Going into her quarterfinal matchup against Clay, everyone had more or less written Asuka off. Her first-round bout spelled it out pretty clearly: she wasn't herself. If she'd come that close to losing to Cilan, her mind was clearly somewhere other than Striaton... that, combined with a type disadvantage against Driftveil's Ground-type gym leader, led to many seeing the battle as nothing more than a formality before her veteran opponent moved on to the semifinals.
Unfortunately for gambling addicts all across Unova, that... wasn't what had happened. Not even close.
She could've let her initial showing continue to demoralize her, but when Asuka had emerged from the tunnel before her next battle, she did so with a rejuvenated fire burning within her. Using several strategies Rei helped her craft to perfection in their training sessions, the redhead stunned just about everyone with a dominating performance in the 3-on-3 matchup - Chandelure's Energy Ball felled his Seismitoad in a single hit, and neither his Krookodile or Excadrill had managed to keep up with Blaziken's freakish blend of speed and power. Darmanitan, meanwhile, barely needed to lift a finger.
The shocking upset - well, shocking to most - gave Asuka a semifinal date with Aspertia's newly-minted gym leader Cheren, himself one of the surprise success stories of the tourney. With neither of their specialty types possessing a clear advantage over the other, the battle was a tight, competitive affair, with the Normal-type specialist even managing to take out Blaziken early on thanks to his Bouffalant's Earthquake. Not even losing her ace was enough to extinguish Asuka, though; thanks in large part to Chandelure's immunities, she still managed to prevail and move on to the finals.
The Monotype Shootout finals, she thought to herself, staring up at the ceiling of her locker room. One of Unova's most prestigious and storied tournaments... and she was in the finals. It seemed so surreal.
"...Guess all that's left to do is to win it, huh?"
Admittedly, that was a pretty tall order. This was going to be the single biggest battle of her career by far, and she could already feel the pressure building around her well before match time. On top of that, there was her opponent... someone who knew Asuka very well, and who'd managed to conquer each of her prior three opponents with very little issue.
She wasn't about to start doubting herself again, though.
Asuka glanced down at her phone; it was just about time. Rising from the bench, she double-checked her belt to make sure all of her Pokemon were on hand before grabbing the black leather trenchcoat hanging in one of the lockers.
Once she'd thrown it on, the redhead made her way to the door, looking into her own reflection's blazing blue gaze in its mirror. She brought a hand to her neck, resting her fingers upon the Key Stone embedded into her choker. "And we're going to win... I'm not about to let Mom down."
With a determined nod, Asuka reached for the handle and swung the door open... to find Rei standing right on the other side, her arm still raised and about to knock.
Asuka blinked. "Uh... what's up, Wonder Girl?"
Good thing the door swings the other way.
Rei hesitated for a moment before letting her arm drop back down. "I-it's, erm... nothing important," she stammered, somewhat flustered. "I... merely wanted to wish you good luck."
"Oh, that's it? Well, uh... hey, thanks." Asuka paused, her eyes wandering upward as she seemed to ponder something, then let out a sigh. "Sorry if that sounded half-hearted or anythin'... it's just... a lot of nerves, y'know? This is my first major tournament final, and-"
"Am I... being a distraction again?"
"Distraction? What're you talking about?"
Asuka reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, an action that immediately prompted Rei's heart to start racing. For whatever reason, though... the urge to pull away wasn't nearly as strong as it usually was.
"Rei, I wouldn't have gotten out of the quarterfinals if it weren't for you," the redhead continued, giving her a reassuring smile. "That sparring session we had really helped me straighten things out, and... I'm glad you even agreed to it, y'know? Like... after what I said on the ride here..."
"I am... grateful that you asked," answered Rei, her nerves melting away. "I had wanted to ask if I could help, but I had... assumed you were upset with me."
"It wasn't... well, I mean... I guess I was for a bit. You just... weren't the right person to be upset with. If that makes sense."
Rei gave an understanding nod. "It does, yes." She couldn't deny she was curious as to who that right person was, if not her father, but... again, a topic best saved for another time. Besides, there was something else on her mind. "Before you head out there, there was... another thing I wanted to ask you."
"Yeah, sure, go ahead! I've gotta get to the tunnel, though, so walk with me." Gesturing for Rei to follow along, Asuka began making her way down the corridor, her trenchcoat flowing a bit behind her as she confidently marched ahead.
