As Ethan and Silver walked out of the stadium, finally taking a breath, they heard people cheering for them, but before they could react, Green jumped and tackled Silver in a hug.
"Silver, noooo, how could you lose?!" Green wailed as she latched onto him, shaking him back and forth in a crushing hug.
"G-Green-quit it! You're gonna snap my spine!" Silver grunted, trying to pry her off.
"After all that training, you promised me you'd make it to the finals so I could brag about knowing the champion!" Green cried, puffing her cheeks, still clinging.
Ethan snorted, crossing his arms and grinning. "Looks like your big sister's more upset about the loss than you are."
"You be quiet, you!" Green snapped, pointing one hand at Ethan without even letting go of Silver. She narrowed her eyes dangerously.
Ethan held his hands up. "Seriously, why is it that every pretty girl seems to hate me?"
By then, everyone else ran over, waving them down. Kris tapped her chin like she needed to think, even though she didn't. "Well, you're immature, you're impulsive, kinda annoying, cocky… did I miss something?" Kris asked.
"Oh, plus," Lyra added with a casual shrug, "you're like the fourth-hottest person here. Well, maybe fifth actually, if we count them." Lyra held her fingers out like a frame.
Ethan's jaw dropped. "Fourth?! Fourth?!"
"That's rough, buddy," Ash said with complete sincerity, patting him on the shoulder.
Ethan shook his head. "Fourth?! No way. Who's ahead of me then, huh?"
Lyra smirked, ticking off her fingers. "Well, Ash obviously, Gary, then Silver—"
"Wait, what?!" Silver cut in, finally managing to pry Green off. "Don't drag me into this nonsense."
"—and then Lance," Lyra finished smugly.
Ethan gawked. "Lance isn't even here!"
"Yeah, but he exists," Lyra shot back, hands on her hips. "Unless you want me to compare you with every guy I know, because if so, you're wayyy lower."
Ethan groaned, clutching his head. "Unbelievable. I just won my way into the finals and I'm still getting roasted."
"You get used to it," Gary rolled his eyes but let out a chuckle.
"Yeah, besides, don't worry, we still love you, Ethan, even if you're like a solid 7/10."
"I'm at least an 8/10!" Ethan blurted out.
Green then straightened herself and pointed at Ash. "Ash, you better beat him and get revenge for Silver, or I swear, I won't talk to you for a month."
"Can I get that in writing?" Ash said with a smirk, earning a punch to the shoulder from Green.
"Honestly, all of you are ridiculous," Silver muttered, but there was the faintest smirk tugging at his lips.
"Don't act like you don't like it," Kris teased. "You're just as bad, you'd sulk if nobody fussed over you."
"I-uh…" Silver looked away from Kris. "S-shut up, you don't know what you're talking about." But that just got a teasing smirk from Ash and Green, who exchanged a knowing look.
But before they could pull their totally non-evil, wholesome plan, Ethan jumped up. "Alright, fine! If I'm supposedly fourth place in looks, then once I beat Ash in the finals, I'm taking his spot too."
Ash tilted his head, completely unfazed. "That's not how that works."
"Pretty sure it does," Ethan said confidently, jabbing a thumb at himself. "Champion title comes with automatic hotness points."
Gary snorted. "Trust me, if that were true, Ash would've been drowning in fan mail years ago."
"Yeah, about that, buddy…" Ash said, raising a finger.
Gary's eye twitched. "You're joking…"
"No, after I won the Indigo League, I still got a bunch of people asking me out. Like, remember those girls in Pallet? Hazel and Coconut?"
Gary opened his mouth. "I… I thought they were obsessed with Almond."
"Yeah… guess they moved on after he didn't get the hint even when they threw themselves at him. So… Ethan isn't too far off. You don't get hotter, but you do become more popular. Didn't you get more?"
"I don't know. I already had a lot of people sliding into my DMs, so I just put a filter, anything with the word 'date' goes into a spam folder. I never noticed any more."
Ethan felt himself deflate more and more. "Guys, please, my self-esteem can only take so much of this. Okay, I get it, you're both popular. You don't have to rub it in!"
Ethan sighed, putting his hands together. "Please, just one compliment, to fix my ego…"
"Uh…" Yellow fidgeted before blurting, "You… have nice hair?" She said it more like a question.
"That's the weakest compliment ever," Ethan deflated more. "Besides, I wear a hat, you can't even see my hair."
