The sun crested above the horizon, casting long golden beams across the towers of the Indigo Plateau. Flags flapped lazily in the breeze above the grand stadium. Inside, the crowd was already buzzing, packed wall-to-wall with spectators. This wasn't just any battle.
It was the quarterfinal bout—Theo Ketchum of Pallet Town versus Drake, the charismatic representative and figurehead of the Orange Islands League.
In the Prep Room
Theo lounged back in one of the chairs in the trainer's prep zone, legs crossed, munching on a rice cracker he'd gotten from the snack station. His team was sprawled around him—Dadan snoozing peacefully, Nunnally perched in the corner near a water cooler humming a tune, and Roy, his shiny Arcanine, curled up by the open window, tongue lolling.
He glanced at the clock.
"Ten more minutes," he said to no one in particular, then stretched. "Good time for a nap."
Roy growled softly.
"Oh, don't give me that. You're the one who started snoring first."
A knock came on the prep room door.
"Trainer Theo Ketchum," a league official called, "you're being summoned to the waiting zone."
Theo stood, dusted off his coat, and cracked his knuckles. "Well, guess it's showtime."
Dadan looked up and tilted her head.
"No, no, no—no serious faces," Theo smirked.
In the Opposing Room – Drake
Drake was adjusting his bandana in the mirror, whistling to himself. The walls of his prep room were decorated with memorabilia—Orange League banners, a photo of him surfing with a Snorlax (somehow), and his signature wooden ship wheel mounted behind his chair.
His Gengar floated behind him, wearing a matching bandana.
"Ready, boys?" Drake asked his team, who gave varying nods, sparks, or ghostly giggles.
The Arena – Entrance and Introduction
The Indigo Arena roared to life as both competitors made their way to the field from opposite ends.
From the left tunnel, Theo Ketchum emerged, hands in his pockets, sleeves lazily rolled up, and a casual grin on his face. His Arcanine walked beside him, tail flicking rhythmically, coat shimmering in the sunlight. The camera zoomed in on Roy's brilliant fur, the unmistakable glint of a shiny.
Commentators buzzed.
"That's Roy, Theo's famed Arcanine. Just look at the size—he's even bigger than the average!"
"Ketchum hasn't lost a single Pokémon so far in this conference. Not one!"
From the right, Drake strode confidently, waving at the crowd, his Gengar floating beside him doing finger guns. The audience erupted in delighted laughter.
"Smile, folks!" Drake called out. "You're about to witness a good old-fashioned Orange-style beatdown… or an elegant crash-and-burn!"
Theo raised an eyebrow and gave a small wave. "Nice bandana."
"Thanks!" Drake struck a pose. "It's enchanted with luck. Doesn't help with battles, but I always find my car keys faster."
Announcer's Voice Boomed
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a full 6-on-6 quarterfinal battle between Drake of the Orange Islands and Theodore Ketchum of Pallet Town! Trainers may substitute Pokémon at any time. The battle will continue until all of one trainer's Pokémon are unable to continue!""Trainers—release your first Pokémon!"
Theo sighed, rolling his neck.
The stadium hushed.
The battle was about to begin.
And somewhere up in the VIP box, Professor Oak leaned forward, adjusting his coat, a soft smile playing at his lips.
"This is going to be fun."
The battlefield stretched out under a high, sharp-blue sky, the Indigo Plateau stadium filled to bursting with spectators eager to witness the clash of styles: the grounded brawler from Pallet Town versus the juggernaut of the Orange Islands.
Drake's Rhyhorn lumbered forward, dust rising in short puffs beneath its heavy feet. Muscles rippled beneath the stone-gray armor of its hide, eyes gleaming with brute confidence.
Theo didn't move. He simply lifted one hand and pointed.
"Go."
A shadow stepped forward.
Dadan emerged slowly, broad-shouldered and towering, her joey tucked safely in her pouch. The crowd reacted with a quiet murmur—many underestimated Kangaskhan by default. She didn't come with glowing fire or elemental flash. But there was power in the way she rolled her shoulders, how she tapped her fists together like a boxer about to enter the ring. She was calm. Controlled.
