Private/Closed World Coronation Series Promotion Match

[kyuukestu]

Esther

Wednesday, June 15 – Motostoke Stadium, Motostoke, Galar Region​

Esther sat in an envious position; cozying up in a front-row seat, ready to witness the match of the month. It was five minutes to the hour and the sun hung high in the sky, on the cusp of its noon-day zenith. Even now, with the battlefield to be as empty as could be, tension and excitement surged through the crowd; the stakes were set, and they couldn’t have been any higher. On the line was a position among the Master’s 8, the eight trainers who’d clawed their way to the top of the season.

Fans from across Galar—nay across the globe—gathered to show their support, dressed to impress as their fashion reflected the trainer they backed. It was no surprise that here in Galar most of the audience favored Leon, their reigning champion. Esther sat amidst a sea of purple hair dye and extravagant capes; a grin fixed on her face. Today, she was one of them; in one hand her fist clenched tight around a blazing red flag, stylized like a gout of fire from a Charizard’s maw, in the other, she held Pyrrha, whose excited thrashing did little to hide the massive image of Leon’s face decorating her trainer’s shirt.

The curious drake was a bundle of excitement, drinking in the sights and sounds, adding to the crowd's fervor with her own shrieks.

“You don’t seem from around here. Looks like our champion’s popular even in other regions!” Hearty laughter somehow managed to rumble above the crowd as a man to her right addressed her; likely taking note of her dusky skin, a rather uncommon feature in Galar.

“I don’t like Leon!” Esther corrected, much to the man’s confusion. “I just really don’t like Acacia!”

Esther smugly drank in the man’s bafflement, but before anything else could happen...

The Stadium trembled and dimmed to pitch black—the roof had closed. The crackle of speakers rose above the murmur of the crowd. A spotlight flashed, illuminating a man riding a metallic-looking Pokémon; it had a circular-ish body of brown with golden-bronze accent, on either side was a flare of purple tassels, and above that, thin black segments connected to the crown of the Pokémon’s body, where a single dark eye sat with an ominous purple eye.

The man coughed into his mic, silencing the crowd.

“Welcome one and all to the final promotion match of the World Coronation Series!”

“Today we’ll have a heated match of fire-type aces! From the home field, our very own champion, LEEEON!”

The lights flashed to a spot on the right side of the battlefield, where the earth parted, and a single man rose from the ground. His mane of purple hair came into view first, followed by the gold of his collar—fuzzy trimmings that gilded his dark red cape, which itself was peppered by fist-sized sponsor icons.

The crowd was silent as the man rose to his platform; his head hung; it was impossibly silent. Esther’s dared not even breathe too loudly. There was a flourish of motion! The cape flew! The man, Leon, stood with a finger defiantly raised towards the heavens! No, not that finger.

The crowd went ballistic, joining together in a shout that Esther felt down to her very bones; she joined them, violently waving her flag while she screamed her throat bloody.

The speakers crackled once more, and the crowd quieted down.

“And from far-away Heonn, the dynamite newcomer, ACAACIA!”

The lights flashed to the other end of the field and the crowd erupted once more as Acacia made his entrance.

 

[Mango137]

Acacia had always found the performative aspect of Pokémon battles to be a bit odd. In his experience, the best moments of his journey had come when he was alone with his Pokémon. The connection with every member of his team was personal and forged in privacy. Together they had undergone many trials and tribulations to increase both strength and bond, but the spectators didn’t see any of it. No, viewers of the World Coronation Series didn’t care for the hard work that went into building their power, they just wanted the spectacle- the fruits of their labor.

Well, it wasn’t like Acacia was unhappy to oblige. Entertaining the masses was a small price to pay for the freedoms and luxuries it awarded him, and there wasn’t a much better career path if it meant he was getting paid to do what he loved. Still though, he always found one of his favorite parts of these official battles to be in the moments leading up to it. In between the lavish locker room and the battle field, standing in the tunnel listening to the dampened cheers of the crowd before he made his entrance. No matter the outcome of this battle, his life was guaranteed to change. Those were not just his last few moments of privacy, it was also the last time he would ever be that version of himself. He took a deep breath, almost able to taste the palpable anticipation that filled the air, and took his last chance to appreciate everything that had gotten him here and everything that was yet to come.

“And from far-away Hoenn, the dynamite newcomer, ACAACIA!”

Guess that’s my queue.

He took one last glance at the premier ball he subconsciously had been toying with in his palm before stepping out into the shining lights and open field.

“It’s showtime.”

