Part CXXIX: Final Four
"Well folks here it is!" The announcer said to the cheering crowd. "The fourth day of the Kalos Fighting Type Tournament is now upon us, and you know what that means. It's time for the pulse pounding semifinals!"
The crowd continued to cheer as Ash and Lucario waited in their wings knowing that Misty and Machamp were on the other side and could see the single ring in the center of the arena with the 3 judges on the side, no Nurse Joy amongst them, as they got ready for the upcoming bout. Starting with the semifinal's things were slightly different in the tournament and the 4 semifinalists and their Pokémon had been told as much the day before after the quarterfinals ended.
The first major difference was the timing. As there were only 2 bouts today they would be held at what would have been the halfway point of the morning and afternoon sessions the past three days. That meant that they would roughly start around the time the third round of the first slate would have started.
That wasn't the only change though. Unlike the last rounds, including the quarters that were one bout per slate, they wouldn't walk out until the announcer gave his cue and their Pokémon had to be with them. This was done for two reasons. The first being that these were the final four Pokémon left in the tournament so had done really well to get here. The other was to pay homage to the first tournament when only 4 Pokémon took part so the final four were always special.
Ash wasn't sure what that meant but he was excited for this. Conkeldurr had lost in the sweet sixteen to Machamp while Hawlucha had lost in the elite eight the day before to Adam's Poliwrath, but Lucario had won over Korrina's Mienshao, so he still had one Pokémon left in the tournament. All his team were behind him and Lucario as he was the only one left to win it and they'd been preparing hard for this matchup.
There was just one problem. They were up against arguably the strongest Pokémon in this competition in terms of pure strength in Machamp. Machamps were known for their power and strength and Ash knew that first hand having lost Conkeldurr to Misty's Machamp 2 days ago, so he knew how good it was. So far only Machamp and Poliwrath had yet to go the distance in a match, both winning their 3 matches to date by knockout and only once reaching the third round when Machamp faced Conkeldurr, showing just how good they were.
However, none of that really fazed Ash. He'd always relished a challenge no matter how hard it was and now he had a real one in Machamp. He and Lucario knew the score with this Pokémon and were fully ready for it. They weren't going to lose.
Of course, on the other side Misty was having the same thoughts with Machamp by her side. She knew that of Ash's three fighting types, Lucario was by far the best of them. It had been with Ash all year, it had the closest bond due to hatching for Ash meaning that they were in sync on a level few trainers had with their Pokémon, and it had evolved for him, a friendship-based evolution which showed how close they were. Conkeldurr had given Machamp a good fight, but Lucario was going to be even harder. Add in Ash's skills and tactics and this one was going to be close for sure.
Still, Misty and Machamp were ready, as were Ash and Lucario and that meant one thing. It was time for the semifinals to begin.
"And now we will introduce our first two semifinalists in their second match of the competition having earlier met in the sweet sixteen." The announcer said giving the cue for Ash and Misty to walk into the arena with their Pokémon as the crowd cheered but they stood at the entrance points waiting for the intros to be over as instructed the day before. "First up we have a matchup between two quintessential fighting types that define the type in their own ways as they are the top ones of their respective origin regions. First up we have Lucario and his trainer Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town out in Kanto."
At this the crowd cheered as a light fell on them and Ash and Lucario waved to the crowd with Lucario getting a bit more into it then Ash. They had advanced far and were liked by the crowd, so it was a good cheer for them but of course the announcer was far from done.
"Ash is a trainer challenging the Kalos Gyms this year and has 5 badges on his way to qualifying for the Kalos League at the end of the year." The announcer continued. "And last year was not only the runner-up in his home region of Kanto's Indigo Conference but also the one to introduce fairy types to the world in the quarterfinals of that conference that has since become lore in the trainer community."
This did get some light hearted jeers from the fighting type fans in the crowd but it was all in good fun as they knew Ash meant nothing by what he'd done, he was just trying to win a match and did so in spectacular fashion. That and he did enter 3 fighting types, all having won at least one match and two winning two with Lucario still in it, so they still liked him.
"Ash entered 3 Pokémon into this tournament but only his Lucario is left and what a specimen it is." The announcer continued. "Lucario easily bested Toxicroak and Hitmonlee in the opening round and the sweet sixteen respectively before going the distance against Mienshao yesterday to win on points while showing us the aura sense that Lucarios are known for. Will Lucario be the 5th of his kind, and Ash the 5th different trainer of one, to advance to the final, well I am sure that our other semifinalist will have something to say about that."
The light then switched to where Misty was with Machamp by her side and now waving to the crowd as it cheered for her as well. Machamp flexed a bit and played to the crowd as they cheered for him. He had become a bit of a crowd favorite after his two quick wins and his epic battle with Conkeldurr.
"Facing Lucario and trying to reach the final himself, a feet that also 4 others of his kind with 4 different trainers have achieved, is the picture of pure fighting types to many, Machamp." The announcer said as the crowd continued to cheer. "And what a Machamp we have with us this year. No Pokémon has yet gone the distance with Machamp with Gallade and Blaziken being taken out in the first round of their bouts on the first and third days respectively. Only Ash's Conkeldurr has lasted a full round, lasting 2 in face, before falling in the third and that makes this Machamp one of the top Pokémon so far."
The crowd cheered at that as Machamp basked in the attention and played a little to it. Misty didn't try to stop him; it was a good habit for him to have especially if he was to join her in a Showcase this year so knowing how to play and win a crowd onto his side was a skill he needed to have and with these fighting fans he certainly had it.
"And of course, how can we forget Machamp's trainer." The announcer continued. "All the way for Twinleaf Town out in Sinnoh, and yes folks that does mean that both trainers in this match have the fighting type that represents the other's home region best on them, is Misty. Misty is not a trainer but actually a coordinator and not just any coordinator but a Top Coordinator who won last year's Kanto Grand Festival and is the first ever coordinator to get this far in the tournament. In addition, she's actually competing in Showcases this year making her the first performer to make it this far as well."