"Don't hold back, Rhyhorn! Horn Drill!" Drake barked.
Rhyhorn struggled backup,cracking the dust from it's armored roared and slammed it's hooves,the earth beneath Dadan beginning to quake.
"Rock Tomb!" Drake shouted.
Chunks of stone burst from the battlefield, arcing through the air.
Dadan didn't run.
She crouched low and rolled forward, baby still tucked in her pouch, weaving between falling boulders with the fluidity of a martial artist.
One boulder slammed near her. Dadan rebounded off it, using the vertical surface as a launching pad, flipping into the air. Her silhouette arced over the shocked Rhyhorn.
"Now," Theo said softly.
Mega Punch.
Her fist gleamed for just a second with raw, compressed energy. She descended like a comet.
And struck.
The impact cracked the field itself. A deep crater bloomed under Rhyhorn, who collapsed with a low, echoing grunt. His eyes spiraled. He didn't get back up.
"Rhyhorn is unable to battle!" the referee called.
A bad idea.
Rhyhorn charged, tearing across the field like a living tank, dust clouds trailing in its wake. The ground shook. Spectators leaned forward, expecting a powerful opening hit.
Theo didn't speak.
Dadan stepped into the charge.
With a short, sudden twist of her hips, she sidestepped the horn narrowly, grabbing Rhyhorn's front right leg with both arms. The stadium gasped.
She pivoted.
And in one fluid motion, she lifted the Rhyhorn clean off its feet—an entire beast of stone and rage—and tossed it using its own momentum, flipping the creature over her shoulder and slamming it into the ground with a deafening boom.
A shockwave spread across the battlefield. Dust rose. The crowd erupted.
Drake blinked in disbelief. "She… threw him?"
Theo rested a hand in his pocket. "He telegraphed."
Post-Battle ReactionThe crowd was stunned at first.
Then a surge of noise exploded from the stands—applause, cheers, and no small amount of laughing disbelief. Dadan didn't puff her chest. She didn't flex.
She simply adjusted her joey's little hat, patted it on the head, and walked back to Theo, who crouched to meet her.
"Nice footwork," he said, offering a bit of water.
She snorted softly and took it.
In the stands, even seasoned trainers whispered to each other.
"Did that Kangaskhan just… toss a Rhyhorn like a toy?"
"She's built like a mountain."
Across the field, Drake let out a low whistle."Oof, I was hoping you'd hold that one for later," he said with a grin. "Guess I've got to bring out something equally grounded!"
He hurled his Pokéball forward.
"Let's rumble, Onix!"
With a colossal roar and a thunderous crack as it slammed onto the field, the Onix appeared — towering, coiling, its stone segments grinding against one another. Its eyes glowed faintly as it loomed over Dadan by at least two full body lengths.
Even the audience collectively inhaled at the size mismatch.
One announcer commented:
"This… is a classic mismatch on paper. Normal type versus Rock/Ground. Dadan's got a power reputation, but Onix outclasses her in size, weight, and typing…"
The referee's hand dropped.
"Battle… begin!"
Onix surged forward first — its body carving a furrow in the battlefield as it lunged like a living avalanche.
"Rock Slide!" Drake commanded.
Large boulders erupted upward in front of Onix and arced toward Dadan. But the matriarch didn't flinch.
Theo remained silent, arms crossed.
Dadan stepped once to the left — just once — and in that moment, the incoming boulders missed her entirely, slamming into the ground and raising a cloud of dust.
The audience gasped. Was it a fluke?
No. She'd anticipated the angle — moved before the rocks had even crested.
Drake's eyes narrowed.
"Body Slam, Onix!"
The serpent lunged from above — a wave of stone mass bearing down.
But Dadan ducked, dropped to all fours, and slid beneath Onix like a boulder under a bridge. Her shoulder grazed stone, but she pivoted, planted her feet, and brought her full strength upward.
