February 9th, Tuesday. Light snow.
The first snow of February drifted down like goose feathers, falling briefly in the morning before stopping.
Under the gentle sunlight, the entire Indigo Plateau was bathed in a golden glow.
In the main stadium's silver brazier, the sacred flame ignited by Moltres' feather danced with orange fire.
Lance, clad in his cape, stared at the sacred flame for a long moment, lost in thought.
Originally, the champion's prize for this tournament was just prize money and a Premier Ball provided by Silph Co.
Frankly, it was embarrassingly lackluster.
For past Indigo Plateau Conferences of mediocre quality, that might've been fine.
But this year's event had Natsume-sensei competing, along with Red, Professor Oak, and others lending their support.
Lance couldn't bring himself to offer such a pitiful reward.
"So, the prize has been decided?"
The elderly Charles Goodshow stroked his beard, smiling.
"Yes. There's one last unburned tail feather from Moltres left."
Lance nodded. "Both finalists have Fire-type Pokémon… so it's fitting."
Resources from a Legendary Pokémon weren't as simple as ordinary Charcoal.
Not every feather from Moltres could be used to ignite the sacred flame, after all.
You could say… this tail feather was a budget version of the Rainbow Wing.
President Charles Goodshow had no objections. After a moment of consideration, he asked, "What about the Technical Machine?"
"That can be arranged," Lance replied.
As the two discussed, the cheers in the stadium grew louder.
The finals of the Indigo Plateau Conference had officially begun.
"Welcome, everyone, to the grand finals of the Indigo Plateau Conference!"
Aerial drones equipped with Rotom circled the arena, while budget-model Magnemite acted as cameramen.
The circular main stadium buzzed with excitement as group members gathered around Professor Oak.
"First, let's welcome the challenger from Johto—Contestant Takao!"
Takao was a burly man with dark skin, in his early thirties.
He wasn't much for the internet, but when news of Sylveon's one-versus-six sweep reached him…
It left him utterly speechless.
But maybe… Sylveon wouldn't even appear in this match?
When Natsume took the stage, the cheers erupted again.
This young man from Touran had given the tournament too many iconic moments.
On the grand stage of the finals, only strength could earn such overwhelming popularity.
"Remind you of anything?" Blue Oak leaned on the railing, watching the roaring crowd with pride. "Our moment of victory?"
"..." Red tilted his cap, smirking.
"Reminds me of when you lost to me."
Down in the arena…
It wasn't until they reached their command posts that Natsume noticed the accessory on Takao's right hand.
A Z-Ring?
Natsume raised an eyebrow.
You kept this hidden until the finals?
Not like I have room to talk…
"Both contestants, release your Pokémon at the same time!" The referee waved his flag.
The first Pokémon had been decided in advance, though substitutions were allowed mid-battle.
"Go!" Takao's lead was a Bisharp.
Bisharp's entire body was lined with razor-sharp blades, clad in red armor. Its strength could supposedly be gauged by the sharpness of its blades.
Clang!
Takao's Bisharp crossed its twin blades before sweeping them apart, gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight.
"That looks like the Ability Defiant," Crystal murmured. "This intense battle lust isn't something Inner Focus could produce."
"Bisharp, slashing, chopping, dicing—time to cook dinner!" Professor Oak improvised a senryū.
"It's still morning, and you're already hungry?!" Gold deadpanned.
"Pay attention!" Crystal smacked Gold's head.
"Ow!"
Natsume, meanwhile, threw his Poké Ball. A flash of white light materialized on the field.
Under the sun, Sirfetch'd stood tall, its snow-white feathers pristine, leek in hand, eyes sharp and confident.
"Sirfetch'd!"
But when it looked at its opponent, its smile froze.
"Sirfetch'd! Σ(°△°|||)︴"
Those steel blades… could probably slice my leek in half!
"You didn't lead with Intimidate Arcanine?" Takao frowned.
Against Arcanine's Intimidate, Bisharp's Defiant would only fuel its fighting spirit.
A type disadvantage… could still work. Takao commanded, "Screech!"
Screee!
Bisharp's blades scraped together, emitting a piercing noise that made the front-row audience wince.
At the same time, Bisharp lunged forward, its gleaming blade aimed straight ahead.
"Just smash through it!" Natsume ordered.
With a quadruple weakness to Fighting, Brick Break's white aura flared.
Sirfetch'd swung its leek downward, aiming straight for Bisharp's head!
"Dodge and use Knock Off!" Takao thought. First, knock away that crit-boosting leek!
Bisharp sidestepped, its blade slashing horizontally to shatter the leek—
Clang! Sparks flew as steel met vegetable.