Misty for her part just sighed as she waved to the hyped-up crowd. The Contest Committee might consider hiring this guy if he kept it up but at least he wasn't calling her the Prodigy of Sinnoh. Still, she was now fully into the coming bout and ready to win it.
"And that folks means that it is time to at last see who will be the first Pokémon to advance to tomorrow's final." The announcer said as Ash and Misty walked out to the center of the arena with their Pokémon to the cheering crowd. "The first semifinal begins momentarily."
Ash and Misty reached the ring at the same time and climbed up and onto their platforms with their Pokémon before helping them through the ropes and into the ring, Machamp really bending them as he did while Lucario easily slipped in. As soon as the Pokémon were in they sat on their stools and prepared for their bout without any more fanfare.
"Alright Lucario, this is it." Ash said as he rubbed Lucario's shoulders and whispered to him while Lucario locked gazes with Machamp across the ring. "We've trained for this, so you know what you need to do. Conkeldurr helped out a lot and we know how strong Machamp is so focus on what we've prepared for him. Use that aura of yours like you did against Mienshao as best you can. We've got this, I know it."
Lucario barked in agreement at that. Conkeldurr had been especially helpful the night before as they had been getting ready for the match today and explained what Machamp would be like to face as he knew his old rival well. Basically, it was going to be a lot of fists and raw power. Lucario was more rounded, smaller, and nimbler than Machamp, but he couldn't hope to match his opponent's strength. That meant fighting smart which is what Lucario could do well.
"I know that you know what to do." Ash said. "Remember your strengths and focus on what you need to do to land your hits safely and smartly. Brains wins this one, not brawn and you are the brains in this match. Show it and let's win this for the whole team."
Lucario barked again at that. The others were out, it was now all on him to win it for them and he fully intended on doing that while getting revenge for Conkeldurr's loss in the process. He couldn't for Hawlucha's, at least not yet depending on how the next bout went but he was going to do that as well if he could. He had this and he drew on the little passive aura he could from Ash to fully prepare as he fell into the zone he needed to win.
On the other side of the ring Misty was having her own pep talk with Machamp. He needed it as much as she did because of all their matches in this tournament, including the potential final matchup against either Chesnaught or Poliwrath, this was the one she was most nervous about. She knew what Ash and Lucario could do and if there was any Pokémon in this competition that she felt could beat Machamp it would be Lucario.
"Ok Machamp, this is the matchup we knew was coming and the one we've had to prepare the most for." Misty said simply as she patted her Pokémon on the back. "Ash is clever in battle. He really knows what he's doing and can think outside of the box. At the same time, Lucario is his best fighting type right now and his closest, as well as his most well rounded. Conkeldurr was the strongest, Hawlucha the most mobile, but Lucario is an all arounder. That means we need to show our own strength and skills against him. Use that training we've done and how I am not a normal trainer, and how you aren't a standard trained Pokémon to our advantage."
"Machamp." Machamp said with a nod, he knew exactly what Misty was going on about and he fully intended to do that.
"Also, yesterday we saw that Lucario has upped his game and fully embraced that aura thing he can do that I still don't understand but it allowed him to defend against an onslaught from a Mienshao." Misty said. "That was impressive but we have an extra set of arms so it should counter what Lucario can do, and our strength is greater. Use both and we will win but be ready for anything. The other matches we won by knock out, this will be harder to do so. Stick in it, use your brains and brawn and we will advance."
"Machamp." Machamp said as the bell rang and the bout began, it was time to win this for Misty while Lucario was thinking the same thing only for Ash as both Pokémon rose and prepared to do battle at last.
Instantly, Lucario began running at Machamp preparing to take the fight to him. This surprised Machamp a bit as he expected the more rounded Lucario to be cautious but if he wanted a head-to-head fight then he'd give it to his friend and show him that he was the stronger one as he ran at Lucario a moment after Lucario ran at him. Lucario just grinned at that as this was all part of his plan for how he wanted to start this match.
As the Pokémon neared each other, Machamp cocked back his upper fists for an attack from both sides ready to use his size and reach to his advantage. Even without the clear preparation, Lucario would have known the move was coming thanks to his aura allowing him to sense Machamp's intentions, though even without either thing he could have guessed given what he knew of Machamp. He was ready for this and as they neared each other he acted.
What Lucario did next was a mix of what he'd done twice as a Riolu, first against Heliolisk and then Machoke, and what he'd seen Hawlucha do against the same Machoke but in a different situation and not to avoid an attack like he'd done as a Riolu. With a yip, Lucario leapt forward just before the blows would begin to come and slid feet first and along his back underneath Machamp and between his legs as the punches missed.
Then, as Machamp was processing what had happened, Lucario raised his arms and legs, bent his knees, and slammed all his limbs into the floor as hard as he could. He used a mix of the force of the impact and the springiness of the floor to effectively bounce up and into the air behind Machamp.
As he did, Lucario tucked his knees into his chest and flipped backwards. Then he extended his legs and kicked both feet into the small of Machamp's back to both record a clean hit and stagger the Pokémon forward though his mass, muscles, and skill kept him on his feet.
Still, Lucario used the kick to spring off Machamp's back and flip forward and twist in the air to land in a crouch facing his friend and opponent's broad, exposed back. With a bark he sprang forward and closed the gap in a second. As soon as he reached Machamp he unleashed a flurry of palm strikes as fast as he could, pushing Machamp forward as he landed several blows in short order.
Machamp was far from out of it though and had finally recovered from the surprise start with a roar before he got his feet under him and turned, his left arms out, and ready to slam into Lucario who was there. Even with Lucario's aura sense, he had no hope to avoid the double blow that was coming at him.
Lucario knew this as well and just braced his arms over his face to take the upper arm on his forearms in a block while tightening his core to absorb as much of the lower one as he could. It still hurt like hell and almost winded him as the force blasted Lucario back and into the nearest ropes as Machamp finally came around to face him head on.