Unlike his opponent, who was perhaps the best at it in the world, Acacia was never much of a natural performer. He gave a casual salute to the audience with his left hand and smiled in response to the sounds of their roars, but beyond that his walk to the center of the stadium was quite ordinary. He didn’t put in any effort to excite the stands beyond what his presence naturally incited.

“Damn, I was gonna do that pose. Now I’m just stuck standing here like an idiot.” He said with a friendly smirk as he met his opponent in the center of the field. There was a time when he would’ve been far too intimidated to joke with one of the most highly regarded champions, but today any nerves were something he had to shut out of his mind- fear would only hold him back. He had studied and trained for years leading up to this battle, and today he would prove to the world that he deserved to stand as an equal amongst the strongest in the world.

He reached out a hand. “Let’s make it a good one.”

 

[kyuukestu]

June 15 – Motostoke Stadium, Galar

Weather: Rain 8 Turns Left​

"Of course. My matches are always sold out, but this... I've never seen a crowd this wild!" Leon took Acacia’s hand in a firm grasp, laughter ringing in his voice. "Come on, then! Let's make this a final match that'll go down in Galar's history!”

Both challengers returned to their side of the field. The battle was nigh.

The announcer flew to the center of the field, hoisting his referee flags.

“This will be a three-on-three match, with both sides allowed one free switch. Contestants, are you ready...? Begin!”

Leon was a picture of excitement and composure, both in equal measure; his first choice was already in hand.

"It's one of the duties of the Champion to get the crowd fired up! Let’s give them a show Seismitoad, Rain Dance!"

His first Pokémon took the field, its throat bulging with a resounding croak and then—gushing as it launched a liquid shot into the air that soon after began to create clouds as a gentle rain began to pour.

 

[Mango137]

The instant the referee gave the go ahead Acacia’s luxury ball was hurling through the air. His first Pokémon for this three on three was the one he most often led with- Tachi, his Weavile, who’s cunning and speed fed into an adaptable fighting style that made her an optimal first choice to go against an unknown opponent.

“Tachi get set up!” The moment after the weasel made her appearance she began matching seismetoad’s preparation with some of her own, splitting into multiple copies of herself and taking the opportunity to sharpen her awareness and strength with hone claws.

Seismitoad huh. This should be interesting…

 

[kyuukestu]

Esther

June 15 – Motostoke Stadium, Galar​

Weather: Rain 7 Turns Left​

​

The battle was off to a swift start, but no one moved to attack; instead, bother parties had taken the time to set up.

Was this what a high-level battle was? Esther's eyes shifted between the lone Seismitoad and the pack of Weavile it faced. They looked right and predatory, sharpening their claws ominously...how would Leon respond? A quick glance at the Champion and...he was calm. He flourished dramatically, his voice rang clear above the rain, “Seismitoad, excavate the front!”

Seismitoad croaked and its body vibrated, then it struck the ground, harnessing its vibrational powers to churn the arena beneath them. Then the arena shook, the stands shook. Esther’s eyes went wind with titillating trepidations; she would’ve believed if she’d been told the whole city was shaking. What power!

The rumbling grew louder, then cracks began to spread; finally, the earth erupted spewing great gouts of its innards in a display of power. The hail of debris fell across the battlefield, virtually harmless to all but the feeble creations of Double Team; however, Seismitoad wasn’t done there! It moved to strike the ground again—apparently, Leon intended to use a series of Earth Powers to gouge deep, hollow caverns within the field and allow the rain of debris to handle the Weavile clones.

No...that wasn’t all, the Earth Powers were targeted—Leon was excavating a small ravine that divided the two sides.

 

[Mango137]

After stumbling for an instant to catch his footing, Acacia looked onto the battle field with a look that bore a combination of being impressed by Seismitoad’s power and a bit excited by the implications of that strength. It appeared that all of the clones had been wiped out by the clever opening, though Tachi kept her adored fur clean from the debris by slashing away any falling rocks with her claw. Leon’s opening sure seemed like a setback, but Acacia wasn’t about to let that slow them down.

“Watch the water for vibrations to dodge the eruptions and close the gap!” He shouted. Throughout the years Acacia had learned that a drawback of the ground type was that it needed to use the earth as a medium, meaning that their attacks often had indicators. In previous battles he might have had Tachi partake in the less perfect science of feeling for vibrations, but the rain dance had provided visible tell. With enhanced eyesight from hone claws, the Weavile was able to pick on disruptions in the droplets of water that covered the field and dashed towards the toad before a division could be established, effortlessly weaving through any spouts of earth that might have tried to intercept her.

