"Dragonite, use [Outrage]!"
"Lucario, [Close Combat]!"
Elias and Lance issued their orders simultaneously.
After seeing Lucario [Mega Evolve], Lance realized clearly that continuing a battle of attrition was no longer an option. The increased power behind Lucario's fists made any further exchange suicidal for Dragonite.
In that case, he might as well risk everything in one final clash.
Perhaps then he'd still have a chance at victory.
With orders given, Lucario and Dragonite simultaneously charged, colliding fiercely after gathering all their remaining strength.
Just short of a meter apart, the two Pokémon stopped abruptly.
A faint crimson glow surged around Dragonite's body. Its massive dragon claws swung fiercely toward Lucario with tremendous momentum.
Lucario swiftly assumed a fighting stance, directing relentless blows toward Dragonite's weakest points.
Thump! Thump—BANG!
The sharp impact of their attacks rang heavily through the air.
Both Pokémon grimaced simultaneously, their expressions contorted in pain.
In a tacit understanding without trainer commands, both Pokémon glared at each other fiercely.
A shimmering blue [Aura Sphere] rapidly formed in Lucario's palms.
At the same time, an orange-red [Hyper Beam] gathered swiftly within Dragonite's mouth.
Fully charged, both attacks blasted forth simultaneously, colliding violently.
BOOOM!
The resulting explosion rattled the entire battlefield, sending powerful shockwaves rippling outward.
In an instant, Gardevoir teleported directly beside Elias, gently raising her hand and using psychic energy to block the oncoming shockwave.
"Thank you, Gardevoir," Elias said warmly, withdrawing the psychic shield he'd started preparing himself.
"Garde~"
On Lance's side, however, things weren't nearly as smooth. He had barely managed to summon his Gyarados when the shockwave knocked him flat onto the ground.
Fortunately, Gyarados reacted swiftly, catching him and quickly dispelling the remaining blast with a powerful [Twister].
"Gyarados, easy! I... can't breathe..." Lance urgently tapped Gyarados, gasping for air as it tightened around him.
As the dust from the explosion finally settled, the battlefield grew eerily quiet.
A thick layer of dust obscured everyone's view, leaving spectators anxiously awaiting the outcome.
Under countless expectant gazes, the dust gradually cleared, revealing the two Pokémon.
Unexpectedly, both Lucario and Dragonite remained standing—though barely.
Lucario summoned a staff of Aura and planted it firmly into the ground to stabilize himself.
Dragonite attempted a similar move to regain balance, but as soon as it moved, it lost its footing entirely.
Thud—!
Stumbling forward, Dragonite collapsed heavily onto the battlefield, completely losing consciousness.
For a brief moment, stunned silence filled the stadium.
Then, a deafening roar of cheers exploded from the audience.
"Amazing!"
"The winner is decided! Elias and his Pokémon, Lucario, claim victory!"
"Congratulations!"
The commentator's excited voice boomed through the arena. The intense match had surpassed everyone's expectations—and the winner had been an even bigger surprise.
On the battlefield, Lance clenched his fists momentarily, then slowly relaxed. He raised a Pokéball, gently recalling Dragonite.
"You did well. Rest now," Lance whispered softly to his Pokémon, letting out a resigned sigh. It wasn't Dragonite's fault—the opponent had simply been too strong.
In truth, Lance had anticipated this result from the start. Even aside from Elias's Gardevoir and the others, his remaining Pokémon were still incredibly powerful. Add Lucario's [Mega Evolution] into the mix, and Dragonite's loss was inevitable.
"Congratulations, Elias." Lance smiled genuinely, gracious in defeat.
He wasn't someone who couldn't handle losing. In fact, losing to Elias wasn't unusual at all—back when they'd worked together, he'd lost plenty of battles to Elias. In fact, when battling Elias, defeat had always been his norm.
This time, managing to push Elias's Lucario to such an extent was already an unexpected achievement. Lance felt proud of Dragonite.
As for his reputation—
Whoever doubted his skill after this match was welcome to try battling Elias themselves. Even Champion Leon would've admitted it was an extraordinary match.
Indeed, no one in the stadium questioned Lance's strength due to this loss. Rather, most gained an even deeper appreciation of his Dragonite's impressive power. In their eyes, the other Elite Four members would've likely lost even more decisively.
"See you backstage," Elias called out, gently supporting Lucario off the field and heading toward the exit.
Though Lucario had won, he was badly injured, and Elias needed to heal him immediately.
Seeing Elias leave, Lance recalled Gyarados and turned to exit as well.
With that, the Indigo Conference opening exhibition came to an official close.
Undoubtedly, over the next few days, news of this battle would dominate every media outlet.
"Mew~!"
"Elias, you were amazing!"
"Lati~!"
As soon as Elias returned backstage, several Pokémon rushed toward him excitedly, clearly planning to dive into his arms.
Standing beside Elias, Lucario's expression momentarily froze. Given his current state, if they collided into him now, he'd definitely faint on the spot.
Fortunately…
At the last moment, Elias called a timely halt, saving Lucario from further injury.
"Congratulations, Elias," Cynthia approached with a warm smile, having watched the entire battle intently.
It was her first time seeing Elias participate in a formal tournament—after all, back in Hisui, Elias had mostly fought in lawless battles without official rules. But clearly, regardless of the battle style, his strength remained formidable.
Watching the match had sparked an itch in her heart—she really wanted to battle Elias herself now.
Amidst the stream of congratulations, Elias carefully guided Lucario to a chair, helping him sit. He then extended his palm, gently channeling the [Power of Viridian] to heal Lucario's wounds.
"Hmm…" Lucario sighed contentedly, feeling the warm, comforting energy flowing through him.
This, Lucario thought comfortably, is exactly how mature Pokémon deserve to be treated.
---
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