Still, this was something that Lucario had planned for. With Machamp's strength, plus seeing his past 3 bouts, Lucario knew that the chances of him ending up in the ropes if he took a hit were high and he'd made a plan for it should it happen. The goal was to not fight it and let things play out as they were meant to as he felt the ropes reach their fullest before they snapped back and sent him shooting straight at Machamp.
In this scenario, Lucario knew that it was best to listen to his aura to sense Machamp's intentions and know what the coming move was so as to react accordingly. If he didn't he'd likely take another heavy hit and there was only a finite amount of those that he could take from a Pokémon like Machamp before he was out of it. He had to trust his senses and go with them. In this instance, he wasn't wrong.
As Lucario neared Machamp he sensed a double punch coming and it was just like the one that Machamp had tried to start with. The pure fighting type was preparing to use his two upper arms for it and punch down that would no doubt drive Lucario into the springing floor.
Well, Lucario was ready for that and sprung out of the ball like shape he'd been thanks to the hit to his gut that he'd just tucked his legs in on when he hit the ropes and moved into a more arrow like shape. It would take timing and precision to pull this off and he'd likely only be able to do it once but once was all that Lucario needed.
Machamps fists came forward and as they did Lucario extended his arms high and over them. Thanks, the timing and Machamp aiming for his head, he didn't see what Lucario was doing until it was too late. Lucario used the position he was in to place his paws on Machamp's wrists and then flipped his back legs up, fully aided by the speed that he was in as he did a full body flip over Machamp's arms and head, his body perfectly straight and cameras flashed taking pictures of the move that Lucario had done to avoid the attack.
It had one bonus feature to it. Lucario's height was such that as he finished his flip, his heels kicked Machamp squarely in the back of the head. The blow stagged the Superpower Pokémon forward but had the effect of ruining Lucario's momentum and pitching him forward. He had to tuck and roll-on landing on the mat before popping up and turning, sliding on the surface of the ring until he came to the ropes, and they stopped him without bending at all.
He was too far from Machamp to launch a new attack right away and Machamp was able to recover and turn around, grinning at the battle to face Lucario again. Lucario grinned as well, he'd landed several good hits on Machamp and Machamp knew it. This battle was getting good and Machamp wouldn't let the hits happen again.
Lucario knew that and just had to trust his aura and instincts as he charged again, as did Machamp and he prepared for the coming attack. His senses picked up the attack coming from his right as Machamp brought both of his left arms to bear on Lucario from that side. The fighting and steel type knew that he couldn't avoid both, so he ducked under the top one and brought his right arm up to block the other punch.
It worked but the blow on his arm was still hard, and he felt it as it slightly staggered him to the side, but he was too close to Machamp miss and with his lowered head he had what he needed as he drove it into Machamp's gut, slightly off center because of the block, as hard as he could while winding the surprised Pokémon in the process.
Machamp of course wasn't out of it by a long shot and brought both his right arms to bear but Lucario sensed them as well and leapt back so that they missed him, barely with top one and his muzzle but it was still a miss. It also gave him a brief moment and he took it. In hindsight, he shouldn't have taken the opening he saw.
Lucario leapt up from his still low position and at Machamp as the pure fighting type brought his arms back and landed a flying palm thrust to Machamp's chin that snapped his head back. However, the move also put Lucario in a precarious spot and he was not able to avoid what he felt coming. Machamp's training and instincts were too good and even with his head snapped back he still brought his right arms in and Lucario was to close to avoid them.
However, instead of punching Lucario as one would expect, the hands grabbed him much to his surprise. The lower right hand grabbed Lucario around his slightly narrow waist while the upper one grabbed him by the scruff around his neck.
All Lucario could do was yip in shock as Machamp grinned now that he had Lucario and spun around to gain speed before lifting Lucario as high as he could, he could easily lift the lighter Pokémon, and throwing him down and into the floor as hard as possible. He'd seen that Chesnaught do that to the monkey Pokémon he didn't know the day before and decided to copy it as it was a good move. Lucario had put himself in the position to allow Machamp to do this and now he was paying for it.
Lucario hit the floor hard, it caved a good bit and then he bounced up as Machamp stepped forward both right arms cocked back before he drove them home. There was no way Lucario could avoid the hit this time as he took one to the face and the other to the gut and was blasted back and into the ropes again.
That one had really hurt, and the ropes groaned from the force before Lucario was snapped back and out of them and at Machamp again. This time Machamp readied himself to puff out his chest and stop Lucario like he had done to Blaziken. It was a good tactic but a shame that Lucario had seen it and the moment he sensed that Machamp was not readying to punch he shifted his body and lowered his head just as he reached Machamp.
What happened next was a colossal boom from Lucario's head hitting Machamp's puffed out and tensed chest. They seemed to stay like that for a second before Machamp was knocked back and onto his ass much to his surprise while Lucario just dropped to the floor face first and the bell rang out to end the round.
"What a first round to the first semifinal but then again that is what we would expect from two Pokémon of this caliber." The announcer said as Lucario and Machamp got up quickly and backed up to their corners for the break. "This is just as it was billed to be and then some folks. I for one can't wait to see what happens next."
"That was good Lucario." Ash said as Lucario sat down and panted, accepting water from Ash as he really needed it after that opening round. "You used your brains and landed plenty of good hits there."
Lucario just grunted. He had landed a lot of good hits, more than Machamp for sure, but Machamp's had been harder. He'd managed to survive but that throw had been a lot and the punches after hurt. Still, he was no where near done in this fight and the break helped him regain a little stamina so that he could continue.
"You've gotten a good start but from now on we need to be more careful." Ash said and Lucario agreed with that. "We know that Machamp can hit harder than any other Pokémon in this tournament so be aware of that and pick you strikes wisely in the next one. He'll come out swinging I'm sure of it, but he'll also be smart."
Lucario just nodded as he took some deep breaths and looked at Machamp who was receiving his own advice from his human. This match was far from over, but Lucario fully intended to go the distance and beat Machamp.
"Alright Machamp that was about as we'd expect from Ash." Misty said giving him some water and patting him on the back. "He's seen you fight up close before because of Conkeldurr and knows what to expect. No doubt he had Lucario act on his instincts there to land those hits, they were certainly out of the box."