Rei followed shortly behind, albeit after taking a couple seconds to admire how... dramatic Asuka came off as. Her dark, industrial ensemble gave her the aura of a fearless antihero, almost a perfect parallel to her opponent - and now with her confidence fully reinvigorated, she had the spirit to match.
...Ask the question, Rei.
"Asuka, do you plan on... Mega Evolving your Blaziken in this battle?"
...That was a very good question, actually.
"Honestly, Rei, I'm... I don't know." Asuka brought a hand to her Key Stone again, tapping an inferno-red fingernail against it. "I might... but... it's a double-edged sword, y'know?"
Rei seemed puzzled. "Double-edged sword?" she echoed, tilting her head. "Forgive me, I still... lack experience with the art, but... is there no reason not to? It'll make Blaziken stronger, won't it?"
There was little doubt about that. Anyone who'd seen what Asuka's Blaziken could do in his Mega form would probably make it a point to stay on her good side at all costs. However...
"It's not that simple. I mean, first of all, performing it takes a ton outta you, and if you're not careful you can straight-up pass out. Aside from that, though... okay, y'know how you and your Pokemon have, like, this super-heightened understanding of each other while they're Mega Evolved?"
"Yes," Rei curtly replied; she reached into her bag for one of her Dusk Balls, examining it. "Is it a sensation of... having thoughts in your head that aren't yours?"
"...Not... exactly, but it's kinda the same idea." Is she speaking from experience? "Anyway, that, uh... mental link... if it's strong enough, then you start to... feel what your Pokemon's feeling, you get me?"
"...So... you experience the same pain."
"Exactly. And because Blaziken and I are so close..."
"...I'm beginning to understand what you mean." A worried expression had begun to overtake Rei's face. "Asuka, if you do not feel comfortable with performing it, then... please, do not push yourself."
Oh, she absolutely didn't feel comfortable with it. The sheer stress of Mega Evolution, combined with the pressure of the situation weighing down on her like a Golurk's Heavy Slam... that could very well end with her collapsing right there on the battlefield, live for all of Unova to see. But if she did end up with her back against the wall...
"With any luck, there'll be no need for it."
As the tunnel heading towards the battlefield came into view, a pair of tournament officials approached Asuka and Rei. "Ms. Soryu, congratulations on making it this far," one of them greeted, extending his hand.
"Vielen Dank," she chimed, accepting the handshake. "How much longer until I head out there?"
"If everything's in order on your end, we can get started in a couple minutes."
"Well, I'm all set." The official nodded toward his partner, who brought a finger to his earpiece as he walked off, relaying the info to... some higher-ups Asuka didn't really know. The one who remained beckoned for Asuka to follow him towards the tunnel, but she raised a finger.
"One sec, I'll be right there." With that, she turned to face Rei. "Hey, before I head out... again, if you weren't here, this wouldn't be happening. I... really, really owe you one, Wonder Girl."
Rei smiled - and from what Asuka had seen, this was the first one that could be called a proper smile. "It means a lot to hear that... good luck, Asuka. No matter the outcome, I... will be here when it's over."
"Oh, please. We both know you'll be runnin' out there."
Leaving Rei with a playful wink and shoulder jab, Asuka followed the official, the steps of her heavy boots echoing as she entered the tunnel. It was almost time... all she had to do now was wait for her music to hit.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is a 6-on-6 full battle, and will determine the champion of the 29th annual Monotype Shootout!"
The raucous crowd of nearly 70,000 packed into Striaton Stadium roared in delight, anticipation building with each passing second. After a pause to allow the cheers to die down, the announcer continued, "This matchup is a true clash of Unova's present versus its future... we've seen these two trainers battle one another before, but the stakes have never been as high as they are right now! So, without any further ado, please welcome our first finalist!"
As he gestured towards the west end of the battlefield, the stadium's speakers crackled to life with a pounding, high-energy industrial metal track. Flashing red and orange lights shone on the entrance ramp and into the tunnel, and the crowd once again came alive as a certain black-clad figure emerged.
"Hailing from Nimbasa, specializing in the Fire type, and making her first-ever major tournament final, please welcome... Asuka! Langley! Soooryuuu!"
Asuka emerged from a cloud of smoke masking the tunnel exit and stepped out onto the ramp, surveying the stadium before her with a confident grin. She would've had to have been deaf to not hear the crowd chanting her name - something they definitely hadn't been doing back in the first round. That seemed like an eternity ago by now... and if the fans were getting behind her, she saw no reason not to indulge them.