“Now Toxic!” Once she was within range, Tachi opened her mouth and unleashed a stream of purple liquid at the Seismitoad.

 

[kyuukestu]

June 15 – Motostoke Stadium, Galar

Weather: Rain 6 Turns Left​

Weavile’s speed and senses were impressive, supremely so; perhaps that was why Acacia felt confident in having his Weavile close the distance. However, as they neared, Leon's eyes narrowed.

“Return it, then retreat!”

Seismitoad moved for the first time. If Weavile was fast, Seismitoad was ghastly. Its swift swim ability was in full drive and had given it a significant speed advantage over Weavile. The seismic toad Pokémon put this to immediate use; incredibly nimble for its size, it evaded the toxic and circled Weavile with apparent ease. Its throat bulged and it croaked out a toxic belch of its own; poised to catch Weavile where it stood even as it made to leap away and restore the distance between them.

 

[Mango137]

Good to know.

The charge had been nothing more than bait. Though Acacia suspected Seismitoad’s ability was likely swift swim from the rain dance opener, he had to be sure. With having a blastoise next on deck and Tachi’s favoring of contact moves, he wanted to be able to rule out the abilities of water absorb or poison touch before taking any more actions. As impressive and threatening as the speed was, swift swim was the most favorable of the possibilities.

“Detect, then use Toxic and don’t let up!”

While Seismitoad may have had physical speed on its side, Tachi’s feline reaction time remained one of the quickest Acacia had ever seen. Never one to allow herself to be caught off guard, a glint appeared in the Weaviles eyes and she narrowly avoided the toxic attack and rolled forward as she dodged. Twice now it seemed that Leon was trying to establish some range, and Acacia had learned that it was never a bad strategy to simply avoid giving your opponent what they want.

After that she unleashed another stream of poison into the sky. Acacia anticipated that the initial attack might get blocked, but the dense liquid fell quickly and also coated the ground where Seismitoad would land. If the first stream didn’t hit, then hopefully the poison would happen on landing.

 

[kyuukestu]

Esther

June 15 – Motostoke Stadium, Galar​

Weather: Rain 5 Turns Left​

The toxic exchange happened in the blink of an eye; the Weavile showed off its deft reactions as the Seismitoad flexed its speed. Acacia made a bid to continue his poisonous assault and Leon called for the same, “Mirror it!”

Seismitoad responded with a gullet full o’ toxins, giving them as quickly as it got. The mid-air collision of the two toxic attacks caused a toxic spray that splattered between Weavile and Seismitoad, leaving the toad pokemon to safely land a small distance away. The clash had achieved Leon's ostensible goal as a toxic divider separated the two Pokémon. The still-falling rain served to only spread the vile liquid into mildly diluted pools of poison.

The two earlier toxics had coated Weavile’s rear and the prior collision meant two more had coated its front; it seemed there was nowhere for Weavile to go. Esther hugged Pyrrha to her chest, anxiety building for Tachi as Leon made his move, a call for..."Sludge Wave!"

A wide wave of poison surged around Seismitoad, racing towards its trapped opponents. It was a move made even more dangerous by the puddles of toxic it would pass over on its way to its target!

 

[Mango137]

“Dig!” Acacia roared, he knew the risks of using the move against a ground type but Tachi wouldn’t be staying down for long.

“Now Triple Axel!” With the rain softening the ground and having sharped claws from its initial move, the Weavile faced little resistance as it tunneled through the earth at great speed. Just moments after the sludge wave passed, a hole appeared behind Seismitoad and out popped the weasel. At the apex of its jump, it paused in the air for a moment and held out an ice gem that it crushed between its claws, coating the Pokémon in a glowing blue aura as she dove towards Seismitoad in preparation for a combination of kicks.

 

[kyuukestu]

June 15 – Motostoke Stadium, Galar

Weather: Rain 4 Turns Left​

The Weavile’s decision to go underground drew gasps from the crowd. It would’ve been the perfect time to use Earthquake, but alas, he hadn’t prepared that move. What he could prepare though... “Prepare Earth Power!”

Seismitoad rumbled as Weavile buried beneath the arena, when Weavile popped up, the toad was ready. When its opponent popped up, Seismitoad braced. The ice weasel's claws raked across the toad’s body, but at the same time, the earth beneath it opened—erupting with furry as Seismitoad sought to trade blows.