"Don't worry, you have a very Ethan-shaped head. And you're very symmetrical," Ash said, patting his back.
"I don't know if that's a compliment or not, but you know what? At this point I'll take it."
Meanwhile, Lyra leaned casually against Ash's arm, smirking. "Hey, if you're done bullying Ethan, we should talk about our finals plan. Right, Ashy?"
Ash tilted his head in confusion. "Our finals plan?"
"Yeah," Lyra said sweetly, leaning closer. "I'll cheer extra loud, you'll get motivated, and then you'll win. And then…" she batted her eyelashes dramatically. "We can celebrate. Just you and me~."
Yellow, standing right behind them, stiffened. "O-oh… well, um, I—I'll cheer too! Loudly! Very loudly!" She waved her arms nervously, cheeks pink.
Green, watching with her arms folded, smirked slyly. "Don't forget about me. Besides, Ash doesn't have time for any more plans with you, because we've still got to celebrate his birthday." Her tone dripped with smugness. "Oh, what's that? You didn't know?"
Lyra froze, hand flying to her chest in mock offense. "Excuse me?"
Ash tapped his cheek in thought. "Oh, yeah… my birthday. I kinda forgot it was coming up."
"Wait, what?" Ethan threw his hands up. "How do you forget your own birthday?!" Then he blinked. "Wait, hold on. You're still only eleven?!"
Ash shrugged, completely unfazed. "Never came up. And yep, still eleven. The youngest one here. Soooo, better not lose, or I'll rub it in your face forever."
The group fell into stunned silence for a beat.
Ethan groaned again. "Great. Not only am I fighting Ash, but now I can't even win. If I win, I just beat someone younger than me. If I lose, then I'll get humiliated even more."
Gary smirked. "Relax. If you lose, you'll just be remembered as the guy who lost to an 11-year-old."
"Hey, that's big talk from someone who lost to me when I was still 10~," Ash jabbed over at Gary.
"Ouch. Why am I catching strays?" Gary asked.
"Because you know you love us, Gar-bear," Green teased. "Now come on, let's get back to our seats. We need to get ready, the finals are about to start."
Gary rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Alright, let's go. Good luck, both of you." He waved his arm as he walked.
Green looked at Ash one more time and pointed at him. "I'm serious, you better win and avenge Silver, or I'll be very angry at you," she said, pointing as Silver gently guided her away.
Kris, Lyra, and Yellow followed behind them, waving as they left, especially since they'd left Misty and Brock in the bleachers with Molly, and they'd promised to get snacks before the match started.
Ash stretched his arm and looked over at Ethan. "You ready to end this?"
Ethan smirked and held out his fist for a fist bump. "Only if you're ready to lose."
Ash smirked and returned the fist bump. "In your dreams."
-
The stadium was louder than ever before. Every seat was packed, banners waved in the air, and the roar of the crowd thundered like an earthquake. This was it, the grand finals.
Ash stood on one side, cracking his neck, while on the other, Ethan adjusted his cap with a smirk.
The referee then spoke up, "Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for your patience, but now it is time for the battle you have all been waiting for! It's Ash, all the way from Kanto, last year's Indigo League Champion! Will he take yet another title home? And then there's Ethan of New Bark Town, can he put a stop to Ash? Well, we'll just have to see!"
As Ash and Ethan grabbed their first Poké Balls, people were watching closely. Up in the stands, their friends cheered; the Gym Leaders watched from their VIP section, and above them sat Lance, Cynthia, and the Elite Four of both Kanto and Johto.
On TV, people across Kanto and Johto were tuned in, and even fans from other regions were watching from their homes. Ash and Ethan grinned, giving toothy smiles, ready to end this once and for all.
The referee raised his flags. "This is a six-on-six battle! When one trainer is out of useable Pokemon the other will be declared the winner! Trainers, send out your first Pokémon!"
"Lapras!"
"Sudobo!"
As the two Pokémon came out of their Poké Balls, Ash's Lapras landed on the field with a cheerful chirp, while Ethan's Sudobo, the Sudowoodo, hit the ground and tensed up, faking being a tree. But when he realized there were no trees to blend into, he sighed and stopped.
Ash took the first move. "Lapras, [Ice Beam]!"
Lapras chirped and lowered her head, a brilliant blue beam of frost streaking across the battlefield, shooting toward Sudobo.
