At the referee's prompt, Harrison recalled Swellow and took out his fifth Poké Ball.
However, when he released the Pokémon, Natsui saw it still wasn't Harrison's ace, Blaziken, but another Pokémon also from the Hoenn region—Linoone!
Although its name contained 'bear', it was actually a small Pokémon, only half a meter tall and weighing just over 30 kilograms, resembling a badger from Earth.
Linoone had a streamlined body, which helped reduce resistance when running. Most of its fur was light brown, with several dark brown stripes. Its head was shaped like an arrowhead. Its fur was tough and textured; coats made from its pelt were said to be popular in cold regions.
Ability-wise, true to its nature, Linoone was very fast, capable of reaching speeds of 100 kilometers per hour. However, it was terrible at turning. When it encountered an obstacle, it would make sharp, right-angle turns to avoid it. It couldn't turn at all without stopping abruptly!
Seeing this Pokémon, Natsui fumbled in his belt pouch for a while, unable to decide which one to send out.
After all, in the previous battles, all his Pokémon had taken turns multiple times. Everyone was in good condition and well-adapted to the arena; no one particularly needed to be sent out.
Who should I choose?
Sigh, do I really have too few usable Pokémon?
It had to be said, this highlighted the preferential treatment given to star competitors. Take this match, for example. Both were Top 4 competitors, but when Harrison was choosing his Pokémon, although the referee didn't rush him verbally, he kept looking at him, seemingly urging him to hurry.
But when it came to Natsui, even though he stood there pondering for a long time without moving, the referee showed no impatience whatsoever!
This was the ultimate privilege brought by popularity, strength, and the Pokémon League's resource allocation!
Fortunately, Natsui didn't take too long. After deliberating for a bit, he finally took out Crystal Steelix's Poké Ball.
"This battle is yours! Go, Crystal Steelix!"
Against a fast Pokémon like Linoone, Natsui didn't choose a similarly fast Pokémon to compete. Instead, he sent out the incredibly defensive Crystal Steelix.
Thump.
Its massive body hitting the ground caused a strong tremor.
Speaking of which, although it was an Ice Field, after so much battling, the ice layer and chunks had mostly melted, revealing large patches of frozen earth beneath.
"It appeared again!" the announcer shouted excitedly. "No matter how many times I see it, competitor Natsui's Crystal Steelix never ceases to amaze me with its beauty and power! Especially under the sunlight, reflecting off the ice and snow, it's translucent and simply gorgeous!"
Just as the announcer said, this was Crystal Steelix's third appearance since the conference began, and each time, it drew excited cheers from the audience.
No one disliked such a Pokémon!
When the battle started, Linoone began running. Just as Natsui knew, it charged straight ahead, truly terrible at turning.
Being at a disadvantage, Harrison naturally couldn't sit back and wait. He launched an all-out offensive!
However, Linoone's attacks were primarily close-range. Against the incredibly defensive and enormous Crystal Steelix, it had no advantage whatsoever!
And there wasn't much suspense in this match. Although it was a Pokémon brought from Hoenn that had traveled with Harrison for a long time, it still fell to Crystal Steelix!
Considering their sizes, it was truly a lopsided battle.
"Linoone charged forward! Linoone is down! It barely caused any damage! Oh my goodness, that's competitor Harrison's fifth Pokémon defeated! After his match against competitor Ash, has competitor Natsui regained his form and is set to continue his winning streak!?"
Amidst the announcer's somewhat exaggerated commentary, Harrison looked at his fallen Pokémon and shook his head helplessly.
He had truly done his best to get this far.
After Linoone's defeat, he had completely given up hope of advancing. However... he had to defeat at least one of Natsui's Pokémon.
Having traveled across the ocean to get here, if he was swept 6-0, he wouldn't be able to face anyone back in Hoenn!
He absolutely had to win the next round!
His eyes regained their determination. He resolutely took out his last Poké Ball. Needless to say, everyone knew it had to be his ace Pokémon—Blaziken!
As Harrison threw his final Poké Ball, and after the blue light faded, the cool-looking Blaziken appeared on the battlefield.
As the face of the Hoenn region starters, Blaziken possessed absolute popularity and outstanding strength. Even those unfamiliar with it would be drawn to its appearance.
Seeing Blaziken, Natsui didn't hesitate this time. He had already decided on its opponent.
Recalling Crystal Steelix, Natsui sent out his own ace Pokémon.
"Go, Gardevoir!"
Upon appearing, Gardevoir proudly lifted its head. The two Pokémon stood facing each other amidst the increasingly ruined Ice Field.
Looking at Gardevoir, Harrison shook his head and said to Natsui, "Such a familiar Pokémon. Two Pokémon not native to Johto meeting and battling here... it feels like I'm back in Hoenn, forgetting I'm still in Johto. Since it's the end, I'll be going all out now!"
"No problem, bring it on," Natsui smiled. "This Gardevoir was gifted to me in the Kalos region. It's my starter Pokémon and very strong. And I won't be holding back either!"
After the brief exchange, both fell silent, focusing their attention on the battle.
If Gardevoir defeated Blaziken, Harrison would be eliminated, and Natsui would advance directly to the finals. If Blaziken won, it didn't mean Harrison would win the match; he would still have to defeat Natsui's remaining five Pokémon to scrape through, which was almost impossible. Natsui naturally wouldn't give him that chance.
Seeing the trainers and Pokémon ready, the referee immediately waved his flag, signaling the start of this highly anticipated final battle!
Just like before, Harrison chose to attack first. The moment the flag dropped, Blaziken immediately dashed towards Gardevoir.