But Leon wasn’t done there; it seemed impossible that Weavile would be able to dodge from its most precarious position, but he wasn’t discounting it. So he followed up with another move, to throw Weavile back or potentially finish it off!

“Now, Muddy Water!”

 

[Retro Master]

June 15th, Thursday ​

- A Pokémon Center, Somewhere
​

Leon, perhaps one of the most decorated champions in the world, and Acacia, an up-and-comer who had quickly skyrocketed up to the top of the ranks in the World Coronation Series, had finally started what was bound to be a fierce battle. It had been hyped up as such for a number of weeks. The battle between two of the best Pokémon Trainers in the world had attracted the eyes of many from all over. It was trending all over social media. Anyone who had an interest in Pokémon battling was watching. If you were in school, you were probably contemplating skipping class. If you worked, then you were probably taking a much longer break or had taken the day off one way or another. If you wanted to see the battle, then you were watching. This interest in Pokémon battling was just one of the very few things that could unite most of the world.

“Yeah, yeah, Leon definitely winning this. Acacia still a youngin.”

“You right. Leon got that experience. He’s basically undefeated.”

“Oh, you boys got your money on Leon too? I already learned to never bet against that man haha!”

Even in a random Pokémon Center, those inside had gathered together to watch the prime time battle. Random strangers, met chatted, and found out they all had something in common. It was just hard to pick against a man who never seemed to lose. Considering the purple-haired champion was also fighting someone who had never been there before, the choice should’ve been easy. Even though Acacia being here was a phenomenal achievement, it was downplayed when it came to casual debates. Most casuals would just say Leon is better, with old heads going further saying things like Acacia shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same breath as him. Meanwhile, those with a more open, informed mind knew how great Acacia was too. Yet, Leon already knew how to win at the highest levels. Did Acacia?

“He’s going with Seismitoad first.”

“Yeah, that Tai chi- no, Tachi, whatever he calls it, is done.”

“Who even uses a Weavile?”

Some chuckles and other comments about the supposed advantages Leon had passed through the small crowd in the sitting area. Even Nurse Joy glanced at the television from time to time. There didn’t seem to be many trainers wandering in at this time. Just like the result of the starting move, Rain Dance, there was also rain pouring down outside. At this time, most trainers in the area were probably just somewhere in doors watching the fight. It was just a shame such an exciting day was so rainy.

“There we go! Tachi got lucky with that dodge, but looks like Leon got it!”

“Yep, I don’t know what Acacia was thinking using a Weavile and Toxic against Leon’s Seismitoad.”

“For real. Leon’s Toxic setup and leading to that Sludge Wave, forcing it to go underground is fucking perfect!”

“Yeah, that Tachi or whatever won’t be able to take a point blank Earth Power once it comes back up. I don’t see Acacia coming back after losing one so early. It’s over.”

Although Tachi was seen to be quite evasive and quick on its feet, everyone seemed to dismiss its setup and believed Leon had gotten it. Combined with the fact that the defense of Weavile wasn’t exactly known to be superb, a lot of people were thinking the Seismitoad might just knock out Tachi in one blow. Nearly everyone in the Pokémon Center seemed to come to an agreement as their eyes remained glued to the screen. None of them even heard the doors to the Center open.

“It’s not over yet!”

Nearly everyone watching turned their heads to the door when they heard the shout. What they found was a rather young, disheveled looking boy who seemed to have just bolted inside. He was soaked from top to bottom. His clothes were completely dirty and some parts of them had some clear tears. There even appeared to be some physical bruises on the visible parts of his body. The kid panted and tried to catch his breath as he stumbled towards the main desk Nurse Joy was at. She quickly asked him if he was okay, but the boy just responded by saying he was fine and revealed two Poké Balls for her to take. Once the balls were taken off his hand, he didn’t even to go towards the television where the grand battle was showing. Nearly everyone was still looking at the boy in shock of what he might have said, but he just wore a cheerful expression on his face.

“I’m a bit late, but I made it! He’s got this!”

 

[Grand Master Koop]

June 15 – Motostoke Stadium, Galar

"The match has only just begun yet I can already feel the battle heating up" Commented a figure sitting near the back of the arena. The man was Ken Blake, Ultra Rank number 99. He had showed up this day for the same reason as everyone else, to see a battle for the ages that is sure to get any battle aficionado's blood pumping. Unlike most people at the event, Ken didn't prefer one trainer over the other. He was simply there to watch a battle, not to pick a side to cheer for. "It's only uphill from here. How are you guys enjoying the view?" He asked to the other shapes around him.

However, those figures aren't those of people, but rather a wide variety of different pokemon; Ken's pokemon. Wanting his pokemon to watch this event with him, the trainer booked a small section of the seating area ahead of time to make room for those in his party with less humanoid proportions.

Sitting next to him was his trusty partner Bass, the Blastoise positioned across 3 seats next to his trainer due to his large frame. Laying on Bass' back was Wall the Shuckle, who had climbed on top of the large water turtle to get a better view of the stadium. Laying to Ken's other side was Skar, his Drapion, who was laying his different body sections over three rows of seats. Beside Skar was Crescent the Salamance who, like Skar, laid his oddly shaped body down 2 rows of seats. Sitting to Bass's right were two shapes much more acclimated to seating in a stadium made for humans, Nora the Lopunny and Mitsuko the Clefable, each only taking one spot to properly position themselves.

Each member of the trainer's party gave their respective cry, all sounding their enjoyment of the event. "I'm glad to hear you're all as into this as I am, I'm glad I saved a lot of money so I could afford to indulge a little bit." He commented, thinking about the fact that he bought out a whole area of seat at a large, and expensive, sporting event.

Ken turned his attention back towards the show. "Anyways, looks like this first bout could be ending very soon depending on what happens next."

 

[kyuukestu]

Esther

June 15 – Motostoke Stadium, Galar​

Weather: Rain 3 Turns Left​

The muddy water Leon called for would never come to pass; there was a momentary shine of splendid, icy blue as Tachi’s ice gem activated. The duo traded blows. Although the Weavile had been dealt a solid blow, its accumulated buffs had met the threshold. The dust cleared; it was evident, and the referee made his call—“Seismitoad is unable to battle!”

The crowd erupted, cheers, boos, and gasps, all mixed together in a cacophony. Esther found herself in the latter category. She was sure her back was slick with sweat; her skin prickled with goosebumps and despite their volume, she could barely hear them over the rush of her heartbeat—what a reversal! Had the match been decided so quickly? A single exchange and bam, it was over! Were things always so...decisive?

Leon returned his Seismitoad without a word, his hand already moving to his next selection.

“Let’s hollow things out! Charizard, Dig!”

Leon’s partner and ace revealed himself with a resounding roar, not wasting even a second as it dove underground, careful to avoid the pools of poison. The battlefield seemed oddly quiet as beneath the earth Charizard was zig-zagging, seemingly without aim or purpose. With Charizard out of sight, all eyes turned to Acacia, what would be his next move?

 

[Mango137]

After the combination of three boosted kicks landed on Seismitoad, Acacia and Tachi shared a moment of contentment as their opponent spiked into the ground. However, that peace was destined to be short lived as Leon’s Pokémon was not one to go down without landing a hit. A glowing spout of earth erupted from beneath the airborne Weavile and consumed it in a powerful blast.

It had dealt significant damage, though Acacia had hardly expected to emerge from the first round scratch free. A victorious bell rang within Acacia as he caught sight of Tachi slowly rising out of the dust. Yes, she may have taken some good damage, but the sacrifice was well worth the outcome. She was injured yet standing while her opponent lied on its back defeated. Tachi had claimed the first round for Acacia and gained him an advantage that could prove vital for victory.

“Let’s go!” He shouted words of excitement and pumped his fist in the air. Though the showmanship wasn’t for the crowd, Acacia could just no longer contain the swelling pride and admiration he held for the Weavile who come so far from the day he met her on Mt. Silver as the abandoned runt of her pack. “Tachi you’re the best!!!”

The feline just smirked at her trainer’s praise. From her perspective she had merely done her job, but the proud Pokémon still remained receptive to any compliments. Unfortunately her moment of peace would be short lived. From the moment Leon returned the Seismitoad and sent out his next Pokémon the atmosphere seemed to shift as a fierce roar echoed throughout the stadium. The champion had just sent out his ace and the battle had just been elevated to the next level.

As Charizard dove underground, Tachi reflexively jumped backwards to create space. She was ready for round two, but Acacia thought better than to make the Pokémon stay out vs such an unideal matchup.

“Sorry Tachi, you need to rest for now.” He apologized as a red beam surrounded and absorbed his Weavile. With drops of rain that would last a short while longer, Acacia thought it best to get his next Pokémon onto the scene.

“Alright Zeni, let’s show them what you’re made of!” A pokeball flung through the air and the large turtle emerged from its confines and kicked up dust as the Blastoise’s mass slammed onto the field. “Shell Smash!”