"Wait, that leek's that hard?!" The audience gaped.
"Sirfetch'd!(╥﹏╥)" Sirfetch'd nearly laughed through its tears.
This time, I brought my poisoned leek! You really think you can knock it away?!
Bisharp realized something was wrong. Its blade slashed toward Sirfetch'd's chest, the gust of wind razor-sharp.
Sirfetch'd raised its shield just in time, blocking the strike—but the force sent it skidding back, leaving a deep gash in the leek shield!
"Sirfetch'd! (╥﹏╥)" Now it was really crying.
How much leek juice just leaked out?!
"Sirfetch'd!" Enraged, Sirfetch'd thrust its leek like a lance, strikes coming rapid-fire.
"A deadly Close Combat!" the commentator gasped. "And Bisharp is somehow holding its ground!"
Bisharp weaved a seamless net of slashes, deflecting every one of Sirfetch'd's jabs.
Sweat rolled down its forehead.
If it faltered for even a second, it'd be skewered!
"Using Fury Cutter to block like that is impressive technique," Lance mused from the stands.
There's still a chance. Takao's eyes narrowed. "Sucker Punch!"
Clang! Bisharp parried Sirfetch'd's leek and swung down—only to hit air.
To its shock, Sirfetch'd—who had been pressing the attack moments ago—had already retreated several meters.
And now, its massive leek was gathering sunlight, extending into a several-meter-long solar broadsword, still charging!
Can't reach me? Then I'll fight you with a 40-meter blade!
"Sirfetch'd, Solar Blade!" Natsume commanded.
With a battle cry, Sirfetch'd's leek transformed into a radiant holy sword.
The blade's glow intensified, the solar broadsword fully materializing!
Takao and Bisharp both froze.
How the hell am I supposed to hit that?!
Long-range versus short-range is one thing, but who brings a 40-meter blade to a fight?!
Sirfetch'd gripped the Solar Blade, calm on the outside, thrilled on the inside.
This feels like the perfect time for a cool one-liner.
"Sirfetch'd!!"
Bring me the leek!!
The blade's light flared, Solar Blade descending like a guillotine. A blinding flash erupted, swallowing Bisharp whole!
The stands fell silent.
"This Sirfetch'd… was always this strong?"
"Maybe we all underestimated it!"
"Sirfetch'd…" Panting, Sirfetch'd's blade shrank back into a leek. It felt like the Miracle Seed in its stomach had been completely digested.
So hungry…
Did we win?! Sirfetch'd peered across the field.
A breeze swept past. Bisharp lay in a crater of cracked earth, its back scorched by solar flames.
"It resisted Grass and still got one-shot…"
Natsume, who had only meant to wear it down, twitched.
"How the hell did you crit again?!"
"Sirfetch'd!" Sirfetch'd puffed out its chest proudly.
The humble yet mighty white knight earned roaring cheers from the crowd.
"Natsume's in great form today," Professor Oak noted approvingly.
"First match down!" Ash cheered. "Go, Natsume-sensei!!"
On the big screen, one of the six Poké Ball icons under Takao's name dimmed.
"Still a chance," Takao muttered.
Bisharp had dealt decent damage.
There's no way it has the energy for another Solar Blade like that.
"Return." Natsume recalled Sirfetch'd into a Premier Ball.
Seeing this, Takao confirmed his theory.
"It's out of commission. A one-for-one trade isn't bad."
Takao threw his next Ultra Ball. "Go, Camerupt!"
The orange-red Camerupt stood with twin volcanic humps on its back, said to contain molten lava that erupted when enraged—a living active volcano.
THUD!
Camerupt's landing sent tremors through the ground, the sheer pressure of its presence silencing the crowd.
"Feels like the temperature just spiked."
"Will its Eruption just burn the whole field down?!"
"Natsume-sensei sent out a Fire-type too?"
THUD!!
"Arcanine~!" Arcanine grinned, its eyes sparkling with simple joy.
At this point, Natsume might as well have raised it as an Alaskan Malamute…
Natsume facepalmed, then reconsidered.
Arcanine didn't have a single malicious bone in its body. It just ate a lot.
BOOOOM!
Takao struck first with Eruption.
Camerupt's humps rumbled, flames erupting skyward. Scorching magma surged toward Arcanine, the heat alone enough to instantly KO most foes.
HISSS!
The blast wave rolled out, white smoke spreading as the superheated air distorted.
"Dig?" Takao spotted the freshly dug tunnel and snapped, "Earthquake!"
CRACK!
Camerupt stomped, the ground splitting apart in violent tremors that rippled toward the tunnel.
"Extreme Speed!" Natsume ordered. "Body Slam!"
