"Metagross is incredibly tenacious, but it still hasn't managed to land an effective hit. If this continues, it's only a matter of time before it's defeated," the announcer explained, voice brimming with tension.
By now, Metagross had been struck cleanly by Gardevoir three separate times. Even with its naturally high resistance, combined with the protection of Light Screen to reduce incoming damage, there was no way it could withstand much longer.
Tyson:"Metagross, rotate your body and use Flash Cannon!"
BANG!!
Metagross spun swiftly on its metallic legs, releasing a dazzling beam of silver light that swept in a wide arc across the field. The move was aimed to cover the entire battlefield, destroying all of Gardevoir's illusory clones from Double Team and leaving the real one exposed.
Gary:"Use Psychic to reflect it! Aim for the gap on Metagross's head!"
"Gaaardevooiirrr!"
Gardevoir's eyes shone with brilliant blue light as a massive wave of psychic energy surged forth. The beam of Flash Cannon bent under her telekinetic control, arcing back toward its source. In an instant, the redirected blast struck the center of Metagross's head — its neural hub — with a deafening BOOM!
Tyson:"What?!" His eyes widened in shock, nearly bulging from disbelief. To not only stop but reverse the trajectory of a Flash Cannon required extraordinary mental strength and precision. That kind of psychic control was far beyond what most trainers ever encountered.
Gary:"Mystical Fire!"
Gardevoir gracefully traced a flaming circle in the air with her right hand. Scarlet-orange flames erupted from the ring, surging forward in a fierce stream that engulfed Metagross completely.
BANG!!
Metagross let out a metallic roar of pain, its body rocking under the intense heat. When the flames finally cleared, the massive Steel/Psychic Pokémon collapsed to the grassy ground, its eyes replaced by dizzy spirals.
Referee:"Metagross is unable to battle! Gardevoir is the winner!"
"At last, our first Pokémon has fainted in this incredibly tense battle!" the announcer declared, clearly relieved to have something decisive to report. "It's been nearly ten minutes into the first half, and only now has a Pokémon been knocked out — this is truly a clash between high-level competitors!"
Gary remained calm, not even the faintest hint of strain on his face. He knew that if Tyson hadn't been so quick to swap out his Pokémon earlier, this result would have come much sooner.
In Gary's mind, only two of Tyson's Pokémon — Metagross and his unusual Meowth — were true threats. The rest, he considered manageable. With Metagross down, Tyson had just lost a critical piece of his first-half strategy.
Tyson:"Sceptile, I choose you!"
POP!
"Sceptileee!" The Sceptile landed lightly on the grass, its yellow eyes narrowing with focus.
[Lv. 49 Sceptile — Gym Leader level]
This Sceptile was one of Tyson's mainstay partners, but unfortunately, it had already hit the upper limit of its gym-level potential. Against an opponent like Gardevoir, that ceiling would be painfully obvious.
Gary:"Gardevoir, set up Future Sight."
"Gardevooiirrr!"
Gardevoir's eyes glowed faintly as a psychic sphere shimmered into existence above her head before vanishing — its energy cast into the near future.
Tyson:"Now! Quick Attack, then Leaf Blade!"
SWOOSH!!
Sceptile dashed forward in a green blur, leaving behind streaks of white speed lines in its wake. Its arm blades glowed an intense emerald, the sharpened Leaf Blade ready to strike.
At the last moment, Gardevoir sidestepped with fluid grace, letting the blade slice through empty air.
Sceptile's eyes widened in surprise, but it quickly pivoted, swinging its other blade in a swift horizontal slash. Again, Gardevoir stepped back lightly, evading the attack without breaking composure.
Gary:"Psychic!"
The instant Sceptile's blade was poised to come down on Gardevoir's head, the Psychic Pokémon's eyes flared. The glowing blade froze mid-swing, suspended in midair as though trapped in invisible steel chains.
Tyson:"Bullet Seed, now!"
But it was too late. Before Sceptile could open its mouth, a blast of concentrated Confusion exploded from Gardevoir, sending the Grass-type flying backward.
"Urghh!"
Sceptile hit the ground hard, wincing from the blow. Unlike Metagross, it lacked the Steel-type's natural durability, and the psychic strike had done significant damage.
Gary:"Mystical Fire!"
"Gaaardevooiirr!" Gardevoir spun her hand, conjuring another blazing circle before launching a fireball straight toward her opponent.
Tyson:"Double Team!"
In an instant, multiple Sceptiles appeared, darting in every direction to avoid the flames and prepare for a counterattack.
But before the real Sceptile could close in—
CRACK!
A bolt of psychic-charged energy — the delayed Future Sight — descended from above like lightning, striking the real Sceptile directly.
"Zhaaahhh!!" Sceptile cried out in pain before collapsing face-first into the grass, unmoving.
Referee:"Sceptile is unable to battle! Gardevoir wins again!"
The announcer's voice rose in pitch: "And that's two in a row for Gary's Gardevoir! Tyson is now down to four Pokémon, with two of them — Hariyama and Altaria — already known to be at a disadvantage against Gardevoir!"
Tyson's jaw tightened. He clearly didn't want to risk revealing Meowth yet.
Tyson:"Hariyama, you're up again!"
"Haaarii-yaaamaa!" The huge Hariyama reappeared on the field, its breathing steadier after a brief rest in its Poké Ball, but still carrying the damage from earlier.
Gary eyed the opponent coolly. "He wants to save his strongest for the second half… but that won't help him. He'd have been better off leading with them. Splitting his power evenly will only ensure none of his Pokémon can take one of mine down."
Gary:"Let's finish this — Psychic!"
"Gaaardevooiirr!"
A wave of overwhelming Confusion slammed into Hariyama, lifting its massive bulk off the ground before hurling it backward.
THUD!
Hariyama crashed onto the grass and didn't move. Its eyes were spirals.
Referee:"Hariyama is unable to battle! Gardevoir wins! Tyson has lost three Pokémon — the first half is over!"
The crowd roared with applause, though many of Tyson's supporters looked concerned.
In the Stands
Max exhaled heavily. "Tyson's not even close to Gary's level… he hasn't managed to take down a single Pokémon."
Though Max admired Gary's skill, he also liked Tyson and had hoped for a better showing. Seeing him this outmatched was painful.
May tried to be optimistic. "Don't forget, Tyson's Meowth hasn't battled yet. Right, Ash?"
Ash crossed his arms, his tone thoughtful but grim. "I'd like to see Tyson do better, but… I just don't see him winning this one."
Brock sighed. "Gary's just too strong. With him in the Conference, most other trainers barely have a chance. He's complete in every aspect — even his newly trained Pokémon are more polished than most competitors' best."
The referee called for the 10-minute halftime break. Trainers returned their Pokémon to the care of the League's healing team while the battlefield reset for the second half.
As the break ended, the announcer's voice returned, hyped and loud. "In the first half, Gary completely dominated. Will Tyson find a way to turn the tables in the second half? Let's see what the new battlefield will be!"
On the massive screen, the venue selection wheel spun rapidly before clicking to a stop — the snowflake icon.
Ice Field!