubble and pointed stones.

Leon gasped. "Ms. Rime!"

Diantha motioned. "Let's make this quick; use Dragon Pulse!"

Indigo fire billowed out of Tyrantrum's maw. A brief pang of nausea shook his composure; still, he followed through, firing an oversized pulse of energy shaped like a dragon's head. It zigzagged through the air and struck Ms. Rime, exploding on contact.

She went flying and landed on her back. She staggered back up, leaning on her cane for support. Cuts and bruises covered her body.

The pink dome around the field vanished.

Leon gritted his teeth. He had to up the ante! "Use Freeze-Dry on the ground!"

Recovering, Ms. Rime pointed her cane at the ground and fired a blast of freezing air, coating it with a fresh coat of ice. Tyrantrum cringed at the uncomfortable feeling of standing on ice; at least, his clawed feet prevented him from slipping.

"This performance just took a very interesting turn," Diantha said, smiling. She snapped her fingers. "Dragon Pulse!"

Tyrantrum fired another brimming pulse of indigo fire, but Ms. Rime simply skated out of the way. Even as he redirected his pulse, she stayed out of range.

A stab of nausea, worse than the one from before, shook Tyrantrum's composure, forcing him to cut off his attack. Ms. Rime used this opening to approach. Once she was close enough, she spun her cane and, pointing it, released a gust of chilling air at point-blank range.

Shivering, Tyrantrum roared in pain as the biting cold penetrated his scales, and his chest froze over. He took a few steps backward, shutting his eyes tight. This cold plus his status condition… It was culminating to be too much to bear.

Suddenly, he felt weightless. Opening his eyes, Tyrantrum saw Ms. Rime with her cane pointed at him and her eyes glowing blue. She moved her cane upward, psychically moving his body higher off the ground.

With a swift motion of her arm, Ms. Rime slammed him into the ground repeatedly. Tyrantrum uttered a pained grunt after each impact, although his hardened skin mitigated the damage.

But then, Ms. Rime sent waves of psychic energy into Tyrantrum, attacking his insides directly; he roared in pain again. For one final time, Ms. Rime slammed him into the ground before forgoing her psychic hold on him.

Tyrantrum staggered back up, panting. His whole body felt numb. To make matters worst, another wave of nausea rocked him. It was so intense he could feel his insides churning. He coughed up a spew of blood onto the ground.

Diantha cringed. They were running out of time! All they needed was one good hit, just one more. She observed how Ms. Rime was also panting, and how she used her cane as support.

That gave Diantha an idea. "Tyrantrum, use Stone Edge: Projectile Variant!"

Tyrantrum shook his head and focused. He tensed, conjuring two rings of pointed rocks around him. He fired them at Ms. Rime, who spun her cane to deflect the incoming projectiles. However, the onslaught proved to be too much for her, and one rock managed to knock her cane out of her hand. As it flew away, a series of pointed rocks struck her, eliciting a pained cry from her.

"Now! Finish this with Head Smash!"

"Stop it! Use Psychic!"

Tyrantrum pooled all his remaining strength and bellowed a war cry. A burst of blue energy surrounded his body, and he charged Ms. Rime. She picked herself up and shoved her hands toward Tyrantrum. Her eyes glowed, and Tyrantrum's momentum jerked to a halt.

The two pokémon grunted as they were locked in a stalemate. They both poured everything they had into accomplishing their respective goals. For the sake of their trainers, they couldn't give up, not until they defeated their opponent!

Unfortunately, Ms. Rime's balance proved to be too unsteady. Her foot slipped on the ice, which broke her focus.

Like an uncaged, rabid animal, Tyrantrum came in with full force, slamming into Ms. Rime. She sailed into the wall behind Leon before slumping to the ground, unconscious.

The referee came over to inspect her. He raised his arm in the air. "Ms. Rime is unable to battle!"

Although Tyrantrum had won, he had no time to celebrate. A stab of nausea and pain wracked through his insides. He took a few steps backward; his world was spinning like a whirlwind.

