vs.
By: HillyHulk
Word Count: 7, 653
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The time had come... it was down to the last match of the league. If they could finish this once and for all, they would be making their way to the Champion League. Right now, a trainer was in the midst of a battle of a lifetime. She had tan skin covered in a white tank top and black shorts. Her frizzy hair was tied in a green ponytail to keep the sweat from the summer heat to a minimum.
In the middle of the arena, a blue and bulky turtle stared down his opposition with intense focus. The cannons attached to his arms were primed and ready to fire whenever their owner wished, the biggest of them saved for the big guns. The female trainer at the end of the battlefield watched her Pokémon looking up to him from below, trying to keep her cool despite the tension. The bipedal Pokémon with points all over his body, big ears, and a needle like horn. Despite his heavy breathing and his injuries, he didn't back down an inch.
Beating his chest with his three fingered hands, Nidoking let out a ringing roar as he challenged him.
"You heard him, finish him off," said the opposing trainer, snapping his fingers casually.
The man looked toward the ring with an arrogant air about him, his long burgundy hair trailing to his back. His green eyes looked down on him as he prepared to make his move. As the two Pokémon charged at each other, Blastoise jumped and pulled his limbs into his shell. As he flew through the air like a discus, small gray balls of energy circled him.
"Hang in there, big guy.... just a little while longer," She said under her breath.
The Gyro Ball attack struck true, Nidoking grunting in effort bracing himself for the impact. Nidoking pushed back against the living fortress of a Pokémon, refusing to give in. With the strength of ten men, he pushed the turtle back. Blastoise's limbs popped out as he caught himself, his feet digging trenches into the ground as his enemy resumed his charge. He tried to press his offense with a bite to the neck, but Nidoking swerved his body away from his teeth and stabbed into his stomach with his horn.
The poison type stared down at the mega evolved starter, a drive for success deep in his heart. He promised himself would bring her to the finals, he wasn't going to let her down. Blastoise couldn't help but respect the spirit of his enemy; while his trainer had an ego, Blastoise didn't share it. He knew he had to tame that spirit of his if he was going to overcome it… and he knew just how to do that. Channeling the rest of his energy, an illuminating blue light encompassed the cannon laying atop his shell.
The female trainer saw him do this before and called out to her partner, "Get out of the way, hurry!"
Nidoking tried to escape, but a sudden burst of water slammed into him. He looked at the turtle like Pokémon, his smaller cannons having fired something. When he felt his mind begin swimming, he knew what it was he just fired at him. Nidoking was confused now, thanks to the move known as Water Pulse. He was at a loss at what to do now, having his mental facilities scrambled.
The trainer too felt nervous, thinking of something. She looked at the ground, unable to watch…
“Wait a minute, that's it… Nidoking, dig!” She commanded.
Nidoking grabbed fistfuls of dirt in a hurry. Blastoise was certain he didn't have the time to get away. The cannon within his main shell finally let loose the aquatic energy into an incredibly powerful force of aquatic might. Nidoking focused on his digging as hard and fast as he could.
The blast was minutes away from making its mark…
The Drill Pokémon dived into the hole, knowing he had no time to lose…
“Unbelievable… Nidoking managed to evade just in the nick of time!” The announcer exclaimed, the crowd exploring in applause after being kept in suspense.
Blastoise stared in shock at what must have been the biggest stroke of luck he had ever seen, watching Nidoking pulling himself out of the hole and breathing a sigh of relief. Now that he missed, he couldn't fire again. If that wasn't enough,
something painful started surging through his body. He felt sick, his body surging with horrible pain. He couldn't comprehend it as it seemingly came out of nowhere.
When he looked back at his enemy, he saw a smile begin to spread across his face. It was rather ominous, as if he knew something he didn't. That's when he realized… that time he jabbed him with his horn. He wasn't the only one using status ailments to his advantage … he had just been poisoned. He mentally applauded his opponent's well played tricks before he collapsed, the compounding of injuries gathered throughout the fight too much.
"After a long and grueling battle, Blastoise is finally down!" He exclaimed, cheers erupting from the seats.
Nidoking beat one hand to his chest with a face full of pride. As far as he was concerned, he could take his Mega Evolution and shove it where the sun didn't shine! Didn't stop him from kicking his butt, now did it? He could hear him call out to him, flashing him a thumbs up. He returned the gesture, a pleased smile on his face.
"Sullivan now has only one Pokémon opposed to Jasmine's two!" He called out.
Jasmine really looked at her Pokémon, seeing the wear and tear he'd been going through. Deep black bruises and cuts littered his body, he was shaking, and none of this couldn't be hidden by him trying to act tough.