She took a couple more steps before crouching down, dropping her head so her blazing red hair fell over her face; as she did, her entrance theme built up all throughout its first verse before bursting into the chorus. That was when Asuka shot back up, holding her arms high with her hands forming devil horns - and at the exact same moment, jets of fire shot up all around her to create a searing spectacle. The crowd, of course, loved it.
As the flames dissipated, Asuka continued forward, shedding her trenchcoat as she stepped into her trainer's box. She began to debate which member of her team to send out first as her music, too, began to fade out... if her suspicions were correct, starting the battle with a mindset of "attack, attack, attack" would only work to her detriment. After all, there was one strategy she knew her opponent loved to use.
And speaking of her opponent...
The deafening roar that emanated from the crowd when Asuka's opponent's theme hit dwarfed that of her own reception - and in all honesty, she didn't blame them. Sure, she was a rising star, a Cinderella story... but it was hard to truly shine in the presence of a proper superstar.
"Also hailing from Nimbasa and presiding as its gym leader, the Electric-type master with a whopping three Monotype Shootout victories to her name, ladies and gentlemen... Elesa! Pooowerrrs!"
Once the multicolored smoke masking the east entrance ramp faded, Asuka found herself staring down none other than Elesa, down on her knees with her fluorescent coat wrapped around her like a cocoon of electricity. With the flair befitting her status as an internationally-known supermodel, Asuka's mentor hurled the coat away as she struck a pose on one knee, timed perfectly with the theatrical Thunderbolts fired off by a pair of Electric-types just out of sight.
Elesa then rose to her feet and sauntered into her own trainer's box, spinning a Quick Ball that perfectly complimented her blue-and-yellow ensemble on her finger. Asuka, meanwhile, had already made her own pick; as she awaited the announcer's call to start the battle, she lobbed one of her Timer Balls up and down, her gaze remaining locked on Elesa. Separated from her protege by about eighty yards, the gym leader merely gave a good-luck wink.
This is it... let's go, Asuka.
"The timer is set for thirty minutes!" the announcer boomed. "Let the Monotype Shootout finals... begin!"
"Houndoom, burn it down!" Asuka and Elesa hurled their balls in stereo, revealing their lead Pokemon to the audience and each other. Out of Asuka's emerged her Houndoom; a foreboding presence, the hellhound menacingly howled upon hitting the battlefield, blowing a large puff of smoke into the air.
Elesa, on the other hand, opened with a Pokemon many were likely surprised to see she'd even brought - Galvantula. Once released from their ball, the arachnid skittered forward, showing no fear of the demonic Fire-type their six eyes were staring down.
Immediately, Asuka knew why her mentor had led with Galvantula - Sticky Web. Despite her specialty type suggesting otherwise, not many members of Elesa's team were particularly fast... however, if Galvantula were able to spray their sticky silk over the battlefield, those slower threats would be able to keep pace. Asuka, of course, was very familiar with their devastating power; she couldn't let her Pokemon get outsped, too.
Fortunately, she had the perfect counter in mind.
"Use Taunt!" Once given the command, Houndoom lowered his curved horns and directed a malevolent snarl at his opponent, stomping a paw against the ground like a Bouffalant seeing red. At the other end of the battlefield, Elesa tried to call for Sticky Web, but it was too late - goaded on by the Dark-type, Galvantula flew into a rage, letting out angry hissing noises as they unleashed a wicked bolt of electricity from their abdomen. Asuka didn't even need to call for Houndoom to dodge; just as the Thunder came crashing down, he rolled to the left, remaining unharmed.
Asuka's flame-red lips curled into a smirk. "Perfect! Now fry 'em - Feuersturm!" The hellhound threw his head back, then forward, responding with a massive stream of devilish flames from his maw. Galvantula's attempt to evade failed, as the Fire Blast came at them far too quickly and completely consumed the bug. Ultimately, the blaze subsided to show the overwhelmed Galvantula struggling to charge up a counterattack before collapsing.
"And just like that, Galvantula has been taken out by a huge Fire Blast!" the announcer bellowed to the raucous crowd as Galvantula's portrait on the jumbotron was crossed out. "Asuka takes an early 6-5 lead with 28:37 remaining!"
