"Still behind..."
Emily bit her lower lip tightly, her hand unconsciously clenching her knee.
Because on the field, Jessica had already lost two Pokémon!
Now, she only had one left, and she was the first to be pushed to the match point.
On the Field
"Lapras! Please—!"
Beads of sweat had already formed on Jessica's fair face as she threw her last Poké Ball.
"Woo~!"
With an ethereal and melodious cry, Lapras appeared before Jessica.
"Lapras! Please help me win the final victory!"
"Woo!!!"
Lapras let out a determined cry, its sharp eyes locking onto Steelix.
"Oh my god! Jessica has been pushed into a corner first! Can she turn the tables with her Lapras?!"
The energetic voice of the slick-haired host echoed throughout the stadium.
The battle was intense—both thrilling and nerve-wracking!
"Go, Jess! If I have Jess, then victory is within reach! You're the best!"
"Jess, you already defeated Emily to get here! Even for her sake, you have to win!"
"Crush her, Luke! Take that Lapras down in one hit!"
"F**k, I shouldn't have placed that bet wrong..."
"Damn, what's going to happen now? That Steelix looks weak, and Luke's advantage isn't that big."
"Yeah, Jess might still have a chance to win."
The stadium was roaring, and the live chat was even crazier.
In short—the fans were at war again.
On the Battlefield
"Steelix! Dig underground!"
Luke's expression was extremely serious as he commanded Steelix.
Steelix let out a low growl and burrowed deep into the ground.
"Lapras, stay alert." Jessica remained calm.
Lapras lowered its head slightly, its eyes scanning the battlefield sharply.
Boom—
The ground cracked open behind Lapras.
"Thunder Fang!"
"Sparkling Aria!"
Luke and Jessica's voices rang out at the same time.
Sparks crackled around Steelix's powerful jaws as it lunged out of the ground, aiming for Lapras.
Woo~ woooo~!
But the sudden, melodic sound of Lapras' attack hit Steelix like an enchantment, momentarily freezing it in place.
At the same time, the massive water orb hanging above Lapras burst, crashing down onto Steelix's head.
Steelix roared in pain as the Sparkling Aria landed directly, and its massive body collapsed onto the battlefield.
"Steelix is unable to battle! Lapras wins!"
Gu, the referee, announced the result.
A wave of cheers erupted from the stands. Against all odds, the match was now tied! Both trainers were back on equal footing!
"Damn... its condition was still too poor," Luke muttered as he recalled Steelix.
If Steelix had been in better shape, it might have survived the hit and landed a devastating Thunder Fang on Lapras.
That way, even if Steelix had been knocked out, Lapras would have taken serious damage.
Unfortunately, Wartortle had already injured Steelix too badly earlier in the battle.
A Tough Choice
Luke hesitated as he looked at Lapras.
He still had two Pokémon left—Lairon and Pupitar.
Pupitar was undoubtedly stronger than Lairon, but...
It was four times weak to water!
Even though he had spent the last three days training Pupitar in the East Sea to counter water attacks, that glaring weakness was still a major liability.
But Lairon wasn't a great choice either.
Lairon was also weak to water and wasn't as strong as Pupitar. On top of that, Lairon's attacks weren't as refined, and its slow movement would be a huge disadvantage.
"So, in the end, it all comes down to you—my destined partner!"
Luke smiled as he pulled out his Poké Ball.
He had always believed in this little guy—it was his very first Pokémon!
"Pupitar! Get ready to battle!"
Luke tossed the Poké Ball with confidence.
A Risky Decision
"Ah… Pupitar..."
Jessica's expression turned complicated at the sight of the Pokémon.
"Why use Pupitar, Luke?"
Ethan, Luke's cousin, looked utterly shocked.
It was the final battle—why send out a Pokémon that was weak to Lapras' attacks?
"Luke must have his reasons. Lairon wouldn't have been a great choice either—its speed is too slow," Alex said, shaking his head.
"And… at least Lapras is weak to Rock. Pupitar might be able to put up a fight."
"Luke has been training Pupitar specifically for this. Let's see if it pays off," Edward added.
The Final Clash
"Pupitar! Use Earthquake!"
Luke's voice was firm.
Lapras was slow on land—it functioned more like a stationary turret.
Earthquake would force it to move, and Luke doubted whether Lapras could even jump high enough to avoid it.
But—Jessica had no intention of dodging.
"Lapras! Sparkling Aria!"
Earthquake wasn't even super effective against Lapras!
Even if it had been, Jessica wouldn't have hesitated to trade damage.
Lapras let out a sweet, haunting melody as a massive water orb formed above its head.
"Pupitar! Get closer!"
Luke gritted his teeth. Normally, he was the one forcing opponents into damage trades! But now, he was the one who had to avoid attacks.
Pupitar shot forward, using bursts of compressed air to dodge the incoming water attack.
"Lapras! Water Pulse!"
Jessica was unfazed. Pupitar was a melee fighter, and Lapras was a ranged attacker—she had the advantage.
Lapras formed a small water sphere in its mouth and launched it at Pupitar.
"Dodge it!"
Pupitar adjusted its air pressure and narrowly avoided the Water Pulse, continuing its charge.
"Pupitar! Screech!"
Pupitar let out a sharp, ear-piercing cry that made Lapras flinch for just a second.
"Crunch!"
Pupitar lunged forward, black energy forming around its fangs as it bit down on Lapras' neck.
CRACK!
Lapras cried out in pain.
"Lapras! Water Gun!"
Jessica called out quickly. The close range meant Water Gun didn't need much preparation—it was the perfect counterattack!
"Rock Slide!"
Pupitar roared as boulders materialized above them, but at the same time, Lapras fired its Water Gun straight at Pupitar.
The water blast knocked Pupitar back, but its Rock Slide attack also hit Lapras hard.
"Earthquake!"
"Lapras! Sparkling Aria!"
Lapras' beautiful singing filled the air again, and another massive water orb formed.
Pupitar flinched from the sound, struggling to move.
The water orb crashed down, completely engulfing Pupitar.
BOOM!
When the attack subsided, everyone held their breath.
Jessica's heart pounded as she stared at Pupitar.
And then—
Pupitar lay motionless on the ground, its eyes replaced with swirling spirals.
For a moment, the entire stadium fell silent.
Luke closed his eyes and sighed.
"Pupitar is unable to battle. Lapras wins!"
"And since Luke's team has been completely defeated—the winner is Jessica!"
The referee's voice rang out.
Jessica covered her mouth in shock, her eyes shining with excitement.
She won!
"WOOOO!!!"
The stadium erupted into deafening cheers.
The champion had been crowned!
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