"Yeah, I wouldn't be so sure about that… poor guy's on spindly legs right now," She thought to herself.
She took a look at Sullivan as he picked his final Poké Ball off his belt, smiling at her all the while. Even after that display, there wasn't a single ounce of doubt in his mind. He just stood around with that look that really ground her gear, but couldn't do much about it yet.
"Okay mister big shot, what have you got in that ball? Nobody acts that cool without something up their sleeve," She analyzed in her thoughts, taking her own ball off her belt.
"Everyone, you've been honored to observe the best Pokémon I have to offer. Now, for my final performance, I bring forth one of the world’s strongest Pokémon!" Sullivan exclaimed, throwing his Master Ball into the air.
The purple and red sphere flew high before shooting up energy that shot his prized catch higher into the air. It was a black dragon with red tipped rudders along its body and four horns of the same rail and red lips. Yellow symbols decorated his body, from his head down to his tail. This was the Sky High Pokémon, Rayquaza. Nidoking stared up at him, flexing his muscles preparing for war.
Before they could even begin though, Nidoking toppled onto his hands and knees barely. The audience gasped as he struggled onto one knee.
"This looks bad, Nidoking is barely hanging in there," the announcer observed.
"I was worried about that," Jasmine thought before saying aloud, "Time out for a bit please."
Sullivan raised an eyebrow before gesturing for her to go on. She rushed to his side, taking out a black ball with red and yellow lines decorating it.
"That's what I thought, you can't keep going can you?" She asked rhetorically.
Nidoking looked like he was about to say something, but held his tongue. He wanted to keep fighting, but he couldn't and he knew it. He just shook his head, letting out a sigh of frustration as she nodded in sympathy. He wanted to win the finals for her.
Cradling his chin with one hand, she said, "Hey, you were amazing out there! I'm proud of you, don't ever doubt that."
He gave her a small smile before closing his eyes as he disappeared in a spark of energy into the Luxury Ball. She contemplated her options now that Nidoking was out. This guy may have been full of himself, but it wasn't just bluster. He knew what he was doing, her Mega Evolution pair felt that first hand. His Medicham defeated Lucario after a hard fought battle led to a Force Palm to her face.
Houndoom avenged her but couldn't overcome Blastoise. Now they were at the last leg of their battle and she was cornered. Froslass and Samurott were on their last legs, pushed to their limits after their own battles.
"Please hurry up, I want to win and get my trophy already," She heard her opponent say, seeing her struggling to think of what to do.
She gave him a brief glare before it came to her, changing her expression into shock. She had been saving one for this moment! She must've forgotten from the intensity of the battle. Her stress drained out of her, replaced with visible confidence spreading across his face showcased in one big smile.
"You've got one of the strongest, huh?" he took out her final weapon before saying, "Well, try this one for size!"
She threw the pink ball decorated with cream waves across the battlefield, her final Pokémon forming. It was a colossus of a Pokémon as it was a giant bipedal beast with pure white skin with black lines across his body. Also decorating his body was gold like cuffs and face covered in holes as well as green tufts of fuzz on his shoulders and feet. Red, turquoise, and gray gems poked out of his chest with black lines serving as an outline. He was the literal Colossal Pokémon, Regigigas!
"Talk about an extraordinary showcase we're about to be presented with, folks! What may very well be our final battle is between these two legendary Pokémon, Rayquaza versus Regigigas! The winner of the Master Ball Cup is about to be decided! Will it be the young and spirited Jasmine or the cool and collected Sullivan who reaches the Elite Four? Only one way to find out!" He advertised, trying to heighten the already excited crowd.
He hit the nail right on the head with that statement. Regigigas was her last chance at passing this guy and reaching her dream of becoming Champion. It made her both anxious and excited at the same time. It was either go big or go home. She knew in her heart that she was ready to go big.
“Ice Punch, let's go!” She ordered, pointing at the skyward dragon.
The crackling of the element in question reverberated through the air as ice coated his hand. With a mighty fist pulled back and a strong march to his enemy, Regigigas let loose with the empowered punch.
“Dodge and counter with Crunch,” Sullivan commanded.
Doing as he was told, Rayquaza slithered around the fist and bit down onto his forearm. The titanic Pokémon swung his arm around, his strong swings difficult to keep up with. Eventually, he slid off leaving scratches behind. He went for another bite, but his opponent was onto him as he grabbed his head and threw him away. His tail wrapped around his fists, catching him off-guard and sending him tumbling to his knees.
