"Come back, Scizor."
Yozora withdrew his Scizor with a look of pride.
Though Scizor had fallen, it had already fought with dignity.
What's more, it had managed to inflict at least a little damage on Tyranitar…
Even if that damage was limited—barely one-fifth of Tyranitar's health, perhaps even less—to Yozora, that was enough. After all, the four Pokémon he still had remaining were his true core strength.
"Go, Dragonite!" Yozora called decisively, sending out his third Pokémon.
In the arena, two mighty beasts now faced one another.
Tyranitar's aura was certainly overwhelming, but Dragonite's presence was no weaker. At the very least, it was not cowed by Tyranitar's pressure.
"Heh… so early to send out Dragonite? Looks like he can't sit still anymore." Takao smirked as he eyed the orange dragon across the field.
In his eyes, Dragonite was clearly one of Yozora's trump cards. If he could take it down, Yozora's strength would be drastically reduced.
"Tyranitar, Stone Edge!"
The battle resumed immediately, Takao wasting no time in attacking.
Tyranitar spread its arms wide, summoning a barrage of jagged silver stones. Like dozens of blades, they ripped through the air, exploding forward toward Dragonite.
"Dragonite, take to the sky and evade!"
At Yozora's command, Dragonite kicked off the ground, dust bursting beneath its feet as it shot upward. The Stone Edge barrage shattered harmlessly beneath it. "Now—Dragon Pulse!"
From above, Dragonite opened its jaws wide. Violent Dragon-type energy surged forth, condensing into a massive violet wave shaped like a roaring dragon. Fangs bared, the spectral dragon dived at Tyranitar with unstoppable force.
Tyranitar, while incredibly powerful in both attack and defense, was not gifted with speed. Against lesser opponents its movements didn't seem slow, but facing a quasi-Elite Dragonite, its lack of agility was obvious.
Dodging was impossible.
But Takao remained utterly calm. "Tyranitar, Protect!"
A brownish barrier of energy erupted before Tyranitar, intercepting Dragonite's massive Dragon Pulse.
The wave slammed against the shield, shrinking and fading until it dissipated entirely.
"Now! Tyranitar, Dark Pulse!"
"Rooaaar!"
Dark, malevolent energy swirled in Tyranitar's maw before it unleashed a black beam of destruction at Dragonite. Dragonite twisted and swerved frantically, while Tyranitar swept its head, firing blast after blast in relentless pursuit.
But Dragonite only grew faster, none of the Dark Pulses connecting.
"Dragon Claw!" Yozora shouted.
"Perfect!"
Takao's eyes lit up, his fighting spirit surging. "Tyranitar, meet it head-on with Dragon Claw!"
"Graaaah!"
Tyranitar roared, its right arm enveloped in a golden-brown Dragon-type aura. Dragonite's claws gleamed with azure light as the two clashed—
BOOM!
Claw met claw. The titanic collision triggered a violent shockwave, blasting Dragonite backward through the air. It slammed into the arena wall with a resounding crash, rubble exploding outward.
Tyranitar itself staggered back, gouging deep trenches into the floor as smoke and dust rose around it.
Both Pokémon had taken heavy damage.
Tyranitar was covered in wounds, its breathing ragged.
Dragonite was in even worse shape—its Multiscale barrier shattered, its body battered and gasping, collapsed atop a pile of broken stone.
Tyranitar's raw power was overwhelming. Its Dragon Claw had struck for double damage against Dragonite's Dragon typing. If not for Multiscale dulling the blow, Dragonite would already have been finished.
"Don't give up, Dragonite! Hydro Pump!"
Encouraged by its Trainer, Dragonite forced itself back up, unleashing a massive jet of water straight at Tyranitar.
The attack shot forward at terrifying speed.
"End this, Tyranitar—Hyper Beam!"
At Takao's roar, Tyranitar opened its jaws, blasting forth a golden ray of destruction that collided with Hydro Pump.
The two beams clashed in a violent contest, but Hyper Beam's power quickly overwhelmed Dragonite's attack, smashing through and striking the dragon full on.
Dragonite was hurled back once more, its body limp as it crashed to the ground unconscious.
"Dragonite is unable to battle! Tyranitar wins!"
The referee raised his red flag, signaling Tyranitar's victory.
With that, Yozora had lost three of his team: Crystal Steelix, Scizor, and Dragonite. The first half was over.
Takao, satisfied with having used Tyranitar to sweep through the opening round, recalled his monster with a smile and returned to the rest area.
Ten minutes later, the second half of the Silver Conference Grand Finals began.
This time, Takao did not send Tyranitar back out. He knew his ace was fatigued after its rampage. Instead, he dispatched his third Pokémon.
Yozora, meanwhile, sent out his Eevee.
Against Takao's more ordinary Pokémon, Eevee proved unstoppable, toppling four in a row before finally collapsing from exhaustion itself.
That left Takao with only one Pokémon remaining—Tyranitar.
And Yozora with two. Thanks to Eevee's efforts, the advantage was his once more… at least on paper.