Gardevoir, connected mentally with Natsui, received his command instantly and adopted a defensive counterattack strategy.
"Blaziken, use Flamethrower!"
Before even crossing the halfway point, Blaziken opened its mouth, spewing scorching hot flames from a distance.
Such an obvious attack, launched head-on, naturally wouldn't hit Gardevoir. With a wave of its hand, an invisible psychic barrier formed in front of the Flamethrower. Instantly, the flames hit the thick wall and dispersed outwards.
However, this was just a feint from Harrison. As Gardevoir blocked the flames, Blaziken suddenly leaped out from the side of the firelight, thrusting its knee towards Gardevoir.
As a Fire/Fighting Pokémon, close combat was naturally Blaziken's forte.
And against a Psychic-type like Gardevoir, closing the distance was crucial to prevent it from using its abilities!
Seeing Blaziken's attack, Natsui's mind moved, and Gardevoir on the field reacted instantly without words.
It raised its other hand, and instantly, a stronger force emanated from it. Using Psychic, it blasted Blaziken back into the flames!
This was the advantage of telepathy. No need for verbal commands; just a thought could direct the Pokémon, saving precious time!
Blaziken stumbled back into the fire but emerged again after a few seconds, rushing towards Gardevoir at high speed!
Gardevoir used the same tactic, trying to repel Blaziken with Psychic, but Blaziken wasn't slow. With a high leap, it dodged the attack directly.
"Good chance!" Harrison yelled. "Use Fire Punch!"
Flames instantly erupted around Blaziken's fists. Descending from above, it swung towards Gardevoir with immense power. On the other side, Natsui, in his trainer area, showed no panic. One hand in his pocket, he just slightly narrowed his eyes. Gardevoir on the field immediately used Teleport, and in the next second, its figure vanished from before Blaziken!
POW!
The Fire Punch struck the frozen earth, instantly drying the ground beneath. The power was evident!
Having missed, Blaziken stood up and looked back, only to see Gardevoir had reappeared in its trainer's half of the field, a significant distance away again.
Nearby, Harrison frowned.
Blaziken had expended so much energy, only to end up back at square one, just on the opposite side. It was all for nothing.
This won't work...
Although he knew Teleport was a common move for Psychic Pokémon and unavoidable, if Gardevoir kept this up, Blaziken's stamina would run out first!
He had to restrict its movement!
With this thought, he shouted loudly, "Blaziken, again! Use Flamethrower!"
Using the same attack that failed before? Natsui believed Harrison wasn't that foolish. This action must have a purpose!
Most importantly, Blaziken excelled at both Fire moves and close combat. If it landed a hit, it would definitely cause massive damage!
Steeling himself, Natsui watched the fireball shoot out and get closer to Gardevoir. This time, he didn't rashly block the Flamethrower but had Gardevoir use Teleport again to increase the distance.
And this was the chance Harrison was waiting for!
The moment Gardevoir's body vanished, he suddenly yelled, "Watch your surroundings! Get ready to use Quick Attack!"
So that was the plan!
Hearing Harrison's shout, Natsui shook his head and chuckled inwardly.
He knew Harrison was up to something, but did he think that would be enough to deal with his Gardevoir?
On the field, Gardevoir reappeared nearby. Blaziken, already prepared, dashed towards it fiercely. With Quick Attack activated, its speed increased even more!
It seemed Harrison knew that after using Teleport, there would be a brief cooldown before it could be used again. Did he think catching that interval would lead to victory?
He must not understand why Gardevoir was Natsui's ace. It wasn't just because it was his starter, nor because it could use Teleport. Its strength had always stemmed from its immense power!
Blaziken drew closer and closer. Gardevoir raised both hands. Just like Natsui, its face showed no panic. In the next second, a pinkish-purple strange light shot from its palms straight towards Blaziken!
Psybeam activated!
At such close range, Blaziken couldn't dodge and was struck by the Psybeam in an instant.
Hit by the attack, its body suddenly faltered, its momentum greatly reduced. Although it wasn't unlucky enough to become confused, Gardevoir seized that opening!
It brought its hands together and raised them upwards. An invisible force emanated, and Blaziken immediately felt itself being lifted uncontrollably into the air!
This is bad!!
Harrison's face changed. The situation was clear: Blaziken was caught by Confusion!
"Break free quickly!"
Blaziken struggled constantly, but unfortunately, the move Confusion, unlike in the games, was incredibly versatile in function!
Without a special escape method, the brute force of small to medium-sized Pokémon wasn't enough to break free!
Blaziken slowly rose higher. This time, Natsui didn't resort to the trick he used against Ash by simply throwing it out of bounds. He intended to defeat Harrison in a more conventional way!
As Gardevoir thrust its arms downwards, the airborne Blaziken flipped and crashed heavily onto the ground!
BANG!
A loud crash echoed, sending ice shards and dust flying. When the smoke cleared, Blaziken slowly stood up.
Even though it had taken some damage earlier, this single blow wasn't enough to finish it.
And because its stamina was low, Blaziken's fighting spirit soared even higher. Its feathers bristled, and flames seemed to erupt from its eyes. Its Blaze ability had clearly activated, greatly increasing its attack power!
Gardevoir calmly met its gaze, showing no emotional fluctuation due to the change.
In his trainer area, seeing Blaziken's condition, Harrison took a deep breath.
He knew this was the final moment. Whether he could defeat Gardevoir hinged on this last move!
"Let's risk it all! Blaziken, unleash your final power! Use Flare Blitz!!!"
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