"Tyrantrum, return!" A red light sucked him back into his domain. Diantha stashed his pokéball. She hoped Tyrantrum could regain some stamina for the time being. Despite his severely weakened state, he could still prove useful at a later point in time. And depending on how this battle goes, I may have to bring out my ace earlier than I plan to...

Leon returned his fainted pokémon. He grinned as he selected his next pokéball. "I'm thrilled to be performing with you on this stage, Diantha! But as the champion of Galar, I won't lose to anyone!"

"The feeling's mutual, so let's give it everything we've got!"

Leon nodded and threw his pokéball. "Come out, Rillaboom!"

Diantha tossed her pokéball skyward. "Come out, Aurorus!"

The Grass pokémon came out and set up his drum kit. The Ice-Rock pokémon uttered a trilling cry after emerging from her pokéball. They sized each other up as they shot each other a glare.

Leon punched the air. "Focus Blast!"

"Counter it with Blizzard!" Diantha ordered.

Rillaboom tensed his hand, forming an orange ball of energy above his palm. He chucked it. The ball rocketed toward Aurorus, who took a deep breath and exhaled a plume of sub-zero air. The strength of the chilling gust deflected Rillaboom's attack; afterward, it washed over him, and he winced as the biting cold penetrated his skin, leaving snow and frost all over his fur.

"Rock Slide!"

"Acrobatics!"

Aurorus cried out, conjuring a slew of boulders, and she launched them at Rillaboom, who leapt from his drum kit. A white outline surrounded Rillaboom, and he jumped from boulder to boulder, each leap further elevating his height.

Before long, Rillaboom was high in the sky, and he entered a free fall, his white aura turning orange as he aimed himself at Aurorus.

Diantha gasped. "Aurorus, Reflect!"

Aurorus' eyes and fins glowed blue as she coursed her psychic power through them; a rainbow barrier appeared above her, and it took the brunt of Rillaboom's High Horsepower. Rillaboom passed through the barrier, losing most of his velocity as if he had dived into a pool. He slammed into Aurorus afterward, but she held out as they slid across the ground.

"Defensive moves, ay?" Leon grinned. This was just the opportunity he was waiting for. "Rillaboom, break that Reflect with Brick Break!"

"Don't let him, Aurorus; use Blizzard!"

Rillaboom raised his arm, and his hand glowed a bluish-white hue. But before he could swing it down, Aurorus cried out, and a tornado of chilling wind weaved into motion around her. Rillaboom got swept up in the tornado before he could even react.

"Rillaboom!" Leon cried out in worry.

Diantha pointed. "Add a Rock Slide to the mix!"

Out of thin air came countless conjured boulders. They all got mixed into the tornado, and they smacked into Rillaboom. With the increased velocity from being inside the tornado, each hit from the rocks left hefty bruises on him.

Aurorus dropped her Blizzard; Rillaboom fell from the sky, thudding into the ground. He picked himself up, growling as he breathed heavily. That was not how he expected that interaction to go.

"Rillaboom, return." A red light engulfed the pokémon alongside his drumming kit. Leon switched pokéballs. Diantha was full of tricks, but he was confident his next pokémon would not be so easily countered. "Come out, Dragapult!"

The Dragon-Ghost pokémon from earlier emerged, crying out. His body held a few bruises from his skirmish with Hawlucha, but he was otherwise fine. He observed his opponent, taking note of Aurorus' moderately laboured breathing.

Leon motioned. "Let's go; use Scald!"

"Light Screen!"

Aurorus conjured an octo-layered special barrier in front of her as Dragapult spat a gush of boiling water. The water harmlessly passed through the barrier and struck Aurorus in the chest in full force. Aurorus shrieked in pain as the boiling water seared her skin.

Diantha scowled. Infiltrator… "Aurorus, use Blizzard!"

Aurorus recovered and exhaled a gust of chilling wind. It swept Dragapult up, who cringed as the frostbite froze his aileron tips.

However, a pang of burning pain forced Aurorus to cut her attack short.