Houndoom howled again as Asuka crossed her arms, staring down Elesa from across the field. The supermodel's wide-eyed reaction soon gave way to a chuckle as she shook her head in a very "should've-known-better" way, then reached for a second Quick Ball and lobbed it onto the field. Out of it popped her Luxray, who instantly charged towards Houndoom with vengeance on their mind.
Starting with the upper hand... we can absolutely win this. I knowwe can.
In a skybox situated high above the battlefield, Rei - with Zee by her side - watched as the action unfolded down below. After eliminating Galvantula, Asuka had gotten Houndoom to create some distance between himself and Elesa's Luxray, buying time for the hellhound to power up his offense even more with a Nasty Plot.
"...This has to be just about the best start she could've asked for." Turning to Zee, Rei seemed quite pleased, wearing a small smile on her face. "Things look promising, wouldn't you say, Zee?" Her virtual companion happily nodded, chirping out a few upbeat beeps. Plus, I have to say... I'm a big fan of her entrance theme.
Just as she started to refocus on the battle, though, a voice calling out to her caught Rei's attention. "Excuse me? You wouldn't happen to be Miss Soryu's partner, wouldn't you?"
Rei snapped back around to face the voice's owner, and she would've had to have been numb not to feel her face burning up. "Erm... 'p-partner' is not the word I... would have used, but... that is correct," she hesitantly answered, giving Zee a side-eyed glare as he mimed giggling.
The first thing that jumped out about the bespectacled man who'd approached her was his hair - specifically, the practical halo of sky-blue that seemed to defy gravity as it orbited the neatly-combed blonde portion. Aside from that, his clothing suggested some sort of researcher - a pristine white lab coat over mostly-black attire.
"Ah, forgive me if that's too strong a term," he apologized with a polite grin, extending a gloved hand towards Rei. "I must say, the performances her and her Pokemon have been putting on since the first round have been nothing short of impressive... it's a shame we were on opposite sides of the bracket."
Rei stared at his hand for a moment, hesitant to take it. Something about this man seemed familiar, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly why... until he mentioned being in the tournament. "...You were Elesa's opponent in the semifinals, were you not? You were using Steel-types."
"That's correct! Makes it all the more impressive how well Miss Soryu has done so far... though, she really should be careful with this one."
As the man gestured out the window, Rei turned to see Elesa had sent out her Eelektross - a Pokemon that Rei had heard plenty of stories about, from its complete lack of weaknesses to its vast attacking arsenal. Seeing the hulking electric eel for herself, the reputation seemed well-earned - especially once it barreled straight into Asuka's Houndoom with a Wild Charge that sent the Dark-type tumbling back several yards.
"Really, I thought I had her figured out until I had to deal with it," the man continued, shaking his head. "How wrong I was... but what an impressive specimen."
"...Specimen?" Rei tilted her head, and Zee did the same with a curious beep.
"Ah, right, I should explain... my name is Colress. I entered this tournament to further my research... I'm attempting to figure out the best way to extract as much power from Pokemon as possible."
The man - Colress, apparently - turned his attention towards Zee, holding up the tablet he'd been carrying as he pointed the camera towards the virtual Pokemon. "Hmm... oh, this is interesting... your Porygon-Z seems to have significantly more special attacking prowess than a stock model! This is very impressive, if you've done this yourself..."
Rei grimaced; using such demeaning terms as "model" when referring to Zee, or any Porygon species, never sat right with her. "I did, yes... a-all of his modifications were done with his permission, of course." Zee backed her up with an affirmative beep.
"That's good to know... myself, I have a Porygon2, and I've done the work to integrate an Eviolite directly into its code. Actually, come to think of it... well, what is your name, if I may ask?"
"...Rei. Rei Ayanami."
"I see, I see... one moment..." Rei watched as Colress tapped something into his tablet's keyboard; she assumed he was looking up her trainer profile, and when he spoke up again, her assumptions were confirmed. "Hm! Not only a Porygon-series model, but a Magnezone, Beheeyem... even a Rotom! To think we share so many of the same species... and not only that, but you seem to have completed the Sinnoh gym challenge, too. I must say, Miss Ayanami, you are a very intriguing trainer!"
"Um... t-thank you," she mumbled, gripping one of Zee's arms and tugging him a bit closer. "If you don't mind, erm, Colress, I would... like to focus on the battle for the time being."