"Brick Break!"
A concussive boom echoed across the field as Dadan's fist slammed into Onix's underbelly — not shattering, but cracking a segment. Onix reeled, body flailing in the air as it scrambled to stabilize.
The crowd gasped.
"That Brick Break wasn't just super effective—it was precise!"
Drake raised a brow.
Onix pulled back and circled Dadan, this time warier.
Drake gestured.
"Dig, then Iron Tail!"
The massive serpent dove underground with a rumble.
Theo still said nothing. He just rolled his neck.
Dadan's eyes flicked across the field. The baby in her pouch closed its eyes.
Silence.
Then — CRACK — Onix burst from the ground like a missile, tail glowing white-hot, aiming to slam her in the back.
But Dadan twisted mid-leap and caught the Iron Tail — grabbed the stone limb with both hands and let the momentum swing her backward.
"Seismic Toss?!" one commentator yelled.
With a low grunt and ground-cracking strength, Dadan hurled Onix — hurled — the entire thirty-foot serpent over her shoulder and smashed it into the ground behind her.
A shockwave rolled through the stadium. Onix's eyes went wide. Its segments lay scattered, disconnected. It didn't rise.
The referee raised his hand.
"Onix is unable to battle! Kangaskhan wins this round!"
The crowd, stunned into silence for a moment, erupted into raucous cheers.
Not flashy. Not gimmicky.
Just strength. Precision. Experience.
Dadan calmly walked back toward Theo, chest rising and falling. She dusted off one fist.
The baby in her pouch stretched and yawned.
Drake exhaled, clearly impressed.
"Alright. That's one mom you don't mess with."
He smirked.
"Guess I should've brought a bigger rock."
"She's built like a mountain."
Matchup: Nunnally (Swampert) vs. Electabuzz
The dust was still settling from Dadan's seismic finish against Onix. Cracks webbed through the battlefield. The scent of scorched dust and sweat hung in the air.
Drake chuckled and returned Onix to his ball with a low whistle.
"That Kangaskhan's a brawler. Thought she was gonna suplex the stadium next."
Theo grinned lazily and held up Dadan's Pokéball.
"She probably would've."
He clicked the return button, and with a flash, Dadan was gone — her job done.
Then, casually, he reached for a different ball and gave it a soft underhand toss.
"Alright, Nunnally. You're up."
The air shifted as a swirl of blue light coalesced into the powerful, quadrupedal frame of Swampert. Thick arms, muddy fins, and bright orange eyes that shimmered with quiet intelligence.
The crowd murmured, and more than a few gasped.
"Look at the size of her…"
Nunnally was a titan of her kind — bigger than average, with a calm, motherly composure and the aura of a gentle mountain — until you challenged her.
Drake adjusted his hat, still grinning. He lobbed his next Pokéball.
"Let's turn up the voltage. Electabuzz, go!"
With a roar and a sizzle of static, Electabuzz landed on the field, lightning crackling from its body as it pounded its fists into its chest.
The crowd leaned in. A classic matchup — Water vs. Electric — but the type chart was lying to newcomers. Swampert's Ground typing made her completely immune to Electric attacks.
Drake wasn't a novice, though.
"Thunder Wave!" he called. "Let's lock her down!"
A jolt of electricity lanced across the field — but fizzled as soon as it touched Nunnally's body, arcing into the earth uselessly.
She didn't flinch. Just blinked.
Theo lazily stretched and called across the field.
"You're gonna need a different idea."
Drake grinned.
"I've got a few. Brick Break, now!"
Electabuzz shot forward with surprising speed, arms glowing white, aiming for Nunnally's side.
She stepped back — not fast, just perfectly timed — and her massive tail swept out low.
SLAM.
Electabuzz went tumbling, a puff of dirt and static left in its wake.
"That's not a normal tail whip," one announcer muttered.
Nunnally stomped forward, and with a whirl of one arm, drew up a hydraulic spiral of mud and water.
"Is that… Mud Shot?"