Zeni stomped his feet and let out a powerful roar. An orange light shot out from his back, cracking his shell as shell smash took effect. For a moment, the turtle looked rather comedic void of its keratin shield, though that problem was soon resolved as he bit down on the white leaf he wore on a necklace. Within seconds the herb took effect and Zeni’s shell had been regrown and he waited in anticipation for Charizard’s emergence.

 

[kyuukestu]

June 15 – Motostoke Stadium, Galar

Weather: Sandstorm, 5 Turns Left​

“Alright Charizard, let’s show them a champion time!” At Leon’s command, Charizard emerged. It wasn’t attacking Blastoise, nay as it emerged it was recalled into its Pokéball. Leon smirked, his Dynamax band beginning to glow. A scarlet glow engulfed Charizard’s Pokéball, and the Pokéball began to expand, and expand until it was the size of a beach ball. “Max Rockfall!”

Leon launched the ball overhead, out emerging G-Max Charizard, its wings ablaze as it hovered, and launched right into a max-rock fall. The rainstorm scattered, replaced by sandy dervish as a monolith of stone erupted from the ground, and began to descend towards Blastoise.

 

[IDKWhatUserNameToDo]

Lara Brook - June 15th - Motostoke Stadium, Galar

This was it. The World Coronation Series match she had been assigned to photograph. Her whole reason why she got to fly all the way over to Galar. She had even been granted special access to be at the sidelines to be able to capture the requested photographs. She could feel the nervous butterflies fluttering inside of her as the suspense seemed to only rise. She had kitted her and her Rotom's cameras with a longer lens to have high-quality pictures even from the far side of the field. Today however was also a bit different from the original plan as she was accompanied by Nicole on the side fields, but as workmates. The birdkeeper had gotten a position at KENN last week and now Lara had been assigned to teach her the ropes of the equipment among other things. Luckily they had time to teach and learn during the beginning of the week, so Nicole wasn't going into this completely blind. Or well, that's what Lara hoped at least.

As soon as the champion of this region stepped into view, Lara began to take pictures while Rotom kept their focus on the challenger, Acacia. When the match officially began, Lara kept her focus on the pokemon on the field. She tried to forget about the insane amount of people behind and around her by trying to imagine that she was just photographing the pokemon fighting in the wild. It seemed to work, as the KENN photographer was deep in focus trying to capture the different moments of the fight. Moves charging up, landing a hit, recovering you name it. The shutter seemed to go off almost the whole time, from both Lara and the pokemon inhabiting the other camera. There were momentary pauses though. You can't flood your memory cards with any old pictures now could we?

When Leon called his Charizard back, Lara looked up from her camera from the first time since the battle began. She recognized the red mist as the same type as from when the Hydreigon became massive, but at this point the reporter had educated herself enough to know it was a type of battle thing over here, like how Mega evolutions or.. what was it again.. the crystals in Alola. Along those types of lines.

She quickly lifted her camera up to her face when the Galar champion threw the, now giant, pokeball. The rush of the right and the thrill to capture those moments, quickly had Lara back in her 'zone' so to speak.

 

[Mango137]

Trump card so soon? Windie’s gonna be sad he missed out.

Acacia let out a small chuckle and used his thumb to flicked a bead of sweat from his nose- both habits he had developed to express a combination of nervousness and excitement. The beast standing before him was nothing short of a kaiju in proportions. It was the pinnacle of Leon’s team, the ultimate apex he would have to overcome before claiming victory.

Just 3 moves… we can do this!

“No way we’d rather have it, right Zeni?”

With eyes locked onto his opponent, Zeni didn’t look back at his trainer though the quirky turtle held out an arm and stuck a single claw up in a gesture reminiscent of a thumbs up. Windie might’ve been Acacia’s ace, but Zeni was not far behind. Underestimating the second of the two Pokémon Acacia started his journey with was a mistake that no opponent made twice.

“Hydro Pump!” Acacia shouted in response to the oversized domino of earth that came crashing towards his Pokémon. Zeni locked onto the pillar of rock with its cannons and began blasting a hole through the area above it. Bursting with strength from shell smash, for a moment it appeared as though the defense was successful as the stone slammed into the surrounding area and the Blastoise remained standing. However, it appeared the attack was more than just a simple assault. Under the weight of the max rockfall, the ground that had been heavily compromised due to the excessive digging began to cave in and Zeni fell into the earth, buried beneath the rubble.

Shit! I should’ve considered that!