Flying right back, he roared as he went back for another bite. The colossus was quick enough to stop him, grabbing him just before he could sink his teeth into his skin again. The dragon still hissed as he lassoed his body around his midsection around his waist. Regigigas could feel the organic lasso squeezing onto him, his stomach straining from the pain.
“Give him a taste of his own medicine, Regi!” Jasmine called out.
Regigigas knew exactly what he was referring to, grabbing onto the body of the dragon. Rayquaza's body tensed from the amount of force the creature was applying. The Crush Grip was a devastating move when used at its peak and the Sky-High Pokémon. He had no choice but to let go, the colossus letting him leave. Sullivan could see the bruises on his body.
“Don't think your dragon can take too many of those, huh?” She asked rhetorically, a small grin on her face.
Sullivan simply scoffed, an annoyed scowl on his face before he gave his next order, “Show them what real power is.”
Rayquaza swung his body around a full circle, sending powerful blades made of air at the enemy.
“Block those blades with Stone Edge!” She ordered.
Slamming his fist to the ground, giant rock pillars rose from the earth and broke through the strong blades. The dragon still had more attacks left to spare, however, as Rayquaza next charged at him at insane speeds. Regigigas was ready to counterattack with another Ice Punch, but the dragon zoomed past him with the fist flying through air. The titan lowered his arm and turned around, only for a violent shriek to assail him.
“What a tricky maneuver, using Extreme Speed as a feint for Hyper Voice!” The announcer called as Regigigas braced itself against the loud noise
A large soundwave began pushing back the Pokémon, everyone being assaulted by the noise. Everyone tried to buffer the noise, but the true target failing to push through was what mattered to the Sky High Pokémon. With his opponent left blocking the attack, Rayquaza stopped shrieking and charged again. While the Regigigas tried to regain his bearings, the dragon wrapped around his legs sending him crashing to the ground. From there, he crunched into his enemy's shoulder.
The colossus tried to break out of his enemy's grip, but he was too strong to dislodge so easily. He hastily began bludgeoning his enemy in the head, each punch sending out a strong *THWACK*. It did give him a headache, but the thrashing beast would not relent. That's what when the Colossal Pokémon had an idea. He stopped hammering and instead grabbed him in a bear hug with one arm, just hard enough to keep him from getting away.
Rayquaza could feel its captive tense up, the Pokémon bringing up all its frustration to the forefront of its mind. He would be released for a second, not enough time to avoid its retaliating arms swinging into it. Rayquaza could barely see from the fast onslaught of strikes raining into its face. With his grip weakened, his legs could pry the snake-like body off and allow Regigigas to roll out of his grip. When he climbed to his feet he aimed to body slam him but the dragon zoomed away.
Rayquaza tried to regain his bearings, the feeling of the forming bruises stinging his flesh. If he thought he was so strong, then he would have no problem testing that. The dragon flew up into the air, continuing to stare down at him. The audience saw the majesty of one of the strongest Pokémon in the world, his onyx scales glimmering in the bright lights around them.
“Be careful up there, don't get ahead of yourself,” Sullivan called out, looking up to his dragon.
Rayquaza heard him, but didn't truly listen. Of course he would be careful, he wasn't a fool. His decision made, he swooped down straight after Regigigas. He roared his challenge at the colossus, the Pokémon having an idea of how to counter. Getting into a sumo-like stance, he braced himself for the incoming clash.
Flying down like a bird of prey, the dragon flew down onto him. Creating small circles with his fingers, the target of his ire simply waited for him to make the first move. With a slam, the challenge was made as he clashed with his enemy. Blue spheres forming between his fingers, Regigigas held firm as he allowed his opponent to ram into him.
Digging his feet into the ground, he released the built up energy with a thrust right into the body of his opponent. Both Pokémon wrestled against one another, their awesome might creating a standstill both wanted to break. Rayquaza grit his teeth, enduring the counter and pushing harder. The giant feet of Regigigas began cresting trenches as he continued pushing through just as hard. The dragon tried to get a leg up on the competition with a shout, but Regigigas saw it coming.
That same trick wasn't going to work twice, he would make sure of it. Rayquaza saw his fist reel back for a brief second and that was all he needed to slip through the Payback attack. Just before he could hit however, Regigigas sidestepped at the last second. Electricity dancing across his fingertips, the Colossal Pokémon swung his fist down onto the temple of the dragon. He could feel his nerves tingling as he nearly bounded off the ground, his claws catching him before he could.
He went to stomp down on him too, only to meet empty air as his target pulled back just in time. He went for a few more Thunder Punches as well, but these too were danced around by the serpentine beast. The dragon backed away from the opponent, taking a moment to gauge the situation. The opponent was physically strong, possibly stronger than him. His trainer also analyzed that aspect, hand holding his chin.
