At once, Tyranitar's face twisted in agony, patches of frostbite marring its features, making the beast look even more fearsome.
Azumarill fared no better. Struck by the electricity from Thunder Punch, its body stiffened, paralyzed on the spot.
Tyranitar pulled its fist back, readying for another blow—But Azumarill's own fist, thrown mid-punch, froze in the air. Sparks of electricity danced across its body, rendering it unable to move.
"Now's my chance!"
Takao's eyes lit up. He knew well: both Ice Punch and Thunder Punch carried secondary effects.
Ice Punch could potentially freeze an opponent.Thunder Punch could potentially paralyze them.
"Haha! Looks like Lady Luck is on my side. Azumarill's Ice Punch may have left Tyranitar frostbitten, but it failed to freeze it! Meanwhile, Tyranitar's Thunder Punch succeeded in paralyzing Azumarill!"
Takao trembled with excitement. This was the championship match. He could feel the title of Champion within reach. Clenching his fist, he roared:"Finish it, Tyranitar! Give it the final strike!"
Crackling electricity surged across Tyranitar's body, concentrated into its right fist. With a mighty roar, it slammed forward—
BOOM!
Azumarill was blasted across the battlefield, pain etched across its face before it collapsed to the ground, eyes shut tight, unable to rise.
The referee wasted no time:"Azumarill is unable to battle! Tyranitar wins!"
The crowd erupted into deafening cheers.
Now, both trainers had but one Pokémon left. The final clash had arrived.
"What an incredible battle! Yozora only has one Pokémon left, but Takao's Mega Tyranitar is clearly worn down!""Yeah! This could go either way!""Come on, Yozora!""Finish it, Mega Tyranitar!!"
The tension spread like wildfire among the spectators.
"Alright, everyone, the moment of truth! What will Yozora's final Pokémon be?" The announcer's voice rang with anticipation.
Every pair of eyes in the stadium turned to Yozora.
Ash, Misty, and Brock leaned forward anxiously. They had no idea what Yozora's last Pokémon was. If it was one of his veterans, like Beedrill or Charizard, he still had a fighting chance. But if it was one of his newer Johto partners, then… things might turn grim.
After all, no matter how exhausted Mega Tyranitar looked, it was still Mega Tyranitar. Even with only a sliver of strength left, it could easily crush countless opponents.
Even Harrison fixed his gaze on Yozora, wondering: What is his final trump card?
Yozora exhaled softly. "I didn't expect to have to trouble you in the end… Go, Suicune!"
He hurled his final Luxury Ball. With a flash of white light, the Legendary Pokémon Suicune descended onto the battlefield.
Gasps swept the arena.
"Wait… is that—?""Suicune?!"
In an instant, the audience froze, eyes wide, jaws slack.
The announcer nearly dropped his microphone."W-Wait a second—did you all see that?! Contestant Yozora's final Pokémon is… the Legendary Pokémon Suicune! This is unbelievable!"
Shock spread everywhere—even the referee faltered for a moment.
"Suicune… it really is Suicune…" Professor Oak muttered, his eyes gleaming. "Remarkable! Another chance to study a Legendary!"
"Another," indeed. He had once researched Red's Moltres. Now, his attention burned toward Suicune.
It was worth noting—Professor Oak had just completed his research project on Pokémon Abilities, with a paper soon to be published. Though it focused only on Kanto species, once released, other regions' professors would certainly follow suit. Before long, Abilities would no longer be secrets—they would become vital knowledge for every skilled Trainer.
"That's incredible… Yozora actually caught Suicune," Brock murmured, awe filling his voice. In his heart, Yozora's image loomed ever larger.
"Beautiful… the Legendary Water-type Pokémon! I love it!" Misty's eyes sparkled with envy and admiration.
A Shiny Gyarados. A Shiny Golduck. A Shiny Totem Azumarill. And now… Suicune.Yozora possessed far too many Pokémon that she could only dream of.
"Tch… Suicune?!" Ash clenched his fists, envy gnawing at him. Yozora kept climbing further and further ahead. And Ash, competitive as ever, could only grit his teeth. His dream of surpassing Yozora seemed to drift farther away with every battle.
Harrison's lips trembled. He had once believed his loss in the semifinals was due to tactical mistakes. If only he had sent in his Mega Blaziken first, then used his hidden weapons later…
But now he realized how foolish that thought had been. Against someone holding Suicune—what difference would it have made?