"Machamp." Machamp agreed at that, he'd taken some good and inventive hits there for sure and he intended not to take them again. "Machamp."
"Lucario used his mobility to his advantage on us but in the end you showed your skills and adapted to what he was doing." Misty continued. "You've done really well on that front, and I know that you can keep it up. Lucario will be feeling those hits and may be more cautious. Press that advantage but also be smart and don't over extend yourself. We can never count out Ash and a Pokémon he's trained."
Machamp just nodded at that. Lucario had shown him some real skill with his moves and evasion. He wasn't going to fall for that again, he was going to do what he could to negate that and win this for Misty and his team.
Before Misty could say another word the bell rang, and the second round began. With a grunt, Machamp got up and began to move towards Lucario just as Lucario did the same. It was time for round two and this time Machamp fully intended to get the better of Lucario in it.
Of course, Lucario was thinking just the same thing and he came out loose and ready, his senses on full as he bounced on the balls of his feet and began closing in on Machamp just as Machamp did the same to him. This time though, they didn't rush but approached carefully and then circled each other for a few seconds as they gaged each other for the next round.
One of them had to move and Lucario was the first to do so feigning an attacked forward and to the right that Machamp bit on before cutting to the left at an angle as fast as he could. Lucario then turned on his right foot and charged Machamp. Machamp had recovered though and was turning to Lucario, his arms ready as he came in for a pair of lower arm punches.
Again, Lucario cut to the other side and this time he dove forward and rolled to barely avoid a punch. Then, as he popped out of his roll that had taken him past Machamp, he spun and launched a leg sweep at his foe. It hit, that was a plus, but all Lucario's leg did was smack into Machamp's thick calf and bounce off as Machamp turned to him and brought both his right arms down to bear on Lucario.
All Lucario could do was roll back before popping up and realizing his opening. Machamp had missed and was bent over, Lucario had this moment and took it. He stepped forward and launched a cross elbow into Machamp's cheek as the Pokémon was starting to rise. That staggered him and Lucario let out a left hook into Machamp's other cheek that again staggered Machamp and for a brief moment he couldn't use his arms. That moment was all Lucario needed to finish his combo.
He placed his paws on Machamp's broad shoulders and used them and his legs to jump up and slam his knees into Machamp's chin, once again snapping his head back. It hadn't been a planned sequence, but it had worked because he'd managed to throw Machamp off balance and now the double knee to the face had once again staggered Machamp, this time backwards.
Lucario used this moment to his advantage the moment he was on the ground again and pressed forward to land a good series of 5 punches to Machamp's gut. However, the entire time he was keenly aware of what Machamp could do and was keeping his sense active so that he'd feel Machamp's intentions before they came. The second he felt it he stopped and leapt back.
Machamp had decided to go all out and brought all 4 of his arms to bear into the center to hit Lucario, two would take him in the head and two in the side. If he landed it the Lucario might be done so he had to leap back to avoid it. Alas, Lucario wasn't as quick as he would have liked and did forget about one slight feature his canine physique had that meant that a simple hop back wouldn't be enough.
While he did manage to avoid the lower punches, the larger ones at his head had something between them, Lucario's snout. Both fists landed on either side of Lucario's nose, and he let out a howl of pain at the blow and staggered back. The pain was so much and in a sensitive place that he couldn't sense the next attack in time as Machamp saw and pressed his advantage.
Machamp knew that he had an opening now that he had landed the blows and took it with a savage lower left upper cut that took Lucario under the jaw and snapped his head back and made him see stars. He followed it up with a right cross to the side of Lucario's snout that further staggered him. The blows were hard and should have dropped Lucario but for one thing that only Lucarios had access to and only through the deep bond that they made with their trainers because it was the base of why they'd bonded with them in the first place, passive aura.
It wasn't as strong as in a regular battle, when Ash was giving commands and thus also part of the battle, in those cases the passive aura was potent and Lucario could really draw on it, but it was still there, and he felt it through Ash's concern for him and his desire to win this. That gave Lucario the strength he needed as a 5th hit landed from the left side but that would be the last one that Machamp got in this sequence.
Despite the fact that Lucario's eyes were closed, his connection with Ash and the love he felt through it, as well as the passive aura that Ash had going thanks to the fight, the very thing that had been what had made Lucario hatch as a Riolu and fight so hard for him, renewed his strength enough to regain his senses. As he did he felt the blow coming for his lower right side and another on the left designed to end him, and they would if they landed.
However, they didn't end Lucario as he got his left arm up and deflected Machamp's lower right fist away with his forearm while ducking and stepping forward to avoid the higher blow. The upper left fist passed over his head as Lucario popped out of the block and drove his crown of his head into Machamp's chin as hard as he could.
He felt Machamp stagger back and with a furry that belied his tired body and the hits he'd just taken, Lucario barked and unleashed a series of punches to Machamps chest. He didn't know how many he landed, he only knew that it was a good few before he slammed both palms into Machamp's chest and pushed back as Machamp went for a grapple that might also end him. He just avoided Machamp's fingers as he staggered and fell down, rolling backwards and popping up to put some distance between him and Machamp.
Only now that he had the distance did Lucario finally open his eyes and look at his foe as he panted at the exertions he'd just used. Machamp was standing there panting almost as hard and looking like he was actually feeling the hits for once, but he doubted that he looked any better after the hits he'd taken. Lucario was just about to get ready for the next charge when the bell rang to end the second round.
"Again, a round to remember folks." The announcer said as both Lucario and Machamp retreated to their corners and sat down on their stools grateful for the break. "I thought Lucario was done for there, but he found a second wind out of nowhere and really brought it to Machamp at the end of the round. This is getting good as we only have one more round before we learn who our first finalist will be."
"I don't really know what happened at the end Lucario but that was impressive." Ash said as he gave Lucario some much needed water. "I thought you were done for, but I also knew that you wouldn't give up so long as you could still stand, and you didn't. you rebounded and did really well."