"Counter it, Sudobo! [Rock Throw]!" Ethan barked.
Sudowoodo ripped a chunk of rock from the arena floor, spun once, and hurled it. The boulder met the beam midair, shattering into icy shards that rained across the field. But Ash had achieved his goal, the ground now had an icy slide leading straight toward Sudobo.
Ash smiled. "Close the gap and [Body Slam]!"
Lapras surged forward, sliding down the icy path, zipping across before leaping into the air, aiming to stomp down on Sudobo.
Ethan looked like he wanted to riot. "Oh, come on, you turned the whole field into a slip 'n' slide?! Fine, let's play. Sudobo, use [Mimic]!"
Sudowoodo's eyes glowed as Lapras fell. At the last second, his body shimmered; he jumped up, mimicking a [Body Slam], and met Lapras halfway.
The two Pokémon collided midair, Lapras's massive shell slamming against Sudowoodo's rocky frame. They pushed hard against each other, but neither could gain any ground, and both were launched backward.
Ash swiped his arm. "Okay then, copy this! [Surf]!"
The ground trembled as Lapras summoned a massive wave. Water surged high and rushed straight toward Sudowoodo, crashing across the icy floor.
Sudobo looked like a Looney Tunes character, freaking out as he bolted across the field while the water came crashing toward him.
"Sudobo, come on, don't panic! We got this. Use [Rock Slide] to block the water!" Ethan called out.
Sudobo gulped and turned around, slamming his fists into the ground, summoning big rocks that he hurled around the arena until they formed a jagged barricade.
The wave slammed against Sudowoodo's wall, water exploding over the top and spraying across the field. The rocks cracked, some crumbling under the pressure, but the barricade held just long enough for Sudowoodo to keep his footing.
Ash's eyes lit with determination. "Break through it, Lapras, [Ice Shard]!"
Lapras opened her mouth and fired rapid bursts of icy bullets. They zipped past the crumbling barricade, shattering stone chunks into glittering fragments and pelting Sudowoodo with sharp shards of ice.
"Shake it off, Sudobo! [Hammer Arm]!" Ethan roared.
Sudowoodo's arm glowed a deep orange as he charged through the last of the icy rubble, stomping forward before swinging a massive punch straight at Lapras.
Ash quickly swiped his arm. "Block it with [Protect]!"
A shimmering shield wrapped around Lapras just as Sudowoodo's hammer-like fist came crashing down. The impact rang out like a gong, rippling the water across the battlefield, but Lapras stayed safe, grunting as the shield flickered and vanished.
Ethan smiled. "Ha, nice one. But we've got tricks too! Sudobo, [Wood Hammer]!"
Sudowoodo's whole body glowed with vibrant green energy as he pulled both arms back, then hurled himself forward, aiming to slam Lapras with his full weight.
"Lapras, stop it with [Ice Beam]!" Ash commanded.
Lapras steadied herself, lowering her head and firing a frigid blast. The icy beam shot straight at Sudowoodo's chest, but the glowing rock-type plowed right through it, frost clinging to his rocky skin as he powered on.
"Come on, Sudobo! Put everything into it!" Ethan shouted, pumping his fist in rhythm with Sudowoodo's swing.
The [Wood Hammer] connected squarely with Lapras's side. The impact boomed, sending shockwaves through the stadium. Lapras let out a pained cry as she was thrown backward, skidding across the icy battlefield.
Ash's eyes narrowed. "If that's how you want to play… Lapras, [Sing]!"
Lapras's eyes softened as she opened her mouth, releasing a haunting, beautiful melody that drifted across the stadium like mist. The crowd hushed, mesmerized. Sudowoodo's steps faltered as his eyes drooped.
"Sudobo! No naps! [Taunt]!" Ethan shouted.
Sudobo slapped his face, glared at Lapras, and stuck out his tongue, pulling down his eyelid with one finger in a mocking gesture. Lapras stopped her singing, clearly annoyed, and looked ready to fire another [Ice Beam] anyway.
"[Wood Hammer], one more time!" Ethan roared.
Lapras tried to fire another [Ice Beam], but Sudowoodo was already on her. With the fiercest war cry a Sudowoodo could muster, he slammed his glowing fists into her shell.
The ice beneath them cracked under the force. Lapras wailed before collapsing, her eyes swirling as she slumped unconscious onto the frozen field.