"No," came the correction. "That's Theo's version — Hydro Rake. A combination of Scald and Mud Bomb in a concentrated spiral. Less explosive, more consistent pressure."
The blast hit Electabuzz mid-dash, slowing him with the sludge-like consistency and burning him slightly. He skidded to a halt, hissing.
Drake grit his teeth.
"Screech, then Close Combat!"
Electabuzz let out a disorienting cry that rattled through the stadium — then rushed in, fists and feet blurring with kinetic strikes.
For the first time, Nunnally had to raise her arms. She blocked — each blow reverberating through her thick forelimbs.
But Theo's eyes twitched.
"Alright, Nunna. Show him your trick."
Nunnally's fins quivered — and with perfect timing, she breathed in, sucking in the steam, then released it in a flash of mist.
"What the hell?! Is that…?"
"A Water-type version of Smokescreen?!"
"Steam Veil," Theo murmured. "Let him swing. Let him miss."
And miss Electabuzz did. His punches sliced through fog. His knee hit air.
Nunnally dipped to the side, body low.
"Ice Fang."
Her massive maw locked onto Electabuzz's leg with a cracking frost. The electric-type howled as his momentum was frozen — literally — and he collapsed to the ground, half-pinned.
With one smooth motion, Nunnally tossed him into the air — then leapt up herself.
"Swamperts can jump like that?!" a commentator yelped.
Midair, Nunnally twisted her body and slammed into Electabuzz with a Waterfall Dive — combining the weight of her body and a condensed jet of water spiraling from her arms.
The ground shattered under the impact. Electabuzz's limbs splayed. His eyes rolled back.
The referee didn't hesitate.
"Electabuzz is unable to battle! Swampert wins!"
Nunnally stepped back slowly, composed, her fins folding calmly behind her.
Theo gave her a satisfied nod.
"Well executed."
Matchup: Nunnally (Swampert) vs. Venusaur
The battlefield bore the marks of previous skirmishes — churned earth, scorched lines, and puddles still steaming from the last exchange. Electabuzz had been dragged off the field after an innovative and tactical dismantling by Nunnally.
Now, the air grew denser. Drake, though still bearing his usual good-natured smirk, had a certain edge to him now.
"Alright, Theo. You've had your fun with Electabuzz. Let's see how your Swampert deals with this."
He tossed his Pokéball in a slow arc, and from the burst of light emerged a towering Venusaur, its back crowned with a colossal, blooming flower glowing faintly in the afternoon light. Vines twitched. Its eyes locked onto Nunnally with a calm, predatory patience.
"Drake's going Grass vs. Ground?" a commentator gasped. "Swampert's got a quadruple weakness to Grass! One good SolarBeam and she's done!"
Theo, however, just let his hands rest behind his head, completely unbothered.
"Haven't lost her yet," he muttered, almost to himself.
Drake gave no preamble.
"Sleep Powder!"
Venusaur's flower pulsed and unleashed a cloud of sparkling green pollen — gentle, almost elegant — drifting toward Nunnally.
Theo didn't shout. Just two fingers snapped once — a signal.
Nunnally slammed her forelimbs into the ground, sending a pulse of muddy water that splashed up in a rough wave — a technique Theo called "Turf Bloom." It created an improvised mud dome, dispersing the pollen harmlessly.
"A Water-Ground Smokescreen substitute… he's using terrain as a shield!" one analyst noted.
Drake grunted.
"Fine, then. Vine Whip!"
Thick green vines lashed through the mud cloud, aiming to snatch Nunnally before she could reposition — but the moment they struck, Nunnally leaned into them. She let them bind her forearms, bracing.
"Wait, is she… letting herself be caught?!"
Theo tilted his head, clearly amused.
"Let's show 'em what a four-legged suplex looks like."
Nunnally jerked forward, wrapping her powerful arms around the vines, then spun her weight in a rolling belly throw — yanking Venusaur forward off its feet and into the air with a full-body pivot.
"What in Arceus' name?!"