But everyone knew the truth: numbers didn't matter when Takao's Tyranitar remained.
"Go, Tyranitar!"
Takao threw his Poké Ball again. The massive beast returned, its body scarred but breathing steady after its rest. Still, its health was far from full—barely at half strength.
"Go, Azumarill!" Yozora countered.
"…Just as I thought."
Takao grinned savagely, suddenly tugging up his left sleeve. A pitch-black bracelet gleamed on his wrist. Embedded in it—
A Key Stone.
No one needed to ask what came next.
Mega Evolution.
A blinding light flared as Tyranitar's form twisted and grew. Its power surged past its limits, transforming into Mega Tyranitar.
"The peak of Elite Four-level power! So it's true—Takao has mastered Mega Evolution!"
Yozora's heart tightened. He had suspected this, but seeing it confirmed left him shaken.
For someone of Takao's caliber, wielding a standard Mega Evolution was expected. But a pseudo-legendary's Mega Evolution? That was on a whole other level.
Mega Stones varied in rarity and cost. A Mega Beedrill's stone might sell for a mere hundred million. Popular Pokémon like the starters cost twice that—or even three times as much.
But a pseudo-legendary's Mega Stone? That could fetch five hundred million or more.
To master Mega Tyranitar wasn't just about strength. It was about wealth.
"Unbelievable! Mega Tyranitar—Takao has been hiding such power all along!" The announcer's voice boomed in awe.
The stadium erupted. Fans of Takao screamed wildly, many seeing Mega Tyranitar for the first time themselves.
"A Mega pseudo-legendary… such incredible pressure!" Brock muttered, his face grim. "Yozora's in trouble."
From the stands, Ash and Misty stared wide-eyed, while even Professor Oak leaned forward, stunned yet eager to see what Yozora would do.
"Mega Tyranitar! Takao has this in the bag!"
"Ha! Don't count Yozora out! That's his shiny Azumarill—it's not weak!"
"Yeah! Tyranitar may have Mega Evolved, but it's still covered in injuries. It only has half its stamina left!"
The debate raged across the crowd as the referee raised his flags once more.
"Tyranitar versus Azumarill—battle begin!"
"Tyranitar, finish it in one strike! Hyper Beam!" Takao commanded triumphantly.
The golden beam streaked forward. Yozora's expression darkened.
Azumarill was strong—stronger even than many pseudo-legendaries—but Mega Tyranitar's raw level was too high. At the pinnacle of Elite, it stood just a step away from Champion level itself.
Head-on? Impossible. Dodging? Too slow.
There was only one choice.
"Azumarill, Defense Curl!" Yozora ordered.
Azumarill tucked in, its defenses rising just as Hyper Beam slammed into it. The blast sent the water rabbit hurtling dozens of meters, smashing into the outer wall and cracking stone apart.
When the dust settled, Azumarill's body was battered, scars everywhere, its face grim and furious.
"What a hit! Hyper Beam lands clean!" the announcer cried.
Were there ring-out rules, that attack would've ended the match. But in official battles, only fainting or surrender counted.
"Clang…"
Azumarill staggered up from the rubble, brushing debris from its fur. Two auras flared at its feet—its Stamina and Speed Boost Abilities both activating.
Defense rose by one stage. Speed rose by one stage.
Combined with Defense Curl, Azumarill's defenses had now climbed two full stages—its endurance 60% higher than before.
"No wonder they call it the Shiny Titan," Takao muttered. Despite its wounds, Azumarill stood tall, not panting, not faltering. Its stamina was bottomless, beyond even most pseudo-legendaries—closer to a Legendary Pokémon.
"But strength is what matters. All the stamina in the world won't save it. Tyranitar, Thunder Punch!"
Electricity crackled across Mega Tyranitar's fist as it charged forward.
"Azumarill, Ice Punch!" Yozora countered.
The two Pokémon roared and clashed, fists colliding in a brutal flurry.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Six exchanges in seconds.
Both fighters reeled, battered.
Thunder crackled across Azumarill's body with every blow, super-effective pain wracking it. Yet with Stamina stacking and bottomless endurance, it refused to fall.
On the other side, Tyranitar grunted in pain with each Ice Punch, its energy draining rapidly under Azumarill's sheer raw power.
"What… what is this Azumarill?" Takao's eyes went wide as he heard his Tyranitar's pained roars.
He had underestimated it.
Yozora's Azumarill carried not one, but three Huge Power Abilities.
Special Attacks like Hydro Pump and Ice Beam were mediocre—but physical strikes like Ice Punch? They were devastating. Not even Mega Tyranitar could shrug them off easily.
"If not for its overwhelming defenses, Tyranitar would've gone down already!"
"What strength! Both sides are monstrous!" the announcer cried.
The stadium thundered with excitement, the crowd swept away by the intensity of the brawl.
BOOM!
Once again, fist met fist—Azumarill's Ice Punch crashing against Tyranitar's Thunder Punch, each strike smashing into the other's face.
The clash raged on.
(End of Chapter)