Ash frowned as he recalled her. "You did just fine, girl." Truthfully, on paper this match looked like it should have been in his favor, water advantage and all. But type matchups weren't everything. He'd brought Lapras expecting Ethan to start with a different Pokémon. Since it was just the lead matchup, it came down to pure luck, so he couldn't complain.
Ash pulled out his next Poké Ball. "Alright then. Let's see how you like this one. Stop me if you've heard of him… Tyranitar, your turn!"
He tossed the ball, and with a heavy thud, Ash's Tyranitar emerged. It wasn't a shiny like Silver's, but it was still a Tyranitar.
Ethan's jaw dropped. "Oh, come on! First Silver, now you?! What was this, some kind of Larvitar blowout sale I missed?!"
Ash smirked, adjusting his cap. "Maybe. But maybe cry about it after. Tyranitar, [Stone Edge]!"
Tyranitar roared and slammed his fists into the ground, jagged stone pillars erupting upward and slicing through the arena, shards ripping toward Sudowoodo.
Ethan snapped his fingers. "Meet rock with rock, [Rock Slide]!"
Sudowoodo stomped, summoning a cascade of boulders from above. The attacks collided midair, shattering stone in a explosion of dust and debris.
"Push through it, Tyranitar!" Ash barked.
From the haze, Tyranitar barreled forward, his massive body shrugging off the debris. He leapt, shockingly quick for his size, and raised a claw glowing dark purple. "Now, [Crunch]!"
"Block it with [Hammer Arm]!" Ethan countered, thrusting his arm forward.
Sudowoodo's arm glowed orange as he swung to meet the incoming Tyranitar. The two collided with a boom, Sudowoodo's smaller frame straining against Tyranitar. But as the clash dragged on, Tyranitar caught Sudowoodo's arm in his jaws. With a savage snap, he bit down, lifted Sudowoodo, and slammed him into the ground with a sickening crash.
Ethan winced. "Sudobo, get up!"
Sudowoodo groaned, cracks spidering across the battlefield as he forced himself to rise.
Ash snapped his fingers and smiled. "He's tough, but that's why I won't let you. Tyranitar, [Earthquake]!"
Tyranitar loomed over Sudobo, raising his foot before stomping down hard on his back, unleashing an [Earthquake] directly on top of him.
The shockwave rattled the stadium. Sudobo, taking the attack head-on, struggled briefly before collapsing, eyes swirling as he lay sprawled across the ground.
Ethan sighed and returned his partner. "Not bad, Sudobo. You started us strong, take a good rest, buddy." Then he smirked, pulling out another Poké Ball. "Alright then, but the bigger they are, the harder they'll fall. Polibo, you're up!"
He tossed the ball, and Polibo the Politoed hopped onto the field, landing with a flip. The frog Pokémon smirked at Tyranitar, puffing out his chest.
Ash immediately struck first. "Tyranitar, [Stone Edge]!"
Tyranitar roared, slamming the ground again as jagged stone spikes shot across the field toward Polibo.
Ethan snapped his fingers. "Hop and dodge, then [Scald]!"
Politoed leapt into the air, flipping to avoid the oncoming rocks. Mid-leap, he puffed his cheeks and blasted a stream of steaming water straight at Tyranitar.
The boiling spray splashed across Tyranitar's armor, making the beast flinch with a guttural snarl as steam hissed off his scales.
Ash grit his teeth, swiping his arm. "Alright then, he's too comfortable in the air, close the gap and [Crunch]!"
Tyranitar shook his head, eyes blazing, and stomped forward before lunging with jaws wide open, fangs glowing dark.
Ethan grinned. "Just what I wanted, Polibo, [Hypnosis]!"
Politoed's chest spiral began spinning, releasing a pink beam that shot toward Tyranitar. His frog voice let out a deep, rhythmic croooaak. Tyranitar stumbled, his charge slowing as his eyes glazed for a moment.
"Tyranitar, quick, try to [Outrage] on the ground!" Ash urged, hoping Tyranitar could shake the sleepiness out of himself.
But it was too late. With a heavy thud, Tyranitar toppled forward, fast asleep, a puff of dust rising where his body hit the ground.
The crowd erupted, half roaring in disbelief, the other half cheering wildly.
Ethan pointed dramatically. "Perfect! Polibo, [Focus Blast]!"
