"Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen! We've just witnessed Guillotine land live here at the Indigo League Kanto Branch Finals, putting our Ice Dragon Princess on the back foot. Will Ronan continue his lucky streak, or was it just a fluke? Let's find out!"
At the mention of her embarrassing title, Clarissa snapped out of her stupor and began to think of a plan. The obvious choice was to send out Charizard for a powerful counterattack, but even she couldn't guarantee a one-hit knockout. Her only option now was to make use of the advantage she had built up earlier in the battle.
She released Glaceon first to weaken her opponent.
"Charm!" she commanded.
Glaceon's eyes glowed pink releasing a wave of energy that lowered her opponent's Attack. Being slower, Kingambit took the hit but retaliated immediately with Taunt, cutting short any further status moves.
Without prompt, Glaceon unleashed Alluring Voice, hoping to start chipping away at her opponent. With Taunt preventing her from using weakening moves, she had no choice but to rely on this straightforward method of attack.
Kingambit endured the assault, its body glowing with a metallic sheen before suddenly charging forward and ramming into Glaceon head on. The impact dealt massive damage, knocking out Glaceon in a single hit despite her having lowered its Attack by two.
"What a devastating blow, ladies and gentlemen! For those unfamiliar with the move, that was Metal Burst! It returns 150% of the damage received when executed. Combined with Kingambit's Supreme Overlord ability with four fainted allies, Glaceon's weakness to Steel type moves, and her reduced health from Weavile, Stealth Rock, and Toxic, it's no wonder she was taken out by what seemed like a simple counterattack!"
Clarissa accepted the outcome of the battle with grace. Next, she released Cetitan to take advantage of the fading Hail. It was about time to transition into her endgame.
Cetitan immediately used Charm, lowering Kingambit's Attack even further. Now, it would no longer be able to counter as effectively.
As expected, Kingambit used Taunt, forcing the battle away from strategy and into sheer brutality.
"Earthquake!" Clarissa commanded.
Kingambit used Protect to block the attack while attempting to exploit Cetitan's poisoned state.
Then the inevitable happened. Cetitan's 2nd Earthquake landed, dealing heavy damage, but Kingambit retaliated with Metal Burst. Unfortunately for Cetitan, it wasn't enough to knock out Kingambit. The resulting clash with Metal Burst proved too much for her, causing her to faint.
Having already endured Draco Meteor and Brick Break, along with several hits of Stealth Rock and Toxic, Cetitan's health was dangerously low. The amplified force of Metal Burst, powered by the prior Earthquake, was the final straw.
"What a miraculous three-Pokémon sweep, ladies and gentlemen! From five to two, and now two to two, Ronan has managed to equalize this battle. Unfortunately, Kingambit looks to be on its last legs, so an upset seems unlikely. Everything will depend on Ronan's final Pokémon."
Clarissa quickly released Dragonite and immediately issued a command.
"Brick Break!"
Before Kingambit could react, an orange streak of light slammed into it, sending it flying and knocking it out. Dragonite stood in its place, arm outstretched in a punching pose, having executed the move with speed and precision.
"As expected, folks, Clarissa's Dragonite has secured a flawless knockout. Its speed and power left no doubt, Kingambit never stood a chance. Now, all that remains for Ronan is his final Pokémon. Let's see if he has any chance of turning this battle around."
Ronan released Grimmsnarl onto the field, already resigned to his fate. Even with the type advantage, he doubted he could pull off a miracle.
Before Dragonite could make a move, Grimmsnarl teleported in front of him and clapped its hands sharply in his face, causing him to flinch. It used Fake Out, dealing minor damage in the process. Combined with the Stealth Rock damage upon entering the field, Dragonite had suffered quite the opening blow.
"Reflect!" Ronan ordered immediately.
It was just in time. Dragonite shook off the flinch and charged head-on, his body gleaming with a metallic sheen. He used Iron Head and intended to keep striking with the same move until his opponent eventually fainted.
Grimmsnarl's Reflect activated first, thanks to its Prankster ability, giving it a slight edge with Priority +1. The move halved the incoming damage, but Grimmsnarl still took a devastating hit from Dragonite's Iron Head, as Steel was its weakness.
"Ice Punch!"
Dragonite pressed on, relentless in his assault. He circled around and struck again, passing through the Reflect barrier and feeling his Iron Head weaken as a result.