"Ah, right, of course... my apologies for taking up so much of your time." Storing his tablet away in a particularly large coat pocket, Colress glanced down at the battlefield again, with Rei doing so as well; Elesa's Eelektross seemed as fresh as it was upon being sent out, with Asuka's Darmanitan clearly struggling against it. "Like I said... that Eelektross is a frightening foe. For your sake, I hope Miss Soryu figures out a way to handle it."
"...So do I."
"Mm, I have a feeling she has it in her. Anyway! I'll leave you alone now; nice meeting you, Miss Ayanami." With a small bow, Colress began to walk away, passing by all of the other occupants of the skybox as he went straight for the door.
As interesting as he seemed, Rei would've been lying if she said she wasn't relieved he was gone.
Now alone with Zee once more, she could continue watching the battle... though, at this point, she was starting to debate if it was worth it. What had been a 5-3 lead for Asuka not very long ago had spiraled into a 3-3 tie once Elesa sent out her Eelektross... and from the looks of things, Darmanitan wouldn't last much longer.
Rei knew how much this battle meant to Asuka. She didn't want to see it slip away from her in such heart-rending fashion.
"Come on, Darmanitan, take this thing out already! Flammenblitz!"
The scarlet simian smashed his fists against the battlefield as a veil of flames overtook his body, and promptly charged ahead with reckless abandon. His target, however, remained a step ahead; just as Darmanitan braced for impact, Elesa's Eelektross maneuvered out of the Flare Blitz's line of fire and sent the Fire-type careening forward into a whole lot of nothing.
The Fire-type struggled to pull himself up, and by the time he did, Eelektross was more than prepared. Any hope Darmanitan had of pulling off another Flare Blitz was snuffed out when the electric eel coiled itself around him, squeezing tight and beginning to charge up another finishing blow.
"Let's go, you can fight out of this!" Asuka barked out, not entirely believing what she was saying. She'd just had a two-Pokemon advantage a few minutes ago... how the hell did that fizzle out so fast?! How was she this unprepared for her mentor's heavy hitters?
Doing his best to escape the corner he'd been backed into, Darmanitan managed to wrestle one arm free from Eelektross' crushing bind, raising it high with the intention of freeing himself with a brutal Hammer Arm... but it was too late. Before he could bring his fist down, Eelektross let loose with a violent discharge of electricity - and with Darmanitan trapped right in the middle, he stood no chance.
As the crowd roared once more, the announcer took to the mic - as if the result weren't already clear. "And with that devastating Discharge, Darmanitan is down! With just 4:56 left, Elesa has clawed her way back to take a 3-2 lead!"
"...You did what you could," Asuka muttered as she returned Darmanitan to his ball. She hated this. She could feel her victory slipping further and further away with each passing elimination - to the one opponent she knew inside and out - and she couldn't take it anymore. Now, staring down a relentless threat with no weaknesses whatsoever to exploit, she only had two more of her Pokemon to fall back on.
The first, her Magmortar, was the safe choice... but Asuka wasn't sure if he'd be able to stand up to the blinding speed of Elesa's Zebstrika, which she knew her mentor had waiting in the wings. Besides, he'd have to get through Eelektross first, and asking him to get out of that matchup relatively unscathed was a tall order.
Alternatively... she could go for broke with Blaziken.
The pressure of the situation was really starting to weigh down on Asuka, and she could only imagine how bad the added stress from Mega Evolution would exacerbate it... but at this point, it seemed like her best bet. After all, Blaziken hit like a truck in his Mega form, and Speed Boost would help him keep pace with Zebstrika. She just had to make sure he - and, by extension, she - took as few attacks as possible.
Plus... Rei was up there watching her, wasn't she? Asuka couldn't stomach the thought of letting her down after coming all this way.
And so, with less than five minutes to work with, Asuka grabbed her ace's ball and hurled it forward. "Jetzt oder nie, Blaziken!"
In a flash of red energy, Blaziken took the battlefield, cracking his neck as he stared down the Eelektross that had bowled over half of his teammates. The electric eel didn't seem too happy about that little gesture - and apparently, neither did Elesa, as Asuka managed to just barely make out her mentor's call for an Aqua Tail.
"Here it comes!" Sure enough, Eelektross came in swinging with their lower half cloaked in rushing water - and Blaziken sprung into action, leaping up into the air just before the vicious attack made contact.