Politoed leapt high, gathering energy between his palms until it swelled into a sphere of glowing orange light. With a grunt, he hurled it down, the sphere crashing into Tyranitar's gut with an explosive BOOM!
The ground cracked from the impact, and Tyranitar groaned in his sleep, but he still didn't wake, even after taking heavy damage.
Ash clenched his teeth, fists tightening. "Tyranitar, you have to wake up…!"
Ethan smirked. "Not today. Polibo, again, [Focus Blast]!"
If it wasn't broken, why fix it? Once more, Politoed formed a glowing orb and launched it straight into Tyranitar's sleeping body. The attack exploded across him, making the beast twitch and stir, but again, he didn't wake.
"Why is sleep so annoying?!" Ash groaned, rubbing his face. "Tyranitar, you need to wake up!"
"I won't let you. Polibo, finish it with another [Focus Blast]!" Ethan shouted.
Politoed aimed forward, charging one more bright orange sphere and blasting it at Tyranitar. Just as it looked like it would connect, Tyranitar's eyes snapped open at the last moment.
There was an explosion, dust and smoke filling the center of the battlefield and blocking the view. Most of the audience assumed Tyranitar had been knocked out, but by league rules, the referee couldn't call a faint without seeing the body.
As the wind blew the smoke away, Tyranitar's body wasn't lying on the field. Instead, a gaping [Dig] hole yawned in the ground.
Ethan's celebrating expression vanished. "Politoed, quick jump!"
But it was too late. Tyranitar burst out of the ground like a shark, jaws glowing as he caught Polibo's foot in a [Crunch], then slammed him brutally back down into the arena floor.
"Polibo!" Ethan cried, his smirk wiped clean.
Ash pointed forward. "Now, [Stone Edge]!"
Still gripping Politoed, Tyranitar roared and pounded the ground. Jagged stone pillars exploded upward around the frog, sharp edges carving across his body as dust and rubble rained down. Politoed cried out under the assault.
Ethan clenched his fists. "Come on, Polibo, shake it off! [Scald], point-blank!"
Pinned beneath Tyranitar's bulk, Politoed puffed his cheeks and unleashed a jet of boiling water straight into Tyranitar's chest. The beast howled in pain, steam hissing off his armor as a burn mark spread across his scales but he refused to go down, growling at the frog through the pain.
Ash jabbed his arm forward. "Don't let up, [Crunch] again!"
Tyranitar lunged, jaws wide and glowing dark as he aimed for Politoed's torso.
Ethan's eyes flashed. "Intercept it with [Focus Blast]!"
Politoed pushed himself up on one arm, forming another glowing orange sphere in the other. With a grunt, he hurled it forward just as Tyranitar's fangs closed in.
BOOOOM!
The blast detonated against Tyranitar's chest, rocking the field with a shockwave. But as black smoke billowed, Tyranitar refused to stop. He pushed through the haze, clamped his jaws around Polibo's arm this time, and slammed him into the ground
Ash quickly swiped his arm. "Tyranitar, finish this with [Outrage]!"
Tyranitar's eyes glowed red, his entire body igniting with raw fury as he charged, claws and tail lashing in a frenzy.
Ethan thrust his arm forward desperately. "Polibo, one last [Focus Blast]!"
Politoed staggered, gathering every ounce of strength. The orange sphere swelled in his palms, glowing brighter and brighter as Tyranitar closed the gap, roaring, claws raised.
The frog hurled it. Tyranitar swung down. The blast collided with the raging beast at point-blank range, another massive explosion shook the stadium, smoke and fire bursting into the air.
When it cleared, both Pokémon lay on the ground, unmoving.
The ref raised both flags. "Tyranitar and Politoed are unable to battle! Double knockout!"
Ash and Ethan returned their two Pokémon. Ash looked at Tyranitar, he was actually pretty proud of this outcome. After all, Tyranitar was technically Ash's least trained Pokémon, since he had to hatch him and then wait for him to mature. That was also why Silver's Tyranitar seemed so weak.
Ash and Ethan looked at each other, ready to throw out their third Pokémon. They tossed their Poké Balls in unison, leaving it all to chance, no way to strategize if you had nothing to work off of.
"Steelix!"
"Togebo!"
From Ash's side, his Crystal Steelix erupted from the ball, shimmering brilliantly and drawing gasps of awe from the crowd, after all, he was literally made of crystal. From Ethan's side came Togebo the Togekiss, glaring with a confident smirk as his trainer cracked his neck, even though he had the type disadvantage.