Finally, he chuckled bitterly. So that's how it is. No regrets, then. Next year, I'll just train harder.
Meanwhile, Takao stood frozen. Unlike Harrison, he had never underestimated Yozora's last Pokémon. He knew Yozora must have saved something extraordinary for the end. His bet had been on a Mega Evolution ace. After all, Yozora wore a Mega Bracelet. Surely his last Pokémon could Mega Evolve?
But no—Yozora's trump card was something else entirely. A Legendary Beast.
"This year's Silver Conference is beyond historic!" the announcer bellowed. "A Legendary Pokémon has appeared in the finals! This tournament will be remembered for ages!"
The man had commentated for over a decade, starting from small-town matches. Never before had he witnessed a battle with a Legendary. His palms sweated as he steadied his voice.
"Alright! Both trainers, prepare yourselves. Battle, begin!"
Takao drew a deep breath, forcing himself calm. Legendary or not, Tyranitar is a pseudo-legendary—and right now, it's Mega Evolved. It can match a god!
"Go, Tyranitar! Stone Edge!"
Mega Tyranitar roared, slamming its tail down as sharp boulders shot through the air toward Suicune.
"Extreme Speed to evade," Yozora ordered coolly.
Suicune blurred, darting between the jagged stones, its movements flowing with elegance, each sidestep accelerating faster than the last.
"So graceful! Tyranitar can't even touch it!" the announcer cried.
Then, in a flash, Suicune pivoted, body cloaked in sheer force, and slammed into Tyranitar's chest.
Though Suicune's power wasn't as raw as Azumarill's Huge Power, Tyranitar was already battered. The blow sent it staggering back, gasping heavily.
"Hang in there, Tyranitar!" Takao shouted desperately. His heart ached. He had battled for years, earned every accolade—quarterfinals, semifinals, even once a runner-up. Yet never a Champion. This was supposed to be his chance. And now…
"Suicune—use Brine!"
At Yozora's command, Suicune unleashed a torrent of salty water. It crashed over Tyranitar, searing its wounds, doubling the pain.
Tyranitar shrieked, eyes wide in agony. Then—with a thunderous crash—it collapsed. Smoke and dust clouded the battlefield.
The referee held his breath, waiting… until Mega Tyranitar's glow faded, reverting to its normal form. Only then did he raise his flag.
"Tyranitar is unable to battle! Suicune wins!"
"With Takao out of Pokémon, Yozora is the victor!"
The scoreboard shifted—Takao's image faded, Yozora's magnified.
"Congratulations to Contestant Yozora and his six partners—this year's Silver Conference Champion!!"
The crowd erupted. Cheers, chants, applause thundered through the stadium.
"Unbelievable! Yozora did it again!""Seventeen years old—two years a Trainer—and already Indigo Champion last year, now Silver Champion this year!""This kid's a prodigy! The world's not ready for him!"
As Yozora basked in glory, Takao sighed heavily. He was thirty—this had been his last shot. League rules forbade competitors over thirty. His dream of becoming a Champion would forever remain out of reach.
Still, he smiled, walking forward to shake Yozora's hand."Congratulations, Yozora. Next time we meet—it'll be at the World Championships. You'll be there, right?"
Yozora grinned. "That's my dream. Though… I'm still too young to enter."
Takao twitched. Too young?! At seventeen, he's already surpassed me… Some people are just born to shine.
And in that moment, Yozora seemed to glow brighter than ever.
The awards ceremony followed. President Damalanche himself presented Yozora the Silver Conference Champion Trophy and a prize of 30 million Pokédollars.
That night, Yozora treated everyone at a grand hotel to a feast. Food and drink flowed freely, all expenses covered. The celebration lasted until dawn.
Meanwhile, deep within Mt. Silver, disaster brewed.
Two Team Rocket Elites infiltrated a Tyranitar's den, using a newly-developed Rage Device to boost their Pokémon's strength unnaturally. They injured the mother Tyranitar and stole her Larvitar egg.
"Hah! Mission accomplished. Silver Town's just ahead. Let's enjoy ourselves after all this trouble!" One sneered, clutching the device. It granted temporary power, but its effect was short-lived—just long enough to wound, not kill, the furious mother.
The Rockets knew better than to linger. With a glance at each other, they activated flight gear and vanished into the night sky.
"ROOOAR!!"
Behind them, the enraged Tyranitar mother shrieked, unleashing rampaging Hyper Beams as she charged toward Silver Town, fury shaking the mountains themselves.
(End of Chapter)