Acacia gritted his teeth as he looked onto the field with concern for his Pokémon. Any max move was powerful, but Leon’s plan had made the damage look even more severe. “Battlefield” was no longer the correct word to describe it, it was now nothing more than a crater.

“Zeni, get out with rapid spin!” From beneath the wreckage, a cyclone of boulders shot out in every direction and soon gave way to the shape of the Blastoise. He had taken damage, but they definitely avoided the worst of it.

“Hang in there Zeni! Yawn!”

A large pink bubble released from the Blastoise’s mouth and drifted towards the large target before popping in the Charizard’s face. It wasn’t a damaging move, but it would hopefully make it so they’d have a big advantage if they could survive the max attacks.

 

[kyuukestu]

Esther

June 15 – Motostoke Stadium, Galar​

Weather: Sandstorm, 4 Turns Left​

Nothing could’ve prepared Esther for the behemoth transformation currently on display. She reeled as Charizard re-took the field, swathed in fiery glory. Even from the stands she could feel the heat of its wings, and weight of its roar.

Acacia commanded his Blastoise to break out of the cave-in, but Leon had not been idle, as the Champion called for a Max Overgrowth, Acacia called for Yawn. Leon poised to take advantage of Blastoise’s elevation, or lack thereof, and the building-sized mushroom sprouted from the crater’s rim, cutting off the avenue for an aerial escape as the fungi quickly propagated over the battlefield, and closed in on Acacia’s Blastoise. The rubble of the battlefield was thrown about as fungi large and small sprouted under rocks, overturning them or sneakily maneuvering through the cracks, attacking Blastoise from every which angle.

 

[Mango137]

There was nothing that could be done. The series of attacks all seemed orchestrated since the moment Charizard had entered the field, and now the Blastoise was left to endure the cost of his trainers lack of foresight.

“ZENI!!!” Acacia shouted as he lost sight of his Pokémon within the confines of the mushroom covered crater, though his roars were muffled by the bright flash of the fungi’s explosion that sent viscous gales in every direction.

After the flash, the mushrooms faded away to give a glimpse of the grim sight that laid within the crater. The rubble had been pulverized to nothing more than dust, and in the center of it all, through the mask of smoke, the silhouette of a still standing Blastoise brought cheers to the crowd. It appeared Zeni had pulled off a miracle- somehow surviving the full force of the super effective attack- but Acacia knew better. It looked like a triumphant display of endurance and grit, but the trainer recognized it only as a monument to stubbornness. His Pokémon had already lost, he was just waiting for closure.

Through labored breathes, wavering bones, and blood soaked vision, Zeni refused to fall until he had gained confirmation that he had succeeded in his task. With a defiant glare the Blastoise stared up at the monstrous Charizard and couldn’t help but smirk at the signs of drowsiness appearing at the edges of the beast’s eyes. Yawn had hit. He had fulfilled his mission. With confirmation of his contribution, Zeni allowed his vision to fade to black and he began to fall forwards with a content grin on his face, though before he hit the ground a red light enveloped the turtle and returned him to the orb in Acacia’s hand.

“You should be proud of yourself... thank you.” The trainer whispered into his pokeball as the referee announced his Pokémon’s inability to continue battling.

Acacia’s second Pokémon may not have dealt any physical damage, but Zeni’s sacrifice had done a tremendous amount in aiding his teams bid for victory. With yawn tormenting the Charizard, his opponent now faced a tough choice. Leon could utilize the last of his max moves and sacrifice his Charizard falling asleep, or he could use his switch to avoid the drowsiness and sacrifice his next move. Either way, the Gigantimax would be gone soon, Acacia still held the advantage of an available power-up, and Zeni had brought the champion one step closer to falling.

Rest easy Zeni. When you wake up it’ll be time to celebrate!

“Tachi be ready, hone claws!”

For the second time that battle, Acacia hurled his luxury ball into the arena and his Weavile began surging with a dark energy as she emerged onto the battlefield.

 

[kyuukestu]

June 15 – Motostoke Stadium, Galar

Weather: Sandstorm, 3 Turns Left​

Terrain: Grassy Terrain, 4 Turns Left​

Leon had been prepared to call another Max Overgrowth, but as the dust settled it revealed that his partner had pulled through. The Champion steadied his expression as Acacia sent out his next Pokémon; Weavile took the field and began with setup. Well, that was fine, after all—“Charizard, G-Max Wildfire!”