Dragapult recovered and took great interest in Aurorus' status condition. He slapped his hands together and focused. He thrust them toward Aurorus, and a shower of purple energy surrounded her; she yowled in pain.

Dragapult smirked. Finally, he got to use Hex at its full power.

Aurorus shook her head, regaining her focus. She conjured dozens of boulders and sent them in Dragapult's direction. He moved between them like a noodle, evading each boulder that came to strike him. While he did so, he fired his dreepy from his horns. The two living homing missiles made their way through the boulder cluster and struck Aurorus' flank on each side, passing right through her Reflect as they did.

An explosion rang out.

Two dreepy came out of the smoke and returned to the holes in Dragapult's ailerons. The smoke cleared to reveal Aurorus, who was now panting.

This was not going to end well, Diantha surmised. She shoved her arm forward. "Stealth Rock!"

Aurorus reared up on her hind legs and slammed her forepaws into the ground. The battlefield rumbled, and hundreds of small, pointed rocks flew into the air before dissipating.

As soon as Aurorus had completed this, Diantha returned her. She switched pokéballs, smiling. It was time for a momentum shift. "Go, Gardevoir!"

The Psychic-Fairy pokémon emerged from her pokéball, standing by for battle. She observed how Dragapult danced in the sky, leaving his movements ambiguous.

Leon balled his hand into a fist. "Move in, Dragapult! Use Scald!"

Dragapult halted his movement. He spat a scalding jet of water, but Gardevoir moved out of the way, staying on the move as his scalding line of water trailed behind her.

Adjusting his aim to follow Gardevoir's predicted position, Dragapult fired another shot. However, Gardevoir raised her arm at the incoming attack, and her eyes glowed a psychic hue. She grabbed the water telekinetically, and, with a jerk of her arm, flung it back toward Dragapult. He barely twisted himself out of the way in time.

Dragapult breathed a sigh of relief before his facial features contorted with rage. Trying to hit him with his own attack…how cheap! He sped into motion, accelerating and becoming a blur.

From different angles, he rammed into Gardevoir repeatedly, not giving her a single chance to retaliate.

Dragapult kept up his assault until Gardevoir suddenly cried out. Her body burst with lightning, and Dragapult suddenly had to engage in evasive manoeuvres as he weaved through an onslaught of lightning bolts. Before long, lightning bolts fell around him, caging him within the lightning. Dragapult swerved his head around, eyes wide in disbelief.

Gardevoir snapped her fingers; the lightning bolts converged into Dragapult, who cried out in pain as an immense dose of voltage coursed through him. His body was smoking after Gardevoir dropped her attack.

Dragapult shook his head. At this rate, it wouldn't end well. But with a little out-of-the-box thinking...

Dragapult grinned. He puffed his cheeks and fired a pair of dreepy out of his horns. Gardevoir stared them down, undaunted. No harm could come to her from this attack, after all.

Surprisingly, the dreepy slammed into the ground right in front of her instead of into her. The resulting detonation kicked up a cloud of dust.

Ah. So that was the trick.

Gardevoir crouched and leapt out of the impromptu smokescreen. As soon as she emerged, Dragapult was onto her, his half-open maw crackling with electricity. Before she could react, Dragapult fired rings of electricity at her, which washed over Gardevoir.

As she landed, she felt her limbs lock up as stray sparks flashed across her body.

Dragapult grinned in triumph. Finally, a good hit! He clasped his hands together, gathering purple energy in them. He thrust them forward, and a surge of purple energy engulfed Gardevoir, making her cry out in pain.

Diantha was tense as she observed the ensuing battle. Leon was good, but this performance was only beginning! She snapped her fingers. "Gardevoir, use Heal Bell!"

Gardevoir clasped her hands together, and a blue sphere of light surrounded them. She shoved her hands upward, launching the sphere into the sky. It turned into a bell and released a series of chimes. With each ring, Gardevoir felt the tension in her body relax.

When the bell sounded its final chime and disappeared, Gardevoir was no longer paralyzed.