“In direct combat, this could get rather dicey… maybe it's time for a change of tactics,” he thought to himself before calling out, “Rayquaza, try fighting at long range.”
Already considering the option, Rayquaza thrust his tail forward. From it it formed a small tornado heading right for his opponent. Regigigas created a small flash of light, gaining a light aura that rendered the tornado useless. What wasn't so useless was Rayquaza using Extreme Speed again, flying toward him like a bullet. By the time he crossed the distance, Protect had already worn off leaving Regigigas wide open to get knocked back.
He wasn't finished yet either as the stumbling titan witnessed the dragon gather small rocks midair and send them flying at him. The combo of attacks left Regigigas to fall onto his buttocks, unable to catch up with the rocks coated in a purple aura. The dragon didn't relent either, summoning another volley and sending them after him. Regigigas fought to get to his feet, bracing himself against the rocks. With his special defense weaker than his normal defense, this was no easy feat as his body buckled from the onslaught.
“Hang in there Regi, there's got to be a way out of this!” Jasmine called out, watching her partner struggle.
Regigigas considered his options, knowing he didn't have a natural way to fire. He wasn't sure if he had time to use Protect again with this pressure. Maybe he could fight fire with fire.. it was worth a try at least. Swinging his arm into the arena floor, he sent giant rocks flying into the collective rock projectiles. Seeing Rock slide overpower Ancient Power, Rayquaza flew over the catapulted earth. As he flew above him, energy began pooling into his mouth.
As soon as he stopped flying up he fired a powerful energy attack. As it flew, the people could see the shape of a dragon's head in the multicolored projectile. Regigigas tried to fight it back with a Thunder Punch, but the power difference couldn't stop it from hitting its target as intended. It did however hold back its full potential, making him fall to one knee rather than something worse. Rayquaza wasn't quite finished yet, firing another immediately.
He needed something stronger than his fists could give if he was going to fend this off, the colossus could see that now. Thus, he began forming a shield of blue energy around his head, the braille in his face disappearing in the glow. Pushing himself back to his feet, he smashed through the dragon shaped projectile into particles of energy. Rayquaza growled at the display, knowing he couldn't allow this. He just gained the advantage, there was no way he was letting go now.
As his opponent clambered back to his feet, he saw the expression he had in store for him. Narrowed eyes and hissing greeted the enemy trying to climb back to his feet. He didn't pay mind to it, but he would learn just how problematic it would prove to be. For now, Rayquaza began charging after Regigigas. Dodging his icy punches, Rayquaza wrapped around his arms and wrapped them together with his lower body.
He could see his body change white, unwrapping from his arms and going straight for his waist before he could land. As his arms hit the ground, something felt odd about it. It was almost as if it was slower than it was meant to be. He couldn't focus on that either as the dragon circled around him before brandishing his claws before him. Thrusting his claws into his face, feeling the nails digging in its skin mere inches from its eyes.
Swinging his horns upward, translucent blades scarred into her body. They weren't as strong as the ones the Hurricane attack did, but they were enough to make him flinch. Jasmine watched her partner struggle, seeing him flinch as a consequence of the status effect. The dragon was free to get out and fire another Dragon Pulse, the blast sending him down to his knees. Regigigas was on the defense and he was falling behind terribly.
She considered her options on how to help her Pokémon fight back. She didn't have speed enhancing moves to take advantage of. The best chance they had was opening more options for attacks.
“Regi, use Gravity!” She ordered, Regigigas turning to her for a moment.
Its multiple gemstones began glowing purple, a sign of things to come. Suddenly, the environment felt heavier. Rayquaza noticed the weight bearing down on him, his struggles to stay airborne failing him.
“Gravity is bearing down on all of us, people. Just hope your valuables don't get crushed for a while,” the announcer declared, his voice straining under the weight.
Rayquaza was faring far worse, unable to fight the gravity as he plummeted to the ground.
“Good job, now Smack Down before he could get away!” She ordered next, looking to take advantage of their opening.
Regigigas stood back up, raising one hand into the air and forming multiple orange balls of energy. Rayquaza opened one eye, seeing the collection of spheres surrounding the main one between his fingers. Just as the Sky-High Pokémon crashed down, Regigigas thrust his hands at him. With his forward momentum dead in its tracks, all Rayquaza could do was cry out as the rocks bombarded him.
Sullivan bit into his nail, beginning to feel the pressure of the fight before him. He expected nobody in his team was going to stand a chance against him, that the trip to the elite four was as good as his. He had been overpowering his competition for the longest time. He would be lying if he said there was no challenge in this match… but none of them ever came as close as this.