Lucario just nodded as he didn't have much strength to do more than that. Had it not been for Ash and his passive aura he likely would have lost there. The blows to his nose had been what Machamp needed to turn the tables on him, and his head was still spinning slightly from the hits, but he knew that he could do it now and he wasn't going to give up. He was going to see this through to the end and win it.
"We are definitely leading on points." Ash continued. "Machamp may be getting the big hits in on you, but we are easily getting in more and are winning because of that. That is why you have to be careful and cautious in this round. Machamp can end it with a knockout, we can't let that happen, not after all the work you've put in to be in this position."
Lucario barked in agreement at that. He had felt the hits and knew that there wasn't much more that he could take in this battle. He was going to have to be careful and cautious if he was to win this. He could do it though, he'd come too far, fought too hard, to give it all up now. So had Machamp and as Lucario looked at his foe getting advice as well he knew that this was going to come down to this round whether or not Lucario could outlast Machamp for 3 more minutes.
"Ok this isn't as bad as we think it is." Misty said reassuringly to Machamp as she gave him some water. "We are losing on points, that is true and there is nothing we can do about that. We will not win that way but that is because we will win another way regardless. We will win this our way."
"Machamp." Machamp said with a nod knowing exactly what Misty meant, he had taken more hits but the ones he'd dished out in return had been much harder and if he got just a few more in on Lucario then he'd win this for sure. "Machamp."
"Exactly, we win this with a knockout." Misty said seriously. "No more dancing, no more letting Lucario get what he wants, no more playing this by his and Ash's tune. Take the fight to him and win this. We have the stamina, we have the strength, we have the power, and that is why we will win. Let's show them what we can do and win this one."
"Machamp." Machamp agreed as the bell rang, and he got up ready to win this for Misty and advance to the finals.
That was why he came out hard and fast right at Lucario with full intention of ending this quick with a few good, fast, punches. Lucario was too tired and too beat up to use his tricks to avoid Machamp, not this time. Alas, Lucario wasn't done yet.
Lucario drew on all the passive aura he could from Ash and went out to meet Machamp one last time. However, this time he was not going for the fight. He had to last, he had to survive. A fighting type that couldn't win wasn't worthy of the type and brawling wasn't the only way to win a fight like this. Sometimes avoiding and countering was how it had to be done and this was one of those times for Lucario. He was going to avoid Machamp with his abilities while countering if and when he could.
As Machamp closed in, Lucario closed his eyes and gave himself fully over to the aura that gave his species its name and embraced it. He was going to win and to do so he needed to fully read Machamp's aura and his drive to win to avoid him.
That came almost as soon as Lucario entered this state as he sensed the attacks coming in from both sides, one high and one low, and leapt as soon as he felt them. Machamp was so desperate to win now that his aura was basically yelling at Lucario what he was going to do and Lucario could easily avoid that as he barrel rolled his body in midair between the two fists of Machamp so that they hit nothing.
Lucario wasn't idle though. He tilted his body forward so that his forepaws hit the ground and he rolled forward as they lower arm missed and tucked his legs in as the upper arm missed. He then sprang up in a handstand to slam his feet home and into Machamp's chin in and impressive move that Machamp had not expected at all.
As Machamp staggered back from yet another chin blow, Lucario's smaller stature made those blows easy and frequent, Lucario bent his legs in and shot his ass out so that he landed in a crouch where his forepaws had been and then he leapt up and slammed his head into Machamp's sternum staggering him back.
Unlike the last few times though, Lucario didn't follow it up with a step forward and a brief flurry of punches. He was preserving his strength and outlasting Machamp so as soon as his feet touched the floor again he ran to the side and in a slight arc to put some distance between him and Machamp before turning to the large aura that was Machamp and waiting for his opponent's next attack.
Machamp for his part grunted and turned to face Lucario. His friend and opponent still had his eyes closed which meant that he was doing that weird thing that Lucarios were known for. That meant that Machamp couldn't close in on him without being sensed so he was at a disadvantage at the moment as that meant that landing a hit was going to be harder right now.
Well, if he couldn't do that then the next best thing was to just press Lucario and use the surroundings to his advantage. After all, they weren't in a large area so if Machamp used that correctly he could negate Lucario's aura sense thing.
With a roar Machamp charged at Lucario again, his arms wide, and going for a full body attack. Lucario for his part saw it coming from Machamp's aura intention and braced in a fighting stance as Machamp closed in. Then, at the last moment, he dove forward and to the left to go under Machamp's arms.
Machamp seemed to expect this though and lowered his right lower arm and fell to a knee, but Lucario was already past and clear before he popped up and spun on right foot and delivered a roundhouse kick to Machamp's exposed left side. Machamp roared though more in frustration than pain from the move and turned to Lucario with both left fists coming for a punch, but Lucario had sensed them and leapt back doing a hand spring off the floor and backflipping in the air. However, that was where he'd made a mistake.
Lucario was in the air and high, too high he realized and Machamp was still on a knee. He just grinned and launched himself at Lucario as Lucario came down, using his powerful leg muscles to speed himself up as he reached Lucario in time to slam a shoulder into Lucario's gut and drive the air from his lungs. This was were Machamp's plan to use the ring to his advantage backfired a bit.
Because of the ring, Machamp could only shoulder check Lucario and send him back and into the nearest set of ropes rather than grab him in a tackle like he wanted. Had he done that he'd likely gone into the ropes at full speed and there was no telling what might happen then. That was why Machamp had to pull up and the short distance really didn't work for him.
Lucario flew into the ropes, and they stretched far with him on them before snapping him back. Neither Pokémon could really do much for what happened next as Lucario shot back faster than either could process before slammed into Machamp body to body. Machamp's greater weight and bulk stopped them from flying back and into the ropes, but they did go backwards as Machamp was briefly lifted off his feet by the impact before they slammed down and into the ring floor, bouncing off it as they did.
That was when Lucario bounced off Machamp and whether it was a lucky hit or planned he didn't know but Lucario bounced further up and off Machamp's chest. Machamp saw this and brought both his left arms to bear on Lucario and they connected, one to the side of his chest, the other to the side of his head.