Leon smirked in an attempt to mask his nervousness. What Gardevoir just pulled invalidated Aurorus' and Tyrantrum's status aliments as well. "I see you've come prepared."

"Of course. And now, allow me to return your favour in kind. Will-O-Wisp!" she ordered.

Gardevoir launched a volley of multicoloured flames at Dragapult, who flew out of the way, letting the flaming wisps go wide. Huffing, Gardevoir grabbed them in a psychic grip and redirected them toward Dragapult. He tried his best to stay away, but the wisps eventually caught up to him, hitting his flank. A shower of flames doused him, making him cry out in pain.

"Now use Thunderbolt!"

"Counter it with Scald!"

Crying out, Gardevoir fired a bolt of lightning. It clashed against Dragapult's gushing torrent of water, and the two attacks cancelled each other out, producing a cloud of water vapour.

Dragapult winced as his status condition wrapped him in flames. He began panting.

Still, he wasn't done quite yet. He moved in, speeding up with the intent to use Quick Attack. Gardevoir raised her arm, and a shimmering, green barrier appeared around her. Dragapult's eyes widened in alarm, but he was fully committed and couldn't back out.

He rammed into the barrier; the shock caused him to recoil backward, dazed.

He recovered just in time to see Gardevoir preparing a Moonblast. He tensed, readying himself to dodge at a moment's notice. Gardevoir threw the pink orb of energy, and Dragapult was about to dodge when a burning pain flared up on his flank, locking him in place.

Gardevoir's attack slammed into his chest and carried him high into the sky. As it did, it kept expanding until it had engulfed him completely.

A massive explosion sent sparkles, smoke and glitter flying everywhere.

A silhouette fell from the sky and thudded into the ground. The referee flew over to confirm Dragapult's unconscious state. "Dragapult is unable to battle!"

"Thank you, Gardevoir." Diantha fished up her pokéball. "Please rest for now."

Gardevoir cried a single time in acknowledgement before being returned.

"Dragapult, return." A red beam engulfed the KO'd pokémon and transported him back into his pokéball. Leon turned the pokéball around. "Thank you for your efforts, friend."

With Dragapult down, Leon only had three pokémon remaining while Diantha had five. However, three of Diantha's pokémon, including her ace, were weakened already, so the odds weren't entirely unfavourable toward him.

Leon selected his next pokéball, grinning. This battle was shaping up to be as exciting as he envisioned it!


AN:

No, your math is not deceiving you; I did indeed break the four-move rule. Let me know if it made the battle better or worse, and if it should stay.

As always, if you enjoyed this chapter and/or have anything to say, click the buttons and leave a review.

I'll try to get Part 2 of this battle out around mid-late April. In other words, a month from now.

That's all from me. See you guys on the next upload!


Leon's team:

Dragapult (M)

Ability: Cursed Body

- Thunder Wave
- Dragon Darts
- Scald
- Shadow Ball
- Hex
- Quick Attack

Seismitoad (F)

Item: Damp Rock

Ability: Swift Swim

- Rain Dance
- Poison Jab
- Drain Punch
- Liquidation
- Ice Punch
- Water Pulse

Mr. Rime (F)

Ability: Screen Cleaner

- Psychic Terrain
- Psychic
- Expanding Force
- Freeze-Dry
- Toxic

Rillaboom (M)

Ability: Overgrow

- Brick Break
- Focus Blast
- Acrobatics
- Drum Beating
- High Horsepower

Diantha's team:

Hawlucha (M)

Ability: Limber

- Hone Claws
- Acrobatics
- Thunder Punch
- Drain Punch
- Throat Chop

Tyrantrum (M)

Ability: Rock Head

- Iron Defense
- Head Smash
- Dragon Pulse
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

Aurorus (F)

Item: Light Clay

Ability: Refrigerate

- Stealth Rock
- Blizzard
- Rock Slide
- Light Screen
- Reflect

Gardevoir (F)

Ability: Synchronize (Pixilate once mega-evolved)

- Heal Bell
- Will-O-Wisp
- Protect
- Moonblast
- Thunderbolt
- Psychic