"Both sides, please send out your Pokémon!"
Even the referee's voice trembled slightly with excitement.
Normally, this shouldn't happen.
But Ash and Alain weren't ordinary competitors—they were the strongest contenders the Kalos League had seen in years.
In any other League, Sawyer's performance would have been more than enough to reach the finals. But here? Against these two? It was a whole different story.
Ash and Alain raised their Poké Balls at the same time.
"Go, Tyranitar!"
"Garchomp, I choose you!"
The audience gasped.
What a dramatic start! Alain had sent out Tyranitar, while Ash countered with Garchomp!
Immediately, the battlefield conditions clashed. Tyranitar's Sand Stream whipped the arena into a raging sandstorm—yet Ash's Garchomp carried the Sand Veil ability, perfectly countering it!
The crowd buzzed with energy as they realized the implications.
Sandstorm battered the field, slicing visibility, but Garchomp stood unfazed. In fact, its evasiveness only increased under these conditions.
Alain's expression darkened. He hadn't expected to begin at such a disadvantage. But retreating wasn't his style.
"Tyranitar, use Earthquake!"
"Take to the skies, Garchomp!" Ash commanded instantly.
The battlefield shook violently as Tyranitar stomped down with thunderous force, the shockwaves splitting the ground open.
But Garchomp launched itself upward, wings slicing through the air with ease.
"Now—Dragon Rush!" Ash's arm swept forward.
With a roar, Garchomp soared higher, its jet-like fins glowing with a fierce draconic aura. Golden eyes locked on Tyranitar, radiating a killing intent so sharp it seemed to materialize in the air.
Dragon Rush wasn't just an attack—it was a declaration of overwhelming dominance. Against opponents of lower level, the sheer pressure alone made it nearly impossible to evade.
"Counter it with Focus Punch!" Alain shouted, knowing Tyranitar couldn't dodge.
"Tyyyrrrraaan!"
Tyranitar's massive fist glowed with destructive power as it swung upward to meet the oncoming dragon.
The collision was explosive. Dragon energy and raw fighting strength collided head-on!
BOOM!!!
The deafening crash rattled the entire Lumiose Conference Battlefield. Shockwaves ripped across the battlefield, chunks of rock bursting apart. Tyranitar's legs sank deep into the ground from the impact, half its body buried in shattered earth!
"This… this is the finals?!"
"The power… will the arena even hold?!"
"Unbelievable! The sheer force makes every past match look like child's play!"
"I swear, this feels like a Champion-level clash. I once witnessed Diantha's battle up close—this pressure is exactly the same!"
The crowd erupted into awe and disbelief.
"Once more, Focus Punch!" Alain roared, refusing to falter.
Ash's eyes sharpened. "Block it with your blades—Brick Break!"
Alain's heart dropped. He had overlooked something critical—Tyranitar's legs were still trapped in the ground, leaving its movements sluggish.
Tyranitar threw another mighty punch, but Garchomp's dual scythe-like fins clashed with the attack. One fin absorbed the blow, while the other slashed down with devastating precision onto Tyranitar's shoulder!
"TYRRAAANNN!!!"
The super-effective strike exploded with quadruple force, blasting Tyranitar free from the ground and hurling it through the air like a ragdoll.
"Finish it—Dragon Pulse!"
A swirling beam of draconic energy blasted straight into Tyranitar mid-air.
BOOM!
When the dust cleared, Tyranitar lay sprawled on the ground, fainted. The raging sandstorm faded back into calm silence.
"Tyranitar is unable to battle! Garchomp wins!" the referee declared, wiping sweat from his brow. Even he had been shaken by the raw power displayed.
Garchomp threw back its head and roared triumphantly. The crowd shuddered at the reminder—moments ago, Tyranitar's Focus Punch had collided against its fin, but Garchomp had brushed off most of the impact with near impunity.
"What a monster… Ash's Garchomp is on a completely different level compared to Remo's."
Alain clenched his fists tightly. Remo had been his semifinal opponent—one with a Mega Garchomp that Alain's Mega Charizard X had crushed without difficulty.
But Ash's Garchomp… it was something else entirely. If Ash wasn't hiding a Mega Evolution of his own, Alain wouldn't believe it. After all, Ash himself was the one who had introduced Mega Evolution to the world.
Alain's blood boiled with excitement. Instead of discouragement, it only lit a deeper fire within him.
"That's exactly why this battle is worth it, Ash!" Alain declared, his eyes burning with determination. "You've awakened my spirit like no one else has in years. Get ready—my second Pokémon is Weavile!"
The sleek, sharp-clawed Weavile landed on the battlefield, hissing with anticipation.
Ash raised his hand calmly. "You did great, Garchomp. Take a rest. Infernape, you're up next!"
The stadium roared as Infernape burst onto the battlefield, fists ablaze and eyes blazing with ferocity.
The true battle was only just beginning.
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T/N:
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