"Sceptile, use Screech!" Brendan shouted sharply.
"Scep–TILE!!" Sceptile let out a high-pitched, ear-splitting cry that cut through the icy air.
Slaking winced, covering his ears with both massive hands as the shrill sound vibrated through the arena.
"Fire Blast!" Gary countered instantly.
"Slaaa–king!" Slaking dropped his arms, focused on Sceptile, and unleashed a massive burst of searing flames. The blazing star-shaped blast roared forward, the heat distorting the air in its wake.
"Scep!" Sceptile's eyes narrowed. At the last second, he pushed off the slick ice and slid hard to the side.
BOOM! The Fire Blast struck the ice where Sceptile had been standing, erupting in a cloud of steam as chunks of melting ice sprayed outward. A small crater formed, instantly filling with water.
The earlier patches of melted ice from Slaking's previous spinning Flamethrower defense had already left sections of the battlefield wet. Now, each step Slaking took, each burst of fire he unleashed, melted the ice further. The water began pooling quickly, spreading into shallow streams that wound across the arena floor.
Gary's Slaking kept up the pressure, stomping across the field and spitting flames, but Sceptile's natural agility let him stay just ahead. Still, with every dodge, more of the ice gave way to water, and soon, the pools were ankle-deep for the lean Grass-type.
"Tile…!" Sceptile's movements slowed noticeably, his steps bogged down by the water.
Gary's eyes flashed. He had spotted the exact moment his opponent's speed was compromised. "Fire Blast—again!"
"Slaa–KING!" Another massive star of fire roared toward Sceptile—
"Sceptile, return!" Brendan commanded urgently.
A red beam shot from Brendan's Poké Ball, catching Sceptile just before the flames could engulf him.
Gary raised an eyebrow as he watched the exchange. "Again…" he muttered. He could tell Brendan was straining every nerve to keep himself in the fight, switching constantly to preserve his team. Gary recognized the willpower—it was the mark of someone desperate to win.
Brendan gritted his teeth. "Manectric, let's go!" He hurled his next Poké Ball forward.
"Mane–triiic!" The Electric-type landed lightly on the slick surface, sparks already crackling across his blue-and-yellow fur.
[LV 45 Manectric — Champion Potential]
Though lower in level compared to Gary's battle-hardened Pokémon, Brendan's Manectric still radiated fierce energy.
Gary's gaze flicked to the watery arena floor. Electricity would travel perfectly through the flooded field—a double-edged sword if Brendan played it right.
"Body Slam!" Gary ordered immediately.
"Slaa!" Slaking charged forward with surprising speed for his size, leaping high into the air before plummeting toward Manectric.
"Thunder!" Brendan barked. He didn't tell Manectric to dodge—this was a calculated counter.
"Maaane–TRIC!" Manectric's body glowed with intense blue lightning before he sent a colossal bolt shooting skyward. The electricity exploded back down, slamming into Slaking mid-fall like a thunder serpent from the clouds.
CRASH!! Slaking's massive weight still landed squarely on Manectric, pinning him to the ice. Electric arcs sizzled across Slaking's fur, but the Normal-type didn't so much as flinch.
"Tak!" Slaking rumbled, gripping Manectric's head with one hand and one of his hind legs with the other. With a grunt of power, he lifted the Electric-type clean off the ground, holding him high over his head.
"Manec–triiiic!" The canine Pokémon writhed and fired jolts of electricity into Slaking's chest, but the massive Pokémon simply endured it, his expression unreadable.
The announcer's voice rose in disbelief. "Slaking is holding Manectric in the air, completely ignoring the electric shocks! What on earth is Gary planning?!"
Gary smirked slightly. "It's about time. Slaking—Endeavor, then throw him!"
"Slaa–king!" Slaking swung Manectric down with brutal force, slamming him into the icy floor before hurling him across the arena. Manectric skidded to a stop, groaning in pain, his stamina now cut to match Slaking's own.
Brendan's eyes narrowed. This was dangerous—but also an opening. Equal stamina meant a possible reversal.
"Manectric, Thunder Shock—now!"
"Mane–triiic!" Arcs of electricity crackled forward, splashing through the water toward Slaking.
"Rest." Gary's command was calm, almost casual.
Slaking yawned, then flopped onto his back, eyes closing as he slipped instantly into sleep. The Thunder Shocks washed over him harmlessly, barely denting his health as he began recovering.
Gary recalled him before Brendan could push the attack further. "Slaking, return."
Brendan's chest tightened. Slaking hadn't directly knocked out any of his Pokémon, but it had forced him into a corner, exhausting three members of his team in the process. He knew Gary was setting up for something big.
Gary's gaze was steady. "Brendan, you've fought hard. So now, I'll finish this with the strongest Pokémon I've prepared for you."
Brendan's mind immediately flashed to one name. "Gardevoir…?" That Pokémon had crushed through the first half of the battle like a blade through silk.
But Gary reached for a different Poké Ball—a pink one.
In the stands, Ash leaned forward, eyes widening. "That Poké Ball… No way—Latios!"
"What?!" Morrison and Tyson both shouted, staring at him.
Gary's voice rang across the arena. "Latios, it's your turn!"
"Laa–tios!!" The blue, jet-like Dragon/Psychic-type emerged in a burst of white light, immediately soaring upward. He circled the stadium gracefully before hovering at a low altitude, about five meters above the battlefield, wings humming with energy.
[LV 66 Latios — Pseudo-Legendary]
Brendan fumbled for his Pokédex.
Pokédex: "Latios, the Eon Pokémon. Highly intelligent and capable of folding its forelegs to fly at incredible speeds—faster than a jet aircraft."
Brendan's lips tightened. "A Legendary Pokémon… Figures. I wouldn't expect anything less from a rival I respect."
"Latios—Luster Purge!" Gary's voice was firm.
"Hmmm!" Latios gathered radiant pink light between his forelegs before releasing it in a blinding beam.
"Thunder!" Brendan countered instantly.
"Mane–TRIC!" Manectric unleashed his most powerful lightning attack, the golden bolt clashing with the pink beam mid-air.
But Latios' attack tore through the electricity with ease, striking Manectric full-on.
BOOM!! The impact flung Manectric backward into the stadium wall. He collapsed in a heap, eyes swirling.
"Manectric is unable to battle—Latios wins!" the referee declared.
The announcer's voice was filled with awe. "Incredible! Latios took Manectric out with a single blow!"
Gary sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Not exactly. He was already weakened from Slaking's Endeavor—don't make it sound like a miracle one-hit."
Brendan recalled Manectric silently, his jaw set, and pulled out his next Poké Ball. "Milotic—back in!"
"Miiilo–tichhh!" The elegant Water-type reappeared, her body still weary from her earlier encounter with Slaking.
"Dragon Pulse!" Gary commanded without hesitation.
Latios opened his mouth, energy swirling before forming into a glowing, dragon-shaped wave.
"Ice Beam!" Brendan shouted.
Milotic fired a stream of frigid blue-white energy, frost trailing in its wake. The two attacks collided in mid-air, but the dragon-shaped energy overpowered the icy beam, forcing it back toward Milotic.
BOOM!! The explosion of force knocked Milotic across the field, leaving her sprawled on the ice, eyes spinning.
"Milotic is unable to battle—Latios wins!" the referee announced.