Choosing to sleep rather than switch, he went on the offensive. Charizard’s blazing wings coalescent onto a fiery strike, igniting the arena as it flew past. This was Charizard’s most devastating move, and it was also it's most familiar. The fiery bird seemed almost alive, diving towards Tachi in a blaze of glory. If Acacia had watched Leon’s earlier matches in the masters eight, he would know that this bird couldn’t be evaded easily as it could twist and turn, performing even a secondary dive against a Pokémon that had dodged or blocked the initial strike!

 

[Mango137]

Interesting…

Acacia stared down the blazing attack with a furrowed brow.

He decided to take the sleep. Works for me.

“Try to get away then use ice shard!” He knew the odds were slim but he figured they might as well try something. The weasel tried its best to dash away from the attack, weaving throughout the arena, but despite its efforts it couldn’t avoid the champions ace attack.

“Thanks Tachi, I owe you.” He recalled the Weavile and took a moment between changing Pokémon to fasten on his signature headband.

Last one… it’s just you and me Windie. Let’s do this!!!

From the instant the premier ball escaped Acacia’s fingertips, he and Windie had already begun fueling their link and his signature Pokémon emerged into the field consumed in a cloak of golden and white flames.

Get ready bud, what’s Charizard shrinks we’ll strike with thunder fang!

 

[kyuukestu]

Esther

June 15 – Motostoke Stadium, Galar​

Weather: Sandstorm, 2 Turns Left​

Terrain: Psychic, 8 Turns left​

Other Effect: Wildfire, 3 Turns​

Esther leaned over the railing; her nose squished against the psychic barrier that protected the audience; Pyrrha was equally squished and together their squinty eyes tried to pierce the veil: the raging sandstorm, the raging flames, the powdered debris, the arboreal gleam of the terrain—it was all so much! While Charizard—on account of being massive—could easily be spotted from the stands, the comparatively tiny Weavile was much harder to keep track of.

Whatever had happened, it must’ve taken out Weavile since Acacia sent out another Pokémon soon after. She recognized this Pokémon but had never gotten a chance to see what it could do.

Esther’s eyes flicked back to Leon’s side of things, where the still airborne Charizard was faltering...no, falling asleep!? In the middle of battle!?

“This is it, Yawn has taken effect and Charizard has fallen asleep!”

The announcer proved most informative, but straights seemed dire for Leon. Now asleep, Charizard began to plummet from the sky, and—as if to make things worse—it was now shrinking! “What sinister timing! Dynamax has also reached its limit!”

Before Charizard could impact the ground in what would’ve surely been a devastating drop, the flash of a recall saved it. Leon was using his switch. The champion’s next Pokémon came out to the tune of a command—“Psychic Terrain and keep your distance!”

Esther's attention drifted to the newly fielded Pokémon...she didn’t know what it was, but as it danced an ephemeral mist began to shroud the battlefield.

 

[Mango137]

Figures… what a drag

Acacia shrugged at the psychic terrain, after opponents had recognized extreme speed as his best move it became rather typical for them to try to nullify it.

For now let’s dig to get out of the sand and let the field do some damage. That wildfire might still be of some use to us.

Without a word being uttered, the arcanine disappeared below the earth, providing a safe haven while the blazing flames and surging sands would take their toll on Mr. Rime.

Burrow a ring around the edge of the crater.

 

[kyuukestu]

June 15 – Motostoke Stadium, Galar

Weather: Sandstorm, 1 Turns Left​

Terrain: Psychic Terrain, 7 Turns Left​

Other Effect: 3 move​

Learning from the earlier bout against Weavile, Leon decided to take a more cautious approach.

“Let’s get some height, stack the debris with Psychic and prepare yourself!”

The psychic field surged, adding Mr. Rime’s efforts as it swiftly created a tower of debris and positioned itself on top. With its lookout tower built, it had a vantage point to guard against an underground attack and counterattack or escape with another Psychic.

 

[Mango137]

Once a ring had been established around the perimeter of the crater, Acacia was free to move forward into the second part of his plan. Leon’s strategy to build Mr. Rime a watchtower only proved to make it an easier target from Windie, previously Acacia had trouble keeping an eye on the Pokémon amongst the sand and flames, but now it stood out in a much more convenient way.

Fire Blast!

Through the various hindrances that clouded the field, a burst of fire erupted from the ground and flew towards the comedian pokemon, but it wouldn’t be the only attack. Having created a ring safe from the psychic terrain, Windie was free to use extreme speed as it pleased. Borrowing from Acacia’s visuals, Windie darted around the perimeter and would stick his jaw out through holes just barely larger than his snout and began to pepper Mr. Rime with a barrage of fire blasts from every direction.