“I was hoping to save this for the Elite Four, but I don't think that's up to me anymore,” he thought to himself.
“Rayquaza, listen to me!” He called out to his dragon.
The dragon could barely look in his direction, the blazing torment of stones bludgeoning his flesh. He was in the middle of getting crushed by all this debris right now! Whatever he had to say, it better be good!
“We need Mega Evolution and we need it now!” He shouted.
The dragon wasted no time in focusing all his power for what was to come. His body began vanishing into whiteness, his body morphing. He began getting bigger, metamorphosing into a more advanced state. Horns grew out of his face, his rubbers expanded, becoming more jagged in the process, tendrils began forming from his body, it was a sight to behold!
“Now it makes sense why this guy was so confident.” Jasmine thought to herself, watching the dragon transform into something she dreaded.
“Stand back folks, we are in for something extraordinary! We've seen our fair share of Mega Evolved Pokémon today, but this may blow all of them away!” The announcer cried out, the crowd watching in awe.
With a mighty roar that rocked the heavens themselves, Rayquaza burst forth out of the white aura. His red lips and eyes had changed to a beautiful gold, markings covered his body as did golden orbs, and black markings decorated his body especially around his eyes. The tendrils attached to his sets of horns were unique, the golden trim of his horns went from straight to circular to straight again while the upper ended in circles topped with points. Strong winds howled as those very tendrils controlled the weather around them, his new ability put into effect.
The audience erupted in excitement at what lay before them, their roaring cheers near deafening. Jasmine was visibly sweating from the tension, Sullivan growing a newfound confidence on the other hand.
“What's right before your eyes, dear audience, may be power personified! One of the strongest Pokémon in the world at the peak of its strength… Mega Rayquaza!” The announcer shouted in his own excitement.
Rayquaza charged another beam, but one that differed significantly from the one before it. Unlike the dragon headed blast from before, a simple orange pillar of energy shot out of his mouth. The rocks sent his way were disintegrated by the beam, the beam radiating a power that Dragon Pulse lacked. Hyper Beam tore through the air, right over Regigigas head and drilled through the wall behind him. When the display was over, he stared right into the hole like eyes of Regigigas.
He didn't have the ego of others of his trio, the kind of mindset that the world needed to fit his image that Groudon and Kyogre did. That being said, he did have his own sense of pride. He was proud of how strong he was in this world. If this colossal Pokémon was going to challenge him, then he welcomed that. He would show him just what he was capable of.
“Be ready for anything, Regi. This guy's bringing out the big guns now,” Jasmine warned Regigigas.
The Colossal Pokémon stared back down at his opponent, undaunted. He simply got into a stance, ready to throw down with the best he had to offer.
“Give him everything you got, Rayquaza! Hold absolutely nothing back!” Sullivan shouted, the dragon roaring as he charged for the second round of this match.
Rayquaza fueled his incredible power into his charge, slamming into him with such an incredible force he felt himself lift off the ground. Regigigas stumbled back from the strength of Outrage, Rayquaza circling around before charging again. Crashing into him again nearly had him topple over, but Regigigas stomped back into the ground, fighting not to give ground to his opponent again. Crossing his arms, he summoned the white flash again as Protect guarded him from the fury of the dragon. Staring right into the eyes of the snarling beast, he reeled.his head back and slammed it into him in a shield coated headbutt.
Rayquaza could feel his head go fuzzy from the confusion setting in, his enemy reeling a fist back and swinging it into him. His teeth rattled from the fist against his face, his opponent following up by plunging his arm through the ground and sending rocks flying at his enemy. As strong as it was, Delta Stream's ability to nullify weaknesses let him recover. This gave him plenty of time to counter, the dragon swinging hisnbody full circle. Hurricane burst through his strike, the air blades from before shooting across the sky.
The titan swung his fist into the ground again, summoning the stone pillars from before. However, this was not going to end the way it did before. The significant boost to his attack allowed the blades to slice through the boulders and into their summoner, Regigigas outright crying out in pain from the strike. Rayquaza could feel Gravity returning to its normal state, no longer bearing on his ability to fly as he stated down on his struggling adversary.
“His attack is off the charts, this is really bad,” Jasmine thought to herself, seeing her partner suffer.
Having regained his flight, the dragon bared his fangs as he looked to bare down on his face. Regigigas could feel the lacerations across his body, but pressed on as he reeled a strong fist back. Just when Rayquaza went to bite, Regigigas swung his fist down his throat. Mega Punch greeted Crunch, the two powerful beings battling for dominance. The dragon threw his fist to the side before continuing to charge.
