Jason didn't bother giving Miraidon more orders—he knew its Electric Terrain was still up.
"Rrnn!"
As if it had heard him in its sleep, Miraidon rolled over.
The electricity around its body flared.
A Discharge burst out from where it lay snoring, released unconsciously.
"What?"
Poppy's Corviknight, right in the middle of its Bulk Up, took the stray bolt squarely.
"Hey! Don't hit my Corviknight!" Poppy shouted.
The battlefield descended into total chaos.
Jason hefted the giant hammer and rushed Haxorus.
Gigaton Hammer smashed into Dragon Claw—Fairy against Dragon, an absolute matchup advantage. Haxorus lost ground with every clash.
Gast heard her orders too. She knew she couldn't beat Kingambit in a straight fight, but she could harass.
Hovering above, she layered Night Shade and Confuse Ray over and over, constantly disrupting Geeta's Kingambit.
As for Miraidon—still asleep, but Electric Terrain remained. In its dreams, it periodically let off Discharge, trading chip damage with Corviknight overhead. It wasn't doing much, but it kept the bird busy.
The bloodiest duel was on Iron Valiant's side.
His HP was at rock bottom.
He was facing Rika's Donphan.
"Now, Donphan!" Rika seized her moment. "Earthquake!"
Donphan slammed its feet into the ground.
A brutal shockwave rolled across the entire field.
"Not good!"
Iron Valiant—
Boom!
The quake ripped through him.
"Iron Valiant!" Jason turned.
Iron Valiant's body shook violently, blades flickering erratically. He was at his limit.
"It's not over…"
He stared down Donphan, mustering the last of his strength.
"Close Combat!"
He blurred forward, pouring everything into a single strike.
"He still has the nerve to counter?!" Rika yelped.
Bang!
His fist slammed into Donphan's armored hide.
"Phan!" Donphan roared in pain, heavily damaged.
But after that one punch, Iron Valiant could no longer stand.
He toppled backward.
Clang.
His blade speared into the ground.
"Iron Valiant is unable to battle."
"Donphan is unable to battle."
Larry called both KOs in quick succession.
In his last moment on his feet, Iron Valiant dragged Donphan down with him.
One for one.
"Iron Valiant!"
Jason roared.
He whipped around, blood-red eyes locking onto Haxorus.
"Stay down!"
He raised the hammer, ignoring defense.
"Gigaton Hammer!"
Fairy energy roared into the weapon.
"Hassel! Get out of there!" Geeta shouted.
"Dragon Claw! Block it!" Hassel cried.
Too late.
Fueled by fury and Iron Valiant's sacrifice, the hammer came down squarely on Haxorus's axe-fangs.
Clang!
Crack!
The proud twin tusks shattered under the blow.
"Graaah!"
Haxorus screamed. Its massive body flew backward, crashing at Hassel's feet.
Out cold.
"Haxorus is unable to battle."
The old artist looked at his fallen third Pokémon… and looked like he might cry.
"Mr. Hassel's three Pokémon have all been eliminated," Larry reported.
Now, on the field:
The League had only two left—
Poppy's Corviknight, still circling in the sky, and Geeta's Kingambit, standing untouched at her side, its Dark/Steel aura cold and oppressive.
On Jason's side:
Iron Valiant had fallen.
Jason, Gast, and—
"Hrrnn… hrrnn…"
The still-sleeping Miraidon.
The third round had exploded into midgame the moment Jason unleashed his anger.
Hassel recalled his Haxorus. With his belt empty, he stared at the field, drowning in self-doubt.
Rika recalled her Donphan, scowling. Their side was down to two.
Corviknight, now buffed twice by Bulk Up—its Attack and Defense both at terrifying levels.
And Geeta's Kingambit, one of her true aces.
On Jason's side:
"Hrrnn… hrrnn…"
Miraidon's snoring was steady as ever. Its half-asleep Discharges had barely scratched Corviknight.
Gast hovered in the air, still a little unsteady from the earlier blast. Jason stood in the center gripping the hammer; taking Haxorus's hit had cost him a chunk of HP too.
"Now."
Geeta's eyes were ice. She saw the opening.
"Poppy! Corviknight, Brave Bird—that Tinkaton!"
"Kingambit—Iron Head!"
She gave the kill order.
"Jason!" Gast gasped.
"Rrnn!"
From above, the twice-bulked Corviknight turned into a black arrow, blue flame-like aura of Brave Bird flaring as it dived.
On the ground, Kingambit's blade gleamed with sharp Steel-type light. With Supreme Overlord boosting it, Iron Head's power was monstrous.
Two attacks, from sky and earth, converged on Jason.
"Damn it!"
Flanked from both sides, as a Steel-type he wasn't afraid of Flying—but Brave Bird was physical.
He had no choice but to block.
He swung the hammer horizontal.
"Gigaton Hammer—block!"
Boom!
Clang!
Brave Bird and Iron Head hit the hammer almost simultaneously, a combined force that could crush mountains.
Jason was launched, tumbling across the floor. He slammed the hammer into the ground and skidded to a halt.
"Kh…!"
He dropped to one knee. His monstrous HP kept him from a one-shot KO—but the damage was serious.
"We're not done!" Poppy shouted, thrilled. "Corviknight, again!"
"Kingambit, follow up," Geeta ordered coldly.
"Jason…"
Gast drifted high, watching.
She looked at him—
Then back at Iron Valiant lying by the edge, propped against his sword.
Her usually playful, prank-loving face set into something hard.