Instead of following up with a counterattack, however, Blaziken simply touched down back onto the battlefield, facing away from his opponent. This time, Eelektross thrust forward, cloaked in sparks... but before their Wild Charge could make contact, he suddenly turned, intercepting it with a lightning-quick spinning heel kick.
As the electric eel was sent tumbling backwards, Blaziken backed away, coming as close to his trainer's box as he could. Asuka didn't even need to ask if he was ready; the burning determination in the Fire-type's eyes spelled things out for her pretty clearly.
Asuka dramatically threw her head back, exposing her choker and the Key Stone within for a moment before grasping at her neck with both hands. From beneath her faux-choking gesture, a brilliant light began to pulse through her fingers... while a similar glow shone through the tuft of feathers covering Blaziken's chest. The crowd, knowing exactly what this meant, promptly erupted.
Surrounded by a blinding rainbow-colored aura, Blaziken swiftly changed forms before the entire stadium's eyes. Yellow feathers gave way to black, the crest on his head grew into a horn, and - most strikingly - long streams of flame flowed from his wrists.
Already, Asuka could feel the impact of the Mega Evolution bond as her heart began racing. That wasn't where her concern lied, though - to her and Blaziken, everything hinged on taking down Eelektross in the next four minutes and change.
"Alright, Swords Dance!" At his trainer's command, Blaziken began to focus on boosting his attack power to unprecedented levels, aggressively shadow boxing as Elesa's Eelektross gathered their bearings. The flames sprouting from his wrists flared even brighter as he did - which, again, the eel seemed to take offense to. Asuka, meanwhile, just grinned at the knowledge that Speed Boost had kicked in.
The sound of crackling electricity told her that Elesa's strategy had shifted, now focusing on long-range offense - and the Thunderbolt that Eelektross unleashed shortly after confirmed it. In response, Asuka simply held out her left arm; with unbelievable quickness, Blaziken immediately rolled to the left as the lightning harmlessly struck the spot he'd just stood in. The two were in perfect sync - their mental link had grown so strong, any orders given out by the redhead from that point on were merely a formality.
Blaziken lunged forward, knowing exactly what his trainer wanted to see - Close Combat. Acting hastily, his adversary fired off a second electric attack that the blazing fowl steamrolled right through before beginning to unload with a series of punches, knees, and elbow strikes.
As he did, though, Asuka suddenly grit her teeth while dropping to one knee. "Scheiße!" While Blaziken might have powered through Eelektross' desperation attack, she felt a sudden shock surge through her body. Gottverdammt, this is exactly what I was worried about... we've gotta make this quick...
Blaziken capped off his flurry of offense with a devastating roundhouse kick to send Eelektross spiraling, then quickly backed away before he could get caught by a counterattack with his guard down. As his wrists flared up again, Asuka's blood pumped even faster - but she wasn't going to let up. "Feuerfeger!"
As the Fire-type readied himself to deliver the finishing blow, Eelektross attempted to spoil the party with another electric attack... but this one was different. Far from the unsophisticated, yet destructive sparks Asuka had grown accustomed to, this one seemed to take on a proper form. And that form looked... eerily similar to a spiderweb.
Again, Blaziken found himself with far too much momentum to stop in time, and let out a pained screech as the Electroweb wrapped him up before filling him with thousands of volts. He wasn't the only one to make his pain known, either - Asuka echoed her ace's cry as she dropped to both knees, barely able to move, her heart feeling like it was about to combust.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the referee hesitantly reaching for his red flag - he threw that, and it was over. And she was not going to let it end that way.
"COME ON!" the redhead screamed, watching as Eelektross surged ahead for one last Wild Charge. Blaziken barely responded, still entangled in the Electroweb as Eelektross closed in...
...but just when all hope seemed lost, a veil of flames cloaked his right leg. With one swift motion, the webs trapping Blaziken broke apart effortlessly - and just as Eelektross ducked their head and braced for impact, they were instead met by Blaziken's burning talon smashing directly into the side of their skull.
The electric eel violently bounced off the ground multiple times as they tumbled towards Elesa - and when they finally came to a stop, it didn't look like they were about to get up.
The announcer's voice was music to Asuka's ears. "With just sixteen seconds left... we are TIED! Get ready, because we're practically guaranteed to be heading to overtime!"
Of course, that didn't mean their work was done. There was still one final hurdle to overcome.