Venusaur hit the battlefield like a boulder, its vines flailing. Theo had trained Nunnally not just to tank hits, but to leverage them — turning overcommitted grapples into punishing throws.
Venusaur roared as it climbed back up, clearly hurt.
Drake narrowed his eyes.
"No more tricks. SolarBeam. Charge!"
Sunlight gathered at the flower on Venusaur's back. The air shimmered. The crowd hushed.
But Theo was already watching Nunnally lower her stance. He gave a small nod.
"Dig."
With a low rumble, Nunnally disappeared underground in a spray of dirt. The sunlight crested — Venusaur's flower blazed — and then—
BOOM!
A massive SolarBeam exploded across the arena, tearing through the air and creating a scarred trench where Nunnally had stood moments before.
"Did it hit?!"
"No—look!"
The ground behind Venusaur cracked open and Nunnally erupted from the earth like a geyser, slamming into the Grass-type's side shoulder-first with a brutal Ground-type Dig counter.
Venusaur howled, skidding across the field.
Theo gave a small exhale through his nose.
"Hydro Rake."
Swampert spun, one massive arm coiling like a whip, and unleashed a narrow jet of scalding water and silt — the same move she used on Electabuzz, but aimed precisely at Venusaur's legs and underbelly.
The mud and heat caked into the joints, searing and slowing it.
Drake knew he had to retaliate.
"Frenzy Plant, NOW!"
Venusaur roared — green energy bursting from its feet as monstrous thorned roots erupted from the battlefield, aiming to crush, bind, obliterate.
The ground became a forest of death.
But Theo's eyes glinted.
"Barrel Roll, Nunna."
Nunnally crouched — and rolled sideways with her massive body, curling briefly like a boulder. Vines struck, missed, snapped apart.
"Now. Ice Fang."
From the spin, Nunnally leapt up and landed atop a root, bounding with surprising agility — then launched from it, sinking her glowing icy jaws into Venusaur's flower.
Steam hissed. The plant cried out. And then — with a shudder — it collapsed.
The vines fell limp.
"Venusaur is unable to battle! Swampert wins again!"
Post-Battle ReactionThe stadium was stunned.
Theo had just taken down Electabuzz and Venusaur, two highly tactical and type-countering Pokémon, with only Swampert — a Pokémon that supposedly should've crumbled under a single Grass-type blow.
Drake returned Venusaur with a respectful nod.
"You're a menace, Theo."
Theo raised an eyebrow.
"Or maybe I just like playing in the dirt."
Nunnally gave a soft rumble beside him, tail sweeping through the dust with calm satisfaction.
The audience broke into applause — not roaring cheers, but something more curious. More awed. They were watching a trainer who didn't just win — he rewrote the rhythm of battle.
And Nunnally? She stood like an elemental monolith, calm and serene as if the whole thing had been a gentle swim.
Matchup: Roy(Arcanine) vs. Gengar
As the haze of battle cleared and Nunnally returned to her Pokéball, the crowd was still processing the sheer absurdity of the Swampert's performance. Theo, however, was already looking to the next opponent with the ease of someone ordering snacks at a food stall.
Across the battlefield, Drake stood, grinning.
"You're good, Theo. But you've dealt with muscle and plants… now try handling something that doesn't stay still."
With a flourish, he released his next Pokémon — a shimmering, wide-mouthed Gengar, whose laughter echoed even before it fully materialized.
The air grew cold.
"Spooky time," Drake said with a wink.
Theo barely blinked. He tapped his next Pokéball and tossed it forward underhand.
"Alright, Roy. Your turn. Don't overdo it."
A brilliant flash of flame erupted mid-air, and landing with a theatrical puff of dust was Theo's Arcanine, Roy — fur radiant, his expression somewhere between bored and smug. He stretched, yawned, and blinked lazily at Gengar.
Gengar blinked back upside down, grinning wildly from the air.
The crowd murmured.
"That's a strange matchup. Ghost vs. Fire?" "Theo's Arcanine is strong, but how will it deal with Gengar's mobility?"