Ethan saw Togebo's confident look and went with it. "Alright, Togebo, then let's show them! [Aura Sphere]!"
Togekiss's wings flared, summoning a glowing orb of blue energy between them. With a sharp flick, he launched it straight at Steelix.
Ash swiped his arm. "Steelix, [Crystal Tail]!"
The Crystal Steelix roared, whipping his massive, gleaming tail around. The Aura Sphere struck, but Steelix's crystalline armor refracted the blow before his tail came crashing down, shattering the ground as Togekiss darted aside at the last second.
"Nice dodge!" Ethan shouted, smirking. "Keep it up, [Air Slash]!"
Togebo flapped his wings, sending razor-sharp blades of wind slicing toward Steelix. And before you ask, yes, he was using a Flying move on a Steelix. Why? To flinch spam. Why else?
"Counter with [Meteor beam]!" Ash commanded.
Steelix reared back and unleashed a bright beam, blasting through the air blades with an explosion before any could touch him. But that was all Ethan needed, seeing Steelix's sluggishness, he was ready to capitalize.
Ethan grinned. "Alright Togebo, circle him and [Dazzling Gleam]!"
Togekiss zoomed around the arena in a dizzying loop, then burst with light. A blinding flash swept across the battlefield, beams of fairy energy lancing into Steelix.
Even though it was resisted, the term "death by a thousand cuts" exists for a reason. With Togebo moving faster than Steelix could react, if this went on, Steelix would fall quickly.
Ash narrowed his eyes, searching for an opening. For now, he had no choice. "Steelix, [Gyro Ball]!"
The stadium rumbled as Steelix's body began spinning, his crystal armor catching the lights like a massive, spinning diamond. He launched forward in a spiraling charge, tearing across the arena like a crystal drill.
"Togebo, dodge!" Ethan barked.
Togekiss spun into the air with a barrel roll, weaving above and then under Steelix. Steelix was airborne now, but that was exactly what Ash wanted.
"Now, [Crystal Tail] down!" Ash commanded.
Steelix uncurled, spinning like a buzzsaw as he descended. Since Togebo had positioned himself so perfectly, he couldn't escape in time, Steelix's tail slammed into him, sending Togebo crashing into the ground.
Togebo managed to struggle back up, but when he looked above, he saw it wasn't over, Steelix was still plummeting straight toward him.
Ethan quickly shouted, "Togebo, quick, [Agility]!"
At the last moment, Togebo blurred out of the way as Steelix crashed down where he had just been. If that had hit, Togebo would have been finished.
Ash wasn't about to give them a break. "Steelix, [Meteor beam]!"
Steelix reared back, unleashing another bright beam that swept across the ground in a scorching arc.
"Get back into the sky and use [Air Slash]!" Ethan ordered.
Togebo shot upward, narrowly escaping the dragonfire. Spreading his wings wide, he spun midair and unleashed a barrage of slicing wind blades that rained down on Steelix.
Ash clenched his fist and pointed. "Shake him off with [Crystal Edge]!"
Steelix slammed his body into the ground, conjuring giant crystal spikes that launched upward like missiles toward Togekiss.
"Dodge and use [Aura Sphere]!" Ethan barked.
Togekiss dove and weaved through the barrage with graceful flips, then charged a glowing orb between his wings. With a sharp cry, he blasted it forward, striking Steelix square in the head. The impact echoed as it cracked against the crystal plating, staggering him back.
Ash's expression hardened. "Steelix, now [Gyro Ball]!"
Crystal Steelix roared, his massive body spinning again, turning into a blazing diamond drill that hurtled straight toward Togebo.
Ethan smirked. "Meet him head-on with another [Aura Sphere]!"
Togebo's wings flared, summoning a massive blue sphere, bigger than any before. He launched it with a powerful cry just as Steelix barreled down upon him.
BOOOOM!
The Aura Sphere collided with the spinning crystal titan. The arena erupted in a blinding flash as a shockwave of dust and debris tore through the stadium.
When the haze cleared, Steelix was embedded halfway into the ground, cracks running across his gleaming body. He groaned, then slumped, eyes swirling.
Above him, Togebo wobbled in midair, breathing hard but still forcing himself to stay airborne, ready to continue.
Ash returned Steelix to his Poké Ball. That made three of his Pokémon down, Ash was currently losing.