Arcanine, who had used Dig defensively to avoid Eruption, emerged with its mane singed black. It lunged forward with Extreme Speed.
Takao looked up at the shadow looming over him—and his eye twitched.
WHAM!
"Camerupt…" The massive Pokémon groaned, knocked off-balance before steadying itself with Bulldoze.
Arcanine roared, retaliating with its own Bulldoze.
You burned my fur off! Pay up!!
The two seismic waves collided, the ground beneath Camerupt giving way.
With its hind legs trapped, Camerupt crashed to its knees.
"The essence of Ground-type techniques…" Blue Oak's eyes gleamed. "He's mastered it too."
That was Giovanni's technique.
Only Blue Oak and Giovanni could use it… no, Silver too.
"It's over," Red said quietly.
"Camerupt, Lava Plume!"
A wave of superheated gas burst from Camerupt's humps, the ensuing explosion shaking the entire arena.
"Arcanine! (｀0｀)"
Arcanine stood engulfed in golden-orange flames, its scorched mane regaining its luster mid-burn.
"Flare Blitz!"
BOOM!!
The entire stadium trembled.
The audience watched in disbelief as Camerupt was sent flying—before crashing down hard.
"Camerupt is unable to battle!"
"Arcanine!" Arcanine turned back to Natsume, grinning dopily.
The crowd stared in stunned silence.
"What kind of force was that?!"
"Heat Crash?!"
"This… is the legendary Pokémon of Touran!"
On the big screen, the second Poké Ball under Takao's name dimmed.
As murmurs spread through the stands, Takao's expression darkened. He glanced at his Z-Ring.
"Return." Natsume recalled Arcanine into a Luxury Ball.
Takao blinked.
Arcanine's HP hadn't looked that low…
Was it just a bluff?
"Go, Magnezone!" Takao felt his confidence return.
The UFO-like Magnezone hovered midair, its central warning light flickering red.
Twin horseshoe magnets crackled with electricity, blue magnetic force holding floating metal fragments in orbit.
"That Magnezone…" Brock recognized it. "It swept three Pokémon in the semifinals."
"It's utilizing both magnetic and electric fields," Professor Oak mused before cheerfully adding,
"By the way, the red light isn't its eyes! The dopey-looking holes on the sides are!"
"Contestant Natsume has sent out Sylveon!" the announcer cried.
The elegant Sylveon took the stage, drawing awed gasps from the crowd.
"So beautiful…"
"The Sylveon that swept six in the semifinals…" Takao's stomach tightened. But he reassured himself:
After a match like that, there's no way it's fully recovered!
"Sylveon! (▼皿▼#)"
"..." Takao suddenly doubted himself. "Magnezone, Lock-On!"
Magnezone's magnets hummed, the U-shaped appendage lowering as it locked onto Sylveon.
But the speed Sylveon displayed next made Takao's blood run cold.
"Keep it locked with magnetism!"
Quick Attack, amplified by Pixilate, made Sylveon a blur of motion—graceful yet deadly.
Before anyone could process it, Sylveon had already closed the distance.
"Now!" Takao saw his chance. Sylveon was midair—a perfect target. "Flash Cannon!!"
ZAP!
The floating metal shards around Magnezone spun violently, coalescing into a blinding beam that tore through the air!
"Sylveon! (#｀皿｀)"
Sylveon raised a shimmering pink Light Screen, tanking the blast head-on.
With a dismissive flick of its ribbon, it scattered the weakened beam.
Then it leaped onto Magnezone's head and smashed it into the ground with a Headbutt.
CRASH!!
"Was that… Double-Edge?!"
"Sylveon's fighting style is brutal!"
Natsume felt a twinge of concern.
But then again, a violent tsundere Sylveon that only acted cute for him… wasn't so bad.
"Keep going," Natsume commanded. "Mystical Fire!"
"Bzzt—!"
Magnezone, half-buried in rubble, tried to levitate again. Failing that, it unleashed a massive Discharge in all directions!
"That's stronger than Pikachu's Thunderbolt?!"
Brock side-eyed the blue-jacketed boy beside him, thinking:
When you challenged the Pewter Gym, Pikachu's Thunderbolt was way stronger than this…
Sylveon's bow glowed as it summoned a raging orange inferno, its Special Defense shrugging off the electricity effortlessly.
Takao's heart sank.
It's… barely taking any damage!
"Sylveon! (#｀皿｀)"
DIE ALREADY!
BOOM!!
Unlike Togepi's gentle flames, this firestorm swallowed Magnezone whole.
Amid the explosion, Sylveon turned its back, ribbons swaying gracefully.
Debris rained down, the battlefield still crackling with residual magnetism.
The crowd sat in stunned silence.
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