The referee's hand dropped.
"Begin!"
In a blur, Gengar vanished.
No command. Just gone.
"Classic," Theo muttered.
He didn't command Roy — he just tilted his head. Roy stretched again.
And then, without warning, turned and Flamethrowered directly behind him.
BOOM.
Gengar, mid-Sucker Punch ambush, was blasted out of invisibility — spiraling through the air before flipping upright and vanishing again with a giggle.
"He predicted the shadow sneak!" gasped a commentator.
Theo just gave a nonchalant shrug. "Roy's nose is better than most radars."
Drake raised an eyebrow.
"Alright. No more hide-and-seek. Let's get weird. Double Team!"
Five Gengars emerged in a circle, all laughing, floating, darting. The air distorted with speed and ghostly laughter.
The shadows danced unnaturally across the arena, twisting under the floodlights. Drake's Gengar had sunk into the field like fog, eyes glowing from every direction. The crowd murmured, struggling to follow the ghost's movements — flickering, taunting, intangible.
"Careful now," Drake called out, voice confident. "Gengar's a tricky one — he doesn't play fair."
Across the field, Theo stood with one hand in his coat pocket, unreadable.
Roy, the Arcanine, stretched his massive limbs, jaws parting in a slow yawn that shimmered with heat. He looked lazy. Relaxed. A predator lounging before a kill.
Theo sighed once, and quietly tossed something small and silver into the air.
A coin?
It hit the ground with a faint ting.
Snap.
A single, sharp sound echoed like thunder through the arena. Theo's gloved fingers crackled with motion.
The moment he did it, something changed.
Lines of heat shimmered around Roy's frame — not just flames, but controlled combustion. Rings of fire coiled beneath his paws, like glyphs etched into the battlefield. The temperature spiked, and so did the tension.
The arena fell silent.
"What is that move…?" a nearby trainer whispered.
"It's not Overheat—too coordinated."
"I've never seen an Arcanine burn like that…"
Even Drake's smile slipped for a moment.
"Is he… using some sort of manual trigger?"
Theo said nothing. He didn't have to.
SNAP.
Another burst — perfectly placed, not even aimed at Gengar directly, but at the space around him.
The ghost's form flickered and shuddered as it tried to phase, only to be slammed out of its hiding place by a detonation in the air itself.
It wasn't an attack — it was ambush.
Theo's fingers snapped again, and again, each one sending Roy gliding on a carpet of precision firebursts, each ignition timed and placed like the steps of a choreographed dance.
Gengar, reeling from the loss of rhythm, couldn't phase fast enough.
"Ignition Code," Theo muttered softly. "Sequence Delta."
He said it under his breath, just for himself.
A nod. A smile.
This was his little homage — not to fire-type battling, but to a different battlefield entirely. A different Roy. No one here would ever know.
But Roy — his Roy — roared.
And when the final snap hit…
Boom.
A precision burst under his paws sent him vaulting forward like a missile — fire trailing in arcs — and he tackled Gengar midair with a strike so clean, it felt like the arena paused.
When the smoke cleared, Gengar lay on the field, fainted. Roy sat, tail curling gently around him, steam rising off his fur like mist off a hot spring.
"Gengar is unable to battle! Arcanine wins!"
The crowd exploded with cheers — half from awe, half from pure disbelief.
Drake returned Gengar with a low whistle.
"Kid… that Arcanine might be the most casually terrifying Pokémon I've seen."
Theo walked over, Roy trotting beside him, fur still warm with crackling static.
"He's just cranky if he doesn't get a nap after lunch."
Drake chuckled.
Final Matchup: Roy vs. Dragonite – Clash of Titans
The battlefield, still scorched and cracked from Roy's earlier duel with Gengar, vibrated with tension as Drake released his final Pokémon.
The sky above the Indigo Plateau darkened ever so slightly.
A silhouette emerged from the light — wings outstretched, orange scales gleaming like burnished copper.
Dragonite.
