The region of shadow was blasted open by a powerful force and Raikou came flying out of it, then turned its head and sent beam after beam of light down behind it, into the shadow it had just broken through.
"Sss-heh—"
The region of shadow contracted, and out of it came the Gengar's cry of pain; that enormous body of its was shrinking as well.
"Shadow Ball!"
A dozen and more Shadow Balls came after it, slanting down all around Raikou.
Raikou's shape flew down to the ground, and out of the ground a Shadow Punch rose again.
"Bang—"
It flashed aside once more, Extreme Speed laid over its body, its speed tremendous, and then lightning covered it all over, an awe-inspiring sight.
Over on the Gengar's side, a streak of black shadow came head-on.
The two shapes, one black and one gold, tangled together again.
Vance too was thoroughly absorbed in the battle on the field. This was a high-level battle, the kind that could go into the coursework at any of the Pokémon universities; the moves the two of them made, the way each answered the other, their sense of timing, all of it was exactly judged.
So there were formidable Trainers about after all — and Trainers capable of raising a Pokémon that could stand up to a Legendary Pokémon head-on, and at the same energy level too.
That this Gengar could fight Raikou so long and still be holding the balance was proof enough of its strength.
A Pokémon raised by an ordinary Trainer would be beaten in a few moves against Raikou, let alone strike back at it.
And if this one was of that standard, the standard of those others was likely much the same.
All of them had reached the last four now, and whoever it was, each was the pick of his own generation. He could give them a bout, and they were worth his bringing out everything he had.
The tug-of-war above was still going on. Several dozen moves in, the Gengar standing toe to toe with Raikou began to flag as well, and gradually could no longer keep pace with Raikou's attacks.
The balance of the victory tilted, step by step, towards Raikou.
A little longer, and the Gengar was in a worse way still.
"Ha ha ha. A prodigy of the League — and today I beat one in front of you all."
Wren was smiling. What a fine feeling it was, to be able to keep a prodigy of the League under his hand.
Such people had been, before he joined the Sacred Order, lofty things not to be looked at directly; and here he was today, actually able to keep a prodigy of the League under his hand.
What a fine feeling it was.
"The moment's come. Raikou, go! Wild Charge, finish it."
"Roar—"
Raikou turned its head and looked at him once, and then did as he said.
"Ha ha ha."
Wren felt these last few days had been a vindication beyond anything — commanding a Legendary Pokémon, beating prodigy after prodigy in front of a great crowd, gathering up admiring and astonished looks past counting.
"Boom, boom—"
They met again, and the Gengar gave ground, its injuries heavier now.
Raikou, by contrast, had taken only some damage, and none of it serious.
"Go."
"There's nothing else for it. It will have to be this."
Elspeth sighed. A Legendary Pokémon was strong indeed. She had brought out every means she had, had even set the strongest Pokémon in her hands to it, and still it was not enough.
She could only use its last move now.
"Destiny Bond!"
"Sss-heh—"
At that command from her, the mirth on the Gengar's face gave way to a serious look. It went up to meet Raikou of its own accord and formed a link of life with it.
At the same moment, in the middle of the field, the power of the Ghost type and the power of the Electric type collided and burst out, and the blast of air they made left the crowd below unable to keep their eyes open.
"Can it work?"
Elspeth looked over at it. This was the last stroke she could think of.
"Roar—"
From within came Raikou's snarl, far weaker than before.
She saw what was really there, too.
Raikou was still standing, and her Gengar was no longer able to battle.
But her effort had not been wasted. Raikou's condition had dropped sharply. The Gengar's last move, Destiny Bond, had not been able to take it with it, but it had crippled it.
Destiny Bond in the real world does not work as it does in the games, where losing consciousness yourself is certain to take your opponent with you. It depends on the order of life on either side, and if the gap is too wide, it only does the other one harm.
As here: the Gengar had used Destiny Bond at the critical moment, and it lost the will to fight while Raikou remained. That was all.
Having taken the Gengar back, Elspeth sent out a Dusknoir.
Elite-Four-class as well, only a little weaker than the Gengar had been.
With his own Pokémon in that state, Wren's face was as unhurried as ever, and he did not choose to draw it into a Poké Ball and let it rest, but had it go on fighting.
"I have to hold on to the situation the Gengar made for me. Once that's done, the rest will be simple."
Elspeth said it to herself, and set the Dusknoir to fighting Raikou hard.
If only she could settle this Raikou in front of her, everything after it ought to go smoothly.
So her commands in the fight were decidedly aggressive, and she did not grudge trading hurt for hurt.
After a struggle, the Dusknoir was struck by a bolt of lightning, fell and did not move again; a closer look showed it was already unable to battle.
And that Raikou was in a worse state than before, with several fresh wounds added to it.
Having taken the Pokémon back, she sent out an Elite-Four-class Banette.
This was the third Elite-Four-class Pokémon she had used, and the first time in this tournament that she had been pressed this far.
Her two strongest Pokémon were beaten. She had one Elite-Four-class and two Gym-class Pokémon left in her Poké Balls, which ought to be enough for the battles that came after.
If only this Raikou could be settled, the necessary sacrifices were acceptable.
And Wren still did not take Raikou back, still had it go on fighting in the state it was in.
Seeing that, a smile came on to Elspeth's face.
Perhaps he had no other Pokémon, and only this Raikou to hold the stage with. Her guess had been right after all.
"Banette, use Curse!!"
The battle started up again, and Raikou dragged its battered body into a fierce fight with the Banette.
After a great struggle, Raikou at last went down.
Watching it, Elspeth smiled. Down at last. After so much had been paid out, it was settled at last.
And at that moment the Raikou on the ground opened its blood-red eyes, and with strength from nobody knew where it leapt violently up and threw itself in front of the Banette. Thunder appeared; with itself for the centre, the raging lightning spread out in every direction, and the Banette was inside it.
That move had more force in it than any before.
The lightning faded, and Raikou, unsteady on its feet, was still on the field; the Banette, however, was no longer able to battle.
The situation had turned so fast that Elspeth could hardly keep up with it. She had thought it as good as certain; in her perception Raikou's presence had guttered down to nearly nothing. How had it turned and killed after all?
Still, that was how it had come out, and there was nothing she could do. She could only take the Pokémon back and send out her last one, the one that had only just risen to Elite-Four-class.
She went about it with great care, terrified of being turned on again. The fight went smoothly enough, and after a dozen and more moves this Raikou at last went down.
"Raikou is unable to battle."
Not until the referee announced the result did she let herself breathe.
"Clap, clap, clap—"
The crowd below were all cheering. At last — the invincible Legendary Pokémon had been beaten, great as the cost had been.
But it proved that a Legendary Pokémon could be beaten.
"Naïve." Wren said it evenly, and having taken Raikou back he threw out a Poké Ball.
The next moment, Elspeth's face went white.
The new Pokémon was a Legendary Pokémon as well — and harder to deal with than Raikou.
This Legendary Pokémon was Darkrai!