"Jason," she called softly.
"Kingambit, finish that Ditto!"
"Corviknight, Brave Bird once more!" Geeta barked.
Kingambit and Corviknight lunged.
This time, Jason wouldn't be able to get the hammer up in time.
"Jason!"
Just as Kingambit's blade and Corviknight's beak were about to strike—
A purple shape flashed in front of him.
Gast.
She spread her arms wide, putting her smaller body between Jason and the killing blows.
"Jason, this lady is not just here to be pampered," she said.
She turned back with a familiar mischievous smile.
Then faced forward.
Her eyes flared a strange violet.
"Destiny Bond."
A pulse of death-tinged energy surged out from her, latching onto Kingambit.
"No!"
For the first time, Geeta's composure cracked.
"Kingambit, stop! Stop!" she shouted.
But it was too late.
Iron Head and Brave Bird had already been unleashed—couldn't be called back.
Both attacks slammed into Gast.
Her form began to turn translucent.
"This lady's… gonna nap for a bit…"
Her shape faded as she drifted toward the edge of the field.
She landed next to Iron Valiant and lay still.
"Gengar is unable to battle," Larry said, voice shaking.
"No!"
Jason roared.
But in the same instant Gast went down—
the Destiny Bond tether snapped tight around Kingambit.
"Kingambit…?"
Its movements froze. The light went out of its eyes; the blades along its body dulled.
Thud.
Geeta's Dark/Steel ace toppled over.
"Kingambit is unable to battle."
Larry forced the second verdict out.
Another one for one.
Gast had dragged Geeta's strongest physical attacker down with her.
Silence swallowed the hall.
Geeta stared at the fallen Kingambit, hand still raised in a "stop" gesture.
Rika and Hassel stood stunned.
Corviknight hovered midair, confused. It couldn't understand why that terrifying general had suddenly collapsed.
Now, on the field—
The League had only one left: Poppy's twice-bulked Corviknight.
Jason was half-kneeling, badly hurt.
"Hrrnn… hrrnn…"
The only other sound was Miraidon's rumbling snore.
Jason slowly stood.
He glanced at his two teammates lying by the wall.
Then clambered onto Miraidon's head and smacked it.
Time for a manual wake-up.
"Get up."
"Rrnn?"
Miraidon jerked awake, blinking blearily at the wreckage around it.
"Who hit me?!"
Jason ignored it, eyes locking on the buffed Corviknight.
"Poppy."
He spoke.
"You've ticked me off."
His body exploded in blinding golden light.
He became Gholdengo.
"Steel/Ghost…" Geeta said, voice tinged with bitterness. "And the ability: Good as Gold."
"Corviknight, don't be scared!" Poppy yelled. "We're buffed! One more Brave Bird!"
Jason lifted his hand.
"Make It Rain."
The Hall's crystalline ceiling dimmed.
In its place: countless ancient gold coins, gleaming with malice.
"It's raining money!" Poppy squealed.
"That's not rain!" Geeta snapped. "It's an attack! Poppy, get Corviknight out of there!"
"Out…?"
Jason's voice rolled across the arena.
"Take the wrath of gold."
Clatter-clatter-clatter!
A storm of coins came crashing down.
Poppy panicked.
"What—"
Corviknight could only watch as a golden death shower engulfed it.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Coin after coin slammed into its metal feathers, each one loaded with Jason's fury.
The proud fortress of a bird folded under the barrage.
It screamed as the deluge hammered it out of the sky.
Boom!
Corviknight crashed into the pile of gold, unable to battle.
"Corviknight is unable to battle."
Larry swallowed hard.
"In the third round, the League's entire side has been defeated."
"Challenger Jason's team wins."
Dead silence.
Coins continued to ping and clink as they fell—several bouncing off Miraidon's recently-awakened head.
Across the field, Geeta recalled Kingambit.
Poppy, sobbing, pulled back Corviknight.
Rika and Hassel had nothing left to say.
Geeta's face—more serious than ever—turned toward Jason.
"A remarkable fight," she said.
"But Jason…"
"You're hurt. Miraidon isn't at full strength either. Your two strongest partners are down."
She took a breath.
"Next, we send out our four true aces."
"Do you still intend to continue?"
Jason lay sprawled on Miraidon's head as he and Miraidon gently carried Iron Valiant and Gast to a safe spot by the wall.
Then he raised his head.
"Less talk. Start round four."
"…Very well," Geeta said, closing her eyes. "As you wish."
She turned to her Elites.
"Rika. Hassel. Poppy."
"This match is the honor of the Paldea League."
"Send out your final trump cards."
"Hah." Rika flicked her hair back; she'd shaken off her earlier loss. "I've been waiting—Clodsire!"
Her fourth Pokémon hit the field: a plump, derpy-looking brown… fish? No—Clodsire. Ground/Poison.
"My final dragon," Hassel said, eyes filled with artistic resolve. "Baxcalibur."
Frost rolled across the floor.
A massive dragon with a back full of jagged ice spines hit the field.
Dragon/Ice pseudo-legendary, Baxcalibur.
"Poppy's ace!" Poppy brushed away her tears and sent out her most trusted partner. "Tinkaton!"
A small pink gremlin lugging an absurdly huge hammer appeared—the very same species Jason had copied.
Fairy/Steel.
Finally, Geeta released her own fourth.
She said nothing—just threw the ball.
A strange rock-flower hybrid floated into view, petals formed from poisonous crystal.
Glimmora. Rock/Poison.