The crowd roared as the towering dragon descended with a gust of wind that flattened the grass and sent ripples across the arena floor.
"There's the captain!" Drake beamed. "Let's end this proper."
Theo didn't respond immediately. He stood calm, arms folded. Roy stepped forward, fur still simmering with the ghost of earlier flames. A quiet snort escaped him as he eyed the dragon — not intimidated, but interested.
"Roy," Theo said, barely above a whisper. "Ignition Code...off."
Roy blinked once, relaxed his stance, and let the sparks around his frame dissipate. He no longer needed spectacle. This was going to be about substance.
Dragonite wasted no time — a blur of motion as it launched forward, wings folding in, fist coated in crackling energy.
Thunder Punch.
Roy leapt to the side, just as the attack cratered the ground behind him. Sparks danced across the field.
Dragonite followed up instantly — wings flaring, it twisted midair into a Hurricane, its tail slicing arcs through the turbulent wind.
But Roy...
He vanished into the maelstrom like smoke.
Then reappeared, above Dragonite.
Boom.
A powerful Flare Blitz came down like a comet, but Dragonite caught it mid-dive, locking paws with Roy in a struggle of titans.
The stadium vibrated from the clash.
Theo didn't yell. He simply watched.
He knew Dragonite's aerial dominance was unmatched — so Roy stayed grounded, weaving under each sweep, letting Dragonite commit to the sky, where its weight became its weakness.
He'd taught Roy to treat dragons not as majestic flyers, but as falling meteors waiting for gravity to catch up.
"Now," Theo muttered.
Roy darted through a Dragon Claw, using the shockwave to slingshot around Dragonite's blind side. His fangs glowed with white heat.
Fire Fang.
The bite landed squarely on Dragonite's wing joint — not enough to knock it out, but enough to cripple its aerial rhythm.
Drake's eyes widened.
"Good read, Theo…"
Dragonite soared up, determined to finish it with Hyper Beam. Its chest glowed, light gathering at its maw like the heart of a dying star.
Roy stood below, unmoving.
Theo, still calm.
Then—
SNAP.
Not for an attack. Just rhythm.
The familiar pop triggered muscle memory in Roy. He crouched. Coiled.
Explosive acceleration.
He burst upward just as Dragonite unleashed the beam.
It grazed his flank, but Roy roared through the pain — spiraling around the Hyper Beam's blast in a corkscrew of embers and smoke.
Dragonite had no time to dodge.
Roy crashed into it, paws blazing, tail arcing flames behind him.
A point-blank Wild Charge, modified through Theo's training to channel his full weight.
Direct hit.
Dragonite slammed into the ground in a burst of dust and force.
Silence.
Then…
Dragonite… is unable to battle!
Roy is the winner!
The arena burst into cheers.
Drake, stunned but grinning ear-to-ear, returned his Dragonite and gave Theo a salute.
"I gotta admit — I came in to promote the Orange Islands. But man, I feel like I just got front row seats to a goddamn fire show."
He crossed the field, extending a hand.
Theo took it, offering a rare grin.
Drake chuckled, then added:
"You've got the makings of a Champion. Come visit the Orange Islands sometime. I think they'd love you there."
As the crowd roared and the scoreboard lit up with Theo's name advancing to the semi-finals, Roy sat beside him, tail flicking idly, as if none of this had been a big deal.
But Theo, brushing ash from his jacket, whispered to his loyal partner with a grin.
"You're a damn showoff, you know that?"
Roy just huffed and licked his singed paw like a smug cat.
In the stands..
Lance stood, arms crossed tight, eyes narrowed. He didn't like to admit it, but the display shook something in him.
Not fear. Not jealousy.
Something deeper.
Respect.
"He grounded a Dragonite," Lance muttered. "Not just knocked it out — grounded it."
He exhaled through his nose, jaw clenched. His mind already spinning with countermeasures.
"If he faces me in the finals…" he paused, gaze sharpening like a blade, "…I'll need to go all out. From the start."
He glanced to his left, as if silently wondering what Clair would think of all this.