What he didn't expect was for him to surge forward, slamming his bulk into him. Heavy Slam wasn't a strong move with the weight difference working against it, but it was enough for him to back off. Reeling another fist back, he swung forth with another Mega Punch. The dragon growled, agitated by the stubbornness of his opponent. Whether he accepted defeat and he forced him into it, Hoenn's guardian was going to be the one coming out on top.
Dodging another fist, he dug his claws deeply into the flesh of the titan. He could feel his bone strain from the grip of Dragon Claw, encasing his other fist with ice and swinging it at him. The weakness to ice forced him to back away, the frigid feeling seeping into his skin. He went to wrap around his arm, but the confusion reared its face as he overshot his grab sending his tail smacking into his face. The dragon cursed the status ailments rearing its ugly mug, Regigigas ready to keep up his offense while he could.
Stretching his arms out, he spun in circles colliding with the dragon. The move did have a chance to confuse him, but ironically already being confused protected him from such status ailments. Having had enough of his resistance, Rayquaza wrapped around his arms wrestling them behind him. Regigigas tried to push back, but his newfound strength was hard to contend with.
“Rayquaza has Regigigas in a terrible submission hold that has no give. What can the Colossal Pokémon hope to do?” The announcer asked, describing the dragon's ability to overpower him.
As for the titan himself, he wasn't sure what he had left to offer. He couldn't outmuscle him anymore and his weakness was gone. That's when Jasmine noticed the winds die out, the audience no longer bearing the turbulence.
“Hey, the wind just stopped,” she noticed.
Rayquaza looked at her and then around the area. She noticed a change in his expression, a slight change but still there. It was almost as if he was cursing the loss of wind.
“Okay, that clearly means something,” she considered, raising an eyebrow.
“Regi, trying using a rock move. I might have an idea,” she called out to him.
Regigigas was going to cooperate, but he needed to get him off first. Feeling him jump, Rayquaza unwrapped from his arms and flew up avoiding the Earthquake. Wasting no time, he turned around and went to swoop down on him. Following his orders, Regigigas once again raked rocks high into the air again. Rayquaza cried out, the rock attack taking its normal effect again.
“Alright, we're still in this!” She cheered.
Sullivan, having watched all of this from his space, ground his teeth. He was going to simply watch this from afar, but these two still kept in his way. He was getting sick of all of this.
“You both have been getting lucky for long enough!” He shouted in frustration, catching her attention.
She felt pensive at the trainer. What was he going to do now?
“Rayquaza, I want the best move you have and I want it now!” He demanded.
Rayquaza looked down at him for a brief moment before flying up into the air. When he came shooting down, something very dangerous happened. A threatening green aura formed around him, trailing behind him. This was the move known as Dragon Ascent and Sullivan was sure this was going to get him that trophy. Regigigas tried to fight back with a Thunder Punch, but it wasn't enough. The punch did nothing as he crashed down on him like an asteroid into the earth, a cloud of dirt surrounding them.
“Oh no, Regi!” She cried out in dismay, almost running out before catching herself.
“What a hellacious crash, could this be the end?!” the announcer exclaimed, a shocked gasp sounding off.
It took a moment, but something did stir out of the cloud. Slowly, almost ragged, the dragon lifted himself from the dirt cloud. He was breathing heavily, the weariness of the battle finally getting to him. Jasmine could see what that meant…he was allowing himself to relax. A look of dismay came across her face, seeing her partner flat on his back.
“It seems that we have a winner folks,” the announcer called out.
Jasmine couldn't believe it… they tried so hard. Nidoking pushed himself to the limit everyday, her poor Froslass and tried to be brave for her friends, they all gave it their all… and it was over.
“Guys… I’m so sorry… we couldn't do it,” she thought to herself, ashamed of letting their team down.
Sullivan looked at how upset Jasmine was and let out an annoyed sigh. This was frustrating, but they were impressive when he let himself look at the match. He should try to show a little sportsmanship.
“Credit where it's due, you guys last longer than I thought you would,” he offered.
“Let's face facts… you were fighting an uphill battle. This was your match to-”
“Wait a minute, look at this!”
Both of them were snapped out of their thoughts by the announcer as they looked back at the battlefield. What they saw stunned everybody, a loud gasp erupting from the seats, Rayquaza's eyes nearly bulging out of his skull. Regigigas was pushing himself back up! He was struggling with whatever energy he had left in the tank, but he was climbing back up! His arms buckled as he pushed himself to sit.
“I can't believe my eyes, everyone! Regigigas refuses to lose this battle!” the announcer cried out, watching him stand on unsteady legs.