Blaziken, down on one knee and trying to gather himself, looked up from the battlefield to find himself staring down a ferocious equine with a mane as jagged as a thunderbolt - Elesa's Zebstrika. And she was barreling straight towards him, thunderclap-esque hoofbeats accompanying each gallop.
Just as with Eelektross, though, Blaziken suddenly sprung up at the last moment - seemingly out of sheer willpower - and delivered a desperate superkick to Zebstrika's chin. As the crowd swelled once more, a buzzer rang out throughout the stadium - the 30 minute time limit was up.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached the end of regulation, and we have a 2-2 tie!" proclaimed the announcer as both Pokemon slowly rose to their feet. "Therefore, this match will be decided by sudden death overtime! There will be no switches, and whoever scores the first knockout will be the winner!"
Everything had been building to this. When Asuka had first emerged from the tunnel for her opening matchup, the idea that she'd even make the finals seemed laughable, let alone being in a position to actually win . The Mega Evolution bond was taking its toll on her, and both her and Blaziken were exhausted... but they were so close. They were so close to the sweetest victory they'd ever tasted.
They had to win. For Rei. And especially for Mom.
Zebstrika would be the first to recover, and immediately came charging at Blaziken again - this time cloaked in flames. The zebra was already blindingly fast, but after Blaziken had accrued so many Speed Boosts, Flame Charge was the only way she could even hope to match his pace.
"Take it!" Asuka snarled; the small amount of damage they'd take was worth it to get up close with Zebstrika. As such, both she and Blaziken braced themselves as Elesa's ace tackled the fowl to the ground - and almost immediately, he drove an elbow into Zebstrika's head, then rolled over to apply a punishing crossface hold.
The Electric-type whinnied defiantly as she tried to charge up an attack that'd break the hold, but each time Blaziken heard sparks, he wrenched the neck back even more aggressively. Even as Zebstrika thrashed around, he still managed to keep the hold cinched in... until, for what would be the final time, the flames from his wrists flared even stronger. Right in Zebstrika's face.
Once Blaziken released the hold, his opponent blindly galloped around, smoke and soot filling her eyes - leaving her completely vulnerable to one final strike. He already knew what his trainer wanted to see, and Asuka was more than ready to put this battle in the books. Finish this, Blaziken.
The fowl marched up to Zebstrika, and despite the sheer exhaustion weighing him down, managed to effortlessly hoist the zebra up onto his shoulders. Once Asuka gave him the signal, he wildly hurled Zebstrika several feet into the air with a picturesque Seismic Toss... and when she came hurtling back down...
"HIGH JUMP KICK!"
Blaziken leaped into the sky himself, thrusting his knee forward and driving it straight into Zebstrika's chest. Swinging his shin forward sent her flying towards Elesa, doing several backflips before ultimately crash-landing right in front of her trainer's box.
The outcome wasn't really in doubt; when Blaziken landed, instead of keeping his focus on Zebstrika, he instead turned towards the referee - who, to a positively thunderous ovation from the crowd, hurled his red flag towards Elesa's side of the field to make it official.
"Ladies and gentlemen, your winner by a 2-1 overtime decision, and the champion of the 29th annual Monotype Shootout... Asuka! Langley! SOOORYUUU!"
She'd done it. She may have had to endure a gut-wrenching collapse in the process, and she felt like she was about to die... but who cared? Not her.
Asuka Langley Soryu had just won her first major tournament.
She stepped out onto the singed battlefield, making her way towards Blaziken, and fell right into his arms as the Mega Evolution bond petered out. "B-Blaziken, I... scheiße... I'm so goddamn proud of you..." she muttered, only standing thanks to the Fire-type's embrace.
Eventually, Asuka worked up the strength to pull away from Blaziken and return him to his ball for a well-earned rest - just in time for the announcer to approach her. In his hands was the prize: a gorgeous championship belt, adorned with the symbols that represented each of the eighteen types all orbiting around a map of Unova.
Taking it without hesitation, the redhead hoisted her prize high in the air, soundtracked by the fervent support of the tens of thousands in the stands. Hundreds of cameras flashed all at once, but she didn't pay any attention to them. Instead, Asuka focused on one skybox in particular, one way up above everything else...
...and just barely, she could make out Rei, eagerly applauding with an even bigger smile than the one she'd given her before.
It was the happiest she'd ever seen her. And in that moment, Asuka was the happiest she'd ever been.