Grimmsnarl took the hit but retaliated with Ice Punch. The attack was simply too devastating for Dragonite to withstand.
Clarissa narrowed her eyes, realizing her Dragonite might not be enough. Ice Punch was brutal, but she remained calm. She still had her ace and her parents' instructions to showcase her power, so she allowed this losing exchange to play out.
Dragonite launched another Iron Head, aiming to finish the fight, but Grimmsnarl met him head-on with a final Ice Punch.
The collision sent both Pokémon reeling. Dragonite fainted, while Grimmsnarl barely held on.
"It's happened, folks! We're down to our final one-on-one, with Grimmsnarl barely hanging on. Given what we've seen from Clarissa's Charizard, this won't be a battle anymore; it'll be an execution."
Clarissa released her ace, Charizard, but before any moves were thrown, she lifted her hand and sent her energy into the Key Stone on her wrist.
With a flash of multicolored light, her Charizard evolved into Mega Charizard Y. Her body grew larger and sharper, wings sprouted and expanded from her arms, and her horns elongated, with a single horn jutting out taller than the others. The flame on her tail burned hotter than ever, radiating an intense, fiery aura.
The crowd watched the spectacle, stunned by the Mega Evolution, before erupting into thunderous cheers.
Charizard soared into the air and, with a powerful roar, unleashed a devastating Flamethrower that blanketed the entire arena. It was a guaranteed hit, no matter where Grimmsnarl tried to run.
"Light Screen!" Ronan shouted in desperation.
Unfortunately, it was simply too spent, and Charizard's Flamethrower was far too overwhelming.
It was completely engulfed in roaring flames, its body bathed in searing heat, and was knocked out moments later.
With a sigh, Ronan retrieved his Pokémon before walking off the stage. He had lost unequivocally. He never stood a chance against that Charizard in the first place.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!" the announcer's voice boomed through the stadium. "Clarissa has claimed victory in the Indigo League Kanto Branch Finals!"
The crowd erupted into deafening cheers, thousands of voices shouting her name in unison. Flags waved, confetti flew through the air, and the excitement was palpable as fans leapt to their feet, applauding every moment of the breathtaking battle.
Clarissa stood at her side of the arena, her Mega Charizard Y perched proudly beside her. She raised her fist in triumph, taking in the roar of the crowd, the culmination of months of preparation and unyielding determination.
This was her moment. The victory she had earned, celebrated by every spectator who had witnessed the clash of titans that had defined the finals.
"Meh, it kinda got boring toward the end," Rhea said back in the conference room at the farm. "And they were so slow. Alex's Pokémon moved way faster when they trained."
"That's because they slow it down so the audience can actually follow what's happening," Nyx said. "The real battle probably ended a few minutes before the broadcast caught up."
"Yeah, well, they still made a ton of mistakes," Rhea countered. "Dragonite should've used Brick Break to shatter Reflect, and Ronan should've sent out Weavile instead of using Grimmsnarl against the dragons. Ice has way better coverage against Dragon and Flying than Fairy."
"Which is why he lost. Besides, Weavile forced Glaceon out of her superior stat position, making Clarissa reset the field. And even if he'd switched them, Weavile would've been eaten alive by Charizard anyway. That thing's Flamethrower was absolutely unreal."
Alex silently agreed with Nyx's last point. That Flamethrower had to have been Master Rank proficiency with a range advantage. It was like a Heat Wave that could bathe the entire battlefield in searing flames rather than just heat. He highly doubted Raticate would ever be able to escape it.
Plus, Mega Charizard Y was simply too powerful, with a massive boost in Special Attack. Any army sent against it would have simply melted.
Alex was again reminded of the superiority of a wealthy family. Here he was, struggling with all his might, while Clarissa simply played along with her innocent journey feeding her Pokemon Champion ranked meat from her family. Yet, he was overtaken in less than a decade from roughly the same starting position.
It truly put into perspective the advantages that the rich had compared to the rest of the population.
Still, he would never trade his circumstances for anyone else's. His journey was his own, filled with deadly battles, even at the cost of his or his Pokémon's lives. This was the life he had chosen, shared with Pokémon who stood by him.
He would reach Champion rank, peek over the horizon, and seek out the next fight that would test him to his limits.
For now, he would rest, recover, and build a home and a family.
But soon enough, he would return to the field, where every battle would demand everything including his life and his Pokémon's.
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