Jasmine could only call out to him in astonishment as he forced himself to stop shaking. It was true, Regigigas was not finished yet.
“You cannot be serious, you can barely stand! Why can't you just give up?!” Sullivan shouted in outrage, the titan ignoring the trainer as he stared back down at the dragon.
He couldn't believe his eyes either. He had him, he was sure he did! The only move he saw was breathing, he should've been unconscious. How was he back on his feet?!
“Rayquaza, Dragon Ascent one more time!” Sullivan demanded.
The dragon snapped out of his stunned state and went to fly, but the surprises wouldn't stop at just one. Electricity sparked out of him, his muscles seizing up.
Sullivan let out a shocked “What?!” as he witnessed his problem getting worse.
That seemingly useless Thunder Punch seemed to have an effect after all. The Sky-High Pokémon was paralyzed. It seemed the young Jasmine would be left unable to believe what she was seeing, but for different reasons. Rayquaza's speed advantage was gone.
“We can still win…” she barely whispered before lighting up with excitement and crying out, “Regi, use Smack Down! We can still win this!”
Regigigas did as he was told, forming multiple spheres again. Much like before, rocks fired out of the incoming balls of energy. Rayquaza was unable to stop the stones from hammering him, sending him plummeting back down. Pushing his body to run, ice began forming on his three fingered fist once more. Rayquaza was able to control himself, but not fast enough to avoid the next attack.
A light blue aura began to form around Regigigas flowed by a dark cloud forming above his opponent. Ice soon began falling onto him, the impromptu hailing pelting the dragon even further. The ice ironically burned, Delta Stream's departure worsening the effects of the ice. Rayquaza could keep himself together, the miserable agony of the freezing ice not helped by yet another ice coated fist flying into his jaw. A flurry of cold strikes followed, Rayquaza barely able to fight back.
“Break out of it and blast him with a Hyper Beam!” He ordered.
That was either said than done however. Rayquaza was tired and it was beginning to show. Add to the fact he was no longer the fastest between them and this was going horribly wrong in a hurry. The dragon tried to grab him with Dragon Claw, but Regigigas acted first with Crush Grip. It lacked damage output this far into the fight, but that wasn't why he was using it.
He just needed to keep him in place to pressure him further. A blue shield formed on his head as he rammed his head into his face. He could've sworn he felt his horns chips, the golden tendrils losing their vibrancy from the barrage of strikes.
“Just when it seemed the match was said and done, Regigigas just flipped the script and took back the league,” The announcer called.
The audience was at the edge of their seats as Regigigas let the dragon go and slammed a fist down onto the earth. Rayquaza screamed as pillars of rock lanced across his body. He could see what his enemy was doing right now. After being at the edge of defeat, he had his chance to turn this around. He was fighting like his life depended on it.
He may have had no intention of killing him, but he wasn't going to let it end like this. He was seconds away from success, from putting this enemy down for good. He was going to get it back. He saw and more importantly felt the power of one of the world's strongest Pokémon. That was why he would overcome, that was why he would win! Looping an incoming fist, he bit down on his right into the gash of his right arm.
Regigigas staggered, his multiple injuries in the arms flaring. He would not surrender however, creating a small blue shield on his head and ramming it into the face of the dragon. In retaliation, Rayquaza fired a Dragon Pulse point-blank, pushing Regigigas away. The titan clutched his chest, heaving heavy breaths while the dragon aimed to shoot another Hurricane. The titan wasn't weak enough to allow it, thrusting forward in another Heavy Slam.
Watching him fumble through the air, Regigigas thrust his arm into the ground for another Rock Slide. Rayquaza sent a Twister after the rocks, not able to control himself fast enough for anything stronger. The twister pushed the rocks back enough for him to resettle himself in midair. Rayquaza could feel just how drained he was. His body was sore and heavy, it was a struggle to keep it up for all of this.
This couldn't go on, both Pokémon and trainer saw this.
“Get away from him and finish this,” he ordered.
“We've got him now Regi, keep it up,” Jasmine encouraged, seeing her titan charge.
Rayquaza growled as he saw the titan spun in a circle like a cartoon, charging forward and biting down on his leg. The titan was sending careening to the ground, Rayquaza sinking his teeth into his calf. Before he could do lasting damage, he began haphazardly swinging his arms. Frustration pummeled his enemy's body into the ground. Releasing him, he backed away and channeled his incredible power into his mouth.
At least, he would've had paralysis didn't rear its ugly mug again and made him lock up. As Regigigas got back up, he swung a foot into his head. Pinning him down with his stomp, Regigigas looked to finish this fight once and for all. He aimed to swing both fists into him, crushing him with an earthquake. Rayquaza could feel the threatening situation bearing down on him, struggling to get out.