The only thing that stopped Lucario from being knocked out cold was that Machamp couldn't put his all into the hit. Still, it was powerful enough to send Lucario flying to the side and into more ropes. This time though they only bent a bit before snapping back and depositing him and the ground near their base. With a paw, Lucario grabbed the ropes and quickly hauled himself to his feet to avoid a count while Machamp got up from the middle of the ring at the same time to face him.
Just as both Pokémon got to their feet and turned to each other it happen, the bell rang, and the crowd exploded in noise. The round was over, as was the battle. Both Pokémon were still standing, and after 10 seconds to make sure of that fact, the match was official over. It would now come down to the judges and Lucario finally opened his eyes feeling more drained then ever in his life, he could only keep that level of aura sense up for a round at best, so he was glad he'd waited until the end to use it.
"And that is it folks, despite all that happened in that bout, neither Pokémon was knocked out or even faced a count." The announcer said to the cheering crowd. "This one has gone the distance and it will now come to the judges so let's give them a moment to come to their final score."
The crowd fell silent as they waited. Ash and Misty just looked at their Pokémon as Machamp and Lucario looked at each other. They knew what was going to happen after this battle, it was just a matter of what the score would be.
"Pokémon to the center." A judge said and Machamp moved to the side and Lucario stepped forward so that both were near and in the center as the judge stood from where they were seated. "That was the most intense battle of the tournament so far, but it showed one thing, if you can withstand power and get good hits in then you can counter a Pokémon that is stronger then you. That was the case today as by a score of 31 to 14, the winner is Lucario."
"I think we all knew it when that match went the distance but that has confirmed it." The announcer said as the crowd cheered and Lucario and Machamp bowed to each other before returning to their trainers. "Despite taking the harder hits in that one, Lucario stuck in there to the end and thanks to more hits in the first two rounds it was able to ensure victory. Folks, your first finalist is Lucario!"
"You did great Machamp, I couldn't have asked for more." Misty said patting Machamp's head and giving him a special poffin for pure fighting types like him, just as sad at the loss as he was. "We really hit Lucario hard but he's tougher than he looks and stuck in there. We almost had it in the end, but we just missed it. I am sorry, I let you down."
"Machamp." Machamp said with a shake of his head, he'd been the one to fail Misty as he'd failed to end Lucario in the battle not her, she hadn't failed him. "Ma, Machamp."
"Thanks, we will take this and get stronger, I know it." Misty said with a smile. "Plus, it was fun but now you need a rest, we can get you healed during lunch and then we can watch the second semifinal."
"Machamp." Machamp said with a nod as Misty recalled him and hopped off the platform to meet up with Ash.
"You did it Lucario, despite the hits you took you won it." Ash said with a smile as he and Lucario fist bumped when he returned while Misty was consoling Machamp. "We are in the final!"
Lucario just barked in agreement at that. He had won, he'd avenged Conkeldurr and now he had a shot at the title, not just for himself but for his trainer as his team as well. He wasn't going to give that up and would win it no matter what.
"Take a break and we'll get you healed during lunch so you can watch the other match." Ash said. "No doubt Chesnaught and Poliwrath watched this one so we will watch theirs to see how they fight in it and who wins."
Lucario nodded in agreement at that, he needed to see who he'd face in the final. Only then could he know what he needed to do to win this tournament.
Ash then recalled Lucario and put his Poke Ball away before getting off the platform and seeing Misty there waiting for him. He smiled and walked towards his girlfriend.
"Looks like I won our fourth fight." Ash said with a grin as he reached her.
"Funny Ash, just like the last 3 times." Misty said holding out her hand and Ash shook it professionally. "But still, well done. You outlasted Machamp and used your mobility advantage to win it, just as you planned."
"Well, I knew that Lucario couldn't knock Machamp out short of a lot of power and Machamp wouldn't give us that opportunity." Ash said as he let go of her hand and they headed back to the stands to join their friends. "So, it had to be on points. If Lucario could do that and go the distance we'd win. Otherwise, you would have it by knockout."
"As I would expect." Misty said. "But let's get them healed up and have lunch before we see who you will be facing in the finals."
"Agreed." Ash said as they headed to the stands ready to rejoin their friends, get some food, heal Lucario and Machamp, and then watch to see who would win between Chesnaught and Poliwrath when the semifinals resumed.
-break-
"Well folks it's that time again, lunch is over, and the clock has struck the right time." The announcer said. "And you know what that means, it's time for our second epic semifinal to begin!"
The crowd cheered as Max stood in the wings calmly waiting with Chesnaught for their semifinal to start. The first one had been epic for sure and had gone the distance to no one's surprise. It had been an even, rounded, bout between two top tier fighting types as Machamp and Lucario went at it with brains and brawn but in the end only one could win and advance to the finals tomorrow.
That winner had been Lucario, not that Max had doubted that his friend and mentor would have lost for a third time in this competition. Even against Machamp and Misty, Ash pulled it out in the end and won on points to advance to the final. Now it was Max's turn and he fully intended on doing that so that he could face Ash in the final of this tournament and finally beat him.
His only obstacle was a fellow Hoenn trainer, one who was a fighting specialist, and his best fighting type in Poliwrath. Adam was as analytical as Max was from what he understood of the boy as this was their first meeting, he'd shown a bit of that when they'd met in the sweet sixteen and Max had won, which meant that he had the advantage now as he knew how Chesnaught fought while Max only had what he'd seen to go on with Poliwrath.
What he'd seen was not good though. Poliwrath was clearly Adam's hardest hitter, strongest in terns of raw power, and if what he'd heard from Emily was true it was his second Pokémon so first capture after his starter Makuhita which meant that they had a close bond. Add in that it was strong and had near endless stamina and Max was in for a tough match. However, he had a plan and fully intended to us it to win. He trusted Chesnaught and Chesnaught trusted him. They could and would do this.
"That means that it is time to introduce our other two semifinalists, who like the last two, met in the sweet sixteen of this tournament and like the other match, the trainer with only one Pokémon in that matchup won it." The announcer said as Max stepped out with Chesnaught and stood in the entranceway the way Ash had. "So, we will start with the Pokémon that had won that sweet sixteen matchup and its trainer. All the way from Petalburg City out in Hoenn, it's Max and his stellar Chesnaught who is the only Kalos fighting type left in the tournament."
The crowd cheered loudly at this as many were from Kalos, so they were rooting for their native fighting type and the light fell on Max and Chesnaught as they waved to the crowd. Max wasn't a big fan of the spotlight, but he knew that he'd have to deal with it now for the sake of the competition.
"Max is a standard, all around, trainer challenging the Kalos Gyms and has 4 badges to date on his path to the Kalos league this year." The announcer said. "A quarterfinalist in the Ever Grande Conference last year in his native Hoenn, Max is looking to improve on that this year and with a Chesnaught by his side I don't doubt it."
Max just adjusted his glasses as the crowd cheered and Chesnaught waved to them. This was all part of the tournament, so he put up with it, but he was more than eager to get to the ring to fight for his place in the final.
"Chesnaught is Max's only fighting type in Kalos and the only one he's entered but it's really shown his grit to get this far." The announcer continued. "Chesnaughts are rare fighting types in the sense that they actually have a really good defense and this Chesnaught showed that against Breloom and Pangoro in the opening two days before reminding us that it can fight as we'd expect in yesterday's epic showdown with Passimian. Now Chesnaught looks to be the 3rd of his kind, and Max the 3rd trainer of one, to reach the final but the other semifinalist will want to get there as well."
The crowd kept cheering as the light moved to the other side of the ring and Max knew that it was on Adam and his Poliwrath. It was almost over, he just had to listen to this into and then they could get this started.
"Up against Chesnaught is the other Pokémon in this tournament who has won all 3 of its matches by knockout and unlike Machamp will now look to win a 4th that way and avoid going the distance again, Poliwrath." The announcer said to the cheering crowd. "Poliwrath has really shown its strength this year with two quick first round knockouts to start the tournament, first against Emboar and then against the Hariyama who knocked out one of its teammates, followed by a second-round knockout of Hawlucha yesterday making Poliwrath the only Pokémon this year to not reach the third round of a bout. Can Poliwrath keep that up and become only the second of its kind to reach the final? We shall soon see."
"This got the crowd cheering again and Max could understand why. It likely wasn't common for a Pokémon to advance this far with that little fighting and hopefully that would help Max. it was all part of his strategy after all, and he fully intended on winning this bout.
"Of course, there is also Poliwrath's trainer to take into account for its success in the ring." The announcer continued. "Adam hails from Dewford Town out in Hoenn, yes this is an all Hoenn semifinal for the first time and was one of the few trainers to ever enter a full team of 6 Pokémon into the tournament, but then again he is an aspiring fighting specialist, so it makes sense for him to do so. 5 of those Pokémon won on the first day but only Poliwrath on the second and that one is still in so it is time to see if that is still the case as we move ever closer to finding out who will face Lucario in tomorrow's final."
That was the cue this time for Max and he and Chesnaught walked out knowing that Adam was doing the same with Poliwrath on the other side. Soon he was at the platform and he and his Pokémon climbed up onto it before Chesnaught climbed over the ropes, his back spikes meant he couldn't go through them, and into the ring.
Max saw Poliwrath go through the ropes and take a seat in his corner in front of Adam as Chesnaught did the same in front of him. The bell was moments away, but Max had the time for a few parting words to Chesnaught.
"Ok this one is going to be tough because Adam will have seen you fight before against Pangoro so knows what you can do." Max said to Chesnaught as he sat on his stool. "But there isn't much we can do about that. What we can do is go for defense again and use that to gage this Poliwrath. Same as before with Pangoro, hunker low on the ropes and defend."
"Chesnaught." Chesnaught said with a nod understanding what Max wanted and agreeing with him, it was the best way to assess his foe after all.
"There are a few things different though, so we need to bear them in mind." Max said. "The first being that Poliwrath is not going to go all out without a thought for strategy like Pangoro, they don't fight like that so it may be smarter than we expect. That is way we need to be low as we have a height advantage and Poliwrath might use its smaller size to get in below your guard which wouldn't be good. Then there is the fact that a Poliwrath has near endless stamina. That is what we will test in this round."
Chesnaught nodded at that. It was the best plan to start out and then after the first bell rang they could reassess and go from there.
"Good now go out there and win." Max said as the bell rang and Chesnaught got to his feet ready and willing to win this for Max and already moving as Poliwrath rose and began to quickly close on him.
Chesnaught barely managed to get into position in time, Poliwrath was a lot faster than he'd expected, but he made it and got into his defensive mode just as the Tadpole Pokémon reached him and began laying into him with heavy fists. What happened next was something that had never happened in the history of the Kalos Fighting Type Tournament.
For the next 2 minutes and 50 seconds, the amount of time remaining in the round by the time Poliwrath had thrown the first punch, the water and fighting type proceeded to pound on the Chesnaught's defense with a relentless and steady furry that never stopped or slowed for a second. The grass and fighting type just took it and the ropes held as the blows rained down on it but never broke his defense.
It was a lot and painful, but Chesnaught held out for the entire time. He knew he couldn't do it again and that his defenses was about a minute at most from breaking under Poliwrath's strength, and he couldn't counter as his opponent was not tiring in the slightest it seemed, but he also knew that Max would be ready for this.
He'd lasted as he had been instructed to and the bell rang to end the round to the murmur of a surprise from the crowd as Poliwrath stopped his attack and moved back looking like he hadn't broken a sweat and Chesnaught hurried back to his corner for a much-needed break.
"Well folks I believe that that has never happened before." The announcer said to the relatively quiet crowd. "A full 3-minute bout with no clean blows landed. It will be up to the judges of course but I do believe that no points were scored in that round. Chesnaught showed why it's armor can take a bomb blast as it held out against all Poliwrath had and Poliwrath never seemed to tire there showing its impressive stamina. I don't think it will work again but that was certainly something else and shows just how skilled a Pokémon has to be to get this far in the tournament."
"He's right we can't do that again." Max said as he gave Chesnaught some water. "You can hold out for much longer I think and that Poliwrath won't give you a chance to counter, it won't tire. That means that we are changing this up."
Chesnaught just nodded at that. He knew that his human would understand what was up and used the first round to assess the situation, adapt, and come up with a plan for the next round that would bring them victory in this fight.
"There are two things that you are known for, your defense and your tackle power." Max said. "And it is time we use the second one. So, this is what I want you to do. As soon as the bell rings…"
Chesnaught just listened and grinned to Max's plan. It was a good one and he knew that it could work. It would certainly change things up in a way that his opponent wouldn't expect, and it would give him an edge. All he could do now was listen and smile as he looked at Poliwrath who was getting his own advice from his trainer and prepare for the bell to ring.
That ring came a few seconds later and at once Chesnaught was on his feet and he charged forward as fast as he could in a complete reversal of what he'd done in the prior round. Poliwrath seemed unfazed though as he was coming out hard just like before and now the fight was coming to him, so he didn't mind the change at all.
Of course, Chesnaught had his own plans and as he closed in he lowered his shoulder and got ready. He was taller than Poliwrath by about a foot or so, but he had lowered so that his right shoulder was in position. As he did he saw Poliwrath telegraph a punch with his right fist and got ready. It would come down to timing to win this and Chesnaught intended to be the one with the right timing.
As the punch came in, Chesnaught got his left arm up and took the blow on the armor there, deflecting it away with ease just as his right shoulder slammed into Poliwrath's chest and drove the Kanto Pokémon back from the force of it. He then wrapped his arms around Poliwrath's waist and as he was moving he picked up his opponent and drove him down and into the floor, landing on him in a full body press as hard as possible.
Chesnaught knew that he had to get off Poliwrath and used the slight bounce of the floor to do so as he righted himself in the air. That was when things went wrong for Chesnaught.
Poliwrath used the moment that Chesnaught bounced off him, while he was in the air and unprotected, to punch up as hard as he could from the ground and slammed his right fist into Chesnaught's face. The blow sent Chesnaught up and into the air completely dazed from it and from there Poliwrath didn't let up.
The Tadpole Pokémon got to his feet and punched Chesnaught again as he came down, hitting him hard enough in the stomach to drive the air from his lungs and blast Chesnaught into the far ropes. That wasn't were it ended though, Poliwrath was not happy with the defense from earlier and was going to make up for it now.
Poliwrath followed the punch by closing the distance on Chesnaught as the Spiny Armor Pokémon hit the ropes and began to stretch them. The moment he was in position, just as Chesnaught was snapping back, he braced himself and crossed his arms over chest and lent forward slightly. It was similar in a lot of ways to how Machamp had stopped Blaziken the day before only closer and not using his chest.
Chesnaught saw this as he was being snapped back but because of how close Poliwrath was he couldn't fully prepare and was shot into the other Pokémon. That was when Poliwrath being made od almost pure muscle showed as he took the hit and only slid back a few feet before he uncrossed his arms and threw Chesnaught back and onto the ropes with his strength just like the round before. The only difference was that Chesnaught wasn't in a braced, defensive position.
Poliwrath used that by going in with a right hook that Chesnaught saw and raised his left arm to block but that was just a feint for a left jab that took Chesnaught in the gut. That was it for the Kalos Pokémon as his guard and defense were broken and Poliwrath just unleashed a flurry of punches to his face and torso from the position he was in as he made up for the round before when all his blows were blocked.
It only lasted a minute before Poliwrath backed up knowing that anymore and he might be penalized for excessive force and that could mean disqualification if he wasn't careful. That and he knew that his attack had been enough.
So too did Chesnaught as he knew he had no strength after such an onslaught, and he fell face first into the ring floor and lay there unable to move and barely conscious from the barrage of punches he'd just taken. He had failed Max, he knew it, but that Poliwrath was just too strong offensively and he didn't have the mobility to beat it this time. As unconsciousness took Chesnaught, he swore to get stronger so as to not let Max down again.
"…9, 10. That is it." The judge conducting the count, with the crowd having joined in, said and the crowd exploded and the bell on the timer went off a second after that to show how close to the end of the round it was. "Chesnaught has been knocked out. The winner is Poliwrath."
"What an ending there, after a defense heavy first round, we see the offense both Pokémon have in the second and Poliwrath comes out on top to advance to the final!" The announcer said. "And by a knockout no less making Poliwrath just the 6th Pokémon to reach the final without going the distance and only the 3rd to do so without reaching the third round. This will be interesting but as we saw earlier, Lucario doesn't care about that and went the distance with Machamp, so this final is anyone's game. Folks, we have our finalists who will face off tomorrow morning. The final of the 23rd annual Kalos Fighting Type Tournament will be Lucario verses Poliwrath!"
The jumbotron changed to show half with a full body shot of Lucario in a fighting stance and the other half with Poliwrath in a solid stance with both fist raised as a big VS appeared between them. Max didn't care though as he recalled Chesnaught after the loss.
"That was tough Chesnaught, I thought we had that, but I made a mistake there I think." Max said. "We will go over this and get better, I promise. Take a much-needed rest, we'll be supporting Lucario in the final for sure."
With that Max put the Poke Ball away and hopped off the platform to head over to Adam and congratulate him on the win. It had been a good battle and it was a shame that he wouldn't get to face Ash, but Max was glad he'd gotten this far and after that battle he knew one thing, the final was going to be epic.
-break-
Lucario looked down on the arena from his seat in the stands and at the victorious Poliwrath there. As he did Poliwrath turned and looked up at him and they locked gazes. They knew what was coming tomorrow.
They were all that was left in this competition and tomorrow they would go at it to decide who won the tournament. Lucario couldn't wait and held Poliwrath's gaze as the noise around them died out. One more day and then the Kalos Fighting Type Tournament would have its winner. Would it be Lucario or Poliwrath?