Pointing his tail, he shot a Twister into him. With the giant staggering away, he could escape. He wouldn't let him escape so easily, his multiple eyes glowing red. Rayquaza's eyes did the same, his eyes becoming foggy and his flying becoming clumsy. The Confuse Ray induced yet another status effect slowing him down, its namesake plaguing its mind. Sullivan ran a hand through his hair, seeing the match fall apart for him.
“Fight through it, use Dragon Ascent now!” Sullivan demanded.
Rayquaza flew into the air, gaining his green aura again.
“Give him your best shot too. Regi! Finish him off with Giga Impact!” Jane exclaimed.
Regigigas flexed his muscles to the extent they would go, every amount of his remaining strength being put to the test. An invisible aura surrounded the titan, his spirit and power both symbolized in it. The awesomeness of it would go unrecognized until he jumped high into the air, the aura taking shape as purple with yellow streaks spiraling around it. As Rayquaza shot down like a rocket in his green aura, he could see for himself just how powerful it was just from visuals alone. Eventually, the Dragon Ascent clashed with the Giga Impact.
“What an incredible display between these two! I've never seen such a powerful clash in my life!” The announcer exclaimed, sparks flying from the auras pushing against one another.
Neither seemed to buckle in the test of might, the power of the auras fighting to overpower each other. Rayquaza roared in fury as he fought the power. He needed to overcome, he needed to win! He couldn't give up, there was no place for surrender! His enemy knew it and so did he! Regigigas pushed just as hard, giving it everything he had.
He was so close to victory, he needed to see it through to the end. Even with how incredibly powerful his enemy proved to be, victory was within reach. Only one would see victory. Regigigas was drained, but could still push forward just enough not to buckle. Rayquaza, on the other hand, had other things weighing him down.
His mind struggling to focus, his body pushing not only its own exhaustion but the paralysis holding him back just as hard. In the end, the Dragon Ascent shattered to the Giga Impact as Rayquaza screamed in agony. Sullivan's heart stopped as Rayquaza was sent flying into the air. When his Mega Evolution devolved into his normal form, it became clear. Rayquaza, one of the strongest Pokémon in the world… had fallen.
“Unbelievable, in a phenomenal battle Regigigas has won! Team Jasmine are the winners of the Master Ball Cup!” The announcer proclaimed, the arena exploding with cheers
Jasmine was beside herself, jumping around in her excitement whopping with and cheering in a big celebration.
“We did it! I can't believe it, we did it!” She screamed in joy, taking in what may be the hardest fought win in her life.
Regigigas allowed himself to drop to his buttocks, collapsing in exhaustion. Seeing her partner barely able to move, she brought her back to the ball.
“You were great out there, buddy. You deserve a long rest,” she said, proudly looking at the Poké Ball in her hand.
He hadn't been happy about being separated from his trio. She didn't really need them on her team, but he clearly wasn't happy without them. It was why Frustration was so successful in the first place. Maybe there was a way to make use of them. She wanted to give back to him, especially after bringing her a step closer to her dream.
Her train of thought was interrupted by a mighty crash. When she turned around, she saw defeated Rayquaza. His eyes were spirals as his body was covered in bruises and injuries. She winced as she saw just how injured his enemy was. She hoped he didn't break anything, she just wanted to win not maim him. There was slouch in Sullivan's posture, clearly upset by his defeat.
She walked up to him now that the battle was over. Not once did their eyes meet, even when she reached him and extended her hand to him.
“Hey, you guys were great out there. This was a real roller coaster, you know? There were ups and downs and- hey!”
He slapped her hand away from him as picked up his Poké Ball, brought Rayquaza inside, and stomped away without another word.
“That works… not at all,” she reprimanded, an annoyed look on her face as she shook her hand from the sting.
That was an unfortunate way to end this match. Nonetheless, the ceremony began bringing her team to celebrate the win. Each Pokémon was given a picture. Nidoking flexed his muscles in a pose, Froslass gave a small wave with a timid smile, Inteleon gave the camera a gun pose, Lucario crossed her arms, Houndoom laid on his stomach, and Regigigas simply stood there getting his picture taken. Jasmine held the trophy in her hands smiling for the camera.
While she thanked her friends and family for her success, she thought of her next step. This was an incredible match, one that showed her audience she was ready. She felt like she was ready for anything, honestly. Elite Four, Champion, just wait for her. She was a woman with a dream and nothing was going to stop her.
Winner:
Spoiler:
